Magdeburger Joe of The Winter Riders Group also known as Rudi Stettner

Announcement to Readers

2011-04-17T11:39:00.000-04:00

Both Magdeburgerjoe.com and Rudistettner.com have been in existence since January of 2008. Both sites have followed an eclectic path, poth poliically and topically. The fact that both names are easily misspelled, as well as other technical issues have limited the growth of both sites. In response to this, a new site has been in existence since November of 2010. It is called GlobeTribune.info, and it can also be reached by the url "globetribune.com.

Globe Tribune.com will supersede Magdeburgerjoe.com and Rudistettner.com, which will both remain on line. Magdeburgerjoe.com and Rudistettner.com should really be considered the forerunners of GlobeTribune.Info.

The graphics of GlobeTribune.Info look a lot more like a news web site. Despite this, it will continue to encompass the mission of RudiStettner.com and MagdeburgerJoe.com, with an editorial policy against cutting and pasting articles from elsewhere, and instead introducing content with leadovers to original sources.

We will be producing a lot more articles than RudiStettner.com and MagdeburgerJoe.com, with the help of additional authours and editors. This is a promise we have kept since November, during which time our circulation on GlobeTribune.Info is well over double what the combined circulation of Magdeburgerjoe.com and RudiStettner.com were.

In short, this announcement does not mark the end of RudiStettner.com or MagdeburgerJoe.com, but a new chapter in the life of both sites.

GlobeTribune.Info

Song of the Day "The Last Time"

2011-03-17T17:23:00.001-04:00

"The Last Time

Composed and Sung by Shmuel Schwartz
Arranged and Performed by John Sawoski
Video by Daniel Sultan

Click here for Globe Tribune.Info Article

Pakistani Christian Cabinet Minister Assassinated By Muslim Terrorists

2011-03-06T19:39:00.000-05:00

Shahbaz Bhatti was so sure that he would be assassinated for his work defending Iran’s minorities that he videotaped a statement in anticipation of an assassination he believed was inevitable. The 42 year old Roman Catholic was a cabinet minister in charge of defending Pakistan’s minorities, a task that consumed his life.
Bhatti’s car was riddled with gunfire in an attack that was tied to his opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which are so loosely interpreted that any non Muslim who explains his faith to a Muslim could be charged under the laws. Already, Punjabi governor Salman Taseer, has been assasinated for his opposition to the same blasphemy statutes. Pakistan was founded as a country in which Muslims would not be discriminated against. Even Itself is divided between Sunni and Shia, as well as other smaller sects. Although Pakistan has a Sunni Muslim majority, it has a significant minority of Shiites. If one adds secular and more modern Muslims to the picture, the need for religious tolerance becomes self evident, as it was to Pakistan’s first President, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who stated as follows.

Click here for articles and videos on GlobeTribune.Info

Bernard Nathanson Abortionist Turned Right to Life Activist: 1926-2011

2011-02-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

Bernard Nathanson, one of the most captivating spokespeople to have joined the right to life movement passed away Monday in New York City of cancer. He was 84 years old. By his own estimation, Nathanson performed over 75,000 abortions, including one upon his own girlfriend back in the 60′s.
Nathanson founded NARAL, (National Abortion Rights Action League) in 1969 and operated an abortion clinic in New York City in the 60′s and 70′s. He went through a process of soul searching that led him to dramatically change sides on the abortion question.

Click here to read the rest of the article on GlobeTribune.Info

Mixed Emotions and the Music of Nadim Mohsen [Videos]

2011-02-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

Mixed Emotions and the Music of Nadim Mohsen [Videos]

February 22, 2011

Lately, I have been looking at tweets coming from the Arab world, hoping to pick up some news from Yemen, Libya or Egypt. When you are in Brooklyn, these are all a part of your neighbourhood. My family is connected by marriage to Iraq and Yemen, so these are not distant places on the map.
I found one tweet that recommended a video by a musician, composer and poet from Lebanon named Nadim Mohsen.

Click here to read the complete article on GlobeTribune.Info

Announcement to Readers About My Facebook Page

2011-02-05T22:48:00.000-05:00

For three years, I have been writing on Magdeburgerjoe.com and its sister site, Rudistettner.com. Back in November, I launched GlobeTribune.Info, a news site with a more "newsy", professional and less personal layout.

One bit of advice I got from James Johnson over at Indyposted.com is that there is a great deal of value to social networking. At my own cost, I ignored his advice for a long time, preferring to concentrate solely on writing. I was persuaded by one of my children to follow his advice. I therefore opened up a Facebook page under my professional name of Rudi Stettner. Since opening it up, I have sent out invitations to be friends on Facebook to people whose interests might overlap those on GlobeTribune.Info. There is a Jewish component to my audience, a political section and a world music section, to mention a few interest groups that I touch on. I send out friend requests on this basis.

I run my Rudi Stettner Facebook page as a way to keep people up to date on my articles. I am promoting myself as a writer. Anything that is related to my professional persona is what I put on my Facebook page. I may in the future have a Facebook page under my private name. My wife and children keep me up to date with family news and pictures, so at the present time this is really not necessary.

Aside from promoting myself as a writer, the only things I'm selling are my political views and the (so far) small ad revenues I get when people click on Google Ads on my site. My dream is that some day, someone will buy a 60 million dollar mansion through a Google ad on my site. So far that has not happened.

