Stephen Colbert will start his new show in a few months but this week he released this clever and funny “Colbeard” youtube to keep in touch.

Break a Leg to all the Tony Nominees as the awards will be presented this Sunday.

Sunrise…Sunset; Swiftly through the…buildings.  Neil degrasse Tyson discovered (with Stonehenge in mind) that 4 times a year, the sun sets between the Manhattan skyline and New Yorkers come out in droves to witness this phenom which took place this past week.

Don’t miss this awesome and hilarious ragtime rendition ofRoxanne by Fallon and Sting:

I love this hopping Bluegrass tune by Dustbowl Revivalfeaturing one of my favorite legends, the dancing talents of 89 year old Dick Van Dyke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoPugqYMISM

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom,

Lisa

Condolences to the Biden family on the untimely passing of Beau Biden at the age of 46. May his political and military service, his devotion to his family and his spirit bring comfort to those who mourn his death.

It is the one year yahrzeit (Jewish calendar anniversary) of the 3 slain Israeli students,  Naftali Frankel z”l, Gilad Shaar z”l, and Eyal Yifrach z”l. Their families, friends, the State of Israel, the Jewish Peoplehood and those who fight against terrorism reflect, remember and prayer for their souls.  A young Arab Israeli, Mohammad Zoabi, also is reflecting on the horrors of that fateful day and I will let his words speak for all who strive for Peace on Earth.

Floods on one side of our globe and Heat on the other have killed many over this deadly weather week. While we were enjoying the pleasant double holiday weekend here in Michigan, those in Texas and the South were swept away by rapid flood waters killing over 25 people. And on the other side of the planet, thousands in India have perished due to an excessive heatwave.  Sadly these heatwaves are commonplace in India however, they are becoming more frequent and intense.

Who in their right mind would grant a Soccer Tournament to the country of Qatar, which swelters above the 100 degree mark on a regular basis and bases their legal system on Sharia Law which includes no public alcohol consumption (among many other limitations). Could there possibly be bribes involved in that decision.  Yes Siree Bob…in fact, over the last 20 years there’ve been at least $150 million in “sweet” money to sweeten the pot of the selection committee and now the (14) pied pipers will pay for their greed thanks to our US Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, who’s been working on this case for many years. By the way, one of the 14 accused corrupters, Aaron Davidson, has besmudged our collective Peoplehood. Then of course, blame from another corrupter was placed squarely on the backs of Zionism:

CNN turns 35 on June 1st and through the years it’s gone from being the only 24/7 News Network to one of many, but, yes they were the first.  For all their faults, I still tend to gravitate to CNN as my go-to network no matter where I am in the world.  Lately, I do feel they gravitate too long on big stories, rely too much on talking heads and rag a bit too much on Israel, but for the most part they provide up-to-date info about our world. Also, on June 1st, Section 215 of the Patriot Act is set to expire while the White House and Congress struggle to figure out the future rules for NSA collections and what exactly will keep us safe from Terrorism.

Videos and Music have a powerful influence on our lives.  I found the messages in both of these youtubes to be meaningful and poignant. With my thoughts seeping back to Memorial Day, Rihanna’s music video of American Oxygen brings contemplation of our American Dream…the good, bad and ugly with images and a tune that is captivating.  Then with Oxygen and Air in mind, I found this (oldie, but goodie) creative and humorous clip of Mr. W.  I don’t want to give away the ending, but I think you’ll enjoy it.

Rihanna:

Mr. W:

Admittedly, I do not cook but I love to eat and two of my favorite foods are Pizza and Ice Cream.  Here are some visual recipes that look easy enough for even me.

