Sort of unexpected sticking out of the wall like that.
But effective use of visualization.
The floating hand. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 28, 2020
Hand Pointer
Sort of unexpected sticking out of the wall like that.
But effective use of visualization.
The floating hand. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 27, 2020
Life Equated With Hate
Does anyone get this sign from the Pro-Life rally last week?
Pro-Life is Pro-Hate
But equating Pro-Life with hate doesn't add up.
It actually seems the opposite that if you want to sanctify and protect life that you are loving people, not hating.
Sometimes to make a point, people will just say anything.
It's related to "gaslighting" where they want to manipulate you into questioning your own beliefs, values, and sanity.
Perhaps, throwing around terms like hate just dilutes the real meaning of it similar to making other false accusations against people.
We need to argue the issues, and not attack each other. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 26, 2020
Cannibals Love To Have You For Dinner
I love this saying from one of my colleagues in the National Security field about the Middle East:
If you aren't invited for dinner, you're likely on the menu!
Oh how true it is.
It reminds me of a mother-in-law joke my father used to tell about this guy telling his friend:
Yeah, we had my mother-in-law for dinner. And boy was she good!
Anyway, no one can tell a joke like he did.
Last thing you want to be is on the menu. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 24, 2020
NJ Pollution--How Do You Ignore It?
The pollution and stink coming out of these smokestacks running up and down the Turnpike is enough to make anyone sick.
Personally, I had to cover my nose and mouth with my shirt just to try and filter this crap out.
What do people tell themselves that live near these?
Oh, it's okay because the government regulators wouldn't let them be here otherwise!
For real???
If you can see it's nasty, and you can smell that it's nasty, and there is a lot of it, then you better wake up as to what you are breathing, drinking, and eating.
How about these polluters put a cork in it once and for all! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 23, 2020
Help Victims Of Terror (Warning Graphic Content: Not For Children)
Niv Nehemia was the victim of terror in 2017 in this Israeli grocery. He suffered "14 stab wounds to the head, chest, hands, and necks, including a cut in his esophagus."
The article appealing for help to cover his mounting medical costs appeared in the Jerusalem Post last week: Don't leave a hero behind.
I still remember this video from when it happened two years ago. Niv is truly a hero in fighting off his brutal attacker and in saving other store employees and shoppers!
Further, Niv and his wife, Sigal, have 5 beautiful children aged 18 to 4 1/2
If you can kindly open your heart to these victims of terror, here is the link for your donation as listed in the Jerusalem Post:
https://www.jgive.com/new/en/ils/donation-targets/24591.
May Hashem give a full and speedy healing to Niv and may He bless this family and all of us with peace! ;-)
January 22, 2020
How Are These Unlivable "Living Conditions" Allowed To Persist?
Makeshift tents line up and down under the train tracks to Union Station.
Spikes overhead make this an extra frightening looking arrangement.
People walking by and to/from work--after a while, is there a mixture of acceptance and indifference?
It's freezing outside and this is NO WAY for any human being to have to live.
Can we put partisan politics aside for any period of time to deal with the very harsh problems facing real people? ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 21, 2020
Dunkin' Mugs
Got one in each color: blue and orange.
Inside the mugs, there is a finger sign "V" (for victory) and it says "Be Awesome".
These oversized mugs are so happy and I can't wait to fill 'em up.
And they really do make me ready to "Wake Up" for a brand new day. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Visit Back Home
On the way to a family wedding in Monsey.
We stopped back home in Riverdale, NY after 20 years.
Wow, old building still here.
And the KeyFood supermarket too.
Had a nice lunch at Kai Fan kosher Chinese food (the Sesame Chicken was great!).
Went up to my parents old apartment and saw the outlines of where the mezuzah had once stood.
I wanted to hear their voices through the door and go in to see them again.
It was very emotional, but I felt like their presence was there with us.
Enjoyed seeing how some (very few) things have changed and all that has otherwise stayed the same
With seeing my wife's family, some after many years, it was like I had never not seen them.
I imagined that this is what dying must be like when you go to the afterlife and there is no time and you see everybody and it's just like they have always been there.
That was an amazing realization and feeling for me. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 19, 2020
@Eastern State Penitentiary
Photos are from my tour of Eastern Penitentiary in Philadelphia.
