About the Khazars

What language they spoke? Hungarian. Why they disappeared so suddenly? An allied Russian-Mongol campaign destroyed the 300 years old Khazaria. What happened to their capital city Itil? The river Don changed its course near the delta and it became a swamp. The Khazars were White or Asians? They were Turks, they looked Europeans with Mongol mix. Like Turkmen. Did they practice Judaism? A horseback nomadic kind of. They retained their cult of Tenger (Tengri) the chief deity, the Taltos, the magic shaman, the Boldogasszony, the miracle female deity, Turul madar - the totem bird of the Magyar nation, and so. With the passing of the centuries, some assimilated and a few became totally Jewish. The Kabars - a Khazar tribe - led the Magyar allied tribes in their invasion of what is Hungary. Why Hungary? Because Hungary is the only non-forested land in Europe, with grass for the horses. Where can Khazar descendants be found today? As such, nowhere. The Nazis exterminated their remnants. Were they recognized as Kosher Jews? Yes.

James Thompson: We are being titrated

Now we are in a time of uncertainty, and the advice and exhortations are likely to change every couple of weeks. Adults should understand that we are titrating our responses to a hazard, and that even though case increases are probably not exponential, they are on an upward path. That said, it is hard to obtain commitment when the rules vary so much. Insurrection seems unlikely, but actual non-compliance will probably increase.

My beloved city Kfar Saba has just been declared "Red City", meaning that the number of infected is increasing exponentially and has passed some number. Prof Thompson explains that the number of positives is unrelated to the number of people falling ill. But fatties like me are in danger. More than that I did not understood. Anyway, I am at home trying to work. Found several projects misfiled and forgotten - now is the time to update my work schedule.

The West Bank according to the CIA

The CIA maintains a useful data bank. I believe no voluntary distorsions are included, but somehow the data on the West Bank seems to mirror a place I do not know. Gross Natonal Product = $9.828 billion (2014 est.). Since population is about 2.9 million (including 0.5 million Jews), it is 3,500 $ per capita. It is in the Nigeria - Bangla Desh group. However, One does not see human misery in the roads or in the villages. On the contrary, one sees palatial buildings and brand-new Mercedes Benz cars. Many schools and universities, at middays the streets are full of uniformed children coming from school, and the statistics too prove that the youth is studying. This is an active, enterprising, commercial people. Yet every second Palestinian I talk with, dreams of moving to Europe or America. Against all the rethoric and posturing of "return to Palestine", most seem to be searching for ways to joing their relatives in the West.

Hope vs Hopelessness

The corona epidemic is getting to our nerves. Today, 7000 infected in Israel. My daughter feels all kinds of symptoms and fears having the disease. She succeeded in infecting - with her hysteria - my wife. I have two clients phoning me all day - why I don't answer and why I am not advancing with their projects. I wish they would disappear. I'll have to face them sooner or later, tomorrow or Friday. 

I had planned my life so that I shall work till age .. (my current age) . It seemed so far away that I did not plan anything after that.  Life passed without noticing and now I have no future plans. Everybody says that not working causes hopelessness, depression, disease and early death. I have several professional articles half-written, and I am not finishing them because of "what for?" I believe it does no good for my children to inherit much, or am I just an old miser?

Woody Allen convinced himself that had brain cancer and walked aimlessly and then entered a cinema where he watched a Marx Brothers film. What the Hell, I am enjoying it! and went to work. 

The CIA, Mobutu Sese Seko and el Che Guevara

  I am rereading A Bend on the River by Naipaul. In the novel there is a Belgian teacher, former adviser of Mobutu and now, disgraced, edits his speeches in the hope of regaining his favor. I tried to find if there was such book or it was the writer's invention, and voila! there it is on the internet (in French). The drama of the Belgian Congo has been forgotten, and as is my boss M. Portalis's Latinoconsult project in Katanga. See the documentary on YouTube. 

In the movie there is an interview with the CIA agent who tells how they tried to identify potential leaders around Lumumba, and how - later - he received the order to eliminate Lumumba. Lumumba was trying to align his strategic, copper and uranium mining country, with the socialist camp. The order was carried out by Mobutu, whose faithful service was rewarded with firm support from the West. that allowed him to steal millions and enjoy it undisturbed in Europe. 

When later the mining province of Katanga tried to secede with the assistance of the Che, the rebellion's leader Kabila was persuaded to change sides and the rebels were liquidated by South African soldiers.  Kabila became President of the Congo, and after he was assassinated, his son Joseph inherited the post. El Che said that the rebels were not serious and moved to start a guerrilla in Bolivia. Naipaul's Indian trading families are back in Stanleyville (whatever it is called now). The book has been accused of pro-colonialism, in my opinion, rightly. Moreover, it is racist, he explains the riots, the massacres and the rage of the Africans "for being what they are" - an enigmatic yet crystal clear diagnosis of postcolonial Africa. And not only Africa. 

Harvard Haram!

 

I am reading about Jewish girls passing for Afro-Americans, for Portorricans, etc. to get into good universities in the USA and enjoy  priority hiring for good jobs. Noia my granddaughter has reddish Afro hair, so she may claim privileged minority status. She could be admitted by Harvard, thanks either to her hairstyle or her Ashkenazi IQ, a rare, lucky combination. But I am against it. Harvard Haram as in Boko (Book in Hausa) Haram. If I have influence left, she is headed to an ulpana in Jerusalem. Alas, she will do what her mother and grandmother decide. 

New Jewish Year

At 2 PM today the country goes into isolation for three weeks. The coronavirus epidemic is raging and each day some 5000 catches it.  There are 50,000 active cases aka sick people. For the younger people is a bad flu, for adults it may take two weeks in bed, for elders like me it means a stay in the hospital on respirator and then a painful death.  As for me, I must be in good shape and healthy since last night I had a wet dream. I am surprised since it is an adolescent exuberance  uncommon at my legendary age. Six signed contracts are waiting - a lot of work - I need motivation. Grandchildren are sick, Shkeddy has the aftosa virus (the hoof-and-mouth disease which I knew as a South American bovine disease), another is allergic to gluten. Friends are not calling and when they do, we have nothing to talk about.