Using the practices of the Mckinsey Consulting Firm to get a close-up look at the “Jewish Web”, 4Wall examined data from search engines, taken from between April and June of 2009 to get an understanding of “Web engagement, traffic, demographics, content architecture and market response.” The study analyzed current traffic volume and the four year change in traffic volume of 32 Jewish search terms.

Researchers were surprised when they found an apparent steady decline in Jewish Web-surfing. The main five terms on the decline of the four year spread included: “Judaica” (-54%), “Reform Judaism” (-66%), “Anti-Semitism” (-74%), “Jewish Dating” (-85%) and the largest drop, “Kabbalah” (-87%).

The five highest searches were: “Jewish,” “Israel,” “Holocaust,” “Jerusalem” and “Kosher”. Still even these terms generate less traffic than they did four years ago. The complete sample set of 32 Jewish terms drew an average decrease in search traffic of 25%.

Five search terms, however, became more popular since 2005, these are: “Rosh HaShanah” (49%), “Chabad” (21%), “Challah” (16%), “Matzah” (10%) and “Yom Kippur” (9%).

Despite the decline in Jewish search terms, though, the study DID find a rise in traffic to Jewish news, blogs, education and general information sites. Actually there was a 62% increase in traffic to Jewish news Websites, just within this past year.

Related posts

• Yosef “Tommy” Lapid dies at 77 (0)
• Yom Hashoa and John Demjanjuk’s Extraction to Germany (1)
• Why would anyone want to be a politician – Part 2 (0)
• What Holocaust ? (2)
• What Do I Make? (1)

While neither Aviv, nor the 55 employees of his company, Netex, have received a penny in licensing proceeds, so far; the value of the company’s stock jumped 144% on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

The 18 year old Refuah submitted his brain child for patenting and really changed the face of web browsing, then went and joined the Israeli Army. Now 10 years later, the 28 year old Israeli is the CEO of a company that is worth $20,000,000. Currently the employees at Netex are working on an idea called, Springo.com. Springo is designed to make web browsing faster and easier, by providing instant links for the hottest social networking, online shopping, news, maps and email sites. The site’s ‘header’ reads: Springo beta/Shortcutting the Web.

We will look to Refuah as an example of Internet justice, now that his U.S. patent has been rightfully claimed. And we will look to Netex as a future spring board of big ideas; and a juicy baby tech company, undoubtedly causing the big corporations to lick their chops.

Related posts

• The Biodegradable Plastic Bottle (1)
• Why would anyone want to be a politician – Part 2 (0)
• What Do I Make? (1)
• Web World: 71% of All Israelis Surf the Internet (1)
• Visualizing the web with the DIMES Project and the Tel Aviv U guys (2)

A result of a two-year collaboration with New York-based Sputnik, Inc., an organization that documents contemporary culture through intimate video interviews with hundreds of leading thinkers in the arts, sciences and technology, covering a wide range of topics.

The central premise of the Sputnik project is that everything is connected to everything else, and that topics and ideas that may seem fringe and even heretical to the mainstream world are in fact being investigated by leading thinkers working in fields as diverse as quantum physics, mathematics, neuroscience, biology, economics, architecture, digital art, video games, computer science and music. Sputnik is dedicated to bringing these crucial ideas from the fringes of thought out into the limelight, so that the world can begin to understand them.

Conducted over more than ten years and previously unavailable to the public, the interviews within the site chronicle some of the most provocative human ideas to have emerged in the last few decades. The site itself aims to highlight the interconnections between seemingly disparate thinkers and ideas, using a simple navigational system with no dead ends, where every thought leads to another thought, akin to swimming the stream of consciousness.

There are about 200 videos on the site today, and there will be thousands more added over the coming weeks, months, and years.

