Dean Rotbart's Blog: Recent Comments

Comment on Walter Tittle: Writer, Sketch Artist, Bon Vivant!

2010-01-15T22:43:44Z

I was going through some old pictures of my grandmothers and behind her marriage license I found a picture of Richard E Byrd by Walter Tittle. Byrd appears to be very young in the picture. It looks like it has been drawn on a piece of matting and his signature is below the picture and part of it on the picture. I don't know if it is an original or what. Did he do any portraits on a piece of "matting" looking board. Do you know where I can check and see if it is authentic or not. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Shirleylg@aol.com

Comment on Good Sport, Bloomberg News' Matthew Winkler, Shows Me How To Tie One On

2009-06-30T17:51:03Z

Very good job I love Matthew Winkler, I agree he is a very good and funny journalist.

Comment on Critics Are Welcome: 22% of Jewish Voters Who Voted McCain Also Eschewed Judaic Values

2009-01-01T21:25:04Z

Dear Mr. Rotbart:

I completely agree with the setiments found in your article. I am Catholic Christian standing with Israel and I do not understand why the rest of the world is not. What happened to the just-war theory? Have we completely lost our ability to dicern right from worng based on facts, not media manipulation?

Jews and Christians need to stand together on this, for the very survival of democracy is at stake.

God Bless you for your honesty,

Kristin Reale

Comment on Gilbert and Dean Debate the Virtues of Charity and 'Genetic' Jews

2008-12-29T02:20:44Z

In my recent reply to you, Dean, I erred in writing "X" Gene. I should have written, "X" Chromosome.

The point I labored to make to your rhetorical question and answer..." What, you may ask is a ‘genetic’ Jew? A human whose DNA says s/he is Jewish, but whose behaviors would argue otherwise", is that I agree that there are markers in our DNA that tend to associate present Jews with a population in the Middle East during a certain period in the past that proclaimed themselves to be Jewish.

However, "behaviors" is a relative term (perhaps there is a "Behavior Scale" that you endorse). There is no gene (or Chromosome) that is associated with Jewish behavior. Therefore, Genetic Jew is really a derogatory term with no scientific basis.

I can not see Eli Broad, with his many philanthropies being labeled as a "genetic Jew" because he does not donate to your favorite charities. You do him a disservice.

Gilbert

Comment on Gilbert and Dean Debate the Virtues of Charity and 'Genetic' Jews

2008-12-23T02:11:34Z

Dear Dean,

I am familiar with the concept of genetic Jews. Did you know that scientists can trace 78% of Ashkanazi male's ancestory back to the Middle East, based on a regular rate of mutation of their "x" gene. Only 50% of Ashkanazi women however can trace their ancestory back to the Middle East based on a similar process with their Mitichondria? Explanation: some of the men were fooling around after they left the Middle East. Some may say that was questionable Jewish behavior! Actually questionable Jewish behavior is more often in the eyes of the beholder.

I wrote to you about the irony of the Memo's position with respect to Eli Broad and Bernie Madoff. You asked me a question as to whether I believed that you or I can tell Eli Broad how he should be charitable. I concluded that since it's his money; he earned it, he didn't steal it, he has the right to spend it or give it away as he sees fit. Furthermore, I suggested that you might speak nicely to him and explain the need of your personal charity and why it would be a mitzvah for him to donate.

We also acknowledged Maimonides' 8 levels of providing charity, but I must confess I'm not aware of God's charitable scale. His values and our values may be different.

Gilbert

Comment on Critics Are Welcome: 22% of Jewish Voters Who Voted McCain Also Eschewed Judaic Values

2008-12-19T05:23:05Z

Dear Sir,
I could not agree with you more, but to be quite honest, I am quite baffled (but extremely grateful) that you see Iran as a serious threat. I was not aware that a liberal anyone would truly understand that. I do not make a claim to understand someone much farther left than I.
It has been my experience, understanding and it is a historical fact that the only thing that Radical Muslims understand is blunt force. They do not respond to talking except by knife point to your and my throat. The problem is that they want nothing more than to kill everyone who does not convert to their belief and way of thinking. I too am weary of war, but they have already declared war against the US, Israel, every Jew and every Evangelical Christian. A liberal Christian is nothing more than a pawn on a chess board to Islamic radicals since they are no threat to them.
Historical fact, when the Moderate former Prime Minister Netanyahu was in office, we had less death and destruction to our people and to the property of Israel. When the Left is in charge, there is quite a bit more death and destruction of innocent life and property and kidnapping of our soldiers.
I see only one solution to the problem, but no one in Israel nor America(right now) has enough of the right kind of chutzpah to do anything about it. It seems to me that our people desire Shalom so much that they are willing to cut our own throats to have it.
The Peace Treaty in Egypt has not worked. It has brought a cessation in violence from Egypt towards Israel, but not Peace or the Egyptian Government would not still be on high security alert. Also, are you aware that American Forces stationed between Egypt and Israel are required to point their weapons at Israel?
Sir, if Iran is allowed to have fissile material, it will not matter if we are Jewish or not.
I have stated this before, they could drive a diesel submarine into New York Harbor or near Los Angelos and no one would be the wiser until something like *)(*(* comes out of their mouth. Our shores are not protected and neither are our borders. Venezuela has allowed Hezbollah to station their troops their. Since it is reasonable to assume that anyone could carry a sleeper soafer over the Mexican Border, is any Jew in the US safe from being kidnapped like an IDF soldier? I think not.
Sir, one thing is for sure. When it comes to fanatics, we cannot act like a pansy and expect our families to be safe.
Shalom,
Yacov

