Question:

Used to be an Accountant about 10 years ago. Then I switched to Computer Programming. Now I want an Accounting package to manage my new venture: Health Care outsourcing. Should be easy to use, cover all the bases and intuitive. Strong integrated payroll for about 50 nurses & LPNs is a must. Please let me hear from you! since I’ve been disconnected for a few years. Please HELP!

Response:

Cougar Mountain has some very good low priced products.  Under $5000 in many cases. Bill Couture

Response:

Depending on your needs Lacerte’s Easy Accounting could also do and it costs about $1,000.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Cougar Mountain has some very good low priced products.  Under $5000 in many cases. Bill Couture

Response:

How about something under $300?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Cougar Mountain has some very good low priced products.  Under $5000 in many cases. Bill Couture

Response:

for under $300 you’re not going to get much support!  –  quickbooks , peachtree, MYOB, etc. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How about something under $300? Cougar Mountain has some very good low priced products.  Under $5000 in many cases. Bill Couture

Response:

$300 puts you in Quickbooks (barely), Peachtree or Simply Accounting … – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How about something under $300? Cougar Mountain has some very good low priced products.  Under $5000 in many cases. Bill Couture

– Affordable Support Services .. No waiting for help. 660-949-2416 Northeastern Missouri

Response:

How about something under $300?

You’re talking of 50+ employees yet too penny-pinching to consider $300 a major startup cost?  Methinks you’re in deep trouble here…how about a 3-ring binder and ledger from WallyWorld? More seriously, I’d strongly recommend you look <very carefully at the support/pricing/upgrade policies of Intuit prior to committing to the QB route.  I can’t speak of the others, but my experience w/Intuit is enough that I’ll never go that route again.

Response:

for under $300 you’re not going to get much support!  –  quickbooks , peachtree, MYOB, etc.

I would go with Quick books and avoid MYOB at all cost.  With the new version (version 13) MYOB is going to require activation of their data files every eight months.   The concern is whether they will activate the older version when the time comes and whether MYOB will even be around to acitivate several years down the road.   Think they will be around years down the road? Just ask the people in Canada. I use Version 12 of MYOB, will not upgrade to version 13.  I don’t trust that MYOB will be around in several years.   I buy my software legally and I resent companies like MYOB treating me like a criminal.   In the past years i’ve purchased the new version every year and gotten the support plan.   Now i’m skipping the upgrade.  I question whether the support plan is worth it.  I’ve had to use it several times and MYOB was of no help.  So why bother with the support plan?

Response:

With one fellow suggesting to avoid QuickBooks and another to avoid MYOB, what are my choices now?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – $300 puts you in Quickbooks (barely), Peachtree or Simply Accounting … How about something under $300? Cougar Mountain has some very good low priced products.  Under $5000 in many cases. Bill Couture — Affordable Support Services .. No waiting for help. 660-949-2416 Northeastern Missouri

Response:

With one fellow suggesting to avoid QuickBooks and another to avoid MYOB, what are my choices now?

the point is to make sure the accounting software is right for you – one website says : SHOPPING FOR ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE is difficult. The software must be just the right size, it shouldn

Question:

Simplistic analysis on Steve Waugh Disappointed to see you take the simplistic way out in the Steve Waugh argument. You say Allan Border wants to punt Waugh before he breaks his record of 156 Test matches but this is not an issue. Border remains Waugh’s biggest supporter on the selection panel and he’s not the type to jealously guard records. Me again, exercising my oblique way of thought Crikey Again; Waugh will be sacked regardless of his performances in Melbourne and Sydney. He no longer commands his spot in the team on any facet. He is the worst specialist batsman, is the worst infielder and he can’t bowl for prolonged periods (i.e. weeks) without breaking down. That’s why he hasn’t taken a Test wicket in four years. His captaincy is no longer an issue because the team runs on auto pilot. McGrath and Warne have played 76 Tests together for 730 combined wickets. The Prime Miniature could captain this team with those blokes running amok, not accounting for the likes of Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting. Steve Waugh deserves to go because Australian cricket is now better without him. Sole Subscriber http://www.crikey.com.au/yoursay/2003/01/06/20030106yoursayjan7.html

Response:

Um… something happened to the previous post, like me putting my intro into the middle of the text this is how it is supposed to go: Me again, exercising my oblique way of thought Crikey Again; – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Simplistic analysis on Steve Waugh Disappointed to see you take the simplistic way out in the Steve Waugh argument. You say Allan Border wants to punt Waugh before he breaks his record of 156 Test matches but this is not an issue. Border remains Waugh’s biggest supporter on the selection panel and he’s not the type to jealously guard records. Waugh will be sacked regardless of his performances in Melbourne and Sydney. He no longer commands his spot in the team on any facet. He is the worst specialist batsman, is the worst infielder and he can’t bowl for prolonged periods (i.e. weeks) without breaking down. That’s why he hasn’t taken a Test wicket in four years. His captaincy is no longer an issue because the team runs on auto pilot. McGrath and Warne have played 76 Tests together for 730 combined wickets. The Prime Miniature could captain this team with those blokes running amok, not accounting for the likes of Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting. Steve Waugh deserves to go because Australian cricket is now better without him. Sole Subscriber http://www.crikey.com.au/yoursay/2003/01/06/20030106yoursayjan7.html

