Cheap Tickets News: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

guest16: Man, a girl shows up one time and now they just letch at her over and over again
guest43: The highest status person ever to appear before Luke’s cam was that Levinas woman,
guest43: Also a convert
guest43: Tall, BRILLIANT woman
guest43: And great looking, too
guest16: she is very smart, so was suissa, he’s had smart people before
guest43: Monica O
guest43: The total package
Bernadette: Every single week you bring her up!
guest43: Elegant, brilliant, tall, lovely, accomplished.
Bernadette: Honestly, why not ask the Levinas woman out?
guest43: I am transfixed by her
guest43: We live thousands of miles apart
Bernadette: Fischel/Tzaddik, love knows no bounds…distance shouldn’t make a difference.

Luke Ford, Rabbi Rabbs On Torah Portion II

Luke Ford writes:

This week we have two Torah portions — Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20) and Vayelech (Deuteronomy 31:1–30).

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Fat Frumies Hung Up With Modesty

Luke Ford writes:

I was walking to shul on Pico Blvd this morning near two modestly dressed fat women in their thirties complaining about friends.

One said: "Even if a garment is loose and covers everything, it is not tznious (modest) if it is a certain color."

Other woman: "I agree."

First woman: "Some colors for painting your nails are not tznious."

Other woman: "I agree."

I wonder how much of the venom these chubbies directed towards their friends was coming from religious fervor and how much was from a desire that every other woman look as shlumpy as they do?

I Love People Who Love Their Parents

Luke Ford writes:

I’ve found that people who hate their parents are usually trouble. People who love their parents tend to be better-adjusted to life. They tend to play more nicely with others. They’re happier. They have bonds.

I know one pick-up artist who refuses to date women from a broken home. He says that divorce has taught them bad ways of relating to the opposite sex. I think this is extreme, but I find it comforting when people are bonded to their families.

It’s like Pico-Robertson. Some Jews hate this community. They say it is boring. Conformist. Blah, blah.

If Rav Schachter Says March, They March

Luke Ford writes:

I was fascinated by the Meir Kin case. Not the messy details of the divorce, but the side issue of three Modern Orthodox shuls in Pico-Robertson repeatedly sending their members to picket outside the home of Meir Kin’s parents.

I love Bnai David-Judea, Beth Jacob and Young Israel of Century City. I hold them close to my heart and I know they love me in return. I’ve sung praises to God in these holy places. I’ve studied sacred text. I’ve picked up girls.

So I was taken aback to see these shuls sending off their troops to picket outside a Jew’s home over a messy divorce case.

What if I met a girl at a Torah study, and we then retired to a coffee shop to study these lofty issues in greater depth, and then I walked her home, and then at the doorstep, I leaned in for a kiss to seal our studies and she said, "Get away from me you filthy old pervert"?

What then?

How Dennis Prager Sees Himself

Luke Ford writes:

I thought there was a particularly revealing moment on the second hour of Dennis Prager’s radio show. He often says this very thing.

From PragerTopia: "Dennis has a second conversation with Ian Plimer, Professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences as The University of Adelaide. His new book is Heaven and Earth."

Plimer talked about how his critics attacked him instead of attacking his arguments.

Prager responded: "Well, welcome to those of us who are somewhat inured to this. By and large, the social and scientific and political left tend to use ad hominem arguments rather than arguments to the subject. I have witnesses this. If you put my name in Google with any curse word you can think of, you will come up with thousands of hits."

Dennis Prager has been making this claim since at least 1997 though he used to say "search engine" instead of "Google."

Yogi Bhajan's 80th Birthday Party

Luke Ford writes:

Tuesday. 9:30 pm. My yoga teacher reminds us of the next morning’s celebration of Yogi Bhajan’s 80th birthday. It begins at 2:40 with Japji.

I’m not the kind of guy who likes to miss Japji.

I am so excited by this prospect of an invigorating start to my day — and by the after-fumes of my brilliant Dennis Prager post late Tuesday night — that I can not sleep.

At 2 am, I hear sounds on the roof and grad my gun and wait for the man to come through my door.

It never happens.

I finally rise at 2:22 am and take a cold shower. Then I trim my bangs (it’s important not to go to sadhana with long bangs and I want to save the $16 of a new haircut).

