BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

DID OLMERT JUST SAY...? Hold on a minute!! Ehud Olmert, right? He said he wants the PA to fight terror? And he won't negotiate until they do? So who gave this guy the testosterone shot? Wait... this is the same Olmert that talked to Abbas (the powerless snake) in Annapolis. And this is the Olmert who's about to face the Winograd Commission. Should be interesting... (by the way, am I wrong or did Olmert get rid of that ugly comb-over at last?) Olmert: No changes on the ground unless PA fights terror In aftermath of last Friday's deadly shooting attack on two off-duty soldiers near Hebron, prime minister tells cabinet 'PA must take necessary action against terror activity.' Deputy PM Yishai calls for suspension of peace talks Efrat Weiss Referring to last Friday's murder of two off-duty IDF soldiers by Palestinian gunmen near Hebron, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told cabinet Sunday that "as long as the Palestinian Authority does not take necessary action again

AM I JUST A FIGMENT OF SOMEONE'S IMAGINATION? Found this interesting because I understood this questioner's plight. I know what it is to be just "someone's imaginary object." Four years ago I learned what it was to be just words on a computer monitor, to be clicked on & off by someone who refused see me as a human being with feelings. For that person, I was a thing, an "it." But I didn't realize they felt that way until it was too late. Once he was done with me he wanted me to stay gone - and was angry when I proved to be sentient and tangible. My favorite movies, the Matrix series, also touch on this feeling of different realities and what is real and what isn't? However, we are from Hashem's imagination but we are far from "figments." We are his children and He is our loving parent. And children never go "poof" to loving parents. By Tzvi Freeman Ever since I was a small child hooked on The Cartoon Channel, I&

BLOGGERS: WELCOME TO "MEDIA" & YOUR ANONYMITY A couple stories worth sharing in readers to the status of bloggers and their anonymity came up in the news - and I want to share them with my readers and the blogosphere. Political Bloggers: Welcome to the “Media” Political Bloggers can now “breathe a sigh of relief” according to Eric Sinrod on CNET. A ruling just came down from the Federal Election Commission that classifies bloggers as media and volunteers - doesn’t matter if you’re a big operation or working solo. From the article: Political bloggers can breathe a sigh of relief, as the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has just resolved two complaints by determining that Internet blogging activities are not within FEC regulation because such activities fall within media and volunteer exemptions to the Federal Election Campaign Act. The first matter resolved was in regards to DailyKos.com: The site has charged a fee to place advertising on its Web site. It also has

2007 - THE YEAR IN WIERD! Click Picture to Play Video Oddball: December – February

"Gee, I Wonder Why Women Get Raped?" Even as we condemn woman abuse & rape - we need to look more at our own behavior! Here's a thought provoking article on the objectification and subtle sexualization of men & women. This article was too good to pass up - Barbara by Leslie Goldman Anyone who doesn't live under a rock understands that companies, from perfumers to maternity apparel, use sex to sell their products. This we know and, for the majority of Americans, it's accepted. Not many of us write letters to the heads of television channels or editors-in-chief of magazines, decrying the oppression of women. Surely some do, but for rest, we generally just flip the page or change the channel when an ad fetishizing a faceless woman or showing her as nothing more than a vagina crosses our path. Sometimes, we don't even realize an ad is spewing subtle bursts of racism...or bat an eyelash when an anti-gay message is shoved down our throats (remember this Supe

Prayer of Forgiveness Working on it... Barbara (Before Bed) By Rabbi Michael Lerner YOU, my ETERNAL FRIEND, WITNESS now that I forgive anyone who hurt or upset me or who offended me-- damaging my body, my property, my reputation or people that I love; whether by accident or purposely; with words, deeds, thoughts or attitudes. I forgive every person who has hurt or upset me. May no one be punished because of me. May no one suffer from karmic consequences for hurting or upsetting me. Help me, Eternal Friend, to keep from offending You and others. Help me to be thoughtful and not commit outrage by doing what is evil in Your eyes. Whatever sins I have committed, blot out, please, in Your abundant kindness, and spare me suffering or harmfulillnesses. Help me become aware of the ways I may have unintentionally or intentionally hurt others, and please give me guidance and strength to rectify those hurts and to develop the sensitivity to not continue acting in a hurtful way. Let me forgive ot

"MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATION" I didn't say much about this story yesterday, as I felt more astute political bloggers than myself had it covered. But today, inevitably, comes the whitewash: Landau told the New York weekly that this description was "inaccurate" and "a perversion of what I said," and that he had expressed his views with "much more sophistication." Dr. Steve Appel, posted this in his blog The Daily Con: Julia Flight is engaged to Rex Mottram, MP. Brenda Champion is his old flame. She learned that Rex had been staying the week-end with a stockbroker in Sunningdale, when he said he was at his constituency, and that Mrs Champion had been there too. On the evening she heard of this, when Rex came as usual to Marchmain House, they re-enacted the scene of two months before. ‘What do you expect?’ he said. ‘What right have you to ask so much, when you give so little?’ Tactic: Whitewash an admission with an accusation. ————————–

"I assert that the cosmic religious experience is the strongest and the noblest driving force behind scientific research." The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!" "God created everything?" The professor asked. "Yes sir", the student replied. The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth. Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" "What kind of que

BHUTTO ASSASSINATED What a way to end the year! Hashem - please help me if I ever cease to be stunned and saddened at the barbarity and hate of the Islamofascists! I defer to my friend Layla and her post on this one. - CLICK HERE.