Check out a sample video by Jonathan about Human Feelings:

Related posts

• Our Universe by Jonathan Harris (0)
• Jonathan Harris – An Internet Artist (1)
• Why would anyone want to be a politician – Part 2 (0)
• Web World: 71% of All Israelis Surf the Internet (1)
• Visualizing the web with the DIMES Project and the Tel Aviv U guys (2)

Founded back in 2007 by an English high tech maven, Elad Schneor and Oded Bali, the company offers it’s customers not only ingenious ways to promote themselves and their products and services electronically, but in ways which are much more ecologically friendly than printing and sending out advertising material that most often winds up thrown into trash cans and garbage bags, using large amounts of paper and plastic materials which are wasteful and pollute our environment. Besides the UK, Glooq is now offering its innovative solutions in a number of European countries and others as far away as Vietnam. Glooq offers its customers a number of promotion and display options, including “design your own” banner advertising, specialized logos, and even promotional photographs (including the customer’s own personal photo, if desired). To attract customers to become a Glooq partner, Schneor offers special presentation “packages” at very attractive prices for periods ranging from one to twelve months, and payable either by credit cards or electronic payment options.

Glooq offers customers a “massive reach” to send their messages to literally thousands of destinations on one single sending. Since the message and advertisement has the appearance of being sent directly from the sender, it is more likely to be opened and read, as not deleted as Spam. And since the message is more personalized it is more likely to be acted upon by the receiver.

Glooq’s advertising and promotion message tools are being using by hundreds of popular “brand name” product and service companies, including Hertz, TBWA (France), McCann Erickson, REMAX Realtors, DHL and many others. And in order to induce potential partners to join up, Glooq offers a free 14 day trial.

Glooq’s message systems work well with most email systems including Microsoft Outlook and Express, Mac Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, and others; and is compatible with both Windows XP and Vista software packages.

Related posts

• Tnuva Cottage Cheese Hits New Jersey (0)
• Yes or No (0)
• Why would anyone want to be a politician – Part 2 (0)
• What Do I Make? (1)
• Web World: 71% of All Israelis Surf the Internet (1)

First of all, the day the games began, Russia and Georgia had spiraled fast into a state of war, shocking the entire world.

Next, we had the bad weather in Beijing, and the murder of an American tourist by a Chinese citizen. The violence didn’t stop there, as we’ve seen yesterday the Cuban taekwondo contender kicking a judge in the head!

As for the winners, it’s been the time of their lives for Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, breaking several astounding records and demonstrating the ingenuity of the human spirit and body. On the Israeli front, Shahar Tzuberi made us all proud with his bronze medal in windsurfing, and rhythmic gymnast Irina Risenzon raised our hopes by making it to the final round.

Nevertheless, the big winners are no doubt the Chinese. They have gained many gold medals, but no less importantly, they’re enjoying the warm embrace of the West despite their failure to improve their human rights record or their environmental attitude. Yesterday they even had the audacity to block the iTunes service within the whole of China, because several guest Olympic athletes downloaded Tibetan protest music via Apple’s internet store. And they do it even before the closing ceremony!

The next summer show will take place in London 4 years from now, but I’m sure plenty water will flow under the bridge by then.

Related posts

• Yigal Ozeri (2)
• We want more of Nitzan Horowitz (2)
• Videogames: Israel’s New High Tech Challenge (0)
• The Race Heats Up (0)
• The Propaganda War (2)

OK….that was way more fun than I thought it would be!

It seemed like as good a way as any to let you all know the latest news, and it was actually way more fun that I’d anticipated. Humor me, indulge me, and read it even if you don’t comment…

xxx
D

Welcome to the 2008 edition of getting to know your friends. Change all the answers so they apply to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6 am. It was a mistake.

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds. Yeah, baby.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Bee Movie, with the Trolls.

4. What is your favourite TV show? So many shows, so little space.
Currently making a point of catching up on the last series of Six Feet Under, and the as-yet-unreleased-in-Israel series of Dr Who.
Loves me some Torrentz.

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Coffee, vegetables and 5% white cheese.

6. What is your middle name? Janis

7. What food do you dislike? Coconut. Ugh.

8. What is your favourite CD at the moment? One of my own compilation.

9. What kind of car do you drive? Ford Focus, but I want a Hummer.

10. Favourite sandwich? The Blooms chopped liver, sweet-and-sour sliced pickle on rye. Yum.

11. What characteristics do you despise? Thoughtlessness, cruelty, cowardice, and whatever characteristic it is that makes people apportion blame and avoid taking responsibility for their actions.

