Nishmat and the Alisa Flatow Program

Just checking my email and up came a Google Alert about Nishmat, a post-high school institution in Jerusalem, and its Alisa Flatow Overseas Students Program that is designed to educate young women from, well, overseas.

The email features a video about the program produced by Shmuel Hoffman in which students and administrators comment about Nishmat and the Alisa Program. Here's the link.

For more information about Nishmat and its programs, go to www.nishmat.net.

Study in Israel - Scholarship fund helps hundreds

The Alisa Flatow Memorial Scholarship Fund has been granting scholarships for post-high school study in Israel since 1996.

While the study must be religious in nature, scholarships are available to men and women whether they be Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist or unsure. More information about the Fund and applications are available through the Fund's website www.alisafund.org.

And now a word from the sponsor:

The Alisa Flatow Memorial Scholarship Fund does gratefully accept contributions. The demand for scholarship assistance is great and the Fund does need partners.

Contributions by check should be made payable and mailed to:

Alisa Flatow Mem. Scholarship Fund
Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest
901 Route 10
Whippany, NJ 07981

If you care to contribute on line, please go here.

I thank you for your support.

Stephen M. Flatow

Balloon Boy's Folks to Plead Guilty to Charges

A follow up to the balloon boy case, in today's New York Times,

"Lawyer David Lane said in a statement Thursday that Mayumi Heene will plead guilty to false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor. He said her husband, Richard Heene, will plead guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony."

Not a shock because the Heene's have gotten their allotment of fame, as they desired, and, as further reported, they'll be getting probation. Geez, do you think their sentence will prohibit them from profiting in any way from their escapade?

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

Expand the House of Representatives!

A short quiz from Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe:

1. According to the Constitution, how many members serve in the House of Representatives?
2. Why did the Framers believe the size of the House should be kept at a fixed number?
3. As of 2009, which of the following approximates the number of residents in each congressional district: (a) 530,000 (b) 700,000 or (c) 970,000?

As Jacoby points out, "Go to the head of the class if you recognized all three as trick questions." What's he up to?

Jacoby examines the disparity between districts, overall population, and, therefore, representation. A lawsuit is underway that challenges the current number of representatives.

As Jacoby says about enlarging the House,

Today's incumbents would hate the idea, of course: It would dilute their power and make them more accountable. For a congressional baron, there could be no fate more odious. But James Madison would certainly approve.

Read the full column here.

I must tell you that I have seen how the House and its members work. When the Congress is in session, nobody works harder than these folks. The problem is that the size of districts makes many of our representatives immune from outside challengers. A larger body, with smaller districts would certainly add some spice to political life.

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Norman Lear -- Why I Have Some Empathy for Balloon Boy's Dad

We've previously noted the Heene family "balloon boy" story and how the dad is the winner in this silly saga.

It seems I am in good company as Norman Lear, creator of "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," holds similar views.

In a short post on Huffingtonpost.com, Lear believes the Heene's put one over the largest media in the country and how the media's actions effectively entraps folks like the Heenes.

Read the full post here.


Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Balloon Boy Hoax - Failure or Success?

You have to wonder -- what was going through the mind of Richard Heene when he went about setting up the hoax of the month? Unless you have been living in an igloo, you know that Heene claimed that his young son, aptly named Falcon [I don't make this up] was aloft in an homemade weather balloon that accidentally took off from its moorings. Fortunately, the son was found hiding in the attic of a garage on the Heene property. None the worse for wear it seems.

Anyhow- Heene is now being charged with arranging the news story as a publicity stunt for one venture or another. So, what's the problem? It seems that he caused the local constabulary to itself spend a lot of time and money and caused others to do the same in connection with the evil plot. And the officials want payback.

I have absolutely no quarrel with the concept. The guy's a little flaky, and he comes up with a great attention getter. And he is getting the attention. That's my problem. The institutions that are griping about him are giving him the publicity he craved.

What to do? No press conferences by government officials, no 2-minute talking head interviews granted to the media by these folks, and, most of all, don't hold a public perp walk. The sooner the media gets this non-story off the air, the better off we'll all be. Who needs a copycat?

So far, Heene is the winner in this story.

Read the full story at 1010 WINS Balloon Boy Hoax


Well, that's what I think.
Stephen M. Flatow

Rush Limbaugh follow-up

It seems that Rush's partners in the purchase of the Rams are now his former partners. They've caved to pressure from the NFL, the player's union, and, I suppose, Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

It's not that Rush needs the money from such an investment, but the sad fact remains that free speech is, obviously, not exactly free.

