Happy Halloween

In honor of the holiday, I will share with you all my own ghostly tale. When I lived in a NY apartment (that later had the fire), weird things would always happen. I was sitting at the computer, watching TV, when the climax of the movie was coming -- the TV suddenly shut off. I was nowhere near the remote, and neither was my calico. Strange. It happened another time. Also, when I would listen to my stereo, it would suddenly turn itself off. One weekend, a young friend came to stay with me. She has always been interested in ghosts. A few months later, I wrote her about the strange happenings in my apartment and she confessed that she had felt the spirit of a ghost there but didn't want to say anything. It was so strong, she almost left in the middle of the weekend. I asked her how to get rid of my ghost, and she suggested I tell it that it is my home now, not theirs, and could they please leave. I did what she said and I never had another incident.

Of course, a few months later the apartment building caught fire, but that was because of my crazy upstairs neighbor. Though whether she was related to my ghost... well... who knows.

A Digital Discovery

I learned something new about my fabulous digital camera while I was on vacation in Maui. See this picture of the West Maui Mountains? Well, I took it through the window of my friend's SUV -- while going about 50 miles an hour. How cool is that?!? I love this camera! And the view wasn't half bad either.

Finally -- Great News!

From a Jordanian Embassy release:

It has come to our attention that a controversial program entitled "Al-Shatat" or "The Diaspora" has been broadcast from an independent/private channel entitled "Mamnou'" operating from the Media Free Zone in Jordan, which is not subject to Jordanian Law. The program itself was not broadcast from any Jordanian channel.

"Al- Shatat" drew concerns for inciting hate. Accordingly, the program has been stopped from the private channel as of Tuesday, October 25th 2005. The stoppage was only done through personal intervention of responsible Jordanians.

Yeah, well that and a letter of protest sent by 24 American rabbis. Way to go getting that hate-fest off the air!

Not the Best Homecoming

I've been catching up on things and it appears that a lot has happened since I've been away. Palestinians smuggle mortars in Jerusalem, Russian officers train PA police (if that doesn't put a knot in your stomach) and in a not so surprising move, Iran's obviously moderate president is calling for the destruction of Israel and the West.

And now, the straw that breaks this camel's back, comes word that a terrorist bombing strikes Hadera Market . Back to reality. Sigh.

I like the rainbows more.

Heading Home

I can't believe my trip is over already, but in a couple of hours I'll be on a plane headed back.

This picture is quite typical of the wave action right by my friend's house (about 3 or 4 blocks away). Yesterday was quite funny -- I wiped out without ever going in the water! I was laying out almost at the edge of the beach, far (or so I thought) from the water. After about 20 minutes, I felt the water at my head, soaking my towel. I quickly grabbed my glasses, shoes and clothes and ran for higher ground. I'm sure I provided great comedy to the folks hanging out there. Oh well. As they say around here, "Just another shitty day in paradise."

Love Those Rainbows

I don't know who these people are, but I thought it made for a cool shot. Right after I took this, it started to sprinkle again.

Weather looks to be getting a bit better today. It's my last full day in Maui, and we're headed to Lahina. That's the town I've stayed in the past, so it will be nice to see it again. This trip has been wonderfully relaxing. And I needed it.

Twice the Inspiration

The weather has been a bit, well, 'very Paia' -- the town I'm staying in. It's a mile from the wind surfing capitol of the world. And it's been living up to its reputation, along with plenty of rain. So yesterday I put on my iPod and listened to some tunes as I watched the rain fall. I heard a song that took on a whole new meaning for me. It's John Hiatt's, "Through Your Hands" and this time I heard it while thinking about Israel and the powerlessness I think many of us feel in trying to help her. I think it sort of sums up what many of us bloggers are trying to do, and why we blog (whether or not it's for Israel).

You were dreaming on a park bench
'Bout a broad highway somewhere
When the music from the carillon
Seemed to hurl your heart out there
Past the scientific darkness
Past the fireflies that float
To an angel bending down
To wrap you in her warmest coat

[Chorus:]
And you ask, "What am I not doing?"
She says "Your voice cannot command.
In time, you will move mountains,
And it will come through your hands."

Still you argue for an option
Still you angle for your case
Like you wouldn't know a burning bush
If it blew up in your face
Yeah, we scheme about the future
And we dream about the past
When just a simple reaching out
Might build a bridge that lasts

[Chorus]

So whatever your hands find to do
You must do with all your heart
There are thoughts enough
To blow men's minds and tear great worlds apart

There's a healing touch to find you
On that broad highway somewhere
To lift you high
As music flying
Through the angel's hair.

Don't ask what you are not doing
Because your voice cannot command
In time we will move mountains
And it will come through your hands.

