no blog

JDate woes

2006-03-27T22:04:00.000-05:00

JDate has some issues when it comes to photos. Here's a copy of the email I sent them upon there refusal to post the pictures I tried to upload. I figure that if my profile continues to live on even after I stopped being a full member, it should at least have some recent pictures of me (not like those people who have photos of themselves from long ago and no longer resemble said pictures).

The email:
Why does it seem that I've been having so many problems with JDate and photos? First, you delete a bunch of my original pictures. Then you change one that I submitted last week (by rotating it 90 degrees counterclockwise and lightening my skin). I'm frustrated by the lack of control that I have over my own pictures. I've never had this problem with Friendster or etc.... only with JDate.

An exercise in self reflection.

2005-10-13T15:52:00.000-04:00

Whom can I accuse, of whom revenge demand,
When I have borne deep suffering at my own hand?

Other hearts have held hatred for me,
But my own heart hates me more than anyone knows.

My body bears the wounds of relentless foes,
But none can match my self-inflicted wounds.

I have been seduced for my destruction
But none have lured me than my own eyes.

I have been burned by countless fires,
But none compare to the heat of my desires.

In traps I've been ensnared by old and young,
But none have trapped me better than my tongue.

Bandits have pursued me, fast and fleet,
But none pursue me faster than my feet.

Pain overwhelms me, but no pain more than my rebellion.
Anguish increases, but never faster than transgression.

Whom can I blame, how can I function,
When I am the source of my own destruction?

I seek shelter for my soul, which you alone did fashion,
For You, our God and King, are enthroned upon compassion.

(thanks for putting this online rabbi)

"Al Chet"- some thoughts

2005-10-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

To begin I feel I should mention that I try to think about what I feel bad about daily. Not in a Jewish guilt way, but in a more Zen way- what went wrong with my actions today and how can I change my behaviors to reflect what I believe is a right way of living?

I found an interesting meditation online. When I sit alone in shul I don't know if I spend enough time thinking about the meaning behind the prayers. Especially on a day like Yom Kippur where I am supposed to be meditating upon my past year and the events that have occurred and how I can be a better person this year. I am confused by the fact that I am feel that I am more fruitfully reflecting on my misgivings about the past year while blogging this. I grew up in a traditional family, went to temple, went to day school and yeshiva. Why have I grown so alienated from that life?*

#29 intrigues me- For the mistakes we committed before You with eye movements.
Now this is something that does not necessarily come to mind when I think about the concept of sinning.

#38 or the mistakes we committed before You by being stiff-necked
\Guilty as charged. I can be stubborn and usually know when I am being like that...not that it stops me. This is something I am trying to change about myself. However, stubborn can also equal determined. I am trying to learn how to balance the two.

#44 For the mistakes we committed before You through confusion of the heart
My heart certainly has been confused lately. New job, new place to move into...it's scary leaving my old life behind, even if I am only moving an hour away. I hope, within my heart, that the choices I am making (and have made) regarding this transition in my life are the correct ones for me.

*But I suppose that's a much longer, philosophical question for another time.

Jewish podcasts, fascination

2005-09-29T16:25:00.000-04:00

While browsing iTunes today I notice that there are some Jewish-themed podcasts. Some of my finds:

It seems that among the more Othodox communities there is a debate about the appropriateness of various technologies, especially the internet. Chabad seems to have jumped on the technology bandwagon and has a daily ten minutes of Torah study that can be easily downloaded. For those interested there is also the Daf Yomi podcast by the Orthodox Union.

The other podcasts seem to range from an AZA chapter in Pennsylvania somewhere to various Rabbinical lectures to one from a temple in Baltimore. And of course there is the Kabbalah-themed podcast.

interestingly there is a podcast on the topic of (or produced by, the intro didn't make it too clear) a community of about 600 Jews in Uganda.
And who could forget the Catskill-style titled OyPod- the American teen Jewish podcast.

Breaking away

2005-09-24T18:06:00.000-04:00

I hate myself so much so much somedays. I hate the way things turn out. The way I don't always evolve that way that I wish I should or could.
I am confused about who I am some days and totally sure of who I am others.

Words to describe how I'm feeling

2005-09-24T16:57:00.000-04:00

horrible
sad
broken
shitty
sorry
stubborn
lonely
scared
unsure
terrrible
jealous
hopeful
hating
frustrated
sorrow
aching

Fleeing the Strip

2005-09-14T18:54:00.000-04:00

We gave them Gaza and now they want to leave? I do not understand these people.

