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Friday, December 31, 2010
Weak-Kneed Willpower Faces Temptation's Lure
If you want a little insurance to help keep those New Year's resolutions, you might consider turning to StickK.com. Started by two Yale professors and a graduate student in 2008, the Web site provides a binding contract to help you meet a particular goal, whether it is shedding pounds, quitting smoking or finishing Proust. Fail to live up to your end of the deal, and you have to pay a person or charity that you have designated in advance. You can even increase the incentive by choosing an anti-charity, a cause that you would normally oppose. Gun-control advocates, for example, could decide to forfeit their money to the National Rifle Association if they falter, while anti-abortion advocates might choose NARAL Pro-Choice America. [...]
Rabbi arrested on rape charges
A rabbi who runs a number of schools in northern Israel has been arrested on suspicion he sexually assaulted three minors, the court cleared for publication Friday.
Ynet has learned that the rabbi is suspected of raping a 14-year old girl and performing indecent acts on a boy of the same age, as well as sexually assaulting another girl, also 14.
He has denied the allegations, claiming they are the product of a conspiracy against him by the schools he heads.[...]
Rabbi Shafran's Hechsher On Obama - latest response & counterresponse
By Yoel Lorberbaum
In the latest issue of Ami Magazine, noted author Rabbi Avi Shafran wrote a piece ("Our Not-So-Humble Opinions") that is, in this author's opinion, mind-bogglingly deceptive in scope, breadth, and audacity in its portrayal of President Obama's record on Israel. It is rather shocking because generally Rabbi Shafran is a perceptive and on-the-mark columnist. The structure of this editorial, with due respect, seems to have been penned in the style of classic propaganda literature.
It is hoped that both the reader and Rabbi Shafran will forgive the sharp tone employed here, but it seems a necessity in light of the content of the op-ed—forewarned is forearmed. Generally, there are four components to have in mind when attempting this type of writing: [...]
Rabbi Shafran's Reply in Five Towns Jewish Times
What We Think We Know But Don't
Last week's Five Towns Jewish Times featured an opinion piece that judged a recent essay of mine in Ami Magazine "mind-bogglingly deceptive" and that characterized me as assuming readers are "half-witted" and accused me of inflicting on them "slick propaganda" on behalf of President Obama and of "abandon[ing] Israel." The writer, going by the name of Yoel Lorberbaum, apologizes for his "sharp tone" which he laments is "a necessity in light of the content" of my article.
His apology is accepted—at least with regard to his tone. He didn't offer an apology for misleading readers, though, and so forgiveness on that front will have to remain in reserve for now.
What seemed to particularly exercise the writer was my "manipulation" of readers with a presentation of laudable moves by a president regarding Israel and religious rights before identifying the mover as our current commander-in-chief. That, Mr. Lorberbaum contends, is "the technique" of "tricking the reader," a "ruse" that enticed people to actually read further. I thought it was creative and effective writing. Propaganda, I suppose, is in the eye—no matter how jaundiced—of the beholder. [...]
Rabbi Shafran's Hechsher on Obama
Written by Yoel Lorberbaum
Before we get to an analysis of the "facts" as presented by Rabbi Avi Shafran concerning both the Obama administration's behind-the-scenes jousting regarding Israel and its general record on Israel, a short introduction may be in order.
Rabbi Shafran speaks of wisdom—of knowing what one does not know. When exploring wisdom, however, it behooves us to begin with what we do know. And what we do know is that in regard to Israel, the conversation is slowly but surely changing.
Those of us old enough to remember, recall a time when murderers of innocent children and civilians were not welcome in polite circles. No longer. Now they are welcomed with open arms. [...]
Rabbi Shafran's interpretation of Pres. Obama - Strikeout
Miss the good old days?
When, that is, we had a President who refused to allow the US to participate in the UN's Durban Review Conference because he believed Israel would be unfairly criticized.
A President who rejected the Goldstone report, and refused to participate in joint military exercises with Turkey when Ankara insisted Israel be excluded.
A President who asked Congress to approve a $205 million package to help Israel build a new anti-missile defense system. [...]
Homerun or Strikeout: A Reply to Rabbi Shafran
Critique by Jonathan Rosenblum
Every columnist aspires to write — at least occasionally — something of such originality that he will be quickly distinguished from the common herd of scriveners. In that respect, "Our Not-So-Humble Opinions" by my erstwhile colleague and long-time friend Rabbi Avi Shafran, in which he attempts to defend the Middle East policies of the Obama administration, is a homerun.
The danger, however, of swinging for the fences is that one is more likely to strikeout. Sometimes the source of one's originality lies in having said something so strikingly wrong that no one ever thought of it before. That, I will argue, is the case with Rabbi Shafran's piece. Not that I expect to convince Avi, since I'm reasonably confident that he has read dozens of previous pieces of mine on this topic, without falling sway to the power of my arguments.
Indeed I suspect that I fall into the category of "intelligent and otherwise well-informed frum folks," whom he considers somewhat deranged on the subject of the Obama administration's policy to Israel. In that regard, I can only respond that at least I am in sync with the overwhelming majority of my fellow Israeli Jews, about 10% of whom view President Obama's foreign policy as "pro-Israel" today, despite the great enthusiasm that greeted his election in Israel. My fellow Israelis and I could, admittedly, be wrong in our judgment, but I doubt it is because we are so much less well-informed than Rabbi Shafran. Since it is our lives on the line, we do try to keep reasonably up-to-date on shifts in American foreign policy. [...]
Former President of Israel Is Convicted of Rape
JERUSALEM — An Israeli court convicted the country's former president, Moshe Katsav, of two counts of forcible rape on Thursday, a verdict that many Israelis described as a low point in the nation's history, but also redemptive, in that it upheld the value of equality before the law.
"There are no two states of Israel, just one state," said Shimon Peres, Mr. Katsav's successor as president. "There are no two kinds of citizens here; citizens of only one kind exist in Israel — and all are equal in the eyes of the law."
The verdict capped an unusual four-year spectacle that began with accusations of sexual offenses against Mr. Katsav while he was still the head of state. [...]
China: Selling the Talmud as a Business Guide
Jewish visitors to China often receive a snap greeting when they reveal their religion: "Very smart, very clever, and very good at business," the Chinese person says. Last year's Google Zeitgeist China rankings listed "why are Jews excellent?" in fourth place in the "why" questions category, just behind "why should I enter the party" and above "why should I get married?" (Google didn't publish a "why" category in Mandarin this year.) And the apparent affection for Jewishness has led to a surprising trend in publishing over the last few years: books purporting to reveal the business secrets of the Talmud that capitalize on the widespread impression among Chinese that attributes of Judaism lead to success in the financial arts.
Titles such as Crack the Talmud: 101 Jewish Business Rules, The Illustrated Jewish Wisdom Book, and Know All of the Money-Making Stories of the Talmud share the shelves with stories of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. There's even a Talmud hotel in Taiwan inspired by "the Talmud's concept of success" that features a copy of the book Talmud Business Success Bible in every room. With the increasing interest in business education in China, and a rise in sales of self-help literature, the production of business guides to the Talmud has exploded. The guides are like the Chinese equivalents of books such as Sun Tzu and the Art of Business. [...]
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Gra: Scientific reality sometimes is used to decide between halachic views
I previously posted the view of the Klausenberger that we today don't go back to the underlying facts to decide a dispute between Rishonim or to dispute an assertion made by a rishon. In the following quote from the Gra - that is exactly what he is doing. In dealing with the dispute between the Geonim and Tosfos he resolves the issue by saying that Tosfos' position does not fit into observable reality.
Gra (O.C. 261:2): … All of this is according to the view of Tosfos. However it is not so, because that would mean that the time from alos hashachar until netz would be equal to the time from shkiah until tzais hakokovim. In truth it is not - as we wrote before. Sensory perception rejects this assertion - for all those who see - because in fact the time from alos hashachar is a much greater time than tzais after shkiah. …
Emunas Chachomim - debate between Breslaver & Litvaks 1822
the status of the Ohr HaChaim amongst the Chassidim
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Daas Torah: Ramchal - knowledge obtained through ruach hakodesh is infallible
Of course - this means that theoretically that gedolim can make mistakes - however it also clearly means that at least some of their statements are infallible. It is because of this claim that gedolim have ruach hakodesh - that is is considered presumption for a non-gadol to question the statements or deeds of a gadol. It is obvious that while this is a wide spread contemporay belief - it is hand has not been universal. For example the Ravad asserted that he was correct in a halachic dispute because he had ruach hakodesh. This did not stop the Ramban and others from disagreeing with him. In fact the Chasam Sofer says that the basis of all knowledge is ruach hakodesh and that is why we make a beracha on a wise non-Jewish intellectual.
A Pinpoint Beam Strays Invisibly, Harming Instead of Healing
The initial accident report offered few details, except to say that an unidentified hospital had administered radiation overdoses to three patients during identical medical procedures.
It was not until many months later that the full import of what had happened in the hospital last year began to surface in urgent nationwide warnings, which advised doctors to be extra vigilant when using a particular device that delivers high-intensity, pinpoint radiation to vulnerable parts of the body.
