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'''Feb 21st''' — <small>sorry, no ''devar torah'' this week</small>

Hi, again!

Some crazy weather!  It was cold last week, but this week it’s been well above normal (like 14C above normal!) and it’s supposed to go back to the normal range in the middle of next week.  It’s warmer outside than inside, so we’ve opened the windows.  Besides that, we’ve been super busy. Sarah spent a lot of time editing one of her classmate’s videos, and we got a ‘sneak-preview’ last night.  Esther and I have been busy with meetings and workings and so-forthings.  And she and I went on a date this week!

We attended the [http://www.israelikitchen.com/israeli-food-blogs/jerusalem-kosher-wine-festival-2013/ Jerusalem “kosher-wine” festival].  It was a bit nicer than the similar one in mid-summer; for one thing, all the wines were kosher so you didn’t have to be “on-guard”.  For another, it was indoors so it was more orderly.  And the “background music” was subdued so you could hear your companion.  My lovely companion and I started with a dinner of fine Israeli cheeses and bread, and then started sampling different vintages.  We found a number of wines we had never heard of, some really excellent.  It’s a great way to relax and expand your palate (assuming you like wine).

It’s also a good way to reset your brain and re-center yourself after a long stretch of stressful work.  At my client’s place, the CEO reasserted his unhelpful side and yelled at me for something I had nothing to do with.  I was ''this close'' to telling him to stick it where the sun don’t shine, but I remembered my wife and children — and my business needs.  So I merely informed him I had nothing to do with what he was screeching about, and continued on my way.  Naturally, it was later discovered that somebody else had done “something wrong” which caused the problem he attributed to me. I just happened to be in his path at the time.  ''<sigh>''

When not working on the client’s project, I’m working on developing our business; this week we were particularly busy.  The main obstacle at this point is the need to give half my time to my client so we can fund our company’s efforts.  If I didn’t have to spend so much time and mental energy on my client’s needs, I could get a better product done more quickly.  However, the only way I can rid myself of the need to have a consulting client would be to have some modest investment capital (on the order of $50,000).  That would suffice to let me stop the consulting work and dedicate myself to finishing our product.  Going to an investor is pointless, since I only need a few more months, and it would take that long (or longer) to get an investor on board.  Besides which, the series of meetings with potential investors would reduce my available time for development work and ''lengthen'' the time to market.  So if any of my faithful readers are interested in a somewhat risky investment with ''significant'' upside, please contact me ASAP.  I’m serious.

This week I also had a run-in with a “Facebook friend” — someone I don’t ''actually'' know, but who is somehow connected to me.  Anyway, this person took offense when I said that the new Facebook policy
[http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/02/facebook-is-no-longer-for-males-and-females-only/ enumerating fifty gender choices] is a load of bollocks.   Apparently, it is offensive to say what one thinks, if what one thinks is not Politically Correct.  Oh, well.

In other fun and games:
*  Guerilla artists are spreading the news that [http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/02/conservatives_seize_the_sub_par_counter-culture.html Obama is sub-par].  I remember the same happening to Bush the Elder with the [http://www.netropolitan.org/conal/1988_it_can't_happen_here.jpg “it can’t happen here”] signs.  Heh.
*  A fiery essay by Steyn: [http://www.steynonline.com/6101/hath-not-a-jew-eyes hath not a Jew eyes?]
*  Don’t know if it’s true that [http://dailycaller.com/2014/02/17/winters-have-been-getting-cooler-past-20-years-with-more-snowfall/ winters have been getting cooler], but our last two winters ''felt'' cooler than the previous bunch.  But then, weather patterns are cyclical to some extent.
*  Now we know the warming alarmists are serious: they brought out [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/amy-ridenour/2014/02/15/meet-press-host-climate-change-debate-featuring-guy-who-played-scienti Bill Nye the Science Guy] to defend their position!  Seriously, dude: you’re not a scientist — you played one on TV.  Not the same thing; get over yourself.

And on that note: if you want to defend or attack any sort of position, try to have real information to back up your claim.  But even more importantly, try to be civil towards the “opposition”.  Your momma undoubtedly gave birth to the greatest genius since Einstein, but even lesser minds may have valid points to make.  Something to consider before you excoriate someone as an imbecile for having the temerity to disagree with you…

This week we’ll have Dinah here with us, celebrating her birthday as well as the birth of her new nephew.  Among other things, we’ll serve up:
<br>
vegetable soup,
homemade halla,
chicken schnitzel,
braised leeks,
beet salad,
veggie shepherd’s pie,
lentil stew
and cake.

Until next week,<br>
''shabbat shalom''!

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