The Case Of The Aliya* Beggar:
So I am waiting for a subway
train at the Union Square Station when this guy comes up to me and
asks for money. Neither is an unusual event in my life, except for
the fact that this guy is wearing a tallis** and holding a yarmulke.
The yarmulke is inverted, and he is cupping it in his hand like a
begging bowl. He tells me he wants money so he can go to Israel. He
holds out his yarmulke so I can see where to put my money. I give him
a practiced NYC look that implies that I have a tactical nuclear
weapon targeted at him. He departs. My train arrives. As I leave I
muse on the fact that my neighborhood attracts some of the most
creative people in the world. This schmuck was not one of them.
* "Alyia" is this idea that as a Jew, I should at some time in my life, make a trip to Israel, presumably to check on my tree. To date, I have avoided this religious obligation. Maybe I should have given a few bucks to the beggar so he could check for me.
** A tallis is a prayer shawl worn by Jewish men at prayer. It is not traditionally worn while panhandling. Sometimes women wear them and, trying to sound modern, they often refer to the garment as a 'tallit,' I think a tallit either a wood working tool or some sort of a nasty looking skin eruption.
** A tallis is a prayer shawl worn by Jewish men at prayer. It is not traditionally worn while panhandling. Sometimes women wear them and, trying to sound modern, they often refer to the garment as a 'tallit,' I think a tallit either a wood working tool or some sort of a nasty looking skin eruption.
And none of the above has anything to
do with this:
which is a roughly 80% fake photo. Well, not exactly 'fake' but digitally goosed enough to create something that did not happen exactly this way. It is however from a pretty good original that I shot a few weeks ago. A free scan suitable for framing, to anyone who can tell exactly which parts are fake. And how.
And finally: clicking on the link below should bring you to my serious Facebook Page. OK, not really that serious. But for those of you who have not already done so, you can 'like' my new page by clicking on the 'like' button.
But there is a bonus: not only will 'liking' my page bring you immediate spiritual comfort while promoting regularity, it will, if enough of you click on it, cast a spell on Trump that will cause him go bald and send him into the streets in his underwear screaming "Who stole my tuna fish sandwich!" Really. Try it and see.
And if anybody know who in Russia has become one of my 'followers' please ask them to answer the question that I posted in Russian. Just curious.
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