What's The Big Deal?

Even the New York Times has a little opinion snippet about how being US Prez is lots easier than running a big corporation.

Remember there's a standing/existing staff one inherits. Household responsibilities are a cinch, since there's a ready-hired staff for the house which goes with the job. There are lots of cleaning, cooking and clerical staff--and don't forget the maintenance people. All that's covered, like in a good hotel.

If you need to chill out by driving around alone, then you have a "camp" to go to. Of course, being alone is one of the toughest things, unless you just close yourself off in one of the lesser-used bedrooms. And you don't have to pay for all the furniture or paint jobs.

Of course the easiest job is veep, like being "kept" for special occasions. Just don't gain weight. Housing is covered, too. It's sort of like a short-term Prince Philips, but unlike the prince, the veep is on call to take over, if something happens to the president.

If the McCain-Palin ticket wins, I think Sarah will be bored out of her mind.

Why Dead Jews Again?

One of my long-time pet peeves about the Israeli Government's "must see" for foreign visitors is the fact that Yad Veshem is at the top of the list.

It's so obvious why foreigners think of Israel as a dangerous place. The Foreign Ministry's "rebranding campaign" will never be successful for as long as they take people to Yad Veshem. And they're doing it again.

Mayors from 40 Countries to Visit Yad VaShem

Go to our beautiful new cities, like, Maale Adumim and Ariel. Show off our technological innovations and hi tech industries like in Jerusalem's Har Chotzvim or in Malcha. There's also plenty to see in Israeli agriculture.

Show that we're alive and thriving!

History From The Future

Today's the Kadima Primary. Ehud Olmert is supposed to resign and place the reigns in the hands of the winner. But will he really be gone? The ramifications of his decisions and agreements will haunt us for a very long time, and that's if we survive.

Survive, good question.

On one hand I have no doubts that we will, but the rational, the logical in me sees how much Olmert has undermined our security. I think of the awful and dangerous and expensive mess Jerusalem is now in, after his reign as Mayor. No doubt he will leave the State of Israel in a similar situation.

It won't be pleasant. It won't be pretty.

We, the Jewish People and our HolyLand, have survived many enemies in our past.

Jewish History is full of amazing stories, and I'm sure that in a hundred and in a thousand years people will still talk of how the Jewish People missed the great opportunities G-d gave with His miraculous gifts from the 1967 Six Days War, but then despite the foolish and the seditious, small bands of Torah and Eretz Yisrael patriots persevered and survived. Finally, because of their great idealism, they defeated their greatest enemies, fellow Jews, who were happy to leave the HolyLand to those who truly treasured it. And once the Arabs realized that the Jews in power were not going to give up, they, too, left settling in the oil-rich Arab countries.

G-d willing, but it's up to us.

Tachlis Tomorrow!

I'm going to the Tachlis meeting, which hopefully will make me a better, more effective and richer blogger.

They chose a venue, I wouldn't have chosen, but maybe they'll come to Shiloh to our coffee shop gallery next time.

See how nice it is!!

Anyway, I really do appreciate the clear directions. G-d willilng, I'll see you tomorrow!

Missplaced Pity

No doubt that Ehud Olmert has become a rabid Leftist, caring more for our enemies than for fellow Jews and Israelis.

Israel wasn't the only "new" country established sixty years ago. The Indian sub-continent became India and Pakistan, divided by religion. The population transfer was much more massive than here in the HolyLand, where Jewish refugees arrived from all over the world, and some Arabs were told by their leaders to leave their homes.

Today, you won't find UN-funded refugee camps for the descendants of the Indio-Pakistanis who decided to live with those of their own religion. Only here in the middle-east did the nascent UN decide to interfere with normal population shifts.

Olmert was raised in a Revisionist home and community, which suffered discrimination by the Leftist Labor Zionist establishment. Today, he has adopted all of the Leftist policies, with a vengeance, like many who "convert." He's not the only Revisionist (child of Etzel and Lechi veterans) who has moved Left in recent years. In Kadima he has been joined by Tzachi Hanegbi and Tsippi Livni. A psychological profile of the phenomena would be a good idea.

If You Haven't Seen This...

...now this is your chance!

No matter what you think of the American Presidential elections, you're bound to have a good laugh. And remember, laughing is good for your health!

