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{{bheader|February 22nd|Devar/5768/Ki Tisa}}
  
 
Hi again!
 
Hi again!
  
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I have to preface this week's edition by telling you that, like [http://www.davebarry.com/ Dave Barry], I am not making ''any'' of this up.  My imagination isn't that fertile, despite what you may think...
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It was a pretty calm week for us, thank God, with one exception I'll mention later on.
  
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On Sunday, a collections agent from the city came to our house, and gave us a notice of "imminent collection", giving us 48 hours to settle our debt with the city before they return and repossess our belongings.   Of course, the debt they are talking about isn't ours, but the previous renter's.  We told the collector that, but he said that since we are in the house, we were the ones who had to pay up! So that afternoon Esther and I went to City Hall, to talk to the head of the department -- with whom we are now on a first-name basis.  As we were waiting for him, the clerk (who also knows us on a first-name basis) motioned me over and asked if she could help us.  I explained the situation, and she said, "but that's not your debt!".  "Exactly", I told her, "which is why we're here now".  She told me to hold on, while she called someone in the collections branch and gave them our landlord's address and phone.  There is justice, after all.
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With all the media attention being given to the US presidential race, I feel it is only my duty to make comment as well.  If you're thinking of voting for Barak Obama, maybe [http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/barack_obama_and_israel.html you should read this] and [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1203589810710&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter this] first.  I do find it heartening that this time around the winners in the races so far are the less shrill, more moderate sounding ones. Whoever wins, it will probably not be good for the Jews in general or Israel in particular - not this time around.  I hope I'm wrong about that.
  
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That night, as we were at home trying to calm down (my blood-pressure was elevated for hours that day), we hear another knock on the door.  We open the door, and some guy starts speaking very quickly -- and all I understood was the first few words, "I'm here to collect ..."!  Both Esther and I were pretty wiped out and asked him to repeat himself a couple times.  Finally I understood that he was coming around to collect [http://www.israelnewsagency.com/israelwarcivildefense.html gas-masks]. He was collecting them because they need to be recharged periodically.  We don't have any, though.  So the guy goes on, "oh, you're new immigrants? OK, bye.".  I guess we don't get gas-masks in case the {{wiki2|Scud|SCUDs}} start falling.
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Strong women: I've known for years that my dear wife is a strong woman - she would have to be to stay with me.  But I was more than a little alarmed to see just how strong she really is! After a particularly energetic cleaning session she showed me the broom, our only broom, snapped clean in half.  And I thought 10 shekels for a broom was too much!
  
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In further bizarre news, Daniela reports that her school has cats in the ceiling of the beit-midrash (study hall).  Somehow they crawl into the suspended ceilings and can't get out.  Because they can't get out, they meow and sound like human babies trapped in the ceiling.  So the maintenance people managed to trap some of them and remove them, but alas! the smell remains.
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Speaking of that strong woman, she and her {{wiki|ulpan}} went on a trip to the {{wiki|Knesset}} and the {{wiki|Israeli Supreme Court}}.  The Knesset was out of session, but they got to speak with M.K. {{wiki|Aryeh Eldad}}.  The court was working, and she got to sit in on part of a case being brought against the Israeli government.  As she sat down in the visitor's section, she noticed the guy sitting next to her looked familiar.  As it happens, he was {{wiki|Eli Yishai}}, one of the highest ranking politicians in Israel (at the moment, that is) and head of the {{wiki|Shas}} political party. When was the last time ''you'' spoke to a Congressman or Senator?
  
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Even more bizarre is that the Arabs [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202742144027&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull expect us to protect them] from a nuclear Iran.  Excuse me?  We have a government which can't even protect its own citizens from two-bit thugs with model-rocket building skills.  Well, now there is a truly [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202657415879&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull proportional response] being discussed. Let's hope the citizens of Sderot take the advice.
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Odd stuff: I've been wondering for months just what [[Media:Bridge.jpg|this thing]] in downtown Jerusalem is.  Nobody I asked had the slightest idea - it looks like a crane gone awry.  Fortunately, this week an alert reporter [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202742157425&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull wrote this article about it], so now I know.  Now I know, that is, just how poorly my tax money is being spent...
  
