The World Through my Eyes

Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Eid ul-Adha, and Happy Kwanzaa

2006-12-25T21:16:00.002+02:00

UPDATE: This was the last post of this blog. Army craziness got the better of me and left me with no time to write. This blog will remain up, but many pictures for the template are no longer being hosted where they were originally, nor will this blog be updated again. Thanks for reading. -Ben

Now that I've gotten all those politically correct seasonal greetings out of the way, it's time for an update.

Unfortunately due to a busy schedule and a broken PC my sea of blogging posts have mostly dried up. It's been over a month since I've posted, although earlier I retro-blogged some old posts that I had started but not finished.

Last week I was in Eilat on vacation and I hope to share some anecdotes about my tip in the next couple of days. For now though I'm going to keep this post simple and just share some holiday feelings I've had.

This year's holiday season had almost zero Christmas in it. Unlike past years, I didn't here the word Santa Clause at all while I was in Eilat. Even when I was watching Fox News, I only got a Happy Chanukah and a Happy holidays, no Merry Christmas. Really the only Christmas I saw or heard was the sale of some decorations in Jafa (where my base is) and the Christmas greetings my (Religious Jewish) friends and I seem to share every December 25th. Next year in New York my experience will no doubt be a much different one.

This holiday season I learned some interesting things. Among them, that not everyone celebrates Christmas on December 25- many Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on it's Julian Calendar Date, January 7th (Check out who's listed first in the "Births" section).

Another holiday related thing I stumbled on is the following video:

I thought this video was quite inspirational. It is the PS22 Chorus singing Esa Einai (Psalm 121) to a Reb Shlomo Carlebach tune. The PS22 Chorus is made up of about 60 Staten Island public school 5th graders. I thought this video was a truly great display of multiculturalism and diversity. I believe Reb Shlomo would have been proud to see his work sung in this way. I wish my Hebrew was as good as their's when I was in 5th grade!

Oh, and check out 'Lil Eminem's mad Toprock skillz!

Happy Holidays!

A Victory For Lunatic Fringe

2006-11-10T19:38:00.000+02:00

Lunatic Fringe recently won a landmark battle in "The Great Genetic Disease and Gene Nomenclature War".

Lunatic Fringe, and other inappropriately named genes gained some recognition when an article [Original Link] showcasing the issue of gene nomenclature was published in Nature magazine this past week. The article discusses the problems inappropriately named genes cause, and the changes that the "Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) Gene Nomenclature Committee" plan to make to these controversially named genes. The committee plans to change the names of many genes; The shortlist contains Lunatic Fringe, Radical Fringe, and "The Hedgehog Genes" which include both the "Indian" , and "Sonic The" varieties.

The article gave my father (Dr. Mark Ludman) 15 minutes of fame when it quoted him several times. It also credits him and several coleagues as the ones who "appealed to the HUGO committee to launch the consultation that led to the drawing up of the short-list".

Congrats on the victory LF, and way to go Dad!

The Dean Has Left The Building...And The School

2006-11-08T14:19:00.000+02:00

Well, it's official: Dean Zvi Galil, the current dean of Columbia University's school of engineering and applied science (SEAS) is leaving at the end of the year. Prof. Galil is leaving my future alma mater to become the President of Tel Aviv University here in Israel.

I first met Prof. Galil this summer. I was invited to a cocktail party in Tel Aviv over the summer to hear Columbia President Lee Bolinger speak and to hopefully meet both President Bolinger and Dean Galil. Unfortunately, Dean Galil couldn't make it and I only met President Bolinger. I ended up meeting Dean Galil a few weeks later, at a cafe in Tel Aviv. I got the call to come meet him when I was already on the beach, in a tank top and bathing suit, which made for an interesting first meeting. He was only in town for 48 hours (in hindsight, probably interviewing for a job at TAU) so we took advantage of the only chance we would get.

I will be meeting Dean Galil again in a few weeks as I am invited to a reception in his honor in Tel Aviv.

Since the announcement that the Dean will be moving to TAU a number of sites have pooped up on the net. Among them is www.savezvi.com, a site where people can tell Dean Galil they want him to stay.

First Rains

2006-11-07T21:38:00.000+02:00

Alas, winter is here, and with it comes the cold, crummy weather that forces me to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. With that said, I was in a surprisingly good mood all day today. I like the rain but hate having to travel in it.

Unfortunately, I seem to have fallen back into the rut of posting once every three weeks, which needless to say is not good.

I saw three movies last week: World Trade Center, Silent Hill and The Breakup.

WTC was interesting. I quite liked it. It wasn't action packed but I would hardly call it boring like so many reviews did.

Silent Hill was about what you would expect from a movie based on a video game, (Resident Evil not included- that movie rocked!). Having seen the trailer at WTC my friends and I decided it would make a good "bad horror movie" to watch and make fun of. The plot wasn't the most coherent and there were so many things in it that seemed completely random. I guess you have to be a fan of the game. I did like the creepy-deformed-melting-baby-things (I think they are called Grey Children) though- they were kinda cute in a sick I-have-been-eating-nuclear-fallout way.

The Breakup is a chick flick, but Vince Vaughn makes it bearable cause let's face it, he's pretty damn funny.

I was guarding over the weekend so that makes two weekends in a row that I didn't go out- last week I was sick. I think I am suffering from alcohol withdrawal.

And now, a little something new. I call it "Things I like and things I don't". I am open to name suggestions though.

I like getting under heavy covers and falling asleep to the sound of the rain on my skylight.
I don't like having to run to the bus in the pouring rain without an umbrella or a jacket.
I like working in my office when it's the perfect temperature out.
I don't like guarding for 4 hours straight in the freezing cold rain.
I like movies that make me go "Whoa! What the hell just happened!?"-in a good way.
I don't like movies that make me go "Whoa! What the hell just happened and who do I see about getting two hours of my life back?"
I like chocolate milk.
I don't like rotten milk.
Milk straight from the cow is bearable.

If this amused you please send my one dollar. If you would like two minutes of your life back, send me two dollars and I'll see what I can do.

Whoa! Major Update!

2006-10-17T23:14:00.000+02:00

So, it's been a really long time since I've blogged. I blame the Jewish holidays. Rather than do the whole retroactive blog thing, I think I will just write one large-ish post with the major things that have happened to me lately. I really had a few good post I could have posted but they are already several weeks ago so I'll just give some brief summaries.

September 27th: Life came full circle again as I found myself at the same shooting ranges I first shot an M-16. A little refresher training in some of the basics (Com, First Aid, NBC warfare, and shooting) where I spent my first month in the army- Nitzanim Basic Training Base.

October 1st: Went to a club in Tel Aviv called Vox. Got worried when I found it listed as a gay club on the website with it's address. Turns out that that's only on Friday nights, this was Saturday night. Was treated to an entertaining, if not completely weird, out of place, what-the-hell-is-going-on, strip show on the stage at the club.

October 6th: My cousin and her friend come to stay for the weekend.

October 8th: Hit the beach in Herzelia with my cousin and her friend. Ah, sun! Dinner at Burger Ranch. Nothing like a bad burger, once in a while.

October 9th: Day in Tel Aviv with friends from South Africa leaving that night. Burger at Burger King in Azrieli mall- Second bad burger in 24 hrs. Afternoon at the beach in Tel Aviv- Second beach trip in 24 hrs. (I was on vacation for those two days by the way.) Cocktails on the beach at sunset.

October 12th: Hookah in the Sukkah. Only there was no Sukkah...and the hookah ended up being MIA. So actually, it was just a drunken house party. No complaints here.

October 14th: Mike's Place. Been a while.

October 17th: Finally another post. Me and Mo do Israel still badly out of date.

Popeye Would Be Ashamed

2006-09-25T23:37:00.000+03:00

I'm looking through the headlines the other day when I come across the following headline on CNN:

Toddler may have eaten bad spinach before he died

This is no laughing matter. It's hard to get kids to eat spinach at the best of time, now who's gonna touch their vegetables?

Billy: Hey Suzy, did you hear about Timmy? His mom made him eat spinach and it killed him!

Now that I've sealed my place in hell for making light of the death of a child, I want to share with you a paragraph from the same website, essentially buying me a VIP ticket on the first elevator down.

Of those infected in the outbreak, 88 have been hospitalized, including a Wisconsin woman who died. Two other deaths have been reported in suspected cases -- a child in Idaho and an elderly woman in Maryland -- but those cases are still being investigated.(Watch grieving parents search for answers -- :32)

Notice the blue link. Watch grieving parents search for answers?!? What, it's not bad enough that this poor couple's child was killed by spinach, CNN now goes and makes a reality show where we can watch the grieving parents search for answers? What has the media in America come to? People are suffering and anyone can just tune in to the net and watch them. And it's all brought to you by our moral friends over at Time Warner.

Happy (Jewish) New Year

2006-09-22T11:19:00.000+03:00

Well it's that time again. The time of year when us Jews celebrate the new year. Looking back at last year's post, I find that I still feel very much the same way. That doesn't mean I haven't grown a lot, simply that I still don't have the answers to the questions I was, and still am, asking.

This is the time of year when I get bummed because I usually feel like I haven't accomplished anything big or important in the past year. This year I'm not going to bother with looking back at things I haven't accomplished. Life is too short to live in the past and it's time to start living for the moment and enjoying everyone one of them.

Shana Tova and Happy New Year to everyone!

Pentagonal Powwow

2006-09-20T19:17:00.000+03:00

Monday I was invited to the Israeli equivalent of the American Pentagon for a meeting. It's a really nice base. They actually have grass! I had been there once already, about a half a year ago, to use their laser shooting range (see post) but was never inside the main building. I was excited to see signs in the elevator directing you the Ramatcal's (Chief of General Staff) office. This was a very important meeting, but it was hardly about national security, and Danny didn't attend. My meeting shared its topic with many of my posts- Birthright.

Being an alumnus (technically twice over) of Birthright, I along with about ten other soldiers, was invited to meet with the woman in charge of the Mifgash for all of birthright. She asked us many questions about our experience, what we learned, ways to improve the program, and things we particularly liked about the program. I was very vocal (read: didn't shut up) as I feel very strongly about this program.

Sidenote: If you don't know what birthright is, head on over to their website and read about it. If you do know what it is, registration for this winter's trip is already open so head over to the registration page and get registered if you are eligible. I highly recommend Shorashim [official site] as the world's best trip organizer, but I am biased.

Anyway, the meeting was interesting and it was good to reminisce about my trip(s). An added bonus was that one of the guys from my second trips was also at the meeting so I got to sit and chill in his office with him for a while, afterwards.

After the meeting, in true jobnik spirit, I went with Ilan H. across the street to Azrieli Mall and got lunch. Mmmm, fried cheese sandwich.

Vengeance Stings

2006-09-14T21:24:00.000+03:00

I saw this headline and proved that I may be a heartless person, as my first reaction was to burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Headline: Stingray mutilations prompt Irwin vengeance fears.

Common, that's a little funny. Aussies are taking vengeance on all stingrays because one killed the only famous Australian. Actually there are a few famous Australians (some friends and I came up with a few the other day). Kylie Minogue is Australian. So is the guy who played Crocodile Dundee. I think we came up with some more famous people but they seem to be forgettable.

I'm not going to lie, I don't think I had heard of this guy before he died, and now his death is getting avenged. Up to 11 innocent stingrays have been murdered in cold blood and mutilated. I'm surprised the UN isn't trying to pin some "crimes against ray-manity" charges on the Aussies. This is a hate crime, after all. If we don't do something, we could be telling our children about "The Great Stingray Genocide of '06". I feel very strongly about this. I think I'm going to protest. Maybe I'll go on a hunger strike. No, I like to eat; I'm going to boycott surfing and shell necklaces.

Damn, what will I wear to and do at the beach now.

Cruise By The Beach

2006-09-14T21:01:00.000+03:00

Well I'm on sick leave again. Since I joined the army over 2 years ago, I seem to be sick much more often, usually with a throat or eye infection. I happen to have both now.

[COMPLAINING]

I ended up guarding on Monday (Sep 11th) because a friend called me up at 6:30am horribly sick. When I woke up on Tuesday after guarding the previous night my eyes were horribly sore so I decided to go to infirmary to get some eye drops. The doc not only found an eye infection but when I told her about my sore throat and ear, I landed myself on a week of antibiotics.

This had the potential to be such a perfect leave. If I didn't have to work this weekend and I had seen the doc in the morning, I would have been home from Tuesday morning until Sunday morning- a hell of a vacation. Unfortunately I only got home late Tuesday afternoon and had to go in this afternoon for a few hours for an important meeting with the district head (a little nerve racking). At least I didn't have to guard today because my friend who's place I took on Monday, is covering for me until tomorrow.

[/COMPLAINING]

I drove to base today for the first time. I had the car at home and wasn't about to spend three hours on a bus for a one hour meeting. It worked out really well. It only took me about half an hour each way and that was with the scenic route. On the way there I decided to drive along the Tel Aviv beach front instead of taking the highway the whole way there. I don't often drive along the beach during the day, it's usually night time when I pass on the way to a bar. It was really nice to see the waves crashing on the beach. I forget how close I live to such a gorgeous beach. It's something I'm going to miss in NYC.

United 93

2006-09-10T18:04:00.000+03:00

Last night I went to see United 93 with Katz and Gross and I thought it was a great movie. In the past few weeks I've seen ads for the movie on bus stops and when I asked people what it was they told me it was a movie about one of the September 11th flights. A little more inquiring a learned it was about the fourth plane, the one that didn't hit its target because the passengers fought back against the terrorists. I decided it was a movie I would like to see and with September 11th tomorrow, I decided it was a fitting time to see it.

Before leaving the house I read the review and was a little wary when it described the movie as a Docu-Drama. I didn't really want to pay money to go see a documentary, but decided I wanted to see the movie anyway.

Upon leaving the movie, I wasn't disappointed. While some people I have spoken with thought it was very documentary-ish. I think it had just the right amount of documentary-ness in it. The movie kept you glued to your seat in anticipation, even though you knew what was going to happen. I thought the film was shot very well and you really got the feeling you were there, whether there was on the plane or in the tower on the ground.

One thing I thought was interesting is that you don't get any back story. The story starts with the terrorist preparing to leave for the airport and end with the plane crash. You don't learn who the terrorists are or who the heroic passengers are. You don't get into anyone's head. Most of the characters in the movie remain nameless. The star of the movie is the situation, no one person stands out.

I left the movie in a rather somber mood, declining to go to the pool hall for some late night billiards. While I went into the movie knowing the story was true, it wasn't till after I left the movie that it finally hit me- THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Those people really died. They actually took a stand and saved countless lives. The thought was depressing and thought provoking. What would I do in that situation? When will someone next be put in that situation?

On the eve of this historic date, I solute the brave souls that lost their lives five years ago.

PAAAARTY!

2006-09-09T20:39:00.000+03:00

Well, I haven't had a chance to write in the past few weeks cause life has been busy.

[EXCUSES]

As of three weeks ago I've taken on a position with more responsibilities and overall work, which includes dealing with certain systems and programs I haven't really dealt with in the past and delegating jobs to other soldiers on the team.

The other thing, other than laziness, is that Katz, Nadiv and I have spent this past week planning a crazy birthday party for Gross. It's been a while (over two years) since the three of us planned a party but Thursday night at the beach we finally got back in the game. The music was rocking and the bubbly was flowing. Actually the only bubbly we had was coke and sprite but the punch I made was killer and it went quickly. Pouring it straight down people's throats didn't exactly do much for conserving the it, but it was worth it. We got about 50 people which was about twice the the low side of what I was expecting. There were a few hitches along the way but in the end, everything came together and there was one hell of a party.

We still have quite a few drinks as we planned to have upwards of 100 people so with a little luck we'll be planning another party in a few weeks time.

[/EXCUSES]

Home From The North

2006-08-25T17:16:00.000+03:00

I'm home from the north, a little thinner and a little tired but in good spirits. Things were different than I expected but overall the trip was good.

We arrived Tuesday at about noon time to a town called Ma'alot. Our group had bonded on the way as we were about 15 people squashed into a van along with all of our big bags. To our disappointment, when we arrived we were told that due to logistical issues (only one room for sleeping in) the girls would be staying in Ma'alot and instead five guys would be joining us at our final destination of Ma'aleh Yosef, a few kilometers form the border.

I spent most of the time (about 20 hours a day) underground, as we were sleeping and working in bomb shelters and underground bunkers. Our sleeping quarters were a 5m X 5m bomb shelter. All twelve of us managed to some how squish into it and sleep almost comfortably on the floor lined wall to wall with foam mattresses. It wasn't much fun though when on the last night our (single) toilet got clogged and began overflowing everywhere. Our showers were in a near by base as was our food. It was no Ritz but we made things work. I've been in worse.

Our days were spent driving along the border and in various Moshavim (like a Kibbutz) going from bomb shelter to bomb shelter clearing out garbage, sweeping and mopping- basically making them habitable. The inhabitants of the various towns we went to couldn't have been nicer. We were given drinks and snacks throughout the day in addition to fruit picked fresh from the tree. When kids passed us on the street we were always waved to and smiled at.

The first night we got a few free hours to go ice skating in Ma'alot (I didn't know there was a rink there). I wish as the resident Canadian I could have at least been the best skater but let's just say there is a reason I had to flee Canada. We all had a lot of fun though, even if we weren't very good. The second night we were supposed to go to see a comedy show but a few girls were lightly injured in a car accident so it was canceled. We made the best of it by going to a local pizza shop (pretty much the only think in the town that we were staying in) and just hanging around talking in the shelter.

We left Thursday afternoon, a little tired, a little sore but with a sense of accomplishment. I'm really glad I got to do this. We are supposed to be heading back on Sunday for another week but it looks like someone will be replacing me as I have a lot to do back on base. Below are some pictures I snapped while up north.

Crater caused by a mortar shell in the northern town of Ye'arah.

Shrapnel damage caused by a mortar shell in the northern town of Ye'arah.

My Team takes a break from cleaning in the bomb shelter.

Northbound

2006-08-20T19:46:00.000+03:00

This past Thursday I got the call. I was home on sick leave for a day due to an injury I sustained to my back while returning to "normal post war preparedness". Nothing big, just a pulled muscle but I was in a lot of pain and pretty much bed ridden for the weekend. My CO was calling to tell me that Sunday I would be heading to "The North" to participate in a humanitarian mission headed up by my unit. I was a little foggy on the details but basically we would be helping the citizens of the north get back to everyday life. We would be helping rebuild, clean and paint schools, bomb shelters etc. It wasn't a hundred percent whether the mission was a go or not, I would only find out on Saturday night, but I was to pack a bag for a week and expect to leave on Sunday morning for my 6 day stint up north.