The prison cells were in these tomb thick concrete structures, freezing cold, and completely claustrophobic!
You have to stoop through a tiny doorway to get in and out.
The cell with the car in it shows how small these prison cells were.
There is a photo of a cell with a stinking toilet and also the one with a barbers chair.
Then there is the picture of the fancy cell which is that of Al Capone's (right after the regular disgusting cell). Pretty sure Capone had some real pull with the warden and guards, and I'm sure they were afraid to cross him.
There was even a synagogue in this frightful gothic-style prison with a light that says Shalom (peace).
One cell had art painted on the walls and had many of these dreamy-looking women in Island type spots so far away from the reality of these horrible prison conditions.
It was also interesting the the prisoners inside these walls were I'm sure dying to get out, and yet the visitors to the prison were lined up at the ticket booth to get a glimpse inside.
The whole experience was so full of juxtaposing contrasts.
I feel like I learned a lot. Overall, a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here! ;-)
(Credit Photos: Andy Blumenthal)
January 18, 2020
Project Governance and Gate Reviews
This aligns the Capital Planning and Investment Controls (CPIC) process of select, control, and evaluate phases with the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
There are 5 notional gate reviews with associated documentation for project conception, initiation, planning, execution, and launch.
Of course, this can be modified as needed based on the project threshold and governance stringency required and seeks to create strategic alignment with the goals of the organization.
(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
Anti-Semitism: Preparedness Can't Be Blind
As I'm standing there, I feel someone coming up behind me and then running into me. Of course, with anti-Semitic attacks prominent and growing, I may have been at a slightly higher state of alert, and I turn around ready for whatever or to give someone a few choice words...And then I see the cane from a blind person.
So even in these times, when there are gangs, drugs, violence, and anti-Semitism, and "we can't be careful enough" (especially given our long, deep history of religious persecution), at the same time, we need to judge our fellow man favorably first and foremost, and still we must be prepared for, G-d forbid, the worst at any time.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 17, 2020
Airplane Art
It would be so much more fun to get on a plane that displayed some pizzaz!
All we hear about are plane delays, cancelled flights, mishandled baggage, and involuntary bumping.
Oh, and don't forget the ever more cramped seating and the entertainment system that is habitually broken.
How does this industry get away with all this crap? ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 16, 2020
Sucking It Up
It almost looks like we're sucking up the whole ground with it!
After the warmest decade on record, we seem to be having the warmest year on record.
It's 52 degrees out, and we've been reaching up into the high 60's so far this month.
Global warming or the big fires in Australia or action with Iran are heating things up here in Washington, D.C. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 15, 2020
G-d Hears Your Prayers
Even if a sharp sword rests upon a person's neck, he should not refrain from praying for mercy.
One can still hope for mercy from the Almighty even at death's door.
This is truly beautiful and uplifting--we can approach G-d anytime, and as long as we are alive, there is always hope.
The saving from G-d is like "the blink of an eye." ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 14, 2020
I Say Upside Down You Turn Me
January 13, 2020
Roosters or Homelessness?
Along the way, I saw this colorful artistic rooster.
I appreciate this quick pick-me-up from this.
Yet, all around the streets were homeless people.
One was literally collapsed on a narrow island between the opposing lanes of traffic.
Some horrible-looking food, rags of clothes, and two bottles of liquor lay next to him and one of his arm hang almost into the moving traffic.
This was just one of many that I saw in abject poverty and desperation.
So I really feel conflicted looking at this colorful rooster.
What good is it when the people are homeless, sick, and starving? ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 12, 2020
EMP Attack-->Danger, Danger, Danger
Everyone needs to see this!
The explosion of a nuke(s) in the atmosphere over the country causes an electromagnetic pulse that fries all our electronics.
Nothing would work!!!
Think cyberattack on steroids with everything out of commission and basically little to no chance of recovery.
Prognosis is for mass riots, starvation, and illness that wipes out most of the population.
Easy then for the enemy to swoop in and conquer the country with no resistance and the basic infrastructure still intact for them to build on.
Just having mutually assured destruction is not enough!
We need to genuinely be able to counter these threats and not just say: "You'll die if we die."
How stupid and immature is that thinking?
