Blog/March 2010/Mar 19th

Mar 19th (See this week's devar torah)
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Hi again!

WARNING: Since this was a week of rage (שבוע של זעם), this blog will probably offend some (perhaps many!) of you, containing as it will words which I rarely use in public. If you want to skip the rage, go to the bottom of the page. You have been warned! GRRRR!!

Of course, you can't just start off in a state of "rage", you have to build up to it. So let's see. OK, it was pretty upsetting that we had to replace our water heater (which I told you about last week). That cost us a fair bit of money, which we weren't ready for. But, to be honest, it's really hard to feel "rage" over a broken heater -- these things happen.

Then we got a letter from the bank saying Sarah's "free" bank account wasn't free anymore. (ok, rage building now!). And another letter from the National Insurance Institute saying she would have to pay since she's 18 years old even though she's still in high-school (rage is bubbling up!!). But after going to the bank, they recategorized her account so she doesn't have to pay for it. And after calling the NII people and sending them a FAX with her acceptance to National Service, they also waived her fees. Damn! Rage subsiding again.

Then Hamas called for a day of rage, ostensibly because of the completion of the restoration of the Hurva Synagogue. I think they were upset that the Jordanians destroyed the synagogue when they had control over the "Old City" of Jerusalem. Yeah, that's what they were mad about. They called for massive demonstrations, for a third intifada -- but only about 500 punks turned out to riot, and basically nothing much happened. Really, can one feel "rage" over this? If a dog craps in the street, do you feel "rage" or do you realize it's just a dog? If a snake bites you, do you "rage" or do you whack off its head? So sorry, still not much rage here.

But then, the Vice President of the USA, hizzoner Joe Biden came to town. And just as peace was about to break out all over, and the Palis were about to lay down their AK-47s and become human beings -- just then -- them damned uppity-niggersIsraelis approved 1600 building permits in their capital city of Jerusalem! Such nerve, after having been treated so well by King Obama I and his administration, our "friends" in Washington D.C.!

I don't feel rage over Israel's assertion of our right to build in our own capital city. No, I feel rage -- seething, volcanic rage! -- over our "friends'" reaction to what was -- at most -- a bureaucratic issue. I feel rage over the hypocritical manner in which our "friends" ignore PA incitement to murder. I feel rage when the most democratic and open country in the Middle East is called an apartheid regime. I feel rage that our "friends" refuse to move their Embassy to Jerusalem, in contradiction of their own law, the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. And I feel blistering, helpless rage when my leaders grovel for US forgiveness. Here's a suggestion to the Obama administration: go screw yourselves!

Naturally, such fine upstanding Jewish intellectuals as Thomas Friedman and the dhimmis-to-be of J-Street back the US against Israel. However, dogs howling is nothing to get enraged over. The only ones left smiling after all this are the murderers in the PA. But there is good news: US public opinion in general is against the Obamignition (and in fact, Obama played down the uproar later this week). And finally (!) Israel made a detailed response to the Goldstone blood-libel (very interesting reading).

Odds and ends:

• Americans who think the 4th amendment protects them in cyberspace need to think again. This is a very disturbing development for civil libertarians.
• Despite what the mainstream media have been reporting, the neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo is in the NORTH of Jerusalem, not the East. Thank you.
• The parents of St. Pancake are suing the State of Israel.
• Why not have a vampire for president? It would be hard to blackmail someone like him.
• People who report on other religions would do well to research them first. The assertion that Judaism and Shinto have a lot in common is pretty silly -- as is the assertion that Shinto is pacifist. The reporter should have looked up the Meiji Restoration, and State Shinto!

We've done almost all our pesach shopping, just vegetables remain to be bought! Still need to get the house itself ready, but that will be done in stages this coming week. A prominent Rabbi in Israel recently wrote that one need not be concerned with chamets bigger than an olive's bulk. While true, his definition of 27cc for an olive's bulk is nine times bigger than the actual average size of Israeli olives. Since today's olives and our Sages olives are the same (as shown by appropriate research), it is potentially a "stumbling block before the blind" which will cause people to transgress the Biblical commandment of "it shall not be seen" (during Passover), God forbid!

Last week's wines were good, though I think the Pinot was much nicer than the sweet Cab/Merlot blend. Neither was an "excellent" wine, the Pinot being a bit too long in the bottle, and the blend being a bit nondescript. Nicely drinkable, though, in either case.

Alas, the rage is spent. Instead, I am excited and happy that Daniela will be coming home next Friday, B"H. I am happy that I get a paid week off work (for the "intermediary days" of pesach). I am thrilled that shabbat is almost here. And I'm pleased that the sharav broke and we are back to cool spring weather!

This week's menu is a simple "get rid of chamets" one. So we'll have some home-made "babka", vegetable soup; roast turkey thighs and rice, meatballs and rice. Hmm... not too much actual chamets, but tasty anyway! Next shabbat we'll probably be eating air, since Esther will have exiled most other food from the house...

Until next week,
Shabbat shalom!

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