In my ten years of dealing with cat rescue I’ve learnt a few things about being human. Cats may not be human, but their caretakers are, and their relationships with their cats tells us plenty. It’s not that long ago that euthanising homeless cats was common and acceptable. While the practice isn’t gone, it’s much less prevalent, and an increasing number of shelters wear their ‘no kill’ badge with honor. The anti euthanasia movement doesn’t just make us more compassionate. It changes our relationship with non-human animals in a way that makes us more human, hopefully improving our relationship with our fellow humans. I used to hunt; I got over it because I no longer wanted that relationship with fellow creatures. The next logical step is no longer having other humans act as my proxy in killing our food. I’m not suggesting that we all become vegetarians. That’s no more in our DNA than it’s in a lion’s. But perhaps raising animals to eat their flesh is a little creepy.

The French author and philosopher Michel Houlbecq has written concerning the increasing acceptability of human euthanasia, that it is part of the self euthanasia of the West. Whether that’s true or not, the acceptability of this practice is making us less human. Of course we should have a more ‘humane’ course to end human suffering, but Houlbecq notes what some of us understand. The next step after the acceptability of ending human suffering is accepting euthanasia to end “suffering” due to deep depression. Some western societies already condone this. But the acceptance of human euthanasia, however merciful it may seem, changes our relationship with other humans in what should be an uncomfortable way.

In working with cats in the field I’ve learnt that some people will discard unwanted kittens by the roadside. I’ve encountered very friendly cats in my colonies that have clearly been dumped. It’s simpler than taking them to a shelter. But this practice is barbaric. If you’re responsible for an animal you should have the decency to treat it as well as you want to be treated.

Animal Farm

In George Orwells Animal Farm the barnyard animals drove farmer Jones out and took control of their lives. While things were initially equal and the animals happy, as time went on, the most intelligent animals took over. One of their great sources of power was the threat of the return of farmer Jones. Jones was the all purpose villain.

We haven’t progressed far from Animal Farm. The new Jones is George Soros, the conservative movement’s all purpose bogeyman. Both villains have common attributes. The most important one is that they are perpetually evil. I suppose we could say that if Soros didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him. Farmer Jones was fictitious, and George Soros is real, but aside from that they serve the same purpose. Without Soros and the ever present deep state the Trump world construct doesn’t work. Donald Trump is the champion of the little guy, fighting valiantly against the deep state, swamp, silos, &c. The fact that Trump is enriching himself on a scale never seen before in a White House is secondary, as long he remains his followers’ champion.

Donald Trump Must be Impeached, Convicted, and Removed From Office

Impeach and convict Donald Trump. That is the only solution. Mr. Trump is a criminal mind who understands how to sway people, especially in the face of inept opposition. Equally puzzling with the question of why would anyone support Mr. Trump is the question: Who in their right mind really thinks Mr. Trump's most recent opponent, Kamala Harris, would make a decent president, but that issue is for another time.

Why should we impeach Mr. Trump?

He has violated federal law by distributing funds as he pleases rather than where they were appropriated, in violation of the Budget Control and Impoundment Act.

He has unlawfully deported people to foreign prisons and locations without due process.

He has violated the Posse Comitatus Act under the contrived rationale that certain jurisdictions are lawless.

He has been complicit in multiple war crimes, ordering or abetting attacks on civilian vessels on the high seas, and subsequently ordered the killing of crews from surviving vessels, in clear violation of international law. He has attempted to justify this unlawful behavior with the flimsiest of excuses.

He has falsely invoked the Insurrection Act to facilitate abuse of both citizens and non-citizens.

He has unlawfully fired, and caused to be fired, government employees protected by the Civil Service Act.

He has acted in a corrupt manner to enrich himself by employing policies that enabled members of his family to benefit at government expense, to the disadvantage of the country.

He has violated federal law by firing inspectors general who may only be fired by congress.

Now We Know

After the defeat of Adolf Hitler there was a soul searching. How did the population of what was then the most civilized country in the western world permit such barbarism, such lawlessness, to occur? Why did they not rid themselves of Hitler? Now we know. It appears that a majority of United States citizens do not support Donald Trump. But that doesn’t matter. Disposing of the man is nearly impossible, even as he continues to show signs of mental deterioration to go with his melt downs. Congress is a body that fears him so much that they did not even insist on his following such fundamental laws as appropriation bills, or the fact that inspectors general can only be fired with the consultation of Congress. There you have it — disposing of a president requires a remarkable consensus by a body that fears him. Further, Trump’s supporters seem willing to physically threaten those who challenge him.

Quiet Piggy

We all know Donald Trump is a president like no other we’ve had. Many of us are repulsed or just very annoyed at his behavior, while his supporters seem delighted at his acting out, while he “sticks it to the libs.” Let’s try to remember that we are a country, not a playground, no matter how childish the president’s rants are.

Do we really want a president who melts down most nights over perceived slights (or possibly just the lack of coffee ice cream in the White House mess)? Apparently we do, as Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt constantly reminds us. Not only is he the president the American People wanted, for her money his every tantrum is what we voted for. The only thing missing is an appreciation from Leavitt that Trump has special glands to make him go with so much energy. That was Jack Valenti’s supposition on LBJ’s great stamina.