The biggest pleasure of writing on my sites is touching the lives of strangers who I will most likely never meet. Even on a day when I only get a handful of "hits" I get a rush from seeing that someone in Senegal, Croatia or Vietnam has taken the time to read my articles. This gives me the feeling that a common person can reach around the world and put his or her ideas out for consideration. It is a phenomenon unique to our age.

Any time I send a "friend" request as Rudi Stettner, it is in my capacity as a writer. It is important to make this known. Being a married grandfather, I like to make sure this is understood. When I was young, asking someone to be your friend meant exactly that,or sometimes a little more. Any guy my age who went up to a girl young enough to be his daughter and asked her to be his friend was a dirty old man. There is plenty of strangeness out on the internet. If I get an e mail saying "Who r u?? or something like that, I will identify myself and include the url to this article. I'd rather be writing articles, or shopping for a new topic.

That is another valuable side to Facebook. People put up articles, videos and other items that jump start my creativity. I have a quota for articles. The less time I spend looking for a topic, the quicker I can get to work on my daily quota.

I hope this explains the "Rudi Stettner" Facebook page to friends and family who wonder why I am not more chatty, and to strangers who wonder who I am.

PS The picture on my Facebook is of Emperor Franz Joszef II. It is not my picture. I look like a walrus with a mustache.

Inner as Well As Outer Change in the Arab World

2011-02-01T11:18:00.000-05:00

Anyone who lives in a western democracy is inclined to feel some sympathy with the revolutionary currents in the Arab world. The idea of toppling a dictator captures one's imagination. In my adult lifetime I have observed the overthrow of dictators in Haiti, Romania, Czechoslovakia and East Germany. Without violence, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and quite a few other nations have turned away from dictatorship and embraced free elections and human rights.

There is a misconception about a dictatorship, that a country can be filled with wonderful people and that the dictator inflicts suffering upon the people. The reality is far more complex. In East Germany, more than 20 years after the fall of communism, people are still dealing emotionally with the fact that they were spied upon by neighbours.

In Haiti, when Baby Doc was overthrown in 1986, the same society that produced the foot soldiers of the Duvalier dictatorship also produced brutal warring factions. Today, there are those who look back with nostalgia upon the "kinder gentler" brutality of the Duvalier dictatorship.

After the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, there are those who long for the austere stability in the days when the USSR stretched uninterrupted across 12 time zones. There are still people today who view Stalin as a hero. Millions of Russians wanted to be Communist Party members, and the 5% or so of the population who made the grade enjoyed varying degrees of perks for being the "revolutionary vanguard of the proletariat.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, America has found that overthrowing a dictator is fairly easy. What is far more difficult is for the people of Iraq, Afghanistan or any other authoritarian regime to learn the ways of free men.

The political culture of Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and other countries in the Arab world gave rise to brutality and to dictatorship. Any regime that replaces the ones now in place will employ the same people. In Egypt, the government of Mubarak turned a blind eye to pogroms against Christians, as well as the rape and kidnapping of Christian girls. Any government that follows that of Mubarak will still be dealing with the same climate of intolerance that has developed over centuries in Egyptian society.

It will be good to see change come to the Arab world, where the winds of revolution blow so strongly today. But that change must be internal as well as external, if it is to do any good at all.

Dealing With Crime in the News

2011-01-23T00:02:00.000-05:00

There are different ways of dealing with crime in the news media. At one extreme is the "True Crime" approach, in which lurid headlines are splashed across the front pages and gruesone details shared with readers and viewers. The other extreme is to leave such items out of the news entirely.

I recall a headline years ago in which a man from my town was murdered. The headline in the local paper only reported that he "died unexpectedly. The editors felt that dragging out the young man's death across the pages of a town newspaper would put a local family through additional agony.

There are other reasons for glossing over crime stories. Some editors feel that such news is "beneath their dignity". Specialty newspapers and broadcast media can argue that crime is "not on their beat".

There is a middle approach. Some crime stories are brutal and sensational, yet an abberation from human nature. When I read a crime story, I ask myself whether I am indulging a morbid curiosity or whether I am either taking the pulse of society or learning to protect myself and my family.

A crime story in which details of a scam or an attack are divulged enables readers to be watchful and not fall prey to criminals. People need to be reminded periodically not to open their doors to strangers, not to give their social security numbers to people on the phone and other common sense precautions. A crime story can drive such a lesson home to readers.

A recent story about second graders in Oakland California who were acting out sexually in class with a teacher present raised a multitude of questions about whether children are being exposed to too much sex too soon. It might well lead to practical discussions in many homes about monitoring television and internet use.

There is a place for reporting crime stories. There is also a way to write such stories so they educate the public

“Our Place” In Danger of Closing Due To Lack of Funds [Video]

2011-01-10T21:04:00.001-05:00

Back in 1998, a youth center for “at risk ” orthodox Jewish youth known as Our Place opened up in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Because of its grounding in Jewish tradition, it opened in two separate locations for boys and girls.

Unfortunately, there are all too many children from orthodox Jewish homes who are out on the streets, on drugs or out of school. Aside from the standards specific to the Jewish community of sabbath and kosher laws, these boys and girls served by Our Place are often engaged or at risk of engaging in manifestly self destructive behaviors.

