Israel begins building wall on Lebanese border | Reuters

Israel begins building wall on Lebanese border | Reuters: Israel began building a wall on Monday along a 1-km (0.6 mile) -stretch of its border with Lebanon, saying the barrier was necessary to boost security for an Israeli frontier town across from a Lebanese village.

Israel is also building a security fence in its south, along the border with Egypt's Sinai desert, citing concerns over militant activity and smuggli

US Deploys World’s Most Advanced Fighter Jet 200 Miles From Iranian Border | The Gateway Pundit

US Deploys World’s Most Advanced Fighter Jet 200 Miles From Iranian Border | The Gateway Pundit: The U.S. is deploying F-22 Raptor fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates… Iran’s neighbor. Does the Obama administration know something and they’re not telling us? Are they guessing at Israel’s behavior and making sure they’re not blindsided? Or, are they actually assisting an ally against the Iranian threat?

Wendell Cox: California Declares War on Suburbia - WSJ.com

Wendell Cox: California Declares War on Suburbia - WSJ.com: Metropolitan area governments are adopting plans that would require most new housing to be built at 20 or more to the acre, which is at least five times the traditional quarter acre per house. State and regional planners also seek to radically restructure urban areas, forcing much of the new hyperdensity development into narrowly confined corridors.

Richard Branson launches journeys to the centre of the Earth through Virgin Volcanic - News - Virgin.com

Richard Branson launches journeys to the centre of the Earth through Virgin Volcanic - News - Virgin.com: Only 500 people have been to space, only three people have been to the bottom of the ocean, but no one has ever attempted to journey to the core of an active volcano. Until now.

Using patented carbon-carbon materials pioneered for deep space exploration, Virgin is proud to announce a revolutionary new vehicle, VVS1, which will be capable of plunging three people into the molten lava core of an active volcano.

California: Where You Need A Lobbyist To Build A House | Via Meadia

California: Where You Need A Lobbyist To Build A House | Via Meadia: Romney’s house sounds tacky and extravagant, but it’s not some kind of public safety hazard in urgent need of regulation. You shouldn’t need dedicated lobbyists to get permission to build buildings on property you legitimately own. At the end of the day, Romney is going to be able to hire the lobbyist and get his mansion built. But these same hurdles afflict people who might be interested in affordable housing for low-income people or simply regular old market rate structures for the middle class.

Azeris Strengthen Israel’s Hand on Iran � Commentary Magazine

Azeris Strengthen Israel’s Hand on Iran � Commentary Magazine: The potential for an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities may be a lot greater than skeptics may have thought. That’s the upshot of a story published yesterday in Foreign Policy that alleges Azerbaijan has granted the Israelis access to airbases in that country. If true, Israel’s ability to launch a strike from bases on Iran’s northern border would make the Jewish state’s military challenge in seeking to knock out Iran’s nuclear plants a lot simpler. The assistance of the Azeris would enable the Israelis to make repeated attacks and would eliminate the need to refuel their planes in midair in order to make the long flight from Israel to Iran.

The Global March for Jerusalem | The Weekly Standard

The Global March for Jerusalem | The Weekly Standard: Now, after two by sea, there will be one by land. The Global March to Jerusalem, slated for March 30 (Land Day for the Palestinians), is a coordinated attempt to breach Israel’s borders from surrounding Arab states—Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Participants are planning to arrive from around the globe –Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and even America. Their goal is to ensure that as many as one million people overwhelm Israeli border security and march to Jerusalem, where they will assert Muslim rights to the holy city.

But will this march result in bloodshed, like the first flotilla, or red tape, like the second?

The Secrets of the World-Record-Setting Paper Plane - John Collins, Paper Airplane Guy - Popular Mechanics

The Secrets of the World-Record-Setting Paper Plane - John Collins, Paper Airplane Guy - Popular Mechanics: This week a viral video spread across the Web (see below) featuring former Cal quarterback Joe Ayoob throwing a paper airplane across an entire warehouse, breaking the world record for longest flight with a distance of 226 feet, 10 inches. The man behind the plane is John Collins, the self-described “Paper Airplane Guy.” Here, he tells PM the secrets of his design.

