Found the other morning at 3am in the office kitchen:

I found a note in the microwave the other morning it said simply:
Please.
Do not use the MICROWAVE.
Electric sparks are inside.

So I had tea.

guns guns guns!

After reading this (washington post, free registration req'd) I couldn't help but shake my head and smile. I mean sure, I think we should all watch the caffine intake of armed people. After a half-dozen Starbucks triple-lattes anyone's trigger finger might get a little twitchy. But it's not like they were using the guns that were strapped to their hips.
But then again, maybe it's all perspective. I feel strangely safer when I know there are a bunch of armed people in the coffee shop that I'm sitting in here in Haifa. Especially when they walk in with an automatic rifles slung over their shoulders, find a quiet table in the corner and lean their guns up against the window. The best is when they come to visit the Baha'i gardens. Being a Holy place, they frown on people bringing their machine guns inside. So when the soldiers come, they all pile their guns up outside the gate in a little log cabin and take turns gun-sitting. It's so cute.

Hello? Are you sure I'm the one you want?

Ok, so with phenomenal timing to fit right into my "isn't the internet a wondrous place of intimate anonymity?" comes today's little episode:
At 3:19:58 pm this afternoon, an MSN message box popped up on my screen and someone using the screen name "new cell # is xxx-xxxx [I've removed the number] for those who want it" typed: "what's up with your name?"
I had no idea who it was, and since their email address (which I have also removed from the conversation) wasn't any help, I played it cool and replied. We ended up chatting for a few minutes and the entire time I had no idea who I was talking to. Finally, I think he figured out that I wasn't who he thought I was and he left, making an excuse that he had to go and wake up his brother.

For your enjoyment I offer you the following transcript (the text has been altered to remove his name and phone number, to protect his identity; and to correct my embarrassing spelling. to make me look smarter):


new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:19:58 PM)
what's up with ur name?

(P) in Israel says: (3:20:25 PM)
what's up with yours?

(P) in Israel says: (3:20:49 PM)
making friends?

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:21:04 PM)
well...i got a new cell phone and i posted this msn name so that my friends could get my # without me having to call them all up

(P) in Israel says: (3:21:21 PM)
that's handy

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:21:26 PM)
basically everyone on my list is a friend of mine

(P) in Israel says: (3:21:35 PM)
I posted this name so that people know where I am...

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:21:36 PM)
and urs?

(P) in Israel says: (3:21:51 PM)
I have friends that I don't keep in touch with so often...

(P) in Israel says: (3:22:04 PM)
it saves them having to ask

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:22:43 PM)
alright, i'm confused

(P) in Israel says: (3:22:49 PM)
me too

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:22:55 PM)
that's good

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:22:58 PM)
this is ryan right?

(P) in Israel says: (3:23:02 PM)
uhhh.. yeah

(P) in Israel says: (3:23:05 PM)
yeah it is

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:23:09 PM)
haha

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:23:18 PM)
what r u doin in israel then?

(P) in Israel says: (3:23:26 PM)
taking pictures...

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:23:27 PM)
is that what u call ur house?

(P) in Israel says: (3:23:37 PM)
my house?

(P) in Israel says: (3:23:59 PM)
ok, ummm...

(P) in Israel says: (3:24:10 PM)
your cel doesn't give it away...

(P) in Israel says: (3:24:24 PM)
and uhhh...neither does your email address...

(P) in Israel says: (3:24:34 PM)
so...ummm...I really have to ask

(P) in Israel says: (3:24:53 PM)
and risk feeling like a bit of a loser...

(P) in Israel says: (3:24:58 PM)
who is this?

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:25:03 PM)
it's [his first name]

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:25:06 PM)
i already think ur a loser

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:25:08 PM)
[his last name]

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:25:38 PM)
did u think i was someone else?

(P) in Israel says: (3:25:58 PM)
I wasn't sure who you were... [At this point I'm trying frantically to remember if I know anyone with his name. I'm pretty sure that I don't.]

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:26:45 PM)
do u talk to strangers?

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:26:58 PM)
especially ones that offer candy?

(P) in Israel says: (3:27:02 PM)
sure, if they're willing to give me their cel numbers

(P) in Israel says: (3:27:17 PM)
so I can call them up and berate them afterwards

(P) in Israel says: (3:27:50 PM)
though, without an area code, it might be tough

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:28:13 PM)
same area code as u right....?

(P) in Israel says: (3:28:25 PM)
I doubt it

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:28:27 PM)
260 [ I figured this was ok to leave in, especially since I googled it to find out where he was in case it helped me to figure out who it was I was talking to. It didn't, so later on I asked about the weather.]

(P) in Israel says: (3:28:42 PM)
mine is 04-972 (I think)

(P) in Israel says: (3:28:50 PM)
I can never remember...

(P) in Israel says: (3:29:00 PM)
I really am in Israel right now

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:29:58 PM)
alright

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:31:49 PM)
how was spiderman?

(P) in Israel says: (3:32:41 PM)
not sure actually, it's not here yet

(P) in Israel says: (3:32:54 PM)
we're a little behind on the whole movie scene

(P) in Israel says: (3:33:16 PM)
should be here soon though...

(P) in Israel says: (3:33:32 PM)
should I send you a review when I see it?

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:33:48 PM)
sure thing

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:33:49 PM)
haha

(P) in Israel says: (3:34:23 PM)
So how's the weather in Seattle? [Here's me asking about the weather. Except that Seattle is 206, not 260]

(P) in Israel says: (3:35:05 PM)
Sorry, Indiana? [so I tried again.]

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:35:35 PM)
oh, just dandy..gotta go and wake my lazy brother up [I think this is where he started to realize that I wasn't just his friend trying to be funny.]

(P) in Israel says: (3:35:51 PM)
alright, this was surreal

(P) in Israel says: (3:35:58 PM)
good luck with the brother

new cell # is xxx-xxxx for those who want it says: (3:37:19 PM)
l8ter

(P) in Israel says: (3:37:25 PM)
yeah


And that was it. I'm wondering if he's going to show up again sometime after he asks his friend Ryan why he was being such a dork on MSN the other day. I'll keep you posted. Or maybe I'll just call him up...