Sunday, January 31, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/31/10



12:15 PM


Overcast
Muggy

Temp: 59 F
Wind chill: 57 F
Humidity: 72 %
Heat index: 58 F
Dew point: 51 F
Wind max: 7 mph
Wind avg: 5 mph
Wind direction: SW
 

Cell Phone Wall of Shame

Israelis have a special relationship with their cell phones. They are always on them. Wait...I know...everyone you know is always on their cell phone. But not like Israelis. Some Israelis are on their cell phones even when they are doing business with you.

Case in point: We were going to an orthopedic shop to get an orthotic for Pam's foot, which is still suffering from foot drop.  The man who was fitting the orthotic was on his cell phone THE ENTIRE TIME he was working with her, and this despite the fact that she was obviously distressed about having to get the orthotic in the first place and the fact that it didn't fit very well. When I suggested that perhaps he should allow her to walk around a bit to see if he could get it to fit better, he stalked out insulted since he said it would take a longer time to wear in to see how it would fit. Gee, I never walk around in new shoes to see if they fit, do you?

In any case, when I challenged him on using his cell phone ("Who were you talking to that was more important than us?" "Did someone die in your family?") he got very huffy and sarcastic. ("Enjoy your trip." Did he think we were tourists because I had a camera around my neck?) As we were leaving (I stormed out of the place which, by the way, was a real dump) we ran into a little, old bubbie lady walking in. She had twinkling eyes and a bright smile. On the off chance she might understand English, I said to her,

"Don't go in there. They are very rude."
"Why," she replied, "what did they do?"
"The man in there was on his cell phone the entire time he waited on us."
"Oh," she laughed, "Everyone in Israel does that."

Everyone in Israel does that! Well, not if they want to do business with me. Not if they are  a medical professional performing medical services for me or my family.

Just before Shabbos I had my regular call from Uncle Rafi to see how things were going. I told him this story, which I was still exercised about, and he said to me,

"Well, you're right and they're wrong but let me tell you this. I was once in a meeting with a man we wanted to start a business partnership with, and he was on his cell phone during the whole meeting talking to his wife and friends about a BBQ they were going to have."
"I would have walked out."
"We didn't do that but we ultimately didn't do the partnership."

Herewith I begin the Cell Phone Wall of Shame to call out those who are so rude that they think the person on their cell phone is more important to talk to than you. And while they are doing business with you, no less!

Establishment: "Ha'mercaz L'Briut Ha'regel"; The Center for Foot Health
Location: Old City; Be'er Sheva
Phone: 08-675-6555
NOT RECOMMENDED




Sign for the Center for Foot Health (top right), Old City, Be'er Sheva
    

Today's Weather - 1/30/10



7:30 PM


Muggy
Overcast
Light Drizzle

Temp: 64 F
Wind chill: 64 F
Humidity: 60 %
Heat index: 63 F
Dew point: 50 F
Wind max: 7 mph
Wind avg: 3 mph
Wind direction: S
 

Friday, January 29, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/29/10



4:00 PM


Clear
Sunny
A gorgeous day

Temp: 67 F
Wind chill: 67 F
Humidity: 24 %
Heat index: 63 F
Dew point: 31 F
Wind max: 7.5 mph
Wind avg: 3 mph
Wind direction: S
  

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/27/10




12:05 PM

Clear
Sunny

Temp: 53 F
Wind chill: 52 F
Humidity: 60 %
Heat index: 52 F
Dew point: 39 F
Wind max: 7 mph
Wind avg: 4 mph
Wind direction: S

 

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

I Become a Virtual VC at Ben Gurion University

Per-capita venture-capital investment in Israel runs 2.5 times that in the U.S. and 30 times that in Europe. Tiny Israel—population 7.1 million —attracts as much venture capital as Britain (population 61 million), and France and Germany combined (combined population 145 million). -- some facts from "Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle"

  

Sunday a week ago, January 17, I went to the Ben Gurion University campus in Be'er Sheva to become a virtual venture capitalist. My friend Alex Bronstein teaches a class in the computer science department there called "Entrepreneurial Computer Science". This class teaches CS students how to bring a product from conception to market while raising venture capital. It teaches them the basics of crafting a business plan, estimating the size of a market, developing a budget, and creating presentations to raise capital from venture capitalists or angel investors. As far as I know this is the only class of its kind given anywhere on entrepreneurship in a computer science department. This class is very popular and very successful. Last year Alex won the best teaching award at BGU for this class.