Iron Dome Foils 90 Percent of Missiles - Defense/Security - News - Israel National News

Iron Dome Foils 90 Percent of Missiles - Defense/Security - News - Israel National News: The Iron Dome system has intercepted 90 percent of missile attacks on urban centers during the latest rocket bombardment from Gaza.

Israel’s New Bunker Buster Missile � Commentary Magazine

Israel’s New Bunker Buster Missile � Commentary Magazine: The U.S. military or its contractors long ago released videos of bunker buster bombs. While the Israeli military has requested advanced bunker buster bombs from the United States, the Israelis have also been manufacturing its own technology. They recently released this impressive video depicting a new concrete-busting missile which would presumably obviate the need for aircraft to fly over certain targets.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week said “actions speak louder than words.” That may not be the maxim of Western diplomats who prefer to kick the can down the road, but it seems the Supreme Leader’s words might ring true with the Israelis, who now signal the road has run out. If I were an Iranian nuclear scientist, I’d take out life insurance now.

US offered Israel advanced weaponry in exchange for delaying Iran attack: report - NYPOST.com

US offered Israel advanced weaponry in exchange for delaying Iran attack: report - NYPOST.com: The US offered to give Israel advanced weaponry -- including bunker-busting bombs and refueling planes -- in exchange for Israel's agreement not to attack Iranian nuclear sites, Israeli newspaper Maariv reported Thursday.

President Obama reportedly made the offer during Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington this week.

Under the proposed deal, Israel would not attack Iran until 2013, after US elections in November this year. The newspaper cited unnamed Western diplomatic and intelligence sources.

Israel Makes Preparations for War � Commentary Magazine

Israel Makes Preparations for War � Commentary Magazine: On a cold morning in late January, ambulances raced around Haifa, Israel’s largest port city. There had been an attack with a “dirty bomb,” armed with radioactive cesium 137. Doctors and paramedics cleaned up the survivors, while the authorities informed the public the “unthinkable” had happened in the heart of the Jewish State. It was just a drill, but the exercise code-named “Dark Cloud,” was part of the Israel Defense Force Home Front Command’s plan to prepare the country in case of war with Iran.

Israeli attack on Iran would be complex operation – USATODAY.com

Israeli attack on Iran would be complex operation – USATODAY.com: Flying over Iraq is the most direct route for Israeli pilots. Since the U.S. withdrawal, Iraq is not capable of effectively protecting its airspace, which potentially would give Israel a way to reach Iran while maintaining an element of surprise.

Rock Center with Brian Williams - Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News

Rock Center with Brian Williams - Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News: Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident group that is financed, trained and armed by Israel’s secret service, U.S. officials tell NBC News, confirming charges leveled by Iran’s leaders

Fresh & Easy Buzz: Breaking: Smart & Final Enters Into Agreement to Sell Henry's to Sprouts Farmers Market

Fresh & Easy Buzz: Breaking: Smart & Final Enters Into Agreement to Sell Henry's to Sprouts Farmers Market: LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16, 2011 - "Smart & Final Stores LLC today announced that an agreement has been reached by Smart & Final to sell its Henry's Farmers Market subsidiary to Sprouts Farmers Market. Private equity firm Apollo Management L.P. ("Apollo") will be the majority owner of the combined Sprouts-Henry's company. Apollo will also remain the principal equity owner of Smart & Final.

Israel embassies preparing for Iran strike? - Israel News, Ynetnews

Israel embassies preparing for Iran strike? - Israel News, Ynetnews: Diplomats stationed in Israel request gas masks, prepare contingency plans in case of missile attacks; envoys fear that thousands of dual-citizenship Israelis will seek evacuation

Turkey Paying a Price for Betrayal of Israel � Commentary Magazine

Turkey Paying a Price for Betrayal of Israel � Commentary Magazine: In response to the Turkish embrace of Hamas, Israel has reached out to both Greece and Cyprus. Greece was among the most hostile countries in Europe to Israel but has now achieved a better understanding of the Jewish state since the Turks have become its foe. To seal this new understanding, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning a visit to Cyprus next month.