Saturday night arrived and the mission was pushed of by a day. Sunday we would be getting our briefing and leaving on Monday morning. At the briefing I learned I will be going to a place by the name of "Ma'aleh Yosef". My groups is made up of 5 guys, 6 girls and two officers. We only leave on Tuesday morning, returning Friday AM but I'm hoping to return on Thursday night. We will be cleaning out bomb shelters and there will be no painting or building. This came as a relief to me as with by back still bothering me, I'm a little worried about having to carry heavy things.

I'm really excited to go as I think this gives me a great opportunity to help give back to the citizens of the north. During the war I had told my COs that if they needed to send anyone up north, I would be the first to volunteer. This is letting me do that albeit a little late. I also excited to see what the state of things is up there. I hope not to find to much destruction but I don't know what to expect.

The trip should be an interesting experience and they tell us that there will be "fun trips" in the evening i.e. shows or hikes so I think this should prove to be both a rewarding and a fun week. Wish me luck!

A Welcomed Cease Fire

2006-08-15T20:50:00.000+03:00

The past two weeks have been crazy for me. Upon my return from Canada where I spent two weeks visiting family, I was thrown headfirst into the war efforts. While not fighting on the front lines in Lebanon, you can rest assured that there is plenty for my unit to do. A simple Google search for "Home Front Command" can give you some ideas of what we have been up to, but for security reasons I will not go into detail.

The recently signed cease-fire comes as a relief to me. Not because it means that my workload will go down significantly, if anything it has gotten heavier. Not because I will finally get to go home after a long month of battle, I have not seen battle and I have been home almost as much as before this all started. The recently signed cease fire comes as a relief to me, because I am sick of waking up in the morning to see more of my comrades faces appearing on the front pages of the news papers with the abbreviation z"l (blessed memory) next to their names. I am tired of having to hear the names of recently fallen soldiers broadcast on the radio. It sickens me when I am relieved to not recognize any names because while I may not have known the fallen hero, he was someone's son, someone's brother or someone's husband.

Does this mean we can finally breath easy? No. Until Hezbollah is completely disarmed, our northern border is not safe. And that's not to say that their disarmament will lead to safety. With Syria funneling arms to the terrorists and Iran's race towards nuclear weapons combined with its leader's clear and open hate for Israel, Israel's border is far from safe. But I will take this opportunity to catch my breath, if only for a moment. A moment to not leave 20 unreturned messages for my friends in Lebanon, hoping that they are safe and that the only reasons I have not heard from them is that their batteries are dead. A moment where the only names I hear on the radio are those of the artist whose song I just heard, and the only faces in the paper are those of the brave heroes returning to their families.

It is hard to claim victory after such a war. Our soldiers remain captured, and the terrorists that captured them remain armed and strong despite the strong blow we dealt them. Our border is still in danger as are all the civilians of the north as long as Hezbollah remains armed. I don't know what the solution is. I don't know how long this cease-fire will last and I don't know if pulling out at this stage was the right thing to do. What I do know is that I am happy the death, on both sides, has stopped. I'm happy residents of the north are returning to their homes. But most of all I am happy that my friends are coming home safe. Because dying in defense of your country is the ultimate heroic sacrifice; one I know they would do without hesitation. But one I would not want them to have to do.

Neutrality: The Devil’s Mistress

2006-08-03T22:04:00.000+03:00

In 1940 Germany, thousands of Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, Handicaps and other minorities were being executed for being different. No one was safe at the hands of a democratically elected dictator, who with the consent of much of the word, reigned terror. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Says Edmund Burke. And so I ask you- us, Canada: Are we good men?

A recent poll published August 1st in the Globe and Mail found that 77% of Canadians believe Canada should remain neutral in a war between Israel and Hezbollah. The same poll found that 45% of Canadians disagree with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s support of Israel’s action and only 32% support it.

Any country under attack has the right to defend itself. Whether the country is being attacked by another country, or by a terrorist organization, a government cannot tolerate targeted attacks on it’s civilian population, or on it’s military. Israel’s right to defend itself from Hezbollah goes without saying. And yet, 45% of Canadians think Israel should stand idly by as over a hundred rockets rain down on its cities daily. Cities full of innocent civilians, women and children, are being forced into bomb shelters for fear of these summer rain showers they have now come to expect, but will never get used to.

While 45% disagree with supporting Israel, 77% think neutrality is the correct position to take. Sixty-five years ago, if less people had remained neutral, and taken stronger action sooner, countless lives would have been saved. To remain neutral is to support evil, in this case the internationally recognized terror organization- Hezbollah.

When so much hangs in the balance, I am glad that Canada is lead by at least one good man. In my eyes, Stephen Harper proved himself by not remaining neutral, and by supporting Israel. I call on the rest of Canada, and the world, to choose the side of good, for if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.

Home Sweet Home

2006-08-02T13:25:00.000+03:00

Well, I'm back home. The flight home was pretty uneventful. My flight from Halifax to Toronto was on a new Airbus A320. Individual touch screens baby! I started watching "Inside Man" which was a mistake because I only saw the first hour and it was really good.

My plan of updating the blog daily during the trip was thwarted when my computer in Halifax died and I was technologically inaccessable. So here is a quick update on where I was and the highlights of my trip:

Went to the Atlantic Jazz Festival (with my father) as a VIP where I saw Hot Toddy and Juan Martin. Martin has been called one of the world's top three guitarists by guitar player magazine. Technichaly he was very good but he plays flamenco style which I wasn't crazy about. The first set was Hot Toddy, a Canadian folk/blues/jazz band- quite liked it. Second set was Juan Martin- flamenco. Third act was them playing together- very interesting.
Went to the Casino. Came home 20 dolars richer from playing the slots. Good fun as long as you no when to stop. The casino ruins all the fun of gambling though. The entire place is covered in posters for gambler annonymous. The screens of the slots flash up with the GA hotline number. They replaced that ever so pleasing sound of quarters falling with a ticket that you have to bring to the cashier to get your money.
Went go-carting at Kartbahn. It was the first time I went go-carting and it was one of the funnest things I have ever done.
Went mini golfing with my sister at a Putting Edge. Glow in the dark mini golf is always fun. I've been there quite a few times but still can't get under par. I'm just not a golfer. It's actually not glow in the dark per se, it's all lit by black light. It's pretty cool.
Went with my sister to the Discovery Centre, which is kids science museum. I used to love that place and didn't really find it any less entertaining and interesting. They seem to always have something for all ages. They had this track where you get to race verious people (and animals) to compare your speeds. I was only a tenth of a second slower than Donovan Bailey (who holds the world recor for thee 100m dash). You only run 10 meters so he's still accelerating and in the long run a tenth of a second is a huge amount but look out world, you may have a new sprinter.
Saw "Superman" in Imax 3D. Cool special effects but I was never a huge superman fan. He was to powerful and come on, he's a superhero but he can't manage to wear is underwear on the inside! I'm more of a spider man myself. I probably just made a lot of enemies.
Went to several bars and hung out with some old friends. Went to a house party for a friends birthday.
Did LOTS of shopping.

Well, that's all for now folks. I'll have a post about the current situation here in Israel soon and for some more pics of my travels, you can check out Me and Mo do Israel -my other blog.

My ID and Pass from the Jazz Festival

Hello Halifax!

2006-07-17T08:16:00.000+03:00

I made it here safe and sound which is always a good thing. We had to make a made dash to catch the connecting flight in Toronto but me made it! Unfortunately, one of our bags didn't... But no big deal, it was only one bag.

The food on the plane was surprisingly good. The chicken and meat were a little rubbery but tasted pretty good. The movies were ok. I mostly slept through Firewall because I've seen it already. Lion King isn't really my taste either. I watched King Kong but it felt heavily edited and I thought the plot was really dry. The effects were quite amazing though, so I did watch the entire movie.

That's it for now. I'll check in again later.

Happy Birthday Blog!

2006-07-16T11:29:00.000+03:00

This past week was my blog's first birthday. I can't believe that I have been writing here for a whole year! I guess it's fitting then that I started the new blog at the same time.

Right now I am sitting in the first class lounge at Ben Gurion International Airport, waiting for my flight to leave. I love traveling in style. I wish I could travel first class but alas, I am only here because my Dad travels a lot. I still get to enjoy fast internet, TV, newspapers and all the free kosher food I can eat. Not to bad if you ask me.

I'm going to go grab so more food. Stay tuned for posts on my trip while I am away.

Quick snapshot of the lounge from my celllphone

New Blog! "Me And Mo Do Israel" Now Open!

2006-07-10T19:55:00.000+03:00

My new blog, "Me And Mo Do Israel" is now officially open for your reading pleasure! The new blog is just another example of the sick individual that is me. Come follow my pet moose Morris and myself as we barhop and travel around the country. Lookout world, here we come!

Me And Mo Do Israel
Read more about the new blog.

Too Much Holiness

2006-07-05T22:29:00.001+03:00

This past Monday I went on a trip with the army to Jerusalem as part of a project called "Project Moriah". When a survey found that only about 50% of soldiers had ever been to Jerusalem and the Western Wall, the army decided to make that a priority. Armed with donated money and a goal, the army set out to have every soldier have a guided tour of Jerusalem. What a wonderful idea, in theory anyway.

My complaint comes when this is my second trip of this kind I have been on when there are people on my base that haven't. The trip became something of a burden. They had to find people to fill the slots allocated to us and for various reasons I won't go into, many of us were second time trippers when there are lots of people on my base who haven't gone.

Any reason to get away from my base for a day is great but I think I've had a little too much of the holy city. Between two Moriah trips, two birthright trips and another completely separate trip with my base, I've seen the garbage filled streets of Jerusalem a little too much in the past year and a half. (Don't get me wrong. I think Jerusalem is an important city, and I will elaborate on this at a later date.)

Anyway, we toured around Jerusalem, did the tunnel tour again and visited the Wall. This time I tried to actually pay attention and I think I absorbed a little more than usual, so I'm happy. I also got a ride home, and that made me even happier- so sad.

Climb On My Boy!

2006-07-04T22:44:00.000+03:00

This past weekend was so crazy. I've barely had a minute to breathe I have been so busy. I was on vacation Thursday and Sunday and I really feel I did stuff this weekend. Wednesday night I met up with a birthright friend in Tel Aviv. We went a bar on the beach (the tables and chairs are in the sand) called La Mer. It's directly across from Mike's Place. I ordered a mango juice because I was driving. For 12 shekels they could have at least poured it into a glass. When I got the same can of mango juice I buy on base for 2.50 I wasn't so impressed. At least let me feel like I'm getting quality! Give me one of those umbrellas, or a sword with a cherry and lime!

Thursday night saw The Transporter 2 with Nadiv and Katz. Wasn't the slightest bit believable but the action was pretty good. An enjoyable movie if your looking for a movie where you can turn off your brain and jus enjoy the violence and explosions.

Friday morning I went with Katz to the beach in Tel Aviv where we also met up with my birthright friend. We ended up meeting the dean of the engineering school at Columbia (who is Israeli) while we were there because he was in town for 48 hours. It was a little weird showing up to this cafe to meet him in a tank top and wet bathing suit, but they told us that it was ok.

Saturday night Katz and I went to Tel Aviv at 1:30 am and decided to try a new bar. We went to a place called Starsky on Allenby street. Really liked the place. The bartender never let our bowl of pretzels get empty. He also whipped out a lighter to light another person's cigarette which I thought was really classy. Very old-school bar-tender.

Sunday morning I was up early. Katz and I got a ride with his mom to Tel Aviv at 10. We walked all the way up Allenby, around Shuk HaCarmel and that whole area. We then walked all the way down Shenkin (a big shopping street) ended up at Even Gvirol Street (another big street with lots of cafes) and eventually made it to Park HaYarkon, which was our goal the whole day. I successfully walked almost all the places that I know in Tel Aviv. I didn't realize that all these places were so close together, I had never seen them in the same context. At Park HaYarkon we went rock climbing at an outdoors climbing gym called Olimpus. We had a really good time even if we came home a little sun burned and completely drained of energy.

Yes, Mr. President

2006-07-03T16:01:00.000+03:00

Two Thursdays ago on the 22nd of June (yes I know I'm a little slow on the posting) I experienced my first Columbia meet and greet.

There was a cocktail party at the Dan hotel in Tel Aviv to welcome the president of Columbia (the university, not the country) on his first visit to Israel. The place was filled mostly with alumni, since that was who the party was primarily for. This wasn't an experience I am used to. For one, business attire is requested. What's business attire?! For me that's my uniform. I don't own any suits or even a single sport coat! I'm not used to the shake-shake, smile-smile routine. I suppose it's something I have to get used to. The president, Lee Bollinger, seemed like a nice guy, but that is based solely on my two and a half minute conversation with him about the weather.

Following the cocktails there were remarks by the president. He spoke mostly about plans to open a new campus and about large donations the school has received. During the Q&A period after, then questions focused on the anti-Israel debacle in the mid east studies department. I felt he responded pretty well to the questions he could answer and nicely dodging the ones he couldn't.

Overall, I enjoyed the evening even if I was sick and had to go into base the following day to guard for the weekend. I could get used to a little shake-shake, smile-smile in exchange for the free food and open bar, but next time someone else is driving.

Justice The Protector Retires

2006-07-01T21:44:00.000+03:00

Today is the end of an era. Not only is it Canada Day, it is also the day my favorite member of the Halifax (the city where I used to live in Canada) Regional Police retires. His name is Justice The Protector and no he's not an escaped mental patient running around in his underwear saving lives, he is a police horse.

Why do I have such fond feelings for this steed? It all starts back in 1993. The HRP was getting a new horse and they had a competition to decide the horse's name. Fist prize was (if I remember correctly) a $1000 scholarship for university. At the time, I believe I was a third grader. I wasn't really thinking about university, but you know, money, the excitement of competition; I decided to enter. I wanted to come up with a smart name, but also a smooth one. A name this young stallion could wear with pride. A name that would instill fear in the criminals and a name to melt all the cute mare's hearts. I did a little research, and came up with the name Sable.

Sable Island is a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia (the province that Halifax is in) and is actually administratively considered part of Halifax. This small sandbar (it's name comes from the French word for sand) of an island is home to over 250 wild horses. In the past many wild horses were taken to work in the coal mines of Cape Breton Island (another part of Nova Scotia).

Despite my well thought up name and what I thought- very suitable name for a Halifax police horse, I only came in second place. Sable's name would forever be Justice The Protector, a name I thought (and still do) more suitable for the escaped mental patient. As for my prize- not even a $500 or $250 scholarship. I got, drum roll please: a baseball hat, a frisbee and a water bottle. Score. I still got recognized at the naming ceremony, which I missed school to attend with my teacher. Sidenote-who was teaching class? I think I still have the cap somewhere too.

So today my buddy Sable (or JTP, pick your side) retires. I wish him the best of luck with his new family. Good luck to Rio, his replacement.

[Edit 07/05/2006]

Turns out Rio' sname was changed to Sarge, short for Duty Sergeant. So from one Sarge to another: Good Luck!

[Original News Story] [Sarge's Name Change]

Birthright...Again

2006-06-18T23:08:00.000+03:00

So, I'm getting really bad about blogging. I just have so little time to write. As much as I like writing here, and getting feedback, it is one of the first things in my life to take the back burner when I get busy.

In this post I want to talk about birthright, yes again. It has been the subject of many a post in the recent past. It was also the subject of an article I wrote that was recently published in Esra magazine and will hopefully be published in The Bridge magazine in the near future. I'll dedicate a post to that soon (no promises though as these promises seem to only get broken).

[Don't know what birthright is? Get up to speed with some past posts:]
[Birthright Israel- Shorashim- Winter 2005-2006]
[Shorashim]

I was sent on birthright again as a soldier from the 8th-18th. The second time around it is very different from the the first. While it was still an eye opening experience, this time, having experienced many of the activities already, I approached them with the attitude of trying to stimulate certain ways of thinking. As opposed to last time, I came to these activities with certain opinions already formed. With that said, every group has its own dynamic and makes you look at certain things in a completely different light. If I could, I would go on this trip over and over just to hear more people's opinions on the importance of marrying Jewish or of not compromising on Jerusalem in exchange for peace. I can't express how much I love debating these subjects with intelligent youth.

When I returned from the first trip I felt a stronger connection to Israel and Zionism and a less strong connection to Judaism as a religion. I don't feel this trip pushed me in any particular direction on either issue. Upon returning from this trip I feel the strong desire to get involved in teaching these subjects. I feel like I want to explore these subjects with people on these trips as a madrich (councilor). My staff from this trip told me they would write me a letter of recommendation for when I will hopefully apply for the position upon my completion of the army next year.

I can't stress enough how important I think the birthright program is and how strongly I feel about it. I want to continue being a part of it. I think I have a lot to offer to it and a lot to gain from it. I think we all do.

Ok, enough babble about the importance of the trip and my emotions. I just want to mention a few of the highlights of the trip for me:

Rappelling at the Ramon Crater
Swimming in the Jilaboon waterfall
The "Mega Event"
Yelling my lungs out at "boot camp"
Drinking "Taco Taco"- "The taste of real Mexican tequila"
Sleeping in the Bedouin tent + Camel ride

Three Striper - Yes Sergeant!

2006-06-03T21:51:00.000+03:00

[retroactive blogging]

Today was an exciting day. I got my third stripe. That means I am now a sergeant. It also means that I'm am considered a pazamnik or someone who has been in the army a long time. This is a big landmark in my army career (are three years really a career?). My uniform seems to fit me better now. It just sits right. Suits me better with the higher rank. Well, maybe not, but I like it.

[/retroactive blogging]

Crazy Week

2006-05-17T19:02:00.000+03:00

What a crazy week it's been! I'll start at the beginning:

Thursday night we (me and some friends) went to Lechet, a night club up in Kfar Vitkin. We had a great time and got home at about 4:30. I didn't get such a great night sleep because I was up already by 11 because Friday's activity was paintball in Beit Beril. Paintball was sooo much fun. It's been such a long time since I've been there. I think since I've been in the army. I would like to think some of the skills I learned in the army made me play better, but I'm not sure. I did manage to get shot less but one shot left a pretty nasty bruise. I did manage to get some good shots in though. Friday night some friends came over for dessert and friends of ours were visiting from Canada. To finish off the weekend the guys hit Mike's Place Saturday night and I got home at about 3am when I had to get up at 6:30.

