tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134823172011-10-31T15:07:24.658+02:00As we say in this neck of the desert, life is something something...Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.comBlogger2661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-74654937401631370722007-12-31T22:41:00.000+02:002007-12-31T22:53:27.606+02:00

Greetings to all, and Happy New Year! Traditionally, the passing from one year into another has been a time for resolutions, a time for change. As such, I've decided to make a big change. This is (probably) the last post you'll see in this space. I've decided to move the blog to a new platform and give it a whole new look. All posts (except for this one) and comments have been imported to the new

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-9595530151998369322007-12-27T11:37:00.000+02:002007-12-28T13:10:35.552+02:00

Tears of laughter came pouring down my face in torrents when I saw the clip below, performed by American stand-up comedian Jeff Dunham, so I just had to share. Try not to eat or drink while watching...

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-76448123126292691552007-12-25T15:55:00.000+02:002007-12-25T15:59:15.324+02:00

I once told an Israeli friend of mine who relocated to the US about some of the Jewish traditions that I grew up with, and he later admitted to me that there was one he hadn't quite believed, until he saw it for himself.So, what will you be eating on Christmas Day?

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-914140015429339702007-12-23T13:05:00.001+02:002007-12-23T19:12:07.405+02:00

Life wasn't easy when I first went off to college in Boston. I had just spent a year abroad in Israel and, having already gotten used to living away from home without having my parents around, I found it more than a little disconcerting to find myself surrounded by people undergoing a rite of passage that I had gone through one year previously, in a foreign country, no less. It probably didn't

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-76605888053378353722007-12-13T17:46:00.001+02:002007-12-13T20:14:53.936+02:00

While both the mainstream media and the blogosphere have been buzzing about the interrogation of three Israeli journalists following visits to countries defined by Israel as being "enemy" countries, I have remained silent. I chose to remain silent, as anyone who reads this blog is aware of my close friendship with one of them, and while she is certainly aware of my unwavering support, I wasn't

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-65099353972280648742007-12-09T18:00:00.001+02:002007-12-09T21:14:55.259+02:00

In the middle of last week, I went from being closer to 39 years of age to closer to 40 years of age, and while I no longer get excited about the half-birthday (and haven't in a very long time), these mini-stones do get me thinking about the past, and make me wonder what the future has in store for me. As people get older, memories from years long gone by become dearer, and frankly, despite the

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-1930557782880152452007-12-05T18:12:00.001+02:002007-12-05T18:23:23.478+02:00

I was very skeptical about last week's Annapolis conference. I didn't expect anything to come out of it, and I was rather dubious with regard to some of the participants (and clearly I had good reason to be, as Allison points out here). In his severely weakened state, Ehud Olmert was forced by various members of his coalition to water down his declared goals until almost nothing was left. Dogged

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-42780349783637490042007-12-04T16:23:00.001+02:002007-12-04T16:37:14.950+02:00

Chanukah – the festival of lights, begins this evening at sundown. At work, we had a company candle lighting ceremony, where I managed to scarf down an outstanding, obscenely calorie-ridden sufganiya filled with caramel, while at the same time explaining the holiday and the ceremony to a visiting colleague from Korea (who was already acquainted with said sufganiya, following a trip last week to

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-68762195539020747212007-11-30T10:20:00.000+02:002007-11-30T11:16:21.746+02:00

One of my favorite bloggers (not to mention one of my closest friends) has made me a promise. Lisa is a finalist in the "Best Non-Muslim Blog" category in the Brass Crescent Awards (which she won last year). The organizers write that "Past winner Lisa Goldman's posts about encounters with Palestinians, Lebanese, and other members of the Arab world "are always excellent," and frankly, I'm inclined

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-86969116331957773212007-11-25T17:18:00.000+02:002007-11-25T17:37:21.168+02:00

Boys, consider yourselves warned. This week’s entry is for the girls…Ok, ladies, please raise your hands if you didn’t fantasize about replacing Jennifer Grey in the movie Dirty Dancing, especially during those scenes when Patrick Swayze was teaching her how to dance. Just as I expected. I don’t see any hands raised. Not a one. Well, obviously. We all wanted to be the one who “carried a

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-77694880315228115582007-11-19T15:00:00.001+02:002007-11-19T17:45:48.840+02:00

Given that my best friend lives in Norway, I have, over the years, developed something of an affinity for various aspects of life in this bastion of blondness (labor unions that boycott Israel and Jostein Gaarder not withstanding, of course). I am rather fond of Norwegian brown cheese, otherwise known as Gjetost (which I can indeed pronounce, thank you very much), Norwegian salmon makes my mouth

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-87695408410702555852007-11-18T16:58:00.000+02:002007-11-18T18:06:26.156+02:00

What do you get when you combine a restaurant-owner from Happy Days with a young cousin from Eight is Enough? If you guessed three Karate Kid movies, you'd be spot on. In one of the most successful movie series of the 80s, we were repeatedly brought back to the theaters to watch Pat Morita, who played Arnold on Happy Days, and Ralph Macchio, who played cousin Jeremy during the later years on

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-64820939485698877612007-11-15T15:20:00.001+02:002007-11-15T15:23:04.211+02:00

