We all know what a Jew looks like. Right?

I received something in an e-mail that I thought I would share with you all.

The e-mail had a subject header of You Don't Look Jewish.

Being the curious person I am and wondering about what a jew looks like, I followed the link contained in the e-mail.

It took me over to a YouTube video. If you care to check it out for yourself, just click on over to [update as of July 9, 2015: the original linked YouTube video is no longer there; consequently I have placed a substitute video]: "The Hebrew Mamita" by The Hebrew Mamita (Vanessa Hidary)

(update as of April 24, 2016) - or, you can watch and listen to The Hebrew Mamita right here:

Look. You Have To. You Need To. Exactly. Right?

How many times do I have to endure listening to asinine verbiage in conversations, speeches, in interview responses, or some other similar oral communications?

Look, you have to understand that I am frustrated at some silly-ass phraseology that tells me what I must do. Look, you need to realize that I do not have to nor do I need to do anything, or react in a way you want me to react, or understand something I have no desire to understand. You understand, don’t you? Exactly, you say.

I thought you would say that. That is another oft overused word or generic response. Exactly.

You catch my drift? Right? Exactly.

Look, you have to acknowledge all this verbal nonsense. I am pleased that you realize you need to agree with me. Exactly. Right?

Exactly. Of course, you have to agree with me on that. And, of course, you need to understand from where I am coming. Of course.

Now then, what is it that you have to say about all this? Look, you need to get it off your chest. Right? Exactly.

Positive Attributes of the City of Toledo and of Lucas County, Ohio.

I am sick and tired of all the negativism that seems to permeate the commentaries and discussions of the City of Toledo and of Lucas County, Ohio. Consequently, I have decided to rattle off just a few of what I perceive, in no specific order, as the positive attributes of Toledo, Ohio and of Lucas County, Ohio.

Moderate Geographical and Population Size
Ethnic, Racial, Religious, and Cultural Diversity
Rail, Air, Water, Highway Hub
Public Bus System
Skilled Workforce
Area Metroparks and Toledo City Parks
Museum of Art
Zoo
Stranahan Theater at Masonic Complex
Symphonic Orchestra
University of Toledo
Area Office on Aging
Children Services Board Agency
Child Support Enforcement Agency
Westfield Shopping Center at Franklin Park
Restaurants
Suburban cities and villages

To reiterate, in my opinion, those are just a few of the attributes. Please feel free to add in the comments section your own list of positive attributes.

Incidentally, I would have loved to put Owens Community College in there, but neither is it in Toledo, nor is it in Lucas County.

p.s. For some really great links, visit ToledoLinks.com.

Ship In A Bottle. Village In A Mall.

It’s absolutely fascinating how some very creative, artistic people can build a ship in a bottle. It takes time, effort, and perseverance to accomplish such a task.

The ship in the bottle is safeguarded from the outside environment and protected from the natural elements of climatic change and shifting weather patterns. That is analogous of how I think of enclosed shopping malls.

For the life of me, I do not understand why some developers have proposed to tear off the roof of an enclosed mall such as the Southwyck Mall in Toledo, Ohio and recycle it into an open-air shopping center. To me, that is just plain dumb. Can you spell S-T-U-P-I-D?

Why would an open-air shopping center be any more lucrative than an enclosed climate-controlled shopping mall in a geographical area that has extremes in weather from the hot to rainy to freezing cold to snow? Please give me a logical answer. I am at a loss to understand the reasoning given me thus far.

I wish some real estate developers would take the concept of a ship in a bottle and apply it creatively to abandoned enclosed shopping malls. Think about it. Imagine if you will a village in a mall.

Take an abandoned or near-abandoned mall and create a self-contained village, I envision a small village under one roof that contains: a nursing home, assisted living units, independent living efficiency and one-bedroom units, medical (doctor, dentist, ophthalmologist, lab, x-ray, etc.) offices, pharmacy, grocery store, dollar general store, hardware store, library, post office, barber, beauty salon, bowling lanes, multi-use theater, diner, theme restaurant, sports bar, coffee shop with free wi-fi, and an indoor park with class roof.

I like that. Instead of tearing down, instead of building anew, it gives expanded use to the concept of recycling. It gives new breath and new life to environmental eyesores that pose the public heath risk of rat-infested abandoned buildings.

How about converting not only Southwyck Mall but also North Towne Mall, a.k.a. Lakeside Centre, in Toledo, Ohio into weather-protected villages. Hmmm. A village in a mall. What do you think?

Ben Konop -- What the hell???!!!! Today: Ohio. Tomorrow: Who knows?

What's with Ben Konop and his exploration about running for Mayor of Toledo????!!!!

Back in 2004, he ran for a congressional seat in northcentral Ohio, i.e. the 4th congressional district, quite a distance from Toledo and from Lucas County. He lost that election and then he moved to Toledo, Ohio to run for Lucas County Commisioner in 2006. In his campaign for a seat on the Lucas County Board of Commissioners, he promised that if elected he would serve the full four-year term. Well, he won that seat; but now just mid-way through his elected term, he is considering making an electoral attempt to switch seats in becoming the next Mayor of the City of Toledo thereby breaking his promise.

As an interesting aside, I see from reading the various news stories of his Toledo Mayoral explorations that he has been making political campaign forays outside the City of Toledo.

What the hell? Does Ben Konop have any loyalty to any voters?? Or, does Ben Konop just wish to use voters, any and all voters, to further his own personal career choice of professional politician, as opposed to elected public servant???

Maybe, he will just up and move to another state, if it will serve his choice of occupational path.

Jim Moody, Toledo Republican Politician and Spiderman

Upon having read the story of how Toledo Mayoral candidate Jim Moody captured Toledo Mayoral candidate Keith Wilkowski's web and Wilkowski's other potential webs, I can help but wonder if Moody is the Politician Spiderman of Toledo and surrounding area.

