Gadolhadorah

Be very careful since HKB”H does not want you making a bracha lvatalla. Chazal bring down that those who are follically challenged have an easier time learning since there is less vegetation limiting the flow of divrei torah into their heads.

Just switch over to one of several wonderful cholov yisroel yogurts made in EY. Much healthier than B&J’s 600 calorie/serving offerings.

In virtually all cases, the so-called “expediting services” will be unable to move your applications faster in the Covid era. Instead of the pre-Covid wait time of 6 to 8 weeks to get a passport, I read a story recently that the time is now closer to 3-4 months with nearly a 2 million application backlog. I believe that those with a life-or-death emergency can still contact the passport office and then will need to provide proof of the emergency (aka death certificate or letter from a hospital) along with copies of their airline reservations to initiate an emergency application. Even then, it will take several business days to process and issue, assuming your documentation is legit. I would be very suspect of any “service” claiming they can move you to the front of the line and get you a new or renewed passport faster than you could on your own.
P.S. If you contact your Congressman or Senator’s office they might have some ability to help in a true emergency. Attending your nephew’s chassanah in EY or joining the NaNaNachmanites in Uman for Rosh Hashanah are not considered emergencies.

Don’t take any advice from someone who tries to rush you into a relationship. Trust your own judgement and rely upon your own instincts. And most importantly, ignore those who promote the big lie (aka the “shidduch crisis”) designed to provide full employment for shadchanim and sell phony segulahs.

Chirp, chirp chirp…..

Six months too late….sadly, the Republicans will squander an opportunity for putting forward one of a number of talented young Republican leaders in the state legislature and instead allow a shvantz like Crazy Rudy Jr. or some other Trump-loving political hack to grab the nomination. The Dems should not take the election for granted since the electorate is really fed up with corruption and abusers in Albany on BOTH sides of the aisle

Again, its all in your flexibility, degree of risk tolerance and what are the secondary consequences of an extended delay. In my current life, I’m fortunate to be able to walk over to another airline counter and buy a ticket to my destination and/or rent a car and drive (assuming these days there is availability of another flight or rental car). I’ll call my Amex Card rep for a refund on the cancelled flight. Many years ago, with kids and fewer resources, and with only a few “discount airlines” that wasn’t an option but neither was being stranded at an airport somewhere over shabbos so we had to weigh the higher fares with the “savings” of a cheap flight. Its all fact dependent and no single answer. However, among the “discount” airlines, Spirit and Ryan air seem to have the most frequent issues (perhaps because they are among the largest and we just hear about it more).

I give up….this debate is insanity. Clearly the vaccines work really well, albeit we don’t know exactly how well. C’v some of you will be arguing at the levayahs of your friends and family who are niftar from Covid as to whether they should have been vaccinated or their tragic loss should be quietly accepted as the outcome of hashgacha pratis. I hope all of you ultimately get vaccinated and stay healthy but I won’t be surprised if some continue their mindless anti-vax rants till the very end.

Rightwriter: Per my post, I agree with your distinction between legal entities who directly participated in the atrocities, and those that were simply facilitators or stood by with their implicit anti-semitic beliefs. The issue I was trying to raise was for the first group of companies, who were directly involved, when (if ever) does the dilution in their upstream ownership, changes in domicile and control reach a point where the “zachor” element becomes moot as a practical matter. Otherwise, I have a very long memory and trying to convey that memory to the next several generations.

The “weather” and “operational” problems are not unique to Spirit Airlines. What is unique is their breathtaking incompetence in responding to and fixing those problems, at least in part due to cutting O&M expenses to the bone, maintaining zero redundancy and backup systems, hiring the cheapest talent they can find (well below industry averages) and offering virtually no customer interface when their systems collapse.

Shimon: I’m glad you are vaccinated and agree entirely with your thought process as to why others should also do so. Sorry you had a negative response to the shots but global data indicate such responses are still relatively rare and almost all who have after-effects recover quickly. As more private businesses mandate vaccination, it may soon become a necessity for all who want to travel and participate in the economy. Slowly, the holdouts will be dragged into vaccination, especially after the CDC grants full approval in the next month or so for Pfizer and later for Moderna.

BDE

August 5, 2021 (Houston, TX) 11:51 AM CDT

Texas Republican leader dies of COVID-19 five days after anti-vaccination post

A Texas Republican leader who was hospitalized with COVID-19 died Wednesday evening, just days after he shared a post on social media questioning the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccine. The Republican Party said that Scott Apley, a member of the State Republican Executive Committee. had died.

While the party did not specify the cause of death, his family said he was admitted to a hospital Sunday with “pneumonia-like symptoms and tested positive for COVID.” “God remains in control although this is yet another tough one to swallow,” the organization added.

Apley, had shared a post on Facebook just two days before he was hospitalized that questioned the credibility and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. Apley had also previously vocalized his opposition to vaccinations and mask mandates, and in May shared a flyer for a mask burning event.