There are more than a share of radical nuts out there who don't care if they die as long as they take us down.
These are the threats we need to pay attention to before...before...before...it's too late. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 11, 2020
January 10, 2020
A Vision of Jewish Strength
With the rebirth of the State of Israel came the rebirth of the Jew. No longer the Jew cowering in the face of pogroms, Inquisition, Crusades, persecution, expulsions, and the Holocaust. The new Jew, as epitomized by the brave men and women of IDF, would be remade in the image of Moses who led the Jews out of Egyptian slavery, and King David who vanquished our enemies in our land, as well as the Jews of Purim and Hanukah, who fought ever so valiantly and to victory against the great empires of Persia and Greece or for us, whoever rises against us as the modern day equivalent.
But as important to the new Jew as our physical survival is that of our spiritual wellbeing. The persecution of Jews over thousands of years was not just a physical attack, as horrible as it was, but also a spiritual, religious, and cultural one, where Jews were prohibited from learning Torah, worshiping, and practicing as Jews. Thus, the second point of criticality in having the State of Israel is that it provides for Jewish sovereignty and ensures "the Jew as actor, determiner of his or her own destiny." The Jewish people to truly thrive must be able to express themselves through their own language and history, religiously and culturally, and practically through their own leadership and decision-making to forge their own future.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
3D Printed Octopus: "Shabbat Shalom"
January 9, 2020
Pacemaker No-No!
It generates very high voltage electricity.
The guy setting it up asks me:
Do you have a pacemaker?
I respond in the negative and ask what's the danger zone on this thing.
He says:
You probably wouldn't want to get within 10 feet of this!
Good to know. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
(Please note that blog is not to be taken as medical advice.)
January 8, 2020
Ballistic Missile Attack A Sham
- The Iranians needed to make a show that they were getting revenge on the United States to appease their radical terrorist base for the killing of arch terrorist, General Soleimani.
- President Trump had already threatened 52 Iranian sites if they retaliated.
- Iran choose a very limited response hitting 2 military bases in Iraq --10 missiles striking one base, 1 missile striking another, and 4 missiles (26%) that failed!
- There were no American causalities!
- Iran immediately stated that the country had taken "and concluded proportionate measures" -- they are not looking for further escalation!
The Iranians are smart not to provoke the U.S. any further.
They may just have dodged a VERY BIG hit on their military.
The matter of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Ayatollahs remains an outstanding issue that MUST BE resolved once and for all even as we hope and pray for peace and security to prevail for the long term. ;-)
January 7, 2020
Donuts With Syringe
I get that they use the syringe to put the custard, jelly, and other fillings inside.
But leaving the syringe hanging out of the donuts like that conjures up images of addicts and junkies.
DESPITE that, these incredibly rich and overflowing donuts with gobs of toppings were some of the finest I've ever seen.
Takes more than a good dose of willpower to resist and not become an addict of these carbohydrate powerhouses.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 6, 2020
Story About Dressing Modestly
The friend of his daughter was wearing one of those cropped shirts which expose the belly.
She said that her dad told her to throw a party for her clothes, so that her shirt could meet her shorts.
I guess all dads worry about the modesty of their daughters.
This was a good tznius story that hammers home the point and is also pretty funny. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 5, 2020
January 4, 2020
Gucci Bee Bag
Large decorated bee with expansive wings on the flap.
Beautiful pink with white pearl studs.
Brass chain and red, white, and blue shoulder strap.
Priced around $1500!
Small shoulder bag yet plush oversized and ornate make a big statement.
Nice gift for that special someone or to treat yourself to Gucci! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 2, 2020
'Uncut Gems' Cuts Deep
Yesterday, we went to see the new Adam Sandler movie, Uncut Gems....Ratner's life is full of shlemazel of his own making. While he has a good wife, kids, and extended family (maybe with the exception of his loan shark uncle), a fancy-schmancy home in the suburbs with a newly renovated pool, his own jewelry business that even caters to some big-league sports players, and a shiksa girlfriend on the side (who seems to love him), Ratner is never satisfied or happy and is always pushing for more!