Our Place opened its doors with games, food and where accepted, counseling. It is a safe, supervised environment. Those who find it within themselves to go into drug rehab, further their education or whatever else is appropriate to better their situation are given resources to assist them. There are people who are now in school, a job or happily married who were able to arrive at these joyous milestones in their lives because of help they received at Our Place.

The help that has been extended to around 8000 kids at Our Place has been possible due to a mix of government funding and private donations. Government funding for Our Place has dried up completely. Private donations are way down, because of the troubled state of the US economy.

By any reckoning, Our Place performs a valuable function. By combating drug use and other social ills, it serves the needs of the larger society. Looked at from a Jewish perspective, it gives children who are close to or over the edge a solid psychological foundation upon which to build a Jewish life. Because it is culturally sensitive to orthodox Jewish life, even a young adult who is no longer observant can speak with someone who understands how he or he grew up.

Before he led the Jewish people out of Egypt, Moshe was a shepherd. A small sheep became separated from his flock, and Moshe went out and brought it back, instead of writing it off as inventory shrinkage. In the merit of rescuing that sheep, Moshe was seen by G-d as being worthy of leading the Jewish people, in Egypt and out of exile.

The people who run“Our Place” share with Moshe the conviction that not one Jewish soul is expendable. The comparson between Moshe and the stray sheep he rescued on G-d’s behalf is an obvious one. The children who have left Judaism are not ours to write off. They are G-d’s children and it is our duty to assist the able shepherds who seek these children out. If we are worthy of the heritage of Judaism’s greatest prophet, the doors of Our Place must remain open.

Click here for link to original article in Globe Tribune.Info with video and links

A Small Request For My Local Supermarket

2011-01-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

A regular part of my weekly grocery order involves requesting a home delivery. The cashier asks me for my phone number and confirms my address when it appears on the computer screen. I Don't much care about my privacy,being a dumpy middle aged man. Unfortunately,a lot of other people get asked the same question, even in the check cashing store. I know of two instances where a female got a call from someone who eavesdropped as she was giving over personal information. Neither woman welcomed the attention.

There is a simple solution to this problem,one that the programmer for a business computer could ttake care of. Instead of indexing customer information by the entire phone number,why not index it with the last four digits of the phone number and the first three letters of the customer,s last name,or the customer,s initials?

A customer named John Michaels might tell the cashier that his customer number is JMI 1279. For extra measure, the cashier might read a password off the screen and ask if it belongs to him. That would protect the privacy of the customer from eavesdroppers. Amazingly enough, I have even heard customers in check cashing places asked for their phone number through the bullet proof glass at the cashier's window.

Another solution might be to have a local merchant's card with the address indexed on it for deliveries and other customer service purposes. Merchants could offer people with the card discounts to encourage them to shop locally.

In most instances, computer systems have enhanced shopping and customer service. There still is, however, room for improvement. I hope shopkeepers will take heed.

Inspirational Song of the Day: “Illuminated” By Hiam Naiditch

2011-01-02T04:24:00.000-05:00

Inspirational music is a major seller in the English language. As a Christian country, most of the music that is based on faith and religious inspiration draws on the Christian biblical canon. In many homes, such music is seen as a way to enjoy the uplifting effects of music without some of the questionable influences that have affected some mainstream popular music.

Observant Jews are likewise hesitant about the unfiltered influence of popular music, and seek to enrich their lives with music that is supportive of rather than contradictory to the tenets of their faith. Jews have been in America since the 1600′s and since then have become a fully participating part of American society.

It is only logical that Jewish music should absorb some input from surrounding genres. Since the 1960′s in particular, there has been a flowering of music that draws its inspiration from Jewish tradition, from the Jewish biblical canon and from the oral law that has its roots in Jewish scripture. Some music is in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino or other Jewish languages, and other music is in a local language such as English.

Of the English language songs, there are some that are specific to a Jewish religious framework, that deal with specifically Jewish practices, or address life with an infusion of Hebrew and Yiddish that make such songs less accessible to listeners who are not familiar with Jewish tradition. Other songs are entirely in English and deal with issues of faith and a relationship with G-d in a manner that is more universal. Many orthodox Jewish musicians make both specifically Jewish and general interest music. Matisyahu is the most famous example of a singer who performs both types of music. There are many more musicians in the Jewish community whose music is of a quality that makes them worthy of consideration by a general audience. One of many such musicians is Hiam Naiditch, a young man who belongs to the Lubavitcher chassidim and maintains an appreciation of popular musical styles. He generally performs with an acoustic guitar, rather than with a full band. He composes both his own lyrics as well as the music. I am pleased to present his latest song “Illuminated”. The lyrics to the song are below.
Skies are grey,
shadow things don’t cry
Thoughtless things, they sway,
immune to all the lies,
[My] Soul’s not still as I’m trying
The earth You make where i’m lying,
All these things I’ve been trying
For You
And when I stand tall,
You’re walking,
You’re walking beside me
What I wish for,
I hope for,
I pray for you to see
A light has found a way,
Illuminating glow,
A light has found a way
To my heart, yeah
And when I stand tall…

Musician of the Day: Josh Ritter

2010-12-23T15:02:00.001-05:00

I was poking around on Jewpi.com, a site that delivers a dizzying cascade of blog entries, including mine. I found a blog called "sightless among miracles". The complete lack of capital letters is identical to what I found on the blog header, and not a typo on my part. The blog's motto captures a sense of quiet wonder with its motto.
"Days pass and the years vanish, and we walk sightless among miracles…"

Today, "sightless among miracles featured Josh Ritter, a musician born in Moscow Idaho to two parents who were both neurosurgeons. While attending Oberlin college, Ritter changed his major from neuroscience to "American History Through Narrative Folk Music." He has lived in Massachusetts, Idaho as well as Ireland, where his CD's sold very well after open mike performances.
Since 1999, Ritter has produced 7 albums, 7 EP's and 12 singles. He makes his living in music full time.
I find his style to evoke a bit of Bob Dylan on the more "unplugged" of his work. It is easy to imagine Ritter achieving mega stardom. This hard working, creative musician certainly deserves such a break in his career.

