I still love this song.
Higher and Higher by Moshav Band
I still love this song.
Higher and Higher by Moshav Band
As seen in Herzlya Pituach Israel…
The sign reads: “No Motorcycle Parking Allowed”
Posters have been slapped up all over town with a rabbinic ruling, signed by five haredi rabbis, forbidding their communities from shopping at the new Osher Ad supermarket. A little background is in order… This new supermarket, Osher Ad, opened three weeks ago to much fanfare in Bet Shemesh. There is a price and turf war raging throughout Israel with supermarket chains gobbling up real estate and new mall space to place their stores in strategic locations. Osher Ad is one of the newer discount chains that has had great success in Ashdod and recently in Maaleh Adumim. They are expanding greatly with their aggressive discount pricing in each new location. The established chains, most notably ShuferSal, has lowered their prices in Bet Shemesh to match and compete with Osher Ad’s rollout. This price war has even made it to the Knesset and trade ministry as the regulator is checking to ensure that there are no monopolistic practices here. Smaller chains, are having a hard time matching these deep discount prices. Likewise, larger discount chains, such as Rami Levy, who is planning to open stores in Bet Shemesh this year, are crying foul. One thing for sure is that the consumer is benefiting greatly during this price war.
Back to the haredim… The event that weighed heavily on this rabbinic ruling.
Three weeks ago, when the Osher Ad store was opened (in the Migdal Hamayim neighborhood, a mixed neighborhood mostly inhabited by Russians and Sephardim, a sign was placed at the entrance requesting all women to dress modestly (as is common practiced in the haredi sections of Bet Shemesh). When non-religious neighbors said that the sign offended them, it was removed. Enter the haredi rabbis and their boycott edict. (Note: Osher Ad is owned by two Gur Hasidim, ultra orthodox hasidim, The rabbis signing this edict represent the Lithuanian ultra-orthodox camp).
I grew up watching the Flintstones reruns. It put a twinkle in my eye when I recently read that Alan Reed, the voice of Fred Flinstone, was a Jew.
Reed, born in 1907 as Edward Bergman, grew up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan in New York City. He learned quickly how to mimic any of the neighboring nationalities. He even landed his first job in show business cast as a typical Italian wise guy. According to an article in Tablet Magazine, Alan pulled much of his Flintstone voice from the mannerisms of his Galitzianer grandfather, and the quarrels he would have with this Litvak father (mixed marriages didn’t go well in those days…).
There was something ephemeral about Fred Flintsone’s voice. It had pathos and empathy but joyful, loyal, and with authority when needed. It’s no wonder the Flintstone’s where the first animated series prime-time television success. With great story-telling, interspersed with spice from current events (Cary Granite…), there was always something to see. It was good family fun, without curses, inuendo, or failed parent-child relationships.
Alan Reed had the perfect voice for his character. The deep baritone was reassuring and comforting, allowing the story to develop naturally.
You can buy the complete seasons of the Flintstones on DVD.
Since 1994 I’ve traveled over 100 transatlantic flights, mostly between the USA and Israel. I am sharing my experiences here about different airlines that travel to and from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
In this article we’ll focus on Continental Airlines who is merging with United Airlines in 2011, with it’s hub in Newark, New Jersey, and US Airways, which flies out of its Philadelphia hub. Both airlines are competent and match evenly on features. Each offers daily flights and adds flights during busy seasons.
Coach Travel Flying Comparison Chart
| Continental / United | US Airways | |
| Aircraft | Boeing 777 | Airbus A330-300 |
| Hub in USA | Newark | Philadelphia |
| Coach Seat Configuration | 3 – 3 – 3 | 2 – 4 – 2 |
| Kosher food rating | B
Dinner, mid flight sandwich, and light breakfast served |
B
Dinner and light breakfast served |
| Coach Seat Features | head rests, electric plug for every two seats | Leather, arm rests lift up, USB power connector at every seat |
| Entertainment | Personal Touch screen, hundreds of movies (over 200), dozens of TV shows, music, and games. | Personal touch screen, dozens of movies, tv shows, games (not free), music on demand |
| Bathrooms / Lavatories | 6 in coach | 4 in coach, no standing area to wait in line, very cramped |
| Galley | drinks, snacks, after meal service | drinks after meal service, snacks in galley. |
| Hub Airport | Newark is a big airport, security lines are long, shopping is decent | Philadelphia is a medium size airport, security lines are shorter, no body scan machine yet as of Jan 2011. |
| Cabin Crew | Plentiful, pleasant, and efficient, Hebrew speaker always on staff. | Nice crew |
| Advantages | Bigger plane, more room to stretch in the cabin on a long flight. Great entertainment system. Good connections with Continental / United to anywhere in USA from Newark. | 2 seats on window vs 3 on Continental, Philly is an easier airport to navigate. Great for avoiding New York. |
| Disadvantages | Newark Airport. 3 seats on window. Tougher to get in and out. Seat pitch is less than on 747. make sure to bring a neck pillow. | Smaller plane, cabin crew takes seats near lavatories, absolutely no room to stretch. You are stuck in your seat the entire flight. |
| Frequent Flyer | One Pass Star Alliance. Easy to book award travel online. Many seats are blocked out, though. Continental has a local office in Tel Aviv. | Offers 25,000 miles if you sign up and take their credit card. Award travel easy to book online generally with similar miles needed as continental (25,000 for domestic round trip). |
| Price | Tends to be as pricey as El Al | Usually less expensive than Continental |
| Overall Score | B+ | B |
Please share with us your experiences.
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