The setting

My phone camera does not do justice to the lovely setting for the wedding.

Busy, busy, busy

The Eggheads have a memorial service for a school friend who died, a Sepharidi wedding for which Mrs Egghead is doing the flowers and it's our 27th wedding anniverary. A busy day.

Yossi Beilin.

Meretz did not do well in the recent elections. As a result, Yossi Beilin is facing elections for party chairperson. The Eggheads did not support him in the last Meretz leadership election but it will be sad to see him go.

Pensioners Party chief not the retiring type

I did not know that Rafi Eitan , the head of the Pensioners Party was responsible for recruiting Jonathan Pollard, a U.S. Navy Intelligence worker, who offered to supply Israel with information and has been the cause of so much Israeli-USA grief. It's a bit like Napoleon. He won forty plus battles but it's Waterloo that defines the man.

Olmert, declaring victory, appeals to Abbas for peace talks

Some surprises in the election result. Yisrael Beytenu winning 12 seats and the pensioners ggeting seven is quite stunning. I have no idea what the new Government coalition will look like. As Labout has said it will not sit with Avigdor Liberman I suspect it will be Kadima, Labour, Shas and Meretz. It might even last four years. Olmert's big difficulty will be satisfying the promises he made to various ex Likud prima donnas.

California skiing

Oh all right. Due to popular demand - 2 comments - here’s a snippet about skiing in the old country.

I love skiing steep and deep off piste and I particularly love skiing in the spring. There is more light, you can ski for longer and it is not so cold. Sometimes there is a trade-off as the snow can also be, er, spring. So imagine my surprise and delight to find mid-winter conditions in the Tahoe sierras during the second week of March. It was bloody cold - down to 5 degrees at night in old money still quaintly used by Yanks (minus 15 in new money) and it snowed pretty much continually. And that was at 6000 feet (1900m) never mind up at over 10,000 feet (3100m) at the highest skiing summit.

The 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) of new powder snow every day made for superb powder skiing (but difficult to take pix on the mountain with a new camera not warranted non-water resistant, sorry.)

All that white stuff also added fun rituals such as finding and digging out the car every morning, skiing back to the car through the car park and opening the door to the first (yanks: second) floor balcony to gawk at the ‘snowed-in’ effect.





Now here is the environment in which 4x4s belong and where they can do the jobs they were designed to do eg: Driving over the deep powder snow of the road to the cabin to get to the main road. Driving, not sliding, on a road which has been ploughed but remains covered with packed snow and sudden ice patches, with new stuff falling all the time. Driving up and down steep grades to get to the ski resorts. Driving back out of the ski resort on roads which have not been ploughed since the foot of fresh snow fell whilst we were skiing.

Kadima and Likud fear voter turnout will be low

Election day is here at last. I still do not know who to vote for.

Poll: Half of Palestinians want PA dismantlement

As election day nears, here's a poll from the Palestinian side.

Regarding the Israeli elections, 18.6 percent said they thought the Labor party was the best party for a solution to the conflict, while 17.6 percent said they thought Kadima is more appropriate for the mission. Some 15 percent said the Likud was best equipped to do it.

Interesting. Meanwhile, here at workplace , our new Left Pondian owners have caused a mini mutiny by designating today as 'Eat a sandwich with your workmates ' day. This has not gone down well with the average food loving Israeli.

Unnatural acts at Nature

My blog partner is less than pleased with WikiPedia and the Nature Journal. I can't say I'm that happy about the furore and fuss. The good people at Vulture Central refer to Wikipedia supporters as WikiFiddlers which is cruel. A WikiPedia logo with a Saddam PR type superimposed is silly. I shall continue to use WikiPedia and continue to correct mistakes as I find them.

Whilst the idea of the collective mind may have taken a battering, here's a Republican blogger who's been ousted by other bloggers who can Google for plagiarism.
I wish I could be sure I understood the last paragraph in this article.

He wrote: "The outrage was over the fact that once again conservatives had succeeded in mau-mauing a mainstream media outlet into balancing reporters with conservatives."

Mau-mauing? As in 1950's Kenyan freedom terrorist insurgent group?

'People sort through lots like conspirators in a black market' - welcome to the end of MG

Not so long ago , I used to attend auctions to buy up various engineering items. I always felt sad in buyng up , at firesale prices, what was obviously bankrupt stock. I very much deplored the attitude of my fellow Brits in getting bargains which may explain why my only business went down the pan. There is isn't , or shouldn't be emotion in business which will never happen until we are all replaced with robots.

Now that Rover is nothing more than a garage sale writ large, my main thought is:

Did they bring in the MBAs too early?
Did they bring in the MBAs too late?