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson: Protectors of the World, or at least the NFL

The Rev. Al Sharpton, convicted liar and inciter to riot, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson have weighed in on a story about Russ Limbaugh being part of a group willing to purchase the St. Louis Rams according to this AP report.

The Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson attacked the bid by Rush Limbaugh to buy the St. Louis Rams on Monday, saying the conservative radio host's track record on race should exclude him from owning an NFL team. Sharpton sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, arguing that Limbaugh has been divisive and "anti-NFL" in some of his comments.

Jackson said in a telephone interview that Limbaugh had made his wealth "appealing to the fears of whites" with an unending line of insults against blacks and other minorities.

Ay, ay, ay. Poor Rush. Well, not so poor that he doesn't have the money to buy an interest in the team. Limbaugh says,

"Now, this saddens me as well this disappoints me," he said. "I know Rev. Sharpton. Sharpton is better than this. He knows better than this. You know, I didn't judge Al Sharpton's fitness to be in radio when he wanted to earn an honest living for once, given his well-documented past as the author of the Tawana Brawley hoax. I believe in freedom and I also don't discriminate."

Go for it Rush, take 'em on. What have you got to lose? They don't listen to your broadcasts anyway. And as for the reverends, find something else to talk about.

The story from 1010 WINS is here.

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

A Perfect Nobel Pick

Brett Stephens writing on WSJ.com asks:

"Pop quiz: What do Bertha von Suttner, Henri La Fontaine, Ludwig Quidde, Norman Angell, Arthur Henderson, Eisaku Sato, Alva Myrdal and Joseph Rotblat have in common?

Answer: Barack Obama.

If you're drawing blanks on most of these names, don't be hard on yourself: They're just some of the worthies of yesteryear who were favored with a Nobel Peace Prize before disappearing into the footnotes of history.

On the other hand, if you're among those who think Mr. Obama's Nobel was misjudged and premature, not to say absurd, then you really know nothing about the values and thinking that have informed a century of prize giving. Far from being an aberrant choice, President Obama was the ideal one, Scandinavianally speaking."

Stephens doesn't think that the Obama prize is really that far off the charts judging by past Nobel awards. Yes, he points to awards to Yasser Arafat and others as being "grotesque" and to others as being "inspired" but they are more the exception than the rule.

"most of the prize winners draw from the obscure ranks of the sorts of people the late Oriana Fallaci liked to call "the Goodists."

"Who are the Goodists? They are the people who believe all conflict stems from avoidable misunderstanding. Who think that the world's evils spring from technologies, systems, complexes (as in "military-industrial") and everything else except from the hearts of men, where love abides. Who mistake wishes for possibilities. Who put a higher premium on their own moral intentions than on the efficacy of their actions. Who champion education as the solution, whatever the problem. Above all, the Goodists are the people who like to be seen to be good."

So, Obama is a perfect candidate for an Peace Prize, he's in good company with other folks who, at the end, didn't amount to a hill of beans. But his selection is reflective of their selection and, therefore, quite the norm.

Read the full article, A Perfect Nobel Pick

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

David Letterman gets a free ride.

The Letterman fiasco continues.

NEW YORK (AP/1010 WINS) -- "Turns out David Letterman doesn't just live on a TV show. He also lives in a glass house, where for years he's hurled comedy zingers at misbehaving politicians, even as he brashly engaged in hanky-panky of his own."

What particularly caught my eye was this Letterman comment referring to his call for NY Governor Eliot Spitzer to resign when he got caught playing hooky with his hooker:

"I mean, can you imagine," said Letterman, "if this happened to me how fast they'd have my ... (backside) out of here?"

That's right Mr. Letterman, folks such as you should not throw stones, even if the stones are written by your writers. And, can you imagine what would be happening if a star of "right wing" media got caught with his pants down?

Read the full report here.

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Cheerios at the bottom of the box

I've been trying to lose weight gradually, you know, a couple of pounds a week if that much. So I have taken to trying to eat cereal, good, healthy kinds, for breakfast in the office.

Today I poured out what appeared to be the last of my Cheerios and, lo and behold, Cheerios dust wound up all over the bowl and my desk.

Is this dust the stuff that settles during shipping? Was it already in the package when first made? If I send it to General Mills, will the General make my dust into a few more Cheerios.

These are questions that demand deep and serious thought.

I know it's a Friday morning, and we are getting ready for the weekend. But, hey, this is important.

