All the way from the Dead Sea

Well, I'm really hoping to get back to posting here every week. People have sent me so much great material (thanks, everyone!) and now I just need to make some time/sit still long enough to put it up. Feel free to email and nudge me :)


Anyway, I'm going to start my comeback with something really funny that I received from Shlomo, a good friend of ours. He found this doozy at the Dead Sea:

Now personally, I prefer a good shower in the morning - I find it very refreshing, and I don't like to go to bed wet. But prohibited? That seems a bit harsh. Shlomo had a different take on this sign, though. He told me, "When I saw it, I thought, ok, if it's not every night, then it's ok?" An intriguing point.


Then I got thinking some more - wasn't there something in Gremlins about not getting wet and nighttime? Maybe that's their concern...


Any way you look at it, I like this sign. Thanks, Shlomo!

Happy Chanuka!

I'd like to start out by thanking all of you - my loyal fans - who are reading this! This year, I was so busy that I completely forgot to celebrate my blog's third anniversary, which came and went back on September 22nd. Three years! That's a long time to keep a blog going, for some of us :) It's funny, I still think of myself as an amateur blogger, but even I know that just being here and posting regularly (more or less) for three years makes me somewhat established. And so I thank you all for sticking with me this long!


I also thank all of you who have sent me fantastic typos and demonstrations of the absurd! It's gotten so that there are too many of you to name, but you all know who you are. I'm honored that you think of me and my little blog when you see something that's just too ridiculous to be true :) Please feel free to keep sending me bloopers that you've seen: 321toby *at* gmail *dot* com. And to those of you who have sent me items that haven't yet been posted - never fear, they're coming!


And now, on to the show!


This week we've been celebrating Chanuka. (Back in fourth grade, Ms. Kornblatt taught us that any spelling of Chanuka that incorporated eight letters was acceptable. Here I am, actively ignoring her rule, and feeling quite guilty about it. I'm sorry, Ms. Kornblatt! This one just looks best to me.) Chanuka is the Festival of Lights, and I was patiently looking for a Chanuka typo to post, when I discovered that Hannah over at A Mother in Israel had already found a great one! She very generously allowed me to repost it here, and so I present you with these boxes of wicks that she found. These are standard wicks that float on oil - there's a round stopper that does the floating, and a wick that is threaded through a hole in the center of the stopper. Not difficult. Let's see what the directions have to say for themselves - first in English:

Seems pretty straightforward, right? Hannah was kind enough to insert We’re not going to comment about spelling or vocabulary, okay? But I have to say that I really like the "equale" here - I find it very elegant :) Anyway, apparently the wicks weren't lighting well, and that's when they noticed that the Hebrew directions were actually different than the English ones!

See, here it says to leave 1/3 of the wick above the stopper, and 2/3 below, saturated in the oil. Not exactly the "equale" version mentioned in the English version. A conspiracy to undermine Anglo lighting? Or just a blooper? Let's wait and see, here's another brand that she found - first the English:

This twig cracked me up more than all the others. It's referring, you understand, to the wick. Pretty silly :) Anyway, we all understand the directions here? Okay then, here comes the Hebrew:

Wow - the Hebrew here asks us to leave 1/3 of the wick below the stopper, and 2/3 above!  Really, one wouldn't think that wick directions would be so confusing or complex. And one, of course, would be wrong :)


