One of the cool things you can do with a webcam is have Cam Chats. I’m not really a chats person, I think they are mostly a waste of time. However, sometimes cam chats are cool – you get to see the people and meet new ones from around the world! I also get into irc every now and then but just to meet old friends again, or ask technical questions (programming, opengl, php java, stuff like that).
Anyway, I used to use CUSeeMe back in the old days. It was a great program. Nice people, easy to use, lots of people in one room – excellent. However, since the guys over there came out with the shitty new version I’ve started to look for a new cam-chat software.
Continue reading ‘Cam Chats’
This holiday turned out to be a little heaven for my mother and her sisters, as my grandmother’s older sister told us many new details about the family origins. We all knew the family arrived at the 18th century from Italy to Mogador, Morocco. But we didn’t know where in Italy and how much time the family been in morocco.
Turns out that our family (Karoutchi) is originally from Livorno (also known as Leghorn), Italy, which is just next to Piza in Tuscany. Apparently, The family been in morocco for 2-3 generations (half of the family came to Israel around 1900 and the others about 50 years later). One of my mother’s cousins went to visit Livorno but wasn’t really trying to find any traces of our roots, so the talks now are that the sisters (my mother and her sisters) will arrange a trip there to find more details. I was assigned to do the research work on the net.
Continue reading ‘Finding Roots…’
Yea, I’ve been hit, too. Not from one of those nasty worms (mostly thanks to the fact that I don’t use Microsoft Outlook) but from a “regular” virus. Win32.pinfi to be exact. The bloody thing managed to spread over most of the harddrives and it took hours of scanning and repairing. I even had to delete some of the files (which means I now have ro reinstall Sun One, Nokia SDK and some of my mother’s game all over again).
Viruses sucks. Big time.
Happy New Year!
It’s Rosh Ha’Shana again and a new year in the hebrew calendar. Year 5764, to be exact. Tonight is the holiday eve and we’re having it with the family in Ashdod. As usuall, we need to split in 2 houses cause the close family is a little big… So this time our family is going to have the holiday with my aunt’s Ester’s family and grandma, and 2 others aunts are going to celebrate at Odet’s house.
I’ll be back on sunday, probably, and update then.
Shana Tova Everybody!!!
Continue reading ‘Shana Tova!’
I’ts been busy. Real drama going on in the extended family and seems it’s time that I’ll step in and try to solve the real mess, a result of things adding up for years. So many toes out there I’ll probably step on one or two whatever I’ll do.
And I thought these kind of things can only happen in a grade B soap opera. Damn it.
I was watching a fascinating documentary about sept.11 on TV when I heard the surprising news – the Israeli government declared Arafat deportable (‘Bar Gerush’ was the Hebrew term the israeli news used). It doesn’t mean he will be deported now, or later or at all. But it does says the Israeli government doesn’t need to discuss the issue again and that the army needs to prepare operational plans for/if the moment the government decides to do so.
I was surprised cause I was sure the common sense and the American pressure will prevail. But turns out that when a right-wing government is elected, even if the PM proves to be responsible, the other ministers are still plain extreme-right morons.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Arafat is an angel. I keep arguing myself there could never be progress towards peace as long as the old shmuk still stays in the PA. Arafat isn’t the only source of evil in the PA but he’s certainly the biggest. So, if I do think all these things about Arafat why am I against the declaration?
Continue reading ‘Israel: Arafat is officially deportable’
Had my usual copywriting class today. Was pretty intersting. Shir looked as she feels better, which was nice. Finaly got some work to do at home. Mom is on a EuroMed congress in Naharia so I’m staying home untill the weekend.
I did some blog crusing tonight and brings my findings:
Brian Ulrich, Ph.D. Candidate in Islamic history at the University of Wisconsin, has written an interesting piece entitled Palestinian Leadership. Worth reading.
Tal from Jerusalem reports a friend of his wife was wounded in the attack last night. Rinat was woken up by phone calls in the middle of the night by friends, wanting to see if she’s ok and only then found out there was another terror attack. Allison reports her in-laws, which lives few buildings away from the attack spot, are fine. Gil posted alink to a special page where everyone can light a memory candle. And Shir was a little overtaken since she heard a row of ambulances’ sirens speeding under her window.
Another terror attack, another place I know, another street I walked in countless times. Israel managed to prevent the terror attacks for more then 2 weeks but as the officials say around here – there could never be 100%. And when these scums get it going – they get it going.
Second terror attack today. Lots of young people. Already they say 7 dead, 57 wounded – 6 of which are critical. Around 23:15 a suicide terrorist exploded in Cafe Hillel in Emek Refa’im. The cafe was packed so number of wounded is yet unsure.
I have no stregth for reporting in detail tonight, gotta get up early tomorrow. I’ll fil in details tomorrow, and in the mean time – here are several sources to get details from:
Hebrew: Ynet, Maariv
English: CNN, Haaretz, Goole News list of sources.