Monday night was Lag BaOmer, one of my favorite holidays here. There are two Jewish holidays you can't truly appreciate until you celebrate them here. The are Yom HaAtzmaut and Lag BaOmer. While outside of Israel in Jewish communities they are festive, here in Israel you are truly immersed in the festivities here. For Lag BaOmer everyone makes a bon fire. We had one up in the fields in the south of Ra'anana. There was about 50 people at ours. We spent the night just talking, playing guitar and overall,just having a good time.

This has been one of my more busy weeks and it has left me exhausted. It was definitely worth it though. I really feel like I spent my time wisely and had a lot of fun.

Honor Guard

2006-05-10T16:08:00.000+03:00

Honor Guard
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Honor Guard on base dunring Yom HaZikaron.

The Right To Exist

2006-05-03T18:53:00.000+03:00

In the past week we have observed two memorial days, Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron- “Holocaust and Heroism Memorial Day” and the “Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror”. On both of these days I had the honor to guard my army base and on the latter to stand as the honor guard in front of the memorial flame. I felt immense pride to know that on these solemn days, I was a part of the IDF, the Israel Defense Force, protecting my people so that no one could kill 6 million of us again. As I stood at attention, my gun to one side the flame to the other, I thought of all the brave souls who lost their lives protecting ours. I thought of those brutally murdered simply for being Jewish. At that moment, it was specifically for that reason that I felt such pride.

Today we mark Israel’s 58^th birthday, the anniversary of our country. And yet, all these years later, there are still those who refuse to acknowledge our right to exist as a country and even further, our right to exist as a people. More than 60 years after the fall of the Third Reich there are still those that call for our destruction. As the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, shamelessly calls for our destruction while pushing his country closer to becoming a nuclear power, I am scared. And I pray we will heed the inscription on the monument at Treblinka, and “Never Again” will we allow it to happen.

Back Home Sweet Home

2006-04-24T22:03:00.000+03:00

We'll, I'm home from my vacation at the Dead Sea. My grandparents returned home tonight unfortunately but on the plus side I get to move back into my room where I have a lot more space. The upcoming two weeks are a bit hellish but I'll leave that for a post once I've gotten through them.

Vacation was a lot of fun. It's nice not having to get up when the first digit on my clock is a 6. Some of the highlights of the trip included the following:

A pretty fun Seder. My little bros and I hit the bottle pretty hard making even the Rabbi's long and boring monologues entertaining. If I sang Chad Gadya out of my own free will, you know I was having a good time.
A Simon and Garfunkel tribute concert- Saw them last year too and they were just as entertaining.
Kareoke- Always fun to watch. Didn't sing (it was Pesach- no alcohol).
Simply Tzfat concert- Much better than the last time I saw them. The first time I saw them I didn't really like them but the lead guitarist this time was amazing.
Stand up comedy show by the very funny Yisrael Campbell- The journey from Irish Catholic boyhood to peyosed blackhat-ism
Etti Ankri concert- Apparently she's pretty well known. I did recognize a few songs.
Some interesting lectures including "Jews in American Film" by a film professor from the US, "When is pork Kosher" by a British rabbi and "The Halachik status of an apikores" by a Rosh Yeshiva from the US.
Took a trip to Kumeran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. This subject has really interested me lately. I didn't learn all that much about the scrolls but I learned a lot about the people who wrote them and it was quite interesting.
Two massages (man am I spoiled), including my fist deep tissue massage (what they called markaba) by this really big scary Russian named Igor.

Halfway through the vacation I was ready to come home. I had relaxed enough, missed my friends at home and was ready to get back to work. Yet somehow upon returning to work yesterday, I felt a pang of longing for the stench of sulfur I had become so accustomed to. Luckily I have plenty of vacation coming up pretty soon.

Thursday night I went salsa dancing again. I did lesson 1 again which I think was smart because I left there feeling very comfortable with the steps and I think I really got the hang of leading. This Thursday I think we'll try for level 2. Afterwards we hit Mike's Place where we made up for the lack of alcohol over Pesach. I got home around 4 and when I woke up I was covered in sand so I think that means a good night.

Saturday night we watched two really good movies: Derailed and Saw II. Derailed was a good suspense movie with great plot twists and a good ending. Saw II was as good if not better than the first. The dialogue and acting was better but the plot wasn't as surprising as the first. To it's defense though it's hard to beat the first one in the plot twist category and I think the sequel did the first one justice. Bottom line- two really good movies I highly recommend.

Last night there was a party for Elie A. who is going in the army tomorrow. I was exhausted from work (got home after 9) but still managed to stay out till almost 1.

Well that's it for now. Saturday night I went to bed at 4 and last night at 2 so I think it's time to get some shut eye. Good Night!

Kashering Army Dishes For Pesach

2006-04-12T10:37:00.000+03:00

Kashering Army Dishes For Pesach
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Just before Pesach we have to kasher all the kitchen's dishes for Pesach. That means lots of boiling hot water. Unfortunately, I had kitchen duty on Monday meaning I played a big part in the process.

Passover

2006-04-12T10:12:00.000+03:00

Last week was extremely busy. I wasn't at home at all as I was taking part in a vary large scale training exercise [Link -MDA site in Hebrew] involving the army, fire department, police and MDA. I spent my time in an army bomb shelter and didn't see the light of day for the better part of a week.

Tonight marks the beginning of Passover, Pesach, in Hebrew; also known as the Holiday of Freedom. Which is why it is so appropriate that I am finally free from the army for a week and a half to go on vacation with the family to the dead sea. I'm really looking forward to catching some sun and relaxing a bit.

To usher in the holiday, check out this funny clip:
http://www.passovergreeting.com/

Happy (or Merry) Passover!

Turning Twenty- No Longer A Teen

2006-04-01T20:58:00.000+03:00

Today I am a fountain pen...No wait, wrong speech. Today marks the day that I am no longer a teenager. Yes, it's my birthday, and I'm turning 20. No, it's not an April fools day joke and yes I have heard every joke around about that.

I still find it hard to believe that I am 20. Some days I feel like a 2 year old, and all I want to do is run around naked through the sprinkler on the front lawn (have I shared too much?). Others I feel like a 70 year old and all I want is a little peace and quiet. I look at others and ask myself how they can be so immature. I guess that's part of being a teenager...But I'm not one anymore and that's a little scary.

I'm not a big fan of birthdays. Sure everyone's nice to you, you get presents and you're the center of attention but it makes you think about you're mortality. I always look back on the previous year and feel I didn't accomplish enough, or as much as I could have. Note to self: seize the day more.

Well, enough with the depressing stuff. Time to go out with a few friends.

Swing Votes And Soldiers- Elections- The 17th Knesset

2006-03-31T18:29:00.000+03:00

This past week I was surprised to find an e-mail from BBC waiting for me when I returned home from guarding. They wanted to interview me for a program they were doing on the elections. It never happened in the end but it made me give some thought to the elections, specifically swing votes and the soldier vote.

I was again on base the night before elections and this gave me the opportunity to discuss the candidates with many people, playing devil’s advocate and trying to gain some insight into what people were thinking so close to elections.

It would seem the night before voting; most people weren’t sure who they were going to vote for, many not having the faintest idea. Why was this phenomenon so common on the eve of elections? I believe the reason people couldn’t find the party that was right for them was that it wasn’t there at all. It wasn’t that you loved two or three parties so much that you couldn’t decide which you liked more. The situation became: “Which party do I hate less? Which is going to do less of what I don’t want? Which party has even one person on their list who isn’t corrupt?!” Our vote was being decided by who was the least of many evils. With all the parties running for this 17^th Knesset, one would think there would be something for everyone, but most people didn’t feel a real connection or loyalty to any party.

I think this undecided swing vote played a large part in Tuesday’s election. With voter apathy at an all time high, of the few people actually voting, many were walking into the booth still undecided. People were making their decisions at the absolute last possible second because no party was particularly convincing that they were in fact the best choice. I even heard a story of one guy who used eenie-meenie-miny-moe to decide which party to vote for.

To say we need a reform in the government is an understatement. It is also a statement that shouldn’t need to be said. Politicians should be doing what they say they would, if they get elected. Politicians shouldn’t be corrupt. Accountability is key. Lying shouldn’t be tolerated or accepted. The only way this will change, is if we, the people speak up.

Irish Chocolate Anyone?

2006-03-27T22:35:00.000+02:00

This past weekend I checked out two new places. The first was Molly Bloom's in Tel Aviv and the second was Max Brenner's in Herzelia Pituach.

Thursday night, five of us decided to go out and try a new place. Ilan H, suggested a place called Leo Bloom's in Ramat HaHayal. Leo Bloom's is an Irish Pub but it looked kind of like a cafe from the outside. It was crowded and some of the group wasn't crazy about the place so we headed on over to Molly Bloom's in Tel Aviv, right around the corner form my usual bar, Mike's Place. Molly's, unlike her brother, has more of an Irish Pub feeling. The music wasn't quite as authentic as I would have expected (Well I guess U2 is Irish) but the place had the look and feel of an Irish Pub (not that I've ever been to Ireland). Naturally, I had an Irish beer, a Guinness, and we relaxed and talked till the early hours of the morning.

Saturday night I went to Aroma with some friends where I got my usual, a Halumi sandwich. It's a sandwich made on thick white bread with fried cheese, pickles, tomatoes and cream cheese inside. Sounds gross, eh? Don't knock it till you try it! Highly recommended! Later that night, Katz, Nadiv and I weren't yet tired and we ended up in Herzelia Pituach. We decided to go to Max Brenner's as I had never been there and it wasn't too crowded on a Saturday night at 12:30am. Max Brenner's is a cafe where everything is based on chocolate. From hot chocolate to chocolate milkshakes, chocolate soups and fondues to Belgian waffles with chocolate, everything there looks delicious. I got an orange hot chocolate which was delicious if you like the bitter taste of dark chocolate and orange peel (which I did by the way). Katz got an Oreo milkshake (also good) but the prize for oddest drink goes to Nadiv with the Mexican hot chocolate, which had also caught my eye. When the waitress didn't suggest it as for Max Brenner virgins, I fell back on the orange. Nadiv, however, was strong and brave and went through with el Mexicano. The Mexican hot chocolate combines the sweet taste of chocolate with the spicy, savory tastes of chili, pepper and cinnamon. Definitely and interesting flavor and my choice next time.

So if you're ever in the area, why not check out one of my new favorite places? Molly and Max are always very welcoming.

Living The Good Life

2006-03-24T16:23:00.000+02:00

This past Monday I had quite an interesting experience. I went to a private screening of the movie "The Producers". My friend Or's dad owns a business that advertises in the Yellow Pages (actually Dapei Zahav means golden pages). To show their gratitude (and advertise a bit) the Yellow Pages people gave their best customers two tickets to come see a private screening of the movie, completely free.

The evening started at 8pm, so naturally we got there at 8:15. Thinking we were late we ran quickly into Cinema City wanting to miss as little of the movie as possible. Almost the entire cinema was closed off to the public. There were ushers directing you to the reception area, set up with tables, benches, flowers and candles. There were several buffets set up with hors d'oeuvres and pastries. I particularly liked the croissants. There was also a coffee bar with espresso and several tables with tea, coffee and juices.

We seemed to be the only people there under 30. Most people there seemed to be CEOs of companies talking business, networking and showing of their wives. We pretended to own a startup company. Nobody bought it.

At nine we were all directed to the theatre, where we could sit anywhere we wanted. A couple of important executives from my new buddies, the Yellow Pages, talked about some of their new services and showed some commercials. Their new SMS phone book is quite useful. Then we watched the movie.

There were a lot of really funny scenes. The first half an hour of the movie was the funniest. The scene where the two producers meet had me crying, as did the scene when they meet the Nazi playwright. The second half of the movie wasn't as funny and had too much singing, but overall a pretty funny movie. I enjoyed it more than I remember enjoying the original, but in all fairness I saw the original many years ago.

Purim Party On Base

2006-03-18T21:52:00.000+02:00

Purim Party On Base
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

This past Wednesday was our Purim party on base. One of the medics convinced me to dress up with her- me as Mickey Mouse and she as Minnie Mouse. We came in 2nd place in the costume contest (first prize went to a giant pacman and red-ghosty-thing). Our prize- electronic Sudoku! Can you hear the excitement!?

Hamentashen

2006-03-14T16:22:00.000+02:00

Hamentashen
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Purim time means Hamentashen! So I helped make some...

What A Wakeup

2006-03-12T19:58:00.000+02:00

"What is that damn noise! Let met get some sleep!" I glance at my phone. 10:30 am. Who could be up at this un-Godly hour on a Friday. And why haven't they turned off their alarm. The phone rings. I roll over and ignore it- something I am very good at. A few minutes pass. That alarm is still going! It suddenly dawns on me- that could be our alarm! I kick into combat mode. Being the super-soldier that I am, I am immediately wide awake, gun in hand ready to face any interloper that has intruded. No one messes with my family or my territory, especially after waking me up! I promptly neutralize the threat and am declared a national hero. And I return to the comfort of my bed for a few more hours of precious zs.

Well, that's sort of what happened Friday morning- without all the drama and action of course. What actually happened can be summed up in a few sentences. My mom forgot I was home and turned on the alarm when she went out. I then rolled over, two hours later, and set it off. I ignored the alarm company's phone call, not realizing that that was what it was, and therefore was required to actually get up to make sure that no overzealous rent-a-cops were going to play hero and break into my house to come rescue me and my blanky. That may have actually been nice because I don't think anyone actually came to check on us. Doesn't give me that much faith in our security company.

Election 2006--The Candidates Speak

2006-03-07T21:16:00.000+02:00

The room was crowded but not packed. The atmosphere was laid-back and relaxed. Most of the speakers had smiles on their faces. There was quite a bit of whispering in the audience. Such was the sanctuary at Shivtei Yisrael Synagogue, here in Ra’anana Sunday evening where I attended a panel showcasing the various political parties running in the upcoming election. A representative of each party (with the exception of a few) came to speak about their party’s policies.

The main subject of the evening seemed to be security, with most parties’ plans seeming to have been taken from one of two molds. The issue of accountability also came up quite a bit towards the end. The panel was casual, with many of the speakers making jokes throughout the evening. Likud representative Uzi Landau apologized for showing up half an hour late by joking that the last time he came to this panel he was half an hour early so they were even.

One speaker mentioned that in Israeli politics there was too much arrogance and not enough pride. This was proven to be true by several candidates who refused to take the hints of the moderator on time limits, and would continually speak much longer then they should have. Other than this the night ran relatively smoothly- the moderator had to stop in the middle to announce that a car outside was blocking a driveway. An announcement to which Landau rose and announced that it was his car- partially joking but I think partially serious; perhaps he just needed a minute to breathe. When the moderator clarified five minutes later that it was a silver Peugeot, it was the Shinui representative who rose embarrassed saying that it was in fact his car- this time completely serious. What kind of example does this set? When political candidates can’t even arrive on time and when they do, can’t obey parking laws and block driveways, what are they saying to us? What other laws will they break?

There were several other things mentioned that worried me. Kadima, a large party and the current front-runner, couldn’t even bother to send someone from their list, instead sending a representative who lives here in Ra’anana. Someone who seemed to have angered many a person in the audience with his comments and less than diplomatic replies and mud slinging. It was as if the Anglo vote was not important enough to free up a few hours in someone’s busy schedule. To his credit, Yossi Beilin himself showed up and spoke quite well for Meretz, even if I don’t agree with his stance.

The amount of mud-slinging surprised me. Although Tavnit leader Uzi Dayan was promoting pluralism and respect for others, he seemed to be doing much of the slinging. He did however bring up a good point when he referred to Kadima as “a national blind date”. With what would seem to be constant changes and additions to policy, and many people on their list with no political background, Kadima gives us plenty to be dubious of. Landau, continuing Dayan’s metaphor spoke about Kadima’s “Singles Party”, referring to a get-together the party had this past week, where many of the candidates met for the first time.

While quite worrisome one has to remember that these are politicians, and therefore not be too surprised by the speakers’ conduct. No party really convinced me of the merits of their party. This should be an interesting election, so make sure to cast your vote (if you can) in three weeks time.

The TRAINing That Wasn’t

2006-03-03T15:43:00.000+02:00

Train at Exercise in Tel Aviv
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Yesterday wasn’t a regular day for me. I was involved in a training exercise, mostly for the police, but also the army, MDA, and the fire department. [LINK] My role in the exercise was to play an injured person on a train. I won’t go into too many details for security reasons, but it was an interesting exercise [LINK]. They brought a train and planted small explosives on it. We were all given scenario cards describing whom we were playing (I was a 15 year old boy with two broken legs), and then people came on board and rescued us.

At least that’s what would have happened. Just as it was all about to officially start, we were all on the train ready for action; we were all called off the train. A large accident [LINK] had occurred in Tel Aviv (actually Jaffa, very close to my base). At a construction site, a crane collapsed killing two. All of the forces that were supposed to be taking part in the exercise simulating a large-scale situation with many injuries were now being called in for real. The exercise was called off but considered a success- the planning of such a large-scale exercise is not a small feat, especially with all the different organizations involved. And so I returned home early after an interesting day. A great way to finish of the week.

Cartoon Craziness- Where Do We Draw The Line When It Comes To Freedom Of Speech

2006-03-01T19:11:00.000+02:00

Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that published cartoons of Muslim
Prophet Muhammad, has appeared in the media quite a bit in the past few
weeks. The whole caricature fiasco has dominated the headlines. Whether
it was more embassy attacks, people dying in riots or calls to boycott
Danish products, it has been hard to open the newspaper and not see
something related to the "Danish Disaster". But what has lead to
such anger in the Arab/Islamic world? Is it justified? Should we be just
as outraged?

What lead to this outrage and violence? Is it the fact that Muhammad is
portrayed in an image? Is it that he is portrayed in a negative image?
These specific images were published back in September, but images of
Muhammad have been around for centuries. From Asian and Islamic
manuscripts and paintings to Dante's Inferno, this is hardly the first
depiction of Muhammad. [Link]

Is this anger justified? As a Jew I am offended when cartoons are
published portraying Jews as Nazis, bloodthirsty killers or comparing us
to Hitler. Generalizations based on stereotypes generally offend
someone. The difference is in what the offended party does about it.

