RAF pilot recounts destroying Dresden

 

“It was evil.”

“We were supposed to be the good guys.”

“We ended up being worse than the third Reich.”

The wise will understand

German Efficiency

 

severe rodent infestation

Yes, there is currently a severe rodent infestation throughout the Gaza Strip, particularly affecting displacement camps and tent settlements. According to recent reports, over 80% of displacement sites surveyed in April 2026 experienced regular infestations of rats and pests.

The infestation has reached crisis levels, with rats and parasites spreading through tent camps, biting children and adults as they sleep, and gnawing through possessions. Health officials have reported that every day hospitals record cases of patients being admitted due to rodent-related incidents, particularly among children, the elderly, and the sick.

The World Health Organization has recorded more than 70,000 cases of ectoparasite infections and rodent-borne illnesses in Gaza since the beginning of 2026. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, four displaced people have died from skin diseases directly linked to rodent infestations.

The crisis stems from the widespread destruction of infrastructure, including water and sewage networks, combined with the accumulation of rubble and waste, which has created favorable conditions for rodents to thrive. Aid efforts have included the transfer of about 90 tons of pest control materials and over 1,000 mousetraps into Gaza, but these measures have proven largely ineffective in the current environment.

The problem has now spread beyond Gaza's borders, with thousands of rats reportedly moving into Israeli settlements surrounding the Strip, causing significant agricultural damage.

magnificent language

 “Profanity is the parlance of the fool. Why curse when there is such a magnificent language with which to discourse?"

-Theodore Roosevelt

My Lai

 

In 2004, Mike Wallace interviewed Larry Colburn and Hugh Thompson, members of an American helicopter crew who were credited with saving Vietnamese civilians during the 1968 My Lai massacre, which killed more than 500 unarmed civilians. In 1998, 60 Minutes first returned to Vietnam with Colburn and Thompson, where they met some of the people they rescued in My Lai.

The wise will understand. 

Israel does not feed Gaza

I heard the claim recently, that "Israel feeds its enemies." This was meant as praise, but some will say it out of criticism.

Despite the naive claim, Israel does not feed its enemies and doesn't feed Gaza, not that more than a small portion of Gaza is an enemy.

Before the war, 300 food trucks entered Gaza a day. That's enough to feed 3 million people, but Israel does not supply the food.

Bottom line: The international community (UN, governments, NGOs) pays for the food; commercial truckers transport it; Israel controls whether it enters.

Who Supplies the Food

Source	Examples	Role
UN Agencies	UNRWA, World Food Programme (WFP)	Largest suppliers; UNRWA specifically serves Palestinian refugees
Government Aid	USAID, EU humanitarian aid, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey	Direct government donations and funding
International NGOs	Red Cross/Red Crescent, MSF, Oxfam, Save the Children	Emergency food, medical supplies
Local NGOs	Palestinian charities, community groups	Distribution inside Gaza
Private Donors	Islamic Relief, Catholic Relief Services, etc.	Faith-based and secular charities

If 500 trucks enter daily (the pre-war Gaza average):

Assumptions:

• ~60% carry food/water = 300 food trucks
• Average truck: 20 tons capacity
• Daily food delivery: 6,000 tons (6 million kg)

• Daily food need per person: ~2 kg (including staples, not just calories)
• 6,000,000 kg ÷ 2 kg = 3 million people fed daily

This tracks — Gaza's population is ~2.3 million, and 500 trucks/day was the baseline import level for all goods (food, fuel, medicine, construction materials, commercial trade).

Current situation: During the 2024-2025 war, daily aid often dropped to 10-50 trucks/day — roughly 5-10% of minimum needs, which is why famine conditions developed.

Etymology of deer

 

Bull

Bull as a word for falsehood comes from the old French bole which means deception. It comes from the Latin word for air bubble. It has nothing to do with cows. 

So you don't need to say bull s..t. Just say bull. Baloney is good too. 

Etymology: 12th century, bole, "club" [in English]; 19th century, meaning "head" [in English] From the Latin bulla, "air bubble."

Leo Tolstoy

 If you feel pain, you are alive. But if you feel the pain of others, you are human.

- Leo Tolstoy

Midwest

 

New newsletter on R Hirsch

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bn9cSiXo5ruFV2MqaPQjFabYw-tK7T7t/view

Rav Shraga Zimmerman, on TIDE

 https://zemirosaschkenaz.com/audio/rabbi-shraga-zimmerman-shiur-on-torah-im-derech-eretz/

We reached 1.6 million views, Baruch Hashem

 

Kever of Rav Hirsch

 

9 phrases to carry into your week.