Livingtone tells British Trinidadians to go back to Jamaica

I really don’t want to keep highlighting the descent of Our Ken into intolerant racist grumpy-old-man-ness but his latest Tourette-like outburst followed by an apology which seems nearly certifiable made me laugh. 'Honestly guv I didn’t know that Simon Reubens is a Jewish name. Shurely it’s a muslim name or is it the name of that Frog artist chappie?'.

Expect more such bizarre behaviour. Obviously Livingstone is aware that the government has abandoned its plans to lock up untreatable personality disordered people if they become a danger to the community. Under the latest proposals it seems he can remain at large if he can get a doctor to say his condition is treatable and then takes the appropriate medicine. Resignation would do nicely but the voters may deliver even more effective medicine at the next election.

Alternatively with a name and looks like his, I would expect before too long for Ken to come out as having a Jewish background. Then his hatred could be explained as self-hating.

Olmert to tap FM Livni as deputy PM should Kadima win election

Nice to see Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni getting ahead. Even as an ex Likudnik, she's the acceptable face of the centre right.

Back in Blighty

I’m back from the land of the fee and the home of the slave and hope to resume normal blogging (whatever that is) asap.

Life in Israel

I used to work for a small Israeli startup trying to make strange medical things. I'm still in the same place but we are now a wholly owned subsidiary of a middle sized left pondian company. Having worked for four Israeli startups and being there when they went down the toilet, it is a refreshing change to be part of a success story. Long may it last.

Congo rebel in landmark trial

Nice to see that the International Criminal Court has started the first trial of a suspected war criminal. In this case it's Thomas Lubanga charged with using children in armed groups. As the Congo was unable to try him, he gets to make history in The Haque instead.

Could someone remind me why the Government of the USA saw this as so very undesireable?

Blair's B'stard

It is with some pride that I announce the return of Alan B'Stard to British politics. As a former selfish, greedy, dishonest, devious, lecherous, sadistic ultra-right wing Conservative back bencher he has defected to the Labour Party and is busy in selling peerages for soft cash.

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 18 Mar 2003 (pt 6)

I have been re-reading Tony Blair's speech to the House of Commons on the war in Iraq. You can find a better version here.

He is very persuasive. Although he concentrates on the WMD issue he also touches on the Munich appeasement,terrorism, Israel and the Palestinian issue ,the enconomic state of Iraq and the evilness of Saddam and his regime.

It's done now and there's no going back except to try and mend Iraq to the point where US, British and others can leave. I still think that's some years off.

Far rightist: Bird flu pullout punishment

Of course it is. Bird flu is God's punishment for the Gaza pullout. Naturally. It just so makes sense.

There should be a special category for people who link the Lord with various natural disasters.

Life in Israel

I shall be glad to get back to work tomorrow for a rest. Ms Egghead has been making pots to help finance the never ending study costs. Of course that means her parents get to schlep the things, man the stall and bring the things home afterwards. I also am building a fence. Not enough hours in the day.

Spyware-for-hire couple plead guilty

Four years and two years each for planting trojans on company computers for rival companies. Perhaps this should have gone on my software blog. As I was unhappily inspired to write about an onanism perhaps not. Life here in Israel continues as normal. Volleys of rockets from Gaza and the IDF hammering away in Jenin again. As for the elections, I just wish it was over.

Bibi ending a recent speech with the words 'Kadima- Avodah' got Mrs E laughing.

Text of U.S.-UK letter to Abbas - Mar 14, 2006

It seems so innocent in it's way. A polite yet form statement of the facts as seen by the US-UK. Here's the original letter that caused such a fuss.

March 8, 2006

Mr. President:

The Palestinian Authority has never fully complied with basic provisions of the agreement that established the U.S. and UK Jericho Monitoring Mission.

While the six detainees -- Fuad Shobaki, Abmad Sa'adat, lyad Gholmi, Hamdi Qur'an, Majdi Rimawi and Basel alAsmar -- are held in continuous custody at the Jericho prison, the Palestinian Authority has consistently failed to comply with core provisions of the Jericho monitoring arrangements regarding visitors, cell searches, telephone access and correspondence.

Furthermore, the Palestinian Authority has failed to provide secure conditions for the U.S. and UK personnel working at the Jericho Prison. Repeated demarches by our governments to the highest levels of the Palestinian Authority have not resulted in improved compliance with the Jericho monitoring arrangements.

The pending handover of governmental power to a political party that has repeatedly called for the release of the Jericho detainees also calls into question the political sustainability of the monitoring mission.

If the Palestinian Authority would like the U.S. and UK to continue their involvement with the monitoring mission, conditions at the Jericho Prison must be brought into full compliance with the Jericho monitoring arrangements.

Alternatively, the Palestinian Authority can come to a new arrangement with the Government of Israel regarding the disposition of the six detainees. Likewise, adequate measures must be put in place to assure the security of the U.S. and UK personnel working at the prison.