Prof. Alex Bronstein in front of the computer science building at Ben Gurion University of the Negev


The final exam consists of presentations the students make to a panel of professors and venture capitalists on their businesses in a mock fund-raising environment. The presentations were all first rate this year. Although the businesses ranged all the way from point product devices to complex enterprise solutions for managing auto traffic, they were one and all very professional and well done. There wasn't a single one that I would have dismissed out of hand as poorly thought out, which is a testament to how well Alex teaches the class and how much his students learn from it.

View of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev campus from the computer science department

The class presentations were held in a beautiful auditorium in the computer science department  that had been donated by Harry and Carol Saal, friends of ours from our days in Palo Alto. So, it was doubly gratifying to  educate the next generation of Israeli entrepreneurs with my friend Alex from Palo Alto in a space built by Jewish Silicon Valley ingenuity.


Ira and Pam in front of the Harry and Carol Saal Auditorium at Ben Gurion University

After three hours of presentations I was pretty hungry so Alex took me to my favorite place: The McDonald's on campus! Here I learned an important lesson.  Just because a McDonald's doesn't say "kosher" on the outside, doesn't mean it isn't kosher. Some Mcdonald's, like this one on campus, are under local rabbinic supervision, while not listed as an "officially" kosher McDonalds.


The "unofficially" kosher McDonald's on the Ben Gurion University campus


Once inside I saw the kosher certificate Alex told me about and immediately ordered a Big Mac. It was yum!


The certificate of kashrut inside the BGU McDonald's

After I finished my Big Mac we rushed off to the Chabad on campus to make the 4:00 PM time for davening Mincha. It is amazing how the feeling in Chabad shuls everywhere is the sme. I could have been anywhere in the world, but there I was on the campus of Ben Gurion University in Israel.


The Chabad shul on the campus of Ben Gurion University

After davening Alex and I went our separate ways. I hope I will be able to participate in more such programs on the BGU campus in the future.


The Gates of Peace never open on the Ben Gurion University campus because Israel's neighbors don't want them to.
 

Today's Weather - 1/26/10




11:00 AM

Partly Cloudy
Cool

Temp: 50 F
Wind chill: 50 F
Humidity: 60 %
Heat index: 49 F
Dew point: 38 F
Wind max: 7 mph
Wind avg: 3 mph
Wind direction: SW








 5:00 PM

Overcast
Cool

Temp: 51 F
Wind chill: 51 F
Humidity: 62 %
Heat index: 50 F
Dew point: 41 F
Wind max: 2 mph
Wind avg: 1.5 mph
Wind direction: SW
 

Monday, January 25, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/25/10



11:30 AM


Mostly Cloudy
Blustery
Cold

Temp: 49 F
Wind chill: 43 F
Humidity: 70 %
Heat index: 48 F
Dew point: 40 F
Wind max: 16 mph
Wind avg: 11 mph
Wind direction: SW




2:00 PM


Mostly Cloudy
Blustery
Cold

Temp: 48 F
Wind chill: 39 F
Humidity: 68 %
Heat index: 47 F
Dew point: 38 F
Wind max: 22 mph
Wind avg: 12 mph
Wind direction: SW

 

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/24/10



2:00 PM


Mostly Cloudy
Blustery
Cold

Temp: 53 F
Wind chill: 47 F
Humidity: 54 %
Heat index: 52 F
Dew point: 38 F
Wind max: 20 mph
Wind avg: 10 mph
Wind direction: SW