12. Favourite item of clothing? pyjamas

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Australia, New York or India. (Re: India — My newlywed friend just did a six-month trip through India with his wife, and he made it sound so amazingly fascinating that I’d now love to go, having never previously had any inclination.)

where did question 14 go? Damn good question..

15. Where would you retire to? A house overlooking the sea… there’s one on sidni ali beach that i crave, despite it being made out of bottles.

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? All birthdays are memorable — it’s an indication of the survival of this frail body against the elements for yet another year. (Says the woman speeding head-first towards 40, and only partially reconciled to the fact.)

18. Furthest place you are sending this? Dunno yet. Probably Kansas.

19. Person you expect to send it back first? Maybe Liza?

20. When is your birthday? 26 January

21. Morning person or a night person? Morning person

23. Pets? 2 children and a husband.

24. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share? I have a new job!

25. What did you want to be when you were little? A professional horsewoman.
(I know, go figure.) Or an actor.

26. Favourite fast food? Chips (fries).

27. What is most overrated? You’ve hit a soapbox nerve here:
(a) Issues surrounding Israel that happen in many countries all over the world, but are given extra-special radioactive focus when they happen concerning the Jewish State. Too many to name just one.
(b) Paris Hilton
(c) Cellular Internet access

28. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
September 1. The kids go back to school, and I start a new chapter in my life.

29. What are you listening to right now? Can’t hear anything over the sound of the fan next to me.

30. What was the last thing you ate? Cottage cheese with toast.

31. Do you wish on stars? Sometimes. Eyelashes too, often.

32. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? A deep, passionate red.

33. How is the weather right now? Hot, humid, sticky, sweaty.

34. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Lara (not counting a bazillion phone calls concerning the final arrangements for my son’s end of year class party, which was yesterday afternoon).

35. What was the last thing you read? Currently reading a back copy of Private Eye, “Lip Reading” by Maureen Lipman and a new (to me) book by Jodi Picoult, (i can’t remember the title).

36. Favourite restaurant? Carnivorous. Be it rare steak or raw sushi, I’m not fussy, bring it on. I think Carpaccio is probably one of my favourite dishes, especially when served with balsamic vinegar, because it combines the two food types…

37. Hair colour? Blonde.

38. What was your favourite toy as a child? Spoofer, my big red, furry dog, which (who?) has now been passed on to my daughter.

39. Summer or winter? Winter.

40. Worst place you’ve been on vacation? Lisbon. (The natives are, to a person, all barking mad.)

41. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate. Or vanilla. Or chocolate. Or vanilla.
Can’t decide.

42. Coffee or tea? Both — but in a certain order. Tea first thing in the morning and (optional) last thing at night. Coffee during the day.

43. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes, please!

44. When was the last time you cried?? Last Sunday.

45. What is under your bed? Dust bunnies, one or more shoes belonging to my children, and probably a small fortune in lost coins.

46. What did you do last night? Went to visit my father-in-law in the hospital, went to my son’s class party, came home and showered two very filthy but happy children and then collapsed in a semi-catatonic heap in front of a fan.

47. What are you afraid of? Cockroaches, mostly.

48. Salty or sweet? Salty. Mostly.

49. How many keys on your key ring? 2 – car and home.

50. How many years at your current job? 8 years — the new one starts soon!
Yay!

51. Favourite day of the week? Friday

52. Do you make friends easily? yes

53. How many people will you send this to? I just counted. It’s a quite a few people. Heh.

54. How many will respond? Not sure. I’d be happy to hear from anyone who wants to reply.

55. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Yes, a lot.
As long as it’s no more than once a year.

Related posts

• End of the Israeli Macho (6)
• 5766 A Year In Review (0)
• Yigal Ozeri (2)
• World’s sexiest rocker to visit Israel (3)
• We want more of Nitzan Horowitz (2)

Yesterday I took upon myself to map the possible motives that drive people into the political arena, arranging these motives within three categories: Pragmatic Reasons, Psychological Deficiencies, and Moral Imperatives. Today I want to cover the remaining two categories….