I'm not much of a cook. While you certainly won't starve in my home (and you probably won't even suffer), the chances of me having my own cooking show are about the same as being sought after by the folks over at Iron Chef. The Husband is the true cook in our house; he's the one who has the natural cooking talent, the one who can (usually) throw a bunch of ingredients together and come up with

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-26102963828400749762007-11-11T15:16:00.000+02:002007-11-11T17:49:46.646+02:00

As a seriously angst-ridden teenager, I spent a great deal of time dwelling on my feelings and thinking about my relationships with others. This manifested itself in a variety of ways – I can remember spending hours in the greeting card aisle at the local pharmacy, browsing through all the Susan Polis Schutz cards, looking for sentiments that matched my own, or, if I had time, turning the pages

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-10710711927200460112007-11-05T12:11:00.000+02:002007-11-05T14:15:03.056+02:00

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved to read. Growing up, it was not uncommon for me to be working on two books at once, and even today I often keep one book in my bag and another in the bathroom (yes, I admit it – I keep reading material in the bathroom. What can I say – I bore easily...). Even now, as I sit here on the train writing this, my mind keeps wandering to the Bill Bryson

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-19274875297198610872007-10-30T13:29:00.000+02:002007-10-30T13:41:52.214+02:00

Approximately eleven years ago, my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Unnerving to be sure, but given that Dad is a "cup is half full" kind of guy, he approached the situation with his usual happy go lucky optimism. My mother, on the other hand, while not exactly a "cup is half empty" sort (more of a "cup is half full, but lets keep an eye open for cracks and chips just in case" gal),

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-84577658923523358692007-10-28T11:25:00.000+02:002007-10-28T11:41:33.619+02:00

While in Israel during the winter of 1991, two friends and I decided to go to Cairo. Once we'd gotten all of the required bureaucracy out of the way, the trip involved a very long, tedious bus ride from Tel Aviv, through the Rafah crossing (more about that later, but keep in mind that the crossing was administered at the time by Israel and Egypt, prior to the establishment of the Palestinian

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-77035503164130641432007-10-23T10:35:00.000+02:002007-10-23T10:42:35.960+02:00

I guess you've all realized by now that I'm on something of a break. I hadn't planned it, but my mind has been feeling rather dry and empty lately, and I can't seem to summon up the energy to blog the way I'd like to. Hopefully, things will return to normal shortly. In the meantime, you can find me over at Israelity today and Thursday, so please feel free to pop on over and check it out.

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-71881179300281066522007-10-14T12:53:00.000+02:002007-10-14T13:03:12.836+02:00

In the grand scheme of things, I've come to the conclusion that I'm a bit weird when it comes to remembering inane bits of trivia and assorted episodes from my past. I remember people much better than they remember me, and it can be rather alarming when I can spew the most minute, trivial details about past encounters when the person in question doesn't even remember my name. I've got a

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-56929013255912400262007-10-12T11:35:00.000+02:002007-10-12T11:38:07.663+02:00

Greetings and salutations, my trusted readers. As many of you know, I've begun writing for the Diplomatic Post which, unfortunately, is not online at this stage. Since a few of you have been clamoring to see my columns, I received the approval of my editor to post them here. The column below appeared in the second issue of the magazine, which was distributed on August 31st (to Jerusalem Post

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-87776369429337770262007-10-07T12:42:00.000+02:002007-10-07T12:50:03.237+02:00

One day last week I had the distinct pleasure of having lunch with Benji at a small resto near my office. Over humus and salad, we discussed a variety of subjects – work, living in Israel, bloggers and blogging, writing, and so on. One of the main topics of conversation, however, was summer camp. Benji recently returned to Israel after spending his summer working at our old summer camp, and I was

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-20693093730822555542007-10-02T10:01:00.000+02:002007-10-02T10:56:18.240+02:00

A constant source of interest among bloggers is visitor statistics. We like to know who are readers are, where they're from, and how they found us. In my case, many of my visitors find me while performing a Google search for one term or another. Sometimes the search terms are unusual (I had a hit for "underwear parade" earlier today), and many border on lewd or even outright perverse in nature.

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-25881831456890143942007-09-30T12:34:00.000+02:002007-09-30T12:58:21.655+02:00

Ever gone on a date with someone while your leg was in a cast? I have. As I've mentioned before, I managed to break my leg only several weeks after arriving in Israel at age 18. During the weeks prior to my little mishap, a few friends and I met a group of young men at a (long-defunct) pub in Jerusalem. One of my friends immediately hooked up with one of the young men (immediately being an

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-30894583267012329412007-09-25T17:21:00.000+02:002007-09-25T18:09:39.490+02:00

Sorry for the silence lately. Life has been hectic, and I haven't really had the time or energy to concentrate on blogging. I've also realized that the focus has changed around here, and I'm not packing quite the punch that I used to. I've been feeling rather frustrated and dissatisfied, and generally too annoyed with the state of the world to actually write about it. It's hard to write

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-84344683125080701072007-09-18T15:18:00.000+02:002007-09-18T19:01:23.762+02:00

Living in Israel for sixteen years means that I don't often pay attention to those "only in Israel" moments anymore, and events that may strike a new immigrant as unusual are no longer something out of the ordinary. The times when I'd wake up and go through my days being conscious of the fact that I was in a "foreign" country are long gone, and while I still mutter and mumble about some of the