Bon apetite…

Pizza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgpjCOFVK4s

Ice Cream Cake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvxvs0HDOiA

Kol Hakavod (Bravo) to Mark Davidoff for chairing this year’s (famous) Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island where horses and bikes rule the road and fudge is the Island trademark. Each year Michigan’s political and economic leaders converge to discuss plans to help improve Detroit and our State. The conference is held at the historic Grand Hotel (where they filmed Christopher Reeves in the beautifully crafted movie “Somewhere in Time“). This year, Mark brought Dan Senor, author of Start Up Nation (about Israel’s technological and economic successes) to discuss the potential parallels between Israel and Detroit.http://tinyurl.com/StartUpDetroit

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom,

Lisa

Condolences to Debbie and John Dingell and their family on the passing of John’s daughter, Jeanne Patricia Dingell (age 51). Jeanne’s passions included her family, outdoor activities, business, history and had a special interest in the victims of WWII with speaking engagements and involvement at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.  May her work, spirit, memories and love bring comfort to those who mourn her loss.

Rest in Peace, “A Beautiful Mind’s”, John Nash (age 86) and his wife Alicia Nash (age 82), as they were killed in a taxis accident after retuning home from receiving an award in Norway.  Please always remember to bucket your seatbelt while driving in cabs and Ubers.

Condolences to the family, friends and fans of Anne Meara z”l(she converted to Judaism in 1961).  May her lifetime of work in the field of entertainment and her devotion to her family bring comfort to those who mourn her passing.

Rest in Peace, Ortheia Barnes Kennerly, famed Detroit Jazz Singer who passed away this week. She was beloved by many in our Detroit community and around the country.

Count your blessings and make life count is this week’s mantra.  Monday morning brought the reminder that life is unpredictable as the meaningful messages at Rachel Jacobs z”l funeral resonated with her family and friends in the overflowing chapel.  Her life was cut short but to honor her (and all our deceased loved ones), we should Live our Passions, Love our Peopleand Lift Up our World.

As an American Jew, the two holidays of Memorial Day andShavuot converge on Monday. But how can we converge the meaning and observance of these days.  Memorial Day honors fallen soldiers who fought to keep our country safe and democratic.  Shavuot honors the receipt of our Torah (our laws) which led us to our global Peoplehood only 7 weeks after our bondage from slavery was broken. Those who died while helping to keep us free and the Laws which help guide our lives meld into Monday’s double appreciation holiday observance.

The weapons used by our soldiers to protect us against our enemies should not be the same weapons used to protect our cities from crime.  This week the White House instilled new rules to prevent our local police from purchasing specific military weaponry like, certain armored vehicles, somecamouflage uniforms, firearms and ammunition of .50 caliber or higher, grenade launchers, weaponized aircraft andbayonets…..Really? Who still uses bayonets?  Its a good start but lets also add that list (plus lots more) to the ban for civilians too. Sandy Hook should have been our tipping point, but as of this week, over 85,000 people have died from guns since that tragic day in Newtown.

The “love” triangle between Israelis – Palestinians – The Popehas cupid flipping his lid. Whether Pope Francis referred to Muhammad Abbas as an Angel, a potential Angel or a Messenger of Peace is questionable since the comment was made privately with no documentation. What isn’t in question is the Vatican’s recognition of (Palestinian) Statehood, following in the footsteps of 135 other Nations. But as a (recognized) State, shouldn’t they be obliged to follow rules of Statehood and have UN judgement brought upon them for all indiscretions?  Will they receive the same amount of (unwarranted) condemnations that their neighbor Israel racks up in a year, like this recent accusation that Israel is the worst violator of Human Rights in the World.

Also, The Pope canonized (declared sainthood) two Arab Catholic nuns of the Ottoman Empire bringing glory to the Arab Christians of the Holy Land. Though, persecution of Arab Christians in Today’s Middle East is rampant… except in their safest haven of Israel.

Half the children in our world have nothing to eat while increasing numbers of the other half are gorging themselves on junk food.  Over 30% of American children are overweight (many are obese).  Type 2 Diabetes (obesity related) is increasing among children (which in the past was mainly adult onset). Films and documentaries are bringing light to this serious problem and schools are trying to address it.

Jamie Oliver has a passion for this issue and has been promoting healthy lifestyle for years. Now he’s enlisted many talented friends, including Paul McCartney and Ed Sheeran to help inspire his healthy revolution. Check out this great song and if you are inspired, sign the petition to help create a healthier world.