And I find it interesting that the Egyptians don't seem to want them either.

UrbanTraditional

2005-08-17T20:59:00.000-04:00

I had to create a profile on this site to search for a friend's profile. To be honest I didn't give too much thought to what answers I chose, as they ask you silly things, like Pick Your Dominant Trait. So I just chose the basics that describe me. Didn't even put a picture up.
Some guy from Canada(!) an Icebreaker (of which there are precocious few options-"I like your profile", "I like your picture", "I'd like to see your picture", "Interesting personal descriptions") saying that he liked my profile. So I check out his. Cute picture, I'll admit, but then in the Polls section of his profile he answered "no" to the question "Would you message someone without a picture?".

I don't have a picture up on this site.

Hooking Up

2005-08-11T22:02:00.000-04:00

I just watched part 5 of the ABC News Special Hooking Up about finding Mr. or Ms. Right online. Is it ironic or soemthing that the Executive Producer's name is Terrance Wrong?

2005-08-11T17:51:00.000-04:00

Your Linguistic Profile:

55% General American English

35% Yankee

10% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

(via crystalline)

A Silly Poem

2005-08-11T17:35:00.000-04:00

I've had 2 interesting messages sent to me in the past week from my profile on Nerve.com.

One is a guy who sounds pretty cool and even lives in a nearby metro area. I'm exploring that without much serious intent, but you never know what makes friendship blossom. I wouldn't have met some of my good friends if not for JDate.

The other is someone in his 40's. He sent me a weird poem.

You're on the onion, I'm on the onion.
You're sarcastic... Well, you get the idea.
What do you do in TV, or is your career in watching TV? [Good attempt at being funny]
I'm attracted to the concept of you! [Sweet, but impersonal somehow....]

I have no idea what he means by that "onion" reference. My roommate says that sometimes I am too hard on men who are trying to get to know me or something, but the "onion" thing is really odd. Plus he's in his 40's. If you're old enough to be my dad, please don't bother. I don't have a Daddy complex. Try Craigslist.

On a related note, a friend of mine has had a few good dates with someone she met on UrbanTraditional.com Since the JDate phenom seems to have jumped the shark I wonder what will be the new JDate...?...Or if online dating is over in general....?

VJ Day

2005-08-08T00:41:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is a state holiday- VJ Day- the day that state and municipal employees of Rhode Island (and no other state in this country) take the day off from work celebrate, well, nuking Japan. They've tried to change the name of the holiday, or at least it's emphasis (bonus points to the state government for trying).

Newport Rocks!...Acoustically.

2005-08-07T19:13:00.000-04:00

The Newport Folk Fest yesterday was awesome! Some pictures that I took can be found here.

It was a hot day and despite some dehydration it was lots of fun. The Del McCoury Band, a guilty pleasure of mine from sometimes watching CMT late at night, played their rollicking bluegrass early on in the day getting the energy level up. I also really enjoyed the music of several people I'd heard (or heard of) before- Ray LaMontagne, Richard Thompson, and the Foghorn String Band. Bela Fleck-my main reason for wanting to attend the festival- was amazing! And The Pixies were a great way to top off a great day. I'd never heard that much of their stuff before and was pleasantly surprised by how different they sounded acousitacallly than what I'd checked out of theirs on iTunes.

Matisyahu + Trey

2005-08-06T02:52:00.000-04:00

I went to see them in Boston on Thursday. I (sadly) missed Matisyahu because I arrived a bit late. But Trey was fantastic! He sounded great and a good time was had by all(...unless you had the misfortune of standing next to a crazy dancing tripping Phishhead, which I managed to avoid).
Then afte the show my friend S picked me up and we went to this awesome bar at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge. it was really semi-fancy but lacked the attitude one tends to find at places that make such great drinks. S and I chatted with some interesting people at the bar who were very drunk and entertaining, but in a non-annoying way. One was really cute but I got a gay vibe from him, as did S.

That's all for now since it's 3 AM and I'm up early to head off to the Newport Folk Fest.
G'night!

Crown Heights

2005-08-02T22:27:00.000-04:00

I'm loving this new blog I've found.

Natalee: Aruba media commits act of sensibility

2005-08-01T11:31:00.000-04:00

An intersting take of the Natalee Holloway case in the media.
(via Lost Remote)

Tennis anyone?

