You may read today that there was an attempted kidnapping or a kidnapping of an Israeli soldier; I’ve just finished doing a Doch 1 (דוח 1) (basically a really, really important sheet that says where everyone is) and all of my Officers, Warrant Officers, and Soldiers are accounted for…I don’t have much information at the moment other than that we’re all on lockdown for the time being…this could be for another five minutes or another few hours. I’ll keep everyone updated.
You may read today that there was an attempted kidnapping or a kidnapping of an Israeli soldier; I’ve just finished doing a Doch 1 (דוח 1) (basically a really, really important sheet that says where everyone is) and all of my Officers, Warrant Officers, and Soldiers are accounted for…I don’t have much information at the moment other than that we’re all on lockdown for the time being…this could be for another five minutes or another few hours. I’ll keep everyone updated.
The base is still on lock down for anyone (officers and soldiers alike) who has to get home via bus or walking. Fortunately, I was able to call my kibbutz family and have them borrow a kibbutz car and pick me up, so I’ve made it home for Shabbat safe and sound.
I’ll be spending Friday morning teaching in Gadera, then later teaching in Tel Aviv and then couch surfing at a friends apartment Friday night and (probably a different friends place) on Saturday.
Saturday night my Commander and I are seeing Fiddler on the Roof together in Tel Aviv (it will be the first time I’m seeing Fiddler on the Roof in Hebrew).
Updates as I have them. For those of you who believe in a higher power(s) let’s all pray that no soldier was abducted (which is still a possibility) and that this is all a false alarm…but let’s also pray that if a soldier has been abducted, that they’ll soon be seen home safely and without harm.
I’m drained, it’s 23:09 and I have to pack and straighten out my room before I can head to bed. Tomorrow’s wakeup time is 0630hrs.
Goodnight everyone.
The base is still on lock down for anyone (officers and soldiers alike) who has to get home via bus or walking. Fortunately, I was able to call my kibbutz family and have them borrow a kibbutz car and pick me up, so I’ve made it home for Shabbat safe and sound.
I’ll be spending Friday morning teaching in Gadera, then later teaching in Tel Aviv and then couch surfing at a friends apartment Friday night and (probably a different friends place) on Saturday.
Saturday night my Commander and I are seeing Fiddler on the Roof together in Tel Aviv (it will be the first time I’m seeing Fiddler on the Roof in Hebrew).
Updates as I have them. For those of you who believe in a higher power(s) let’s all pray that no soldier was abducted (which is still a possibility) and that this is all a false alarm…but let’s also pray that if a soldier has been abducted, that they’ll soon be seen home safely and without harm.
I’m drained, it’s 23:09 and I have to pack and straighten out my room before I can head to bed. Tomorrow’s wakeup time is 0630hrs.
Goodnight everyone.
$^W$%&E# I want to be able to blog again daily, keep up with my friends online, their lives, their musings, writings, blogs…not to mention do my own writing and writing challenges…oh and email…which I’m tackling this weekend (thank you everyone, especially those who have waited months, for not coming together, forming a mob with pitch forks, and burning me at the stake)…if I don’t get my own laptop again sometime soon, I may go postal…if I find the guy who stole my laptop I will go postal…5769 will be known as the year in which a compulsive blogger was thrown into rehab against his will 5770 will be known as the year when the compulsive blogger busted out of rehab and beat people with whatever computer he was able to procure before sitting down with a half liter cup of black coffee (and…as a side note, black coffee is black, no milk, no sugar…) and then sighing a breath of relief as he signs onto messenger for the first time in, oh, around nine months.
On a side note, to the people who took four hundred hours to order their snacks in front of me at the canteen today on base…if you’re having three or five candy bars apiece…you don’t need to then order Diet Cola…just drink rocket fuel, it’s quicker.
$^W$%&E# I want to be able to blog again daily, keep up with my friends online, their lives, their musings, writings, blogs…not to mention do my own writing and writing challenges…oh and email…which I’m tackling this weekend (thank you everyone, especially those who have waited months, for not coming together, forming a mob with pitch forks, and burning me at the stake)…if I don’t get my own laptop again sometime soon, I may go postal…if I find the guy who stole my laptop I will go postal…5769 will be known as the year in which a compulsive blogger was thrown into rehab against his will 5770 will be known as the year when the compulsive blogger busted out of rehab and beat people with whatever computer he was able to procure before sitting down with a half liter cup of black coffee (and…as a side note, black coffee is black, no milk, no sugar…) and then sighing a breath of relief as he signs onto messenger for the first time in, oh, around nine months.