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-51997191576738483242007-09-16T12:25:00.000+02:002007-09-16T12:45:29.354+02:00

We took a lot of family vacations while my brother and I were growing up. Sometimes, these getaways were relatively close to home (such as the one at Golden Acres Farm and Ranch, where my parents received special permission for me to join the hotel day camp's boys group instead of the girls group because the boys did fun stuff like dodge ball while the girls group took nature walks to pick

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-17531985811002692702007-09-12T09:25:00.000+03:002007-09-12T09:50:54.192+03:00

There's something about the holiday season in Israel that makes me realize that there's no place I'd rather be at this time of the year. In some respects, it reminds me of the Christmas season in the US. The excitement and anticipation in the air are palpable, and talk inevitably turns to holiday plans. Strangers smile at one another and exchange holiday greetings as everyone gears up for the

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-61563460455513785642007-09-11T13:31:00.000+03:002007-09-11T14:25:31.829+03:00

As you've probably guessed by now, my sense of humor is often rather quirky and off-beat. I appreciate intelligent, wry commentary, and would be lying if I didn't say that one of my favorite pastimes is exchanging clever, witty banter with friends online, either via email or using any one of my growing collection of chat applications. The writer in me enjoys using words this way, and I find

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-50850468054275008902007-09-10T11:25:00.000+03:002007-09-10T11:25:55.754+03:00

So yes, it's true. We've survived another visit from the parents. We survived the inevitable, disgusting heat that summer in Israel brings, and for the most part, we did our best to stay away from the blistering sun. We played tourist and tour guide, and somehow, despite the fact that they've been to visit us nearly every year for the past 16 years (have I really been living here for 16 years?

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-90401113359248600912007-09-09T12:04:00.000+03:002007-09-09T12:12:34.315+03:00

Growing up in the 1980s, I'd never heard the term "hip hop", and "rap" was a fairly new phenomenon; at least it was for me. In my high school, we had students who did their best to emulate the "white-gloved one" by moonwalking, and we were all trying (and mostly failing, with few exceptions) to breakdance. Living in suburbia, our music of choice tended to be new wave, with some daring to go "punk

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-54631251469264571972007-09-07T09:20:00.000+03:002007-09-07T10:07:09.444+03:00

After graduating from college, I travelled to Israel for what was supposed to be ten-months. Four months on, I met the Husband. Once my ten-month program was complete, I opted to stay for the summer, and we moved in together. Towards the end of the summer, when we were discussing my immediate plans, I remarked that if we could get a puppy, I'd stay. Fifteen years later, I'm still here, but sadly,

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-64863300436282762702007-09-02T11:18:00.000+03:002007-09-03T09:22:48.158+03:00

There's one band out there that can put me in a good mood more than any other group or solo artist. When depressed, I often put on one of their CDs (or cassettes) at high volume, and the music almost never fails to bring a smile to my face. If I've got a stack of dishes to wash or have to do some cleaning around the house, I know that I can do it faster if I'm singing along to this group.The

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-29667020960519813652007-08-27T15:52:00.000+03:002007-08-27T17:04:06.072+03:00

Well hey there everyone. I didn't mean to pull a runner yesterday, but life has been totally hectic with my parents here, unexpected deadlines at work and so on. We've been running around the country, hitting such spots as the Sanhedrin burial caves at Beit Shearim, the old city in Acco, the Neve Tzedek neighborhood and Jerusalem. I'll write a more extensive post with photos after they leave

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-61052635844663609052007-08-20T16:17:00.000+03:002007-08-20T16:23:46.346+03:00

To the well-spoken anonymous commenter who left the most recent anonymous comment regarding the "Diplomatic Post" magazine, please contact me offline ASAP using the email address I've given in the "Send me an email" link. My editor would very much like to publish your comment as a "Letter to the Editor" (as he indicated below your comment), but he cannot do so as long as you remain anonymous.

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-37559377269444879832007-08-19T12:55:00.000+03:002007-08-19T12:59:36.888+03:00

While I've always enjoyed their music, for some reason, I never found myself mooning over Duran Duran the way that so many other females of my generation did back in the 80s. I suppose I liked their songs, but never felt the need to purchase their albums or buy tickets to their concerts. I wasn't drawn to them like I was drawn to so many other artists of the time, and I really can't put my finger

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-90794721980879966922007-08-19T09:34:00.000+03:002007-08-19T11:57:48.192+03:00

Life is hectic hectic hectic these days. While trying to meet my deadlines for the next edition of the Diplomatic Post, I've also been blogging over at Israelity, getting work done at the day job, trying to clean up the house in prior to my parents' arrival last Thursday afternoon and fighting off a stomach virus. I was supposed to attend what promised to be an interesting meeting last Wednesday,

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-88625632394806190822007-08-12T11:51:00.000+03:002007-08-12T12:04:40.748+03:00

I don't even remember his name anymore, but for a while, he was one of my pen pals. Back in the 70s and 80s, it was very much the in thing in certain crowds to have pen pals, whose names you received via a variety of organizations created especially to facilitate such cross-cultural connections. I filled out the forms, stating my interests and hobbies with care, and was shortly rewarded by my

