The Scribbler

A lot has been written recently about the elections in the Palestinian areas. The Palestinians have indeed voted democratically and as a result, a terrorist organisation will now be setting the agenda for the Palestinians. There is an argument that states that ‘because Hamas was elected democratically, it therefore has legitimacy and should be respected’. Yesterday was the 73rd anniversary of another democratic election. On January 30th 1933, Adolph Hitler was elected as Chancellor of Germany. Let us not forget that the Nazis too came to power as a result of the vox populi – the peoples’ vote and as a result, democracy in Germany took a nose-dive. Hamas has, is and might always be a terrorist organisation. The fact that they were democratically elected means nothing if their agenda still remains intact. They are a bunch of anti-Semitic, bloodthirsty thugs who use religion as an excuse to slaughter innocent men, women and children. I therefore see no problem whatsoever in the Western co...

I knew it was going to be a tense lesson but I was willing to brave the storm to discover what had happened to my memory stick. I told the class that they had until the end of lunch to either get it back to me or provide me with a credible lead as to who might have taken it. Failing that, I would be writing to their parents that afternoon, informing them that on next Tuesday afternoon, their children would be staying back for a one hour detention. I also told them that if I caught any kid on my computer, I’d block his/her account. Now some of you reading this might think that I’m being quite harsh. After all, why should the class suffer because one of their members happens to be a thief? In truth, my plan is to get them to rat the little shit out and thereby avoid having to pay the inevitable penalty. One kid reacted very badly to the idea of an after-school detention and as a result ended up being sent out of the classroom. The teacher who was on patrol came in, tore up some pieces of...

Some years ago, Leonid Brezhnev wished to commission a portrait to be entitled, "Lenin in Poland," in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of the Russian Revolution. However, Russian painters, being schooled strictly in the realist school, were unable to paint an event which never actually occurred. "Comrade Brezhnev, we would like to do it, but we cannot. It goes against our training," replied each of the many artists approached by Chairman Brezhnev. Finally, in desperation, Brezhnev was forced to ask the old Jewish painter, Levy. "Of course, I prefer to portray actual events, but I'll do the painting for you, Comrade. It would be my great honour." Levy commenced work on the painting. However, every time Brezhnev visited his studio in an attempt to see the work in progress, Levy rebuffed his efforts, telling him that he never allowed his unfinished works to be viewed. Finally, the day of the unveiling arrived. Levy stood proudly by the cloth draped over...

Now this is interesting! You’ve got the Prime Minister of Israel lying in a coma whilst the Palestinians have come to the conclusion that they’d like to be ruled by a bunch of terrorists who get their marching orders from Iran. You will probably be surprised to read that I couldn’t be happier (about the latter, not the former). The thought of the liberal chattering classes in Ramallah spending the evening crying into their lattés, fills me with quite a considerable amount of glee. So here’s the rub: Hamas and the PA are going to have a power-sharing agreement and the Palestinian Authority who pretends to care so much about world opinion will be running things (there’s a joke if ever there was one) in tandem with an organisation whose cheered the attacks on September 11th and whose ultimate goal is turn the world into one humungous Islamic State. If I were Israel right now, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Hamas is going to have to reform if they ever want to be taken seriously by anyone wh...

I’m seething. The kids were obnoxious today, both in and out of the classrooms. After three difficult lessons, I had to cope with my Year 10s who weren’t in much of a mood to study. As I bent down to retrieve my memory stick from my pc, I noticed that it had been taken out – by one of the Year 10 students. I’ve got a plan on how to get it back, not least because I have a strong suspicion about who took it. The said student was milling around my desk whilst I was dealing with other students and even had the cheek to log me out of my own computer (why didn’t I lock the machine?....oh yes, I needed to use it for teaching), log himself him in and start playing around with the interactive teaching software. He was peeved because I found out what he’d been up to (I also had three separate students witnessing his antics) and I reckon he took my USB out of sheer spite. Tomorrow will certainly be an interesting day, in terms of my investigating it’s disappearance. Watch this space.

I've discovered this great site, which allows you to see (and hear) many of the Beatles' music videos in glorious colour, including Paperback Writer, Rain, Penny Lane, Lady Madonna, Revolution, I Am The Walrus and Let It Be. Click here and get some incredible music blaring out of your speakers!

