israeli politics

there is no doubt that Ezi and I have been existing on comedy.  It emerges in the strangest places, and sometimes makes life easier for others, but sometimes falls on antagonistic ears.  And I never know whether someone is laughing or whether they are smiling politely and wondering when this crazy lady will shut up.  Some of this is due to the isolation we’ve been experiencing as the rest of the world returns to normal, leaving us old people who are immunosuppressed to fend for ourselves.  One tiny example: after the serious and dedicated pharmacist filled our tri-monthly subscriptions and asked me if there was anything else, I muttered “a hand cart” and for the first time in five minutes, he laughed so hard I could see his expression behind his mask.  This made my day.  

february 10, 2022 – comedy Read Post »

israeli politics

The guy came today to connect the emergency button, and he left us a cardiogram machine that connects to the central clinic as well.  And as he was demonstrating on me how the cardiogram works I detected a slight Russian accent and asked him where in Belarus he is from.  When it turned out he was from the neighborhood of my parents’ home town I asked him how to say panties in Russian.  “Trussiki,” he said, without missing a beat.  A cool guy in an emergency I’d say. 

meanwhile, the rockets were coming at us from Syria.  Sirens, shelters – it’s starting.  Good to know there’s Vlad around.

february 9, 2022 – underwear 2 Read Post »

israeli politics

I hate to interrupt our constant obsession with corona, but there are other issues.  yesterday when I was talking to a Ukrainian friend, I mentioned the possible invasion by Russia.  “Funny you should mention it.  I was just speaking with my family in the Ukraine and they didn’t know what I was talking about when I asked them about the war.  They said it was just the usual saber-rattling.” And here in Israel we’ve been saying that war there is not only inevitable but that it will happen before February 10 when the ice starts to melt so the tanks can get through…

Now we have been doing an unusual amount of war games lately and no one seems to be paying much attention to it.  But Hizballah is a force to be reckoned with, and there is no reason to doubt that Lebanon will be taken over by some pretty nasty and aggressive forces in the near future.  We need to pay attention to that.

 

february 8, 2022 – battles? Read Post »

israeli politics

The country is buzzing with the news of the invasion of privacy by the police and the policy of programs that can invade the thoughts of an individual.   Me, I’m not worried,  There’s nothing there.  

Okay, maybe I lie a little about my weight.  Maybe I exaggerate about how sick I am.  My doctor isn’t impressed at all by my complaints, seems to take all my truth-stretching with a grain of salt, looks at my tests, and sends me on my way with a little twitch in my medication.  No privacy…

What about my political activity?  No one pays attention to them anyway.  So what if I demonstrated or signed a petition – it didn’t DO anything.

That’s why I was so excited when an ex-prisoner told me yesterday about being a ‘cluck,’ a prison whore, and how you can do a little dance in the shower out of range of the cameras.  That’s privacy.

 

 

february 7, 2022 – privacy Read Post »

israeli politics

later today I’m doing a lecture on why I write in Yiddish.  There have been so many mistakes on the way but now I think it’s going to be perfect, and I will now begin to write my next book.  I am overtired of the harvest I myself desired, as Robert Frost wrote.  

Fortunately the lecture is on zoom (link  is a few pages back) because we don’t have any hot water.  I was called out to pinpoint the gas link because I have the sharpest nose, but that was yesterday and nothing has happened.  So, unwashed and unshampooed, I will pretend that I am dignified and forge on.

february 7, 2022 – stand by Read Post »

israeli politics

What do you do when your loved ones are sick?  You run to them and feed them and hug them and comfort them.  But in our times we take another step back and wish them a speedy recovery.  So a few of my kids are sick – again – with covid or covid-results: strep, exhaustion, etc. And we are sitting home twiddling our thumbs.   I keep thinking about the people I would have kissed this week if I dared.  But this week has been the worst for serious cases and deaths since covid began.  

I’d love to write about other things, but nothing else seems to exist.  The price hikes don’t seem to matter much to my budget.  The announcements have come during the week that food prices will not go up but it looks to me that there is an awful lot of tricks being played on the consumer that disguise the real prices.  And the real prices – gasoline, taxes, electricity, etc.  are skyrocketing.  

february 4, 2022 – covid and more covid Read Post »