8:00 PM

Clear
Cold

Temp: 50 F
Wind chill: 49 F
Humidity: 56 %
Heat index: 49 F
Dew point: 37 F
Wind max: 3 mph
Wind avg: 2 mph
Wind direction: SW
 
 

Shabbat Bris

This was an eventful Shabbos in Mitzpe Ramon. There was a Shabbaton at the boys' high school and Rabbi Slonim, the Chabad shaliach, made a Bris for his new born son. I joined the boys yeshiva for Kaballat Shabbos at the crater's rim. There was a magnificent sunset and much singing and dancing. It was a transcendent time. Tzfat has nothing on Mitzpe Ramon when it comes to the supernal, transcendent light of the Shabbos.

Rabbi Slonim, the Chabad shaliach in Mitzpe Ramon

In addition to Rabbi Slonim's Bris, it was the Shabbos before Yud Shevat, an important date in the Chabad calendar, which is the Yahrzeit of the previous Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchok, and the commemoration of the the ascent of the current Rebbe, if I can use that expression, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. The Chabad shul in Mitzpe Ramon is small, an L-shaped room with a room behind for women. But we took a second Torah outdoors so everyone could have an aliyah, it being a custom that all Chasidim be called up to the Torah on the Shabbos before Yud Shevat. When the Rebbe was still alive I used to go with Rabbi Levin, the Chabad shaliach in Palo Alto, to 770 for the Fabringen that commemorated the event. There were many thousands of Chasidim and supporters there from all over the world. Sadly, it is just a memory now.

After davening, we proceeded to the new Chabad House where the Bris was to be held. A large community of people packed into the room for the Bris, which was accompanied by singing and dancing by the yeshiva boys, divrei Torah, followed by the Bris itself. The boy was named "Yosef", after the previous Rebbe, but not "Yosef Yitzchok", since one of Rabbi Slonim's sons is already named "Levi Yitzchok".

We had kiddush and a meal after the Bris. Rabbi Slonim speaks in Hebrew, Russian and English. For my benefit he made some of his remarks in English, saying on the first day that we arrived in Mitzpe Ramon I was present for a Bris at the Chabad House, and now I was present for a second soon after.


I was the Sandek for this Bris on the day we arrived in Mitzpe Ramon. Just call me "Godfather".


The desert is a place for miracles. It is where the Torah was given, and the spies, who didn't want the Jewish people to enter the Land of Israel, wanted to stay in the desert. There was another miraculous connection between us and Rabbi Slonim. We had lived in Palo Alto, where Rabbi Slonim had been just a year before for medical treatment for his daughter, and were most recently members at Lubavitch of the Palisades, whose shaliach, Rabbi Shain, was one of the supporters of the new Chabad House in Mitzpe Ramon.

The mohel (ritual circumsciser) was a young Chabad chosid who had three lovely daughters. I guess you could say this was an extreme case of the shoemaker's children not having any shoes. I sat next to him and his oldest daughter in shul. This daughter, about 6 I think, was learning Mishnayot during davening, more assiduously than anyone I had ever seen, slowly going over each word for several pages. Occasionally she would stop and ask her father about a word. It was wonderful to see this little girl learning with her father.

Gut Voch. Shavuah Tov. Have a Good Week.

 

Parasails over Machtesh Ramon

On Friday afternoon we saw a group of four parasails over the crater. They were colorful and exciting. Although these were the first we had seen, people to whom we excitedly pointed them out said they were a rather common sight. I have no idea how they launch. Not from a plane, and you can't just jump off the crater rim with a soft sail and expect it to open properly. My daughter says she thinks they are launched from a tow vehicle that pulls them into the air. I shall have to find out more.

In any case, the parasailor sits in a harness, rather unlike a hang glider whose body lies prone in a harness. The parasail seems to be maneuvered by pulling the lines that attach it to the harness. The parasailors flew all along the cater rim beside Mitzpe Ramon, slowly descending then catching a new thermal that would tower them high over head, as they swooped around together. Looks exciting, but I don't think you'll catch me up there any time soon. There were some very interesting cloud formations on Friday, as you will see in these photos, that I can't explain. Enjoy the colorful sights from the ground.

