JewNewsNet

What a 14 years! Can you imagine that just 15 years ago, people were creating websites that looked like this:

The service, originally created by David Bohnett and John Rezner as Beverly Hills Internet, was modeled on the concept of virtual ‘cities’. For instance, Technology was placed in the “Silicon Valley” city.

GeoCities will be shut down October 26th, 2009 and will no longer offer web hosting services.

RIP, GeoCities – it’s been a good run!

Web 2.0: 1

The Interweb: 0

Yup! You saw right!

Lady Gaga is wearing no pants – a fishnet, and a Jewish Star of David made of spikes on the back of her Israel-blue jacket!

Lady Gaga Jewish Star

UPDATE: Turns out this rumor was refuted. Mosey along now … nothing to see here … (still, a funny thought – eh?)

So it turns out that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s roots are Jewish. Yup, his family converted. So he’s not Jewish the way Hitler was – what with the Jewish grandma or something. His family name was changed from  Sabourjian to Ahmadinejad when he converted to Islam from Judaism. I guess hindsight is 20/20. Only a Jew could become the Jews worst enemy.

Remember – in Judaism there’s no way out:

• You can convert to Catholicism and become the Pope and you’re still Jewish.
• You can defraud hundreds of people and companies out of billions of dollars and you’re still Jewish.
• You can join the SS and you’re still Jewish.
• You can convert to Islam and become President of Iran and condemn Israel to death and threaten it with nuclear bombs – and you’re still Jewish!

Oh well, welcome to the clan, Sabourjian.

The fact was revealed when a close-up of his papers, which he showed on various occasions, showed the name Sabourjian – which is Iranian for “cloth weaver.” The ending of the name, ‘jian,’ is commonplace for Jewish families in Iran – I guess it’s the same as ’stein’, or ‘berg’. Not only that, but apparently the name Sabourjian is a common Jewish name in Iran.

Imagine if some guy who’s last name was Cohen was screaming ‘death to Israel.’ Would you take him seriously?

Jewish Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Apropos, here’s a cute video by Birthright about it!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWjcHryH8zo]

A video of Anne Frank has been released into YouTube by The Anne Frank House. She’s captured leaning out of a second story balcony, watching a married couple exit the neighboring address. When her diary was publicized in the 1950’s, the couple recognized her, and gave her father, Otto Frank, a 5 second clip of her. Here’s the clip:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hvtXuO5GzU]

Apparently the video’s become quite viral. It was released on September 23rd, 2009 and already has almost 377,000 views! Then again, what else would you expect from such a powerful figure as Anne Frank?

Thanks, Jennifer Van Grove from Mashable, for the scoop!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDAsGS_gOeI]

Jerusalem – After over three years in which IDF St.-Sgt. Gilad Schalit has been held in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, Israel breathed a sigh of relief on Friday afternoon after it was verified…

#iminchurch is trending. You #mightbeinchurch, but you #sureashellain’tprayin’ so #whatareyoudoingthere?

For the record – I’d probably say the exact same thing if the trending topic was #iminsynagogue.

#iminchurch is Trending?

AH! It’s the giant elephant in the room! Actually, I must admit it was the giant elephant in the room yesterday. Today it was in a huge front-page article in the New York Times’ Business Day section. Catherine Rampell wrote about bubbles. Which got me to thinking…

Rampell brings up an extremely valid point (illustrated finely by bubbles all around the main article.) There have always been bubbles. She cites the 20’s stock market & Florida Real Estate boom, the Gold Rush (of course,) the Railroads, and (humorously?) the Beanie Babies bubble of recent times.

But why is speculation about “this bubble being different” being written about during one of the worst recessions of our times? Is there even a bubble? My answer: I think so.

Now, I’m biased because I’m a dorkus malorkus on wheels, and I wear a pocket protector – but I think that Social Media is definitely on the rise, and is definitely raking it in. Twitter just got a round of financing totaling in $100 million that values the company at $1 billion. I suck at math, but I know those are high numbers, and that means a lot of money. Facebook just brought in its 300 millionth user last month, and has been cashing in big time for a while now.

So is Social Media a Bubble? Or is it the opposite – an Industry?

Here’s the case for both sides:

Bubble:

• Social Media is so new, you can’t possibly call it an industry. It’s barely starting to turn a profit in most cases, and no – you can’t take one (Facebook) or two profitable examples (Twitter) and call them an industry.
• There is so much free in this “industry” that advertising alone couldn’t possibly sustain it.
• Most of the people you are targeting have little buying power. Myspace, and now Facebook, are littered with 13 year olds making emo faces. They would have to save up their allowance to buy something.
• It’s just a passing phase. get over it!

Industry:

• Ahem. $1 billion for Twitter, 300 million users on Facebook. Facebook is almost the size of the United States.
• Advertising can sustain the industry. Freedom of information is the way the world is heading, and you can’t charge ‘membership fees’ anymore. Get over it.
• Plus, in some cases, things are just worth paying for – like completely online streaming TV stations. Where would these things be without Social Media? Oh, and the tiny ads before shows – cost lots of $.
• When Facebook goes public, will you accept Social Media as an industry? What about when Google Wave replaces email?

Anyway, I am way done arguing with myself. But I would love to hear what you guys think!

[polldaddy poll=2035119]

An oldie but a goodie – enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeahDax24Dg]

Written by and starring John Roberts. Editor Owen Plotkin. DP Drew Denicola. Directed by Clay Weiner. No one understands you like mom.