HH #109 - double mega edition

First, a little background info on the Haveil Havalim Carnival.

This is the 109th edition of Haveil Havalim.

HH was founded by Soccer Dad to potentially increase the exposure blogs get. Soccer Dad manages the HH carnival, and puts in a lot of time finding hosts. He fills in himself on weeks he has no volunteer. Kudos to Soccer Dad. If you would like to host a future edition of Haveil Havalim, contact Soccer Dad and schedule your week.

The term “Havel Havelim” is from Kohelet, Ecclesiastes, which was written by King
Solomon, who built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down
in materialism and other “excesses” and finally realized that it was nothing but
norishkeit, “havel” or in English “vanities.” (I plagiarized this description, or actually part of it, from an old HH hosted by Shiloh Musings, so thanks Batya even though I did not ask permission :-) ).

This is a mega double edition because last week there was no Haveil Havalim, due to Purim falling out on Sunday. This week's edition contains two weeks worth of postings, so you will have plenty to read. Maybe take a day or two off of work to make some time for it...

This edition of HH includes something like 142 posts from about 102 different blogs. (If I counted correctly)

Hosting Haveil Havalim has been enlightening. I have found blogs that I had never seen before. There are so many interesting people with so many interesting things to say! I wish I had the time to keep up with all these blogs....

One more thing - I included a lot of posts I found on various sites that were not submitted. Basically I submitted them myself. So, if you did not submit them for a reason such as you did not want the wider public to find them, I apologize. I assumed that you are not aware of Haveil Havalim and would appreciate the link. If that is not the case, I apologize to you.

And now, on to the carnival!

NOTE: keep your eyes peeled for the winner of "the best post of the HH" award - it is posted in a nice bright color (similar to this notice). (this award is being nominated and decided by only one person - me. You might not agree with the decision, but then again, you can do what you want when you host HH)

And one more thing again. If you submitted a post and it did not get posted for whatever reason, I apologize. No insult was intended.

Oh yeah. One more thing (how many one more things do you think I can write?). While we are on the topic of carnivals, don't forget to submit your links to the KCC - the Kosher Cooking Carnival managed by me-ander and the jpix carnival managed by Bagel Blogger
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PURIM:

Because I am hosting this, I am giving myself an additional plug. You can see any and all of my Purim related posts at Yontiff Thoughts . And while you are there, with Purim behind us, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming Pesach related posts...

bec commits the ultimate crime and it might even be a federal crime in the US..

Yisrael wonders if this was the Purim shpiel he was supposed to be going to...

I posted about the possibility of the weather of Purim day being cursed though the weather was actually beautiful... and then posted pictures and video from my Purim.

We will never forget the Purim Podcast on MPR (Muqata Purim Radio) posted by Ezzie and
Jameel. Thanks to them we now have many voices to assicate with their writing styles. Soon, maybe we will have faces too, depending on Jameel's next stunt.... It took them many hours of work and they did a great job putting it together...

Am Kshe Oref gives over a powerful Purim message of achdus.

Rock of Galilee reviewed his Purim. He met up with one blogger but narrowly missed another. It turns out I am not too hard to find.

A Mother in Israel discusses her thoughts on the waste of money involved in mishloah manot.

I promise you that you do not want to miss BagelBlogger's Purim satire.

Reb Chaim discusses a fascinating story of murder at the Purim meal with various explanations..
Neil talks chinnuch with shalach manos. And who would have thunk it, but Neil seems to have written a book that got banned.

FrumWithQuestions talks about inappropriate Purim costumes.

Ari remembers delivering mishloach manot as a child.

AbbaGav talks Purim and shabbos demonstrations.

Hirshel discusses his inner conflict resolving words of Chazal in the Purim story and it spills
over to Judaism in general.

Shpitzle compares Yom Kippur to Purim.

Frum Satire talks about Purim in Albany.

Evan has posted some great pictures from his Purim in Jerusalem.

Shmuel at GoGolan lives in a great community where his shalach manos was delivered even better than right to the door.

Yitz tells over a fascinating Purim story.

muse learns a lesson about coincidences...

yaak has a bunch of links to great articles relevant to Purim and Amalek. He also has a strikingly relevant gematriya.