Torah Study In Pico-Robertson

Luke Ford writes:

I’m talking about people who study it every day in the original.

And I am not talking about rabbis or anybody who gets paid to study Torah.

There are three at Bnai David-Judea (about 430 member families) — Shep Rosenman, Jordan Lurie, and….

There are about ten at YICC (about 300 member families, I’m not talking the daf yomi crowd, even I did daf yomi, that’s just listening, I’m talking about Torah study in Hebrew and Aramaic).

I don’t know if there are any at Aish HaTorah (about 300 member families). They’re almost all baalei teshuva (returnees to Judaism who rarely develop text skills).

Beth Jacob (about 950 member families) has about 30, maybe 50.

Anshe Emet (100 member families) is mainly baalei teshuva. I suspect maybe half a dozen study Torah daily.

Surrender: Appeasing Islam, Sacrificing Freedom

Luke Ford writes:

I’m reading this new book by Bruce Bawer and I feel like a dilettante. Much of Europe is surrendering to Islam and what am I doing?

Bawer makes the point that the Ayatollah’s fatwa (death sentence) against novelist Salmon Rushdie for his book The Satanic Verses should’ve served as a wake-up call to all those who value free speech that their cherished freedom were under assault from a growing threat called Islam. Instead most intellectuals have urged us to be sensitive to Muslim sensibilities rather than urging Muslims to be sensitive to our freedoms when they want to live amongst us.

The greatest moral struggle of our time is against Islam and what am I doing? Ong namo guru dev namo? Wahe guru indeed.

Instead of westerners getting mandatory education in Islam, perhaps Muslims need mandatory lessons in freedom of expression?

Rabbinical Council of California RCC

Luke Ford writes:

It’s the killer combination of Rabbi Gershon Bess — the savviest politician among the traditional Orthodox rabbinate in Los Angeles — and Rabbi Avrohom Union, who administers the RCC.

In my mind, being skilled at politics and being skilled at street fighting are not bad things. They are dangerous weapons to use for good and for evil. The RCC does good and ill. I’m not sure if it does more of one than the other.

Discuss these lofty issues on my live cam where all the gedolim rejoice.

As an ex put it to me: "You are unbelievably crude, so rude to so many people, you don’t care about how you look, and worst of all, you’re religious."

Is Kundalini Yoga Sex Yoga?

Luke Ford writes:

It is very trying for the Moral Leader to keep dealing with dirty minds.

"Kundalini" has nothing to do with sex. It is about balancing the body, mind and spirit. It is about attaching yourself to God. It’s about stretching and groovy tunes and hot babes. It’s not about sex. It has nothing to do with sex. I sit in the back at yoga and I never think about sex, not even when most of the women are wearing spandex and doing provocative poses and heavy breathing.

Since I’ve been practicing celibate pose, I’ve been celibate. This stuff really works, baruch HaShem.

PS. I asked my yoga teacher about this. He said it’s because of two reasons. One, the word "kundalini" sounds sexual even though it refers to the spine. Two, Kundalini Yoga teaches white tantra. That involves no sex but when most people hear the word "tantra" they immediately think of sex.

Orthodox Rabbis On Health Reform

Luke Ford writes:

Believe it or not, the Torah does not have much to say about the public option.

Why is it that the rabbis who push for "speaking out" usually have the least to say?

Here’s Orthodox rabbi Barry Gelman: "At the very least Orthodox groups should be making statements in favor of Universal Health care."

America already has universal health care. Anyone can walk into an emergency room and get treatment regardless of one’s ability to pay. America does not have universal health insurance but it does have universal health care. Perhaps other Orthodox rabbis stay silent because they have nothing to add to this complicated debate. Perhaps Rabbi Gelman should’ve stayed silent until he had something to add.

What’s the old saying? Better to stay silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo X

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo IX

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo VIII

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo VII

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo VI

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo III

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo IV

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo II

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo

Luke Ford writes:

Rabbs and I want to do a Rosh Hashanah fashions show in the next week or two on Torah Talk and we need prospective models to show off the latest in frum fashions.

I will need to meet privately before the show with each prospective model to make sure she’s glatt kosher.