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Some of you may think my approach to the "fakestinian" conflict is extreme.  This week Esther pointed me to [http://bogieworks.blogs.com/treppenwitz/2008/02/and-that-your-h.html this blog].  I couldn't have said it better, he almost duplicated my thoughts.  Despite it all, [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/141297 peace may be possible] - if only Hamas, Hizbullah, Iran, Syria ... will let such people continue to breathe.
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Another alert reporter informed us about the plight of [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202742157178&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull arab graduates] of Israeli univerities.  Pardon me while I cry a river.  Let's see: there are 22 Arab countries, where they might find employment - since they hate and wish to destroy the one where they studied.  They don't contribute to the security or social welfare of this country (and indeed, the opposite is true).  But wait: there are more than a million Arabs living in Israel. Can none of them hire their brothers and sisters?  Why is there almost no high-tech in the Arab sector?  Hint: it's not because they're not smart. It's because the smart ones move to the US or elsewhere, rather than stay here and help their families and friends. They can't find jobs with Israeli companies, because ... who the hell would trust them?  Let's get serious.  Since the idiots in the various world bodies like to talk about "confidence building measures", let's try this one: stop trying to kill us, and our confidence in you will go up.  You might even get hired in your profession.
  
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On the more sane front, the company I work for is presenting in [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1202742134959&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Barcelona at the 3GSM conference].  Well, by now I guess it's "has presented".  Hopefully good things will come of it.
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In some of my past posts I crowed about the Israeli economy.  As it turns out, [http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/125278 the International Monetary Fund] agrees, and soon shekels will be one of 17 currencies traded in the global markets.  So - as I've said before - now's a good time to make aliyah, friends.  On the other hand, Esther bought zucchini this week for the mind-numbing price of 26 shekels/kilo.  If you recall, I mentioned we paid 22/kilo for chicken!  That's what you get when you buy produce out of season during a shemittah year...
  
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B"H, I've managed to keep my fingers away from sharp objects, even though I did do a manly "repair job" this week.  The gas inspector had told me the gas feed in the kitchen had to be below the level of the electrical outlet there. He said I could do it myself.  This involves bending thin-walled copper tubing so that instead of pointing straight up, it turns 180 degrees so the valve end is below the electrical outlet.  Those of you who have bent this sort of tubing know that it likes to kink rather than bend, and if it kinks it usually cracks as well.  Fortunately, I was able to bend it (around a small can as a form to keep it from kinking) and the repair was done without necessitating professional assistance.
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Now for this week's excitement.  If you haven't seen the movie {{wiki|Ushpizin}} you should; we had our own "ushpiz" this week.  We got a call the other night from a family member of our Bellevue rabbi, who said he had a package from the rabbi's family and could he deliver it to us?  While we were surprised to hear from him, we weren't too surprised since he lives in Jerusalem, and makes trips to the US from time to time.  We gave him directions, and about an hour later get a knock on the door... and instead of the guy we spoke to, there's our rabbi from Bellevue!  You could have knocked me over with a feather! He came for his mother's birthday (all the children came), and dropped by while he was visiting.  We were all happy and pleased to visit with him and catch up on the happenings in Bellevue. Rabbi, you are missed!
  
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This past week, a couple of the major supermarkets are having a "price war", where the price of chicken is 82 agorot a kilo.  We're paying 22 shekels, or almost 27 ''times'' that amount. Well, that's for fresh chicken with a specific ''hechsher'' (kashrut authorisation), but it's still kind of a lot.  Actually, it amounts to about $2.76 a pound, which isn't too bad really.  Anyway, I mentioned this to the butcher we buy our chicken from, and he asked me what I do for a living.  I told him, and he said, "I've got this computer that's not working...".  Who knows?  Maybe we'll get a discount if I can fix his computer... like I said, I'm not making ''any'' of this up.
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We just got back from a Friday morning ''tiyul'' - a trip - to the {{wiki|Ein Gedi}} nature reserve, which is located about 60km from us, next to the {{wiki|Dead Sea}}. It's a very impressive place: all around is sere desert - brown and rocky - and in the middle of it all, a flourishing oasis with waterfalls, ibex and all kinds of wildlife.  Definitely worth a longer trip - but this being Friday, we have to get ready for shabbat so we only took a short trip (it also being the only day I really get off work and can do something like this).
  