Turkey is locked in a decades-long standoff with the Greeks in Cyprus. But now the Greek Cypriots in Nicosia are seriously considering an Israeli request to station military aircraft on their territory. As Morris writes, the Cypriots, who have faced intimidation from a superior Turkish military, are looking to Israel for help:

The Cypriots are apparently interested in Israeli assistance in monitoring the air space above the gas fields and drilling equipment and in augmenting their (small) navy’s patrols in their economic waters. [Israeli Defense Minister Ehud] Barak has asked the Cypriots to allow Israel to station aircraft in the Papandreu Air Base outside the town of Paphos in western Cyprus. And two months ago, the Israeli and Cypriot air forces held a joint exercise.

Russian drilling team close to reaching Antarctic lake hidden for 14 million years | Geek.com

Russian drilling team close to reaching Antarctic lake hidden for 14 million years | Geek.com: After more than twenty years of drilling, the Russian exploration team that has been working at Vostok station to reach the sub-glacial lake of the same name is on the precipice of success. They are just forty or so feet away from breaking through to a body of water that has not seen light for 14 million years, and in so doing, the team is poised to make history.

"Hidden" mortgage fee paying for payroll tax cut - CBS News

"Hidden" mortgage fee paying for payroll tax cut - CBS News: (CBS News)

Just before Christmas, American workers got a rare gift from Washington politicians - the current payroll tax cut would be extended for two more months.

At the time, both President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner lauded the move to avoid a tax increase for millions of working Americans.

But there's something the politicians weren't bragging about - the fact that they're paying for the two-month tax cut with what has turned into a brand new fee on home buyers.

The new fee is a minimum of one-tenth of 1 percent on Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-backed loans, and is likely to go much higher.

It will be imposed for the next 10 years on most mortgages and refinancing's and it lasts for the life of the loan.

For every $200,000, it amounts to an extra $15 dollars a month.

It's bad news for Patty Anderson, who's buying a home in Virginia.

Anderson will save a couple hundred dollars from having her payroll tax cut extended but her mortgage broker told her the new fee would cost her almost $9,500.

Krauthammer’s Take - By NRO Staff - The Corner - National Review Online

Krauthammer’s Take - By NRO Staff - The Corner - National Review Online: On Leon Panetta saying there is a “strong likelihood” that Israel will attack Iran in April, May, or June:

The fact that it was released is puzzling. But the substance is not.

The fact is I think people haven’t understood what the Israeli clock was. It wasn’t that the Israelis would strike when they thought Iran was in a position to break out and produce a weapon. It is earlier. It’s a different clock. It’s [when] the Israelis would calculate that Iran had so hardened its defenses and have put so much equipment inside, let’s say, the Qom facility under a mountain, such that Israel or anybody would never be able to attack it, and thus Iran would have a free ride.

And that is the moment that the Israelis believe is approaching. That’s what the “zone of immunity” is — that all the material and equipment will be so hardened that nobody will be able to attack it.

The question is why did Panetta release this? Was it a mistake? Was it a slip? He made a release yesterday about what we’re going to do in Afghanistan which looked as if it was a mistake. It was supposed to be announced in May.

But if it’s a deliberate leak, then why did he do this? Is he warning Iran to prepare its air defenses and shoot down Israelis? He’s quite specific about the month. Is it a warning against Israel, “don’t do this because we’re going to announce it and warn people about it in advance?” Is it a bluff against Iran — you better think about this and come and negotiate?

I’m not sure how to read it, but it is astonishing that he would give actual, specific dates of an ally attacking what it thinks is an existential threat.

Obama Leads From Behind Israel on Iran � Commentary Magazine

Obama Leads From Behind Israel on Iran � Commentary Magazine: Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June — before Iran enters what Israelis described as a “zone of immunity” to commence building a nuclear bomb. Very soon, the Israelis fear, the Iranians will have stored enough enriched uranium in deep underground facilities to make a weapon — and only the United States could then stop them militarily.

