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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Israel's (or somebody's) Got Talent

They call themselves an "International" group, although the names are Israeli and so is their phone number (and I detect a definite accent to some of their English). My intrepid research staff in London (yes, the infamous M) sent me this.

Leave it to Yidden, if they can't debate you to death, they'll sing you onto the floor while you're laughing hysterically and peeing in your pants. And they're not even paying me to post this. Heck, I'm not even waiting for their reply to my email--just watch the video (Simon Cowell, eat your heart out):



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Shavuot Is Coming, and I'm HUNGRY.


I'm also on a diet. I am half-heartedly trying to lose x number of pounds (kilos, for my Israeli friends and family. Actually, my weight sounds a lot better in kilos. . . ).
I say "half-heartedly," not because my heart isn't in it--it is--but rather because (על חטא שחטאתי לפניך...) I enjoy food. And also eating it. I'm not a gourmet, but probably (alas) more of a. . . gourmand. I said it. And now the whole world knows (or, only that tiny little portion who reads this blog; not so bad, really. . . )

And to my utter dismay, just when I am finally back down to where I was just before Pesach, of all things--Shavuot has to come up. All of a sudden! You'd think that I'd be prepared, I've been counting the Omer so diligently since Pesach-yes, with a bracha (-eat yer hearts out) But I'm not.
I am not prepared to pass over (heh heh, 'pass over,' get it?) cheese cake and spinach cheese quiche and milchig noodle kugel and ice cream with fruit. NO NO NO NO!

My hubby is out of work, so he enjoys his leisure time (yeah, right, leisure time) cooking up a storm for Shabbatot and Chagim. This Shavuot we (the royal "we." It's probably going to be mainly "He." Just ask my kids...) will be making eggplant parmigiana, cheese kugel, and maybe I'll be brave and attempt a spinach quiche or two, and a cheese cake.

Yes, I am not forgetting the import of Shavuot: Z'man Matan Torateinu*, and it's agricultural counterpart, celebrating the first harvest-bringing the Bikurim* to the Beit HaMikdash*. These are the most important reasons of all.

But it just wouldn't be the same if say, all we had was chicken. Or worse, cholent. We will have one fleishig meal, though, now scheduled for the 2nd day lunch, on Shabbat. Last year we had four-count 'em-four milchig meals, and I didn't miss the meat at all.

I guess you could say that my "default" food is milchig. I just love it, and can't get enough of it (think: cottage cheese and agvaniyot* for breakfast)--although my gastrointestinal tract is not crazy about it lately. . .
Copy this URL in a browser to see a nice video about some customs-food and otherwise- for the holiday of Shavuot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mejCKhhggRk.

And thanks also to Jacob Richman for his wonderful blog, Good News from Israel, for the link above and the following video. Chag Sameach.


(and, in other, unrelated matters: Mazal Tov to my daughter RAMBO for passing the Loren!!!)




Glossary:
Z'man Matan Torateinu= the time of the giving of the Torah
Bikurim=the offering of first fruits
Beit HaMikdash=the Holy Temple which was in Jerusalem
Agvaniyot=tomatoes



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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Bama and Bibi

To listen to President Obama speak about the Middle East, you'd think he was the fairest, most intelligent, reasonable leader the United States has had in a long time. All he wants is peace between the Jewish state and the Arab states, and in a civilized world, civilized man reasons intellectually with his fellow man rather than resorts to primitive actions such as physical violence.

It sounds good, really it does. That is what one would expect from an intelligent, reasonable man or woman.
I think he's forgotten one minor thing, though: reasoning has a smidgen of a chance of working only if both sides use reasoning towards conflict resolution.

The so-called Palestinians don't.

So at the first meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu in Washington D.C., there was a slight difference of opinion: Bama thinks Israel should stop the Judaisizing of the "occupied territories" (read: Yehudah & Shomron=Judea and Samaria) by stopping and dismantling settlements, Israel should promote a two-state solution towards the (G-d forbid) creation of a Palestinian State in the "West Bank" (read: Yehudah & Shomron=Judea and Samaria), and Bama thinks that we should use diplomacy (read that word s-l-o-w-l-y, with a slightly sarcastic draaawwwl, like Michael Savage would) and n-e-g-o-t-i-a-t-i-o-n-s (ditto) with Iran to sweet-talk them into cancelling their nuclear weapons building program which they (nah, ya think?) might attempt to use to fulfill Hitler's Ahmadinejad's threat to annihilate Israel. I mean, it's not as if they haven't talked about it, is it?!

Bama also thinks that the so-called Palestinian issue is tied in with the Iran issue. How in heck does an educated, intelligent leader of a world power such as the United States, get so confused? I'm being polite. He has no comprehension of historical events and of causal relationships, and of the character of nations and their cultures: some are peace-loving, others are war-mongering. Just listen to the music, as the song goes--listen to their music--and you see the difference immediately. If you want to, that is.

That's what Bama thinks; Bibi has disagreed: He told Senator Kerry that Iran and the so-called Palestinian issue are not related. Meanwhile, Hamas and Fatah are at each other's throats, neither one willing to relinquish power or form a coalition (same old same old), and most of the security in the West Bank (read: Yehudah and Shomron=Judea and Samaria) is maintained because the IDF is there, not because Fatah is combating terrorism in the area, because it isn't.

Oh, and Hamas is still not willing to recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel and its right to exist, let alone "renounce violence" (-excuse me for a minute. I am still choking from that last one).

From the quote in Micheal Goodwin's great article in the Daily News, it's clear how President Obama feels. Or is it:

there is a recognition that the Palestinians are going to have to do a better job providing the kinds of security assurances that Israelis would need to achieve a two-state solution; that, you know, the leadership of the Palestinians will have to gain additional legitimacy and credibility with their own people, and delivering services."
Uh, that sounds a bit like double-speak to me. What are "security assurances?"(=renounce violence, recognize the State of Israel). What is "additional legitimacy and credibility, etc.?" (=become a real government of their own people, and plan a social system and superstructure to improve their people's future, instead of behaving like little 4-year old boys in play group).

Meanwhile, Bibi (-we know, we know; I think...) is opposed to a two-state solution. And will continue to encourage Jewish settlements (remember Tel-Aviv? That was a Jewish settlement too) in Judea and Samaria, historically a Jewish area, never having ever been a sovereign Arab state, and he will not capitulate.

Bibi disagrees with Bama. We-and Tzipi Hotobeli-hope so.



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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Avtala*

(I think I'm forgetting how to blog.)

The Downturn In The Economy finally came home to roost in the last week of April: my husband was laid off from his job.
In the interim between then and now, we have been making calculations and trying to configure what we will need in order to stay where we are, i.e., have a roof over our heads and food on the table (forget clothing; we wear twenty-year-old stuff anyway).

Meanwhile, hubby is applying for jobs all over, not only here where we currently live, but wherever there is anything remotely related to his expertise and experience. In this economy, and at our stage in life, we have to retool ourselves and adapt to a changing world. The internet (as much as I love it) has impacted the information-disseminating professions, specifically--newspapers--in a profound, and negative way.
The revenue models are changing, with the advent of "it's on the internet, it's FREE." Anyone can anonymously spout what is purportedly called 'news,' with little or no research, interviewing of CEOs or fact-verification. And be believed. And affect the stock market - either to rise, or plummet to the depths.

We are-or rather he is-searching for jobs all over, in the USA and abroad. I think there was something in Beijing.

Here's hoping for Jerusalem (-but I'm open to Tel-Aviv. . . )
Any ideas? Email me.




*Avtala: Unemployment



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