"Kapparot"

 

Occasionally, I get hurt by someone's behavior and feel helpless and frustrated; there's nothing I could do about it to ease my anger. The 'kapparot' ritual has given me some idea, but I haven't put it into practice yet , probably never will.

Kapparot (plural of kappara - atonement) in Judaism is a ritual performed on the eve of Yom Kippur ( the Atonement Day), by which the sins of a person  are symbolically transferred to a fowl (usually a hen - for a woman, a rooster for a man).

The fowl is passed over one's head three times, and there's a prayer to be said; in English it sounds like that: "this is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement. This rooster (hen) will go to its death, while I will enter and proceed to a good, long life and to peace".

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The ritual is considered by many as  cruel, and rightly so. Why transfer our sins to the fowl? what has it done to us? Why does it deserve this kind of treatment? because it's about to be slaughtered to provide  meat  for our meals?(The alternative proposed is to use money instead, which will then be given to charity).

Like many others, I'm against this ritual and against slaughtering animals (although, I admit , I eat meat now and then, out of habit and of fear the body might face shortage of some vital nutrient).

Now, what about the idea I got from this ritual?  I could mention three times the name of the person who has done me wrong , and say the prayer by which my sins will be transferred to him/her (omitting, of course, the death part in the prayer. I  wish no one to die ). Let him/her carry and deal with this burden, as revenge for  misbehavior towards me.  It may sound stupid and or childish, but talking or writing about this possibility makes me already feel a little better:)

*  web pictures

 

Professor Emeritus and the Chinese Law

 

There was a sad story in our Media, some two weeks ago. A well - known professor of philosophy, and literary critic, aged 88, sitting in a wheelchair surrounded by boxes full of his archive files - in an appeal to the public: 'help me, don't let them throw me out of my flat'. To make a long story short, he owed a lot of rent money, and so he got a court order asking him to evict the flat.

I  was especially intrigued by the comments to the story.  The commenters mentioned  the university, colleagues, students, the Ministry of Education and other factors which should , according to them, intervene and solve the problem.  No doubt, the problem will get solved, but I asked myself how come nobody mentioned his children, his family? 

'Perhaps he doesn't have any', I said to myself and went to check with the Wikipedia. Well, he does have children - two sons from his third ex-wife (also a professor). The rumor has it that he used to beat his wife, and so they have all three estranged themselves from him . If the rumor is correct, I can understand them, and yet at his age and condition, they should have shown some forgiveness and empathy, not leave it all to the State and the public.

The story has reminded me of a Chinese law ( no, not the notorious one which allows a couple to have one child only) - a law from 2013 which requires children to keep in touch with their parents who are 60 and older, in addition to making sure their financial and spiritual needs are met. If children do not comply, they face fines and lawsuits. I think every country should have such a law.

Politicians and Photos

 

I usually dislike  politicians, but there are a few exceptions. One of them is Angela Merkel, until recently the chancellor of Germany. There's something nice ,human and honest about her, that one doesn't find in the others.  Besides, I have a photo of her as a.....nudist :)

I feel uncomfortable to publish the photo here, although she looks great in it. If you're the curious type you could look it up on the internet.  It is a photo with three young nudist girls - students; one of them is Angela. 

The photo appeared in newspapers and magazines. She was asked about it but refused to comment. Representatives of Germany in various countries were also asked about the photo; they too refused to comment.

The general belief is that it is her in the photo. First, the physical resemblance. Secondly, the background. She grew up in communist East Germany. The photo is believed to have been taken at the nudist camp Costinesti (at the Black Sea), in communist Romania.

After the second World War, nudism was encouraged under communism, as a way of returning  to embrace Nature, and as a symbol of rebellion against the old order of things. It was believed that Angela Merkel was a member of a nudist movement called "Free Body Culture" (in german - Frei Korpercultur").

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Another politician for whom I have a 'soft spot' is Boris Johnson the current P.M. of Britain. 

There's a photo involved here too. It shows Boris as a young volunteer on a kibbutz (agricultural collective community) in Israel. In summer 1984, he and his sister Rachel were volunteers at kibbutz  Kfar Hanassi in northern Israel.

According to his sister, he worked in the communal kitchen, scrubbing pots and pans; according to a leader of the kibbutz he also worked in the fields.

 B.J. in Israel - desert mountains in the background

Anyway, he looks very cute with his short pants and blond hair. How could you not like him.

 

Things Have Gone Too Far

The other day, I  was looking for some water-based paint to re-freshen a few furniture pieces in my home. These pieces are easy to clean and move, hence my wish to protect them and prolong their life.  

Over the years, I had to take some hard decisions such as replacing old, but beautiful ,solid wooden items that I liked, with lighter items - just because I didn't want to work hard , or be dependent on cleaning ladies.