Models do not need to be Jewish but they do need to be hot.

While there will be no material payment for appearing on my show, please know, ladies, that the spiritual rewards will be immense, and your portion in the world to come in recompense for your kindness to His servant will be awesome.

Please email Your Moral Leader about your fashion choices for this year’s Yamim Noraim. I have a feeling that hot pink will be big this Yom Kippur.

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Luke Ford, Rabbs On Torah Portion Ki Tavo V

Luke Ford writes:

This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo (Deut. 26-29).

Sunday, August 22, 2010

It's Just Human Nature!

Luke Ford writes:

In a 1995 lecture on Exodus 3, Dennis Prager says: It is natural to worship animals. One of the greatest teachings of Judaism is that that which is natural is not necessarily good. Natural and desirable are very different.

It is natural to be polygamous (particularly for men). It is not natural to be monogamous but it is good to be so. Natural and good are not the same.

We all use it all the time, when someone does something obnoxious, what’s the common statement? It’s human nature! It’s human nature to open someone else’s mail and to gossip and to take unjust revenge and to drive up the diamond lane alone. It’s human nature to do all miserable things. It’s not human nature to wait in line for your turn.

It is natural to worship animals. The overthrowing of the Jewish and Christian traditions is being done by natural man, people who want to act in accordance with nature, in opposition to the anti-nature ideas of Judaism and Christianity.

The Biblical attitude to animals is clear — they are to be used, not to be abused.

Why Did God Harden Pharoah's Heart?

Luke Ford writes:

In a 1995 lecture on Exodus 4, Dennis says: And G-d did X is a common Biblical way of saying X happened. For example, And G-d closed her womb is a Biblical way of saying she could no longer have children.

In the Biblical mind, G-d is always involved.

Second response to this problem — Pharoah deserved to be punished.

Three. Only by strengthening Pharoah’s heart does G-d enable Pharoah to have freedom of choice.

Ever Met A Jewish Waiter?

Luke Ford writes:

In a 1995 lecture on Exodus 5, Dennis Prager says: The word for servant and the word for slave is the same, which is probably why to this day that Jews don’t like to be servants because they think it is slavery. Did you ever meet a Jewish waiter? Jews don’t wait.

That and the Chosen People notion are the reasons why Jews don’t want to serve anybody.

Hard To Love God & Man

Luke Ford writes:

In a 1995 lecture on Exodus 5, Dennis Prager says: It is difficult if not impossible to love G-d and to love humanity at the same time.

If you really love people, then you so cry for their pain that it’s difficult to love G-d. And if you are really intoxicated with love of G-d, it can come at the price of feeling the pain of human beings. If you really feel their pain, it will have to raise questions about G-d.

There have been people who loved G-d and could torture people because they were able to separate the two. It’s when you really feel for people that the questions about G-d arise.

If you only love man, you will end up with moral chaos because where does good and evil come from if you don’t love G-d?

If you only love G-d, you will end up with moral chaos because you will not care about the suffering of humanity.

Moses Wrong To Kill Egyptian?

Luke Ford writes:

Exodus 2: 11-13 (NIV): “One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”

In his lecture on Exodus 2 circa 1995, Dennis Prager says: This has always been the great dilemma about Moses — why did he kill the Egyptian?

I saw this in no commentator.

Did Moses intend to kill the Egyptian? It’s not fully answerable because the Hebrew is he beat him.

The verb for what the Egyptian did to the Jew is the same as what Moses did to the Egyptian.

This totally exonerates Moses. Is it right for you to kill a would-be murderer?

It’s not possible for Moses to beat the Egyptian and to then go back to the palace. He must either do nothing or to kill the Egyptian.

Biblical Importance Of Names

Luke Ford writes:

In a 1995 lecture on Exodus 5, Dennis Prager says: Names in Bible are very important. Adam names the animals. When you name something, you are giving it essence. That’s why the Nazis took the Jews names away and gave them numbers like cattle.

My wife got very sad when one of our fish died, which was particularly funny as she had just had a tuna sandwich for lunch. I pointed out to her, ‘Fran, how sad can you get? You just had a tuna melt.’

She started laughing and crying at the same time.