Here's hoping that by tomorrow night, the eighth and final Chanuka night of this year, we'll all have figured out how to light our flames!


~~~~~


By funny coincidence, we lit Chanuka candles at our cousins' house last night, in Eli. Why is this a coincidence? Because our hostess was our wonderful cousin Rena, who happened to have been interviewed by that same aforementioned Hannah on her other blog, Cooking Manager, just the same day! You can read the interview here.

Anyway, we very much enjoyed our vegan meal at their house - complete with super-delicious everything, and everything vegan: chili, cornbread, potato latkes, sweet potato latkes, sour cream, and even sufganiyot for dessert! And as always, we had a blast hanging out with all of our fun Eli cousins. But as a surprise bonus, I found this wonderful typo in the kitchen:

Now, please don't get me started on the whole bulghur/burgol thing. I'll just quickly sum up: for reasons that I cannot explain, what we know to be bulghur in English is called burgol in Hebrew. I don't understand it, but I've come to accept it. (Maybe Balashon can advise?) But I don't think even Israelis would accept it being called ourgul - that's just crazy talk :) 

Happy Chanuka to all! 

Look out!

My friend Yoel (remember him?) was at the Dead Sea recently. Lucky him! And lucky all of us... he brought me back a sign! Check this out:

Wowee. Now granted, the Hebrew word tovani used here is a little tricky to translate - it comes from the root "drown," but would really be translated as boggy, or swampy. Kind of "drownable," if you will. Actually, come to think of it, chol tovani is quicksand - I wonder if that's what they're trying to say. Hmm. Well, whatever it is they're warning us about, it certainly is not drawning mud. Put in a little effort, guys, please? This is seemingly a potentially lifesaving sign - doesn't it warrant a quick dictionary look-up? Oh, I guess not :)


I also like the "Attention!!!" used here. First off, this was apparently written by someone who just loves exclamation points. But still, wouldn't "Danger!" "Warning!" or "Look Out!" be more appropriate here? Are we calling attention to the mud? Or are we asking the mud to stand at attention?


All in all, an excellent specimen - thank you, Yoel! And have a great week, everyone!

This may be just the one for you!

There's a guy in our neighborhood who works in local real estate, and posts his listings quite often to our local email chat. The thing is, there are a lot of native English speakers in our town, and so he thoughtfully uses Google Translate to post in English as well. So considerate of him! I first noticed the resulting trouble a couple of years back, though, when he posted that a particular apartment had a:

Conveniently located near hope? Huh? Then I realized that he had translated from Mikva, our Jewish ritual bath - which looks quite like the Hebrew word for hope, and had evidently slipped through. Ridiculous, right? Can't get worse than that, right? But each time he posts, lo and behold, I find something new. 


Almost every post has

And naturally

But sometimes, if you're lucky, you might get a:

That's surely helpful. 


Perhaps you're looking for

That sounds pretty good, right? But what if I offered you

Then you'd really have to think about it. 


There's certainly no beating a

I mean, who could possibly turn that down? And yet, I find this one almost as tempting:

Right? Come on, confess - aren't you just a little bit curious to see the giant?

You might think that in the market nowadays, people don't really expect payment - but it turns out:

Anyway, I've been saving these up for as long as I can remember. And then, when I saw this one last week, I thought - Toby! This is it! 

This is the one that might actually get me to leave my beloved apartment! I mean, really! Even re-reading it now, I'm not sure why I haven't yet called. What an amazing perk!

Okay, all you Hebrew speakers out there - can any of you guess the origins of these mixed-up phrases?

Have a great week, everyone!

Goodbye, RivkA

Well, I've been in kind of a slump. We were shocked and saddened to hear this past Friday that our friend from so long ago, RivkA Matitya, had left this world. We used to know RivkA back when we hung out in the Bnei Akiva building in Jerusalem in the early 90's - she was always there in the Yavne Olami office, where she spent so much of her time. She was always a burst of smiles and energy, and we were happy to talk with her, again and again!

Then we lost contact, and when I first heard about the Coffee and Chemo blog, I was sad to realize that it was written by that same sweet friend of ours from way back. Until I started actually reading her blog, and saw that RivkA wasn't in any kind of a slump herself - she was still all smiles and energy, but using it now to live her more adult life with her husband and kids. She was seemingly a whirlwind of energy, running from event to event, loving her family, teaching swimming classes (!) and more. We did get to actually reconnect in person a couple of times, at various happy occasions and at the JBloggers picnic that she organized in Jerusalem, just a little over a year ago. Here's the photo that I have from then - you can see her beaming (as she always has) in the middle:

To give you a small understanding of what she was like, here's part of one of her blog posts from 2007:

~~~

Okay, so here is the deal: I don't want people to look at me with sad, "droopy" eyes.

I don't want people to think of me and feel sad.

I don't want people to see me and feel sorry.

I don't want to be the cause of worry and concern.

I know that when you first hear the news, it's a bit of a shock. So it's okay to be sad in the beginning (I was too). But don't stay there!

You can ask me anything.

I'm totally open.

I don't mind talking about the cancer or what's going on.

Chemo certainly affects the day-to-day of my life, so there's no ignoring it.