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Simplistic analysis on Steve Waugh Disappointed to see you take the simplistic way out in the Steve Waugh argument. You say Allan Border wants to punt Waugh before he breaks his record of 156 Test matches but this is not an issue. Border remains Waugh’s biggest supporter on the selection panel and he’s not the type to jealously guard records. Me again, exercising my oblique way of thought Crikey Again; Waugh will be sacked regardless of his performances in Melbourne and Sydney. He no longer commands his spot in the team on any facet. He is the worst specialist batsman, is the worst infielder and he can’t bowl for prolonged periods (i.e. weeks) without breaking down. That’s why he hasn’t taken a Test wicket in four years. His captaincy is no longer an issue because the team runs on auto pilot. McGrath and Warne have played 76 Tests together for 730 combined wickets. The Prime Miniature could captain this team with those blokes running amok, not accounting for the likes of Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting. Steve Waugh deserves to go because Australian cricket is now better without him. Sole Subscriber http://www.crikey.com.au/yoursay/2003/01/06/20030106yoursayjan7.html

I’m afraid I don’t follow.

Response:

I’m afraid I don’t follow.

I ballsed up the first post somehow, as explained in the reply to self post…that is why it doesn’t read so good… The Crikey article is supposed to be a satirical view of SW…(Crikey is my new found friend) And the Subject heading is a John Lennon song that I thought might fit the occasion…

Response:

Question:

If no announcements are allowed on this site, please excuse this post. I could not find the moderators email address.

There is no moderator. I took a quick look at your site – interesting.  I’ll take a longer look sometime after April 15. — Jim Hudspeth, CPA – http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html – Washington, USA Associate Member, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Response:

I am the content director of a web site called CPAdirectory.com is a nationwide database of 450,000 Certified Public Accountants and CPA firms searchable by criteria including name, location and industry focus.  Taxpayer, small business and investing information is available for the public and the professional as well as job posting and career information within the accounting profession and firms. All CPAs in the country are entitled to a free listing.  If you have any suggestions on this site, please contact me. CPAs visit the members only site http://www.cpadirect.net. Trudy Maffetone Director of Content http://www.cpadirectory.com If no announcements are allowed on this site, please excuse this post. I could not find the moderators email address. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!

Response:

Question:

identify your gender, please. i just figured out it was inappropriate for me to have a crush on Black Cloud cause she’s a she. bear?  you’re still a he, right? %?  male? glennT is male, thank god.  i’m appropriate there.

I am so much a male, denise, that it scares the fuck out of me sometimes. It scares me when I look at a woman and feel everything crumble into sexual desire… there are so many reasons why. But yeah… you’re appropriate… and while i have a crush on Mary Beth, that’s appropriate and totally ok. there’s nothing immoral about loving Mary Beth. no matter WHAT that New York court said… denise

going off for a cold shower… — "I do not know" – GlennT Learning to let go… http://people.A2000.nl/gthomas/GlennHome.htm

Response:

and while i have a crush on Mary Beth, that’s appropriate and totally ok.   there’s nothing immoral about loving Mary Beth. no matter WHAT that New York court said…

Don’t even get me started on New York and some of their laws, especially some of their new ones…ARGH. I LOVE YOU TOO, and I think that it is completely appropriate. Mary Beth DON’T VOTE FOR PATAKI, he may be running for vice president (for you oldies, he was the one I was freaking out over when I was in the psych ward…he discriminates against the mentally ill )

Response:

What??  No crush on Dogbert?  Sheesh.  There’s no accounting for taste. Dan

I was wondering why Siddhartha Vicious would be left out. Hmph! Ya don’t know what you’re missing. 8^P James "Vision is both revelation and revolution. It is the call AND the response." — James Benjamin (2000) http://www.geocities.com/the_bokononist/

Response:

I am so much a male, denise, that it scares the fuck out of me sometimes. It scares me when I look at a woman and feel everything crumble into sexual desire… there are so many reasons why. But yeah… you’re appropriate… going off for a cold shower..

Is it appropriate to ask if we can watch?

Response:

I am so much a male, denise, that it scares the fuck out of me sometimes. It scares me when I look at a woman and feel everything crumble into sexual desire… there are so many reasons why. But yeah… you’re appropriate… going off for a cold shower.. Is it appropriate to ask if we can watch?

Mary Beth you can watch anything that gives you pleasure… I just don’t imagine that would be me under a cold shower… even *I* can’t imagine that. — "I do not know" – GlennT Learning to let go… http://people.A2000.nl/gthomas/GlennHome.htm

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am so much a male, denise, that it scares the fuck out of me sometimes. Nah!…you’re a bundle of cuddly flumphyness, a snugglywuggly little rough tough cream puff with rosy cheeks a cheeky grin and limpid pool eyes that ooze gorgeousness. It scares me when I look at a woman and feel everything crumble into sexual desire… there are so many reasons why. That’s because you’re a concupiscent kinkymonger, a studmuffin with a large bore Chevy engine where a groin should be, that and a pervert. Gruff manly type hugs. Michael

Michael Doubtfire I imagine… Equally gruffly manly type licking of your earlobe. — "I do not know" – GlennT Learning to let go… http://people.A2000.nl/gthomas/GlennHome.htm

Response:

going off for a cold shower..

