Man and Metal

                       Bracha           

My mother Bracha ('bracha'  means blessing in hebrew, and she was indeed a blessing to her family) used to say 'man is the hardest of metals', 'man is stronger than steel' and other such sayings.  She was referring, of course, to the tragedies individuals or families go through, and yet they find the strength to stand on their feet and  go on with their life.

I was reminded of that recently while reading in the news about president Biden. He lost his first wife and their girl in an accident, and later in life he lost one of his two sons to cancer. And yet, not only did he go on with his life, but entered the field of politics, a highly controversial field, which required particular strength of character.

Ruth Dayan, the first wife of general  Moshe Dayan, former  Minister of Defence of Israel, died  in 2021, one month before her 104 birthday. She died at home and at her own 'initiative' (stopped eating). 

Her life was  interesting but rather tragic. 

The husband had constant extra-marital affairs, so she divorced him and got a career of her own in fashion and social/peace  activities. She became quite an inspiration for women.

One of her two sons, a very talented actor, writer and movie director, got into drugs (as far as I  could remember ,it happened after his father, the general, died and left almost his entire estate  to his second wife, nothing to Ruth and their 3 children). Ruth, already at an advanced age, had to be strong not only for herself, but also to help her son control his depression, and prevent further deterioration.  She was always there for her children and grandchildren.

Her daughter (83), the eldest of the three children, a writer and active politician, yet a heavy smoker, had been struggling during the last decade with  lung disease. 

Ruth was predeceased by both her sons who died untimely. I guess  she was afraid she might have to bury her daughter too, and decided to put an end to life's playing a farce on her.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2023!

The Weather of Together

 So far, the weather here is fine; so I get a little depressed when I read in your blogs about snow and freezing cold.

Luckily, the descriptions of decorations, ornaments , greeting cards, gifts, food, and other Christmas preparations are very, very heart-warming and eye- pleasing!

The December holidays: Christmas. and our jewish Hanukkah -  are family holidays, celebrations of togetherness, lights, gift-giving, good food. 

 The Christmas tree with its colorful lights  and the Menora with its eight candle lights, illuminate our lives and uplift our spirit.

Menora

Christmas tree and gifts

Here are some nice rhymes to go with 'weather' and 'together':

'As long as we are together /who cares about the weather'?

'You can be as cold as the winter weather/ but I don't care as we are together' 

I will help you get better/ when you feel under the weather

* web pictures

The 'Hashish' Mystery

On the 22 of November, dozens of packages containing many kilograms of drugs washed up on the beaches of the Mediterranean, from northern Israel (Naharia, Haifa, Tirat Hakarmel, Zichron Ya'akov) to its center (Tel-Aviv, Rishon- Lezion).

At first, there was panic ; fear of packages containing explosives. So, the police were called to inspect them and look for additional packages. Next, the dumped stuff was transferred to a police lab.

Could be it was a failed smuggling operation of packages tossed from a passing ship for locals to collect. The other possibility is that the israeli owner was trying, for some reason, to get rid of the illegal drugs and threw them into the sea.

So far, we haven't heard anything from the police, and that's frustrating.

I recall something similar in the past, but it was on a much smaller scale, and  long before the talks on cannabis'  legalization.

Anyway, this kind of happening causes security panic, and it might damage the marine fauna (the packages of marijuana were non water proof).

* web pictures :

                                       package on the beach

RICE and PRICE

 

I believe in ice therapy. Ice reduces pain and swelling, prevents inflammation after a fall, and might cancel the need to go to the ER. I sometimes apply ice even when logic tells me warmth will be more effective. Logic tells one thing, experience tells another. In certain cases it's possible to have both, alternate cold and warm for the best result.

Of course, one has to be patient and careful about applying ice, in order to avoid frostbite (caused by ice applied directly on the skin),  allergies, or worsen existing pain. Icing session between intervals, should be limited to  10- 20 minutes to avoid tissue damage.

I keep several cold gel packs in the freezer, and that serves me well. I've seen on Amazon site ,though, some devices for knee and shoulder ice therapy, that might be worth buying, just in case.

My first major use of ice occured several years ago after I fell  on my arm, on the pavement. and got my right shoulder badly hurt.  I decided not to lose  time by going to get medical help, but reach home, and start immediately applying ice  to reduce the throbbing pain and prevent inflammation.

I went to the doctor  two weeks after the fall, pain free and able to use my right arm, though with some degree of restriction. The ultrasound revealed only a tiny fissure for which I was prescribed physiotherapy for four weeks, twice a week.