But I really don't intend to hang out in some dark, depressing emotional pit.

So here's what I want:

When you think of me, be happy.

When you see me, smile.

Read more: http://coffeeandchemo.blogspot.com/2007/08/no-droopy-eyes-please.html#ixzz14BB0gdA7

~~~

Anyway, it didn't work - we were sad on Friday, and I know I've never cried as much at anyone's funeral as much as I did at hers, on Saturday night. Then Sunday morning came around, and I found this sun rising on the way to work - and somehow couldn't help but think that RivkA had gone from lighting up our world to lighting up the heavens:

And I started to realize that I was doing just the opposite of what she would have done - we're meant to be happy, and take advantage of every good thing that life gives us! If we can all start acting the way she did, the world will quickly become a far better place. So I'm going to try, and I hope you all will too!

In that spirit, here's a fast, funny sign that we found in Sharon, MA just a few weeks ago. I know, those of you from Massachusetts may not find this funny. But some of the rest of us do!

(By the way, as a humorous aside to our Boston trip: my Israeli coworkers are shocked that I [or anyone] can pronounce "Massachusetts." They claim that saying it aloud must be part of the U.S. naturalization test.)

May RivkA's family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem! Shiva information can be found on her blog, Coffee and Chemo.

Please daven (or send happy thoughts) for the memory of RivkA bat Yishaya.

A new trend!

I'm entirely honored! This is the second week in which I'm privileged to post something that was sent to me by more than one friend. Thanks, guys, for thinking of me! 

First, my friend Jeff found the photo here, on the Hyper-Semitic blog. Thanks, Jeff, not only for the photo, but for introducing me to that blog!

And then, before I had a chance to post it, my friend Dena found the same exact sign in person, in the actual, live Central Park! Talk about a wacky coincidence. Get ready, everyone, here you go:

This is funny on many, many levels. As you can see, this helpful poster is warning us to be careful and stay away from stray animals that may carry rabies. It then goes to the trouble of translating the subject into many, many different languages. We the Jews are evidently worthy of two - both Hebrew and Yiddish! First, the fact that the city of New York is actively printing in Yiddish is a bit shocking to me, but hey - I've never lived in New York. Maybe that's not unusual. But here's the kicker - just like last week's post, the words here are both backward! Yep, left to right, instead of right to left. 

Okay, we're up to two levels: one, printing in Yiddish, and two, doing it backward. What's three, I hear you cry? Well, according to the backward Yiddish, the word for rabies is Vassershrek. And according to Hyper-Semitic: 

vasser-shrek= literally “water terror”. Probably related to foaming of the mouth.

Um, did you all know that Shrek means terror in Yiddish? Am I the only one left here with my jaw dropped open? 

Thanks so much, everyone! And have a great week!

And now, some stuff for the Hebrew speakers

This is going to be kind of a combination post. I'll start with this funny page from a book we considered buying while in the States. It's called Earth, by Jon Stewart. It was a bit pricey, so we left it on the shelf, but I noticed this page about Jews while flipping through. I thought this part was funny:

And then Dave noticed that in the text next to it, the Hebrew didn't seem to make any sense. Can you see why? (Tee-hee!)

So first of all, yes, the Hebrew doesn't have anything to do with the English. But second - look! It's all backwards! You know, just like what happens to us now and again when typing English and Hebrew together - except that we know how to fix it. So this passage is the beginning of Genesis, but with all the letters left to right, instead of right to left. Ha! Hmm, maybe it's not so funny - most people reading his book won't care. But I enjoyed it quite a bit, and now I'm giving you the opportunity to do the same.

And on that Hebrew blunders note, here's the second half of my post. This is a photo that has been going around the internet today - it was forwarded to me by no less than three of my friends (thanks Jay, Merav via Varda, and Inon!) and has featured prominently on at least one blog. And now, here at last, I present you:

Now, I'm not entirely sure if you'll all get this. While the Israelis are falling off their chairs in laughter, I'm going to try to explain to my Anglo readers: you can clearly see that this is Head & Shoulders shampoo. And yet the Hebrew ridiculously says "Eden Shodurs." This isn't entirely impossible, since many Israelis do skip over the H's in the beginnings of words. I personally really like that the L in shoulders became silent, in stark contrast (as pointed out by Rafi G.) to words like Lincoln, which becomes Linkolen in Hebrew. 

And yet I wonder - could anyone really be so dumb as to have written this sign? I think the fact that the photo spread so quickly is also adding to my hunch that the photo is a hoax. And yet, it's so funny, I couldn't resist posting it, even if it is a hoax! Enjoy, my gentle readers!