<<Is it appropriate to ask if we can watch? IMO no it’s not.

Response:

****** Yup. Hi denise. —                     _    bear         _.-’ )                (_ . ‘ __                 ___^/` _)                (__.                            ’–.                    /_ /`-._/                   (__/

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – identify your gender, please. i just figured out it was inappropriate for me to have a crush on Black Cloud cause she’s a she. bear?  you’re still a he, right? %?  male? glennT is male, thank god.  i’m appropriate there. and while i have a crush on Mary Beth, that’s appropriate and totally ok. there’s nothing immoral about loving Mary Beth. no matter WHAT that New York court said… denise

all female here… least.. the last time I checked…. and that HAS been awhile!!! Julia — Mis …If a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear…                                 – Bruce Cockburn

Response:

bear?  you’re still a he, right? Oh.. I always thought Bear was femme..

***** Sheesh!  At least you could have said "female".  :o) Hi Adri! —                     _    bear         _.-’ ) <– writes under a "femme de plume".                (_ . ‘ __                 ___^/` _)                (__.                            ’–.                    /_ /`-._/                   (__/

Response:

bear?  you’re still a he, right?

Oh.. I always thought Bear was femme..

Response:

Hmmm.  How about "Testosterone Thundercock?"  Or "Jake Deltoid?" Dan — De profundus clamo nolte domine

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i have LOTS of taste, excuse me! but "dogbert" doesn’t incite my lust. work on that. denise bear?  you’re still a he, right? %?  male? glennT is male, thank god.  i’m appropriate there. and while i have a crush on Mary Beth, that’s appropriate and totally ok. What??  No crush on Dogbert?  Sheesh.  There’s no accounting for taste. Dan

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – bear wrote Furry? Housebroken? Omnivorous?  Oh yeh, female? No. omg.. I feel so stupid now.. for as long as I’ve known you, I thought you were female.. Sorry    bear         _.-’ ) <- can’t you see the moustache? ) Hehe Hugs, Adri

***** Don’t feel bad, when I was a "newbie" here I thought Bev Thornton was a woman.  :o) *bear hugs* —                     _    bear         _.-’ )                (_ . ‘ __                 ___^/` _)                (__.                            ’–.                    /_ /`-._/                   (__/

Response:

bear wrote Furry? Housebroken? Omnivorous?  Oh yeh, female? No.

omg.. I feel so stupid now.. for as long as I’ve known you, I thought you were female.. Sorry    bear         _.-’ ) <- can’t you see the moustache? )

Hehe Hugs, Adri

Response:

Sheesh!  At least you could have said "female".  :o)

) But now I’m confused.. are you or aren’t you?

Response:

Sheesh!  At least you could have said "female".  :o) ) But now I’m confused.. are you or aren’t you?

***** Furry? Housebroken? Omnivorous?  Oh yeh, female? No.  –                     _    bear         _.-’ ) <- can’t you see the moustache? )                (_ . ‘ __                 ___^/` _)                (__.                            ’–.                    /_ /`-._/                   (__/

Response:

Well I think you should think things over in your mind. God bless you! Sincerely, Beverly Kindle Walker

Response:

Pie is female

Response:

identify your gender, please.

Yes. Leland — Leland E. Vandervort                       | Directeur, Operations http://www2.discpro.org/                   | http://www.multimania.fr/ CCNA, CCDA                                 |   +33 (0)1 53 35 02 55

Response:

Don’t feel bad, when I was a "newbie" here I thought Bev Thornton was a woman.  :o)

Me, too

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – identify your gender, please. i just figured out it was inappropriate for me to have a crush on Black Cloud cause she’s a she. bear?  you’re still a he, right? %?  male? glennT is male, thank god.  i’m appropriate there. and while i have a crush on Mary Beth, that’s appropriate and totally ok. there’s nothing immoral about loving Mary Beth. no matter WHAT that New York court said… denise all female here… least.. the last time I checked…. and that HAS been awhile!!! Julia

"Ok everybody get out your mirrors.." – Fried Green Tomatoes

Response:

Question:

Can someone tell me how to create an income statement for this version of Peachtree that includes month-to-date, quarter-to-date and year-to-date numbers.  Is it possible – I’ve tried several ways to do this without any success. Thanks in advance. Pat

Response:

Can someone tell me how to create an income statement for this version of Peachtree that includes month-to-date, quarter-to-date and year-to-date numbers.  Is it possible – I’ve tried several ways to do this without any success. Thanks in advance. Pat

From the file menu, REPORTS Then FINANCIAL STATEMENTS      INCOME STATEMENT      (run it) Then DESIGN      RightClick COLUMNS chhooseProperties) In the column definition contents you can choose current activity. Then you can set it to month-1 or -2, etc. (last month or any historical month)   You can set the column definition contents to add other columns. You can apply filters such as departent masks.   In all, it is a very flexible reportwriter, you’ll like it. BUT you have to read the helpfile and take advantage of it. Todd Boyle CPA kirkland wa

Response:

Question:

LOL….I must be an artist at heart.  The first thing I noticed about my lap photos is that everything seemed to be color coded!!!! sabby

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Five surgeons are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on. The first surgeon says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table,because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered." The second responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded." The third surgeon says, "No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order." The fourth surgeon chimes in: "You know, I like construction workers…those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over at the end and when the job takes longer than you said it would." But the fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed: "You’re all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There’s no guts, no heart, no spine and their head and butt are interchangeable."