Though Israel knows it cannot do the job of setting back Iran’s nuclear program as well as the United States can, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak may have arrived at the same conclusion their Iranian enemies have come to in the last three years: Barack Obama is too weak and indecisive to be taken seriously when he threatens Iran. That means the only alternative to sitting back and waiting patiently as the Iranians run out the diplomatic clock on a feckless Washington-led effort to restrain them, is for Israel to strike.

Air Force drone crashes near Gedera - Israel News, Ynetnews

Air Force drone crashes near Gedera - Israel News, Ynetnews: The Eitan drone is scheduled to begin operational activity soon. It has been reported that it will also provide coverage for such countries as Sudan and Iran. It has also been reported that France is interested in acquiring several such drones from Israel's Aerospace Industries.

Eitan is meant to be utilized in complex intelligence gathering missions. It has already been dubbed "the most advanced UAV in the world."

Angela Merkel casts doubt on saving Greece from financial meltdown | World news | The Guardian

Angela Merkel casts doubt on saving Greece from financial meltdown | World news | The Guardian: Angela Merkel has cast doubt for the first time on Europe's chances of saving Greece from financial meltdown and sovereign default, conceding that Europe's first ever multibillion euro bailout coupled with savage austerity was not working after a two-year crisis that has brought the single currency to the brink of unravelling.

Fried food heart risk 'a myth' - Telegraph

Fried food heart risk 'a myth' - Telegraph: It is a "myth" that regularly eating fried foods causes heart attacks, researchers have found, as long as you use olive oil or sunflower oil.

Britain, US and France send warships through Strait of Hormuz - Telegraph

Britain, US and France send warships through Strait of Hormuz - Telegraph: All three countries retain a permanent military presence in the Gulf, but a joint passage through the Strait of Hormuz by all of their respective navies is highly unusual. The flotilla will have passed within a few miles of the Iranian coastline.

A western official denied this was a provocative move intended to increase the pressure on Iran. The goal was simply to "illustrate international resolve" to guarantee free movement of shipping through a vital artery of the world economy, he said.

Bolivia's state airline catapults to market leader �| ajc.com

Bolivia's state airline catapults to market leader �| ajc.com: Boliviana de Aviacion has abolished first class and sells all seats for the same low prices, marketing the flights with a socialist stamp in keeping with President Evo Morales' insistence that "all are equal."

The story of how BoA has managed to fly high while governments elsewhere have been privatizing or bailing out their state-run carriers reflects shrewd timing in filling a void in the market, as well as cut-rate fares that have attracted a growing clientele.

BoA now controls about half of Bolivia's domestic air travel market. As its routes and earnings have grown, it has announced plans to expand its fleet by buying as many as six new Embraer 190 planes from Brazil.

Iran to return downed U.S. drone to Obama: a miniature, pink plastic replica - Jihad Watch

Iran to return downed U.S. drone to Obama: a miniature, pink plastic replica - Jihad Watch:

An Iranian firm, seeking to capitalize on the frenzy that followed the crash of the drone — and American calls to have it returned — is now producing miniaturized toy versions of the craft. Most of the toys, which come in several colors and are made of Iranian plastic, have already been snapped up by Iranian government organizations, according to the group that manufactures them.

At least one model — a pink one — has been reserved for President Obama.

“He said he wanted it back, and we will send him one,” said Reza Kioumarsi, the head of cultural production at the Ayeh Art group....

Map Tunnelling Tool

Map Tunnelling Tool: Have you ever wondered which part of the other side of the earth is directly below you? Find out using this map tunnelling tool.

It’s Payback Time… Israeli Hackers Bring Down Saudi and UAE Monetary Sites | The Gateway Pundit

It’s Payback Time… Israeli Hackers Bring Down Saudi and UAE Monetary Sites | The Gateway Pundit: Today a group of hackers called “Israeli Defenders” brought down the official websites of Saudi Arabia’s Monetary Agency and Abu Dhabi’s Securities Exchange. The hackers signed their message “IDF Team.”
The Jerusalem Post reported:

Israel raises alarm over Sinai-Gaza cooperation

Israel raises alarm over Sinai-Gaza cooperation: Israeli is facing a growing security threat to its south because of the changes brought on by the Arab Spring which is not likely to disappear any time soon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.