(As always, click on the photos for a full-size image.)
































































































































  

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/23/10




9:30 PM

Clear
Comfortable
Beautiful weather

Temp: 51 F
Wind chill: 51 F
Humidity: 69 %
Heat index: 50 F
Dew point: 44 F
Wind max: 3 mph
Wind avg: 2 mph
Wind direction: SW

Friday, January 22, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/22/10




12:30 PM

 Clear
Comfortable
Beautiful weather

Temp: 64 F
Wind chill: 64 F
Humidity: 52 %
Heat index: 62 F
Dew point: 45 F
Wind max: 4 mph
Wind avg: 2 mph
Wind direction: SW

Appliance Delivery

We finally had our appliances delivered today: refrigerator, washer/dryer, stove. Despite the fact that the store assured us that the delivery men would set everything up, of course they didn't. It apparently requires a "technician" to set up everything but the refrigerator. You'd think an appliance store would have that one figured out by now.

In any case, the delivery men arrive in Mitzpe Ramon. All delivery men who arrive in Mitzpe Ramon are angry because it's such a long drive from Be'er Sheva, the nearest city. We get two: a feisty, bantam weight of stocky build, and a wry one of slender build. Both are short. Have you ever seen a single, short delivery man haul a stove up to the second floor on his back? It was a sight.

Back at our house, the delivery men bring a washer and dryer in to the utility room, each hauling a unit on his back. I say, The dryer goes on top. Next thing we know, the dryer has disappeared. No where to be found. Eventually, the second delivery man finds it on the landing of the second floor. Delivery Golems Gone Wild. And they think Jews run the world!

In the mean time, the refrigerator has been unpacked and placed in the kitchen. Apparently, it is the single appliance that does not require a "technician" to unpack. As the delivery men are leaving I say, Will you take the refrigerator box away. He says, Do I look like I have a garbage truck? Jews and their eternal questions!

In case you were wondering, it costs 270 shekels, or about $70, to deliver two stoves, a washer/dryer, and a refrigerator to Mitzpe Ramon. Not bad, since it is a 100 mile round-trip journey to bring the appliances from Be'er Sheva. I give the feisty delivery man, who seems to be the boss, 300 shekels and say keep the change. He leaves without saying thank you.

Shabbat Shalom.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/21/10




11:30 AM

Mostly cloudy
Cool

Temp: 56 F
Wind chill: 56 F
Humidity: 58 %
Heat index: 55 F
Dew point: 40 F
Wind max: 5 mph
Wind avg: 3 mph
Wind direction: SW




2:50 PM

Mostly cloudy
Cool

Temp: 52 F
Wind chill: 50 F
Humidity: 56 %
Heat index: 51 F
Dew point: 40 F
Wind max: 6 mph
Wind avg: 3 mph
Wind direction: SW




9:40 PM


Clear
Cool

Temp: 53 F
Wind chill: 53 F
Humidity: 68 %
Heat index: 52 F
Dew point: 41 F
Wind max: 3 mph
Wind avg: 1 mph
Wind direction: SW
 

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/20/10




10:45 AM

Overcast
Windy
Cool
Intermittent rain showers

Temp: 52 F
Wind chill: 48 F
Humidity: 81%
Heat index: 52 F
Dew point: 47 F
Wind max: 12 mph
Wind avg: 7.2 mph
Wind direction: SW





9:45 PM

A few clouds; horizon haze
Cold

Temp: 47 F
Wind chill: 46 F
Humidity: 91%
Heat index: 47 F
Dew point: 47 F
Wind max: 4 mph
Wind avg: 2 mph
Wind direction: SW

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Today's Weather - 1/19/10





Sunny
Breezey
Clear
A few clouds

Temp: 52 F
Wind chill: 50 F
Humidity: 68%
Heat index: 52 F
Dew point: 44 F
Max wind: 11 mph
Avg wind: 3 mph
Direction: East





