Wait a minute! Is a two-headed creation considered the same as conjoined? I am guessing they are not.

Hi aimhabonim….. Actually, it was intended, but whether it made it to humor, as you suggest, is debatable at this point. lol

BaalHabooze. Can I assume you saw four heads?

This is another one of those threads putting people on thin ice.

And when you consider the up-side or constructiveness to all these posts (zero), I think the moderators should close this; but they probably won’t.

Even if someone does wrong, and I am not saying they are or arent, where is it in the TOS of the coffee room to tar and feather someone again?

Frankly, if the site can be posted on during Shabbos, then culpability rests with the site as well.

Do you want to stop people from going to shul if they are not 100% frum yet? Do you want to not sell kosher food to someone who does not make brachos or always eat kosher? Do you not want to invite nonreligious relatives to simchas? The list goes on and on.

On top of that, if, chas v’shalom it is a yeshiva bochur or someone going off the derech, do you want to be hating on them privately or publicly??

This is a coffee room and not the legislative branch of government. We have to be careful.

Hi DassYochid.

I am no expert, and I may be wrong, but I would think the concentration may be more on remembering the words than concentrating on the feeling and thoughts behind them. How can one really do all three successfully (remembering correct words, corresponding thoughts, and increasing intensity of feeling)?

It seems in all cases, and I may be wrong, of making brachos, I have always read it is better to read them even if one knows them inside and out. I have never read where it is preferable to eventually recite by memory.

Is it a merit to strive to daven without a siddur?

LOL.

Kids rule!

It’s not easy for them being little in this world. Sometimes they just need to have their day.

What started out weird, turned into a morning you will long cherish.

Hi miritchka,

I agree with you.

On top of that, I dont like going into department stores and seeing an electric menorah with all the light bulbs turned on.

Also, in the past, even when Chanuka ended way earlier than Xmas, they still keep a fully lit menorah next to the tree until their holiday. It’s like our holiday is being abused and I feel like rescuing the menorah, even if it is electric (tinok shenishba?), but I dont want to be written up in the paper as the guy who tried to save a menorah from JC Penny.

Oh well….

Things would be totally different. Both countries are on opposite ends from each other.

There is a site of Israeli contributions that is just mind boggling. And it includes helping countries that are officially hostile to Israel. Israel contributes more to the world than America and Europe combined.

saudi arabia, well, I would call them pigs, but I am not going to offend the animals.

A nose piercing can look cool, but does not seem so Jewish.

I could see a problem with nose-piercings, especially on Shabbos.

Without the nose ring in place, on a very windy day, the whistle noise created by the empty piercing changes in pitch as the wind blows, and this presents a problem, obviously.

What?

I have an indirect question that is sorta in the same ballpark.

Those of us who have friendly acquaintances who are not Jewish are often in a spot to respond to their holiday wishes to us, with an, “Enjoy your holiday”, or “Have a happy holiday”.

Are we allowed to say something like that? Is it affirming some validity to what they believe, or can it be seen as just being sociable?

Any ideas how a Jewish person responds to a friendly gentile acquaintance who wishes us to enjoy Chanuka? Can we respond with an enjoy your holiday without stumbling into avoda zora, heaven forbid???

While I have hostile feelings to that religion, I dont necessarily have those feelings to all its’ members. In fact, many of them dont even buy into it and see the holiday as a time to be all warm and fuzzy and friendly, and to buy gifts, with no religious connection for them.

Aside from Xtianity, I have employed this procedure when talking about New Jersey Governor, X Xtie.

Xtianity is infused with non-sense. Therefore, we see this carry over when some of us try to speak about it. It’s best to ignore the topic altogether.

lol… funny topic. You both are obviously very busy and doing a great job. Do something special for Chanuka to have some fun together.

WHATS WRONG WITH ALL CAPS? THEY DON’T COST MORE OR USE UP MORE INK. USE THEM TO PRESERVE THE LOWER CASES. LOL.

Hi Health.

We are all over the place on this.

Are there doctors who are more than worth their weight in gold? Absolutely, BH.

Is the medical establishment acting ethically and properly in all cases? Clearly not!

One fact does not undermine another.

But Health, what is your opinion on the latest trends I am hearing about?:

1. Giving people some sort of cholesterol prescription even if their numbers are good; to be used as a preventative. It seems entire office buildings are on it and it causes weight gain.