Roof With A View

This is the view outside my guest bedroom window... that is, if you crawl out the window and walk on the roof (I think you'll get a larger version if you click on the picture)! Did I mention I'm afraid of heights? Love that you can see the ocean. My friend hopes to eventually build an addition to the house so that you can see this view. So far the weather has been pretty hot and humid but who cares?! It's Maui!

Westward Bound

I am off on another trip. I know I live quite a nice life for someone who is essentially unemployed but I wanted to get in all my trips before I settled into a real job (and very little vacation). As soon as I booked them, I got this freelance gig of course. And they're being kind enough to let me still go. So this one is to Maui to visit my pal at her new home, until next Tuesday. I will have computer access, so I won't be out of touch, but pictures to upload might need to wait until I return. I'm not sure my friend's computer has PhotoShop. Be grateful. I plan to take enough pictures for when I can't think of anything to blog about so perhaps you'll finally be spared seeing my cats for a while.

Sukkot

I hope everyone has been having a wonderful holiday. For those of you who want to learn more about Sukkot, I found this interesting article here. Enjoy.

And Here is Another

I'm on my way back from Vegas. In the meantime, Rory might be publishing this post for me. Here's another interesting blog I've come across:

Soccer Dad

Soccer Dad has spear-headed the Haveil Havalim, which is a Jewish/Israel related Carnival. Check him out and look at the first edition of the Haveil Havalim, which explains it better than I'm doing, when you have a moment.

More From Beyond

While I'm in Vegas, Rory might be publishing a couple of posts for me. I'm making them simple, like pointing out interesting blogs I've come across. Here's one for today:

The Crank Files

Mr. Beamish The Instablepundit kicks ass and takes no prisoners. Check him out when you have a moment.

It's Magic

While I'm in Vegas, Rory might be publishing a couple of posts for me. I'm making them simple, like pointing out interesting blogs I've come across. Of course, the ones on my right sidebar are all great. These will be in addition.

Here's one for today:

Pork Loving Jewess

Megastein has a wonderful way with words. She might not update it every day, but I always find her posts interesting. Check her out when you have a moment.

Pretty Vegas

I'm headed back to Las Vegas today, and I'll be away until Monday but don't fret! Rory will be around to knock out some awesome posts. In addition, if she's in the mood, she has a couple of mine to publish if she feels like it. Have a great weekend.

The ABCs of Failure

I hope that all who had to do so had an easy fast.

I've been wanting to write about this but haven't had the chance. I've spoken about the show, Commander in Chief before. I think I mentioned that the creator, Rod Lurie, was born in Israel. I've loved how almost every show has made reference to the Mid East conflict as well as AIPAC. His show is a HUGE hit. But it had the wrong demographics. Old people like it. So what has ABC done? They've replaced him. Kicked him off his own show. And replaced him with Steven Bochco of L.A. Law fame. I hope the ratings plummet.

Naming the Enemy

Daniel Pipes does a great job with his recent article, Bush Declares War on Radical Islam, in explaining why the president's speech was so groundbreaking. He talks about it ushering in a new era in fighting Islamists and systematically breaks down the speech into its best parts. The final sentence states what's left.

Only when Americans realize that the Islamists intend to replace the U.S. Constitution with Shariah will they enter the fourth and final era of this war.

As many prepare to fast and repent for Yom Kippur, I wish you well.

You Are Needed Once Again

Get ready to have steam coming out of your ears over this injustice. Naomi Ragen tells Rachel's story, and it's beyond words to tell you how upset this makes me. Rachel needs our help. Please help spread the word.

A Must Read

Friend of the Blogway, Always on Watch, has written a brilliant post that I hope everyone checks out. It's called Differing Definitions and clearly makes sense of why the Islamists can say one thing, and we naive Americans can think they mean something else. This is a very important post. Please go read it. Now.

An Update on Chassia

Last year, I blogged about Chassia, a woman in Israel suffering from breast cancer and poverty -- hardly able to care for her young son. Thanks to everyone, her life has changed drastically. Here is an update from Andrea Siman Tov, via Naomi Ragen.

Dear Friends:

Shana Tovah U'Mtukah!

Just a short note to tell you that Chassia is doing well. As you may well remember, she underwent a radical mastectomy last spring, the situation complicated by her terrible poverty and dwindling ability to care for her young son.

The donations received made the entire difference in her life. After completing the debilitating course of chemotherapy, with the help of friends she was able to purchase a nearby apartment in much better condition than the hovel she had previously rented. Her hair is slowly growing back, she takes daily walks and has begun to work a bit. Her son, Nachum, is adjusting well after a choppy year of being moved from house-to-house during the time Chassia couldn't care for him. He has his own bedroom; he has friends; he is taking singing lessons!