Attacking embassies is not what you do. Rioting is not what you do.
When a cartoon portrays Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, implying
Muslims' tendency to violence, diplomatic means of protesting would
probably be a better idea.

I am a strong believer in freedom of speech. I think what the Danish
newspaper did was completely legit and they don't owe anyone an
apology. If the table were turned and the cartoons were anti-Jewish I
would write a letter to the editor, but I wouldn't say become violent.
Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, just because I don't agree
with it doesn't mean it shouldn't be published. With that said I
believe people should show discretion when it comes to subject matter
such as this. Were some of these cartoons in bad taste? Maybe. Would I
be more outraged if the reaction to these cartoons was a peaceful one
and not the incitement of more violence? For sure.

If the people in power in the Islamic/Arab world spoke out more against
the violence these cartoonists were drawing their material from, maybe I
would feel more sympathy. If they spoke out more against the depictions
of Jews as child killers, maybe I would be just a little more outraged.
But until that happens, long live freedom of speech.

The Retroactive Life of a Busy Blogger

2006-02-25T19:27:00.000+02:00

You may have noticed that I haven't been blogging as much lately. My only excuse is that I've been very busy. I've been left no choice but to blog several posts at a time when I get a chance and through the magic of the computer, have them appear as though they were posted at other times.

Thursday night went to a party at a club Tel Aviv in honor of Nadiv finishing basic training. All one week of it. I had a really great time. It's been a long time since I went out and did the whole clubbing scene. I didn't get home until 5:30 am so most of today was spent sleeping. Last night I also hung out with my friends.

I could actually really go for a basketball game right now. Seriously.

No Sports For Me- I'm Heart Broken

2006-02-23T17:55:00.000+02:00

Sports are not my thing. They never have and I don't think ever will be. Since I was little I never really enjoyed anything more than a game of catch with my father, something I have since grown out of. I'm not particularly good (read: pathetically bad) at sports and could never get into them enough to really cheer for a specific team. Other than the occasional big game between Israel and another country, you wont find me watching a sports game of any type. No Olympics, cheese hats or big foam hands that say "We're #1!" on them (although I'm pretty sure I have one somewhere from a basketball game I saw as a kid).

So why then did I agree to play basketball this past Saturday night? Well Katz is always suggesting we play and I always respond in the negative. So when I wasn't in the mood to shoot pool, watch a movie or go bowling and he suggested a little physical activity, something I haven't done in waaaaaay to long, I agreed. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I played for about an hour. The second half of which, I was taking minute breaks every 5 minutes to catch my breath. I just assumed I was out of shape, although my friends say they thought I was going to pass out. When my heart was still pounding after about and hour of rest my mom decided I had to go to the doctor the next day.

She gave some restrictions when guarding and sent me for some blood tests and an ECG. When the ECG wasn't completely normal and some blood tests came back abnormal I got two weeks free of guarding (Hey look, a silver lining!) and an appointment with a cardiologist. After seeing the cardiologist, I remember particularly not liking him last time I saw him (about 8 months ago). He sent me for some more blood tests and a stress test.

I decided to save the blood tests for next week as I had already done some before seeing the cardiologist today. I think I got a new medic because she wasn't so skilled in drawing blood. At first she couldn't get the blood out, to which one of the medics told her to put the needle in further. She moved the needle around until it eventually found it's mark and she filled 4 tubes with my blood. I was glad it was over. Today's prize for stupidity goes to me when I agreed to let her stick me again in the other arm when the same medic said that one tube wasn't full enough. She did better this time, I guess practice does make perfect (or at least better). Although needles don't scare me and I have a pretty high threshold for pain, I wasn't going to push my luck and go get more blood drawn. Two holes in one day are enough!

So now I wait to find out what's wrong with me. My dad and grandfather (the family doctors) aren't worried so neither am I but I would like to know why my tests aren't normal. Until then I guess I'll just have to take it easy. Oh well.

32 is My New Favorite Number- A Shorter Service For Israeli Soldiers?

2006-02-15T19:05:00.000+02:00

Today the big hoopla on base was about the announcement last night by the Ramatcal and Minister of Defense- Army service is to be shortened by 4-8 months for male soldiers who joined from July-August '04 (Aug '04 Ad Matai!). That means me! Like I told Nadiv (the first person who told me about this) I'll believe it when I see it, and I have returned my uniform. Every newspaper seemed to have run something different and no one is quite sure of how this is really going to work. From what I understand, some people will receive 8 months off (non-required "jobniks") and some will get 4 months off (required "jobniks" [read:Me]), some may not get any (combat soldiers). The more time you have to do, the more monetary bonus you get. I think, and hope I will be doing 4 months less and maybe getting an added 500NIS for the last 4 months, but again, the law hasn't even passed yet.

With that said, I would just like to bring to attention the timing of this announcement. Although this was proposed in July '05, it's announcement, less than two months before elections raises some questions. How many votes will Kadima raise if Shaul Mofaz passes a law shortening compulsory army service? We are a pretty big army. It wouldn't buy my vote but if a certain party stopped this from passing, they would probably lose my vote. If this comes to a vote before elections, I think we can be pretty sure that my 36 will become 32. Halleluyah!

It's A Party! A PowerPoint Party!

2006-02-14T23:54:00.000+02:00

Tonight we had a "surprise party" for Nadiv. Katz and I (mostly Katz) with the help of Candy and Ren made Nadiv a PowerPoint slideshow/movie with pictures of the last 5 years, in honor of his giyus- conscription. We had planned on doing it this past Saturday night with a BBQ but that had to be canceled when Nadiv invited 70 people to a party he was throwing that night.

In the end it was a pretty low key "party". Just Me, Katz, Nadiv, Ren, Candy, Ele and Ilan. We watched the movie we made, which came out really well-kudos to us, and then a regular movie. I think it was called Frailty. Weird horror movie about this guy who "destroys demons" (Read: kills people). Not one of the better movies I've seen. I started falling asleep in the middle, but to be fair it did keep me entertained and I was up last night till 1am working on the presentation.

Laser Guns and Other Toys

2006-02-13T19:27:00.000+02:00

Today I got to play with a laser gun. It's been three months since I've been to the shooting range and it was thus time to bloody some cardboard. Only without the blood...or the live ammunition...or even blanks...and no cardboard cut-outs either. Today's target practice was done entirely with a laser gun. My unit has trained on the laser guns once before but I was at the disengagement so I missed it.

The shooting is done in a pretty big room, about 15m X 8m. There are ten spaces for people to shoot. At each space there is an M-16 attached to a hose in the ground. You stand about 5m from a wall, where projectors project a picture of a real shooting range. You operate the gun almost exactly the same way you would a real one. The recoil and sound is provided by the air pressure in the hose. The recoil is not quite as strong, the sound is quite a bit quieter (no need for earplugs) and there is no smell of cordite but otherwise very realistic.

We started of with ten shots in a day setting, five standing and five kneeling. We then moved onto 10 shots in a nighttime setting, again 5 standing and five kneeling. The last type of shooting was and open range shooting. The screen looks much like a video game, with buildings, cars, barrels etc. laid out in front of you. Various terrorist pop out at you and you have to kill them. You get 45 shots and in the middle you get a jam and must "change magazines". This is done by removing the magazine, replacing it and re-cocking the gun. It was like a better version of a video game. I really enjoyed it.

We (about 35 of us) finished the whole thing in just over an hour and we were back on our base in time for lunch. Much quicker then regular shooting as in regular shooting you have to wait till after sunset to shoot in the dark and there are also more safety precautions when you use live ammunition.

As for other toys, well, I lied.

Worst Day Ever!

2006-02-12T21:46:00.000+02:00

Today was one of the worst days ever. Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. Today was just really long. I only got two hours of sleep last night which basically made me Oscar the grouch today. I was really cranky and all I wanted to do all day was either sleep or go home (and probably sleep). I've had a splitting headache all day and that hasn't helped. I got home and crashed for two hours so now I'm a bit better.

Thursday night Gross was home for the night (an "After" in army lingo). We used this unique opportunity for a guys night where "the guys" (Me, Katz, Nadiv and Gross) went to Mikes Place. Had a good night drinking (side note: Stella Artois= good beer) even if the night ended with me doing a shot of ketchup, mayo and beer. It actually wasn't so bad. The mayo is a little lumpy going down but it's all in your head. The sad part is I was sober for the shot.

Friday night was Starfarers night. Katz won as usual- but last week I won so Ha! Saturday was a party for Nadiv's giyus-conscription, at Cafe Joe (which is actually Cup'o'Joe but in Hebrew looks like Cafe Joe and has thus become Cafe Joe). Went home and watched TV till about 4 am (some weird movie with Steven Baldwin) and that brings us to today.

Blood Donation On Base

2006-02-08T22:34:00.000+02:00

Blood Donation On Base
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Today we donated blood on base. All of the soldiers in the picture are from my department. We were the first people to show up and therefore the first people to donate.

Dear Liza, Dear Liza

2006-02-07T21:32:00.000+02:00

More like a pipe than a bucket. For the third time in a year, the most recent time just a few weeks ago, a pipe burst in my roof, flooding my room Sunday evening. This time the pipe was exactly over my room instead of just outside the door. That meant that instead of the water flowing into my room from outside, it was raining in my room. Suddenly there were tens of little cracks forming in my ceiling as droplets of water pushed their way through the plaster. And so, I was back up in the roof drying up water. At least is was early evening and so a plumber fixed it early enough so that I managed a warm shower before going to sleep.

Yesterday I had kitchen duty on base. It was the first time I have done kitchen duty in over a year. Only recently did guys start doing kitchen duty. It wasn't very fair but I wasn't complaining too much. It's not such a big deal though- a couple hours of washing dishes never killed anyone.

My computer is really on it's last legs these days so I haven't been as bloggy as usual. Hoping to get a new one in the next few weeks. Tomorrow I'm donating blood on base which is good because the blood bank is really low and it also means I get half a day off. So it's a win-win situation.

Flippin' The Tape

2006-02-05T00:55:00.000+02:00

Thursday was a very important day for me. It was the day when I "flipped the tape". The number of days I've been in the army is now officially higher than the number of days I have left. But who's counting. I ran into a friend of mine, from basic training and course, Thursday on the bus. He called me up tonight to tell me something funny that had happened to him. He was eating at a restaurant in Herzelia and his waiter was our sergeant from basic training. He reminded him who he was. The sergeant pointed out that now he was taking orders from him instead of the other way around. He got out in November.

In just under a year and a half when I get out I will really miss the friends I've made in the army, but I won't look back for a second.

Hamas Victory- A Victory For Terror Or Democracy?

2006-02-01T22:10:00.000+02:00

Hamas won the recent Palestinian elections. This has caused a lot of controversy in the media over the past week. Most people I have discussed this with are in agreeance, this is a horrible outcome for Israel. At first I agreed. When I heard the news I was outraged to hear that a an organization recognized as a terror organization was going to be the ruling power in the neighboring area. The fact that the people democratically chose terrorism scared me. The more I think about it though, the more I begin to change my mind.

This victory is not only a victory for Hamas but a victory for democracy. For the past several years, the world, lead by the US and it's (some would say eccentric) president have been trying to stamp out terror and spread democracy. Ironically the spread of democracy may spread terrorism too. One of the reasons that everyone is in an uproar about the elections is that there were democratic elections- the people doing the voting simply chose the party the people not doing the voting didn't want picked. But that's part of democracy. You can't please everyone all the time.

But then again, who can really blame the Palestinian people for voting Hamas? From the outside we see a blood-thirsty organization, mercilessly killing our citizens in cold blood, simply for existing. From the inside they see people who are paving their road, giving them jobs and paying for their children's' education and summer camps. Is there really any wonder why they chose Hamas over the corrupt dictatorship of Fatah?

This raises another issue: If you don't really have a choice, is it really a democracy? Natan Sharansky doesn't think so.

"An election between a terrorist organizations that wants to destroy the State of Israel and a corrupt dictatorship that does not care about helping its own people is not democracy"

I disagree with Mr. Sharansky. Like I said in my comments and post "Disengagement"; While democracy may not be perfect, especially in the Middle East, this is still democracy, and it is much better than the alternatives. Democracy in Middle East leaves room for improvement. That responsibility rests on our shoulders.

In conclusion, I ask you the following: Is it really that tragic that Hamas was elected? Yes, they want to wipe us off the map. But so does Fatah, Hamas is just honest about it. Yes Hamas trains it's youth to commit suicide in the name of Allah, but they also give back to their community. If a Palestinian democracy is going to work at all, it needs an infrastructure. With less money being syphoned out to buy Mercedeses perhaps more will go to developing their land; paving roads, building schools and reducing crime. Lastly, terror is a weapon used to get power. Once you have power, terror is useless. With Hamas running the government, they may not resort to such desperate measures.

Ultimately, what's worse? An organization that outwardly hates us and help its people or an organization that steals from its people and is nice to us to our faces but stabs us in the back? I will leave the decision up to you.

Still Going Strong

2006-01-29T16:48:00.000+02:00

The Mayor's Shwarma
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Well after a three-day stint of guarding on my base I am now home, and still going strong. I’m a little tired, but three days of guarding instead of my usual weekend cocktail of binge drinking and sleep with a twist of synagogue, will do that to you. On my way home from base I passed by the site of last week’s bombing- “The Mayor’s Shwarma”. I was very happy to see that it too was still going strong. Not only was the scaffolding gone, but also, the place was swarming with hungry shwarma eaters- proof of Israeli society’s resilience and that no matter how many times we are hit by terrorism, we will always be strong.

Thursday evening we had a drill simulating last week’s attack. We all had to wake up, put on our equipment (i.e. vest, helmet, etc) and grab our guns and then pretend that a terrorist was heading towards the base. I usually complain when the officer in charge does long, drawn-out drills. It’s time I could be sleeping ahead of my 4-hour long guard shift in the middle of the night, but this was actually “enjoyable”.

I 25! Bingo!...Or Should I Say- Blingo!

2006-01-25T21:34:00.000+02:00

If you search on Google then I have found the site for you! Take a little Bling-Bling, mix it together with Google and what do you get? The answer is Blingo! What is Blingo? Blingo is a search engine that uses the Google API. English: It's exactly the same as google with a different interface. When you search on Blingo, you are searching google. So why switch to Blingo. Well the Bling Bling of course. Every month Blingo gives away prizes to people who search with their site. Every day a computer program randomly selects times and if you happen to be searching at that time you could win a prize. They give away iPods, portable DVD players and other great prizes.

But wait! It gets better! When you register as someone's friend, when you win, your friend wins the same thing! So click the link below and start winning some prizes! Then get your friends to join and win even more!

If you are dubious of this site, as I was, then I urge you to browse their site. Read the literature. They have received a lot of press recently. I know people who have one from this site and it seems to have built it's own sub-culture with people taking pictures of their Blingo won prizes, and posting it on their blog.

Sign Up for Blingo!

JIB Finals

2006-01-24T22:14:00.000+02:00

The results of the JIB finals were posted today. I made it to the finals in 5 out of the 6 categories I was nominated in. So check out the blogs and vote (once every 72 hours). Links for categories I'm in are below as well as in the sidebar.

Best Life In Israel Blog

Best Post

Best Personal Blog

Best New Blog 2005

Best Jewish Humor Blog

Paradise Now- A Trailer For Terrorism

2006-01-23T20:34:00.000+02:00

For the past week I have been struggling with the results of the Golden Globes. The movie Paradise Now won the Best Foreign Language Film award. The fictional film documents the last two days of two friends turned suicide bombers before being sent on a suicide mission in Tel Aviv. It humanizes these animals and shows their side of the story, attempting to rationalize their actions. I haven't seen the movie and can't begin to remain objective about it so I won't try. I am outraged at the results of the awards and yet I can't really describe my feelings, so I won't. Instead, I would like to relate the very moving words of a father who's son Asaf, was killed by a suicide bomber on March 5th, 2003 in Haifa, when the bomber blew himself up on a bus, crowded with children. Asaf was less than 4 weeks younger than myself.

An Award for Terror
By Yossi Zur
[Expand]
This week the Hollywood Foreign Press Association awarded the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film to the Palestinian movie "Paradise Now." The film follows the path taken by two young Palestinians from their decision to become suicide bombers, until the moment they board a Tel Aviv bus crowded with children.

"Paradise Now" is a very professional production, created with great care for detail. It is also an extremely dangerous piece of work, not only for Israel and the Middle East, but the whole world.

My son Asaf was almost 17 years old, an eleventh-grader studying computer sciences, when one day after school he boarded a bus in Israel to return home. On the way, a suicide bomber from Hebron, 21 years old and himself a computer sciences student in the Hebron Polytechnic, also boarded the bus and blew himself up. Of the 17 people killed, nine were schoolchildren aged 18 or younger. Asaf was killed on the spot.

I went to see "Paradise Now" to try to understand what message it was trying to convey. Was it that the murderer is human and is as deserving of sympathy as his victims? He is not. Was it that he has doubts? He has none. After all, he is so sure of his mission that he is willing to kill himself along with his human targets.

Or maybe, I wondered, the film was trying to give the message that it is the Israelis who are to blame for this horrific act, for the phenomenon of suicide bombing. In that case, are the Israelis also to blame for the similar terrorist attacks on New York City's World Trade Center, the Bali nightclub, the Amman hotels, the shop in Turkey, the restaurant in Morocco the underground stations in London, the trains in Spain and so many others?

What exactly makes "Paradise Now" worthy of such a prestigious award? Would the entertainment writers who chose to honor this movie have given the same accolades if the film had been about the young men from Saudi Arabia who moved to the U.S., took flying lessons and then underwent Islamic ritual preparations for their holy mission to crash airplanes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon? Would they have dared to give such a version of "Paradise Now" a similar award?

This movie attempts to deliver the message that suicide bombings are a legitimate tactic for those who feel they've exhausted all other means of resistance. But a suicide-murderer who boards a bus and snuffs out the lives of 15 or 20 innocent people, or who walks into a city carrying a biological, chemical or nuclear weapon and kills 10,000, or even 100,000 people, is that still a legitimate tactic? Where does one draw the line?

The world should draw the line at one person. My son was almost 17; he loved surfing, he loved pop music. He is now gone because a suicide bomber decided that blowing himself up on a crowded bus filled with children was somehow a legitimate act.

Awarding a movie such as "Paradise Now" only implicates the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in the evil chain of terror that attempts to justify these horrific acts, whether the number of victims is 17 or 17,000.

