* * *
In dealing with antisemitism, the Anti Defamation League is an invaluable resource. Check their site out at https://support.adl.org or CLICK HERE. The ADL monitors, documents, and opposes antisemitism in this country and elsewhere and is well worth supporting.
The increase in antisemitism in the United States since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 can be attributed to those who for various reasons, criticize Israel’s understandably powerful reaction to that attack, and who wrongly extend that criticism, sometimes violently, to Jews everywhere, including in the United States.
Bear in mind that opposing some policies of the government of Israel does not make an American (or an Israeli for that matter) an antisemite!
Unfortunately, antisemites (generally defined as those with a hatred of Jews) do not make that distinction and take the opportunity to associate all Jews, wherever they may be, with policies of the Israeli government concerning conduct of their war against Hamas and Palestinians in general, to which they object.
 |
| Two State-Solution Possibility |
(On several occasions, I have pointed out in Jackspotpourri (1) that proposing a ‘one-state’ solution' is the position of both the present Israeli government and Hamas, but for diametrically opposed purposes, and would only serve to increase the animosity of those that 'one state' would not represent, (2) that only a ‘two-state’ solution with a peaceful Palestinian state existing next to its Israeli neighbor will lead to peace there, and (3) that should be the goal of those seeking a peaceful solution. I also pointed out that all Muslim states in the area, including those under the influence of Iran, must willingly cease their opposition to such a peaceful ‘two-state’ solution, accepting the permanent existence of the State of Israel, and that Israeli settlements in the area that would form a Palestinian state are an impediment to such a solution and must be ended. It is my opinion that the resolution of these two issues is the crux of the problem.)
JL
There’s More at Stake than Electing a Senator in November
If you live in Florida, it is important to
donate to Democratic candidates who are in close races where your support is
crucial. That means voting for
Debbie Muscarsel-Powell for the United States Senate. She has a great
chance of putting Rick Scott (who seems to be against everything good and
decent about America) out to pasture. Learn about her, and donate, at https://www.debbieforflorida.com/ or JUST CLICK HERE . Doing so can help
maintain a Democratic majority in the Senate, and defeat a long-time opponent
of Social Security, Medicare, and Abortion rights.
Because there
will also be a State constitutional amendment on the Florida ballot in November, the
passage of which will guarantee women the right to make their own choices
concerning abortion, canceling the Florida legislature’s strict anti-abortion
laws, I believe that it is likely that Ms. Muscarsel-Powell will, because of the large voter
turnout that question will bring about, be elected to the Senate!
But that turnout might accomplish a great deal more!
It is conceivable that the Florida
legislature might end up with Democratic majorities as well, coming into office
on her coattails! Florida’s electoral votes might even go
to President Biden! All of this might be far too much to hope for, but some of it should
certainly happen! But you must do your
part to make any of it happen! On election day, and every day until then!
Wherever you are, please make sure that you are registered to vote, and you have taken the necessary steps to 'vote by mail.' Who knows? We might have a late season hurricane on November 5. In Palm Beach County, call the Supervisor of Elections at (561) 656-6208.
Take on the responsibility of checking to see that your friends and neighbors are similarly registered to vote, and of course, by mail! That is the very least you can do!
JL
* * *
Shakespeare, Macbeth, and Donald Trump
Here a quote from Maureen Dowd’s weekend New York Times column, which deals with Shakespeare and Trump:
‘As Stephen Greenblatt writes in “Tyrant: Shakespeare on
Politics,” usurpers don’t ascend to the throne without complicity. Republican enablers do all they can to cozy up to their
would-be dictator, even introducing a bill to rename Dulles airport for Trump.
Democrats responded by introducing a bill to name a prison in Florida for
Trump.
“Why, in some
circumstances, does evidence of mendacity, crudeness or cruelty serve not as a
fatal disadvantage but as an allure, attracting ardent followers?” Greenblatt asked. “Why do otherwise proud
and self-respecting people submit to the sheer effrontery of the tyrant, his
sense that he can get away with saying and doing anything he likes, his
spectacular indecency?”
Like Macbeth’s castle, the Trump campaign has, as Lady
Macbeth put it, “the smell of blood,” and “all the perfumes of Arabia will not
sweeten it."
Dowd
doesn’t answer the questions posed in the second paragraph reproduced
above. Can you?