Josh Ritter on Myspace

A Note To readers about Sudan Flogging video

2010-12-19T01:11:00.000-05:00

You Tube has been taking down this video of a woman being flogged in Sudan. Just as quickly it has been put back up by users concerned about its contents. Although admittedly its contents are disturbing, it is important that the bravery of the person who filmed it and thereby provided a glimpse of the misogyny and brutality of Sudan not have such efforts negated by Yu Tube's misguided censorship. It is for that reason that I am puttingthe video up here, out of the reach of You Tube's censors

Crown Heights Gag Order Creates Controversy

2010-12-15T21:38:00.002-05:00

The new "don't snitch" edict from the rabonim of Crown Heights has generated a lot of controversy, both within the community and in the world at large. Among other things, the order calls for people in the community not to publish reports in the media critical of police without prior permission from the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council. It prohibits filing complaints against the police without prior permission from the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council.

It also prohibits publishing anything that could lead to investigation or other legal difficulties for a Crown Heights Jewish Community member. The text of the edict is not in dispute. It has been reproduced on Scribd.com and on Crown Heights.Info.

The letter raises a lot of questions. People have a long list of complaints about treatment of community members by police. In the age of the internet, anyone can publish news,opinion and rumours. Some people are responsible. Other people put up spur of the moment blogs that are riddled with profanity, anonymous and slanderous. A bit of googling will bring up some of these sites. There are prohibitions in Jewish law against gossiping and slander. People need to be reminded of such restrictions on speech.

Plenty of people have disputes that they settle out of court or in private arbitration. If every financial dispute, every slap and every shove ended up in court, the police would have no time to deal with serious crime.

Between Jews, there are laws from the Torah that govern disputes. Observant Jews should prefer to resolve their disagreements among themselves according to the Torah, in order that their studies have some connection to reality and in order to make the words of the Torah alive.

There are legitimate reasons to question the police. Many people feel that their crime reports have been mishandled, misclassified or "lost". If someone has a complaint against the police and they don't want to go the civilian Complaint Review Board, then they need an aggressive advocate.

If people are being asked to waive their constitutional rights to complain about law enforcement and governmental administration, there must be an effective substitute. Following are some proposals.

1. The Crown Heights Jewish Community Council should be able and willing to follow up crime reports to see that the reports get a complaint number, and that disputes about the incidents are classified correctly. Too often, members of our community have faced these issues alone.

2. Some people in our community do "mouth off" to police. We need to have seminars and articles on how to interact with police, as well as what our rights and responsibilities are.

3.If the CHJCC is to earn the respect of the community, it must advocate for the community and individuals in the community. If it is perceived as "managing" the community on behalf of the police, even when there is police misconduct, it will rightfully lose respect in the community.

4. We face the same problems with rising crime as our African American neighbours. Many criminals victimise not only Jews but our gentile neighbours as well. Crime in Crown Heights is anti Jewish because crime itself is against Judaism, whether the victim is a Jew or a gentile.

We need to create institutions and social structures that will accomodate and resolve the inevitable disputes that will occur in our community. The letter from the Crown Heights Beth Din seems to many people to be an awkward attempt to get this process going. In these tough economic times, we need to work together with the police, our gentile neighbours and each other, because even when money is short, we have each other.

Michelle Obama: Childhhod Obesity "National Security Threat"

2010-12-13T13:58:00.001-05:00

First Ladies have a history of adopting a cause. Ladybird Johnson's signature theme was "Beautify America". Barbara Bush adopted literacy as her cause. The idea of Presidential spouses taking on a cause that transcends partisan barriers is an old one. Michelle Obama has taken on childhood obesity as her personal project, declaring it to be a national security issue, noting as follows.

“And from military leaders who tell us that when more than one in four young people are unqualified for military service because of their weight, childhood obesity isn’t just a public health threat, it’s not just an economic threat, it’s a national security threat as well. These folks come at this issue from all different angles. But they’ve come together to support this bill because they know that it’s the right thing to do for our kids. And they know that in the long run, it won’t just save money, it will save lives.”

Her solution is a piece of legislation known as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which is an attempt to address with legislation. There is no doubt that many adult health problems start in childhood. Adults do not develop heart disease or diabetes without years of preparation in fast food restaurants.

There may well be a role for government in promoting children's health.School cafeterias should offer food that is both healthful and attractive to children. Food stamps should not cover "dead calories" like sugary soda. Health education and exercise should be promoted as ways of saving money in the long run and subsidised with tax breaks.

But government can not do everything. A lot of education and social conditioning takes place in entertainment venues. Movies, television and music have a lot of influence on people.

There are food trends that are a step in the right direction already. Sushi, salad bars and falafel sandwiches are a big improvement over grease and chloresterol laden burgers and deep fried foods. People are increasingly turning to such foods. Spring water is also seen with increasing frequency in the hands of young children who a generation ago would have drunk sugary soda.

Corporations pay millions of dollars for advertising that they know will create a need for their products. There is money to be made promoting good health. People who are diabetic or who have high blood pressure like to eat out like everyone else. Some of the better restaurants address their needs. Imagine a restaurant that catered entirely to the needs of those who must modify their sugar, salt or some other aspect of their diet. There are plenty of people who are in danger of developing hypertension or diabetes who want to head off such illnesses. Imagine restaurant chains that prepare safe healthy food. Imagine regular restaurants having a part of their menus that are suitable to weight watchers, diabetics and people with high blood pressure.

Sushi was a rarity back in the 70's. Now it is is found all across America. It is possible to create a perceived need even for useless things like pet rocks. Certainly it is possible to create a need for what is beneficial.

Most education takes place out of school, and most change starts not with a government mandate but with a change of heart. Michelle Obama has identified a real problem of youth who are obese. As an influential pubic figure, she may well be able to spur private enterprise to pick up the torch and run with it. As a child of the sixties, I marvel at the sight of my children drinking spring water instead of soda. Change can happen. It can even be pushed by public figures like Michelle Obama. But I question whether bad habits can be legislated out of existence.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46303.html

Bloomberg For President?!

2010-12-08T16:01:00.000-05:00

There have been a few articles in the paper speculating about whether or not Mike Bloomberg would run for President in 2012. There is even a web site called Run Mike Run. Despite the fawning coverage of Bloomberg's mayoralty, there is quite a different range of opinion on the street about Bloomberg as mayor and his prospects as President.

Bloomberg has made public health a signature issue. First, there was comprehensive smoking bans. Then there were punitive taxes on cigarettes that have made New York cigarettes the most expensive in the nation. Then there was the ban on trans fats in restaurants that reeked of nanny state meddling in personal health choices.

While Bloomberg has been mayor, the cost of traffic and sanitation tickets has skyrocketed. He comes across as a mayor for the wealthy who tries to maintain the fiction that New York is an ideal little village in which crime is enough under control that we can move on to making sure that every New Yorker finishes the veggies on his plate.

Bloomberg got his foot in the door by running as a Republican. In most parts of the country, he comes across as a liberal Democrat. It is doubtful that party affiliation means anything to him at all.

Bloomberg is a billionaire who made his fortune in the media. There is no law against having a heavy financial stake in the news media and running for higher office, but having such a stake in the news media has given Bloomberg an unfair advantage in controlling and influencing how he is portrayed.

Bloomberg is not charismatic. He does not inspire impassioned support. He would be a good subject for a sci fi movie in which an evil villain puts Gotham City to sleep and then takes over. His management style is notoriously abrasive, yet it is airbrushed from the portrait of him as a business and political leader. He is thin skinned and bristles at criticism. He is extremely aloof in his management of the city.

Unless he has the audacity to run for a fourth term, this should be Bloomberg's last term as mayor. It would be good for him to branch into creating a media outlet for public health that is as massive as his financial information empire. Millions of Americans want to safeguard their health of their own free will and not out of fear of some overreaching nanny state.

Part of any strategy to defeat Bloomberg if he ever runs for President can and should involve the voices of ordinary New Yorkers who endured his mayoralty. It is doubtful that the sort of nanny state measures pushed by Bloomberg would be welcomed in the South and the Midwest.

I would be eager to see Bloomberg News work on popularising public health. I would love to see him establish healthy fast food restaurant chains with low sodium burgers, low chloresterol and other offerings that are harmonised with good taste.

The possibilities for Bloomberg to make a positive impact on American life are virtually endless. I would probably vote with my wallet for any Bloomberg attempt to build a business empire on the issue of public health.Running for President is another matter entirely. The very thought of Mike Bloomberg as President raises my blood pressure, more than any of the salt that he wants banned from New York City restaurants. Now if he cares about my health, why would Mayor Mike want to do that?

Taking Chanukah Personally [Video]

2010-12-06T18:42:00.000-05:00

There are several days, as well as a 3 week stretch on the Jewish calendar when we mourn the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, as well as pray for its eventual reconstruction. Most such observances also note the role played not only by idolatry in the destruction of the first Bet HaMikdash but the role of hatred within our community as well in the destruction of the second temple..

What is notable about Chanukah in contrast to the 9th of Av and the upcoming fast day of the 10th of Teves is that the Chanukah story starts when the Bet HaMikdash is still standing. When we go to Jerusalem today, the Temple Mount where our Holy Temple stood is occupied by a mosque. The remnant to which Jews flock in prayer is the Western Wall.

By contrast, the sad backdrop of the Chanukah story is a Temple that had not been destroyed but had been occupied by the Greeks and filled with idols and idolatrous observance. Even though the Temple stood, its space was forcibly dedicated to idolatry, to ideas that were the antithesis of Judaism. The holiday revolves around a revolt which led to the purification and rededication of the Bet Hamikdash to its original objective.

In our own lives, how many times do personal, business and communal relationships get "off track"? How often do we find that acts of faith become hollow and perfunctory, and that estrangement creeps into marital and familial relationships? How often are we "married on paper", "on the payroll" and "sitting at the PTA" with an inner aloofness?