[Original] [Asaf Zur Memorial]

This past Thursday a terrorist blew himself up in a shwarma restaurant next to the old central bus station in Tel Aviv, wounding 20 people. Thank god there were no fatalities other than the bomber himself. This is the first suicide bombing since December 5th's suicide bombing in Netanya that killed 5. These are the kinds of attacks we will continue to suffer as long as movies like Paradise Now are glorified and given awards.

The old central bus station has seen terrorism in the past. In January of 2003, 23 people were killed and about 120 wounded in a double suicide bombing.

The old central bus station is a ten minute bus ride from my base. I drive past it twice daily when I head to and from my base. Not five hours ago, my bus passed 4 meters from the site of the bombing. Windows broken. Scaffolding set up, with repair men fixing the facade of the building. At the time of the bombing I had just gotten home from attending a memorial ceremony for a fallen soldier. I was about to head to the cleaners to drop off my uniform when my CO called to let me know what had happened and to check that I was OK.

Unfortunately in Israel, very quickly you get used to terrorism. I wager you won't find anyone in the country with more than two degrees of separation between them and a victim of it. It is something we have to live with, because if we don't, if we let it get to us, the terrorists have won. They have succeeded in their mission. They have put fear in us. They have made us scared to live our lives the way we would, were there no terrorism here. And so, I will continue to ride that same bus to work. I will continue to shop at the mall. I will continue to drink at the bars along the beach in Tel Aviv. Because I am not afraid. Because I won't be afraid. Because I won't let them win.

"August...No, Next August..."

2006-01-22T11:10:00.000+02:00

Today Or and I left army (read: work) a little early to go to a kenes mishtachrerim - "discharge convention". It's a convention that soldiers who are about to get discharged from the army attend, to get information about work, universities, psychometric exams and other similar things. I still have a while until I get out ( about 1.5 years +2 weeks, but who's counting), but thought it would be good to get some information about schools for comparison and to check how much money I get from the army when I get out. I am expecting my phone to never stop ringing for the next few weeks as every single person there took my details, and I am just too polite of a person to say "No thank you, I'm not interested". That, and at a lot of places you get entered in a draw to win prizes. I got a lot of free things (mainly markers, pens and keychains) which is always fun.

I was disappointed to find out that the 16,000 shekel I get when I get out can't be used for school abroad. That leaves me with a few choices. A) Wait 5 years until I can collect the money and use it to pay off my debts which will have formed because I didn't have the money to pay for school in the first place. B) Use the money to take various courses here in Israel before I go to the US in the summer. These would include skydiving (my mom's is not so pleased about this one), bar tending (I think she is less pleased about this one) and various computer certifications. The skydiving would be for fun (yes, jumping out of a plane can be fun) and the rest so that I can get a job to pay for school). C) Launder the money by using it to pay for my family's house here and collecting the money from my parents.

Haven't decided what I'm going to do yet but I think my mom wants me to do choice A while I am leaning towards B.

At one booth at the convention (the bar tending course) the guy asked me when I finish the army. After a certain amount of time in the army you can use the 16000 NIS before you actually get them, and then get reimbursed. I told him August. He said that was a bit of a stretch but that I still would qualify for the reimbursement. "Not this August, next August." Was my depressing response. "Oh" was his.

The convention reminded me how much time I have left. Not to get big-headed about the fact that I'm almost half way done, and more time in the army than most the people on my base.

In other exciting news: The pipe to the hot water heater (that happens to sit directly above my room) sprung a leak and I just spent the last hour trying to patch it up until a plumber can fix it tomorrow. I would have thought that duct tape designed to seal rooms from chemical warfare attacks, that just happened to by lying around my room (I'm in the Home Front Command, what can you do) would have done a better job. The dripping has stopped but there's not going to be any tooth brushing or showering for me tonight (which I really would have liked after coming down from the disgusting attic in my house). At least it's not nearly as bad as last time (just over a year ago) when many of my possessions got ruined. Here's to hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Salsa!

2006-01-20T14:47:00.000+02:00

Ren and Katz Dancing Salsa
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Ren came up with the idea last week of going salsa dancing. At first I was a little apprehensive about the whole idea, but by last night I was really excited about trying it out. I figured the worst thing that could happen is I waste a little money and make a complete fool of myself. And so we went, Ren, Katz, Nadiv, Ele and I. We went to a salsa club in Herzeliya Pituach called DNA. It was in an office building and at first seemed a little odd, and it was, but once inside it was this fancy dance floor and bar, with a coat check (a lot more upscale than the places I'm used to going to) and some studio rooms for classes. We started off with a 1.5 hour lesson where we learned the basic steps and then we hit the floor for about an hour.

It's surprisingly tiring, and a little monotonous when you only have a few basic steps in your salsa arsenal. Not to mention daunting to see all the really good dancers there. We left at about 11:30 and decided to hit a bar and hang out for a while. We didn't want to go to Tel Aviv so we were going to stay local. When Katz and Ren heard I had never been to Max Brenner we decided we had to go there. From what I understand it is a cafe/restaurant with a large focus on chocolate. I have had Max Brenner chocolate before, and it is pretty damn good. To quote Katz: "Chocolate is good but this is just Uhhhhuhuh! (groan of ecstasy similar to a sound Homer Simpson would make)"

Traffic was bad and there was about a 45 minute wait so we headed back to Ra'anana where we decided we were tired. At 1:00 we decided to call it a great night and leave it at that. I hope to go salsa dancing again soon. It's a surprisingly good time and if you have never tried it, I suggest you do.

Holy Cats and Dogs, Batman!

2006-01-18T22:00:00.000+02:00

Rain in Tel Aviv
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Today it absolutely pored! Here's a snapshot of Derech Namir (the street) at Azrieli Center from my bus stop. I had an umbrella and yet still managed to get soaked. There was a hole in the roof of the bus stop so water was dripping. I didn't realize until my pants were completely soaked in the back. Not fun at all.

A Clean Bill Of Health For The Ego-Boosted Soldier

2006-01-17T21:50:00.000+02:00

Well, today I went back to the doctor and she gave me a clean bill of health. No more sinusitis for me so take that nasty bacteria! Ah, the wonders of penicillin.

Also today, I was working on a project with my CO's CO (AKA "The Big Boss"). She sat me down and asked me why I didn't become an officer. I explained why (I like my job, don't want to sign on an extra year, etc.) and she said she thought I would make a good officer but that she was happy that she wouldn't be loosing me as her soldier to another base. It was a nice ego boost.

The bus ride home was not fun at all. My second bus took me an hour and a half (because of the rain?). To top that off, I had possibly the two most annoying kids (12-13 year olds) sitting behind me. They were making noise and playing with there cell phone's ringtones. They were rude- they kept yelling things at the driver, and wouldn't sit still. They were also playing with a toy gun which was probably dangerous. I was going to say something along the lines of "You are on public transportation and acting like a bunch of two year olds" but decided not to be "the guy who yells at people on the bus". That, and someone else said something. Man, I have turned into a grumpy old man!

The Table of Birthrighters

2006-01-16T20:07:00.000+02:00

Well, I'm home from guarding and that means I'm tired. I guarded last night for 4.5 hours straight which is half an hour longer than I am used to. I didn't think that half an hour would make such a difference but apparently it does! The time does not move! There was also no power in our room so the heater wasn't working. Translation: I froze my cute little ass off. But enough complaining.

Today at lunch my table happened to be made up of four people who were just recently on birthright, with the most recent returnee returning last night. She seemed to have had a similar experience to me. She could barely find words to describe the trip and yet at the same time couldn't shut up about what an amazing time she had. We all sat around reminiscing about our trips and after an hour when we were the only ones left in the dining room, and they started putting the chairs on the tables to clean the floor, we decided it was time to leave- so we talked for ten more minutes outside. It was interesting to hear how much the trip really impacted the other Israelis as well as myself and the Americans. Birthright- Kudos from me on a job well done!

Why is the Army Sending Me To Sit On a Prostitution Committee?

2006-01-13T15:17:00.000+02:00

This started as a reply to Esther's (of My Urban Kvetch) comment to my post about a sign depicting the word "Zona". Her comment reminded me of a story I feel warrants it's own post.

To my knowledge, the word zona in Hebrew means prostitute. Although the Artscroll Siddur/Chumash translates it as "inn keeper", I think they choose to go for the euphemism because, well, it's a prayer book. I haven't found any source to suggest it means grocer, and comes from the word mazon- food. I do have a funny story though involving the confusion of these two words.

Just over a year ago, a few months after arriving on my new base, my CO informed me that I would be participating in a vaadat tzuna. I didn't know the word tzuna and I only heard the "t" from the first word so I heard:" You will be participating in a vaadat zona." I was a little surprised to hear I was going to be sitting on a "prostitution committee". I mean, what exactly do they decide on? How does one get to make such important decisions relating to prostitution? What does the army have to do with prostitution? Isn't that more the police's jurisdiction, or perhaps the Finance Ministry's?

I went to the committee meeting. I was anxious to hear what we would be talking about. Not so surprisingly, we didn't discuss prostitution. We discussed food. The quality of food on our base, the selection, quantity, etc. We were asked a bunch of questions by some officers and asked to rate certain things on a scale of 1-5. I was the only one who seemed to like the food. Perhaps all those years of eating Yeshiva cafeteria food has developed my pallet for food made in large quantities.

A few hours later a friend of mine asked me how the committee was and I explained to him that it went fine and wasn't a big deal. I told him that I still didn't understand what the committee had to do with prostitution. He explained that it wasn't prostitution-"zona", it was nutrition-"tzuna". Suddenly it all made sense, and a new word was added to my lexicon.

Yesterday's Yogurt,Today's Tenth of Tevet Fast and Druggy Doctors

2006-01-10T23:01:00.000+02:00

Yesterday on the way to my base I was greeted with a pleasant surprise when I was changing buses. As I was walking to my bus stop this youngish woman came running up to me and thrust a bottle into my hand. It was a Danone Drinkable Yogurt. "Peach Passion Fruit" flavored- which, for the record, was really good. My first reaction was: "Whoa who is this strange lady and what is she giving me". But then as the shock passed I realized: "Hey, free food! Yah, I'm hungry. I could eat again".

I'm not sure if it really fits in the category of "eating again", maybe it's "drinking again". I never really understood the whole "Yogurt Drink" thing. It's not really a drink. You wouldn't come in after a jog and go: "Man is my throat parched, I think I'll pour myself a nice tall glass of yogurt drink." Then again, it's not yogurt either. It's too liquidy and it comes in bottles. I guess it fits somewhere in the gray, in the food/drink spectrum. One positive aspect of drinkable yogurt is you get all the yogurty goodness but you don't have to worry about dirtying a spoon. Saves on clean-up time- something I like, or would like if I actually cleaned my dishes instead of just tossing them in the sink.

As I got on the bus I started to notice people all over drinking these yogurt drinks. On the bus, walking on the street, getting off other buses, everyone seemed to have been hit by the yogurt fairy. I thought it was a nice way to start my day off, and a pretty good ad campaign too.

Between yogurt and shwarma, I must have food on the brain. Probably because I fasted today for asara betevet- the 10th of Tevet. We fast on this day because it marks the day when the siege on Jerusalem began. An event in a chain that eventually lead to the destruction of the temple and the beginning of the exile.

The story I have to tell about today didn't happen to me. It happened to my CO and he told it to me yesterday. It's actually a happy story considering it's a sad day.

When he was in officer training, the second part of the training was several months at the Officer Training School -bahad achat. This starts off with an intense four weeks, designed to weed out the weaker people. For four long weeks you work really hard, for him, most likely in the rain. You have long marches, and navigations at night. All this on very little sleep. It's a very hard time and very draining. It's also hard not seeing friends and family at home and hard on them at home too (but not as hard, I would say). At the end of the four weeks, you finally get to go home for a much needed and much deserved weekend. My COs four weeks ended on a Thursday, the 11th of Tevet, the day after the fast. His COs at the time decided that they deserved to be rewarded, and since fast days in the army are days where everyone who is fasting gets to rest, the whole course would get to go home one day early. So he called his dad to let him know and he surprised his mom by coming home one day early.

And that leads me to my third and final story. Some of you may wonder how I was home early today. Well because of the fast I would have been allowed to come home at lunch time anyway, but that wasn't it. The "cold" that I have had since coming back from birthright seems to have developed into sinusitis. So the doctor sent me home until Sunday to rest and recuperate.

You know that this is a Jewish country because the doctors here are all Jewish mothers. She scolded me for having waited this long to come back to her while still not feeling well. She then told me to go home and rest and to do tipulei savta- grandmother treatment. She explained to me that that meant laying in bed with a compress on my forehead and drinking tea and chicken soup.

The other thing that army doctors are known to do are give out too many drugs. This proved true today. After listing the three she was giving me now (two of them the same as two out of four she gave me last week) she asked me if I wanted any pain killers. I told her no it was fine, I had plenty at home and I didn't like the Tylanol substitute that the army gives out. She said so how about some Optalgin- another, stronger pain killer, that is illegal in the US. I told her no it was fine, I prefer Ibuprofen. She insisted she give me army Ibuprofen, something I didn't know existed, which comes in large round pills. Not something I plan on taking any time soon. At home, I have a whole drawer of superfluous drugs that I have been given by army docs. I think I should open a pharmacy. That would be a good way to supplement my army salary.

A Sense of Smell For Shwarma

2006-01-10T12:27:00.000+02:00

First a little background:

December 18th- Sharon suffers minor stroke. Doctors discover a small hole in his heart, thought to have caused the stroke, and schedule him for surgery to repair the hole, January 5th.
January 4th- Sharon is rushed to hospital after not feeling well, One day before his scheduled surgery. He suffers massive brain hemorrhaging and undergoes 2 operations overnight and another one on the 6th.

So since last Thursday when this happened I haven't been following the medical part of the story too closely. I know that the doctors had to wait until the swelling in Sharon's brain went down before they could wake him from the induced coma he has been in for almost a week now. As Haaretz reports, they started waking him yesterday, and are planning on furthur stimulating him today, Tuesday.

Haaretz:

"Among the ways in which physicians hope to stimulate Sharon's senses Tuesday is to place a plate of shwarma, the sliced meat dish said to be the prime minister's favorite, close enough for him to smell it, Army Radio reported."

As you can see this is no regular wakeup. They are doing it the way only us Israelis can, with a big plate of shwarma [pictures]. I wonder if humus is also on the menu. My biggest worry for this is the lack of laffa. Don't know what a laffa is? Think pita, only bigger and fluffier.

Who knows what state Sharon's memory will be in when he wakes up. He may not remember what shwarma smells or tastes like or even what it is! To experience shwarma for the first time without it being wrapped in a big, fluffy laffa is simply not the full "shwarma experience".

I'm not the biggest shwarma fan in the world. Now before you start stoning me, let me finish. Shwarma is good but falafel in laffa is better. I like falafel more than shwarma. In a laffa instead of pita, it's the perfect meal. It's also Israel's best form of fast food (and I have issues with Israeli fast food, but that's a whole nother post). So in conclusion:

Falafel is better than Shwarma.
Laffa is better than Pita.
Shwarma on a plate is not nearly as good as shwarma in laffa.
A person's first shwarma should always be in a laffa.
Go get falafel in laffa for dinner tonight.
Thank you.
*Breathe*

Let The Voting Begin!

2006-01-09T22:11:00.000+02:00

The voting for the 2005 JIB Awards is officially open! Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to vote- to vote for me. To vote for me in every category I am nominated in. To vote every three days (as per the rules) and help me win one of the coveted "winner banner thingies". Should you succeed in this mission you will be rewarded with more great posts by me. Should you fail, you will still be rewarded with more great posts by me! So really you have nothing to lose. Accept the mission! To quote someone famous: "Tis better to have tried and failed then never to have tried at all". Wait, I think that quote was about love, not trying. No matter. Just vote.

Below are the links to make your voting easier. While you are there check out some of the other worthy blog nominations. And spread the word- help get more Jewish and Israeli blogs known to the world.

Best Life In Israel Blog

Best Post

Best Overall Blog

Best Jewish Humor Blog

Best Personal Blog

Best New Blog 2005

Reflective Vests- The Solution To Our Failing Economy?

2006-01-08T22:19:00.000+02:00

In Israel it's not a rarity to see people selling various goods to people in cars at intersections. I have seen people selling such things as hats, CDs, holy books and today reflective vests. You know those snazzy things that people like crossing guards and security personnel get to wear without people laughing at them (too much).

As I was heading home today from my base I looked out of the bus window when we stopped at an intersection, and saw some teenagers selling reflective vests. The more I thought about it the more I thought it was a great idea.

A law was just passed in Israel that all drivers must have a reflective vest in the front seat of their car at all times. If the car breaks down (or gets in an accident), the driver must don the vest before stepping out of the car so that cars driving by see the driver and more damage isn't caused. I personally think this is a really good law, if not a little dorky. I've already seen a few people wearing the vest on the side of the road. The problem with this law is that only recently people found out about it (I think it was only passed a few months ago) and it took effect as of January 1st. What does that mean? Well think of it this way- How many of us have reflective vests just lying around at home? Not surprisingly, there has suddenly been a large boom in the now very lucrative reflective vest market. These kids were just smart enough to tap in to it.

Think about how big the profits could be. Lets say you can purchase 200 vests in bulk for 5 NIS each. You work 8 hours a day and manage to sell 5 vests an hour, for five days, at a price of 10 NIS each. In a week you have doubled your investment, and made yourself 1000 NIS profit. Not bad for a weeks worth. Now, anyone not driving with a vest in their car is currently breaking the law. So let's say you hike up the price to 15 NIS and manage to sell 10 vests an hour. Now you've made yourself 3000 NIS profit in a week. Did I mention that this is tax free? I think I may just quit my day job (if only I could).

I'm not really sure how much they were selling them for, or how many they really sold in a day. However, I think one could make a pretty nice amount of pocket money, without too much effort. Kudos to these guys for thinking of it (or to the guy who's making 70% of the profits because he thought of the idea, made the initial investment, and is using illegal child labor to make some extra cash).

Zona Billboard- What are they advertising?!

2006-01-07T19:44:00.000+02:00

Zona Billboard
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

I saw these posted next to my bus stop. Zona in Hebrew means whore so could someone please tell me what they are advertising?!

Prime Minister Sharon Suffers Stroke- We're Screwed!

