Hanukkah Shmanukkah 5770 December 11, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Dogs and cats, Jewish Stuff, Links, Photography, Religion, Videos.Tags: Adam Sandler, Bob Dylan, Good for the Jews, Hanukkah Shmanukkah 5770, Marley the Hanukkah Dog, Neil Diamond
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Tonight is the big night. We bring out the Menorah and light the first candle at sundown. Factoid about my Menorah. Years ago, I saw a Martha Stewart show where she said if you put your Menorah in the freezer for awhile, the wax will chip right off of it. It was a good thing. Martha probably did not have in mind what I did after that. I now store my Menorah in the freezer all year long. It is a good thing and makes me smile every time I open my freezer. Now where did I put the dreidel? Where is the Hanukkah gelt? Where should I display the menorah? Is anything going to catch fire after I light the candle? Does my box of Hanukkah candles contain the correct number so I am not short candles? Do I have any matches? So many questions and only eight nights to figure it all out.
- So how do you spell Hanukkah? Does it have a ‘C’, 2 ‘N’s, some K’s? What letter does it end with? There are more than 20 different spellings of the Jewish Festival of Lights and, of course, no one has told us which is the defintive spelling. You know the old adage about the number of opinions amongst Jewish people all depends upon how many Jews are in the room. Here’s the current list of the way you can spell this Festival of Lights. Channuka, Channukah, Chanuka, Chanukah, Chanuko, Hannuka, Hannukah, Hanuka, Hanika, Hanukah, Hanukka, Hanukkah, Kanukkah, Khannuka, Khannukah, Khanuka, Khanukah, Khanukkah and Khanike. Sometimes even Xanuka (but that spelling seems too much like Xanax to me). The basic problem is that it’s translated into English from a five-letter Hebrew word meaning “consecration,” which lacks the gutteral, rolling-in-the-throat opening sound. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has “Hanukkah” as the main entry, with “Chanukah” as another option. The Associated Press Stylebook, considered the spelling bible by most newspapers, also goes with “Hanukkah.” The New York Times uses ‘Hanukkah’. The Daily News uses “Chanukah,” although other versions are used. The bottom line is you cannot misspell this word. So a very Happy Hanukkah to all.
- For those that like to plan ahead – 2010: Dec. 1-Dec. 9, 2011: Dec. 20-Dec. 28, 2012: Dec. 8-Dec. 16
- File this under ‘do not try this at home: A new series of public service announcements on CBS is encouraging couples to give prostate exams and pap smears as gifts to each other on Hanukkah and Christmas.
- The band called ‘Good for the Jews’ sing: They Tried to Kill Us.
- Bob Dylan vs. Neil Diamond: Whose Christmas Album Is Right for You? From Heeb Magazine: “For all the Jews who’ll be decorating trees and roasting chestnuts this Hannukah, we’ve got the soundtrack of your holiday season. It’s Neil Diamond, the “Jewish Elvis,” against Robert Allen Zimmerman, a.k.a. Bob Dylan. Two nice Jewish icons who somehow ended up making Christian holiday albums and are in direct competition for the Christmas gelt. So if you think your menorah and candles look pathetic next to your neighbor’s decorations, dream of caroling and are ashamed of your unspoken desire to sit on a fat man’s lap, grab one of these CDs for your goy-style festivities.”
- Adam Sandler original Chanukah (Hanukkah) Song
- What Do You Watch for Hanukkah? Get 8 Great Movie Suggestions
- My personal favorite for this time of year is Marley the Hanukkah Dog Singing, ‘Oh Hanukkah’
Vile vs Bile October 19, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Links, Photography, Politics, Videos, Zoos, wildlife.3 comments
It is hard to say who makes me more nauseous – Al Sharpton or Rush Limbaugh.
Whenever I see Al Sharpton’s head pop up like Zelig I immediately change the channel or think negatively about whatever he is protesting for or against. It is a Pavlovian knee jerk reaction that began in 1987 with the Tawana Brawley debacle.
My favorite NYC Police Detective, Matt, used to tell me that ‘Reverend Al was a cop’s favorite overtime pal.’ Translation – whenever Al Sharpton was around you could guarantee there would be a need for additional police presence.
Now it seems that an equally vile individual, Rush Limbaugh, is embroiled in a brouhaha with Al Sharpton. It is hard to decide who to root for in this mud-fest. I find myself essentially snickering at the entire windbag-fest. It seems that when Limbaugh wanted to buy the St. Louis Rams, Sharpton sent a note to Commissioner Roger Goodell urging officials to reject Rush’s bid because of racist comments that he had made in the past. Then, Limbaugh, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece, Limbaugh said Sharpton “played a leading role in the 1991 Crown Heights riot (he called neighborhood Jews ‘diamond merchants’) and 1995 Freddie’s Fashion Mart riot.”
