A Rabbi and a Priest.....Were sitting next to each other on an airplane...
After a while, the priest turned to the rabbi and asked,
“Is it still a requirement of your faith that you not eat pork?’
The rabbi responded, “Yes, that is still one of our laws.”
The priest then asked, “Have you ever eaten pork?”
To which the rabbi replied,
“Yes, on one occasion I did succumb to temptation and tasted a ham sandwich.”
The priest nodded in understanding and went on with his reading..
A while later, the rabbi spoke up and asked the priest,
“Father, is it still a requirement of your church that you remain celibate?”
The priest replied, “Yes, that is still very much a part of our faith.”
The rabbi then asked him, “Father, have you ever fallen to the temptations of the flesh?”
The priest replied, “Yes, rabbi, on one occasion I was weak and broke my Faith.”
The rabbi nodded understandingly and remained silent, thinking, for about five Minutes.
Finally, the rabbi said, “Beats the s@#$ out of a ham sandwich, doesn’t it.
A.D.A.: Archdiocese memo stifles priests -- Memo may have chilling effect -- Prosecutor: Archdiocese lawyers stifling witnesses
At least four priests, described by lawyers as "whistle-blowers," have come forward hoping to aid in the prosecution of current and former clergy members accused in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex-abuse scandal.
However, an archdiocesan policy requiring them to notify church lawyers before talking to law enforcement could stifle the testimony they are willing to give, city prosecutors told a judge Wednesday.
"They're muffling us," said Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington, paraphrasing the response he said he had heard from at least one priest. "Priests have told us that this is the same thing the [archdiocese] has done all along."
Those allegations came as Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina continued to hear arguments on the issue raised by prosecutors last week.
After an hour-long hearing, it remained unclear whether Sarmina would order the archdiocese to rescind its policy and inform all employees, as prosecutors had requested. She made no ruling from the bench, and as of Wednesday evening, the case file remained unavailable in the court clerk's office.
The judge has issued a gag order in the case barring attorneys from discussing it with reporters.
Last month, Msgr. Daniel J. Sullivan, the archdiocese's vicar for clergy, issued a memo to lay and clerical employees directing them to notify two attorneys hired by the church before talking to prosecutors - a movchurch lawyer Robert Welsh described Wednesday as a standard control measure by large institutions.
The archdiocese, Welsh noted, has been inundated with requests from criminal and civil attorneys, the media, and other groups since the release of a Philadelphia grand jury report this year that alleged church officials failed to adequately respond to sex-abuse allegations against at least 37 priests.
But that doesn't mean, he said, that church leaders crafted the policy in an attempt to intimidate anyone with information to share.
"We want these people to cooperate because it's in the archdiocese's benefit," he said. "We stand here today eager to bring them in to talk to the D.A. They are going to provide compelling testimony. As evidence of the church's willingness to be transparent, he pointed to the hiring of several former prosecutors to run internal investigations into the sex-abuse scandal. Most prominent among them is Gina Maisto-Smith, who is reviewing allegations against 27 priests suspended this year.
"At this point, the archdiocese has become an alumni association for former assistant district attorneys," he said.
But Welsh's representation of at least four employees whose testimony could hurt the church and its leaders poses a clear conflict of interest, as the archdiocese is paying his legal bills, Blessington maintained.
Whatever Sarmina decides, it could significantly affect the ongoing prosecution of two current priests, a defrocked priest, and a former schoolteacher on charges that they sexually abused young boys in the 1990s.
A fifth defendant, Msgr. William J. Lynn, is accused of child endangerment and conspiracy for allegedly placing two of the priests in positions where they could abuse children despite previous accusations of inappropriate behavior.
As secretary for clergy until 2004, Lynn was tasked with investigating sex-abuse allegations against priests and recommending treatment or new assignments for them.
The archdiocese is paying Lynn's legal bills and stands to gain if he is acquitted, Blessington noted.
Wednesday's hearing came a day after Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian Harris Ransom ruled that Bernard Shero, the former schoolteacher charged in the case, could be tried separately from the other four defendants. Shero is accused of sexually assaulting the same Northeast Philadelphia altar boy that two other defendants, the Rev. Charles Engelhardt and Edward Avery, allegedly abused in the late 1990s.
