Cucumbers came very late – but when they decided to show up, they really did it. About 40 collected this weekend. 
On the State of the Nation—and what is to be done? By Ehud Barak
Published under Global, Leadership, Middle East Sep 22, 2016I just recently had a chance to read Ehud Barak’s speech from earlier this summer in full and I truly consider it to be one of the most important commentaries in years on the challenges Israel faces.
On the State of the Nation—and what is to be done?
A speech at the IDC, Herzliya, June 16, 2016
Greetings,
This year, we mark 120 years since the First Zionist Congress in Basel. Next year, we will mark 70 years since the UN resolution that led to the establishment of the State of Israel and 50 years since the Six-Day War. This is undoubtedly an appropriate time for introspection.
We have had great achievements. Zionism is the most successful national project of the 20th century. It is the shared project of a bold and far-reaching leadership and a nation that stood on the brink of disaster, defied it, and survived.
Three years after the fires in the crematoria were extinguished, the State of Israel, led by David Ben-Gurion, was born into war. Despite the difficulties—seven wars, two (or perhaps three) intifadas, countless operations in between, and quite a bit of other kinds of trouble—Israel could look back at its history with contentment and pride.
“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.”
- Henry James
How the sugar industry has distorted health science for more than 50 years
Published under Health Sep 20, 2016
The sugar industry has a long history of shaping nutrition policy in the United States, working to mask the potential risks of consuming too much of the sweet stuff.
It wasn’t until this year, for instance, that the US Dietary Guidelines finally recommended people keep their consumption of added sugars below 10 percent of their total calorie intake — decades after health advocates began pressing for the measure. The sugar lobby had fended off this recommendation all the while.
New research, published today in JAMA Internal Medicine, shows that Big Sugar may have done more than just advocate for favorable policies. Going back more than 50 years, the industry has been distorting scientific research by dictating what questions get asked about sugar, particularly questions around sugar’s role in promoting heart disease.
Should We Let Toddlers Play With Saws and Knives?
Published under Family, Interesting Random Stuff Sep 08, 2016Interesting article from the Wall Street Journal: Should We Let Toddlers Play With Saws and Knives?
Should we Let Toddlers Play With Saws and Knives?
By shielding children from every possible risk, we may lead them to react with exaggerated fear. New research on how youngsters learn across different cultures
Last week, I stumbled on a beautiful and moving picture of young children learning. It’s a fragment of a silent 1928 film from the Harold E. Jones Child Study Center in Berkeley, Calif., founded by a pioneer in early childhood education. The children would be in their 90s now. But in that long-distant idyll, in their flapper bobs and old-fashioned smocks, they play (cautiously) with a duck and a rabbit, splash through a paddling pool, dig in a sandbox, sing and squabble.
What great energy in this Jeep advertisement!
I am taking the unusual step of sharing an internal note I shared with my team because it affords me to share and reflect on how grateful I feel every day for working with such a special team at KIND every day. I am also sharing pictures of the incredible dishes we had at Mugaritz.
KIND Team, this is a note I meant to write and send a few weeks back!
This summer while on vacation in Spain, my wife and I visited a restaurant called Mugaritz. Founded by Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, it is highly decorated. Many publications rank it among the top restaurants in the world. Every dish we tried was like a piece of art, with a fun sense of humor (see a couple pictures attached). But what struck me about the restaurant was the unending passion of every single person that I came across. Everyone in the team seemed to have unbounded creativity, a desire to learn, a desire to please their patrons, and a commitment to excellence.
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
- Edith Wharton
Mazal tov Natalie Portman on her directorial debut in A Tale of Love and Darkness
Published under Art, Movies Aug 29, 2016
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”
- Amelia Earhart