I like this definition of family:
Family means NOBODY gets left behind.
We take care of each other.
No matter what.
My father used to say:
Blood is thicker than water.
It’s not just from the battlefield that we make sure to bring everyone home.
Home is where the heart is. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So the progressive, alt-left have gone off the rails again with more nutty radical proposals.
This time to defund or dismantle the police!
While I am completely against corruption, racism, and police brutality, it is a BIG and STUPID mistake to hyper-generalize from some bad actors to the overwhelming number of good people that serve in law enforcement, who put their lives on the line to protect us everyday.
As with the health workers that protect us from Coronavirus and other horrible illnesses, so too with our police, we should be grateful for their protection and that they ensure some semblance of law and order and security in our society!
Yes the bad apples should be weeded out and punished, absolutely!
Also, after the latest incident with George Floyd, certainly reform is needed in terms of training and additional protections for the public.
But going alt-left crazy with proposals to defund and disband the police is completely over-the-top, irresponsible and destructive.
Hopefully, all the “normal” people out there will see the progressive folly for what it is and support the police in doing their critical mission, while also holding them accountable to do it with the integrity that they must. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
A neck is not something to step or kneel on.
Justice for George Floyd!
Murder is murder.
While I greatly respect and admire our law enforcement for the difficult jobs that they have, police brutality and racism is not something that can be tolerated.
Our law enforcement is better than that!
Hold the responsible officers accountable, but also bring peace and civility back to our cities and streets. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
What a NON-surprise from SAR in Riverdale.
The Judaic Studies principal (grades 6-8), Rabbi Jonathan Skolnick has been arrested for “production of child pornography.”
This after numerous child sexual abuse scandals in the Jewish community in Riverdale, and at SAR in particular!
Clearly there is a PATTERN OF BAD BEHAVIOR AND NEGLIGENCE here (i.e. like a repeat offender) and at a certain point, the patience and excuses completely runs out!
This latest sexual abuse debacle with Rabbi Skolnick (where was the vetting process on hiring him?) occurring AT THE VERY SAME TIME that SAR was conducting and publishing the results of it’s earlier sex scandal with convicted sexual offender Stanley Rosenfeld and SAR’s statement in their October 5, 2018 message releasing their report that:
Continuing our conversations with our students and faculty on preventing and addressing sexual abuse. In 2014, SAR implemented an Anti-Harassment Policy:www.saracademy.org/antiharassmentpolicy. Training is done annually for all staff as well as appropriate training for high school and middle school students as part of their advisory program. Emphasis of the training is on awareness and reporting of any potential abuse as well as setting appropriate parameters for student-staff interactions. We are fully committed to the safety of our students and to continuing to implement best practices in these areas.
As anyone can see that the words by SAR are nothing but cheap and empty as demonstrated by the facts of their now THREE TIMES REPEATED sexual scandals as reported!
How SAR could be “shocked” after three times the same types of sexual abuse occurring under their watch should be a complete mystery to any reasonable, thinking human being with a soul.
Where is the outrage by the Riverdale community and by the current board of directors of SAR? And where is the REAL action by them to correct their now half century HISTORY of abuse against the children in their completely negligent care?
Of course, let us also not forget the other sexual scandal allegations in the same community at the Riverdale Jewish Center and the chorus of denials and lack of accountability that went on with their prior “Sauna Rabbi” of thirty years who finally stepped down in 2016.
Would the Riverdale community and SAR in particular like to offer up any new denials today and provide any more cheap words about their Anti-Harassment policy and phony “commitment to the safety of our students”?
Less than two-weeks before the Jewish New Year 5780, will SAR finally take RESPONSIBILITY for the abuse to their past students and REALLY do what it takes to protect its current and future children.
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called “Children’s Voices and Scars.”
Unfortunately, we are living in a time when many people are “destroyed” from various forms of abuse: physical, verbal, and emotional. This frequently occurs to those that are more vulnerable in society (e.g. exploited children). It is especially tragic that children–those that are still innocent and defenseless–are made to suffer at the hands of those that are bigger, stronger, and authority figures in their lives (teachers, clergy, etc.).
At the most basic level, we need to:
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So he’s a story from the pool today…
I’m doing my laps minding my own business.
