Correction:

It's "rebbi", not "Rebbe", which is for the one and only krechmer-captain and farfegnugen-maker, reb b.

OMG!!! I cant believe i made that mistake!!! Im always soooooooooo careful!! Really!! G-d is showing me again whos boss!!!

Phillip Rosenthal wrote me today:

HaMishpacha magazine is featuring me on their cover week. In a very lengthy discussion with them last night, I begged them to include GYE. First they said that it was a problem because they don't include url's in the magazine. So I suggested that they simply refer to what the site is all about. Here is the response that I just received. My apologies. I think they are making a big mistake.

"Regarding guard your eyes, the website: they seem to deal with lust addiction, as they call it, and not so much with time addiction to the Internet. Wasting away one's life instead of living it. I realize your and their concern is the stalking/predator issue and the men cheating on their wives via Internet connections and a whole host of such issues, but there are other issues, like the one in Riva Pomerantz's serial where the man is - so far - pulled to the Internet to philosophical blogs. To me there is also an issue of balance..."

HaModia is writing about in the next week or so also, so maybe they will include GYE.

I replied:

We don't focus on "men cheating on their wives" and on "predator/stalking" issues. We focus on regular frum people who simply slipped into a lust addiction by being exposed to indecent material on-line. This is such a common phenomenon today that almost anyone with internet and normal desires is at horrible risk. It is destroying thousands of Jewish families. You should show them please the file (attached here) called the GYE lighthouse. It is not for nothing we got such warm endorsements from Rav Feldman and Rabbi Twerski! Please send them the GYE lighthouse file and tell them also what I have written you here. They are continuing the "culture of denial" that has destroyed already thousands of families. They are trying to sweep the problem under the rug and make it sound like this phenomenon is as rare as "predator/stalking" issues and adultery. Unfortunately, this problem is a thousand times more common than they would like to admit.

He replied:

You are preaching to the choir, my friend. I have forwarded the lighthouse piece and wait to hear from them. In the meantime, I spoke with the fellow from HaModia, and he IS including GYE in his article!!

It's obvious to me that the story "Shattered Glass" used addiction to philosophical blogs and having issues with Emunah as a euphemism for addiction to Internet pornography.

dov wrote on 31 Jan 2010 22:56:



thanks dov for the mistake


the whole idea of the family first magazine not wanting to write about this is so painful

i some times get cynical and negative so i will hold back my comments

if anyone wants to hear them please pm me

sorry

bards

until they write about internet addiction

we will do with

pos-post patum depression

shvigger abuse

selective mute non syndrome syndrome

my neighbor is skinnier than me syndrome

my neighbor is jealous that i am skinnier than her syndrome

i have no syndrome syndrome

the shiduchim crisis syndrome

and recipes for halvah covered goulash

enjoy!!

Yeah me too. I would post some nice words but im sure theyre gonna get modified anyways!!! Yes how we can make our shabbos table so beautiful!!! Thanks mishpacha. My shabbos table would be alot nicer if i wasn't a sex addict. keep on closing your eyes please. It got so many people so far!!! We love mishpacha. They write all about the ------ so they can get some money. Close your eyes. this is gonna get us so far!!

I hope you can still pat yourselves on the back that your doing such a good service to the klall!! Feel good mishpacha. Yeah i used to feel good too when my eyes were closed to my addiction. I hope you feeling good.

Oha nd btw what is internet?? I never heard of it!! Have you??

Dear IMT,

I agree that what they replied to Phillip Rosenthal is completely off point, and does not even qualify as ridiculous.  But, in general, they're walking a tightrope with this issue (which we all are - that's the GYE emblem).  See yesterday's Chizuk e-mail.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

One of the most important things for a tightroper to do is..............................KEEP HIS EYES OPEN!!!!!!!

imtrying25 wrote on 05 Feb 2010 13:36:


Touche! 

LETS BE VERY CLEAR ( I SOUND LIKE OBAMA )

MISHPACHA IS NOT THE ENEMY HERE

FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT THEY ARE MAKING A BUSINESS DECISION

JUST WAIT AND SEE

THE LAST THING THEY WANT TO BE IS

"IRRELEVANT"

THEY WILL COME BEGGING FOR AN INTERVIEW

THEY WILL BEG HANDS ON KNEES



THIS URL THING IS A JOKE

Amen! (I sound like obama's mama)

PROGRESS REPORT:

In my very frum neighborhood (in Israel), a very frum circular featured an ad for internet filters "in light of the recent announcements of the Gedolei HaDor" (the ad is in Hebrew).

It's not a full-page color GYE ad, but it is at least a first step in the right direction (though it's not yet step 1).

Baby steps Eye, baby steps. And who knows that better than you??

I FLIPPED THRU A MM

THERE ARE MANY ADS WITH URLs

HMMMM..

MAMMY..

VUSS YUSSI?

VUSS IS DUBIL YOO BUBIL YOO DUBIL YOO?

DREI OISIYOS IN DE GOYISHE ALEF BAYS!

OK MAMMY

Eye.nonymous wrote on 08 Feb 2010 22:20:


I'm confused. Do you mean an ad for Internet Rimon, or are you implying that you - or someone else - sponsored a GYE ad? If yes, does it have the URL of our site?

Shkoiach!