Friday, April 21, 2006

Train accident

I'm not sure why I'm bothering as I don't think anyone visits here, but yom tov is over, I'm stuffed with chametz and content, so what the heck.

Coming in to work today had me sitting on the train with some 'train-buddies' when I began getting blackberry messages of co-workers who will be getting in late as a result of disrupted service due to a person getting hit by a Long Island Rail Road train. As I relayed the news to the train-buddies, our reactions to the news made me wonder. Rather than, 'Oh my gosh, that's terrible' or 'I hope he's ok', I found our first reaction was more like 'crap, I hope this doesn't affect our line', or 'why couldn't he pick another line to jump in front of the train?' or 'I hope they don't put us on shuttles like the last time this happened'... crazy, no?

Do you think we were the only twisted ones with those first reactions or do you think the same?

Monday, April 17, 2006

Today's Bombing

The restaurant owners, who were inside when Hammad blew himself up, escaped with only scratches. Customer Atef Huda, an Arab taxi driver, was convinced they were spared because of their acts of charity.

"They give food, what's left, to the poor. Anyone who is poor who asks for food, they don't take money from them," Huda said. "That's why they were not injured."

One never knows. Interesting that it was an Arab who made the observation. I guess their charity was non-denominational.

No Justice No Peace!

From Ha'aretz

Ultra-Orthodox protesters on Sunday called off a mass rally over the continued incarceration of a man accused of murdering his infant son, Israel Radio reported.

The rally had been cancelled after rabbinical sages vetoed the protest, citing the heavy damage caused to major streets in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in the city.

On Friday, dozens of ultra-Orthodox men continued to hold violent demonstrations in Jerusalem's Meah She'arim neighborhood to protest the detention of Israel Vales, 19, who faces manslaughter charges in connection with the death of his three-month-old son.

Municipal officials say that 30 large waste receptacles were destroyed, causing an estimated NIS 140,000 in damages.

Vales was arrested ten days ago after his son, Rafael, was hospitalized in Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem, in critical condition and signs of physical abuse.

The father initially claimed his baby had fallen from his arms while he was trying to put him to bed. Examination revealed that the infant had sustained serious brain damage and had extensive bruising that pointed to longterm abuse. Vales eventually confessed to having abused his son since birth. The infant died in hospital last week.

Vales is expected to be indicted for manslaughter shortly. Vales' wife told the police and a radio interviewer that her husband had never hurt their son and that no signs of abuse were apparent.

Friday's demonstrations took place near Kikar Hashabbat and Yehezkel Street. Demonstrators threw rocks at passing cars and turned over or set on fire about 30 Dumpsters.

Rocks were thrown at firefighters and a municipal waste disposal crew sent to the site, and one city worker was slightly injured.

I have a couple of questions after reading this.

What's the protest about in the first place?? Do they all know the individual and are protesting his innocence or is it that they really have no clue as to who this Vales is, but the fact is that he's chareidi and therefore must be innocent? After all, we all know that a frum man will never hurt his child. What happened to due process? I'm sure the system is flawed and may be biased against them at times, but that's the judicial system. Isn't one of the 7 mitzvah for b'nei noach to create a justice system? Maybe it's only for B'nei Noach and not for B'nei Yisrael.

I'm sick and tired of people rioting and making a ruckus just because things are not going your way. And yes, it IS mostly one segment of the frum society that does these shameful acts, so I don't feel that I'm disparaging one community here.

Municipal officials say that 30 large waste receptacles were destroyed, causing an estimated NIS 140,000 in damages.

Lastly, I can't understand why the city doesn't just say 'enough' and let them destroy their own community if they want to. Just about every riot, hafganna, protest, whatever you want to call it, takes place in one community. As far as I'm concerned, let them burn every bus stop and every garbage bin in their neighborhood but why deliver new ones the next day?!? Let them worry about the masses of garbage accumalating on their own streets. Let's see if they attack the garbage trucks coming to pick up their garbage then!

Come to think of it, I wouldn't put that past them either.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Say what?

From today's news:

Military intelligence has arrested a group of terrorists who planned to assassinate the leader of the Hezbollah militant group, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, a senior Lebanese military official said Monday.
I love it. So when Hezbollah does what they do best, kill people, they're 'militants' and 'freedom fighters' and when someone tries killing them, they're 'terrorists'

Friday, April 07, 2006

Commitment

I was 'link surfing' during some downtime and came across this great post by Pscho Toddler who writes about his completion and impending siyum (I assume the siyum already happened by now) of Bava Kama. He writes about the dedication and commitment needed and his attempts at various different topics before landing with Bava Kama. His description of learning mussar brought some chuckles:
...if you’ve spent time reading these types of books, you know that despite being in a language that is readily translatable, the structure is such that it seems to be a series of really long run-on sentences, with large subordinate clauses, and you really can’t get from the subject to the predicate for a good half a page or so, and by the time you do finally reach the end of the sentence (all the while translating in your mind (and verbally) from Hebrew to English, maybe with breaks to look up the occasional esoteric word) you have forgotten what the beginning of the sentence was about, and, to be honest once again, you no longer care, because you’re so glad to have finally found a period.

I speak for myself (though most probably for many others too) when I say that I know I really need to learn more. While I was schooled in mainstream yeshiva's, I never really enjoyed learning and as time passed by I've reached the point where I can't 'make a leining' on my own any more. It's sad and will hit me even harder when my son begins to learn gemara. I better get cracking. Mazel Tov Psycho for finishing and inspiring!

Hat Tip Heimish

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Boro Park Riots

Such a kiddush Hashem.

I wasn't sure I heard right until I logged on to the local news tonight. Boro Park riots?? Fighting the police, lighting garbage on fire. Suddenly I'm getting Me'ah Shearim hafgana flashbacks all over again. Those were always fun, weren't they? The last time we saw those images was during 'Sheitel-gate'. I'm wondering if some quick-thinkers used this opportunity to get rid of their chometz?

The police report that the individual was stopped for talking on his cell phone while driving, refused to hand over his license and registration and struggled with the officer. Locals describe the police officer as punching and assaulting the 'elderly' and 'fragile' old man unnecessarily. Why do I have a feeling that the first account is probably more accurate? Especially when I hear the 'community activist', Isaac Abraham being quoted.

As always, check out the Chaptzem blog for the latest 'unbiased' reports.

*Update*

This made the front page on some local newspapers.

I knew that I'd be reading this before long:

...But protesters didn't heed the warnings and ran through the streets, some yelling, "Nazi Germany!" at the officers.


This sickens me. Of course the arresting officers were a bunch of anti-semitic KKK members as well.

Here are some more pictures in response to our neighborhood loony, Heshy, who claims it was 'just a few kids blowing off steam'