And this guy gets to the pool, sits down, and immediately pulls out his cellphone.
Then he proceeds to literally yell into his phone for probably a good half an hour.
I’m doing my laps and I can hear this guy yelling:
– At his end of the pool
– ALL the way at the opposite end of the pool
– With earplugs
– AND even underwater
And he goes on and on and on.
Doesn’t stop for even a breath of air.
Now, in all the years swimming, I’ve never had to approach someone about their behavior like this.
BUT this was too much as my head was pounding from his incessant yelling.
I waited until he finished his call.
And it happened to coincide with me finishing my laps.
I come out of the pool and grabbed my stuff.
I have to pass him on the way out.
And I’m still debating with myself whether this schlemiel is even worth it.
My head is still throbbing from his yelling.
I stop in front of his chair.
Now he’s pulled out a book and is trying to read.
I say:
Excuse me.
He knows he did something wrong, and he barely looks up, trying to ignore me.
I say again:
Excuse me. Did you intend for everyone at the pool to hear your ENTIRE conversation?
He starts murmuring something, and then says throwing it back on me:
What’s the problem?
So I say:
You were speaking so loud, I could hear you all the way on the opposite end of the pool. I could even hear you under the water.
He’s agitating now and he says:
Well, I was speaking to someone 85-years old who doesn’t hear well. You get it?
So I say respectfully:
I am sorry that he doesn’t hear well, but does everyone else here around the pool also need to hear the conversation?
Then he says:
So what–I don’t care if everyone hears.
I try one more time.
Do you see all these other people trying to read, rest, swim–do you at all care?
He still can’t get himself to come around, and instead doubles down and says,
Well. I’ll do whatever I want!
Now, I’ve had enough, and I say:
So basically you don’t give a shit for ANY of your neighbors, do you?
Finally, he must of been embarrassed enough at his terrible behavior, and he backs down and says:
Next time he calls me, I’ll take the conversation inside!
At which point, he goes back to his book, and I complete my exit.
It took all that just to get him to say he’ll handle it differently next time and basically be respectful of his neighbors and not a selfish pig!
It’s amazing–some people really just can’t own up to when they are being a jerk.
But I was glad this guy finally came around–maybe there is still hope. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
(Source Video: Dossy Blumenthal)
I thought it was an interesting sign in the office.
Responsibility: At the end of the day, you are solely responsible for your success and your failure. And the sooner you realize that, you accept that, and integrate that into your work ethic, you will start to be successful. As long as you blame others for the reason you aren’t where you want to be, you will always be a failure. – Erin Cummins
While I agree that we have to take responsibility for our lives and do the work hard to achieve success, at the same time, we obviously aren’t in control of everything.
We have to play the hand we’re dealt in life and make the very best of it. Whatever challenges that we have, they are there for us to learn from, grow from, and become better human beings from.
Also, success means different things to different people–for some it’s money, power and honer; for others it’s physical fitness and dashing good looks; still some care more about travel, experiences, partying, and having a good time; and yet for others it’s about G-d, family, country, and good deeds.
Whatever we want to achieve requires dedication and hard work from our end, but also a generous dose of prayer and good fortune for “the stars to align.” 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Funny T-Shirt on solving computer problems:
Does it work?
Did you screw with it?
Does anyone know?
Can you blame anyone else?
This little flowchart seems to capture so many issues in the office like:
– Accountability
– Problem-solving
– Doing the right thing
Oh, maybe that’s a different flowchart. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Last night was the State of the Union…
But this morning, I still can’t help thinking about the State of our Politicians.
The picture from Virginia governor, Ralph Northam medical school yearbook is outrageous, and yet he refuses to step down.
This didn’t happen when he was kid, but as a responsible adult.
And even for those of us who believe in personnel change and forgiveness, there has to be accountability for something this callous, hurtful, bigoted and offensive.
What happened to our politicians being true patriots, looking out for our good and the best interests of our nation?
One lady said to a group of us last evening:
I know who I am going to vote for in the next elections, and it’s NO ONE currently in political office!
To which another gentleman replied:
It doesn’t matter who you vote for, a politician always wins.
Somehow, I still have faith that there are people who can rise to the occasion and be the leaders that they must be. 😉
andyblumenthal