The good news is, we are still married, our kids still speak to us, and we're still employed. But something is missing. The freshness of love, the belief in an objective, the sense of connectedness are sometimes replaced with a lack of direction and misdirection.

Chanukah to me symbolises the awareness that we still have love that remains, the glow beneath the ashes, and a mission of which we remain aware and to which we can return. The social structures that remain in our lives can be purified, repaired and rededicated.

Everyone has a conceptual manner in which they connect to Hanukah. I know some people, children of a Jewish father and a non Jewish mother who returned to Judaism and restored the Jewishness to a family name that had become no longer Jewish. Others restored through education an understanding of Passsover, Rosh HaShanah and Chanukah itself. as well as Shabbos, which of course comes around every week.

At least as important as religious observances are our human relationships. Bringing back love and enthusiasm, loyalty and caring to marriage, family and friendship is also an idea of rededication. Rediscovering a dedication to work also involves a network of human relationships, and a multitude of opportunities to make people's lives better.

I know a plumber who goes home from unstopping a toilet or installing a stove happy in the knowledge that he has lightened the burden of his customers. I have gone to salesmen who are happy to sell a piece of electronics that is exactly what the customer needs. In my personal life, a good librarian or book seller is almost on the level of clergy. There is something reassuring in knowing that the things we get paid by the hour to do are things that touch people's lives after the job is done.

Chanukah for me is the time that I think of relationships that have drifted onto "automatic pilot" and the fact that the commitment is there, the love and idealism ready to be reinvigorated. The holiday speaks not only of miracles, of help from Above but of seizing the day, of standing up and fighting. It is a reminder that we are not passive spectators waiting only for miracles, but that we are given a role to usher in the miraculous as well.

Jewish holidays have their historical aspect. But there is also a level in which they recur in each generation. The rededication of the Holy Temple that took place is not buried in the past. It is a theme that can and should be brought back to life today.

Thank You Jiri Trnka

2010-12-03T11:50:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been in one of those moods that we all experience sooner or later, when I have country songs in Czech that keep playing in my head. Wanting to put a stop to this annoying feeling, I did what any thinking person would do, and looked for some Czech rock music to listen to instead. I looked for Jiri Schelinger, and found a soulful song about feeding pigeons called Holubi Dum.

In the list of videos brought up in my search for Jiri Schelinger's music, I found a short documentary about Jiri Trnka, a man who I had never heard of. Wondering how a last name so exotically short of vowels was being discussed in English, I watched the documentary. It solved a mystery for me. Years ago I had a book of fables according to the French author La Fontaine that I unfortunately lost.

The illustrations were of stellar quality, and exponentially increased the value of the book to me. During the documentary, which had a second part,I found out that the La Fontaine collection of fables, as well as other children's books illustrated by Jiri Trnka are also readily available. The Czechs, to their credit have always taken animation and children's books seriously.

Born in 1912, Trnka spent the war years designing stage sets and illustrating children's books. When the communists came to power, they subsidized his work, but did not interfere with his creative processes.

Despite this, Trnka managed to produce an allegorical cartoon, "The Hand" about a simple potter who only wanted to make a flower pot and was chased by an ominous hand that ordered the potter to instead make a likeness of itself. The film was banned by the communist authorities, despite winning international acclaim. In 1969 after the chill following the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, "The Hand" was banned by the communist authorities. In that year in December, Jiri Trnka passed away from heart problems. Despite having his film banned, Trnka was buried with state honours.

Having "The Hand" banned was probably Trnka's greatest honour of all, a token of recognition that he struggled as an artist and a human being with the tension between conscience and artistic creativity under a totalitarian regime.

From illustration to animated film making, Jiri Trnka made earth shaking contributions to art and entertainment. I am grateful for having discovered Trnka's life and work in the course of my musical wanderings through You Tube. I hope my readers will appreciate him as well.

**********************************************************************
Here are parts 1 and 2 of "The Hand" I also recommend "The Cybernetic Grandma" which is described as follows on You Tube.

Trnka's sci-fi "The Cybernetic Grandma" was a vision of the future in which machines and robots try to substitute themselves into the most beautiful human relationships. A cybernetic robot is supposed to substitute for the loving grandmother of a little girl. The wise grandmother, however, comes back and the girl finds the warmth of her grandmother's loving arms again.

I feel priveleged to have discovered the life and work of Trnka.

Israel Fire: Was It Arson?

2010-12-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

Israel is now battling the worst forest fire in its 62 year history as a modern state. There are already an estimated 40 people dead, a considerable number of them cadets from Israel's prison system.

The Israeli government has already appealed for help from abroad in containing the raging blaze. In the appeal, foreign nations were asked to send planes that are able to dump chemicals on the fire. Arutz Sheva News has confirmed that Greece and Cyprus have sent firefighting helicopters to fight the blaze. There are unconfirmed reports that Egypt and Turkey have also rendered assistance in fighting the inferno.

A prison as well as some towns and villages believed to be in danger from the fire are being instructed to evacuate the danger area. There have been conflicting reports about whether the fire has been contained.

Suspicions of arson are being voiced with increasing frequency. The Virtual Jerusalem web site has reported that the fire started in three different places,making arson a plausible cause of the fires. If this proves to be the case, it would make the latest fire the worst act of terrorism in Israel's history as a state.