But Trump is no LBJ. It’s a different era, and the question is “what kind of drugs is Trump getting to keep him going?” And what is so special about Donald Trump that makes him feel totally unconstrained, able to insult anyone just as easily and naturally as some of us brush our teeth? And finally, what is it about Trump that freezes Congress even as Trump dumps, re-embraces, and dumps again allies. Last week he was sending high performance land attack missiles to Ukraine; this week he’s ready to throw Ukraine to the wolves if it doesn’t accede to all of Vladimir Putin’s demands. His BFF Vlad wants Ukraine emasculated, so that’s good enough for The Donald.

And... what the heck will be left of the US when Trump is finally, blessedly gone?

No, We Can't Keep It

Long ago, in a city far away, Octavian broke the Roman Republic to his will. He did it not through force of arms, but by his own will and intimidation. At that moment no Roman senator realised what a crossroads the republic had reached. None understood that the republic was dead, and that the monarchy had been birthed. Yet there it was for all to see. With nary a word spoken, Octavian emasculated the Senate. We are close to this same situation today. Donald Trump has passed no laws; he has threatened many, but few of those weathering his wrath are political players. They are mostly minor functionaries, retired civil servants, or military officers, people who pose no threat to his rule. I intentionally use the word ‘rule,’ for in governing by decree, he has ruled rather than governed.

It is unlikely we can ever go back to the time before Trump began his second term with such focus on exactly what he wanted to do, most of which consists of satisfying grievances and seeking revenge against enemies actual and perceived.

No future president will be able to resist following in Trump’s footsteps. He has broken through the firewall separating the republican from the authoritarian — our past as a democracy is dead, for every future president will find it irresistible to wield the same power Trump is wielding in some form. The fact that his actions are illegitimate is irrelevant. They will now become the norm, and so become legitimate, even though they violate both the Constitution and federal laws.

Apocryphally, Benjamin Franklin is said to have remarked that the founders had birthed a republic, if we can keep it. Now we know that we cannot.

Since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, Congress has passed no laws of consequence, and much existing U.S. law lies in tatters, irrelevant because it is ignored by both the President and Congress. The President and his acolytes in the executive branch have violated civil service law, the Budget Control and Impoundment Act, and several other laws tghat support the framework of our government and stitutions, some of which established independent agencies, and some of which mandated certain actions on the part of the federal government. There is much more, but it’s not worth citing the entire list.

The President and his supporters have hinted many times that there is a way for him to seek a third term. While the President himself hints at it with a certain coyness, supporters such as Steve Bannon and others speak of it with conviction, as something that is legally compliant. Considering the wrecking ball Trump has applied to most of the country’s governing framework, I believe he has no intention of leaving office at the end of his term, whether through an attempt at a third elected term or by ensuring that no election happens in 2028. At any rate, we can expect a nationwide state of emergency if Trump doesn't get his way through “legal” means.

His acolytes in the Supreme Court have essentially given him absolute power by ruling that anything the President does in the performance of his office is legal, including murder. The court steamed through decades of precedent going back to the Nixon administration to finally realise Richard Nixon’s contention that if the President does it, it cannot be illegal.

As a super mob boss he has conducted shakedowns of major corporations and law firms, and threatened criminal penalties on those he disagrees with, the Justice Department having essentially become both his personal lawyer and his enforcer. How ironic that one of the first acts of the current congress was forming a committee to investigate the weaponisation of the Justice Department by the previous administration.

With Eric Adams, the governor of New York, fully Trump’s pocket after a sweetheart cancellation of Hizhonor’s indictment, the Trump Justice Department announced an investigation of Adams’ probable primary opponent.

Our current government has become as one with Erdogn’s Turkey. Apparently The Donald spent time while out of office reviewing the Justice and Development playbook. We can expect Trump’s enemies to soon enough begin receiving ruinous tax bills; expect the recipients to include media outlets that disagree with Trump and corporations that his family covets.

A full bill of particulars of Trump's treasonous misconduct is too long to list here

The most powerful country in the world, the keeper (for now) of the world’s benchmark currency, has become a criminal enterprise, controlled by a small cadre of kleptocrats, and ruled by a head of state with the emotional makeup of a twelve year old who finds no perceived threat or insult too minor to leave unpunished. Assuming he agrees to leave office after his current term, he will have left the country a ruined hulk, and he and his family multi-billionaires.

How Does this End? Perhaps it Already Has

Not since 1932, when the Portuguese, to stanch the chaos, gave over their country to Antonio Oliviera Salazar, has a people willingly handed their country to a dictator. But the citizens of the United States have done just that with the election of Donald Trump.

For those who hadn’t noticed, we’ve had chaos since 6 January 2020. Leadership denying reality adds to the chaos. I don’t know what percentage of the population is unhappy with the situation; those opposing the administration are keeping low. But our president is en route to absolute power.

Several federal judges have invalidated his actions, but he continues as if there is no judiciary.

He is essentially ruling by decree via executive orders.

He has de facto eliminated civil service protections, and openly threatened states with cancellation of government support if they don’t do his bidding.

He has violated the Budget Control and Impoundment act of 1974 by failing to release appropriated funds. The Congress has given its concurrence by its silence.

There is evidence that Trump has threatened leaders of major industries.

Donald Trump’s acolytes are floating the idea that he can have a third term, since his first two weren’t consecutive. And these same acolytes are pushing the idea that the man who would give over Ukraine to her invaders should get the Nobel Peace Prize.

