Breaking wind news

Nearly lost in the extensive smelly coverage of a few people doing their best to be dragged kicking and screaming from Gaza comes this nice niff of improving diplomatic and economic relations between neighbours. Today Israel and Egypt are signing a political agreement to guarantee the forthcoming trade agreement for EMG, an Egyptian-Israeli joint venture, to supply natural gas to the Israeli state-run IEC. The only violent disagreements (fortunately only verbal) seem to be between the Israeli infrastructure minister and the IEC chairman….

Eventful ldays

There was an interview this morning. It was the first time in my life that " fecal containment " and C++ came up in the same conversation. All I can say is that Israel is not just leading edge techonology but slighty ahead of the wave.

Russia ends probe into claims of incitement in Jewish text

Thats's good news. In the dead tree edition of Ha'Aretz it stated that the

14th Century Mishne Torah written by Maimonides .. it's forbidden for non-Jews to study Torah or keep the Sabbath since these are sacred elements created for the Jews.; the sentence for non-Jews who violate these injunctions is death.

This seems to be rubbish to me. The original Biblical injunction for keeping Shabbat included ' all those in your tent' which should mean everyone around you. Either:

1: The Ha'Aratez journalist is entirely wrong.
2: Someone forged it.
3: Judaism has changed.
4: I've misunderstod.

I would be grateful if someone could enlighten me more on this.

ID Cards - UK's high tech scheme is high risk

Via El Reg, the LSE has produced a report on the UK ID card scheme and concludes that it 'high risk'. I haven't waded my way through all 300 pages yet but I will. One last thing to make your blood run cold.

10. Is there a risk that new kinds of ID fraud could arise from cards coming into pervasive use?
Best case: No new ID fraud. Worst case: Some new, high tech ID fraud develops, with greater costs for those citizens affected. Successful identity theft of a person's biometric data would mean that their fingerprints or iris scans are permanently in the hands of criminals, with little hope of revoking them.

So, if anyones biometric data ever gets out you'd never be able to leave the house again.

Hot days

We're at the start of the disengagement struggle and the Labour party still manages to give the impression of a bunch of amateurs. Unusually, we had a clash between Orthodox jews and police over the opening of a road on Shabbat. I know that one well. A two lane road turning into both ways on Shabbat. Israel has decided to bow to US pressure on arms sales so no more UAVs for China. Finally, Israel said sorry to New Zealand about the passport affair.

Never boring here. No shortage of news but how I wish there was.

Blue ribbons

It went well I suppose. We still have a way to go to catch up with the orange ribbon people. Go read what happened to Balagan with orange sandals.

Animal rights extremists in arson spree

Note extremists. Not militants, not terrorists. Just what is the right word here?

Giving the bird to pigeons

I am delighted to see more birds of prey keeping down the population of flying rats (aka feral pigeons) in London including during the Wimbledon tennis championships. That’s at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to be precise - where by the way they still use the quaint terms “Ladies’ singles/doubles” and “Gentlemen’s singles/doubles”.

The pigeons of SW19, which are notorious for distracting players with their aerial antics, are being scared off by "professional" birds of prey. Hector the Harris' hawk, Finn the saker falcon and Jack the merlin are flown twice a week, before and after play to keep the local pigeons at bay.

It's blue - official

Peace now have finally decided on a colour scheme showing support for the pullout. It's blue. I shall be handing these out come Friday. I wonder how long the one on my car will last.

New old friends

Last night’s reunion with She Who Must be Made Welcome was even more successful than that with Adrian! She looks just the same and we just seemed to click again after all that time and lots of water under the bridge. We managed to sort out at least 20% of the world’s problems in one evening. We will be meeting again before she goes back to Israel -- after I get through a very busy next few days finishing the first bit of my thesis for evaluation, delivering on impossibly tight deadlines with my current work projects and preparing two new business pitches.

Must be the weather...

...as it’s a bit early for the start of the silly season.