If this latest fire proves to be arson, it would not be the first time that Israel has faced this threat in its history as a state. The Jewish National Fund has, on its web site openly discussed this possibility in the aftermath of past fires.

Reforestation has been a critical part of Israel's development strategy during its modern history. If arson was involved in the latest fire, Israel needs to confront it openly and to inform its own people and the world. Ignoring this grim possibility will not make it go away or prevent further attempts in the future.

Virtual Jerusalem

Israel National News

Article on Ecological Terrorism

Chechen Music and Mairbek Khaidarov

2010-11-30T22:22:00.001-05:00

The former Soviet Union spanned 12 time zones and a multitude of languages. If I were to go there as a tourist, it would be with the desire of going on a musical tour. We read a lot about the war in Chechenya, a part of the Russian republic that wants to break away and live under their own government. The Russians are afraid that it could lead to a multitude of other non Russian ethnic groups demanding independence, inspired by the Chechens.

Any time I read about a hot spot in the news, I wonder what sort of music the people who are at war listen to.Thinking of Chechenya,I looked for some Chechen music on You Tube. Fortunately, there is no shortage of it. I was fortunate enough to find some songs by Mairbek Khaidarov, for whom there was no fan website or Wikipedia page. Chechen is also not listed among the langauges translated by Google.

I do know that Chechen, though it sounds to me like Turkish, is not Turkic at all but belongs to the Nakh family of languages, and that Islam in Chechenya is influenced by local traditions. The picture of Chechens painted in the Russian media has a lot of inaccuracies. Unfortunately, Islamic radicals from abroad will probably be all to happy to push Chechens and Chechen Islam in a radical direction.

I found some really nice songs by a Chechen singer named Mairbek Khaidarov. The audience in the video was attired in moderate Islamic attire. Some women had headscarves, but no covered faces. Khaidarov himself was dressed in a suit that was unremarkable. It was his voice that stood out.

I hope to hear nothing more in the news about Chechenya, because when I do hear about the Chechens, it is not usually good. Here are some songs from Mairbek Khaidarov. I hope it is all we hear from Chechenya for a while, and that my listeners enjoy his music.

Thoughts After "Shabbos Thanksgiving"

2010-11-29T01:38:00.001-05:00

The 19th of Kislev is observed as the "Rosh Hashanah of Chasidus". It is the day in Lubavitch when the annual reading of the Tanya is started anew. It is also the day when the alter Rebbe was freed from prison in Russia. Lubavitch and Chassidism were a wellspring of strength that kept the spark of Judaism alive under communism when faith was driven underground for over 70 years.It is observed along with the 20th of Kislev, which is the day after his release when the Alter Rebbe was able to rejoin his chasidim after his time of imprisonment.

The 21st of Kislev is a holiday in Satmar, when the Satmar Rebbe, Rabenu Joel Teitelbaum was freed in 1944 from Bergen Belsen,and was permitted to go to Switzerland. He later became a guiding force to chasidim around the world.

Both the Lubavitcher Rebbes (Josef Yitzhak and Menachem Mendel) and the Satmar Rebbe attracted "orphan chasidim", chasidic Jews who had lost not only their families but their rebbes and rabbis, as well as their entire communities. During the war were days, weeks and months in which towns died together. Both the Lubavitcher and Satmar rebbes and their respective movements gave spriritual and material support to these "orphaned chasidim", reviving broken bodies and souls. The Lubavitch and Satmar movements were among the groups that survived in sufficient numbers to take in the remnants of other chassidic groups that had ceased to exist as communities.

This year, Thanksgiving, the 19th, 20th and 21th of Kislev occurred on successive days. To me, it was a four day festival in which to thank G-d for physical and spiritual survival as well as for a peaceful and free country in which to live and worship freely. The succession of secular and Jewish holidays reminds me of a duty to light up the world and to contribute to it.The themes of all three holidays, both civil and religious, reinforce each other. To everyone, both the children of Abraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov as well as the children of Noah, I wish a "Chag Someach" a happy holiday.

Public Figures and Private Lives

2010-11-25T11:24:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I read about Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton and other public figures whose private lives spill onto the front pages of our newspapers, it almost seems as though their personal lives are being packaged as public entertainment. When I pick up the National Enquirer, the Globe or other celebrity gossip tabloids, I seriously worry about what effect this has on the people who produce our entertainment. Could being "on stage" 24/7 lead to creative or personal burnout? Do the people who entertain us welcome and cultivate this scrutiny of their private lives or does it pain them? If I view gossip about my friends and coworkers to be objectionable, how should I feel about discussing Brittany Spears?

Sometimes, there is a connection between the private lives of public figures and their later contributions to public life. Josip Broz Tito, the leader of Yugoslavia was of Croatian and Slovenian descent. Was his devotion to Yugoslavia, a collection of South Slavic nations related to his mixed ancestry?

Hitler and Stalin both grew up in harsh family environments. How did their familial experiences shape their approach to government? Were there common denominators that explained their genocidal common denominator? The OSS, the forerunner of the CIA commissioned a psychological biography of Hitler that focused on the link between the private life of Hitler and his public persona.

In the entertainment world, episodes and aspects of Eminem's personal life have fueled, coloured and influenced his creative output. Despite this, he does not turn his life into a reality TV show. Day to day events in his life still take place behind a curtain of privacy.