Chassia called me the night before Rosh Hashanah, struggling for the words to say thank you. NOT to me but, rather, to all of you who made the entire difference in her life. She still isn't aware of how far-reaching the campaign was and we, her friends, feel that this is the way it should be. She continues to have check-ups and is cautious about her future.

Although contributions came from many sources, it would be a grave oversight not to mention Naomi Ragen and her amazing List-of-Friends. Without Naomi's personal interest, the numbers would have fallen far short of what we, ultimately, received.

May God grant each and every one of us a year filled with His blessing: peace, sustenance, health and nachat and the continued ability to look beyond ourselves into the heart of our brother/sister.

With love and gratitude,
Andrea Simantov
Jerusalem

PS: Depending on her physical strength, Chassia has informed me that she hopes to take a modern-jazz dance class one night a week!

Icy Relations Thawing in the Muslim Press?

According to a News Alert from AIPAC, a major development has happened with regards to the treatment of Israel in the Muslim press. Signs of improvement have popped up in Kuwaiti and Indonesian newspapers. Even more incredible, please read this news tidbit I'm about to share.

In the wake of Israel’s historic withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, journalists in Kuwait have suggested that the country stop using the Palestinian conflict as an excuse to isolate Israel.

This is HUGE. Will it last? is it a fake-out? Too soon to tell, but on Monday, a substantial step forward was achieved:

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom became the first Israeli Cabinet member to have an op-ed published in an Indonesian paper. Shalom’s article stated that “history has shown us that Jews and Muslims lived in peace, harmony and friendship for many years in the past. This should be the aim in the future.”

Now let's hope this is only the beginning, rather than an aberration.

College Campus: The Front at Home

We've all heard about what kids on campus are facing -- anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism. But that conflict has now escalated. On Oct. 3, it is believed that Joel Henry Hinrichs III (won't be sure it's him until the DNA results come in), a 21-year-old Oklahoma University mechanical engineering student, killed himself -- with a bomb -- 100 meters from a stadium filled with football fans. Not your average suicide. Many along the blogway have picked up the complexities of this story, even if many mainstream news sources have not.

According to an article in The Oklahoma Daily, the school newspaper, the student in question reportedly "inquired at a local feed store about purchasing a significant amount of ammonium nitrate, the store’s general manager said, according to a local television station." A man similar to his description was apparently in the store days before the explosion.

The president of the university, David L. Boren, "confirmed that law enforcement officials found dangerous materials inside Hinrich’s residence at Parkview Apartments and that they were detonated at a Norman Police Department firing range Sunday night." There have also been reports that Jihad material had been found in his room, which was located close to the Islamic Society.

I did a search on Google News on Joel Henry Hinrichs and no major newspaper/online service, except maybe Town Hall, is listed on the first page of hits. For Yahoo News, the only major news outlet listed on the first page is the Dallas Morning News, which has two -- including the dad saying his son had no political motives though he admitted that his son had an interest in explosives. Huh? I find all of this very strange. This should be HUGE news. Why are my fellow bloggers (and local Oklahoma papers) and World Net Daily the only ones taking this seriously?

Happy New Year

L'Shanah Tovah to one and all. Hope the year is filled with sweetness, joy, great health for everyone and of course peace. Please watch this to get a feel for the celebration.

Pictures for rockmother

This is mostly for rockmother but hopefully the rest of you will enjoy as well. Several years ago, I visited Bath, England. Keep in mind, these photos were taken several years ago -- with a regular camera. They were also scanned for an old Web site I had up, and I no longer have the original scans (so they aren't high quality). For that matter, neither is my memory.

While there, a friend of mine (who wrote a book about Jane Austen) took me on a tour of the town Jane called home. We visited the infamous Pump Room.

This is a shot of the inside, which was where Jane used to watch people and make notes about them. Of course, she did this a lot.

A popular thing to do would be to "take of the waters" -- where we would pay 10 pence to drink this water, though I can't exactly remember why. I think it was something that was done back then? Anyone know? RM? If you look closely, through the window, you can see the area where you could do this. It was sort of a little bar.

Of course, here are the infamous Roman baths themselves.


I don't think these are from the garden you spoke of, RM, but I remember thinking the area was beautiful so I took these two shots.

My friend did a wonderful job of showing me around Bath. I found it so charming. As someone once told me, it's a bit like Rome but on a much smaller scale. Now that I've been to Rome, I'm not sure I agree with that statement, but I can understand the sentiment.

Of course, strange men like this are everywhere now, but Bath was the first time I saw anyone do this to make money. Found it interesting.

Can't find the picture I took of my favorite place to eat -- Sally Lunn's Buns. Definitely good. Ah, memories.