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-36178244752991718802007-08-08T13:46:00.000+03:002007-08-08T13:52:11.139+03:00

On July 31st, those of you who acquired the print version of the Jerusalem Post may have received a copy of a brand new magazine – The Diplomatic Post. As a writer, I happen to think it's rather interesting when something new hits the newsstands, and indeed, I enjoy hearing about all of the wildly different publications that are out there, allowing me to muse over the various (and often unusual)

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-30865488292701295122007-08-05T11:55:00.000+03:002007-08-05T12:13:36.661+03:00

While growing up, my family always seemed to be a bit behind in the technology game. In our house, phrases like "Now in living color", or "Now in technicolor" meant nothing, as we were the last family on the block to get a color television (and don't even get me started on the lack of a remote control). We were also the last family to get cable television (remember the cable box that sat on top

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-35868279199662828812007-07-31T10:45:00.000+03:002007-07-31T10:54:43.961+03:00

Life has been rather hectic in something something world, lately, hence the lack of blog entries. The Little One has been sick on and off for the past week, beginning with a throat infection last week and ending in a rash and swelling that was serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital yesterday evening, at his doctor's suggestion. According to the Husband, he's already looking better this

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-3084421852293350012007-07-29T10:08:00.000+03:002007-07-29T10:23:56.187+03:00

As distinctive as the sounds of the 80s were, the fashions and styles were no less memorable. Who can forget the white stripe painted across Adam Ant's nose, Michael Jackson's ever-present white glove (surgical, to be used in little boy emergencies, no doubt), Madonna's, ummm, well, everything (and yes, for those of you in the younger crowd, she has indeed been around that long)? Big hair was

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-75975416129132122102007-07-23T12:58:00.000+03:002007-07-23T13:41:17.540+03:00

Despite what some would have you believe, it is a sad truth that the Israeli Arab sector of our society is often marginalized and discriminated against, whether it be the poor quality infrastructure of the Arab towns and villages (not to mention the bureaucratic obstacles involved in making improvements, receiving permits to build new homes and meet the needs of natural growth in existing areas)

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-31780360508150139662007-07-22T12:37:00.000+03:002007-07-22T12:52:54.264+03:00

I have friends around the same age as me who grew up in Europe while I was growing up in the US, and it's interesting to note that while musical trends on both sides of the Atlantic were very similar, there were certainly differences in the way that these trends played out. Whenever I take one of those inane little music trivia quizzes, I know for a fact that I'll probably score much lower if the

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-63392188374067461912007-07-19T14:23:00.000+03:002007-07-19T14:38:41.150+03:00

The Little One turned three a few months ago, and our lives have turned into a live version of Toy Story. While taking the dog for a walk, he spends enormous amounts of time switching his "laser" from "stun" to "kill" (while perfecting his Buzz Lightyear stare - see the picture below - and yes, he really does try to make that face!), and he can often be found running around, pushing the "button"

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-672918927472572062007-07-19T12:10:00.000+03:002007-07-19T15:09:21.159+03:00

Dear Mr Eini,First of all, I would like to say that I can, perhaps, understand why you feel the need to launch a public sector strike. It is indeed unfortunate that workers in the public sector are once again getting screwed by the government, and while these strikes drastically affect the daily lives of all citizens, I understand your frustration, not to mention your desire to show the

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-89402165942726880902007-07-18T13:50:00.000+03:002007-07-18T13:55:21.452+03:00

Neve Shalom ~ Wahat al-Salam (in English, Oasis of Peace) made headlines last year when former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters performed there. This unique cooperative village was founded jointly by Jewish and Arab Israelis in an attempt to show that the two peoples can live side by side peacefully, as well as to conduct educational work for peace, equality and understanding between the two

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-82969040352909954072007-07-15T12:05:00.000+03:002007-07-15T12:10:11.423+03:00

As you've all figured out by now, I went to high school back in the 80s. I was your average, angst-ridden teenager, and while I was able to get along with virtually everyone, my utter lack of self-confidence (and for those of you who actually know me in person, if you think I'm lacking in self-confidence now, you should have seen me then...) and limited knowledge of all that was cool always left

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-34344310943961687352007-07-14T13:44:00.000+03:002007-07-14T16:20:59.200+03:00

As promised in this post, here is the translated version of the article I wrote for Nana last week. I've tried to maintain the structure and links used in the Hebrew version, and I've made only one change to the content, in order to include a mention of Lisa Goldman's recent trips to Beirut, which could not be included at the time when the original article was published (who says I can't keep a

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-58553262177410151622007-07-13T17:17:00.000+03:002007-07-14T14:05:31.031+03:00

Life in Israel and Lebanon was irrevocably altered exactly one year ago. Illusions of calm were shattered and dreams lay torn, ripped apart by powers beyond our control. Physical recovery from the war has been difficult, harder in some places than in others. Emotional recovery has been equally fraught, as people attempt to gather the shards of broken lives and broken relationships, with some

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-48056170546345530572007-07-12T15:50:00.000+03:002007-07-12T15:58:23.676+03:00

Tuesday afternoon, my officemate mentioned that she'd just read about a minor altercation in the Knesset, where one individual had struck another one. "Interesting", I thought. I had always wondered when our politicians would cross the line from verbal blows to physical ones, and clearly it had happened. My officemate wasn't sure which individuals had been involved, and I really didn't give much

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-54347834518291656042007-07-12T12:39:00.000+03:002007-07-12T12:42:48.913+03:00

If the following news flash is true, then it's no wonder our region is in such bad shape...09:19World Bank: Israel first in Middle East in battling corruption (Haaretz)Read the full story here.