Back to the title of the post - two wise little words indicating  at-home treatment for injuries:

RICE = rest, ice, compression, elevation ;  PRICE = protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation.

Named After

 Naming and renaming  of streets is quite a vast subject! I wasn't aware of that till recently when we were faced with a 'hot' controversy regarding the naming of a street after a living person.

Usually, streets are named in honor of distinguished people after their death. However, as it happens with everything else, pressure is present here too: pressure from politicians and from ethnical groups that wish to make sure they're not forgotten, ignored, or discriminated. So, naming after a living person is probably no longer a taboo, but not popular either. (I myself am against naming after a living person).

Streets/roads are often named after trees (especially in rural areas), vital occupations and professions,  famous institutions,  historical/archeological sites and events. Still, naming after human figures is the most popular. The emphasis used to be on heads of state, scientists, writers, explorers, war heroes.  Nowadays, there's a tendency to include more celebrities from the culturally entertaining world (singers, composers, actors etc...).

The city or district council is responsible for naming streets and placing adequate signage. I guess it's quite a 'headache': debates on the various proposals, decisions on the signs to be displayed, dealing with opposition  of residents or other factors of interest in the respective area etc.. Well, someone has to do it, and it's the local authorities' doing from start to finish.

Our standard sign is written in two languages: Hebrew and Arabic, and employ three scripts: hebrew, arabic, latin.

Here's an example: Bialik street sign.( Bialik was a famous israeli poet).

Que Sera Sera

On the 1st of November we had general elections (five rounds of voting in three and a half years!!). Nothing to write home about. As expected (by me, at least), it went from bad to worse. (the results, I mean).

What happened? Well, Democracy got hijacked by demograpy and religiosity. The winners were the right wing party with its natural allies of extreme religious factions.

So, secular and traditional way of life are under threath. 

It's all man-made and local. No point in blaming God or foreign factors. It's not temporary either, as people would like to believe.The winners have obtained a solid majority of mandates which will enable them to set up a steady government.

At my age, I don't plan relocation.  Besides, things look pretty bad  everywhere in this divisive world.  So,  que sera, sera, as the song goes, whatever will be, will be.

Anyway, the concept of Democracy has to be reviewed and revised. It has sadly become  a big farce in many countries.

Our so called democracy is going to be controlled by the orthodox who actually form a state within a state contributing almost nothing  useful to the wellfare of the country; using all its resources but giving nothing in return.

Go Cognitive

The other day, I was reading  about a  new supplement  named 'StayIn' (stay in), introduced by the  israeli startup company Biomind and meant to boost cognitive function. It is made up of seven ingredients among them vitamin B6, vitamin B12, karnitin, rhodiola.

As a retired, third age person, in fear of cognitive decline associated with the aging process (memory loss, dementia), it caught my attention. 

So far, all I did was to look for mind stimulating activities.

I don't  mean all those 'word and mind games' (sudoku,  crosswords, puzzles, etc..). I personally prefer practicalities that help me in my every day  life - like learning to fix things in the house or with the computer. In this way, I also don't get dependent on others. 

Luckily, there are written guides as well as online videos that can teach us  things, and do wonders to our mental skills.

Among some of the more known ways of  improving cognitive ability are : learning a foreign language, learning to play a musical instrument,  memorizing texts/ poems, focusing on specific activities that are supposed to contribute to our health (meditation, yoga). 

(Reading fiction and watching TV  are activities that mostly entertain me and /or help me escape daily worries, but I feel they do little to 'sharpen' my mind).

Writing, as opposed to reading is a more efficient form of stimulating the brain, especially writing in a language that is not one's native language, and so requires more mental effort. I say this from personal experience as both Hebrew and English are not my first language. 

The blog helps me 'catch two birds with one hand': writing (exposing facts and views) , and preserving my knowledge of English which is an acquired language for me.

Turkish

                                                mineral water

I wrote  in the past about 'turkish delight' - food/beverage items produced and imported from our neigbour country Turkey.

This year I've become acquainted with a certain type of their mineral and soda water -  small bottles of mineral water (500 ml), and tiny glass bottles of soda water (200 ml).  It's good stuff and decently priced, but it's  sold only in a few places because of the objection of the local monopols.