Couch potato label gives veg a bad name - farmers

British farmers have launched a campaign to remove the term "couch potato" from the dictionary because they fear its negative connotations are putting people off buying the vegetable.

The British Potato Council has written to the Oxford English Dictionary to ask for it to be taken out.

It has also planned demonstrations outside the offices of the Oxford University Press and in Parliament Square in London today to demand that it be replaced with the term "couch slouch".

"Couch carrot" just doesn’t have the same imagery. Any better suggesions out there?

Patent absurdity

Richard Stallman has a nice piece in the Gruaniad explaining why software patents are a bad thing. Worth reading as he explains how Victor Hugo could not have written Les Misérables if patents were applied to books.

Gaza woman seized en route to bombing hospital in Israel

The Palestinians do more damage to their own cause than just about anybody else. More border restrictions, more delays, more checkposts now and I agree, they're necessary.

Unhappy hour

I note that Tony Blair has a downer on binge drinking, smoking and general hell raising. Quite right. These sort of things should be left to his offspring while they can get away with it. I have an idea which may help. Instead of the inevitable happy hour where drinks are cheap, I propose an un-happy hour instead.

After a hard day's grind in the office, people walk silently with downcast faces to the nearest pub intending to try and submerge their cares and sorrows over a glass with a comforting word from the friendly face behind the bar. In the New Labour vision of life, when the furrowed face looks up and says:
"I'm insignificant and worthless", the cheery person polishing the glasses will say, "Yes, you're quite right, you are. It's double between 5 and 7 these days."

What joy. No more angst ridden hours sitting on a barstool. Tony will be able to pass on all months of practise in Paris when he was young and training to be a rather sneering French waiter snipping into the tip jars. In a stroke, the pubs will empty and we all go home and study the works of John Macmurray. For my female readers you too can have a life coach.

Anyway, in no way shape or form is Cherie Blair (nee Booth) responsible for her ancestors actions.

Inside the battle of Brussels

I have been watching, with some interest, what when on in Brussels recently. For myself, I am always reminded that Chirac is President of France because he is French, vertical, and breathing. After all, he was running against La Pen in the last election. Furthermore, if wasn't President he would be facing court action over party funding. Ah well, Tony has no fears there. Chirac managed to divert attention away from the French no vote very well. In France one of his nicknames is Chameleon Bonaparte. Another is La Girouette ("the weathervane"). At one point an anti-European Gaullist, he became a champion of the Euro as president.

hot hot hot

What a beautiful hot day in London. It’s too nice to continue working on my report for tomorrow’s meeting – will just have to finish it later tonight. I shall be in the terrace garden or the Hampstead ponds if you need me.

Back where I belong

So I'm back at work chasing memory leaks in on of our appllications with the rather gloomy propect of being out of work at the end of the month. Deep sigh. Yet another Israeli high tech company bites the dust. I'm coming round to the conclusion that it must be me. Hire an Egghead and go bust in six months.

So near and yet so far

Whilst Mr E (aka Adrian) is struck down, Mrs E (aka She Who Must Be...) is in the London / southeast area. We have not seen each other for around 16 years and I’m really excited about meeting her again especially after the superb in-person reunion with Adrian in London at the end of last year. However, unlike Adrian who stayed with us, Mrs E is staying with her relations. The (you would have thought) simple act of communicating to agree when and where to meet has not yet happened as apparently Mrs E has double and treble booked various activities in a frenetic effort to see everybody and everything in her short stay. A text confirming Sunday somehow morphed into Thursday type of thing. There’s still time…

Slight pause

Excuse the hiatus. I have a bout of flu.

Blackwall blaze

North London denizens gawked from various view points in Muswell Hill, Ally Pally and Highgate penthouses to view this fire last evening. Luckily it was ‘just’ a fire in a scrap yard near the Blackwall Tunnel set off by gas cylinders exploding and not a terrorist attack or a fire in the tunnel itself.

Thanks to the beeb for the image.