 

𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁 𝗳ü𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁 step by step 𝗗𝘂 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗳𝗳𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘀 you've got this 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝘂𝗳𝗴𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗻 don't give up 𝗘𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗴 𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻 one day at a time 𝗞𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲, 𝗴𝗿𝗼ß𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗿𝗸𝘂𝗻𝗴 small steps, big impact 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗸𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 progress, not perfection 𝗗𝘂 𝗯𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗸𝘀𝘁 you're further than you think 𝗛𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗴, 𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝘇𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗻 today is a good day to start 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗵 just do it

Conquering the land without permission, from the Lub. Rebbe

Moses then reminded the Jewish people that after they heard of G‑d’s plan to keep them in the desert for 40 years, some of them organized their own army and attempted to enter the Land of Israel on their own. But because they went against G‑d’s will and lacked Moses’ leadership, the nations who lived near the border of the land repulsed them.

The Path to Redemption

וַתַּמְרוּ אֶת פִּי ה' וַתָּזִדוּ וַתַּעֲלוּ הָהָרָה: (במדבר ג:מה)

[Moses told the people,] “You rebelled against G-d’s command and willfully ascended to the mountain.” Deuteronomy 1:43

These Jews had repented from the sin of the spies and now wanted to ascend to the Holy Land. Why was this wrong? We are taught that nothing ever stands in the way of repentance.

The answer is that the Land of Israel could only be conquered with the ark’s presence and Moses’ leadership. Repentance could erase the sins of the people, but it could not change the procedure necessary to acquire the land. Since these people were unwilling to submit to Moses’ leadership and wanted to conquer the land on their own, G‑d rejected their initiative.

The same is true in our day. The Torah has prescribed a precise procedure for the Messianic Redemption – as well as for all forms of personal redemption. Any attempt to bypass steps in the redemptive process is doomed to failure. Hastening the Redemption, just like success in any endeavor, is possible only when our approach conforms with G‑d’s plan. Hence the importance of studying the Torah ourselves and seeking out the guidance of qualified Torah scholars in all aspects of our lives.

Summarized by Moshe Wisnefsky in Daily Wisdom: Inspiring insights on the Torah Portion from the Lubavitcher Rebbe

 

This is what life was like for a Jew in Germany | 1925–1932 | Before the Nazi dictatorship

 

Beaux-Arts architecture looked back to classical tradition, using symmetry, sculptural ornament, monumental entrances, and academic composition to create buildings that felt formal and civic.

Art Deco turned toward the modern age, with geometric ornament, vertical lines, stepped setbacks, and a streamlined sense of progress — especially in skyscraper design.

One speaks the language of classical monumentality; the other captures the speed and ambition of the 20th century.

from 

Architecture Hub

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What's the relevance to TIDE? Hirsch lived in the era of Beaux Art, which means beautiful art. It was a more moral and noble time. The more we replicate it the better, and the better TIDE feels. 

Rav Hirsch in Portuguese

 https://www.sefer.com.br/tora-interpretada-5-volumes/1/?utm_source=ebook&utm_medium=lp&utm_campaign=dezmandamentos

Torá Interpretada (5 volumes)

À luz dos ensinamentos do Rabino Samson Raphael Hirsch

Autor: Samson Raphael Hirsch

SKU: 7141

Páginas: 3888

Avaliação geral:

 

    

Amplo, rico e profundo comentário sobre a Torá baseado nos ensinamentos do Rabino Samson Raphael Hirsch, destinado àqueles que já possuem algum conhecimento sobre o Pentateuco e desejam ampliá-lo de modo sistemático. O autor analisa as palavras, a etimologia delas e seus significados; o texto e o contexto; os personagens e seus sentimentos; as leis e suas razões; e temas pungentes são esclarecidos e confrontados com a realidade que vivemos.

Quer conhecer antes de comprar? Baixe aqui um trecho desta obra gratuitamente!

Mark Twain

 https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2063138820200308847/video/1

The only film footage of Mark Twain, filmed by Thomas Edison in 1909 at Twain's Connecticut home.

Europe

 

Share of the German population with a migration background. Today, this applies to nearly 1 in 3 residents.

19th century was better but much of it destroyed

 

The original Tonhalle concert hall in Zurich, Switzerland, shortly after its construction in 1895. They tore this down after a little over 30 years in 1930!

Old Penn Station in NY

New Penn Station

Tuition-Free Universities

 

Austria Jappa Update

@_AustriaUpdates

·

18h

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, Here are Twenty-five (25) Tuition-Free Universities in Germany : 1. Heidelberg University 2. Humboldt University of Berlin 3. Free University of Berlin 4. Georg-August University of Goettingen (University of Goettingen) 5. University of Hamburg 6. University of Stuttgart 7. Technical University of Munich (TUM) 8. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) 9. RWTH Aachen University 10. Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) 11. Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen 12. Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg 13. University of Bremen 14. Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam 15. Ulm University 16. University of Passau 17. University of Kaiserslautern 18. TU Clausthal 19. TU Braunschweig 20. BTU Cottbus – Senftenberg 21. Magdeburg University 22. Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden) 23. Goethe University Frankfurt 24. University of Münster (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster) 25. University of Cologne