While in the store, I heard someone call my name with a question mark intonation at the end. I turned my head but saw no one familiar.  After a few seconds, I heard my name again and a woman, whom I did not recognize,  approached me and introduced herself. She was an acquaintance, a former neighbor. 

Her mask was under the chin, but with or without the  mask, I couldn't have recognized her, as her face was totally changed. She looked different, obviously as a result of  plastic surgery.

I'm very much in favor of people trying to improve their appearance and confidence by softening wrinkles, even reshaping the nose which is right in the middle of the face - but changing the whole face - that's crazy.  

 Not young, not wealthy... not ugly either, just an ordinary woman;  so what's got into her, why all this?I didn't ask her any questions. I hoped, perhaps, she'd raise the subject herself, but she didn't. So , though shocked, I tried to behave naturally.

She rearranged her mask to cover nose and mouth, and keeping distance, we exchanged a few nice, polite words for old time's sake.

 

La Palma and Human Helplessness

 

 

The fascinating pictures of red fire and black lava coming from La Palma (Spain , the Canary islands) make us for a moment forget the huge destruction caused by the volcano's eruption, and the problematic existence of islands in this era of Climate  Change.

The eruption started on 19 of September, and is not completely over yet.  "All we can do is cry", said a young woman who lost her home and shop.

There are things in life that we could  control, both as nations and as individuals: birth rate and nutrition, for example. Yet, we do little to nothing about that, and so,  we fail to improve things  on the national and on the personal level.

What then, are our chances to control the uncontrollable? (Yes, climate and Nature's whims are uncontrollable by humans, in my very humble opinion). The answer to my above question is not an optimistic one.

The big plan , supported by scientists and heads of state, is to reduce gas emissions to zero, and invest in renewable energy. These are good things;  they should be done regardless of climate change,  but...it will take time - time that we do not have. It's a very slow, inefficient process,  full of obstacles, and requiring global action.

Nevertheless, we should not lose hope ; we should work on it,  parallel to our main efforts to avoid /minimize disaster caused by climate change.

To try and avoid / minimize Nature's disasters we should first stop ignoring what science  tells us about the melting ice in Antarctica, the sea level rise, the increased frequency and intensity of  hurricanes, floods, wild fires, droughts, earthquakes, volcano eruptions.  'Knowledge is power'.

We could next try to redesign our homes, cities, coastlines;   consider relocation, plan how to assure adequate supply of food , water, and shelter.   

Not easy, not cheap - but we have to keep in mind that according to scientific predictions, latest by 2050  (make it 2040) many islands and cities in various parts of the world will be ....under water.

 

The Volunteers are The Best Part.

 

Twice a year, before the start of the two major holidays Passover and New Year, the municipality sends a box of food products to its senior citizens. Nice initiative but...I'm sometimes unhappy with some of the box's content.

I don't know how it works, and who's in charge of the project there, but it's done with minimum of thought and logic.

Elderly people try to keep away from the unofficial 'killers' : sugar, salt, oil. In the box, these are  dominant items both as stand alone (1 kilo sugar, 1 kilo salt, 1 bottle of oil) and as part of the various products (coca cola bottles - not the diet or zero version - but the classic one with all the sugar and calories; several tins of tuna - in oil, not in water).

People like to drink coffee, but the only type in the box is always the strong, black, turkish coffee which might cause or increase insomnia at a certain age.  Ketchup is a constant. I wish some of it be replaced by a few fresh tomatoes.

The good stuff in the box is the one that helps with observing the holiday tradition, and I feel grateful for that:  for Passover - a big package of matzot (unleavened bread), eggs, potatoes, a jar of 'gefilte fish' (egg-shaped patties made of  ground carp fish), a package of matza flour for making  soup balls , a bottle of non-alcoholic wine.

soup balls

                                      

'gefiilte fish'  with carrot topping

                                                           

For New Year, a small jar of honey, traditional honey cake , apples, eggs, a bottle of wine. (Dipping slices of apple in honey is symbolic of  a sweet, abundant New Year).

honey and apples

The box is brought in by one or two young volunteers, in their last year of high school, methink. They deserve  a big hug for their heart-warming effort and caring.

* web pictures

 

 

Ready To Fast?

 

Last week we celebrated the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), with fasting and prayers.

The day before, I left home in the morning without any breakfast , and by late afternoon I was famished. I stopped at an eatery and ordered a 'schawarma' portion ( a pita pocket stuffed with roasted  meat, salad, and chips)+ a small bottle of cold soda water. I ate it at a table outside. The portion was unusually spicy, and being very hungry, I ate it hastily.

 

                                                                      schawarma skewer

I reached home having a burning thirst and an upset stomach. I drank some water and tea, but  felt no much improvement. Suddenly,  my eyes fell on the bowl with sabra fruit (cactus prickle pear).  'Here comes my salvation', I thought. I remembered reading somewhere that the sabra calms down the digestive system by absorbing whatever irritates it.

