Never Too Young To Train

This was cute!

The little boy holding his mom's hand and running around the track.

While many kids would cry and resist the exercise, this kid actually ran after his mom to go with her.

It was nice to see!

Never too young to train!

This is how excellence is born. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Never Too Young To Train

Defunding The Police Is STUPID!

So the progressive, alt-left have gone off the rails again with more nutty radical proposals. 

This time to defund or dismantle the police!

While I am completely against corruption, racism, and police brutality, it is a BIG and STUPID mistake to hyper-generalize from some bad actors to the overwhelming number of good people that serve in law enforcement, who put their lives on the line to protect us everyday. 

As with the health workers that protect us from Coronavirus and other horrible illnesses, so too with our police, we should be grateful for their protection and that they ensure some semblance of law and order and security in our society!

Yes the bad apples should be weeded out and punished, absolutely!

Also, after the latest incident with George Floyd, certainly reform is needed in terms of training and additional protections for the public. 

But going alt-left crazy with proposals to defund and disband the police is completely over-the-top, irresponsible and destructive. 

Hopefully, all the "normal" people out there will see the progressive folly for what it is and support the police in doing their critical mission, while also holding them accountable to do it with the integrity that they must.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Defunding The Police Is STUPID!

I'm Still Alive!

600 Holocaust Survivors and their descendants sing "Chai" (Life) by Ofra Haza.

Hope is not yet lost.

I live. I live. I live. 

I cried my eyes out watching this. 

The Jewish people not only survived the Holocaust as most of the world sat by and watched the genocide of six million men, women, and children with a soulless indifference, but G-d has kept his promise and restored the Jewish people and returned them to the Holy Land and made it flourish again!

(Thank you to my sister, Roz, for sharing this with me)

I'm Still Alive!

Her Bike, His Tires

I really like the look of this simple bike. 

The pink frame for her. 

The blue tires for him.

This bike is unisex and a standout!

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Her Bike, His Tires

Girl With Rose

Beautiful art from a few years ago by my daughter, Rebecca. 

Peace, happiness, and life.  ;-)

(Credit Art: Rebecca Ochayon)

Girl With Rose

Holding Back The Tide

These rocks are holding their own against the tide. 

They are also standing the test of time. 

We all need to push back against the tide when wrong is pushing forward. 

Whether its corruption or violence.

Be like a rock!

Choose good over evil in every situation.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Holding Back The Tide

Prickly Like The People

This ball on the bench is prickly like a lot of people.

Say or do something that rubs them the wrong way and you got a sharp aching thorn in your side.

Hence the saying about handling them with "kid gloves" made from fine soft kid leather. 

Handle tactfully and with special consideration or else get stung badly and suffer the pain and consequences. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Prickly Like The People

We Have To Pray Just To Make It One Day

So as we have done for ages...

We pray.

We weep.

We bless. 

We request.

We thank.  

We only control what we say and do.

The rest is in G-d's merciful, blessed hands. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

We Have To Pray Just To Make It One Day

Still Fighting For Our Rights

This picture about sums where we are in having to protest the same things we've been fighting for since the beginning of time:

I can not believe I still have to protest this crap!!

Just went you thought humanity (at least Western civilization) had mostly evolved past all the discrimination, biases, bigotry, prejudice, and racisms.

We arrive in time only to find out that HATE is still brewing in our societies and people's evil hearts. 

What a shame--that we misinterpret what divides us as taking precedence over what unites us!

What a pity--that we misjudge people by the color of their skin, their race, their religion, etc. instead of by the worthiness of their deeds. 

What a disgrace--that we mistreat our fellow man simply because they are different from us and in the most superficial of ways. 

With all our scientific advances and technological progress, we are still in stone ages of the evolution of our humanity.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Still Fighting For Our Rights

You've Got To Do It

Interesting message on this car window:

Imagine all the wonderful things that will never happen if you do not do them.

You've got to get up and get out there and try. 

Never say never. 

Success is within reach. 

Rocky, Rocky, Rocky!  ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

You've Got To Do It

Our Cities Are Burning

I like the saying on this guys knapsack:

Discipline equals freedom.

The opposite is true too:

From the violent riots across the country the last week, even a modicum of discipline has gone out the window, and with that comes a curtailment of freedom through deployment of the National Guard, Military, and imposition of curfews and more. 

