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)
June 8, 2020
Holding Back 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)
June 7, 2020
Prickly Like The 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)
June 5, 2020
We Have To Pray Just To Make It One Day
June 3, 2020
Still Fighting For Our Rights
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)
June 2, 2020
You've Got To Do It
June 1, 2020
Our Cities Are Burning
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)
May 31, 2020
Freedom USA!
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)
May 30, 2020
A Neck Is Not Something To Step 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)
May 29, 2020
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)
May 28, 2020
May 27, 2020
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)
May 25, 2020
May 24, 2020
Great Veggie Heaven
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)
May 23, 2020
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)
May 22, 2020
Shopping Up A Pole
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)
May 21, 2020
Great Chair and Ottoman
May 20, 2020
The Times of Mashiach
Someone contacted me with a friend request on Facebook, and his profile included that he is a:
Torah-Observant Gentile
Wow!
It's truly like we say in the Aleinu prayer every day:
All Mankind shall invoke Your Name, to turn to You all the wicked of the earth. They will recognize and know--all the inhabitants of the world---that every knee should bend to You...The L-rd will be King over the entire earth; on that day the L-rd will be One and His Name One.We are on the way and I hope we all get to see and cross over the finish line soon. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 19, 2020
Bowl Set Adorable
May 18, 2020
Keep The F*** Away From Me
Shaking hands is a no-no!
Even in the park yesterday, they had a sign prominently displayed that read:
Thank you for practicing social distancing. Please stay 6 FT apart.
We might as well all just wear t-shirts or little reminder signs on each of us with:
Keep the F*** away from me!
That about sums it up without putting up a specific distance range. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 17, 2020
Singing Frankie The Fish
May 16, 2020
Iran's Fateful Mistake
With horrible reports coming out that Iran has torched the holy tombs of Mordecai and Esther, this is a new despicable low even for Iran’s evil leadership. As we all know, Mordecai and Queen Esther are the heroes of Purim who with Hashem’s help saved the Jewish people from the evil decree of Haman to utterly destroy the Jews of Persia. Now, the Iranians (Persians) have cast their evil lots once again by setting ablaze these tombs in Hamadan, Iran, and desecrating this site that is holy to Jews around the world. My mother’s Hebrew name was Esther and I am outraged at this vile act against the graves of our holy ancestors, as we all should be.
Let’s hope and pray that soon the Iranian people will realize their aspirations for freedom and that the tyranny that they live under will soon come to another miraculous ending under the watchful eyes of our holy ancestors, Mordecai and Esther.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 15, 2020
Shabbat Shalom From Mr. Gefilte Fish
May 14, 2020
My Merkava
May 12, 2020
Anger, Faith, and Growth
We live in an unpredictable world and I have made more than one bad decision recently. Fortunately, it was nothing too terrible, but I was still angry about it, and my gut reaction was to somehow blame G-d, and to feel angry at Him, because I thought somehow I didn't deserve what had happened. However, I asked myself how can you be angry at G-d if you believe that everything he does is for your ultimate good? It took me a little time, but I realized that I wasn't really angry at G-d, but at myself; It was my fault, I did deserve what happened, and my mistakes aren't G-d's.
Maybe this is what life is really all about--searching and finding G-d even among all the multitude of mistakes we make in life. We have to own our mistakes, learn from them, and thereby become stronger and better people.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 11, 2020
Stock Market Pinocchio Style
Look folks, Pinocchio's nose is getting longer by the minute.
The market continues on a tear, even while the economy is heading in the other direction.
I know people have been conditioned to buy on the dips, but I'm not sure that applies while we're in the middle (or maybe still just in the beginning) of a pandemic that has claimed 286,000 lives in just over 2 months (and that's with a global shutdown)!
Somehow, there is a notion that when things start to reopen that all the problems will just magically go away, including the $3 trillion we just added to our national debt, all the bankruptcies being declared, and all the job losses that are becoming permanent.
If you believe this, perhaps you'd like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge.
The greater fool theory is alive and well. ;-)
(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
May 10, 2020
Happy Mother's Day
Even though it's been 6 years since you passed over to Heaven, I can still see you here with me today.
The love and caring you showed for me, my sister, and Dad as well as the grandchildren filled all of our lives.
You always worked hard for the family and to do your best.
Life was not always easy especially coming with your parents from the Holocaust.
Yet, I never doubted for a moment that our family was the world for you.
And both you and Dad still mean the world to me and I know you both are with me always.
I can feel it!
Happy Mother's Day--we love you! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 9, 2020
Am Yisrael Chai!
I love the Merkava IV, Israel's main battle tank.
The shape, the versatility, the power!
Complete fighting awesomeness.
The new "Merkava IV Barak" (scheduled for deployment in 2021) will even have artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced battle management systems.
