Olympics

Beijing Olympics just ended. It was an impressive demonstration of power and money and human physical abilities.

I never actually followed the games, aside from being happy or sad for my countrymen when they succeeded or failed.

The games this year put a spotlight on china - good thing or a bad thing - depends on how you look at it. It showed the strengths of this giant nation and also its shortcomings in some other areas - such as human rights.

A lot of animosity came about - from alligations as to possible drug abuse by the jamaican runner to loser discontent and lack of sportsmanship from the american teams as well as others.

It was a spectacular and difficult (if not impossible) to top effort. For that china deserves hats off.

Now London 2012 is the next place of events - and everyone wonders how they will pull it off.

How will things be? only time will tell.

Fighting WindMills

After fifteen years at the same bank, I decided to take initiative and fight at least one of the wrongs.

One thing among the many that this bank (and since it's the largest one in Israel, most of the rest as well) is inflicting on its customers, or money cows..

The thing I'm fighting is the fact that once you have money in your checking account, you get no interest for it. When you have a debt to the bank, you'll pay a handsome interest, but when the bank enjoys your balance, you see not even a penny (or agora, as the case may be).

I already contacted my bank - their response was that this is how things are. Naturally this is not a viable answer.

So, I'm using other channels. Bank of Israel, and various other institutions and offices that may have the power to change this wrong doing.

I am hopefull, but I also know this is a long howl run. It won't be over in a couple of months. But the banks should re-grasp the notion that they are here to serve US and not vice versa.

As soon as I gather enough paper/email trail, I'll start publishing it online and try to get the media to delve and follow this. The more noise I generate, the more chance I have to be heard and supported.

The amounts involved in this are staggering. estimations run upto 100 billion shekels a year (about 27 billion USD) from the interest they (all the israeli banks) gather from our money.

Wish me luck! :)

Nostalgy: The X-Files Returns

10 Years ago, X-Files ended with the screening of the movie "Fight the Future"

After 9 seasons ,the acclaimed tv series went off the screen and slowly off the minds of countless fans to tv oblivion. Or so we thought.

When the motion picture came out, there were intentions (as I recall) to produce a series of movies that will stretch and thicken the plot further. These intentions did not hold for long, as the movie did not do too well in the theatres, and after the termination of the tv series, there seemed to be no point in producing any other movies.

However, now came the second movie of "The X-Files". I read that David Duchovny himself pushed for the production of this installment, even though the show has been dead for so long, and the first movie was not a big success.

So I went to see it last night with my girlfriend. We were 4-5 people in a small movie hall (the smallest one in the multiplex).

Personally I enjoyed this movie. It was different than what I remembered of the show as well as the previous movie. But since the plot takes place 10 years after the last movie, it makes sense. People change, and mulder & scully changed a lot.

This movie, as a deviation from the main x-files theme, was not about Aliens in any way. It still managed to convey a interesting suspense-filled plot and an emotional ending.

There were too many emotional, drama dialogues between mulder & scully to my preference, but all in all, I liked the development that took place over the years.

I guess I missed The X-files just as much as Mulder did :)

Money Money Money

Every once in a while, me, and now my girlfriend too, like to imagine what it would be like when we get rich.

What kind of things we would buy, which places we would visit, how we'll act upon becoming rich and how else it would affect our lives.

I realised This "what if" game is pretty common after asking around.

People always like to go on dreaming about things they wish to attain.

How many of these people actually take the dream from the mind and turn it into a reality?

Not many it seems.. and why not?

Is it really that difficult to become rich? or is it the risk taking that most people rather avoid?

Maybe the reason is that the easiest thing is to dream, and on the other hand, elbow grease and running around and doing hard work and sometimes going on a limb without being sure of the actual consequences is what keeps most people away from that pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow..

You read everyday about rich people. They buy this, they go there, they seem so distant when in reality they're quite regular folks. Most of them anyways.

Another thing is that people don't really like rich people. Or maybe it's just in my country. Being rich here seems to be a good reason to be apologetic and to be looked at with suspicion and distrust.

If they donate - it's probably for tax benefits or to push something to do with their hidden agenda. If they don't donate - they're evil scrooges that do not deserve a second pittying glance.

