Glossary of Jewish Terms and Phrases (A – K) For Future Reference HaShem lit. “the Name”: used in lieu of The Ineffable Name to refer to G-d Baruch Hashem: Bless The Name! used like, “thank G-d!” abbrev. B”H! B’Ezrat Hashem: “G-d willing!” or “with the help of G-d.” BS”D: abbr. for “B‘Siyata D‘Shmaya,” an oft-used … Continue reading “Glossary of Jewish Terms and Phrases (A – K)”
Parshat Noach Video This week’s parsha (portion of Torah) is Parshat Noach, the story of Noah and the ark. I found this video on the ADD Rabbi blog. It is a commercial for a financial company, but it’s hilarious. Noach falls out of a tree, gets kicked by a donkey, etc., but still has to … Continue reading “Parshat Noach”
It’s Never Been “Stay The Course?” An Addendum to the hypocrisy post
What Is Medicaid? What Are Waivers? A Medicaid Policy Wonk Explains Medicaid stuff is my specialty. While I’m a political junkie who tries to glean deep knowledge of American political ideas on all sides on nearly every issue and the philosophies that underpin them, and, while in a year of intense study, I’ve gained a great … Continue reading “What Is Medicaid? What Are Waivers?”
Hypocrisy It is an issue I haven’t blogged about the Mark Foley scandal. It seems superfluous; the badness of it is so obvious, and the media and the public’s insatiable appetite for sexual titillation provided wall-to-wall coverage of all aspects of the case, so what more can I add? But I do want to comment … Continue reading “Hypocrisy”
For 2006 Republican Leadership, Support For Slavery Runs Deep More Revelations In Marianas Scandal Show GOP Chairman Involved Yesterday, I shed light on the disgusting Republican effort to protect deplorable labor conditions on the American-controlled Northern Marianas Islands, where Chinese immigrants are kept in sweatshops with little to no pay and not allowed to leave. … Continue reading “For 2006 Republican Leadership, Support For Slave Labor Runs Deep”
Bush Government Supporting Slavery And Forced Abortions Top Rove Aide Involved In Abramoff Scandal Resigns The Abramoff corruption and its reach deep into the government has been horribly unreported by the mainstream media; almost no one knows about it (liberal media? please.) and the most outrageous aspect of this scandal is how Abramoff and Tom … Continue reading “Bush Gov’t & House Cronies Supporting Slavery, Forced Abortions”
The Image of G-d Different Religions Have Different Views Of The Creator Hinduism Brahma Christianity Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Judaism and Islam LOL….. This is especially relevent as we just marked Simchat Torah and began our annual Torah reading again with Genesis. And G-d created man in His image; in … Continue reading “The Image of G-d”
Simchat Torah! Celebrating The Gift Of Torah We just passed the holiday of Simchat Torah (“Torah‘s rejoicing”), the celebration of receiving G-d’s Torah as we finish Deuteronomy and begin our annual cycle of Torah reading anew with Genesis. Here’s a tour of Simchat Torah celebrations I gleaned from Google images…. A Torah scroll is unfurled, … Continue reading “Simchat Torah!”
Is Constitutional Government Dead? A Look Back At That Quiant Document While I’ve recently been ranting against “mainstream American culture” as being evil, because it’s become dominated by Fox News and Britney Spears, I do love this country. I love America because it’s based not on shared origins or royal blood, but on wonderful ideas, … Continue reading “Is Constitutional Government Dead?”
What You Need To Know About The Middle East “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” — George Santayana Steven Pressfield recently wrote an in-depth piece on Iraq, Why We Will Never See Democracy in the Middle East. His main thesis that we are operating in Iraq while largely ignorant of … Continue reading “What You Need To Know About The Middle East”
The Best Of Nick’s Blog 2006 Some favorites from my blogging for 2006… Governor Riley Refuses Federal Funding For Home Care My editorial on Alabama Medicaid’s institutional bias, and their resistance to do the right thing, even refusing federal help. Nick Gets Religion I explain what I’ve come to believe, and break down the Jewish … Continue reading “The Best Of Nick’s Blog 2006”
Sukkot! Festival of Ingathering! It’s Sukkot everybody! HaShem lays it out in Leviticus: “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for the L-RD.” (Lev. 23:34) and we know what that means! “You will dwell in booths for seven days; all natives of Israel shall dwell in booths.” … Continue reading “Sukkot!”
The Oral Torah What It Is And Why It Is Valid The Oral Torah is the oral tradition of the Jews spanning from the exodus to the present day. When the Jewish people were traumatically dispersed and the Temple destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 C.E., interpretations of Jewish law, which had always been … Continue reading “The Oral Torah”
Money Following The Person Out Of Institutions “Not Feasible,” Says Alabama Medicaid They Still Won’t Give An Inch To Free Citizens From Nursing Homes I just watched the Alabama Medicaid commissioner Carol Herrmann spinning and tap-dancing around the Money Follows the Person grant issue on the For The Record show. Alabama Medicaid continues to stick … Continue reading “Money Following The Person Out Of Institutions "Not Feasible," Says Alabama Medicaid”