 
Shabbat shalom!
 
Shabbat shalom!
  
  
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{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/February 2008/Feb 8th|Feb 8th||}}
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{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/February 2008/Feb 15th|Feb 15th|Blog/February 2008/Feb 29th|Feb 29th}}

Latest revision as of 12:58, 29 February 2008

February 22nd (See this week's devar torah)
Send Ron feedback on this blog

Hi again!

It was a pretty calm week for us, thank God, with one exception I'll mention later on.

With all the media attention being given to the US presidential race, I feel it is only my duty to make comment as well. If you're thinking of voting for Barak Obama, maybe you should read this and this first. I do find it heartening that this time around the winners in the races so far are the less shrill, more moderate sounding ones. Whoever wins, it will probably not be good for the Jews in general or Israel in particular - not this time around. I hope I'm wrong about that.

Strong women: I've known for years that my dear wife is a strong woman - she would have to be to stay with me. But I was more than a little alarmed to see just how strong she really is! After a particularly energetic cleaning session she showed me the broom, our only broom, snapped clean in half. And I thought 10 shekels for a broom was too much!

Speaking of that strong woman, she and her ulpan went on a trip to the Knesset and the Israeli Supreme Court. The Knesset was out of session, but they got to speak with M.K. Aryeh Eldad. The court was working, and she got to sit in on part of a case being brought against the Israeli government. As she sat down in the visitor's section, she noticed the guy sitting next to her looked familiar. As it happens, he was Eli Yishai, one of the highest ranking politicians in Israel (at the moment, that is) and head of the Shas political party. When was the last time you spoke to a Congressman or Senator?

Odd stuff: I've been wondering for months just what this thing in downtown Jerusalem is. Nobody I asked had the slightest idea - it looks like a crane gone awry. Fortunately, this week an alert reporter wrote this article about it, so now I know. Now I know, that is, just how poorly my tax money is being spent...

Another alert reporter informed us about the plight of arab graduates of Israeli univerities. Pardon me while I cry a river. Let's see: there are 22 Arab countries, where they might find employment - since they hate and wish to destroy the one where they studied. They don't contribute to the security or social welfare of this country (and indeed, the opposite is true). But wait: there are more than a million Arabs living in Israel. Can none of them hire their brothers and sisters? Why is there almost no high-tech in the Arab sector? Hint: it's not because they're not smart. It's because the smart ones move to the US or elsewhere, rather than stay here and help their families and friends. They can't find jobs with Israeli companies, because ... who the hell would trust them? Let's get serious. Since the idiots in the various world bodies like to talk about "confidence building measures", let's try this one: stop trying to kill us, and our confidence in you will go up. You might even get hired in your profession.

In some of my past posts I crowed about the Israeli economy. As it turns out, the International Monetary Fund agrees, and soon shekels will be one of 17 currencies traded in the global markets. So - as I've said before - now's a good time to make aliyah, friends. On the other hand, Esther bought zucchini this week for the mind-numbing price of 26 shekels/kilo. If you recall, I mentioned we paid 22/kilo for chicken! That's what you get when you buy produce out of season during a shemittah year...

Now for this week's excitement. If you haven't seen the movie Ushpizin you should; we had our own "ushpiz" this week. We got a call the other night from a family member of our Bellevue rabbi, who said he had a package from the rabbi's family and could he deliver it to us? While we were surprised to hear from him, we weren't too surprised since he lives in Jerusalem, and makes trips to the US from time to time. We gave him directions, and about an hour later get a knock on the door... and instead of the guy we spoke to, there's our rabbi from Bellevue! You could have knocked me over with a feather! He came for his mother's birthday (all the children came), and dropped by while he was visiting. We were all happy and pleased to visit with him and catch up on the happenings in Bellevue. Rabbi, you are missed!

We just got back from a Friday morning tiyul - a trip - to the Ein Gedi nature reserve, which is located about 60km from us, next to the Dead Sea. It's a very impressive place: all around is sere desert - brown and rocky - and in the middle of it all, a flourishing oasis with waterfalls, ibex and all kinds of wildlife. Definitely worth a longer trip - but this being Friday, we have to get ready for shabbat so we only took a short trip (it also being the only day I really get off work and can do something like this).

Shabbat shalom!



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