Response:

Question:

Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII An excerpt of an article originally from Judaism Mag, [American Jewish Committee]  posted here in compliance with the FAIR USE DOCTRINE for educational and study purposes. This is an educational forum.    By ELLIOT B. GERTEL ELLIOT B. GERTEL is Rabbi of Congregation Rodfei    Zedek, in Chicago, and is on the editorial boards of Conservative    Judaism and The Jewish Spectator. "In Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people that it was because they were small and helpless that he chose them…" Sinai and what makes us Jewish. It is always inspiring and exciting to read the majestic narrative in Exodus 20 which tells of God’s Revelation to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, entering into a Covenant with an entire people and stipulating laws to that people amidst thunder and lightning. The giving and receiving of those commandments is described as a cosmic event, merging nature and humanity, heaven and earth. The ancient Rabbis have many significant and meaningful legends about it and there is a substantial genre of Jewish humor about it as well. Much of that humor is actually quite serious and quite sarcastic and almost always involves a history lesson. Consider, for example, the experience of Benjamin Disraeli who, when he was appointed to high office in Britain, was the object of anti- Semitic diatribes in Parliament. Disraeli, ever the superb wit, answered his attackers by observing that when his ancestors, the Jews, received the Torah on Sinai, their ancestors were naked barbarians roving the Anglo- Saxon woodlands. A similar story is told of the Jew in America who was told by an old Yankee woman, who obviously regarded him as an outsider: "My ancestors came over on the Mayflower." The Jewish man, who rightfully felt as much of an American as she, responded: "My ancestors stood on Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments. " There is very little that is light-hearted about these jokes. They are jokes or witticisms of pain, of the pain of Jewish individuals who, responding to Gentile attempts to make them feel inferior, as well as to their own discomfort at being and feeling "different," return with the suggestion that Jews may even be a bit superior. In thee Sinai narrative, in fact, God tells the people: "Now, therefore, if ye will harken to My voice, indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine; and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy people" (Exodus 19:5-6). Does this concept of a priestly people, a holy people, mean that Jews must regard themselves as somehow better or superior to others? Note that God’s "election" of the Israelites is contingent upon their accepting the Covenant and its commandments. There is no reason given for God’ s "choice." There is no accounting for taste, not even God’s. The point is simply made in Scripture that God owns the world and, thus, can choose anyone for any purpose. Yet, it does seem that some perspective on the role of Jews in the world and on the meaning of being Jewish is offered in the Covenant narrative in Exodus — not only a perspective, but the perspective. With the frequent talk and argument about Who is a Jew," or ‘What is a Jew — a perennial issue in Israel — and with all of our own questions about "Why be Jewish?" and the answers that each of us gives, not to mention all the debates as to which are the "authentic" answers, it is certainly worth considering the Biblical account of the Covenant, in order to assess some attitudes of Jews, both modern and ancient, on the meaning of Jewishhess.    I. We begin with the most negative possible (and happily, out of style) attitude of Jews — namely, Jewish self-hatred, a belief that Jews are, somehow, inferior to others. Self-hatred abounded when the ghetto walls collapsed in the last century and Jews emerged into the enlightened, Western world. They were objects of contempt even in so-called secularized society, [1] and were themselves embarrassed that they had not yet acquired the culture, art, sciences, or the manners of the Western World. Worse yet, many Jews were self-conscious about the commandments and holy deeds, the knowledge of sacred literature and of the spiritual dimension of life, in which their parents had excelled. Christianity seemed so much more cultured — assuming, of course, that one needed religion at all. In 1945, Rabbi Milton Steinberg wrote a book, A Partisan Guide to the Jewish Problem, in order to confront precisely this kind of Jewish self-hatred which was so prevalent from the nineteenth century to well into the twentieth. In that volume, he described the diary of a Jewish woman in Germany, early in our century, who wrote of the "painful, hateful, deadly . . . consciousness of my [Jewish] descent" which she compared to leprosy and cancer! "As little as a dog or pig can cast off its dogishness or swinishness," she wrote, so "little can I tear myself from the ties that bind me to that stage of existence that lies between man and beast — the Jews." She added that, for murder or theft she could find forgiveness, but never for the "sin" and "curse" of Jewishness.[2] Fortunately, that kind of self-hatred is not so prevalent today. Neither do we speak of a "Jewish problem," for it is now recognized that the so-called "Jewish problem" is really the problem of anti-Semites or a psychological disorder in some Jews. We live in a time when ethnic pride is fashionable. We agree quite readily with Rabbi Steinberg when we read his protests, made in the 1930s and 1940s, that "the Jew who is a hollow shell, a Jewish Zero, a Hebraic cipher, a vacuum, is flooded inevitably with hostile notions about Jews. The anti-Semite convinces him." We agree with his observation that a "living Judaism" delivers the Jewish man or woman from being a worm, and provides self- respect? Through the achievements of the American Jewish community and the State of Israel, we have learned to be proud of Jewishness. But we are still in danger of hollow pride, which is no substitute for spiritual vision. For when spiritual vision is chauvinism, self- hatred can return. When the Ten Commandments are repeated in Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people that the Commandments are the wisdom of the Jewish People both in our eyes and in the eyes of other peoples (Deut. 4:6). The Biblical vision is that we Jews are not sustained by pride, but that we become a treasure among the nations, both to ourselves and to others, when we maintain a certain perspective on our relationship with God, the Covenant between us.[3] Covenant, in turn, provides a structure both of perspective and growth for the people, a structure for teaching the people as well as for forgiving them.[4] For if, as Solomon Schechter observed, it is not always easy to love the Jews, we learn to love fellow Jews, and, thereby, to love humanity, through the Covenant. One needs the Covenant, as well, in order to love God. It is the structure for arguing with God, [5] for seeking Him.    II. Indeed, the attitude of self-hatred is but the flipside posture of a second attitude of some Jews about the Jewish People — namely, that we are somehow better than others. When one reads the writings of Rabbi Meir Kahane, for example, one would conclude that Judaism has never learned from other peoples, that, the more Jews live in a vacuum, the more authentic and pure and uncontaminated their Judaism will be. There definitely has been an attitude in certain periods and in certain places that anything Gentile is impure, evil, and un-Jewish, and that Gentiles are, somehow, less moral, less intelligent, less worthy than Jews. It may be true that, in ages past, our ancestors had reason to regard Gentiles as menacing and violent and as morally not as disciplined as they were themselves. That may have been true of certain cultures in which Jews found themselves, but there was never a doctrine in Judaism that, somehow, Jews were born with greater morality and intelligence. Indeed, the Torah makes the point over and over that the people must keep up their fide of the Covenant by obeying God’s commandments and trusting in God. In Hebrew, faith, emunah, means being faithful: both God and Israel must be faithful to the Covenant. The Book of Deuteronomy insists on observing that, when the people of Israel received the commandments, they could not tolerate the Voice of God, and begged Moses to spare them from direct contact with His Voice (Deut. 18:15). An ancient midrash of our Sages says that the experience was so overwhelming that the people literally lost their souls, and God had to revive them.[6] No people was equipped to face the Divine Charge. Another Rabbinic legend says that, when the Israelites came out of Egypt, they were broken-down, blemished, bruised, a sorry bunch after all the years of slavery, with every physical affliction. God had to heal them on the spot so that they would be up to what happened at Sinai (Numbers Rabbah 7:1). The implication is that they were not chosen because they were super people or in any way perfect specimens. Indeed, God found them an appropriate vehicle (Deut. 7:7), so that no one would believe that they were powerful and cleve/enough to develop an advanced culture on their own which might be ascribed to them instead of to God. As for Gentiles, our tradition maintained that, through the Covenant that God made with Noah, they were expected to lead moral lives and to shun idolatry, and that all who lived decent lives would have salvation and Divine support.[7] There is no competition between Jews and Gentiles to see who is more moral. The role of Israel was to point the way, but not to corner the market on morality and wisdom. Indeed, the Torah reading in which the Ten Commandments appear is named after Jethro, Moses’ father- in-law, who is described as pious and God-fearing and … read more »

