Total Eclipse

I’ve recently noticed a worrying trend. Legislators are, more often than not, idiots. It’s quite possible this was always the case and I just wasn’t fully aware of it, but it’s become increasingly apparent to me that the act of legislation, laying grounds to the principles by which our society functions, is done based on [...]

An interesting assortment of people died this past month; Influential anthropologist Clifford Geertz, American Filmmaker Robert Altman, Sophie’s Choice author William Styron, Nobel-Prize winning economist Milton Friedman, and Literary-critic Richard Gilman. Am I the only one who sees a pattern? Each from their own perspective, worked for the interpretation and better understanding of society and [...]

Tom n’ Jerry cartoons get a makeover. It seems the latest program in revisionist Orwellian historiography is to edit out scenes in vintage cartoons in which the main characters smoke, in a manner which is not depicted as a blatant mistake or wrongdoing. Villians in the show will still be allowed to keep their fags. [...]

Expanded from a discussion I had on livejournal: Someone: The IAF bombed a building because a rocket launcher was in it- they had no way to know the basement was packed with children, and had they known I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have bombed it. ME: Not fucking good enough! We are judged by our [...]

I think this image adequately depicts all layers of affective, cognitive, and behavioural aspects of life during wartime. All credit and copyright and whatever (c) Charles Schulz (RIP).

For the past day or so I’ve been scouring the net for information on the current grim meathook state of affairs. I’ve been reading both Israeli and Lebanese independant blogs and webzines. I find it fascinating. Some Lebanese blogs have been getting comments in the hundreds. Surpringly, for the most part, discourse has been heated, [...]

Tel-Aviv is a truly magical place. Go 30 miles to one direction and you have bombings. Go 30 miles to another direction and you have misery. Go 30 miles to yet another direction and you have both misery and bombings. The last direction is the sea, and that’s where most Tel-Avivi people chose to spend [...]

“War is the very crudest of responses and reflects the utter failure of imagination and intelligence in foreign policy. The cycle of poverty, inequality, and hatred will grow worse. Terrorist recruiting will flourish in the aftermath.” – Prof. Thompson Bradley, Swarthmore College Is that so? I can think of at least 2 wars that led [...]

I am a foreigner everywhere. Current events make me sick to my stomach. I really do try and avoid any contact with mainstream media, because it has this nauseating effect on me. I get my news from boingboing and Fortean Times and that’s usually enough. But once in a while, I get this masochistic urge [...]

Last night a street rave was “blown” (as the expression in Hebrew goes) by the police. The rave was organized by some anarcho-communist punks, with all sorts of live performances, art installations and whatnot. You’d even get a discount if you brought food and supplies for the needie. Though witness reports seem a bit confusing, [...]