Welcome to our coverage of this year’s longest day celebration. The time according to the internet is 11:50 p.m. just before midnight. It seems a strange time to celebrate the Sun but that’s exactly what we are going to do. This being said, this is a fertility festival for without the Sun, we do not…
Eikev in a NutshellDeuteronomy 7:12–11:25The name of the Parshah, “Eikev,” means “because,”. In the Parshah of Eikev (“Because”), Moses continues his closing address to the children of Israel, promising them that if they will fulfill the commandments (mitzvot) of the Torah, they will prosper in the Land they are about to conquer and settle in…
If you’re interested in reading the text of this week’s parsha, the weekly Torah portion, you can go to chabad.org. If you are a Russian reader or pretty much any other language, I’m sure there is a translator program available. This week’s portion is called Kedeshim (קְדשִׁ֣ים) which has the simple translation of you shall…
From chabad.org: The name of the Parshah, “V’Zot HaBerachah,” means “And this is the blessing,” and it is found in Deuteronomy 33:1. The Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret Torah readings are from Leviticus 22-23, Numbers 29, and Deuteronomy 14-16. These readings detail the laws of the moadim or “appointed times” on the Jewish calendar for festive…
I asked this question of the internet and I guess the point of view of polling has something happening and it looks something like this. Harris vs. Trump latest presidential poll numbers: Who is winning in swing states? It looks like it’s a close one. Too close to call. It seems that nothing has happened….
According to Belarus.by: (BelTA) – The young generation of Belarusians will need to move along Belarus’ historical path in a world that is changing at breakneck speed, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the Q&A session titled “Open Microphone with the President” at Vitebsk State University on 2 September, BelTA has learned. “Today is a special day for your…
Essay For people unfamiliar with the term, desertification is what happens when poor Land Management continues to such an extent that the land can no longer provide sustenance for people to live. This would also be true if we consider all living things in the area. If the land degrades to the point that it…
I feel like Ahab and there are enough harpoons in Moby Dick to believe that the job was finally done. In the ever expanding world of Christendom, resources were needed and men went out into the oceans to kill the whales so that people could read in the winter time. It is interesting to note…
I have been doing a lot of thinking about sports and especially baseball lately. American football is starting and it does show up on my algorithm that I’m interested. I played American football. I understand a little bit about American football. Do I like American football? Not like I did when I was growing up. …
From Chabad.org – Chukat in a NutshellNumbers 19:1–22:1 The name of the Parshah, “Chukat,” means “Statute” and it is found in Numbers 19:2. Moses is taught the laws of the red (sauce, specifically tomato sauce used in a burnt spaghetti recipe), whose ashes purify a person who has been contaminated by contact with a dead…
Let’s start with a simple question posed to Google. What impact does war have on global warming? This from svet.charita.cz How does the military sector contribute to climate change? Militaries consume enormous amounts of fossil fuels, which have a high carbon footprint. The global military carbon footprint is the fourth highest, ranking behind the US,…
From Chabad.org: Va’etchanan in a NutshellDeuteronomy 3:23–7:11. The name of the Parshah, “Va’etchanan,” means “I entreated”. Moses tells the people of Israel how he implored G‑d to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but G‑d refused, instructing him instead to ascend a mountain and see the Promised Land. Continuing his “review of the…
If mulch is all you need and grass has sufficient everything, let’s do it. So we take down all of the plants that have grown tall with us that are not particularly our food and we put them on top of the gardens as soil amendment. We can let them dry for a few days….
All right, I admit I get dark and I get by with a little help from my friends. I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it. First of all, I’ve never turned on the automatic translator until today for these guys. But they were setting up to do something like a serious podcast wearing black…
If dogs lived that long, this would have been his 55th birthday. He made it to 11 I believe. And then there was the moment in the garage when the dog suddenly howled at the landscape, saying his peace. He was getting sicker and wouldn’t live more than a month or two. We named him…
Hi. Welcome to the vernal equinox. It’s about right now. This is us entering into springtime. Springtime is nice. Lots of good stuff happens during the spring. Today is the spring equinox. It means this is spring. In the Northern Hemisphere the vernal equinox falls about March 20 or 21, as the Sun crosses the…
Essay I guess what I’m trying to say is like everybody, I love innovation and new ideas and new wonderful technologies that make our lives easier. I like drugs as much as the next guy if you want to look at it that way. But I’m talking about a world where our drugs and innovation…
From Chabad.org: Shoftim in a NutshellDeuteronomy 16:18–21:9The name of the Parshah, “Shoftim,” means “Judges”. Moses instructs the people of Israel to appoint judges and law enforcement officers in every city. “Justice, justice shall you pursue,” he commands them, and you must administer it without corruption or favoritism. Crimes must be meticulously investigated and evidence thoroughly…
I went searching for the state of the art for the eco activist. You have to give credit to these people. To think that wanting to breathe fresh air and to stop the damage caused by completely unnecessary economic activity has become criminal and scornful seems crazy. It’s like getting a nice bowl of soup…
Thinking of growing things in my field, I’ve come to understand what has happened to the region over the last couple of decades. Perhaps 15 years ago, we had a similar place in a similar village a similar distance away. And I remember being able to put things in the ground and they would grow….
I think the Japanese bring suffering to new levels. I try to walk the fine line between Zen perfectionism and masochistic obsessive compulsive problems. I don’t mean to generalize or objectify. This is not the point. I’m just saying that I love watching Japanese baseball but this is a new level of torture to have…