Not Kedai for most people--Moving to the secular state of israel (SSOI)

  Best Countries in the World 2026: 1. Switzerland 2. Denmark 3. Sweden 4. Germany 5. Netherlands 6. Norway 7. United Kingdom 8. Finland 9. Luxembourg 10. Austria 11. Belgium 12. France 13. Ireland 14. Australia 15. Iceland 16. Singapore 17. Japan 18. United States 19. Canada 20. South Korea

Spanish: USA está en otro planeta económico en comparación al resto del mundo How much Spanish do you need to translate this to The USA is on another planet economically compared to the rest of the world.  The only non-cognates are mundo and del. All the other words are close enough to figure out the first time around, and rapidly translate the second time.  Now in Hebrew: ארה"ב נמצאת על כוכב כלכלי אחר בהשוואה לשאר העולם Setting aside even the right to left orientation of Hebrew, the abjad — a writing system where each symbol primarily represents a consonant and vowels are not written, and the Hebrew alphabet,rather than the Latin alphabet of English and Spanish, is there a single word there that resembles English? So you studied Spanish in college and figure now that at age 30 you'll be able to learn Hebrew in a snap? Guess again. 

For six months I have been planning my first trip to America in eight years. Flying overseas is complicated when you observe Shabbos and have a job that affords no vacation time because the company is so small there's nobody to cover for you. And I had to save up the money. But just when it seemed to be coming together, I get this email: Please find hereafter information concerning your flight XX XXXX on 06/XX/2026. We regret to inform you that your flight  has been cancelled. Our apologies for the inconvenience, we realise that this has a big impact on your travel plans. We are truly grateful for your understanding. In order to find a personalized solution together, we invite you to contact us by telephone at the number indicated on our site (local number, languages spoken and opening hours).                   Why is it canceled? It's be...

Somehow I found myself watching network news from Ohio today. I don't know how this came up on my screen but I know that it was an enjoyable experience even as I never watch network news. Oh, there was a weather report given by a fairly modestly dressed woman. And there was news about construction and state government. Yes, it was all women talking. They have become the talking heads on TV, which has become something of a fashion show. But their speaking was clear and done without shouting or hysterics like in Israel. It was calming. Then came news about the Mideast and it was all war, missiles, retaliation, death. I was reminded of Louis CKs observation that the world has changed so much but not in the Mideast. That's exactly the same.  I found myself dreaming of making aliyah to Ohio where a day is just a day, not another war saga. What I did to my life by moving to this lunatic asylum, it defies description. If I still knew how to cry, that's all I'd do.  Of course, ...

An aliyanik told me, "You won't recognize Jerusalem." Well, the only change I see is tht Yafo St now has a light rail. Not much else. As for Tel Aviv, it's more developed, but not so much and no more than many other places in the world. Actually, much less than many other places.

This takes the romance out of it and shows that money, war, death,  selfishness, and political intrigue have been part of the state of Israel from way back. 

  Top 25 Countries with Fastest Trains in the World 1. China — 430 km/h 2. Indonesia — 350 km/h 3. France — 320 km/h 4. Japan — 320 km/h 5. Morocco — 320 km/h 6. Spain — 310 km/h 7. South Korea — 305 km/h 8. Italy — 300 km/h 9. Germany — 300 km/h 10. Saudi Arabia — 300 km/h 11. Taiwan — 300 km/h 12. Belgium — 300 km/h 13. Turkey — 250 km/h 14. Russia — 250 km/h 15. Netherlands — 250 km/h 16. Uzbekistan — 250 km/h 17. United States — 240 km/h 18. Austria — 230 km/h 19. United Kingdom — 225 km/h 20. Finland — 220 km/h 21. Norway — 210 km/h 22. Switzerland — 200 km/h 23. Sweden — 200 km/h 24. Poland — 200 km/h 25. India — 160 km/h Source: UIC, International Union of Railways.