1. There's no siman for the three weeks. Is there a single halachah that is applicable to the three weeks or is the entire "bein ha-mitzarim" period an artificial construct and based on relatively late minhag?
As far as I can tell, the absolutely only thing that's anywhere in sha's is that thing about not going out alone because it's a dangerous time and therefore people don't stam travel as per the last se'if in the shulchan aruch. Oh wait a sec, even that isn't in sha's because according to sha's it's from the first to the sixteenth of tammuz so we have it all backwards where we ignore sha's and make up our own practices.
Forget about where it came from that the three weeks is a dangerous time, but while we're at it, why is that thing in sha's about not going out alone during the first half of tammuz totally ignored?

2. The last line of the Tur is pretty strong about not bathing for shabbat chazon: "ve-nohagu ha-kol she-lo likaneis le-veit ha-merchatz be-shabat zo ve-asur lishanot minhag avoteinu". So of all the nine days, why is erev shabbat the one time when people tend to be the most lenient about finding a heter to shower?

Yeah, a relatively late ASHKENAZI minhag...


Thank the Chassidim... Oneg Shabbos is King...

Did Halacha abdicate, or did Oneg Shabbos do a coup d'état?

How do you do those? Do you have a special keyboard, or do I have it too?

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There are a few ways of doing it.
You can switch keyboards to a French keyboard, for instance.
Or can memorize the codes. If you hold down the <Alt> key will simultaneously pressing 130 on your numeric keypad [with number lock], it will work: é
Alternatively, just copy and past the single letter or character from a site like this one http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/ALTchrc.html

Thanks
(alt thing didnt work)
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In this case, the latter...
Although to be fair, the concept of not showing signs of aveilus on Shabbos is a radically new idea....

Make sure number lock is on.
Hold down the <Alt> key. While continuing to hold down the Alt key, press the 1 on the keypad [not the 1 that's above the Q], then while continuing to hold down the alt key, press the 3, and then the 0, then release the alt key. when you release the alt key the é should appear.

é YAY!!!!!
It worked. (I needed someone else to hold down some of the keys for me cuz I only have two hands, but worked!) Thanks.

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Provided you have at least one finger on each hand, you should be able to do it independently. Hold down the alt key with a finger on your left hand, and use a finger from your right hand to press the 1, 3, and 0 keys.

only the alt needs to be held down the whole time. keep holding the alt and then enter random 3-number codes. all kinds of goodies pop up.

I had to push the Fn key also.

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Like Å? and ¢? What fun. Ü Hey, that was cool. Do you know which ones I did?

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the cent sign is 134? i don't remember anymore. dhead, are you using a laptop?

I did 911,411, and 666. Yes.

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