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{{bheader|June 5th|Devar/5769/Beha'alotcha}}  
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{{bheader|June 12th|Devar/5769/Shelach}}  
  
 
You can help [[tsedaka|feed the hungry]] in Israel!
 
You can help [[tsedaka|feed the hungry]] in Israel!
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Hi again!
 
Hi again!
  
''Shavuot'' followed by shabbat was very restful. The weather wasn't too hot, and the food -- the food! -- was wonderfulWe had guests over for one meal, and it was overall just a fine ''yom-tov''. I hope yours was as well!
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I know it's an ongoing refrain, but this week was ''crazy'' at work!  I spent all week basically trying to get a new install CD released, but we kept encountering issues with languages other than English. It's lots of fun writing software that has to work on several different operating-systems, in a dozen languagesIt's more fun relying on other software to make that possible, and finding out that other software has not been adequately tested...
  
There is a synagogue in the final stages of construction just a few houses away from usBecause of its proximity, I will probably be going there most of the time.  When I mentioned that to two separate people over shabbat/yom-tov -- one of them an "important" person, I got the response, "you would pray there?  It's a ''sephardi'' shul!"To which my response was, "prayer is prayer", and it makes little difference to me any more where I pray as long as there is a ''minyan'' of kosher Jews.  I find this "Ashekanzi superiority complex" very disturbing, but I've grown used to it.  I only wish I understood its source.  
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The summer heat started this week in earnestNot that it's oppressively hot, but the temperature has "hit its stride" and is staying consistently in the 30s (85-95F)In the evening it cools off, though; and sitting next to an open window when the cooler air is blowing is a treat.
  
This week there was a [http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4103134 country-wide defense exercise], simulating simultaneous attacks on Israel from several fronts as well as country-wide terrorist attacks.  As part of the exercise, we were supposed to go to our "shelter room"We don't have a "shelter room", since our house was built before they became mandatory.  But each neighborhood has a bomb-shelter -- the only problem being we had no idea where ours was!  Fortunately, our neighbors did know -- and we found out the shelter is at the end of the building.  We hope and pray that we won't have to use it, but it's good to know that there's one available if needed.  If more of the Islamic world were like [http://www.hudsonny.org/2009/05/islam-today-1.php  Khaled Abu Toameh] we wouldn't have to conduct such drills.
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Esther took me out on a date this week -- our first in so long, neither of us could recall the last time we went out alone.  We went to dinner and then to a [http://kobymandell.org/comedy/ comedy benefit show] (benefiting the [http://kobymandell.org/about.htm Koby Mandell Foundation], which helps families who are victims of terrorism)The show was completely sold-out, and we had a good time.  We decided we would have to have another date, soon enough that we don't forget the last time we went on one.
  
You might think that we had enough food over the Shavuot holiday and shabbat immediately afterwards -- and you would be right! Nevertheless, I tried my hand at making [http://ronware.org/Pictures/Shawarma/index.html lamb shawarma]It was a whole production, as you can see from the pictures... but definitely worth it! Today I recycled leftover lamb into a kind of {{wiki|bulgogi}} side-dish for shabbat.
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Last shabbat I tried out the new synagogue down the street, for ''ma`ariv'' (evening services). As I mentioned last week, it's a "sephardi" place -- actually, it seems more Moroccan than anything else. Anyway, it was nice; but in the morning I decided I would rather walk twenty minutes and have air-conditioning and a shorter service, than walk only one minute and have no air-conditioning and a longer serviceAs we came home, the people in the local synagogue were still in the middle of services - so that's at least 40 minutes longer than the place I normally goNot that I mind so much, but the Temanim finish even earlier than either -- although they also start earlier.
  
Just FYI: {{hebs|חמי עין גדי}} does ''not'' mean "Ein Gedi hotties"Sarah came up with that helpful translation this weekWhat it means is "[http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/1,7340,L-2625397,00.html Ein Gedi hot-springs]" -- much less likely to get you in trouble.   But given the hot weather right now, I don't know why one would want to soak in hot-springs.
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This week I attended the first in a series of "diabetes workshops" held by my ''kupat cholim''.  Even though I don't have diabetes, I have two parents who had it (my father z"l had it, and my mother is treating it)So I'm at high risk for developing it, and need to try to hold it off as long as possible. I've been on anti-diabetes medications for about ten years already, as a preventative measure. Anyway, this time they called from the "kupah" and invited me to join their workshop.  Interesting group of people.  One fellow came in already complaining about everything; he didn't even stay for the opening of the class. Among the words of wisdom I culled from the presenters is that ''Hilbe'' {{hebs|חילבה}} ({{wiki|fenugreek}}) is a natural anti-diabetic (and anti-triglyceride etc).  So even though I don't really like the taste, I'm going to start incorporating it in my meals on a regular basis and see if that helps control my blood chemistry more.  It can't hurt, anyway.
  
Anyway, I've still got some prep-work to do before shabbat, so...
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For this shabbat I made [[Recipes/Buri|buri]]. Delicious!
  
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Well, it's time to clean the house for shabbat, so...
  
 
Until next week,<br>
 
Until next week,<br>
 
Shabbat shalom!
 
Shabbat shalom!
  
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Latest revision as of 12:27, 10 July 2009

June 12th (See this week's devar torah)
Send Ron feedback on this blog

You can help feed the hungry in Israel!

Hi again!

I know it's an ongoing refrain, but this week was crazy at work! I spent all week basically trying to get a new install CD released, but we kept encountering issues with languages other than English. It's lots of fun writing software that has to work on several different operating-systems, in a dozen languages. It's more fun relying on other software to make that possible, and finding out that other software has not been adequately tested...

The summer heat started this week in earnest. Not that it's oppressively hot, but the temperature has "hit its stride" and is staying consistently in the 30s (85-95F). In the evening it cools off, though; and sitting next to an open window when the cooler air is blowing is a treat.

Esther took me out on a date this week -- our first in so long, neither of us could recall the last time we went out alone. We went to dinner and then to a comedy benefit show (benefiting the Koby Mandell Foundation, which helps families who are victims of terrorism). The show was completely sold-out, and we had a good time. We decided we would have to have another date, soon enough that we don't forget the last time we went on one.

Last shabbat I tried out the new synagogue down the street, for ma`ariv (evening services). As I mentioned last week, it's a "sephardi" place -- actually, it seems more Moroccan than anything else. Anyway, it was nice; but in the morning I decided I would rather walk twenty minutes and have air-conditioning and a shorter service, than walk only one minute and have no air-conditioning and a longer service. As we came home, the people in the local synagogue were still in the middle of services - so that's at least 40 minutes longer than the place I normally go. Not that I mind so much, but the Temanim finish even earlier than either -- although they also start earlier.

This week I attended the first in a series of "diabetes workshops" held by my kupat cholim. Even though I don't have diabetes, I have two parents who had it (my father z"l had it, and my mother is treating it). So I'm at high risk for developing it, and need to try to hold it off as long as possible. I've been on anti-diabetes medications for about ten years already, as a preventative measure. Anyway, this time they called from the "kupah" and invited me to join their workshop. Interesting group of people. One fellow came in already complaining about everything; he didn't even stay for the opening of the class. Among the words of wisdom I culled from the presenters is that Hilbe חילבה (fenugreek) is a natural anti-diabetic (and anti-triglyceride etc). So even though I don't really like the taste, I'm going to start incorporating it in my meals on a regular basis and see if that helps control my blood chemistry more. It can't hurt, anyway.

For this shabbat I made buri. Delicious!

Well, it's time to clean the house for shabbat, so...

Until next week,
Shabbat shalom!



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