I realized why she had gotten sad over the death of one of our fish. We had unwisely named our fish. If you eat a sandwich and it was really a Jerry sandwich, you were having Jerry for lunch, you’d recoil. A tuna sandwich is not a problem.

I vowed after I saw my wife’s reaction, we are no longer naming our fish. It’s a puffer, it’s a yellow tang, and that’s it. Just tonight, a yellow tang died. Nothing. Dennis, could you take that out? It’s ugly. There was no emotional connection because it was a yellow tang. Name is essence.

The NCSY Haredim Connection

Luke Ford writes:

David Kelsey emails: “You idiot! You moron. You katan. You cow. You idiot!”

This is how Rabbi Orlofsky, a former NCSY leader and “kiruv professional” talks to his students at Ohr Somayach about Rabbi Weinreb, a scholar and a gentleman, and emeritus spiritual leader of the Orthodox Union. Many even outside strict Orthodox circles admire Rabbi Weinreb because he is a thoughtful, complex, and compassionate thinker.

What was Rabbi Weinreb’s provocation? Defending Rabbi Slifkin’s right to publish a book that embraced evolutionary theory and an earth older than 6,000 years.

And yet…NCSY, an Orthodox Union subsidiary, continues to quietly send public school teenagers to Ohr Somayah and Neve Yerushalayim, and are afforded greater and greater access to non-Orthodox Jews from the public school system through their “cultural” program, the Jewish Student Union. Yeshiva University continues to maintain a relationship with Ohr Somayach’s Derech Institute.

James Bond Having Fun By Doing Good

Luke Ford writes:

Dennis Prager says that one element of James Bond’s success is that you always know that good will triumph over the evil.

“Second. Good guys are not usually having fun and he does. The good guy is rewarded in this world — look at those women, outfits, cars.”

Sinclair: You wonder how sustainable a life that is? You’d worry if a friend of yours lived a life like that.

Dennis: “Why not fantasize that?”

Sinclair: “The nature of the fantasy has changed over the years to the more austere Daniel Craig version we see today. He’s almost monogamous.”

What Is Sharia? Islamic Law

Luke Ford writes:

On his radio show today, Dennis Prager says: Sharia is Islamic religious law. Jews have an analogue — halakha. Christianity does not have an all-embracing law that governs everything you do.

There was a time in Jewish history when Jews sought a halakhic state. Now the vast majority of religious Jews have made peace with the fact that halakha is a personal matter and only in a few issues in Israel would it matter for state policy. For example, do you serve kosher food on El Al airlines? The IDF in Israel does serve kosher food.

A major difference is that Judaism, at its most, has only believed in a halakhic state for Jews. There was never a notion that the non-Jew anywhere else in the world is obliged to halakha (and only in Israel in a few areas in a utopian scheme of things). The concept is unknown.

What Unites Secular Jews?

Luke Ford writes:

In a 1995 lecture on Exodus 6, Dennis Prager says: I have more in common with a Falashan Jew in Ethiopia with whom I can’t correspond than I do with a secular Jew in LA. Torah is what makes us Jewish.

What does a secular Jew in LA have with a secular Jew in France? Nothing. People say, Jewish food. That’s not correct. Middle Eastern Jews eat an entirely different diet. Yiddish? Yiddish is European. The other half of Jewry spoke Ladino.

There’s nothing secular Jews have in common with other secular Jews in different cultures.

There was a humanistic synagogue. In my more firebrand years, I am mellow compared to what I was 20 years ago, I would walk into gladiatorial combat with anyone. I remember going to Detroit to debate the founder of Humanistic Judaism, a rabbi in Birmingham [Sherwin T. Wine], Michigan. I’ve come close to knowing what it is like to go in the ring with trainers behind you massaging you and getting you ready with towels and a bucket of water.

This evening had thousands of Jews coming to scream on the one they were rooting for — the humanist or the religious one. I had my backers. He had his backers. It was like a prize fight. It bothered me in some way. I don’t think anyone came to be enlightened but just to see major gladiatorial combat.

Is Parsimony Sexy?

Luke Ford writes:

I’ve always been careful with my money. I’ve never had a lot of it.

So, is frugal sexy?

