When You Absolutely Need A/C

When it's Summer, hot, and humid.

And your car's air conditioning isn't working.

What do you do?

Improvise!  ;-)

(Source Photo: A friend)

When You Absolutely Need A/C

@Lake Frank in Summer

Beautiful Summer day @Lake Frank. 

Surprised parking lot was so empty. 

Nice stroll around the lake with the family. 

A little humidity towards the end turned us back to the parking lot. 

But overall, good times for Sunday funday!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

@Lake Frank in Summer

From Passivity To Power

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "From Passivity To Power."

Over the course of our history, the Jewish people have grown from a passive and helpless people during 2,000 years of exile to become, once again, an assertive and strong nation in the Land of Israel as we once were in the days of Joshua, King David and the Maccabees.

In the end, we need to be as faithful as “Jacob” and as strong as “Israel.” As we learn in the Torah and from the rest of Jewish history: inside every Jacob, who just wants to serve G-d in peace as the “People of the Book,” there is also a determined, strong, and brave Israelite fighter and innovator who can stand up for his people and his faith.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

From Passivity To Power

Gourmet Butternut Squash

Wow, my daughter made this amazing gourmet butternut squash.

Kale, pine nuts, lemon, and a little butter. 

Made a beautiful display and it tasted wonderful, especially for something healthy. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Gourmet Butternut Squash

Ever Sit On A Cow

Ben and Jerry's has great ice cream and an earthy, peaceful decor. 

This cow comes with child's seat is a good use of the store's "real estate."

Both country fresh milk from the cow and a kid-friendly environment too.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Ever Sit On A Cow

Hanging Out With A Dinosaur

Not so hard to imagine when dinosaurs roamed the earth. 

Here's one in the gallery, and he's sort of guarding the entrance. 

With dinosaurs, you just gotta watch out for the teeth and the tail. 

A domesticated pet it isn’t, yet some people don’t even notice it standing there!

We know we're getting old when we're hanging with dinosaurs or are we the dinosaurs as the next generation pass us by?  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Hanging Out With A Dinosaur

Bicycle and Flowers

Why do flowers and bicycles go so well together?

Either way a beautiful display! 

G-d has made such an amazing world for us. 

And all our senses get to enjoy it. 

If you let yourself stop and experience it, your heart and soul can be uplifted with the joy of it all!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Bicycle and Flowers

WTF Is It?

Art but what the heck:

Do these thingamajigs represent people standing tall and with arms raised high?

Are you supposed to hang things off of it like jewelry?

Can you place on it reminder notes or small pictures using push pins?

Then again maybe it's a toy for a child or even a pet?

In the end, all I can say is WFT is it?

Perhaps that's what the meaning of art is!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

WTF Is It?

@Torpedo Factory

Some old but awesome torpedos 

You wouldn't want one of these big salamis hitting you in the head! 

Man oh man, these will do some serious damage.

Imagine what we got now-a-days for fun with our enemies.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

@Torpedo Factory

Menachem Begin, Hero of Independence and Beyond

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, "Menachem Begin, Hero of Independence and Beyond."

While David Ben-Gurion was the politically savvy founding father of the modern-day State of Israel, Menachem Begin was the military genius who brought the Jewish people from British subjugation to being a free people in our own land.

In the end, the Jewish people’s fight for freedom from oppression and for an independent homeland, even the willingness to accept a partitioned land along with the desire for peace, required both the political fight that Ben-Gurion brought to the world’s governments as well as the military struggle that Begin was expert at against both the British overlords who refused autonomy under the mandate and to the Arabs who refused partition. Further, this underscores the stark contrast between the Jewish struggle and that of the Palestinians who have incessantly rejected negotiation and any opportunities for autonomy and peace, including at Oslo, Camp David, and Taba, as well as after Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 that was followed by Hamas’s terror tunnels, kidnappings, incendiary balloons attacks, and rocket barrages on Israel civilian population centers.

(Credit Photo: Israel Government)

Menachem Begin, Hero of Independence and Beyond

Dr Merry-Go-Round

So I was talking with a friend and he was pretty frustrated with the state of medical care these days.

He mentioned that no doctor wants to take responsibility for the patient anymore. 

Maybe that's why they punt to other doctors and have big medical malpractice insurance. 

