Tikkun Olam

I remember many years ago being thrilled by the movie Fantastic Voyage , (yes, I know it dates me) all the while believing that it was science fiction. Little did I know then, that by the time I would be an adult it would actualize and become science fact. . . Appropos this, you might remember that some time back I posted on this blog about the myriad things Israel has done and still is doing over its short history as a modern state to benefit humanity (many of which go unrecognized by the rest of the world). Well, here's one that is being recognized (albeit quietly, for now): Fantastic Voyage has become Fantastic Fact: Israel is involved in break-through research and cutting-edge applications in the area of Nanotechnology , an applied science based on controlling matter on the atomic and molecular level. Nanotechnology-" nano " deriving from the Greek nanos or nannos meaning "little old man" refers to a measure of one billionth, e.g., a nanometer is o...

Thank heaven for my professional and reliable Research Assistants in my Research Department, such as M (in London), N (in the A. Intelligence Agency), and Betzalel, (my contact in the Shin-Bet) - among others, without whom I could never post the deep, pithy and world-changing posts that I do. Like this one, which finally reveals the Seven Great Truths of Mankind: This is what SAD looks like : This is what SORRY looks Like: This is what BAD SPELLING looks like: This is what our TAX DOLLARS AT WORK looks like: This is what A BLONDE'S CAR looks like: This is what "IT'S OK I'LL WAIT" looks like: And this is what " I THOUGHT YOUR HUSBAND WAS OUT OF TOWN" looks like: (Keep up that research, guys!)

As you can see, Chanukah and my working full-time have negatively impacted my blog; have not had the time nor energy to research topics to post. My project just ended at the end of last week, and I am posting something as a transition before my next real subject (this one's an illusion!) while I am starting another job search - but what a transition: just listen to this beauty from HaBanot Nechama , for a musical harmonial HIGH: Music is in my soul; don't you just feel like flying? I do: my recently-married-in-June-son & daughter-in-law have just arrived in the States for a visit. I can't wait to see them! In summation, I am grateful to G-d for my family and their milestones and achievements, one of which (just to point out two) is my eldest daughter's new baby carrier company which you can go to by clicking on http://www.babyktan.com/ , and I can't close without a hearty Happy Birthday to my soldier-daughter, Tzipi, who completes her 19th year in the secular c...

I'm probably the only blogger who hasn't yet posted anything about the wonderful holiday of Chanukah ; thank G-d it's eight days long, so procrastinating bloggers such as I can get our act together (Amazing. And here you thought it was eight days long because of the miracle of the oil.). Everything I wanted to tell you about (prepare yourselves for one lo-ooong, run-on sentence) - the over 2,000 year old history of this holiday dating back to the time when Judea was under the rule of the Seleucid king Antiochus around 169 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and his cruel prohibitions of Jewish religious practices such as ritual circumcision and Sabbath observance and the Hasmonean family whose head was Matityahu (Mattathias) who led the Jewish revolt against Antiochus with his five sons one of whom was Yehudah who was called "Maccabee" (Judah Maccabee) from the Hebrew letters on his shield meaning "who is like You among the gods O Lord" which formed the a...

Another phony attempt at so-called "peace-talks" is coming up at Annapolis this week. I say 'phony' because it is Israel who is offering concessions while the Arabs have not stopped the kassam attacks coming from Gaza and are basically not offering anything, just demanding more and more. Arlene Peck says it so well. It just angers me so much, that I am beside myself. I find myself repeating myself to friends, in letters to the editor in newspapers, on my blog, and it falls on deaf ears. I could be sending this to the State Department; and it would still fall on deaf ears. What kind of stupidity is this, Israel 'getting together 'with Arab nations who hate her, some of whom won't even change their charters to acknowledge that she exists or has a right to exist-to conduct talks for 'peace?' When the basic premise hasn't even been met yet? And have you noticed that the world doesn't acknowledge Israel's contributions, to anything? The few...

Thanksgiving Day is an interesting phenomenon. I just love the traditional Thanksgiving dinner: Roast turkey with stuffing, a sweet potato or winter squash souffle-type side dish (sometimes with yams, sometimes with marshamallow fluff mixed in), cranberry sauce (sometimes cranberry-orange), and then those fantastic desserts which we rarely have during the rest of the year, such as pumpkin pie, and a special tradition in our house thanks to my-husband-the-chef, french chocolate silk pie, and pecan pie as well. Years ago we also used to make apple pie, in addition to the three aforementioned ones. It's no wonder we gained a little spare tire over the years. . . In their great wisdom, the powers that be of the time, the early Pilgrims, set aside a holiday after their first harvest in 1621, which was " ...an autumn celebration of food, feasting, and praising G-d." In 1789, President George Washington issued a " National Thanksgiving Proclamation " assigning the ...

Even though we recycle here in the States, I am not aware that we do it on such a large scale - we still could surely learn something from this one: Israel is officially turning a stinky place-a BIG stinky place - into a public park. It is the Hiriya garbage dump outside of Tel-Aviv, and it is being developed into a huge public park, with different parts of the waste being recycled separately to make some elements of the park, such as plastic and wood - while the methane gases are being harnessed to produce electricity. “At first I thought it should go,” said Martin Weyl, a former director of the Israel Museum, who first came up with the idea of turning the dump into an attraction. “But then I thought garbage is a big part of our lives. We shouldn’t hide it.” One of the advisors on this tremendous project is Laura Starr who was the former design chief for Central Park in New York City (the Hiriya park will be approximately twice its size.). To get to the official Hiriya website, click...