Well, salvation it was. At the third fruit, I felt much better. In fact, I felt wonderful.

This fruit has always been a favorite of mine for its taste and texture (I even put it on the sidebar of my blog and I wrote a post on it in Oct. 2017). Now, I've learnt that "there's more to it than meets the eye" as they say. 

I was glad to be ready for next day's evening - the beginning of  the 25 hours of fasting, hours with no liquid, no solid food. The Yom Kippur day and the fasting are very important to me spiritually.

The sabra fruit is small but encased in a thick, semi- thorny peel . It's not cheap, but I always buy some when it's available at the grocery store.

 * Web pictures

 

New in Town

 

Finally, the defibrillator, the external life- saving device during cardiac arrest, has been installed in our town. It is placed in public locations, mainly on lottery kiosks and old payphone booths. 

yellow device on the kiosk's outer wall

The defib. is meant for untrained people who by pushing the right button activate an electric shock  helping the collapsed person survive until ambulance with the rescue team arrives. Everyone on the street, they  say, could be a life saver.

I 've noticed, though,  there are no instructions on this yellow colored device, except for the one, demanding to dial the urgency number 101 when an emergency occurs.  Probably at that number one gets the necessary information on what needs to be done (buttons are under lock).

As I understand, Mifal Hapais (national Lotttery of Israel),  which owns the lottery kiosks,  is funding these devices.The phone booths are the property of the giant phone company Bezek. 

As most of  the phone booths are not in use any more, but still need some maintenance,  it is  now for the Magen David Adom (Israel's national Emergency organization) to bear the responsability for them; it's a win-win situation.

                                                           empty phone booth
 

                                       simple top booth with functioning phone

 

May we never need to use the defib! The sad reality, however, is that we often hear about cases of cardiac arrest. There's even a rise in the number of cases now, probably having something to do with the Covid infection.

 

The Article and Its Author

 

There's an old article (published some 25 years ago) which I re-read from time to time.  It is entitled 'The Thinking Person's Guide to Perfect Health', written by the american Ron Kennedy M.D.  Only recently have I become aware of the fact that the author has  a whole book on the subject ( it sells at Amazon, and it's not cheap).

Anyway, I'm  quite satisfied with the 13-page internet article. I like everything about it : style , approach, and message. I got to it in my quest for information on the glaucoma eye disease. My late Mother suffered of glaucoma, and in her late years became blind.

I remember myself feeling very frustrated with what standard medicine had to offer once the disease was detected - mainly drops to lower the pressure built up in the eye liquid, but the drops and the other meds didn't stop the progress of the disease towards blindness.

The other day,  when I wished to  re-read the above article, I found out the last 2 pages were missing. I decided to look for it and type it again. Well, it seems to have disappeared from the Web; that might probably have something to do with possible interference in the  selling of the book.

While looking for the article, I have learnt that the doctor, owner of an anti-aging clinic, is being charged with having provided illegal written exemption from vaccination for three children. I've  also come upon the info that a book of his against vaccines has been in the headlines for some 20 years (never heard of it; I wish I could get hold of it/ I'm curious of what he has to say on this hot topic ).

I'm not surprised he gets himself into trouble . He's not a conventional doctor. He calls himself a nutritional doctor, one that believes that the vitamins and minerals in our nutrition can heal our body, not the synthetic drugs. He advocates curing by nutrient therapy. 

In his article, he names the FDA 'an Old Boys' Club', and the NIH a mighty organization with a small corner only for progressive medicine.  He promises that if we follow the principles outlined in his article we'll never have to visit his medical office.

I must admit he sounds rather convincing to me.  We can have control of nutrition, much less of stress, not at all of genetics. The right nutrition and mineral /vitamin supplements could  eliminate or lower our need for 'doctor's appointment'.

 

Global Challenges

 

The world is facing now two major challenges: Climate Change and Covid 19. The general opinion is that there should be some global action initiated by a global factor to tackle these challenges. 

Yes, but who? The UN is a farce; the great powers are fiction. Besides, the world was created as a highly divided place, geographically and otherwise, and that makes it very hard, almost impossible, to find global solutions.  

My personal opinion as someone who believes in the supernatural power named God, is that  these two challenges belong to God's domain. Only He has control of the virus and of the Climate. We should, therefore pray to God , individually and directly, asking for salvation. 

It might help, unless God is determined to reset His Creation ( the world, the universe), making it a better place, less divided, and especially with no races. Racism and racial conflicts are  a never-ending issue which gradually and steadily destroy the world.

Anyway, we have reason to be scared. I believe the disasters (fires, floods, storms, earthquakes, volcano eruptions) are near the door . People act as if it's something in the future. No, it's happening now, in the present.

Our winters in Israel are usually mild, and buildings are built accordingly. Well, during our last winter, I told myself that I'd better move out before the roof moves in; that bad.