2:20 PM

Overcast
Windy
Chilly

Temp: 53 F
Wind chill: 49 F
Humidity: 89%
Heat Index: 53 F
Dew point: 51F
Max wind: 12 mph
Avg wind: 6 mph
Direction: West





7:00 PM

Partly cloudy
Windy

Temp: 50 F
Wind chill: 45 F
Humidity: 77%
Heat index: 50 F
Dew point: 44 F
Max wind: 13 mph
Avg wind: 9 mph
Direction: West





10:30 PM

Temp: 53 F
Wind chill: 53 F
Humidity: 64%
Heat index: 53 F
Dew point: 44 F
Max wind: 7 mph
Avg wind: 3 mph
Direction: West

  

We Celebrate our 26th Wedding Anniversary


We get the chance to celebrate our anniversary twice. Once on the secular calendar, January 8, and once on the Hebrew calendar, Shevat 4. This year, Tuesday January 19 corresponded to Shevat 4. So, Monday night (which is the beginning of Shevat 4 on the Hebrew calendar) we had decided to go out out with Chavie, Donny, and Yair to celebrate. This was also the second day of drenching rain that fell in the Negev, dropping as much rain in one day as had fallen in the last 10 years altogether. As an adventure-blogger-wannabee I had been out in the rain trying to capture the Machtesh in storms never seen before and came in drenched and cold. This put a damper on my enthusiasm for a night out, however short it may be. However, a quickly clearing sky and hot bath put me in a better mood, so out on the town it was.

The Ramon Inn is the "fancy" hotel in town at the top of the hill. We had gone there frequently to eat during our apartment hunting trip in the summer, so this was our destination tonight. They have a very nice light, dairy menu that can be eaten in their comfortable sitting area. Some of the charm of the place was diminished by the buckets and plastic set out to catch leaking water. Most of Mitzpe Ramon was turned into leaky roofs by the unprecedented downpours. However, our half of the room was dry, so we took our place at our regular table.

Since this was a celebration, I was in the mood for a drink and ordered a dry martini. I should have been suspicious when the waitress asked me "red" or "white" and returned with what I think was a glass of room-temperature vermouth, with the two olives I had requested, but no toothpick. When I explained that a martini was 98% gin and 2% vermouth she said, "Oh, you want a glass of gin." "No, I want a martini." Now she explained she would have to charge me twice, once for a glass of gin and once for a glass of vermouth. Whatever, I said. Eventually she brought a martini-glass with a luke warm concoction of something that resembled gin and vermouth, but tasting like no martini I have ever had. Recommendation: Avoid mixed drinks at the Ramon Inn.


A "martini" like no other at the Ramon Inn

However dubious the mixed drinks at the Ramon Inn, the soups and salads are still excellent.  Truth is, the soups with bread are meal enough, but we also ordered an assortment of their large salads, pizza, and pasta dishes.

Chavie, Donny and Yair gave us a treasured gift: a ribbon-attached leaf from our yard in Englewood. We will treasure it until it crumbles to dust.


A treasured anniversary gift: a leaf from our yard in Englewood

Celebrating happy occasions with family is best, and we were very fortunate to be surrounded by Chavie, Donny and Yair, who kept things busy throughout the meal with his constant play and chatter.


Whenever there is a two year-old around, there is not much room for attention to go anywhere else. Indeed, Pam gave Yair a T-shirt that has a big arrow pointing down with the words, "Focus All Attention Here." Yair loves ice cream and drinks made with ice cream, like milk shakes. He got his hands on one at dinner and proceeded to show an Olympic champion's promise for the milk shake drinking event.

There was nothing left to do after this display of drinking prowess but go home. Yair drank all of us under the table.


