So much to say here...

From Friday's NY Post:

BROTHEL BUST IN SUCH A NICE NABE

June 24, 2005 -- Cops yesterday raided a brothel operating in the heart of a quiet Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Four people were arrested in the early-morning raid at 1811 Avenue J in Midwood.

Three women — Joyce Reed, 25; Keesha Harris, 24; and Zina Fleyshman, 20 — were charged with prostitution.

Yosaf Mizrahi, 40, was busted for promoting prostitution — an indication he was involved in the operation of the brothel, and not merely a customer.

Lighting the way

I was recently speaking with a Rav who's opinions hold great weight with me. Amongst other issues, I raised the Slifkin issue (bundled of course with the Kamenetsky issue, the shaitel issue, issues with the yeshiva world in general...etc.) and mentioned the damage this has been doing to many people in the frum world. I don't wish to get into details of the discussion, but he did say something that I thought was beautiful and appropriate.

A person can complain about the darkness in this world, or add light. A true Godol will focus his efforts in adding light; not in complaining about the darkness.

When did HE come back?!

Tonight I discovered that Godol Hador has been resurrected. I remember how everyone made such a fuss when he 'retired'. Why the heck haven't I seen one post noting his return?? Denial?

Stripping in Class

Where I went to College, Speech was a mandatory course. No one really cared because this course was more about having fun than anything else. During the semester we’d have to give different styles of speeches and one of them had to be a Demonstrative Speech - where you have to show the audience how to do what you're speaking about. For example, if you were speaking about how to make a salad, you'd bring in a bowl and lettuce and actually make a salad.

I had a friend who gave a Demonstrative Speech on how to make a bong out of a plastic soda bottle. It was great. He actually made a bong in class, put in some tobacco in and lit it up right there. I guess he figured that bringing in some actual weed wouldn’t go over very well. Can’t say I blame him.

Someone else gave a speech on how to swim. He brought in one of those kiddi pools, filled it with water and showed everyone some strokes.

Well, my Demonstrative Speech was how to get dressed in the morning. Let’s just say I left my leopard print thong bikini at home and made sure to wear boxers that day.

Explain this please

Take a look at this picture of an Iranian woman voting in the recent elections. What's that on her shirt??

Daddy, did you HAVE to have beans for lunch?!

This is a clear case of child abuse.

Pull those socks higher, Frenchie

I work in an area with high tourist traffic. I know that Europeans consider themselves culturally and fashionably advanced, but is anyone willing to join me in my call for making the act of wearing dress socks and dress shoes together with shorts a 'deportable offense'?

Mouthing of to the Rosh

AirTime just triggered a yeshiva memory of mine with this post of his. Maybe I shouldn'’t call it a ‘memory since I don'’t remember any of it, but my roommates told me what happened.

Israel. I don't remember when in the year this was, but I had just spent the whole night hanging out with friends in town and caught the first bus in the morning back to yeshiva. While I was still decently inebriated, it was early and everyone was still sleeping so I managed to get into bed with no one the wiser and immediately passed out.

Soon after that, the Rosh Yeshiva began his '‘vekking'’ rounds. He'’d go room to room, calling all the boys names in a sing-song voice, telling them it was time for shacharis and time to get up thank the creator. That sing-song can be annoying if you'’re trying to sleep (his intention maybe?) but I was oblivious to it all. I was dead to the world.

Eventually he made his way to our room and started working on me.

"“Moshe*, shtei auf, shtei auf. It'’s time for shacharis."”

...…no response from me. I'’m still out.

"C'’mon Moshe, let's go. Get up. It's time to daven." (still singing)

...silence.

Now he reaches up (I'’m in the top bunkbed facing away from him) and begins to shake me in an attempt to raise the dead. "“Let'’s go Moshe. Get up"

He did manage to get a response along the lines of "“mmphaetrwrhjsfd".

"“Moshe, you were out last night? When did you get back? (still shaking me) Let'’s go, turn over so I can see you."

...silence

"“Moshe, turn over. I want to see you. Turn over."

...I'm still out

"“Moshe, TURN OVER. I want to see you."”

This went on for a little bit more until I responded with what I still can'’t figure out until this day:

"“I CAN SEE YOU FINE FROM HERE, BOB!"

Now the silence is coming from the Rosh Yeshiva.

"“Ahhh. I see you had a good night"

And he walked out and let me sleep, leaving my roommates crying with laughter.

*for the sake of what anonymity I have left, I’ve changed my name here

No autographs please

I've been immortalized by Air Time.

It's his second week doing a magazine cover series and I'm now known at the 'Dude'. For the record, I can't skateboard.

I can't figure out why he picked such an ugly guy, but the only thing I can think of is that since in real life I'm really good looking, he's doing his part to preserve my anonymity.

Tuition Crisis (& Solution?)

DovBear has a post about the Agudah's initiative to help legislation pass that will provide a tax credit to corporations and individuals who make donations to approved scholarship funds. While I think we'll all agree that the tuition situation (especially in NY) is way out of control, DB doesn't feel that this legislation will help in this regard at all. He feels that this will only serve to line the pockets of those running the schools and will not affect the tuition or the teacher salaries.

I’m not sure where I stand on this. While I agree with DB in doubting that my tuition bill will go down as a result of this, there is the chance that it will; the chance that the quality of education will improve; or the chance that the facilities my child spends all day in will be repaired.

On the flip side, who will hold the schools (or as DovBear calls them, ‘the owners’) to account?

For the longest time I’ve been asking myself why none of the schools show their books. I’m sure they all are in dire need of funds, but no one gets to really see where the monies are going. From what I hear, most of the yeshivas are not even in the tax status that will get them the most benefit because that would require more transparency. Let me see what the operating expenses are, what the salaries are, what the administrators are making and then we’ll talk.

I really can't imagine that it costs $10,000 per child to educate him/her. The fact of the matter is, many parents need tuition breaks. Those paying the full tuition are not paying because that’s the cost, they’re paying a higher rate to offset the breaks given to other families. I heard about a school in NJ (Lakewood maybe?) that doesn’t play by these rules. They have a set tuition in the $4,000 range (I’m not sure of the exact amount). That’s it. Set. One kid? $4,000. 4 Kids? $16,000. You get the point. It’s a lower rate but they’re not giving breaks all around the table. There are no scholarships even offered. What does a family do if they’re sending 6 kids to the school and can’t afford it? The parents get together on their own and have scholarships available for those in need. Think about it. You’re sending 3 kids to school and your tuition bill is $12,000- that’s almost the cost for one kid elsewhere. You can afford to contribute to this scholarship fund.

Nice isn’t it? Now why can’t we do that also?