2005-08-01T10:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I played tennis for the first time in over 10 years....and I wasn't too rusty. I was using my roommate's old racquet which had a crumbling grip that shed all over my hands and made control kind of tough. However, my lapse of 12+ years of playing still left me better than the roommate.
When I was around 5 my dad and stepmom got really into tennis. Not sure why...popular yuppie sport in the 80's I guess. He used to take me out in the driveway and hit balls to me. We'd do this for hours. For a five year old I had some pretty decent power. I used to hit them into the neighbors' yards all the time (neighbors were very lovely to put up with this). My dad seemed to have this whole concept that if he taught me when I was little the muscle memory would preserve or something. I also took 'real' lessons in middle school. I was not so good then because it turned out that I needed glasses and no one knew. My first tennis lesson post-contact lenses was a real eye opener- no pun intended- I was finally able to see the ball, whereas before it was just a large fuzzy yellow thing coming at me.

Out of here

2005-07-31T14:16:00.000-04:00

I have this deep need to flee. To take a vacation. Be somewhere else and be someone else, just for a while.....To escape all the stresses of my life. Eek. Now I'm starting to sound like a Club Med commercial. Mmmmm...Club Med...that'd be nice...sitting on the beach, drinking something with an umbrella in it....having a cute cabana boy rub sunscreen on my back.....

So much has gone wrong lately that I'm begininng to feel like a failure in many aspects of my life- career, love, friendship, etc....

2 Things

2005-07-31T12:47:00.000-04:00

1. Another death in the family. At least he lived a long and full life until his 90's. He was in the Dutch Royal Air Force and moved to Israel back when it was still Palestine. He worked on putting together the planes (literally, piece by piece) during the Independence Day War in 1948. He also met and married his wife during the war (siege of Jerusalem, I believe).

2. Think I might be moving back to NY sometime in the fall.

Movie Madness

2005-07-28T19:04:00.000-04:00

Movies I will admit to liking:

Police Academy 1-6
Moving Violations (starring Bill Murray's little brother, Dana)
Earth Girls Are Easy
Rocky Horror Picture Show (I was even known to frequent the midnight showings on Saturdays in Paramus while in hs)
Adventures in Babysitting
Drumline
Major League
Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle
Super Troopers
WarGames

*slightly off topic yet too funny not to include somehow, the prize for the least creative porno name goes to Fornicating Outdoors (I haven't actually viewed it, but saw it in a porn shop once)

Cat Burgler & Other Laughs

2005-07-27T20:57:00.000-04:00

Via the Best of Craigslist

This is both funny and scary, but worth a read
King of the (goldfish) castle
Never get a waxing from The New Girl
Kitty + porn = exhibition
The language of Craigslist
The reality of being an intern on Capitol Hill
The Dukes go to Nigeria

I Love Rock N Roll

2005-07-25T20:46:00.000-04:00

I went to see Joan Jett and the Blackhearts on Saturday night. She played a free concert at a local dog track (yes, dog track...But not just any dog track, this one has slot machines!) here in southern New England. The do a free summer concert series in the month of July. It was a nice cool night, the sky was a beautiful navy blue and the weather cooperated.
It was a fun show with a pretty decent opening act. There were all sorts of people there- middle aged parents with their kids, GLBTQ of all ages, rednecks, tattooed bikers decked out in OCC and Harley gear, senior citizens, I think that some of the slots addicts from the casino even ventured outside for it. Everyone seemed in the mood to rock. And rock we did.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts sounded really good and rather clear, considering that this was an outdoor concert. I could've sworn it was like having her CD playing in the background. They debuted some songs off their new album, Naked. It was really amusing to see all of the diverse people described above bopping and with their fists pumping to songs with titles like Androgynous (really upbeat song) and Fetish (containing lyrics like "get off having rough sex", "relax while I pound your ass", and "its time to be my dog"). I had to wonder if they were even listening to what she was singing.

City Housing Authority Bans Kiddie Pools

2005-07-22T18:06:00.000-04:00

City Housing Authority Bans Kiddie Pools

OK. I can see why the residents are upset. I can also see why the housing authority might do this. They don't want some unsupervised kid to drown and then the parents sue the city.

I have a simple solution- buy a sprinkler. You can't drown in a sprinkler.

Family Tree

2005-07-20T19:27:00.000-04:00

I think that one of the projects that I will work on during my unemployment, other than finding a new job and finally cleaning out my closet, is a family history. Wish me luck as I now embark on an investigation of how to best go about this.

