Keep Politics Out Of It

No words can describe what happened on Friday in Newtown. Sometimes, in fact, it's better that no words be spoken at all. Trying to find a segue into what I want to convey though, is proving to be difficult. So here goes. The left will do everything in their power to lay the blame on conservatives. They have already started with their reference to the second amendment, and how gun control needs to be enforced.... All this already, as nearly thirty people, most of them children, are dead.

On Friday, nearly everything that the media reported was incorrect, which leads me to believe that right from the start, it was their liberal anti second amendment agenda that was making them almost giddy. When it came to reporting on Benghazi, that same media refused to report much, if anything, citing that they did not have all the facts.

Schools are gun free zones. Everyone in such a zone is helpless. The one with the weapons knows this. Mass shootings usually occur where guns are banned, in places such as schools and movie theaters. Going foward, someone at the schools or movie theaters, etc., needs to be trained on how to use fire arms.

Here is where it gets tricky for me. I did not vote for Barack Obama because I don't trust, or believe in Barack Obama. So when he spoke on Friday, and became emotional, I'm sorry, but I could just gag. Here is a man who said that, "these children had their entire life ahead of them". (no truer words could have been said), but Barack Obama is a proponent of not only abortion on demand, but infanticide as well. Didn't those children have their entire life ahead of them too?

From Bob Costas to Geraldo Rivera, please do not think your voice is what's needed now. Your observation's are no more poignant then anyone else's. What the people want are the facts about the murderer, not some political message. Other then that, we are helpless, unless we do away with gun free zones.

Maybe Another Time

Something has passed me by, and there is nothing I could do, to get it back. Neither can you. It's called timing. "Timing is every thing kid", a great philosopher and garment center salesman once told me. "You either got it, or you don't". This great piece of wisdom was handed down to me in the show room, of some dress manufacturer in New York's garment center, sometime in the 1970's. Both of us had an appointment with the same designer, at the same time and we were competitors. Each of us sold printed interlock fabric for missy size dresses and blouses. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's okay. 

I have been thinking about the above (timing) for a few years now. It started when I was reading The Boys of Summer, by Roger Kahn. Kahn takes you back to the Brooklyn Dodger days, right around the time when Jackie Robinson broke what is referred to as, "the color line," in major league baseball. That year was 1947. What made the book so fascinating for me, was that Kahn tracked down the players who played alongside Robinson, well after they had retired. He did this in order to hear from them first hand, what is was like to be a Brooklyn Dodger,  not only in 1947, but for the next ten years as well.

One of the things I got from the book then, which still resonates with me, is that I think I may have been  born too soon. When the Dodgers left Brooklyn, the year was 1958. I was seven years old then. I have absolutely no recollection of ever seeing the Dodgers play. I do, however, remember seeing Ebbets Field from a distance, when my father would take me to Prospect Park. We would walk the few extra blocks from the subway station, in order to catch a glimpse of the "old ballpark", as my father would call it, before it was leveled. Today, of course, there is an apartment building on the very site where Ebbets Field once stood.

The Boys of Summer has such a wide variety of anecdotes . One of them was so powerful. It involved right fielder Carl Furello. When Kahn tracked  Furello down, he was working on the construction site of the World Trade Center. Kahn, in his description of the grounds at this early stage of construction, said it looked like an "aerial bombardment" leveled the place.

A few years ago, the documentary, "The Ghosts of Flatbush", emphasized the relationship that existed between the Brooklyn ball club, and their fans. That relationship was very intense. So when the Dodgers left after the 1957 season, it was as painful for a sports fan as it gets. Having read quite a number of books about the Dodgers over the years, and having seen not only The Ghosts of Flatbush twice, but other Dodger footage as well, I knew in my heart, I would have been a Brooklyn Dodger fan.

So here I am, living in Atlanta for 22 years, still a Jet, Met, Knick & Ranger fan, and holding on for dear life. And what does Brooklyn now have? The Brooklyn Nets! Don't misunderstand me. Even if I still lived in Brooklyn, I would never, ever be a fan of the Nets. Unless it benefited your team in the standings, no self respecting Yankee fan would ever root for the Mets, as would no Jet fan root for the Giants, Ranger fan for the Islanders, and of course, no Knick fan would ever root for the Nets.

One of the more fascinating outcomes of all this, is where the Brooklyn Nets actually call home. It is named The Barclays Center, and it is located on the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. Walter O' Malley, the owner of the Dodgers in the 40's and 50's, actually wanted to stay in Brooklyn. Robert Moses, who at the time was the most powerful man in New York, offered O' Malley a piece of land in Flushing, Queens instead, (which eventually became the site for Shea Stadium). O' Malley wanted the land on the exact same site where the Nets now call home, citing the many public transportation options available that would get the fans there. He even wanted a dome stadium built at the time. O' Malley certainly angered many people by leaving Brooklyn, but Moses apparently left him little or no choice. To say that O' Malley was a visionary though, is an understatement.

Well, as history played itself out, the Dodgers, and the Giants also, left New York in 1958, and moved to California. Where would all this leave me now if I was born sooner in order to experience the Brooklyn Dodgers? Either in a nursing home, or on the other side.

Delusions of the Day 111

I just read some articles on the New York Post web site. That paper is really remarkable, always has been. This is what I read about. A transvestite and a fireman are in court, a sleazeball Satmar who obviously doesn't get enough nooky at home, the Knicks beat the Heat by 20 points, ( I watched it last night), and Bill O' Reilly, opining on the difference between Sean Connery and Daniel Craig as James Bond.