People tend to associate climate change with pollution. I believe pollution has little to do with that; it doesn't reach the very upper sphere where climate is being "cooked". But even if it does affect  climate as many of us believe , and not only our health,  hypocrisy won't lead us far; there's constant talk about plastics, but almost no mention of cars and their big role in creating pollution.

Anyway,  I'm open to ideas and suggestions about some significant global action operated by and through God 's Will that could give us  Hope.

Public Demand

 

I remember the days when there was a public demand to charge heavy smokers for their lung treatments. Nowadays , there's a demand / suggestion to charge non-vaccinated people for treatments, or even better , not treat them at all. (The virus,  will luckily disappear somehow, but it will not be  due to vaccines and vaccination).

Anyway, I would like to add a few more categories to the above list of those who should be charged :

Parents that send  their kids out without a mask. Kids are considered big virus spreaders; most of them are symptomless.

Large families.  Schools, hospitals and other public facilities are practically blocked by large families;  there is constant shortage of beds, school rooms, staff. These families are paid generous allowances which help them stay ...large ( have lots of kids). 

Maybe the pandemic will bring about  a change in demographics, as hospitals and schools are collapsing; teachers and doctors are on the run (at least in my neck of the woods).

People that practice bad nutrition habits: eat out often, cook and bake with unhealthy ingredients, and then....go for  "doctor's appointment".  Nutrition  is crucial to one's health.To ignore this is to fall 'heavy' on the medical care system and on the public budget.

Dog owners should be charged for their dog's loud, intensive barking which could cause an aged passerby to have a heart attack. It's  not theory. I once witnessed such an unfortunate happening. 

Musicians that practice in an apartment of a complex, should be charged with a tiny fee by the neighbors who have to put up with something that interferes with their daily life. I've had a pianist as neighbor, and I know all about it. I myself didn't mind the music, but the others felt very relieved when she moved out.

 

Red Wine

 

The High Holidays are approaching, and wine is an essential element on every family's festive table.

I'm used to drink with my meals (not only on holidays) , red wine, which is actually 100% red grapes juice, with no addition of water, sugar, coloring.  It's produced by Carmel winery, the largest brand in the Israeli wine market, and it's called Tirosh Carmel. 

I like to mix it in my glass with some sparkling soda water  (mixture known as 'spritz'), and it's almost like drinking champagne. Tirosh Carmel is very popular as it is considered a 'family wine', suitable even for children.

 Tirosh red  wine

I've often asked myself why is it marketed in a glass bottle and sold at the supermarket in the wine department?  After all, it's different from the other bottles  on the shelf, which have alcohol, and perhaps other additives.  Even in the Wikipedia, it says "wine is an alcoholic drink, typically made from fermented grapes".

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                               wines and beers at the supermarket

Well, alcohol is just one factor regarding wine. There are other important factors such as : variety and quality of grapes, fermentation reactions, the whole wine production process, of which I know very little.

Anyway, red wine is said to decrease risk of cardio-vascular disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. That sounds great!  It's due ,however, to the polyphenols (anti- oxidants) in the red grapes, not due to the alcohol.  Alcohol might block them from working effectively.

 

 

Food for Thought

 

There's a nice blog " Window to Beauty" with news from the  world of beauty products. 

In  one of  its last posts, there's mention of Ariana Grande's new eau de perfume called  'God is a woman'. That's a challenging name, and gives food for thought. 

I personally, see God as  a 'Super Power' , a power that has created the universe and is high above all and everything;  an omnipotent and omnipresent power that is neither a man nor a woman. 

I  too refer to this power in the masculine form, as God, He, Him,   because that's how it has been referred to, for ages, and the name has solid, religious and social grounds. None of the names (God, Superpower, Universe) bothers me  as long as people  trust and respect the entity represented by God.

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Another nice blog I follow is "Traveling Bug". It's about an american family that travels a lot, and brings us some great travel photos .   Lately, I find myself paying attention to the two adopted lovely asian girls in the family; they're growing up fast and it becomes interesting to observe their integration within the family and outside it.

Adoption is also a subject which gives food for thought, especially in those cases where there are already biological children, as in the  above family.

As a rule, I'm not for taking out a child from its natural, ethnical environment . In the long run, it might suffer.

As for the adopting family, when the kids, both the biological  and the adopted ones, grow up, and become aware of differences ( the obvious physical ones: such as skin color, eye shape, nose shape etc..), things in the family might get complicated. I've seen that happen. Education and good will, don't always solve problems.

So far, that's a very happy family  and the posts provide the reader with a lot of pleasure and fun.

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Covid-19 is striking hard. I can't help it thinking that, perhaps, we're being punished for mistreating ourselves, others, and the Planet. So far, there seems to be no solution, except of temporary euphoria episodes caused by vaccination.

 

To all my blog friends,

 I have NOT disabled comments on my last post . I 've notified Blogger, but they don't seem to care or cooperate. I'm afraid to try and do things myself as the  PC is rather old and might leave me in the middle.

