A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Retirement

I am pretty sure that it is time - probably long past time - to close this blog.

This is one of the oldest Jblogs, having been formed in May 2003. I have posted 1188 times. I have said at least 99 percent of what I want to say about Israel and about Jewish issues.

Even my sports posts are becoming predictable.

When I have a strong opinion about something, I no longer feel any need to blog about it. Indeed, blogging feels like another burden. I have enough burdens right now.

Until now, my reluctance to shut the blog down has stemmed from my awareness that almost all retired bloggers come back. Some come back within days, some only years later. But almost everyone eventually feels the need to write again, and returns.

I no longer think the likelihood that I will unretire is a good reason to continue blogging. Perhaps the Jets will make the playoffs, and there will soon be a flurry of posts about them. But for now it's time for at least a break.

Thanks to all those who have read and/or provided comments at The Zionist Conspiracy.
posted on 12/18/2006

 
MoC: Please Help Fosterboy

One of the finest members of the Jblogosphere has long been MoChassid. Even though I have never met or spoken with MoC, a few months ago, when I learned of a problematic situation in Woodmere, I immediately e-mailed MoC, and in middle of a weekday he offered and provided significant help.

Now, MoC asks for readers' help in placing Fosterboy in a pre-adoptive home. I very much hope his efforts will be successful.
posted on 12/18/2006

 
Week 15 Rebound

Very nice job by the Jets today, winning their fifth road game of the season.

After the Jets' early bad start on the teams' opening drives, Chad Pennington and Laveranues Coles were fantastic, leading the victory.

Mike Nugent deserves props too, with four field goals, including a 52 yarder and a 45 yarder, both late in the first half, that increased the Jets lead from 17-7 to 23-7.

My only two quibbles are that the Jets failed to get the ball into the end zone on several long drives, and that the defense softened up way too early, almost letting the Vikings back in.

But that's the Jets - there's never a stress free victory.

Next week's Monday night game at Miami will be very tough, but the fact that the Jets will be playing an important game on December 25 is demonstrative of how far they have come from where they were a year ago.
posted on 12/17/2006

 
Update

1. At some point, preferably no later than the bris, we will have to decide on a name for the baby.

The good news is that we are making progress. As a result of Sunday's Jets game, Chad and D'Brickashaw have both been eliminated from contention.

Feel free to offer your suggestions. If your entry is selected, you will get a CD of "Limelight" by The Alan Parsons Project, along with one pound of lox remaining from the upcoming (G-d willing) bris.

2. The Rangers are playing well now, and finally gave Jarkko Immonen a chance. Mets remain quiet. Why aren't they or anyone else interested in Jeff Suppan? Nets finally won but are still looking pretty bad. Jets will need to win all three remaining games to even have a chance to make the playoffs, which seems quite unlikely. At least they're playing, in the eternal words of Fred Wilpon, "meaningful games" in December.

3. I am finding that I'm a decent errand boy. I believe that I have now visited every pharmacy on Main Street and several more on Queens Blvd. and Kissena Blvd. I look forward to continuing my scavenger hunt for the remaining items tonight on Union Turnpike.

4. I thought I was tired and had my personal space usurped when my now two-year old son was born, but nothing is quite like having six people in a two bedroom, 900 square foot apartment and being asked by the baby nurse: "Joe, tomorrow morning will you be taking a shower by 7?"

5. Speaking of the bris, two people who I know in "real life" e-mailed me in the last day noting that they learned of my son's birth via this blog. I wasn't aware that I knew that many people, let alone that I had that many readers who also know me in real life.

So if I've forgotten to inform anyone about the bris and the shalom zachor, please e-mail me for the information. Rather than maintaining a formal e-mail list, I simply e-mailed whoever I could think of, and that on hardly any sleep.

6. Those who will be in Kew Gardens Hills this Friday night are welcome to come by for the shalom zachor - again, feel free to e-mail me for the info. There will be plenty of Duvel beer, Dr. Brown's black cherry soda, Sharon's Sorbet, and lively discussion and debate, including which citys' sporting franchises are superior, and which are inferior.
posted on 12/13/2006

 
Week 14

For the second time in three seasons, Week 14 of the NFL season brought an awful performance by the Jets, as well as the birth of a baby boy to me and my wife.

My second child was born eight minutes before kickoff of the Jets game, and I can't blame him at all for leaving for the nursery shortly thereafter.

While I did not go to today's Jets game (though I only relinquished my ticket after labor was well underway and I was confident that it was no false alarm), I did watch most of it in the delivery room. The OB did a nice job delivering the baby, but took a few unnecessary shots at me for my focus on the TV during the 1:00 games and the Jets game.

I'm too tired to offer any analysis of the game. The Jets allowed three big plays for touchdowns in the first half, but were still in the game at halftime, with the score 21-13. Their second half performance was quite disappointing on both sides of the ball. Eric Mangini and his staff were outcoached. D'Brickashaw Ferguson was constantly beaten by Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel.