A full bill of particulars would be too depressing.

As George Orwell wrote:

War is peace

Freedom is slavery

Ignorance is strength

Must We Continue to Fool Ourselves?

David P. Goldman, a right smart observer of military and geostrategic matters, and the Middle East in particular, recently wrote:

"We may not learn soon, if ever, exactly how the sectarian politics of radical Islam intersected and diverged between the Sunni jihadism embodied in the Brotherhood and Shi’ite jihadism sponsored by Iran. What the Gaza disaster makes clear is that neither Israeli nor American intelligence understood the opposition. The Biden Administration wooed the Iranians with a $6 billion cash ransom for American hostages, while the Qataris financed Hamas as it were under the nose of the American military."

Contrary to the articles contention, we do know how Sunni Hamas' and Shiite Iran's interests converged. It's called "do what I need and I'll like you for now." If it is ever in Iran's interest, they will squash Hamas like a bug, but the Mullahs of Iran have signed up to destroy Israel more than any other thing, except perhaps awaiting the return of the 12th Imam.

But there is a more important lesson here, one that is so far out in the open that only those who will call for peace at any cost will miss it. "If someone says they are going to kill you, don't imagine they're going away because you paid them." This isn't just true of Hamas, it's true of the "mainstream" Palestinian Authority (PA), which talks about a two state solution when speaking in English to the wishful fools in the West, while calling for complete extermination of Israel in its Arabic media. Those useful idiots, including those in the US State Department, who think the hate spewed in the Arabic media is just to appease the masses, are functional morons.

So, while it's correct that relationships in the Middle East can be complex, it's also accurate to say the the fundamental drivers and ambitions of the region can be distilled down to a few facts. Hate the Jews, destroy Israel, and get paid to 'not' do it by Israel's supposed allies as long as it's convenient. After that, move on to using the remaining moslem emigres in the west as a Trojan Horse for western civilisation. This isn't alarmist thinking; it's a simple reading of what 'they' say. If it weren't so, there is a good chance that at least some Arab regimes would actually be trying to improve the lot of their citizens, at least a little.

Understanding these facts makes for hard work; Israel's allies would prefer that she just go away, so that they can move on with their next do-gooder project. Unfortunately for the US and Europe, those pesky Jews have no place to go. That's how their ancestors ended up there in the first place.

We Can But Reap What We Sow

Now that President Biden has aided and abetted the Hamas attack on Israel, he has decided to “fully stand behind the Jewish state.” It appears that the only thing worse than a lying, thieving Republican is a lying, thieving Democrat. (Trump fans can stop reading now)

There is plenty of blame to go around. Hamas bragged months ago about their aim of conducting an attack to overwhelm the Iron Dome system. A pretty good thumb rule is, when your long-time enemy says he’s out to murder you, believe him and govern yourself accordingly.

There may be plenty of blame to go around, but we ought not to use that fact as a way to spread it thin, instead of identifying the clear culprits.

President Biden, and his National Security advisor, Anthony Blinken, are at the top of the list. They apparently need to hedge their bets with the Islamist wing of the Democratic Party. Upon taking power, Biden and his administration resumed aid to Gaza; it seemed as if they couldn’t wait. That’s the same as resuming aid to Hamas. It’s not sufficient to say that Hamas rules Gaza. Gaza is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hamas. In furtherance of this idiotic move, Biden released six billion dollars frozen funds Iran, supposedly only to be used for humanitarian purposes. I’m sure that’s enforceable. For reasons that are best understood by understanding that liberals never stop thinking that being nice to your enemies will make them be nicer to you, Biden-Blinken and company simply ignored all the physical evidence that demonstrated exactly what Iran and Hamas thought of both Israel and the United States, and what they have been saying they intend to do. The mullahs must have been laughing their heads off over American naivety. It may also be that the President is simply tired of those pesky Jews insisting that one can’t make peace with terrorists. In that regard, Biden and Trump have something in common: both don’t believe their own intelligence agencies. One can forgive Biden (a little) by remembering that he appears to be a doddering old fool, but Blinken, one of the principal architects of the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, should be held to account immediately. The man is a moron. He's Jewish, so I suppose one can't call him anti-semitic. Anyway, moron is a more precise technical term for what he is.

For the Israeli leadership, this is an inexcusable intelligence failure, coming almost exactly fifty (Gregorian) years after their previous intelligence-failure fueled debacle – the surprise attack that opened the 1973 war.

Those who think Hamas doesn’t watch television or cruise the Internet might want to look at the video of a Hamas drone destroying an Israeli Merkava tank by dropping a bomb nearly vertically upon the tank’s vulnerable topsides. The Ukrainians have been doing this to Russian tanks for months, and publishing the videos.

Israel is now faced with a dilemma such as she hasn’t faced in decades. Does she go all out to destroy Hamas, or does she account for the hundreds of hostages the Islamic terrorist group has spirited away to Gaza. At least with Barack Obama gone from the White House we can once again use the term “Islamic terrorist.” That’s cold comfort, but it’s the only comfort we’re likely to have from Biden’s disastrous foreign policy.

Mothers

The folloing is the Mothers Day column by my wife, Rabbi Rose Lyn Jacob.