                                mineral water, soda water

Lately, there was shortage of these bottles at my supermarket (they come in packages of 8 water bottles per package , 6 soda tiny bottles per package); so I complained to the guy in charge. He said some nonsense like: 'the bottles are on the way,  swimming  from Turkey to Israel..' He thought he was being funny. He wasn't. 

After several days, though, the bottles were in the store . Great performance!

He listens to the customer and takes immediate action (probably by contacting the warehouse, the other branches, or the import firm). I like that. It's not for the first time that I notice his efficiency.

 I've  heard from another employee in the store, that he makes it very hard for suppliers to raise prices. I like that too. He may seem strange sometimes, but does good work , and understands the importance of each and every customer.

At my age, I have a more or less fixed menu. If an item is missing at the store , it disrupts my nutrition routine, and might affect health.   Luckily, there's no shortage of local basic products (milk, eggs, cottage cheese, veggies, ...), but rather of some imported stuff (from east-central Europe, mainly). Anyway, I'm pleased the place has a reliable person to turn to in case some item is not available. 

The Saxophonist

Several years ago, I wrote a post about a  cafe in my hometown - a small place specializing in coffee brands and selling  a variety of pastries and snacks (rather expensive).

Sometimes, the cafe  would also offer its customers a mini musical show, performed by one or two music players.

Since Covid , things don't look too bright about this place. Anyway, they've come up with an attraction: a metal little statue of a jazz saxophonist. It is placed outside the coffee shop ,near the pavement. The sight of it is enjoyed by its customers, as well as by customers of the adjacent McDonalds eatery  and  passersby.

                                                              jazz saxophonist

I enjoy contemplating it too . Whenever I'm in the area I stop to have a look at it. It reminds me of some great music and musicians. Of course, it also reminds me of Bill Clinton, the USA president ( a saxophone player in his college days), who has contributed to the popularity of the sax.

(Examining closely the several photos I took of the figurine, made me angry.  It is not well-maintained; it seems to be covered with a thin layer of dust. It should be cleaned often as it is outside, close to traffic and subject to climate elements).

Dear Readers

 

I'm taking a break from blogging to welcome our High Holidays : New Year (Rosh Hashanah), The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

These are sacred days - days of awe, days of feasting and fasting, of prayer and spirituality.

These days are important for  the reflections on the past and for shaping our life in the present, experiencing  belief and hope in God.

See you soon!

'Every Dog Has Its Day'

 

The above idiom means that everyone gets eventually a chance to be successful at something,  sometimes, in his/her life. The phrase even appears in Shakespeare's play, 'Hamlet'. There was also a successful movie with this title.  It is said to have been first uttered by Queen Elizabeth 1. 

The idiom can also mean revenge. In hebrew this is a very popular revenge saying :(kol kelev ba iomo) כל כלב בא יומו The source in this case is arabic, and  the word 'dog' stands for a despicable person whose day of punishment will sure arrive. Strange as it may seem, I believe there's some truth in this rather primitive saying. How come? 

Well,  I notice  over the years, that although I've completely lost touch with people that have done me wrong at one time or another, nevertheless , news about them reach me through all sorts of  unexpected ways, as if to notify me that  'justice has been done'.

I never ever rejoice at bad news ( I get sad even when I hear of a captured terrorist being "neutralised"), but being human, I can't help feeling sometimes pleased that things have come full circle. The person who has done me wrong has been somehow punished (or.. perhaps not; if it's a divorce, may be he's happy about it, lol).  

Anyway, the  mere belief in this kind of saying, sets one free from remembering such a person or  having any  feelings about him - and that's  a big Relief. 

'Investment' Affairs

Starting with May next year, there will be some new visa regulations for  those who intend to visit countries of the European Union. There's still time to look into these regulations and see what's it all about. The news ,however, made me think of  visas and passports in general, and how they have become a highly profitable business in particular.       

Not only does the service of issuing / renewing/replacing a visa/passport cost the applicant good money, but countries are  willing to sell these documents  to those not elligible at all, for a substantial sum of money invested in a house/business/bank account . Requirements such as basic knowledge of the language by the applicant for the passport,  has been shamelessly removed in many cases.

Don't you worry, said someone to me; after getting the money for the passport, at the tiniest move or request they'll send the new passport owner to learn the language and culture of the place. Money first, national pride next, but still there.

A passport does not only serve as a travel document, but is also evidence of citizenship.  I've got double citizenship : romanian (by birth) and israeli. As Romania is part of the European Union its passport is an european one. 