O'Reilly, being the traditionalist that he is, of course went with Sean Connery, an observation I completely agree with. I myself have not seen Skyfall, which is the most recent Bond film. In any event, O' Reilly makes the case that Craig is much too serious, (something I have always said) while Connery is anything but.

Connery smoked, drank, gambled and "womanized". I love that word. Craig, on the other hand, rarely smiles, doesn't seem to be having fun, and from what I remember from one of his Bond films that I actually did see, he just doesn't have that "twinkle" in his eye, that Connery had. Sean Connery played Bond as though he knew that you knew, that this was just a movie. Craig, on the other hand, gave me the impression that he believes that he, really is James Bond.

Today is December 7th. Seventy one years ago, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Come on rabbis. Say something about it tomorrow from the pulpit.

I was just wondering if the Syrians have the WMD's that Saddam Hussein was suspected of having.

I have decided not to discuss or debate Israel with anyone who cannot answer the following questions. What happened in 1947 at the UN, what followed in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973? If they cannot answer any of these questions, there really is no reason to proceed.

Delusions of the Day 11

Jets coach Rex Ryan announced that Mark Sanchez will start this Sunday. That is delusional.

Bob Costas seems like a nice guy, but I need his opinion, like I am glad that Mark Sanchez is starting this Sunday.

Jason Whitlock, whose article seemed to inspire Costas comments, wrote that the NRA is the new KKK. Really Mr. Whitlock? Did the NRA abort 14 million black babies since the 1970's?  No! Planned Parenthood, which is an organization you most likely support, has.

Now that the Palestinians have the same status at the UN as the Vatican, maybe they can meet for lunch and discuss what's in Israel's best interests.

The Czech Republic, (who along with Canada and The United States of America, voted against the Palestinians UN bid), was the sole country to buck a world wide arms embargo against Israel in 1948, and supplied Israel with much needed planes during The War of Independence.

Seinfeld, by just 2% points, beat out The Honeymooners as the greatest sitcom ever. That only proves that The Honeymooners is the big winner here. Why? Because it had a very short run, it is in black and white, and most people under the age of thirty (I think), probably never saw it. It was that funny.

Does every NBA team have a personal tattoo artist? For some reason, I can't imagine Red Auerbach agreeing to that.

I am living in Atlanta for 22 years, but I'm still a Jets and Mets fan. I know what you're thinking, "loser". You might be right about that. I will admit, however, and I have tried to explain this to my friends in New York,  that the front office of both the Falcons and the Braves, are far superior to those of the Mets and Jets. (same applies for the Hawks vs Knicks).

You Yankee and New York football Giants fans, keep out it.

I understand Obama has consulted with Al Sharpton about tax rates. Finally, I'll get a good nights sleep.

Hillary, whatcha gonna do?

Jazz great Dave Brubeck has died. His "Take Five" is the greatest driving songs ever.

Father Knew Best

When necessary, my father would reminded  me that, "in order to protect its citizens, Israel has the right, and the obligation to do whatever it takes. And be suspicious of people", he would emphasize, "who say otherwise, and preface it, by telling you, what's best for Israel." That, and love of family, were the lessons my father taught me. Not with d'var torahs, (words of torah), not with learning mussar or chasiddus,(both are additional ways of learning torah), or with deciding whether or not I should be cholav or pas israel. (dairy food products made in Israel in the case of "cholav", grain products made by a Jew in the case of "pas"))  My father was not a religious man. He never went to shul, (synagogue), never told me, or my brother to go, and so we didn't. Maybe he went for a yahrzeit.  (anniversary of a death). I really don't remember.

When it came to politics in general, he was a liberal democrat. The only time he voted for a republican ,was  in 1964, when Robert Kennedy ran for US Senator against Kenneth Keating. My father thought that Kennedy, who was from Massachusetts, had no business being a senator of New York. He called him a "carpetbagger". Kennedy won though, and Keating, went on to become the United States Ambassador to Israel, from 1973-1975, in the Nixon administration.

Politics for my father, whether domestic, local, or foreign, was seen by him through the prism of a liberal. But when it came to the security of Israel, he was anything but a liberal, he was a hawk. When it came to the war in Vietnam, he was a dove. At the time, it all made sense to me.

My father died in 1982. I know that eventually he would have changed course politically. Many life long democrats have, citing that, " the party left them". I made the switch a few weeks after September 11th, 2001.Coming out of the democrat party just a few weeks after the 11th, were comments such as, "maybe we, (America) did something to cause them, (Muslims) to hate us so much". I became suspicious.

That same type of language, regarding Israel, has always come from the Arab and anti Israeli world. Words such as "occupiers and aggressors", were ways in which they would describe Israel, which really only reflected the ignorance and deep rooted anti-semitism that has become part of the language of so many nations and its people. My father told me, that there were many idiotic reasons why people were anti-semitic. But the main one, he said, was "jealously". "No other people have survived and accomplished as much as Jews", he would proudly boast, "and the ones who wanted us to be history at this point, just can't stand it that we are not."". If my father did not switch parties prior to September 11th, 2001, he certainly would have eventually.

Some years after my father died, I became more interested in following what my father had no interest in. I wanted to be observant of all things Jewish. So little by little, I did. I  began to learn mussar and chassidus, I did prefer bread that was pas, and I actually  flirted with the idea of  being chalov israel. There was no compromise regarding my position on Israel. In fact, I now had some insight into the "religious" reasons as to why Israel was so central to my identity as a Jew. To some extent, it even empowered me.