B. The Psychological Deficiencies that haunt politicians:

1) Frank (fictional name) had a difficult mom. She was always disappointed of him. Later in life, he felt intimidated around successful people. See, Frank has issues of self esteem. So he took an intimate oath to prove the world he’s worth more than it seems at first glance. No less important, he needs to prove to himself that he’s a man, that he can achieve something major in life. At night he dreams how he looks down at his former classmates and say to them “Look at me now! You didn’t believe I’d make it this far, did you?”. Well, what signifies success better than being a top-rank politician?

2) Margaret (Frank’s fictional colleague) dislikes uncertainty. In fact, she can’t stand it. She always has a pesky need to know “what’s happening”, and “who’s playing against whom”. In other words, Margaret is a control-freak. She doesn’t like to take directives from others, and she’d be infuriated if you leave her “out of the loop”. Her psychiatrist claims she has trust issues, but she doesn’t trust his diagnosis. She ventured into politics because everyone else is so inept, and it’s about time things would be done her way.

C. Finally, some politicians do what they do not because they want to, but because they feel obliged to help other people:

1) Obama (a fictional character?) looks around him and feels a great discontent with the way things are being done at the present. Many people are suffering, and he dreams of making a difference. He’s an idealist, and couldn’t be idly sitting by when action needs to be taken. He doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, but whenever he tried in the past to avoid being socially and politically involved, he quickly became restless and anguished with feelings of guilt. Can he turn his back to all these children, crying out his name for help?

…Nevertheless, his critics accuse him of having the same condition as Margaret. At least she doesn’t cover up her need for control with delusional thoughts.

2) Bush (a real-life phenomenon) has a calling. God sent him on a mission to save humanity. His church leaders urged him to spread their values across the country and in the lands of the infidels. He’s doing what he has to do, merely executing what’s been asked of him. Along the way, he’s also securing his place in heaven above.

Unfortunately, Moral Imperatives are the worst of the Psychological Deficiencies politicians can have.

Do I have a conclusion? Yes – Choose your candidate on the basis of his platform. Whatever drives him to put forth a certain platform doesn’t really matter, as long as his psychological/moral/financial needs go hand in hand with our political agenda.

Related posts

• Web World: 71% of All Israelis Surf the Internet (1)
• Super Tuesday for Israel (4)
• Haim Harari – A View from the Eye of the Storm (1)
• Yossi Sarid Selected Excerpts (2)
• Wonderful Election Update (0)

HooQs is a user centric service where users create and share media channels for mobile devices. Channels are created and edited online using the HooQs Studio. Video clips and audio tracks can be fetched from the open internet and uploaded from personal computers. Each channel is accessible on the web as well as on every internet connected, media enabled mobile phone. Forwarding to mobile phones worldwide is easily done for free from HooQs. Registered users get access to Clips4U – a personalized video feed based – and can easily build their own personal mobile portal. Everything is free, no installation required anywhere.

Anyway, if you are a video content fanatic and would want to start your own channel, publish and monetize your own content then this is the place. Take a look at the new Studio and the great features that you have available. This content will of course also be viewable on all mobile platforms…

The new studio allows you to search, upload and share your own channels. I browsed through the site and came across an old classic. Remember this one?

Related posts

• Internet Society of Israel 10th Annual Event – Notes (1)
• Year To The Second Lebanon War (0)
• Videos by Oren Fadlon (0)
• Videogames: Israel’s New High Tech Challenge (0)
• The Propaganda War (2)

Related posts

• Schulz on Honor and Islam (1)
• Pen Power: Blog ‘talk-backs’ are vital PR tools (1)
• New HooQs out on Alpha – Online VJ’s Needed! (0)
• Ministry of Miscommunication (1)
• Jonathan Harris latest labour of love (1)

My latest run-in– maybe “collision” would be a better word– was with the Internet and cable provider Hot. I’ll give a little background on the company in the form of telling you that there is a Hebrew website called “I Hate Hot.” The website is well built and seems very active.

The first salvo of stupidity occurred, naturally, the first time I contacted Hot about a problem I was having with my connection. The technician said, “How can I help you?” I said, “I have a problem with my internet.” There was silence until I said, “Hello?” The thick Israeli accent on the other end responded, “Ehhhh….yes, ehh, my computer is brroken, so I must to pass you to another person.” Bad omen.