“When someone asks you where you come from, the answer is Your Mother!”-- Anna Quindlen

A Mother’s Day remembrance came across my in-box the other day. It’s author is a woman who is, herself, at this point in life, already a grandmother. She happens to come from a culture that also reveres motherhood. “Miss my Darling Mummy on this Mother’s day. Thank you so much for the wonderful memories you left with us - we love & cherish all the fun times we had with you and are still in awe of your generosity and love for all those lives you have touched. Love you and Miss you forever!! Till we meet again.” How fortunate to have had such a mother. How blessed to be remembered as such a mother.

We often place motherhood in a quasi “nostalgic bubble.” Or sometimes, we go the other direction. The humorist Erma Bombeck referred to Motherhood as the “Second Oldest Profession.” American mothers come in all shapes, colors, sizes and denominations, and cover a range from traditional birth mothers and adoptive mothers, to foster mothers, step-mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers and a myriad of maternal stand-ins. In our desire to heed Commandment number five, the directive from God to HONOR our mothers, we shower moms with cards, flowers, candy and gifts in recognition of Mom’s unconditional love and dedication which, hopefully, has helped shape our lives in a positive way. This year Americans plan to shower mothers to the tune of 36 billion dollars-worth of appreciation, according to the National Retail Federation.

Married partners may have a strained, or barely existing relationship with their own mother, or that oft maligned creature, the “mother-in-law;” but the biblical mandate is to HONOR not LOVE our parents. It may not be easy to accept that not all mothers are “perfect,” no matter how you define or imagine maternal perfection, and yet, we are still obligated to HONOR her. That can be shown in any number of ways, but most biblical scholars take it to mean making provisions for her care later in life, even if we don’t really wish to or can’t care for her ourselves.

The most important functions of motherhood are to provide love, stability, security, education and a variety of survival skills, like learning to use a can opener or a microwave oven, or how to forage for edible plants, as well as hunt, skin and prepare an animal for consumption!

In 2018, however, motherhood took a dark, dark turn. We never could have imagined that, in America, the very inviolate nature of motherhood would take a beating as it has at our southern border, where children, literally ripped from their mothers and detained, have yet to be reunified with their mothers or other family members. Some, detained under the age of five, have been lost in the system. U.S. born children of non-citizen parents, were also ripped from their mothers. As citizens, these children were placed in Foster Care, where they may be kept until the age of 18. All this to discourage illegal immigration to the U.S. during the Trump administration. The current administration has yet to untangle the mess, and families have yet to be reunited.

Starting in 2021, motherhood was again under attack, this time as collateral damage of the war between Ukraine and Russia. In the chaos of rapidly shifting borders Ukrainian children were separated from their mothers and shipped to Russia for “re-education” and permanent placement with Russian families. Some have been returned to their Ukrainian families, brainwashed and traumatized. Fierce fighting left many Ukrainian children orphaned, with no one to claim them. Other children have been “misplaced.” The mental anguish of war, forced relocation, and maternal separation will leave these children scarred for the rest of their lives.

We should never underestimate the importance of a mother in any life. The words of the Negro spiritual ring true in every generation, in every corner of the world:

”Sometimes I feel like a motherless child.

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child.

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child.

A long way from home, a long way from home.”

Gimpy the Kitten Doesn't know He's Handicapped

Taxes and the Convergence — Apologies from the Editor for an Incomplete Column

Your editor failed to publish the entire column. It has been corrected.

The following is the latest column from the Culpeper Star-Exponent by my wife, Rabbi Rose Lyn Jacob. Caution: There is humor for accountants in here.

It only happens every thirty years or so, the convergence of Easter, Passover and Ramadan. Whatever your faith tradition, I hope you have been enjoying a season of renewal, rebirth, and also one of reconnecting with family and friends after several years of cautious social interaction instigated by Covid and the prohibitively noxious behavior of folks with differing political views which made sharing a dining table insufferable!

The excitement is over, and we’ve consumed the last Chocolate Easter Bunny and/or Matzah Ball. We now enter a different season; one of reflection on the past year and consideration of and resolutions for behaviors in the coming year. I am, of course, referring to Tax Season. Mercifully, this year, Tax Day has been pushed forward, from Saturday April 15 to Tuesday, April 18; a brief but welcome reprieve. As Ben Franklin said: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes!” To which we can add that only one of those two allows for an automatic extension!

Looking back at my tax records, as I thumb through the documents, my life literally passes before my eyes. You may have had the same feelings putting together your very first FAFSA form to get financial aid for college. W-2’s from those barista and construction jobs you took to get you through college. Your first REAL job and a first contribution to your very own IRA account; already planning for retirement. You might come across the first year you filed jointly with your new spouse, followed by the birth of your first little deduction. By the birth of your NEXT little deduction, you are mumbling to your new accountant that while each baby brings its own blessing, it would be nice if it also came with its own Certificate of Deposit. Your accountant says it’s time to sink money into a house, and the following year, VOILA! a new deduction – a mortgage! Sooner than you ever thought possible, your little deductions have grown, fled the nest and aged out of the system, and you’re being taxed on your Social Security!

Some of the kindest human beings I’ve ever met have been accountants. Just think about it, they know more about you and your habits than your priest, minister or rabbi, and they have heard or seen just about everything. They can’t absolve you if you’ve morally or financially flubbed it, but if they are honest, as most are, they will give you good advice and steer you in the right direction to try to keep your life together, even if there are moments when it seems to be falling apart. No judgement. They are there through the good and the bad, and, just like your therapist, they charge by the hour.

