Remembrance and Independence

In Israel, it's already Yom HaZikaron....Remembrance Day. It's not unlike our Memorial Day, but it is, at the same time, vastly different. Unlike America where we compartmentalize everything so we don't have to truly face the enormity of collective pain, there is not a house, a home, a family, a community, or a city who does not feel the pain of loss on Remembrance Day. Twice on Yom HaZikaron the sirens go off: first at 8 p.m. to mark the beginning of the observance, and again at 11:00 a.m. when recitation of public prayer begins in the military cemeteries. When the sirens sound, all of Israel stands still in a moment of silence.

This day is to remember those who have fallen protecting Israel as well as all those who have died because they were present when terrorists attacked. This is not a Jewish holiday or a Christian one or a Muslim one...it's an Israeli holiday for all Israelis. If you've ever been there you know Israelis come in all shapes, sizes, colors, religions, orientations, and opinions. What unites them is exactly that which causes Israelis to rail against lines at the market, the lines at the post office, the lines at every bureau ever invented...but most of all, at their their government. Israelis are vocal about everything but in their shared grief are moments of national silence, of communal remembering, and of shared pain of loss for all families. Not just Jews, not just Muslims, not just Druze, not just Christians, not just Bahai, not just Buddhists, not just Samaritans, but ALL Israelis and ALL those who have perished through acts of terror around the world. 

Immediately following Yom HaZikaron, is Yom HaAtzmaut...Israel Independence Day. As one ends, the next begins. This is not accidental. Lots of people talk about the relationship between the two. Camp Ramah in Wisconsin's Facebook page posted an excellent explanation

Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) is observed immediately before Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) very intentionally, and the pairing is deeply symbolic.

The core idea is this: Israel’s independence came at a cost.

Yom HaZikaron honors fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism – those who died defending the state or simply because it exists. By placing it right before Yom HaAtzmaut, the national calendar creates a direct emotional and moral link:

Remembrance → Independence

Sacrifice → Statehood

That sharp shift, from mourning to celebration, is meant to reinforce a few things:

1. Independence isn’t taken for granted. It exists because people gave their lives for it.

2. Collective memory is central to national identity. The country pauses together to remember before celebrating together.

3. Grief and joy coexist. Israeli culture often emphasizes that these emotions are intertwined, not separate.

Historically, this structure was established by the Israeli government in the early years of the המדינה (state), especially after the 1948 War of Independence, which made the connection between loss and independence undeniable.

This is not a new concept for Jews. We are pros at remembering. Mourning and loss is a recurrent theme in our texts, in our poetry, in the very essence of our lives. Since the very first exile from the land, we have longed to go home. How can we forget you, O Jerusalem, when our prayers are uttered facing in your direction? The places of our foundational stories still exist. We buried our dead on the Mount of Olives beginning about 3000 years ago and some graves remain marked. We're not newcomers to this place. But that does guarantee peace with our neighbors or with the world for that matter? 

Obviously not. These last few years have proven that the lies and the hate speech, the slander and the blood libels we have endured for centuries have not abated. There's still a drinking game in Spain during Holy Week that asks, "¿Matar judíos?"  How many Jews did you kill today? We hear the ridiculous rhetoric calling us colonizers. The haters drink the Kool Aid because they need someone to hate to feel better about themselves. We are not required to make them feel better about hate. That's a them thing, not an us thing.

Israelis are a tough, stiff-necked people; we have a right and a responsibility to defend what it our homeland. Together. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Bahai, Pastafarian, Samaritan, whatever. If you are Israeli you are one of us. We stand together. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

This past Sunday, 60 Minutes broadcast Anderson Cooper's interview with Rachel Goldberg Polin, mother of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. It is hard to watch, hard to hear. If you have not seen it, stop whatever it is you are doing to watch this interview. The video clips are not recreations; they are actual footage of the event. Rachel Goldberg Polin is a force of nature because she has been forced to be one. She's mother whose child was kidnapped, tortured, and then murdered. Listen to her talk about what the good days were. 

 The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you've never been to Israel, 

you don't get to have any opinion at all. 
Israel is not the place you see on the news.

You have to see it to believe it. 

Photo by Ynhockey

The Fisherman and His President

I think we've all read enough dystopian sci fi to know when a nutball runs a planet, the rebel forces regroup on another planet or moon as they figure out how to get rid of the nutball. Often the nutball fancies himself a god-like figure. The rebels are scrappy grass-roots kinda people who cobble together a force to deal with the nutball.  But no one ever really talks about what happens when the nutball is in real life. 

