A rather disrupted Thursday morning.

 Today, March 20th, is the Spring equinox. Today the sun will shine directly over the equator for the first time this year. As it crosses the celestial equator, day and night will be nearly equal worldwide - marking the March Equinox.

Things can only get better! At least, from the point of view of daylight hours. 

I was in bed, contemplating getting up to go for a run, when my phone rang. My daughter. Could she bring tho small boy to spend the day with us, complete with his antibiotics. He has tonsillitis apparently. I have my instructions for the antibiotics. We just need to find something to occupy the day. He’s busy with Minecraft right now while I skim the news online.

Here’s a link to a story about houses being splattered with red paint

Mystery of red paint vandalism across England leaves residents puzzled and fearful | Crime | The Guardian

in various different parts of the country. What is that all about? Imagine the cost of cleaning your house up after that! If you are going to protest, it’s useful if we know what you are protesting about.

Another 58 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza. “Israel, which has also cut off the supply of food, fuel and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians, has vowed to intensify its operations until Hamas releases the 59 hostages it holds — 35 of whom are believed dead — and gives up control of the territory. The Trump administration, which took credit for brokering the ceasefire, says it fully supports Israel.”

Here’s something from an organisation, possibly a magazine, which a Michael Rosen post took me to: 

“What’s it like to be an anti-Zionist Jew in Israel? Solidarity spoke to one such activist, Roni, about why a handful of dissenters continue against all the odds.

Tell us about growing up as a Jew in Israel

I grew up in a home that wasn’t ideologically Zionist—but was by default because it wasn’t anti-Zionist.

My Judaism wasn’t a strong feature of my life because being an Israeli and a Jew are seen as essentially the same thing. So there was not much Jewish education as the surrounding itself is inherently Jewish.

You learn nationalism from early on, in nursery school. In primary school you sing the national anthem every week. You learn the “victimisation narrative”—that Jews have a long history of being victims.

In secondary school you spend six months learning about the Holocaust. You learn about the rise of the Nazis throughout your school years but intensively as part of the VCE equivalent. Following that there are a few more generous months about why Israel has the right to exist—all from the victim perspective.

You’re told that the Nakba (it’s obviously not called that—we learn about it as the War of Independence) started because Arabs (they’re never called Palestinians) blew up a bus after refusing a peace agreement. Because of the war 750,000 people supposedly just “left”.

This is important because it’s the first history you learn in life and it shapes the way you see things later.”

So that’s one view of things. Start the persuasion/indoctrination in nursery school. 

That’s all for now. I’m off to make toast for the small boy.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!