There was a time that peaceful protests led by leaders with integrity held sway...but now it's anarchy out there!

Today, the cities are burning, the stores are being looted, people are afraid, and our republic is being torn asunder by racism and filthy election politics. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Our Cities Are Burning

Freedom USA!

Nothing says freedom in the USA like a nice Three Wheeler Motorcycle. 

Vroom Vroom!

Super fun and a perhaps little more stability for your butt. 

If the air is clear and the road empty, you can let the wind blow through your hair and the whole world go by. 

F*** everything! 

Life was made for living.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Dossy and Andy Blumenthal)

Freedom USA!

A Neck Is Not Something To Step On

A neck is not something to step or kneel on. 

Justice for George Floyd!

Murder is murder. 

While I greatly respect and admire our law enforcement for the difficult jobs that they have, police brutality and racism is not something that can be tolerated. 

Our law enforcement is better than that!

Hold the responsible officers accountable, but also bring peace and civility back to our cities and streets. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

A Neck Is Not Something To Step On

Boots Of Many Colors

Similar to Joseph and The Technicolor Dreamcoat, these boots come in a virtual rainbow of colors. 

Honestly, not sure who would actually wear something like these. 

I think them gaudy except as a sweeping fashion statement by someone fairly spectacular who could carry it off. 

Perhaps another show featuring the dancing Rockettes, doing the long row of eye-high kicks could be quite a sight in a managerie of these colorful boots rising and falling. 

Kick 1-2-3.  Higher and higher.  Red, yellow, and blue.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Boots Of Many Colors

Chag Sameach - Happy Shavuot!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Shavuot and Chag Sameach!

(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)

Chag Sameach - Happy Shavuot!

The Nail That Stands Out

So everyone knows what happens to the nail that stands out...

It gets hammered down!

Deviation from the norm or the groupthink is met with a resounding klop on the head. 

You conform or you face the guillotine. 

Way too dystopian. 

Freedom, individuality, diversity, self-expression—these are the engines of innovation and growth. 

If every nail gets hammered down, you have a society that implodes with inbreeders and Stone Age stale ideas. 

Tradition is one thing, a closed mind is something that is an extinction level event. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Nail That Stands Out

@Lake Needwood, Memorial Day 2020

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

@Lake Needwood, Memorial Day 2020

Great Veggie Heaven

Great little Chinese vegetarian/vegan restaurant in New Jersey. 

My sister took us there a couple of years ago.

Hopefully, I didn't forgot to say thank you. 

Never forget the yummy food there (and of course, the good family company). 

Good descriptive name and eats at Veggie Heaven!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Great Veggie Heaven

The 11th Commandment

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, "The 11th Commandment."

How many times do I hear about fellow Jews trying to "out-frum" (i.e. be holier than thou) other Jews: whether it's in terms of Kashrut, Shabbat or even who stayed up the latest for the Passover Seder. Recently, when it came to coronavirus, I was more than a little shocked to read that someone actually attributed the disease to it being a punishment from G-d because women's skirts are not being worn long enough. While certainly it's good to be introspective and there is a strong concept of reward and punishment in Judaism, there is something about us Jews where we tend to want to go a little more and a little farther. In some cases, we are doing "hiddur mitzvah" (beautification of the Mitzvah) which is praiseworthy, but in other cases, we may be adding unnecessary "chumras" (i.e. stringencies) than can backfire religiously. My unequivocal preference is to follow my father's teaching to me of the Rambam's "Shvil Ha'zahav" (i.e. the golden path) and not go too far to the left or to the right, but keep a healthy middle of the road approach to life.

In the end, the number of commandments are what they are, and with 613 throughout the Torah, there is enough to keep us all busy going what is right with G-d and our fellow man. While we may like to overachieve in our careers, our education, and our pedigrees, it is not necessary to try to outdo each other religiously. Religion is a matter between us and Hashem and G-d knows what is in our hearts and counts up all our deeds according to His holy Torah with nothing added and nothing subtracted.

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The 11th Commandment

Shopping Up A Pole

Wondering if this is also part of social distancing. 

Shopping cart up a pole. 

No one else up there. 

Safe from Coronavirus, hopefully. 

Maybe some illusive toilet paper to be found in the sky mall? 

Desperate times calling for desperate measures or an anxious society is losing its mind. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Shopping Up A Pole