2006-01-05T20:32:00.000+02:00

If you haven't heard already, Israeli PM Ariel Sharon is in the hospital in critical, but stable, condition. From what I understand, Sharon was rushed to Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem last night shortly before 11, after not feeling well. He was scheduled to have minor surgery today to close a small hole in his heart. Sharon suffered "massive bleeding" in his brain making his stroke a hemorrhagic stroke. Hemorhagic strokes are caused when not enough blood makes it to the brain because of a hemorrhage. These types of strokes make up only about 10-20% of strokes. Most strokes are occlusion strokes which are caused when a blood clot blocks flow to the brain.

Only two weeks ago Sharon had a minor stroke (of the occlusion variety). Doctors attribute the cause to a defect in his heart that he has had since birth. He was put on blood thinners, ahead of today's scheduled surgery to repair his heart, which most likely is at least partially to blame for last night's problems.

So where do we go from here? At the moment, our PM lies unconscious in a hospital bed. Even if he makes a full recovery I don't see him returning to politics. But then again it's Sharon and he makes some pretty rash decisions, and seems to bounce back from anything, so who knows. If he doesn't return to politics, March's election will definitely be an interesting one. Now that so many people have left their parties to rally behind Sharon in Kadima, there really is no looking back for them. But can the party continue without Sharon? Sharon is the main, and possibly only, pillar that holds the party in any sort of balance. I'm not sure anyone other than he, knows what they are trying to do with the party, the government and the country. I'm not even sure I know what the party stands for! Does anyone other than Sharon?! Without him Kadima seems to me just a bunch of politicians who don't agree on anything but thinks it can run a government together. It's the same players just under a different name. And if anything other than this magical name change was actually going to make these people work together, it was Sharon. So for our sake I hope he gets better.

Refuah shlema to Sharon. I can't wait till March

Birthright Trip Breakdown- Day 1

2006-01-04T20:50:00.000+02:00

Day one of my birthright trip started on the wrong foot. I am a die-hard procrastinator. Therefore, I started packing that morning. I had to be at the airport to meet the group for 1pm. As i was running out the door (late of course) I couldn't find my jacket. Turns out my brother took my jacket to school with him and so I had to run to his school to get the jacket on the way to the airport. Not fun when this is all done by bus. This also caused me to miss my bus meaning I wasn't going to be able to eat at the airport before they arrived.

I arrived at the airport with plenty of time (Pre-Hanukkah miracle?) and met the Israelis in my group and one of our guides. We were then informed that we would be greeting the Americans with song and dance. When they came out of the doors into the main room we all started singing Heveinu Shalom Aleichem. Complete with guitar accompaniment. It was pretty embarrassing but I just chalked it up to the experience.

We all headed to the bus and started our journey down south to the Mitzpeh Ramon area. We did some ice-breaking activities when we got there. Including talking about ourselves and sitting on complete strangers' laps. The night ended off with a party in a room (naturally, with plenty of alcohol) that ended up spilling into the lobby. Everyone got to know one another a bit better, there were some guitars and everyone had a good time. At about 10:30 I headed back up to my room (I think the earliest night I had the whole trip) but then ended up having a three hour discussion on religion with my roommate from Yale. I really enjoyed it and plan to have many more drunken debates in the future.

Sucks To Be Sick

2006-01-03T22:37:00.000+02:00

Try saying that ten times fast. You just totally tried it, didn't you?! So, so sad. Ok, so it's not that hard. The point is that I'm sick. All of the sharing of nargila and bottles of vodka on the trip seam to have taken their toll. My immune system has capitulated and the virus king has taken over my upper respiratory system. Fun, fun, fun! I can't breathe through my nose and my voice sounds like I've been sucking on helium balloons. My nose can't decide whether it's runny or stuffy and I keep coughing. Overall unpleasant. At least the sore throat and ear ache seem to have gone to Florida for the winter.

The plus side with being sick is that the army doctor on base sent me home yesterday and I was home today too. Tomorrow I head back in a little late and it's Wednesday so it's almost the weekend anyway. Thursday night I'm heading over to a bar called stage for my friends Chen's birthday (which is today so Happy Birthday Chen!). A little sleep on the weekend and back to work for a full week on Sunday. Sounds like a plan! Now off to shower and sleep before the coughing starts again.

JIB Awards 2005- 6 Nominations Is Not Bad, Not Bad At All

2006-01-02T21:10:00.000+02:00

It's that time of year. Time for the Jewish and Israeli Blog awards and yours truly has been nominated in six categories! They are:

Best Life In Israel Blog

Best Post

Best Overall Blog

Best Jewish Humor Blog

Best Personal Blog

Best New Blog 2005

Voting begins on January 9th when you can be sure I will shamelessly whore for your votes. Until then, check out the JIB site and the other candidates' blogs. Check out some of my back posts too if you want and hopefully you will feel I deserve a vote (or at the very least a sympathy vote so my mother and I are not the only ones who vote for me).

Shorashim, Soldier House and Sylvester- How I Love Alliteration

2006-01-01T12:25:00.000+02:00

Get comfortable. This is going to be a long post.
Jump to [SHORASHIM] or [SOLDIER HOUSE] or [SYLVESTER].

Shorashim
Some people have wondered where I have been for a few weeks and what exactly my last post was about. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was given the unique opportunity to go on a program called Taglit. Taglit is the Hebrew name for what you may know as Birthright. Birthright's goal is to get Jewish youth who have never been to Israel on an organized trip here to visit and learn about the country, culture etc. As an Israeli soldier I am not eligible for the trip. What I am eligible for though, is the Israeli side of the trip.

Birthright trips include what they call a mifgash which is Hebrew for meeting or reunion. The idea behind the mifgash is to get American and Israeli youth together to learn from one another's cultures and experience the country together. Depending on the type of birthright trip the mifgash can last between two and ten days. I really think this is an integral part of any Birthright trip because I think the Israelis offer a different perspective and part of learning about the country is learning about the people and the best way to do this is by traveling and living with them. That is why I was so pleased to be going on a Birthright trip with the organization Shorashim- roots. The Shorashim mifgash extends the entire length of the ten day trip. We pick the Americans up at the airport when they arrive and return them there at the end of the trip. Leaving the airport after being with everyone for ten days proved to be considerably more difficult than I expected (as you probably understood from my previous post).

That post started as me writing down some emotions with no clear direction where it was going or for what purpose. It ended up an open letter to my group which I thought I would share here too. The trip was so amazing. It will be hard to tell all the stories and memories from it but I will try to give a day by day breakdown over the next week, but I have enough to write about that I will save that for a different post.

Jump to [SHORASHIM] or [SOLDIER HOUSE] or [SYLVESTER].

Soldier House
Wednesday I got home at bout lunch time having been up since 6:30 the previous day with only about an hour's sleep. I had stayed up until 5 something and we were supposed to be heading for the airport by 6:45. Once home I checked my e-mail and the usual internet stuff. I fell asleep for a few hours in the afternoon but didn't want to "Go to sleep" as I wanted to sleep that night. I went out with Katz and Ren and showed them some pictures on my camera. I think I may have bored them a bit but I couldn't shut up about the trip. Thursday I returned to Jerusalem for the third time in a week. My cousin Daniel and friend Brendan are here on a Hasbara (Israel Advocacy) trip. Ironically the exact week that they had Shabbat off was the weekend that I was on Birthright and therefore was not home the weekend that they stayed at my house. So I decided to be a bit impulsive and head to Jerusalem with hopes of staying the night but no solid plans. I missed the bus I had hoped to catch at 12:10 so I left towards Jerusalem at 12:50. The ride was average length getting me there at about 2:20. I had to get to the old city to meet the guys where they were staying. The information people at the central bus station told be to take the 1 bus from across the street. They failed to tell me the bus only comes every 50 minutes. I waited 45. The bus went all over the city. Actually it just went through the very narrow streets of Meah Shearim (the ultra orthodox neighborhood), where I was sure we were either going to get stuck or run someone over and hooked around back behind the old city. We went through some neighborhood that had signs entirely in Arabic and then came up the hill that leads to Dung Gate right by the western wall. There was a swearing in ceremony for Nachal and the road were packed. I ended up walking the last couple of hundred meters because traffic wasn't moving at all. I met Daniel at the Sfardic Center where he was staying, close to Zion gate. I had hoped to stay there too but they management informed me there were no empty rooms or even beds. There trip also has a strict "No guests in rooms" rule.

I got to sit in on one of there sessions, which was pretty interesting even if I didn't understand all of what was going on. We ate dinner, hamburgers (which I had unluckily had for lunch too) and then I continued the search for a place to sleep. I heard there was some sort of army place near by where soldiers sometimes slept. I'm still not sure what the place was but they told me there that it was closing for the weekend and that I couldn't stay there. Strike two. My last idea was beit hachayalor soldier house. These are basically hostels around the country specifically for soldiers. I've stayed in a few when I've gone on trips with my unit but never by myself. I had no idea how the whole thing worked. I called information and got the phone number. I explained to the guy my predicament and he said to just show up and they would find me a place to sleep. At 8 the group was heading to a "Channuka Extravaganza" which happened to be very close to both the Soldier House and the central bus station (in the event I couldn't get a place to stay). My plan was to head with them to this party, make sure I had a room and if I didn't I would hop on a bus back home (via Tel Aviv and not directly because I would have already missed the last direct bus).

I found the Soldier House, after about a 5 minute walk. The guy at the desk told me that they had no more rooms but he could set me up with a mattress and some sheets in a class room. That was fine for me cause all I was looking for was a place to leave my stuff and a bed to crash in when I finished my night of drunken partying. We headed back to the Extravaganza to see what was going on. Unlike the Birthright trips, their trip did not have a "No Drunkenness" rule and in fact encouraged drinking and partying. This was a very good thing because we arrived to find some Rabbi talking followed by separated dancing. Not really my scene. The plan was to hit a club in Talpiot and avoid Ben Yehuda at all costs. 10:20 and we were on our way to Ben Yehuda street. Because that wasn't obvious. We wandered around a bit and met some people. Tried to decide on a bar. We decided to go to a place called Troy. While on the way I happened to glance into a store and notice someone I recognized. Alli, a friend form Birthright had extended her trip to stay a few extra days with her parents. I didn't know she was in Jerusalem but it was an amazing surprise to get to see her again. We talked for a few minutes but she couldn't come out with us as she had a 6am wake up call. I headed to the bar a little down over the fact she couldn't come out but happy none the less to have seen her.

The bar was nice but the drinks were overpriced and the only people that seemed to show up were considerably older than us. We were greeted by the owner though with handshakes and big welcomes. I would have preferred a free drink but this was nice too. My friend Ilan H. ended up coming all the way to Jerusalem to come out with us. Nothing was going on in Ra'anana that night as most of our friends were busy with various things (most related to the army) and wanted to go out he came to meet up with us. After a while at Troy we decided to bar hop. We stopped quickly at a place called Egon. Everyone on there trip had said they wouldn't go there ever again as they had been there every night that week but we saw most of the group there (we had split off with mostly non-Hasbara people). We walked back to Kikar Tzion and I met a couple of people from summer camp who are here for trips/school.

We moved on to a place called Tarabin. There's actually an article about it in the paper today so it must be pretty popular. The bouncer informed us that they were full. We told them that a few of our friends were already inside and after a few people left, they let us in. More overpriced drinks awaited us and we hung around and danced a bit. Ended the night off with burgers (for the 3rd time in 24 hours) at Burgers Bar on Ben Yehuda at 4:30. I had fries. No burger, two in one day's enough for me. My fries almost never came because the guy at the cash got into some fight with some people outside. Something to do with his car. I got a little worried when he slid a steak knife into his back pocket. But I got my fries, said goodbye and me and Ilan headed to the Soldier house for a few hours of sleep before driving home.

We got the Soldier House and were each given a mattress, two sheets and a blanket. My jacket was the pillow. Not the best accommodations but the mattress was comfortable and the sheets clean and for 25 shekels ($5) who can really argue?! Just as we were setting up our beds another soldier joined us in our (class)room. He heard us speaking English and asked us where we were from in American English. He was from Arizona. He lived on a kibbutz with a adopted family and had come here alone to serve in the Army, Nachal I believe it was. I remarked how weird it was that three American-Israeli soldiers were going to sleep in a classroom at 4:30 am. It was an odd moment.

Morning came four hours later and Ilan and I went to visit his sister and adorable nephew for about 20 minutes. We hit a gas station and headed home. On the way home we reported a cop car swerving between lanes to the police. We were politely given the phone number for the "Public Complaint Office". They didn't answer the phone.

Jump to [SHORASHIM] or [SOLDIER HOUSE] or [SYLVESTER].

Sylvester

What or who is Sylvester? In addition to being a cat from Looney Toons who always tried to eat Tweety, Sylvester is what they call New Years here in Israel. Apparently named after Pope Sylvester (314-335 CE) who is said to have died on December 31. New Years is his feast day in some church communities. He was also an anti-Semite making this a particularly weird name to be found in Israel. Almost all my friends were again busy (army, away with family, psychometric exam today), which bummed me a bit as I took today off so we could party. Katz and I decided to hit Tel Aviv just the two of us. We walked around Allenby street a bit but decided to go to my favorite place, Mike's Place. The place was super crowded and the music was good. Ran in to a few people we know from school. We headed home at around one because he had the army today. Chen, one of the Israelis from Birthright came to Mike's place too but we missed one another by about 10 minutes. On the way home, Katz and I decided to get some food. Yup, you guessed it, Burgers Bar. Unlike Jerusalem though, here in Ra'anana they close and weren't serving any more food at 1:30 when we got there. So we called it a night and I went to bed.

So with that, I want to wish everyone who celebrates them, a Happy New Year and a Happy Channuka! And since I missed them, a Merry Christmas and a Happy (?) Kwanzaa!

Jump to [SHORASHIM] or [SOLDIER HOUSE] or [SYLVESTER].

Birthright Israel- Shorashim- Winter 2005-2006

2005-12-28T17:36:00.000+02:00

The trip is over but the journey is just beginning. It's hard to believe that just a few hours ago we were saying goodbye. Even harder to believe that just a few days ago we were saying hello for the first time. After such an amazing trip, it is hard for me to find the words to describe it. I care about you all so much. So much so that it took me at least six tries to leave before I actually pulled together enough strength to turn my back and walk out the doors of the airport- without coming running back for one last hug. I couldn't help looking back one last time. Leaving the airport without you guys was so hard. The last time I had been there was the day we met. As my bus was pulling away from the airport I gazed out at terminal three. I had to fight back tears as the memories flooded back. I think one may have slipped through.

I knew this trip would be an amazing experience but I could never have hoped to meet such a wonderful group of people. Experiencing the country through your eyes, rediscovering the country was so "life changing" (I use that word with a few reservations) that I want to thank every one of you for contributing to it. I am forever grateful.

Seeing you experience the country for the first time has made me feel like I am seeing it for the first time. Whether it be watching you approach the Western Wall, and kiss the stones or the tear in your eye at Yad VaShem. The look of triumph and pride when we finally got back to the buses after climbing Har Shlomo. Or the hug we shared at Har Herzl, the military cemetery. The list of memories from this trip is unending. You have helped me learn so much about you, our country, our people and myself. You have reminded me why I am proud to be Jewish, proud to live in Israel and proud to serve my country. I only wish the same upon you.

I hope this trip has given you insight into the country that is every much yours as it is mine. Shown you the connection you have with the people who call Israel home- whether they live here or not. Proven to you that this country, and it's people, will always be here for you when ever you need us, if only you let us.

Remember the trip and the experience. Remember the people and the places. Remember that there is always a place for you here. Remember that this is your home, and come home soon.

Phones Are For Phools

2005-12-17T21:05:00.000+02:00

I am the victim of technology failing me. I am a strong believer in technology. I think anything that can be done with computers should be. I think almost anything can be done with computers, and the tech way is usually easier than the old fashioned way.

Last night my precious tech failed me. I was sitting with Ren and Gross talking when I heard the sound my phone makes when it turns on. I took out my phone, because there was no reasons for this sound. A) My phone was already on and B) My phone was on silent. To my surprise my phone had reset itself completely. Everything was gone. No pictures. No SMSs. No phone numbers. Not only that, my phone also doesn't receive or make calls. So not only am I out of contact with the world, I no longer have any of my precious phone numbers, memos or pictures and doubt they are recoverable. I will only know tomorrow when the lab is open and they can fix my phone.

This same thing happened to me When I was in basic training and I was told this is a problem with the phone. This damn phone has given me nothing but problems. Tomorrow I am getting a new phone. End of story. I wish I hadn't changed service providers. Where is my precious Nokia phone. Why do I have crappy Samsung. I am distraught. I can't do anything because my phone is on my mind. The fact that I am blogging is a huge accomplishment.

I shall now go wallow in sorrow.

Me, MDA and a Boy Called Harry

2005-12-16T14:37:00.000+02:00

What a busy week! I started the week with a huge exercise/drill. That kept me up on Monday night until 4:45 which was not fun. I got home at 6:30 the next day after a very long, exhausting day and crashed for a few hours. Wednesday I was back on base guarding which led to another night of being awake for almost 24 hours as I got up at 2:40 to guard and went to bed last night ad 1:30. Last night I went out with Nadiv and Ren to "Coffee Tree" in Kfar Saba. It's a cool little cafe/bar that I went to a few weeks ago and really like now. Adam and Ilan H joined us a little later.

My really exciting news for the week was that I got accepted to a program called Taglit, which means "Discovery". It is the Hebrew name for the Birthright Trips. What this means is that I will be accompanying a groups of American youth on a 10 day trip around Israel. I think this will be really cool and exciting because I will offer a unique perspective. Plus, it's ten days off from the army staying in hotels and having fun. I think it will be really enlightening for me and for them. I expect to learn a lot both about the country and myself. My trip will specifically be the Shorashim (roots) trip so check out some of the links and expect some cool stories and pictures when I come back in a few weeks.

Last Saturday night, Katz, Ren and I saw the new Harry Potter movie. As a HP fan I enjoyed it. Even though it was a long movie (2.5 hrs) it went by really quickly- which I guess is a good sign. With that said I was a bit disappointed. I thought it felt rushed. Big events in the book were short and small events were ignored. I guess you have to make sacrifices when turning a long book into a movie, but I'm not sure someone who hadn't read the book would have been able to follow. I think, as with most cases, the books are much better.