Taxes are, well, a taxing subject. It’s easier to say what they ARE NOT. They are not intended to be charitable giving nor should they be considered money “stolen” from us by our government. Taxation, in the United States, is intended for the common good; schools, infrastructure, transportation, health and safety, national security, police, a safe food supply and clean water. And, if you are really lucky, there is enough to pay for garbage pick-up.

But no community can thrive on taxes alone. We are just weeks away from the largest give back opportunity in our area sponsored by the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation. “Give Local Piedmont,” a four-county, one-day, on-line giving event, will be held on May 9th, 2023. This community fundraiser benefits over 120 non-profit organizations located in Madison, Culpeper, Rappahannock, and Fauquier counties. To date, it has brought in and distributed over $8 million in nine years.

“Give Local Piedmont” inspires community members to give to nonprofit organizations that are making our region stronger. Every dollar donated is increased with additional "bonus" dollars provided by the PATH Foundation, as well as sponsor-driven prizes. Visit www.givelocalpiedmont.org/giving-events/glp23/ to see if you and your family can identify causes that speak to your heart, and that would bolster our community and our quality of life. There are a dozen categories to check out including animals, health, the arts, and nature, just to name a few!

Now, I want you all to feel free to use your TAX REFUND to donate to Give Local Piedmont, or you can dig even deeper into your pocket for the good of your community. If you have been blessed with a little additional prosperity this past year, set an example for your children by asking them to help review and choose the organizations they would like the money to support. No matter how young, can get them in the spirit of giving and supporting local causes by creating a collection jar they, (and you) can add to through the year so that next year, they can donate to a cause!

After all is said and done, isn’t it true that you don’t know just how fortunate you are and just how much you have to be thankful for until you pay taxes on it!

Wishing you health, happiness and prosperity, so that you may work and share with an open heart.

Judged to be Perfectly OK

The headline says it all:

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Says He Didn't Have to Disclose Luxury Trips with Megadonor

Of course he didn't. "Cleared by advisors." I'll bet. There are no ethics rules for Supreme Court justices, and it showes. That's the remarkable thing. For all we can tell of the ethics rules, justices are free to accept cash payments from people having business before the court if they like. And Justice Alito was free to dine with, well, you know. . .

We are living in a new era. It's not just that the gloves are off; there is no shame, and no self control. The Constitution is waved like a religious totem, and if something isn't in it, well, cry havoc.

Caught in a Medical Web

Two weeks ago, I was struck. Not only did I have my first heart attack; to the best of my knowledge, I had the first one in my immediate family. Thinking it was another acid reflux attack, I drove myself to the hospital, where they told me. “Sir, you’re having a massive heart attack.” Well. That might explain why the pain I was feeling was the worst I had ever felt.

They have no cardiac care in Culpeper, so they stuck me in an ambulance, rushing me to the UVA hospital in Charlottesville, where I went directly into the operating room, without checking in, for a quick exam and stent insertion — very freaky. But once they cleared the blockage, and emplaced the stent, I no longer felt any pain.

When the dust had settled, having passed through intensive care, and been studied, poked, and prodded, they discharged me with a handful of new prescription medicines, one of which promptly turned my back blue, and set me to itching over my entire upper body. That brought me right back to the emergency room. One of the drugs they’d sent me home with, the Plavix blood thinner, was apparently notorious for this. They changed it out for a different thinner, and sent me home again.

Ten days later they added another drug, and the itching began again. The next morning, I couldn’t breathe. Fortunately, on a whim, I’d bought a small oxygen cannister at Lowes (about the size of a bug spray bottle). Two puffs and I was fine, but it was off to the hospital again.

This time they couldn’t decide whether the drug was so important that they should try to find a way to medicate me so that I could ride out the side effects, or have me go off the drug. They opted for going off the drug (my choice, too). It’s been quite a recovery period.

At this point, all I want is to be free of the medical profession for a while. They are fine people, and perhaps they’ve saved my life, but we need to stop meeting for a while. I have a life.

Born in China, Die in Syria — And the Hell with You

I bought the Western Digital My Book external hard drive about ten months ago, to make automatic backups on my Mac. I just wanted the little blighter to sit there, and record backups every four hours or so. That’s not a tour de force in today’s computer world. Earlier this week it gave up the ghost. The disk is still spinning, but it’s no longer talking to the computer. I tried everything an owner could do, but no luck. Fortunately, my Amazon sales document said it was under warranty, so I navigated the Western Digital website from hell, establishing an account, finding out that I already had an account, going back and retrieving my long lost password, learning the model number by applying a magnifying glass to the microprinted codes on the product cabinet, and eventually coming to a mutual agreement with the manufacturer as to the date of manufacture, and the fact that the drive was in fact still under warranty.

I had already established all this on my own on the website, but now it was official. I was entitled to get a replacement — but not so fast. I was now in communication with a real human, Richard. Before proceeding further, I was to attempt a few self-care items. Try using Apple Disk First Aid (tough to do if you can’t mount the disk). Now download the special Western Digital troubleshooting software to attempt repair. Also, replace the power supply and USB cord with a high quality, factory USB cord.

That hissing sound Rose heard from the other room was me, lifting safeties.

I stopped to consider for about ten seconds; I unplugged and re-plugged the power cord. I could hear the thing still spinning, but nothing more. I walked into the other room and found another, identical USB cord. Plugging it in, I detected no difference. My safeties stopped lifting as the steam pressure in my head went down.