We all know President Felon has delusions of grandeur. When his minions at the Gold House posted this portrait of ont 4th of May, they were clearly too stupid and full of themselves to notice that red lightsabers are weapons of the Sith Lords...or were they really so prescient that they knew everyone would get the joke....that this is not an intergalactic hero but rather the greatest villain of all time? George Lucas long ago told us green and blue lightsabers were the good guys, red are the bad guys. That's pretty clear, dontcha think?

Kids being kids, there's got to be an Easter egg in there somewhere, right? 

Happy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy. You're not the Rebellion—you're the Empire.

Kids are pretty smart. Someone knew this would be noticed. . 

But,  Feckless Leader likes to post pictures of himself on social media that portray him as some sort of super leader being. As if the public will see these images and fall to their knees in venerable worship. These are not published by adoring sycophants...they come from inside the ring. It's cosplay for this guy. He wants you to associate him with the images which, in light of his actual physical presence, are more like caricatures. Last summer, some Gold House flunkie said the images were just his boss's way of staying relevant. Really? I would think a cartoon version of him as either Heckle or Jeckle might have been more appropriate... if there even is an appropriate descriptor. 

Even as a candidate, he was presenting himself as a savior, so this should not be news. Any time any candidate tells you he is the only one who knows the truth, the only one who can save you and the nations, the only one who can reveal the correct meaning of the law, run in the opposite direction. Have We, the People, learned nothing from Stalin or Hitler, or even Larry Luckinbill as Sybok in THE FINAL FRONTIER? Come on, folks. We've seen enough dictators as jerks and jokes to know this is not a laughing matter. This is a guy with issues. 

Yet, Feckless Leader is on a tear with visions of himself that are grander and more delusional than ever. 

It wasn't enough that he posted himself as the new pope. Was there some kind of subliminal message to the very Catholic J.D. Bedbug who visited newly installed Pope Leo right around the same time? Is he trying to remind Bedbug where his loyalties should lie...or that he should lie about his loyalties? Whatever the case, the messenger is almost scarier than the message. Suddenly, American Catholics are to bend their knee to Feckless Leader's supremacy? Or that there is no higher religious authority in all religions than Feckless Leader? 

Of course, he was unhappy with Pope Leo's objections destroying the entire population of Iran, calling that threat unacceptable. Feckless Leader then took it upon himself to remind the pope that he wouldn't be pope if the cardinals weren't so afraid of him that they elected an American to be the pope:

If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. They thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

He posted this on Truth Social. He claimed, after the uproar, he explained himself to reporters this morning. From the Washington Post:

“I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker, which we support,” Trump said. In the photo, Trump’s clothing is reminiscent of clothing worn in Jesus’ time and does not appear to be an outfit a modern doctor would wear. There is no reference in the photo to the Red Cross.

“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better,” Trump continued. “And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

Trump said “only the fake news” could suggest he was depicting himself as Jesus, ignoring the criticism he received from his own religious supporters.

Well, just like the Fisherman's wife who wanted to be like God, so does President Felon. I guess it's not enough to put a pope into place. He wants to do the whole Jesus thing. Except the part, I suppose, about feeding the poor. He wants veneration. He wants worship. And he keeps telling us this in his speeches and his memes. He wants global domination in the worst way. He didn't get Greenland, but do not think for one New York minute that's gone away. He wants to run Venezuela. And take over Cuba. And don't forget his dreams for Gaza and the golden statue of him. And just in case you forgot about that AI video......

My friend Paul, a Lutheran pastor, thought this was the end of the line. He's long been anti-Maga, but the Jesus picture was a step too far. He posted the following on this Facebook page:

If you still support this man, delete me from your social media. I will still care for you as a person, but your opinion is irredeemably foul. This image is apostate. And his explanation is only believed by those who like his Kool-aid

 I think that sums it up in a nutball shell. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

I didn't know my heart was still capable of breaking over political peccadillos, but apparently, it is. And I really didn't know much about the guy, but now, I  know waaaaaay too much and I am sad. I think you should all be able to guess I'm talking about Congressman Eric Swalwell, former front runner to take over the California governorship and man-who-cannot-keep-it-in-his-pants. 