Marci Faber was one of the three patients. She had gone to Evanston Hospital in Illinois seeking treatment for pain emanating from a nerve deep inside her head. Today, she is in a nursing home, nearly comatose, unable to speak, eat or walk, leaving her husband to care for their three young daughters. [...]
Gedolim are not infallible - and this should be obvious but unfortunately is not
Regarding the possibility of deceiving gedolim and the fact that they are not infallible - this should be obvious. In fact this was stated by the spokesman for the Aguda - Rabbi Shafran available on Wikipedia and other places
Rabbi Avi Shafran, the spokesman for the American Hareidi organization Agudath Israel of America, explains the concept as follows:
Da'at Torah is not some Jewish equivalent to the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility. Not only can rabbis make mistakes of judgment, there is an entire tractate of the Talmud, Horiut, predicated on the assumption that they can, that even the Sanhedrin is capable of erring, even in halachic matters.
What Da'at Torah means, simply put, is that those most imbued with Torah-knowledge and who have internalized a large degree of the perfection of values and refinement of character that the Torah idealizes are thereby rendered particularly, indeed extraordinarily, qualified to offer an authentic Jewish perspective on matters of import to Jews - just as expert doctors are those most qualified (though still fallible, to be sure) to offer medical advice.[1]
Rabbi Bechhofer has written a fascinating article regarding the deception of gedolim concerning a forgery of the Yerushalmi.
available here
The Talmud Yerushalmi on Kodashim
Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer, Editor Or Shmuel, Rosh Kollel, Frumi Noble Night Kollel of Hebrew Theological College.
It seems clear from the Rishonim that they had access to the Talmud Yerushalmi on Seder Kodashim, In the introduction to his commentary on the Mishnah, the Rambam states explicitly that on the first five sedarim, both the Talmud Bavli and Talmud Yerushalmi are extant. During the course of time, however, the Yerushalmi on the entire seder of Kodashim was lost, and for several hundred years no manuscript on this seder was known to exist. (See the introduction of Rabbi Mordechai Zev Segal of Lvov to the Zhitomer [1866] edition of the Talmud Yerushalmi.)
In the year 1907, however, a mysterious person suddenly appeared in Hungary, calling himself Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Algazi-Friedlander. Rabbi Algazi-Friedlander j published what he claimed to be the Yerushalmi on tractates Chullin and Bechoros, thus instigating a battle royal amongst the Gedolei Hador. A personal account of this chapter in the history of the Talmud was written by Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Greenwald of Columbus, Ohio, and printed in the Sefer Hayovel of HaPardes (1953), Here is a synopsis of the story,
Prohibition of leaving Babylonia for Israel during the Exile
Kesubos (111a): Rab Judah stated in the name of Samuel: As it is forbidden to leave the Land of Israel for Babylon so it is forbidden to leave Babylon34 for other countries. Both Rabbah and R. Joseph said: Even from Pumbeditha35 to Be Kubi.36 A man once moved from Pumbeditha to [settle in] Be Kubi and R. Joseph placed him under the ban. A man once left Pumbeditha to [take up his abode at] Astunia,37 and he died.38 Said Abaye: 'If this young scholar wanted it, he could still have been alive'.
Rambam(Melachim 5:12):... the prohibition is even to leave Babylonia for Israel
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Daas Torah: Divrei Chaim claimed heretic mislead gedolim to write that they agreed with him
Divrei Chaim (Y.D. #105)... Thus we see that ruach hakodesh and the agreement with Gd never stopped from the sages who were deserving of this ability. This is also clear from the statement of Rav Pinchas ben Yair (Avoda Zara 20b). And this that is says in Sotah (48b) that after the days of the Prophets that ruach hakodesh was taken away – that means the ruach hakodesh of prophesy but not the ruach hakodesh of intellect and the ability to have one's intellect be in agreement with the halacha that was given to Moshe at Sinai or Rav Avesar - that never stopped. Only a heretic denies this. And this that he claims that contemporary gedolim have written that ruach hakodesh has totally stopped – I don't believe that such a statement would be issued by our gedolim. Who knows what this disgusting deceiver wrote them. The truth is that even in our days there is to sages of the truth - who are not influenced in the slightest by the material – ruach hakodesh as is explained in Moreh Nevuchim (2:36) and the Ramban explicitly.
Difference Is the Norm on These Dating Sites
Sherry Nevius, single and 52, is looking for a mate with all the important adjectives — caring, sincere, intelligent, funny. Oh, and one more thing: disabled.
Born with cerebral palsy, Ms. Nevius uses a wheelchair. She is independent and mobile, but would prefer to meet a man who could roll alongside her.
"That way we're on equal ground," she said.
Ms. Nevius has dated several perfectly nice able-bodied men, but none seemed willing to start a serious relationship.
"I think they were a little bit scared because they didn't know how to treat me," she said. She lives in Normal, Ill., a town with few single men around her age, let alone familiar and comfortable with disability. [...]
פילוסופיה והעיר הקדושה
אפיקורסים שמאמינים
מתוך כ-30 אברכים בכולל של אברהם, שבעה מתוכם הם, כפי שהוא שמגדיר, "בעניין". אברהם, כמו כל חרדי בעל דעות "לא קונבנציונליות", זהיר מאוד. אך במגרש הביתי, מול קהל מאזינים סקרן וצמא, מתגלגלים הטיעונים לוויכוחים לוהטים, ודעות מהפכניות ביחס לחשיבה החרדית יתכתשו אלה באלה, הרחק מעין הממסד השמרני.
"הפילוסופיה מאז ומעולם הייתה בתוך עולם הישיבות", הוא אומר, ומבהיר שחיים נחמן ביאליק, והחבורה מוולוז'ין לא המציאו את קיומו של "הספר הנוסף" המוסתר תחת ספרי הגמרא. לדבריו, בישיבות כמו פונוביז' וחברון, השכבה האינטלקטואלית התעניינה בפילוסופיה מאז ומתמיד, בסתר כמובן.
Placebos Work Even if You Know They're Fake: But How?
Physicians have long believed that some form of deception is essential to the placebo effect: after all, if you tell people that you're giving them a fake drug, why would they respond by getting better? But new research suggests that it may one day be possible to use placebos in everyday medicine without misleading patients into thinking they might get active treatment.The study, which was published in the journal PloS One, included 80 patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that causes abdominal pain, bloating and frequent bouts of either constipation, diarrhea or cycling between the two. There is no specific treatment other than managing symptoms, which can range from mild to severe.
Participants — who were mainly on the severe end of the spectrum — were randomized to receive either a placebo or no treatment. Those given the placebo were told that they would be taking "placebo pills made of an inert substance, like sugar pills, that have been shown in clinical studies to produce significant improvement in IBS symptoms through mind-body self-healing processes."
They were instructed that taking the medication at the times and doses prescribed was "critical." In essence, the researchers revealed that they were using placebos — but, unlike the approach used in typical trials, they told patients that the pills work. The no-treatment group simply interacted with the medical staff in appointments of the same length as those given the placebo. All patients stayed on medication schedules or diets they were already following — no changes were allowed during treatment. [...]
Monday, December 27, 2010
Pope's statement - Paedophillia was acceptable in the 1970's - outrages victims
Clerical abuse victims around the world have reacted in fury to Pope Benedict's claim yesterday that as recently as the 1970s pedophilia wasn't considered an "absolute evil".
During his traditional Christmas address last Monday to cardinals and other religious officials in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI also said that child pornography was considered "normal" by society.
"In the 1970s, paedophilia was theorised as something fully in conformity with man and even with children," the Pope said. "It was maintained -- even within the realm of Catholic theology -- that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a 'better than' and a 'worse than'. Nothing is good or bad in itself."[...]
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Ruach hakodesh & Ruach hakodesh of the intellect are not the same
Daas Torah - translation copyrighted
Friday, December 24, 2010
Chazon Ish: Ruach Hakodesh is intellect joined with the Divine
Shulchan Aruch is the default view only when Achronim are deadlocked
Chazon Ish (C.M. 1:1 Likutim): Concerning the matter of the dispute over semicha in post-Talmudic times, the deciding factor in halachic matters is always according to which side has proofs which are stronger and more reasonable. Even though we normally follow the Shulchan Aruch – nevertheless were are accustomed to deviate from the Shulchan Aruch because the Achronim deviate from its rulings with correct proofs according to the understanding of the gedolim in each generation. So therefore for each halacha we are forced to study the analysis of the Achronim because intellectual reasoning is the decisive factor. However when the matter is deadlocked because the sides are equal – then we follow the disputant who is greater and that is why we accept the rulings of the Beis Yosef and Rema. So therefore in the dispute concerning semicha – according to our understanding those who rejected the new semicha are more cogent and understandable. Those who supported it are not understandable.
Chazon Ish said he can disagree with Rishonim except in psak halacha
Heretic: Denies the Mishna Berura and other major seforim were written with ruach hakodesh
Psak is different for post-Talmudic authorites who lack ruach hakodesh
Poskim today can not claim that earlier sources didn't know the metziius (reality)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Child abuse - Rabbis & Calling the Police: A common misunderstanding
Shmarya Rosenberg (http://profile.typepad.com/
What Rabbi Shternbuch actually says is that if there is "clear evidence" of child abuse, one should disregard any rabbi who instructed him not to go to police. But what about when there is evidence, but it isn't "clear" – meaning overwhelmingly certain – the person is guilty? Then you have to listen to the rabbi.