His attorney argued, though, that the former teacher deserved a separate trial because he is not charged with participating in a broader conspiracy to cover up abuse.
Shero's trial is now set to begin after the prosecution of the four others. Their trial is scheduled for February.
Contact staff writer Jeremy Roebuck at 267-564-5218, jroebuck@phillynews.com, or @inqmontco on Twitter.
READ MORE:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20111221_Whistle-blower_priests_say_policy_thwarts_them.html?mid=55
EVERY SIGNATURE MATTERS - THIS BILL MUST PASS!
CLICK - GOAL - 100,000 NEW SIGNATURES! 75,000 SIGNATURES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED TO GOVERNOR CUOMO!
EFF Urges Court to Block Dragnet Subpoenas Targeting Online Commenters
CLICK! For the full motion to quash: http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/hersh_v_cohen/UOJ-motiontoquashmemo.pdf
19 comments:
Ho, ho, ho "season's greetings" bargain hunters and shoppers all, ho ho ho, Santa is alive and well in Europe, his sleigh bank is loaded up with false loot 'cause 'tis the season to print money and stuff it into the empty socks of every last broke economy. But even this won't work because the banks and bankers have long ago been the grinches that stole it all and will be the scrooges who will keep it all to themselves...so bah...and ho ho ho...
Yahoo.com/Associated Press:
"ECB lends banks $639 billion over 3 years
By DAVID McHUGH | AP
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Struggling banks snapped up euro489 billion ($639 billion) in cheap loans from the European Central Bank on Wednesday, a sign of just how hard or expensive it has become to borrow from each other.
The huge demand for newly available three-year loans comes as fears rise that heavily indebted European governments could default and force banks and other bond holders to take big losses.
The loans to 523 banks surpassed the euro442 billion ($578 billion) in one-year loans extended in June 2009, when the global financial system was reeling from the collapse of the U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers. It was the biggest ECB infusion of credit into the banking system in the 13-year history of the euro.
The ECB wants banks to use the money to help pay off or refinance some euro230 billion ($300 billion) in existing loans early in 2012. Without the special support from the ECB, banks would have had to cut back on loans to businesses and further squeeze the European economy.
While the loans will help stabilize banks and make it easier for them to lend to businesses, they do not attack the root of Europe's financial crisis — heavily indebted governments face unsustainable borrowing costs. Many economists believe that to solve that problem the ECB needs to become the lender of last resort to European governments, buying up their bonds in large quantities in order to lower their borrowing costs. ECB President Mario Draghi has said governments should not depend on a central bank bailout.
Markets initially rose after the amount of the ECB borrowing was announced; it was far higher than the euro300 billion ($392 billion) expected. But the optimism faded as investors weighed the broader problems facing Europe's economy and financial system. The broad Stoxx 50 index of European shares fell 0.5 percent. Indexes in Germany and Italy closed about 1 percent lower. The euro fell nearly 2 cents, to $1.3023 from $1.3198 earlier Wednesday. U.S. stocks traded lower as well.
"The good news is, the ECB's efforts to increase liquidity are working," said Jennifer Lee, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets. "The bad news is, high demand for the loans creates worries that banks are urgently in need of funds to boost liquidity."
There was some speculation that the loans could indirectly help governments. In theory, banks could borrow from the ECB at an interest rate of 1 percent and then use that money to lend at much higher rates to European governments.
But many analysts think it was unlikely that banks would increase their exposure to government bonds, given ongoing fears of a possible default among troubled eurozone nations. Many banks have struggled to cut their holdings of debt from governments in financial trouble."
"ECB lends banks $639 billion over 3 years
"We still believe it is difficult to reconcile a government desire for banks to continue buying debt with the need for banks to reduce risk exposure associated with government debt," said Chris Walker, an analyst at UBS.
Many economists think that the eurozone is heading toward at least a mild recession. Data released Wednesday showed that Italy, the eurozone's third-largest economy, contracted 0.2 percent in the third quarter.
The deeper the economic slowdown is in the eurozone, the more tax revenues may suffer — and the harder it will be for Europe's indebted governments to handle their debt loads.
