Monday, July 27, 2020

FB and Twitter deleted

FB and Twitter deleted the live video that many people posted last night of a group of American doctors getting the truth out, that the malaria drug hydrochloroquine cured their patients of the virus if properly administered.

It's a shmad.

Shuls and yeshivos are barely open. There are limits to the number of people allowed inside and since you never know if you are going to be allowed in, many people are not attending. Many people have trouble breathing with the masks and they cannot attend shul. Regular shiurim that have gone on for years have stopped. The yeshivas are half full, quarter full because this class and that class are sent into bidud (isolation) because maybe one student was around somebody who tested positive for COVID. They are not sick. Mild symptoms at most. I know about a dozen people who are in bidud but nobody is sick. They are fine. I know of so many chesed projects that have shut down - Friday night gatherings for girls for example. The whole rhythm of Jewish life has been disturbed significantly. And then there's the masks. You can't understand anybody when they speak. You can't see a face. You don't know who you are talking to. People are gasping for air. It's madness. I have been to bar mitzvahs online, vorts in parking lots. Graduations canceled. Weddings with 20 people. People are losing their jobs including tutors who study with bochurim. The families can't afford it anymore because of job loss. All because 250 people are actually sick in a country of 9 million people. It's a shmad.

Thursday, July 23, 2020

so-called Edison inventions

The man who children are taught invented hundreds upon hundreds of contraptions that paved the way for the modern era was one of the largest cons of the late 19th - early 20th century. Edison made much of his profits off of stealing other’s devices while suing the actual inventor for stealing his idea.

Examples of so-called Edison inventions include:

The light-bulb/ Electronic light was first created in 1809 by sir Humphrey Davy, by 1844 reliable electronic light had been achieved by Jean Foucault. Edison’s patent was dated 1880.

The motion picture/ The first moving pictures were created by French-American painter Luis Le Prince by 1888, conveniently for Edison, Le Prince disappeared in 1890 after boarding a train along with his patent papers. Edison filmed his first film in 1891

The electro-magnetic voice recorder/ The earliest sound recording device had been created in 1859 by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville. Edison’s recording device was not utilized until 1877

The Battery/ The battery was first invented by Alessandro Volta in 1803, Edison stole the patent as one didn’t exist in the united states. By 1899, the Swedish inventor Waldemar Junger had invented a modern battery. Edison patented his battery in 1901.

He was less of an inventor as he was a businessman. He created the first film trust in North America, controlling the movie industry for over 20 years. He spent much of his time in a grueling war against Nikola Tesla, In which he famously electrocuted an elephant in an attempt to show how dangerous Tesla's AC motor was.

To recap, Thomas Alva Edison was a sly businessman who spent much of his time stealing others' ideas, making money off of his film studio, and winning lawsuits. In short, he was one of the biggest con-men of the 20th century.

Edit: many people have asked me for references, here they are

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Beitzah 25b

And this is the same as what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: There are three impudent ones: The Jewish people among the nations; the dog among animals; and the rooster among birds. And some say: Also the goat among small cattle. And some say: Also the caper bush among trees. Talmud Beitzah 25b

Tuesday, July 7, 2020