2. Putting people on a cocktail of multiple high blood pressure prescriptions – as a first response- to blood pressure levels that a decade ago were considered normal, and today are called pre-hypertension, or something like that, again, as a first response to the problem.

Finally, because there are some awesome doctors, no one should need, who are truly great, does not mean we should take offense at the pushing of pills by many doctors who are influenced by pharmaceutical salespeople to prescribe the latest flavor of the month/year.

Also, we should take a look at the drugs that FDA says are ready to go to the public, only to find out the poisons they contain, the damage they cause leading to recalls (or not), and the great expense related to the importance of the drug (supply and demand).

I am sure if there were undercover investigations, the pharm/medical establishment, as a whole, would not come up clean. I believe prescriptions are not given out truly based on scientific determinism.

Why would the Crips want a kosher restaurant? Well, they are moving in the right direction.

Hi Healh.

I dont want you to confuse the public’s cricitism of the facts, with your role in the field of health.. It seems you are in the health field and are highly knowledgeable and conscientious.

That still has nothing to do with the over prescribing of America. It is a fact and doctors and pharmaceutical companies are all conspiring to put people on more and more drugs that should not even have approval, and with side effects worse than what they are suppose to alleviate. And in far too many cases, pills are being take off the market after it is too late and too many people and families have suffered. Drugs come and go in trends and we can list those drugs endlessly.

I work in the field on education. There is a problem with that field. I can be objective about the problems of social promotion of kids, and teachers who “tell” rather than “teach” or those who even dont like kids. But I wont cover up those problems feeling it would be a reflection on me, personally.

Back to our point. You dont have to ask me. You can ask any medical doctor who also practices alternative-complementary medicine, read the news, see the class action lawsuits, and look at the statistics of those being given things like statins, vicodin, ritalin, a whole host of mood altering drugs like zoloft, just for walking in the door with any semblance of a problem.

Mad Libs can be hilarious. They have them in bookstores like Barnes and Noble. The book is filled with one page narratives which have words left out. . Then they ask you to fill in the blanks with either a verb, adjective, proper noun..etc. Then when you go back to read the narrative, it can be very funny. Some of the books can be on topics that avoid any pop cultural references, etc. to avoid any controversy. If you consider this, I would read through to make sure all the pages are kosher, which is very possible to find. Have fun!

Hi lkwdgirl1.

All I can say is that I wish them well and that they both regain what they had for each other

on their wedding day and when they had their children. These matters, more and more common, are very sad.

Hi Bowwow.

Thank you for clarifying.

: )

Hi PBA,

I feel your point is a good one, but if it results in Jews relating to gentiles like an “Amos and Andy” routine, that has been historically proven to be dangerous.

Again, while you make a valid point we have to be aware of, I think you are adding too much of it to the recipe.

I dont think any Jew really carries himself with an “I am just happy Mr. Gentile is not putting me in a ghetto…..etc..etc”. So that when he says, “Jump!”, I say, “How high?” I dont think so. We can have a little more emunah and bitochon.

That is not how our Avos carried themselves either, and they certainly dealt with the valid concerns you point out.

It would be, in my opinion, fine for Jewish leaders to suggest how Chanukah should be honored by the White House, especially when seen in the light of the very valid points made by Savage.

Savage believes Jews in America are paying customers, too. We are huge contributors in all fields, as well as the professions of law, medicine, science, education, etc., and should be mindful of what you suggest, but, in my opinion, should be able to speak with just a little more assertiveness than suggested.

G-d bless Michoel Savage for saying what he did.

Hi my favorite crime fighting friend, Jothar!

Maybe they are on their way to being frum (like in the story of the man who drove to shul and the rabbi did not confront him until eventually he ended up using skates, and then finally walking) and this site is still a valuable resource to them?

Also, where do we draw the line on any Jew? My thought is about some yeshiva guys schmuzing in shul on Shabbos affecting my davening and concentration. They are not bad Jews and they are more learned than I am, and I think very highly of them; they are great guys, but are they also mechalel Shabbos in a way?

How about the loshon hora afterwards at kiddush? I actually try to avoid someone because they start talking about notable people in town in a critical way, and they are upset with me for doing this. He actually has smicha. Is that also not mechalel Shabbos for the level they are holding?

You are a smart and proud Jew and I understand where you are coming from. But should it be acted upon?

Aries2756 pretty much said it in a nutshell. How Aries got into the nutshell, I dont know. lol

Hi The Best Bubby.

Will do. And refuah shelayma!

What is a vladimir putin?