However, if you ask any average Joe or Jane on the street (Alon or Noa in Israel) if they rather be poor, average or rich in income, the answer is always clear. They (and us) all want to be rich.

How do you want to spend your life? rich or poor? does poorness makes for a better person? does money instantly makes for a less moral one?

Food for thought.

Stomach Aches

I don't know about you, but my stomach aches quite often.
Things I try to soothe it include tea, milk, rubbing, toilet, and avoiding constipation inducing foods.
Still, sometimes it just remains as it is, and I'm left with the simple task of riding it over.
Another way to allow the stomach to function better (ingestion-wise) is to practice sports. I suspect that my lack of sport-practicing contributes to my ill-feeling.
I keep telling myself I'll do something about it, and of course I keep postponing it again and again.
My self-discipline needs boosting in the way of a coach/trainer. My last trainer closed shop for lack of students (Krav-Maga) and difficulties finding a venue to practice at.
Instead of finding alternative sports, I just let things stay as they are. Bad choice of course.
How does one develop self-discipline if one has lost it so many years ago?
Food for thought.

Back to Istanbul - on a different note

After being on vacation at Istanbul, I woke up today to read that a double bombing took place in the city, taking 16 lives, and injuring more than a 100.
I feel both relieved that we were spared the mayhem, and at a loss for the citizens of this noisy, busy, lively city.
My country has its share of death and mayhem, but even though you become somewhat toughskinned, it's the places you go to vacation at that you really do not want nor expect to be in danger.
I wish to send some comforting words to the families of the deceased and wishes of fast recovery to the families of the injured.

Death in a Dream

(This photo is for visualization purposes only)

I had a dream last night, and in my dream I saw a homeless guy.

He was a black guy with lots of hair on his head, with a wisp a moustache and a shadow of a beard.

I saw him twice in the dream. I think the first time he was outside or around my apartment building. The second time, he was trying to break into my apartment from the one next door.

He climbed on the edge of the wall from the adjacent apartment, and came into my veranda which made a racket that got my and my girlfriend attention. So I went to investigate, and there he was. For some reason he was smiling.. maybe to look less of a threat, I don't know.

Then I shouted at him. and he tried going back the way he came. He fell from the ledge to the ground - two stories below. I heard the thud. I didn't see anything, as the dream ended at that point.

It's a disturbing dream. I even remember seeing the same guy previously. Whether it was in another dream, the street, on the television or at the cinema, I don't remember.

Nightmares suck. I say that even though I heard that dreaming about death means good things in real life.

Hope you all have good dreams!

A Bit Of Fry & Laurie

Once upon a time there was an old BBC Comedy show by the name of "A Bit Of Fry & Laurie".

It featured two young and coming british comedians and included silly and nonsensical skeets.

I came upon it just a couple of days ago and found it almost at a monty python level.
So, here's a link to streaming of a few episodes of each of the four seasons of the show: Here

Enjoy yourself! I did :D

Cool Stuff!

I found this cool and cheap gadget website!

It has lots of Cool gadgets and electronic devices. I love this stuff :)

Enjoy it! btw, they deliver free to Israel!

Return from Istanbul!

Coming back from Istanbul, I can say it was a pleasant weekend - even if hot and humid.

But then again, so is Israel.

We basically covered the tourist hot spots as all we had were 3 days, but I think we did pretty good considering the time restraints :)

Among the places we visited were:

The Blue Mosque

Hagia (Santa) Sofia

Sulimaniye Mosque (which sadly is in renovations over 2007-2008)

Taxim Square

The Grand Bazzar (which is pretty grand)

The Spice Bazzar, and a couple of other places.

Basilica Cistern

Istanbul, Here we Come!

Photo borrowed from Exposedplanet.com

Tommorow we go for a long weekend visit to Istanbul!

We'll sample the flavors, odors and sights of this cosmopolitan city and come back refreshed and ready to tackle the new month of July with renewed energy and Zest.

After G. got her Work visa at last (5 months to the day after beginning of this Sisyphean process), her Hebrew lessons begin now as well, so things are definitely picking up.

The time is right to hop on a plane and see new things, walk more than sit, and have new experiences in a land other than mine :)

Neither of us ever been to Turkey (other than passing through their international airport on the way to or from somewhere else), and it certainly seems like a colorful and interesting country with lots to see.