Response:

(snip) I found this interesting URL that might help you better understanding jews. it;s not my tho. http://alpha.ftcnet.com/~ourhero/files/jewlist.txt

Response:

An excerpt of an article originally from Judaism Mag, [American Jewish Committee]  posted here in compliance with the FAIR USE DOCTRINE for educational and study purposes. This is an educational forum.    By ELLIOT B. GERTEL ELLIOT B. GERTEL is Rabbi of Congregation Rodfei    Zedek, in Chicago, and is on the editorial boards of Conservative    Judaism and The Jewish Spectator. "In Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people that it was because they were small and helpless that he chose them…" Sinai and what makes us Jewish. It is always inspiring and exciting to read the majestic narrative in Exodus 20 which tells of God’s Revelation to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, entering into a Covenant with an entire people and stipulating laws to that people amidst thunder and lightning. The giving and receiving of those commandments is described as a cosmic event, merging nature and humanity, heaven and earth. The ancient Rabbis have many significant and meaningful legends about it and there is a substantial genre of Jewish humor about it as well. Much of that humor is actually quite serious and quite sarcastic and almost always involves a history lesson. Consider, for example, the experience of Benjamin Disraeli who, when he was appointed to high office in Britain, was the object of anti- Semitic diatribes in Parliament. Disraeli, ever the superb wit, answered his attackers by observing that when his ancestors, the Jews, received the Torah on Sinai, their ancestors were naked barbarians roving the Anglo- Saxon woodlands. A similar story is told of the Jew in America who was told by an old Yankee woman, who obviously regarded him as an outsider: "My ancestors came over on the Mayflower." The Jewish man, who rightfully felt as much of an American as she, responded: "My ancestors stood on Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments. " There is very little that is light-hearted about these jokes. They are jokes or witticisms of pain, of the pain of Jewish individuals who, responding to Gentile attempts to make them feel inferior, as well as to their own discomfort at being and feeling "different," return with the suggestion that Jews may even be a bit superior. In thee Sinai narrative, in fact, God tells the people: "Now, therefore, if ye will harken to My voice, indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine; and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy people" (Exodus 19:5-6). Does this concept of a priestly people, a holy people, mean that Jews must regard themselves as somehow better or superior to others? Note that God’s "election" of the Israelites is contingent upon their accepting the Covenant and its commandments. There is no reason given for God’ s "choice." There is no accounting for taste, not even God’s. The point is simply made in Scripture that God owns the world and, thus, can choose anyone for any purpose. Yet, it does seem that some perspective on the role of Jews in the world and on the meaning of being Jewish is offered in the Covenant narrative in Exodus — not only a perspective, but the perspective. With the frequent talk and argument about Who is a Jew," or ‘What is a Jew — a perennial issue in Israel — and with all of our own questions about "Why be Jewish?" and the answers that each of us gives, not to mention all the debates as to which are the "authentic" answers, it is certainly worth considering the Biblical account of the Covenant, in order to assess some attitudes of Jews, both modern and ancient, on the meaning of Jewishhess.    I. We begin with the most negative possible (and happily, out of style) attitude of Jews — namely, Jewish self-hatred, a belief that Jews are, somehow, inferior to others. Self-hatred abounded when the ghetto walls collapsed in the last century and Jews emerged into the enlightened, Western world. They were objects of contempt even in so-called secularized society, [1] and were themselves embarrassed that they had not yet acquired the culture, art, sciences, or the manners of the Western World. Worse yet, many Jews were self-conscious about the commandments and holy deeds, the knowledge of sacred literature and of the spiritual dimension of life, in which their parents had excelled. Christianity seemed so much more cultured — assuming, of course, that one needed religion at all. In 1945, Rabbi Milton Steinberg wrote a book, A Partisan Guide to the Jewish Problem, in order to confront precisely this kind of Jewish self-hatred which was so prevalent from the nineteenth century to well into the twentieth. In that volume, he described the diary of a Jewish woman in Germany, early in our century, who wrote of the "painful, hateful, deadly . . . consciousness of my [Jewish] descent" which she compared to leprosy and cancer! "As little as a dog or pig can cast off its dogishness or swinishness," she wrote, so "little can I tear myself from the ties that bind me to that stage of existence that lies between man and beast — the Jews." She added that, for murder or theft she could find forgiveness, but never for the "sin" and "curse" of Jewishness.