JL
A Great Start to Each Morning
History tends to repeat itself. That’s why a historian’s view of what is occurring today is important. Boston College history professor Heather Cox Richardson, whose specialty is American history during the last half of the Nineteenth century, posts her *free ‘Letters from an American’ late every evening. It touches all the bases that comprise the day’s news with links to her source material provided. As philosopher George Santayana (and probably others as well) said, “Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” Find her postings at https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ or JUST CLICK HERE. This is an extremely valuable source of information today! Try it today!
Professor Richardson’s April 5 posting quotes President Biden’s comment
on the economy (‘My plan is growing the economy from the middle
out and the bottom up, investing in all Americans, and giving the middle class
a fair shot') and points out how dependence on the private sector benefits
only the wealthy and that crucial tasks, such as dealing with the Baltimore
bridge collapse, are best done by the government. It is well worth reading.
*(If you wish to add your comments, as hundreds do every day, that costs $5 a month.)
JL
How to Predict Winners of College Basketball Games - (including Purdue vs UConn)
When college basketball reaches the tournament stage, with most teams reaching that point having excellent shooters and ball handlers, it’s no longer a matter of which team makes the most baskets. That’s what shows up in the final score but that number is not entirely the result of ‘shots made’ but also depends on what occurs after the ‘shots that miss the basket.’ The ability to seize the rebound and make a successful follow-up basket is what counts. Failing to do that lets the other team recover the ball immediately after the missed shot.
The women’s final in which South Carolina defeated Iowa illustrates this, with South Carolina out-rebounding Iowa by 61 to 29! Too often, when the Hawkeyes missed a shot, that was it, and South Carolina immediately went on the offense, and usually had more than one shot at the basket due to their rebounding skill.
I directly attribute that to the height edge that its players had, and why I had picked South Carolina to win that game. Using that same logic, Purdue will defeat Connecticut in the men’s final tonight because their center, Zach Edey is 7’4’’ while the Huskies’ center, Donovan Clingan, is a mere 7’2”. Otherwise, the two teams’ starters are similar, height-wise. But that two-inch difference between the two centers means a lot and that is why I predict a Purdue victory by about two points, possibly increased by intentional UConn fouling in the final thirty seconds of the game.
 |
| Edey at Work |
Someday, recruiting for college
basketball players might be directed exclusively toward seven footers. I think that would be a disaster. Imagine a team of five Zach Edeys or Donovan
Clingans. A good solution for this might
be for there to be a limit, somewhere around 6’6” for college basketball
players. Those taller than that would be relegated to using their education to
prepare for the challenges of life, as those students not in competitive
athletics already are doing. Or they
might build up their musculature and consider becoming wide receivers on a
school’s football team.
JL
* * *
Housekeeping on Jackspotpourri
Strange “Hits’! The large number of those accessing Jackspotpouri from Singapore has suddenly ceased. In their place, however, there have appeared large numbers of ‘hits’ on each posting in the hundreds, and as was the case with those from Singapore, but this time from Hong Kong! I suspect that the Chinese are playing around with internet transmissions, possibly to try to identify who is reading them.
Email Alerts: If you are NOT receiving emails from me alerting you each time there is a new posting on Jackspotpourri, just send me your email address and we’ll see that you do. And if you are forwarding a posting to someone, you might suggest that they do the same, so they will be similarly alerted. You can pass those email addresses to me by email at jacklippman18@gmail.com.
Forwarding Postings: Please
forward this posting to anyone you think might benefit from reading it.
Friends, relatives, enemies, etc.
If you want to send someone the
blog, you can just tell them to check it out by visiting https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com or
you can provide a link to that address in your email to them.
There’s another, perhaps easier, method of forwarding it though! Google Blogspot, the platform on which Jackspotpourri is prepared, makes that possible. If you click on the tiny envelope with the arrow at the bottom of every posting, you will have the opportunity to list up to ten email addresses to which that blog posting will be forwarded, along with a brief comment from you. Each will receive a link to click on that will directly connect them to the blog.
Either way will work, sending them the link to https://jackspotpourri.blogspot.com, or clicking on the envelope at the bottom of this posting.
Again, I urge you to forward
this posting to anyone you think might benefit from reading it, particularly if
they are a registered voter. This is
an election year. Spread the word.
JL
* * *
No comments:
Post a Comment