Last but not least: A few months ago I ranted a bit about how MDA (Magen David Adom) wasn't part of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Well now that they have created a third symbol, the religiously neutral "crystal" (a glorified square on it's side), the ICRC may see a new member. From what I remember reading, MDA will be able to operate with their symbol (the red star of David) within Israel's borders and outside they will be able to operate with the crystal with the star of David inside. I think I remember ranting about how Israel shouldn't have to make compromises and use a neutral symbol when the other major religions have their own symbols. I think that the current agreement is acceptable and is the best we would ever get. Nothing is final yet but overall I think this is a good thing.

That's what's on my mind for now. Sabbath time baby! Must shower and get ready.

PS: Added a few things on the sidebar. Check out the Hall of Fame posts or some of my random pictures on flickr. If you have some recommendations of posts to add to the Hall of Fame, drop me a note. Don't be shy, I won't bite...Too hard.

In Honor of My 100th Post-100 Interesting and Not-So-Interesting Facts About Me

2005-12-13T15:30:00.000+02:00

This is my 100th post so in honor of that I thought I would post 100 facts about me. Some you may find interesting, others not. Some just plain weird, but here goes:

My full name is Benjamin Samuel Ludman
I was born at 5:12pm ET on April 1st 1986
Yes, I have heard every possible April Fools Day joke so don't even go there.
I have a friend from Australia who was born on April 2nd but is older than I am.
I was born at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC
In my life I have lived in three cities- NYC, NY, USA; Halifax, Nova Scotia,Canada and Ra'anana, Israel
I have lived in 3 apartments and 2 houses
I have one brother and one sister.
They are both younger than me.
My brother will someday be my boss.
My sister will someday take over the world with her cuteness.
In high school I majored in physics and French.
I speak three languages fluently- English, French and Hebrew
I haven't really spoken French in about 5 years and I'm not sure I still can.
I still got a very high grade on my exams.
I play guitar and used to play piano.
I own three guitars.
I almost exclusively play one of them- the electric one.
I have written music but none of it is any good.
I can program in C++ and Visual Basic as well as HTML+CSS and JavaScript
I haven't touched C++ in about three years.
I don't think I ever will again.
I have built websites for several people.
When I was younger I wanted to be a programmer.
I have also wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer (what a good little Jewish boy) and an investment banker.
I'm still not 100% sure what an investment banker does.
My understanding of money and economy begins and ends with "Money=Good".
Now I want to be an engineer.
Someday I also want to own my own company.
To do that, I should probably broaden my knowledge of economy.
I would also like to own a penthouse in Manhattan. (but who wouldn't?!)
New York is one of my favorite cities.
I wouldn't want to live there permanently or for to long though.
I plan on studying in New York when I finish the army.
I am going to study engineering at Columbia University.
I'm not sure which kind of engineering I want to study.
My friend Katz is coming to study at Columbia the year after me.
In the army I serve in the C4I unit attached to the Dan District of the Home Front Command.
C4I stands for Command Control Communications Computers Intelligence.
The Home Front Command is in charge of security of the citizens within Israel's borders.
My job is network administrator for the Dan district.
I am trained in a completely different job and was given this job because I finished top of my class at "signal school".
That, and a whole lot of luck.
I am much happier doing this than what I was supposed to do.
I am trained as an "Operational Communications Operator"
That basically means I set up radio networks and fix them when they're down, specifically for operational units (infantry, armored, etc.).
I would also deal with hard-wired communications networks and combination networks.
I never found it that interesting and it doesn't transfer well to "the real world" (read: "not the army").
My current job is much more interesting and will be useful in the future.
Half way there.
I still have a life outside of the army.
I like that a lot and even though I'm happy I serving in the army, I wouldn't give that up very easily.
When I was younger I used to read and write a lot.
I don't anymore.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to get back into writing.
It was also to improve my writing skills.
I have always hated reading what I write and editing my work.
So I don't.
That leads to a lot of typos and some sentences that may not flow that well.
I think that keeps the blog fresh.
That's an excuse for my laziness.
I like to make bull shit excuses that no one would believe.
I'm not sure why. I guess I just like to bullshit.
I can bullshit about almost anything as I often do with my rants.
My laziness has lead to my friends referring to me as "Grandpa".
They really call me grandpa because they think of my as the wise and mature one.
There I go again with the BS.
Despite my laziness, when I start something I'm very persistent and a bit of a perfectionist.
As long as cleaning my room is not involved.
My room is in a state of "organized Chaos" most of them time.
At the moment I would put it more in the "Chaos" category and less in the "Organized" one.
When I start something I usually start it very organized.
It quickly becomes chaotic and I don't usually get it back to it's original state without drastic measures.
Sometimes I like to be goofy. It's fun to remind myself that I'm still a kid.
I can move my ears, eyebrows and flare my nostrils.
Yes, without the aid of my hands.
I'm a pretty talkative friendly person.
When I get drunk, it is almost impossible to shut me up.
Despite drinking a lot, I have never thrown up from drinking.
I'm proud of that. See mom, I'm not an alcoholic!
My favorite beers are Heineken and Guinness.
Miller and Sam Adams are also pretty good but I prefer beers from this side of the world.
But not Israeli beers.
I'm also a fan of Amaretto sours and WooWoos.
WooWoos are made of vodka, cranberry juice and peach schnapps.
Most people add their own special ingredient such as Nana (mint).
I have never seen WooWoos outside of Israel but supposedly they are a know drink.
My friends make fun of me when I drink a WooWoo because of its pinkish read color.
They made more fun of me once when I ordered a Sea breeze.
It was very pink and didn't even taste good.
At parties I have worked as the bartender before.
I'm considering being a bartender during university.
Being religious this may cause conflicts in my work schedule.
I find it annoying when people pronounce it "sheh-dyule".
I'm a big fan of Australian accents.
I would like to travel to Australia and New Zealand some day.
Unlike most people, I'm not planning a big trip to the Far East or South America after the army.
I would like to drive from the east coast to the west coast of the US in an RV though.
Some friends and I have discussed this many times but we all get out at different times so I'm doubtful if it will happen.
I'm pretty easily distracted and thus many of these aren't really about me so much as they are things related to me or related to things that are related to me.

I can't believe I made it to 100. Once I got in the rhythm though, I could have gone on till 150. Well maybe not, but I can think of at least two more. Hope you enjoyed!

A Little R&R- Part II

2005-12-09T10:37:00.000+02:00

So I have a bit more energy now so thought I would fill you in a bit about my trip and this past week.

Last Saturday night I went to see a movie in the theater with Nadiv and Gross. We saw "Lord of War". I really liked it. It had a perfect combination of violence, gore and plot. But it wasn't just an action/suspense movie. It made you think. It was shot from a cool perspective and overall I really enjoyed it. The opening scene, "The life of a bullet", as I call it was amazing and the computer animation was well done. The scene follows a bullet, from it's perspective from it's creation until being fired.

On Tuesday I saw another movie. Katz, Nadiv, Ren and I watched "Kingdom of Heaven". It was also pretty good. It was long at 2.5 hours long. The movie is about the crusades which is a subject that I don't really know that much about but I've always really liked that period of time. I think medieval weaponry is not only functional (perhaps not anymore) but art. They are amazing engineering feats and this movie had several good scenes displaying this.

Monday and Tuesday was my trip with my unit. We went up north. We first went to Zichron Yaakov and saw some of the historical sites including a cemetery. Quite boring. We then had half an hour to just hang out on the promenade there and browse some of the shops. We continued north, stopping for lunch at a park and then arriving at Rosh HaNikra. Took the cable car (which I still think is fun) down the cliff and walked around there a bit. Saw a movie about the place. The view there was really breathtaking. The movie was not. Ended the day at our hostel in Tiberias where we got settled in our rooms, showered etc. We then went to a small club where we had a BBQ and danced the night away (or something like that). They also got a magician for some reason. I'm a big fan of magic shows but this guy was horrible and had 0 showmanship. It was 20 minutes of my night I'm not getting back, but at least it was only 20 minutes.

Tuesday we went to a water plant nearby. They showed us a movie and talked to us about how water gets from the Kineret to other places in the country. I actually found it pretty interesting but the second the lights went out for the movie, my eyes were shut and my snoring was waking up others. We went to the country club in Katzrin where we ate lunch and hung out for a few hours. I swam in the pool and hung out in the hot tub. Then we got on the bus and headed home. Got off on the way to shorten my trip and ran into Limor who I haven't seen in a really long time. Talked with her on the bus ride home. It was good to catch up a bit.

That's all I have to report for now. The army is tiring me out lately and the next week is going to be pretty bad. The trip was a good way to break the routine I've gotten in and a little rest and relaxation is always needed.

A Little R&R

2005-12-07T22:32:00.000+02:00

I've been away the past few days with my unit on a trip. I had a great time and will write about it and post pictures, but alas, it's has tired me out and I have a headache so I'm not going to do it now. This week is very busy for me and I need to get some sleep. Stay tuned.

Cooking for the Beginner-A Short Guide for the Bachelor, University Student or Anyone

2005-12-03T18:04:00.000+02:00

One of the things I have had to deal with this past week and a half is cooking for myself. I'm used to coming home and having food on the table lovingly prepared by my mother. On Thursday when the family came home, for a change I made dinner. It is surprisingly easy to make something taste good when you get the hang of what combinations are good together and then just playing around with them. Here are some hints to get you started. If I can do this than anyone can.

A little Mexico or Italy
To give any type of food a Mexican taste try the following. Add black pepper, cumin and chili powder.
To give any type of food an Italian taste try adding oregano, olive oil and garlic.

What Simple Things Should I have?
Some basic spices are the place to start. Always have pepper and salt. Cumin, oregano and chili powder are my favorites. I also like Zaatar (a middle Eastern spice) and basil. Garlic and onion powder are also very handy (minced or chopped forms are also useful). I don't really cook with other spices too much (not that I cook that often anyway) but some thyme, paprika and rosemary won't really hurt. Spices can turn any regular meal into something different and is the key to varying an easy to make menu.

Your best mileage will come from buying combination spices and seasoning blends like "Mrs. Dash" Products and "chicken seasoning" or "Steak seasoning". These are great on vegetables or in sauces and are definitely not just for what they say they are. If you don't know what to put on something, these can help push you in the right direction or add a bit of flavor to something that is bland.

A good sharp knife, cutting board, some bowls in various sizes and plates are important. I big wooden spoon is handy too for making sauces (which I like to do for some reason). A hand blender is pretty cheap and a big help. Some pans (big and small) are a must as well as a small pot.

On to the Cooking
In the Mexican department try these:

Nachos
Through some corn chips on a plate so the whole plate is covered. Cover with cheese and nuke for 40 seconds. In one minute flat you have a great tasting snack. If you want to put some effort in add chopped tomato and chopped onion and some spices. Pepper and chili powder are good especially cause I like spicy food. Chicken seasoning is good and fast too.

Quesadillas
Take a tortilla and fill with the same stuff you put on the nachos. Fold in half or top with another one if you're hungry. Fry in a pan, toast in a toaster oven of nuke it. This one is best if you put in the extra effort of the veggies and spices. Cut in triangles.

Enchiladas
Cover a tortilla with sauce* and sprinkle with cheese. Roll it. Make a few of these. Cover them in sauce and more cheese on a oven safe plate and cook in the toaster oven. Careful! That plate gets VERY hot. I learned the hard way.

*Regular sauce from a can or jar is fine. The little effort to make the sauce though is worth it in my opinion. I mixed some tomato paste water and a tomato together with the hand blender. Heated on the stove in a small pot and added a few teaspoons of olive oil, some onion soup mix and spices. Lots of cumin is essential, and should be added to and store bought sauce and sprinkled on the enchiladas too. Chili powder and pepper in good quantities is important to make it just spicy enough. Adding some chopped onion is also good as is some garlic and parsley.

For my family I made lemon and herb chicken and some veggies.

Lemon and Herb Chicken
Heated some water with some chicken soup mix and some onion soup mix. Added some salt and pepper, garlic,parsley and chili powder. Juice from one lemon and some orange juice. A bit of brown sugar and a bit of white sugar and some oregano and minced garlic. Poured this on grilled chicken breast from a package that just needs some heating.
For the veggies I fried thinly sliced potatoes and chopped red pepper in olive oil with some spices and minced garlic. A little salt and pepper and that was it.

There you go people. You no longer have an excuse not to cook. These are all very easy to make and pretty quick too. By playing around with just a few ingredients (different spices or different veggies) and the form (chopped chicken pieces / chicken breast or rolled tortillas/ flat out tortillas) you can change the meal completely.
Try different things until you figure out what goes with what. That's all I did.

Life as a Bachelor- Living Alone, and Loving It!

2005-12-02T10:46:00.000+02:00

This past week I had another taste of independence. Living alone while my family was away wasn't always easy but I did love having the freedom to do what I want when I want, and seeing that I can be self sufficient. I'm now not to worried about living on my own in university in two years when I finish up with the army.

One thing I realized in the past week is how hard my Mom works. It's was pretty time consuming doing laundry, cooking etc. and that was only for one, not a whole family. People, don't take your Moms for granted, they work hard. Let them know this once in a while, but not too often. Don't let it get to their heads. After all, us kids still have to be pains in their asses!

This past week has been really busy. I've had about 5 hours sleep maximum each night as I was out every night this week (one of the perks of being alone in the house). Everything I did over the week was more rushed though. When I would get home, instead of food being ready for me, I would have ot prepare it myself. This can get time consuming and annoying after a long day's work but I actually enjoyed it a bit.

The next few weeks for me don't seem to really slow down. I've got a lot of army related work in the next few weeks and I hope to finally get to relax around Hanukkah/New Years time. This coming week I'm going on a trip with my unit which should be fun.

I now must go do a load of laundry, and clean my room (yeah right). Or at least eat something...I'm hungry.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2005-11-27T21:59:00.001+02:00

Tonight I ate at Katz's. Late Thanksgiving celebration with some of his extended family. It was a real Thanksgiving meal with yang [EDIT:What the hell is "yang"?! I think I meant yams], whole turkey and stuffing. It was really good. I also stayed at Katz's for the weekend and it was fun to feel young(er) again and have a sleepover.

Today I spent the day at the National Signal School also know as "Bahad Sheva"-Training Base 7. I had to do a course so that I can get my next rank (which I still won't get for about another half a year). Right now my training is at level 06 and to be a sergeant you have to be at 08. They told us (two friends also had to go) to get there for 9am to take the entrance exam for the course. In fact, they changed the way it works, and the test actually gives you the 08 certification. So I just had to do two tests (which everyone passes) and that was it.

The second I walked onto the base,however, I remembered why I hate that base so much. I had set foot on the base and already the discipline NCO was on my ass. Now this guy is not your regular hard-ass. He is know throughout the entire army. He started bitching about how I wasn't shaven, and my boots weren't polished and my belt isn't the kind allowed on this uniform. He wanted to give me a "Tofes Tluna" which could mean detention time on base but in the end he settled for just some more bitching.

While I was on base I saw Ele, who serves there, and Ilan M. who is about to start another course there. I also saw my old commanders from when I was training there. It was pretty cool and even though I hate the base (everyone who does a course there associates it with their course) I still miss the place a bit. Physically it's one of the nicer bases and I have a lot of memories there. It is one of the places I started my journey in the army, and I hope to be back several times before the journey comes to an end.

Home Made Enchilada

2005-11-25T14:31:00.000+02:00

Home Made Enchilada
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

Last night at about 1am I had the sudden craving for an enchilada. I decided to wait till today to make one for lunch. It came out surprisingly well, especially considering it was the first time I made one. I even made the sauce from scratch.

Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T11:47:00.000+02:00

Today was Thanksgiving. The last Thursday of November. I've never really celebrated Thanksgiving, partly because of my identity crisis. Should I celebrate American Thanksgiving (or what people have told me- "Real Thanksgiving") or should I celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving (apparently also know as "Fake Thanksgiving" or "That-Bull-Shit-Holiday-Canadians-Made-Up-Hundreds-of-Years-After-the-Americans") While the Canadian Thanksgiving may not have any pilgrims (who doesn't like a story about pilgrims) I think the point of Thanksgiving is to remember how lucky we are and to remind ourselves not to take things for granted.

I didn't really celebrate at all. No turkey dinner for me (although I think whatever that was that I ate for lunch was turkey breast) as I at alone at home. But the spirit of the holiday was here and I was humbled by how lucky I really am, to have such great friends, family and overall just a great life.

Lester Pink 1922-2005

2005-11-23T18:52:00.000+02:00

Lester Pink passed away last night. After a long courageous battle with cancer, his body just couldn't last any longer.

During WWII he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a wireless radio operator, a similar job as to what I am trained in. He subsequently became owner and manager of J. Pink and Company and co-owner of Thistle Knit Wear. He also founded "The Vanguard" newspaper, a newspaper that is still going strong today. After retiring, he moved to Halifax,NS, where I lived for 11 years where he started a second career as president and owner of Canplan Travel. After retiring from this, he took up painting and his paintings can be found in most Halifax hospitals and other landmark buildings.

Lester Pink was many things. A prominent business man, a successful entrepreneur, a brave soldier and a terrific painter. But most of all, he was my grand father.

He will be remembered by many and forgotten by few. May his memory be a blessing.

The Vanguard: 40 YEARS LATER

Fire Truck 1

2005-11-22T19:07:00.001+02:00

Fire Truck 1
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

And you wonder why our country isn't taken seriously? Our fire trucks luck more like collectors items and antiques than something used to fight fires and save lives.

Fire Truck 2

2005-11-22T19:07:00.000+02:00

Fire Truck 2
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

And you wonder why our country isn't taken seriously? Our fire trucks luck more like collectors items and antiques than something used to fight fires and save lives.

Raining Cats and Dogs

2005-11-21T20:23:00.000+02:00

Today it pored! I got of the bus and walked into a wall of water. It was insane and some of the most rain I have ever seen. I was getting so wet (Even with an umbrella I got on the "slow bus" just so I could get out of the rain. The bus driver decided to take a detour and I ended up having to walk an extra 3 blocks to base. Luckily it had stopped raining. On the we drove through foot deep pools of water. Cars had water above their tires' height. It was such a weird experience considering our "desert" country.

In the afternoon I attended a military remembrance ceremony for a fallen soldier as an honor guard member. It was a meaningful ceremony and these type of things always remind me of our mortality and to live each day to it's fullest. Don't regret things you did. Move on; Dwelling on the past is a waste of time.