Oh - I need to share some JBlogosphere news: RivkA (of Coffee and Chemo) has been hospitalized! As always, please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel. And if you'd like to sign up to say Tehilim, you can do that here. Refua Sheleima Umehira!

That's all for now - have a wonderful weekend!

Even in America

Well, you may not all know this, but even as I type, Dave and I are on a fun-filled vacation in the States! We've been in Boston since Thursday afternoon, and are headed out to Chicago tomorrow night, where we'll be through Sunday. If you're in either of those locations, we would love to see you!


Anyway, needless to say, I haven't been doing much blogging recently. Who has time? But I didn't want to leave you all waiting around... and I really couldn't resist after finding what I found! Just wait - here it comes:


We were out at lunch with friends in Boston. The place was lovely: good food, big portions, and not too expensive. As we were walking out, Dave grabbed a menu. "Maybe you'll find something for your blog," he suggested. I reminded him that we were in the US, and that people know how to write in English - but then again, it's always good to have an extra menu, so I stuck it in my bag. And there it rested until last night. When I took it out, I think I may have yelped out loud. Can you believe it? Right there on the cover:

Can you believe it? I'm really not sure that I can! I mean, I know that Mediterranean is a long word. Maybe they didn't want to use a smaller font or something, maybe they figured no one was likely to really read the whole word... but on the cover? Mediterrean? Come on. For shame!


On the other hand, this makes me feel much better about all those mistakes I find in Israel :)


I hope to be back on my regular posting schedule soon - in the meantime, take care, all of you!

Shana Tova - Happy New Year!

It's a few hours away from Yom Kipur, and I don't want to make fun of anyone! However, I found this doozy that I wanted to share with you all: we ordered some "Sushi for Tzedaka" this afternoon to have before/after the fast. It was made by two lovely local teenagers who are raising money for a good cause. I went to pick it up, and here's what I got:

Isn't that adorable? For those who can't read Hebrew, it says Tsom Kal, Have an Easy Fast. Isn't that sweet? And totally impressive - I can barely cut carrots straight, much less carve them. 

Anyway, I second that emotion: Have an easy fast, everyone! And a sweet sweet new year!

Rosh HaShana - Happy New Year, everyone!

Well, I want to wish you all a happy, healthy, sweet new year. Nope, no typos there, just friendly wishes for everyone!


However, Dave found this funny business card for me to post a while ago, and I thought it would go well with our seasonal sweet theme. (Halva does mean sweet, after all, as we all surely recall.) Anyway, a friend came to our house for Shabat, and brought us some delicious, sweet Halva from the shuk (Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market). We do love Halva! But later, Dave noticed that the wrapper said:

He found it quite funny that they seemed so lacking in self confidence. 


On the one hand: We rule! We are the Halva Kingdom! 
And on the other hand: Do we make Halva? Well, we make kind of halvas. Yeah, they're pretty close. Come, try some!


I can personally vouch that the Halva we had was absolutely scrumptious! Here's hoping that this year,Halva Kingdom will feel better about themselves, and change their wrappers accordingly. And here's hoping that we all have a year as sweet as that Halva! Yum, this is making me hungry.

שנה טובה ומתוקה לכולנו!

Just right for the beach!

Here's one that I got from a friend of mine who asked to remain anonymous, so as not to get caught making fun of his company in public. I suppose that's reasonable :)


Here's the email he received, inviting him to one of their yearly events:

Isn't this that New York concept for what we put on bagels? I guess this is the Israeli version. "Yes, I'll take a sumeer of that chumus right here on my pita, thanks!"


Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tag, you're it!

I think this may be the longest I've gone without posting since starting this blog. Two weeks! What can I say, things have been really, really busy. It's August! We're doing our best to do lots of fun things and take advantage of the remainder of our summer vacation. To those of you reading this, thanks for waiting for me! I'll do my best to make this post worth the wait.

But meanwhile, important virtual events have taken place: I've been tagged in a meme! What an honor. Miriyummy (you may remember her as Mirj, my longtime online friend, who's found typos of all sizes for us) started a really great blog not long ago, and was tagged in a meme on Tu Be'Av, Israel's version of Valentine's Day. Actually, I think that technically, Tu Be'Av came first, so maybe Valentine's Day may be the copycat holiday, but that's irrelevant. The point is, I've been tagged in a meme where one needs to post one's favorite Jewish love song.  