Listening to Ted Cruz this AM in a TV interview make some valid points on federal on excessive ederal mandates on business closures,etc. and instead advocates for allowing each business to make its OWN decisions. Yet, he immediately follows by blasting companies who have made their own decisions to require vaccination in the workplace as a condition of employment, which he says violates “civil rights”. If an employer concludes that the health risks to their employees given prevailing rates of infection, workplace conditions etc dictate having only vaccinated employees, the law clearly allows such mandates and the Courts in at least 7 states (including Texas, Nebraska etc.) have upheld such rules. So has the EEOC which administers federal employment laws. If an employer does not want to impose such a rule than disgruntled employees have the choice to incur the risks or find another job.

“And why stop with the covid vaccine, why dont you make sure everyone gets the flu shot as well as any other vaccine since they are “endangering” you!”
I totally agree with Rightwriter. Flu shots should be required, at least for anyone working with elderly or immune endangered individuals. Likewise, positive IQ test results (at least above that of a carrot) should be a prerequisite for posting pseudo-science in the CR. Neither vaccines, masks, social distancing etc. are a universal panacea or 100 percent effective in reducing mortality/morbidity and the CDC and other public health agencies have never made such a claim. However, there is overwhelming evidence they are effective in reducing infection rates and consequently serious illness and death from Covid (along with therapeutics).

Amil: Not sure how this is even an issue since a few hundred dollars in swimming instruction, if the kids are not at a camp with swimming facilities, is a lot cheaper then taking even the small risk that your kids become a statistic. Eventually, kids will go into the water whether with friends at the beach or a pool. In most cases, even those w/o prior swimming skills manage to stay afloat but there are too many tragedies to even make this a point of discussion. And there are many options for group swimming lessons which are not nearly as costly. The 92nd St. Y offers reasonably priced swim instruction and I’m sure there are other facilities in Brooklyn etc.

AA Questions: Obviously UJM has some troubled agenda with women so I wouldn’t waste time responding to his troll. Obviously, in today’s society, a frum woman may choose to forego a career and WORK at home raising a family. That is HER choice informed by the lifestyle she and her husband had agreed to when they married and also perhaps with input from her LRP. However, most frum you and I know do not subscribe to the Rambam’s so called “quota” on their allowable monthly trips outside the house.

P.S. We also get periodic threads here about how yidden are entitled to administer summary execution of other yidden for their having committed certain aveirahs, with the pro forma follow up clarifications about only when having an active sanhedrin, etc. Good troll topics for a slow August news day but not worth engaging.

“there’s every reason to give the benefit in assuming every Jewish woman would voluntarily and very happily adhere to Halacha” [and willingly stay locked at home]

UJM: Not sure what world you live in but I doubt many Jewish women (frum or otherwise) would “voluntarily” adhere to any arbitrary limit on when they can leave their homes, with or without their husband’s approval. Prior posters have made clear that there is NO such requirement as evidenced by the multiple instances of wives of gadolei yisroel working outside the home. If some baas yisroel wants to live such a life, thats her choice. However, even as a theoretical construct, your assertions regarding what SA requires are making no sense so I’ll just leave it at that and allow you to have the last word. Misogynistic trolls are currently very much out of vogue.

Cruz, Cuomo, Trump along with a bunch of other political hacks on BOTH sides of the aisle, exist solely for the purpose of promoting their own personal aggrandizement and egotistical need for power and adulation. In the case of Cuomo, he should have been removed from office months ago but the Dems in the Assembly slow-walked the impeachment process. Even now, they are saying it may take until October to prepare the articles of impeachment and move ahead on a trial.

Some of these comments (or trolls) about locking women in the house push the envelope of mycogonistic traditions of other cultures, most notably the German axiom of “Kinder, Küche un Kirche” (aka make children, work in the Kitchen and leave home only for Church). It is also self-destructive for the very communities that need to have more frum women accessible in professional roles as physicians, mental health professionals, educators, financial advisors, attorneys and other non-traditional career paths.

No question they have that default “right” if both parties have come into the marriage with an understanding and acceptance of “traditional roles”. However, circumstances change and the wife may need to work to help support the family if the husband becomes unable/unwilling to earn a sufficient income or if the woman decides she wants to pursue a professional career (e.g. once the kids start school and she is able to balance the needs of being a mother and spouse along with whatever else she might do outside the home). Many of today’s younger frum women could care less about gold jewelry, crystal stemware or sterling serving pieces but want to work for the intellectual and personal challenges it provides.

Amil: You forget to tell the chevrah, that water safety 101 starts with “Learn to Swim”. Don’t assume all frum kids have gone to Camp and have gained basic swimming skills.

B’zman shenichnas August (and bein hazmanim) CR posters are marbim b’useless information and uninformed guidance for the perplexed. Instead, we should all be preparing for the big My Pillow Guy “Cyber Symposium” in Sioux Falls, SD on August 10th at which time the world’s “Greatest Cyber Forensic Experts” will prove that the Chinese Communist Party electronically changed millions of Trump votes to Biden. As a result, the Supreme Court will order Biden to resign and restore Trump to the Presidency. This mind-blowing Trumpian asifa will be “one of the most-watched events in human history,” says Lindell (presumably he meant other than the 2016 Trump inauguration).

“His eyes are gazing wide”….from Unity Album by MBD and SM

Eagle soaring by
could you lift him up with you now
and fly him home w justice pride and freedom,
His eyes are gazing wide
From behind the bars he prays now
With faith with joy, oh how we wait to greet him…

Psach La’nu Shaar is one that I believe he first performed with others