Social Worker enjoyed her Purim.

Elchonon at State of Judea compares Channuka and Purim.

Elie wrote up a great dvar Torah on Haman not getting past the missing .001% and that being his problem. I wrote something similar, but Elie put it so much better.

DAG thinks Purim was like the Cinderella story

Israel:
The ZionistYoungster points out Western hypocrisy, looking at Darfur as an example.

Cosmic X criticizes those who dare to speak ill of Eretz Yisrael and then continues it with great story.

Yisrael points out an interesting dilemma how to spell a street name.

Olah Chadasha talks about what associations sirens blaring have in people's minds.

JoeSettler did not submit this post about the Eurovision selection, but I enjoyed it so
I included it here... and Batya also weighs in on the Eurovision selection.

Yid With Lid had a whole bunch of great posts.... bringing korban Pesach, claims against Israel's war crimes disproved but only "on page 42", among many other great posts... Of them all, I particularly enjoyed the one about Temple Mount. Then he gives us his take on the tragedy of the disengagement and talks about the alleged massacre of Egyptian POWs. He's got a bunch more great posts, so check it out.

Noorster describes her experience banking in Israel.

Boker Tov Boulder describes another heated conflict in Olmert's cabinet.

Daled Amod finds a new city that might be Jerusalem.

Batya remembers witnessing and being injured in a terrorist attack and talks about the miracle. She then has a guest post by A Good Jew about life in one of the famous "caravillas".

Judeospshere remembers back to a discussion of the Israel lobby from 1981.

LemonLime Moon quotes an old famous one about what anti-semites should really do if they want to be consistent.

Yisrael remembers and old picture from when he was hanging out with some serious folk from Lehi. I particularly was impressed with the name association (as I commented in the post).

If you are good with the Hebrew, you should be keeping tabs on Bibi Netanyahu's blog. Here he discusses how Olmert abandoned the home front. In the blog of Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction of the Likud, they suggest Bibi should be running for U.S. Senate.

Sin of the Expulsion blog talks about how Olmert continues to evade responsibility.

A Jewish Blog points out how Israeli soldiers will soon be much safer on the frontlines. IsraellyCool also mentioned it.

Kesher Talk discusses self-hatred of the right wing and calls it baseless. He also points out how much Iran has changed.

Elder of Ziyon proves terrorism is still the main part of the PLO and PA.

SimplyJews discusses a possible anti-semitic conspiracy surrounding International Womens Day. He also discusses the uranium Israel allegedly used during the Second Lebanon War.

Boker Tov Boulder proves that Abu Mazen is a liar.

Rubicon3 shows the Germans (at least some German clergy) consider Israel to be racist.

Daled Amos has some posts on the secular Islamic Conference he participated in. This one has some video from the conference

Judaism:

Robert Avrech sets the table for shabbos.

David on the Lake shares some more of his beautiful poetry, this time about children feeling distant, with a clear connection to our relationship with Hashem..

A Simple Jew has a guest post by Rabbi Sears talking Jewish Philosophy.

Mottel reminisces about the bonds created by tefillin and then questions the validity of Hassidic rock.

Nathan talks about a holiday I never even heard of...

Yehuda presents his interesting approach for preparing for Pesach.

A Simple Jew comes back with another interesting post, this one about potential conflict averted between hassidim and the Malbim.

Ari eulogizes Rav Mordechai Breuer.

WestBank Mama is getting into gear for Pesach cleaning.

Moshe talks about his dilemma regarding killing in Gods name.

Shlomo contemplates whether we are living up to our billing as a light unto the nations.

Another Chussid wonders whether there are too many heretics in the jblog world and then breaks down people into two categories - those who care and those who don't. And he seems not to.

Eytan on Cross Currents talks Pie Charts. I prefer the pizza.

DAG discusses whether Shabbat Across America is a worthwhile program

NRO brings a statement from a former French PM about the deportation of Jews and the French attitude.

Mere Rhetoric talks about his thoughts on a potential new deal with Hamas.

I learn a lesson from the parsha about investing your own efforts.