By now, it's been almost three weeks since Tu Be'Av, but I figure it's not really too late. How inappropriate can it be to share music? The trouble was choosing a song - I really enjoy Israeli music, and just can't narrow it down to one favorite. So I'm choosing the Israeli love song that I've consistently liked for the longest. It's called Shir Ahava Bedoui, A Bedouin Love Song - the version I know is by David Broza, but I think it may have been performed originally by someone else. At any rate, this song one of the first that I really got to know in Hebrew, back in 1992. My first Israeli friends played this kind of stuff for me every day, and after a while, I could speak Hebrew! Like magic.




So thanks, Mirj, for thinking of me. In case this meme hasn't yet expired, I tag Mrs. S. of Our Shiputzim, and RivkA of Coffee and Chemo. You're it!


And now, back to our regularly scheduled program. 
We went out for my husband's birthday last week. My ever-alert children found this on the menu, and thought it was the funniest thing they had seen all week. "You're going to take a picture, right? It's so funny!" they all cried. And so, I present you with our latest:

Do you get it? Do you see? Up 7. Ha!! Well, some of us were amused :)
Plus, as many of you pointed out, this restaurant offers Spda Water. Generally, it's more appealing to keep the Sp out of one's water, I think!


And last but not least, here are some absolutely excellent links that you should check out at your earliest convenience. First, the aforementioned Mrs. S. has found some wonderful signs. I couldn't have done it better myself! And secondly, my dear brother has been traveling all over, and has presented us with his latest hilarious update. Enjoy!


That's it for now. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

And now, the ones you've all been waiting for...

This package really made me smile when I found it in a Jerusalem grocery store. This is the back of a bag of some innocent looking, knock-off Rice Krispies. Granted, it's only got one actual typo. But still, I liked the attention that the vitamins are finally receiving here. It's about time - don't they deserve it? Come on, everyone, let's have a big round of applause, for: the vitamins!!

And to think, I knew them when they were just starting out...

Bloopers from near and far

Here's another great one from Mirj, my online friend of much previous fame. On this cereal that she found, not only did they misspell "nougat," they managed to do it again on the side, in a whole new and refreshing way! There is a happy myriad of other typos there, if you look carefully. (Feel free to click on the photo to enlarge it, if you have trouble reading it.) I'm not sure which is my favorite, I just know that each time I look closely, I find another. I think I'm leaning toward the "No Preservation." 
:)

In other breaking news, my friend Shimon from work forwarded this funny screen shot to me. It's not an Israeli blooper; this actually hails from my old home town of Chicago. And what do we learn from this? That it's always fun to make fun of anyone else's lack of geography knowledge:

And what else do we learn? I absolutely love it when you guys do the scouting for me! Thanks, Mirj and Shimon!

Have a great weekend, all!

Ee eye ee eye oh

This one is almost unbelievable. My friend Yoel (remember him?) found this down in Ashdod. Lucky me, he thoughtfully stopped to take a photo! What do we think of this, gentle readers?

Since it's got that snake-on-a-staff sign on the side, I have to assume that it's a pharmacy. But actually, it could be a catchy new term for a farm-equipment store. Right? Maybe we're onto a great new idea! Any takers?

Anyway, Yoel is celebrating 17 years of living in Israel this week. Mazal tov! I appreciate that you still notice these things, after having been here so long. And even better, thanks for thinking of me!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tastes kind of... squeezy

There's an online shopping service in the Jerusalem area that sends out occasional emails with their latest deals. I received this from them last week, and within 3 minutes had received additional copies from my friends Ricky and Dena. Thanks, guys! 

It's a good one... are you ready? Here goes:

I have a hard enough time getting good tights for my daughters - this is really a great opportunity! Get them while you can!

Or, if you've already provided your fowl with stockings, you may still need some kits for your pet fish - they're further down in the ad.

Have a great week, everyone!

Haveil Havalim - The Almost Summer Vacation Edition

Yes, I know - most of you are already deep into summer vacation. You're probably reading this right now on your laptop on the beach. Wait, I think I can hear the ocean spray! But alas - some of us still have kids in school until the very last day in June. Sigh. Soon, soon I'll join you all....

To help us pass the time until then, here's another edition of Haveil Havalim! My last edition didn't go over so well - in my enthusiasm, I forgot to include categories. But this time I think I've got the hang of it. To remind you all: Haveil Havalim is a weekly roundup of blog posts from all over the world, written by Jewish and/or Israeli bloggers. Bloggers take turns hosting, and this week is my turn! Or, in official lingo:

Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs -- a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It's hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term 'Haveil Havalim,' which means "Vanity of Vanities," is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other 'excesses' and realized that it was nothing but 'hevel,' or in English, 'vanity.'

