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Oct 1st (See this week's devar torah)
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Hi again!

Sukkot is over, no more serious holidays until Pesach -- and that's almost half a year away. We didn't do a lot during the intermediary days; but we did manage to go on a trip (a touristy guided trip) to the north of the Jordan valley. That was interesting in spots; but it was really hot. Other than that, we had guests and inaugurated the BBQ (it works fine, thank you!). A very quiet and relaxing holiday, which is -- in my opinion -- the very best kind.

Sarah's friend who is staying with us is keeping two-days of holidays (she lives outside Israel, usually) so last night we went to "second hakafot" -- an Israeli invention (well, it started in the Land of Israel before there was a State of Israel, but nevertheless...) in which the dancing with Torah scrolls which is done during "Simchat Torah" is also done after the holiday is over, and while it is still holiday for our brethren who are unfortunate enough to still reside outside the Land. It was actually very nice; lots and lots of people there, the mayor of our fair town gave a small and poignant speech (using Rashi on the first verse of Genesis for political points, not too hard to do). There were all sorts of Jews there -- quite a show.

Other than that, there's not a lot to tell -- since we didn't really do too much. However, the world did keep moving along, so I'll shift now to 'outside issues'.

If you've paid any attention whatsoever, you'll have noticed the appearance of the "Stuxnet" worm. It's a computer 'worm', which attacks specific kinds of computer installations, most particularly ones having industrial control systems from the German company Siemens. This was not, however, a typical computer virus written by some bored teenager; it shows a level of technical acumen and monetary backing which suggest it was authored by some country's intelligence services. Given that vast majority of active 'infections' are in Iran, the supposition is that either the US or Israel are behind it.

This is fascinating on many fronts; but it is particularly important in pointing out what you can do to protect your own systems from being similarly compromised. Here are some tips from the paranoid penguin:

  • Your first line of defense is to not run Windows. The worm utilized four different methods of subverting Windows-based machines. However, not all of you have yet heeded my advice to abandon Windows; so ...
  • Please change your passwords to something hard to guess! One of the vulnerabilities utilized by the worm was people leaving systems with their 'default' passwords. This is always a really, really bad idea!
  • Practice safe-hex! Don't ever insert a USB key (memory stick) from someone you don't know.
  • Do make sure your 'firewall' is enabled. If you are on Windows and cannot get the firewall to turn on, you may very well already be infected with a computer virus -- in that case, disconnect from the internet and seek immediate help.
  • Make backups of any of your data you cannot afford to lose. If you are on a Linux machine, also back up any specific changes you made (in /etc for example) to customize your machine's settings. Store a copy of your backed-up data in a safe location that is not where your computers are (e.g., a safe-deposit box or a trustworthy friend's house or something).

Good news for Israelis:


We have one of Sarah's friends with us this week; on the menu: homemade challah, fish patties, corn salad, quinoa salad, cabbage salad, tuna salad, egg salad, roast chicken, meatballs, lentil soup, braised leeks.

Until next week,
shabbat shalom!


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