Speaking of health, you can now pour that 2nd cup of coffee as extensive studies are proving that caffeine, not only, isn’t bad for you but it could have positive effects on your health:

Whether the bans are unconstitutional and the supporting data is false, hasn’t stopped the potential passage of the 20 week abortion ban.  Many Republican candidate and conservative legislators continue to fight a war against Women’s Health. We must be vigilant to help prevent the erosion of our protected rights. We currently have a president who will veto any unjust ban but we need to make sure a veto wielding signator continues to occupy the oval office.

To Illinois for instituting the First Anti-BDS bill that will turn the tables on the movement as all the State Pension will be divested from all companies which boycott Israel. This is a big deal that is hopefully contagious to other states.

To dear friend, Sheldon Cohn (and Gary Wolfson) for their movie, The Pickle Recipe, filming all over Detroit and the metro area right now and bringing glory to our city. Pride is overflowing for Sheldon at what he’s doing for Detroit by bringing his passion to fruition.

To Robert Gates (yes, that Gates who is the former CIA director and Sec. of Defense) on reforming the Boy Scouts in his role as their president by finally ending the ban on Gay leaders.  http://tinyurl.com/BoyScoutsRobertGates

To Los Angeles for adding their city to the short but growing list of municipalities who understand the importance of increasing the minimum wage to $15 (by the year 2020). This includes restaurants which will most likely fight this requirement. http://tinyurl.com/LAMinimumWage

With biker gangs killing each other and refugees floating and hoping on Death Boats and Daesh (the name ISIS doesn’t like) gaining ground in Syria and Iraq, not to mention many other global atrocities, I thought some beautiful poetry was in order to counterbalance life’s ugliness. I found this one (in last week’s NYT Magazine) to be rhythmic and poignant. Enjoy:

Wishing you and your loved ones a

Lisa

Condolences to Stuart Raider and his family on the passing of his beloved father (and hero), Jordan Sheldon Raider z”l. May his spirit, memories and love bring comfort to his wife of 57 years, Rhoda, his children and all who adored him.

Condolences to Howard and Susan Tapper and their family on the passing of Susan’s father, Stanley Harvey Berlin z”l, a WWII vet and member of the Jewish War Veterans. May his family and friends be comforted by his memories and love.

Our local community is distraught as Rachel Jacobs z”l(daughter of Gilda and John Jacobs) was on that doomed Amtrak train headed from DC to NYC. Chaos and tragedy ensued after the speeding train (travelling twice the limit) crashed and killed 8 people in Philadelphia while injuring hundreds of others. Rachel was only 39 and was robbed of many vibrant years ahead to raise her family and continue her passions. Rachel grew up in the very tight knit community of Huntington Woods where the neighborhood is an extended family. Her parents are beloved and highly respected community leaders whose connections are deep and extensive.  Grief is heavy in the hearts and minds of all who know the Jacobs family. Prayers and condolences to all the victims and families of this senseless tragedy.

Rachel and her family

More deadly news occurred again in Nepal this week. After suffering a death toll of over 8,000 people from the last earthquake, another massive 7.3 quake hit the devastated country on Tuesday. Dozens more people have died with the count still rising.  Many people and organizations are working tirelessly to assist the Nepalese, but one dedicated Detroiter, Dr. Richard Keidan, has been connected to Nepal since the early 80s and has put his passion for this remote country at the forefront of his philanthropy. Detroit2Nepal was formed in 2010 and has since raised appreciated support for the people of Nepal. This past weekend, they raised funds through the Over the Edge event that set adventure seeking Detroiters repelling down one of our downtown skyscrapers. http://detroit2nepal.org/

