The Day of Atonement

Yom Kipur in Tel Aviv

Nice day for a bike ride to a sewage plant

I rode to Deer Island with MassBike on Saturday. No, it's not an island. Home to the misfits of the day, it was a place of confinement for native Americans in the 18th century, and in the 21st century, it stores and treats our waste matter. Those stunning cylinders hide a foul secret.

Boston's segregated reality was again brought to life, as we visited East Boston, Revere, Winthrop and Everett, places I had never before visited.

עבודה עברית

Avoda Ivrit is a glitzy project of new versions for songs spanning Israel's 60 years of independence. Two such projects were initiated, the first covering 50 songs, and released to commemorate Israel's 50th anniversary. The second came out last year to mark Israel's 60th, and you guessed it, included 60 songs. Some are spectacular (Assaf Amdursky, Aya Korem and more). You can buy the songs in full (and as ring-tones) for your phone. A fitting tribute to the country with more cell phones than people.

Free iPod Hebrew support

Hebrew support for iPod users is now freely distributed by iDigital. Kol hakavod! Works like a charm. Instructions are in Hebrew, contact me if you need a summary in English.

Enviromental Smoker

This is Mr. Gideon Ezra, Israel's minister for the "protection of the environment". His questionable policies have raised much debate in Israel's green community. Nevertheless, I understand he recycles his empty Marlboro boxes.

Prof. David Mumford and the Wolf Prize

Prof. David Mumford of Brown university --- the recipient of this year's prize for mathematics by the Wolf foundation in Israel --- decided to donate the prize money to Palestinian academia to "enable the academic community in occupied Palestine to survive and thrive".

It's not the lack of funds that's keeping Palestinian academia from thriving. Rather, it is that Chemistry labs in Palestinian universities are used to teach bomb manufacturing techniques and that those Palestinian scientists who attempt to collaborate with Israelis risk their reputation and their lives.

Prof. Mumford mis-used a celebration of scientific achievement to shout out his political agenda, not to help the Palestinian people, or else he would have donated the money to a UN relief organization.

Cambridge Geese

We ran into these family of geese on a recent bike tour in Cambridge taking a leisurely Saturday stroll near the museum of science. Can you imagine anyone eating foigras after such a domestic scene?