Friday, October 2, 2020

Israel is not Alone

We always follow the American example, generally ten years later. But now we seems we have syncronized with California, the authorities cannot impose order and chaos rules. Quote from Bloomberg:
"Pontes is now the county executive officer of Shasta County in Northern California and goes to work in thin socks, but another crisis has found him. “You cannot get closer to total disobedience of any kind of law,” he said, referring to the local response to Covid-19 strictures. “What’s happening up here is full-on anarchy.” Then he listed for me a few of the things that had happened recently: The county sheriff had announced that he wouldn’t enforce the state’s pandemic restrictions on social gatherings and businesses. People who had never before attended county board meetings were accusing local officials of treason. The county’s health officer, who had the unhappy job of imposing the state’s Covid rules on the citizens of Shasta County, was now receiving so many threats that Pontes had brought in a new threat-assessment team; he’d also ordered the bushes cut back away from her house, installed a security system and floodlights, and ordered police patrols of her neighborhood. “She still doesn’t feel safe out there,” he said. “At all.”

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Civil Revolt in Israel

The people of Israel cannot suffer further isolation and quarantine and is rebelling. Thousands of leftists are protesting against Netaniyahu, as if he personally is to blame for the epidemic. The religious sector is continuing its mass meetings and mass prayers, confident in the effectivity of communal prayer. The Arab sector is disorganized and powerless to impose self-discipline. Today 8500 new infected were added; the hospitals are full and rejecting more corona diseased. The epidemic is out of conrol and Israel is the "reddest" country in terms of infected per capita. My general impression is that the people is very nervous, businesses cannot continue closed and are desperately searching for a solution. Today I had a 4 hour ZOOM meeting, everybody much stressed. I made a big mistake, I am getting old. The people on the streets are desperate and frightened. I too am frightened.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Conflict in the Caucasus

Armenia is part of CSTO – Collective Security Treaty Organization akin to NATO which is a Russia-led military alliance of seven former Soviet states and Azerbaijan is not a part of the group. The CSTO’s mission is to secure the collective defence of any member that faces external threat and if tensions escalate, Armenia can always invoke the CSTO. Azerbaijan was founded in 1918 after the collapse of Tzarist Russia. Before that Azerbaijan was part of different empires and dynasties - mostly of Persia. The word “Azerbaijan” is a Persian word meaning land of fire and Azeris are Turkified Iranian people, they spoke old Azeri which is Persian. The Azeris are nice people and good friends of Israel. The Armenians are a small people with large claims to lost territories (see map).

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Every Project Ends in the Courts

In my former blog I commented on the low quality of the Sharona Bldg. Years after, the buyers of the shops and offices are demanding 80 million dollars from the builder Gindi Real Estate. The Judge froze Gindi's bank accounts for 15 million US$. The problem is that (1) the grease interceptors stand in the parking level, that the buyers consider their own, (2) apart from the imaginary environmental nuisance, they claim it reduces the value of their property. First thing they demand to register their claim so it will be transferred should they sell their offices, shops, etc. Happily, I was not involved in the design of the Sharona bldg's systems. Details in Hebrew follow. בחודש אפריל 2016 הגישה נציגות הדיירים תביעה נגד גינדי החזקות, מנהלי החברה ובני משפחת גינדי, שבה דרשה לסגור את "שרונה מרקט" - שוק האוכל שפועל בקומת הקרקע של הפרויקט - שגרם לדבריהם למפגעים תברואתיים. עוד טענו הדיירים כי גינדי השתלטה על חלקים ברכוש המשותף של הפרויקט וביקשו מבית המשפט צו שיאכוף את ההפרדה "בין מערכות המרקט ומגדלי המגורים". דיירי מגדלי שרונה, המיוצגים ע"י עוה"ד צבי פירון, אפרת רנד וניר פרץ ממשרד מ.פירון ושות', טוענים עתה כי אם יימכרו החניונים לצד ג' לא ניתן יהיה להעביר את בורות השומן המצויים היום בחניוני המגורים לחניון שרונה מרקט ולא ניתן יהיה לחייב את הקונה לאפשר לדיירים לעשות שימוש בחניון התפעולי המצוי בקומה מינוס 2 ומהווה את אחת מדרכי הגישה לבניינים. הדיירים דורשים אפוא "להורות על רישום הערה בדבר הגשת התביעה שבכותרת, על מנת ליידע צדדים שלישיים בדבר המחלוקות הנוגעות לחניונים ובדבר זכויותיה של התובעת בהם".

Systemic Racism Reaches Europe

The pic of the Van Der Leyden (center, red pullover) European Union Commission was commented in a Spanish journal as "racista" because there are no representatives of minorities. 10% of Europe's population is gypsy, African, South American, etc. but the ruling political class is - according to the pic - 60% elderly European women and 40% elderly European men (incl. homosexuals). They have decided to investigate the percentage of minorities everywhere - following the shining (and burning) example of America.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

What worries Iran

“If the Zionists enter this region (Persian Gulf) and incidents happen that would disrupt our national security and defense, we will view them (the UAE) as the enemy’s base and we will deal with them in the same way we deal with the enemy,” said Bagheri. Bagheri is a military intelligence expert with a Ph.D. in political geography. He has been identified as the IRGC Command Network that "dominates the upper echelons of Iran's military and controls planning, operations, intelligence, covert and irregular warfare operations, and internal security."

My City: 20% Infected with Corona

Kfar Saba Municipality reports that 20% of the population carries the coronavirus. Probable world record. Probably they mean that 20% of the sampled is positive, no world champion, in Bney Brak is 50%. We are a herd with no immunity. I did not go the synagogue this Yom Kippur. Closed like a hermit. נזיר.