Recently, I had to install the CheckPoint SecureClient on my notebook, which is currently running Windows 7 (ok, a linux guys running Windows 7 is something completely different, but let’s talk about that later). In any case, I’ve gone into the CheckPoint website, looking for SecureClient, and got a really funny Seinfeld flash-back:

This kinda reminded me of this:

Apparently, according to the BBC, the most spoken language in Israel is most probably Arabic. Well, at least judging from their website. I was browsing the web for some information about the “Doctor Who” TV series (if you have no idea what I’m talking about – shame on you!). As it is a BBC series, I pointed my browser to the BBC website, to be greeted with the following:

While I’m not offended at all (really I’m not), I do pitty the people at the BBC that can’t seem to get their GeoIP working properly, and mistake Israel for another Middle Eastern country. It is true that there are many Arabic speaking residents and citizens in Israel, but still, the major language here is Hebrew.

Clicking the banner actually brought me to an HP page, fully in English, fully targeted to this region.

In the words of a great man: “Not bad – but not perfect”.

OK, saying that the Tux pengiun is cute and fuzzy, and saying that it is one of the cutest mascots in the world is one thing. But using it as the logo of a company that manufactures “Fever Pads”, now that’s something completely different.

The following image was taken using my cell phone, when I was visiting “Super Pharm”, in Eilat. For all the people not from Israel, “Super Pharm” is the Israeli equivalent to the American “Duane Reede” (NYC) or CVS (world wide) or the UK based Boots.

Linux based Fever Pads

So, what do you think, are these guys using Linux as an integrated part of their “Fever Pads”?

Most of the readers of this blog know me for my work with Asterisk, the Open Source PBX. However, prior to working with Asterisk, I was heavily involved in the Kannel Open Source WAP/SMS gateway project. That was during a time I spent (almost 6 years), at a mobile content management and delivery company called m-Wise.

Back then, I can remember the craze of getting a new ring-tone for my phone. Shortly after to be replaced by polyphonic ringtones, soon to be replaced by tru-tones and so on. In any case, I’ve been so out of it, that I didn’t really care what ring tone was on my cell phone. Added that you need to pay for each ring tone, made for a fairly costly habbit to change your ring tone every 2-3 days.

In any case, as I wrote a couple of months ago, I recently acquired a new Nokia E90 phone – I have to admit, the best work phone I ever had till this day. In any case, I was really looking for a nice website that carries ring tones, especially, the old Knight Rider theme (yes, I’m an OLD GEEK!). Seeking the internet, I came across this service MyXER. MyXER is available at http://www.myxer.com/, allowing its visitors to download Ring Tones, themes, wallpapers and more to their cell phones for free – well, most of the stuff is free, some costs about 2$ per download.

I’ve also added a small widget on the right hand side of the website to allow you to listen to my ring tone, go over to MyXER and download what ever content you want from there, too.

I’ll start off with this: I Like Adam Sandler Movies, they always make me laugh. For some strange reason, Adam Sandler movies are among the few movie subject my wife and I agree on. While we watch many movies on our home theater system, Adam Sandler is one of the only things we’ll agree to see a real theater. In any case, tonight we’ve gone to see his latest one: “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan!”.

In one sentence that sums the entire movie: The movie is really funny and enjoyable. However, I’d like to address some the stereotypes and obvious misunderstanding of Israeli nature that are portrayed in the movie. First of all, the movie shows Zohan, walking around the beach of Tel-Aviv, and portraying a macho man on steroids, in our case, the ultimate Israeli soldier enjoying his vacation – while parading nude on the beach and flapping his salami all over.

Hello! We don’t do that – While it is true that Israeli men are considered somewhat rough around the edges, we don’t usually parade our personal parts on the beach. Actually, there are laws in Israel prohibiting that, no matter if you are Soldier or war hero.

Anti-Terrorist fighters are celebrities – How un-true! In Israel, anti-terrorist fighters are well kept secrets, you never see their faces. Even combat pilots are never shown on TV. According to the movie, Zohan, an anti-terrorist fighter is a well known figure in Israel and people regard him as a legend. Actually, he is so know, that even when coming to America, he can’t flee his fans who recognize him – a situation that can’t happen in real life.

In addition to the above, the Tel-Aviv beach portrayed in the movie, while truly being shot in Tel-Aviv, is not a hyper-drived version of Miami. I admit that during summer the Tel-Aviv beach is crowded and picturesque, but it is nothing like the movie portraits.

The movie continues to portray Zohan as an over dozed sex maniac, capable of performing sex with almost any female partner. In addition, this portrait is later on in the movie taken over by the character of Uri, another Israeli living in New-York – managing a would be called electronics shop. I’m very happy to say that most Israeli men don’t behave like the ones in the movie, it’s just plain silly.

