Why Do We Let People With No Sense Spend Our Money?

Seriously! Doesn't our current administration have any sense??!?!

Hasn't our President heard of Photoshop??

I was much entertained by these amateur submissions in response to a request by the Daily News.

Bureaucracy at it's best I suppose.

Going for a run....

Yankee Stadium fly over

Over the Brooklyn Bridge

Bush-Obama Jerusalem flyover

Time To Drag The TVs Out Of Your Closets....

It looks like Joey's show might be airing a day earlier than we originally thought.

For those of you who live locally and don't have a TV, we plan to have a live showing at 12:30 pm on the big screen TV at my office.  All guests are welcome.  Joey himself might be in attendance (barring finals).

For those who are unable to attend, I am working on uploading his appearance on to Youtube.  That might take a couple of extra days though....

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer - 3 Iyar

I'm a day late with this post, but I only found this worthwhile link today.

The Poster Boy Strikes Again...

 Or maybe I should say the Banner King.  Eric outdid himself once again with another one of his signature 3 foot high posters affixed right outside our apartment door.  Pretty impressive that he managed to use photos that I had taken and uploaded to facebook during the week to decorate it.....

It truly was a warm WELCOME.

The Vast British Conspiracy

OK, so we've been here in London for nearly six whole days and we've seen only glorious blue skies and sunshine, save one hour of rain on Shabbos morning.

I have decided that the Londoners just cannot tolerate the "ugly American tourists" so they invented this whole weather sham to keep us away.

Well, little did they know that I would "out" them.

Manchester, on the other hand, really DOES have horrible weather.  I heard a joke on Friday that you only need three things when you move to Manchester....

• a ticket
• an umbrella
• a return ticket

Looking forward to blogging from New York very soon..... :)

If You Go to the Gym Regularly, You Don't Just WATCH the Changing of the Guard...

.... you RUN WITH the changing guard! (Think the running of the bulls in Pamplona, with less danger of being gored....).

We met up the the old guard at St. James Palace and sprinted/dashed/weaved our way through the Mall running right alongside them, all the way to the gates of Buckingham Palace. Then, as they made their way through the gates, we dashed around to Wellington Barracks just in time to see the new guard march out and sprinted alongside them.  Those that were still standing, ran up the stairs to a ramparts vantage point with a spectacular overview of the proceedings. 

(Disclaimer: For those of you saying to yourself, "That doesn't look particularly strenuous", that is because during the maddest dashes the video needed to be turned off so that we could REALLY run.  I highly recommend a getting stress test before attempting this maneuver.)

How I Celebrated the Queen's 83rd Birthday....

Sniff some gunpowder, plug up your ears and press play.

...of course, wouldn't you know it, I turned off the video camera too soon.  Just moments later, that awful monstrosity of a building in the background collapsed into the ground ;)

{wishful thinking}

Things I've Learned In From My Trip to London So Far....

• Ambien doesn't help you sleep on an airplane when you're sitting on the aisle and the lady next to you has a bladder the size of a pea.
  
• The sun DOES occasionally shine in London! (lucky us).
• Tourist maps are seldom "to scale".
• Big Ben is loud when you are right in front of it.
• Sometimes it's good to "get away"....

Going to London to Visit the Queen

I'm not yet sure what my internet situation will be while I'm gone.

I hope to be able to post, but if not, be sure I'll come home with PLENTY to say.... 

It IS Possible to Bake Schlussel Challah With a Broken Oven...

.... and a little help from your friends with working ovens ;).....

See if you can spot the key.

Good Shabbos to all with best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous year!

P.S.

My oven died over Yom Tov (better than erev Yom Tov I say...._

So if you know a guy who knows a guy who knows how to install a new igniter, give me a call so I can make Schlussel Challah, ok?

(I know, I know, it's not a Yekkishe minhag, but it can't hurt, right....? Well, unless you don't leave the key poking out and somebody cracks a tooth on it... the dental bills will kill any benefit the challah might have garnered you.....)

Let's Get Ready to RRRRRRUMPLE!!!!

This is a pre-set post...

I'm too busy tonight trying to shove any which way fit what I know came OUT of the Pesach cabinet just a few short days ago, back IN.... most likely with little luck....

Feel free to drop by with fresh hot pizza though :D

I'm probably getting hungry right about now.....

"Chossid on Chol Hamoed" - The Second in the Series...

While not coming close to the awesome picture that I captured last chol hamoed Pesach, I still felt like I should keep up the ritual.

Besides, somebody needs to debunk the horrible conclusions one could come to if they read the comments on the "eppis a heimishe news site" postings.  Those commenters give fine, upstanding frum Jews a bad name.  Most recently, in an article describing possible chol hamoed outings, several commenters got upset that anybody would "waste" time on chol hamoed outings with their families and argued for the "Beis Medrash Only" approach.....

Well, to this year's unidentified "chossid on chol hamoed" - I salute you!

(spotted while on a family outing to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Chag Kasher V'Sameach

From the G6 Family to Yours.....

Birchas Hachama

(Let me just say right off the bat that men have the ability to get the cooler pictures and the more effective angles under circumstances like this.  Unless I was going to hang off balustrades or climb walls as I saw many a bearded gent doing, this is what you get from a nice tznius woman hanging around in the back :))

I must say it was a moving experience.

The sun could not have been a more perfect orb... bright..... almost causing you to turn away...throwing strong shafts of light into the assembled masses... making you aware of Hashem in all his powerful, masterful glory.

I found the singing of "Keil Adon" to be particularly beautiful as well...