Links
Israel, the Middle East, and Politics:
This afternoon a bus with nearly 60 Russian tourists crashed near Eilat (the southernmost part of Israel and a resort town). They've already confirmed 25 people are dead. I saw the helicopters with (some of) the wounded coming in to Beer Sheva's hospital on my way home from the university this evening.... It's just such a heartbreaking accident; these people just wanted a break from the Russian winter, and now their lives are forever changed for the worse.
Israel's Supreme Court ruled Monday that there need to be additional revision of the section of the separation barrier in Bilin. I'm actually a bit confused by this one as I'd thought Naalin was the current focus, but regardless, at this point I'm pretty cynical about the court rulings since they don't seem to have had any effect on the ground.
In case you somehow didn't hear, an Arab journalist threw shoes at George II.
Obama picked Arnie Duncan, Chicago Public Schools Superintendent, to be the new education secretary. I have mixed feelings about that, but am going to hold off on saying anything 'til I hear from friends who were more involved with CPS than I was.
Queer and/or Jew-Related Stuff:
ShopRite is my new favorite groccery store, a.k.a. neo-Nazi parents who exploit their children make me want to institute eugenics policies in which I get to decide who's fit to have kids.
Gay penguins make good daddies.
There's a new website in the shtetl: TransTorah's mission is to help people of all genders to fully access and transform Jewish tradition, and to help Jewish communities be welcoming sanctuaries for people of all genders.
The website offers links to many trans-friendly organizations, as well as a groundbreaking collection of trans and genderqueer resources. These include ritual, liturgy, sermons, and d'vrei torah (commentary on the torah), as well as educational materials and essays on gender diversity and judaism.
Please note that TransTorah is a collective of like-minded individuals, not a non-profit or an organization. It is a labor of love that doesnt include little things like office furniture, staff, or IRS documentation. They would love to hear from you - especially if you do similar work and would like to be added to our referral list - however please be patient with them, as they may not be able to respond as quickly as they'd like.
Thanks for your support and for sharing this resource with your communities.
Other:
Google wants its own fast-track on the web (meaning an end to network neutrality).
Montgomery County Schools is doing away with the "gifted" label.
This afternoon a bus with nearly 60 Russian tourists crashed near Eilat (the southernmost part of Israel and a resort town). They've already confirmed 25 people are dead. I saw the helicopters with (some of) the wounded coming in to Beer Sheva's hospital on my way home from the university this evening.... It's just such a heartbreaking accident; these people just wanted a break from the Russian winter, and now their lives are forever changed for the worse.
Israel's Supreme Court ruled Monday that there need to be additional revision of the section of the separation barrier in Bilin. I'm actually a bit confused by this one as I'd thought Naalin was the current focus, but regardless, at this point I'm pretty cynical about the court rulings since they don't seem to have had any effect on the ground.
In case you somehow didn't hear, an Arab journalist threw shoes at George II.
Obama picked Arnie Duncan, Chicago Public Schools Superintendent, to be the new education secretary. I have mixed feelings about that, but am going to hold off on saying anything 'til I hear from friends who were more involved with CPS than I was.
Queer and/or Jew-Related Stuff:
ShopRite is my new favorite groccery store, a.k.a. neo-Nazi parents who exploit their children make me want to institute eugenics policies in which I get to decide who's fit to have kids.
Gay penguins make good daddies.
There's a new website in the shtetl: TransTorah's mission is to help people of all genders to fully access and transform Jewish tradition, and to help Jewish communities be welcoming sanctuaries for people of all genders.
The website offers links to many trans-friendly organizations, as well as a groundbreaking collection of trans and genderqueer resources. These include ritual, liturgy, sermons, and d'vrei torah (commentary on the torah), as well as educational materials and essays on gender diversity and judaism.
Please note that TransTorah is a collective of like-minded individuals, not a non-profit or an organization. It is a labor of love that doesnt include little things like office furniture, staff, or IRS documentation. They would love to hear from you - especially if you do similar work and would like to be added to our referral list - however please be patient with them, as they may not be able to respond as quickly as they'd like.
Thanks for your support and for sharing this resource with your communities.
Other:
Google wants its own fast-track on the web (meaning an end to network neutrality).
Montgomery County Schools is doing away with the "gifted" label.