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July 2013

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 29, 2013 12 Comments
Another in my ongoing posts from Israel: We spent the day on the Golan Heights and the Lebanese border near Metula.  We were accompanied by my good friend from Moscow days who I mentioned in a prior post. We were led by Hadar Sela of BBC Watch blog, who lives on the Golan and has an amazing knowledge of the topography, history, people, and politics. I had intended to do one blog post -- but soon realized there was just too much to cover so I'll break it down into three posts to run on separate days -- The Battle of Tel Saki, The Valley of Tears, and The Lebanese Border.  The blog posts will track our journey from the southern to northern Golan, then down to Metula in northern most Israel. We started the day where we stayed overnight last night, Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan to the south of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), in the shadow of the Golan Heights: [caption id="attachment_60600" align="alignnone" width="501"](Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan, Israel - Map View) (Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan, Israel - Map View)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_60601" align="alignnone" width="547"](Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan, Israel, view towards Golan Heights) (Kibbutz Sha'ar HaGolan, Israel, view towards Golan Heights)[/caption] We then drove on the snake-like Highway 98 up the side of the Golan Heights facing Jordan across a deep ravine.  The border fence along the road is shown in this photo -- my reaction was the same as yours probably is -- that's the border fence!  We were assured that the Jordanian policing of its side of the border together with the topography was sufficient. [caption id="attachment_60603" align="alignnone" width="527"](Highway 98, Israel, climbing Golan Heights - Jordan Border Fence) (Highway 98, Israel, climbing Golan Heights - Jordan Border Fence)[/caption] Note also the red triangle signifying a minefield -- something we would see repeatedly throughout the Golan even away from the border.  Vigorous warning signs not to leave the established roads and pathways were everywhere.

Posted by Mandy Nagy on July 29, 2013 25 Comments

A woman was arrested Monday in connection with the latest act of green paint vandalism on a Washington DC landmark over the last several days. Earlier Monday, green paint was splattered in the lower level of the Bethlehem Chapel in the Washington National Cathedral; the Children's...

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 29, 2013 18 Comments

Some Californians are giving new meaning to the phrase "surfing the web". Large-scale rioting in the wake of the George Zimmerman trial verdict failed to materialize as predicted; however, after hosting a national surfing competition this weekend, a California beach town was the site of a...

Posted by Mandy Nagy on July 29, 2013 13 Comments

A military judge deciding the fate of Wikileaker Bradley Manning will announce her verdict on Tuesday afternoon. https://twitter.com/ABC/status/361886512473845763 Army Col. Denise Lind, the judge presiding over the case, has heard arguments from prosecution and defense for the last two months.  Closing arguments ended on Friday. Manning faces over 20...

Posted by A.F. Branco on July 29, 2013 13 Comments

Note: You may reprint this cartoon provided you link back to this source. To see more Legal Insurrection Branco cartoons, click here. Branco’s page is Cartoonist A.F.Branco  ...

Posted by Mandy Nagy on July 29, 2013 8 Comments

State media in Egypt reported Sunday that interim President Adly Mansour has transferred emergency powers to Prime Minister Hazem Al Beblawi, raising fears among many that a state of emergency could be near. From CNN: Egypt's interim president has allowed for the prime minister to assume presidential...

Posted by Mandy Nagy on July 29, 2013 5 Comments

A New Zealand defense official denies its military spied on a journalist, after reports surfaced over the weekend that the military had collected phone metadata of a McClatchy freelance reporter over his coverage of the treatment of Afghan prisoners. From the Associated Press: New Zealand's acting defense...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 28, 2013 14 Comments
We traveled north from Tel Aviv today to several Kibbutzim on our way to exploring the Golan Heights on Monday. First we stopped at Kibbutz Ein Shemer about mid-way between Tel Aviv and Haifa, not far form the large Israeli Arab town of Umm Al-Fahm. [caption id="attachment_60503" align="alignnone" width="480"](Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Israel, map location) (Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Israel, map location)[/caption] Founded in 1927, Ein Shemer is a fairly typical Kibbutz, about 650 people, with a variety of agriculture (dairy, cotton, etc.) as well as factories. Facing pressures facing many Kibbutzim, Ein Shemer voted a couple of years ago to allow limited “inequality” of income (up to 2.5 times what the Kibbutz pays members) for those with outside jobs in order to retain and attract younger residents. [caption id="attachment_60501" align="alignnone" width="545"](Kibbutz Ein Shemer residential courtyard) (Kibbutz Ein Shemer residential courtyard)[/caption] We then went on to climb towards the Golan, stoping at the Mount Barkan lookout point, near Mount Gilboa, which has a tremendous view of the Galilee region of northern Israel. [caption id="attachment_60506" align="alignnone" width="523"](Mount Barkan Lookout Point, Israel, map) (Mount Barkan Lookout Point, Israel, map location)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_60505" align="alignnone" width="552"]Mount Barkan Lookout Point (Mount Barkan Lookout, Israel, view)[/caption]

Posted by Mandy Nagy on July 28, 2013 14 Comments

Here's some lighter Sunday evening tech fare for LI readers, since social media is a topic we often cover in some form or another. Are you confused by social media?  Do you find all the different apps and services out there overwhelming?  Don't know what to...

Posted by Mandy Nagy on July 28, 2013 23 Comments

Get ready for the oppo research wars.  David Brock's American Bridge will be dispatching even more trackers to follow around Republicans all across the country. From Politico: Senior officials with American Bridge 21st Century – the group’s full, legal name – told POLITICO that the oppo-slinging outfit...

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 28, 2013 8 Comments

In addition to the George Zimmerman trial, one case that Americans have been following closely is that of Cleveland's notorious sex deviant and kidnapper, Ariel Castro. To avoid the death penalty for his crimes, Castro just made a deal that includes life in prison...

Posted by Mandy Nagy on July 28, 2013 23 Comments

After the latest reports of serial sexter Anthony Weiner's post-resignation online fling, his campaign manager has called it quits. From the NY Times: In a new sign of tumult within Anthony D. Weiner’s embattled political operation, his campaign manager has quit, leaving his already skeletal team without...

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 28, 2013 24 Comments

As an amateur historian, I often like watching old news and documentary clips; via LA Observed, I came across a fascinating one featuring another metropolitan area: The background: This public domain film narrated by then-mayor Jerome P. Cavanaugh was made in 1965 to promote Detroit. The city...

Posted by New Neo on July 28, 2013 148 Comments

Look, I want to give Bill Cosby his props. He's been speaking up courageously for years on the problems within the black community, and he's gotten a lot of flak for it. It can't have been easy for him. Here are some excerpts from the address...

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