In other words, according to Rabbi Shternbuch, it is rabbis who should decide whether or not police should be called. And this is a big problem when rabbis have played key roles in so many coverups of sexual abuse.
Now why is it, David, that you don't mention this?
Posted by Shmarya Rosenberg to at 23 December 2010 03:14
On Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 5:37 PM, Daniel Eidensohn <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote:
It is obvious that the commenter has not read the book or he would know that what he is asserting simply not true. He is making a misleading comment and it ignores the complex reality of abuse cases as well as overestimates the value of the police in being able to help. While there is no question that there have been cases and there are still cases where rabbis have insisted that a child not be helped even when in danger - that is not what Rav Sternbuch said as can clearly be seen from what he wrote and what he approved in my book - as well as what he told me and permitted to be publicized in his name. He said that you are to decide whether to listen to the rabbi and whether his response endangers the welfare of a child. He clearly said you do not listen to a rabbi if you feel there is a possibility that he is giving you bad advice.
1) If it is clearly a immediate danger to the child and there is no time to speak to anyone - call the police. 2) If it is uncertain if there is abuse but if the child is in danger than he can only be protected by the police - than call the police. 3) If it is certain but you know that a complaint won't be filed and therefore the police won't do anything - then it is important to contact a rabbi who is experienced in these matters and consults with experienced therapists and community leaders and the police. 4) If you have a suspicion - i.e., you saw a man hugging children or being very friendly with them - then go to the experienced rabbi. If you are not satisfied with his response than ask another rabbi (the responsibility is not the rabbi's but yours). 5) If you have a child in your class that is withdrawn - but there is no complaint but it might be the result of abuse - then go to your experienced rabbi. You should also consult with a mental health worker who might advise what the next step is. 5) If there is mandatory reporting - then you obey that law and go to the police.
In sum - the rabbi is not a substitute for your good judgment but is a consultant to help bring clarity and objectivity as well as protecting the rights of others. If he tells you not to do anything and you think that might be a danger to the child - than go ask another rabbi. At no time are you to allow a child to be in danger (according to your evaluation) nor are you to violate mandatory reporting laws. The rabbi is there to represent the community, provide objectivity and prevent against mob rule - and protect others against false accusation. He is not a dictator that requires total submission - either in deed or thought. You are not to listen to him if you feel he is telling you to do something which is endangering a child or even possibly endangering a child.
Shulchan Aruch was written with divine inspiration & guidance
Kitzur Takfo Kohen (Choshen Mishpat 25:124): … When a law is mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch in which both Rav Yosef Karo and the Rema omit the dissenting minority view – I have a tradition and I have seen this done by expert judges and I myself do it - that a claim of "kim li" [utilizing a minority view to defend against monetary loss] is not accepted. It is well established and accepted by the sages over the generations to observe and do precisely what it says in the terse language of the Shulchan Aruch and the Rema. There is no doubt in my mind that it was all written from Gd Who guided their hands. This can be seen from the many questions of the Achronim on the Shulchan Aruch and the resulting sharp and brilliant answers. And thus within its sweet and terse language are many laws. There is absolutely no question that [Rav Yosef Karo Aruch and Rema] did not consciously write it that way. Because how would it be possible that they be conscious of every detail of their writing - given the awesome task required of them in this work for heaven. Who is capable of writing a book on the entire Torah based on the Rishonim and Achronim and not be overwhelmed by producing this work for heaven. It is obvious that it was only accomplished because they were infused with the spirit of Gd so that their language would precisely express the halacha – even though they had no awareness of this when they wrote it. That which Gd desired was successfully done through them. Therefore - Gd forbid to say "kim li" against the halachic decisions of the Shulchan Aruch and Rema…
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Philosophers for Kung Fu: A Response
Thanks to all the readers who have commented on my previous article in the Stone "Kung Fu for Philosophers." I found many comments thoughtful and inspiring, for which I am deeply grateful. Instead of trying to respond to all, as it is obviously impractical, I would like to offer some additional remarks to supplement my previous article as my response.
Several years ago, I was invited for lunch by a man named Wu Bing, who was the former martial arts coach of the kung fu movie star Jet Li. Mr. Wu and I did not know each other, and I had no idea why he invited me for lunch. I was more puzzled when I got there — Mr. Wu insisted that I be seated in the most prominent spot, and placed himself and all his associates at the table in lesser positions. With the ritual setting in order, he then humbly presented me a classic martial arts manual, and asked if I could explain the introduction of the book for him. "It is full of philosophical terms," he said. "I have trouble understanding it." [...]
Rav Dessler - Daas Torah means not only total obedience but an inability to judge gedolim
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Child & Domestic Abuse Book: Review by David Morris
Tzedek-Tzedek Blog has a review of my book by David Morris who is also one of the contributors.
Baal HaTanya - Don't ask a rebbe for secular advise
Cancer drugs costing billions annually - are worthless
In the wake of the FDA's decision start the process to revoke Avastin's approval in breast cancer last week, patients are puzzled and angry over how a drug once touted as a breakthrough now can be branded as ineffective. The controversy illustrates just how much the much-vaunted revolution in cancer therapy is driven by hype and high prices.
Selling cancer drugs has become big business, with $52 billion in sales last year, according to IMS. Some $6 billion of it goes right to Roche's Avastin, the biggest selling of the new drugs. No wonder companies like Merck and Pfizer are racing to develop new cancer drugs.
But even as sales reach new heights, and prices keep going up–pretty much any cancer drug now costs $50,000 a year–the results from many trials are getting less and less impressive. Tarceva from Roche extends the life of pancreatic cancer patients by two weeks. Avastin has now failed to extend the lives of breast cancer patients in three giant trials.[...]
Monday, December 20, 2010
Rav Moshe Feinstein:Can one disagree with the Chazon Ish & other gedolim
Cancer-Causing Hexavalent Chromium In Tap Water Of 89% Of US Sampled Cities
Carcinogenic hexavalent chromium, the "Erin Brockovich chemical" was found in the tap water of 31 cities out of a total of 35 tested by The Environmental Working Group. The scientists estimate that at least 74 million people in the USA in 42 states regularly drink chromium-tainted water, and a considerable proportion of it is in the carcinogenic hexavalent form.
Hexavalent chromium is recognized as a human carcinogen. Some workers are exposed to the chemical, and exposure is known to sometimes occur among those who handle chromate-containing products, as well as those who arc weld stainless steel. The European Union has the world's strictest laws regarding hexavalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium use in the European Union in electronic equipment, for example, is largely prohibited by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive.
Highest levels of hexavalent chromium in tap water were found in Norman; Oklahoma, Riverside; California, and Honolulu; Hawaii. Safety limits proposed by California regulators were exceeded in samples from 25 US cities, the scientists revealed.[...]
Israel's Security Barrier Presents Irony for Palestinian Workers
As U.S. mediators work to restart Mideast peace negotiations, Israel is continuing work on a security barrier that has been under construction for years. Israel's aim is to save Israeli lives by keeping out Palestinian bombers.
The result has been a sharp reduction in the number of terrorist attacks in recent years. At the same time, Palestinians complain the barrier - consisting of both chain link fences and concrete walls - has created hardship by restricting their movement. Some, however, have benefited from it. [...]
,Jerusalem Breslov leader was held 'captive for years'
A scandal that is rocking the Breslov community of Shuvu Banim has taken another twist, with its spiritual leader Rabbi Eliezer Berland's return to his Jerusalem home from his hiding place in the North on Saturday night, after breaking away from 10 years of captivity, during which he says he was little more than a marionette controlled by his son and grandson.
Some two weeks ago, prominent members of the small Jerusalem-based community found a DVD outside their homes, containing videos and documents proving that the 73- year-old Berland was in fact being controlled by his son, Rabbi Nachman Berland, and grandson Nathan Berland, who for years prevented direct access to the older man and dictated his every move and action.
Shortly afterward, Eliezer staged his kidnapping to flee to the North, where he took refuge in Moshav Amirim, initially not disclosing his whereabouts. In a phone call with some 20 of his closest hassidim, Eliezer recalled the torment he underwent.[...]
The Gift of Endless Memory - Superior Autobiographical Memory
It is often said that we are our memories - that web of experiences, relationships, thoughts, and feelings that make us who we are. We don't remember it all of course. That would be impossible. Or would it?
There has been a discovery in the field of memory recently, so new you won't find it in any textbook. It's so hard to fathom, there are some who remain unconvinced.
For the moment, the scientists studying it are simply calling it "superior autobiographical memory." And unless you happen to know one of the handful of people discovered so far who have it, get ready to be amazed. [...]
Serious Mental Health Needs Seen Growing at Colleges
Rushing a student to a psychiatric emergency room is never routine, but when Stony Brook University logged three trips in three days, it did not surprise Jenny Hwang, the director of counseling.
It was deep into the fall semester, a time of mounting stress with finals looming and the holiday break not far off, an anxiety all its own.
On a Thursday afternoon, a freshman who had been scraping bottom academically posted thoughts about suicide on Facebook. If I were gone, he wrote, would anybody notice? An alarmed student told staff members in the dorm, who called Dr. Hwang after hours, who contacted the campus police. Officers escorted the student to the county psychiatric hospital. [...]