When I first heard about the allegations, I mouthed off telling people not to rush to judgment until there was hard evidence. I specifically stated I was not defending him, but I wasn't about to see a career of seemingly good service trashed because of an unfounded allegation. Yes, I'm still pissed about Al Franken. However, that was not this, and there is more than enough damning evidence to not only end his campaign, but as of tonight, warrant his resignation from Congress. 

How is it that in the 2020s some pol was still sending dick pics? How stupid do you have to be? That most of this happened after 2013, you have to wonder what mental short circuit was going through this guys brain-to-groin that let him become an abuser of women in a day when this stuff ALL comes out. PUT YOUR PENISES IN YOUR PANTS AND KEEP THEM THERE if you wanna be in politics. 

Just thinking about this make me think men should be barred from entering public service and just leave this stuff to the women. Not that women are perfect...we do have our own congressional siren-wannabes, but when was the last time you heard of a congresswoman sending unsolicited tit pics to some staffer????????? 

In the end, this just breaks my heart. I worry any guy I think is terrific in politics is gonna have a skeleton with an erection just waiting to leap outta the closet. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o' the Week

We are a week into the counting of the Omer. 

If you wanna be my friend, don't tell me fun things to do while counting.

In fact, don't talk to me about the Omer at all. 

Thank you.

Next Year, Someplace Without Missiles

Here's the thing: I'm an egg matzah person. Always have been. Doesn't much matter what's on it...Temptee Whipped Cream Cheese, butter, even cottage cheese, but given my druthers, I'll go for the egg matzah everytime. As those who actually know me already know, Passover is not my favorite holiday. Never mind the cleaning, the changing, the exorbitant pricing of anything with a P for pesadik on it, or the endless cooking. That's actually okay. Mind numbingly okay. It's the counting of the Omer that drives me over the edge every year. But you already knew that. 

It also means I'm rattling around my own head, trying to remember how to not think about stuff. I read the various news organs and just shake my head at global stupidity. I wonder how we can possibly have a head-of-state who lies like a rug each time he opens his mouth. And I sleep fitfully as the Tzofar alarm goes off throughout the night. I know I can turn off the sound, but then I keep waking up to look at the screen. President Felon keeps saying he's decimated Iran's military capabilities, but my friends are under almost constant bombardment from all those decimated missiles. It's not that we can't handle the truth, cognitively diminished tangerine doesn't have any clue what the truth actually is. 

Clearly, all his threats and banging about hasn't convinced the regime to open the Straight [sic] of Felon...I mean Hormuz...and to be honest, the only winner in this pissing match seems to be China's clean energy industry which is just raking in the chips. According to the Washington Post:

China is seizing opportunities in renewable energy as the Trump administration pulls the United States back from the emerging sector in favor of fossil fuels. Last week, as the Trump administration was agreeing to pay nearly $1 billion to stop a French company from building wind farms off the East Coast, officials in Beijing said they intended to raise the share of non-fossil fuel consumed by the country from 21.7 percent to 25 percent by 2030.

Makes one wonder whose side is Feckless is on anyway? Well, that's sorta a moot point, isn't it? He's on whatever side will best line his own pockets. Maybe he can sell China clean coal?

But all is not well at the Pentagram...I mean, Pentagon. CNBC has reported extensively on calls for investigation into Department of Defense insider trading. Citing a letter written to the SEC and the DoD Inspector General by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va) and Adam Schiff (D-Ca) advising that they are probing into the allegations:

Recent reports of equity trading that occurred shortly before significant government policy announcements suggest that federal officials are disclosing material nonpublic information for financial gain,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Pentagon IG Platte Moring. “These actions undermine public interest and market integrity, and demand oversight by each of your respective authorities, as well as by Congress.”

One of the items on that list for investigation includes Pete Hegseth's broker's attempt to invest in an defense EFT in the weeks before the Iran War broke out. Some people might call that profiteering; others might just call it a lucky guess. Unless they were participating in the prediction markets where bets are made on what comes next.

What does it say about a society where bets are made on any and everything? In that wonderful ol' warhorse, GUYS AND DOLLS, that's exactly the premise of the whole show! The men bet on everything...did Mindy sell more strudel or cheesecake? Can a certain guy get a certain girl to go to Havana with him? And we laughed at that. Sucker bets, they call them. But now, instead of those bets happening in bars and booths, they're on internet betting sites. Why not, looking at the prediction markets, begin to take more calculated risks on the stock market? How can that be illegal?