Oh boy, oh boy – now Sharpton is threatening a defamation lawsuit against Rush. Can this get much better? This is one of those stupid situations that gives these two blowhards even more allotted air time. Argh!
- Speaking of blowhards – Rudy Guiliani is back in the news. Gasp! He struck an all too familiar fear mongering tone on the campaign trail Sunday, saying the city is still “at great risk.” Without mentioning Bloomberg’s Democratic opponent, Giuliani warned that crime in New York City, which declined under him and has continued to fall under Bloomberg, is also a gamble.“This city could very easily be taken back in a very different direction,” Giuliani said. “It could very easily be taken back to the way it was with the wrong political leadership.” Why can’t this guy just go quietly into the night. Blech.
- And then there is the balloon boy and his family. Maybe we should all treat this episode like a bad Halloween trick and let them all float quietly into the night.
- For a much needed smile, check out this terrific short video about a Repugnant App:
To the disappointed, disenchanted and disengaged… October 6, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Animal Videos, Links, Photography, Politics, Videos, Zoos, wildlife.Tags: David Brooks, Kinkajoo, obama, Ostrich, Wizard of Beck
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For those that are woebegone, disappointed, disenchanted and generally becoming disengaged with the ‘Yes, We Can’ gang I decided it was time to be a cheerleader and turn those frowns upside down. I too, have been a sad sack over the ‘do nothing’ crowd that has a majority in both chambers of power and occupies the big old White House. Yet suddenly, last Friday, after reading conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks‘ column – I felt better. Why you say? His column, entitled, ‘The Wizard of Beck‘ (I encourage you to read the article) postulates that the Screaming Mimi’s who occupy the Repugnant media on TV, radio and the Internet have the microphone but lack the power to get their minions to the polls. ‘It is a story of remarkable volume and utter weakness. It is the story of media mavens who claim to represent a hidden majority but who in fact represent a mere niche — even in the Republican Party. It is a story as old as “The Wizard of Oz,” of grand illusions and small men behind the curtain. Over the years, I have asked many politicians what happens when Limbaugh and his colleagues attack. The story is always the same. Hundreds of calls come in. The receptionists are miserable. But the numbers back home do not move. There is no effect on the favorability rating or the re-election prospects. In the media world, he is a giant. In the real world, he’s not. But this is not merely a story of weakness. It is a story of resilience. For no matter how often their hollowness is exposed, the jocks still reweave the myth of their own power. They still ride the airwaves claiming to speak for millions. They still confuse listeners with voters. And they are aided in this endeavor by their enablers. They are enabled by cynical Democrats, who love to claim that Rush Limbaugh controls the G.O.P. They are enabled by lazy pundits who find it easier to argue with showmen than with people whose opinions are based on knowledge. They are enabled by the slightly educated snobs who believe that Glenn Beck really is the voice of Middle America. They pre-emptively surrender to armies that don’t exist’.
- So does this mean I am happy with the Obama Administration’s handling of the larger issues that take over the headlines? Absolutely not. But it does mean I feel better about the power of the opposition. They are looking for someone or something to define themselves and win back the power in 2010. I even heard someone suggest that Glenn Beck is considering a run as a third party. One can only hope. How about a Palin/Beck campaign? Gasp.
- It is time for a reality check on Obama’s campaign promises. I took a look at Politifact this morning and they claim he has kept 47 promises, Compromised on 12 things, Broken seven promises, Stalled on 12 items, 107 items are in the works and a whopping 330 items that have NO ACTION attached.
- The larger picture shows that there are other issues being dealt with by the two houses of Congress, but unless you are a policy wonk nerd, you are only going to listen to the screamers and read the headlines. I guarantee that you will feel better if you lower the volume and read between the lines.
- Try to remember that just last year at this time the campaign was in full swing. We have only just begun. Keep the faith.
- For some needed laughs, check out our encounter with an ostrich last week. That is me, giggling in the car.