I sat down at my computer and answered the email to Richard: “Let me get this straight,” I wrote, “before replacing the unit under warranty, you want me to purchase from you a new power supply, and a new USB cable, all at your premium price, just to test, in order to see if the drive, which is obviously spinning, might have a power problem. Is that correct?”

Before I spent my own money acting like a trained monkey for those guys, I’d simply take this disk drive to the dump, and buy a different brand. Buying a new power supply and cable would get me into them for almost a third the cost of a new drive. It's a bit like building a new car from the parts department — not recommended.

I need not have worried. I was busy all the next day, but by the time I got around to reading my email in the evening, Richard had answered. He wanted my address and phone number so he could replace my sick drive with a new one. One small victory for common sense.

BUILDING MEN OF CHARACTER

The following is a column by my wife, Rabbi Rose Lyn Jacob, in this week's Culpeper Star-Exponent:

It takes love and courage to build a boy into a man. It takes a lot of perseverance, guidance and mutual respect to build that boy into a man of character. I’ve been dwelling on this since listening to an interview with author Anna Malaika Tubbs on her new book, “The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation.”

The book acknowledges that, while we know a great deal about these three men and their legacies, we know almost nothing about their mothers; it is as if these women who were, in each case, an integral part of shaping her son’s life; Alberta Williams King, Berdis Baldwin and Louise Little, were erased from history. Her description of Alberta Williams King is that of a college-educated woman with a teaching certificate, who lead the choir, played the church organ and served as a proud member of the NAACP. She was an outstanding role model; active in several organizations that focused on social justice and passed on a commitment to social justice to Martin as part of her Christian faith.

She was extremely close to Martin, and he was known to say that he had “the best mother in the world.” She took her passion and talent, and translated those into her mothering, which Martin shared with the world. Although few today know it, Alberta was also assassinated, shot in the head at age 69, while playing the organ at Ebenezer Baptist Church, six years after MLK, only yards away from the graveyard where her son was buried.

It is 2023, and we have grown wearily accustomed to reports of viscous and unrestrained acts of war, terror and bloodshed. Yet we are struck repeatedly by acts of crime and savagery perpetuated by young men, regardless of color or ethnicity, or nationality. We ask, “How is it possible for young men to take lives so recklessly, brutally and callously?” We also wonder how they can walk into a subway, or a classroom, or a Walmart and just open fire?

We’ve grown immune to unethical behavior, lying, or cheating in business and politics perpetrated by young men who have no compunction about embezzling, cheating, or misappropriating funds of those who can least afford the losses, and defrauding the elderly who have no time or means to recoup their life savings. Our magazines and social media are rife with stories of poor behavior, often by men of privilege, or fame, who behave badly, but with no remorse.

This is America. So how can we, going forward, bolster for this and future generations of young men the idea of a free society of justice and compassion that respects the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human individual? Once upon a time, these values were conveyed in Sunday school lessons, or, if you were fortunate by role models in your life. These methods are rarer and rarer, and bad behavior is flaunted in the multiverse. As parents, grandparents or special people in their lives, we only have a few years to lay the foundations of good character in our sons. Some of these values and behaviors can be taught and reinforced starting at about age three, others by age five, and they all can pretty much get it down pat by age seven, with constant reminders and boosters for the next ten to fifteen years. No list of virtues can ever replace good role modeling. “Do as I say, not as I do” has never been a good strategy for building and toughening up moral behavior! Take a look at some of these ideas, and imagine when and how they might bolster your son’s self-worth, and confidence, and put him on a sure footing when life throws a curve ball his way, and send him in the right direction once he fledges from the nest.

Always give a firm hand shake and look ‘em in the eye.

When it comes to women of any age, CHIVALRY IS NOT DEAD! Treat all women with respect and courtesy. Hold the door open even if it isn’t necessarily the fashion.

Work hard. Give it your best, whether working for yourself or someone else! Whether it is academics or sports or working as a barista at Starbucks. The discipline and value of what you learn will last a lifetime. It’s called “hard work” because it is HARD!

According to Mahatma Gandhi, “The simplest acts of kindness are far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” Combat the tendency toward selfishness by modeling generosity. Teach him that helping and giving can make him feel good!

Starting in the sandbox, teach him how to play fair, be humble when winning and graceful in defeat, and never use performance enhancing drugs.

Try to think of the consequences of your actions before you end up in the hospital or jail. Only act after careful consideration, and if things go wrong, accept responsibility and try to set things right. And please, don’t blame others for your mistakes!

Consequences can be much worse than you might imagine. Especially if what you do is amazingly stupid.

Parents, please only occasionally use this phrase ,“What Were You Thinking?” You will only get a blank stare from which you can imply that he wasn’t. The male brain doesn’t mature until the mid 20’s, which means there will be too many opportunities to question their thought process.

Remember to hug and kiss when he is little. Say “good job, good job” when he deserves it. Don’t give praise for just showing up!!!!!

Wishing you all a good week. Be careful at your Super Bowl party and remember not to be caught double-dipping into the seven-layer dip! It will set a bad example for your son!

Let’s Start the Year with a Smile!

