Category: English

Smokers die younger

The big warning signs on cigarette boxes have become quite scary in the past few years. Smokers are threatened of getting cancer, impotence, heart diseases, etc. This one, “Smokers die younger”, caught my attention:

 Smokers die young

I don’t think that this will intimidate youngsters from smoking. Who wants to live really long?

In too many cases, old people have a long and painful end of life. From hearing and seeing problems, through being on wheelchair, up to horrible mental diseases, with Alzheimer’s disease being the worst.

Living a long life in pain or in a pathetic state is awful. Its better dying younger and happier than squeezing a few more years out of life.

I took the photo in a Tel Aviv bar, but it seems as if the cigarettes are from Hungary. I think that the creative staff working for the health department could do a better job with their warnings…

The Syrian option isn’t here to stay

In the past five months since the Israel-Hizballah war ended, Syria has been sending signals. They declare that they are willing to negotiate with Israel towards a peace treaty.

Their declarations aren’t always too straightforward, and they do permit arms to cross their border and reach Hizballah in Lebanon. And, many analysts here in Israel suggest that Bashar Al-Asad is bluffing. This may be true, but what can we lose? A few months of non fruitful negotiations?

Our Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, voluntarilly said that one of the main reasons for not giving it chance is the American refusal. I was already frustrated in the past by our lack of independency, especially when it seems so obvious that it is against our interests. If not peace, at least some more constraints on Hizballah. Time has already been wasted for quite stupid reasons.

So why am writing this again? Well, things have seriously changed.

The US mid-term elections, held in November, showed the American discontent from the current foreign policy. Donald Rumsfeld is gone. The Baker Hamilton study group also suggested a serious change in US policy, also towards Syria. Israeli head of intelligence said Syria is serious with negotiations. A shift in policy? No.

Olmert, currently in the news because of new allegations of corruption, doesn’t want to move the spotlight from his dirty business to a peace initiative. With an approval rate of 14%, he sticks his good friend Bush, and wastes precious time. The “window of opportunity” doesn’t stay open forever.

A new war next summer?

Away with 2006 – Happy 2007

It’s again that time of the year – the end.

The most significant event of 2006 was undoubtedly the war between Israel and the Hizballah in Lebanon. Except the killing and the destruction, it exposed the Israeli government’s negligence of its citizens. Refusing to officially declare the fighting as a war, saved some money for the state, money that was necessary for the paralyzed economy of the north of this country.

The border town of Kiryat Shmona was abandoned by its strong citizens, while the weaker ones stayed there to suffer. The comparison to Katrina in New Orleans is inevitable. The war exposed the government’s mismanagement and the widening gaps between the rich and the poor. Many people feel that the country doesn’t belong to them, but to a small elite group of corrupt businessmen and cynical politicians.

In the meantime, life in Tel Aviv was as usual. The streets were full and the job market (at least in the hi-tech industry) was steam hot.

Anyway, I’ve been reacting to the news about the war many many times, and in both languages. I “created news” just once, when visiting Haifa during the war, and “reporting” from there (well, personal impressions). Improved pictures are here.

Next year, I hope to write a more personal end year roundup.

Happy 2007!

Rainbow in Tel Aviv

Stormy wintery weather finally arrived. It’s heavily raining for two days. Traffic has been bad due to the rain and many were late to work. For the ones who walk to the office, the way became shorter. The wind turned my umbrella inside out, so I found myself running fast to get the warm and dry office. Well, it was dry, but with no electricity, it was quite cold.

Enough rambling. The rain also brought out a nice rainbow. It was taken from the office, facing eastwards. Here it is (with the courtesy of Tali who took the pictures with my camera):

Rainbow

Rainbow in Tel Aviv

Happy holidays!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to everyone abroad. Being through a few Xmases in my life, I can say it’s quite a pretty holiday, especially when it’s snowing all around.

Here, in Israel, we have Hannukah, with it’s lights. But it sure isn’t a light holiday when the traditional food is fried donuts (or fried anything). Also, it isn’t a religious festivity, and not an official day off, so except the children at school, business is as usual.

And, this year we hardly have any winter, so a snowy Christmas is just something you see on American TV shows. But anyway, here’s some snow from Nepal:

 Annapurna

Merry Christmas!