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{{bheadernew|Nov 1st|http://ronware.org/devar/toldot5774.pdf}} 

Hi, again!

Esther finished her “30-day exercise challenge”, walking just about every day and putting the rest of us to shame. I also increased my walking, but not at the same pace.  Now we just have to keep on with the walking.  

Sarah resumed her actual classes this week (previously it was just “introduction”).  So now she’s got long hours and lots of homework.  And here and there, she works for our company as well.  So she’s busy and tired.

I’ve been working for my primary job, as well as trying to develop more clients.  One of my former bosses tells me he is working on signing a contract with a well-funded client, and he will want me to be one of his subcontractors — so that’s good news, though it may or may not develop into anything (and it will be three to six months before I know anything, probably).  Another client sent me hardware which he wants me to write software for.  And in the meantime, I continue making good progress on the [http://aaron-tech.com/8th.html 8th development environment].

This week my mother told me how one of her medications went from $40 to $120 from one refill to the next.  So much for Obamacare reducing medical costs.  Anyway, I looked up the price of the equivalent medication here in Israel, and the ''full price'' is 244 NIS, or about $70.  The price a covered person would pay (e.g. any Israeli) is typically 15% of that, or $10.50.   

Things of knowt (''sic''):
* Encrypt your email.  It’s free and pretty easy.  Here’s [http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-free-apps-for-encrypting-email/ five free apps] to help you do that.
* Why? Because the NSA [http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/10/new-docs-show-nsa-taps-google-yahoo-data-center-links/ is tapping GMail] and pretty much every other email provider willy-nilly.
* Here are other [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/10/ten-steps-against-surveillance steps you can take] against illegal surveillance.
* What [http://drybonesblog.blogspot.co.il/2013/11/housing-quiz.html offends the US the most]?
* You know it’s bad when SNL [http://www.mediaite.com/tv/snl-cold-open-savages-the-sucky-obamacare-website-rollout/ criticizes Obamacare]

We’ve been enjoying cool fall weather, and it is apparently going to stay cool and partly cloudy.  That means we’ll soon have to turn on the electric heater portion of our “solar water heater”, since the sun will be mostly on-strike until the spring.  I noticed a distinctly cooler water temperature when I showered this morning…

There’ve been quite a few stories lately about how [http://www.ajc.com/news/news/weird-news/brain-may-be-hard-wired-detect-snakes/nbbwQ/ our brains may be hard-wired to detect snakes].  All kinds of theories to explain that, mainly to do with humans and snakes co-evolving in jungle areas.  But I haven’t seen anyone yet point to [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0103.htm#14 Genesis 3:14-15], which does a great job of explaining “why” we have a natural aversion to snakes (and, presumably, why our brains are good at detecting them).  Something to ponder, I think.


We have two young ladies (from [http://www.anywhereinisrael.org/ Anywhere in Israel]) staying with us this ''shabbat''.  Dinah may also be staying with us.  We’ll be providing:
<br>
in honor of this week’s ''parasha'': [[Recipes/Red Lentil Soup|red lentil soup]],
schnitzel,
veggie schnitzel,
roasted potatoes,
glazed carrots,
spice kohlrabi,
eggplant in tomato sauce,
''matboucha'',
''tabbouleh'',
cabbage salad,
crock-pot roasted chicken
and brownies.

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

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