"The security problem which is developing as a result of changes in the Middle East is getting worse, and is expected to continue for years," Netanyahu told MPs at the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defence, in remarks communicated by a spokesman.

"The state of Israel is required to strengthen its defence and attack capabilities immediately, which costs a lot of money," he said.

"Libyan arms continue to flow into Gaza through Sinai," he said, indicating that there were "more than 10,000 missiles" in the coastal enclave, some of which had a range "surpassing 40 kilometres (24 miles)."

A New Era of Mideast Energy? | FrontPage Magazine

A New Era of Mideast Energy? | FrontPage Magazine: Finally, a piece of good news from the Middle East after almost a year of mostly bad.

The Middle Eastern energy picture took a turn for the better when Cyprus announced on December 28 that natural gas had been discovered off its southern coast where exploration had been taking place since last September. American-based Noble Energy of Houston, the company conducting the drilling operation for the joint Israeli-Greek Cypriot venture, said the field, named Aphrodite, may contain as much as 5 to 8 million cubic feet. The discovery is said to be large enough to meet Cyprus’s natural gas needs for the next 240 years and, even more encouraging, comes after only the first of 11 offshore areas marked out by the Cypriot government has been explored.

Israel’s Strategic Importance Reaches New Level | FrontPage Magazine

Israel’s Strategic Importance Reaches New Level | FrontPage Magazine: On January 19th 1991, during the first Gulf War​, the United States sent Patriot Missiles and a contingent of U.S. service members into Israel on temporary assignment. This was the least we could have done for Israel as they vowed not to respond to Saddam’s SCUD attacks which reached deep inside Tel Aviv. Never have U.S. forces found a permanent home inside the Holy Land—until today.

Twenty years later, the United States committed to a permanent presence in Israel. According to Defense News, as of September 21st 2011, the United States deployed a high-powered, high-frequency, transportable X-band radar system to Israel along with a small contingent of support personnel. Designed to detect and track ballistic missiles soon after launch, the AN/TPY-2 Transportable Radar Surveillance/Forward Based X-band Transportable (FBX-T), its ancillary components, and some 120 EUCOM personnel are prepared to defeat any Iranian missile attack. Today, these service members make home at Israel’s Nevatim Air Base.

U.S. military moves carriers, denies Iran link | Reuters

U.S. military moves carriers, denies Iran link | Reuters: (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Wednesday that a new aircraft carrier strike group had arrived in the Arabian Sea and that another was on its way to the region, but denied any link to recent tensions with Iran and portrayed the movements as routine.

Iran Admits Targeting Nuclear Scientists Takes a Toll � Commentary Magazine

Iran Admits Targeting Nuclear Scientists Takes a Toll � Commentary Magazine: Even before news of the latest assassination, it has become clear that a combination of sanctions and targeted assassinations is taking a toll on Iranian nuclear scientists. As my colleague Ali Alfoneh pointed out in his “Iran News Round Up” from this past Monday:

Fereydoun Abbasi, Iran Atomic Energy Organization director, said a number of Iranian nuclear scientists are not willing to contribute to Iran’s nuclear program. According to Abbasi, the scientists are eager to “preserve their international contacts.” He likened them, however, to “deserters” during the Iran-Iraq.

The latest assassination suggests, however, that preservation of their relationship with foreign scientists is probably not top among the Iranian nuclear scientists’ concerns. Indeed, Abbasi probably understood that, but cannot admit it so directly.

Airbus A380: World's biggest planes are not sky-worthy, say engineers | Mail Online

Airbus A380: World's biggest planes are not sky-worthy, say engineers | Mail Online: Australian aircraft engineers have called for Airbus A380 - the world's biggest passenger aircraft - to be grounded, after Singapore Airlines and Qantas found cracks in the wings of their super-jumbos.

'We can't continue to gamble with people's lives and allow those aircraft to fly around and hope that they make it until their four-yearly inspection,' said Steve Purvinas, secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association.

Both airlines, and Airbus, admitted that they had discovered cracks, but maintained that the aircraft were safe. In total, 67 Airbus A380s are in use worldwide, on seven airlines.The aircraft are in use by Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Air France, Lufthansa, Korean Airlines and China Southern.