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Mishne Berura: Status & Nature
I had written: Chazon Ish: The paradox of majority rule & Daas Torah
So far have found this is the view of Get Poshut,Sheilas Dovid, Shach, Maharetz Chajes, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Minchas Chinuch. It is probable that the Mishna Berura disagrees. This is rather odd since it seems the majority view is that they need to meet and discuss it so how could the Mishna Berura disagree? It also seems that the Chazon Ish didn't hold by Daas Torah ie the view of the Gedolim or even majority of Gedolim - but rather that of the local rav.
Chazon Ish [i](Beginning of Kelayim): [[It is well known that the requirement to follow the majority applies only to a beis din which is in session, but regarding scholars holding different views who lived at different times or in different places, the question of majority or minority is not relevant. In a particular area where most of the Torah derives from a particular rabbi and his disciples, and the disciples' disciples, it is correct to follow their rabbi even in a matter in which the majority (of authorities) holds a different opinion.[...]
The respondent - who wishes to remain anonymous wrote the following:
I have b'Mesorah from 3 different sources that the Mishne Berura's approach was a departure from normative:
1) My Zaideh - a contemporary of Rav Yaakov and Rav Aharon (actually even though the same age he arrived in Slabodka 3 years before they did) who was a Rov in Europe and in Chicago told my father who told me that the Mishne Berura was NOT accepted in Europe at all. The Aruch HaShulchon was considered the Posek (Sefer) to consult
2) Rav Schwab told me that when he visited R. Chaim Ozer and he shared that he had just been by the Chofez Chaim. Rav Chaim Ozer responded to him, "Un vos zogt de Ba'al Habo'os!"
3) When I was a young Yeshiva Bochur in Washington Heights and we would come with the Mishne Berura's conclusion as an objection to the accustomed Hanhogo of the Kehila, Rav Breuer would give us a knowing benevolent smile and say, "The Minhogim of the Kehilla predate the Mishne Berura by a couple of hundred years"
The popularization in our day that the Mishne Berura is "Posek Acharon" is the result Of Rav Aharon and Rav Yaakov's strong support but others were vigorously opposed to the whole approach. See also Chazon Ish (Igros 1:32) on the use of newly uncovered manuscripts to modify standard Halocho
The position of the Chazon Ish below is a gemoro in Horoyos 2b. ie that someone who is Higiah l'Horoyo is responsible for his own Halachic decisions and cannot just "cave in" to Daas Rabim of Talmidei Chachomim. If he does he is considered To'eh b'Mitzvo Lishmoeh Divrei Chachomim.. This is paskened Halocho l'Maaseh in Rambam Shgogos. and brought by Ramban in his Hasogos to Sefer HaMitzvos Shoresh 1 on Lo Sosur (pg 14 of old editions).. only if the Sanhedrin convenes and votes down his position must he capitulate. otherwise he is obligated to follow his own understanding and conclusion even if runs contrary to the majority. The Ramban cites Rabi Yehoshua & Rabon Gamliel concerning Yom Kipur
Difficutly in proving sexual assault
At 17 years old, Preston Hill is known around the Fresno area as an accomplished wrestler, a leader of his high school team, the Buchanan Bears, and a potential candidate for a college scholarship in the sport he loves.
But over the past several months, Preston has been battling another opponent, the Fresno County district attorney, who has charged him with a bizarre crime: using a wrestling move to sexually assault a teammate.
According to a police report, during a July practice Preston used a maneuver informally known as a "butt drag" — which involves grabbing the haunch of an opponent to gain leverage — to roughly and intimately assault a smaller, younger wrestler on his team in retaliation for a supposed affront. [...]
Cabinet approves bill excusing ultra-Orthodox from IDF service
The cabinet approved on Sunday two recommendations affecting the ultra-Orthodox community, one of which will release most of them from mandatiory military service in exchange for alternative work in a civilian service.
The second proposal was to accept the recommendations of an interministerial committee to limit to five years the time yeshiva students can receive stipends. In addition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that 50 million additional shekels would be given to aid other students in need in conjunction with the proposals dealing with yeshiva students. [...]
Body of U.S. tourist found near Jerusalem; police suspect terror attack
Israeli security forces early Sunday found the body of Christine Logan, an American tourist woman feared kidnapped by Arab assailants while hiking with a friend near Jerusalem the day before.
Logan's friend, 46-year-old Kaye Susan Wilson, was hospitalized after she managed to escape her attackers despite multiple stab wounds and her hands tied behind her back. [...]
Medical science reverses itself on carbohydrates
Most people can count calories. Many have a clue about where fat lurks in their diets. However, fewer give carbohydrates much thought, or know why they should.
But a growing number of top nutritional scientists blame excessive carbohydrates — not fat — for America's ills. They say cutting carbohydrates is the key to reversing obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
"Fat is not the problem," says Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "If Americans could eliminate sugary beverages, potatoes, white bread, pasta, white rice and sugary snacks, we would wipe out almost all the problems we have with weight and diabetes and other metabolic diseases." [...]
Bloody Muslim ritual in Lebanon
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Humans, Like Animals, Are Fearless Without Amygdala
In the 1930s, researchers discovered that when a certain part of monkeys' brains was removed, the animals became fearless. They approached snakes, started batting them around like sticks and played with their hissing tongues.
This experiment has been repeated in animals numerous times, and the scientific consensus is that when the amygdala is removed, an animal loses any sense of fear.
Now, scientists have confirmed that a missing amygdala results in similar behavior in humans, according to a study in the journal Current Biology. [...]
Somber Farewell Melava Malka For Spinka Rebbe Before Being Sent To Prison | AllJewishLinks.com
Queens Jewish Community to host child safety program on January 2
behavior, the Queens Jewish community is hosting a critical program for
parents, teachers, and rabbonim that will focus on prevention, awareness
and action strategies. The program, which is entitled "Keep Kids Safe
from Inappropriate Behavior at School and in the Neighborhood," will
take place on Sunday, January 2, 2011 at 7:30 PM at the Young Israel of
Kew Gardens Hills, which is located at 150-05 70th Road in Kew Gardens
Hills, New York.
This program is provided free of charge as a community service and is
being sponsored by the National Council of Young Israel, the Queens
Jewish Community Council, the Queens County District Attorney's Office,
the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, and JBFCS' UJA-Federation's Partners in
Caring @Pride of Judea.
Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum, the Mara D'asra of Congregation Nachlas
Yitzchak in Queens, New York, will discuss halachic perspectives; Dr.
Shloimie Zimmerman, Psy.D, a psychologist in private practice in
Brooklyn, New York, will discuss psychological perspectives; and Lois
Raff, Esq., Counsel to the Queens County District Attorney, will discuss
legal perspectives. The communal response will be discussed by Rabbi Zvi
Y. Gluck, Clergy/Liaison to the Community Affairs Division, NYPD/Queens
South; Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld, the Mara D'asra of the Young Israel of
Kew Gardens Hills; and Daniel Maurer, the President of the Young Israel
of Kew Gardens Hills.
For more information about "Keep Kids Safe from Inappropriate Behavior
at School and in the Neighborhood," call the National Council of Young
Israel's Director of Programming, Rebbetzin Judi Steinig, at
212-929-1525, or send an e-mail to email@example.com.
Massive hunt for US woman feared snatched near J'lem
A huge police and IDF search was under way on Saturday night for a woman feared kidnapped in the Beit Shemesh-Jerusalem area, in what police think could be a nationalistically motivated incident.
The search, which was joined by volunteers, was launched after another Kaye Susan Wilson, found with her hands bound and several stab wounds in her chest and back, reported being attacked by two Arab men in a forest near Mata, located outside Jerusalem, within the Green Line. [...]
Convictions upheld in murder of French Jew Halimi
A French appeals court has upheld the convictions of 16 people for their roles in the 2006 kidnapping, torture and murder of a young French Jew - handing down sentences of up to 18 years in prison.
The appeals court in Creteil was hearing the appeals of defendants already convicted by a lower court into the slaying of Ilan Halimi, who was lured into their custody by a young woman, then sequestered and killed.
The ringleader, Youssouf Fofana, was not on trial in the proceedings that began Oct. 25: He chose not to appeal his conviction and life sentence. Fofana, a 28 year-old of Ivoirian origin, expressed no remorse and expressed defiance throughout his trial. On various occasions, he smirked at Halimi's relatives, shouted "Allahu Akbar!" and at one point threw shoes at lawyers. [...]
Lieberman leads Senate Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
New York priest defrocked for child sex abuse
A high-ranking New York priest has been found guilty by a church tribunal of sexually abusing a minor in the 1970s, according to a statement obtained Saturday from the Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
Monsignor Charles M. Kavanagh was dismissed from the priesthood following the decision Wednesday by the tribunal, which was acting on authority from the Vatican.
The accuser, a former seminary student of Kavanagh's, brought the case to the Manhattan district attorney in 2002. He then wrote to Edward Cardinal Egan, the former Archbishop of New York, informing him of his claim, according to the Office of Communications for the Archdiocese. [...]