Israel- US-China

last night we visited our American neighbours for an excellent meal. i was rivted with an account of the Kansas hearings into Intelligent design which grips me these days. My host pointed out that his compnay is being hit quite badly by the unofficial trade sanctions imposed by the US on Israel over sales to China. He's still trying to get some optical equipment out from customs and is resigned to never seeing it again.

U.S. to Israel: Tighten arms exports supervision

As a client of the USA, we must bow to America when it comes to matters relating to security. In this sense, we are , like some many other nations, compelled to act in a larger framework. There was a time when Israel was pre eminent in small arms such as the Uzi.
Now, the IDF is equipped with the M16 , a fine weapon.

The USa pays for this by allowing a better rate on the weapons. Israe loses by having it's own weapons plants closed down. Whaterever your views on the military swapping home production for imports rarely brings long term benefits.

Neither famine nor feast

Cathy made a very interesting post yesterday. I shall only add:

Indeed, those who blame Mr Bush for obstructing progress on climate change and development should consider the domestic weakness of his administration. The White House is watching as Congress slices and dices its budget proposals, Mr Bush's plans for pension reform are in the doldrums, while the administration is struggling to get approval of its nominee as ambassador to the UN. The chances of the White House using its political capital to win support for controversial measures on climate change and foreign aid remains very unlikely.

Yet again, Africa does its bit for struggling artists in the West

I have been pondering all week on how to say what I feel about the latest Geldorf and Co Jamboree without incurring the wrath of blogdom or the PC Police. I will just say that I believe that the key resource we should be giving at a personal, individual level is our time (not money) to helping the less privileged in our own communities. As for Africa, luckily another blogger has come to the rescue with "Should we make 'Make Poverty History' history?" Here are some highlights:

It isn't often that Peter Hitchens, the usually dry, sometimes irate man of letters, makes me laugh. But he did on Sunday, with a newspaper column headlined: 'Can the starving children of Africa save our has-been pop stars yet again?'

Once again 'the hungry, terrorised children of Africa' are being called upon 'to help rescue the sagging reputations of that needy and deprived group of balding, clapped-out rock stars who still long for the crowds that once listened to them.'

The problem is that while some commentators ridicule pop stars, hardly anybody challenges the Make Poverty History campaign itself - or the aid organisations behind it.

The first thing to note is that Make Poverty History, even by its own admission, will not make poverty history. Indeed, that is not, strictly speaking, its aim. Its goal is to eradicate extreme poverty by putting pressure on nation states to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals - which every member of the United Nations officially endorsed in 2000 - are met.

Perhaps the grand-sounding Make Poverty History should be more honest: it is really a campaign to inch towards a world where people have the bare essentials of life - a piece of cloth to put on their backs and enough food to stop them from dying. If those aims were to be plastered on billboards or in flashy TV ads, however, the campaign suddenly might not look so attractive.

Make Poverty History campaigners respond by saying, 'Well, we've got to start somewhere', or else by insisting that we have got to be 'realistic'.

Some have attacked the Live 8 organisers and participants on the grounds that they take the easy option. If these Beautiful People are serious about eradicating poverty, they say, why don't they sell all their worldly goods, sign up to an aid agency and spend their days helping Africans on the ground?

We hear a lot about the conditions imposed by the IMF and the World Bank on third world nations; yet some aid agencies insist that communities follow strict guidelines on sexual health or gender relations if they want to enjoy the full benefits of aid. Here, aid agencies effectively try to impose the mores of Islington on to the marshes of Africa.

Those planning to take to the stage for Live 8 are only doing what pop stars have been doing for years - being self-important and self-deluded. If you want to make not only extreme poverty but economic need itself history, then it is the low horizons of the politicians and aid workers, who have a real impact in the third world, that you should be most concerned about.

Dreams

I promised myself when I started this blog three years ago that I would never blog about dreams. So now is a good time to break this rule hard and fast.

This afternoon, during my nap, I dreamt I was producing a cabaret in a German WWII POW camp. I was using material from Kipling, translated into German, to suggest to the sometimes German audience that their dreams of Empire were as foolish as the British ones were. The hard bit was doing Kipling's "Widow of Windsor" in German using Brecht's style.