Well, it can when insider trading is involved. But why is insider trading illegal? According to a raft of sources all saying basically the same thing, it's illegal because it's unfair and undermines the idea of a level playing field. It reduces those who invest in publicly traded  companies into uninformed players being played by an uber class of "savvy" investors who profit from information not available to the public. Despite the penalties, there are those in this country who believe they are above the law and cannot be touched by insider trading laws. I have no idea if that is true; in this administration, they may very well be untouchable. 

As I write this, it's very possible the wheels are spinning out of control. And not just because President Felon has, once again, promised to bomb the shit out of Iran. Sure, that's part of it. Pete Hegseth has taken it upon himself to make the war a religious event. At a prayer service held at the Pentagon on March 25,2026, Hegseth said:

Give [US soldiers] wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. Preserve their lives, sharpen their resolve, and let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse that evil may be driven back and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them…. We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ, King over all kings and amen.

On the same day, he ordered chaplains to cease wearing rank on their uniforms, only religious insignia. Military Times explain the orders:

The directive follows a broader effort by Hegseth to reshape the military’s Chaplain Corps. In a December message, he said he wanted to restore chaplains’ focus on ministry and argued that the role had shifted toward counseling and support functions in recent years.

He terminated the Army’s spiritual fitness guide and said he would simplify how the military categorizes religious affiliation.

In his most recent message, Hegseth said that the number of religious affiliation codes was reduced from over 200 to just 31. Military Times was unable to independently verify these numbers.

I wonder which religions/sects/faith practices will now be excluded...and who makes that decision. Considering Hegseth is a member of CREC - Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, one has to take into account his devoutness to a sect that believes, amongst other things:

1. The Bible is the ultimate authority on all matters of life. They use the New King James translation.
2. Christian Nationalism and implementation of Christian biblical law in government. 
3. Homeschooling children as a way to "conquer" secular society.
4. Strict patriarchy where women submit to their husbands in all things and are not permitted to hold leadership roles in the church. Some believe women should not vote.
5. Opposition to modernism...which rejects LGBTQ+ identities, and secular pluralism, often viewing these as "enemies" of the faith

Hegseth has been open about spreading his version of the faith to his subordinates. This is scary on a whole lotta levels. His meetings are decidedly religiously oriented as evidenced by the prayers he invokes. 

Hegseth has a collection of tats beneath his shirt that are more than simply provocative tattoos, the largest of which is a Jerusalem Cross, also known as the Crusader Cross, which has been adopted by far-right groups to symbolize the fight for Western Civilization. They all basically line up with far-right ideology and are viewed, by some, as a harbinger of a Christian new world order based on white supremacism.

New Lines Magazine describes them as follows:

He also has a “Chi-Rho,” the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ and one of the earliest forms of a so-called Christogram (letters formed into a monogram expressing the essence of the religion). Perhaps the most contentious is the Christian expression on his bicep: “Deus Vult,” meaning “God Wills It,” believed to be a Crusader battle cry. Τhere is another cross with a sword, referencing a verse in the Gospel of Matthew reporting the following words of Jesus: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” “Yeshua,” Jesus’ name in Hebrew, can be read across his elbow. All these Christian-related symbols, words and letters are accompanied by others that draw on American history and identity: the U.S. Constitution’s famous opening phrase “We the People,” the year “1775” in Roman numerals (the year the American War of Independence started), a “Join, or Die” snake from the American Revolution (from a cartoon attributed to Benjamin Franklin, urging the then-colonies to unite), an American flag with an AR-15 rifle, a pair of crossed muskets, a circle of stars and a patch of his regiment, the 187th Infantry. 

I just thought everyone should know about this. Hegseth is just like the rest of the Cabinet of Dunces we have running the country. Toddler-In-Chief only wants people who will give him cookies on demand. The rest of us are fucked. 

I am worried about tomorrow, although recent history tells us that President Felon will hold off for yet another week. Whatever. 

Meanwhile, back in the Crimea.....

Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains the very model of a modern major general despite being virtually abandoned by this administration. I have no idea how he does it. AND he offered drone technology and support to President Felon which the felon promptly rejected. What a horse's ass we have in the Gold House! 

Someone down line had the smarts to take up Zelenskyy's offer. Good for them.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Putting away the Pesadik?

Don't forget to leave yourself a written inventory of dry good.

There are only so many matzah balls you can eat in a week