School's out for the Summer!

Toronto Pearl has put together an amazing piece. Even though I was relegated to a minor whispering part, I was in good company. I never thought I'd be in the same room as some of these people.

Islamic "Human Rights" Commision?

Logging on to check the news tonight and I see that the police in London are admitting that the man they shot and killed the other day was in fact innocent.

Obviously some people are upset and every is now nervous that the police have adopted a "shoot-to-kill" policy when it comes to this.

Anti-terrorism expert Robert Ayers of the Royal Institute of International Affairs said police have "demonstrated that they are operating on the premise right now that if they suspect that someone is a bomber, and that the public is going to be endangered by him, they have shoot-to-kill orders."

This doesn't disturb me. What I read next does:

Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission said the killing was a direct consequence of British police officers being sent to Israel to receive training on how to prevent suicide bombings.

OK. First of all, "Islamic Human Rights Commision"?? That must be a joke. I didn't think those words can be together in a sentance.

Second, way to blame this one on Israel Mr. Human-Rights-Islamic-Guy.

As a result of the recent London bombing, here in NY police will be 'randomly' (for example, every 1 out of 10) checking bags of those entering the subway system. I'm told that if you're asked to open your bag, you still have the option of saying no, but you won't be allowed in the subway.

Of course the usual liberal whinies are crying about their lost libery and privacy. I've got nothing to hide so I have no problem with it.

I DO have a couple of problems with their methods though.

First of all, the only way searches work is if you do profile. Playing it safe and keeping it random doesn't work. Ask the Israelis. You end up wasting time searching a 90-year old grandmother in a wheelchair.

Secondly, imagine this scenario:

You're a terrorist who wants to blow himself up on a train. You're carrying your backpack and looking all nonchalant until an officer stops you.

"Pardon me sir, may I see what's in your bag?"

Crap! you think. What now?!

"Ummmmm, and if I say I'd prefer not?"

"Well sir, you're entitled to your privacy, but we can't let you on the train then."

"Hmmm. OK." and you leave and go to another stop where once again your odds are 90% that you'll make it through.

Brilliant.

Defending the bombers

The mayor of London, someone who in the past has strongly criticized Israel, has come out with his two-cents on the Palestinian suicide bombers. He defends them as the only weapon the palestinians have against the Israeli "war crimes", where men, women and children have been "indiscriminately slaughtered for decades".

"Given that the Palestinians don't have jet planes, don't have tanks, they only have their bodies to use as weapons," Livingstone told Sky News in an interview.

Yet in the same breath, he condemned the terror attacks in London.

Of course he has.

Maybe someone should give this dude a crash course in world history. Britain has one of the most atrocious colonial war records of mankind. They really shouldn't be giving lessons on world peace or equal rights. At least not yet.

Interestingly enough, the British media, which for years has struggled with the language to apply to terrorist activity in Israel, calling them 'militants' and 'freedom fighters', has no qualms about calling the attacks in London 'Terrorist Attacks'.

Once again, are you surprised?

Snooooze

A woman makes her way among hundreds of sleeping tourists at a shelter in downtown Cancun, Mexico in the early hours of Monday July 18, 2005. Hurricane Emily hit the coasts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula causing widespread damage but no deaths or injuries have been reported.(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

Am I the only one who wasn't too distracted by the woman in her underwear to notice the guy sleeping with his hand in his shorts? This was in all the local papers.

Sleeptalking

My middlest son has this weird ability to carry on a small conversation while sleeping. We love going into his room and asking him "does Abba love you?", or "does Mommy love you?" and he always either nods his head or answers "yes" in his sleep.

Last night, my wife went in and asked him "does Mommy love you?" and she got the usual "yes". So I don't feel left out, she then asked him "who else loves you?". He answered back, "Hashem".

I'll take that. :-)

Mirty's Yiddishe Neshama

Mirty comes through once again with this awesome post.

Dear Mr. Blogspot

Dear Mr. Blogspot, (or is it Mrs.?)

I have a gripe. I have my site set up so that when someone comments on one of my posts, I get an e-mail notification letting me know this. Very convenient, right? Hoooowever....often enough, this will be for a comment on a post I put up ages ago and it's FRIGGIN INFURIATING to have to search through EVERY FRIGGIN post of mine to find that comment!!!

Am I doing something wrong?!?

Random Thoughts

It's been a bit since I plugged another blog.

An old friend of mine has 'caved to the itch' and started Random Thoughts. I have high hopes for her as already the second post is a powerful one. She talks about her relationship with her father and how it was affected by his illness.

I recommend a visit.

Why doesn't this surprise me?

The Associated Press today:

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The Israeli military launched an airstrike Friday on a van carrying Hamas militants and a cache of homemade rockets in a Gaza City street, killing four people in what may be the most serious blow to a 5-month-old truce.