I dont't want any more dreams like that and I promise I won't post about them either. Yes, it is our blog anniversary in spite of the archive date. Remember what I said last year?

Absent lovers

I remember once being asked how I thought of my wife. It was a multiple choice question and I instinctively checked 'Lover' before anything else. Now that she's gone I have a freedom and a set of chains all at the same time.

Still, when I went shopping at the centre this morning, I did something I've always wanted to do. I gave the accordian player outside 20 Shekels on the condition that he didn't play anything while I was there. He did and raised a glass to me as I left.

U.S. and Britain Agree on Relief for Poor Nations

I was never happy with the idea that Bush is the devil incarnate. Even though actions to try to reverse climate change is not there yet it will come. Better a willing partner than a forced enemy.

Less than half Israelis support Gaza pullout--poll

This is worrying. If the trend continues, there won't be a majority in favour any more. What then?

Take a deep breath

I received an email from Mrs. Egghead yesterday which was a surprise. It was a forwarded message from a Israeli friend in the UK about an article in Honest Reporting. I found myself in disagreement and spent some time reading more about it.

First, using the law against journalists should be a last resort and reserved for the most particular expressions of hatred, racism and incitement to violence. I am very uncomfortable with the idea that the law should define what we can write. There must be a limit but this article, whilst biased in my view does not warrant legal action.

Secondly, Honest Reporting was less than forthright in it's article. The web title implies criticism of the mainstream media for omitting facts when writing news stories. The article is itself misleading. It fails to mention that the court awarded one Euro in damages, hardly a victory.

I recall some years ago, my brother in law wrote a book about the Olympics. In it, they pointed out the corruption surrounding the games, in particular, the choice of which city would hold the games. This was before the current IOC cleaned its act up.

Although threats of legal action flew around like flies at a picnic, in the end there was only one legal challenge and that was in Switzerland where Juan Antonio Samaranch, the then IOC President had him charged with 'defaming a public official'. In Switzerland, being truthful and accurate is no defense and my brother got six months inside suspended. As he did not attend the court, the sentence was never carried out of course. Perhaps the photograph of Samaranch in full Nazi uniform giving the Fascist salute to Franco rankled a little.

Another book, with the rather provocative title of Scotland Yard's Cocaine Connection proved less than popular with the boys in blue. In the book he stated that a policeman had sold confiscated weapons to criminals. Again he ended up in court. This time he was found guilty because he said that "X sold revolvers and shotguns to Y". X managed to prove that he never sold shotguns and the court found in X's favour. What a victory! I only sold revolvers so the journalist is so wrong. The Judge awarded him one halfpenny damages and no costs.

The proper place for attacking bad journalism is in the media, not in the courts.

Palestinian Beer Competition

Poor ol’ Staggers (aka The New Statesman sorry Statesperdaughter). It used to be such a good read. Now it just keeps getting sucked into other people’s agendas in ownership, control and editorial. Here is a double dose: a UK beer importer and the Palestinians. State of Palestine? Its national beer?! Ethical trade links linking Muslims with alcohol? (It says nothing about only Christians should brew or benefit from brew.)

Oh I get it! This all makes sense if this is a mis-posted entry from one of those witty weekend competitions the NS used to run: “Write an NS reader competition with the prize being the most unlikely product produced by a downtrodden ethnic or religious group. The more right-on the free marketing PR the better.” Or maybe they just forgot to clean their site of their April fool joke?

Here it is in full:

Palestinian Beer Competition
Two cases of Palestinian beer to be won!

Taybeh BeerTaybeh (pronounced tie-bey), the only beer to be made commercially within the troubled state of Palestine, is being launched officially in the UK. Beer drinkers who may be more used to hearing about Palestine on the evening news will soon have the chance to taste its national beer at their local pub. Not only does the beer provide valuable trade with a country for which exporting anything is a triumph in itself, but a proportion of the money raised will go to charities that help local people in both Israel and Palestine.