Beneath the Dead Sea, Scientists Are Drilling for Natural History
Five miles out, nearly to the center of the Dead Sea, an international team of scientists has been drilling beneath the seabed to extract a record of climate change and earthquake history stretching back half a million years.
The preliminary evidence and clues found halfway through the 40-day project are more than the team could have hoped for. The scientists did not expect to pull up a wood fragment that was roughly 400,000 years old. Nor did they expect to come across a layer of gravel from a mere 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. That finding would seem to indicate that what is now the middle of the Dead Sea — which is really a big salt lake — was once a shore, and that the water level had managed to recover naturally. [...]
Astronomer Sues University, Claiming Religion Cost Him a Job
In 2007, C. Martin Gaskell, an astronomer at the University of Nebraska, was a leading candidate for a job running an observatory at the University of Kentucky. But then somebody did what one does nowadays: an Internet search.
That search turned up evidence of Dr. Gaskell's evangelical Christian faith.
The University of Kentucky hired someone else. And Dr. Gaskell sued the institution.
Whether his faith cost him the job and whether certain religious beliefs may legally render people unfit for certain jobs are among the questions raised by the case, Gaskell v. University of Kentucky. [...]
Transplants cut in Arizona justified by incorrect data
First, it was distraught patients awaiting organ transplants who protested Arizona's decision to no longer cover such operations under its Medicaid program.
Now, Arizonans who received such transplants, and are alive and well as a result of them, are questioning the data that lawmakers relied on to make their controversial benefit cuts.
"They say it's too expensive," said Star Boelter, 52, who had a stem cell transplant that was paid for by Arizona's Medicaid program in 2009 after suffering from leukemia. "Well, how much is life worth? They say most people die. Well, I'm alive because of my transplant." [...]
Friday, December 17, 2010
Scientist alleges religious discrimination in Ky.
An astronomer argues that his Christian faith and his peers' belief that he is an evolution skeptic kept him from getting a prestigious job as the director of a new student observatory at the University of Kentucky.
Martin Gaskell quickly rose to the top of a list of applicants being considered by the university's search committee. One member said he was "breathtakingly above the other applicants."
Others openly worried his Christian faith could conflict with his duties as a scientist, calling him "something close to a creationist" and "potentially evangelical." [...
Laws fail to keep sex offenders from working in schools, federal report finds
People with a record of sexual misconduct are often able to land positions in public and private schools as teachers, support staff, volunteers or contractors, slipping through a system of background checks meant to thwart them, federal investigators reported Thursday.
Among the 15 cases the Government Accountability Office reviewed was that of former Manassas teacher Kevin Ricks, who pleaded guilty this year to abusing a male student and faces other sex and pornography charges related to his long career in education. The Washington Post in July disclosed questions about Ricks, his school employment record, and allegations against him of sexual advances toward several students in Maryland and Virginia.
Eleven of the 15 cases, the GAO reported, showed that offenders who had previously targeted children were able to obtain positions in schools.
"Even more disturbing," the report concluded, they were able in at least six cases to use those positions to abuse more children. The report found: [...]
Maharal: The dangers of universal education and access of the masses to clear texts
Incident on Lakewood bus: 4 teen boys accused of bias intimidation of their school bus driver
Four teenagers were arrested Tuesday night and charged with bias intimidation of their bus driver after praising the Ku Klux Klan during the ride home from school, township police confirmed.
The four boys, all about 15 years old, are accused of crowding behind their black female school bus driver after she objected to their conversation, during which they used racial slurs about the KKK's violence against blacks, Lt. Paul Daly of the Lakewood police said.
"They stood behind her instead of being seated," Daly said Thursday. "She felt intimidated."
They boys were arrested on the bus and released later into the custody of their parents.[...]
Sefer HaBris: Due to the great stature of the Rambam - theology took a look time to develop
From Daas Torah - translation copyrighted
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Phone-Wielding Shoppers Strike Fear Into Retailers
Tri Tang, a 25-year-old marketer, walked into a Best Buy Co. store in Sunnyvale, Calif., this past weekend and spotted the perfect gift for his girlfriend.
Last year, he might have just dropped the $184.85 Garmin global positioning system into his cart. This time, he took out his Android phone and typed the model number into an app that instantly compared the Best Buy price to those of other retailers. He found that he could get the same item on Amazon.com Inc.'s website for only $106.75, no shipping, no tax.[...]


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Moving economic discussions beyond a fetishization of tax cuts need not be a surrender to the Left. There are, after all, authentically conservative responses to financial consolidation, deindustrialization, escalating health-care costs, soaring energy prices, and middle-class decline. It seems clear that, if Republicans cannot craft a message and a policy platform that speak to the needs of many in the middle and working classes, their ability to form a national governing coalition will remain in doubt. (It's worth noting that Democrats may even have won a majority of the aggregate popular vote for the House.)
What does not seem so clear, however, is how an expansive legalization of current illegal workers, and the new wave of illegal labor such a legalization would be likely to initiate, could improve the economic prospects of the working class or win them over to the Republican side. There might be other reasons to support an amnesty for illegal immigrants, but hopes that such an amnesty will be an electoral panacea are misguided. Perhaps the most promising strategy for winning over native-born and immigrant voters alike would be for Republicans to put forward policies that speak to the needs of the vast economic middle and of economic strivers of all income levels.

subset: commoncrawl


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Vince Russo joins Glenn Rubenstein (@GlennRubenstein) and Raj Giri (@RajGiri_303) for the Wrestling Inc. podcast. Topics discussed included:
- Tonight's WWE Battleground PPV
- The week ahead following the draft
- If Brock Lesnar should be punished by WWE
And more!
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Just a reminder that you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes as well as our RSS feed, which you can use to subscribe through any podcast app. If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and rate on iTunes! Also don't forget to give us a thumbs up and subscribe on Youtube.


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Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "Campbell Brown," "AC360°" and "State of the Union With John King," as well as special event coverage.
Gloria Borger says the president has to lead the way out of the confusing health care debate.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a way, the president really has no other choice but to finally speak -- and speak conclusively about what he wants in a health care reform bill.
After all, 67 percent of Americans told CBS pollsters over the weekend that the health care debate is "confusing." Only 31 percent thought they had a "clear understanding" of the issues involved. What's worse, the uncertainty cut across party lines. For once, in this polarized time, Democrats and Republicans agree on something: They're perplexed by this health care debate.
And so the White House has announced the president will address a joint session of Congress September 9. It's better late than never.
It hasn't been an easy summer. And maybe, when this is all over, administration aides will look back at their initial strategy with some chagrin. You'll recall the plan was to allow Congress to legislate first, in order to avoid the mistakes of then-first lady Hillary Clinton 16 years ago. She presented a health care reform plan to Congress which then became a big, fat target. The bill died, and she was excoriated.
So the Obama White House (full of ex-Clintonites) developed its anti-Clinton strategy. But Congress became bogged down (surprise!) in its own partisan free-for-all. Some House committees passed predictably liberal legislation and the Senate dithered just as predictably on trying to reach some sort of bipartisan compromise.
In the end, over the summer, two key Republican senators who had been part of bipartisan negotiations bolted. Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Mike Enzi of Wyoming, confronted by angry and confused constituents, abandoned reform. Enzi said the Democrats' proposal would "raid Medicare." And Grassley, the ranking Republican Senate Finance Committee member and the GOP's key to negotiations, just sent out a fundraising letter asking for voters to help him "defeat Obama-care."
So much for bipartisanship.
Now comes the president, trying to save reform. "We are taking the discussion to the next level," a senior administration official tells me. And what about that strategy of avoiding Hillary Clinton's mistakes?
Won't any presidential plan become a target? "At this point, we already are a target for those folks who don't want to do anything," says this adviser. "People like Grassley and Enzi have pulled the plug on this process."
The big question now, of course, is whether the president will stick with his plan for a public option. The likely answer: is he won't. It's an answer that will enrage the Democratic left -- and, most notably, labor -- but it might actually help sell the legislation to the public. It's not as if the White House expects that suddenly Republicans will start clamoring for health reform, but it gives the administration the ability to say "We compromised in a big way, and Republicans still said no way."
And the president needs to set his priorities as he lays out his plan. What's the main need here? Universal coverage? Better coverage that ensures that those with pre-existing conditions can get insurance? Medical cost containment? Deficit reduction? And once he lays out his goals, he can make it clear that the public option is not the only way to get there. Indeed, it's curious that the White House allowed the public plan to become such a centerpiece of the debate when it actually isn't.
In the end, the Democratic left could decide to bolt. That, of course, would be at its own peril. A new CNN poll released today shows that a majority of Americans still want to get something done on health care -- and they want Congress to continue the work it started before the August recess. They understand the key issue here: things will only get worse: two-thirds recognize that the problems facing the health care system will affect all of us if they're not fixed.
It's a message for all members of Congress. In losing Sen. Ted Kennedy, the Democrats not only lost someone who would unite the party, they also lost a legislator and a senator with a memory of what can happen when purity gets in the way of compromise.
Kennedy knew it firsthand. As a young senator fighting for health care, he was offered a version of universal coverage by President Nixon. He declined to accept it and got nothing instead. It was a mistake, he often told staffers. Even if it wasn't perfect, he would have had a foundation he could have built upon over the years.