And thanks Boris!

"If you prick us, do we not bleed? ... If you poison us, do we not die?"

"To bait fish withal It will feed nothing else,
it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered
me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains,
scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends,
heated mine enemies. And what's his reason? I am a
Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed
with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same
means, warmed and cooled by the same winter
and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we
not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you
poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall
we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we
will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong
a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If
a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance
be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you
teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard
but I will better the instruction."

The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare
Act 3, Scene 1, lines 55-76

Why is the media and why are Israel's politicians so upset that the people of Yitzhar have reacted to the murderous aggression, terrorism, of the nearby Arabs?

Why is the media and why are Israel's politicians so sympathetic to the sic "plight" of the Arabs?

Why are we Jews supposed to constantly absorb the blows, the terrorism?

Why are we Jews expected to move away silently and passively and money-grubbingly to DP camps?

Why is "transfer" kosher when Jews are thrown out of their homes, but traif when Arabs are told to be peaceful or leave?

If you believe that Jews have the right to defend themselves against terror, click here and sign the petition.

Who Would Have Thought...?

For as long as I remember, popular wisdom, financial wisdom, was that if you wanted financial security, you'd keep your money in America, in dollars. Those of us living and working in Israel, were always jealous of those who lived on American salaries.

Not any more!!

For the past couple of years, the humble Israeli Shekel has been much stronger than the dollar. And even more amazing, considering our security situation, unreliable government and corrupt politicians our financial situation is far better than the American.

Here are some links from the New York Times.

- BUSINESS -

U.S. Futures Contracts Fall With the Dollar
By KEITH BRADSHER
The dollar fell sharply against major currencies in
Singapore, while futures contracts on American stocks
nosed-dived.
..................
Big Insurer Seeks Cash as Portfolio Plummets
By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and GRETCHEN MORGENSON
A.I.G., the insurance giant, is seeking a bridge loan from
the Federal Reserve as it faces a potential downgrade.
..................
Federal Reserve Offers No Cash but Loosens Standards on
Emergency Loans
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
The Fed said it would let Wall Street firms post as
collateral much riskier assets in exchange for emergency
loans through the Primary Dealer Credit Facility.
..................
More Business News

The "Tired" Man is Trying to Bring Us Down

Olmert: No such thing as 'Greater Israel' anymore
Cabinet discusses bill offering NIS 1.1m to settlers willing to voluntarily relocate

'We won't allow settler pogroms against non-Jews'
Olmert speaks out against settler rampage after Palestinian attacked young boy

Olmert endangers the existence of the State of Israel. It goes on and on. His talk of resigning is just talk, even though the Kadima Primaries are this week. He's, technically, a lame duck Prime Minister, but he's desperately signing and agreeing to anything and everything, without caring about the repercussions. What drives him?

Jerusalem is suffering from the building of the light rail system, which could have been a good solution to its transportation problems. The problem is that the contractors and supervisors are incompetent, which is causing major and expensive problems. Who planned it? Who chose the contractors? Olmert, when he was mayor. Now, he's conveniently out of the municipality, just like he'll be far gone, when Israel suffers from the results of today's agreements and statements.

Dvir ben Chana Devorah

Since June 11, 2002, Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, that name, Dvir ben Chana Devorah, has been on my Refuah Shleimah, "For a Complete Recovery" list when I say T'hillim, Psalms.

Dvir was just thirteen, on a school trip, when he stepped on a landmine and was very seriously injured. I felt very connected for various reasons. First the name, Chana Devora, is the same as my eldest daughter, and his mother is also the eldest sibling. At the time, an uncle of his had lived in Shiloh and an aunt was a good friend of my other two daughters. She had gone with one of my daughters to help in the Jewish Compound in Addis, Ethiopia as part of their Sherut Leumi, National Service. Because of that I had become acquainted with his grandmother.

In recent years, we hadn't been in contact, though Dvir is still on my daily refuah shleimah list. I was overjoyed to read that Dvir had just gotten married.

Mazal Tov and Refuah Shleimah!

THIS IS THE 9-YEAR-OLD BOY...

...who was attacked in Yitzhar! For shame, Olmert, for calling the very natural reaction of his neighbors to find the culprit & root out the evil, a pogrom!!! For shame!!!

Picture courtesy of Yesha News.