With 14 seconds left in the game, I think it was Jets cornerback Hank Poteat who appeared on TV laughing it up with a teammate. Nice to know that the players take losses hard.
posted on 12/10/2006

 
Abuse

The New York media is today reporting about the arrest of a Brooklyn rabbi on charges of child molestation. Reportedly rumors of abuse by this rabbi had been circulating for more than two decades. One can only hope that the legal justice system reaches the right result.

When I was in law school, a fellow student would express his fury whenever the subject of NCSY came up, but he would never elaborate. Then, a few years later, a longtime NCSY leader was charged in a Jewish Week report of abuse against NCSY members - including physical, verbal and sexual abuse. A report commissioned by the Orthodox Union was quite damning, indicating that many had known for years that, at the very least, something was amiss. Subsequently, the rabbi was charged with and convicted of sexual abuse toward female students at a school he was employed with.

Also while I was in law school, another fellow student told me that in a boys yeshiva high school, one student committed a sexual act against a younger student. The rabbis suggested some sort of counseling, and, according to my classmate, the perpetrator later got married and fathered children. He did not give me more details than that - and I am not even sure which school this allegedly occurred in.

Perhaps less reprehensibly, but nonetheless disturbingly, I was told about a rabbi who had a sexual relationship with a much younger woman. The relationship was probably consensual in the legal sense, but at the very least, this man has no business being a rabbi if the allegations are true. The person who told this to me heard it from the women allegedly involved, and asked me to promise (at the woman's request that it be kept quiet) that I would never specify details to anyone, and I therefore haven't and won't.

Sexual abuse is a far worse crime than physical abuse, and yet from my own experience with the latter - admittedly going back more than two decades - I fear that there is a knee jerk desire to keep things quiet.

On this blog 18 months ago, I wrote about my 6th grade rebbi, who "grabbed me, slammed my head and body against the wall and punched me repeatedly. This went on for quite a while. When he was done, he warned me not to tell my parents, or he would have me thrown out of the yeshiva." Two days later, when I told the school principal what happened, the principal's reaction "was to berate me for making false accusations against a rebbi, and he actually forced me to apologize to the rebbi. The rebbi was not fired and I went back to his classroom."

At the end of the school year, the rebbi left, and went to a chasidic yeshiva. I would like to think that I was his last victim, but have my doubts.

That was one of two severe beatings I encountered in my elementary school, and I can remember a number of other students being subjected to physical abuse.

Today, while the situation is surely not perfect, and I have heard that in chasidic schools these kinds of things still happen (albeit less frequently), I sense that parents are much more likely to serve as advocates for their children, and the schools are aware that there is zero tolerance for abuse.

It's relatively easy, however, to eradicate physical abuse in our schools. In the past, rebbis would simply beat students up in the hallway, as though that was an acceptable reaction to misconduct or mischief. For obvious reasons, when it comes to sexual abuse or impropriety, there are rarely third party witnesses, and it is difficult and perhaps impossible to differentiate between unfounded malicious rumors and clear evidence upon which action must be taken.

Nevertheless, in a society in which people are implored to consult rabbis about family planning, Internet use, and bugs in lettuce and water, it is time for our rabbinic leadership to provide guidelines so that the masses understand what the proper approach is in each situation involving allegations of abuse.

It is not okay, in contrast, for the rabbinic leadership to respond to allegations of abuse by sending the alleged perpetrator elsewhere.
posted on 12/08/2006

 
Sports Roundup

1. Jets fans have been thrilled this season by the emergence of wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery.

Cotchery is in his third NFL season. Why didn't we hear much about him before?

Two words:

Herm Edwards.

It's not me who's saying that. It's Jerricho Cotchery himself.

As Cotchery tells USA Today:

If we wouldn't have had a coaching change, honestly I don't think I would have had the opportunity to start.

If the offense as a whole didn't have a good year, they would give those guys a chance to make up for that year.

You are constantly beating guys every day, and you wonder if the coaches are seeing that.

In the past, it's been one of those things, the guys pretty much making the bucks were going to play. You pay 'em, you play 'em. In this regime, it doesn't roll that way.

2. Last week, Elster and I disagreed about the Mets refusal to match the Orioles' offer of $3.5 million per season to Chad Bradford, despite Bradford's excellence in 2006, particularly during the postseason.

Last night, however, GM Omar Minaya signed Guillermo Mota to a contract for $2.5 million per season, despite Mota's upcoming 50 game suspension for steroid use, and Mota's postseason mediocrity.

A few days ago, Minaya traded Brian Bannister to the Royals for Ambiorix Burgos. Burgos had a terrible season last year, but he does have a strong arm and is only 22. I don't like the move, but am willing to let it play out.

What does bother me is Minaya's explanation for the Bannister trade: "I can't resist power arms."

Indeed, it seems that only power pitchers are allowed entry into the Mets bullpen, even as the Mets rotation is currently led by Tom Glavine, and Minaya is poised to give a huge contract to Barry Zito, who is certainly not overpowering. How can the Mets justify paying as much as $27 million for two starters who are not power pitchers (not to mention the $16 million Pedro Martinez will be getting, even though he's injured and will never again be a power pitcher), while refusing to pay a relatively modest amount to ensure stability in their bullpen?

