Adolf Hitler is alive!

And he's running for office in India.

Even in a region peculiarly known for namesakes ranging from the famous to the infamous—think Kennedy, Carter, Billy the Kid or Frankenstein—Adolf Lu Hitler's moniker stands out. But it hasn't kept him from winning at least three elections to the state assembly.

"I am aware at one point of time Adolf Hitler was the most hated person on Earth for the genocide of the Jews. But my father added 'Lu' in between, naming me Adolf Lu Hitler, and that's why I am different," Hitler told The Associated Press.

Israel Hayom reported that the tiny northeast Indian state of Meghalaya that Hitler is from "has a special fascination for interesting, and sometimes controversial names." The ballot for recent state elections includes more than half a dozen that would be readily recognizable to Westerners.

They weren't eligible for Birthright

It took more than 50 years, but Barbie and Ken have made their first visit to Israel. And their vacation photos have gone viral.

The trip was sponsored by an Italian couple, Enrico Pescantini and Maria Giovanna Callea, who brought the iconic Miss B and her beau along on their own vacation and then took pictures of the plastic duo wherever they went. So, according to a column in The Algemeiner, there are photos "of Barbie and Ken floating in the Dead Sea, riding on a jeep ride in Ein Gedi, catching the waves in Tel Aviv, and posing in Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock in the background."

All the pix have been collected into an exhibit called "Barbie Loves Israel," currently on display at a bar in Milan, which is home base for Pescantini and Callea. And the story of their journey has been noted in the likes of Italian Vanity Fair, Vogue and this very blog.

Israel's pioneers of poochdom

Take one of Israelis' top passions—their dogs—and combine it with one of the others—innovation—and you've got the makings of an entrepreneurial wonderland.

That's certainly in evidence if you look at the array of pooch-focused products, projects and programs Israelis have created. Israel21C, a newsletter that highlights all manner of technological wonder born in the Holy Land, has conveniently compiled a list of its 10 favorite canine-centric breakthroughs, at least one of which has been featured previously here in Askew.

Israel's Knesset decided to open a joint Frequent Flyer account. Currently, members are forbidden from cashing-in their world perk miles, which are considered a kind of 'kickback' forbidden by law. The points earned will be used to fly sick children abroad for medical treatment and allow homesick "lone soldiers"* a bit of well-earned home leave, overseas. 

*hiyal boded, in Hebrew, most of them new immigrant soldiers from the former Soviet Union and North America whose families remained in the Diaspora.

Courtesy www.chelm-on-the-med.com

Period piece-by-piece

Taking a cue from the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, the Haifa Municipality found a dirt cheap way to break down an old wall at the southern environs of the city* to expand Haifa's seaside promenade.  A boardwalk with benches, and a bike path are planned in its stead.

Instead of engaging a contractor to take down the mustard yellow wall in Bat Galim*, city elders are staging a mass do-it-yourself happening, inviting Haifa residents armed with hammers and chisels to come take down the wall in unison … to the tune of Pink Floyd's hit "The Wall" (Just Another Brick in the Wall). 

Alas the organizers didn't say if participants would be expected to cart off the rubble as souvenirs, or whether the municipality would rent dump trucks to dispose of the debris.

* that walled off a naval training base, blocking access to the beach.

Courtesy www.chelm-on-the-med.com