Just got off the phone with a friend, who called to say it was just announced on Israel Radio that there is a revolutionary new invention, that will save lives of Jewish children in Israel!
In Sederot and the surrounding communities around Gaza that are subject to ongoing Qassam rocket attacks -- a big problem is what to do in the schools, which only have about 50% of the classrooms "secured" so they can take a Qassam hit. The other 50% of the classrooms have no solution for the rockets, so when the warning goes off, all the kids in non-protected classrooms have to run to the protected ones. Not exactly viable in the 14 seconds from the time of the alarm till the rockets land.
HOWEVER, the Jewish mind is not stopped by such problems! It thinks out of the box, and can come up with all sorts of creative ideas to offer security!
Flatten Gaza with Napalm? Nope!
Anti-Missile weapons to shoot the Qassam Rockets? No way!
Star-Trek defensive force-field? Nada.
Someone has invented something even better than the "cones of silence"...the ultimate answer for security of Israeli schoolchildren in Sederot is: The Protective Qassam Schooldesk!
When the warning goes off, each schoolchild quickly gets under their protective desk, and pulls their chair close to them, effectively giving them 360 degrees of protection from Qassam rockets.
Unlike the Cold War's "Duck and Cover" method taught in US schools (and 10 points to any blogger under 40 who knows what I'm talking about), this desk actually has shrapnel-proof sides to keep kids safe.
In Sederot and the surrounding communities around Gaza that are subject to ongoing Qassam rocket attacks -- a big problem is what to do in the schools, which only have about 50% of the classrooms "secured" so they can take a Qassam hit. The other 50% of the classrooms have no solution for the rockets, so when the warning goes off, all the kids in non-protected classrooms have to run to the protected ones. Not exactly viable in the 14 seconds from the time of the alarm till the rockets land.
HOWEVER, the Jewish mind is not stopped by such problems! It thinks out of the box, and can come up with all sorts of creative ideas to offer security!
Flatten Gaza with Napalm? Nope!
Anti-Missile weapons to shoot the Qassam Rockets? No way!
Star-Trek defensive force-field? Nada.
Someone has invented something even better than the "cones of silence"...the ultimate answer for security of Israeli schoolchildren in Sederot is: The Protective Qassam Schooldesk!
When the warning goes off, each schoolchild quickly gets under their protective desk, and pulls their chair close to them, effectively giving them 360 degrees of protection from Qassam rockets.
Unlike the Cold War's "Duck and Cover" method taught in US schools (and 10 points to any blogger under 40 who knows what I'm talking about), this desk actually has shrapnel-proof sides to keep kids safe.
1950's solution for taking shelter against nuclear attacks.Unfortunately, this is a band-aid solution and doesn't go anywhere near the root cause.
Typical.
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael
I am only 34 and know what you are talking about so I get 10 points!
ReplyDeleteThey were still teaching the duck and cover routine well into the 80s when I was in elementary school. I live in California where the duck and cover drill was part of our earthquake preparedness. I think it might also have been part of the school lock down drill for security breaches. So do I get the ten bonus points (I'm 25)?
ReplyDelete10 points for me too.
ReplyDeleteJameel, I think you will enjoy my new post! :-)
ReplyDeleteI was born in very early 64 and remember duck and cover from high school days. How many points will you award me?
ReplyDeleteWell, I've seen the pics and heard the phrase but I can't claim knowledge beyond that. (I don't think England were as worried in the Cold War- well, except for Sting, and James Bond, of course) Feel free to deduct as many points from me as you like. Shabbes.
ReplyDeleteThat's just sad.
ReplyDeleteI'm under 40, and know the reference, though, so I get 10 points too.
What are points good for? You're giving away an awful lot of them....
I'm here to collect my 10 points. Unless you want to go double or nothing and tell me if you remember what fell from the sky in the summer of 1979...
ReplyDeleteMust Gum: Skylab. I even had a "dont fall on me" helmet ;-)
ReplyDeleteMichael: Soon you'll see what the points are good for. Trust me, you won't be sorry!
TafkaPP: While searching for the Duck and Cover picture, I came across many from the UK during WWII.
Susan: You get 8 points. I'm being generous today!
Joem: I think I'll blog about that next week ;-)
Fern: Really?! Into the 80's?! Wow...(and yes, you get 10 points! Guard them carefully.
Mike: You aren't eligable for the points. Sorry!
Ari: 10 points for you! Can be exchanged for "gemach shabbat platas" as well...