He said or is it She said? September 29, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Links, Politics, Science, Videos.Tags: Rachel Maddow, Sarah Palin, hermaphrodites, Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides, Intersex, Acorn
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I have had a long time interest in hermaphrodites. 100 years ago, when I taught art in an elementary school, the faculty was brought into the lounge and told that a youngster entering kindergarten was hermaphrodite and was in ‘transition.’ We were told to treat her as a girl. I was hooked. My interest in the subject began. In a biological context, a hermaphrodite is an animal or plant that has both male and female reproductive organs. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates), do not have separate sexes (genders). In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both partners can act as the “male” or “female”. The great majority of snails and slugs are hermaphrodites. Hermaphroditism is also found in some fish. In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus was the child of Aphrodite and Hermes. Born a remarkably handsome boy, he was transformed into an androgynous being by union with the nymph Salmacis.
There have been rumors for years that certain celebrities fall into this biological category. The most famous name would be, Jamie Leigh Curtis. More recent names to surface have included Lady (or now, perhaps, Senor) Gaga, Fergie, Nicole Kidman (I kid you not) and Chyna (Joanie Laurer).
We all recently heard of the young South African athlete, Semenya, who won gold in the 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships and after some drug testing was discovered to be hermaphrodite. The sports world is flummoxed. What to do? What to do?
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From this week’s New York Times comes this article about Martha Maxine, a five year old horse who is now listed as male but has raced for her whole life as a female. I had never thought much about hermaphrodites as happening in other species, but after thinking about it – I said ‘why not’?
There is a great novel called Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It was published in 2002 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2003.
So why am I posting this blog? It is an interesting topic that should be brought out of the closets, woodwork, ceilings, or wherever it hides and education needs to happen. I found an interesting post on The Daily Beast about this issue. Intersex is the name that this group of misunderstood people now wants to be called. I am formally changing my thought process to ‘intersex.’
‘The intersex-rights movement seeks the same things most civil-rights struggles seek: mainstream acceptance, equality under the law, the right to safely be “out. And – they don’t want to be called “hermaphrodites. - The term ‘hermaphrodite’ is stigmatizing and confusing,” says Alice Domurat Dreger, a professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University who is cited regularly by intersex individuals and advocates. “It usually suggests to people that someone has all the organs of males and females—but that is not physically possible. The medical profession came to a consensus about three years ago to get rid of all terms based on the root ‘hermaphrodite’ (including ‘pseudo-hermaphrodite’) because they are stigmatizing and confusing.”’ ‘But perhaps the No. 1 goal of the intersex-rights movement is literally the right to exist. Every day in hospital maternity wards, intersex babies are born to freaked-out parents who’ve never even heard of such a thing, parents in a highly emotional state who are offered the immediate opportunity to surgically alter their child. Reducing the number of these surgeries is something intersex activists see as fundamental to their cause.’
- Hermaphroditus in Ancient Greece by Gregory Zorzos
- Today is a voting day in New York City. There is a run-off between the Mark Green and Bill DeBlasio for Public Advocate and David Yassky and John Liu for Comptroller. I am voting for Mark Green because he and his family saved Air America and because most big politicians hate him since he is a pain in the ass. That is a good enough reason for me to vote for him. I am also voting for David Yassky. Turnout should be awful and because there is virtually no Republican opponents the winner of today’s races will surely win in November.
- It seems that Sarah Palin has finished her memoirs four short months after announcing that she was writing a book. Four months? Yikes. I guess if you do not have much to write about you can complete your memoirs in four months.
- My head is about to explode now that abortion has entered the health care ‘debate’. Abortion opponents in both the House and the Senate are seeking to block the millions of middle- and lower-income people who might receive federal insurance subsidies to help them buy health coverage from using the money on plans that cover abortion. And the abortion opponents are getting enough support from moderate Democrats that both sides say the outcome is too close to call. Opponents of abortion cite as precedent a 30-year-old ban on the use of taxpayer money to pay for elective abortions.
- Rachel Maddow on the Truth About The Lies About Acorn. Some interesting food for thought.
Silence of the Blog September 20, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Jewish Stuff, Links, Photography, Politics, Zoos, wildlife.Tags: Bronx Zoo, Frank Rich, Jewish New year, Silence of the Blog
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Why so silent these days, you ask? Yes, there are surely things that are driving me nuts every day. And yes, I have been screaming at the TV, newspapers and websites that I read. I have been blogging in my head (can’t you hear the voices?) However, the dialogue is so crazy that It is hard to write about the lunacy. I have always said to all who will listen that ‘I don’t do crazy.’ It is difficult to think like a crazy person. I find that analyzing this kind of behavior is a waste of my time. I have decided that this wackiness will pass – most likely replaced by other annoying, distracting wackiness.