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-51343946874723748552007-07-10T13:11:00.000+03:002007-07-10T13:16:18.522+03:00

For those of you who read Hebrew (and especially for those of you who can read it AND understand it), the post that I wrote here has been edited, rewritten, and translated, and can now be found here on the Nana website. I'll put up the final English version soon...

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-41988665777610560252007-07-09T13:36:00.000+03:002007-07-09T13:47:41.406+03:00

Guess who's finally gotten her act together and started writing a blog? Woohoo! It's about time that everybody's favorite insightful commenter has set up a place of her own. No matter who the blogger is, I've always been impressed by the well-thought-out, detailed comments she leaves, and by her ability to remain calm even in the heat of battle. Oh, and did I mention that she's become a friend as

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-17090439210404515462007-07-08T10:18:00.000+03:002007-07-08T10:27:00.391+03:00

When I was pregnant with our first son, at a time when I believed that we had cleared the hurdles of our previous pregnancies and had finally broken our curse of bad luck, a friend mentioned that sometimes, once that stage of pregnancy was reached, if I laughed or coughed, I might, well, to put it bluntly, leak a little. I filed that bit of information away for safe keeping, and soldiered on. One

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-48858802934077680992007-07-05T12:19:00.000+03:002007-07-05T12:29:23.749+03:00

It can often be said that the fragments of Israeli society come together in times of great joy or great sorrow. These days, Israelis are coming together in disbelief, utter disbelief over the plea bargain agreement presented to the public by Attorney General Menahem Mazuz. I'm not going to rehash the gory details (which can be found here), but I will mention some of the more salient bits. All

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-6358430646120593092007-07-03T09:45:00.000+03:002007-07-04T10:10:14.491+03:00

A rather interesting article (entitled "We are All Behemoths") was published on Israel's Nana internet portal last Friday. The article, written in Hebrew, purported to provide an overview of the English-language blogosphere in Israel, with one of the more salient points being that as English-language blogs, the bloggers who write them are, in essence offering a skewed view of Israelis and life in

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-73222396554788726342007-07-01T11:56:00.000+03:002007-07-01T12:27:30.669+03:00

I've always loved songs from the fifties. I know all the words to songs such as Bobby Darin's 1959 hit "Mack the Knife", Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" (though admittedly, that's thanks to "Happy Days" more than anything else - but hey! Check out Dick Clark in this clip!), and "That'll Be the Day", by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Who can forget "Come Go with Me" by the Del Vikings", or "

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-45174051972096130692007-06-28T14:47:00.000+03:002007-06-28T14:54:15.708+03:00

Last Saturday afternoon, following a tiring-yet-fulfilling day of wandering around fortresses and waterfalls in the North, I suddenly found myself feeling envious of my blogging pal Benji. Why was I harboring such feelings towards such an upstanding fellow, you ask? Okay. Picture this scene in your mind. You're sitting in the car with your loved ones, heading home from an excursion chock-full of

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-79207754019722037792007-06-24T12:17:00.000+03:002007-06-24T12:23:15.562+03:00

As you have probably gathered by now, I'm a news junkie. It started in my teenage years, when a young Israeli woman (with whom I am still friends) from the town of Arad came to stay with our family for three weeks in the framework of a student exchange. I'll never forget how impressed I was that this 15 year-old Israeli was discussing politics and current events with my father, in English no less

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-26631544254382871112007-06-21T11:28:00.000+03:002007-06-21T11:38:24.867+03:00

Little One: Mommy, what you doing?Mommy: Going to the bathroom, sweetie.Little One: I want to see!Mommy: You can't right now, sweetie.Little One: Why? Is your tushy too big?

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-50786751383985573462007-06-21T10:12:00.000+03:002007-06-21T10:41:17.467+03:00

I've been at my current job for 20 months now, lugging my beloved laptop back and forth everyday, often using my train time as writing time. I'm not a big laptop expert, and am quite happy with my work-provided Dell (though I'm desperately in need of a new battery, which I keep forgetting to remind out IT guys about...). What I'm not happy about is the work-provided Dell laptop bag, which is big,

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-72626961394582688562007-06-18T11:18:00.000+03:002007-06-18T11:23:14.812+03:00

Not too long ago, I wrote this post, asking for prayers for a very sick little boy. Sadly, he lost his struggle yesterday afternoon. It is simply incomprehensible to fathom the pain of losing a child, and only a parent who has already been there can understand the sheer magnitude of the hurt. Losing a child who has been ill often provokes mixed feelings. I can remember when we lost our first

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-13109509018510564942007-06-17T11:20:00.000+03:002007-06-18T09:26:35.606+03:00