An additional passport is an asset, and a sort of investment.  It might help with retirement, relocation, taxes, work, studies, life improvements.                                                                           

At my age, I don't plan any relocation , but one never knows what God's plans are. Suppose personal safety gets treatened by certain events (war, famine,earthquake,crime)  one might consider migration to what looks like a safer place.

In my nearby area, Cyprus followed by Portugal, seems to be a popular EU citizenship source. Many hundreds of russians, brits, and israelis have relocated on this island. 

Among the non-EU passports in the near area, the turkish one is quite sought after. No wonder, Turkie  has a more or less steady regime, it is more or less a self-sufficient country. We, in Israel import quite a lot of essentials from Turkie ; it's all good stuff (potatoes, mineral water, canned food etc..) and no less important, decently priced.

Times Have Changed

 

It once used to be solely a matter of raising the salary, with or without a preceding strike. Not anymore. Workers have additional (justified) demands; they refuse to put up with violence in schools, in hospitals, on buses etc.. They demand besides anti-violence measures,  better working conditions, especially less working hours, decent recreation facilities. Teachers, medical personnel, drivers, threaten to desert their working place if their demands are not met.

Demographics is growing at quite an alarming pace in certain circles in our country. I believe increase in demographics, causes crowdedness which in turn brings about violence . It also has a bad impact on the country's economic ability.

Politicians are not capable of dealing with this issue; in fact with any serious issue, and poor governance prevails. The approaching general elections won't solve a thing;just the usual waste of time and money.

Workers (inclusive teachers and doctors)  are not as professional as it used to be in the past when standards required were much higher. Moreover,  few or no digital 'toys' were available then. Now wherever one looks, at any hour of the day - people  are 'glued'  to their smartphone and tablet. Work can wait, service can wait. 

Well,  we can't give up  digital 'toys',can we;  just as we can't  give up polluting  cars - so what's to be done? Not much...

Not To Be Encouraged.

 

The other day, I had to do a few things in a neighboring town. Before returning home, I took a stroll along its main street. My eyes caught a new, nice little shop ( since Covid,  there seem to be more empty/closed shops then active or new ones ).            

When I approached it, I got rather surprised . It was a shop selling... smoking accessories.  After all, smoking is no longer a popular habit because of its negative impact on health . So, what's the 'profit' logic behind it?!

I don't remember a similar physical  'specialized' shop even in those "jolly" days with people heavy on smoking and no ban on smoking in public. As I 've never been a smoker myself, I don't have the proper background to go into details, but I'll admit there is a rich variety of nice  items in this shop with great potential of attracting customers.

'So, smoking is back in town'? I asked the guy in the shop. 'It never quit town', he replied with a smile. He had russian accent;  that made me suspect  people of russian origin could be the basis of his customers. It is said that many "russians", especially middle-aged and elderly are quite addicted to smoking.

I suppose it was not easy for the owner to get a licence for opening the store. There are many rules and regulations ( such as age-restriction) controlling this kind of business.

The location of the shop is optimal: on the main street, no competition in this area, as far as I could see .   It will be interesting to notice at a later stage, if it does well, considering that tobacco is the cause of  major lung diseases. 

Anyway, I believe this kind of business  should  not be encouraged neither by the authorities nor by the population.

The Power of the Mind

There are certain people among us (fortunetellers, magicians, illusionists, mentalists) who claim to have special powers. Many years ago, one of them, an israeli by the name of Uri Geller became famous all over the world,  through his ability to bend  spoons (his powers have even been certified by the CIA after testing).

Next, he used his mental  powers to trace oil fields. This was probably where he had made a little fortune which enabled him to buy an uninhabited island in Scottland, and open his private  art collection Museum in Old Jaffa city.

I wish to believe that God has given us all, special abilities. We just have to look into ourselves, discover these abilities and  make use of  them the best we can. People  do this when trying to find healing powers, and it usually works.

We live in a period when  special powers might help us. Our life systems (education, health, justice etc..) have collapsed long before Covid's appearance, and it's probably going to be worse.

I'm not interested in bending spoons, or moving objects with the power of my mind. But, how about  moving a bad neighbor to another location?! Theoretically, I think it can be done, but I haven't got the energy and time to focus mentally on that person.

I'm not interested in tracing oil fields either, but I'm afraid we'll have to trace food sources in the not so distant future. Considering climate change, famine might be knocking on the door.

Anyhow, I'll have to do some reading on the subject and watch some relevant youtube tutorials.