September 20, 2024
March 20, 2024
September 29, 2023
April 30, 2023
Lets Save Israel Now
(Credit Photo: Cottonbro Studio via https://www.pexels.com/photo/bearded-man-folding-the-flag-of-israel-4033953/)
Lets Save Israel Now
April 23, 2022
Jude in America
What was shocking was that despite the professional environment, this was a climate where they actually felt “safe” expressing their Antisemitism and hate. In this case, these high-level, powerful, “educated” people working in the heart of our nation’s capital should know better, much better than to harass someone because she is a Jew, an Israeli, a woman or all three.It is unfortunate that there still are individuals that hate out there: that lash out questioning our faith, our people, and our intentions. Good people see the common humanity and good in others, and bad people are infatuated with imaginary intolerable differences, especially of minorities, and enjoy scapegoating them, goading others to join their hate, and even violently preying on them.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Jude in America
February 14, 2022
Russia Wins This Hands Down
They have so intimidated Ukraine that Russia will be able to install a new government in Kyiv or just pull the strings on the puppets in place without ever firing a shot.
Moreover, Ukraine won't be considered by NATO for membership ever again knowing that Russia will go to the mat over it.
Scare tactics can work if you carry a big enough gun and have the gumption to hold it to your opponent's head! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Russia Wins This Hands Down
February 1, 2022
Drain The Swamp
What happened with that?
It often still seems pretty dirty, dark, dank and swampy!
We need real democracy, freedom, human rights, and justice for all people. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Drain The Swamp
January 14, 2022
All American Eisenhower EOB
All American: red, white, and blue.
Standing tall and proud. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
All American Eisenhower EOB
April 27, 2021
Motif For The U.S. Economy
This seems like it could be a major theme of the U.S. economy.
"Buy Now, Pay Later!"
And then...
"Foreclosure"
You can't borrow infinitely.
It eventually has to be repaid.
Where will the money come from?
Print more.
Worth less! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Motif For The U.S. Economy
January 21, 2021
Going In Circles
One administration comes and another goes.
The new executive orders and legislations reverse the old ones.
- Keystone Pipeline
- Travel Ban from potential Terrorist Countries
- Paris Climate Accord
- Membership in World Health Organization
- Deregulation
- Taxes
As a country, we are (borderline) bipolar!
And like a pendulum, we swing back and forth getting nowhere and driving the rest of the world crazy.
Can't we actually move forward without the perennial one step forward, one step back nauseating dance we keep doing.
Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran are moving forward and they are not waiting for us to figure out what we actually want and get our national act together to move decisively and definitively forward. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Going In Circles
January 17, 2021
Privacy Is Dead
I though this was a fascinating ad for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
The little girl hanging onto to the UAV drone.
Reminds me of the wonderful classic film, The Red Balloon, where after the balloon follows the little boy everywhere, in the end, off he flews with it into the wild blue yonder.
As much as we all wish privacy wasn't dead, for the most part, it really is!
Between ubiquitous and persistent satellites, drones, and video cameras, audio and video surveillance, call intercepts and eavesdropping, computer monitoring tools, smartphone location tracking, facial recognition, body implants, and more, let's just say you are never truly alone.
For those who continue to dream the impossible dream of privacy, it is a noble endeavor but quite fruitless without either going deep underground or significant legislative and policy changes that can actually be enforced.
My grandmother used to say that G-d sees everything and she was right.
These days, others are watching as well! ;-)
Privacy Is Dead
December 30, 2020
Destruction Site
If there's a construction site, then there can certainly be a destruction site.
Most of the time, it seems like more destruction than construction really going on.
It's amazing how a construction job on one corner can take more than a whole year, when they built the entire U.S. highway system in not such a long time.
Now-a-days, money just goes down the sinkhole with the littlest jobs taking seemingly forever and the costs spiraling out of control.
Hello, is anyone out there managing this stuff?
Oh right, it's all funny money anyway.
Let's just keep printing some more. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Destruction Site
December 28, 2020
Vaccine: Too Little Too Late
So just about everyone I know now has Covid going all around them.
Heard from 2 people in the last 2 days, and yet a 3rd person that died miserably from it this past week.
Aside from almost 120,000 currently hospitalized, including 20,000 in the ICU, this thing is spinning rapidly out of control!
I am now convinced that by the time they get the vaccine out (and it's going awfully slowly so far), it will be too little too late and almost everyone will already have had Covid.
Incredible how many billions of dollars have been spent on the vaccine research, manufacturing, and now on the distribution, and frankly it will have been another great big wasted boondoggle.
Vaccinate away...despite the valiant efforts by many, it's basically a throwaway for this round of the virus, and it all points to our woeful state of unpreparedness to begin with! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Pixabay)
Vaccine: Too Little Too Late
November 23, 2020
What A Dumb Education System
Unfortunately, the education system here starts out dumb from the get-go!
