Israel at 69

We're about to celebrate Israel's 69th birthday.

We don't know if our next year will be as wild and as memorable as this one, but you'll be able to remember Israel's 69th year with this collectible Dry Bones commemorative mug! They cost $17.79 each. They are large ceramic mugs (a hefty, 15 oz.) with big, comfortable easy-grip handles. The mugs are dishwasher and microwave safe. If you don't get one now, you'll be kicking yourself next year. Click on the photo below for more info and to take a peek at the other side (and perhaps to buy one).

$17.79 gets you this Dry Bones Commemorative Mug

Click to see a smaller but equally beautiful mug priced at $15.39

How Long has the Syrian War Raged On?

BEIRUT (AP)

— Al-Qaida’s leader meanwhile urged his followers and other militants in Syria to unite and prepare for protracted jihad, or holy war, against what he called an “international satanic alliance,” apparently referring to the Syrian government, its ally Russia, and the U.S., all of which are targeting the group.-more

March for (Weird) Science

The March for Science at the National Mall attracted tens of thousands to share their views about the current political climate despite rainy conditions.

Rain poured over Washington, D.C. on Saturday as scientists and citizens alike, carrying a variety of protest signs, flocked to the foot of the Washington Monument. Hundreds of scientific organizations and universities signed on to partner with the march as dozens of musical acts and speakers performed throughout Saturday.

The day-long celebration of science was organized by the Earth Day Network, meant to encourage policy-makers to use scientific evidence to craft legislation. It was hosted by musician Questlove and YouTube personality Derek Muller. -more

Yom HaShoah

Yom HaShoah: A large portion of Israel’s nearly 200,000 survivors live in poverty. A 2015 survey by the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel found that one quarter of Israeli survivors can’t afford medicine, while 30 percent sometimes go without food. Two-thirds say they are “distressed” by their financial situation. “There are still gaps between the response and what’s needed,” Roni Klinsky, the foundation’s CEO, told JTA in 2014. In the past, “people got less help and weren’t organized enough to get assistance. The survivor issue wasn’t a high priority.”

James "foot in mouth" Mattis

The statements in the cartoon's speech balloons were all actually said by U.S.Defense Secretary General James "Mad Dog" Mattis (except GRRRR! and WOOOF! ). We hope that during his visit to the Jewish state he will express his regrets for his previous biased and ignorant assessments.

Israel's 69th Birthday

With Passover behind us we look forward to May 2017 when we will celebrate Israel's 69th birthday.

We don't know if our next year will be as wild and as memorable as this one, but you'll be able to remember Israel's 69th year with this collectible Dry Bones commemorative mug! They cost $17.79 each. They are large ceramic mugs (a hefty, 15 oz.) with big, comfortable easy-grip handles. The mugs are dishwasher and microwave safe. If you don't get one now, you'll be kicking yourself next year. Click on the photo below for more info and to take a peek at the other side (and perhaps to buy one).

$17.79 gets you this Dry Bones Commemorative Mug

Click to see a smaller but equally beautiful mug priced at $15.39

Easter Eggs

Software engineers often have fun by putting secret surprises into their software. Users who type a secret word will activate these secret surprises. These are called "Easter Eggs". No, I'm not going to give you a list of Easter Eggs hidden in Google or Windows or...

I thought of this while considering the cartoon to do about the Islamist attacks on Christians, such as the bombings of the Copts in Egypt. The idea of worshipers being blown up as they attempt to commune with God is a horror, whether they are Christians, Sunnis, Shias, Sufis, or Jews, but that is the Easter Egg in our current cruel world.

Seasonal Sound

Next Year in Jerusalem!

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Hag Sameah. Happy Pessah!

Next Year in Jerusalem! * * * BTW, To get the Hard Cover Full Color Dry Bones Passover Haggadah from Amazon.com, click on http://amzn.to/2mwDkL1

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The New U.S. Ambassador

Welcoming our new U.S. Ambassador. * * * BTW, To get the Hard Cover Full Color Dry Bones Passover Haggadah from Amazon.com, click on http://amzn.to/2mwDkL1

And to see the assortment of Dry Bones books at Amazon.co.uk, click on http://Bit.ly/drybonesbooks

Passover is Fast Approaching

Just a couple of days 'til Seder night! So you'll have to act quickly. * * * BTW, To get the Hard Cover Full Color Dry Bones Passover Haggadah from Amazon.com, click on http://amzn.to/2mwDkL1

And to see the assortment of Dry Bones books at Amazon.co.uk, click on http://Bit.ly/drybonesbooks

Turkish Displeasure

The story according to Reuters:

Erdogan says Turks in Europe should defy 'grandchildren of Nazism'

President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on Turkish voters in Europe to defy the "grandchildren of Nazism" and back a referendum this month on changing the constitution, comments likely to cause further ire in Europe.

Erdogan has repeatedly lashed out at European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, in campaigning for the referendum, accusing them of "Nazi-like" tactics for banning his ministers from speaking to rallies of Turkish voters abroad.

Both the Germans and Dutch have been incensed by the comparisons to Nazism and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the references must stop. "With this determination, we will never allow three or four European fascists ... from harming this country's honor and pride," Erdogan told a packed crowd of flag-waving supporters in the Black Sea city of Rize, where his family comes from. "I call on my brothers and sisters voting in Europe...give the appropriate answer to those imposing this fascist oppression and the grandchildren of Nazism." -more

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Cleansing History

The story:
AMSTERDAM (JTA) — City workers dislodged and relocated a postcard-sized memorial plaque from the entrance to the former home in Amsterdam of a Holocaust victim following complaints by residents.
The plaque — a brass cobblestone bearing the name of Joachim Elte that in 2014 was embedded into the sidewalk of 3 Nicolass Maes Street — was moved to a location “as far away as possible from the door” of the two residents, who have recently sued the city to have the plaque removed altogether, Sebastiaan Capel, the mayor of Amsterdam’s South district told Het Parool daily on Friday.
The two residents, who were not named, recently filed with a preliminary relief judge a motion for an injunction ordering the memorial cobblestone’s removal because Capel has ignored their demands that it be removed from in front of their residence, the daily reported. In their motion, the two residents said they found it too confrontational to have to constantly be reminded, because of the memorial cobblestone, of the deportation and murder of Elte, a 51-year-old accountant who died at a Nazi concentration camp in 1945.

They also argued it “compromises the atmosphere” of their upscale neighborhood and their privacy and that of their children because it attracts onlookers.
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