It’s a job to find a job, as so many of us are finding out these days. And while talking a new employer into hiring you is never an easy task, in today’s market it’s become much tougher, to say the least. Usually, we feel a little better when others are sharing our burden, but in the case of unemployment, every new member of “the club” is a potential competitor for your next job. But there’s a bright side to being unemployed this round – or a less dark …

Milk in a bag? Okay, we learned how to handle that. Chocolate on bread? Yeah, we grok that, even though it seems strange. And the same goes for all the rest of the cultural shocks folks that move to these parts experience; slowly but surely, the changes become “normal.” Except for Newsweek. The organizations that help new olim prepare them well for life in Israel. But somehow, olim who read Newsweek (or Time) in the U.S. get a real shock when they pick up a copy of the …

The pundits tell us that the future of computing is bright and sunny – but in reality, the weather isn’t as clear as they would have you believe. In fact, it’s downright cloudy – and that’s a good thing!? Nowadays, the internet buzz is all about the clouds. There’s “cloud computing,” which will put all your favorite applications and/or services on the internet, while you log in and access them on a remote server from your home or office. And there’s the “tag cloud,” a visual representation of the “weight” …

Everything old is new again, the old saying goes – and anyone who was around for during the 1930s must be having a sense of deja vu. It’s gotten to the point where this parody of Herbert Hoover’s famous line, “Prosperity is Just Around the Corner,” seems like it was written last week, not in 1932! But if we’re looking for guidance from the oldies to navigate the new, harsh realities, I rather like this one, written during World War II, evoking a spirit of facing tough challenges head-on. …

What Chanukah means to me (besides candles, miracles, etc.): Spending money on outings, spending money on gifts, spending money on days at the mall. What Chanukah means to the kids: Writing cards to their grandparents. Notice a theme here? We love holidays, but they can be expensive – and who’s got money to spare this year? The kids are wonderful, and we want them to have a good time. But with the way reality is biting these days, it pays to be prudent. So, we’re looking to cut costs …