It's Almost Supernatural talks about anti-semitism in South Africa.

frumgirl gets high on Rebbe Nachman.

Frum Philly Farmgirl talks about Erez Levanon as does Lazer Beam. I too wrote abut Erez, comparing his murder to the Yafit Alkobi case.

Michelle has a Humble Jewish Opinion wondering whether lack of perfection means it is all worthless.

This one gets me a bunch of links in one... the Jewess does her own roundup
of some great posts.

Married and Jewish talks about the latest chumra in Brooklyn.

Yaakov from the Dry Bones blog weighs in on the fear of creating panic.

SoccerDad is davening for a former player on his soccer team and asks you too as
well.

Going to Beijing for business? A Jewish Blog points us to the first kosher restaurant.

Presence has some pictures of the various 770's around
the world.

Sholom a.k.a. The Anarchist Rabbi discusses how meme's are used to wield power.

Getting ready for Pesach brings us to our favorite takkana of not eating Kitniyot (if you are of ashkenaz origin). Yonathan just started this new blog called The Kitniyot Liberation Front in which he calls not eating kitniyot a shtus and advocates repealing the ban. He has just begun
detailing the sources of the ban and what he advocates. It should be interesting.

General:

Jacob continues the discussion about school tuition comparing it to Robin Hood. Then DaJew meets up with a fellow blogger.

While I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of Abraham Lincoln being Jewish, JoeSettler points us to a different US President who seems to have been Jewish...

Olah Chadasha went on vacation with Oleh Yashan and came back feeling stressed.

And the winner is..... (drumroll please..) MizEllie writes a very touching post memorializing her previous husband **** this post is the winner and has been declared the Post of the Posts of this edition of Haveil Havalim**** Your prize is that a bunch more people will probably read your blog. If you call that a prize.

Jewish Blogmeister does another of his great and very comprehensive Jewish music reviews, this one of a new person on the jmusic scene...

Yehuda has a post about those signs on the backs of trucks.

A Simple Jew posted a memory - if his father reads this one, he is going to be seriously grounded.

Shifra posted a real "must read" post recanting how she applied to a seminary and details some difficulties involved.

Bagel Blogger recounts his battle with (new) Blogger.

TherapyDoc learns lessons from a Night at the Meuseum. And it seems
people in her family are popular.

Mazel tov to IsreallyCool on his fourth year!! That's an old man in blog years!!

Also a Chussid in a license to lie went to a Neturei Karta protest.

Chaim pushes some new Jewish music radio stations.

The Ararat Scrolls ponders whether there is a curse on his site.

Lori went to Norman's - a great restaurant, imho.

megapixel presents a moral dillema.

Sarah is still sending her views from her vacation in California. I only linked to this post,
but check out all her posts and images...

Independant Frum Thinker seems to have been instrumental in solving a common problem of girls not getting accepted into school.

Are you a dad that changes or does not change diapers? Mother in Israel writes about one who does not and then she grades her parenting.

Barbara considers how religion and the brain interact and then posts a funny joke as
she considers exclusivity and inclusivity.

Chassidishe Yingerman suggested a shidduch.

Shmuel from GoGolan found a skull, but didn't take it. I probably would have.

muse gets a haircut.

Baleboostah continues with the treatments for Amber.

comments and suggestions. Let me tell you, some people are putting in a lot of time and effort to make this work. It should be good. BagelBlogger wants to give you a sneak peek at the awards.

Meryl shows the difference between a Frenchman and an anti-semite.

Irina remembers her grandmother.

Rivka at Haazina Tefillati gives over her life in lyrics and then she finds herself either depressed
or pregnant. Or maybe it is both.

Kasambe is looking through her freezer.

ZionTrain wants us to blog with positive messages rather than negative.

tnspr569 digs himself a hole. On his days off, he was learning his way around Israel.

Little Frumhouse on the Prairie is waiting for Subway to go kosher in Chicago.

Stefanella made an an observation in the doctor's office.

Irina debates whether a new intelligence agency should be created.

Persephone finds out Bet might be teething.

AbbaGav complains about skewed statistics. Unfortunately, this is a problem with most
statistics.