Over the course of the movie, one of Israel’s national foods is being exploited all over – the Humus. For those of you who don’t know, Humus is a paste like dish, made of a mixture of Chickpeas, Sesame paste (also know as Tehina) and other herbs and spices. It is true, we love our Humus, but we don’t use it to brush our teeth, dip our glasses in it, put it in our tea or coffee – it is a good starter dish, but it doesn’t define us.

Another thing to say about the movie, is the cast. While Zohan (Adam Sandler) is the main character of the movie, other characters are portrayed by memorable actors. “The Phantom”, a Lebanese terrorist, is portrayed by John Turturro, a fairly interesting choice. While John’s comic talents had been observed over the years, his role as a terrorist, turned fast-food giant, turned show sales man is hysterical. Salim, a Lebanese farmer who’s goat was taken by Zohan is portrayed by Rob Schneider. Rob is well known for his role as Duece Bigalow, America/European Gigolo. Rob does an amazing job at portraying a fairly simpleton farmer, trying to rebuild his life in the US, while being confronted by an old nightmare – Zohan. His almost cartoonish attempts to harm Zohan and later on dialing the “Hizbella” terrorist hotline – is simply as funny as funny can get.

Well, other than the above, I highly urge you to go see the movie, a really funny flic and a nice 90 minute get away from your regular day hassle bussle. Btw, if you ever come to Israel – don’t look for the Fizzy Bubbly drink – IT DOESN’T EXIST – WE DRINK COKE!

As some of you already know, the Passover (Pesach) holiday had just passed, and today is the ever so sweet holiday of the Mimona. Now, the Mimona holiday was brought to Israel by the Morocco Jewish community, and had become very popular among all Israeli’s in the past 20 years.

I couldn’t help but stop and think a little about the essence of Jewish holidays, and try to see what stands behind each one. So, as I was sitting down and more or less trying to think of the holidays of the year, I couldn’t help but notice an alarming fact: Most, if not all, Jewish holidays revolve around Food – and usually, quite a lot of it. Lets take the month of Tishrei, the first month of the year. We celebrate 3 different holidays within a single month. New years, followed by Yom-Kipuer (not really a celebration) followed by Sukot. Each holiday, with its traditional 4-5 course meal.

Shortly after Tishrei, we have the month of Kislev and Chanuka – the holiday solely dedicated to fried food! Imagine, a holiday celebrating the donut, with as many toppings and combinations you may of for a donut.

Then we take a small break, coming to the month of Shvat, with the ever popular Tu-Beshvat, mostly a celebration of the land, when people eat all kinds of dried fruit, nuts and berries – a festivity to the eye, and a serious sugar rush.

We then come to Hadar with the ever festive Purim holiday. Again, sweets all around, and I mean not only sweets, it’s actually a Mitzva to go about and get completely wasted from Wine and alcohol – which is usually not a common practice in Jewish holidays.

After Purim we get to Nitzan, with the ever so great Passover. Matza balls, potatoes, HUGE family festive dinners – and of course no bread, just Matza. However, the fact that we don’t eat bread in that holiday doesn’t mean that it’s low on carbs, actually, a single Matza is like eating 5 pieces of breads – Amazing isn’t it.

After Passover we have Lag Baomer, which basically means lighting up camp fires in memory of the rebellion, however, in modern Israel was translated to: Let’s BBQ dude, and eat as much meat as we can – oh, did I mention the ever festive Kartuchkalach? basically a potato that was cooked under the camp fire, wrapped in tin-foil.

After that we have Shavout, again a festivity of the land, coming back from the anciant times, where the field owners would leave some of the product of the field for the poor people to gather. In this holiday, we eat mainly dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc). In modern time, this holiday was replaced by the ever dreaded MEGA Italian Dinner, a celebration of cream based sauces, and as much pizza as you can gobble down.

Well, if go about and examine each one in detail, you would notice a similar pattern: “We suffered because someone tried to kill us. Hooray, they didn’t succeed – LETS EAST!”

Signing off with a Mufleta, Happy Holidays. 

I guess that I always was a sucker for political comedy, and I think this one is really funny. I had this one sent to me on Facebook by and old college friend, Shadi Abu-Ahmed. Shadi and I studied together at the Technion and we were both Open Source evangelists and promoters.

The following video is somewhat of a cross between Osama Bin-Laden and the Swedish Chef from the Muppet show, and I find it highly amusing. The music in the background is a Romanian song that was highly popular about 2 years ago. The funny thing is that I speak Romanian, and I understand the song – which is very amusing to me to see Osama Bin-Laden singing a modern day love song in Romanian, about sending SMS messages to his girlfriend.

I really like mexican food, and this recepie seems to be really easy – yummy.