   

Friday, January 15, 2010

Bicycling Along Route 40

The area around Mitzpe Ramon is well known as a bicyclists haven, offering much to road and off-road bikers alike. While driving Pam to Be'er Sheva earlier this week I spied what at first looked like a family of Bedouins moving their entire household, waiting for a bus by the side of Route 40. As we approached in our car, I saw that this was a pair of road bikers carrying the largest load I have ever seen on a touring bike. Each bike had front and rear panniers filled to overflowing with clothes, with a large amount of goods on the rear racks as well. One of the bikes, in addition, was towing a trailer, whether carrying more goods or a child/children I do not know.

They had stopped at the end of a long down hill run, which as we crested the hill, gave way to an even longer uphill run before it. Mitzpe Ramon is at an elevation of 900 meters, Be'er Sheva some 80 kilometers away, is at 200 meters, so it is quite an uphill haul going into Mitzpe Ramon. Truth be told, the road looks uphill to me in both directions from a car. In any case, there are alot of uphill grinds in both directions, regardless of the general gradient.

Winter is probably the only time of year most bikers could do this route, since the 100 degree temperatures in the summer must make this kind of riding dangerous. Route 40 itself is no picnic on a bike, since it is a well-paved two lane highway with cars usually doing well over 100 kph. I was doing 110 kph when we encountered this sight, which is why I have no photos of it. I have no idea what became of this pair. They were long gone when we returned many hours later at night.

We did see a lone biker with a back-pack and lights on our night-time return. This seems like a really dangerous place to be at night, but there he was anyway.

Spot and the Trotting Ibex


Spot the Dog seems to be settling in to his new home. He has a taste for long walks that he hasn't had since he was a young dog many years ago. A few days ago he insisted on walking around the perimeter road of Mitzpe Ramon, a circular distance of about a mile from our apartment.

One of the nice views on this walk is the approach to Har Gamal, or Camel Lookout, a mountain whose top has been carved by wind erosion to resemble the body of a kneeling camel. I have heard the winds are quite fierce at the top of this mountain, and I look forward to the challenge of getting there some day soon.


Har Gamal, or Camel Lookout, as seen from Mitzpe Ramon's perimeter road

We were walking around 3:00PM, two hours before sunset. This seems to be the time the Ibex begin returning to the Machtesh from town. We saw a small herd in the field near the crater, and then this one who trotted quickly in front of us to join them. I love the sound of their hooves on the ground.


An Ibex trots in front of Spot and me

Spot paid no special attention to the Ibex who joined this small herd across the street.


A small herd of Ibex


They quickly ambled off toward the crater's rim, and we continued our walk home.


 

Tu B'Shevat Countdown Timer Started

I have just started the Tu'B'Shevat countdown timer in anticipation of the new year of the trees. (Rosh Chodesh Shevat is this Shabbos, and an annular eclipse of the sun is visible in Africa and Asia on Friday. The sun will be only about 10% eclipsed in Jerusalem around sunrise.) It should be interesting to see what sprouts in the desert after the (light) winter rains.


A Mitzpe Ramon rose garden waits for Spring

Mitzpe Ramon has a number of planted and tended trees and gardens thorough out town. Rose gardens seem to predominate. These plantings are obviously not indigenous to the desert. One park not far from our apartment has antique roses growing over an arbor. Antique roses have multiple bloomings through out the year and are extremely fragrant. Their genetic line is of great antiquity, dating back over 2,000 years to Roman times. I was first introduced to these wonderful roses by Sandy Lerner, one of the founders of Cisco systems, when I moved to Palo Alto in 1984. I had a fence full of different ones, some white, some red, some climbing, others bushes. The climbing roses eventually took over and killed a large locust tree near the house. It was amazing to see a large tree completely covered with blooming roses in the spring, usually during Pesach.

I have missed these roses and was glad to find them growing in Mitzpe Ramon.


Antique roses grow in Mitzpe Ramon

Con Trail Over Mitzpe Ramon

This is the first con trail I have seen over Mitzpe Ramon. It is exactly a month since we arrived.


Con trail over Mitzpe Ramon

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