Part of this argument with my brother Hugh is that he wants to dispute that my grandfather was a rabbi. My brother doubts that Zadi Schwartz was ordained since he did not lead a congregation. Sadly this shows an all too common ignorance of the meaning of the term “Rabbi” and the grea[...]
Archive for September, 2013
September 22nd, 2013 - 1:58 am § in Misc.
What is a Rabbi? Part 2.
continued The term “rabbi” is very different from the term “minister” or priest. The rabbinate is not even mentioned in the Torah, Judaism’s only source of written law. Rabbinical authority, also called Smircha or Semikhah ( סמיכה) has no relationship to p[...]
September 21st, 2013 - 1:03 pm § in Misc.
Balmer Blues: He apologizes for a huge ‘F up!
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer is finally admitting what everyone has been thinking: Microsoft made a huge mistake with the Surface RT tablet. Huff Post “We built a few more devices than we could sell,” Ballmer reportedly said. Balmer is utterly missing the boat. MS did not build too m[...]
Initiative 522 … labelling “GMO” foods.
Yesterday’s NY Times had a very balanced discussion of the issue of glyphosphate, “RoundUp.” I mention this because I have been responding to a thread on a “progressive” listserv. The author of the thread is campaigning for our state’s initiative “522[...]
September 20th, 2013 - 9:14 am § in Religion
HYPING SCIENCE
The Telegraph reports that the Japanese government has drawn up a recommendation that will permit growth of human organs, from stem cells, in pigs. The claim is that the stem cells will “grow into a perfect human organ, a kidney or even a heart, as the host animal matures. When the adult creat[...]
Tea Party Takes on The Debt LImit
HO– USE PLAN TOO CRAZY FOR SENATE REPUBLICANS[...]
September 20th, 2013 - 4:02 am § in Misc.
A Miracle At the New Husky Stadium
According to Bloomberg News: The University of Washington had been playing football in horseshoe-shaped Husky Stadium since 1920. The vista from the 72,500-seat venue, the largest in the Pacific Northwest, includes Lake Washington, Mount Rainier and downtown Seattle.[...]
September 19th, 2013 - 9:30 pm § in Misc.
THE Ave Challenge: What is “inVentiv?”
Can you figure out what a company called “inVentiv” might do? I was looking on LinkedIn at a relative’s CV and found that he was working for a firm that got bought out by these folks. Do not cheat by searching for the name .. that is too easy and you will miss the graphics [&hell[...]
September 19th, 2013 - 8:35 am § in Misc.
THE-Ave.US Challenge
These are objects up for auction with an estimated value of $380,000 . What are they?” A. Clean Coal B. Moon Rocks C. Largest Diamonds Ever Found D. Glass From 9/11 Inferno E. Frozen Mastadon Testacles From Siberia[...]
President Romney Puting Work First
President Romney “We Were Too Nice to the Hungry, I applaud the Congress for insisting that the poor, even the working poor, be given the incentive of hunger to motivate them to find work.” Text of signing speech for the 2103 Farm Bill, section on reform of food stamp program. “I[...]