Instead, we are back at ground zero still trying to climb out of the hole. It's gotten steeper as costs, fears and partisanship have mounted. Now the president has to start digging us out.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger.
All About Barack Obama • Health Care Policy • Chuck Grassley


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Hall of Fame
Here are some photos of my Wilson Hyper ProStaff 6.0 95 with a paintjob of the HPS6.1 with the silver "w"s on the hoop (most HPS 6.0/6.1 paintjobs have the yellow "w"s). I think this is a great looking paintjob, and this is a rare racket, it is some sort of Pro stock from 2002.
Actually Roger Federer used this exact paintjob briefly at the start of 2002 on his PS85 racket, just before he started using his custom 90 racket (initially with the HPS6.0 with yellow "w"s paintjob), which he has seemingly used ever since throughout his career.
These are 2 great threads, especially the first one discussing Roger Federer racket paintjobs throughout his career, some superb detailed info. and photos (thanks to faultfoot) here I think.
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Lawyer Wants New Law To Hold Parents Criminally Liable For Their Kids' 'Cyberbullying'
from the another-tragedy-and-another-misguided-crusade dept
Lakeland, Florida has yet to erect any cyberbullying laws in the wake of a 12-years-old student's suicide, setting it apart from many other locales which have reacted badly to tragedies by rushing out overly broad and under-thought legislation. Of course, this plus is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has pretty much turned his office into a vigilante squad after declaring his "zero tolerance" (and made up just right now) policy against cyberbullying.
Judd arrested 14-year-old Guadalupe Shaw for a Facebook post in which she acknowledged bullying Rebecca Sedwick and noted she "didn't give a fuck" that the 12-year-old had killed herself. Judd charged Shaw with aggravated stalking. Not content with that, Judd tasked his investigators with finding something he could charge Shaw's parents with because he was unimpressed with Shaw's unrepentant attitude and her parents' failure to "smash" Shaw's computer into "thousands of pieces" after they found out about her activities.
Lucky for Judd, investigators found something, although that "something" isn't entirely related to Shaw's alleged bullying of Sedwick.
An outspoken Florida sheriff who arrested a 14-year-old girl for cyber-bullying after a younger schoolmate killed herself has filed child abuse charges against her mother, over an unrelated incident.Judd has held Shaw's mother, Vivian Lee Vosburg, on child abuse charges. Meanwhile, Shaw has been released pending a court appearance. Not exactly what Judd was looking for when he first stated his desire to charge Shaw's parents for contributing (I guess) to the bullying of Rebecca Sedwick, but it seems to fit the narrative he's portraying.
Polk County sheriff Grady Judd said Vivien Lee Vosburg, 30, punched and shouted obscenities at several children in her care in a violent incident in June that was captured on video [which can be viewed here] and later posted to Facebook by one of the children.
"This clearly indicates to us that this appears to be a normal way of life," said Judd, who has declared a "zero tolerance" approach to cyber-bullying in his county. "They're laughing and cussing and throwing the F-bomb around, then they're posting that conduct for all to see. It is clear not only has Vosburg demonstrated she cannot control the behaviour of children she has access to without using violence, but she is obviously not monitoring the social media sites of children she has access to either.Judd's getting what he wants: a chance to prosecute parents for a child's behavior, all of which is punishment for another child's suicide. But so far, he and his "zero tolerance" have been limited to existing laws. Unfortunately, someone wants to change that, and that someone is none other than George Zimmerman's defense attorney, Mark O'Mara.
"I'm astounded by this conduct, I'm astounded that it was posted and then I'm even more astounded that it stayed there."
Of Guadalupe Shaw, Judd said: "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Florida attorney Mark O'Mara is stepping onto center stage in the debate over how much parents should be held responsible for children's cyberbullying. He plans to draft legislation to impose criminal liability on parents who show "willful blindness or gross negligence" to the kind of online torment allegedly inflicted on Rebecca Sedwick, for which two girls were recently arrested.O'Mara's terrible idea looks to do more damage than Sheriff Judd's new found interest in zero tolerance policing of cyberbullies. O'Mara's proposal aims to do what Nova Scotia's atrociously bad cyberbullying law does: hold parents responsible for their children's actions. While O'Mara may have point about legal adults having been historically held responsible for certain illegal acts utilizing property owned by parents, this is breaking new ground.
"If a child kills someone while operating a parent's car, the parents can be held responsible. If a child kills someone while using a parent's gun, the parent can be held responsible. If a child breaks the law using a computer or cellphone provided by the parent, how is that different?" wrote Mr. O'Mara, who served as defense attorney for George Zimmerman in this year's Trayvon Martin murder trial, in his "O'Mara Law Blog" on Thursday.
For one thing, while Nova Scotia's law has the (to date untested) potential to hold parents civilly liable for their children's online bullying actions, O'Mara's draft legislation would hold parents criminally liable, a much more negative potential outcome. The attorney believes the law is needed because (in his opinion) parents have become too lax in monitoring and controlling their children's online activities.
O'Mara acknowledged in his blog that "there are substantial obstacles in the way of passing such legislation," but he said, "If parents won't adopt that responsibility, we need to hold their feet to the fire and insist they share liability, especially when their children's actions have life or death consequences."If O'Mara's legislation is combined with the worst aspects of Nova Scotia's law (purely subjective "standard" for what can be termed "bullying," the entire process is ex parte -- no input from the accused during any step of the process), Floridians are going to have a new nightmare on their hands. Laws like this chill speech by holding normally protected expression to broadly restrictive standards. But all of this is what's come to be expected when people with the power to push legislation and deploy investigators decide to turn a tragedy into a crusade.
Filed Under: cyberbullying, grady judd, guadalupe shaw, liability, mark o'mara, parents, rebecca sedwick, vivan lee vosburg, zero tolerance


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Lehmann questions Samuels on bowling action
IT was not the roof that caused the controversy during the BBL clash between the Melbourne Renegades and the Brisbane Heat at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
It was the bowling action of West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels which stumped Heat coach Darren Lehmann after the hosts won by six wickets and with five balls to spare.
Samuels, an off-spinner, produced a tight spell (0 for 18 off four overs) as the table-topping Renegades made it four from four this season despite looking dead and buried at 3-88 and needing 46 from their final four overs to reach the modest 134 posted by the Heat.
But it was not only the defeat which left Lehmann scratching his head - he wanted to know how someone who jogs in off a couple of steps can legally produce faster balls of about 120km/h.
"I've spoken to the umpires about it," the former Australian representative said.
"I just want something done.
"He (Samuels) couldn't bowl in the IPL (Indian Premier League) last year, yet he can bowl in the BBL.
"We've got to seriously look at what we're doing. Are we here to play cricket properly or what? If he's deemed legal, I'm totally understanding of that.
"But from my point of view from 20 years' cricket, I've got a problem with 120km/h off no steps."
Samuels was suspended from bowling in the IPL after being reported for a suspect action.
Renegades coach Simon Helmot defended Samuels' action when asked if he was confident it was legitimate.
"Absolutely," he said, adding he was disappointed with Lehmann's comments.
"That's up to umpires to decide on legitimacy of actions. It's disappointing to have some comment made like that and we'll take it up with Cricket Australia."


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See what questions
a doctor would ask.
As part of Dup(1) (q25-q32) diagnosis, consider whether any of these Dup(1) (q25-q32) complications may have been overlooked:
Read our premium medical health articles on topics related to undiagnosed conditions in general, not necessarily specific to Dup(1) (q25-q32):
One possible misdiagnosis is the failure to correctly diagnose Dup(1) (q25-q32) leading to a person remaining with undiagnosed Dup(1) (q25-q32). Any condition can potentially be missed and stay undiagnosed. For a general overview of diseases that are often undiagnosed, see Failure to Diagnose or Under-Diagnosed Diseases.
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Health officials say last year was the worst year for measles in the U.S. in 15 years.
There were 222 cases of measles reported. Most of the cases were imported — either by visiting foreigners or by U.S. residents who picked up the virus overseas.
Health official say outbreaks in the U.S. have been fueled by low vaccination rates in Europe and elsewhere.
There were no deaths in the U.S. but about a third of the people were hospitalized. At least two-thirds of the Americans who got the measles hadn't been vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the report Thursday. In a typical year, there are 50 to 60 cases of measles. The previous worst year was 1996, with 508 cases.


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shmenguin wrote:KG wrote:Definitely a soft bottom 6 as of now. I still think Shero is going to make a move or two to toughen those lines up though...
Not really a "soft" bottom 6. Adams, vitale, glass, and the porn guy aren't soft. They're just supremely untalented.
Actually it would be better stated that the Pens bottom 6 is not difficult to play against. That is one huge difference between the 08 final reaching team and the 09 cup winning teams/versus the teams since those two years. The Pens were a team very difficult to play against top to bottom. Especially the bottom 6. They dictated play and actually it was 12 forwards of relentless pressure.
This has sadly been missing at an increasing rate every year since the cup. Now what we have are two world class players, one winger with world class speed. The rest have become really easy to play against...kunitz being the wild card here with the NHL watching those hits like a hawk.
Regardless you can call them soft, you can call them tough but no talent...but what you CANT call them is difficult to play against.


