| Author | Message | ||
     sbenois Supporter Username: Sbenois Post Number: 14350 Registered: 10-2001  |
What about a series of Low Earth Orbit Satellites projecting a Eruv using a web of crisscrossed non-lethal lasers? Would that work? Maybe the beams could be encoded with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon so that it is heard at high decibels when one approaches the perimeter. Gotta think big here Anon. | ||
| ess Citizen Username: Ess Post Number: 741 Registered: 11-2001 |
No, but they may sell the Town photographic equipment at a bargain price. Great. Nice way to perpetuate stereotypes. Can this just stop already? | ||
| Valley_girl Citizen Username: Valley_girl Post Number: 88 Registered: 12-2004 |
Speaking of Virgin Mary statues and rainbow flags, is it weird that they'll become part of the extended home decor? | ||
| campbell29 Citizen Username: Campbell29 Post Number: 290 Registered: 4-2002 |
When I first moved here - I was amazed at all the flags that people hung out of their house commemorating absolutely nothing. I thought it was just some weird NJ thing (like not being able to get a beer in a restaurant, or park in front of my house overnight), and, struggling to fit in, I immediately purchased a flagpole and a decorative autumnal flag to display my commumity spirit. In short order, the flagpole collapsed, and my visions of cupcake, pumpkin and flowerbasket flags disappeared; but I still remain intrigued about the whole flag flying phenomenon. | ||
| Carl Thompson Citizen Username: Topcat Post Number: 164 Registered: 4-2003  |
I think you're on to something, Sbenois. Why not create a hologram eruv? Projected from satellites or whatever. Or maybe we only need a couple of really tall cell towers to do the deed. Maybe it could be invisible unless you’re wearing special eyeglasses, like those red and blue jobs with cardboard frames that they use for 3-D movies. That way, those that want to see the eruv could wear the special glasses, and everyone else would be none the wiser.  | ||
| marian Citizen Username: Marian Post Number: 763 Registered: 9-2001 |
Spare me all the philosophy! The post that started this thread by Eliza Jackson (username “Tookiew”) displayed a frightening anti-Semitic tone. Subsequent posts by Fight the Power (username also “Tookiew”) and questions from her/him such as “What kind of people do we want to move here?” have only re-enforced that perception. Someone made this point earlier on and it bears repeating: Substitute ANY other minority group for Orthodox Jews here and people would be livid. Those who are turning this thread into a debate on Jeffersonian democracy are totally missing the point: This string was inspired by hate and should have been shut down. | ||
| J. Crohn Supporter Username: Jcrohn Post Number: 2268 Registered: 3-2003 |
"Those who are turning this thread into a debate on Jeffersonian democracy are totally missing the point: This string was inspired by hate and should have been shut down." Personally, Marian, I'm not missing the point at all. But I would never advocate shutting down a discussion just because some people in it are bigoted ignoramuses who like to think that liberalism, tolerance, and secularism are all equivalent terms. | ||
| J. Crohn Supporter Username: Jcrohn Post Number: 2269 Registered: 3-2003 |
"What about a series of Low Earth Orbit Satellites projecting a Eruv using a web of crisscrossed non-lethal lasers?" Oh, Sbenois. Your highly developed Engineering mindset just can't help overcomplicating things. Obviously, what is needed is a virtual eruv employing a specially purified server, a bunch of laptops, and some, whaddayacall 'em -- wireless routers? You see, the Orthodox just need a Cablevision account and a ruling from the shade of Nachmanides. | ||
| sbenois Supporter Username: Sbenois Post Number: 14353 Registered: 10-2001 |
I am sorry to disappoint you but the idea which you have dreamed up is rather, um, far-fetched. The Orthodox know, perhaps better than anyone, that wireless routers aren't well suited to the type of coverge you're talking about. I mean, you're freaking joking right? I certainly hope that you're not buying into that Wireless-G or Super-G coverage crap. It's just BS sister. 75 feet and it's repeater time. Nope. The only way to make this work is to have wide area coverage beamed down from satellites -with full encryption. Then there is your idiotic laptop idea. Where exactly are you going to plug these things in around the neighborhood? Do you think that Maplewood is going to invest in 110v outlets on every block? No. In Maplewood, where we don't measure taxes increases in terms of lattes no longer ordered, we are careful with our money. But all is not lost. Why don't you take your idea and see if you can adapt it to create a virtual supermarket in South Orange? Oh, I'm sorry, you already have one of those. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10049 Registered: 5-2001 |