Now that I’ve got broadband (did I tell you…..oh shut up about it already Teach!) and I’ve found sound more webspace, I will start uploading my songs again. AOL with it’s measly 2mb didn’t afford me the opportunity to upload my songs. This is no longer the case, so I will be uploading a different song each week. Today’s offering is called “To My Friends” and it is written from the viewpoint of a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces left alone in some G-dforsaken outpost overnight and wishing his/her friends were there to lighten the dark. To my friends, I dedicate this song to you.To my pals,Who helped me get along.For those times, you helped me wipe away those tears,To my friends,This song is just for you.For those days,You held back all your words,For those nightsOf counsels in the dark.You know I sat,So many nights alone,Without a light,To help me see you.You heard the screams,That broke the chilly air,But yet you held your head up,Sky high.To those friends,The ones who didn't s...

I know, I know. It’s been four whole days since my last posting. Do you forgive me for making you wait so long? I have a good reason but of course you may not judge it to be valid enough to warrant missing four days of what could have been phenomenal blogging, but anyway, let me get to the point. I’ve migrated to broadband (ADSL). From enduring a pretty pathetic connection speed of 56k (I’m almost embarrassed to declare this), I am now getting a whopping 2meg.. Being an IT teacher, I am very aware that I’m probably not getting the speed I’m paying for, however, it’s a damn sight faster than “wot I had” but three days ago. I could bore you with the typical it didn’t connect first time story (it didn’t), but I’ll spare you the agony of reading yet more of my moans. I spent the first few hours glued to the VDU, downloading every addition I could to Google Earth. Genius that I am, I didn’t realise that you have to untick the places you’re not visiting, otherwise, you find yourself running ...

Tonight is the end of an era (sort of) as I bid a fond but not unwelcome farewell to my 56k Dial Up connection. If all goes well, by this time tomorrow, I’ll be able to zoom around the internet at a speed of 2mb (if the blurb is to believed…it will probably be nearer to 56k granted the ever spiralling contention ratio…) and really enjoy the treasures the internet has to offer. I decided to pre-plan the switch by downloading the wondrous Google Earth Application. If you’ve got it, you’ll know exactly where I’m coming from and if you haven’t, do yourself a favour and download it from here – and forget about spending the evening doing the housework ‘cos you’ll be hooked. So, goodbye Dial Up. I think my internet experience is about to get a whole lot more interesting (and Google Earth will run much faster too).

On Tuesday evenings, two friends come over and we sit and learn some fascinating Jewish texts (we’re covering the Rambam’s/Maimonides  Hilchot Bet Habechirah – the laws of the Temple in Jerusalem and it’s totally engrossing). This evening, with one friend in Israel for a few weeks, the other guy came over and brought me a belated birthday present – new strings for my guitar. Not only that, he actually re-strung it for me too and spent the rest the evening treating me to a concert of one beautiful song after another. We sang, we laughed and let the night drift away and before we knew it, we’d been at it for over three hours. His repertoire was truly incredible. I can’t remember the last time I sat with someone and just sang songs – voices and guitar. It was truly magical and reminded me that sometimes, if we let our hearts soar, everything else around us seems so very superfluous.

It’s not often you get the chance to catch not one, not two, but three birds with one stone, but today afforded me such an opportunity. I was on lunch duty in the hall and my brief was to stop any kids taking food out of the dining room into the playground. A Year 7 kid approached me, carrying a slice of pizza on a plate. He asked me to hold onto the plate whilst he went into the playground for a moment. I thought it a bit odd, but duly complied and after a few moments put the said plate onto a neraby piano. My attention was caught for a moment on something else but as I turned around, I saw another kid reach in through the door and take the plate out into the playground. I went out, found the first kid, (managed to get the plate back) and gave him a telling- off, whereupon he told me to “shut up” and ran off. I made chase, plate in hand and followed him back into the school and out through another door into the front playground where I duly dumped the food into the nearest rubbish bin...

I see that the President of Iran has decided to hold a conference on "The Holocaust" . The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) has announced that "There will be a conference that will research the topic of the Holocaust and all its dimensions in the future". Goody. You might be surprised to read that I am totally in favour of such an event taking place. You will see all these so called respectable Arab leaders going off to Iran to discuss the myth of the Holocaust and how right President Ahmadinejad was when he stated last month that "They (i.e. the Jews) have invented a myth that Jews were massacred, and place this above God, religions and the prophets." I hope the conference lasts for at least a week and that there are plenty of photo-opportunities so that every one in the world knows exactly who attended. Then the world's real power-brokers can submit a list of these modern-day Nazis to the U.N (like that's really going to happen...right?) and t...

