Kitten Training 1

כ״ד לחודש הרביעי תשע״ז

Operant Conditioning is applied to modify behavior, either to increase it or to decrease it, through reinforcement or punishment.

Positive Reinforcement means adding a a desired stimulus to increase a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement is often confusing to people. It actually means to take something away, as oppose to mean something unpleasant. For example, putting on a seat belt takes away that annoying beeping sound, encouraging an increase in our seat belt putting on behavior.

Positive Punishment does not, in fact, mean something like making some each too uch ice cream. Rather, it means adding something undesirable, such as the proverbial, electric shock.

Negative Punishment means punishing by taking something away, such as your child's dessert, cell phone, or car privileges. Because maybe that'll teach 'im!

In the case of this kitten, I used food to increase the "coming close to me" behavior.



Other factors are involved, of course, such as the kitten's habituation (getting used) to my presence.

By pairing lip smacking/kissing sound (stimulus) with the food (positive reinforcement), and I can train this kitten to then come to me, in the absence of the reinforcement (food).

Israeli Elections: The Jewish Home Party Is Neither Jewish, A Home, Nor Even A Party. Discuss Amongst Yourselves

 ערב שבת קודש פר' נח תשע"ג

YNET: PM: Elections To Be Held Early 
Prime Minister Netanyahu says that economic, security situation require elections for 19th Knesset to be moved up; vote expected to be held early in 2013 

Attila Somfalvi, October 9, 2012

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a press conference Tuesday that the elections for the 19th Knesset are to be moved up. He did not announce a date for the vote, which is expected to be held early in 2013.

Netanyahu has held consult meetings on Tuesday to determine whether to call for early elections. Consultations have been held all through the previous week, and Netanyahu has insinuated that negotiators were unable to agree on the Knesset budget, a reason he cited as sufficient enough to justify an earlier vote. (cont.)

(Tip Credit: Jews News)

So, do I bother to vote??

My rav says to vote.  Although I do not follow him blindly, his logic is compelling:

"Vote.  You do not have to like it, but vote.  Hold your nose, if you have to, but you must vote in order to prevent another leftist or Arab from taking even one more seat in the K'nesseth."

My friend Ariel at The Torah Revolution likes to remind me that when I vote, I am validating and giving power to the (non-Jewish and not even democratic) democratic) system.

I must say that his reasoning is also compelling.  If no one voted, or if there were not any Jews voted, we might actually have something there.

I cannot tell you just how tempted I am to vote for an Arab Party, though. Maybe Jews will finally stop playing games, and wake up. 

But, of course, my friend Eliyokim at Jews News is right to ask me, "Can I vote for anyone not connected with Torah?"

After all, the ONLY justification for Jews to control and reside in the Land of Israel is the Torah, NOT the United Nations (AKA: United Nothings), nor any other non- or anti-Jewish entity.

That goes for Tel-Aviv just as much as it goes for Hevron, Beth-El, or K'far Tapu'ah.

Since I simply cannot vote for those Jewish Home Party jokers (the resurrected National Religious Party), unless they get rid of "The Mustache Club" (Hershkowitz, Smolensky, & Orbach), Shaul "deMOCKracy" Yahalom, and Zevulun "I'm not budging! ...from K'nesset seat" Orlev. 

"The Mustache Club"

But, if they don't, then what do I do?

Oh, and speaking of jokers, those Christian-lovers Ari and Jeremy are vying for spots on The Jewish Home Party list.  Thank God, they don't have a chance in hell, K'Einahora, poo, poo, poo...

"We LOVE you, Christians!  We LOVE you!  Do you love us?  Pretty please?"

Why can't the National Religious Party just die already???

I'll tell you why.  There's an Israeli political expression...

"There are those who would continue to vote for the National Religious Party, even if it had a cat on the list."

To understand this expression fully, you must first understand that in Israel, there maybe rats running around the streets in the sewers, carrying, God only knows what kind of, diseases.  But, it is the cat population which is the more visible, having chased the rats underground, becoming their own special category of vermin.

But, still some Israelis hat cats as pets.  So, every time you see a cat on the street, you have to ask yourself, "Is this cute little kitty someone's pet?  Or just more vermin?"

Believe me.  I ask myself that question about the Jewish Home Party/National Religious Party [NRP] ALL the time. 

Well, I'll keep you updated on my grand decision.

Who knows?  Maybe Naftali Bennet will win the NRP leadership, and clean house.

Maybe Prime Minister Netanyahu will grow a pair, and tell the U. S.., the U. N., and everyone else that we are cancelling the Oslo Death Accords annexing Yehudah and the Shomron.(Judea & Samaria), and changing the course of history.

Yeah, and maybe monkeys will fly out of my...  Never mind.

An Israel South Park Moment

Mossa'ei Shabbath Qodesh Parshath Ki Thavo 5766

There I was on a Friday, sitting in a park in the neighborhood of Nahla'oth, a Jerusalem neighborhood where I can rarely be seen (long story for another time), when I was disturbed from my relatively pleasant, Nahla'oth experience.

In Israel, we do not have annoying, semi-tame squirrels and pigeons which harrass the humans for their scraps. No. We have annoying cats and doves. Even though I am a cat-lover, I must admit that I, too, am annoyed by the wild cats. I am even very careful not to touch them for fear of ring-worm or other such FTD's (Feline Transmitted Diseases).

So, while I was eating my not so Mid-Eastern breakfast and trying to read, this little, black kitten, which could not have been more than six weeks old, started to rub up against my leg, and me'ow.

Almost without thinking, and I say almost because I could see this coming, I started to raise my voice at the kitten:

"No, Kitty! Those are my borekkas!"

That did not deter him, so a little louder, I repeated:

"NO, KITTY! Those are MY borekkas!"

But he just continued to me'ow,...just like Eric Cartman's Kitty on the hit cartoon show "South Park."

I started to laugh, because of the absurdity of what happening. People passing by surely thought I crazy, both for laughing and for not chasing away the kitten more effectively. Nonetheless, I didn't want the episode to end. Afterall, we fans have been having to wait many moons for the next, new episode of "South Park" (Uh-hum), due to this bizarre break in the middle of the season (hint, hint). Go figure....

Thus, the episode continued....

"NO, KITTY! Those are MY borekkas and ice mocha!" "NO, KITTY!

But, this tiny kitten had such hutzpah (nerve/gaul), it started to climb onto the park bench where I was sitting. Imagine!

Soon after I scared the kitten away from its fifth attempt at climbing up onto the park bench, I got up to leave, believing that I had something more important to do.

Then it really hit me. There are two parks in Nahla'oth, one in the north, and one in the south.

You guessed it. I was in the park in the south, the "south park."