Israel preparing for nuclear Iran: report

Israel preparing for nuclear Iran: report: INSS specialists including a former head of Israel's National Security Council and two former members of the prime minister's office conducted the simulation study in Tel Aviv last week.

If Iran does test a nuclear weapon, INSS predicts a profound shift in the Middle East power balance.

According to extracts of the report seen by the British publication, experts believe the US would propose a defence pact with Israel, but would urge it not to retaliate.

Russia would seek an alliance with the US to prevent nuclear proliferation in the region, although Saudi Arabia would likely pursue its own nuclear programme, the report concluded based on current policies.

General: US planning for military strike on Iran | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner

General: US planning for military strike on Iran | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner: January 8, 2012 5:34pm 0 Comments
General: US planning for military strike on Iran
byJoel Gehrke Commentary Staff Writer
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President Obama's chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said this morning that the United States military is developing the plans necessary for a military strike on Iran in the event that the Iranians try to buiild a nuclear weapon.

"My responsibility is to encourage the right degree of planning [for if Iran tries to build a nuclear bomb], to understand the risks associated with any kind of military option -- in some cases to position assets, to provide those options in a timely fashion," General Martin Dempsey said on Face the Nation today. "And all those activities are going on," he added.

Hezbollah comes to the US, cont’d | Power Line

Hezbollah comes to the US, cont’d | Power Line: Last month, the US government filed suit against a number of American and Lebanese businesses that allegedly helped bankroll the Lebanese terrorist group. The civil indictment in Manhattan blew the lid off a vast criminal network that included money-laundering, cocaine deals and more — including 30 US car dealerships that helped the group launder cash.

As one investigator quipped, Hezbollah is the “Gambinos on steroids.”

World News - Iran warns US carrier to stay out of Persian Gulf

World News - Iran warns US carrier to stay out of Persian Gulf: Iran will take action if a U.S. aircraft carrier which left the area because of Iranian naval exercises returns to the Gulf, the state news agency quoted army chief Ataollah Salehi as saying on Tuesday.

"Iran will not repeat its warning ... the enemy's carrier has been moved to the Sea of Oman because of our drill. I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf," Salehi told IRNA.

"I advise, recommend and warn them (the Americans) over the return of this carrier to the Persian Gulf because we are not in the habit of warning more than once," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Salehi as saying.

Obama’s Iran Promises: Security or Votes? � Commentary Magazine

Obama’s Iran Promises: Security or Votes? � Commentary Magazine: Given the problems a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran would entail, these assurances might be enough to dissuade the Netanyahu government from acting on its own. But given the contradictory signals the administration has been sending about the use of force on Iran and the differences between the two countries over intelligence on the threat that Lake reports, there is little reason for Jerusalem to be comforted by Obama’s promises. Israel’s leaders would be well advised to see this latest shift on Iran as intended more to convince American voters of the president’s good intentions than to make Tehran step back from the brink.

Obama’s pledges to Israel lack credibility for a number of reasons.

U.S., Israel Discuss Triggers for Bombing Iran’s Nuclear Infrastructure - The Daily Beast

U.S., Israel Discuss Triggers for Bombing Iran’s Nuclear Infrastructure - The Daily Beast: Matthew Kroenig, who served as special adviser on Iran to the Office of the Secretary of Defense between July 2010 and July 2011, offered some of the possible “red lines” for a military strike in a recent Foreign Affairs article he wrote. He argued that the U.S should attack Iran’s facilities if Iran expels international nuclear weapons inspectors, begins enriching its stockpiles of uranium to weapons-grade levels of 90 percent, or installs advanced centrifuges at its main uranium-enrichment facility in Qom.

Got To Get Jew Into My Life: Is Paul McCartney Converting For Nancy Shevell?: Gothamist

Got To Get Jew Into My Life: Is Paul McCartney Converting For Nancy Shevell?: Gothamist

While no one would confuse "McCartney" as a Hebrew name, Sir Paul does seem to have a thing for nice Jewish girls. His first wife, Linda, was a member of the tribe, and apparently Macca had talked about converting after marrying her, but "never got around to it." After a brief stint with shiksa Heather Mills, McCartney has once again fallen for a Jew, current MTA board member Nancy Shevell, whom he married last month. And this time, he's being a real mensch.