3. While Isiah Thomas is getting well deserved criticism, Lawrence Frank continues to avoid responsibility for the Nets' woeful play. Despite their talent, the Nets are 7-11.

Last night, with the Nets up by three with five seconds left in regulation, Frank decided to foul to not allow the Suns to try a three pointer. Didn't make sense to me, since the Suns still had another timeout, and therefore plenty of time to take another three pointer (with four seconds left), which Steve Nash hit to send the game into overtime.

But if the decision to foul was questionable, the decision to let Vince Carter commit the foul was asinine. It was Carter's sixth foul, so he fouled out, and the Nets were without their best scorer and lost in double overtime.

It was a pure Herm Edwards/Rich Kotite move by Frank, and it's time for the Nets to realize that he's neither motivating his players nor a brilliant game strategist.

4. The Rangers got a desperately needed (shootout) victory last night. At this point in the season, they remain rather mediocre, in contention to win the relatively weak Atlantic Division, but also in serious danger of missing the playoffs if they don't pick up their play.

Disappointingly, the Rangers have reverted to refusing to give young players a chance, instead allowing average players with big contracts to get the ice time.

Last night the Rangers finally gave Jarkko Immonen a chance, though defenseman Thomas Pock remains stuck behind the Rangers seven other overpaid defensemen.
posted on 12/08/2006

 
Best/Worst Quarterbacks

Scouts Inc. ranks all of the NFL's starting quarterbacks, from 1 through 32.

The top ten QBs were ranked as Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Phillip Rivers, Chad Pennington, Steve McNair, Eli Manning and Trent Green. Brett Favre is number 11, which I find quite questionable after watching last week's Jets vs. Packers game.

What is striking in reviewing the list of the NFL's starting quarterbacks is how low the quality is. After the top tier of starters, every single player is flawed.
posted on 12/07/2006

 
'Socially Conservative' Conservative Rabbis

In its report on the Conservative Jewish movement's acceptance of ordination of homosexual rabbis and performance of same sex unions, The Jewish Week notes that:

In the wake of the vote, four socially conservative members of the Conservative movement - Rabbi Joel Roth, Rabbi Mayer Rabinowitz, Rabbi Leonard Levy and Rabbi Joseph Prouser - resigned from the law committee (emphasisis added)

How does The Jewish Week know whether these rabbis are "socially conservative?" Perhaps they hold liberal views on social issues, but believe that the Conservative movement must maintain at least some semblance of fidelity to the halachic process.

Alas, few Jews - regardless of their observance or acceptance of halacha - even understand that the Torah might be a relevant factor in determining Judaism's stance toward "social" issues.
posted on 12/07/2006

 
James "F*** The Jews" Baker: Throw The Jew Down The Well

Insight is reporting that "the White House has been examining a proposal by James Baker to launch a Middle East peace effort without Israel."

The "peace conference" would include Iran and Syria and "focus on Arab demands for Israel to withdraw from territories captured in the 1967 war."

"Israel would not be invited to the conference," according to the report.

Why would a "peace conference" relating to Israel's dispute with the Arabs exclude Israel?

"As Baker sees this, the conference would provide a unique opportunity for the United States to strike a deal without Jewish pressure."

The report states that "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and National Intelligence Director John Negroponte" all support holding a conference about the Israeli-Arab dispute that would exclude Israel and include Iran and Syria.

"Baker sees his plan as containing something for everybody, except perhaps the Israelis."

Shortly after 9/11, as some demanded that the Bush Administration sacrifice Israel and appease the Arabs, Prime Minister Sharon said the following:

I call on the Western democracies, and primarily the leader of the free world, the United States: Do not repeat the dreadful mistake of 1938, when enlightened European democracies decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia for a convenient temporary solution.

Do not try to appease the Arabs at our expense. This is unacceptable to us. Israel will not be Czechoslovakia.

posted on 12/06/2006

 
Jets Domination

Excellent performance today by the Jets offense, defense and coaching staff. The first half was among the most dominant in Jets history.

Since the Jets are the Jets, they had to let things get interesting in the 3rd quarter, but the defense did a nice job stopping any momentum after the Packers' onside kick recovery.

Nice job also by CBS, switching immediately after the game to the KC vs. Cleveland game for the Browns' winning field goal in overtime. Herm Edwards actually seemed disappointed, in contrast to his demeanor after similar collapses by the Jets during his evil regime.

John Abraham's return helped Atlanta defeat the Redskins, which was also good for the Jets, who have Washington's second round pick in the 2007 draft.

Unfortunately, the Jaguars defeated Miami, and remain ahead of the Jets in the wildcard race due to their Week 5 victory over the Jets.

In fantasy football play, Week 13 represented a matchup between my team and Jetsphan's group, both of which entered atop the league with 8-4 records. Neither teams is performing well, with Jetsphan holding the lead - though the lead is currently artificially aided by an ESPN glitch in which AJ Hawk was credited with zero points, despite his eight tackles.
posted on 12/03/2006