Rule Britannia

I couldn't be more gutted over the postponement of Haye-Fury that was supposed to happen this weekend. Instead, I was forced to watch Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in yet another fiasco match up. This was exactly the type of cruel punishment I was hoping to avoid. In any case, February 8th can't come soon enough. I just hope there are no "toe" excuses this time.

Bullshit and More Bullshit

I complain about the lack of overall entertainment in Israel a lot. Quite a lot, in fact. In particular all too often about how crappy our cable companies are compared to things in the states or the UK. You might find yourself seeing the same B-movies played over and over on Hot Action or Yes, for example. Over time it's something you get used to, and now I've even come to taking some guilty pleasure out of it. When you don't have a choice, you somehow build a high tolerance for the best of Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme, and still find a way to laugh.

One thing we do right, however, is news. When it comes to 24 hour international news channels, Israel has it on lock. That means though, along with quality and sophisticated outlets like BBC World and France 24, it also means having to put up with the sensationalist nonsense of stations like MSNBC and Fox News. That is nothing though compared to the outright propaganda and lies of channels like Russia Today, the Russian government's baby that seems to have been dropped on its head right upon birth. I realized a long time ago that RT was not a legitimate news outlet, but it seems that with each new day, they're going out and setting new lows for themselves.

From openly supporting anything related to President Putin, including the Russian government's recent anti-gay measures, to all but endorsing the most extreme and outlandish conspiracy theories, RT is constantly proving to be a caricature of itself. Look no further than this most recent example. It's practically a modern day version of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, filled with every single anti-Semitic canard and stereotype known in existence. So yes, this is in fact how they do things over at Russia Today. Create a segment, fill it with lies and add in some radical guests and you get what passes for news coverage. Thankfully, none of us are buying it.

Salute

"A girl soldier in the IDF". Circa 1964.

Soerenskaeg. Flickr.

London Fog

January 1936. Central London.

 December 1935: Temple. Buzzfeed.

Williamsburg to Florentin

It's not everyday that up and coming bands from North America and Europe make it all the way out to Israel. This is something you weren't able to say a few years ago when things were a bit different and many new and established acts added a stop in Tel Aviv to their international tours quite often. Bands like Blonde Redhead, The Fall, Art Brut, and none other than Morrissey, all brought serious energy to put on some memorable performances for us desperate music fiends in the White City. Thankfully, things are starting to pick up again.

It's not a knock on all of the great DJs who come and play the pulsating and sweat filled clubs of this town deep into the early morning hours each weekend, however, there's nothing like seeing live musicians perform. In terms of energy and emotion, I don't think you can even compare the two. Seeing artists playing their hearts out and connecting with the audience is something that just can't be replicated in a club. When I found out a few months ago that Beach Fossils, one of my favorite bands, would be playing right in the neighborhood, I practically couldn't contain myself.

Mickrobi

In keeping with tradition, as is custom at each show at the Barby, Beach Fossils brought it to the fullest. Stage diving, crowd surfing, high decimal levels. It was all there. 

I can get down with this.

Battle Without End

After three days of terror, I can only hope that a swift and just conclusion to the crisis in Nairobi is in the works. The confirmation of Israeli advisors and the speculation of Israeli special forces being involved in helping end the siege by Al Shabab terrorists at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The Westgate is not only under Israeli ownership, but is also home to popular Israeli businesses such as Artcaffe, which you can find in almost any major Israeli town or city under its domestic name, Arcaffe. As any upscale, Western oriented commercial area in the midst of the developing world, it is easily apparent as to why it would be a prime target for Islamist extremists. It is important to note as well,  the history of attacks in Kenya against Israeli targets. The most prime examples being the bombing of an Israeli owned hotel in Mombasa and the attempt to shoot down an Arkia charter plane upon take off in 2002. These are just a few more reason to understand the Israeli connection in this tragedy. 

On a personal side note, it makes me extremely proud to see our country coming to help in any way possible, not just due to our own association to the crisis, but more importantly out of the basic foundation of brotherhood and solidarity in the fight against global terror.

Alleged security camera footage of the terrorists

My most sincere thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, and to all Kenyan forces and international groups aiding in bringing such terrible violence to an end.

Westgate Mall. Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters

Grand Theft Mindset

In all truth, my days as an active gamer have long come and passed. However, hearing just recently that there was a new Grand Theft Auto installment ready to be released, my interested piqued just a bit. Maybe this is a sign that I'm on my way to getting older and therefore out of touch with the kids these days, but my initial impression was a mixture of fascination coupled with a feeling of pretty intense disgust. This is especially true after having watched the official trailer for Grand Theft Auto V. While I definitely consider myself to have a high tolerance for the extreme, and not one to look away from the harshest things society has to offer, too many things about this latest version of the franchise are just leaving me shaking my head. The chirpy, casual, and incredibly detached tone of the female narrator in the overly hyped up trailer, and the way all forms of senseless violence are completely glamorized is something I just can't get down with.