America’s disastrous foray into Pakistan on Friday left eighteen innocent people dead and one terrorist very much alive. A lot of critics will no doubt make hay of this latest tragedy and use it to attack the United States for her War on Terror. Before we all go jumping on the Yanks, let’s remember that, yes, this was a terrible, terrible tragedy and yes, it should have been avoided. There are no excuses for such a “mistake” to occur. Let’s not forget however, that this is war on terror and unfortunately, as a result, there will always be innocent deaths – the casualties of war. If the US were to stop her campaign as result of this disaster, I can guarantee you that we’d be witnessing many more innocent deaths and I don’t want to be amongst them

Dana is not a great Shul (Synagogue) goer. On Shabbat mornings, I take the three girls whilst she views the restful nature of the Sabbath day quite literally – and spends the morning in bed. Now that Shira is being toilet-trained, the luxury of being able to put her down for a nap has evaporated. Hence our delight when Dana decided to come with us to Shul yesterday. The nicest part was walking as a family into Shul, - the Teacher, flanked by his women. We all sat together in the children’s Service and participated together with the other families. I even managed to take care of the kids some of the time, rather than leaving it (as usual) to Dana. I don’t know when she’ll join us again, but I can honestly say that having her there with us yesterday was a real treat.

A lot of tributes are being written about Shelley Winters who died yesterday. Yes, she was a good actress and everyone’s favourite Jewish grandmother. In my mind though, one particular thing she did really defines the qualities that she possessed. When she received her Best Supporting Actress Award for playing Mrs Van Daan in The Diary Of Anne Frank , she didn’t leave the Oscar as a keepsake on her mantelpiece - instead, she donated it to the Anne Frank Museum. Anyone who has read the Diary of Anne Frank knows how Anne idolised the Hollywood Stars of the 1930’s and ‘40s. Away from the terrible reality of what was going on, she survived by dreaming about those far away shores where people lived as though the war had never started. Can you imagine how Anne would have felt had she known that one day an Oscar would be sitting in one of the rooms of her home? I would surmise that by her act, Shelley Winters realised that the Oscar didn’t mean much in the whole scheme of things. I am also in...

This article piqued my interest. Please have a look and add a comment!

I feel bad about the post I wrote lasting week, finishing Sharon off. I forgot that, notwithstanding the bulldozer’s innate strength, G-d ultimately decides when he wants someone back. May I therefore wish Mr Sharon a speedy recovery. Sometimes, we all need a lesson like this to remind us that we are but mere mortals, who cannot profess to understand the workings of the Almighty. I am suitably humbled.

I am at the end of a difficult and frustrating day. The first period saw me battling with my Year 8’s (no, the other class) and that was before my lesson observation during period 2. I spent three hours preparing for it last night and had really hoped that I would get a better result. The kids were not particularly helpful and they didn’t learn as much as I had envisioned, despite my very best attempts at planning a structured, well though out lesson. A dispiriting lesson with Year 9 didn’t exactly brighten up my day whilst the Year 10’s were all over the place during the final lesson. I guess that sometimes, your best efforts just aren’t good enough.

Today is the fast of the tenth of Tevet, which commemorates the besieging of Jerusalem by the Babylonian king Nebuchanezzer in the year 586 BCE. He later destroyed the Temple. Latterly, it has taken on a new meaning, becoming a day dedicated to (fasting in memory of) the six million Jews who were butchered in the Holocaust. I will of course be fasting, but wonder how I’ll make it through, whilst teaching. Fortunately though, as it’s my easiest day (only two classes), it shouldn’t be too much of struggle…

Our household is now on twelve hour toilet alert. This time span covers the period when Shira is out of nappies. When she comes running with the announcement that she needs to go to the lavatory, we immediately hit our panic stations. Most of the time, her alert either comes too early or too late. Suffice to say that she is ensuring that she leaves her “mark” in every inch of every room, as often as possible. Shira has decided that she’s going to miss out the potty era and go straight to the late toilet stage. I predict that she’ll be dry within a few weeks. What I don’t know is how Dana is going to maintain her sanity during that time – when she will spend more time in the toilet than in any other room of the house. My hat goes off to her, just as long as Shira doesn’t use it as a depository for her “wares”.

General MacArthur’s famous quote “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away” seems to be sadly descriptive of what is currently happening to General Ariel Sharon.   Some lesser mortals might have died quickly as a result of a cardiac problem or suchlike, but ironically, Mr Sharon’s greatest asset - his brain, is being destroyed not from without, but from within. If he is to die, let us pray this comes soon and he is spared any further suffering. A man of his rare ability really shouldn’t leave the world in such a cruel and drawn-out manner.