A SPLINTER IN YOUR MIND... DRIVING YOU MAD In the Matrix, which pill would you take, the red or the blue? The question of which pill to take illustrates the personal aspect of the decision to study philosophy. Do you live on in ignorance (and potentially bliss) or do you lead what Aristotle called 'the examined life'... The Matrix is a film filled with religious and philosophical symbolism. The plot supposes that humans live in vats many years in the future, being fed false sensory information by a giant virtual reality computer ( the Matrix ). The perpetrators of this horror are machines of the future who use humans as a source of power. Humans are literally farmed. The central character of the film, Neo, is presented to us in the opening part of the film as a loner who is searching for a mysterious character called Morpheus (named after the Greek god of dreams and sleep ). He is also trying to discover the answer to the question "What is the Matrix?" Morpheus contac

BOTH NEW & YOUNG REFORM JEWS ARE MORE OBSERVANT Sue Fishkoff A new online survey of the most active Reform Jews reveals a younger generation that is more comfortable with Jewish ritual than their elders but just as committed to communal causes and improving the world. The increased ritual observance comes despite the fact that 19 percent of the under-40 group surveyed grew up in intermarried homes. Reform leaders say that proves their position that intermarriage in itself is not a deterrent to Jewish identity, but that Jewish upbringing is a more important factor. In addition to increasing ritual observance, the younger Reform Jews showed a strong commitment to communal and ethical priorities. More than 95 percent of both the under-40 and over-40 crowd said “leading an ethical life,” “making the world a better place” and “celebrating Jewish holidays” were important parts of being Jewish. And similar numbers of both groups -- about 80 percent -- said remembering the Holocaust, carin

I'M IN BIG TROUBLE The rest of you are probably in the clear. Studies show that regular sex (with all due precautions taken) provides a host of surprising health benefits. Six Reasons to Have Sex Every Week By Temma Ehrenfeld Sex is good for adults. Indulging on a regular basis—at least once a week—is even better. Research links sex (with all safer-sex precautions taken) to an astonishing array of physiological benefits, from longevity to pain relief. Many studies don't address whether the health bonus comes from the act itself or from the corresponding emotional intimacy, but the bottom line is that getting physical has some great side effects—especially for women. Here are six ways that sex boosts your health: 1. It Fights Colds and Flu. Sexual intercourse once or twice a week raises the body's level of the immune-boosting antibody immunoglobin A by a third, according to research at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. 2. It's a Beauty Treatment. In a study at the Royal

Perverting Sincerity By Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz WHY & HOW DO-GOODERS GO WRONG The tribe of Dan, according to Genesis 49:16, was blessed by our forefather Jacob to embody the middah — attribute — of truth and justice. The foremost commentator, Rashi (ibid.) tells us that the blessing also refers specifically to Samson, a descendent of Dan, who judged our nation and meted out justice to the Philistines. The Talmud (Pesachim 4a) tells of a man who insisted on going to court to settle all his business dealings. He was never able to settle monetary disagreements by means of negotiation and compromise, but always required the decision of a rabbinic tribunal. Evidently, the Talmud continues, this man was from the tribe of Dan. Why? Because he carried within him the attributes mentioned in Jacob's blessing. The question begs to be asked: what connection is there between this man's behavior and Jacob's blessing? Jacob, with all his holiness and purity, gave a blessing to benef

UPCOMING: THE HISTORY CHANNEL - BAND OF BLOGGERS About the Show: For the first time in history, modern technology is enabling viewers to experience war as it really is... directly from the battlefield. An ever growing band of military bloggers are using the internet, DV (Digital Video)cameras and cell phones to deliver honest, powerful and uncensored video. As part of a larger User Generated Content initiative, Band of Bloggers will be the site that will collect this raw and riveting "soldier generated content." CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS FOR DAYS & TIMES

This is Your Brain Praying by Louise Danielle Palmer When Andrew Newberg’s book on the brain science behind religious and mystical experience turned up on the cover of Newsweek, it sparked a lively debate about God, evolution, and the meaning of life. This “neurotheologist’s” work is moving fast, so we caught up on his personal quest to understand the mysterious workings of mind and spirit, his latest research, and its profound implications for our daily lives. When Andrew Newberg, M.D., was a little kid, he had questions so pressing that they would wake him in the middle of the night, get him out of bed, and lead him into his father’s den. How do we know God exists ? he would ask. Why is there good and evil? How do I know what’s real ? “It’s embarrassing to admit, but I was five years old when I started asking these questions,” says Newberg, co-author of the acclaimed book Why God Won’t Go Away . Not the musings of an average youngster. Then again, there is nothing average about Newbe