My mother lived to see this transformation in me, much to her surprise, and much to her pleasure too. Had my father lived to see it, I really don't think he would have known what to say. My wife, was the catalyst in all of this. We went on the journey together. You could read my previous blogs, that illustrate the hills and the valleys we experienced then, and still do. As of this writing, though, I am no longer that religious man, the concept I so thoroughly embraced at one time.

My father and I never really discussed the role of a rabbi in one's life. It was assumed that when one is born, dies, marries or becomes a bar mitzvah, you need a rabbi.(even though you really don't) But when it comes to your everyday existence, I would have to surmise, that my father, would have emphatically said, "no", to the input of a rabbi.

My two daughters have between them five children, all girls. My wife and I, are the grandparents to these children. It has been in excess of six months, however, since we have been permitted to speak to either of them. One of my daughters told my wife in a recent text (because of Hurricane Sandy), that she missed her, to which my wife replied in her text, that she missed her, and the girls too. My son in law, (this daughters husband) also sent me a text with a similar sentiment. I, however, wasn't so nice in my response.

This lack of contact, is due to a directive given to them by their rabbis. I believe that my children's rabbis have told them, "don't you, or your children, have any contact with your parents". Until I hear otherwise, that is what I will  believe to be the case. My wife and I are being accused of "mesirah", (see my blog "A Swine In Sheep's Garb"). Mesirah, is a prohibition against one Jew, handing over another Jew, to non Jewish authorities for a criminal act. This so called "prohibition" that we are accused of, took place in court, in a custody battle over my granddaughter.  In order to protect my granddaughter from living in a community in Baltimore that is  infested with pedophiles, I had to divulge that illegal financial transactions took place by someone who is a kleptomaniac, and by that person's accomplice's as well. An enviorment I did not want for my granddaughter.

One of you, (the three of you know which one) have pretty much destroyed our family. What your rabbis have done with their advice, is make a bad situation, much much worse. One of  you, needs to tell your rabbis " to go to hell", because at the end of the day, these rabbis, no matter who they are, whether you want to believe it or not, are not your parents.

Dad, the older I get, the smarter you become.

Delusions of the Day

I just read in the New York Post that Jet coach Rex Ryan said we can't dwell on the past. WHAT!!!!! He is the past. He needs to get lost.

I have an idea. I'm going to start a new league for selfish athletes only. The first two to join are Mark Sanchez (who really has to go to Ryan and beg him to start someone else), and Knick Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks lost to the Brooklyn Nets last night. The papers are calling this a rivalry in the making. I hope the papers are right. The Knicks really do not have a genuine rival,  because for most of their history, they have never been that good. I have been a Knick fan since 1962. With the exception of two championships in nearly 40 years, the rest has been a struggle, and teams that struggle, usually do not have a rival.

Yasar Arafat's body was exhumed. Nice. He gets to be buried twice. The only poison they will find, is in his soul.

Susan Rice, with the help of John McCain, will be the next Secretary of State for life.

Someone called into a talk radio show. The caller started out by saying, "I have had enough with Israel." I'm thinking, this guy is going to go on an anti Israel tirade. Instead, he stated that Israel is putting it's citizens at risk once again by making deals with thugs. And guess what, the caller was not Jewish and he was 100% right!

Go to www.israelnationalnews.com and read The Ceasefire, an article by Moshe Feiglin.

A study of photos of Einstein's brain showed that it was highly unusual. Really?

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a real man. Don't believe me? Ask PA's Abbas.

Until next time...

To Three Of My Children And Their Rabbis

I guess what I suspected all along is true. My daughter in Baltimore, (whose father in law is a rabbi, and by the way, go to my blog and read," A Swine in Sheep's Clothing"), my daughter in Far Rockaway (whose husband is a rabbi and responds to me with some of Batman's most famous words, such as "wow") and my oldest son (you guessed it, he too is a rabbi , and he also knows $700.00 an hour lawyers), in Crown Heights, are no longer genuine observant Jews. I know it's difficult to believe, but I must confess, from all indications, I'm afraid, and quite frankly, delighted, it is so. 

To begin with, I am 100% okay with your decision to rid yourself of something neither of you ever truly embraced. You may have thought you did at one time. I even thought you did. But no more. Based on your behavior these past months, or is it years, it is impossible. It's okay. I'm your father, and I understand. I only wish the three of you had done this $180,000 + ago. (read my previous blog In Case You Were Wondering 11 )

I am okay with it, because I too, am no longer observant. And guess what ? It feels pretty good, doesn't it.? Come on , admit it. After all, you no longer have to call your parents before birthdays, holidays or shabbos, you no longer have to put our five grandchildren and your brothers niece's on the phone, you no longer have to ask how your younger brother is doing, you no longer have to ask about anything! Isn't that what torah observant Jewish children do? They are usually genuinely concerned about their parents. But for the three of you, you no longer have to do that! You are no longer observant, and you now have my blessing! What a relief it must be for the three of you. All you have to do is...... is ask your rabbi, that's it, and then, just fake the rest. Fake what, you ask?  Fake, what you have been faking all this time.

But if you are not faking it, oh boy, then the advice you are receiving from these beloved rabbis of yours, is then really quite unique. So much so, that either I am much too limited in my ability to fully grasp why it is appropriate for the three of you to be so,..... oh, I don't know,...ask your rabbis for the correct words to describe you, and then, have those idiots contact me.

I did not write this for my benefit only. I must admit though, it does help some. But between me, you and your rabbis, of course, I am $180,000 + in the hole, and quite frankly, that investment in the three of you was not worth it. I would like my money back. I'll take it in one lump sum, or you could pay it out over the next few years. Either way is fine. I'm not kidding. That's how lousy the three of you turned out. Keep reading.