In the movie, Howard Ratner was driven by greed and made bad life choices, and to me, it was a shame that the he was portrayed as a Jew, which can feed the vicious cycle of discrimination and hatred that has often been anchored around money. With the vicious machete attack on Chanukah at a Rabbi's house in Monsey this week (after a slew of other anti-Semitic incidents, including an attack on a student for wearing a yalmulke on the NYC Subway to beatings and tire slashings of Jews in Brooklyn), we are reminded that there is once again a resurgence of prejudice and hate against Jews, but also that it's the light of Chanukah that "drives out the darkness," and that money and materialism are a mere shabby substitute to finding true security and success whether you work in the dense NYC Diamond District or live in the sprawling suburbs of America.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 1, 2020
Holiday SHOULD BE Giving To Children's Hospital
While it gets your attention (who sees three pink bears lite up on the street at night?), asking people with a small impersonal sign on the floor to remember to login and make the donation later isn't very effective.
People act on the spot, especially when it's an emotional appeal for charity for sick children that need help.
The children deserve for there to be a way for would be donors to actually give on the spot--where they can swipe or tap their credit card, write a check, or drop some money in for giving.
Later, later, later...and unfortunately, it may never happen for the Children.
Come on--it's the new roaring 2020s--we can create some urgency and convenience and do better than this! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 31, 2019
What REALLY Happened to Jeffrey Epstein
He was murdered!
How do I know?
It was on the coffee cup at Starbucks, of course.
Honestly, I don't really care that much how he died, but am just grateful that sick louse is a goner. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal, and no, it's not my coffee!)
December 30, 2019
Oh Deer!
Not good for the deer (dead meat!) and not good for your car.
My daughter and son-in-law just gave me Deer Warning Whistles.
They are supposed to emit ultrasonic sound waves that warn the deer away.
Anything that keeps the deer away is welcome in my neck of the woods. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 29, 2019
Crispy Fried Mushroom
December 28, 2019
The Beauty of Tefillin
Like the colorful coat that Jacob gave Joseph to wear, the mitzvah of tefillin that G-d gave us to wear is also filled with spiritual color and the love of Hashem. This is in no way intended as sacrilegious or as trying to change our holy mitzvot. Rather it is an artistic attempt to see the tefillin in a new way that perhaps excites and bring Jews back to this important mitzvah.
Over time, as I continued to learn and grow as a person and as a Jew, I found much of my way back to Yiddishkeit and to wearing my holy tefillin with love and Joy. To me they are forever colorful and full of spiritual energy that are uplifting to me as I pray with them on for Hashem’s everlasting mercy and blessings for all of us.
(Credit Image: Andy Blumenthal)
December 27, 2019
December 26, 2019
December 25, 2019
Nature Boy
Of course, I was always curious why Broccoli was called Andy Boy--what boy or any kid for that matter likes to eat broccoli???
And like most things in life, there really wasn't a good answer except that this company, "Andy Boy" grows and distributes it.
Anyway, I was always a nature boy feeling most at home and at peace in the countryside.
I love being in nature, surrounded by G-d's amazing beauty, and at one with the universe and with G-d.
In building all our great cities, buildings, and structures, aside from the crowding, pollution, crime and traffic that we have consequently, we have also lost something elementary to our lives with the absence of real nature.
A park is not a forest. A pond is not a river. A plant is a not a lush valley. A garden is not a farm. A hill is not a mountain range. A pet is not a teeming ecosystem of diverse life.
The city is man made and fake, but nature is from G-d and real. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 24, 2019
Celebrating The Holidays
The matching suit and tie with all the decorative holiday ornaments.
The bright red shirt.
The tree hat with the star on top.
And the dark glasses.
Wow, standout city!
Where do you get clothing like this?
I wonder if I could do this with a menorah too. LOL
Happy Holidays to all. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 23, 2019
Limp Noodles {SAD}
They are pencils in the museum.
And they are certainly limp, if not completely dead.
Who in the world would use a clown pencil like this?
This is some serious dysfunction.
If I could, I would certainly prescribe some much needed Viagra for these. LOL
They are that sad! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 22, 2019
Happy Hanukah Trader Joe's Style
They also have the best edible and good tasting fresh, healthy food.
On top of it, they have a nice gift card for a Happy Hanukah!
I vote that we replace the other crummy supermarkets with Trader Joes instead. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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