ARG! Why The Army Is Making Me Bald

2005-11-18T09:25:00.000+02:00

I woke up to the bzzzz of my cellphone as it vibrated next to my bed. "Unknown Name" -crap the army. Can't a guy get at least one day off. It seems every time I get a day off, someone on base decides: "Hmm I'm bored, let's wake Ben up and ask him stupid questions!" Now don't get me wrong, if you ask me a stupid question I'll answer it to the best of my abilities. I won't hold it against you that you're a dumb ass, not everyone can be as brilliant as I am. And I certainly won't mock you to your face, that would just be insensitive. But for the love of God, don't wake me up on my day off to ask me stupid questions!!

I answer the phone:"Ken" (Yeah), "Alo?" (Hello?). It was the new "discipline dude" (not the technical name) on my base. The NCO in charge of discipline on my base has disappeared for the past two+ weeks and so his minion has taken over. Now I get it, the guy is new in the job, give him a little slack but he is incompetent! "Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" "No, it's Ok I had to get up to answer the phone anyway!" What do you think ass hole!? If you call me before 10 on a day off you're going to wake me up, never mind if you call at 8. He tells me he needs a favor, he needs me to come into base and guard this weekend. @#$%!!!!! Why the hell did I answer the phone?! So I told him no, in a slightly nicer tone than I'm speaking in now and tried to go back to sleep. I layed there for about 40+ minutes half asleep half not. BZZZZ! Not again!! It's one of my COs. "Listen, apparently you are written down as the backup for this weekend so you have to come in to guard." What, before you asked me nicely and when that didn't work you decided : "Hmm, I'll flex my muscles and show you who's boss." I said you know what fine, I'll guard but next week when I'm supposed to guard I'm not. He says he'll check it out for me.

I get out of bed, somewhat pissed off about the whole situation but a little relieved I'm going to get the guarding done and over with. BZZZZ! "Yeah?" "Forget it, they don't need you." At least I get to stay home but at the same time pissed of that they keep changing their minds. I'm out of bed already so I figure no point going back to sleep. I'll feel better if I complain to the world, so here I am.

Just wait it gets better. As I'm writing this I hear that annoying sound of angry bees, which has now caused some sort of PTSD. "They need you again." You have got to be shitting me! Get it together people! Make a damn decision! Fine, I'll come in. And so I sat down to finish this post. I'm pissed, cranky and overall not in the best BZZZZ! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! Oh, just my wake up alarm on my phone. Good thing I don't have a gun home cause I would have shot a hole straight through my phone. Where was I. Oh yes...overall, not in the best mood. So now I will go take all the hair I have torn out of my head this morning, sew it into a nice little wig, and go pack my bag to head in to base. Have a good weekend.

Of Prime Ministers and Physicists

2005-11-14T22:12:00.000+02:00

Today is the anniversary of Yitzchak Rabin's assassination. We had a small ceremony one base. It was interesting. The Home Front Command Choir came and sang the standard "Sad Songs" along with Hatikva-the Israeli National Anthem. I thought the ceremony was pretty meaningful and I had shivers when they played a sound byte of when the PMs death was announced. The ceremony was cheapened though, with too many fake gunshot effects and a corny echo effect. It almost made a joke out of it and many people were fight back laughter.

In other news (not really news, I guess) I went to a lecture tonight by Gerald Schroeder. Dr. Schroeder is a physicist and biblical scholar who gives lectures and writes books having to do with science and religion. I have his book "The Science of God" and after reading it and hearing him speak, there is no doubt in my mind the man is brilliant. I highly recommend his books to everyone interested in science, religion or both. I only wish I could have learned under him during his days teaching at MIT.

Long Day at the Shooting Range

2005-11-13T23:59:00.000+02:00

Today was a long day. The morning was spent doing all of basic training over again. That is we did a fresher course in everything we learned in basic training plus a little more in depth on some of the things. This included:
Basic Communication Devices
Basic ABC Protection (Atomic Biological Chemical)
First Aid
Gun Class- including Shooting Positions, The parts of the gun and, Field Stripping

The afternoon was spent at the shooting range as was the evening. I shot a tracer round for the first time which was pretty anti-climactic. I expected something cooler, as if a light would come down from heaven and the would be fireworks...And angels singing and other extravagant things....[Gross you may mock me now] We finally left there at 9 and I got home at 11. That was all only because I got a ride most of the way from the bus driver as he was heading this direction anyway.

I now must go shower and get the filth and sand off of me before I got to bed. Tomorrow is a whole new day and I have to be on base early. Blah!

I Have Become a Starfarer

2005-11-12T23:00:00.000+02:00

If ever I wondered if I was a geek- yesterday I received confirmation. Starfarers of Catan is a board game. Last night Katz, Ren, Candy, Tali and I met up at Katz's place. Candy mentioned she had a new board game that was really complicated and similar to "intergalactic risk". We decided to play and so Candy went home to get it and Tali ended up going home. We started at just after midnight and I think at 1:30 just started to actually play the game.

The rules took a while to read and understand and setting up is quite a task as the game has lots of pieces. As soon as we started playing the game though, we were all hooked. At four we called it quits for the night and tonight we finished the game. The game took us about 5 hours which is three hours longer than the 2 hours the box says it takes to play.

The idea of the game to explore the galaxy. You do this by traveling around a board colonizing planets and making trade deals with aliens. Building these colonies and trade outposts cost resources as do improvements on your ships. You receive resources by rolling dice, making trades and other methods. The winner of the game is the first person to make it to 15 points. Points are collected by colonizing planet, making deals with aliens or becoming more famous, among other things. You become famous by battling pirates, rescuing distressed ships and other missions you get by drawing "encounter cards". Are you starting to understand why this game is complicated and why it confirmed my geeky-ness?

I had a great time even though I got my ass kicked. Katz ended up winning (partly my fault) but next time, everyone better watch out!

Saw has Been Seen but I Have Not

2005-11-11T10:59:00.000+02:00

Well a few e-mails of come in and yes I know, I've been neglectful over the past few days. But don't worry, I have excuses.

Last Saturday night I went to a beach party thrown by Adam and David. Met a lot of new people. Had a really great time but don't remember it all that well. Possibly because of the unusually large amount of alcohol I consumed. I have blogged since then but I had a good time so I added that too.

Next, Tuesday night I met up with Ren and Katz to watch a movie. Ren's cousin watched with us and Ilan H joined in the middle too. We watched Saw (hence the title of this post). I thought the movie was great. People have been telling me how great a movie it is for a while now and I just haven't gotten around to seeing it. From people had told me about it, I had compared it to a mix of Seven, Cube and The Bone Collector. I think that was a pretty accurate comparison. The movie starts with some really bad dialogue and some pretty cheesy acting but from the start I loved the idea behind the movie. The middle gets better with the dialogue improving although you ask yourself what the hell the writers were smoking during some scenes. The end of the movie is amazing though. Just when you think it was a pretty good movie the end really drives it home as a truly great movie (with a few flaws). It totally made my list of favorite movies and you should go see it.

Wednesday I was abducted by aliens. They put me in this contraption that immobilized me and they forced we to watch old episodes of Roseanne. They let me go later that day but I was too traumatized to blog. Actually I was at and army test/drill testing a missile detection system and didn't get home till almost midnight and was too tired to right down anything, nevermind anything resembling a coherent post. Spending 6 hours straight standing alone in the sand dunes will do that. My only forms of entertainment were my cellphone, which as in any good horror movie started flashing "Low Bat" after about an hour, and my iPod, that I so conveniently had forgotten to charge the night before. I had run out of Podcasts to listen to anyway though.

Yesterday I went to Gross' Tekes Hashbaa- swearing in ceremony. It was nice and I saw some old school friends I haven't seen in a while. Then I went home and vedged for most the day. At night we went out to Mikes' Place to celebrate. We being Katz, Me, Gross and Davidi in one car and Ilan H, Ren, Ele and Tali in the other. The music was too loud though and we couldn't really talk which sucked but at least the music was pretty good. We were all tired though and started to fall asleep. Made it home a bit before 3 and went to sleep.

And here I am filling you all in. Now I must go pick up my uniform form the cleaners and go for lunch.

Zipper Supremacy- Move Over KKK, Here Comes the YKK

2005-11-07T23:07:00.000+02:00

We've all experienced the YKK. You know, your standing outside waiting for the bus. You zipper up your jacket just a little bit more with hopes it will keep you warmer. You've been waiting for what feels like for ever. You start to get bored and you fidget with the zipper. Suddenly you notice that there are some tiny letters embossed on the zipper. You struggle to make them out. YKK. But what do they mean?

The other day I was sitting with my brother and a friend outside on a bench. I noticed the "YKK" on my zipper and was reminded of how on just about every zipper I've ever looked at, I could find the YKK on it somewhere. They both checked the zippers on their jackets as well as the fly on all of our pants. Sure enough, YKK was on all of them. But what the hell is that damn combination of letter?!

The answer is not nearly as dramatic as I would have liked*. YKK is simply a big company that makes zippers and other fastening devices such as plastic clips. They make lots of zippers, one factory Macon, Ga., produces 7 million zippers a day, in a total of 1,500 styles in more than 427 standard colors. The company's name was originally Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha. I think YKK is a little easier to print on zippers though. It seems that since it is such a huge company and this is pretty much all they make, they have almost the entire zipper market. Are YKK zippers any better than other brands? I don't know, and quite frankly I don't really care, as long as my jacket stays closed and my pants stay up.

*More information and links can be found here.

Light Dark Bread

2005-11-05T23:27:00.000+02:00

Light Dark Bread
Originally uploaded by Benjamin Ludman.

What the hell is "Light Dark Bread"?!

Death By Baptism

2005-11-04T14:46:00.000+02:00

I stumbled on this news story on the paper the other day and then saw a link to it on the net today.

Basically this pastor was about to baptize a woman when he got electrocuted by a microphone.

Wow, that's pretty funny. In a sick way of course. Put yourself in the pastor's shoes (I knew I shoulda worn rubber soled boots today). Here you are, about to begin a baptism. A very holy ritual where that symbolizes "the cleansing (remission) of sins, and the union of the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection so that he becomes one of Christ's Faithful" You reach out to grab the microphone when suddenly hundreds of volts of electricity shoot through your body, stopping your heart and killing you. That's gotta suck. I mean here you are, about to declare someone clean of sins and then God strikes you down with a bolt of lightning. When his life flashed before his eyes, I bet he was rethinking all those nights he spent alone in confession with little boys. But I digress.

actually, I thought this was pretty interesting because I didn't really know what a baptism was. I knew it was some Christian ritual that involved sprinkling water on babies or something. It turns out that Baptism can be done at any age (I'm quite glad the Jewish ritual of circumcision is done on an 8 day old drunk baby) and isn't necessarily done by sprinkling of water. Pouring of water or even full immersion (like in this case) is also practiced. Not only do Christians practice this ritual but so do the Mandaeans and the Sikhs and it evolved from Jewish rituals involving the mikvah. So the death of this pastor actually served as a learning experience for me. Could someone pass the bagels and lox?

US Government is Tracking you Through Your Printer

2005-11-03T22:37:00.000+02:00

No I'm not some crazy conspiracy theorist. This is true. If you are printing documents from a color laser printer, you could be getting tracked by the feds. Take out a magnifying glass and a blue light (yeah, cause eveyone's got one of them lying around the house) and start looking for any weird dots. Coded data has been found on pages printed on printers manufactured by nearly every major printer company including HP and Xerox. The code has so far only been cracked on Xerox printers though. The coded data codes the printers serial number as well as date and time the document was printed. The US Secret Service has acknowledged the existence of these codes but say they are "strictly a countermeasure to prevent illegal activity specific to counterfeiting". The hidden codes were confirmed by a Xerox spokesman, Bill MacKee, who also said they were simply assisting an agency that asked for help. HP said in a statement that it is involved in anti-counterfeiting measure and supports the cooperation between the printer industry and those who are working to reduce counterfeiting. Not only this, but research has shown the coding on documents produced by printers that were at least 10 years old.

One could argue that this is a huge breach of privacy but I'm not sure I'm really all that appalled. I mean, the amount of trouble it would take to track a printout to and end user seems like an awful lot to go through for no reason. As long as you're not printing Benjamins in your basement I think you should be just fine. But still, where do we draw the line?

Islamic Extremists Changing Targets- Sights Now Set on Porn Watchers

2005-11-02T20:23:00.000+02:00

Yes you read that correctly. This story is actually about a month old I just haven't had a chance to write about it.

The Yusafali-a Trojan tracks windows users web viewing habits and when it detects you surfing on a pornographic website (which it detects by looking for words such as "penis", "sex" and "teen" in the title bar of the browser) it springs into action. With lightning fast speed Yusafali minimizes your browser and begin preaching to you by quoting the Koran.

"Yusufali: Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for they fault, and for the men and women who believe: for Allah knows how ye move about and how ye dwell in your homes."

If the user continues to stay on the site, a button pops up that says "For Exit Click Here". As soon as the mouse is moved the box changes to have vertical bars and the text 'OH! NO i'm in the Cage'.

Image courtesy of Sophos.com

Options of LogOff, ShutDown and Restart are given but they all just make the computer logout.

All in all this isn't such a damaging virus. It could only really cause any serious damage by blocking medical sites. It is however quite funny. If suicide bombings and other physical attacks are going to stop and instead we will simply be reprimanded when we look at porn, maybe peace is on the way.

Halloween Crime Spree

2005-10-31T21:24:00.000+02:00

Boo! Happy Halloween! I've gone back in time by a day to post my Halloween post because I ran out of time on the 31. It's amazing what you can do through the power of the PC. It's not a scary Halloween post cause I don't really have anything scary to say. Anyway, like last post I'll start by talking about my not so interesting life and then get to the actual post title.

The past two days I' have been staying up too late to watch episodes of the West Wing, which I am now quite hooked on, that I have been getting from Ren. Tonight I was going to go out with Ilan H. Ren and Katz but it never happened. I had wanted to go out because it's Halloween and we haven't gone out out in a few weeks. The only place ot go on an American holiday is Mike's Place, which is one of my favorite bars to go to because it has a cool atmosphere, including English speakers and good blues/chill out music. But alas, Ilan wasn't going to be ready till after 11 something and Ren could only go out after ten. I had wanted to be on the way by ten so as to leave at 12 or so (which would turn into 1230-1) so I could at least get a semi good night's sleep before going to the army today. Long story short, didn't go out at all and stayed home watching West Wing.

As for the title, it's not really a crime spree and it had nothing to do with Halloween but I like the dramatic title anyway. It's actually two short stories involving police that I wanted to share.

The first happened last week on Simchat Torah (I think) at night. I was hanging out on a street corner with Katz talking when we heard someone talking on a loudspeaker-bullhorn thing. We then hear a siren and some honking. The suddenly two guys on a moped came zooming up the road followed closely by a cop car. At first I thought the guy on the moped was also a cop because he had a yellow fluorescent jacket on. Anyway, the moped zoomed through the traffic circle we were standing at and sparks flew everywhere. Then the cop car did the same, showering the circle with even more sparks and making quite a bit of noise. Then they zoomed off and we heard the cop yell to the moped to pull over, which I don't think he did. We just kind of stood there in shock, as did a group of people walking across the street. Don't know what happened and heard nothing else the rest of the night.

The other story happened yesterday. I and a couple of army friends were standing by the window in the hall right outside my office. We heard some sirens and looked out the window. Just behind our base a jeep of Magavnikim (border police) had pulled over a car and ordered the driver out. Four Magavnikim got out and the jeep drove off. They talked to the driver for a few minutes and then the jeep came back, they loaded the driver in, in handcuffs, and drove off. That was that. Also, no idea what happened with that.

Those are my two police stories for this Halloween. Not quite a crime spree but close enough. Happy Halloween!

Round Salami and Square Bread- the Sandwich Debacle

2005-10-30T22:40:00.000+02:00

Before I get to the title of my post let me first recount what has gone on in my ever-so-interesting life the past few days.

Friday night I went to Ele's house to see her new room and hang out with everyone. Had a great time basically acting like little kids on her, pillow fights and rough-housing etc. Played some board games too and just hung out. The most fun I've had in a few weeks. Saturday night I watched the first episode of the 3rd season or the OC (it's such a soap opera but I can't stop watching) with Katz, Nadiv and Ren. We were going to watch three episodes but the second was all screwy so we watched the Family Guy movie instead. Halfway through, I cut Nadiv's hair while Katz and Ren watched the rest. From what I saw it was a pretty funny movie although very crude. This brings me to the title of this post.

There is a scene in the movie where Peter Griffin,the dad, is complaining about how salami (actually I think it was bologna) is round but bread is square. As he said that it hit me that he was so right! I was outraged. Ok, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. But think about it. It causes the corners of the bread to not have any tasty meat filling when you eat a sandwich! What's up with that?! I immediately exclaimed that I had to blog about this, to which I heard a resounding chorus of laughter coming from my friends.

So anyway, today as I was contemplating how to go about my rant on this subject it hit me: Some breads are round; and some meats are square! It's our own faults if our sandwiches' corners are left barren; not the meat production companies, and least of all the cows! One must simply take the time to choose the suitable meat for the type of bread being used in the sandwich or the suitable bread for said meat! So simple! For example one could use 2 regular pieces of white bread and square turkey breast or 2 slices of baguette or round roll filled with salami or bologna. For difficult sizes and shapes such as corn beef or roast beef that tend to be long and thin, one can use a baguette cut lengthwise or a giabetta! Problem solved! Nuclear apocalypse avoided! Too many exclamation marks, I think I pulled a muscle with all that enthusiasm!

With that, I hope none of you will ever loose any more sleep on that horrible dilemma that I'm sure you have been loosing sleep over for many years. Anyone who wishes to pass the money they would be spending on sleeping pills to me can contact me at the e-mail to the left. Any money earned by using the time previously used to cut corners off of sandwiches, to work will also be accepted. Please do not contact me to request reimbursement for any money you lost by reading this post. Your e-mail will promptly be deleted and a pack of flying monkeys will be dispatched to your house to brutally beat you with various types of deli meats. Just for shits and giggles.

How Much is a Blog Worth?

2005-10-29T23:56:00.000+02:00

Weblogs Inc. was recently bought by AOL. How does one decide how much a blog is worth? I'm not quite sure but Tristan Lois decided to break down the price according to various things such as links to it and indexes such as their Technorati rank. Dane Carlson made a cool little calculator to see how much your blog is worth. See how much your blog is worth. or See how much my blog is worth.

My blog is worth $1,129.08.
How much is your blog worth?