Parents, brains, brawn, crashes, Britney
In which we attempt to win 1,000 bucks, wonder about Druse dating, parental example Arabic superheroes and their enemies, unsafe cars, and Spears the kabbalist
13 March
Parental example
Police investigators looking into a narcotics case involving 70 high school students were stunned to discover some parents were helping their kids get away from the police.
In one case, a lawyer stashed his son’s drugs in his underwear in a bid to thwart a police search.
Now, the parents are facing an investigation, too.
Muscleman update
The Power Team, a group of Christian bodybuilders touring Israel last week and this is going to flex its muscles (the group is known for ripping phonebooks, breaking baseball bats and bending steel bars all with the goal of bringing Christians back into the fold) for soldiers, firefighters and police here. The evangelical group wants to show its support for the country, we're told. We assume no proselytizing will occur, because the news of these events was sent to us by the Foreign Ministry.
Wear your seatbelt
We thought we had left these kind of news stories back in the old country - youth wraps car around tree (or, in this case, antenna). No one was hurt - the driver was wearing a seatbelt.
12 March
What a tease
RAD Data Communications has not found anyone smart enough to solve the “Challenging Brain Teaser” question currently posted on its corporate website. The deadline for solution has been extended. It seems worthwhile - first prize for solving the riddle is $1,000.
11 March
Date a Druse
The Druse are a fascinating subset of Israeli society, and a subset within Arab and Muslim communities, too. Many Druse are loyal to Israel and serve in the IDF; some who live in the Golan feel they are still Syrian, and maintain what ties they can with family now in Syria. Strains at a Druse community provide the context for the recent film, “The Syrian Bride.”
The Druse have remained a traditional community, but in one area, at least, some expatriate (and Israeli) Druse are solidly in the 21st century – with an online dating site. The site is straightforward in its acceptance of modernity: Druze singles need a simple and easy way to meet and get to know each other, regardless of where they live. They need an approach that makes it possible for them to meet and get to know each other in MONTHS instead of YEARS. With the great advances in communication technology, the Internet has quickly become one of the best venues to meet other singles. Now Druze singles, too, have a place to join the Internet dating revolution.
Superhero trend
An Egyptian publisher has created a series of Arabic superheroes, including a time-traveling pharaoh and an ancient Arabian swordsman. Interesting enough. The story has made it into MSM this week, and the way three of them played the story is even more interesting. The BBC describes them as “the first to be designed specifically for the Middle East," and didn't bother to mention the new strip on Ynetnews featuring our superhero, The Golem, or check into superheroes previously created in Israel, such as Sabraman.
The stories on the BBC and elsewhere (do all MSM run in a pack, or what?) mention in passing that the heroes divide their time between fighting the "Army of Zios" and the "United Liberation Front" who are warring over the "City of all Faiths", but one of the many bloggers on this have characterized the storylines somewhat differently: “If you want to change my impression of the Egyptian media as a festering pit of vicious anti-semitism unseen since 1930s Germany, you might reconsider casting your villains as the "Army of Zios."
Unsafe at any speed
With Israeli roads as dangerous as they are, it’s not comforting at all to learn that several of the most popular cars in Israel - among them the nearly ubiquitous Mazda 3 - are among the least safe, according to recent crash tests done in the U.S. Adding to that discomforting news is this tidbit from Ynet Automotive Channel editor Hillel Possek: a large majority of the new cars on Israeli roads are actually fleet- or company-owned cars given to employees as a perk of the job. Companies give cars (which employees pay taxes on) instead of bumping salaries higher. To save on overall costs, Possek says, fleet cars are ordered with only two front airbags, instead of the four or six that are more and more common in the U.S. So, to the crazy drivers on our roads: head-on crashes only, please. Don’t run red lights and slam into the sides of cars.
Britney the kabbalist
On her website, she praises kabbalah as helping her turn her life around. Save me.