But he said something really interesting...

"You wind up going on doctor merry-go-round until you [actually] find someone willing to help..."

One doctor sends you to another doctor and this one sends you to that specialist and it goes on and on. 

Sometimes they just can't figure out what's wrong. 

Usually comes across as trial-and-error or a process of elimination. 

But then if they don't want to deal with you or don't know what's wrong or how to treat they pass you off to the next doctor and so on, and so on. 

I suppose to a certain extent it makes sense because medicine like many technical fields is very specialized now-a-days. 

But how much is it the specialization stuff and how much is it that they just don't want to deal with the hard stuff or don't want the liability. 

Dr. Merry-Go-Round takes you on a very nauseous ride and makes it tough sometimes to get the care you need.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Dr Merry-Go-Round

All American Hummer

Hummer is a large mother car. 

Based on military Humvee, so rules the road. 

They should've never gotten rid of these. 

Big and rugged like you'd expect in America. 

This one has the red, white, and blue colors to prove it!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

All American Hummer

Go Ahead and Waste My Time

Thought this was a funny magnet:

Feel Free to Waste My Valuable Time

When you go to help desk, customer service representative, your boss, a friend or even family member, and they give you that sigh or that look that you are immensely bothersome. 

If only people had more compassion and respect for others and more of a true customer service and servant-leader mentality. 

Otherwise all you get is that ol' grumpy face and contemptuous attitude and you just want to crawl under a big heavy rock and never come out.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Go Ahead and Waste My Time

Paranoid or Not

Thought this was a great quote on paranoia:

Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean someone's not out to get me.

Think about that one a little. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Paranoid or Not

Beautiful Japanese Balloon

Pretty amazing Japanese balloon.

Asian landscape of mountains, trees, and with cranes flying overhead. 

Red, yellow, and black tones make for a striking look. 

When this floats overhead, there is no missing its origins. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Beautiful Japanese Balloon

When Compromise Means Death

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "When Compromise Means Death."

The nations of the world look on with horror at the “plight of the Palestinians,” but they turn a blind eye to the chants of “death to Israel” and as the Palestinians turn billions of dollars of aid into relentless homicide bombs and send thousands of missiles into Israel civilian population centers. The compromise that Israel has shown would end the Palestinian “victim status” and thus endanger their endless money and support that flows freely from the UNRWA to prop up the corrupt Palestinian leadership. The reason that the Palestinian leadership doesn’t want an agreement is that they want the Jews dead “from the river to the sea!”

Israel has shown that is willing to make difficult and painful decisions and support Palestinian autonomy for the sake of peace, but will the Palestinians ever compromise at all? As Golda Meir said:

Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.

Please G-d, the day will arrive soon, when reason will overcome hate, and peace will prevail over prejudice, and Jews and Palestinians can live side-by-side, as neighbors and as friends.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

When Compromise Means Death

Great Microwave Decor

Liked this decor (funny the brand is also called "dacor") on the microwave 

Why watch through the glass window, the food on the turntable (and the splatter) as it heats up when you can instead see some real art! 

Also, kids art is somehow always the best; they see things in a more pure, unadulterated, as well as a fantastical way that makes you look at life anew again. 

Enjoy the wonderful art Papi!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Great Microwave Decor

Dog Days of Summer

Nice way for dogs (or people) to cool off in the hot car in Summer.

Just have to watch for passing cars or bikes, so the snoot doesn't get bumped. 

Do you know where we're going?

No hon, but it's hot as hell today and I'm sort of down in the dumps. 

Just try to enjoy the ride and I'm sure we'll be there soon. 

I'm trying, just let me have a little peace and quiet, please!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)

Dog Days of Summer

Isn't This Brand Just A Little Too Forward

Can't believe they actually sell a brand of soap called: "Maybe You Touched Your Genitals Liquid Soap."

And they have a hand sanitizer version too. 

This product's naming, labeling, and marketing is over-the-top even for a spoof product. 

Ah, I think I'll forever hold off on the handshaking even if there is an after-Covid.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Isn't This Brand Just A Little Too Forward

Tower of Jelly Beans

Something about colorful Jelly Beans just makes us happy.

Candy sweet, bursting mix of flavors, and oh so chewy.

Need a handful, probably more!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Tower of Jelly Beans