The following is a column by my wife, Rabbi Rose Lyn Jacob, in this week's Culpeper Star-Exponent:

Happy 2023! Let’s all start off the year with a smile! ‘A smile can brighten the darkest day,’ the old saying goes, and we certainly have had some dark days this past year.

I haven’t taken smiling for granted since I developed Bell’s Palsy,’ a facial nerve paralysis that caused the right side of my face to droop, most notably my eye and right side of my mouth. The paralysis lasted for months, during which time it was impossible for me to smile. My seven-year-old found the condition so alarming that he implored me not to laugh, as this distorted my face even more. “Mommy, don’t laugh!” he entreated me, “You look like the Phantom of the Opera!” For someone known for her upbeat personality and smiling countenance, this was a game changer. Eventually, it passed. When I look in the mirror each morning, I am reminded what a gift the ability to smile is, especially when our mouths are hidden behind N95 masks!

Judaism has something to say about EVERYTHING, so why not SMILING? Smiling can be a natural instinct or a response to circumstances. So, what kind of important wisdom could the rabbis impart on the subject?

In a verse from the text Ethics of the Fathers we are advised to “Receive everyone with a cheerful face!” Elsewhere we are coaxed to, “Always be the first one to greet every person.” Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, a great rabbi and sage who led by example, taught “Never did I meet anyone in the street who greeted me before I greeted them.” And one of my favorite rabbinical takes on smiling relates to the expression “Why the long face?” comes from philosopher Rav Eliyahu Dessler “You are like a thief! You are depriving your fellow human beings of the pleasantness of a cheerful face!”

To smile is innately human. There is evidence that babies smile in the womb and infants respond to smiles by four months of age. Once they get the idea of cause and effect, an infant almost always reacts to a smile with a smile. I instinctively smile at every baby I see, especially in restaurants. Those smiles usually lead to a short session of Peek-a-Boo which both the infant and I find rewarding.

So, what’s in a smile that makes us feel so good? Biologically, we know that smiling is good for us. Smiling releases neuropeptides, tiny molecules that allow neurons to communicate. They facilitate sending messages to the whole body when we are happy, sad, angry, depressed, or excited. The “feel good” neurotransmitters dopamine, endorphins and serotonin are all released when a smile flashes across your face. A study published in the journal Neuropsychologia reported that seeing an attractive smiling face activates our orbitofrontal cortex, the region in our brain that process sensory rewards. When we encounter a smiling person, we actually feel the satisfaction of being rewarded. There are other things that release “feel good” neurotransmitters, like exercise, and I recently read a study that suggested a smile is as neurologically rewarding as 2,000 chocolate bars. I’ve begun my own research to verify this, and only have another 1,998 Hershey Bars to go.

A smile can communicate a diverse range of feelings. It can raise a glum mood or signal that an apology is accepted. A smile can be flirtatious, silently approving, it can boost self-confidence and light up a face. But what happens when we turn that smile upside down?

Have you ever wondered about UNSMILING people? In an interview in WIRED.com, Marianne La France, an experimental psychologist at Yale who has written a book on the subject of smiling, called Lip Service: Smiles in Life, Death, Trust, Lies, Work, Memory, Sex and Politics, was asked: “What is it about unsmiling people that is unnerving?” Her response? “People convey by their faces that they acknowledge us, that we’re alive, that we matter, that we are not just objects to be dispensed with.” After three years of masking, of walking around without receiving smiles of acknowledgement, of being like ships that pass in the night, reading Dr. LaFrance’s response gave me a better understanding of why masking is such a bummer.

And that, I believe, is what the rabbis were trying to get at. Smiling is not only a reward, but a gift, a God given gift and gifts are meant to be given away, not hoarded. Their sage rabbinical advice to future generations would be to take every opportunity for face-to-face interaction, in order to retain our humanity and not just use “emoticons” to express emotion, or avatars, in lieu of our real-life faces. They would caution us that while our world may be rich in communication devices, we are miserly when it comes to the gift of face-to-face communication.

We can do our bit to heal the psyche of our country by trying to smile with sincerity. Smile at your children, your spouse, your co-workers, your dog. In 2023, don’t let your smile be hijacked by pundits and politicians. I find it unnerving to be partway through a congenial conversation, only to see the smiles disappear as hostility seeps in.

Here’s wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, prosperous and safe 2023. Be kind to others, be gentle with yourself, share the gift you were given and smile, smile, smile.

An End of Year Thought

I know it's not the end of the year yet, but it seems as if it should be. Too much has been stuffed into the year, too little of it good. If the world isn't on Twitter, it's at least looking at Twitter. Nobody paid attention to Jack Dorsey; everyone seems to be paying attention to Elon Musk.

Twitter has been at the center of a storm that won't quit. It began when Donald Trump decided to run for president, and has continued to this day, as Elon Musk, its new owner, tries to decide whether to play with it, destroy it, or let it run. The whole soap opera seems to confirm my conviction that anything that becomes popular enough becomes a parody of itself. Whether twitter lives or dies is irrelevant. Within an hour of its death, it will be as if it had never existed. Fiscal considerations aside, perhaps Elon should just turn out the lights now, giving successor media a running start on the dreaded 2024 political season

IF YOU CAN’T SAY SOMETHING NICE, SAY IT ON THE INTERNET!