Granted that I only saw the theatre production on 22nd December, I wasn't sure how I'd react to a filmed version of the very same show. I'm therefore delighted to report that the movie didn't let me down. The jokes run throughout and the scene in the the musical director's house (with all the crew) is truly riotous. The casting is of course impeccable and Matthew Broderick in particular shines during his musical numbers. The dance sequences are magical (especially during the "I want to be a producer" showstopper, which reminds one of Hollywood's golden age) and the general tone is definitely enhanced by the location filming. This is very much a filmed performance, which will no doubt bother some people, but not me. Having seen the show twice in a short time, I think I'm going to take a break from it for a while, but when the DVD comes out, it will definitely find a place in my collection. In terms of how the two films compare, I think that the song...

As of the time of writing, Ariel Sharon finds himself in a critical condition whilst the doctors fight to save his life. Israel Radio Channel Two is playing slow ballads - never a good sign. This man, like him or not, has caused an earthquake throughout the Middle-East. His decision to disengage from Gaza and then from the Likud will cause reverberations that will be felt for many years to come. I’m not sure whether any of those at the top have really thought about what would happen to the country were the Prime Minister to become incapacitated, either through natural or unnatural causes. I damn well hope some plans have been formulated. The Palestinians elections might or might not take place and then no-one knows what will happen if Hamas wins the majority vote. Meanwhile, Iran is making dangerous noises and the Hezbollah is rearing its ugly head in the north of the country. If ever there were a time to get in touch with the Big Guy Upstairs, now is it. Whoever you are, wherever you ...

We had guests over this evening and Dana, still recovering from the flu, managed to cook up a delicious three course meal. It was a great way to finish off the holidays. She really is an outstanding cook (and no, she doesn't know I'm writing this).

I saw this film last week and have deliberately avoided writing a review, to see how I would feel about it, seven days on. I couldn't make up my mind about whether I liked it or not, or indeed, whether it is cracked up to the great movie that everybody's talking about. A week on and I'm sorry, but "The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" is a bit of a disappointment. True, I haven't read the book, so I didn't know what to expect, but then again, I haven't read Harry Potter and I really liked the last two movies. On the positive side, the special effects are fantastic and the talking animals do merit highly on the "wow" quotient. The scenery is stunning and the final battle scene pretty exciting. In fact, the cinematography reminded me quite a bit of Lord of The Rings (not surprising since this was also partly filmed in New Zealand) and therein lies the problem. The said movie reminded me too much of the Rings trilogy a...

It’s interesting to note that now the Jews have left Gaza, the whole strip is falling apart.  Whereas, in the past, the Palestinians were unified in their hatred of the Israelis, that “unity” has disintegrated and predictably, the in-fighting has begun. A few months back, the Palestinians who took over the greenhouses left by the Settlers complained that they couldn’t get anything to grow in the arid soil. Yet, the Settlers had managed to use the very same earth to cultivate countless vegetables and fruit. I guess the blessings of the land left with the Jews. Do I have any sympathy for the Palestinians? No, Not really. However, I do feel that the average man or woman has been hard done by – not least through the totally inept and criminal behaviour of the so-called leadership. Please remember that a large number of Palestinians supported the terrorist bombings when it suited them and were very happy whenever a suicide bomber blew one of my brethren apart. They couldn’t wait to...

I've just installed the SweetIM application on my PC and found an emoticon of a Jewish man praying which I had to share with you!

I’ve made a conscious effort to stay away from all things school related over the last two weeks. I know that come Wednesday, I’ll be right back in the thick of it and I won’t get a chance to breathe until half term, whenever that is. Saying that, I have marked my Year 7 work and still intend to get the Year 10’s folders done relatively soon, but then again, I’ve had other things on my mind over the last two-and-a-half weeks. Today, I can no longer pull the academic wool over my eyes and am  fully aware of the fact that I’d better start planning for the new term as it starts in 48 hours. This will be a bit of strange week, not least because it starts at 10 am on Wednesday morning and ends two days later. My most challenging days are Mondays and Wednesdays and since I’m avoiding the former, the latter hopefully won’t prove to be too much of a struggle. I now have the July sights in my mind. I need to be on top form until then, so that I can pass my induction year and become a “...

I know this is probably really pathetic but here I am, five minutes into the New Year writing a post. Dana's bunged up with the flu, the kids are asleep and I'm still awake (just about). There are fireworks bursting outside and everyone else I know is either getting drunk or certainly having more of a memorable introduction to the New Year than moi. Anyway, I am still getting a modicum of comfort in the belief that I'm not the only one who will be blogging at this very moment. I guess this means we're into 2006. Time for bed, then.