AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/14/2003 08:26:00 PM
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BODY: Oh man that brings back a lot of memories

Warning: I’ve received some negative responses from people after they listened to this audio. If you have bad memories from the Gulf War you’ll probably be better without listening to it.

heck out this recording of Israeli radio from one of the many nights of missiles attack in 1991 Gulf War. (Link via a l - x . n e t)

I guess you all recognize the song. The interrupting voice is saying “Nahash Tzeffa” times 3 = “Viper, Viper, Viper”. That was the codeword for missiles attack on Israel back in 1991. The army changed the code and today what you’ll hear is “Homat Barzel” = “Iron Wall”. The code is intent for the siren operators around the country to turn on the sirens. The IDF has the ability to break in to all major radio and tv stations broadcasting in order to put on air the emergency code.

The voices after the initial code belonh to the radio broadcasters saying that this is a genuine alarm indicating a missile attack over Israel and then are instructing people to get into the sealed rooms and wear their gas masks.

Pretty freaky, don’t you think? That alarm sound really gave me the shivers for a second when I heard it today. Hope we won’t have to hear that again.

Here is a full transcript of this audio for the curious ones:

(Pink Floyd playing and then suddenly interrupted) “Viper, Viper, Viper” (The alarm is activated) Man: “this is an IDF spokesman announcement, we all know this signal that was heard, this is a genuine alarm following a missile attack over Israel. All residents of Israel need to wear their gas masks immediately and get into the sealed room. After the family has entered the threshold need to be sealed with a wet cloth and masking tape. The drill is well known: turn off the air conditioner, see that the kids wore their gas masks in the correct way and continue listening to us. As aforesaid this is a genuine alarm following a missiles attack over Israel. We expect to hear details on it when it will be available. Woman: only to remind you the instructions inside the sealed room: Do not seat along the external wall. Do not seat along the wall facing the external wall. You need to seat along the side walls, as far as possible from the external wall. It is also recommended to seat when your back is facing the external walls. Seat as low as possible on the floor on a mattress or on cushions. It is always advisable to make sure that family members, especially kids and elders, are wearing their gas mask correctly. Check if the blower in the kids’ hood is turned on. Check the door sealing and continue to listen to the radio, to us. Man: Now this is also part of the well known drill, we are going broadcast this message in Russian as well. (Instructions in Russian begins and then the recording ends)

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/13/2003 12:01:00 PM
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BODY: British sense of humor is something else

ritish tabloid “The Sun” had a couple of good jokes about France yesterday:

How many gears in a French tank?
Six: Five reverses and one forward, in case they are attacked from behind.

What do you call 100 000 Frenchmen with their hands up?
The army.

How do you stop a French tank?
Shoot the guy pushing.

Today they have jokes sent in by their readers: here are a few good ones:

How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris?
Nobody knows, they have never tried it.

Why did the French plant trees on the Champs Elysées?
So the Germans could march in the shade.

Where do you find 60million French jokes?
In France.

What is the first thing you are taught when joining the French army?
To say “I surrender” in German.

Why was Jesus not born in France?
Because they couldn’t find three wise men or a virgin.

Why don’t the French like the fireworks at Disneyland Paris?
Because every time they go off, people start trying to surrender.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/13/2003 12:56:00 AM
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BODY: I couldn’t have said it better

n excerpt from Right Wing News interview with Mark Steyn:

John Hawkins: There is a profound difference in the way that most Americans and most Europeans seem to view the conflict in Israel. What do you think accounts for that difference?
Mark Steyn: You have to differentiate between the British and the Continent. The British aren't anti-Semitic, but they're hot for Arabs. The British ruling class looks at the Arab and sees a desert version of his own most cherished myths: look at the Prince of Wales all togged out in his Lawrence of Arabia get-up just to have dinner with one of bin Laden's brothers. The Continentals are something else. Some just don't like Jews and resent having been unable to express that opinion honestly these last 50 years. But with the others the psychology's a little more complicated. Almost every European country was tainted by the Holocaust and Nazi occupation, but for the sake of the post-war settlement the world agreed to pretend only Germany was to blame. Not so. In France and Holland, the locals eagerly herded Jews onto those eastbound trains. In Belgium, industrial production went up under the Nazis. After half-a-century, the Continentals are sick of this guilt trip. They need to see Israel as the aggressor for their own psychological health. That's why that wacky Dutch broad who's married to the big Eurobanker keeps comparing Sharon to Hitler and Likud to the Nazis. It's a way of evening the score - "Sure, we had Hitler, you have Sharon; we have Auschwitz, you have Jenin." It's their way of belatedly taking a moral shower, a way of saying, "See, the score's one-one now. You're as bad as us. Let's just call it a draw and move on."

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/11/2003 11:19:00 PM
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BODY: Turkey – no; Israel- yes

ermany (along with France and Belgium) has vetoed Nato’s plan to provide Turkey with Patriot anti-missile defenses and other equipment as part of its sad attempt to put sticks in the wheels of the US. So it looks like the Germans think they don’t owe the Americans anything anymore for saving Germany from its own madness about half a century ago. Yet Germany still didn’t lose its sense of shame and has provided Israel with German patriot missiles.

Update: Ma’ariv is reporting this morning that the IDF is not going to use the German Patriot batteries for they are an old model ones. In other words: it’s a waste of money to launch those missiles cause they ain’t gonna hit any Scuds anyway.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/11/2003 10:22:00 PM
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BODY: Things as usual

hile the prospects of war in Iraq increase, the war here never stops. Tonight’s toll: 1 dead Israeli officer, a 9-year-old Palestinian killed and 8 Palestinians wounded. And yet another suicide bombing was foiled when a Palestinian was caught with 8 kg explosive belt.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/11/2003 11:38:00 AM
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BODY: Don’t believe everything you read

ick Denton has a post about war preparations in Israel: “ Sales of fancy pyjamas are booming. After all, you never know when you'll have to make a night-time dash to the shelter, and Israelis like to cut a figure to their neighbors.” (Via Tal G.)

Oh that sounds so bogus. I’m pretty much with ears and eyes on most Israeli news sources every day and I haven’t heard about such a thing. Denton’s reports this according to “some friends back from Israel”. I don’t know who told him that, they could have been joking or just making it up. It could also be true that there are a few people who did buy new pajamas for this upcoming eventful time but certainly presenting it as a trend is simply not true. Tal also didn’t hear about such phenomena: “That's cute, but I don't think it's true”.

I wonder how many people read Nick Denton’s post and believes it. My advise to the non Israeli reader – If what you read in non Israeli sites sounds a bit dodgy know that there are good chances that it’s not true.

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AUTHOR:G.
DATE:2/09/2003 09:58:00 PM
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BODY: Light posting, new webring and YACCS

orry for the light posting but I’ve got a test tomorrow and another one on Friday plus a paper to submit by Sunday.

I’ve added Miranda’s blog quite contrary to my links list, check it out. I don’t know if Miranda was serious but she has suggested to start a “bad English bloggers" webring and I think that’s a great idea. If any bloggers see them selves eligible for such a webring they are welcomed to e-mail me or, leave a comment.

About the comments. I know I said I’m going to have a light finger on the delete button but I promise those of you that left comments that disappeared that I did not do it. It’s some problem over at YACCS. I’ve noticed that other blogs have the same problem. To show the hidden messages submit a comment with all the fill out fields empty, that should fix it. Do it for each specific thread.

And one last thing: Tal returned from his trip to the US and has resumed blogging.

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