I've decided to do something a little different with this week's 80s Music Video Sunday, which is certainly my prerogative, given that I'm the owner of the joint. I've been tagged by Life Out East (who is now back in the UK) to do a meme about music, and thinking about it, I realized that I could use the meme as a tie-in to 80s Music Video Sunday. As usual, scintillating commentary will be added

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-10519686622629776572007-06-14T10:24:00.000+03:002007-06-14T12:34:56.513+03:00

It all began two years ago today with this post, after my former blogging partner convinced me that I needed to start blogging again, following an approximately year-long hiatus brought on by my general inability to get my shit together multi-task on a grand level after the Little One was born. He even agreed to be my partner in crime, figuring that between the two of us, we would certainly be

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-55294625608498413202007-06-13T15:08:00.000+03:002007-06-13T15:43:39.579+03:00

Well, it's now official. Amir Peretz, aka "The Mustache" is gone. Following nineteen painful months as Labor party leader, Amir Peretz has been voted out. The winner of yesterday's Labor primaries is military man turned politician turned businessman turned politician Ehud Barak, who, quite frankly, does not make my socks roll up and down. I think I would have preferred Ami Ayalon, but as is often

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-14478688330271819642007-06-12T11:50:00.000+03:002007-06-12T12:43:35.870+03:00

I've been busy busy busy these days, and it looks like I'm finally taking the freelance writing plunge, without actually giving up the dreary but lucrative technical writing.First, check out the post I've uploaded to my newest play area - Israelity. Be sure to let the powers that be know what you think. Feel free to leave comments here and there. I'll be popping up there from time to time, and

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-79076801803370267452007-06-12T09:52:00.000+03:002007-06-12T10:39:04.808+03:00

Since moving to our home in the north approximately ten years ago (though in this case "north" is open to interpretation, as some would refer to it as the "Northern Sharon" or simply as part of the ever-expanding boundaries of the "center"), we have done our best to take advantage of our proximity to some of the more beautiful parts of the country (and this, of course, also being open to

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-44843854608442071692007-06-10T12:19:00.000+03:002007-06-10T12:31:37.081+03:00

So Benji is spending the summer as a unit head at our old summer camp, and quite frankly, I can't wait to hear all about it! Some of my greatest teenage memories are from there, whether it be hours spent happily on the softball field (proving that even though I was a girl, I could play better than most of the boys), folk dancing every evening after dinner, fighting over Fruity Pebbles during

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-47417559579740133952007-06-05T13:26:00.000+03:002007-06-05T14:16:03.917+03:00

...from a unisex company washroom.It is better to have picked up the toilet seat and left it up, than never to have picked it up at all.

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-56946813583225809122007-06-05T11:16:00.000+03:002007-06-05T11:31:34.754+03:00

Free Sample Personal Astrology Profile for LizaBirth Date and Time..... June 5, 1968 12:01 PMBirth Location............. Brooklyn, New YorkSun Sign.................... Gemini"Section 1: How You Approach Life and How You Appear To Others - Modest, unobtrusive, and often rather quiet or shy, you are a person who is content to be in the background or to serve as an assistant, in the supporting role

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-62453262787391934052007-06-03T11:33:00.000+03:002007-06-03T12:02:09.395+03:00

Over the years, there's one thing Israelis have done that always makes me laugh. They aren't bashful about singing out loud, singing along with the radio, or basically about doing (or wearing!) anything in public that would make the average American cringe. The funniest, though, is definitely the singing, especially when the songs are in a language other than Hebrew. I've lost track of the number

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-74928086255238567192007-05-28T12:28:00.000+03:002007-05-28T12:34:08.920+03:00

Once again, Prime Minister Olmert has proven that he cares more about himself and his own PR than about Israeli citizens. As qassam rockets continue to fall in Sderot and Israelis continue to get killed (yesterday's innocent victim was the father of a young girl, and husband of a woman in her sixth month of pregnancy), Olmert has stated that he sees no reason why citizens should leave town,

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-35869033940212258072007-05-27T14:06:00.000+03:002007-05-27T14:26:25.329+03:00

Well gag me with a spoon! It's 80s Music Video Sunday, and if that's not, like, totally gnarly, well frankly, I don't know what is! Who can forget the invasion of the Valley Girls, introducing a variety of totally rad new words into the American lexicon. Like, for sure, we all got into it. I mean, back in those days, didn't we all want to be, like, totally bitchin'? Didn't we all just totally

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-25143070215575685582007-05-25T16:30:00.000+03:002007-05-27T10:49:32.714+03:00

I'm having trouble organizing my thoughts these days. I am alternatively feeling rage and frustration, and often, exhaustion. I am sick to death of the ignorance and the double standards when it comes to Israel, no matter what the platform. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for international intervention to stop Israel from attacking Hamas targets in Gaza (and also called for an end

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-69169015197588051932007-05-24T13:09:00.000+03:002007-05-24T13:40:03.586+03:00

I was lactose-intolerant for approximately ten years, from shortly after moving to Israel until I was pregnant with the Little One. As anyone who lives in Israel knows, the sheer quantity and variety of dairy products here is simply unparalleled, and I frequently found myself skipping over entire menu sections, constantly having to ask whether or not certain dishes contained dairy products and