Regrettably, if the Palestinian Authority does not come into full compliance with the Jericho monitoring arrangements and make substantive improvements to the security of the U.S. and UK personnel working at the prison, or come to a new agreement with the Government of Israel, we will have to terminate our involvement with the Jericho monitoring arrangements and withdraw our monitors with immediate effect.

I hope you understand our concerns and the seriousness with which we take this matter.

Signed,

Jake Walles, U.S. Consul General

John Jenkins, UK Consul General

How does burning down a UK cultural center help anyone?

Purim

A very happy Purim to all our readers. Feeling a lot better, the Eggheads went in for face paint for today. I frightened the gate security guard with a rather fetching Wiccan design.

Life in Israel

The Eggheads are collectively ill. Just winterend flu.

Life in Israel - part 22301

I am very, very happy. Ths sun is shining, my family is well and after some hours with the local ISP our new router is performing. We have Internet! (but no TV) As Mrs E. is away I had a pink ticket last night and didn't get home until 0400 hours. Everybody I met was charming, well read and cultured. I loved them all. Even the new, odd rules at Dunk's place didn't faze me. Now I'm going to the beach to collect seashells.

Yes, I'm goofing off bigtime and I don't care.

NeoCon allies desert Bush over Iraq

Can this be? The neocons are really saying "We were wrong". At long last, there's a chance for a reasonable exit strategy.

Elections

The Eggheads missed the elections broadcast last night so I can't regale you with highlights. My search for a party to vote for led me to some interesting but less well known parties including some I wouldn't like to meet down a dark alley. As usual, Wikipedia has the most complete information in English and the Hebrew equivalent is pretty good as well.

I quite like 'HaMiflaga LeMilhama BaBankim' which means 'The Party for the War against Banks'. Has a sort of ring to it and resonates with the voters.

Ha'Aretz has a nice web page with the main parties on it.

Life in Israel

I am an earlier starter. I enjoy getting up before dawn and making breakfast while reading the excellent International Herald Tribune which is always delivered before 0630. In my case, the delivery van turns up around 0515 and aims the plastic wrapped bundle at the roses.

So, I turn up at work with an infinite choice of parking and generally unlock the premises, put the milk away and reboot the coffee machine. The first hour or so is very quiet and I can get on with the things that need doing. Around nine, the main contingent arrives and the hustle and bustle starts. Impromptu meetings near my desk are a curse and I have taken to wearing headphones at all times listening to Classic FM.

Around five p.m. my eyes start to water and it's time for me to pack up and head for home. Ten hours in front of the computer is about all I can take without a serious break. Here lies the problem. The management considers the company to be a start-up. Start-ups work hard. Employees are expected to stay late. This means being seen at 1900 hours or later. A few people take an impromptu break around 1500 hours and go home for a nap, only to return able and willing to stay to 2100 or later.

As one of my co-workers said, arriving early doesn't count as there's nobody to see you. For myself, excessive overtime is a sign that management have got it wrong. I suppose I shall succumb at some point. I did read somewhere that Israelis work longer hours than their European or American counterparts but their productivity is lower. This is understandable.

I've also noticed that late night working has one redeeming feature. Food is supplied and causes no end of troubles for the person charged with getting it delivered.

Lemons

While the world seems to fall apart around me my interest in the Iranian situation has temporarily waned. Disillusionment with the elections and Kadima have been replaced with a concentration on work and home. I take a simple pleasure in keeping the tea drinking workforce supplied with lemons.

Another Israeli blogger

Say hello to AbbaGav who joins the blogroll today.

California dreaming

I’m off to the wilds of my native land (northern California) for a few weeks of skiing, sea-ing, seeing and socialising. This is my first proper break for two years – a price I am happy to pay in order to live how I live in London. So no working, no studying and not much if any blogging. I hope to return to London refreshed, recharged and raring to go.

In the meantime, here's an interesting piece about the iconoclast who was responsible for bringing the 1960 Winter Olympics to Tahoe and has made Squaw one of the best places to ski in the world.

L’itraot!

Blog drought

Falkland fear as Argentina steps up show of strength

Hang on a minute. Has there been a time warp when I was asleep? Argentina a growing threat to the Falklands?

Microsoft redesigns ipod packaging shock

Here's a hilarious video of how Microsoft would redesign i-pod packaging, complete with PeeWee Herman soundtrack.

Rabbi Yosef: Vote Shas, reach heaven

What a relief. My worries about which party to vote for are over. As a life long theist/atheist I am assured a place in Heaven by just voting Shas. What good news this is. There remains a few niggling doubts about just what sort of a welcome a goy might face in what could be a predominately Jewish afterlife but I'll worry about that when I get there.

Reminds me of the joke that's doing the rounds.

15,000 atheists rioted in London today when a blank piece of paper was found on a cartoonist's desk.