Social Anthropoids vs University of Ariel

The European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA) has ratified a motion to boycott Israeli academic institutions in the West Bank. This decision follows a letter from the Israeli Anthropological Association (IAA), Prof. Nir Avieli, urging to boycott three institutions in the settlements: Ariel University, Orot College in Elkana, and Herzog College in Alon Shvut. The motion was overwhelmingly ratified this month by the organization’s members, passing by a vote of 830 in favor, 21 opposed and 37 abstentions. 

Disgraceful! 

Dulcinea del Toboso

Y diciendo esto, se adelantó a recebir a las tres aldeanas, y apeándose del rucio, tuvo del cabestro al jumento de una de las tres labradoras, y hincando ambas rodillas en el suelo, dijo:
—Reina y princesa y duquesa de la hermosura, vuestra altivez y grandeza sea servida de recebir en su gracia y buen talente al cautivo caballero vuestro, que allí está hecho piedra mármol, todo turbado y sin pulsos de verse ante vuestra magnífica presencia..."

I am hearing through Librivox the reading of Don Quixote in Spanish. Fifty years ago I had a copy in the Sopena edition, in the original medieval Spanish, and it was quite frustrating. Now they are reading a contemporary Spanish edition, perfectly comprehensible and clear. The second part is very different from the first part, in this sequel the fact of lineage is present in every second sentence, like Sancho's "I am Cristiano Viejo, Catolico Romano and hate the Jews to death". And "my Father Panza and all the Panzas were Old Christians, labradores (peasants), etc." Cervantes, obviously, needs the Church's permission to print this work, but it is surprising that in 1600 (the last Jew left Spain a hundred years before) he feels the need of a constant emphasis in not having Jewish blood and being good old Catholics. In addition to the references to Jews, in every occasion the rank and the wealth of the personages is clearly defined. Those were times of ethnic cleansing in Spain, and Cervantes is sympathetic to the Moor expulsees. When Don Quixote is hosted by the Duke, he sends a servant girl to his bedroom "to help him undress", which puritanical Quixote rejects - he wants to be faithful to his Dulcinea. Anyway, it is very entertaining. 

Bad day at the Stock Exchange

There have been imperceptible changes in the world, which are starting to exert pressures and stresses. The EU is in chaos, Merkel is weak and Britain is rudderless. The hostility between the USA and China is deepening, Japan is re-arming, Australia is prospering and becoming a regional power. The government in Israel is unstable and rivalries are hardening. My NASDAQ portfolio lost weight in the last week, and today TASE has followed downwards. Bank Hapoalim lost 5% and other heavy stocks are crumbling. The diamond companies of Lev Levaiev are paralyzed and the employees interrogated by the police (pic). A female executive jumped from the TASE building and instantly solved her difficulties. The police asked to jail the Minister of Interior, Arieh Dery, for something related to the financing of his new palace in Jerusalem. 

Bad day at work

Pic: New project, a gym in Kanion Azrieli, Ramla. The planning team visited the place with the managers of the center. I started to develop my ideas of how the gym will solve various difficulties (the building lies on a concrete platform) and while I was talking full of enthusiasm, creativity, momentum - our Arschloch leader told me to shut up. Later this Chernozhopyi explained that in the first meeting we should just hear and not talk.

I am rejecting projects: I am overscheduled and tired. 

The Basra Project

The Jewish Brigade served with the British Army during WWII guarding the oil fields. After the war they returned to Palestine and founded an agricultural settlement in the Sharon region. Near Raanana. They called it Basra. It prospered mightily. The pic shows the monument to the fallen - leaves in a graveled Japanese garden.

We are building a coffee shop. The sight is beautiful.  

About those smart apes

The idea of taming apes to perform human work has been tried many times and never succeeded. Simply, there is no way to convince an ape to do anything for us: no feeding handicapped persons, no guiding blind persons,  no pushing coal carts in mines, no fighting as heroic soldiers in our battles. That's not all. Many tried to measure the muscular force of a chimp, since it is estimated that they are three or four times stronger than us, but they totally refuse to lift heavy weights or pull the handles of dynamometers. Of course they understand what is required from them, to pull forcefully a handle, and they understand they will be paid handsomely for the exercise, but they refuse to co-operate.

Only Homo sapiens and mules can be trained to slave for others. 

Cutting the trees to increase water resources

The catchment of the Amandel River, which feeds Theewaterskloof Dam from the north east, contains little other than water-hungry alien trees. Photo: Big Oak Adventures 

Cape Town will clear foreign/invasive species from catchment areas. The concept is contrary to the Israeli ecological "green" doctrine that deforestation and desertification reduce water availability. Here each tree has been catalogued and killing trees (including foreign, water consuming species like Eucaliptus) is a crime. I think our regulation is crazy.

"The Nature Conservancy study found that R372 million could fund a 30-year programme to clear invasive trees and prevent them from returning in the seven priority sub-catchments that supply three-quarters of Cape Town’s water. As well as being cheaper, this ‘green’ option would deliver more new water than each of the other options."