I wish we had the Merkava during the Holocaust and could've given the Nazi bastards what they rightfully deserved.
Never again! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 7, 2020
The Coronavirus Stock Market
As they say:
Don't count your chicken before they hatch.
This market has gotten way ahead of itself and the pending economic realities of the Coronavirus and the consequences of the trillions of response fund debt.
Remember:
- The virus does not yet have a vaccine, and it is mutating and may become even more virulent!
- The deaths continue to soar in the U.S. with now over 75,000 dead in just two months.
- The deaths involve much pain and suffering both for the victim and his/her grieving loved ones.
- The unemployment is at all time highs since the Great Depression.
- Companies are starting to move from temporary layoffs to permanent firings and contraction, and many eventually to bankruptcy.
- Profitability and gross domestic product are way down and may be even worse in the next quarter.
- Price Earning ratios are around their 10-year highs even looking out toward a possible 2021 recovery.
- Restarting the economy does not mean a return to what was as the extreme trauma from the pandemic, shutdown, and social distancing rebalance us to a "new normal."
- A second and third wave of Coronavirus may be as bad or even worse than the first.
- The two biggest global economies of the U.S. and China are facing a deteriorating and toxic relationship.
- The lingering $3,000,000,000,000 that we just added to our National Debt is going to increasingly strangle our future economic outlook.
- The election is in November and brings increasing instability and likely volatility.
In summary, the term used by former Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan of "irrational exuberance" seems like a gross understatement when it comes to our current stock market.
Get ready to see the froth come painfully off this drunken market--these eggs are about ready to crack. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 6, 2020
Lockdown In Coronavirus
You're stuck inside, but still have to keep everything moving anyway!
As we enter the next phase with people itching to go back out and "restart" life and the economy and the second wave where more people unfortunately get sick, we are really as they say:
Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
And that's where bad things can happen (G-d forbid) and it's never a good place to be. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 5, 2020
Standing Tall
No people though on a Sunday or because of COVID-19.
I imagine this is what a ghost town looks like.
The statues stand tall but the remnants of the people are hiding in shelters.
End of times or a new beginning...we'll see. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 4, 2020
Matzo Ball Soup For The Soul
Our moms for centuries have preached chicken soup whenever you didn't feel well or felt like you may be coming down with something.
Hmm...I wonder if it even works on Coronavirus. Heck, I'd try it for sure. LOL
From an alternative medicine perspective, like it says on the package:
It's penicillin in a pot.
Anyway, I thought this package kit of matzo ball soup was pretty cute.
With the old lady that looks like she's about to fall in the soup saying:
Good. Not as good as mine. But good.
Hey, I guess there is no package matzo ball soup that is going to be as good as homemade.
Especially as I was taught that the magic ingredient is not chicken, but love! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 3, 2020
We Impact Each Other's Souls
And I rarely write twice on a book or movie, but this was so impactful.
First on our souls, Sharansky writes:
The law of attraction, interconnection, and interdependence of human souls...there is a universal gravitational pull of souls, of the bond between them and influence of one soul on the other.
Wow, Sharansky understood the deeper meaning of the soul and how they all emanate and are pieces from G-d and they are all connected to their source and each other, and what one person says or does impacts all the others (and thereby G-d himself).
Literally, I experienced this the other day...when I personally made amends on something I felt that I had done wrong, and I could literally feel somehow righting a wrong in the universe and G-d, Himself, smiling down on me.
It was the best feeling I think I have ever had in my life.
Second on fear, Sharansky writes:
My inner freedom [is] more powerful than the external bondage...[and] fear of the L-rd...is a necessary prerequisite for man's achieving inner freedom, and is also the prerequisite for spiritual resolve, the fear of the L-rd is the only thing that can conquer human fear.
Wow again. Sharansky through his nine years of suffering and hardships in Soviet prisons and labor camps found his deep inner strength to resist the tyranny of the KGB worldly masters and overcame them with his finding his fear and faith in G-d and was able to overcome.
These are two amazing heavenly lessons that Sharansky shares with us from enduring and overcoming his incredible worldly hardships.
I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this and am with G-d's help continuing to quench my thirst for this type of wisdom and true enlightenment. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 2, 2020
Bacteria Vs. Virus--The Cure!
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
Both bacteria and viruses are enemies of people in that they often make us sick.
If they can make us sick, why can't they be used to fight and make each other sick (i.e. destroy each other).
Thus, bacteria can be our friend, if we use them to destroy viruses, like Coronavirus.
Why can't we create a "virus-eating bacteria" (and vice versa "bacteria-eating virus") to destroy these little monsters that are infecting and killing us?
Let our enemies kill each other! ;-)
(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
May 1, 2020
Shabbat Shalom and Stay Healthy!