[2] Fortunately, that kind of self-hatred is not so prevalent today. Neither do we speak of a "Jewish problem," for it is now recognized that the so-called "Jewish problem" is really the problem of anti-Semites or a psychological disorder in some Jews. We live in a time when ethnic pride is fashionable. We agree quite readily with Rabbi Steinberg when we read his protests, made in the 1930s and 1940s, that "the Jew who is a hollow shell, a Jewish Zero, a Hebraic cipher, a vacuum, is flooded inevitably with hostile notions about Jews. The anti-Semite convinces him." We agree with his observation that a "living Judaism" delivers the Jewish man or woman from being a worm, and provides self- respect? Through the achievements of the American Jewish community and the State of Israel, we have learned to be proud of Jewishness. But we are still in danger of hollow pride, which is no substitute for spiritual vision. For when spiritual vision is chauvinism, self- hatred can return. When the Ten Commandments are repeated in Deuteronomy, Moses tells the people that the Commandments are the wisdom of the Jewish People both in our eyes and in the eyes of other peoples (Deut. 4:6). The Biblical vision is that we Jews are not sustained by pride, but that we become a treasure among the nations, both to ourselves and to others, when we maintain a certain perspective on our relationship with God, the Covenant between us.[3] Covenant, in turn, provides a structure both of perspective and growth for the people, a structure for teaching the people as well as for forgiving them.[4] For if, as Solomon Schechter observed, it is not always easy to love the Jews, we learn to love fellow Jews, and, thereby, to love humanity, through the Covenant. One needs the Covenant, as well, in order to love God. It is the structure for arguing with God, [5] for seeking Him.    II. Indeed, the attitude of self-hatred is but the flipside posture of a second attitude of some Jews about the Jewish People — namely, that we are somehow better than others. When one reads the writings of Rabbi Meir Kahane, for example, one would conclude that Judaism has never learned from other peoples, that, the more Jews live in a vacuum, the more authentic and pure and uncontaminated their Judaism will be. There definitely has been an attitude in certain periods and in certain places that anything Gentile is impure, evil, and un-Jewish, and that Gentiles are, somehow, less moral, less intelligent, less worthy than Jews. It may be true that, in ages past, our ancestors had reason to regard Gentiles as menacing and violent and as morally not as disciplined as they were themselves. That may have been true of certain cultures in which Jews found themselves, but there was never a doctrine in Judaism that, somehow, Jews were born with greater morality and intelligence. Indeed, the Torah makes the point over and over that the people must keep up their fide of the Covenant by obeying God’s commandments and trusting in God. In Hebrew, faith, emunah, means being faithful: both God and Israel must be faithful to the Covenant. The Book of Deuteronomy insists on observing that, when the people of Israel received the commandments, they could not tolerate the Voice of God, and begged Moses to spare them from direct contact with His Voice (Deut. 18:15). An ancient midrash of our Sages says that the experience was so overwhelming that the people literally lost their souls, and God had to revive them.[6] No people was equipped to face the Divine Charge. Another Rabbinic legend says that, when the Israelites came out of Egypt, they were broken-down, blemished, bruised, a sorry bunch after all the years of slavery, with every physical affliction. God had to heal them on the spot so that they would be up to what happened at Sinai (Numbers Rabbah 7:1). The implication is that they were not chosen because they were super people or in any way perfect specimens. Indeed, God found them an appropriate vehicle (Deut. 7:7), so that no one would believe that they were powerful and cleve/enough to develop an advanced culture on their own which might be ascribed to them instead of to God. As for Gentiles, our tradition maintained that, through the Covenant that God made with Noah, they were expected to lead moral lives and to shun idolatry, and that all who lived decent lives would have salvation and Divine support.[7] There is no competition between Jews and Gentiles to see who is more moral. The role of Israel was to point the way, but not to corner the market on morality and wisdom. Indeed, the Torah reading in which the Ten Commandments appear is named after Jethro, Moses’ father- in-law, who is described as pious and God-fearing and who, though he was not Jewish, had much to … read more »

