Israellycool

BIRTHDAY BUT NO BIRTH-DAY Yesterday was my birthday but, alas, not also the birthday of my second child, who is still reluctant to come out. If Erika is still pregnant by Tuesday, the doctors will induce since they don't like things to drag past two weeks. Exciting news flash: Erika and I have seen an apartment that we are set on buying. So as long as the banks will play ball with us, we may have a home of our own.

COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE The little one is still hiding out in the five-star accomodation known as Erika's stomach. It (I use this word, but Erika and I are aware of the sex) already weighs 3.8 kilos, which means it ain't a lightweight! I was given a company car yesterday which is great, since I travel 140km a day to and from work. Petrol here isn't cheap, and it is going to get even more expensive when Saddam Insein gets bombed. How good was the cricket yesterday? Australia are playing like an unbeatable team at the moment. That was one of the greatest comebacks since George Constanza said "The jerkstore called and said they have run out of you!"

MINE-ME'S DAD IS A SNAG? Mini-me is still enjoying the comfortable life in Erika's stomach! If this goes on for another week, the doctor's will probably want to induce, which is a real pain (literally). Last time we had to induce since Erika was three weeks overdue! (Our doctor led us to believe she was "only" two weeks overdue). This made the labor that much harder. Sensitive new-age guy moment: On Thursday, someone at work asked if I would be at the birth. "Of course!" I replied. "I was at the last one." "Wow, you are brave" she responded. "No..Erika was giving birth..she was the brave one!"

WHAT RHYMES WITH ARAFAT? Now feels like the time to reprint a poem I wrote a few months ago and which is also on my website: Arafat Arch terrorist A wolf in sheep's clothing Beady little eyes Blood-soaked hands Duplicitous Conniving His aim is to drive us into the sea But in the meantime he'll settle for a Nobel prize

EXPECTING THE EXPECTED As expected, my expectant wife is still expecting. The day came and went without even the slightest indication that the little baby wanted out. Now we will just play the waiting game, like a couple of inmates due for parole. Mind you, after yesterday's events here in Israel, can you blame the baby for being apprehensive about entering this crazy world?!

WHEN WILL THIS PALESTINIAN INSANITY END? Just came out of a meeting and am greeted with the news of another terror attack against innocent Israeli civilians. And what do the palestinians have to say about this attack? Saeb Erekat, the Goebbels of the palestinians, gave a typically equivocal condemnation by condemning "any attack that is targeting civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli." And he added: "We reject the Israel government finger-pointing that the Palestinian Authority is responsible." When will the world realize that we are at war?? I am so frustrated by our government's inaction, largely due to international pressure.

DOING GOEBBELS PROUD According to Worldnetdaily : ...the "martyrdom" death of 12-year-old Palestinian Mohammed al-Dura at the hands of Israeli soldiers – which received widespread international news coverage and spurred on the current intifada, inspiring countless "suicide bombers" to attack Israel – was actually a "staged" piece of street theater....The entire world was transfixed as news broadcasts played the sensational video footage of the 12-year-old Palestinian boy and his father, pinned down in crossfire between Arab snipers and Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza's remote Netzarim junction on Sept. 30, 2000. The image of the boy crouching in terror behind his father, both of them struggling in vain to protect themselves from Israeli gunfire, only to be shot – the boy apparently dying in his father's arms – became immortalized in posters that were later plastered up and down the streets of the West Bank and Gaza. Although the Israeli m...

THE BIRTH......OF A WEBSITE Well today is Erika's due date so no prizes for guessing what is consuming me this morning. Given that she was 3 weeks overdue last time, I am not letting myself succumb to thoughts of "it is definitely happening today!" That is not to say that I have dispensed with carrying my cell phone absolutely everywhere I go. I will keep you all posted on the latest developments. I have also just put some finishing touches to my new website - Israellycool ( www.geocities.com/israellycool ). And yes, that is a play on words :)

I DON'T LIKE CRICKET....I LOVE IT Still have cricket on the brain today. What a game last night! My heart goes out to the South Africans, but Sri Lanka did not deserve to lose the game, despite that last over. I obviously love cricket, but I guess it could seem weird to the uninitiated. Overs, wides, LBWs, silly mid-ons, fly slips, googlies, flippers, short legs, wickets, boundaries, crease....I tried explaining the game to some Israeli friends of mine and they were incredulous when I explained that a 1-day game lasts roughly 6 hours. Imagine the look on their faces when I explained a 5-day test match!

MY FIRST EVER BLOG ENTRY (I AM JUST WARMING UP) Monday morning here in Israel and I must say I am in a very good mood today. Australia once again won a game of cricket, and here I am, without a care in the world. It is amazing how sports can help a person transcend the reality of life and can really affect one's mood or frame of mind. Or perhaps that is only how sports affect ME. I remember when I was in Perth, I would get extremely nervous when my beloved West Coast Eagles were playing. I could not bear for them to lose. Most of the time I would only watch a replay of the game if I knew they had won. Sad but true..... But back to the cricket. Another fine performance from the Aussies. They have way too much depth for any other team. Now that Jonty Rhodes has retired, I think the gap between Australia and the next best team, South Africa, has widened. Does this dominance make cricket more boring? Probably if you are not an Aussie. But I love it. There is nothing better th...