The most amusing part of this thread is that many of the same posters who lambasted a guy who was looking for a few good men for a minion are now supporting the same group in their desire to build an eruv. I really have to give up MOL. All that banging my head on the desk has given me one to many concussions. LOL | ||
| susan1014 Supporter Username: Susan1014 Post Number: 1214 Registered: 3-2002 |
BobK, as one of the people you are addressing, let me explain it this way. I fully support minor facilitations that allow the orthodox to live more easily (i.e. carry their kids and house keys on Shabbat) if they choose to live in our towns. However, if individual members of orthodox congregations disrespect my form of Judaism, then I tell those members exactly what I think. I feel that the two positions are morally and philosophically consistent. I believe in tolerance and respect for the private celebration almost any religion that doesn't involve mutilation, sacrifice or holy war, and I expect the same back. But I'm an attack dog if the adherants of other religious traditions start trying to tell me how to live my life, how to conduct my worship, or what my children should learn in school. | ||
| anon Supporter Username: Anon Post Number: 2432 Registered: 6-2002 |
Sbenois and JCrohn: Your e-mails back and forth are reminiscent of letters back and forth between Talmudic Scholars. Were they called "responsa"? Very enlightening! Thomas Jefferson was a man of great learning and vision. He was probably well versed in religious subjects, but I doubt if he could see into the future. If he had been asked: "What is your opinion of government granting permission to create an eruv by marking utility posts?", he might have answered: "What is an eruv?" He almost definitely would have asked: "What is a utility pole?" | ||
| sbenois Supporter Username: Sbenois Post Number: 14357 Registered: 10-2001 |
I am considering retrofitting the famed Sbenois Eye in the Sky with the following new components: 1) The Sbenois Eruv Hollographic Generator 2) The Sbenois/Hubble Crime Prevention Camera Bank which will be trained on DeHart Park, Boyden Avenue and, to appease Marie, every ice cream cone in town 3) A heavy duty particle beam laser cannon to nuke any holiday display that anyone in town finds offensive. I'm not really sure why I didn't think of these things sooner. It's the way to solve every major issue in town. Except for the DeHart astroturf delay of game that the TC is engaging in. | ||
| Dave Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 8228 Registered: 4-1997  |
Don't forget the Sbenois Eruv Emergency Task Force, who, should the eruv fall out of place for a time while people are out of their homes, will show up to help people carry their stuff wherever they are. I was pondering this with Buzzsaw yesterday at Bunny's and we were transfixed pondering whether or not drinking a beer could be construed as carrying something or merely lifting. | ||
| steel Citizen Username: Steel Post Number: 925 Registered: 2-2002 |
Nice post of J.Crohn's ( #2267). Jefferson, much like the bible is often lauded on many sides of opposing issues. Last night on the tube I saw Kasich and an ACLU guy each summoning Jefferson to their opposing views over the issue as to whether the ten commandments should exist in a court house. When placing Thomas on a pedestal I often remember my own personal favorite Jeffersonian quote that illustrates his true complexity: "Hello there Sally, I was wondering if you're free this evening?" | ||
| Fight the power Citizen Username: Tookiew Post Number: 9 Registered: 12-2005 |
Re Steel's last post quoting Jefferson: exactly my point. No more Heming or hawing about it. | ||
| J. Crohn Supporter Username: Jcrohn Post Number: 2271 Registered: 3-2003 |
"In Maplewood, where we don't measure taxes increases in terms of lattes no longer ordered..." OK, you're officially killing me. "...a virtual supermarket in South Orange? Oh, I'm sorry, you already have one of those." It is not virtual! It's very much bricks and mortar. And nothing else. What I'd like is a drive-through supermarket, kinda like the drive-through beer store we had in Dallas. Only, with a drive-through supermarket, if you had more than three or four items to buy, you would order up your groceries in advance online, and then drive through to pick them up. Would solve some of the grocery parking problem, you know. | ||
| Alberto Fernandez Citizen Username: Buckwheat Post Number: 1 Registered: 12-2005 |