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Playbill Features: Together Again! Stroman and Young Frankenstein and His Monster

Here's a review of the play, Young Frankenstein as it plays on the road in New England. It's written by my cousin, Sheryl, a fine writer. Enjoy.

Playbill Features: Together Again! Stroman and Young Frankenstein and His Monster

That's what I think.
Stephen M. Flatow

Ring a ling- Jackman Tells Broadway Audience Member to Turn Off Cell Phone

Hugh Jackman stops the show as reported here 1010wins.com - Jackman Tells Broadway Audience Member to Turn Off Cell Phone.
My first nasty experience with a cell phone user was about 10 years ago on an early morning Amtrak train to Washington, DC. The fellow next to me spoke at the top of his voice for about an hour. Being civil as I was at the time, I didn't tell him to stick the phone back in his pocket. Now they have quiet cars on the train where cell phones are prohibited. Count me in.
Cell phones, can we live without them? My biggest complaint is the same as Jackman's, pick the place to use it. If you live and die with your cell phone, learn how to silence the ring or turn it off.
That's what I think.
Stephen M. Flatow

Can't sing? You better be careful in Connecticut.

1010 WINS reports on "Conn. Women Charged with Attacking Karaoke Singer"

Apparently,

Six young women are accused of taking karaoke a little too seriously, charged with attacking a woman at a Connecticut bar because she performed badly behind the microphone.

The victim was heckled and when she told her new found friends to take a hike, it "prompted the six to rush the singer, knocking her to floor, punching her and pulling her hair."

Is this a great country or what?

1010wins.com - Conn. Women Charged with Attacking Karaoke Singer

That's what I say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Talk about the suspense - Raymond Clark III arrested

The US Constitution prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment." So what was going on with the New Haven police as they questioned and then followed Raymond Clark III as a "person of interest" in the murder of Yale student Annie Le? Why not arrest him right away instead of camping out on his doorstep and at his motel where the poor boy just wanted to get some rest?

How do you think Clark III felt every time he looked out that motel room window to see the building surrounded by police?

Hats off to the New Haven police for doing this the right way-- get the evidence, then arrest. Assuming the evidence is legit and it stands up at trial, I look forward to Mr. Clark spending many years on a cot in care of the Connecticut prison system.

Read the 1010WINS report.

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Phyllis Chesler on Hijabs and Burqas

Who, in America, has not been astounded by the site of a figure covered in black cloth from head to toe coming to them along the street or seeing them in a subway or in a car? That outfit is called a burqa.

While riding the PATH train one day I came across a group of women wearing burqas eating lunch out of a Burger King bag. (Hey, no comment about violating PATH's rules against eating on the trains.) What struck me was the movements they had to go through to eat. The clothed hand would come out from under the cloth, dip into the bag, grab some French fries and then insert the food under the cloth hiding their faces into their mouths. It reminded me of the way elephants feed themselves, and looked as if there was no way the burqa would not get dirty.

Many feel that wearing the burqa diminishes the status of women and, some would say, poses a risk to society as the burqa effective masks the wearer's identity. So, Ms. Chesler asks for the abolition of the burqa on various grounds while preserving the wearing of the hijab that covers the hair but leaves the face fully exposed.

See the full article here, Hijab (The Headscarf)—Yes; The Burqa—No.

Well, that's what I have to say.

Stephen M. Flatow

Feeding the world.

Today's World Street Journal contains an editorial on the passing of Norman Borlaug. Borlaug won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for figuring out how to increase crop sizes of food staples such as wheat and rice.

While the Nobel Committee noted that he helped provide "bread for a hungry world," the Journal goes on to say,

The committee might have added that more than any other single person Borlaug showed that nature is no match for human ingenuity in setting the real limits to growth.

Giving a country such as India the ability to feed its own exploding population was no simple feat, but Borlaug did it "by developing genetically unique strains of "semidwarf" wheat, and later rice, that raised food yields as much as sixfold."

Yet, he had his critics. Go figure.

Read the full article, Norman Borlaug- The man who fed the world.

Well, that's what I have to say.
Stephen M. Flatow

Is it me?

I don't know about you, but everytime I head out to Staples or Home Depot with a list of items, I can only find about three quarters of what I came for.
Staff always asks, "did you find everything you need?"
"No," I say. And the response?
"Gee, I'm sorry."
How about the next time telling me that you will personally go to the manager and order those royal blue washable ink refills for my Parker pens?

Stephen M. Flatow