April 30, 2020
Predicted It Right In 2017
Holding a book called The End of The F*cking World.
Little did we know back then Coronavirus was coming our way.
One thing that is amazing to me is the incredible lack of responsibility when it comes to our fiscal (tax rates and spending) and monetary policy (interest rates and money supply).
For example, we've spent almost $3,000,000,000,000 (i.e. trillion) on Coronavirus Relief/Recovery.
And there is another package in the works to borrow and spend more money.
This on top of our already tens of trillions of dollars of national debt we already accumulated.
The crazy thing is that this is going on globally with Europe and Japan and others borrowing and spending without any sanity as well.
Now here is the BIG QUESTION for you all:
If everyone is borrowing and spending, who are they borrowing from???
Yep, this is called funny money!
Because it's not possible for everyone to be borrowing and carrying a bottom line net debt at the same time.
The money has to come from somewhere doesn't it?
The Federal Reserve is "injecting" trillions into the economy and their balance sheet of "loans" to us is going up towards $11 trillion dollars now.
These injections are short term medicine that may kill the patient down the road by overdose!
Have you ever heard of a Chair of the Federal Reserve that "urges policy makers to spend more"?
Simple economics tells us that this will yield at some point an unbelievable inflation.
We are injecting or "printing" more and more money (or electronic bytes of it), and that causes the money to devalue because there is so much of it (supply side economics) with nothing but hot air backing it up (we haven't been on the gold standard since 1971).
There is a DAY OF RECKONING coming when:
- People's savings and wallets will devalue and money will be worth close to squat after RUNWAY INFLATION.
- Also, what do you think will happen to the stock market and jobs too when people have only loads of valueless funny money and can't buy anymore like they used too--can anyone say MARKET CRASH and UNEMPLOYMENT!
Folks, you heard it here first, the end of the f*cking world is coming--it's called CONSEQUENCES, plain and simple. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)
April 29, 2020
Towards Peace and Freedom Among Nations
Natan Sharansky showed tremendous personal strength and integrity to respond with humor and wit while suffering under the Soviets in prison, separated from his wife, deprived of all outside contacts, placed in “punishment cells” cold, hungry, and sleep-deprived, and regularly interrogated to try to get him to incriminate himself and his fellow refuseniks and human rights activists. Sharansky is truly a hero who stood up as a Jew persecuted in the Soviet Union and as a human rights activist leading the way to help other refuseniks to get released, with eventually millions escaping through the “Iron Door” to emigrate to freedom in Israel and the United States.
Yesterday, we celebrated Israel’s 72nd Independence Day, so I will add that for too many years since the founding of the State of Israel that the Soviets armed and supported the Arab League nations in warring against Israel and in seeking its destruction. However now, Israel and Russia not only have an anchoring of social idealism in common, but also Israel has 15% of it citizens from there. Further, as Israel has made peace with Egypt and Jordan decades ago, and has a warming of relations with the Gulf States, perhaps Russia will also continue to come around to growing a mutually beneficial friendship with Israel.
(Free Photo via Pixabay)
April 28, 2020
Reach Out And Grab Ya
But in a bizarre way it looks almost like a toilet.
The place for the candle is the toilet!
Sort of would make a pretty scary toilet in real life if the back of it (ie. tank) has a body with arms that looks like it is reaching out to grab you as you take your royal seat.
Hey, someone let me out of here!
Ok, I have definitely been shut in too many days due to this Coronavirus thing.
I am imagining the world's scariest toilets. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 27, 2020
The Doctor Is Out!
I just heard this morning from a relative about family members that can't get shots they need for pain control or surgeries for breathing problems.
Everything now is COVID-19.
That's the priority (maybe all of the top ten priorities)!
But does it really make sense to completely triage COVID-19 above Cancer, Heart Disease, Respiratory Disease, Strokes, Alzheimers, Diabetes, Kidney Disease, Liver Disease, Parkinson's, and more.
Coronavirus patients are who the hospital and ICU beds are for now.
And the respirators.
The testing.
The new research dollars.
Perhaps, the global medical community has gone a little Coronavirus crazy, extreme, radical, overboard in their singular focus, panic, and chaos over just one virus to the exclusion of everything else!
Apparently, our totally "overwhelmed" medical system can't "walk and chew gum at the same time."
Certainly, we have a lot to be grateful for to the dedicated and selfless doctors and nurses in the medical community for everything they are doing to help people with Coronavirus under very trying circumstances.
The problem is that in the meantime, people that have new or other chronic conditions are being left out and sometimes to rot.
Unless of course you are a big fan of telemedicine, which may be good to get something routine looked after, but something major, and I think you're in big trouble.
After this Coronavirus (assuming there is an after), there is going to be a lot of pent up demand for medical care.
