Pachacamac

 Thirty years ago, I visited the temple of Pachacamac (the belly button of the world, in Quechua) and the totemic idol in the central room in the upper terrace of the sanctuary. I wanted to look it up on the internet and found this pic. This is not the original idol; what I saw then was a twisted piece of old wood, with sacrificial remnants around in the room. It was unprotected and looked its 400 years old. I also explored the nearby House of the Virgins, where girls from all over the Inca empire were educated and prepared to marry the Inca. When I visited the deserted sanctuary, it was still well preserved because it never rains in Lurin. I could imagine the Spanish soldiers arriving and raping the girls. The recent pics show parts of the ruins occupied by houses and streets, and parts badly rebuilt for tourist consumption. 

Composite bow

 

The composite bow was a great invention. I thought it was a Hunnish-Mongol weapon. But no, it was a Mesopotamian development.

Polynices in Gaza

A dog feeding on a fallen terrorist, Tel El-Hawah, Gaza. As in Sophocles's Antigone.

Spartan warfare

 
Victor Davis Hanson writes that massive, big battles are a thing of the past, and we are now back to local insurrections and guerrilla warfare. That is the kind of war Zahal is waging these black days, using mostly unmanned missiles and D9 bulldozers (pic). No more street fights, but massive leveling of urban structures, leaving the enemy without streets to fight in. 

Israel ordered many 62-ton armoured D9s, but the Biden government forbade their delivery. The D9R Dozer is powered by Cat 3408C engine coupled to a Cat planetary power shift transmission (three forward and three reverse). The engine delivers a net power of 405hp and a drawbar pull of about 725kN.

Zahal's war in Gaza City is similar to the Spartans' ravaging Attica's agriculture, in bloodless summer campaigns, which, according to VDHanson, were ineffective, as Athens depended on imported grain rather than local produce. The Gaza population is not suffering, as they are fed by foreign food deliveries. This "dry" war can go on for months, depending on our sensitivity to hostile, antisemitic media, which is unnerving us.     

ZAHAL's dependence on Microsoft

The core dilemma:

Private control over critical infrastructure: National defense capabilities now depend on decisions made by profit-driven corporations based in foreign countries (primarily the US). These companies can:

• Cut off services unilaterally (as Microsoft just did to Israel)
• Be compelled by their home government to restrict access
• Prioritize shareholder profits over client nation security needs
• Have different political or ethical standards than their military clients

Real vulnerabilities this creates:

Economic leverage as geopolitical weapon: The US could potentially use cloud service restrictions as a form of sanctions or pressure, similar to how it uses SWIFT banking restrictions.

Single points of failure: As the US Navy example shows, militaries can become so dependent they "can't separate" from these platforms "without a complete rebuild from the ground up" US Navy: Custom cloud stuck in Azure without rebuild • The Register.

Data sovereignty concerns: Sensitive military intelligence may be stored on servers in foreign jurisdictions, subject to foreign laws and potential government access.

Why nations accept this risk:

No realistic alternatives: Building equivalent domestic capacity would take "years and massive investment" while "hyperscaler cloud services deliver unmatched capability at scale" Canada's Cloud Dependence: DND's Mission Critical Ops on US Clouds and Sovereignty | Windows Forum.

Comment: The USA is investing unprecedented amounts of resources in computer infrastructure. There is no alternative. Gradually, I'm understanding the problem. Google seems more friendly.

Antisemitism

 Microsoft decided to close down access to cloud services for one of Zahal's units. The reason given is that it contained personal information of civilians. Some Israelis are thinking of repatriating foreign bank accounts, as any day they can be closed down. It has been done to the Russian and Iranian accounts. Most of these funds remain frozen, though there have been ongoing discussions about using some of these assets to support Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.  Iran still has significant assets frozen in various countries, though the exact amounts are disputed and not disclosed. It reminds me of the Jewish deposits in Swiss banks, which were frozen in WWII and silently erased. 