I am also at peace that I will never see, or hear from either one of you again. I am not at peace, however, that I will not see my grandchildren. Just do me a  favor though. As long as you live in America, make sure my grandchildren grow up to love America first. If you decide to live in Israel, then teach them to love Israel first. But as long as you live here, it is America first. And when you vote, (you do vote, don't you?), take your children with you. Let them learn that the price for freedom is not cheap. You do not have to tell them the price for this freedom was American blood. In fact, don't tell your rabbis either, but some of the blood, was from solders who were Jewish, and some, are you ready,  were not Jewish! Non Jewish blood!  How about that! Isn't that something! Just so you can be a frummie, right?

Despite what your rabbis neglect to tell you, it was the blood shed and the service by the American soldier, that has made this country the greatest in the history of the world. Your rabbis will tell you otherwise. They will tell you that it was the great rabbis of the past that had something to do with what made America great. That it was them, that set the standard, or were influential in obtaining religious freedom for Jews in America. That is bullshit!!!!! The rabbis had absolutely nothing to do with it, unless of course, they served their country. 

This past Veterans Day, did you hear one of your rabbis make mention, or pay tribute to it? Of course you didn't. Memorial Day, Independence Day, and even the greatest of all American holidays, Thanksgiving, is simply never mentioned in your fuzzy and warm world. How do I know this? I lived in it.

And you, the ones with the beards, peyos, tzitzis black hats, bechashars, kepotas, sheitels, thank a soldier the next time you see one, and be specific as to why you are doing so. Point to your beard, peyos, etc....., and tell him or her it is because of them, you could walk around looking this way. And say to them, "May God Bless You ,and May He Keep You Safe and Out of Harms Way." It's like a bracha. Say it, it's okay. I'm not a rabbi. you can trust me.

If Only Romney Won - Part One

It is the year 2032, the 24th year of the presidency of Barack Obama. In 2015, a few months before the Republican choice for president was to be announced, Obama declared  that, "electing a new president at this time, is not a wise thing to do. As your Commander in Chief",  he continued, "there are still things done by prior administrations, that I must correct. Things that have put us in great peril. So all elections are canceled, until further notice."  There was opposition from the Republican Party of course, and even from some  Democrats as well, and as result, neither party no longer exists, nor do the ones who opposed Obama, exist.  The only party in existence now, is the Obama Party. We are no longer The United States of America. We are now, The Islamic Obama Federation of North America.

All photos of past presidents have been either destroyed or hidden. The originals of  The Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, and The Bill of Rights have either been destroyed , or are locked up in an unknown location, that is as far as the public knows. My wife, son and I however, know the locations. Do you remember the flag Obama's campaign used in 2012 when he ran against Mitt Romney, where Obama's face was located on the upper left side where the stars were? The stars are now gone, having been replaced by Obama's grim, stern face.


I am writing this from a location in which I cannot disclose. I am 81 years old and I am dying. My wife and son are safe. The average life expectancy is now 58. If the authorities knew I was alive, they would simply kill me. I  hope this reaches someone, someday, very soon, so this madness will stop.  There is no longer an internet the way we knew it. It still exists, but access to it is limited to only a few. I, however, am one of the few. Who the others are, nobody knows, but me. No one has any money. In 2020, currency was eliminated, bank and all brokerage accounts were closed and all assests confiscated, and plastic cards of any type, were no longer valid. There is no longer a stock exchange of any kind. When you go to the store, a scanner determines who you are, and what you may purchase, according to your needs.This information is programed into the chip, that has been inserted either into your brain, or genitals. I have no such chip.

People such as Donald Trump no longer exist. The last time he was seen, was in the summer of 2016, a few days before the Republican convention, which never actually took place. Trump was last seen getting into his limousine outside of Trump Tower. It is believed his personal driver was shot in the head and dumped into the East River . Once Trump entered the limo, he was never heard from, or seen again. No one has ever inquired as to his whereabouts .The same fate awaited the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc....... Talk radio had to go underground. It did not take long for the regime to find and destroy them.

There is no longer a congress, senate or a vice president. The only television shows available, are reruns of Obama's speeches and those of his wife and daughters, along with their husbands Muhammid and Abdulla,  planting in the Obama White House Garden. (no longer just The White House) They are always laughing.

Most schools only goes up to the 6th grade, where all students must memorize every single word and mannerism of Obama. If they don't, they are never heard from again. A select few continue with their education, at undisclosed locations. Children born are immediately taken to a facility known only to a select few. There parents don't say a word, lest they wish to die.

The population of the country is now 160 million, down from over 320 million just 20 years ago. No one over the age of 50 is treated for any medical condition. Drugs for high blood pressure, heart conditions, cholesterol, etc.... are no longer available. Abortions are performed with such frequency, that no one has any idea as to the actual amount. It is believed that the only one who does know, is Obama himself. He is obsessed with knowing the sex of the child, and if pictures are available of the procedure, he wants them.

The practice of Judaism and Christianity are illegal. If one is caught observing, he or she dies, no questions or second chances. The only religion that one must observe, is Islam. Obama is many times referred to as Allah, or the Anointed One. If an official of the party hears one say otherwise, he or she is shot on the spot. Bill Clinton, was one of those victums. I know that he referred to Obama, in the Obama Oval Office, as Barack. (no longer the Oval Office) Obama told him to always call him Mr. President, to which Clinton said, "What do you mean? No one is here now. It's just you and I. In mixed company, I always call you Mr. President" To which Obama said in a very terse voice, "I said never call me Barack again". That was the day Bill Clinton was shot, and his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea, were never heard from again.