Nature

2005-07-18T10:38:00.000-04:00

I am not nature girl. I like to look at it. But I don't like it on me.
My roommate wanted to go hiking at Weetamoo Woods in nearby Tiverton, RI. Note the part of the descriptions that says "Miscellaneous Information: Early Summer is a brutal time for bugs. Bring plenty of bug spray and wear light colored clothing." He forgot to mention that part to me. Minus the many, many, many bugs it was a nice walk. I got some good pictures.

Out

2005-07-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

I've begun outing myself to some close friends and family. Or rather outing my new blog, Involuntary Slacker, so that they can be updated on my job situation. And inevitably they find this blog. So I guess that makes me out.
I'm not sure how I feel about this...Especially since I know that they might even be reading this right now....about my ambivalence.....
I guess if the pressure mounts I can go underground or something.

Tassels and Heckling- Or How I Spent Last Sat. Night

2005-07-15T21:04:00.000-04:00

That was my night last Saturday.

But let me start at the beginning. My trek into the wilds of NYC city began when my friend, Dan, and I went to visit my cousin, also named Dan ( who will henceforth will be referred to as Dan 2) at his UWS apartment. The three of us went for a walk in Central Park. It was lots of fun. I hadn't been to the boat pond since I was a kid. Then we went to the summer stage area and listened to a bit of a free concert by this Brazilian band.

Two friends and I started that night at a fabulous little (and I mean little, we ate at the counter that doubles as the cash register/wait station/glass storage area) called Jeeb on the LES. Dinner for 3 for under $40. Really good, really fresh food. None of the mango chunks in my salad were mushy.

Then the three of us moved on down the street to the Slipper Room.
Fun factoid- the Slipper Room is the present day location of a ladies hosiery store called Bundy's Undies* that was owned by my friend, S's, grandfather back in the day. They had a $4 margarita special that night. Not bad. Then, the entertainment began. There were some cute gogo dancers and then the emcee came out. He danced around for us in a Wonder Woman costume. And boy did he fill it out nicely. There were some good burlesque performers, all beautiful. The only problem of the night arose when my friend S had a bit too much to drink and began to heckle the emcee. Oy vey. He finally turns to her and says "are you going to be that person that I'm going to make fun of all night?". She said something like "but I'll give you good material". She thought it was fun. He did not. Dan and I glanced at each other, each of us mouthing "its time to leave soon".
Note- the bathrooms at the Slipper Room are downstairs. The one all the way at the end has a hole in the stone wall behind the toilet. In a tequila fog I kept thinking that something was going to burst out of there like in a bad horror movie.

Soon it was onto another friend's apartment on the UWS to rescue C from studying himself into a tizzy for his upcoming bar exam. We went to the nearby Dive Bar. I had a good time there. Not too pretentious, fun atmosphere, good drinks.

*A play on his last name. Or a derivative of.....

Sleeping On A Jet Plane

2005-07-14T21:11:00.000-04:00

This was inspired by my comment on Todd's experiences on a recent flight.

A few years ago, coming back from visiting my dad in the hospital in Michigan on Xmas Eve, I had the seatmate from hell. It was a large plane that had two seats on each side (a 727?). I got the window. I thought I'd scored. I mean, who else flies on Xmas Eve? Imagine my dismay as the plane filled up and this guy sits down next to me who smells like a distillery. Not only is he drunk as a skunk but he yaps away while totally violating my personal space bubble- about his martial problems, about how he is a pediatric oncologist (sad job, I see why he might drink), about how he is related on his wife's side to John Paul DeJoria (of the Paul Mitchell hair care line) who has a home in RI.

Bad right? It gets worse. He falls asleep in his aisle seat. I am trapped. His drink somehow spills all over the floor and near my stuff under the seat. This is not a nap. He is heavily alseep and snoring lightly. And then in his drunken sleep somehow ends up cuddling up to my shoulder. Ick. I keep trying to squirm away, but that only ends up giving him more space to pretend that he was in his bed. I am now smooshed against the window. The flight attendants keep passing by and giving me sympathetic looks ("poor girl, that drunk passed out on her").
Thank goodness for that bumpy landing or I think he never would've woken up. I could not get up the jetway fast enough.

