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