Siesta

 People in Kfar Saba tend to live to around 84-85 years on average, making it the city with the highest life expectancy in Israel. This is quite impressive, approximately 2 years longer than the Israeli national average and significantly higher than the global average. It is even longer than the average in Spain. 

Last night it rained in Kfar Saba, and the air is clear. I slept a two-hour siesta and feel well. 

The pic shows the ancient tomb of Nabi Yamin (the Prophet Benjamin).  It is all that remained after the War of Independence. The last time I visited it was a Jewish tomb. 

Declaration of sympathy

In the course of the current anti-Israeli excitement, much is being written about the Balfour Declaration. I re-read it (see left) and it is a simple declaration of sympathy, not much more. People are writing that the Declaration must be annulled, as if this postcard created the State of Israel, and it could be erased by retracting it. The then-inexistent Palestinian Authority is trying to extort billions for the supposed damage caused to it by England's sympathy in 1917. These days, the United Nations is declaring the existence of a State of Palestine, as if all were a question of declarations and counter-declarations. 

Where are they living? asked an Israeli politician. Certainly not on this planet.

Where is the power?

 

Preparing for Dementia

 
Everybody dies, and those who stay healthy to 100, near the end, suffer from dementia. Ergo, if I do not die before, dementia is unavoidable. My father died from a heart attack, and my mother from liver cancer. My four grandparents and uncles were assassinated relatively young. So I have no personal and intimate experience with dementia. How to prepare for it?

(1) Hearing. When speaking with a person with dementia and hearing loss, make yourself visible to them. That means facing them and placing your head at the same level as theirs so they can see your lips.

During conversations, eliminate crosstalk, as simultaneous sounds can overwhelm individuals with dementia. Minimize background noise, remove distractions, and establish a quiet environment to promote focus.

Water Stress in China

 
From a RAND study: Arid northern China receives just 340.6 millimeters of rainfall, 70 percent less rainfall than southern China, which receives 1,146 mm each year.

At the same time, northern China supports 41 percent of the total population and has high agricultural and industrial water demands.

This is not new. RAND analysed how China's government is managing (or mismanaging) the issue, and its influence in China's foreign policy vis-à-vis the USA.

La Corrida

 There is a run on the Argentine peso (pic), forcing the Milei government to pour $1.1 billion US dollars into the local market to calm it down. In the coming days, we shall know if it worked or if Argentina is living its next default. Milei is flying to Washington for salvation. 

The panic started when Milei's party lost against the Peronists in the Province of Buenos Aires. The Peronist (Justicialista) movement was created by Evita Peron about eighty years ago.  Since then, neither a Military dictatorship nor a democratically elected government has been able to balance the national budget.  Wish the best for Argentina in this new Jewish Year. 

Worldwide excitement

The internet is frenetically excited with anti-Israeli and antisemitic attacks; the whole world is cursing Israel. According to Netanyahu, European leaders are weak and are submitting to popular/Islamic violence. He spoke of the European embargo that is being organized and the need for autarky, specifically in weapons production. 

I have some experience with embargoes. When I was in charge of planning the Herzliya Wastewater Treatment Plant, a large water infrastructure project, I found that there were no local consulting engineers with experience in the field. I invited dozens of foreign consultant companies, but that was the time of the Saudi/Arab oil embargo, and they managed a black list of companies that had contacts with Israel. No one submitted any proposal. 

The project was awarded to a local firm headed by Dr. Yair Folkman, which successfully completed it. As a result, foreign consultants were unable to secure work in Israel, while the local firm went on to plan dozens of WWTPs in Israel and several more worldwide. 

Apparently, others had similar experiences, because the bourse was not worried and continued upwards. We shall deal with the cowardly Macrons and make our own weaponry. 

