89.02/ #NachasAlert: my son has a piece (pgs. 2-3) in his high school's Torah journal. The final draft was 3 pages long so this published version was cut down significantly. (Now I get to teach him the academic trick of publishing 'chapters' as articles). parshasheets.com/newsletter/bko…
89.03/ This is such a good video, it can be played on an endless loop and it brings a big smile to my face whenever I see it. It's fine while silent but the sound makes it a masterpiece
89.05/ Just got handed a memo that I must make an #Oscars hot-take or I lose my account. Sigh. OK:
I believe the Academy should be ashamed for demoting the technical awards from the telecast. In doing so, they've demeaned these integral artistic fields. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/94th_Acad…
89.06/ As for the #OscarsSlap, besides giving me "Tom Cruise Jumping on Oprah's Couch" vibes, I must profess my cultural ignorance. Halakhically, didn't Smith just challenge Rock to a duel? Does it count if you don't say the words "I demand satisfaction?" I cite Charlie Murphy:
89.07a/ Since I'm ignorant of how you're supposed to fight in public, I'll link below some of the reactions I appreciated:
89.08/ #Mets represent! I remember when Burkhardt was the sideline reporter, and this is such a huge upgrade over the terminally torpid Buck, it's nuts. Mazal tov to KB.
89.09/ #NachasAlert: link to my brother @acypess MD PhD's lecture last night about the science behind the bracha of "Asher Yatzar." Listening to it, I felt simultaneously both smarter AND dumber. Smart b/c I learned a lot; dumb b/c he's way smarter than me
89.10/ I'm learning a lot about people's character from the continuing Slap Discourse; how they frame things & shame others for not agreeing with them. Note, it's the same basic thing I learned from people who defend spanking & those who endorsed Chris Cuomo 'helping his brother'
89.11/ 29-8? I mean, I know it's pre-season baseball, but that's gotta be humiliating.
89.12/ Right now, again, the #NYM#NYR and #Knicks are all on TV simultaneously, which 2020 taught me not to take for granted. And seeing Alonso hit a 3 run homer, yeah even in preseason, is ALWAYS fun.
89.14/ So many terrible people, true to form, have taken the opportunity of The Slap to try to sieze the high ground and we can't let them. Case in point: When OJ thinks he should lecture people about marriage and violence.
89.15/ What Dr. Lebovits describes is one reason why I implore every Orthodox shul to employ a Yoetzet Halacha. The chiyuvim of Kavod ha-Briyot and Tzniut alone make it necessary! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoetzet_H…
89.16/ This is in general true as a dynamic found in many 'posturing' mystical-ideology groups. The leaders are often, especially over generations, money & power driven hypocrites. When a true-believer takes over, watch out.
89.17/ The animus vs LGBTQ, esp. the current deadly focus on trans people, is from two main sources: biological essentialism (which is scientific racism & should be opposed by all people of conscience) or religion (which shouldn't be enshrined in US law). #TransDayOfVisibility
89.18/ And the Jews all said with one voice "Finally!" BTW, it's still Adar; this is the month when, historically, antisemites were exposed. Let that be a sign for the future. #Lipstadt
89.19/ The #MarchMadness Cinderella story of the St. Peter Peacocks was fun while it lasted but the reason those stories are so special is that they're rare. This fellow had a sharp quip for when they were ultimately defeated:
89.22/ This is from yesterday so I don't think it's #AprilFools but I so very much wish it would be. This is why we can't have nice things, right? #LGM
89.23/ #NachasAlert: My daughter scored (a) winning goal in her soccer team's first game. (One of the joys of having a local newspaper is that I can link to these fun things) jewishlink.news/sports/50174-r…
89.25a/ On a totally different note @MuppetRabbi loves #Tazria b/c he'll take any excuse to blather on about #LoshonHara. See this thread but especially this sermon topic which may be the finest entry (if I do say so myself):
205.02/ It's important to know: every pawn can become a queen.
205.03/ #ChochmatNashim for #Behaalotecha 5783 (last year) @ChochmatNashim
Downloadable PDF with working links of Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars on the parsha and other topics of the week. drive.google.com/file/d/14uXvSR…
204.02/ What incredible news! Barukh Hashem, 4 hostages rescued from those monsters.
'Operation Arnon’: How 4 hostages were freed from Hamas captivity in central Gaza
204.03/ #ChochmatNashim for #Naso 5783 (last year) @ChochmatNashim.
Downloadable PDF with working links to Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars on the parsha and other topics of the week. (I'm not sure I can update this well enough for 5784 today) drive.google.com/file/d/1b46N_z…
202.02/ The internet is disappearing; I knew this in my bones & now there's data to support it. (h.t. @ParkerMolloy)
I encourage everyone to save pages to the @internetarchive as much as possible. An extension you can add to your browser to make it easy pewresearch.org/data-labs/2024…
202.03/ As a lifelong #Mets fan, I've experienced extended periods of the team being demoralizing and unwatchable. This is why I told my kids at the time that the DeGrom years were special: every 5 days there'd be a transcendent sports experience & those are rare.
201.02/ Has anyone checked in on the campus protesters, their supreme leader just died and they will be very sad to lose their moral guide. (BTW, I gave tzedaka in honor of the brave chopper). timesofisrael.com/ebrahim-raisi-…
201.03/ You know what? I'll accept that definition. Keeps things clear as to relative morality of each side.