Some public figures attempt to maintain a shield of privacy. Woody Allen and Paul McCartney are known to dislike being approached by fans despite instances in which their private lives spilled onto the pages of the tabloids. Other people open a window into their private lives. Art Linkletter, who produced "Kids Say The Darndest Things." discussed publicly his daughter Diane's suicide in 1969 at age 20 with the hope of educating people about the dangers of drugs.Ronald Reagan and his family were very open about his affliction with Alzheimer's disease.

Is there a place for celebrity gossip? I would say that celebrities should be discussed with their consent. We should not be prying our way into their personal lives.Hitler, Stalin and other public figures who present a danger would constitute an exception to this rule.For those who must discuss the lives of others, there are soap operas and sitcoms.

Channeling Elvis In Czech

2010-11-18T22:18:00.000-05:00

Today is just one of those days when I lay awake remembering with fondness some of my favourite Czech pop music. Pavel Bobek, singing a Czech version of "Lord Have Mercy On A Country Boy" by Don Williams makes my day every time I hear it.. He also does a good Czech version of "My Home Town".The Czechs are strongly influenced by American political values and culture. There is a country music station in the Czech Republic that broadcasts mostly Czech country music. Because I don't understand Czech, it is possible for me to write articles while listening to it without being distracted by the lyrics in my own language.They pick the best of American country as well..

When looking up Karel Zich, who is known as the Czech Elvis, I was saddened to learn that he had passed away in Corsica at the age of 55. Back in the 70's, he did a beautiful rendition of "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.".

He also did a lively rendition of Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock". back in 1983. I wonder if Vaclav Havel or any of the other czech dissidents listened to it when they were doing time?

Why do I like hearing American songs in Czech or other foreign languages.? When I was living overseas, it was a reassuring touch of the familiar to hear "Wildes Wasser" to the tune of the Moody Blues "Nights in White Satin" and other tunes rendered into local languages. Now, at a time when America is scoffed at, criticised and condemned, I hear in thes songs an underlying fondness for some aspects of American culture that as an American I find reassuring.

Most of these songs have completely different meanings to their lyrics. Very seldom are they a direct translation of the original song. With Google Translate it is possible to get song translations of varying qualities.

What most fascinates me in these songs derived from American music is the mix of the strange and the familiar. I hope my readers will enjoy them.

My New Site Is Up And Running

2010-11-17T13:41:00.000-05:00

For almost 3 years, I have written on my sites Rudi Stettner.com and Magdeburgerjoe.com. For various reasons outlined in an "Announcement To Readers About My New Web Site",I stated my reasons, not the least of which is the desire to present news as well as writing my own articles.

I am pleased to announce that my new site is up. Although it reflects my limited technical skills, I will be working on improving it with time. The name of the site is "The Globe Tribune.Info". As far as promoting it goes, I am on ground zero. It's not even up on Google yet.

I am determined to reach out of the mainstream, to fellow bloggers and to less read publications to call to the attention of the public news, opinions and trends that I consider worthy of note. Since I personally get paid per thousand hits, I will not reprint entire articles but will link back to the original article.

When I vote, I am one of millions of voices. Similarly, when I write and present the writing of others, I am making a positive statement about what is newsworthy and how it should be presented. It feels a lot more constructive than complaining about the mainstream media.

Having founded the web site of my dreams, I am looking forward to getting back to writing. Hopefully, I will have need of additional bandwidth and be able to customise my web page design a bit more. I look forward to serving the public with thought provoking news and commentary

Priority 7 Vouchers To Be Cancelled 6 Months Early

2010-11-12T09:23:00.004-05:00

Priority 7, a program that provides child care vouchers to working couples was unilaterally terminated by the Bloomberg administration as part of a series of ad hoc budget cuts that are taking effect 6 months earlier than planned, in2010 instead of the end of the school year. After tense negotiations, an extension of the program to December 31, 2010 has been reached. The program provides day care to lower income families in which both parents work. The budget cuts disproportionately affect the orthodox Jewish communities of Boro Park and Williamsburg. Yeshiva World.com describes the impact of the budget cuts as follows.

"In fact, a 2008 report published by ACS noted that the heavily Orthodox neighborhoods of Boro Park and Williamsburg, where the majority of Priority 7 vouchers are distributed, had the largest unmet need for publicly funded childcare. And, by ACS’ own admission, 92.1% of the 2,200 children receiving Priority 7 vouchers are living below 100% of the poverty level."

The discontinuation of this program will make it difficult for working families to provide child care for their children while they are working. This is in addition to the possible loss of jobs created by the elimination of the Priority 7 program. When you factor in possible loss of employment resulting from people who can not work without day care, you already have a reduction in the savings created by elimination of priority 7. Parents who must quit jobs will be drawing unemployment and other forms of government help to cover their loss of work.

In actuality, there will be very little savings resulting from the discontinuation of Priority 7. All that will happen will be that parents will sign up for other programs that partially replace lost income. Money saved with these budget cuts will more than be lost elsewhere. Parents in Priority 7 are trying to work and contribute to society. By cutting out daycare for the working poor, we are telling them to stay at home and collect government benefits instead. Is this the message we need to convey in these tough times?

To contact Mayor Bloomberg and other members of the City government, click here.