THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
DECEMBER 16, 2021
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The Week In News eral government will do everything, everything you can possibly do to help. “And so, I’m working with the governor of Kentucky and others who may want me to be there, I made sure that we’re a value-added at the time, and we’re not going to get in the way of the rescue and recovery, but I do plan on going. “My heart aches for those people right now, including the rescuers, including the burden on them and what they worry about. I just think that we just have to keep at it. We have to keep focused. And this is going to be the focus of my attention until we get this finished.”
B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
Paper Power
Elon Musk has been named Time’s Person of the Year, and he truly makes the grade. Recently, a college paper graded by Musk two decades ago nabbed thousands at auction. RR Auctions said the papers, which were written in 1995 by then-student Brian Thomas, were graded by the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder when he was a teacher’s assistant for Professor Myles Bass at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The papers are marked, graded, and initialed by Musk, who etched only one comment on the documents – the word “graphic” in response to a profanity used by the student. The college papers fetched $7,753 from an unknown buyer. Thomas didn’t even realize he was holding onto such a treasure. He doesn’t remember Musk being in the
class, but he had held onto the papers over the years because of his fond memories of Bass. His son noticed the papers had been graded by the now-famous businessman. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
Botox at Camel Competition
If Sally the camel was scared of the competition at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, she may have felt the pressure to have her face done. But she should stay far away from the Botox if she knows what’s good for her. This year, Saudi authorities conducted their biggest-ever crackdown on camel beauty contestants that received Botox injections and other artificial touch-ups. Over 40 camels were disqualified from the annual pageant because of work that was done on the animals. The festival, which kicked off earlier this month, invites the breeders of the most beautiful camels to compete for some $66 million in prize money. Botox injections, face lifts, and other cosmetic alterations to make the camels more attractive are strictly prohibited. Jurors decide the winner based on the shape of the camels’ heads, necks, humps, dress, and postures. This year, authorities discovered dozens of breeders had stretched out the lips and noses of camels, used hormones to boost the beasts’ muscles, injected camels’ heads and lips with Botox to make them bigger, inflated body parts with rubber bands, and used fillers to relax their faces. The camel beauty contest is at the heart of the massive carnival, which also features camel races, sales and other festivities typically showcasing thousands of dromedaries. The extrav-
aganza seeks to preserve the camel’s role in the kingdom’s Bedouin tradition and heritage, even as the oil-rich country plows ahead with modernizing mega-projects. Camel breeding is a multimillion-dollar industry and similar events take place across the region. We can totally understand the need to compete.
That’s because kids think it’s really a toy.
Uber Eats Heads to Space
Tiny Car; Huge Trip
If Alex Orchin’s car looks like it could fit into your kid’s lunchbox, your eyes aren’t deceiving you that much. Orchin’s car is a Peel P50, the world’s smallest production car. The classic car fanatic made waves with it when he drove it the entire length of Great Britain. The three-wheeler was originally built in the 1960s but was rebooted in the past decade in 40 cc single-cylinder gasoline and electric motor versions. Orchin’s is a 2017 gasoline edition that he just barely fits in at 5 feet, 11 inches tall. Its top speed is 23 mph on flat ground. The 874-mile trip from John O’Groats in the north to Land’s End in the south took Orchin three weeks as he putt-putted in his tiny car. Given that the commuter-focused car barely has room for Orchin, let alone his luggage, a friend followed him in a camper van used as a support vehicle. “As far as I know I am the first person to attempt the journey in a P50,” Orchin said. The car performed wonderfully along the road. One mishap? When the door fell off with just 50 miles to go. “Wherever I park it,” Orchin related, “it draws a crowd. People are amazed by this car – and not just car-people. It has a universal appeal with everyone, even kids,” he said.
Wondering what you’re going to eat on your next space mission? Have no fear – Uber Eats will deliver to infinity and beyond. Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa teamed up with the company to make the first Uber Eats delivery to astronauts on the International Space Station. The delivery was made as part of Maezawa’s 12-day orbit. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said, “One small handoff for Yusaku Maezawa, one giant delivery for Uber Eats! We’re over the moon to have helped make our first successful delivery to space. Our goal is to help people go anywhere and get anything, so we’re proud to serve the astronauts at the International Space Station.” Dara added, “Yusaku Maezawa gets a thumbs up on this delivery, even though it took a bit longer than the usual 30 minutes to arrive.” The delivery was made on December 11 around 9:40 a.m. (eastern time), about eight-and-a-half hours after Maezawa’s trip began. What delicacies survived the trip to outer space? The package included boiled mackerel in miso, beef bowl cooked in sweet sauce, simmered chicken with bamboo shoots, and braised pork. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to handle Uber Eats’ first food delivery to space,” said Yusaku Maezawa. “Uber Eats’ initiative and sense of adventure is inspiring. I will never stop challenging myself, and I hope that everyone continues to do the same. Let’s make the world a better place!” One food delivery at a time.