As the WSJ today reports, $400 billion out of a $1.4 trillion educational loan portfolio is likely uncollectible.
That's almost 30% bad debt!
But what is unforgivable is that they system is geared towards crappy lending practices.
As per a former head of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO):
"We make no attempt to evaluate the quality of the borrower, the ability to repay, the effectiveness of the loans...[so] the taxpayer ends up picking up the tab."
Is that fair to all the responsible students and families that pay for their education and repay their student loans?
This systems is so broken, and on top of it yet we want to forgive more student debt all together and teach our children to be deadbeats!
It seems like this education system can't teach anything of value except how to play an already broken system! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
What A Dumb Education System
June 18, 2020
Freedom But Disparity
The freedom, rights, and opportunities we have is exceptional and enviable in the world and history.
But the disparity between rich and poor, majorities and minorities is grotesque.
On one side of the street are the mansions, and on the other are the slums.
One on side of the train station are those going off to work, and on the other side are the homeless lying in the gutter.
On one side of the scale are people fat with money and power, and on the other side are people hungry and decaying.
Wealth is overflowing for those that are the fortunate, but also corruption runs systematically deep.
This isn't an issue of political party, but one of the righteousness of men's hearts.
G-d watches and man disappoints, but the the future is still wide open. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Freedom But Disparity
March 30, 2020
Harris Teeter War Zone
But this guy in the respirator mask is showing us how bad things can start to get.
As an avid fan of the show The Walking Dead, I think we are entering TWD territory with the people walking around with their face's half covered and some looking sick with fear and worry or perhaps even with symptoms--who knows!
What is amazing is how things can go from boom to bust, and not just for our economy, but for life and civilization itself at the turn of a dime.
Yesterday, I read how the CFO of Jefferies Group Investment Bank (NYC) died at age 56 from Coronavirus.
Even as the Navy's hospital ships Mercy and Comfort enter the ports of Los Angeles and New York City to lend a hand and about 1,000 hospital beds each, it seems like more and more of these deadly cases are hitting the papers and social media every day.
Where does this sickness stop?
What happens if the virus mutates again and become even more virulent?
How do we ever feel even remotely secure again?
Can we keep taxing our already overwhelmed healthcare system with more and more sick patients?
How long can we keep printing Monopoly bailout money (incredibly, there is talk of yet another multi-trillion Coronavirus stimulus bill even after we just passed this $2.2 trillion one last week)?
Eventually, as we all know circumstances can indeed overwhelm the health and financial systems, and even our governments...thank G-d we aren't there.
But what we are all beginning to see in the midst of crisis is that "there" isn't really all that far away from "here."
...That life hangs by a truly thin thread.
And because we can only do so much, this is where we really need to look up to the heavens and ask for G-d's help and mercy. ;-)
(Credit Photo: my wonderful son-in-law, Itzchak)
Harris Teeter War Zone
March 22, 2020
We Just Magically Found $2,000,000,000,000
This after we already wasted over $6.4 trillion (and thousands of our dead and wounded) through 2017 in unexplainable and endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with no known or lasting benefits to this country (while archenemy, Iran continues their pursuit of nukes unabated).
And for decades, we haven't been able to find money for:
- Decent healthcare for all Americans.
- Ensuring our national security, including adequate planning and disaster preparedness for things like Coronavirus, cybersecurity, WMDs, EMPs, and for critical infrastructure protection.
- Repairing our aging roads, bridges, and infrastructure.
- Fixing our broken public education system.
- Helping our countless of homeless and needy lying the streets of our nation.
- Restoring our space program to get a man on the moon again or put another shuttle into space.
When politics are in play, there is plenty of money to go around.
But when the nation needs proper care and feeding, there are no adults in the room. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
We Just Magically Found $2,000,000,000,000
March 4, 2020
Majestic Architecture of Department of Commerce
Majestic Architecture of Department of Commerce
February 25, 2020
Corruptocrats
Corruptocrats
Refers to corrupt politicians.
Couldn't believe it's actually in the dictionary.
Not all of them are, obviously.
Could it be a whole "political party" too? lol
If only everyone was pure of heart and intention. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal, and note that no disrespect intended to anyone)
Corruptocrats
February 13, 2020
Israel 2020: Day 4
We went to the Israel Museum (the best museum that I have ever been at), the Shrine of the Book with the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the best part was a tour of the Israeli Knesset.
One of the interesting facts that I learned was that the 120 seats in the Knesset is in the shape of the menorah, and I loved seeing Herzl's picture facing the speaker (front left).
Also, got to see the Israel Declaration of Independence with all the amazing signatories as well as the most beautiful Chagall paintings!
Inside the Knesset, all I could say to my wife is what a tremendous zechus (merit) it is to be able to be here today in this great hall where the modern laws of the State of Israel are made just as they were thousands of years ago by the Great Assembly of the Israelites.
We are living in the most amazing of historical and religious times. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Israel 2020: Day 4