Blog/February 2010/Feb 26th

Feb 26th (See this week's devar torah)
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Hi again!

What started as a dry and warm week got cooler and cooler, and now it's raining and thundering (it was raining all night, even here in the desert!). According to the official Israeli government weather forecasting service, we will experience "fish winds". We were puzzled by that one: did the writer intend that the winds would be so strong they would lift fish out of the sea? Then we figured he must have meant "fierce" winds, but his spell-checker didn't blink at "fish winds". But today, looking at the forecast, it calls for "fresh winds". I don't think that's any better than "fish winds", but at least it makes some sense. We're getting ready for a wet Purim.

Sarah accepted the job offer helping the elderly in the Tel Aviv area next year. In case you weren't keeping up to date, I'll explain: Israeli high-school graduates are required to do a stint in the IDF. But there is an option for those who cannot do army service (because of religious reasons, or physical limitations, or ideological reasons) to do "National Service" instead. So Sarah will be doing a year (or two) of National Service rather than go to the army.

An occasional client of mine (for whom I wrote software a number of years ago) has reappeared, and wants me to make some modifications to the program I wrote. I informed him I don't have time for that, but he would not take "no" for an answer. So now it looks like I'm getting suckered into another bit of free-lance work (off-hours, in addition to my regular job of course). I can barely even remember what the program did, to tell the truth.

Last week I didn't mention Israel's purported 'hit' of arch-terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. I had enough to talk about; but in any event, it just didn't seem possible or likely to me that Mossad was involved. First, why would they use passports with Israeli's names on them? Second, why would they not take care to avoid the hotel cameras? Furthermore, why would they use such a large team of people?!? Last week, the "team" was only 11 or 12. But now, the brains in Dubai claim 26 were involved. Bloody hell, man! And according to a guest on the BBC, there are 500,000 Mossad operatives worldwide (!). So much for a secret organization (rolls eyes). Now that our cover is blown, we've decided to "come out" and help the Dubai police. You too can join the "I was also a part of the Dubai Assassination Squad" Facebook group and show your pride in the Mossad!

I think it's far more likely the hit was carried out by the PA, except that they have too feeble a grasp of reality to carry out something like this. Seriously, my bet is on the British in collusion with the Egyptians. Both would love to tarnish Israel's image, and both would love to off that rat-bastard and stick it to Hamas.

This week, the Israeli government declared the Cave of the Patriarchs (in Hebron) and Rachel's Tomb (near Bethlehem) as "Heritage Sites" which need to be preserved and maintained. Surprisingly (not!) this was jumped on as a "provocation" by the Arab squatters in the Land. Actually surprising was the feckless Obama administration's reaction. As one blogger put it, "just bite me, OK?".

Odds and ends:

• Fascinating video guide to North Korea
• Apropos my devar-torah this week, the Israeli Antiquities Authority has a display of ancient masks
• The Obamanator sent the Dalai Lama out with the trash, so as not to spoil US-Chinese relations
• And in order to make the world a safer place, the British banned running with pancakes
• Secretary of State Clinton is working on free fish for Passover
• Support in America for Israel is astonishingly high. Support by Americans, not their post-American leaders that is...
• Sitting in the bus the other day on the way home, I was thinking about how this shabbat is "shabbat zachor". Then I opened my eyes, and in front of me was a van with האחים ע. מלק written on it. Sorry, you need to know Hebrew for that to make sense...

We're having no guests this week, unfortunately. So we have a simple menu: sweet and sour salmon, grilled pargiot, the usual salads, green beans and hamentashen. Getting ready for a Purim party at our friends' house on Sunday.

Until next week,
Shabbat shalom and happy Purim!

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