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-7478105370108071042007-05-20T11:51:00.000+03:002007-05-20T12:05:58.530+03:00

During my university days, there were people who told me that if I was any more laid-back, I'd probably be dead. I always dressed very casually, usually jeans (which were sometimes torn) and sandals (when it was warm enough), and had a penchant for tie-dye, which still exists today. I can only imagine what kind of vibe I must have been giving off, as people always seemed rather surprised that I

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-16606054034248371022007-05-16T11:25:00.000+03:002007-05-16T11:42:52.809+03:00

TAFKA PP sent me this meme, which is much lighter than the previous one. It may, however, prove to be equally challenging, given that she's tagged me to name restaurants in the north of Israel, and frankly, most of the restaurants that we go to are more centrally located. So, I may have to cheat a bit (as did she, might I point out!). Here we go!The rules:1. Add a direct link to your post below

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-88776016188757473152007-05-16T09:47:00.000+03:002007-05-16T10:16:27.287+03:00

I've decided that today is a meme day. I've got two waiting for me in the pipeline, and today is the day.For the first meme, the fabulously talented Jessica (check her out, folks – the woman is a brilliant writer) challenges me to describe my favorite kind of writing. Well, I know that it's definitely not technical writing... Seriously, though, it's a tough question. I love to write. I love to

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-44660523481565615972007-05-13T13:05:00.000+03:002007-05-13T13:56:28.329+03:00

Like many of my friends (and I'm obviously referring to my Jewish friends here, as the following words will prove), I had a bat mitzvah. While we didn't opt for the tacky theme party route, my parents still managed to put together a lovely, three-day celebration, with out-of-town relatives invited over Friday evening (resulting in all sorts of strangers coming up to me, saying, "you don't know me

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-47328370962082991012007-05-10T11:30:00.000+03:002007-05-10T11:33:39.886+03:00

As a parent, my greatest fear is not having the opportunity to watch my son grow up, for something to happen to him or to me that would deny me the chance of seeing the person he will eventually become. I wish I could say that I can't imagine how great the pain must be to lose one's child, but sadly, I have been there, and I know that there is no greater pain, no feelings of greater helplessness

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-31096041196967635372007-05-08T12:27:00.000+03:002007-05-08T12:37:56.668+03:00

I have spent a fair amount of time during the last week-and-a-half reflecting on our recent trip, thinking about various moments and highlights, mentally rehashing certain experiences as one often does after returning from vacation. There were two events in particular that stand out, each one positively reinforcing my connection to Israel, yet so different from one another. The first one occurred

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-36541287562656426602007-05-06T11:04:00.000+03:002007-05-06T12:38:02.855+03:00

Do today's youth collect concert t-shirts the way we used to when we were young? If I were to go through my collection of old clothes, I would find piles and piles of those concert shirts, both regular t-shirts as well as those three-quarter sleeve jerseys, where the body of the shirt was usually white or grey, and the sleeves a different color. There'd be shirts from concerts I attended such as

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-89028830288252292252007-05-03T17:07:00.000+03:002007-05-07T15:16:26.979+03:00

With so much going on here, you'd think I'd have a lot to say. I suppose I do, especially with regard to the juvenile antics of certain Israeli politicians who seem so hell-bent on saving themselves that they are willing to ignore the loud cries all around them calling for change. The behavior of these individuals has reached a new low, and frankly, given the gravity of the situation, it is

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-5533060283595849352007-04-29T16:00:00.001+03:002007-04-29T19:02:07.558+03:00

After what seemed like an interminable journey, the Little One and I are finally home from our vacation. Our return flight was, ummmm, interesting and fraught with far too much excitement, as our flight from Sarasota to Atlanta was delayed by three hours because apparently, the plane was hit by lightning before coming to Sarasota. Three hours was bad. Very bad. We would never have made our

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-23527925813329776502007-04-23T03:13:00.001+03:002007-04-23T03:44:24.060+03:00

As you have probably noticed, there was no 80s Music Video Sunday today, and I'm guessing that some of you are a bit disappointed. We were away for the weekend and only returned a few hours ago, and though I could probably cobble something together, I've decided not to post, given that Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror begins Sunday evening in Israel, and it just seems wrong

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-58550050164363888882007-04-17T01:43:00.000+03:002007-04-17T01:58:57.797+03:00

As you may have noticed, I've decided to turn the comment moderation back on. I've got a pesky, racist little troll commenting from Federal Way, Washington (or maybe it's just where the server is located) who clearly has nothing better to do with his or her time than to leave reams and reams of nasty little comments that I've spent far too much of my vacation time deleting.For those of you who

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-43972793562893835712007-04-15T18:57:00.000+03:002007-04-15T19:12:23.997+03:00

I've always enjoyed Latin and Spanish music, whether it be salsa (and I even tried to learn how to salsa dance during my university days, but alas, I have no rhythm), Cuban music, Spanish musicians such as Alejandro Sanz or Estopa, the music of Juanes, and, during the summer camp years, Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, which played a pivotal role in launching the career of Ricky Martin.Here in South

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-55656184767007078262007-04-10T14:46:00.000+03:002007-04-10T15:02:28.983+03:00