And so, with no further ado, Haveil Havalim!

Humor (it's always good to start with humor, don't you think?)

Jacob Richman has a great new educational tool at Good News from Israel: New Website: Learn English with Jokes and Riddles at Good News from Israel.

Ilana-Davita has another great Weekly Interview: Robin at Ilana-Davita.

Heshy Fried has an interesting list of Stuff old Jewish people like at Frum Satire.

Mrs. S. would like A little consideration, please at Our Shiputzim: A Work In Progress.

Benji Lovitt is still blogging! Check out Hey, America: It's the World Cup! GO! FIGHT! WIN! at What War Zone???.

Oh, and I posted a silly bus stop sign at A Time of the Signs. 

Israel

Rahel has a great story at More Citizen Activism (or, The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Shekel) at Elms in the Yard.

Ben-Yehudah shares with us his Response To Israel Online Ambassadors' "3 Minutes To Israel" at Esser Agaroth.

Lady-Light shares a video at Jerusalem is a Jewish Emotion at Tikkun Olam.

Joel Katz presents Religion and State in Israel - June 21, 2010 (Section 1) and Religion and State in Israel - June 21, 2010 (Section 2) at Religion and State in Israel.

David Levy found some wacky videos: Israeli Crazy Chef occupies YouTube at Jewschool.

Harry reports a bizarre news story: Desert survivalist defies the odds a second time at ISRAELITY. He then tells us a more personal story at Accepting responsibility for Israel’s security. And last but not least, an interesting observation: Hollywood stories.

Jewish Israel gives us some interesting news: Interfaith Jesus resort to open on shores of Galilee at Shiloh Musings.

Jacob Richman shows us the cool New Israeli Educational Stamps Posted Online at Good News from Israel.

Eric invites you to Join the Team or Guest Post at IsraelSituation.com at The Israel Situation. He then presents us with the Top 10 Quotes About Israel.

Personal

Susan Barnes reflects on Distracted Driving at To Kiss A Mezuzah.

Lady-Light gives us a relaxing story and some helpful videos at Good Company, Good Weather: A Lovely Shabbat at Tikkun Olam. She also brings us Father's Day Outing and Our Father's Day Outing (Part II) at Tikkun Olam.

Batya appreciates her community in Shiloh, the Greatest Neighbors at Shiloh Musings.

Leigh Ann Kopans discusses Why is Frugality Important to Me? at The Frugal Ima.

Chaviva tells us about her Adventures in Covering! at Just call me Chaviva.

Susan Barnes tells us a great story: Primal Fear, Primal Awe at To Kiss A Mezuzah.

Congratulations! Mirjam Weiss celebrates 35 Dog Years at Miriyummy.

Ruti Mizrachi shares are funny story: "Anachnu lomdim Ivrit b'yachad." * at Ki Yachol Nuchal!.

Batya gives us an update about My Parents, As Of Now... at me-ander.

Rickismom knows that this should be Never Blasé at Beneath the Wings.

Minnesota Mamaleh gives us a Father's Day tribute: Minnesota Mamaleh: About a Mensch | TC Jewfolk at TC Jewfolk.

RivkA is having a hard time, but is deserving of our Mazal Tovs! Check out her Medical Update and more at Coffee and Chemo.

Culture

Mordechai Torczyner has an insightful perspective on Synagogue Bathrooms at The Rebbetzin's Husband.

Chana Rubin tells us about Exercise - How Much Is Enough? at Healthy Kosher Eating With Chana.

Judaism

Allison Josephs answers an interesting question: Do You Really Believe that Not Eating Pork Brings You Closer to God? at Jew in the City.

Leora has an Interview with Batya about Managing a Shiva House at Here in HP.

Rachel Barenblat anticipates My last rabbinic school residency at Velveteen Rabbi.

Mordechai Torczyner explains Why a rabbi teaches Jewish History at The Rebbetzin's Husband.

Anthony thinks it's Religion Taken Too Far at The Israel Situation.

Ben-Yehudah has Some Thoughts On The Fast Of The Fourth Month (17 Tammuz) at Esser Agaroth.

History

Independent Patriot has an interesting perspective in From Sinai to Philadelphia and Back Again at Liberty's Spirit.

Elisson has a whole new shocking twist on Michael Pollan: A LIFE OF CONTRADICTIONS at Lost in the Cheese Aisle.

Dave looks into the etymology of namel at Balashon.

Antisemitism

Batya discusses Cruelty to Animals, Shechita (Jewish Animal Slaughter) and Hunting posted Shiloh Musings.

Torah

Batya has an interesting observation on the parasha in Twenty-Four Thousand, 24,000 at Shiloh Musings.

Risa helped create More blooming in the desert! at Isramom.

Joshua Waxman looks into True peshat in Petorah at parshablog.

Kashrut

Joshua Waxman presents Anisakis worms are disgusting! From Ravina to Rav Moshe at parshablog.

Politics

Independent Patriot delves into an Alternative Reality, Parallel Universe, Down the Rabbit Hole at Liberty's Spirit. Independent Patriot also presents Irgun Offspring and the Zero Sum Game at Liberty's Spirit.

Lady-Light would prefer to put this in a category called "The Big Lie." Here comes What Do Muslims Have to do with America? at Tikkun Olam. And then an update, at Correction to Previous Post: Muslims Did Contribute.

Yisrael Medad examines an upcoming Harvard Alumni tour: Oh So Notable - Not at My Right Word. Yisrael Medad also presents Leftwing Liberal Thinking, and Example of Alternative History.

David Morris shows us: Gush Katif: "The State of Israel has Totally Failed at Tzedek-Tzedek.