Mother's Milk

2005-07-14T14:09:00.000-04:00

Breast feeding in shul. I'm all for breast feeding. I don't believe mothers should be hidden away when the action is so natural. In fact, one of my earliest memories of Central Park involves visiting it with my older cousins, both mothers of small babies. We were on the Great Lawn and they were breast feeding. My grandmother wondered aloud if this was the best place to do it. They assured her that it was fine. In fact the week before they'd been there together and two women wandered by and the four of them began discussing the best kinds of nursing bras.

However, there is a time and place to be more private about it. And a house of worship is one of those places. One year my mom came up to visit me at school during Rosh haShana and we went to the local Reform service in town to check it out. An overall fine experience, except for the woman who breastfed next to me during the service. I found it distracting to my prayers. I mean, she probably wouldn't have done that if we were all there for a funeral service.
As one nursing mother says:

I think it would be distracting in synagogue, and I'm not sure that it's the best thing for the rest of people in this environment, especially people of another generation, she said. I would remove myself from the sanctuarywouldn'touldnt be bothered if other people breast-fed. Its a decorum thing for me.

I'm all for nursing. It's healthy for babies and is a great way for mother and baby to bond. But there's a time and a place for everything. We make sacrifices when having children, perhaps missing a few minutes of a service to discreetly nurse your child is one of those things.

I wonder what Miss Manners would say?

I'm a statistic! I'm a statistic!

2005-07-13T17:35:00.000-04:00

For your viewing pleasure....

2005-07-13T15:35:00.000-04:00

...some photos from the wedding I attended this past Sunday at the Clubhouse at Patriot Hills.

It was my first interfaith wedding. The officiant was listed as "Father" something on the program. I assumed he was a priest (who could also chant beautiful Hebrew blessings, as this was an interfaith ceremony). Turns out he wasn't a priest. He told the bride's mom he can be whatever you want him to be. Not sure what he is affiliated with. Maybe it was the Church Of I-Got-Ordained-On-The-Internet? (I mean no offense to any internet ordained ministers).

The wedding itself was a nice affair. The food was OK. I was seated with the other children of the friends of the mother-of-the-bride. That part was fun as I hadn't seen Nicole, Lisa, and their brother David in a while. I also got ot meet Nicole's new husband. We were also seated with the bride's two cousins (one of whom was not asked to be in the wedding party while the other one was. Hmmm....). They were just about as friendly as they used to be when were were kids, which is to say, not very friendly.

The bride and groom seemed to be enjoying themselves and that's what counts, right?

Back Online

2005-07-12T19:13:00.000-04:00

I'm back at home with the cable modem. I missed my cable modem. And my laptop. And my TiVo.
My trip to New York was fun. That wedding I went to was not. More on them tomorrow once I've finished unpacking and catching up on my email.

Overheard

2005-07-12T19:10:00.000-04:00

I was at an outlet center somewhere in CT today and overheard two employees in their 20's talking:

Girl: "....Winston Churchill! I mean, who is that?!"
Guy: "I don't Know"
Girl"Is he like a news anchor or something?"

Sad, sad, sad! How could they not know who Churchill is?!

Hi, My Name is Lyss....

2005-07-08T16:26:00.000-04:00

...and I'm a media addict.

They say the first step to conquering an addiction is to admit that you have one. I do. I miss my media. My mom's house is so low tech. I was watching School of Rock and wanted to find out some info about the movie. If I were back home in New England I'd just reach over and turn the laptop on. But here in NY the slow as molasses computer is in another room far from the lone DVD player. Not that I live in a palace out in New England, it's just that we have consolidated most of the good media stuff to one room. Far easier for multi-task loving ADDers like myself.

Random thought- Jack Black is an incredibly cool Jew.

My first meme

2005-07-08T15:52:00.000-04:00

(Hope I don't screw it up).

Courtesy of Esther.

10 Years Ago: 1995- Stuck at Frisch. I don't understand those people who want to relive HS (Like Rob Geller in Never Been Kissed). No good thoughts on this topic right now.

5 Years Ago: 2000- summer before my seniopr year of college. It was a good summer. I was a tour guide in the admissions office of Ithaca College. Walking that many times around campus a day left me in the best shape I think I've been in my life. I looked goooood. More importantly, I felt good.

1 Year Ago: Working a lot. Trying to escape the heat. Preparing for the July 17th wedding of friends Laura and Paul.

Yesterday: Drove down to NY.