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I don’t know much about this, but whilst travelling back to York today, I saw a couple of billboards advertising a new service stating 28th May from BHX to ORD on AA. I think this is a good move by AA as BHX is very well connected to the rest of the UK by road and rail. In fact there was an article on London’s other airports (i.e not LHR or LGW) in one of the national papers this weekend which said that BHX was easily the best alternative airport for Londoners who felt that LHR and LGW were too difficult to get to. Eric, can we have MAN-RDU next please:-) — "Er maint y soniant am dy hedd, A’th felys orffwys yn dy bryd, ‘Rwyt heddiw’n  ddychryn imi, fedd, Yn ddychryn ac yn ddagrau i gyd" Y Bedd R. Williams Parry

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("Iain D. Bowen") writes:

[munch...] Eric, can we have MAN-RDU next please:-)

        Tough luck, I’m afraid.  American Airlines has basically withdrawn entirely from RDU and the chances of American starting the aforementioned service will be highly unlikely.   Niraj — University of Massachusetts-Lowell — Accounting/Finance — Class of ‘96

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Have you ever seen one with a canopy on it, one passed me a while back and I couldn’t help but laugh, the fuuniest looking truck I have ever seen, would be embarrassed to drive one.

But it DID pass you…

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: Step sides will carry the normal 4 X 8 sheets that standard beds will. : You can easily retrieve items from the bed by using the step.  You can : mount the spare tire where you can get it rather than underneath. I second this.  I had a 1974 Chevy LWB Stepside that I kept until last spring <sniff.  I really loved that truck. I didn’t buy it new, so I didn’t really choose the stepside, but the steps were handy for things like tieing furniture down – you could step up and reach over.  It was also easy to load with firewood – no pockets in front of and behind the wheel wells  :-) And while maybe I could have loaded more in a fleetside, believe me, I could load much more than I would want to unload in that truck! Interesting side note – I was told on several occasions that Chevy did not make a LWB stepside – even once by a parts man at my local Chevy dealer!  SO maybe it was all just a dream…. — Madison, Mississippi

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Interesting side note – I was told on several occasions that Chevy did not make a LWB stepside – even once by a parts man at my local Chevy dealer!  SO maybe it was all just a dream….

I believe you!  Over by my work, there is a circa-1970 GMC LWB stepside.   I know it’s post-66 for sure by the body panels.  The thing even has a special mounting spot for the spare, between the LHS wheel well and the cab.  It’s the only one I’ve ever seen though.

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Step sides will carry the normal 4 X 8 sheets that standard beds will. You can easily retrieve items from the bed by using the step.  You can mount the spare tire where you can get it rather than underneath. For those who want these features, looks is unlikely to be an issue.   A wide-side pickup may have wasted space when used for campers or other loads that hang over and block the empty spaces front and back fo the wheel well. Beauty is probably in the eye of the beholder.  Big pickup cabs with little flat bed cargo areas might look funny to some, but they have their uses, to. Different strokes, etc……. — Jim – Farmer – Iowa City, IA,

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 Maybe for both looks and towing ability. I wonder why people drive two seater sportscars myself.

Because you can put the top down without using a torch. RC

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People buy them for their appearance and smaller bed. Appearance is subjective and there’s no accounting for taste. But why would anybody buy a large, relatively fuel-inefficient vehicle that’s designed to carry stuff, and then go out of his way to get one with reduced carrying capacity (at least in terms of volume)?  That doesn’t make any sense.