 

Naqba II and Naqba III

 Palestinian Arabs follow a tragic fixed pattern and cannot learn or change. They attacked the Jews a hundred years ago, failed, and British policemen - freshly arrived from Ireland - repressed their violence. In 1947, they tried again and failed, abandoning their villages and walking to Jordan and Egypt. That defeat is called Naqba (Catastrophe). On October 7, 2023, they attacked again. We are in 2025, and once again, they are abandoning their homes and walking. They are leaving everything and escaping with their precious five cu.m. black polyethylene water tank. Their cursed pattern is so regular that Naqba III may be predicted to take place circa 2075.

The Aswan Dam Breach Prediction

"Prediction of breach formation through the Aswan High Dam and subsequent flooding downstream area" is a scientific study that concluded that in case of dam failure, 13,466.10 km2 will be underwater, all of it within the Nile Valley borders. About 100 million inhabitants will have to be evacuated to higher lands.

The research team ran 6 scenarios of dam failure following a rectangular breach in the rock nucleus of 10 m wide and 21 m deep. This breach rapidly enlarges, and in a few hours will reach a width of 450 meters, with the lake losing approximately 60 meters in depth. The six scenarios calculated six different climatic situations, concluding that in Scenario 6 (maximum inflow and normal lake height), all the barrages and dams downstream will fail.  

Given the enormous mass (and 11 bar pressure on the dam's internal wall), it is presumable that even a smaller breach in the rock nucleus will rapidly develop, especially in high inflow moments. 

The study is signed by an Egyptian team: Samir A. S. Ibrahim, El-Belasy, and Fahmy S. Abdel-Haleem

water levels of each scenario during the dam failure were obtained.

2- The maximum peak outflow of the AHD failure is 389009.69 m3/s. This was in case of overtopping

failure when, the inflow of hydrograph of year 1964/1965 was considered. The Nasser Lake contents

and water level are 162.3 BCM and 182m +MSL respectively; the assumed initial breach is 10.0 m

width, and 14.0 m depth in the rock-fill part of the AHD. The breach developed progressively in 95

hours and reached a depth of 62.11 m, and a width of 666.30 m, at level 133.89 m+ MSL.

3- Scenario (3) was chosen to be simulated by 1D2D model because it represents the maximum inflow

and normal water level of the Lake. This is considered the closest condition to reality. In the case of the

Aswan High Dam failure, major damages can be expected along the Nile Valley. The resulting flood

wave propagated down the Nile causing the failure of all other dams by overtopping. The calculated

Arab money

 Qatar says it will suspend a 150 billion Boeing aircraft purchase if US continues to support Israel's attacks on Qatar.

Where the money is

America. 

Europa is impoverished.  

Probable Egyptian Attack

 It seems that the current Egyptian dictator is mobilizing against us. Egypt suffered subsequent defeats at our hands, and apparently, they learnt nothing. Last time we were stopped by Kissinger at the gates of Cairo, with the Sinai in our hands. We had built a beautiful city in North Sinai - Yamit. I always remember it. I loved Sinai. I hope I'll live and visit Bardawil lagoon, named after the Crusader king Baldwin I and the Santa Katherina monastery.  

Frightening

 
3 supermassive black holes have been caught colliding and shaking space-time. Photo by Chinese astronomers.

Capital flood

 The need for change is urgent. Indeed, if European companies do not adjust their operations in short order, the gap between them and their US peers is likely to widen. When that critical point is reached, the flow of companies and capital towards the US will likely become a flood, and Europe’s capital markets may be irreparably damaged.

Source: Deutsche Bank AG12 August 2025 Thematic Research. 

They are starting to worry. Germany is missing the Jews who were pushing ahead relentlessly a hundred years ago, while making the population insoportably nervous. 

Judge Dee Mystery

 I am not working but watching the Chinese Judge Dee series. It is something unrelated to the van Gulik version, and with much moon over mountain scenery. The Dutch novels are clever, but the Chinese film with Judge Dee's kung-fu acrobatics is ridiculously stupid. I have been many times in China and read much literature, and I like the people. They are sociable and friendly, non-violent, but I have never heard or read an ingenious saying. Their Buddhism is insincere, since Buddha never killed a fly but the Chinese kill and cook every creature. I think the Roman Empire was superior to the Celestial Empire, and only the Brits and the Jews are brilliant and funny. 