Italy and Spain have been at the center of investor concerns in recent months as their borrowing costs have risen amid concerns over their debts. Both are considered too big to bail out with the current eurozone bailout funds, which have some euro500 billion ($654 billion) in financing.
A default on debt payments by either could ignite a new financial crisis and send the global economy into a slump.
Some of that European rescue money is already committed to bailouts of smaller Greece, Ireland and Portugal, which needed outside financial help after default fears drove their borrowing costs to unsustainable levels.
Italy alone has some euro1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion) in outstanding debt.
In making the loans, the ECB was playing its role of supplier of liquidity to banks, a typical job for central banks.
ECB president Mario Draghi has stressed the central bank's role in supporting the banking system but has balked at suggestions it should be offering the same level of support for indebted governments themselves by buying up their risky bonds. Draghi says governments must be the ones to reduce their spending and deficits.
The 37-month term of the loans permits the banks to stock up on money for a much longer period and reduces stress on their finances. Draghi has said the extra-long credit period will allow banks to lend for longer periods and not cut credit to businesses.
Alongside efforts to shore up banks, the ECB has also been cutting interest rates to support the ailing eurozone economy. It has reduced its main refinancing rate from 1.5 percent to 1.0 percent over the last two months in the hope that lower borrowing costs will stimulate growth by making credit cheaper.
Under the terms of Wednesday's loans, the banks will pay the average refinancing rate over the three years. The ECB reviews the rate each month and it will almost certainly change. Banks also have the flexibility of repaying the money after a year if their situation improves. Wednesday's offering was the first of two that the ECB has planned.
European officials have said banks need to raise euro115 billion ($150 billion) in new capital in 2012. But finding that money is not an easy task in the current environment of fear. Investors are leery of putting more money into banks and it would be politically unpopular for debt-strapped governments to do it either."
...why, they are off to find off-shore havens and places to hide their money as they drop Americans in favor of China, India, Japan and the Far East, all while the West's economies go broke, up in smoke and belly up...soon no one will have real money to pay for all those tchochkas, gizmos and autos coming out of those havens of cheap and not so cheap labor...so no wonder that:
Breitbart.com:
"World economy at a 'very dangerous juncture': IMF chief
Dec 20, 2011
IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned Tuesday that the world economy is at a "very dangerous juncture," speaking of the potential impact on poorer nations during her first visit to Africa as head of the fund.
The International Monetary Fund managing director spoke of a crisis of confidence with high unemployment and slowing global growth.
"Currently the world economy stands at a very dangerous juncture," Lagarde told a roundtable on Africa's economic future in the Nigerian city of Lagos.
She said the IMF's revised global growth forecast expected in January looked to be lower than the previous one in September, which was four percent, already down from June's outlook.
"And what's more, there are downside risks on the horizon that are really threatening the recovery process that had started" after the 2008-09 global financial crisis, she said.
The IMF has said Europe's worsening economy and financial market turmoil meant it will revise downwards its predictions for global growth contained in its World Economic Outlook report published three months ago.
Early this month, the UN cut its 2012 world growth forecast to 2.6 percent from 3.6 percent, warning that the global economy is "teetering on the brink of a major downturn".
Lagarde said on Monday during meetings with Nigerian officials that the European debt crisis posed a risk for "all economies of the world".
The eurozone debt crisis eased slightly Tuesday with an agreement on extra funds for the IMF, strong data from Germany and a good bond sale in Spain which boosted stocks and the euro.
The IMF also said Tuesday that bailed-out Ireland was on track to complete its budget turnaround after the fund completed a fourth review.
But the broader deal on funds for the IMF -- aimed at allowing the crisis lender to come to the aid of European nations caught up in the debt crisis -- fell short of targets, with Britain again out of line with its EU neighbours.
Lagarde did not comment directly on the new pledges of funds from European nations for the IMF, nor did she respond to a question on Britain's stance on the issue.
She said during the roundtable in Lagos that European leaders "have made some very strong decisions" but added later that "it's going to boil down to implementation".