National Enquirer is reporting that Macca, who was baptized as a Roman Catholic but was "admittedly never very devout," promised Shevell that he'll convert to Judaism, as she takes religion rather seriously. The two reportedly spent the night before their wedding at Yom Kippur services, and McCartney apparently told his friends he'll be completing his conversion studies next year. Mazel tov, you crazy kids! Let's hope Shevell doesn't turn out to be a real Lady Meshugganah. Remember: All you need is l'chaim.

Guide for the Perplexed | FrontPage Magazine

Guide for the Perplexed | FrontPage Magazine: I have come to realize just how difficult it may be to decipher news about the Middle East, Islam, Israel, the Arab World, and all these powerful and explosive issues of our times for those who rely on such media stalwarts as The New York Times​, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the major television networks, cable news, etc. for their information. For example, how is a person to ascertain whether the slayer of a family is a terrorist or a militant or a gunman or an assailant or an activist or a freedom-fighter?

So, purely as a public service, I have organized the following glossary of the most pertinent terms and expressions, as typically used in the above-mentioned news sources. I hope, insha’allah, the reader will find it helpful to unravel the Gordian Knot of language that is today’s (and yesterday’s and tomorrow’s) Middle East!

IDF sets up Magic Wand Unit - Israel News, Ynetnews

IDF sets up Magic Wand Unit - Israel News, Ynetnews: The IDF is perparing to establish a new unit that will address missile threats on densely populated areas in central Israel.



After the deployment of the Iron Dome missile defense system, which has provided southern Israel with limited yet efficient protection from Qassam and Grad missiles, the defense establishment is forging ahead with developing the Magic Wand system, designed to thwart mid and long-rage missiles.

Personal info of 9 million Israelis stolen, available online

Personal info of 9 million Israelis stolen, available online: I think this incident just goes to show that no database can ever be 100 percent secure, but it must be extremely galling when your own country can't guarantee that the information it has stored on you will be kept safe and confidential - especially when that information wasn't volunteered but collected by default.

San Diego Reader | Hidden Pipeline, Secret Menace?

San Diego Reader | Hidden Pipeline, Secret Menace?: Some residents refer to it as the Sleeping Giant. An eight-inch-diameter Navy pipeline, carrying diesel and jet fuel from Point Loma to Miramar, lies beneath San Diego streets and canyons. Each year, 323 million gallons of fuel are pumped through the pipe at 800 pounds of pressure per square inch. The pipeline is 57 years old.

Missing Libya Missiles Find Their Way to Gaza Border - ABC News

Missing Libya Missiles Find Their Way to Gaza Border - ABC News: Some of the thousands of surface-to-air missiles that have gone missing since the collapse of the Gadhafi regime in Libya have now turned up just miles from the Israeli border.

Egypt: Planes patrol Sinai without Israel's consent - Israel News, Ynetnews

Egypt: Planes patrol Sinai without Israel's consent - Israel News, Ynetnews: Egypt's Air force chief dispatches warplanes to patrol border with Israel, despite peace treaty terms, MENA news agency reports; 'We do not need permission to increase our forces on our land,' General Reda Hafiz says

Computer virus hits US Predator and Reaper drone fleet

Computer virus hits US Predator and Reaper drone fleet: But despite their widespread use, the drone systems are known to have security flaws. Many Reapers and Predators don’t encrypt the video they transmit to American troops on the ground. In the summer of 2009, US forces discovered “days and days and hours and hours” of the drone footage on the laptops of Iraqi insurgents. A $26 piece of software allowed the militants to capture the video.

Israel to Assad: We Will Bomb Gaza, Whole of Lebanon if Tel Aviv Attacked - Naharnet

Israel to Assad: We Will Bomb Gaza, Whole of Lebanon if Tel Aviv Attacked - Naharnet: Israel has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that should Tel Aviv be attacked, then it will retaliate by bombing the Gaza Strip and the whole of Lebanon