I just noticed how long it has been since I put up a new post. There are lots of reasons. The main one is that I’ve been very busy. I finally got a finished version of my Easter Egg Fleet book and sent it to the printers. The proof version came back and I discovered … More Keeping Busy
We’re very preoccupied with Corona virus. It seems the rest of the world is, too. Nobody hears much from India or Iran or Turkey. They’re busy with the virus. But there are other Arab countries around us that have different things on their minds. The United Arab Emirates are on their way to making a … More And Meanwhile, In the Arab World…
I saw Northern Europe was unseasonably hot last week. Now it’s our turn. We live in the Judean Mountains about 18km south of Jerusalem. We’re also a little over 900 meters above sea level, and usually quite dry. Tel Aviv, on the coast of the Mediterranean, is very humid. When they have temperatures of 30 … More We’re Having a Heat Wave
I moved to Israel from the United States. Both countries claim to be democracies and have periodic elections. They are quite different. The basic premise for each is that the majority rules. Both, however, are concerned with the corollary the the majority can only rule effectively by preserving the rights of the minorities. In America … More Distorting Democracy
As always, the Middle East, where I live, is full of “interesting” news. The most important item, in my view, came a few days ago. The United Arab Emirates decided to make a normal peace treaty with Israel. The two sides are formalizing relations and looking into various mutually beneficial trade , commerce, and health … More Extortion Politics
One of the things one does when confined to quarters by COVID19 is to rummage through drawers and shelves. I was doing that when I came across a letter of thanks I received over 30 years ago for a job well done. I was the team leader/project manager for a software project for CITICORP bank … More I Saved This Letter
Being under house arrest has limitations. Essentially, as a retiree in the section of the population considered at high risk. that is my situation. But even prisoners need some kind of exercise. There are both physical and mental challenges to help keep us in shape. I regularly find myself doing sudoku puzzles and mini crosswords, … More Corona Exercise
One of the ways we avoid extensive contact with the outside world is by ordering our groceries for home delivery. We have two places we order from. One is our local small food store. We order from them by phone, and they deliver it almost immediately. The other is a large chain store supermarket that … More On-Line Groceries
Why those cities? Because I’ve heard that the “Defund the Police” movement has managed to get those places to discuss the idea of cutting police budgets. The entire concept of trying to achieve gains against racism by cutting the budgets of the people who are expected to uphold the laws is simply mind-boggling to me. … More I’m Glad I Don’t Live in Minneapolis, Seattle, or New York City.
My children all got together and bought me a special present for my last birthday, a 3D printer. Of course I had to make room to place it next to my computer. We bought another small table. I assembled the table and put it in between the old computer table and a little book case. … More A New Toy
Wetherhorn 