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The New Life: Words of God for Young Disciples of Christ
BY Rev. Andrew Murray
Chapter 11 The Confession Of Sin
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" kjv@1John:1:9.
The one thing which God hates is sin. It grieves and provokes Him, and He will destroy it. The one thing that makes man unhappy is sin ( kjv@Genesis:6:5-6 kjv@Isaiah:43:24 kjv@Ezekiel:33:6 kjv@Revelation:6:16-17 ). The one thing which Jesus had to give His blood for was sin. In all the communication between the sinner and God, this is the first thing which the sinner must bring to his God--sin ( kjv@Judges:10:10 kjv@Judges:10:15-16 kjv@Ezra:9:6 kjv@Nehemiah:9:2 kjv@Nehemiah:9:33 kjv@Jeremiah:3:21 kjv@Jeremiah:3:25 kjv@Daniel:9:4-5 kjv@Daniel:9:20).
When you first came to Jesus, you perceived this in some measure. But you should learn to understand this lesson more deeply. The one counsel concerning sin is--bring it daily to the only One who can take it away, God Himself. You should learn that one of the greatest privileges of a child of God is the confession of sin. It is only the holiness of God that can consume sin. Through confession I must hand over my sin to God, lay it down in God, and get God's acquittal of it. I must cast it into the fiery oven of God's holy love which burns against sin like a fire. God, yes, God Himself, and He alone, takes away sin ( kjv@Leviticus:6:21 kjv@Numbers:5:7 kjv@2Samuel:12:13 kjv@Psalms:32:5 kjv@Psalms:38:18 kjv@Psalms:51:5 kjv@Psalms:51:19).
The Christian does not always understand this. He has an inborn tendency to want to cover sin, or to make it less, or to root it out only when he desires to draw near to God. He considers covering the sin with repentance, self-blame, or with contempt for the temptation which caused him to sin. He tries to conceal sin with the fruits of the works he has done or still hopes to do ( kjv@Genesis:3:12 kjv@Exodus:32:22-24 kjv@Isaiah:1:11 ?5? kjv@Luke:13:26). Young Christian, if you want to enjoy the peacefulness of a complete forgiveness and a divine cleansing of sin, see to it that you correctly use the confession of sin. In the true confession of sin, you have one of the most blessed privileges of a child of God, and one of the deepest roots of a powerful spiritual life.
For this end, let your confession be a precise one ( kjv@Numbers:12:11 kjv@Numbers:21:7 kjv@2Samuel:24:10 kjv@2Samuel:24:17 kjv@Isaiah:59:12-13 kjv@Luke:23:41 kjv@Acts:19:18-19 kjv@Acts:22:19-20 kjv@1Timothy:1:13 kjv@1Timothy:1:15). The continued, uncertain confession of sin does more harm than good. It is much better to say to God, "I have nothing to confess," than to say, "I do not know what to confess." Begin with one sin. Let it come to a complete harmony between God and you concerning this one sin. Let it be fixed with you that this sin is--through confession--placed in God's hands. You will experience that in such confessions there is both power and blessing.
Let the confession be a righteous one ( kjv@Proverbs:28:13 kjv@Leviticus:26:40-41 kjv@Jeremiah:31:18-19). Deliver up the sinful deed to be laid aside. Deliver up the sinful feeling with trust in the Lord. Confession implies renunciation--the putting off of sin. Give up sin to God, who forgives you of it, and cleanses you from it. Do not confess, if you are not prepared, or if you do not heartily desire to be freed from it. Confession has value only if it is a giving up of sin to God.
Let the confession be one of trust ( kjv@2Samuel:12:13 kjv@Psalms:32:5 kjv@Isaiah:55:7). Depend entirely on God to actually forgive you, and to cleanse you from sin. Continue in confession by casting the sin you desire to be rid of into the fire of God's holiness until your soul has the firm confidence that God takes it on His own account to forgive and to cleanse. It is this faith which truly overcomes the world and sin. It is the faith that God, in Jesus, actually frees us from sin ( kjv@1John:5:5).
Brothers and sisters, do you understand it now? What must you do with sin, with every sin? Bring it in confession to God, and give it to God. God alone takes away sin.
Lord God, what thanks I will express for this unspeakable blessing-that I may come to You with sin. It is known to You, Lord, how sin before Your holiness causes terror and flight. It is known to You how it is our deepest thought, first to have sin covered, and then to come to You with our desire and endeavour for good. Lord, teach me to come to You with sin-every sin-and in confession to lay it down before You and give it up to You. Amen.
1. What is the distinction between the covering of sin by God and by man? How does man do it? How does God do it?
2. What are the great hindrances in the way of the confession of sin?
-Ignorance about sin,
-Fear to come with sin to the Holy Father,
-The endeavour to come to God with something good,
-Unbelief in the power of the blood of Jesus and in the riches of grace.
3. Must I immediately confess an oath or a lie or a wrong word, or wait until my feeling has first cooled and become correctly disposed? Confess it immediately; come in full sinfulness to God, without first desiring to make it less!
4. Is it also necessary to confess before man? It is indispensable if our sin has been against man. Also, we must be careful, for it is often easier to acknowledge a wrong before God than before man ( kjv@James:5:16).
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Here's how to take your stock from logs to lathe.
By Judy Ditmer
Pages: 88-91
From the February 2006 issue #153
Buy this issue now
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, I was sitting in my booth at a craft show when a young man came in and began looking at some bowls I'd made. He was clearly quite intrigued, and also seemed a bit puzzled. Finally he held up a bowl he had been examining and asked, "How do you get the edges to curl up like that?"
It wasn't a silly question from his point of view; wood comes in flat boards, right?
As woodworkers, you of course already know that wood actually comes from trees. However, if you build furniture, shelves, fixtures and the like, you may have experience only with wood that has already been cut into boards. It has probably been dried as well, usually in a kiln, but certainly at least air-dried. It is a far different thing to deal with a log that is freshly cut from a tree and sopping wet.
From the February 2006 issue #153
Buy this issue now
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Need help with a song
What is the song being played when Robbie Fowler scored against Fulham in the 2005/2006?
Josh 1:04am Wed 7 Dec Report Abuse
Does anyone know if/when the Premier League Years 2004/05 will be shown?
Gemma 11:22am Mon 10 Nov Report Abuse
Need help with a song!
Whats the song is played during the manchester derby at the etihad 12/13 season?
MC7 10:25pm Sun 28 Jul Report Abuse
The 2005/06 season will be repeated at least twice in the coming months on one of the smaller satellite channels. Keep your eyes peeled dm.
Donald Schebolt, Assistant Scheduler 4:56pm Wed 13 Aug Report Abuse
2005/06 season
Does anyone know if the 2005/06 Premier League Years will be shown again?
dm 4:51pm Wed 13 Aug Report Abuse
Opening Song
Does anyone know what the opening song is called?
j 12:55am Tue 12 Aug Report Abuse
this is some good stuff
TJ 2:19pm Fri 8 Aug Report Abuse
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text:
In honor of Formula One's return to the United States, the race's drivers will make their parade lap on steely American chariots glistening in the cool Austin sun. Vettel will take the pole in a 1962 Chevy Corvette with his teammate Mark Webber in a 1971 Buick GS400.
If we had to pick a favorite, Marussia will be rolling in the most lopsided and metaphorically significant pair of vehicles, with Charles Pic waving from the back of a luxurious and bright red 1973 Cadillac Eldorado and Timo Glock in an economical green 1964 AMC Rambler. The F1 world is full of the have and have-nots (although everyone claims there's a team with more money than them, as if there's some mystical Bill Gates Racing program flooding money into their car).
The pipets pair of cars goes to Kimi and Romain Grosjean in a '69 and '68 Impala, respectively. Oh that it could be a '64 and oh that Kimi could be driving. He is a man who knows what he's doing.
Hometown hero Sergio Pérez picked up the glorious 1971 Chevy Corvette. Wait for the people in sombreros to lose their shit and go flag-waving all around the track like it was Cinco de Mayo (sure to make Grosjean nervous).
What's your favorite car-driver combination? All of them are listed below, click on the photos to enlarge.


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valdecoxib FDA Alerts
The FDA Alert(s) below may be specifically about valdecoxib or relate to a group or class of drugs which include valdecoxib.
MedWatch Safety Alerts are distributed by the FDA and published by Drugs.com. Following is a list of possible medication recalls, market withdrawals, alerts and warnings. For the latest FDA MedWatch alerts, go here.
Recent FDA Alert(s) for valdecoxib
COX-2 Selective and Non-Selective Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Jun 15, 2005
Audience: Healthcare professionals and consumersAfter concluding that the overall risk versus benefit profile is unfavorable, FDA has requested Pfizer, Inc. to voluntarily withdraw Bextra (valdecoxib) from the market. This request is based on:
* The lack of adequate data on the cardiovascular safety of long-term use of Bextra, along with the increased risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in short-term coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) trials that FDA believes may be relevant to chronic use.
* Reports of serious and potentially life-threatening skin reactions, including deaths, in patients using Bextra. The risk of these reactions in individual patients is unpredictable, occurring in patients with and without a prior history of sulfa allergy, and after both short- and long-term use.