Does Moody still have a wife living in their Sylvania, Ohio residence or has she joined him in the Toledo residence that he specifically established in order to run for Mayor of Toledo? Or, is my recollection on this matter mistaken? I'm not sure now, Hey, someone let me know --- will ya?

Gee, I wonder if Moody is a moody type of guy. What a wicked web he weaves!

Ted Strickland, Secretary of Health and Human Services

Just as the immediately preceding entry about Marcy Kaptur as Commerce Secretary, tell me that this header of Roland Hansen Commentary doesn't have a ring to it!

It's been awhile now since Tom Daschle, former United States Senator from the State of South Dakota, withdrew as President Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

It's also been some time since all the speculations for a HHS Secretary have been bantered around.

While Kathleen Sebelius, the Governor of Kansas who just happens to be the daughter of former Ohio Governor John J. Gilligan, appears to be the new frontrunner, I say it's time to let the games begin anew. And, as with my suggestion of Marcy Kaptur for Secretary of Commerce, I say let another Ohioan replace the former nominee for the HHS spot.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, a former member of the United States House of Representatives, has a long established track record of public service. He has an established record on the issues that is out there for all of us to review.

I say President Barack Obama should nominate Ohio Governor Ted Strickland as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Marcy Kaptur, Commerce Secretary

Wow, that title has a nice ring to it!

I’m sure most people have heard of the phrase “The third time is a charm.” That is the phrase I think is applicable should President Barack Obama nominate United States Representative Marcy Kaptur (D, Ohio 9th District) to be the Secretary of Commerce.

President Obama’s first attempt to fill the spot of Commerce Secretary by nominating New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D) fell flat on its face when Richardson withdrew himself from consideration upon the public disclosure of a grand jury investigation of alleged wrongdoing in the awarding of state governmental contracts in New Mexico.

Next out of the starting gate Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire never really got out of the starting gate. Apparently, the Republican Senator had a change of heart or of mind when Gregg withdrew himself from consideration citing “irresolvable differences” with the policies of the Democrat President.

That brings us to the current situation in that a third attempt is now needed to put a Commerce Secretary into place, Quite a few people have been previously mentioned by the media, all of whom would be good choices. However, as Barack Obama has stated in the past, it is time for a change in the same-old politics of Washington, D.C. That brings me to what I believe may be a novel approach. Remember NAFTA?

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur took on the Democratic political party machine of President Bill Clinton in opposing the adoption of NAFTA and has remained a strong opponent ever since. And yet, while remaining a vocal opponent of NAFTA as well as being vocal in other areas in disagreement with whoever has been in power in Washington, Democrat or Republican, she has remained an integral part of the Democratic Party and has been an advocate of a real free-trade public policy as opposed to NAFTA that looks out for the American worker.

Getting back to the selection of a Secretary of Commerce, I say now is the time to get it done right! President Obama tried a Democratic male Governor from a Southwest state, who happened to be Hispanic. He tried a Republican male Senator from an Eastern state. Now, he should try an outspoken, citizen-advocate, experienced Democratic Congresswoman from a Great Lakes state, who doesn’t hesitate to publicly disagree while at the same time who will work toward a solution that is in the best interests of the United States of America.

I say Marcy Kaptur is the right person for Secretary of Commerce.

Sign Of The Times: "death to the Jews"

Yes, indeed, anti-Semitism is alive and thriving. Hey, don't believe me, huh?!.
Well then, perhaps you need to read the news story in which it is reported that a Jewish synagogue was ransacked, its walls painted with the words "death to the Jews" and Torah scrolls thrown to the floor with some of them being damaged. Click and read the news report:
Synagogue attack adds to fears in Venezuela

Yes, indeed. This is not something new and it isn't an isolated incident found only in one country. This type of thing and other similar incidents take place throughout the world today and have been occurring for thousands of years. And people wonder why Israel takes such a strong stance when threatened with the continuing onslaught of rockets, suicide bombers, and other terrorist actions. Hrumph!

As the son of a Danish Luthern father and a Russian Jewish mother, I myself grew up in an anti-Semitic atmospere in Toledo, Ohio where I was jumped on more than one occasion by not just one other boy but by groups of boys calling things such as "half-breed Jew" and "dirty Jew" and "Christ killer" and the list goes on and on. I grew up being an accomplished street fighter and folks who knew me back then can attest that I did not tolerate or run from the anti-Semites. There were many other incidents of anti-Semitic happenings throughout my youth in the elementary, junior high, and senior high schools that I attended in the Washington Local School District and also occurred in my West Toledo neighborhood. The same crap continued in the workplace and community life during my adulthood and have continued on throughout my entire life even to this day in my twilight years, including in the 55+ community in which I have a winter home.

Now, many people may say that the type of things that I have experienced do not happen anymore in the United States of America. How naive of them. My grandsons have been exeriencing the very same things in their Bedford, Michigan schools. It has now reached the point of causing much distress for them and their parents.

And people wonder why I am "sensitive" about such things as when I hear them use the phrase of "jewed down" on price or "got jewed" or "this is a Christian nation" or some other such thing.

'Nuff said --- for now.

Holy Moley, Holy See!

I am at a lack of words, but perhaps Holy Moley will suffice as I think of the brouhaha associated with some of the more recent actions of the Holy See.

You see, there is a sea of controversy.

I wrote about the subject of the controversy over at Roland's Ramblings in my entry Richard Williamson, Roman Catholic Bishop.

I had the now-apparently mistaken impression that the whole thing had run it's course. That is, until a moment ago when I read Reuters Blogs: Faith World: Vatican orders Williamson recant after calling case closed.

Now, what do you think of that?