It is getting late, so I must go now. While I am away, continue reading, while you still can, so you can learn how things unfolded so gradually and yet so quickly at the same time. I was shocked myself to learn who had to die, and who could live, all according to the wave of the hand of Obama. As I said, if the regime ever finds out where I am, they will kill me, my wife and son. I must live, so the world does not forget. I know where everything is hidden.

Thinking Out Loud

If I were a feminists, I would really be angry with Eva Longoria. She must have set the women's movement back a good forty years. She called Mitt Romney a tw-t. If I remember correctly, a tw-t is a slang word, not a complimentary one I might add, for a vagina. If she had a problem with the governor, she could have at least called him a prick, another non complimentary way of describing your displeasure, but with a man. But a tw-t? Come on Eva, you could do better then that.

Kudos for Alan Colmes though. The good feminist that he is, requested that she resign from her position with the Obama re-election committee. Some loss that would be. Not optimal, I guess. I wonder if Colmes would be interested in stepping into her shoes and slipping into her ....., the good feminist that he is. Eva may be a political minded idiot, but she is good looking and that's all that matters. (laugh you feminists, it's a joke)

Just a reminder to you gals out there. The war is not on you . It is on the unborn. That is why I just don't understand it when I hear you claim that it is your "reproductive rights" that you want to protect. It has been witnessed by survivors of combat in real war, that at times, the last words of a dying soldier is "I want my mommy". How do you reconcile that with wanting to terminate a life that in all likely hood will call you mommy one day? You are the mommy, the one the dying hero screams out for, and yet you have no problem killing your child in order to protect your "reproductive rights". Crazy, no?

I must admit that I was frustrated with Governor Romney at the outset of the debate Monday night. As it turned out though, he exposed Obama's nasty, thin skinned, creepy, etc....... I also hope and pray that Dick Morris is right. Last night he told Bill O' Reilly that Romney will get at least 300 electoral votes. From his mouth, to the Man in the sky's ears.

I can't help but believe that Bill Clinton wishes nothing but the worst for Obama. I think Bill hates his guts. He knows him for what he is. "He (Obama) played the race card on me", Clinton moaned during the primaries with Hillary. Bill, he plays the race card on everyone. And once this thing is over, you need to kick his ass.

I Call Em The Way I See Em

I must admit, I am not the astute political observer I once was, or perhaps never was. So, as I am watching the debate last night, I couldn't quite figure out what Mr. Obama was doing that was any different from the first debate. He was ah, ah ahing alot, seemed to be tense while acting as though he wasn't, and I thought that this man is going to just lose it. And all of a sudden, the moderator throws him a lifeline, (I found that out the next day), but I didn't notice. As I mentioned above, I am not that astute.

My wife is in the next room watching the debate, as she is sending out the truth to her face book friends. And I am seeing nothing but Mitt Romney dancing around, on his toes, sticking his jab into Obama's face. "Way to go Mitt, keep it up, you are doing great", I would opine.  "How could anyone vote this guy in for another four years of his BS." "You look so presidential Mitt, just keep telling the truth. The other guy is  not." I even thought Candy Crowley, the moderator, was at times annoyed with Obama. What do I know? Apparently, not much. By now, I am worn out.

The debate is over, I am sleepy, but I just want to hear from Fox News how Mitt Romney did it again, how he delivered a  knockout. But no, that wasn't the case. "The president came out in a more aggressive manner, they said, He was the Obama of old, they said, He did not let Romney do to him what he did the last time"  What?

My friends, Barack Obama and his liberal hack for a  moderator, with all her lifelines for Obama and interruptions of Mitt, could not take the Governor down. Mitt stood his ground, told the truth and won the debate in my opinion because he is the better man, the much better man. I say this because he knows his gifts come from a far greater source , while Obama believes his gift for BS comes from another source, it's called liberalism, and he is right.

Obama  can claim to be a Christian or a Muslim, (lets just hope he never claims to be Jewish), but  as Dennis Prager says about liberals, (aka leftists)"liberalism is their religion". Just ask Joe Biden. He believes with the church position that life begins at conception. Yet, he won't impose that belief on anyone else. Liberalism, for all you Joe Biden's out there, obviously carries far greater weight ,then what he actually believes to be the truth.

On My Mind

I believe that Governor Mitt Romney will win the next debate convincingly. So much so, that Barack Obama will not debate him again, citing the excuse that, "Romney is a liar and I won't debate a liar".  His media will back him up 100%.

Congressman Ryan will also win his debate with Vice President Biden also very convincingly. So much so, that Biden will remind us that "Obama is a clean guy, who is articulate", or something like that.

On a more, much more serious matter. When Barack Obama was a state senator from Illinois, three times he voted against giving equal treatment and constitutional protection to babies born alive after a failed abortion. In other words, the baby came out alive, but according to the standards of  Barack Obama, the baby is left to die. I just cringe when I hear people say, "but he's a good father and husband, and I kinda like him". Really?

The founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, said she "wanted more children from the fit and fewer children from the unfit". I would not insult ones intelligence by explaining what she actually meant. Liberals love Planned Parenthood and blacks in America should look further into the origins of that organization. And while they are at, take a closer look at the Democrat Party. 

Since the 1970's, 14 million black babies were aborted. 14 MILLION!!!  Planned Parenthood does not really like you.