~~~

And so we conclude this edition of Haveil Havalim! If I’ve somehow managed to omit your submission, please send me an e-mail at 321toby at gmail dot com and I’ll be happy to plug it in. Next week, the Fourth of July, we'll be hosted by The Rebbetzin's Husband.  Don’t forget to submit your carefully-selected blog articles to that edition of Haveil Havalim using the handy-dandy Blog Carnival submission form!

Have a great week, all - Happy Summer!

Lithe as always

We went to my brother Aaron's house this past weekend, and had a great time. Good company, good food, and lots of fun. And as an added bonus - I found this bus stop:

Huh? I'm assuming that they were going for alighting here, yet another word that I know to exist, although no one I know ever says it aloud. Answers.com lists their second definition of alight as: To get down, as from a vehicle; dismount: The queen alighted from the carriage. So yes, although that may be a bit fancy, I think that is indeed the word they were going for. But alithing - where did that come from? All I can imagine is that some Israeli saw the ght in alight and decided to "fix" it...


:)

Just baffling - a double post

Well, kind of. There's a sign that I find very funny, but it's in Hebrew. So for those of you who don't speak Hebrew, I'll try to explain.

See this sign?  

It's very common, and can be found all over the country. It means Watch Out! There are Children in the Road!

Not so funny. Yes, I do know. But here comes the silly part. The way that one says "watch out" in Hebrew is sim lev, which literally means "put heart." Why is she bothering us with this nonsense, I hear you sigh. Well, because you need to understand that when you take out the "heart" part, that sign means "Put Children In the Road! As seen here, on a very unfortunately sun-bleached sign in my neighborhood:

Ha! 


It's not really a typo, so I'm doubling it up with a funny sweatshirt that I saw this past week. Check it out:

See, that's funny too! But not necessarily funny enough to post all on its own, so I figured I'd add it in here. One day, I really should do a post with clothing - the English on printed shirts here is astoundingly entertaining.


That's all for now, folks - have a great day!