 Hoping for the Best,

duta

Happy Anniversary , Burda!

 

I've got two sewing machines (an Elna, and a more recent one a Singer) and both are out of order. Unfortunately for me, I have a pile of things that need repair. So , I'll have to take action, and do something at least about one of the machines.

 I taught myself sewing many years ago, in the mid-seventies, methink. I used the patterns that came with the Burda  magazine -  easy and simple to follow patterns.  Nowadays, Burda   has online courses, with and without live instructors, but in those days, women all over the world depended on the magazine (Burda Moden) issued each month in various languages.

It  all started in Offenburg, Germany. Aenne Burda was the spirit behind the enterprise.  Her goal was to create fashion for all; to allow the largest number of women possible to dress with taste, regardless of their budget.   She died in 2005 at the age of 96.  A strong, inspirational woman who had to overcome a lot of hardships thrown at her.

Burda celebrates 70 years of activity! The first magazine came out in 1950; the patterns were launched in 1952.  The Anniversary is celebrated in the magazine with a reminder of its history, and contests for a chance to win prizes.

A friend of mine says  that McDonalds and Burda should  be awarded the Nobel Prize for their contribution to humanity: one in the field of food , the other in the field of fashion. Both continue to fulfill basic needs of  people worldwide. You find them everywhere in the world as two most popular and loved brands.

The thing I liked most , was to make a dress for my Mom before the High Holidays - a dress inaugurated in the synagogue, at the religious services. I was proud of my work, she was proud to wear it. The Burda pattern was simple, but  the fabric  usually caught the attention: solemn yet beautiful.

Thank you, Burda. 

 

 

People

 

Being part of the human race, it's only natural that we, people.  want and seek the company of other people.

Yet,  when I look back at my life, I find out that it is people that have weakened me most - more than work, more than bad habits, more than the...flu.  What can I do with this awareness? Not much. I can try to ignore  bad manners, stay away from some "toxic" individuals, keep to myself for protection (avoiding isolation). 

Barbara Streisand opens her famous song 'People' with a line claiming that "people that need people are the luckiest people in the world".   Well, let's not exaggerate. We all need people,  but needing them  might also make us dependent, and dependence  of any sort is rather undesirable, even within the family.

Another singer,  Jonathan McReynolds, has also a song named   'People' . He says about them that  "they are the best and the worst you've created / loving and hating and opinionated / loners in basements, and those congregated / ".  That's  closer to what we know of people.

People with talent find a long escape in art, others bestow hours of  attention on critters . I've got none of these tendencies (except feeding pigeons and growing the  'lucky bamboo' plant). So, no escapism for me, only the bare reality of trying to cope with people.

That's not as bad as it sounds ; it gives me considerable insight into human nature, and often saves me from falling into the traps laid by the combined efforts of populism and stupidity.These traps are becoming more numerous as the outer conditions (virus, climate) are getting worse.

 

Back to Nomadic Style?

 

I've been following the news about the recent floods in western Europe ( Germany, Belgium, Holland).  Total surprise, although  these countries are said to have  excellent warning systems. It appears science cannot predict the flooding with exactitude. People in Germany describe their cities and villages, as being now like battlefields.

We all know, of course, about climate change and global warmingׂ (Siberia's forests are burning - 38 C degree!), but precious time is wasted on theory, and not on practical issues. I believe we cannot prevent natural disasters , that's God's domain;  but we can perhaps learn ways to save our life.  

Education is vital here. First of all, people should be well aware of the fact that weather can be deadly; not only  a topic for  daily small talk.  Secondly, if possible, don't choose to live near a river or any other body of water. Thirdly, we'll probably have to adjust in the near future to a nomadic sort of life, as climate change will make us be on the move - albeit not with horses, but with vans, ,cars, cycles.

Covid -19  might also put us on the move as people who lose jobs due to restrictions are looking for all sorts of possibilities to earn a living.

By the way, in Israel, we're  facing a fourth virus Wave which will  possibly lead in a few weeks to  a fourth lockdown! It is the travelers to and from abroad that are being blamed.The airport is considered  'the gate to corona'

Without traveling abroad, israelis are dead people; the country is  a sort of ghetto surrounded by hostile neighbors. So, they'll keep on traveling abroad, and Covid-19 along with them. Sad.

 

Looking For The Desert

 

Territory is important. History is full of bloody battles over  land, regardless the size, value and quality of that land.

The vaster the better. A tiny, crowded country with hardly any solid borders like the one  I live in, is a recipe for disaster. It might get swallowed up by its neighbors. Peace can help, but genuine, lasting peace in this region is hard to imagine, as the dispute is...over land. We're being accused of having robbed others of their land.