Beats me, maybe to fit in their garage? RC

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gBut why would anybody buy a large, relatively fuel-inefficient gvehicle that’s designed to carry stuff, and then go out of ghis way to get one with reduced carrying capacity (at least gin terms of volume)?  That doesn’t make any sense. Exactly.  And because it doesn’t make any sense, there’s a niche for it. — ‘90 Eagle Talon TSi AWD | ‘90 Kawasaki ZX-11 ‘77 MGB Roadster        | ‘81 Suzuki GS450XL ‘77 Mercedes-Benz 450SE | and a P.O.S. Ford Escort —

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Perhaps I’m just being paranoid, but having endured some of those a-factual Dave Emory shows, I have begun to be somewhat suspicious of Mr Reformed Agent Harry Martin.  A lot of people on the left and on the right are given to theorizing without trying to examine the facts, but Mr Martin is all over the place so often that I wonder.  I mean, these people are investigating shady doings as at least a part-time activity, right?  They sound intelligent.  Why don’t (or why can’t) they use logic and facts to persuade me? Anyway, am I the only paranoid person who wonders if among us stroll provacateurs?   This is off the subject of the October Surprise; sorry.

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From the Napa Sentinel, May 21 1991                    Secret French Memo on ‘October Surprise’                              by Harry V. Martin   The SOECE- the French equivalent to the American CIA or Russian KGB- apparently monitored George Bush’s trip to Paris in October 1980.  The monitoring was done because French officials were also  involved in the meetings with the Iranians – as were the Israelis.  The trip is alleged to have been to delay the release of 52 American hostages held in Iran until after the November 1980 Presidential election.   The man who had the memo was Col. Alexandre de Marenches, head of French Intelligence or the SOECE.  There were other foreign powers involved with the Paris meeting – directly and indirectly.  According to Navy Captain Gunther Russbacher, who claims to have been the command pilot that flew Bush to and from Paris, the BAC-111 used in the Andrews Air Force Base to Paris flight was retrofitted for the journey and owned by the government of Saudi Arabia.  Russbacher reported that information on KING radio in Seattle on Friday night.  A French Air Force Base outside of Paris was used for the return flight of Bush to the United States on the SR-71 Blackbird, according to Russbacher’s testimony.   Ironically, the Reagan-Bush team gave the Iranians an advanced check for $40 million, drawn off a Mexican bank.  Allegedly Maurice Stans was responsible for getting the money to Mexico and Michael Riconosciuto has told investigators from the House Judiciary Committee that he made the arrangements for the $40 million payment.  Riconosciuto is currently in a Pierce County  Jail in the state of Washington, being held without bail, after blowing the whistle on the Justice Department’s illegal use of INSLAW’s PROMIS software.   Former White House National Security Advisor Gary Sick and former Iranian President Bani-Sadr also claim the meeting in Paris did take place.  Neither George Bush, William Casey or Donald Gregg have been able to concisely provide information on their whereabouts during this period of time – and even Secret Service memos on the whereabouts of Bush are conflicting.  Bush remained off the campaign trail at the time – two and one-half weeks before the election.   Information received by the Sentinel yesterday from the U.S. Department of Justice indicates that Russbacher does have legitimate CIA ties.  The Justice Department commented about the Russbacher articles, "You’re pointed in the right direction."  Richard Brenneke has testified that he was on the flight to Paris with Bush, William Casey and Donald Gregg.  The government tried him for perjury because of those statements, and a federal jury in Portland upheld Brenneke’s testimony. The government later tried to indicate that Brenneke did not know Russbacher, and therefore, he could not have been the pilot of the Paris-bound aircraft.  But documents that have recently surfaced show that Brenneke, Russbacher and Heinrich Rupp – another pilot who claims to have been involved – are all closely related to the Hapsburg Trust or the Farnham-Ottokar Trust – a vast fund of billions of dollars, some of which were used in a Savings and Loan Scandal involving Rupp.  Not only do these documents support Russbacher’s ties with Brenneke, but tapes in the possession of Russbacher’s wife verify the close relationship between Russbacher and Brenneke.  In fact, evidence points to the fact they are cousins and basically grew up together.  Brenneke was raise in Winnamucka, Nevada – the same town Russbacher’s father is buried.   The record of what is happening to known CIA operatives who claim they were involved in the October 1980 Paris meetings? * Richard Brenneke tried of five counts of false statements to a federal judge. * Heinrich Rupp tried on fraud counts involving the Savings and Loan scandal. *Gunther Russbacher arrested for kidnapping, investment fraud, desertion, impersonating a U.S. Attorney and a U.S. Marshal.  All court records are sealed and he is in Terminal Island for six months. * Michael Riconosciuto for manufacturing methamphetamines and held without bail.   All enjoyed top security clearances and were involved in multiple CIA-Intelligence operations from gun running to the sale of Exocet missiles to the Argentine government for use against the British Navy.   The General Accounting Office has launched an inquiry into the alleged Paris meeting.  Congress is considering conducting an investigation as well.  The GAO is an investigative arm for the Congress.                    ( To be continued )

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