As oil prices continue to soar, and alternative fuels and motors are still not widely available, it seems to me that air ticket prices will continue to go up even to a point at which flights will become rich people affair. That would be a sad day indeed for travel lovers everywhere.

There are of course advantages to the world becoming less global in the way that exploitation of the environment might lessen considerably. But in my little world, it won't be a good thing for air ticket prices to go up..

So we hope, and wait, and see.

Have a Good weekend!,

I know I will! :)

Ice Cream

I drove by an ice cream parlor a few days ago and it started a craving for ice cream.

Yet, I don't look to satiate this craving, just nurture it along and indulge in it :)

My craving outdoes my stomach capacity so I rather just crave for now.

Cravings..

What do people want most? happyness (I think)

How do you attain happyness? by doing things that make you happy

How are you able to do those things? many ways. mostly though, with money.

So, again, what is it that people want the most...?

Neighbors Fight

This morning, I was awakened by a crackle noise followed by a female yelling at someone.
When I went to investigate, I saw from my window (2nd storie) that someone from one of the apartment buildings next to mine decided to burn dead wood and dry thorns in a big bonfire that sent a billowing cloud of smoke above.
Naturally, it arose some attention, and the guy's neighbor from the building next door came and started shouting at him telling him he cannot and should not do that.
He held his own and said that it's none of her business and that she shouldn't stick her nose in. She threatened to call the police to which he responded by saying she can do whatever she wants. She went back into her apartment and I assume she made her call.
I know I should have gone down and made my complaint as well.. but I didnt. I have a few reasons and a few excuses too, but The thing is, I didn't.
I thought about it, but didn't. Wanted to, but didn't.

Indiana

Old, Tired, Exhausted Franchise, Cliche. It's all been said about this movie.
Naturally, I dont really care. I'll go and watch it.
Maybe because I'm an indy fan, maybe because I just want to re-live the way
I felt when I saw the previous movies in the cinema.
Heroes don't really get old. Well, they do, but not in the mind of their fans.
**SPOILER** From the two short trailers I've seen, they might be grooming a
young new actor to take on the roll of indy's successor (did anyone say "milking the franchise
some more"?)
Personally, I don't like it. If it's not Harrison Ford, it is not Indy for me.
If he can't do it anymore I respect that and think this coming movie should end the
Saga.
This indy movie is the last (so far anyways) in a series of comebacks. I think it started with "Superman returns" (even though it's a new actor), continued with "Rocky Balboa" and "Rambo 4" and now it's Indy's turn. (oh, and of course "Die hard 4")
Why did they come up with a re-hash of these franchises now? That's anybody's guess.
My phone's trutone these days is (of course) Indy's opening theme. It makes me, and people around me smile. Even if some of them don't recognize it at first.
I won't get to watch the movie at it's premiere here in Israel, but I'm sure to watch it a few days or a week later.
Spending the weekend with my family and my girl is well worth the delay :)

Ceremonies of Death & Life

Here in Israel, Mourning death and Rejoicing in Life are closer subjects to each other than in any other place I've been.

The most visible evidence to this is seen in the fact that our day of independence follows at the heels of our day of memorial for fallen soldiers.

Thus, in a matter of hours the country must switch from sad and mournfull demeanor to that of happyness and joy at the birthday of Israel.

This dichotomy is difficult enough to grasp for any outsider, but even for us who lives it, it's not simple to make the switch from sorrow to joy.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Israel as a free country. In 60 Years Israel seen its share of wars, trouble, peace (to a small degree), technological advancement, rise in population, many different leaders, and many different decisions.

Hope is what drives Israel forward all the time, and it is also the name and theme of our national anthem. Hope for something better, hope for peace, hope for something more.

And in unrelated news: We got the bed! and it's comfortable and good for the back too :)

Have a great Day of independence!

Bed Coming soon!

We have bought a new bed!

It's still to come, but I might be sleeping better now (somewhat) because of it :)

Oh, it's not the one in the photo, and the mattress and bed frame are from two different stores, but It's super comfortable, and the matress place threw two Tempur pillows in the deal.

Thanks dad & mom for buying the matress for us!