Today: Currently-sitting at the library typing this b/c my mom has dial up. Got up. Showered. Ran errands. Watched School of Rock. (Cute movie, I highly recommend it for a feel good time on a dreary day such as this).

Tomorrow: Getting a manicure for the wedding I'm attending on Sunday. Going to the big Apple. Maybe meeting up with Esther.

5 snacks I like: carmel popcorn, cheese puffs, sushi, apples

5 bands most of whose lyrics I know: Indigo Girls, Aerosmith, the Boss. I know that's only three, but I'm bad with lyrics.

5 things I would do with $100 million: 1. buy a new car, 2. give money to the Ithaca College Art History Dept for a new building (which they could, of course, name after me if they choose to) so that they no longer need to reside in the basement of Gannett Library, 3. take my mom on a grand tour of Europe and see all the great art and architecture,4. donate money to creat programs and initiatives designed to get young-ish Jews (think 20's and 30's) more involved into the community without making them feel like an ATM (I'm the future. If you want me to marry Jewish and have Jewish babies you gotta get me now)., 5. go to Iceland. I hear they worship dark haired curvy babes like me there :-D

5 locations I'd like to run away to: Iceland, Japan, Israel, England, Italy

5 bad habits I have: being impatient, shoe obsession, procrastination, don't always listen when I should, picky eater

5 things I like doing: watching TV, things on the internet, rediscovering the creativity within me, discovering new beautiful places, looking at houses (I'm an architecture geek)

5 things I would never wear: pasties, spike heels (I'd fall over in a second), crocheted vests, the color orange, anything chenille

5 TV shows I like: ER, L&O (regular and SVU), Gilmore Girls, CSI, West Wing

5 movies I like: Happy Texas, Apocalypse Now: Redux, Spinal Tap, Best in Show, Princess Bride

5 biggest joys at the moment: not having to be anywhere at 9 am each weekday, the upcoming wedding of an old friend, good friends, the health of my family, my new shoes

5 favorite toys: iPod, digital camera, TiVo, laptop, cell phone

5 people to tag: (please don't hate me):

Todd of Chasing the American Dream
Ann at For The Long Run
Chaim from Life of Rubin
Passionate Life (beacuse he needs something to distract him right now)

(I can only think of four right now b/c there is some guy staring over my shoulder, drooling for me to be done with this library computer....)

The Chosen Bloggers

2005-07-06T21:17:00.000-04:00

What a great article by Chayyei Sarah on the world of Jewish blogging and the general state of Jewish generational access to our religion.
I like the Jewish blog-o-sphere because it is a mix of all kinds of Jews. I like that I can feel a sense of community with them because we are all Jews. I live in a city with a fairly large Jewish community (we even have one shul here with about 1000 families. 1000. Where I grew up they would've had a schism about something back around family 445). As a single woman in my 20's I often feel only tangentially connected to my community here (seems to be a theme with me today). Sure I may serve on the board of a local organization (and I'm lucky, since they actually listen to what I have to day most of the time) and and sometimes partake in activities put on by our local pseudo-singles group. But it all seems so shallow sometimes. I like being able to know what people really think about their brand of Judaism. And the anonymity on the internet gives them that freedom. (I have to admit that I've gotten less and less anonymous as this blog has evolved).

(Thanks RenReb)

Thoughts On My Yeshiva Past

2005-07-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

I was never the most popular girl in high school. I was pretty, but definitely spent some of those years going through an awkward stage. It didn't help that my cousin went to a nearby boys yeshiva where he played on sports teams and was a total chick magnet. Girls used to come up to me in the hallway and ask "are you John Doe's cousin? He's so hot!". I never really knew how to respond appropriately to that. Should I have said "thanks" like I'm taking the credit for him being hot? I wasn't really going to agree with them, I mean, he's my cousin. Ick! This is not Kentucky.

Anyway, I've been thinking back to high school lately ( probably from all the free time on my hands due to my unemployment). Like I was saying, I was not really popular. Not sure if I wanted to be. A lot of the popular kids seemed* kind of shallow. Funny, considering it was a yeshiva, where one is supposed to learn about the value of spirituality and how it can separate us from the amoral and secular world. Sure they were observant. But when someone who is usually up on their moral high horse asks to cheat off you on the upcoming social studies test I wondered if they realized the hypocrisy of their own actions?

