Tikkun Olam

I watched her on Meet the Press tell David Gregory in effect that 'the system worked.' Then later, she clarified, and said it worked after the passenger and flight attendants had subdued the " Crotch Bomber ." Or maybe, she's just a. . . Crazy Lady . . .

(Actually, I already posted today, but this is the post I had intended for NaBloPoMo, so here it is.) Is it Day #4 already? Boy, does time fly. At least, it certainly did in the three-hour film D.H.* and I saw last night. We saw Avatar , and it was everything our son (Mister Arnold Mayergi) said it was (he had just seen it in Tel-Aviv when we spoke to him yesterday). The three hours only felt like one. We saw it in 3-D, which enhanced it even more (is the future...3 dimensional, motion holograms, as in Star Wars?). The special effects / CG technology were superb. It also had a vertiginous feel to it, with mountains suspended in "air" in their non-earth-atmospheric world. The plot by itself was formula, though: a technologically superior people (humans) tries to subdue an 'inferior' race to exploit the latter's world's geological resources for their (the hi-tech people's) own benefit: profit over ethical behavior. In the process there is a love story ...

I've been devastated since reading about the murder of Rav Meir Chai, father of seven and a teacher of school children and kindergartners, who was gunned down while driving on Route 57 in the Shomron .* Rav Meir (a"h) was a humble, learned man, and was cherished by his students. That scum like his murderers should continue to exist at all is a travesty. Then I read on The Muqata that his orphan son Eliyahu delivered a moving hesped * for his slain father at his funeral, which hundreds attended. The son spoke about continuing the lessons of his father. He especially (can you imagine for yourself how difficult this was for him to do?) emphasized that his father was leaving- a message of faith, Jewish pride, religious observance, and “no revenge.” Did you get that? Well then, let me repeat it for you: " A Message of Faith, Jewish Pride, Religious Observance, and 'No Revenge.'" Now, I strongly believe that we have every right to take revenge on this brutal, b...

This week's Hevel (Havel, Haveil--your choice) Havalim #250 is up and running at Tzedek Tzedek . Great posts, interesting reads--Go for it!

I forgot to write last night that I was supposed to go to a Ladies' Melaveh Malkah, where they were going to present a dance and production by the Bais Yaakov girls, and have all sorts of events and 'hobby classes,' such as cake decorating, jewelry making, challah braiding, tie-dye challah-cover making--I can't remember them all, there were so many (and the flyer is downstairs on my kitchen bulletin board, and I'm up here in my "office" -- Toodles' room -- on my computer), but my right knee had been bothering me, it was freezing cold outside and very icy (lots of people were slipping and some falling; very dangerous), and I was pooped--so I didn't go. So now I'm glad I didn't write about it last night, because it gave me a topic to right about today Ok, so it isn't on the BEST theme. Actually, it could be on the BEST theme: the ladies at the melaveh malkah were presenting their BEST creations and talents, as were the girls in their BES...

This is very unusual for me, posting motzei Shabbat (Sat. night, after the Sabbath is over), but I have to, because of that darn Nablopomo. I knew I shouldn't have gotten into this. . . I do have something to write about, however. And you could say it is even on this month's topic of "Best." Mainly because, Shabbat is the BEST (see, I'm highlighting it so you'll know it's the theme) day of the week, any way you look at it! The focus of the week is Shabbat, if not exactly at the beginning of the week, then mid-week: by Tuesday afternoon we're already thinking about it, what to cook, what's doing, if anything, in the community or at the shul--who's available to invite--when we do invite someone over. . . which I hadn't really planned on doing this Shabbat: we just got through the a very busy week of Chanukah, with end-to-end Shabbat dinners (this year there were 2 Shabbatot Chanukah ) with lots of people, the first Shabbat at a friend...

Help! I was inexorably drawn into the NaBl0PoMo whirlpool, and now I'm whirling around and having second thoughts. You see, there is something you don't know about me, something terrible-awful which I am about to reveal to my millions of readers (no problem there, eh?). That something is just this: I am afraid of commitments and responsibilities. Yes. It's true. I am reluctant to return RSVPs to weddings, dinners, or melaveh malkahs. Even though I teach privately twice a week, a couple of hours before my classes a great wave of fear goes through me, and I have to fight off the urge to... cancel all my classes! Sometimes, when a Monday or a Wednesday comes around (the evenings I teach), and class was already cancelled for another reason (such as last week's classes because of our Chanukah party), but I've forgotten for a moment, I panic--and as I begin to remember the cancellation, it feels as if a great weight has been lifted off me and I'm free --and the...