Lagarde spoke of the impact on trade and finance, among other areas, that could cause trouble across the globe, and called on wealthy nations to enact policies that would send clear positive signals to investors and consumers..."
Too bad that Ben Atlas went completely OTD. That was his way of dealing with the various dissonances that haunt and torment him. Especially stemming from his fall-out with Chabad over a along period of time. But his blog, while often-times expressing eccentric views that often reach to the pinnacles of idealism or to the deepest depths of gloom, doom and depression, reveals yet still and all, his innate brilliance as a social commentator revealing flashes of remarkable brilliance that crystalize tough issues and ideas that he's a master of taking on in his own way but should always be taken with a cautionary grain of salt.
Altho he is too radical in his utter rejection of Torah and Jewish tradition, without really providing any proven practical historical alternatives, this comment is both eye-catching and incredibly insightful, taken from here, talking about:
"What this fight is all about, Leni Riefenstahl? by Ben Atlas on 05.30.2011:
"There is a complete Triumph of the Will – Triumph des Willens, the 1hr 45 min film about the 1934 Nazi congress in the bucolic Nuremberg by Leni Riefenstahl, via YouTube. This film should be required in every school on the face of the earth. It simply shows what’s the fight of the last hundred years is all about. On this Memorial Day we are reminded that they fight and the sacrifice was and is the fight against the post judeo-christian-islamic movements, they all have this in common:
*authoritative, absolutist pyramidal power structure
*cult of personality
*groupthink
*messianic, god given purpose
*ends justify means to reach the messianic purpose
*parades, rallies and speeches
*slogans and endless repetition of movement’s visual symbols
*inspired screaming
*dilution of individuality in a mass
*indoctrination
*always some sort of unification message and the return to the old glory
*evil opponents
Every such movement from the Country of Gulag, its twin in Germany to the present day Al-Qaeda, they all follow this template. So do the minor religious imitators. I can write at length about Leni Riefenstahl’s craft. But the most amazing thing for me is how really indistinguishable are the Nazis from the Stalinist Russia.
Bless the courage of the drafted and undrafted soldiers who carry on the fight."
If this all sounds like today's styles of Charedi and Chasidic "religious leaders" then you get it!
What kind of muffling has been going on?
Twersky, just more hysterics from UOJ. Tze shoyn Kratzmach. They heard Shmarya demand Oorah give poor African-Americans some hats & gloves so they are jumping on the bandwagon & giving out ear mufflers.
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/short_takes/constitutional_crisis_young_israel
In a surprise move, the president & board chairman of the embattled National Council of Young Israel both announced their "resignations" Tuesday, and the organization’s executive vice president, Rabbi Pesach Lerner, received approval to take a 6 month sabbatical.
Some of those actions were quickly denounced as “unconstitutional” by Avi Goldberg, spokesman for a group of Young Israel leaders who have been complaining for more than a year about a lack of transparency in the organization.
National Council president, Steve (Shlomo) Mostofsky, said in a statement he would be "stepping down" at the end of the year to spend more time with his family & to place a renewed focus on his law practice. He has served as president since 2000.
The statement said pursuant to the organization’s constitution, first vice president Eli Dworetsky, a New York CPA whose family has multi-generational involvement with the Young Israel movement, would assume the presidency.
Rabbi Jonah Gewirtz, board chairman for the past 7 years, also announced his immediate "resignation". Sheldon Schreiner, past president of Young Israel of Plainview & the national group’s financial secretary, was appointed to "succeed" Rabbi Gewirtz.
In a statement, Goldberg pointed out that the Council’s constitution “requires elections to be held every 2 years, but none have taken place in 5 years. Mostofsky’s move to appoint successors circumvents governing rules & is yet another example of the board’s disregard for fundamental governance requirements.”
In light of that, Goldberg called upon all 120 Young Israel congregations to place their annual dues in escrow until there are “fair & open elections, the required financial audit is completed” and delegates are again able to vote.
A leader of the organization who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals said he was surprised when the press release referred to Dworetsky’s selection as being in accordance with the group’s constitution.
“You can’t cherry pick when you follow the constitution,” he said. “Once you decide not to hold elections, you throw the whole constitution in the air; you can’t trot it out when it suits your purpose.”