It just so happens that as we speak, updates are coming across the news about a shocking and completely brazen attack by terrorist gunmen on a shopping mall in Kenya. According to reports, Islamist gunmen deliberately targeted civilians and singled out non-Muslims to be shot. So far twenty two innocent people have been confirmed killed. While this is a far cry from the pure fictional criminality present in games like Grand Theft Auto, the basic foundation of sheer violence is all the same. Rockstar games may have succeeded in creating a flawless masterpiece of entertainment once again that celebrates the type of sex, money and violence that appeals to the masses all over and oozes pure capitalism. However, glorification can only take you so far, and as much as I remember spending hours on end playing Vice City and San Andreas and loving it, I'm ok with sitting this one out.

Maryland Pride

I thought the University of Oregon took the cake when it came to over the top college football uniforms, but it looks like the Terps are giving them a serious run for their money with these new threads.

Bleacher Report

Yid Army Forever

As Anshel Pfeffer stated, when a team with a wide Jewish fan base and prominent business people among its executives proudly call themselves Yids, there it's fairly obvious that there is nothing anti-Semitic about it. And with David Cameron coming to our aide and taking our side, I think the conclusions are more than obvious.

ESPN

RM

The world really is a paradoxical place. Gareth Bale is all of a sudden in La Liga, and now I'm finding myself pulling for Real Madrid. Ronaldo is still scoring goals like this too.

Just This

Courtesy of Hannah Lucinda Smith, who happens to be one of the most talented independent journalists working in the Middle East. Her reporting from the ground in Syria and Lebanon and beyond is about as top notch and informative as it gets. This is from her excellent blog.

A LEBANESE DICKHEAD TAKING HIS LION FOR A WALK

A fellow cat lover in Lebanon showed me these photos he took of a dickhead taking his pet lion for a walk in downtown Beirut:

Apparently exotic pets – and big cats in particular – are the latest status symbols for people who have far too much money in Lebanon. This guy obviously thought he was going to impress some ladies by taking his lion for a walk. His cool has been rather undermined, however, by the fact that is is him who is being taken for a walk by the lion rather than the other way round. Also, the lion quite clearly wants to fuck him over.

If he really wanted to look smooth with his lion, he should have taken some tips from these guys. They bought their lion cub from Harrods in the 1970s. Still wrong on so many levels, but at least they’re pulling off the look.

i

In the end the guy in Beirut realised that it was only a matter of time before his pet mauled him to death, and he gave it to an animal charity who have rehomed it in South Africa.

Now, however, he’s apparently got himself a tiger cub.

What a dickhead.

Sealed

Yom Kippur is almost upon us, it almost always boggles my mind how quickly the entire country can just shut down in a matter of hours. With that comes the reminder, as always, the need to be prepared at any moment. The fact that this year is the 40th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War is all the more proof that even as the times change, the need for constant vigilance can never waver.

במחנה

במחנה

במחנה

I love this. Dedicated Jobnikim of the Kirya striking their best pose outside the Azrieli Center.

45 Years of Unified Jerusalem. Profile 64 FB.

Sorry, Israelis

As the high holidays are upon us, the flood of Israeli tourists is once again reaching pitch levels all across the world. According to many people though, this is not exactly an occasion to celebrate. With each individual trip abroad, our reputation seems to take another hit. And it has little to do with anti-Semitism or Israeli government policy. The majority of the blame lies squarely at the foot of the average Israeli, who no matter what just can't seem to shake their brutish and crass ways. Things apparently have gotten so bad that the Israeli Goodwill Ambassadors Association had to take it upon themselves to initiate an aggressive PR campaign to get the point across to our fellow citizens that their behavior abroad can no longer be tolerated.

I'll be the first to say, that even as someone who doesn't identify as a true Israeli, nonetheless, on paper I am, and I still care about the people here, and just as equally about our reputation. As funny as a lot of these ads are, the root of the problem isn't too humorous. If we're going to claim to be cultured and enlightened, it's about time we join the rest of the civilized world and act like it.

"There are enough animals in the world, don't become one of them"

Simply way overdue.

שנה טובה ומתוקה לכולם!

An international Shana Tova from the IDF.

#COYS

N17 to NYC.

פרופיל 64

Despite spending more than enough time in front of the tv usually glued to the news or whatever sporting event might be on, it's become rather rare that I find myself actually sitting down and watching shows on the tube, with a few guilty exceptions that I'm too embarrassed to admit.

Last night though, somewhere in between serious programming about events in Syria, I happened to stumble up upon a little gem on Channel 10 that was seemingly thrown on right after prime time, quite under the radar. To anyone who has served in the IDF in any capacity, from combat soldiers to rear service personnel, Lohamim to Jobnikim, no matter what you did in the army, there is no chance of not laughing after just seeing a few minutes of Profile 64. The origin of the show's title, Profile 64, just happens to be the level of IDF medical profile assigned where one is deemed completely unfit for combat service. It couldn't be any more fitting.

פרופיל 64 FB

The basic premise of the show is about an officer in a combat unit, who after a series of operational mistakes in the field gets himself demoted and is forced to lead a misfit group of spoiled and lazy "Jobnikim" in an intelligence unit. Every stereotype in the IDF is brought to the surface and poked fun at in each episode, and it's pretty damn funny. Even though the show is in Hebrew, you don't have to know the language to pretty much get it.

Profile 64. Episode 1.

In case you were wondering where The Economist stands on Syria.

As much as I love the new Spurs signings, I'm going to really miss seeing Bale at the Lane.