Arabic: Ynet
Continue reading ‘When they get it going…’
The only surprise in this terror attack is that it took the palestinians so long to execute it. Other then that no real surprise. The usual shit happens now. Media still trying to gather information on the exact number of wounded and dead, while hospitals still busy trying to get everything under control. In the same time the police is closing the whole region and getting choppers in the air, trying to locate the car and people who brought the terrorist to the area.
At the same time we have some severe alerts on another suicide terrorist trying to reach Jerusalem and army units are closing all ways to the city and back up teams joins the patrols. Yea, it’s happy again ’round here. I’ll update when things will be more clear.
18:17 20 minutes ago a suicide terrorist exploded himself in a large bus-stop in Rishon Le-Zion during rush hours. First reports says atleast 30 wounded. The bus stop structure was destroyed completely. Asaf HaRofe hospital is very near the place and within minutes ambulances were already in place. Waiting for more details. Ynet news: Hebrew, Arabic. CNN (English).
Summary 7 soldiers dead – 4 guys, 3 girls, most of them in their early 20s (19, 20, 21..) 18 Wounded, 11 still in hospital. A lot of mess, many young people. Hammas took responsibility.
She’s a friend and few days ago opened a blog. And let me tell you – every post touches you somewhere. Really. If you read Hebrew – don’t miss it.
Dark Blue.
Getting a compliment brings a smile.
Getting a compliment you don’t deserve brings a phony smile.
Getting a compliment you don’t deserve because they mixed you with someone else – that’s even a little insulting.
I would rather be considered doing a bad work then being totally ignored.
Got back a while ago from Tel Aviv, after one of the classes in the Copywriting course, just to find out my home in Ashkelon was overtaken by some family members and lots of other other people I don’t know, looking like Avrechim (orthodox jews still students in Yeshiva). Since this thing almost never happens here I’ve decided to stream this so you can watch the webcam now and see the live action going on our lower floor.
The guy in the head of the table is Oren, my cousin, which turned orthodox (The Hebrew slang term for this is “Hazar Bit’shu’va” – which means “Got back in Answer”). I’m sure you enjoy the sights more then me since these guys (and the girls which you can’t see – they are too far to the right to be seen on the cam) are making LOTS of noise.
Tell you the truth, the first 5 minutes when I arrived I’ve stayed in the car wondering if I accidentally stumbled into a parallel universe or something…
I didn’t expected THIS to happen, though it was written on the wall.
Ynet, ‘Yediot Ahronot’ web site (most popular daily paper in Israel), just posted news that IDF had attempted to kill Sheik Ahmad Yassin (founder and spiritual leader of Hammas) and his helper Ismail Haniyeh, which is from the top seniors of Hammas. Apparently, they were leaving Dr. Marwan Abu-Ras‘s (a Hamas member) apartment when a missile hit it. Sheik Yassin was lightly wounded and Ismail Haniyeh was unharmed. 10 other people were wounded in the attack and were treated in a local hospital, including Dr. Abu Ras.
Rantisi, another top senior of Hammas was quoted saying “the gates of hell had been opened” and promised a painful revenge. A senior in El-Aktza Brigades (terror group belonging to Arafat’s Fatah movement) said they will react in terror attacks as well.
Update: Apperantly the missile was targeting a meeting of Hammas Seniors and shiek Yassin was only one of them. The meeting was set to coordinate activity of the organizatio and seems IDF didn’t targeted Yassin specialy.
Continue reading ‘IDF Target Sheik Yassin’
Well, like this was a surprise. Abu-Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), the Palestinian PM, had resigned few hours ago, as a result of intense pressures and attacks from Yassir Arafat and his supporters. This brings the end of his government and since both Israel and the US will not talk to Arafat it means the situation in the region is just going to get worse. I keep being amazed how the Palestinians keep shooting themselves in the foot every possible time. Arafat wants to continue terror operations (his own organization, the Fatah, is responsible to many attacks including the most recent ones), he keeps protecting wanted terrorists in his office, he keeps financing terror cells but mostly – he denies any Palestinian leader other then himself any control of security forces, which makes the PM unable to execute any internal reforms or fight militants.
Lately, Abu Mazen appointed a new executive to head an office being ran by an Arafat man. Currently this office is being used as a ‘laundry’ to transfer support money the Palestinians get into the hands of the Fatah organization. Abu Mazen appointed this guy to stop this activity, but armed Fatah militants surrounded the building after the appointment and prevented Abu Mazen’s executive from entering it.
Continue reading ‘Abu Mazen Resigns’
That’s it, my flat contract in Jerusalem had ended and I’m moving out of Jerusalem. For a while, anyway. I’m relocating to the center, somewhere around Tel Aviv (don’t know where yet – just NOT tel aviv ifself!) I’ll probably sattle temporarly (hopefully for couple of weeks max) at my cusin Sagit in Petach Tikva while checking up new places. I also need to find a work while still doing the copywriting course. I was recently considering looking for a job as a mobile game developer in one of the local companies. We’ll see.
I hope i’ll be able to get back to Jerusalem next year or so. Then again, lets see how I’ll be doing in the center… 
Well, going to eat the regular friday-evening dinner, then meeting up with Nir, Ami and Dina to go to some pub Nir told me about. Hope to have a nice evening…
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