They eventually managed to send out a technician– who didn’t fix the problem. They sent another one 3 days later and, you guessed it, no dice. They sent a third who decided it’d be better for him to not show up at all.

The first customer service representative to “help” me after the volley of failed technicians was a cute-sounding Israeli girl, Meirav. Meirav said she’d get back to me. Ha. The second one (also cute-sounding) told me she’d also call me back but I didn’t allow that to happen. Very angry by this point, I said, “No. Either I speak to a manager or I cancel the account. It’s that simple.” The girl pulled out a whole new strategy: she said “Okay, hold on please,” and then left me hanging on hold indefinitely. Clearly this girl was taught the art of attrition when she was in the army.

Then Yair called me from the tech department. “Ehhh…I must to know what the problem with internet.” Yair…Yair…are you really asking me this question again? We go through the motions of this silly dance of failed customer “service”. We reach a conclusion: someone who speaks English will call me back.

Are you still wondering if that actually happened?

I was initially going to use the first incident– the Hot computer technician who has a broken computer– as a metaphor to illustrate some sociological or economic phenomenon in Israel. I’m not sure what the metaphor means anymore, or if the situation is anything more than literal.

But with 18 families controlling the vast majority of the wealth, utilities and government institutions it’s not really that surprising. It’s even less surprising when you take into account a public that thinks an Ivri Lider-Aviv Gefen-Rita sing-a-long constitutes a protest. I say again and again that there’s only one real problem in Israel– it just has many facets.

I just got off the phone with another technician who told me confidently that he made an appointment with a “professional” technician to come fix the problem tomorrow, since the problem is complex and needs “professional” service (making me wonder what the other guys were). He asked me to hold, came back, and then told me that, actually, the pro can’t come tomorrow. Someone will have to call me back later.

Related posts

• Web World: 71% of All Israelis Surf the Internet (1)
• Visualizing the web with the DIMES Project and the Tel Aviv U guys (2)
• Videogames: Israel’s New High Tech Challenge (0)
• Vanunu Back In Prison (0)
• The Propaganda War (2)

A young teacher had been invited to the house of one of his students for dinner. The father was a high-powered CEO and quite a wealthy man. Perhaps too much wine was served with dinner or perhaps it was just the father’s personality, but as the desert was being served, he asked the teacher “what’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided that the best he could do in life was be a teacher? After all, those who can, DO. Those who can’t, teach.”

The young teacher paused as he was about to put a forkful of apple pie into his mouth. Without looking at his host, he set his fork down.

“I mean, let’s tell the truth,” said the CEO, “last year, my production companies grossed over two million dollars. What do you make?”

“What do I make?” asked the young teacher. “I make kids feel good about themselves. I make the C- student know that he can be an A+ student with a little help and effort. I make kids and their parents see the best in themselves. I make kids know what it is to work hard to improve yourself. I make kids see an adult worthy of respect. I make kids see that they can make a difference in the world. I make kids do and re-do and re-do again because getting it right isn’t easy and it’s important. I make kids wonder about the world. I make them apologize when they should apologize. I make them respect other people. I make them think about how people should be judged.”

The teacher paused and continued. “I make them so excited about learning that years later they’ll come back to visit me just to tell me how they’ve done. I make them realize that those who can’t teach are forced to find less rewarding forms of work.”

Putting a piece of pie on his fork and looking his host in the eye, he concluded:

“I make a difference in the lives of students… what do YOU make?”

Related posts

• Why would anyone want to be a politician – Part 2 (0)
• Web World: 71% of All Israelis Surf the Internet (1)
• Visualizing the web with the DIMES Project and the Tel Aviv U guys (2)
• Videos by Oren Fadlon (0)
• Videogames: Israel’s New High Tech Challenge (0)

“Traditional” can also have a wide ranging spectrum as it can include families who light Shabbat candles on Fridays, but engage in all normal weekend activities, including cooking, driving, watching T.V., etc. It can even include those who occasionally go to religious services on either Friday evening or Saturday, and drive their car there and back home. Those who conducted the survey concluded that there has been an increase in religious observance in recent years, despite such Shabbat distractions as shopping malls, the Internet, and 24 hour cable T.V. The survey also found that more younger people, i.e. in the 20 to 30 age group, are becoming more religious. Sephardic Jews (56%) are now more observant then they were 30 years ago as compared to only 17% more for Ashkenazi or European origin Jews.