The following is the latest column by my wife, Rabbi Rose Lyn Jacob, in the Culpeper Star-Exponent

Humor me as I take a moment to share a story. It is a very old story, and, as with most Jewish stories, it teaches a lesson This is the tale of a boy whose slanderous gossip had the potential to cause havoc as it spread through the town. Realizing too late the potential harm that would be done by spreading misinformation as one villager told the next, and at a loss as how to rectify the deed, he ran to the wise rabbi for advice. Note that in Jewish stories, the rabbi is always wise. “Go quickly to your house,” said the rabbi “find a feather pillow and a kitchen knife. Slash the pillow’s case, then run back here as fast as you can!” Obeying the wise rabbi’s order, the boy retrieved the pillow, slashed it with a knife and ran back breathlessly, spewing a cloud of white goose feathers as he ran. Handing the pillow over to the rabbi the boy said, “Here, rabbi, I’ve done exactly what you asked of me. Here is the pillow!” “Very good,” said the rabbi. “What shall I do next, rabbi?” “Next I want you to take your pillowcase and put all the feathers back in. Search through the village until you’ve collected every feather!” “But Rabbi!” the boy cried with a look of incredulity, “there is no way to retrieve them all!”

The lesson was not lost on the boy, and hopefully not lost on us either. It is about guarding your tongue. Slanderous words, once spoken are like those feathers: irretrievable. You can try to walk them back, do a little public relations dance, apologize without saying you’re sorry, explain that YOU mis-spoke, or WE mis-heard, all to no avail. Lying, misrepresenting and twisting the truth, defaming character and making libelous accusations have real consequences.

Two verses from the Book of Psalms (120:3-4) ask the question: “What can you profit, what can you gain O deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows…” Why an arrow and not a sword? Because if a person draws a sword to kill his fellow man, the intended victim can beg mercy and the attacker can change his mind and return the sword to its sheath. But an arrow, once it has been shot, even if the shooter wants to stop it, he can’t.

Our tongues are like arrows – once we have shot off our mouths, our words proceed to destroy and there is nothing we can do to stop them. Once uttered, words take on a life of their own, spreading, echoing, distorting at a pace humanity has never witnessed before. In the age of ubiquitous Internet use, anyone in any place in the world can share their message, without filtering or mincing words. Their words, their messages are not just heard, but amplified. From the cruel, vindictive words of teenagers to the malicious language of hatred targeted at “the other,” the vocabulary of bigotry, chauvinism, injustice, and intolerance that are disseminated and distorted by the Internet, weaponizes or warps almost every discussion of race, gender, religion, ethnicity and color. Postings by conspiracy theorists of every ilk play into the hands of the psychotic and/or politically motivated, and, as we’ve seen since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Russian propaganda has worked overtime to shape their message for the Internet by creating a narrative of faux reality.

You can hop on the Internet merry-go-round at any point for a spin of malice, threats, scams and incitement to anarchy while Internet providers wring their hands and hash out HOW they will handle malicious messaging disguised as news or truth and information while simultaneously guaranteeing protection of our First Amendment Rights. Case in point. This past year the Internet has upped the ante as a conduit for anti-Semites who openly spout anti-Semitic tropes, resulting in acts of violence, desecration, terrorism, murder and character assassination, targeting Jewish institutions, places of worship, businesses, politicians and financial and industry leaders. The hatred and misinformation are no longer whispered, but unapologetically shouted out. Jews have historically been the test case for “how much the traffic will allow,” and have, historically, been dubbed, “The Canary in the Coal Mine,” that unfortunate caged bird with tiny lungs who succumbs to the first traces of carbon monoxide down in the mine, and whose sacrifice sounds the alarm for others. This fowl idiom has come to mean a ‘warning of coming danger’. Whether a Jewish canary, a Black canary, an Asian, Hispanic, Immigrant or LBGTQ ++ canary, a threat to one is a potential threat to each and every flock.

I’ll leave you with a quote from The French writer, philosopher, poet, dramatist, and historian, Voltaire, to ponder as we enter this season of Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men. A keen observer of human behavior, I think he nailed it, way back in the 1700’s, when he stated: “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”

Here is wishing you a blessed holiday season and good health. Protect yourself, your family, and friends by getting your flu shot, and those friendly epidemiologists at The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage everyone, believers and non-believers, to wear good quality masks to reduce the spread of Covid, flu and RSV as we gather together to celebrate the New Year.

A Most Difficult Year

MAD Cats, our low/no cost spay and neuter and kitten rescue group has had a tough year, with too many kitten deaths. The majority of the hardship has fallen on our Kitten Mom, Laurie. We hope the worst of it is over. Last night my wife Rose wrote this for Laurie:

A Poem of Kitten Love for Laurie

FRAGILE LIVES

As I held you close and tried my best

I knew your time had come to rest

I guess I knew things weren’t all right

Still I tried and tried with all my might

There were things I simply could not control

And the stress of living finally took its toll

But know that I loved you each step of the way

Through long nights together, and each hour of the day

Was it where you were born or the time of the year?

Were you just not formed right, was there no mother near?

Were you destined by genes or destined by fate?

Or did you simply arrive in a fragile state?

Hundreds of kittens have passed through my care

And losing one kitten is still very rare

Although most of my kittens will have a long life

The loss of just one cuts my heart like a knife.

God give me the strength when my spirit is low

To love these fur babies and accept as they grow

That I cannot save all but can love every one

And with three litters a year --the work’s never quite done!

With Love and Great Respect for All You Accomplish – Rose Jacob