In what may be the most serious blow to the truce?! Never mind that just the other day an innocent woman was killed by the very same type of attack these guys were about to commit. But no, that wasn't a serious blow. That was business as usuall.

I don't know why I still get surprised.

Building Collapse Irony

Yesterday a building collapsed in Manhattan injuring 5 people- a 7 month child being one of them. The child was not breathing when she was pulled out of the rubble but was revived during the trip to the hospital and will be OK.

Her stroller is being credited with saving her as it collapsed around her, forming a protective barrier around her and shielding her from the rubble falling around her.

"I ran over. We picked up the stroller, [which was] completely covered with debris and scaffolding . . . Inside the stroller, I found the baby, looking like she was in a cocoon."

The irony here is that should you now be interested in buying this stroller (I mean it did save this kids life), I wouldn't recommend it- it's under recall.

Flatbush Eruv

I came across this booklet discussing the halachic issues regarding the Flatbush Eruv.

Recently, I've noticed a strong campaign where flyers proclaiming the eruv to be posul were mass-mailed in Brooklyn. I assume that this would be in response, or to counteract, a similar large push to legitimize the Flatbush Eruv.

I haven't really read this yet. Have anyone of you?

(I did read Rabbi Wosner's haskama so far. Strong stuff)

Slifkin Joke

There's a lot of new Slifkin updates out there in Blogsphere lately. I haven't had a chance to read the new letters or go through all the blogs on it so I won't be posting about any of that.

I DID manage to hear R' Slifkin recently during his Brooklyn/Queens visits and enjoyed the speech. He had one joke I though I'd share:

Q: What do you call a dinosaur who believes in his own existence?

A: An Apikorusarus

OK, more cute than funny, but still...

Follow the leader

450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths in Turkey

The Associated Press

Friday, July 8, 2005; 9:30 AM

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- First one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.

In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam reported.

"There's nothing we can do. They're all wasted," Nevzat Bayhan, a member of one of 26 families whose sheep were grazing together in the herd, was quoted as saying by Aksam.

The estimated loss to families in the town of Gevas, located in Van province in eastern Turkey, tops $100,000, a significant amount of money in a country where average GDP per head is around $2,700.

"Every family had an average of 20 sheep," Aksam quoted another villager, Abdullah Hazar as saying. "But now only a few families have sheep left. It's going to be hard for us."

My 9-11 Story, Part Two

Part One

So you all gave up on hearing more on this story? Here’s some more.

Everyone has a story of 'hashgacha pratis' how they were saved that morning. Some were late because davening went late, some people for some reason uncharacteristically stayed to help out with the children, some people’s trains were delayed. Read all the stories and everyone has their own little personal miracle. I have a story too. I was late that morning as well, but contrary to all the other stories, my lateness almost killed me. Ironic, no?

I woke up on that Tuesday in time to make it to Minyan. My usual poor attendance for Shacharis had me feeling good that I was finally going to make it. I got up, got dressed and got in the car to go to shul. As soon as I pulled out of my driveway, I realized I had a flat. C’mon G-d, can’t you see I’m going?! I finally get out of bed on time and you do this to me?

I pull back into my driveway to change the tire. Now you have to realize that, as a true Jewish boy, I know nothing about cars or fixing tires. In fact, until that day, I never changed a tire in my life. That’s what AAA or Geico are there for. Or friends you can call who do know how. However, I was determined to join the ranks of manhood by changing my own tire for once. I get out the donut and the thingamajig that you use to jack the car up. I find where in the manual it tells you where to put the thingamajig and jack the car up. Everything’s going smooth and dandy until I start taking the lug nuts off.

You see, no one told me you can’t change a tire on an incline, and apparently my driveway has a slight incline. So there I am, the rear of my car up in the air, and I’m grunting and sweating as I’m trying to get those damn lug nuts off, when I hear this unnatural groan come from my car, and it starts moving. I immediately know what happening and I jump clear. With a nice crash, my car falls down off the jack and rests on the partially removed flat tire.

Shit.

I may be a tough guy, but I know when I’m beat. Time to call the professionals. I call Geico and have to wait around till he gets there as I’m obviously not making Minyan today. The guy arrives and I give him credit for not laughing too hard in my face; though there’s no question in my mind that I’m to be the topic in the tow truck mechanic locker room later that day. Thankfully I didn't too any damage to the car and he can fix my mess. If I rush, I may not be too late for work so I stick around long enough to make sure he has the situation under control and then leave for work- leaving the wife to deal with tipping him.

Nothing eventful that I can remember happened on the train to work. I get to the subway stop at the office, walk up the stairs and can immediately tell that something unusual is up.

That’s it for now. Time to do some work.