Pizzabook

December 21, 2008 - 9:32 AM by David · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Food, History and Culture, Life, Nostalgia Sunday

A vintage shot of the old Richie's Pizza on Jerusalem's King George Street.

Did you know that Facebook was invented in Jerusalem? Well, not the actual social networking site itself, but the pre-computer era concept of social networking on a grass roots level.

We’re talking pizza here – Richie’s Pizza – a Jerusalem landmark for most of the 1970s and 80s. For anyone travelling through the city, whether it be student on year-long or short-term programs, backpackers, or new olim, Richie’s was the mecca for contact.

Towering over its reputation for lousy pizza was its amazing bulletin board, where appointments were made, travelling partners to Katmandu were found, Lebanse hashish was scored, and dates were initiated.

While I only stopped by there as an outsider once or twice, my friend Alan worked there for a few months as a pizza maker while on a six-month college program in 1979. And he can vouch for all of the above, not to mention gaining the perks of some impromptu ’social networking’ of his own with members of the opposite sex.

It was quaint, and sometimes ineffective (many a romance was stymied by the bad timing of a note at Richie’s falling by the wayside or being hidden just before its hoped-for recipient entered the joint), but it was alot more personal and exciting than sitting at a computer keyboard and typing a message.

Richie’s – which closed its doors on King George St. in 1990 – came up in the context of a recent gathering of a new organization called Amuta 2.0, an initiative that helps local nonprofits take advantage of new technologies. Lisa Barkan, Amuta 2.0’s director explained to The Jerusalem Post things have evolved from Richie’s cork board to Facebook.

“For today’s generation, [social networking site] Facebook is the wall of Richie’s Pizza,” she continues. “It’s like your own private bulletin board. And you don’t have to be in Jerusalem to read it.”

But of course, in today’s mash up, you can have the best of both worlds. Facebook now has its own ‘I Remember Richie’s Pizza’ page. So now, old timers can reminisce about the good old days in Jerusalem, and they won’t even get the indigestion endemic with eating at Richie’s.

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Tags: Facebook, jerusalem, pizza, social media

What Becomes of Ex-Presidents

December 20, 2008 - 10:11 PM by DavidS · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Business, General, Israeliness, Life, Politics

The may not much like soon to be former President George Bush in the U.S. – or in Iraq – and now that he’s leaving office, he may have a future in Israel – with his name emblazoned in lights on a business!

Most people will remember that Bush received a very high approval rating among Israelis when he came here at the beginning of 2008. Now, with Bush ready to leave office, Israeli commentators will be coming out with articles like this one looking back with nostalgia at the positive relationship between Israel and Bush.

Tough on the outside but sweet on the inside, Israelis are actually very sentimental – and have a good business sense, as well. So the chances of some ingenious Israeli adopting the name “Bush” for their business are good (maybe for a gardening service?). Admittedly, “Coffee Annan,” named after former UN Secretary Kofi Annan, was too obvious not to do something with. But other than having eaten it, Bill Clinton had little if anything to do with pizza – but that didn’t stop this Jerusalem entrepreneur from using the ex-president’s name to promote his slices. And chances are business will improve dramatically now that Hillary is going to be Secretary of State!