Rabbi Lerner, who asked for a sabbatical after 20 years as executive director, said he wanted to pursue “special projects solely for the betterment of the Jewish community & the State of Israel.”
Neither he, Rabbi Gewirtz or Mostofsky replied to phone calls & e-mails seeking comment.
It was announced that Rabbi Bini Maryles, senior director of branch services, would be given the additional position of associate executive director to handle day-to-day operations in Rabbi Lerner’s absence.
TP Twersky,
Funny you ask when you helped Margo muffle the cries of Kolko's victims coming from the boiler room
So those Young Israel Moderniks finally figured out what we've being doing for years. Appoint figureheads while you call all the shots from the background.
Mendel Epstein does it too at Iggud Haganovim.
UOJ's email was hacked!
At 3:48 am I and three others including a reporter at an Israeli newspaper received an email containing only this link:
http://simply-chic.net/holidays.php?ella158.jpg
I opened it because I thought it would be a cute cartoon.
It was a trojan that altered my computer settings to intranet instead of internet so that the hacker can poke around! There wasn't even a cartoon after all that.
I just wonder if it's a random hacker from China / Russia or someone from an embattled organization who is trying to find out where UOJ is being leaked information from.
Margo's empire is impoding if only because of demographics.
Brooklyn is too urban & real estate is crazy expensive. Most young couples are moving in droves to Lakewood, Monsey, 5 Towns, Passaic-Clifton, Waterbury.
Basically no young non-Chassidish couples are settling in Brooklyn, except for Marine Park.
YTT keeps nixing classes as the student population shrinks.
If Margo jumps off the roof it may end up being the roof of a big empty building.
Hacker email forwarded to UOJ
"Ki Saavir memsheles zadon min haaretz"
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ha ha ha
A UOJ PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!
Dear Merchant:
With the holiday shopping season in full bloom, we want to provide you with some tips to help you avoid fraudulent credit card transactions, all year long.
Fighting fraud is all of our responsibility and a little diligence on your part could save your business hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Don’t be shy about contacting a Risk Representative at DiamondCard International if you are unsure about an order or transaction. We can help you determine if the transaction is legitimate and give you guidance on steps you can take if you are suspicious.
First, a few quick facts:
The U.S. currently accounts for 47% of global credit and debit card fraud even though it generates only 27% of the total volume of purchases.
Payment card fraud losses totaled $3.56 billion last year in the U.S.
If you take cards in-person, make sure your staff is inspecting every card they get for payment. It should have a clear signature and raised card numbers. Don’t be shy about asking for a picture ID. If your payment systems have AVS capabilities, be sure to use them.
If you are keying transactions or receiving them off the internet, you are at even more risk for fraud. Below are some red flags to watch out for in these environments.
Orders that require you to ship product outside of the United States. There are obviously very legitimate orders from overseas but, if your business does not normally receive such orders, or receives any which seem unusual, you should give them extra scrutiny.
Transactions requiring you to "prepay" the shipping costs via Western Union to a specific shipping company being used at your customer’s request. Any suspicious sounding shipping arrangements are a good sign of potential fraud.
Unusually large orders or those containing multiple quantities of the same item. You know your business better than anyone. If a large order seems particularly unusual in any way, trust your instincts and follow-up on it.
Thieves know a stolen card number won’t last long so they typically place large orders while they can.
They are also always looking to maximize their resale value.
Orders from generic e-mail addresses (ie. john@yahoo.com) or calls using TDD (telecommunications device for deaf) to place orders. Many of these orders are legitimate, but they are sometimes indications of a fraudster looking to remain anonymous.
"Rush" or "overnight" shipping requests. Crooks want your goods as soon as possible for the quickest possible resale. The last thing they care about is extra delivery charges.
Transactions with similar account numbers, multiple orders from one account or multiple orders to one address from multiple cards. These are all highly suspicious and are worth your attention.
We want to ensure that you and your associates are able to spot potential fraud and take action quickly in order to prevent fraud and protect your business, but only when it is safe to do so.
Hopefully these suggestions will help you to have the best business holiday period yet.
And while we’re at it, please make sure that you and those close to you have a very nice and enjoyable holiday season.