A country with a pluralistic population definitely needs a vast territory ; this will help give people the right space and distancing, and so prevent ethnical and religious conflicts between the various groups. Togetherness can sometimes  be a recipe for disaster too.    Luckily, most pluralistic nations do have the adequate space.

And from the general to the individual.

I once had a neighbor whose 'hobby' was to demolish parts in his apartment (and even beyond that) seeking to enlarge it; that was weird and annoying. 

I discussed the matter with another neighbor  and she said:  'oh, well, he's looking for the desert , he'll never have enough space compared to the vastness of the desert'.  

 

- What do you mean? 

- His ancestors lived in a place close to the Sahara desert in Morocco.

- So ?! He's second or third generation in Israel, and hasn't even seen that desert.

At this point, she threw me the famous line: 'you can take a man out of the desert, you cannot take the desert out of a man, for many generations'.  'As long as he lives, wherever he  lives, he'll always try to demolish something to make way for more living space'. 

That's the desert syndrome, according to her.

It sounded like a joke,  but she wasn't joking.

Anyway, if you happen to be angry at someone or something (and I used to be very angry at that demolish-er), you might 'buy' even a rather strange explanation  such as 'looking for the desert'.

 

 

A Matter of Health

 

I believe we could do much to help ourselves with health issues, if only we pay more attention to what happens to and around our body. Most of us, however, are deep down into what I call  "happy escapism" : reading, watching TV, hobbies - leaving health symptoms to doctor appointments mainly.

There was a time, some ten years ago, when I often experienced palpitations. Scary! What usually stopped them was vigorous coughing and trying to sit or lie down in a certain position if there was a suitable place nearby.

After a while, I noticed a very crucial fact - that it never happened at home, only outside or in a shop. That puzzled me, and I started thinking hard until I solved the enigma. It was the rather heavy backpack that caused the palpitations . Carrying it, triggered some tissue that interfered with my heart electrical system (cardiologists will usually recommend ablation of that tissue if things do not improve with meds or otherwise).

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After eliminating the backpack from my life, no palpitations  occurred to me ever again, thank God. Since then, I don't even carry a bag in my hands or on my shoulder. I put it in the little shopping cart or in the wheeled duffel bag I take with me when I leave home.

Whenever I gain a few pounds (usually in winter), my knees immediately make me notice them. So, if I don't want this to affect my walking  and I wish to avoid injections and surgery, the only plausible solution is to get rid of the weight surplus. No big deal after all, and, so far, it works, thank God again. (People who do a lot of walking should consider protecting knees with some sort of brace; there's a variety of them on the market).

The soles of my feet get treated more or less regularly by placing them on a roller massage manual device .
It does good to the whole body, not only to the feet.

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Sometimes, pain comes and goes without apparently any cause or interference . If it persists, I'll try to locate it and understand its nature before I do something about it. I'll usually apply ice if I suspect swelling, or wear a compression sock if there's pain in the leg indicating possible, dangerous presence of a clot.

For a sore throat, I squeeze a lemon and drink the undiluted juice slowly. It has an immediate  beneficial effect. 

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Once, I cut my finger  in a bad place ; nothing I did could stop the blood flow , and I started to panick. Suddenly, I saw a clothes peg. I grabbed it and clamped my finger with it for a minute or two. It did the job, and saved me perhaps  a trip to the ER.

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The flu is a very nasty condition to an elderly person: fever, headaches, overall weakness.  The annual flu vaccine was of no help to me. Since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, I've discovered the mask. No flu so far, and that makes me happy and grateful to the little health device. I feel sorry for myself for all those winters of suffering when no mask was recommended, only the annual useless jab.

 

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* web pictures

The Indian Appeal

 
I sometimes think  maybe I was born in India in my former life, as I'm very fond of India-made,products such as fabrics, kitchenware, household stuff, soaps, herbs, handwork etc...  I even don't have to check the label to know whether an item is made in India or not. That says a great deal.

The import from India is quite limited , but I've got items accumulated over the years, so I'm "well-equipped", so to speak, especially in the textile department. I love their fluffy skirts in summer, and their cotton tops during the whole year. Such delicacy of design, color and shape! Their cotton, silk, and rayon fabrics are natural and of finest quality.

I used to wash my hands and face with 'medimix' bar of soap, (Ayurveda based with 18 herbs among its ingredients), but since I can't get hold of the mini version, I turned to other options. I do take some interest in the old India Ayurvedic medicine system as it has many benefits, advocating good natural health  practices such as meditation, yoga, herb extracts.

I'm not familiar though with people of indian descent. I suppose they are good-natured, and I know they are very gifted. Zubin Mehta, for example, is one of the leading orchestral conductors in the world. He was appointed musical advisor to the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969, and in 1981 became its Music Director for life.

Strange, but the almost daily mention of the covid -19 indian variant seems to affect me personally. It interferes with my good opinion on things originating from India. (by the way, the virus is 'back in town', probably never left). 

