Interesting Posts and Articles #79

1. Various bloggers on the phenomenon of Hamodiah not printing Tzipi Livni's first name. Life of Rubin is upset about it. DovBear notes that they draw a distinction between Livni and Golda Meir, stating:
   

   "Golda was an institution. She was a respected figure with decades of political experience before she became prime minister. But in recent years there has been depreciation in the level of politicians," he explained.

   But, as DovBear notes,
   

   The bolded words are a lie, of course. As has been pointed out to me, the real reason why Golda could be shown, while Tzipi is kept hidden is this: Just forty short years ago Charedi Judaism was much less insane.

   Meanwhile, the wife of FKM thinks that people are wrong to be upset with this development.
   
   
2. This is from a while back already, but as seen on Life Of Rubin, on this YouTube video, Mordechai Ben David explains the music hechsher.
   
   
   
   
3. My Machberes column in the Jewish Press on kapparot, and guidelines for it.
   
   
4. Chaptzem asks whether a man who appointed a shliach to do his son's bris in order that he could go to Uman for Rosh Hashanah was going too far.
   
   
5. Mystical Paths has a post about Geulah hints and speculation, which I do not buy into, but whatever. In the comment section, though, people are saying to move to Eretz Yisrael, even where I would say the true metzius may be that it will be very difficult and cause shalom bayit issues, and be ultimately unsuccessful. Another person is advised to take the $60,000 he has invested and disburse it to charity, presumably because money will be worthless anyway and this way he will get some value out of it.
   
   This is irresponsible advice. Making aliyah is good, but there are other considerations. Will your child adjust or go off the derech? Will you have shalom bayis issues? And just giving away massive amounts of money, $60,000, when that person spent a lifetime accumulating that money and may need that money in his retirement years -- blech. If done with thought and consultation with a spiritual adviser, perhaps, but this is being suggested by people who are hysterical because they believe mashiach is coming and the sky is falling.
   
   And what is going to happen if mashiach does not come in a year? This reminds me of the story of Gluckel of Hameln's father-in-law.
   
   
6. Jackie Mason replies to Sarah Silverman in this YouTube video: