Defriending electonically on Facebook

New York Times

ENDING a friendship takes many forms: an ugly confrontation, a polite “I don’t think this is working out,” or just the fade-out with not returning phone calls or responding to e-mail.

Or it can be a simple click on your Facebook page.

As many know, it’s called “defriending,” a term that the New Oxford American Dictionary formally acknowledged this summer. But can technology mitigate the complicated emotions that are associated with a failed friendship? Maybe not.

What is a Jewish State?

New York Times

The more stridently Israel insists on Palestinian recognition of it as the nation-state of the Jewish people, the more adamantly the Palestinian leadership seems to refuse.

As a result, some senior Israeli officials are beginning to question the wisdom of the policy of their prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made recognition of the legitimacy of the Jewish nation-state a prerequisite for any final agreement with the Palestinians.

More recently, Mr. Netanyahu offered it as a quid pro quo for a temporary extension of a moratorium on building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Nascent Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have stalled since the moratorium expired last month.

Abuse Book - Sending it to Amazon by Wednesday for printing

There are more twists and dead ends in this journey then in the 5 other books I have published. I decided not to produce an ebook. I discovered that removing copy protection from an ebook is very simple and that there are hundreds of sites on the internet that describe the process.

While I am aware of the issue of DRM and music - I think this would be different because of the subject of the book. I am concerned that it would become viral amongst those who are more concerned with the problem then finding a constructive solution.

Therefore I am left with the path of publishing on demand. I am just finishing editing the last essay which I got yesterday. Then some basic formatting and just need to approve a prototype and that's it. The cover took another reitieration. Hopefully this is the final version. I will be publishing it in two volumes - the essays and the halachic sources in Hebrew and English.

R' Avi Shafran on Mendelsoh, Science & Slikin Affair

On the Main Line


http://onthemainline.blogspot.com/2010/10/interview-with-rabbi-avi-shafran-about.html

Here's a guest post consisting of a very interesting interview with Rabbi Avi Shafran conducted by Baruch Pelta. Below is the interview transcript. I will post another post shortly which will give some of the background info regarding the Mendelssohn article published in the Jewish Observer nearly 25 years ago, which may or may not be known to readers - but see this post for some of that background, as well as links to the relevant articles.[...]

Yisroel Meir Bricksman

Kikar HaShabbat

סיפור גירושי בריסקמן-שכטר מסתבך: עסקנים הפועלים בארה"ב בענייני עגונות, שהצליחו בשבוע האחרון להוציא גט מישראל בריסקמן, נעצרו באשמת חטיפה והכאה.


מדובר בבני זוג מוכרים מליקווד - ר´ דוד ווקס ואשתו. כזכור, בתחילת השבוע חשף "כיכר השבת" כי סיפור העיגון בפרשת בריסקמן-שכטר הסתיים, והאשה קיבלה את גטה בארה"ב בעקבות מעורבותם של חברי "מאפיה" מקומיים.


כעת אנו מביאים, לראשונה, את פרטי הסיפור המלא
....

Audiotape of the Chicago JBAC Event this past Sunday

Chicago
<https://rcpt.yousendit.com/971584683/afb51dc42f80a3d027e762f08e8c27ec>
JBAC.WMA
Size: 95.32 MB Content will be available for download until October 26,
2010 20:44 PDT.
Download
<https://rcpt.yousendit.com/971584683/afb51dc42f80a3d027e762f08e8c27ec>

If the above link does not work, you can paste the following address into
your browser:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/971584683/afb51dc42f80a3d027e762f08e8c27ec

Yisroel Bryskman assaulted in Lakewood

APP.COM

LAKEWOOD — A local couple were arrested after police say they kidnapped a man and beat him before dropping him off in New York. David Wax, 48, and Judy Wax, 46, both of Somerset Avenue, here, were charged with kidnapping. David Wax was also charged with criminal restraint, luring, aggravated assault, theft and robbery, and Judy Wax was charged with conspiracy.

Sometime after 9 p.m. Saturday, David and Judy Wax handcuffed Yisrael Bryskman, 36, and moved him into a room at their home on Somerset Avenue before beating him and ordering him to call his family and demand money, according to Lt. William Addison.

Bryskman, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was staying in Lakewood, and was seeking employment with the Waxes when they assaulted him, said Addison. [...]