Month: June 2012

  • Lil Israeli farm zoo at Kibbutz Tzora.

    Checked out a new kids’ attraction in our area today: the Eretz Yehuda farm-zoo at Kibbutz Tzora (about 5 seconds outside Beit Shemesh/Big Center). Fun fact: Kibbutz Tzora is also where they make Teperberg wine. Mmmm. It’s a nice place to spend up to two hours with small kids. You can pet the roaming goats,…

  • Updated volunteer info for helping African refugees in Israel.

    I don’t live in Southern Tel Aviv. I  haven’t witnessed or heard personal stories about recent local violence associated with Sudanese and other African refugees/migrants who have made their way to Israel. So in that sense, it’s not a personal thing for me. What becomes quite personal though, are the facts and stories behind how…

  • How Etgar Keret began his writing career [VIDEO]

    As I’m not shy to have already said a few times, I’m a huge fan of Etgar Keret. His use of slang, the length of his stories, and the depths he goes to make you feel at once like your heart has been stepped on while giving you a good laugh… Here’s the video from…

  • Fifty-Two Frames: Gems/Stones

    As my husband pointed out, I haven’t taken out my ‘good’ jewelry since the night of our wedding. Well, that just goes to show you… we probably don’t need contents insurance. Cowboy Woody also has a very feminine facial structure. Ever notice that? And why shouldn’t cowboys be allowed a soft moment? Week 25: Gems/Stones…

  • #tomorrow12: Bloggers Q&A with Shimon Peres

    I’m the one who videoed the entire Q&A session that President Shimon Peres gave us bloggers at the Israel Presidents Conference today. Below is the whole uncut video, but below that are quotes from the topics discussed. (I’ll try and update when I splice it by topic.) I was a bit disappointed the questions all…

  • #tomorrow12: Dr. Ruth on Sex of the Future.

    Disclaimer: This post is about sex. As told by a German-American Jewish 4’7” Holocaust orphaned therapist with a famous and fabulous habit of giving advice. About sex. I remember being a kid, staying up late with a little handheld radio to listen to learn  about love, relationships, and sex. So it’s pretty cool that today…

  • #tomorrow12: Prof. Kahneman talks decision-making and coaching leadership.

    Panel: Learning from Mistakes on the Way to Tomorrow The following are notes from a talk by Professor Daniel Kahneman, winner of Nobel prize in Economic Science, known for his work in psychology of judgment. It is not always easy to know if a mistake has been made. In the most important situations, it’s extremely…

  • #tomorrow12: Shimon Peres project for Israeli-Arab integration into hi tech.

    In this week’s episode of That’s! So! Shimon! I am pleased to present a new initiative of Israel’s President Shimon Peres and Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers “which promotes the integration of Arab academics into the Israeli hi-tech industry through a coalition of leading hi-tech companies and NGOs in Israel.” The project is called Ma’antech, and…

  • #tomorrow12: Ayaan Hirsi-Ali speaks about the true Arab Muslim revolution.

    Hello from the back of the plenary session on Day 2 of the Israel Presidents Conference, Tomorrow 2012, with our gracious and ever-activist host, Shimon Peres. I’m huddled with (real) press members in the back after explaining sheepishly excitedly to a The Marker reporter that I’m a blogger (and, uh, former journalist). The first perspective I’m…

  • What it means to truck goods into Gaza.

    Yes, I’ve noticed your social media activity, Israel Defense Forces. I see you tweeting hashtags and Facebooking shares. And whatnot. Anyway, a lot of it is announcing the latest shipment of goods into Gaza. Did you know that every day, Israel sends truckloads of goods into Gaza? Could be worse. Here’s the IDF spokesperson’s  infographic:…

  • Fifty-Two Frames: Doors.

    This is a  bit fitting; I took the photo at Tmol Shilshom, where I join the Writing Gym on Sundays. I can say after four sessions that it’s really managed to open me as a writer, and helped me to let go of a fear of being wrong or untrue in my storytelling. From listening…

  • For one day only.

    My fourth time at the Writing Gym and we did a collective character exercise again, this time with two characters. I didn’t include every detail (ran out of time) and it’s pretty rough but below is what I came up with from the following:  Andrew, 55-year-old male currently in Sfat, confused about religious affiliation, single,…