Dear Robert and Karen,

The so-called "Greenies" ... have you heard about the plea they are making? they ask that each Jewish home light one less candle per night (well ... there went the shamas!) so that global warming might be reduced somewhat!? Well, if we do not light the shamas, what then can we do with it?
Hmmm ...?

Freiliche Chanukah,

Alan

Happy Chanukah to you, Robert.

I hope you will give all due consideration to a suggestion I saw that Jews should light one less candle this year to reduce CO2 emissions ... when you have a tenth of a second or so to spare from your busy schedule. ;)

Alan:

The Greenies are, I'm reaching for an appropriate idea here, Syrian-Greeks, who deserve the fate meted out to them by the Hasmoneans.

Happy Chanukah.

Kent:

See above.

Plus: Hey you know about religious bigotry. Does Mitt really have to give a speech defending his Mormon faith?

Sheesh.

Happy Chanukah to the Avrech family.

I heard something cute on the radio today; the DJ was saying that tonight was the first night of Chanukah, that we eat jelly donuts (he spelled out "sufganiyot" because he couldn't pronounce it)that we light the candles on the menorah...and among them is the "C.E.O. of the candles" -- a nice way to refer to the shamash.

Hope your C.E.O. shines as bright as can be...!

Chag Sameach.

Pearl:

C.E.O shining very brightly, burning carbon emissions like crazy with my power hungry Chanukah lights:)

Happy Chanukah to you and yours.

You too Jack!

ha, I didn't know you can actually reverse circumcisions.

Pix:

Jews who hate their Jewishness will do most anything, and I mean anything, to erase the signs of the covenant.

I haven't done the calculation, but I bet the CO2 from burning a small candle all evening is considerably less than the CO2 from turning your thermostat up 5 degrees all evening, or using your oven rather than your microwave to cook dinner.

But it's not about the CO2, it's about the destruction of symbols.

David:

"But it's not about the CO2, it's about the destruction of symbols."

How true, how true.

And they pick very specific symbols.

Notice that they never, ever suggest that Muslims change or cut back on their religious rituals.

Y'know why?

Check out Sudan?

Check out anywhere on planet earth where, somewhat excitable but um, peace-loving Muslims reside. The greenies would have their heads separated from their bodies.

"Does Mitt really have to give a speech defending his Mormon faith?

"Sheesh."

Er, I know you really like Mitt Romney. But from the point of view of believing Christians, the problem with Mormonism is that it is a non-Christian religion masquerading as a Christian one for the purposes of aggressive proselytisation. I would imagine that you probably feel similarly about "Messianic Jews".

"Plus: Hey you know about religious bigotry. Does Mitt really have to give a speech defending his Mormon faith?"

Apparently. See above.

Do I consider myself a Christian? Absolutely. Sorry, Atlantic. I guess we're going to have to disagree on that one.

What relevance, if any, does it have to Romney's qualifications for office?

I think it's because if one believes that Mormonism is a non-Christian religion masquerading as a Christian religion for the purposes of aggressive proselytisation, then one would probably see a Mormon President as giving a highly undesirable large boost to the validity of Mormonism in public perception.

I would be interested to know whether Robert would vote for Romney if Romney had exactly the same views, qualifications, etc. but was a Messianic Jew.

So, the problem doesn't lie in Romney's qualifications to be President, but in the fear that his election would cause folks to view the religious community from which he comes with less fear and loathing?

Incidentally, someone checked, and trends in Mormon baptism rates in Massachusetts did not change significantly while he was governor. I think the fear is overblown.

Here's a novel idea - an energy saving measure that uplifts the Torah and endorses Halachic Judaism. Why don't these Greenies promote an idea like "Shabbat Across the World" like "Shabbat Across America." Imagine how much fuel and electricity would be saved if everyone kept the seventh day as a true day of rest. Isn't the concept of Shabbat truly consistent with the philosophy that we don't own the earth?

Karen, don't you realize that cholent is one of the main generators of greenhouse gases? And thats even without factoring in the kishke.

Imagine how much fuel and electricity would be saved if everyone kept the seventh day as a true day of rest.

Ovens and lights on all Shabbos? Not much savings there.

And thats even without factoring in the kishke.

Hey, speak for yourself. Wasn't this kishke responsible for your complaint.

You guys can argue over the relative energy emissions of kishke and choelent, but I'm sure they don't compare to the consumption on the roadways. The idea was that eliminating one little candle detracts from Yidishkeit, while keeping Shabbos can enhance it while also saving energy, if that's your ticket.

another environmentally conscious suggestion for the greenies

to save trees, and protect the environment,
the NYT should stop its print edition,
and move everything to the paperless-only online edition it already has

if, for some mysterious reasons, it cannot do this all at once,
then it should at least start printing on material suitable for toilet paper,
and allow greenies all over the world to rejoice, as they no longer need to struggle with their consciences when one square of toilet tissue is just not enough,
they can now, in good conscience, (and better hygiene), use an entire page of NYT tissue ...

the NYT can successfully promote this, and capture an avid share of the Republican market, without changing any of their reporting at all, but by only slightly changing their motto to a more eco-conscious one:

All the News that's fit to Wipe

Robert- Looks like we have another great contest here. "How to Save the Environment while making the World Safer." In other words strategies that strike at two fronts, getting the Liberals where they hurt while also making an environmentally correct statement. Using the NYT as toilet paper is a great starter.

Kent, one doesn’t have to feel “fear and loathing” to believe that something is sufficiently wrong that one doesn’t want to further it in any way. Perhaps this concern is overblown, but I don’t think I’d make that assessment based solely on Romney in Massachusetts. Not only is state governor a considerably less influential position than US President, but Massachusetts has one of the lowest proportions of Mormon population in the country, and – more importantly – probably one of the highest concentrations of non- or nominally-religious people.

Robert,
Happy Hannukah from Taiwan 2007! Did you hear about my polar cities project? See the images and words here:
http://pcillu101.blogspot.com

And no, I am not a communist.

SMILE

danny
http://bubbieandzadiefiles.blogspot.com