Θάλαττα! The Money!

 New project in Tel Aviv. Facing the Sheraton hotel and the sea Θάλαττα. An old aparthotel is being renewed as part of a worldwide chain and refurbished as more or less the same but with a bar and a kitchen. Arrived home at 1 PM and my daughter Shany had organized a lunch at Max Brenner Herzliya at 17 hs. Why? Suddenly I felt very tired. We succeeded in moving it to Friday and suddenly, all my tiredness was gone. I had long known that stress causes tiredness. The solution: Relax. 

 Laugh is the best remedy (from Reader's Digest):

“Credit Suisse does not tolerate tax evasion,” the bank said in a statement. “We have implemented extensive enhancements since 2014, to root out individuals who seek to conceal assets from tax authorities. Our clear policy is to close undeclared accounts when identified, and to discipline any employee who fails to comply with bank policy or falls short of Credit Suisse’s high standards of conduct.”

Falling out of practice

 
We have this Succoth week-long holiday here, and no one is phoning or messaging me. No one is pressing me to finish his plan. So, I totally forgot how to work and it is becoming very difficult to sit down for more than five minutes and work. Yesternight we had dinner with daughters and families, and I overate to the point that could hardly move. For next Thursday Shany organized a birthday in Max Brenner and cannot refuse. Am too old for these things, and I have no desire for social events. But I must. 

"You shall enjoy your holidays".  And you shall draw water with a smile. 

Buoyancy

 Only fifty years ago, I could swim underwater 50 meters, without taking a breath. This morning, in the pool, I could not submerge myself and floated powerlessly like styrofoam on the surface. I am so fat that my specific weight must be around 0.85. Over the years, I became less and less dense. Soon I may be less dense than air and will fly up and away in the wind like a free helium balloon.   

Whites Flying Away

The city of Jackson, Mississippi, is unable to manage its water supply system, spite being built on rich aquifers and on the shores of a large river. The root cause says Lumumba, is "White Flight". See pic. Those evil birds refuse to be shot at. Lumumba is Jackson's major.

The Jacobin instead blames Wall Street:

When government defaults do occur, as happened in Detroit in 2013 and Puerto Rico in 2016, Wall Street is always the culprit. Wall Street firms loaded up these communities with toxic debt that required huge debt service payments, precipitating their bankruptcies.

Where did I hear this argument? In Argentina. The IMF did not loan billions to insolvent beggars, it "loaded them with toxic debts".  

Who did it?

Somebody blocked Russia's main income source. And by the way, sabotaged the American industry's main competition. Russia-Germany Gas Pipe destroyed. 

 Who did it?

Did that somebody say, softly, "one way or another"? Was she quoting Blondie?

One way, or another, I'm gonna lose ya
I'm gonna give you the slip
A slip of the hip or another, I'm gonna lose ya
I'm gonna trick ya, I'll trick ya
One way, or another, I'm gonna lose ya
I'm wanna trick ya, trick ya, trick ya, trick ya
One way, or another, I'm gonna lose ya
I'm gonna give you the slip

The Meaning of Life

 

Those who feel meaning in life live longer because they are physically and mentally healthier. This has been scientifically proven many times. But what is behind it?

My conclusion is that life and the universe in general have no meaning or sense. It just exists. 

All supposed meanings are artificial and imagined, but that is OK. Any pretended belief works well as the real one. Well, I'll have to pretend to believe in something. 

Pic/: The caparot ritual. You transfer your sins to a chicken and you sacrifice it. Ancient Greeks considered the Ancient Jews - stupid. THEY sacrificed bulls.

Red Famine

 

I bought Anne Applebaum's book "Red Famine" about Ukraine's history in the early 20th century. The map (left) by the British Foreign Office shows the demographic impact of the civil war and the Sovietization of the country. It is impressive, a quarter of the population disappeared as a consequence of the imposition of Soviet rule.