A side note to these findings is that the right winged elements of the population are found more from religious and observant households that from secular ones. This is something most of us have probably already concluded on our own, however.

The distinction as to what constitutes a completely secular person, as compared to a traditional or observant person is a bit confusing, as to be classified as a purely secular person, one would virtually have to be either atheist, or pretty close to it. Many people occasionally light candles on Shabbat of before religious holidays, yet do not go to synagogue or say any prayers at home. Many people have festive meals on holidays such as Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and virtually all families sit down to some kind of Passover Seder – whether that includes eating only kosher for Passover food or not. And in recent year, shopping strips and malls are crammed with Saturday shoppers, who also pop in to their local Tiv Taam or other supermarket open on Saturdays and holidays to purchase a few things they may have run out of or decide they want. This doesn’t mean they purchase non kosher meat or seafood in these stores, however. But religious and observant people would never set foot in places like Tiv Taam, even during the week.

The phenomenon of people drifting towards religion is a worldwide one, according to the Institutes findings, and can be attributed to a number of reasons. This also accounts, according to the Institute, for the changing political affiliations of many people. Despite these findings, many of those people who classify themselves as “traditional” and even mildly observant will still go out on Friday nights (especially the young people) and will crowd the malls on Saturday or head to their favorite picnic spot, or to the beach. The only conclusion that can be drawn from all this is that religious identification is purely a matter of personal choice and practice.

Related posts

• Web World: 71% of All Israelis Surf the Internet (1)
• Visualizing the web with the DIMES Project and the Tel Aviv U guys (2)
• One on One – Taken Literally in America (1)
• Internet Society of Israel 10th Annual Event – Notes (1)
• 5766 A Year In Review (0)

The company developed a platform and community that allows the sharing and sending of video content to new generation cell phones (which is becoming the norm). It’s very interesting how this company is bridging between Internet content and mobile content and I am sure we will see more of these initiatives in the coming months in what is now a definite trend. The company is lead by the very capable hands of Itay Gissin and is a sure up and comer in the field of mobile content sharing. Watch out for this one !!

This is a new video clip they just put out to promote the site and service at HooQs.com…

Related posts

• Videogames: Israel’s New High Tech Challenge (0)
• The Propaganda War (2)
• iPod use popularity Overrides Beer! (4)
• Interview with Eric Schwartz creator of the Matzah Rap Song (2)
• Internet Society of Israel 10th Annual Event – Notes (1)

What really makes things appear to be going badly for the ex-college and pro football star is that he was originally denied bail; situation that usually only happens in very severe crimes, including Capital crimes like murder. The reason for not granting bail stems from fear that Simpson my try to “jump bail” and escape. After some careful maneuvering by his trusted attorney, O.J. was finally released on $150,000 bail, and immediately left for his home in Miami Florida. His “exit” from police custody was filmed and is almost as interesting as when he was being chased by half of the LAPD following his indictment for murdering his ex-wife, Nicole, and her boyfriend, Ron Goldman.

After managing to extricate himself from the double murder rap involving his ex-wife, and her boyfriend, O.J. was sued by the victim’s families and wound up having to pay them nearly 33.5 million dollars in compensation. He declared bankruptcy to protect what little assets he had left following his paying off his high priced legal team for both trials. His fortunes seemed to go from bad to worse afterwards, and when he wrote and published a book called “If I Did It” dealing with his supposed role in the double homicide, the victim’s families were able to secure an injunction preventing Simpson from realizing any royalty profits from the sale of his book, and they would have ownership rights to all revenues generated from its sale. The book has been renamed: If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer.

Perhaps his financial dilemmas made him so desperate that he tried to pull of this Vegas heist, with all its implications. The LVPD didn’t give him any ‘respect’ however, and they along with possibly thousands of others would no doubt like to see Simpson put behind bars for a long time, if not for life. Simpson claims that the sports items were stolen from him and he was simply getting them back. His story appears to be a bit ’sketchy’ as the guns used in the alleged robbery were said to have been recovered, and his accomplices are said to belong to the “Los Vegas Community” (the mob) with whom Simpson is rumored to have “connections”.