Tired

It was not a good day. A client named Oran called me when I was parking, while a Russian immigrant was shouting at me, claiming I had parked diagonally. Oran was aggressively dissatisfied when he realized that our agreement did not include supervision of the construction. Then we went babysitting my grandkids. The boy cut himself and was alarmed by a drop of blood, and ran back to his room. He ran back to play the stupifying computer game.  The mother returned the girl from the kinder, but she refused to enter and cried.  I don't have to be ashamed that at my age, I am tired.

Stock Market Analysts

Globes today: We have been searching for market analysts and found none. 

That would be a good niche for me. They need somebody to comment on the annual reports of companies. I am overworked, but that is a job I feel able to do and would like. 

Just for the record.

 בתחילת השבוע החולף חיפשנו אנליסט שיספק עבור גלובס פרשנות על הדוחות שפרסמה רשת המזון הגדולה בישראל, שופרסל, שהציגה זינוק ברווח אך ירידה בשורת המכירות. אלא שדי מהר התחוור לנו שנתקשה לקבל אותה, זאת מאחר שסיקור תחום הקמעונאות בישראל נותר בידי שני אנליסטים, אולי שלושה.

Department of War

America changed the name of its Department of Defense to the War Department. The whole world is preparing for armed conflict. Israel, Turkey, and South Korea specialize in the weapons industry. Europe is re-arming. Russia is embroiled in an active war. India and Pakistan have a border war. All the while, populations are falling, and people are distracting themselves with pointless tourism and sex parties.

Meanwhile, an economic depression is approaching. Most Governments cannot pay the interest on their debt. Their sole way out is bankruptcy a la Argentina. I feel powerless to change anything, so I work and hoard shekalim. Not that it will help when the trumpets sound. 

Greece's Tragedy

 
Population replacement in Greece is a policy.

Pic: Zeus, disguised as a shepherd, tempts Mnemosyne by Jacob de Wit (1727. Public Domain. Wikipedia Commons

"The president of Greece issued an executive order that any village of less than 2,000 inhabitants must accommodate at least 100 foreign legal or illegal immigrants. Considering that Greece is suffering from a dramatic demographic decline, Greek villages will fill with foreigners, and all of Greece will become a foreign country in less than 20 years."

There is no one to blame but the Greeks themselves, who are aborting their children.

Thames Water Crisis (again)

 The failed saga of the privatization of British water companies continues. 

Thames Water is undergoing a crisis, spurred by its excessive debt levels and poor environmental performance. The creditor group — which has labeled itself the London & Valley Water consortium — has been working on a rescue. The creditors submitted their proposal, which includes £20.5 billion ($27.4 billion) of investment and operational spending over the next five years.

The London & Valley Water consortium includes Silver Point Capital, Elliott Management Corp. and Apollo Global Management Inc., as well as Aberdeen Group Plc and Assured Guaranty Ltd. The UK government appointed FTI Consulting to advise on a special administration process in case it’s needed.

Cut the water to Gaza

HAMAS and the world do not understand Israeli anger against them. A group of angry activists went to the extreme of cutting the water flow in the main pipe feeding Gaza. 

Of course, it is a demonstrative action. No one will let two million human beings to dissiccate in the desert. 

The Yarmukhians

In Kibbutz Shaar HaGolan, many small female figurines were found. They are the remains of the Yarmukhian culture, dating back 8,000 years, at the beginning of agriculture. These female big-assed works are called fertility goddesses.  Similar figurines with exaggerated female features are found across many prehistoric cultures worldwide.

Rather than representing goddesses themselves, the figurines are offerings or ritual objects used by women to request children or successful pregnancies. This would make them more like prayers made tangible rather than objects of worship. In many cultures, people dedicate objects to petition for fertility and healthy childbirth.

If so, how can we explain the current "rebellious" non-reproducing fashion?