I am not a holocaust scholar, but I do know enough to state that the Nazi's must have had a great time with pregnant Jewish women in the camps. We are so few in numbers, yet Jews support abortion as though it was such a matter of fact thing to do. We have museums, scholarship programs, endowments, all these projects that commemorate the memory of the six million.  What is their to remember the aborted?

We claim, rightly so, that the cure for cancer probably went up in ashes at Auschwitz, yet we still, (not I) support a women's right to abort on demand. We still have disease that needs a cure. Stop being so obsessed and stop waging this war on the unborn.

A Dog Leg to the Right

In the movie Naked Gun, there is this scene when Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley kiss. Just as their lips meet, Nielsen lifts up his right leg, in what is of course a feminine pose. (it's a joke you feminists, laugh)  If you are familiar with the movie, then you know that sort of camp is what drives the movie's humor.

I thought of that scene last night while watching the debate with President Obama and Governor Romney. Maybe the president was tired, or he had to use the men's room. But whatever the case, whenever the camera angle was on the president, his right leg took on a lazy variation of that pose. I am not a body language reader, but I could not help but think that the president, if he did not have to go to the bathroom, was perhaps just trying to inject some humor into the debate.

The governor clearly won. If I were in the Obama inner circle, I would blame the liberal media for his dismal performance. For the last four years, they never challenged him on anything. He is not used to being questioned about his policies. The media has treated the president as though he has "special needs". "Yes Mr. President, whatever you say sir, of course you're right Mr President....."

Not so for Mr. Romney. He did the work the left wing media should have been doing for the last four years .You libs in the media, if you want The President to do a better job the next time around, spend what time you have between now and the next debate by questioning everything he has done and be critical of it, even if it hurts you to do so. Stop this "lap dogie" stuff . Do what the founders of this great country expected of you. Be independent of the government, not an arm of it.

And by the way Mr. President. Next time, look your opponent in the eye.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Last Thursday, I attended the first day of the PGA Tour Championship for The Fed Ex Cup at East Lake Golf Course, which is just a few miles east of downtown Atlanta. Even though it was not a major tournament such as The Masters, in the world of golf, it was big. Who qualified was based on a mathematical formula not too many people could follow, myself included. In any case, I had a great time for a variety of reasons.

It reminded me that I love freedom and I want to keep it that way. I was not scanned in order to enter. The only thing that was required of me, was that I had a ticket to do so. So far, not much different then going to Turner Field. Of course, when you go to a baseball game, you can scream until you are blue in the face. Not at a golf tournament. A "Go Tiger or Rory" in a hushed tone every once in a while, or a roar from the gallery, (not the crowd) when someone makes a great shot, but otherwise, it is pretty quiet

I am not a smoker, (except for an occasional cigar) but I couldn't care less if others do. At East Lake, men with a beer and a cigar in hand was a common and welcomed sight. People smoking cigarettes sipping a cup of wine, another welcomed sight. Everyone knew when it was time to be quiet. And if you just happened to forget, there were enough officials that would raise their hands above their heads to remind you.

The only thing that the officials asked you not to do, was use your cell phone, because you might take a picture or engage in conversation. I suppose that the click of a camera, ever so slight, or a quick chat with your office, would distract the golfers. A reasonable request.

So here I was, in a place that was over 7000 yards of grass, that  let you smoke and drink and didn't scan me upon entering. It took me back when one could escort a relative or a friend to the boarding gate, without asking permission to do so from some miserable TSA agent.

If I remember correctly, back when you could escort someone to the boarding gate, or grab a smoke, most of us didn't have cell phones. And if you did, it wasn't attached to you like it is today. September 11, 2001 changed all that. The way we now respond to the ones responsible for that day, you would think we did it to them. That needs to change.

My advice. Vote and attend a golf tournament. And I just might order french fries with as much trans fat as I want, Chinese food with extra MSG, and do all of this in New York while ordering a 2 liter soft drink with extra sugar. All this in spite of what the First Lady and the Mayor of New York think is best for me. They need to mind their own business, not mine.

A Swine In Sheeps Garb

One time when I was sitting in a conservative synagogue, the rabbi said a most astonishing thing. It went something like this. "An orthodox rabbi said conservative rabbi's are like pigs", as a murmuring of voices spread throughout the sanctuary. The conservative rabbi continued, "he said we are pigs, because as you know, in order for an animal to be kosher, it must have split hooves and chew it's own cud.  A pig does have split hooves, so on the outside it looks kosher, but on the inside, because it doesn't chew it's own cud, then it is not kosher."

The above is what can only be described as a problem one denomination of Judaism has with another. For me, at this point in my life, I say just take your disagreements outside, stand back to back, take ten steps, turn and then fire away and make sure no innocent bystanders get hurt, and of course, may the best man (or woman) win. And make it snappy, because after all, you don't want to be late for mincha.

I know. You think I'm being just a bit too sarcastic, pushing the envelope just a tad too much. Making too much fun of what is an otherwise serious problem within Judaism. Well, you're right. It is a serious problem within Judaism, but I choose to be sarcastic because the same orthodox rabbi who accused the conservative rabbis of being pigs, he needs to take a closer look in his own camp.

We have all read somewhere, that in orthodox communities, their was and there still is a serious problem with children being sexually abused by rabbi's or religious men who are dressed as ,"pious ones". It is a world wide problem, just worse in certain areas then in others. And you would be surprised to learn, if you do not already know so, that it is not just exclusive to places such as Williamsburg or Monsey. From what I understand, certain communities have put in place watch groups, that train it's congregants and rabbis as to what to look for in a sexual predator.

