Mezuzah!

After going to the synagogue on Saturday I realized … we don’t have a mezzuzah? We had one at our last house. I remember putting it up. I remember Karen’s parents seeing it. I was so surprised to think we didn’t have one that I went and looked at our front door and no, there really wasn’t one. Apparently way, way, way back, when we went to a fair and bought menorahs (I’m not Jewish but I saw one I loved and bought it for myself) we also found this. I don’t even remember this! But I’ll be putting it up. We’ve only lived here since 2000. 

No one was fired last night! No one was even put on administrative leave. Yay!!! Management is going out of its way to try to be emotionally intelligent, asking how people are, inviting them to share. 

The news is reporting that a judge overturned the freeze on government grants and it is true. It does not cover my agency and it does not cover contracts. 

The new overlords were distressed that the impact on us meant that businesses, including small businesses, were going to be experience the consequences of the pause in contracting and assistance. But the fact that we help American businesses (as part of our work to help Africa) means that when we are allowed to operate again we will probably be ok and may even be, maybe, allowed to have our furloughed staff back. 

The buy out, as I read it, is …. In addition to not being funded by Congress and probably not legal, it isn’t a buy-out as I think of them. Based on just the document sent to me, it reads like “agree to resign and we’ll let you work from home until September.” This is NOT how I am seeing it portrayed in the media. 

Last summer Russians were signing up to join the military because they were getting big one-time payments. They aren’t doing that anymore. The number has fallen five-fold. Reportedly, in August 200-250 people a day would come into one of the Moscow recruitment centers. Now it is about 40. A bunch of those are under investigation in criminal cases. 

A Lukoil oil refinery was struck by multiple Ukrainian drones in the early hours today. All four drones hit their target. 

Ukraine had a nice victory in Kursk the other day and seized equipment and papers. The papers and devices had info on Moscow’s military. It is a nice morale boost and informs about military plans. 

Ukraine attacked a Russian missile arsenal. Local residents counted at least 20 explosions and complained about being evacuated. The drones also got the oil pumping station. Russia had to stop the main pipeline that supplied it.