The beer is being imported by Rowan Davis of the Alternative Beer Company, who found the beer in 2003 while in Palestine with the International Solidarity Campaign. ABC is an independent company committed to bringing quality beer to UK drinkers through ethical trade links with countries such as Palestine where export trade is key to economic growth and development.

To enter, simply answer the following question:

What does "taybeh" mean in Arabic?
(Hint: visit www.alternativebeer.co.uk)

Two New Statesman readers who answer correctly will each win a case of Taybeh beer.

Junk science

I missed this article when it was first published in the Guardian. In it,George Monbiot replies to a letter published in New Scientist by David Bellamy in which he claimed that the majority of glaciers in the world we advancing, not retreating. This is an astounding claim.
On investigation, it appears that the information comes from iceage now , a site run by a former architect who claims we're heading for an ice age.

The figures themselves come from 21st century Science published by Lyndon LaRouche. Ahha! This is the guy who thinks the British Royal family runs the international drugs trade, Kissinger was a communist. I love kooks and conspiracy theories. They give me so much pleasure.

The bloggers have all the best news

Nice article in the Grauniad about blogging. I shall be reading Order-Order.com for a while to see how it goes.
The article does point out one thing that's bothering me. It is rare that a blogger has access to primary source material for a story. Perhaps I should register for press releases in an area that interests me.

Israel: A Vision of Oil in the Holy Land -

What a vision. Based on a reading of the Bible,John Brown, from Texas believes there is oil in Northern Israel and has rasied millions of dollars to drill test wells. I hope he makes it.

Chain gangs raid Ford 4x4 dealers

Cathy will like this story. If I'd been living in the UK , I'd have joined in.

Parting shots -Moshe ("Bogey") Ya'alon

Because that is territory we have not yet withdrawn from?

"Correct. Over the years, the Palestinians have been trying to show us that territory we leave becomes quiet. I have no doubt that they will have in interest in demonstrating that after the pullout from Gaza there will be a period of quiet there. You left Gaza? You get quiet. You will leave Judea and Samaria? You will get quiet. Leave Tel Aviv and things will be completely quiet."

By your logic, the Palestinians will now place Kfar Sava in their sights?

"Of course. It is as clear as day to me. If we get into a confrontation at the political level, if we do not give the Palestinians more and more and more, there will be a violent outburst. It will begin in Judea and Samaria."

So the cities on the border of the West Bank will be in the situation of the Gaza line settlements? Kfar Sava's situation will be that of Sderot?

"And Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, too. There will be suicide bombings wherever they can perpetrate them."

What you are saying, then, is that there is a high probability of the eruption of a third intifada?

"It is not an intifada. We have to stop calling it an intifada. It is a war."

Let me rephrase: there is a high probability of a second war of terror?

"Yes."

Within how much time?

"It depends how the story of this summer is recorded by each side. And whether the disengagement is implemented under fire or not."

I don't know what to say. He's right in one thing. It is a 'war' in one sense.

Foxes, herons and peregrine falcons

A big welcome to the latest new arrivals to the collection of properly wild London wildlife: two peregrine falcon chicks just hatched in a nest on the top of a tower block in Marylebone. Egg three may hatch any moment. You can see them on their webcam and slide show.

I am particularly delighted to see that:

‘The falcon's main source of food is pigeon, of which there is a plentiful supply in London’

Israeli Companies Suspected of Spying

This scandal is growing by the day. Amdocs, HP, Cellcom, Bezeq and many more. Nice to have something to take our minds of the disengagement.

Social gaffe

We were sitting at lunch when a friend of P's came and sat down next to us. P introduced us. I automatically offered my hand . Later that day P came up to me and gently pointed out that I shouldn't have done that as she's not supposed to touch anyone except family members. Oopps. I shall be more careful.

Car day

It's 'Get the car tested and the tax paid' day. I replaced a bulb and was amused to note that the company making them is called 'Nova'. Not the best trademark I've seen for something electrical.