Rafi: Excellent. You get 11 points for commenting so late at night!
ten points here. we were having air raid drills in elementary school and i was in kindergarden in 1980. i think we did the ol' duck and cover routine once or twice. i always wonder which brilliant mind came up with that one....and why they don't make airplanes out of school desks.
ReplyDeletewhen i was growing up in canada the duck and cover was really scary...fire drill was better...you walked slowly and got the heck out of there...that was in the 50's...and now after they already walked on the moon they want to reinvent the wheel? oy...i'll take my ten points too thank you...shabbat shalom ps it's still scary
ReplyDeleteLots of folks seem to remember what Duck and Cover is...but who can remember the theme song that played each morning on the TV? Take your time...
ReplyDeleteAs for the new schooldesks, assuming it is true, you can bet that some relative of an MK got the contract to manufacture and sell them...likely similar to those yellow vests earlier this year. Nice way to make money, forcing a law to buy something and determining who supplies the goods.
Shabbat Shalom.
Well Jameel,
ReplyDeleteYou are about 18 years older than I am so I can't quite say that I remember any of this.
How does it feel to be so old.
Actually Jack, you might be familiar with this. During my initiation at a high tech company in Silicon Valley in 2001, we also had a duck and cover drill -- for earthquakes. The company purchased special desks that were safe to hide under in the event of an earthquake. During my time there, I experienced a 5.2 tremor. Let's just say I'm happy to be back on the East Coast these days...
ReplyDeleteNow you know how the other side feels.
ReplyDeleteThe kids in the back of the picture are going to be swiss cheese.
ReplyDeletewow the point distribution really got people going, huh? good on you mr jam.
ReplyDelete(uh i actually googled it to get the points but i turned 58 last week so i guess i dont qualify. any senior citizen contests?)
ok wait...I'm 20 and I got the 10 points. So it can't be that old now...I think to this day in California they do it for earthquakes. Get under the desk and duck and cover. The teacher clickety clacks through the room slowly while we're balled up under our desks wishing she'd just finish her inspection of us because it's REALLY uncomfortable. I think you're supposed to intertwine your fingers over your neck. That little kid in the back woould get knicked by my teachers heel and we'd all have to stay under the desk for another couple minutes until he got it right lol.
ReplyDeleteJameel,
ReplyDeleteI also get ten points. I remember doing this in kindergarten. I also wrote about this.
We were in Kansas, and we did these for tornadoes. Though as Jenifer mentioned we did them in the hall, or basement. The big thrill was if your class was assigned to a bathroom - then whoever wasn't usually allowed in there got a cheap thrill. ;) I do remember seeing barrels of water and boxes of food in the basement of my school - presumably because the school was a designated fallout shelter. I wonder how often they change those things, or if they are even still there. I was born in '65, so no points for me.
ReplyDeleteMike: Well, you linked to me, so you'll geta few points.
ReplyDeleteBEC: Were you doing the duck and cover against AIR-RAIDS?
marallyn: ten points have been awarded to you! Please save them carefully.
Yonah: Yes, I'm sure there must be protectzia involved. An extra 2 points for you.
Jack: I guess your memory disappeared with your hair. 18 years older than me? I thought it was the other way around.
Joe: Sort of like those that "stand up" on the bullet-proof buses when they should be sitting.
Jenifer: I wonder which is worse; earthquakes or air-raids. Sederot must be catching up to California...
The Sabra: Well, if you don't comment that you want points, you won't get any! Sorry...
Sara: Ow. For some reason, we never tried the duck and cover in school (I guess the East Coast wasn't as worried about Earthquakes or ducks in covers) (And 10 points to you as well :)
Cosmix: Dix Points!
YSRM: You get 5 points justr for commenting today! (special offer)
ReplyDeleteJack: I guess your memory disappeared with your hair. 18 years older than me? I thought it was the other way around.
That is what I wrote.
MGA,
Been through many earthquakes that were bigger than 5.2. Fun stuff.
i have no idea why we were doing air raids. in all honesty, up until high school, (they stopped some time in early elementary school) i thought maybe it had to do with random kidnappings and tainted halloween candy...and i never thought to question the practice until tenth grade.
ReplyDeleteWell I am not quite 40 and I also get 10 points, but I have to admit, that I only learned about this in college, when our professor was discussing the reasoning behind developing and using this technique. I think he was wrong, since, everyone knows that hiding under a desk, of course will save you from a nuclear explosion.
ReplyDeleteWe learned that in school.
ReplyDeleteRemember, in those days the tables were made of hard wood.
We also got every single version of polio vaccine in the school gymnasium!