That's nice. So now rabbis are finally speaking out about the problem of child molestation. How nice of them. What I get from that is simply this. For years, these rabbis knew all too well who the predators were in their respective communities. They hid their identities so as not to shame their own communities.(after all, only the goyim do this, right?). Now that victims are speaking up and not being intimidated by a thing called "mesirah", which is a prohibition against handing over a Jew to non Jewish authorities for a criminal act, I would have to surmise that some of these same rabbis who are also now speaking up, were in fact the protector of these child molesters in the first place.


There is one thing I am absolutely certain of. The attire one wears on the outside, (split hooves) can so contradict what is actually going on inside, (I thought you chewed your own cud). How do I know this? I just do. The frightening thing ,they look so kosher on the outside, but inside, they are not. One of the problems? In some instances, their congregants and neighbors don't know that side of them.

This piece, by the way,  is not just limited to the protection and sanctity of communities, or the "looking the other way" when it comes to sexual predators. It's about so much more.

Just for the record. My observations and opinions apply to a limited number of orthodox Jews. The ones where it does apply, you know who you are.  Hang in there, Yom Kippur's coming.

Whoops, you missed your chance on Yom Kippur. Well, you just might want to give atonement a shot on Chanukah.

Alan Sanderson
Atlanta, Ga

Why Women Matter

I just finished reading, "Why Sinatra Matters". It was written by Pete Hamill. No one can depict men sitting in a smoke filled bar in New York, talking about sports and women, like Pete can. I felt as though I was sitting at the table with them. Did you ever watch something on TV, or read something, either a sentence, paragraph or an entire chapter, with a grin on your face and not even know it? That's what happened to me while reading the first chapter.

Hamill takes you to a rainy night in New York, sometime around midnight, inside a saloon on third avenue called P.J. Clark's. Sitting at the table with Pete Hamill is Danny Lavezzo, who ran the joint, William B. Williams, the New York disc jockey who coined the name for Sinatra as "The Chairman of the Board", Jilly Rizzo, one of Frank Sinatra's friends, Jimmy Cannon, one of the greatest sportswriters who ever lived and of course, Mr. Sinatra. Oh, and by the way, the jukebox is on. No need to tell you who  they were listening to. And the dialogue between these guys, you just have to read it.

For my Italian friends, read the entire book. If you like Sinatra, you will probably like him even more. If you don't like him, you will probably like him even less. For me, it was an insight into the Italian immigrant experience. I even found out that New York's elected Mayor in 1933, Fiorello La Guardia not only spoke Italian, but Yiddish as well. Why you ask did he speak Yiddish?, he spoke Yiddish because his mother did, she was Jewish! If you don't believe me, as Casey Stengel would say, "you could look it up".

One more thing about the book and then I'm done. When Frank left his first wife Nancy, and started seeing Ava Gardner, women did not like that. They obviously felt that Frank was abandoning the mother of his children for another woman. Frank's popularity amongst women then plummeted.  Understandably so.

Putting the book aside, but not the reason for the hurt that women felt for Nancy Sinatra, and all women who are either publicly or privately humiliated by their husbands, why do women stand up and applaud when Bill Clinton walks into a room. I just don't get it.

Which of course brings me to Sandra Fluke. I don't know how old she is, but from what I understand, she is still in college. So correct me if I am wrong. She wants the American taxpayer not only to pay for her birth control, she also wants the American tax payer to pay for sex change operations too. I would suspect that Miss Fluke may have doubled up on a dose of something here or there.

Mr. Sinatra, wherever you are, I think as an entertainer, you were the greatest of all time. As for you President Clinton, when you moved to the center, you did a pretty good job with the economy, but did you really not inhale or have sex with that woman? 

In Case You Were Wondering Part 11

"As I was walking through the parking lot", the rabbi began his sermon one shabbos, "I couldn't help but notice how few late model cars there were. Then I realized, the majority of you people here, have committed the ultimate sacrifice in setting your priorities straight, by giving your children a Jewish education, by sending them to Jewish day schools". "Laugh, Laugh" went the the congregation. Guess what, I was one of those who the rabbi so glowingly referred to as "committing this ultimate sacrifice". Actually, I would pray that after shabbos, this 'sacraficial' car of mine would actually start.

That had to be about $180,000 ago, whoops, I mean quite a number of years ago. Quite honestly, I felt kind of proud at the time. After all, here I am, the product of secular Zionist parents, along with my wife (you should hear her story), securing for our children all the benefits of a Jewish education, not just any old Jewish education, but an orthodox one. Not Hebrew school 2-3 times a week. NO! Five solid days of learning Hebrew, Jewish history and of course, Torah.

Then Friday night, shabbos, shul, kiddush, wash, eat, d'var torah (never one of my favorites), bentch, go to sleep, get up early, back to shul, kiddush, wash, lunch, (oh no, not another d'var torah), bentch, nap, back to shul to learn, shul again, havdala, ... all of that, for the kids, but of course. And that is in just one 24/25 hour period. Don't get me started on the rest of the week. But for the kids, anything.

Toss in Jewish camps, NCSY events, air fares to Israel, weddings not in Atlanta where the brides were from, NO!, of course not. That would upset somebody else's parents. Here comes the bus and Jill and I were beginning to be thrown under it. A sheiltel would be pulled and as a result, nothing would ever really be the same again. It's just that Jill and I didn't know it yet.

Maybe it was just the pressure of a wedding not taking place in our home town. After all, doesn't every parent like to  feel like guests at their kids weddings. Of course they do. Anything for the kids! Would they do it to us because of a lack of respect for..... NO!, not our Torahdik little ones, they wouldn't do that.......