- These are the things that are bothering me this morning. The delegitimizing of the Obama Presidency by the right, Glen Beck (read Frank Rich today), the healthcare debacle, the financial meltdown, Acorn, Obama interfering now in the New York State Governor’s race just like the Dems interfered in the upcoming New York State senatorial race (Gillibrand), Joe ‘you lie’ Wilson, ‘Values’ voters, the Mideast peace negotiations breakdown, the New York Mayoral contest and why can’t I DVR two shows while watching a live third one?
More details on some of these annoying above items at another time. Today is too lovely a day to sit and gripe. I am outta here. Oh yes, and a very happy new year to all of my Jewish friends. L’Shanah Tovah.
Meanwhile enjoy these photos from this week’s trip to the Bronx Zoo.

Secrets, Lies and No Videotape July 12, 2009
Posted by judylobo in Links, Photography, Politics, Zoos, wildlife.Tags: Keith Olbermann, Dick Cheney, Jonathan Turley, Nancy Pelosi, Leon Panetta, Sarah 'I Quit' Palin, George W Bush, CIA
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This alarming news story will not have any of the Sarah ‘I Quit’ Palin 24/7 coverage – but it should. Why won’t it get coverage? It does not involve sex or Appalachian Trail references and it is somewhat old news. The public will not read about it and chances are that if it ever gets on TV – people will switch channels. Unlike the Michael Jackson coverage where if you did not want to watch the same news items or file clips about him you really could not switch channels because every channel covered it.
This story involves Dick Cheney, George W Bush, secrets, the CIA (redundant term – see ’secrets’), oversight, counter-terrorism programs and lies.
So it turns out that the CIA withheld information about a secret counter-terrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney. This not so shocking headline stems from last week’s admission by CIA chief Leon Panetta that he had ended the program on June 23rd when he first learned of it. So what was this very mysterious program? That is still a secret and the ubiquitous Mr. Cheney has suddenly fallen silent. Read the entire article from the front page of the New York Times here.
The much maligned Nancy Pelosi has been crying foul for awhile as the rabid right tries to set her on fire. The law requires the president to make sure the intelligence committees “are kept fully and currently informed of the intelligence activities of the United States, including any significant anticipated intelligence activity.” But the language of the statute, the amended National Security Act of 1947, leaves some leeway for judgment, saying such briefings should be done “to the extent consistent with due regard for the protection from unauthorized disclosure of classified information relating to sensitive intelligence sources and methods or other exceptionally sensitive matters.”
After 9/11, in efforts to cover their asses the Bushies closed ranks and while a cowering, frightened nation looked for leadership, they took advantage and created secret, apparently useless programs and systematically raped our Constitution.
Will anyone be punished with this latest revelation? I will eat my hat if that happens. As I watch the Obama Administration morph into a middle of the road, let’s just wait awhile, make no waves bunch of wimps, my hopes for change grow dimmer with each passing day.
- The above story is bad enough but this week we also had the revelation that President Bush was the one behind the hospital bed fiasco involving John Ashcroft, Alberto Gonzales and our Constitution. Watch Keith Olbermann discuss this with Jonathan Turley. Fascinating stuff.
The Democrats like to disclose crimes but not prosecute them. Shame, shame, shame.
Tongue Lashings for them all.




The debate rages on. While I am still confident some form of reform will get through Congress this year I get enraged by the distractions that the Repugnants excel at creating. The ‘birthers’, ‘deathers’, Fox Noise and now the ‘tenthers’ are fine fodder for the non-stop chatter of the talking heads shows. Aurgh.
I am back, rested and refreshed. (The photo above was taken this morning. Oh what a beautiful morning). I have rebooted my entire system and am ready to take on the Repugnants. Last night’s Presidential address to a joint session of Congress was all I needed to kick in my new outlook. I thought Obama was… well – Presidential. He found his summer silenced voice and explained his plan, which appears to be organic, and most likely stirred the Democratic base while at the same time alienated the Repugnant base (if they were watching). Fox was the only major network that chose NOT to air the speech. They went for ‘So you Think You Can Dance.’ South Carolina Congressman, Joe Wilson, in a wacky outburst, calling President Obama a ‘liar,’ stood in for all of the crazy ‘birthers’ and deathers’ that we have watched all summer at these town hall scream-a-thons. He later apologized for his outburst, but the damage was done. When I heard him scream, something deep inside of me wanted him taken out to the public square and be drawn and quartered (Okay, I overreacted, a bit) Did you see Nancy Pelosi’s reaction? I think she wanted to do to he same thing to him too.