Remember how earlier this week Russia said Iran could be trusted with nuclear energy? Russia began fueling Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant—the country’s first—yesterday and today Iran’s President Ahmadinejad had another special announcement.

The Associated Press reported that Ahmadinejad unveiled a new weapon in Iran’s arsenal, which he dubbed “the ambassador of death.”

Speaking to a group of officials Ahmadinejad said, “The jet, as well as being an ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity, has a main message of peace and friendship.”

The ambassador of death has a message of peace and friendship. Right.

This is highly reminiscent of the Iraqi ministry of information that kept saying America’s forces would be slaughtered if they invaded Iraq - as American tanks rolled behind the information minister on camera. Ahmadinejad is trying to scare the West and deter his own people from rising up against him. It may work on them but Israel and the U.S. are still better armed and better informed. This is further proof, however, that the Iranian regime is not ready for the responsibility of nuclear power.

Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant is expected to go online Saturday, thanks largely to the aid of Russia, which this week supplied fuel for the plant.

Russia claims Iran can operate the plan peacefully and thus demonstrate nuclear responsibility. We must ask, however, when has Iran ever demonstrated responsibility?

Has Iran acted responsibly with Mohammad Mostafaei, the lawyer who is now seeking asylum in Norway because he dared defend human rights in Iran?

Has Iran acted responsibly with Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, Mostafaei’s most recent client, who was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery? The stoning sentence was eventually overturned after international uproar, but the mother of two still faces the death penalty, possibly by hanging.

Did Iran act responsibly with the 2009 elections? Was it responsible when Iran responded to protesters with violence?

Has Iran acted responsibly with its support of Hezbollah and Hamas?Hamas?

Does Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad act responsibly when he calls for Israel’s destruction?

The real question is why exactly does Russia think Iran will decide now to change its behavior, instead of using its newfound nuclear ability as a weapon in its agenda against human rights and peace?

The New York Daily News reported this weekend that Rabbi Marc Schneier had been caught kissing a woman who is not his wife. The article, which appeared Saturday, included a picture of the rendezvous. Schneier is the founder and president of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and has appeared multiple times on Newsweek’s annual list of America’s top 50 rabbis.

The New York Post reported in late June that Schneier was splitting from his fourth wife.

Local blogger Tzvee Zahavy picked up the Daily News story this week and posed an interesting question: Will Rabbi Shmuley Boteach — who had a close relationship with Michael Jackson and offered to counsel former reality TV star Jon Gosselin — offer to counsel Rabbi Schneier, who is spiritual adviser to such celebrities as Steven Spielberg?

Future Simchas has apparently started a trend.

The dating Website, an offshoot of Bergenfield-based Onlysimchas.com, held Dishes & Dating last month at Teaneck’s Nobo restaurant, a steakhouse and the only kosher restaurant with a liquor license in Bergen County. Organizers billed it as a “feed dating” event, combining speed dating with dining. With more than 50 participants, organizers hailed the first-of-its-kind event a success.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Young Israel of Teaneck and YU Connects are holding their own speed dating event on Aug. 29 at Teaneck’s Mocha Bleu, a dairy restaurant. Like Dishes & Dating this event is geared toward modern Orthodox singles, but it’s aiming at the 23-30 demographic, while the Nobo event targeted singles 28-38.

For more information, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

More to come as this develops. 

Yes, really.

Saudi Arabia is planning to ban the smart phone because the government can’t as easily monitor communications people send. The AP reported on other Arab countries that have banned the device and the list includes Lebanon, which cautions that Israel is using the phone to infiltrate Lebanon for spying purposes.

Lebanon’s main concern is “the ability of our security and judicial groups to access the data ... when it is required by law and when the security situation requires it,” Imad Hoballah, the acting head of the Telecoms Regulatory Authority, told The Associated Press in an interview in Beirut.

Lebanese soldiers opened fire on Israeli soldiers on Tuesday morning, killing one. The Lebanese accused the Israelis of crossing the border into Lebanon and cutting down a Lebanese tree.

Later that night, Israel released aerial footage proving that the Israeli soldiers had indeed been on the Israeli side of the border. On Wednesday, the United Nations confirmed Israel’s findings regarding the border and placed the blame on Lebanon.

I’m not sure what’s more shocking, that Israel worked that fast to get that footage out or that the UN actually sided with Israel.

In other news of the weird, Jerusalem Post reported todaySaudi Arabia is now reportedly pressuring the Palestinian Authority to enter direct negotiations with Israel.

What say you, readers? Do you see a change in attitude toward Israel or are these isolated incidents?

As reported in last week’s FYI, Futuresimchas.com and Nobo (formerly The Pasta Factory) organized a speed dating event in Teaneck on Monday called Dishes & Dating.

The Big Lipowsky swallowed his pride and signed up in order to bring you the inside scoop.

More than 70 people from around the New York metropolitan area signed up for the event with an almost even split of 38 men and 34 women. The women stayed put while the men juggled their water and wine glasses, silverware, and napkins as they moved from table to table. (My first “date” and I both had the same idea of tucking the napkin into my shirt like a bib as I moved, but I ended up draping it over my arm like a waiter.)

“It was a good, diverse crowd,” said Futuresimchas.com’s Yossi Markovitz, one of the event’s organizers. “That’s the best way to make matches.”

The evening was split into two types of speed dates. First, we had 15-minute rounds paired with salad, appetizers, and the main course. Then we moved into more rapid four-minute dates to fit in as many as possible into the remaining two hours.  In the end we all came together with a dessert buffet.

We dined on salad, lamb ribs, spring rolls, dumplings, and prime rib. During each course we had an evaluation form to critique the food, which organizers decided would be a worthwhile ice-breaker. For the second-round appetizers — a chicken dumpling, a lamb riblet, and a duck confit spring roll — The Big Lipowsky lucked out and sat with a vegetarian who graciously gave up the meaty morsels. Trying to be a little creative and entertaining while writing the critique, I told her that the chilled spring roll in a rice wrapper was cool, refreshing, and inspired me to paint.

Markovitz did get some criticism because of the length of the event — about three hours.

“People just get tired,” he said. “Most of the speed-dating events are 10 pairs max and we had 75 people. People get tired after meeting other singles of the opposite gender.  We had to call it quits after 15 rounds of the speed dating and couldn’t go to 25 as initially expected.”

All in all, though, Markowitz chalked up the first-time event as a success and Futuresimchas plans to repeat it with different venues.

As for how The Big Lipowsky made out, well, some things just are not for public record. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some calls to make.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has launched another tirade against the West. He’s not targeting Israel or America, though. This time he’s set his sights on Paul the Octopus, Germany’s giant cephalopod that accurately predicted the results of the World Cup.

According to the UK Telegraph, Ahadinejad said Paul “spreads Western propaganda and superstition” and is a symbol of decadence.

Honestly, we are not making this up.