with all the sudden and crazy decisions of the government, and all the crazy people fearing vaccinations, I want to remind people that in 1952, when the typhoid epidemic was about the take place here, everyone was ordered, on penalty of law, to be vaccinated.
february 11, 2021 – vaccine and typhoid Read Post »
We pass it often on the way to the medical center, the statue of Raoul Wallenberg. Most times I get very sad at his heroic and tragic history. But there are times I want to be his friend, to play with him and make ammends to him.
So today we walked over to him and played. He disappeared in the year I was born, and died in a Soviet prison two years later, but his generosity and the salvation of thousands of Hungarian Jews will never be forgotten. I hope that if his spirit remains, his generosity extends extends even to me, and I made him smile.
february 9, 2021 – the statue of Raoul Wallenberg Read Post »
Everyone in our building has seen the jackal. Most of the time in the same place, on the left patch of ferns near the entrance. But when we call the municipality, and they come with all their equipment to get rid of the potentially rapid aminal, the beast is nowhere to be found.
Not surprisingly, Bibi has managed to elude the courts for almost 5 years, when the case opened, but today when he appeared, he was out within 15 minutes, after his plea of not guilty. He managed to squeeze in a meeting with the minister of health in the hallway, and appear incredibly busy with political matters the entire time he was in court. And he seems to have managed to postpone the trial until long after the elections. And all the news that claim that the case against Bibi is rigged means that with every appearance in court, he gets more votes.
Maybe we should vote for the jackal.
february 8, 2021 – politics and the jackal Read Post »
nope. Ezi didn’t pass. his tests show no resistance to covid-19. Mine are fine, but I still can’t take the chance of passing the virus on to him. It is a sad day – but we’ve had worse. and we still may have even worse. So now would be a good time to say good things to me.
february 8, 2021 – serology Read Post »
it’s not the lymphoma that worries him – it’s the serology. His Ichilov doctor for 13 years told him to make sure he takes a test. But when he asked about the results, they told him that it would take a month. That’s when he realized that the test was for research, not for him. By chance I had a test scheduled in Assuta, so as soon as he returned I dragged him along, and we both go the tests together. After two hospitals in one day the poor guy is exhausted, but we should know if the vaccine works on immune-challenged patients in 24 hours.
Feb 7, 2021 – Ezi’s final – continued Read Post »
at 6:30 in the morning Ezi was already out the door and on the way to the hospital. I am not allowed to accompany him since the COVID. He’s going to get a serology test and then a final rituximab treatment and then a meeting with the hemotologist. if he gets back early i’m going for a serological test and then if all is well, we’re going on a nature hike on tuesday. it is a big day. and all i can do is sit back and wait for the results. It would be so wonderful if I could move this along, but in my passive state I am unable to do anything except wait.
february 7, 2021 – ezi’s final rituximab Read Post »
“He was just here, in our front yard,” our neighbor says. “I chased him away. “He was sick.” Another neighbor races out of the building “I called the city, but you chased him away so now they won’t come. ” “They have to come. It’s sick!” “Next time, don’t throw stones at it.” “It won’t come back.”
That was yesterday. The jackals have been moving closer to populated areas as the streets empty out. And they are hungry. People have been bitten, and an infant was snatched from its mother’s arms. In the north there have been rabid jackals crossing the borders. They are killed on sight, but it sometimes takes a while to see them.
I was worried about our cat, and she didn’t show up yesterday. What if she was gobbled up? or bitten?
Today the cat turned up, and ate enormous amounts. But when I went to let her out, she wouldn’t go, and showed inordinate amounts of affection – for a wild cat who bites at being touched. Finally I walked her out and met a third neighbor. “Be careful,” she said, “I saw a jackal here this morning.”
The cat had raced out of the front yard, and hid for a moment under a car. Then I saw her racing up the street.
She knows about the jackal – that’s why she didn’t want to leave.
february 6, 2021 – the jackal Read Post »
Everything about our politics is so terrible, but the accusations yesterday and the arguments over whether to open the lockdown or not – that was unbearable. Here we are, citizens whose very lives are being determined by a bunch of criminals with only their careers on their minds, and all we can do is just watch.
And with 30 odd parties in the coming ele on – a clear sign of inevitable division of the opposition – its pretty sure that Bibi will win again, and we’ll be back where we started, minus the millions cost of the process.
There is always the story that when you have two Jews you get three opinions, but it is obvious that this is a sign of the inability to compromise, the unwillingness to let someone who has a small difference of opinion represent you. I keep thinking that Zelicha, for example, who is a brilliant economist but will not win a seat on his own, could easily go over to Labor or Meretz, and maybe even Yair Lapid, but won’t. Votes for him will be lost, and that will give an extra margin to Bibi. The fact that Labor won’t compromise on its ideology is good for my soul, but if I were Meirav Michaeli I would make a deal with Meretz so that votes won’t be lost.
Why is the idea of united parties so important? Because if you are missing the exact amount needed to add a single candidate, all the votes for that seat do not count at all. So the more compromises the middle left can make, the more they can join up if only for the election, the better. But we can do little to make that happen.
So we played family trivia on zoom last night. who’s in a league? who grew up where? what’s his favorite hobby? At least the kids should remember that they have family even if they can’t see them.
february 6, 2021 – politics and trivia Read Post »
