View source for Blog/September 2012/Sep 7th

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{{bheadernew|Sep 7th|http://ronware.org/devar/ki-tavo5772.pdf}}

Hi, again!

We had a very social week this time around.  One of my cousins gave birth to a boy the previous week, so we attended his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_milah ''brit mila''] -- a lovely little boy, and proud parents!  Lucky for them they didn't try to perform the ''mila''  [http://www.timesofisrael.com/charges-filed-against-prominent-berlin-rabbi-for-vowing-to-continue-circumcising/ in Germany]!  We also met up with our friend from the Olde Country, DovBer -- who got married just before Daniela did.  We met him and his wife at a [http://www.gabriela-jerusalem.co.il/pages/home.php really good Italian-dairy restaurant]  we had never been to.

Another day, Sarah represented us at our friends' son's ''tekes hashbaʿa'' (swearing-in ceremony).  He is now officially a soldier in the armored corps of the IDF, where I also served (thirty years ago). Sarah also had various friends visiting with her all week long; it's been a fun-filled time for everyone!

Daniela started work and is having to make major adjustments.  She'll figure it out like we all do, hopefully sooner rather than later.  She and Jeremy did finish getting their apartment set up and furnished, and had time for some [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_golf mini-golf].  Jeremy won, but being smart he's not lording it over her.

Esther told her boss she's leaving.  He countered with all kinds of incentives, but she's pretty insistent on ceasing work.  I had a lot of work, but for now I'm staying put to see what develops.  Esther's foot was bothering her a lot, and so was my knee.  One day we got on the train, and a woman came limping over and sat with us.  We were pain central station.

Israelis are a passionate people.  Particularly so when it comes to food.  Yesterday, Esther and I were in the store late in the evening, trying to get supplies for ''shabbat''.  The store only had five miserable-looking eggplants -- wrinkled and wilted looking, so we passed on them.  Just as we passed them, a fellow came by and looked at the eggplants, despair written on his face, and declared "בא לי למות" (I want to die)!  I personally thought he was exaggerating just a bit, but eggplants ''are'' important!

Politics alert, you have been warned!

The upcoming US election has far-reaching implications not only for the US, but for the world at large and Israel in particular.  I have a lot of friends and family who are staunch Democrats, but I have trouble understanding how anyone who is concerned about Israel ''or'' the US could vote to continue the reign of The One.

A common theme I hear from these friends and relatives is that under a Romney administration, "gays, women, the middle class, the poor, the sick, the elderly, college graduates, high school graduates who want to go to college, veterans etc. will not benefit".  So I pose the question: under Obama, the economy has become worse, the jobless rate has risen, the national debt has doubled and dependence on foreign fuel supplies has increased.  How does that benefit any of the citizens of the US, let alone the "disadvantaged"?  Furthermore, what precisely, is in the "Romney platform" which will disadvantage any of the above?  Do my friends and relations believe that Romney will have [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung brownshirts] marching the streets looking for gays?

Another somewhat risible statement I hear is that Romney is "a war monger",  considering that Obama has ''increased'' by a large margin the number of people "taken out" by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper Predator drones].  Obama's extraordinarily weak foreign policy, which seems to mainly consist of abandoning the US's allies and attempting to befriend her enemies, has served to embolden the most violent regimes on the planet.  This has the effect, of course, of making war much more likely to occur.

The most ludicrous statement I hear is that Obama is a "strong friend of Israel".  The same man who made his first foreign appearances with Israel's enemies, who kowtowed to the Saudi king, who showed extraordinary disrespect for the Prime Minister of Israel on multiple occasions.  The man whose public statements have made Israel's position internationally more tenuous and difficult.  Who cannot bring himself to say Israel's capitol is Jerusalem (at least, not since he took office).  He's such a great friend, I wish him a long, long vacation!

Things of note:
* God and Israel [http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/316054/democrats-second-night-yuval-levin booed at the DNC].
* Why are we [http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Editorials/Article.aspx?id=283979 so stupid]?
* Oh, how I wish [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMyjgFj9gwM Ronald Reagan] were still around! At least he could talk coherently without a TeLePrompter.
*  For you [http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/05/this-is-the-best-cat-video-on-the-internet-video/ cat lovers] out there.

A small and simple ''shabbat'' this time around:
pea salad,
baked ''musht'',
baked baby potatoes,
red lentil soup,
chicken breast cutlets,
[http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/maincourses/r/carbonada.htm ''carbonada criolla con pollo''],
and spice cake.

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

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