The indian variant Delta is said to help  antibodies evade and bond more easily to the lung cells. Great efforts are made at the Ben Gurion airport to prevent 'import" of the variant by tourists.  May God help!  We can help as well by working on strengthening our immunity, and wearing masks.

The Gem

 

 I usually lose things, rarely find things. That's why I remember well the only time when I found something beautiful.

It was about 15 years ago. I left a place with my eyes in tears. (that's  another story). While walking on the pavement, I saw through the tears a glitter. It looked like a  zirconia (white, colorless gem) fallen from a ring. It was evening, there was nobody around, the street seemed deserted, so  I picked it up and brought it home.

I opened my jewelry box and fitted the found squarely shaped gem in a  gold setting, and there it stayed; never wore it until recently. Why? I wouldn't have felt comfortable to wear something that had belonged to someone else who unfortunately lost it.

Recently I've decided to put the ring on my finger. A friend suggested that I have the gem checked at a jeweler; 'maybe it's a diamond', he said. I don't think so;  the area where I found it was not one where people wear and lose diamonds.  Besides, I'm pleased with it as it is. I don't care about its market value, and I don't intend to spend money to have it checked by a professional. 

I  like to recall this story.  It was as if God wished to wipe away my tears by making me find the gem. And then, at home to find the perfect setting for it was unbelievable! as if the setting was just waiting  for it. (The gold of the setting is not the usual yellow, but more like the silver color - it's called white gold, methinks, and is perfect match).

Last week the world was informed that the third largest diamond (over 1000 carat) was found in Botswana. Good for Botswana, good for the world! That's good news if we consider the other news that make up our daily life: violence, climate change, covid variants, economy decline.

The Geniuses Among Us

  

A young Intel. officer, a software genius,  was recently found dead in his prison cell. The details were banned from publication.  According to the media  he was a phenomenon in the field of computer from an  early age. 

 
One of the speculations is that his abilities have aroused the envy / anger of his superiors, his activity got suppressed. As a result, he  planned revenge that would  have harmed  them, and the country. Perhaps he has even managed to carry out some of these plans.  Anyway, he was arrested and jailed. Now he's dead (rip).

Besides the obvious tragedy of the loss of a young bright man,  and the mystery (yet to be uncovered) וmposed on the case ׂׂ -  the event brings to mind the  concept of  'genius' (a person of extraordinary talent) and the list of geniuses among us - past and present.

There is a nice, little  poem  with the name 'The geniuses among us'  by Marilyn L Taylor, Wisconsin poet laureate. She calls them 'high perennials above all the rest of us',  'bright testimonials to the scale of human possibility.' These people, according to her poem - 'take us by surprise every generation , with unprecedented notions and visions'.

So far, the  great minds of  the past ( like Einstein) and present  (like Bill Gates) - have submitted the fruits of their genius, to the country, to the world, for the benefit of mankind. (As a matter of fact, not every invention was for the benefit of the world - the atomic bomb, for instance. R. Oppenheimer was "the father" of the Nuke.).

But times are changing. Perhaps these geniuses are beginning  to feel underappreciated,  even bullied. There's danger in this as the next stage could be something like: "either I rule or I destroy."  Words like 'majority', 'democracy' might mean nothing to these bright people as the above notions already mean quite  little to the average individual.

 

 

The Politics of Food

 
Much has been said and written about pharmaceutical companies and their tendency to fund  only research  that could fill their pockets, and make people totally dependent on their products ."The Pharmaceutical industry does not create cures, they create customers" (seen on FB). 

Food companies are not far behind. Moreover, the food industry exerts its influence to prevent publication of research that could directly affect its profits, such as serious scientific finds on ultra processed food (junk food, fast food).

I've recently read  about a biochemist at the Agriculture Faculty in Jerusalem, prof. Ephrat Oren, who tried to publish the results of a long- term research based  on rats and humans,  dealing with the effect of junk food on children's growth  (obesity and bone disorder mainly). 

It got rejected by all relevant publications. She suspected it had to do with 'politics of food', so she arranged a meeting with another scientist, prof. Robert Lustig of California university in USA,  known as an expert in 'food politics'. 

After checking her work for several weeks, he said to her - 'that's explosive material you have here'. (He was probably referring, among other things, to  her suggestions on the need to lay heavy taxes on ultra processed food, and put restrictions on ads. regarding that kind of food).

He advised her to try and rewrite the article, giving it some sort of  dry- facts 'facelift' .  She followed his advice;  the article  was accepted  and published at the end of 2020, in the prestigious 'Nature' medical journal under the subject of Bone Research.

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Politics in its various forms, is the source of much evil. Most of us people, know that, but seem to be quite helpless about it.

Parents could do a lot about ultra processed food, but they are too weak and too busy to resist buying for their kids sweet corn flakes for breakfast, pizza, hamburger for the rest of the day. And so, this kind of food stays triumphant and might definitely harm children's growth in ways we are not even aware of, until later in life.

