1. chronic electile dysfunction returns I am going to excerpt part of this good article relevant for those of you who will be voting in the upcoming Bet Shemesh elections:

Beit Shemesh is a great place. Daily life here is normal. Kids go to school, play outside, ride bikes and generally cause havoc. Parents work or learn (or both), take care of our families and race towards Shabbat. All of us have regular concerns like education, recreation, quality of life, and keeping our kids safe.
We want programs, parks and opportunities. We want safe, clean streets, access to health care and open spaces. We want schools with good education, in proper buildings in good condition. We want smart city planning and enough parking for residents. We want public spaces to be garbage free, parks that are age appropriate and in good repair.
We want the city to be a place we can live in and enjoy. We want new neighborhoods built with enough open spaces, schools, and shopping to serve the residents.
However, there are people who don’t want us to think of these things when we go to vote. They don’t want us to vote based on issues that concern us, our kids and our city. They don’t want us to consider who will be best at management, planning, allocating resources and improving quality of life.
They want us to see this election as a religious war and they use language from our holy books to portray it as such.

[...] 

What could be better for the residents than to hear from each candidate what they plan on doing for us? What possible reason could he have to refuse to let us hear directly from them their plans for Beit Shemesh and vote accordingly?
Bet Shemesh needs a mayor who cares for his citizens not one who sees them as sheep to be fed with fear and slander of his opponent.
Bet Shemesh needs a mayor who takes responsibility, has principles and guts. Bet Shemesh needs a mayor who will run a corruption free, nepotism free, backhand-deal free municipality. Bet Shemesh needs a mayor who can balance budgets, preserve our open spaces, build responsibly, prioritize education and youth, clean our streets, and focus on all that is good and positive in this city.

2. the rally: kiddush hashem or chilul hashem?

3. being really smart

4. return from Odessa, mashiach is at the doorstep

5. golus vs geulah

6. machane haredi and I do not share the same God

7. chilul hashem on the road

8. vintage minhogim

9. a tale of two grandfathers

10. jew against jew is nothing new

11. weird in Israel: cracking the sherut code

12. protesting against the protest

13. protesting a disgrace

14. is pizza a snack or a meal?

15. charedim, Israel and daas torah

16. shabbos with children: lets not lose the beauty

17. I found it!

18. womens access to healthcare coverage in tzniyus war

19. social upheaval in Israel

20. is serving in IDF really a Torah commandment?

21. first marathon runner was Jewish, not Greek

22. wet hot Israeli summer

yes, I know, I know.. I should have made a section for posts about the rally/protest and bundled them all together there...