OUR INTENTION THIS YEAR WAS TO EXHIBIT DURING CHRISTMAS A NATIVITY SCENE ADJACENT TO THE MENORAH IN MAPLEWOOD WILLAGE. THIS NATIVITY WOULD REPRESENT THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRIST MASS, AND THE HOLIDAY (ROOT: HOLY DAY) THAT WE HOLD AS CORE TO THE CELEBRATION OF THIS SEASON. WE RECEIVED APPROVAL, AND FURTHER LEGAL SUPPORT FORM NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH POSITIVE RESULTS. UNFORTUNATELY, TIMING ISSUES MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ARRANGE FOR ALL THIS CHRISTMAS, HOWEVER NEXT YEAR (2006) REST ASSURED WE WILL BE EXHIBITING THIS NATIVITY SCENE AS PLANNED. THOSE WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE AND COORDINATE ARE INVITED TO CONTACT US. OUR HOPE IS THAT ALL HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS, A HAPPY HONUKKAH, AND CELEBRATE IN GOOD SPIRIT AND HEALTH NO MATTER WHAT YOUR FAITH (OR LACK THEREOF)} MIGHT BE. | ||
| susan1014 Supporter Username: Susan1014 Post Number: 1215 Registered: 3-2002 |
J. Crohn, just use Peapod! I've already placed an order for New Year's Eve delivery, with the things we need to take to that night's party, as well as the school lunch food for the next week...beats drive through any day. (pardon the thead drift, but I couldn't resist...preordering the groceries was such a treat!) | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10051 Registered: 5-2001 |
Susan, using your logic all Christians should support Michael and the TMC suit simply because they are Christians under threat. For all their shucking and jiving Sbenois and J Chron bring up a major point. Placing an eruv around the Township is a major undertaking, not cheap and it has to be maintained. I doubt that PSE&G is going to require that it be installed by a qualified electrical contractor and it has to be inspected, and repaired if necessary, every Friday before sundown. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 11560 Registered: 1-2003  |
I don't follow, bobk. How is not having an eruv a threat to Jews? And didn't we ascertain that the town would not bear cost of the eruv? | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10053 Registered: 5-2001 |
Tom, I ain't following you all that well, but if the eruv is broken the activities allowed by the eruv aren't allowed. Google eruv and look at the site of the Greater Boston Eruv Committee and how they handle notifications. Also, the pain medicine is kicking in and the last sentence of my post should have indicated that PSE&G will require professional installation of the eruv. This isn't something that can be done by a few volunteers with step ladders. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 11563 Registered: 1-2003 |
Even if they need professional installers, I doubt it will cost the town much or anything. I see a lot of people bending over backwards to find reasons to object. Are you one of them? | ||
| Stuart0628 Citizen Username: Stuart0628 Post Number: 191 Registered: 2-2003 |
Whatever mode of installation is necessary, private funds will be used. This has been done in other municipalities; nobody is reinventing the wheel here. (And re the lawsuit: There are plenty of Jews who have come up with Hideously Bad Ideas before, but criticizing their Hideously Bad Ideas does not constitute a threat. Saying that Lieberman is more wrong than right on Iraq, or that Robert Moses' vision of regional urban plannning was a mistake, does not make me an Anti-Semite, for example. Same should go for any group.) | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10055 Registered: 5-2001 |
My views on most subjects related to religion are pretty much, "the more the merrier". There are, according to the Star Ledger article about 60 Orhodox people in Maplewood. Ken's requiring that the eruv cover the whole town and my speculation that PSE&G will require professional installation will put quite a burden on them to complete the project. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 11568 Registered: 1-2003 |
Oh, so you're concerned about the personal budgets of 60 Orthodox Jews? | ||
| Lizziecat Citizen Username: Lizziecat Post Number: 995 Registered: 5-2003 |
I wish that Tookview would go and spew her bigoted venom someplace else. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10057 Registered: 5-2001 |
Hope that isn't a sterotype. Yah know, how rich the Jews are.  I think my point is that the eruv may not be built unless outside funds are obtained. | ||
| susan1014 Supporter Username: Susan1014 Post Number: 1217 Registered: 3-2002 |
BobK, I believe the people requesting permission have said that it costs about $20,000, and that it will be paid for privately. You do seem to be stretching to come up with additional reasons to object. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10059 Registered: 5-2001 |