I think a lot of people are suffering now with conditions that they were waiting to take care of until they were absolutely necessary, but unfortunately when it became necessary, then the care was not there.
Makes you wonder whether and when you should do or put off medical procedures in the future: just because the care is there "today," doesn't mean it will be there tomorrow. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 26, 2020
Count Your Blessings
I just wanted to share a short reflection with everything going on in the world these days with coronavirus and the economic shutdown: I see people are scared and confused, under lockdown and feeling financial strain, and many are getting sick and dying. But I remember the words of my dear father who used to say: "Count Your Blessings!" And he was so right. There are so many things, literally every moment of every day, for us to be grateful for:
Certainly, we all face extreme difficulties or challenges at times in our lives, but things can always be so much worse, and there is still so much for us to be grateful for. Therefore, truly thank you G-d with a hundred blessings—and more—for every moment of every precious day. And we affirm that surely the L-rd who created us will continue to sustain us, and that ultimately all will be for the good.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 24, 2020
The Great COVID-19 Lie
First, we were told it was February 29 in Kirkland, Washington.
Then that is was earlier on February 6 and 17 in California.
But I and others who I have spoken to believe that the first cases of COVID-19 were with us many months earlier.
Both I and my wife developed extreme coughing around the September/October timeframe.
The coughing didn't go away for months!
As is now being reported with COVID-19, it was like it reactivates again and again,
I went to the MinuteClinic and was prescribed antibiotics.
The cough lingered and got worse a second time.
I think I went another time to Minute Clinic or to Urgent Care and got a stronger antibiotic.
The cough lingered and got worse yet a third time.
As I become weaker and more sick (with fever at some point(s)), I found myself waking up and barely able to even get out of bed.
I forced myself back over to Urgent Care again.
I was given the flu test and it was not the flu.
And no one seemed to know what it was!
They told me that they were getting so many cases...I believe they said each location was seeing about 100 patients a day!
I was so weak I just laid on the doctors exam table half falling asleep and barely able to move to get up.
I was given yet an even stronger antibiotic and I believe some steroid medication.
After about 3-4 horrible months and almost near collapse, it finally started to get better.
I don't remember ever getting anything like this!
I hadn't traveled anywhere either.
Lots of people seem to have had a similar experience.
Was this COVID-19 or some precursor to it?
I/We may never know the truth.
But these symptoms and sickness was not normal.
And the high number of cases I was hearing about was beyond anything I can remember.
As we know everything about this COVID-19 is not normal as we can all attest to after weeks and months of global lockdown.
The reason that you are hearing all the confusing and contradictory communications and crisis from the "experts" and in the media is because the professionals are confused!
And we are left to wonder: when will we find out the truth about what this is, when it started, what the real dangers to us are now and into the future, and whether there will really ever be a cure for it? ;-)
(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
April 23, 2020
Josep Borrell: A History Of Anti-Semitism
Borrell has threatened Israel that if they follow the United States' Middle East Peace Plan that includes annexing 30% of the West Bank then "it could not pass unchallenged," even though:
- It is part of the Biblical promised land.
- Israel won it in a war of self-defense against multiple attacking Arab armies in 1967.
- It is recognized as absolutely strategically necessary to Israel's peace and security.
Understanding that this is not an isolated incident, Borrell has an anti-Israel and pro-Iranian track record that includes his stating:
Iran wants to wipe out Israel; nothing new about that. You have to live with it.
Borrell's Jew hate apparently goes all the way back to when he was a child and participated in a sickening pogrom in the 1950s where he yelled "To Kill Jews."
Can you imagine that this is who the European Union selects to be their High Representative AND what does this say about the EU after all the atrocities they committed against the Jews: the Holocaust, Spanish Inquisition, Crusades, expulsions and pogroms?
The EU should very publicly dump this anti-Semite Borrell and place him in the trash bin of history where this type of disgusting behavior and hateful sentiment belongs. ;-)
April 22, 2020
Free COVID-19 Cure
Advertisement with the little slips at the bottom to tear off.
Free Cure for COVID-19.
Please take an information strip below
And what do the strips say:
Stay the F**K at home
I wonder why no one took any of the strips? LOL
Like every meaningful issue, we have people on both sides of the aisle fighting it out what is the right thing to do.
And when it comes to life and liberty, passions certainly run high. ;-)
(Credit Photo to my son-in-law Itzchak for sharing this with me from his friend in California)
April 21, 2020
Everything But The Kitchen Sink
A mini sink that says:
Everything But The Kitchen Sink
Truly, that sorts of like what they are since they sell coffee but also wine!
How did we ever come up with this saying about kitchen sinks to begin with?
Like would you ever make an offer on a property, and say:
I'll take it, but you keep the kitchen sink.
There must've been some pretty cruddy kitchen sinks along the way. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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