Is this a grumble, or a rumble?

Hello Readers

I'm pleased to welcome you from the many nations that come to Crackpot Chronicles to read, research, find pictures and catch up on my thoughts and travels.

I'm walking to raise awareness and funds for a cure for Parkinsons disease on April 29 in New York City and would love it if some of you would support my team. Even a little bit helps. If you'll click through to my donor page and donate some US dollars it would be wonderful. I'd be so pleased and so proud. You can donate anonomously, in honor of someone or in your own name.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart and for the millions that suffer from this disease, including one of my dearest friends and inspirations. I'll be on her team. Hope you will be too.

This is a bona fide fund raising effort and 100% of the funds go toward research and a cure for Parkinsons.

With sincere thanks and love to all my crackpot friends and fans.

It's a struggle for any first amendment proponent to deal with the firing of Don Imus following a public outcry in the wake of his sexist and racist ridicule of the Rutgers girls' basketball team. I, for one, fiercely defend the first amendment but despise Imus and all of his shock jock colleagues who foment racism, sexism and homophobia, appealing, with enormous success, to the basest not-so-closeted prejudices of their huge audience. I am delighted that he got fired. I hope it puts his colleagues on notice.

The fact that Imus is a philanthropist and exhibits decency in other areas of his public and private life is not a compensatory factor. Let him continue his good works in his spare time, of which he'll hopefully have plenty.

Imus had the misfortune of making his comments on the anniversary of MLK's assassination and in the run up to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's emergence into major league baseball. It proves that arrogance is its own reward, given enough time, and I have no sympathy for him or any other media maggot whose platform is built on insult.

We're not talking Lenny Bruce or Don Rickles here. We're not talking P.C.-policing.

There is a level beneath which public statements should not descend.

That is a terrifying statement and quite difficult to express because it flies in the face of free speech.

Different factions with different sensitivities or agendas are going to disagree on what is "going too far." I would rather experience material that offends my sensitivities than allow the definition of public standards to be decided by committee.

So who should decide?

In a capitalist country, it's an easy answer: Let the market decide. MSNBC and later CBS did not terminate Imus's show because of any innate integrity. They axed it because sponsors were pulling out. The sponsors weren't pulling out because of any high-minded principles. They withdrew because their customers voiced their objection. It may take time to catch up, but these kinds of shows live by the buck and die by the buck. And that seems to work just fine...eventually.

a grey crab
in the cloud moving west
reaches for the sun

today the icicle,
the taper of its glistening descent
is weeping

goodbye

its tears
fall past my window
moisten buried seeds

EJS

There were large woodland patches and entire open fields free of snow last week and temps had been rising, wild turkeys strutting around but over yesterday afternoon and last night we had over 2 feet of snow. Ten thousand power outages state wide, but not our house. It kind of put the kibosh on my big plans for outings today, but isn't it lovely? I was just beginning to miss the snow as it receded, guess it decided to come and say a proper goodbye. With temps rising, it probaby won't last long.

It's not April in Paris, it's spring in Maine.

And the second day Seder was delightful too! I drove an hour to the nearest Synagogue for the community Seder on the second day of Passover and had some most unusual treats! Rabbi Amita leading the Passover Players in the retelling of the Passover story...



Leah, an adorable Chinese girl, reading the 4 Questions in Hebrew (beautifully) a wonderful meal (I made my potato kugel), and even bubble gum from Israel! In sum, unusual yet traditional, a beautiful ritual of celebration and such a joy.


Anyone want to translate Bazooka Joe for us?



And heeeere's the xlate:

-Motty, did you ask your boss for a raise?
-Yes.
-And how did he respond?
-Like a lamb.
-What did he say?
-Mahhh… Mahhh… (mah in Hebrew means what)
DID YOU KNOW THAT:
"when dinosaurs are mentioned we are accustomed to think about huge creatures but there were also small dinosaurs in the size of a chicken and even smaller"

(toda rabah, YR!)





Honor and enjoy these days of spiritual liberation, redemption and rememberance.

With love,
Ellen





Overheard at the Seder first night:
"After you've eaten matzoh for a week, you'll know why they call it the bread of affliction"