Susan, I don't object, just curious. Was the $20k to cover all borders of town. I think that is somewhere between eight and ten miles since Maplewood is +/- two square miles. | ||
| sbenois Supporter Username: Sbenois Post Number: 14359 Registered: 10-2001 |
It's to cover the whole town Bobk, even Sbenois Lake. | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10060 Registered: 5-2001 |
I am still POed about the lake. When you, illegally without the TC's permission damed the river you flooded out our house!!! | ||
| sbenois Supporter Username: Sbenois Post Number: 14360 Registered: 10-2001 |
It wasn't an accident Bobk. Didn't you notice the snorkel I left in your mailbox? | ||
| sbenois Supporter Username: Sbenois Post Number: 14361 Registered: 10-2001 |
Now back to the Jews. | ||
| wendy Supporter Username: Wendy Post Number: 1906 Registered: 5-2001 |
It always comes back to the Jews. Even Tom Lehrer knew that as evidenced by "National Brotherhood Week": One week of every year is designated National Brotherhood Week. This is just one of many such weeks honoring various worthy causes. One of my favorites is National Make-fun-of-the-handicapped Week which Frank Fontaine and Jerry Lewis are in charge of as you know. During National Brotherhood Week various special events are arranged to drive home the message of brotherhood. This year, for example, on the first day of the week Malcolm X was killed which gives you an idea of how effective the whole thing is. I'm sure we all agree that we ought to love one another and I know there are people in the world that do not love their fellow human beings and I hate people like that. Here's a song about National Brotherhood Week. Oh, the white folks hate the black folks, And the black folks hate the white folks. To hate all but the right folks Is an old established rule. But during National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week, Lena Horne and Sheriff Clarke are dancing cheek to cheek. It's fun to eulogize The people you despise, As long as you don't let 'em in your school. Oh, the poor folks hate the rich folks, And the rich folks hate the poor folks. All of my folks hate all of your folks, It's American as apple pie. But during National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week, New Yorkers love the Puerto Ricans 'cause it's very chic. Step up and shake the hand Of someone you can't stand. You can tolerate him if you try. Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics, And the Catholics hate the Protestants, And the Hindus hate the Moslems, And everybody hates the Jews. (emphasis added by an overly sensitive Jew, of course) But during National Brotherhood Week, National Brotherhood Week, It's National Everyone-smile-at-one-another-hood Week. Be nice to people who Are inferior to you. It's only for a week, so have no fear. Be grateful that it doesn't last all year! | ||
| Joan Supporter Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 6821 Registered: 5-2001 |
Bobk: An eruv need be nothing more than a long piece of string which denotes the boundaries of the area in which orthodox Jews may carry things during Shabbat. This hardly requires much in the way of professional installation or maintenance. Permission to use the existing utility poles is needed to provide something to attach the string to. Putting up an eruv isn't very different from stringing telephone wire. The telephone wire is very helpful if you have a land based system but hardly serves as an impediment to those who use cellular phones exclusively or have sworn off telephone use all together. | ||
| Jonathan Teixeira Citizen Username: Jhntxr Post Number: 327 Registered: 10-2005 |
Joan , do you know how high up the pole this string is placed ? Because I can just see people cutting this quite readily . It's amazing the amount of ' integration ' that's preached on MOL , yet we have all this segration .!!! | ||
| crabby Citizen Username: Crabbyappleton Post Number: 401 Registered: 1-2004 |
You want segregation? Let's start discussing playing Christmas carols in the schools! | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 10061 Registered: 5-2001 |
Joan, ever deal with a public utility such as PSE&G other than to buy gas and electric? I have. First, the telephone company and the cable company pay for the privledge of using the poles. Then there are the insurance requirements, with high limits and certificates with additional insured wording. Then there are the standards as far as where the wires can be placed, their material and insulation. Need I go on? Stringing eight or so miles of eruv wire isn't something a couple of guys with an extension ladder can do over the weekend. | ||
| Joan Supporter Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 6822 Registered: 5-2001 |
Jonathan: I think far too many strings have been cut on this thread already. Don't you? |