To be continued......

Do You Ever Get A Chill?

I don't know about you, but I have had enough of Michelle Obama's arm pits. It has nothing to do with politics. It does however, have everything to do with a sense of modesty. I have heard that Mrs. Obama likes to expose her arms because she has been told that they are "toned". That's nice. What if she was told that other parts of her body were, well, lets just stick with toned, would she let us have a peek at those too?

We all know that we live in a very physical world. Having the first lady remind us of that isn't necessary. Previous first lady's were very modest. There was a sense of decorum, a sense of respect for the position that I don't see in Mrs. Obama. I would never comment on the wife of another man, so Mr. President, this is an exception for me, don't take it too personally, I just think you should tell the Mrs. to, 'tone' it down a bit.

In The On Deck Circle..........

It is amazing to me that to this day, the potential for greatness in a baseball player, is measured by the physical attributes of none other then Mickey Mantle. Not Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays or Ken Griffey Jr., all of which had better stats then Mantle. In fact, if you were to look at the career stat sheet for Mantle, you would of course have to be impressed, but not necessarily blown away. But yet, he still is the yard stick that all young ball players are compared to when it comes to the combination of  speed and power.

There is an article in a recent Sports Illustrated about the Angels incredible rookie Mike Trout. He is tearing up the league and will certainly win Rookie of the Year and perhaps the MVP as well. He replaced veteran Vernon Wells in the outfield. I don't have the article in front of me, but from what I remember, Wells mentioned that if  a video game were to create a ballplayer, it would be like Mantle.

To me, that comment reminds me about potential, the potential in all of us. When Mantle was a rookie, he was touted to be the next in line of the Yankee greats. Before him there was Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio. Yes, Mantle did become the next Yankee great, but he was not as great as he could have been.

Maybe Trout will reach his potential and I hope he does. I think one of the reasons I view Mantle as this mythical figure, is because he, like myself, could have accomplished more. Mantle is actually easier to identify with then say Willie Mays or Hank Aaron, two contemporaries of Mantle. Mays could not have hit more then 660 home runs and Aaron could not have hit more then 755. The both of them reached their potential, Mantle did not.

My son Zachary is 17. He is an astute baseball fan. Of course he never saw Mantle play, but when asked who his favorite Yankee is, he says "The Mick". Why? I suppose because I spoke about him enough and like so many of us who have come before him, see in Mantle so much promise, just from watching old videos of him rounding the bases with his head down (so as not to embarrass the pitcher) after hitting "tape measure" home runs.

What Mantle did off the field contributed greatly to his slightly less then stellar career. He actually atoned for it toward the end of his life. All I know is that when my father took me to Yankee Stadium as a kid, I remember staring at Mantle when he was in the on deck circle and never once thinking about his potential, or anyone else's. All I wanted to do, was watch Mantle get in the batters box.

As long as I am alive, I am still in the lineup of life. Every morning when I wake up, I step out of the on deck circle, take the bat off my shoulders and take my cuts and try to hit one out of the ball park. I just hope I remember to keep my head down as I round the bases.

Words of Wisdom

My father once told me that "parents love their children more then children love their parents". He may not have been the first one to say that. I would like to add to that because my father did not live long enough to see his grandchildren. i.e. "grandparents love their grandchildren more then they love their children especially when they raise a grandchild"

More then likley I would not be able to fully understand that if Jill and I had not raised our first grandchild Nechama for nearly eight years. But we did.

We have all read somwhere or have been told by someone that it is G-d who creates everyone. That would mean that parents do not. In a Chumash not  long ago a commentary compared that to a butler who fills your glass with the kings wine. You would naturally thank the butler even though it is not his wine, it belongs to  the king.

I don't ever remember my three frumie children ever thanking me for pouring their wine.

Too be contiuned.....
       

Dear Orthodox Judaism,

In case you were wondering as to my whereabouts these past several months, wonder no more. For now, I have left you. Not for another faith or another version of Judaism. No, you are still and always will be the undisputed and the most  authentic expression of Torah there is.

When I was about 47 years old, I, along with my wife embraced everything about you. And when we did, an entire new world open up to us. That world actually empowered me in a way. I met some of the nicest, caring and humorous people one could imagine.

Keeping kosher, wearing my yarmuke everywhere, tzistis, making certain to daven three time a day no matter where I was, wash, bentch ...., nothing could deter me. I do not work in a city where there are other frum Jews. My office is in a suburb that I'm sure has other Jews, but certainly not  one wearing his yarmuke pumping gas or shopping at Kroger. It empowered me when people would look at me, some with approval (evangelicals I'm sure), some with no interest at all and of course some with utter disgust. Whatever the reaction, I would nod and slightly smile back at them.

What to do with my four children at the time, two of which were entering the fifth grade, one the second grade and one pre K.? Pull them out of public school and place them in an orthodox day school of course! What a solution. This way I would be certain that they would learn respect for their parents in a Torah enviorment that would remain with them forever! I of course would have to do my part by setting the tone in the house in order for this  respect to endure till the end.

In the early stages of this new life style, we would go to the Toco Hills community that so thoroughly embraced us and urged us  to spend Shabbos with them by inviting us to their homes. This is where I met those people I referred to above. On Shabbos I would look around and see daughters clinging to their mothers, walking arm in arm with them and fathers walking with their boys, some holding a sefer, some not. It really didn't matter. What did matter was something even greater then the contents of that sefer, i.e a genuine love and respect for the ones that gave these kids life. In years to come, Boy O Boy, what a surprise my wife and I were in for.

To be continued........