As the weekend to honor Mothers has just past, this might be a good time to lament about our unhealthy U.S. maternity leave policy. Only us and the tiny countries of Suriname and Papua New Guinea (do you even know where those countries are…?) require no maternity paid leave compared to the former Soviet Union region which (financially) pampers their new mothers for a full year. This policy also affects our employment stats. As you can see by this map, Canada is gracious with their new moms which reflects in a higher percentage of women in the workforce…82% vs our 74%. However, if you live in NY, NJ, HI, CA or RI, these states do provide some form of paid leave. The health of our moms and babies would benefit greatly from a bit more mothering.  John Oliver did a segment on his show last weekend that highlighted this issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIhKAQX5izw

Light blue: 26-15 weeks,  Dark blue: 52 weeks or more

Now, some of you might find the next video a bit too progressive for your taste buds but I wholeheartedly agree on these 5 points to help make our country’s workplaces more family friendly.

If  “Women on 20s” got their way, our underground railway matriarch, Ms. Harriet Tubman, would soon be gracing our $20 bills and replacing the punim  of Andrew Jackson. With the tallies counted, Harriet surpassed Eleanor Roosevelt

On a related story, officials are asking Canadians to stop tampering with their $5 bill in memory of

Leonard Nimoy:

I am a firm believer that happiness is derived from appreciating joyous moments in life and from giving your (time, help, money, assistance…) to those in need.

Nataly Kogan, after trailblazing the corporate world, researched the studies of happiness and developed an app ( https://www.happier.com/ ) that can assist us in increasing our happiness levels.  Nataly’s journey (via Russia to Detroit) is spotlighted in this 15 minute Ted Talk and worth the viewing for her inspiration on Happiness.

And for 10 quick and easy tips, try these on for size:

https://www.happier.com/blog/how-to-be-happier-10-ways-to-infuse-every-day-with-joy

Can you match these location (Chicago, South Carolina, Ann Arbor) with their achievement…?

1. Millennials favorite place to live.

2. Home to Obama Library

3. Recipient of every Teacher’s grant requests

The answers:  Ann Arbor is where millennials want to live. Obama chose Chicago and Stephen Colbert funded every SC public teacher’s educational grant request to the tune of $800,000.

Bravo to…

We are proud of our talented banjo playing daughter,

Kudos to Fashion Forward niece,

http://www.dbusiness.com/May-June-2015/2015-Champions-of-the-New-Economy/#.VVJnsflVhBd

Smart Choice as

was chosen #3 Must Read

in honor of World Book Day (May 14).

Ditto on the Smart Choice of Canada and Michigan to name our new bridge after the beloved (by both homes)

Last but definitely not least, Bravo, to dear husband,

for his finalist status of the

Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award:

http://www.ey.com/US/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/MNWO_article_finalists

Wishing you and your loved ones a

Lisa

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom and a meaningful Mother’s Day to the all mothering figures of the world.

Lisa

P.S. Bonus Video:  Check out this humorous punking of Iran’s Foreign minister acknowledging the 1,000th execution his country has performed in just 18 months. “free ice cream to free Iranians”.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVqFLtlbUO4

P.P.S The Senate just passed the Iran Nuclear Bill (98 -1, Tom Cotton voted against it) which gives Congress their “approval rights” to any nuclear deal and prevents sanction lifting for 30 days during the review process. It is pitiful and disgraceful (yet not surprising) that the two hottest topics debated and eliminated from the the final agreement were:
-1. the requirement that Iran accepts Israel’s right to exist
-2. Iran would denounce terrorism

How ironic that those two topics were too egregious since this whole Iran deal is meant to prevent Iran from terrorist acts against Israel (and the region). The Bill is off to the House now.

Though we didn’t travel the seven seas, we did visit 3 countries. Travelling is great, but coming home is truly sweet, though catching up on home life is tough. I’m still digging out and sifting through emails.

Some highlights of my trip included marching with 10,000 Jewish people (mostly high school kids) from the memorial/museum at Auschwitz to Birkenau (the world’s largest Jewish cemetery). The tribute ceremony was meaningful and over the loudspeakers, as we marched, we heard the names of children who were murdered by the nazis.  Here is how it looked and felt:

After the emotional visit to Poland, we drove (with snug seat belts) on the autobahn at about 120 miles per hour while cars were passing us.  It was a high speed thrill (for Hannan, the driver) that won’t be forgotten.  Then we joined the winding roads and beautiful landscape of Northern Italy for the breathtaking views. For those who’ve been, you know, for those who haven’t, please go… While in Venice we witnessed the filming (in St. Marco Square) of Tom Hank in the newest Da Vinci Code movie and had the best meal of our lives in a quaint Italian restaurant in Florence.

But while we were vacationing in splendor, a devastating earthquake occurred in Nepal with a death toll of over 5,500 and growing each day. Signs of hope are still in the air as victims continue to be rescued 6 days after the quake, but as each hour passes, chances of survival dwindles.

And as usual, (tiny) Israel was the first to Nepal with their experienced field hospital set up only 4 days after the quake, treating and saving the lives of thousands of victims. As a side note, while searching the internet for articles about this field hospital, I only found the Jewish press covering the story. Israel continuously jumps to the rescue in all global situations because it is the right thing to do and doesn’t do it for the PR but it sure couldn’t hurt to get the word out to anti-semites that our core Jewish mission is Tikkun Olam (healing the world) which might make them think twice about why they hate us.

The 25 Israeli babies who were born to surrogate mothers in Nepal were airlifted to safety after the earthquake.  Israeli gay men who want children flock overseas to find surrogate mothers. Nepal is the birthplace for these couples. Thankfully, all of the babies were safe during the quake and were quickly united with their Israeli Abbas.  Prayers and condolences to the Nepalese people during this tragic time in their history.

There is no debate that police brutality against young (mostly black) men is a serious issue in this country. It seems that each month there is another incident.  Something needs to be done, but rioting and looting are not the answer. Hopefully someone will figure out how to keep our neighborhoods safe while also protecting the neighbors.

Graduation season is upon us as U of M and Western have their commencements this weekend. Mazel Tov to all of the grads (including our son, Mataan, and our bonus daughter,Shira). Also, our youngest son, Aviv, is graduating from High School. His interest in Detroit is evident in his published Jewish News article this week (pages 48 & 49). We are proud ours and all of this year’s graduates.  May they continue their life’s journey through their next adventure with joy and purpose.

Condolences to our whole Community on the passing of Al Taubman z”l, one of our patriarchal philanthropist.

Also, Jean Nidetch z”l, the founder of Weight Watchers passed away this week. She was instrumental in my family’s life as my mother bought one of the first Weight Watchers franchises from her in 1966.

Our prayers and thoughts are with the Cranis family on the untimely and unexpected death of Scott Cranis z”l (age 51). May his memory and spirit bring comfort to those who knew and loved him.

—————————————————————–

“Walk right in, its around the back, just a half mile from the railroad track…”  Thank you, Arlo Guthrie, for last nights 50th anniversary performance of Alice’s Restaurant. It was a wonderful kick-off to the JCC Music Festival while honoringLinda Lee z”l for her passion and dedication to our community.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom and Happy Cinco de Mayo (next week).

Lisa

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom.  And (yesterday April 23rd) Happy 67th Birthday Israel.  Wishing you many many more peaceful years!

Lisa

Permanent Postscript (till after the election)

The week following Yom HaShoah is Yom Hazikaron (April 22nd) when we remember the fallen Israeli soldiers and terrorist victims.  It is a solemn day with memorials all throughout Israel and the diaspora. But just as the Marchers depart the death camp and then travel directly to Israel and as Yad Vashem ends its tours overlooking the lively rolling hills of Eretz Yisrael, Yom Hazikaron is immediately followed by Yom HaAzmaut, Israel’s joyous day of independence. We never Forget but we also move Forward and rejoice.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom.

Lisa

Permanent Postscript
(till after the election)
Please spread the word to
vote “YES” on Proposal 1 on May 5th
to fund Road Repairs.
It is the right thing to do for our State.

.

On this first night of our 8 day (7 in Israel) holiday of Passover, many of us will be gathering with friends and family to share in the retelling (via our Seder) of the Jewish exodus from Slavery to Freedom. This Seder is one of our traditions that help educate our next generations about our centuries old history which keeps our Religion, Ethnicity, Culture and Peoplehood relevant and alive. We learn from our past to fulfill our obligations to fight current day inequities and atrocities. We employ many unusual rituals during our Seder including placing cups on the table for Elijah and Miriam.  We remember Elijah the Prophet for his heroism and fill his cup with wine to entice his presence during Passover. Miriam the Prophetess’ cup is filled with water to symbolize her guiding force of faith and righteousness which helped secure the needed water during our desert journey. We honor Miriam (sister of Moses and Aaron) as she represents women and sisters of today who dedicate their lives to justice and freedom. Also, check out this cool Passover interpretation by the Technion (MIT of Israel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baQfqoZrEvI

Apparently an agreement has been reached and the details will be finalized by June 30th. Unfortunately, a deal with Iran is like a deal with the devil.  Iran wants sanctions lifted, regional domination, the right to bear (nuclear) arms and the annihilation of neighboring enemies while the US (and friends) wants a partner who is willing to abide by the rules of inspections with limited capacity for nuclear power. Whether the deal increases Iran’s “Breakout Time” (time it will take to produce a weapons worth of Nuclear material) from 3 month to 15 years, the real Breakout Time should be Never! That would be my goal for this deal with the devil.

As the trial continues, there is no doubt of the Boston Bomber’s guilt or his mindset. He seems to show no remorse for his actions. He is a terrorist and should be punished as one. Whether you believe in the Death Penalty or not, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and those with the demented mind that killing innocent children is justifiable, need to be eliminated from all societies.http://tinyurl.com/BostonTrialUpdate

Back in 1993 the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was a National “Act to protect the free exercise of Religion” mainly addressing Native American Religious sites. It was introduced bySenator Chuck Schumer, ratified by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. However the Supreme Court ruled it does not preside over States. So…over 20 States (Indiana being the most recent) have since flipped the RFRA on it’s head and some conservatives are using it to bless discrimination of the LGBT community based on religious aversion to their lifestyle. Or… hypothetically, an Ice Cream Shop owner who practices a religion that is against the wearing of plaid pants could (legally and under this new law) refuse to sell a chocolate cone to a plaid pant wearing customers. Discrimination of a person who is different from you has no place in our society. These laws must be amended to include anti-discrimination clauses.

March Madness’ Final Four has jumped into April Action.  MSU Spartans (my Alma Mater) has reached the Final Four 8 times before and hoping to go all the way this year.  Many Spartans will be on high alert for Saturday’s game against Duke.  Good luck to all the athletes as Luck is all they are eligible to receive for their athletic prowess.  Billions of dollars of corporate marketing is spent on these collegiate games, but not a penny can be compensated by the athletes. Their education is compensation enough but John Oliver makes some interesting observations regarding the athlete’s situation.

Most college athletes who don’t sustain an injury will at least depart campus with an education (if they were able to find time to study between games and practices), but many college students who aren’t on a sports team and who have limited financial means leave campus with a huge $$ debt (averaging $35,000). We need to fix this Hairball of a problem.

April Fools, Tax Day, Earth Day and Boston Marathon are some of the famous days of April but quite frankly, with the simple click of a button, you can submit any national holiday request like these existing recognitions… Fresh Celery Month, Straw Hat Month, Hairball Awareness Day and Hug Your Plumber day.

As a follow up to last week’s topic of allowing Lansing to label Michigan the 30th state to offer “Choose Life” License Plates, here is something you can do to help prevent this improper usage of license plate proceeds.  You can ask Governor Synder to veto the bill if it comes across his desk, just as Allen Wolfe did below. You are welcome to copy and paste to make it easy on yourself. Gov. Synder’s email address is included.  Thanks Allen for your activism on this important issue.

Subject: Michigan License Plate

Dear Governor Snyder,

I just heard that the Michigan Senate has approved a Right to Life licence plate where the proceeds will benefit anti-abortion efforts.  This is bad legislation and bad policy. You have been a voice of reason in the past and I hope you will exercise your veto power if needed to stop this bill from becoming law.