On a side note, to the people who took four hundred hours to order their snacks in front of me at the canteen today on base…if you’re having three or five candy bars apiece…you don’t need to then order Diet Cola…just drink rocket fuel, it’s quicker.
At 10:40PM this past Saturday there was an attack on an LGBT youth center in Tel Aviv. Those gathered were having a coming out support group on a typically warm night, when the shooter entered the building and shots rang out. Moments later, 11 people were injured (three of them critically) and 2 were dead.
Those who are no longer among the living are Liz Tarbushi, a 17 year old High School Student and Nir Katz, a 26 year old retired IDF Officer. Nir – who volunteered at the center for the past three years – was volunteering his time there as a leader, helping youth come to terms with their sexuality.
The community that night was left in a state of shock.
In Israel, terrorism doesn’t work. When a suicide bomber blows up a cafe, we go out for coffee. When a bus is hijacked, we go on a bus trip to Eilat. When someone uses a bulldozer as a weapon in Jerusalem the next day we gather up our friends and go on a trip to tour the Old City…what we do not do is cave into fear.
I have a lot of things to say right now, but I find that I lack the words to say them. I urge everyone in Israel to come to Tel Aviv this weekend – first to pray, then to show your support of the LGBT community (restaurants, clubs, bars) and then to demonstrate…loudly:
Saturday, August 8, 2009: 8:00PM
Kikar Rabin, Tel Aviv: come out against hate.
At 10:40PM this past Saturday there was an attack on an LGBT youth center in Tel Aviv. Those gathered were having a coming out support group on a typically warm night, when the shooter entered the building and shots rang out. Moments later, 11 people were injured (three of them critically) and 2 were dead.
Those who are no longer among the living are Liz Tarbushi, a 17 year old High School Student and Nir Katz, a 26 year old retired IDF Officer. Nir – who volunteered at the center for the past three years – was volunteering his time there as a leader, helping youth come to terms with their sexuality.
The community that night was left in a state of shock.
In Israel, terrorism doesn’t work. When a suicide bomber blows up a cafe, we go out for coffee. When a bus is hijacked, we go on a bus trip to Eilat. When someone uses a bulldozer as a weapon in Jerusalem the next day we gather up our friends and go on a trip to tour the Old City…what we do not do is cave into fear.
I have a lot of things to say right now, but I find that I lack the words to say them. I urge everyone in Israel to come to Tel Aviv this weekend – first to pray, then to show your support of the LGBT community (restaurants, clubs, bars) and then to demonstrate…loudly:
Saturday, August 8, 2009: 8:00PM
Kikar Rabin, Tel Aviv: come out against hate.
And the reality is that
I can’t imagine a world where people aren’t free to make mistakes; what’s the point of education otherwise? If you get an A it’s wonderful, but you’re under the same obligation as someone who’s received an F to keep learning, to keep improving.
I’ve sucessfully learned how to not pass statisticds three times, and given the opportunity, I may learn how to not pass it a few more before I finally figure out how to get an A and it clicks and all makes sense – it was after a few months of bombings when a soldier who I served with turned to me and said “you can’t possibly be twenty-five and remain this optimistic” when I turned to her and said “I’m twenty four and I plan to be even more optomistic when I’m twenty five”
I may possibly fall into a very small category of people depending on the lense that’s used…but I don’t like macro
And the reality is that
I can’t imagine a world where people aren’t free to make mistakes; what’s the point of education otherwise? If you get an A it’s wonderful, but you’re under the same obligation as someone who’s received an F to keep learning, to keep improving.
I’ve sucessfully learned how to not pass statisticds three times, and given the opportunity, I may learn how to not pass it a few more before I finally figure out how to get an A and it clicks and all makes sense – it was after a few months of bombings when a soldier who I served with turned to me and said “you can’t possibly be twenty-five and remain this optimistic” when I turned to her and said “I’m twenty four and I plan to be even more optomistic when I’m twenty five”
I may possibly fall into a very small category of people depending on the lense that’s used…but I don’t like macro
moocowinthecity