1/2/20 (almost wrote 19) in New Jersey

NJ.com reports on a massive Hasidic gathering at MetLife (almost wrote Giants) Stadium:

Nearly 100,000 people are expected to gather Wednesday at MetLife Stadium to celebrate the Siyum HaShas, a major event for Orthodox Jews — and officials say security will be tight in the wake of recent attacks on Jewish residents in the region. The celebration comes three weeks after the mass shooting at a Kosher market in Jersey City and five days after the mass stabbing at a Hanukkah celebration at a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, just across the New Jersey border.

Brent Johnson tells us about the actual commemoration. Don't ask us, we know nothing about it.

Anyway, here we are in 2020, with Jews gathering to celebrate Judaism amid 'heightened security'. This story hasn't garnered national attention till now becuase the wrong kind of Jews are getting attacked. These aren't Steven Spielberg style secularists but hardcore religious people who dedicate their lives to the Torah. Also they vote Republican, so...

This blog once more directs reader(s) to this excellent video by Canadian Jew and human rights activist Ezra Levant. The Confederate Contingent should be amused.

In response to the Hanukkah Stabbing, Hasidic Jews in Monsey are open carrying AR-15s. Some write letters to the ADL, others take action.

Long time reader(s) know we are highly critical of Hasidic Jews, having dealt with them teaching in a Yeshiva, and don't much care for them. We just don't want to stab them to death.

12/23/19 in New Jersey (NFL Edition)

Alternate headline: Chris Christie to New Jersey Giants and Eagles fans: Drop Dead.

Beloved former governor Chris Christie likes the Dallas Cowboys:

There wasn’t much reason to hug this time. But Gov. Chris Christie on Sunday sat once again in the private box of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, as the Cowboys rolled into Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field to face the Eagles. Of course, despite hailing from New Jersey, and governing it for eight years, Christie is a lifelong, unabashed Cowboys fan. And he’s friends with Jones, often taking in games with the team’s owner.

It's true. The New Jersey native loves the Cowboys and wasn't afraid to let New Jersey know about it. Of course here in New Jersey we like the Giants or the Eagles, both Cowboys' division rivals.* For European readers, it's like finding out your Prime Minister is a huge fan of Brazil's Futball team. Jerry Jones is thought by most to be evil incarnate.**

That's based. Christie was always this blunt when he was governor. We loved him for it. 

As it happens the Cowboys played the Eagles last night. Thankfully the Eagles won 17-9, a great game and win. If the Eagles take care of business next week against our own Giants, they'll win the division. Mrs. Stroock was on a plane to Indiana last night and while she had WiFi  the NFL ap was glitchy. We relayed scores to her. It was fun.

*We won't count the Jets. Decent people do not associate with their fan base.
**We really don't have a problem with the man.

8-8-19 in New Jersey

The state's going to pot again.

[Clap...clap...clap-Ed]

Via NJ.Com,:

Just three months ago, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney — New Jersey’s highest-ranking lawmaker — announced he was ending the roller-coaster efforts to pass the bill in the state Legislature because leaders couldn’t muster enough votes. Instead, Sweeney said, it would likely be up to the state’s voters to decide whether to make pot legal here, at the November 2020 ballot box.

But Garden State leaders privately believe there’s still hope, however slim, of convincing enough lawmakers to vote for the bill either during the “lame duck” session at the end of this year or in the first half of next year.

Sweeney, D-Gloucester, told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday: “I’m not going to give up trying."

Read further and reader(s) will see last year more than 34,000 people were arrested for 'marijuana offenses' in New Jersey.

We don't have a strong opinion on Legalizing It either way. Being middle-aged, pot conjures images of lay-about stoners lolling on in our cul-de-sac. We lean slightly against. 

But at some point one has to realize the ship has sailed, the horse is out of the barn, the dog barks but the caravan moves on.

Thirty-four thousand people? Jayson Christ, it ain't worth it.

We haven't gotten flared up or spent some time with Modie as we used to say in our old frat days*, since 1994. We've never missed it.

7-16-19 In New Jersey

Governor Phil Murphy is off to India:

Gov. Phil Murphy will soon embark on another international trip to help boost business in New Jersey — this time to India, a country with strong ties to the Garden State.

Murphy announced Monday he will be the first sitting New Jersey governor to visit India on official business, taking a seven-day, six-city economic tour in September of a country he called one of the state’s largest trade and investment partners.

Smart.

'Strong ties to India...' he ain't kidding.

Indian-Americans represent the largest group of foreign-born residents in New Jersey, Murphy’s office said.

Of the state’s nine million residents, about 420,000 are Indian-American — “one of the fastest growing communities in our state," Murphy said.

Long time and attentive readers will know we live in Chindia. Just this week we have a new family moving in and they're from...India! Interestingly they're Indian Christians. Wonder what they do for Dewali.

More than half the families on our block are Indian. 

Without asking we're sure our new neighbor works in IT and is moving from Edison.