* Lack of any demonstrated advantages for Bextra compared with other NSAIDs.
Patients currently taking Bextra should contact their physicians to consider alternative treatments. FDA is also asking manufacturers of all marketed prescription NSAIDs, including Celebrex (celecoxib), a COX-2 selective NSAID, to revise the labeling (package insert) for their products to include a boxed warning and a Medication Guide. The boxed warning will highlight the potential for increased risk of CV events with these drugs and the well-described, serious, and potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding associated with their use. The Medication Guide will accompany every prescription NSAID at the time it is dispensed to better inform patients about the CV and GI risks. Finally, FDA is asking manufacturers of non-prescription (OTC) NSAIDs to revise their labeling to include more specific information about the potential GI and CV risks, and information to assist consumers in the safe use of the drug. This announcement does not apply to aspirin as it has clearly been shown to reduce the risk of serious adverse CV events in certain patient populations.
[April 07, 2005 - Public Health Advisory - FDA]
[April 07, 2005 - Drug Information Page - FDA]
[April 07, 2005 - Questions and Answers - FDA]


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All you ever wanted to know about a woman making love to a Red Sox fan. Courtesy of Ladies Dot Dot Dot
Taking a look at ESPN's new football blog. Courtesy of The Big Lead
Roger Goodell prefers bitches to women. Courtesy of Leave The Man Alone
Joe Budden says Nas is right..Hip Hop is dead. Courtesy of XXL
Is the end near for Curt Schilling? Courtesy of the WBRS Sports Blog
Retro gear galore… If you're in NY. Courtesy of Dallas Penn
Paris Hilton played high school hockey? Yeah right.. Courtesy of With Leather
Jim Jones and Cam are cool again? I can't keep up. Courtesy of SOHH
Let's all pray that there's no video of Michael Vick doing this. Courtesy of Awful Announcing
Bill Simmons hasn't off'd himself yet..Give it a week. Courtesy of ESPN.com


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Perfect fit: Filmmaker Fennell joins ATO Pictures
Quick– what do video producer Marcus Nispel, game show maven Julann Griffin, and actor John C. Reilly have in common? Answer: Charlottesville native Temple Fennell, who has a talent for running into the right people at the right time.
Now Fennell, 39, is linking arms with Dave Matthews and leaving the cyber world of Internet gaming, where he's spent the past nine years overseeing the highs and lows of Boxerjam, to enter the celluloid world of ATO Pictures, Matthews' fledgling film production company.
The move to movies is actually a return to familiar Fennell territory. In the late 1980s, a UVA diploma tucked under his arm, he headed to New York to become a consultant. "But I very quickly transferred over into doing conceptual design for the music video business," he says, explaining how he came under the tutelage of the cutting-edge Nispel.
In his off hours, Fennell wrote and filmed a short script entitled Howard Black that featured, among others, Fennell's Lower East Side roommate, John C. Reilly. (Yes, that John C. Reilly, currently nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Hours.)
Film festivals picked up Howard Black, and it won an award in Chicago, which was enough to get Fennell into the American Film Institute's elite directing program in 1991-92.
While he was in California pursuing moviemaking, Fennell kept track of Charlottesville music scene. "When I was out in L.A. at AFI," he recalls, "Haines Fullerton [late guitarist for The Deal] sent me tapes and said, 'You've got to listen to these guys. They are really amazing.'"
Those "amazing guys" were gods-to-be, the Dave Matthews Band. When Fennell returned to Charlottesville in 1993, he called Matthews, and the two became friends.
Meanwhile, Fennell founded Boxer Films with Allen Cunningham, but Charlottesville proved slim pickings for moviemaking ("That was tough," Fennell sighs). The partners were open to other ideas, however, and after meeting Jeopardy! inventor Julann Griffin and her sister Maureen Roberts (Julann And Maureen=J.A.M.), they created Boxerjam and hitched its interactive gaming hopes to a tiny company called AOL in 1995. The rest is history.
After Media General struck a deal to buy Boxerjam last year, ATO Pictures invited Fennell to come on board full time. The company's first film, Amandla!, a documentary about anti-Apartheid music in South Africa, opens nationally this week. With fellow ATO Pictures members Matthews, Coran Capshaw, Johnathan Dorfman, Chris Tetzeli, and Michael McDonald, Fennell says his role is to "find really great projects," although he'd eventually like to direct, too.
"We look forward to working with Temple in establishing ATO Pictures as a viable, well respected company in the film industry," says Capshaw. "It's great to work with someone who's both qualifed and a long-time friend in this exciting new business."
Leaning back in his chair, Fennell smiles, "The timing and the opportunity were basically a perfect fit... I really am excited about getting back to film."Read more on: Temple Fennell


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"President Obama and Congress chose to pass the Affordable Care Act because the status quo was hurting our ability to create jobs, expand opportunity, and protect the health of our children and parents.
"Today's decision gives considerable momentum to our health care reform efforts here in Maryland. What it does not – and indeed must not – do, is give us license to take our eye off the ball or slow our progress. Moms, dads, and kids throughout Maryland are counting on their elected leaders to continue the mission of lowering costs, and improving the quality of care.
"We remain as committed as ever to moving forward on behalf of our families. We must move forward, not back."
—Gov. Martin O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown
"We've broken the stranglehold of insurance companies where guys in pinstripes sitting in their board rooms decided who got healthcare. Now we know the people will get the healthcare they need, that their doctor says that they need, and they will be able to afford to get it. … For we women, it's an enormous victory. Because today, what we've been able to affirm is that insurance companies will no longer be able to discriminate on the basis of gender."
—Sen.Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.)
"Before this law, every responsible American with health insurance was subsidizing the health care needs of the rest. That unfair arrangement will be coming to an end soon, as all Americans become part of a more efficient, more cost-effective health care system."
—Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat
"The Supreme Court's decision determined the law's constitutionality, not whether the law is good policy," Harris said. "Americans have already made up their mind on that issue. A majority favor repealing the law."
—Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican
"This ruling is not about a victory for Democrats or a loss for Republicans. It's about providing all Americans with access to quality, affordable healthcare. We've already seen many of the benefits here in Maryland that can now continue."
—Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.)
"Republicans have been trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act since the day it was enacted, and they have been eagerly awaiting today's ruling. But they must now accept that the Affordable Care Act will remain in place and that the time for litigation and partisan posturing on this issue ought to come to an end."
—Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat who helped to shepherd the law through the House
"I think the Supreme Court decision replaces a lot of negative what ifs with a single positive and that is to change for the better the way we take care of people in the United States. That is what health care reform was all about."
—Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association
"Our health care system is not meeting the needs of the American people, it is too costly, and it is placing unacceptable burdens on our industries, especially on small businesses, where most of our jobs are created. The Affordable Care Act sets in motion many necessary changes to get us to better health, better care, and lower cost."
—Dr. John Chessare, president / CEO of GBMC HealthCare system
"The president's health care law is hurting our economy by driving up health costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire. Today's ruling underscores the urgency of repealing this harmful law in its entirety. What Americans want is a common-sense, step-by-step approach to health care reform."
—House Speaker John Boehner
"Three quarters of a million Marylanders do not have the security that comes with having health insurance. Today's decision means many of them will be able to afford coverage. This marks a huge step forward for Maryland families, particularly those who cannot now afford insurance. Over time, this will make Maryland a much healthier state."
—Kathleen Westcoat, president and CEO of HealthCare Access Maryland
"Now that this historic legislation has been upheld by the highest court in the land, it's time for Republican leaders in Congress to stop their campaign to repeal the law and to focus instead on improving the economy and creating jobs."
—John Gage, president of the American Federation of Goverment Employees
"As the reform law is implemented, health plans will continue to focus on promoting affordability and peace of mind for their beneficiaries. The law expands coverage to millions of Americans, a goal health plans have long supported, but major provisions, such as the premium tax, will have the unintended consequences of raising costs and disrupting coverage unless they are addressed."
—Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, the national trade group representing health insurance companies that had fought the law in Congress
"The tragedy in this ruling is that Maryland residents are now at the mercy of politicians from other states and bureaucrats in Washington whose decisions won't be based on what is best for Maryland. Small businesses here will be overwhelmed by mandates, taxes and burdens imposed on them by people whom we cannot as easily hold accountable."
—Ellen Valentino, Maryland director of The National Federation of Independent Business, the group that initially filed part of the lawsuit
"The NAACP has long supported the full and complete implementation of this law. Access to quality, affordable health care is a civil and human right that should not be reserved for the wealthy or the few. The 32 million American men, women and children covered under this law can now breathe easier."
—NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock
"Today, the Supreme Court ended the debate over the Affordable Care Act and ruled conclusively that Obamacare is here to stay. It's time for opponents to stop wasting time and get to work on fully implementing the law in Maryland."
—Kate Planco Waybright, interim executive director of Progressive Maryland
"It gets us much closer to the goal of universal coverage. This critical piece of legislation provides the infrastructure for fully integrating the treatment of addiction, a chronic disease, into holistic care. With today's Supreme Court ruling, we have more certainty that this integration will happen, removing financial and bureaucratic barriers to good health. The next step is to make sure that the law is implemented well here in Maryland and around the country."
—Diana Morris, director of Open Society Institute Baltimore
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