DiamondCard International is hoping for an even better 2012 for all of us. We look forward to contributing to your success in 2012 and wish you a Happy New Year!
Best,
Your Client Services Team at DiamondCard International Corp.-- processing electronic transactions globally - safely & securely.
www.diamondcard.net
"Pinto is a con - period!"
Anyone noticed the dozen stories this week in NY Times, Post, Daily News, Forward, etc.
There is all kinds of money laundering, misappropriation etc from Pinto's non-profit. $100,000s of jewelry and custom made suits. More in luxury apt rentals.
Shloime Obstfeld from Bobov may have already been rubbed out by Pinto's goons. ABC News anchor Dan Harris was beaten up by them (ABC won't comment if he is pressing charges) And Pinto's own shver, the Chief Rabbi of Argentina said he is scared Pinto might have him killed.
Pinto's inner circle are a bunch of bootleg pornographers who keep getting sued for copyright by the real porno studios on the West Coast.
Maybe the only good news to come out of this is that Rubashkin's scumbag sockpuppet Ron Torrossian is being investigated by the FBI & US Attorney for trying to extort Pinto after they got into a fight.
Wikipedia is telling reporters that attempts to smear Pinto on their website are all originating from 5WPR computers.
Chalk another one up for "5E"
Any digital signature on the hacker's email?
Shmarya will have a fit that UOJ scooped him first
http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/23/matisyahu-kick-attack-woman-face/#.TvaELzWXTw0
Formerly bearded Jewish rapper Matisyahu allegedly booted a female photojournalist in the face at a concert in Brooklyn this week ... all because he felt the flash was "distracting."
It all went down Wednesday night -- when a photog named Rebecca Smyne tweeted, "I was just attacked by mAtisyahu calling cops pressing charges. Wtf! He kicked me in face and broke my camera!!!!!"
A short time later, Smyne went back to Twitter and explained ... "I'm ok; after cops showed, matisyahu's manager, who witnessed the incident, gave me a fat stack of cash to cover damages. Happy hanukkah!"
After the show Matisyahu, posted a tweet to Rebecca ... saying, "sorry about last night.I totally snapped.I wouldn't call it a kick, more like stepping into the crowd."
He continued, "being that you've shot so many shows you should know how distracting a huge flash in your face is."
Rebecca claims she barely used a flash that night -- and calls BS on Matisyahu's "it wasn't a kick" defense ... saying, "He stepped on my face on purpose ... it hurt."
Matisyahu released a statement shortly after the incident -- saying, “I regret what transpired when I tried to remove the camera from the photographer’s hands last night ... I reacted impulsively out of frustration and for that I apologize.”
Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz used to give the following mashal. When a small child draws a person, it is obvious from the start that the circle on top is the face, the line going down is the body, and the lines projecting out are the arms and legs. But when a master artist paints a person, he may start with a stroke of bright red, which to the uninitiated viewer appears to ruin the canvas. Only when the painting is completed, will it be obvious why the stroke of red was needed for contrast. So, too, Hashem is painting a masterful panorama of history. As the painting develops, there are strokes that we see as unnecessary or detrimental. But when the painting is finished, it will be obvious that every stroke was necessary for the perfection of the picture. That is what the Gemara means when it says there is no artist like Hashem (Berachos 10a).
http://www.lohud.com/article/20111220/NEWS03/312200055/Rockland-news-brief?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cs
Former Monsey Fire Commissioner Nathan Rothschild, who pleaded guilty in July for his involvement in a mail fraud scheme against the fire district, is now scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 18.
Rothschild, who also served as president of the East Ramapo School Board, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for his role in trying to get the fire district to enter into a real-estate deal with a creditor in order to pay off a $125,000 personal debt. Prosecutors said the real-estate scheme was initiated some time in the fall of 2009 and lasted until November 2010. Rothschild’s creditor was to buy a parcel of land and then sell it to the fire district for more than the creditor had paid for it. The profit from the sale was to pay off part of Rothschild’s debt. Rothschild’s first sentencing date was Nov. 4, which later changed to Monday. Rothschild also faces a fine of up to $250,000 when he appears before U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Karas next month.
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