Abortion is legal in this country by interpretation of the Constitution by the Supreme Court of the United States.  Don’t let Michigan look foolish to the world by endorsing an action contrary to the Union of which we are a part.  Michigan government can not and should not be funding a private religious effort to change something guaranteed under the law of the land.

Sincerely,

Allen Wolfe

 

Guns and Gays
Though our Lansing Legislators are on a two week vacation, they did some legislating before they left with several House and Senate Bills.  Two that caught my eye were regarding Guns and Gays.  I assume the Gun Bill will pass and the Gay Bill won’t. Wishing defeat of Bill 225 which hopes to prevent documentation (photos) and database entry of gun buyers and wishing success with Bill 227-229 that hopes to repeal the same-sex marriage ban from 11 years ago.  Here are the bills and if you want to see others in the hopper, check out this article: http://tinyurl.com/MiBillsInHopper

Senate Bill 227-229:

Laws to repeal ban on same-sex marriage, allow for no public disclosure of marriage license, and allow for joint tax filing. Sponsors: Sens. Curtis Hertel Jr., D-East Lansing, David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights, Virgil Smith, D-Detroit.

Trevor and Jon
Shortly after the announcement that Trevor Noah was to replaceJon Stewart, his twitter account was scanned for offensive tweets.  Apparently he insulted Women and Israel. As he’s been tweeting since 2009, that means there are 6 years of tweets to review.  I am reserving judgement on his insulting stance till after he’s been on the air.  The remote control will be his jury.

Trevor Noah to Jon Stewart

Ron and the World
Ron Prosor is one of my heros.  He is a tireless advocate for Israel and his job keeps him busy as the UN Ambassador to the only nation that racks up more condemnations than any other combined. Ron continues his voice of truth to an audience that constantly muffles their ears with the hope that one day, the view of Israel will be filtered of it’s bias anti-semitic impairments.  Here is a quote from his latest speech.

“I am often asked how I can stand the tide of hatred aimed at Israel. Our response to the United Nations’ accusations is to speak tirelessly for those who are denied a voice in most of the Middle East – women, minorities, the L.G.B.T. community – and to fight daily efforts by totalitarian regimes to undermine democratic societies. Based on the fact that Israel is a thriving society, I believe we are winning. Here is the full speech:

Bravo – Ken Burns and Barack Goodman for shedding light on this dreaded disease with their PBS documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies. 

Bravo – Sony Pictures for bringing “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” to the big screen.

Bravo – James Taylor on releasing (June 16th) an album “Before this World” with new songs (has last new album was in 2002).

Here is a very special Passover treat as dear friend, David Broza, found this breathtaking rendition of Eliyahu HaNavi which he recorded with his good friend and mentor the late Tommy Freadman at his home studio.

David plans to perform this song live on April 6th at the City Winery in NYC. Wish we could be there.

This next musical selection was introduced to me via SNL (a few weeks ago).  He is young, cute, British and very talented. I love this guy, hope you do too.  Here’s George Ezra:

Billie Holiday would have been 100 on April 7th.  Here is her classic “All of Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P0hG3sD0-E

Condolences to the Julian Lennon, his family and friends on the passing of his mother (first wife of John Lennon),

Cynthia Lennon at age 75. Julian’s video tribute to his mother is in this website.

Well wishes to Joni Mitchell who was hospitalized this week. Test are being conducted to find out why she was found unconscious in her home on Tuesday.

Now till May 3rd you have the opportunity to crowdfund this folk band (with our banjo playing daughter).  Investments as small as $5 are accepted. Support at your pleasure:

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom and Hag Pesach Sameach (Happy Passover)

Lisa

Soap Box

Those opposing Prop. 1:
-Attorney Gen. Bill Schuette for political reasons to help position himself as extremely conservative for his expected Governor’s campaign.
– American For Prosperity of Michigan (Koch Brother funded organization)