For the overwhelming majority of women, frugality in a man is not attractive.

For most men, frugality in a woman is a good trait for a potential spouse.

Ron Lieber writes:

“My suspicion is that the value of frugality depends on whose money will presumably be spent,” said Reuben Strayer, 34, a physician in Manhattan who does not broadcast his profession or true income in online personals. He always pays for the first date and does not object to providing for a wife one day, he adds; he just doesn’t want to attract the kind of woman who is specifically looking for someone who will do so.

Obama Seems Like A Muslim?

Luke Ford writes:

Here’s the news story.

My thought — there’s little that is distinctively Christian about Obama.

On his radio show today, Dennis Prager says: Here are some possible reasons.

* The only church we have him associated with celebrated race more than religion. It was not a black church in the way we understand black churches. It was a fringe-type church where blackness was celebrated at least as much as Christianity and Jesus is changed into a black man. There’s no reason to believe Jesus was black.

* People get vibes. Sometimes our vibes are wrong, so you can’t go only by vibes. I accept the president is a Christian.

* “He has an affinity and an inner positive gut reaction that is not shared by most Americans…with Islam. He has said it himself. He said in Cairo that he recalls warmly the muezzin (Muslim call to prayer).”

I Dream Of A Great Marriage

Luke Ford writes:

As a single man, I dream of having a great marriage.

If I were married to someone of my level, my dream would be gone. I’d be stuck with reality, with the hard work of making a relationship work. I might very well be stuck in a bad marriage spiraling downhill.

By staying single, one has hope. When you get married, I suspect you lose a lot of hope.

I’ve been in relationships where I felt stuck and disappointed. There was no longer any sexual attraction. The whole thing seemed pointless.

I guess I live in fantasyland much of the time.

Faith Leaders Support Ground Zero Mosque

Luke Ford writes:

Yeah, but they are all left-wing religious leaders.

When it is only right-wing religious leaders who support something, they are always labeled as right-wing, but when it is left-wingers joining together to support something, they’re just “religious leaders.”

Here’s the LA Times headline: “L.A. faith leaders support Muslim center in New York”

Yeah, I’m sure the majority of L.A. faith leaders support this. Or perhaps only the left-wing ones?

Check out this paragraph from the JJ:

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Tips For Cheap Tickets To Europe

Karen Triggiani sends me this article:

If you are planning to travel across European countries at a fraction of the cost, then a low cost, no frill budget airline may be the ultimate solution for your traveling needs. There are several low fare airlines connecting hundreds of European cities and finding a remarkable deal may depend on how fast and flexible you are in finding the best deal. The cheapest seats generally sell out fairly quickly so keep this in mind or you may be left to deal with the pricier fares.

It is important to keep into consideration that along with remarkable fares there are often accompanying pitfalls. Most cheap tickets are non-refundable and non changeable.

The Benefits Of Cheap Tickets

Karen Triggiani sends me this USA Today story:

Tom Parsons blows in for his weekly travel insider's segment on the station's midday news program.

"Hey, did you see that big mistake American (Airlines) made on those European fares?" he bursts out as he glides through the door, not waiting for the customary introductions around the room. Of course, the answer is "no," because no one in the green room, really no one on Earth, scours the Internet and other sources for the latest movements in travel prices the way Parsons does.

For nearly 30 years, Parsons, 59, has been the USA's leading guru of cheap air travel deals. You've probably heard him on a radio show, seen him on TV or read his name in a newspaper. He is, by his own admission, a shameless media hound, doing eight interviews a day touting a deal he's found.

How To Find Cheap Train Tickets

Hat tip to Karen Triggiani:

If you travel by train regularly, then you obviously know all the ins and outs of train travel, the advantages as well as disadvantages, the hidden costs and how to get the best deals possible. Those who travel by train seldom however, are shocked when they hear the price of tickets not being aware that there are ways of traveling cheap. If you do you home work properly and thoroughly research rail travel, you will no doubt be surprised at the number of options you have, to cut down the cost of train fares and make a considerable saving at the end of the day.

When doing your research consider carefully how these cheap tickets and discount fares fit in with your personal travel plans. Just because a certain type of ticket is cheap, that does not mean its right for you.