Other than that, the bicycle trip in memory of my brother is coming up this friday and we're expecting many people to show. I hope I can finish the longer course especially as I'm due to say some words in my family's name.

More Sleep

And the saga continues..

Sleep is there, but without any quality. I have this twitch in my eye which persists.

Thankfully, I'm still able to function but I'm worried about this continuing. I know that this will only get worse the longer it lingers. "Blurry Mind" gets a new, extended meaning these days.

Taking sleeping pills did cross my mind. However, I know that the sleep you get with these is not too great either, and the effects of it follows you through the day after.

My stress comes from several possible reasons. One of which is that this is the month of my brother's death, 3 years ago. The memorial has come and gone, and a bicycle trip in his memory is coming this friday.

I'm writing a few words for it, words I didnt say at the memorial. Sometimes it feels like words are all I have left.

Some times it feels like in a movie. You know those scenes where a person stands still or does things at a normal rate while the world whizzes by him at an accelerated pace? I feel like that some times.

Trailing off - that's another part of sleep deprivation. Wish me luck. I hope I'll get some rest tonight.

Sleep

Lately sleep is more on my mind.

Maybe because neither me nor G is getting much sleep, maybe because of the strange dreams, maybe because of the bed/matress shopping we're doing to find the ultimate matress for us both (not an simple task).

So my brain yearns for more sleep, my brows feels like they're hanging by a thread, and every now and then I toy with the idea of crawling under my work desk and curling up in a fetal position, using my bag as a make-shift pillow.

Even with the lack of sleep, I begin my day with a level of energy, kiss G goodbye, plow through the day with ever-decreasing levels of alertness, and drive myself home to slump on the couch in front of the TV or on the swivel chair next to the PC.

I wouldn't go to sleep earlier since I wouldn't be able to fall asleep and also it would make me feel like my life comprise of work and sleep and little else.

Weekends seems to get even busier than weekdays. Family, friends, travelling, errands and so on.

Sipping on my cup of tea and reading what I just wrote it feels a bit petty. But for me, that's one of the advantages of having a blog :) - Venting whatever I want to vent. (within reason)

Till next time, keep well!

April, The month of fools

There you go!

Told you the couches will come! (this is only the biggest one)

Anyways, April, the month of fools is upon us. To me it signifies many things, which most have gone sour after the death of my brother at the end of this month, 3 years ago.

Deaths seem to mark this month even now, as two known actors (a stage actor died at the age of 77, and an actress and known radio caster died at the age of 58) died yesterday.

I only found out this morning about both of them, and thought it's a shame. They were both vibrant people with plans stretching long ahead and brought much joy to people.
Life seems to be much more fragile than we let ourselves think.. Probably because otherwise we would sink into self-pity and misery.

If you believe in afterlife, you can take comfort at the thought that people like that get a lot of love, and even more so after their death. Many will visit their graves, bring flowers, and pay their respects. They touched many lives and as a result, these souls would want to show their gratitude.

Back to the subject of this post. I wrote "month of fools", even though it's only the first of April that's marked as "Fool's Day".

The origins of the practical jokes and pranks is kind of vague as there is evidence of it existing in several different cultures in several different ways for several different reasons.
For myself I figure that any reason for making people smile and laugh in a harmless way - is a good one. Even if it's silly. (or maybe because..)

So, have a good April, I'll do the best I can with mine.

Cheers!

Welcome!

This is my new home away from home!
Make yourself comfortable, there are only cardboard boxes around for now, as the comforter couches are en-route and due to arrive in a couple of days at the most! ;)
If you want to have a look at previous posts (and not those from 2004), just head down this address: Blurry Mind and read and enjoy!
I left Tblog simply for the lack of autosave.. the small but so important things in blogging life!
My about box shows info about my late brother.. but this is not the blog about my brother.
If you'd like to read about my brother, you're welcome to visit the memorial blog I opened in his honor and memory: For Tsiki - be warned, it is mostly in hebrew.
I hope my time here will be most fruitful and enjoyable.
Comments are always welcome on my blog. I like reading them, answering them (some times) and returning comments to my fellow bloggers.
What is it all about? the thoughts I fish out of my blurry mind. If I see a movie, think of something, got a grudge to grrr at, or anything else - this is where my e-pen will go.
So, wish my luck, it's a jungle out there!