Comment on An Ode to Entrepreneurship

2008-12-19T03:42:51Z

Great point about how owning your own business is not necessarily risky. Right now having control and being able to do something about it is probably better than sitting around waiting to be laid off.

thanks for the words of inspiration during this tough time. As someone who has just gone out on her own, your words are much appreciated :)

Comment on Critics Are Welcome: 22% of Jewish Voters Who Voted McCain Also Eschewed Judaic Values

2008-12-18T22:07:17Z

I am proud of Gilbert Skopp's response <12/14/2008 11:31 PM>. I believe we should be afraid of Iran, and Obama's probable lack of response to Iranian aggression, but "Good on you, Gilbert" for expressing your views civilly.

Comment on Critics Are Welcome: 22% of Jewish Voters Who Voted McCain Also Eschewed Judaic Values

2008-12-15T13:22:55Z

Dear Sir,
My intentions were that most people in this country do see it that way. Those of us who are law abiding citizens are sick and tired of having our rights trampled on by rabid liberals. They twist words to make it seem that they are in the right when in fact they are diametrically opposed to every thing this country stands for, historically speaking.
Historically speaking, those good people who are rabid leftists practice "Orwellian Double Speak" as part of their normal everyday speach. It is sickening sir to watch people in authority constantly lie, cheat and steal while not expecting the rest of the country not to speak out.
The Governor in Illinois is a Prime Example of "Orwellian Double Speak." If he were a Republican, oh G-d! Let us tar and feather him! Yet, it seems as if people like Bilary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, the Speaker of the House, and other rabid leftists can speak their mind but when good people disagree they want to disgrace them publically, finanically and otherwise. Some may even prefer to do other things. Sir, there are people living in America, that are fighting for the soul of this country. America has strayed so far from its roots that America is on life support. Sir, historically speaking, this was an Orthodox Nation back in 1776 where good people could agree to disagree without the fear of having someone else's opinion shoved down their throats.
Shalom,
Yacov

Comment on Republicans Fumbled Their Right To Govern, Meanwhile Obama Recognized the 'Tide of Discontent'

2008-12-15T08:34:18Z

Dear Yacov,

I believe "Moral" is a relative term associated with the society or culture in which you live. What may be moral today was not necessarily moral "yesterday". Yours and my lifetimes are relatively short compared to Homosapien's Lifetime record and so we are not necessarily aware of the changes in morality. Besides, morality has nothing to do with the positions of the "moral majority" (minority?) and leftist extremists. It's just politics and rationalization for what ever they believe.

Your point about Democrats being in charge the past two years is wrong! Democratic seats plus 2 Independents in the Senate number 51 votes, which appear to be a majority. However, the Senate has a rule that 60 votes are necessary to pass a bill in which the opposition threatens a filibuster (67 votes are necessary to stop a filibuster). The Democrats would need 9 Republicans to vote with them to pass legislation in which Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority leader threatens a filibuster. He has made that threat over 100 times in the past two years and has kept his Republican colleagues from straying from the party line so that the Democrats have never accrued more than 58 votes. So it's the minority Republicans who have been controlling the passage of laws in the past 2 years in Congress. That's why the Democrats have been talking about the need to win 60 seats. With the Republican Senate victory in GA, the Democrats can not win 60 seats this year.

I guess it's well known outside of South Carolina and your circle of acquaintences about the Robo-calls about McCain. They usually consisted of someone "taking a survey". One of the questions would be... would your impression of Senator McCain be influenced if you found out he had fathered a black child? Of course they never said he fathered a black child....

If you read my letter carefully, I never said that it was Obama's oratory skills alone that made me vote for him even though that was refreshing to hear in a politician, particularly after 8 years of listening to Bush's embarrasing faux pas.

I agree with you that our vote for President should be made on the basis of qualifications. It's just that what you believe to be experience and wisdom in a politician is different from mine. I do not believe that seeing Russia from your living room qualifies you as a foreign policy expert on Russia. I believe that opposition to the war in Iraq was a sign of wisdom. We should have finished up in Afghanistan and captured Osama Bin Laden before invading Iraq, a country that did nothing to us, and had nothing to do with 9/11.

Shalom,
Gilbert