**

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak came to town last week. It was just a private

visit to see the temples at Angkor and enjoy a daily therapeutic massage.

** One of the first things the new Cambodian Ambassador to the US, Ek Sereywath,

did when he arrived in Washington, DC, was to buy a new car. He chose something modest

befitting the tight purse strings under which all government officials operate. What

was the preferred vehicle? A Porsche with a price tag of around US$100,000.

** There's a website called www.PizzaIDF.org where you can pay to send pizza and

Coke or Pepsi to soldiers of the Israeli army. Menu items include: a full month of

pizza & soda for one soldier for only $61.95; pizza & soda for a 30-member

platoon for only $89.95; pizza & soda for a company of 90 soldiers for the low,

low price of $269.75.

Ice cream is available too and the website advises "We drive our ice cream right

up to the soldiers." If you see any ice cream trucks racing around inside Lebanon

on CNN don't be surprised.

Burgers can be ordered as well. The burger "Jeep patrol package" goes for

$29.99.

All products are guaranteed Kosher l'Mehadrin.

Also, gifts of "over $250 are eligible for a US IRS tax deduction". Checks

should be mailed to an address in Jerusalem. Go figure that one out.

** In the interest of balanced reporting, www.felafelHEZBOLLAH.org was checked but

no information could be found.

** One senior Funcinpec official said the so-called "Alliance of Nationalists"

was aimed at forging a union between Funcinpec and the SRP - but only if Rainsy was

the new party's candidate for Prime Minister.

** One senior SRP member said the idea of merging with Funcinpec was preposterous.

"I thought the only response to the idea was not to respond," said the

official.

** The Cambodia National Volleyball League (Disabled) 2006 season is well under way:

www.standupcambodia.org has the schedule of upcoming matches.

** Few readers will recognize the name because one of the things lost during too

many years of war was history. Nevertheless, Sosthene Fernandez passed away several

months ago in France due to complications from diabetes.

** Phnom Penh Post trivial pursuits quiz: The first person who can guess the exact

number of vehicles in Phnom Penh with Korean lettering on the sides wins a special

prize.