You see an alligator behind the house within an hour of your arrival.Your hosts talk about hitting the early bird special for lobster night at one of the local restaurants.You've seen three alligators behind the house within three days after your arrival, and are told that you might see more, because it's mating season.Your Little One begins to say words in Spanish before he feels comfortable in

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-73974671628222854282007-04-08T12:59:00.000+03:002007-04-08T13:16:29.776+03:00

We've been ensconsed in American life for approximately 52 hours, and the culture shock is palpable. So many television commercials! And hey! Why are there commercials for adult party phone lines on Nickelodeon during the day? We haven't been to Target. We've been to Super Target. Seriously! It's really called Super Target! Because regular Target just isn't big enough, I guess. The place is

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-54016417504903583322007-04-04T10:30:00.000+03:002007-04-04T10:39:58.086+03:00

Not that I am very tizzy-prone, but I'd have to say that today, I'm definitely leaning in that direction. The Little One and I are off to the US tonight for a three-week visit with Grandma and Grandpa, and I have stocked up on a variety of coloring and sticker books, play-doh (Delta Airlines, please forgive me in advance for the mess...), crayons, puzzles and books for our journey, which will

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-58381394280783463982007-04-01T11:03:00.000+03:002007-04-01T11:11:31.516+03:00

My parents grew up in the US against the backdrop of the World War Two. As such, like many other American Jews of their generation, their feelings regarding Germany were harsh at best. As a child of parents from this generation, I was brought up in a household with no German products, and my parents have never owned a German car. I can't recall my parents ever having said anything directly

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-496876197406077482007-03-27T14:17:00.000+02:002007-03-27T14:29:17.418+02:00

Beth's story about her new neighbors made me laugh out loud this morning. If you ask me, though, it's probably better than living near the Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand these days. I mean, seriously. Panda porn?According to this article on the Sky News website,"A panda bear is being shown porn films to ignite his passion and teach the rightway to romp."Maybe they should show him the video made last

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-5797065135710373452007-03-26T14:51:00.000+02:002007-03-26T14:55:41.418+02:00

The Egyptian Sandmonkey has written a post about the demonstration against planned amendments to the Egyptian constitution that he attended yesterday. The scenes he describes are absolutely chilling, and certainly not reminiscent of any accepted "democracy". One of the things that scares me the most about this whole episode is that I haven't been able to find any mention of what happened in Cairo

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-10904856216856388002007-03-25T10:26:00.000+02:002007-03-25T10:46:29.210+02:00

During the past few days, Tel Aviv was transformed into a spotty patchwork of red and white as a seemingly endless number of soccer/football fans from England could be found wandering the streets, strolling along the promenade, and, probably more than anything else, drying up the local beer reserves. Thousands of English fans streamed into Israel last week ahead of yesterday evening's Euro

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-6070881478203818362007-03-22T10:43:00.000+02:002007-03-22T11:48:35.238+02:00

It would seem that all of the antics being played out in government circles until now were merely child's play - a warm up for the main event, so to speak. Apparently, our brilliant Finance Minister, Avraham Hirshson, has allegedly embezzled millions of dollars over the past few decades. That's right. Millions. And this is the man who is ultimately responsible for our national budget. Can anyone

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-25444165463167076262007-03-22T10:33:00.000+02:002007-03-22T10:43:35.123+02:00

The latest edition of "Here - Notes from the Present" is out in print and online (in both English and Italian!). This journal was "launched in Italy in Italian in 1999 to gather testimonies, descriptions and observations of and reflections on the private-public times we live in". A number of something something blog entries were reprinted in the last edition, as well as in this one. The journal

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-53642367432869603822007-03-22T09:51:00.000+02:002007-03-22T10:19:07.872+02:00

I can't believe it's been nearly a year since we were last in the US. I remember the trip vividly, as though it took place just last month, yet suddenly I find myself making preparations to fly once again. It will be different from last time though, for two reasons. First of all, we will be flying to Florida instead of New York, and second of all, the Little One and I will be flying solo without

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-87465536353751252372007-03-18T11:55:00.000+02:002007-03-18T12:09:46.153+02:00

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I spent the year of 1986-87 on a year program in Israel, and even managed to break my ankle during my stay. It actually happened when I'd been in the country for less than a month, coincidentally, a few short weeks after someone, while wishing me good luck, had told me to "break a leg". So I did, in a really spectacular way. Our group spent four days on an army

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-8585954131521895652007-03-15T15:23:00.001+02:002007-03-15T17:21:22.255+02:00

Given the fact that European Jewry was nearly decimated in the last century, and noting that anti-Semitism has been on the rise for some years now, it is nothing short of scandalous that our government has, at the request of the prime minister, opted not to discuss the genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians from 1915 to 1917. I am usually one of those individuals who

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13482317.post-10551522512893155122007-03-12T09:56:00.000+02:002007-03-12T22:03:45.986+02:00

Like many of my like-minded friends, I find myself becoming tired - overwhelmed, even - by the way that Israel is always being portrayed in the news. It is exhausting to see the constant stream of bad press because of our actions in the Territories, our behavior at checkpoints, targeted assassinations etc. It is frustrating, because I know that we are capable of so much more than these acts of

Lizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15609930323114894886noreply@blogger.com6