 * - web pictures.

 

DNA and more

 

Ancestry com. (popular in North America) and My Heritage - with a smaller data (popular in Europe), started as small companies helping people build their family trees, and offering genealogy info on migration.

Next, they entered the DNA industry offering genetic testing kits and analysis. ( Ancestry uses saliva sample, My Heritage - cheek swab). That's quite a fascinating industry! They offer paternity tests, ethnicity tests, health screening tests, and more.

In Israel, My Heritage and its partner Billion Graves (collecting cemetery data) are the dominant genealogical companies. 

I have some experience with Ancestry com.  In 2006, I was trying to locate my grandfather's family descendants in the USA. I started with almost nothing,  but I managed to do a good job using data from various sources, mainly Ellis  Island  and Ancestry com. records.

I have no experience yet with My Heritage, but I often find myself asking questions about its partner , Billion Graves. I suspect the latter buys all the data regarding  cemeteries and graves from the relevant state offices, and  monopolizes the rights . Unlike in the past, when you could easily find  online info, now, you have to subscribe to them, if you wish to get it.

At first, I said to myself, oh, well, it seems  they offer work, employ ׂׂyoung people (probably students), and send them to  cemeteries to take pictures of the headstones. That's an easy, convenient job for them. 

Lately, I'm not quite sure about that. The company has remote control equipment,  and uses various gadgets; the people with the camera could well be volunteers, not paid workers (the fine weather here during most of the year, draws people outdoors, and even cemeteries are an option for volunteering or other sort of activity).

I'll have to do some research. Not that it will help me or others much.  We have to face it : we live in a capitalist society, in which the State gives away its resources placing them in private hands - cemeteries and their dead inhabitants included.  Sad.

'

 

Mamad, Helmet, and the British Actress

 

You should never ever need one, but it's good to have one, just in case.  It could save lives .  

Mamad (acronym for the hebrew 'merchav mugan' - meaning  protective space)  is a fortified room with reinforced, cemented walls and ceilings, thick floor, airtight steel door and window. It is supposed to be impenetrable to rockets carrying bombs or chemical/biological stuff. In peace time, it can be used as a storage/study/play room, but not as a kitchen or bathroom.

The law that requires a newly built house/ building /apartment to have a 'mamad', is from year 1993, after the notorious "Gulf War".  There are certain regulations with which I am not familiar as I  myself don't own a 'mamad'.

The thing is, a five year old boy, was critically injured during one of the recent rocket attacks, ( he later died in hospital-rip), when a shrapnel punctured the window of the 'mamad'. It is considered a rare incident, and it is under investigation. 

There were also some people who got injured by falling on their way to the mamad.  A 73 year old woman, awaken by the alarm, got quickly off her bed, ran towards the mamad and fell on her head before reaching the mamad. She died a few days laterׂ - rip (perhaps, a light helmet should be considered for prevention of tragic cases like this one.)

Those who don't have that kind of room (like me) are advised to stay in the most inner spot of their home, away from windows and exterior walls.That's what I do upon hearing the siren, and, immediately start ...praying to God asking for protection.

By the way, I became aware of how deadly a fall on the head could be, while following the news about the tragedy of Natasha Richardson, british actress, daughter of the great Vanessa Redgrave, wife of actor Liam Neeson. She fell on her head while skiing in Quebec, Canada, and died in a matter of days in 2009 (rip). I think since then, a helmet has become mandatory on ski slopes.

 

 

The Silence of Stone

 
We usually become aware of the above kind of silence  when  visiting cemeteries ׂ(headstones) and deserted places (stone of ruins and abandoned houses).

In summer 2015,  I visited the  leper colony (1903-1957) of Spinalonga (Crete, Greece). The silence of the stone there , was telling  us about the struggle of the  former inhabitants  to survive under terrible, unimaginable, conditions .

Their suffering  got through the stone and reached us, visitors.  Despite the midsummer scorching heat, I felt a shiver along my spine during the whole trip.  

Great sadness fell upon those walking on the islet and learning about  the people  with leprosy gathered  and brought to a place with no way of return.

In spite of it all - sickness, hardships, stigma - there was life going on there (people fell in love , married, had children; built houses, two little churches, an hospital , a cemetery). The place , once nicknamed 'the land of the living dead', is seen nowadays as a monument  to human pain and spirit.

                                                            the gate (tunnel) of no return

                                                   by the window of a  deserted stone house

                                 access to a little dock where supplies were brought in         

(more photos and details in my post of Oct. 2016).

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The message conveyed through the silence of stone is that suffering ultimately leads to death and decay, but the spirit stays on.  It is a comforting thought.

There's a dramatic song on YouTube named "The Spirit goes on" whose refrain says:

"If I die  tomorrow I'll be alright

Because I believe

That after we're gone

The spirit carries on"