When interviewed Sunday by CNN talk show host Larry King, Kim Goldberg, Ron Goldberg’s brother, said that this indictment “at least partially vindicates my bother’s death by this person”.

Speculation as to why Simpson was with a group of four armed men is making the case against him even more complicated. The “sports memorabilia”, connected with O.J.’s own college and professional sports career, including a purple jersey from Southern Cal University, his alma mater, tightens an already taught legal ‘noose’ about his neck. Ron Goldman’s family have requested custody of these items as their sale would be partial compensation for the amount that Simpson still owes them. Due to his declaring bankruptcy, almost all of the settlement award money is still unpaid. Simpson’s new legal predicament will give talk show hosts like Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, and David letterman fresh new “material” to use in their nightly warm-up monologues. There is also speculation that Simpson may actually have been “set up” by persons acting on behalf of the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Being framed, seemed to be one of the more logical possibilities, as a lot of people want to nail this guy.

According to U.S. jurisprudence, Simpson cannot be retried for the murders of his ex-wife and Goldman. If convicted of these new crimes, O.J. could face a prison term of ten years to life imprisonment. At least in this respect, the Brown and Goldman families may finally receive their ‘pound of flesh’.

Related posts

• Interview with Eric Schwartz creator of the Matzah Rap Song (2)
• Videogames: Israel’s New High Tech Challenge (0)
• The Propaganda War (2)
• Nice Guy after All? (1)
• Make pot, not war: Israel’s Green Leaf party (3)

The case has been front page news ever since little Madeleine went missing on May 3 while the family was vacationing in the resort town of Praia da Luz Portugal. As the story goes, Madeleine’s parents left her and her younger brother and sister alone in there hotel room while they went to eat supper. Kate McCann claims to have come to the room about 10:00 p.m. to check up on the sleeping children, and founds Madeleine to be missing. Several suspects have been detained and questioned, including a British national who lived near the hotel where the McCann family were staying. All of them have long since been released and now the Portuguese police have turned their attention to the McCann’s themselves; even to the point where Kate McCann, also a physician, has become a prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.

The case has become so sensationalized that the pictures of the pretty, blond haired girl have been displayed by news medias all over the world, including the tot’s distinguishing marks in case her kidnappers were trying to disguise her appearance. The most distinguishing mark is a minor irregularity in Madeline’s right cornea, which has been noted in information posted on her behalf, including on the Internet.

The McCann’s have gone everywhere to enlist assistance in finding their daughter, and even had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. Several blog sites were posted in the Internet, including a special fund to assist the McCann’s with the expenses that they claim to have entailed during Madeleine’s 129 day disappearance. At last glance, the amount in this fund had reached the sum of 1,005,000 Pounds Sterling; now being earmarked to help pay legal expenses due to the parents being considered as suspects in their daughter’s disappearance.

One million Pounds? Just a minute! That’s more than $2 million U.S. Dollars at current exchange rates. Is there any co-incidental connection with this money and the suspicions of the Portuguese police authorities? Why would the police put the finger on these people unless they had some strong evidence. Almost sounds like something the police in another country (I think you know which country I’m referring to) might do.

Other theories as to what actually happened to Madeleine range from kidnapping and selling her on the international black adoption market, or even some kind of ritual killing – if it can be proven the little girl is actually dead.

Whatever are the true circumstances, the entire affair, and the mystique surrounding it is getting more bizarre by the minute. One internet site has even gone so far to speculate that Madeleine’s disappearance is similar to the well publicized incident in Denver Colorado when a little five year old girl named Jonbenet Ramsey was found dead in her home and a number of people, including a transsexual name John Mark Karr were accused of the crime. In the end, the case is still unsolved, although some same that her parents may have been involved.

Stranger things happen in this world, and the truth concerning Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, and fate, are still being speculated. This leaves many wondering what actually did happen last May 3 in that hotel room in Praia da Luz Portugal.

Related posts

• Guide to Pixel Advertising (9)
• Zlango Icons Get Another $12 M (1)
• Why, Larissa? (1)
• Vanunu Back In Prison (0)
• United States says Hizbollah is selling fake viagra (0)