I had my friends whom I loved dearly. Too bad we don't really speak anymore. I guess we live in different worlds. I had three best female friends. When we graduated I went off to Ithaca and the three of them attended Rutgers together. We spoke occasionally and saw each other on breaks, but as time wore on we lost touch. I'd hear snippets of news about them through my family (the northern NJ Jewish grapevine is amazing in its reach sometimes). The last time I saw two of them was when they came to see me when was sitting Shiva for my father. A nice gesture. I hoped that we would be more in touch after that but it hasn't worked out that way. I miss them. They all stayed in the NY metro area while I went upstate and then off to New England. I sometimes think that since my parents were not Othrodox and I didn't grow up in the Teaneck/Englewood/Fair Lawn triangle it was easier for me to get out, so to speak. Despite spending something like 60% of my time in high school in Teaneck at my aunt and uncle's house I was a visitor to their world, living on the fringes. I didn't come from Moriah or Yavneh like the majority of my classmates did (the rest of us were a mix of RGHDS (where I had gone), Solomon Schechter of North Jersey, ASHAR, public school, Kushner, YNJ, and SAR). I was an outsider from day one simply because I was not as observant as the bulk of my classmates, I pronounced my my Hebrew words correctly (Bereshit, not Bereshis), and I was not in the Kollel level classes (which meant staying extra hours after school on Thursdays, not appealing to someone who lived 45 minutes away with the awful NJ traffic).

Though I didn't love it at the time I suppose that being an outsider taught me how to survive when you're the one labeled different. It gave me strength and taught me that being who I am is more important than being who someone else wants me to be. My friend, L, put it this way in an email: "You're not afraid to let people know who you are off the bat and you don't compromise who you are for whose company you're in".

*I am not saying that all the popular kids were X, Y, or Z...just writing about the way things seemed to me.

{Also can be seen at Jewish Connections}

Exciting New Blog!

2005-07-04T20:29:00.000-04:00

Week 1 of unemployment has reared its ugly head. To cope, I'm chronicling my adventures in a new blog called Involuntary Slacker.

Nontraditional Love Story

2005-07-04T13:46:00.000-04:00

I just finished watching Hannibal and find it (along with the prequel to it, Silence of the Lambs) a rather touching, if unusual, story of love and devotion. Hannibal Lecter, the voracious cannibal who feeds one unlucky victim pieces of his own post-lobotomy brain, obviously has no problem killing those he deems rude or unnecessary. He has ample opportunity to kill FBI Agent Clarice Starling but rather seeks to destroy those who try to destroy her. Lecter not only rescues her from man-eating boars, he also performs surgery to remove a bullet from her shoulder (as opposed to carving her up so that he can eat her liver with some "fava beans and a nice Chiante"). And then in the end* of Hannibal he makes an ultimate sacrifice of his own blood and body so that one of them may escape. If cutting off your own hand rather than that of a federal officer whose goal in life it is to curtail your freedom is not an act of love, then I don't know what is.

You may think I'm crazy. But I see characters who have a mutual respect for civility and manners (lest we forget that Lecter also nevers dines on Barney, his caretaker at the asylum) and for each other. The relationship might also be described as "equal parts antagonism and seduction". Though I much prefer the chemistry and tension that Jodie Foster and Sir Anthony Hopkins shared, Julianne Moore does a respectable job of mental sparring with the brilliant and vicious cannibal. It is indeed some sort of take on a tragic love story. I'm not an English scholar but the Starling/Lecter dynamic does remind me of the kind of chaste, love-from-afar relationship that one might read about in a novel by Bronte, Austen, or one of their contemporaries.

*I have just found out that the ending of the novel differs from the film in a drastic way. It was rewritten because in the original ending of the book Lecter abducts Clarice, brainwashes her, and they go on to live as lovers. (This greatly upset some of author Thomas Harris' fanbase). Just goes to show that sometimes the movie is better than the book.

Fugly

2005-06-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

A great blog that a friend sent me to cheer me up on this, my last day of work.
When ever I see a celeb on TV or in a magazine I can't help but critique a bad outfit. And what really scares me is that sometimes they pay stylists who tell them how to dress that badly (to give stylists the benefit of the doubt, perhaps your clients aren't listening to you).

Design

2005-06-29T12:28:00.000-04:00

I've been checking out the winners of this year's Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA).
I am a sucker for a cool design. Whether it is a new ergonomic redesign of a waterbottle or new bike, I love it. To me there is nothing like a product that is both beautiful and functional. This is why I love to shop at Target. And what design enthusiast doesn't love Kohler? If I had the career route to redo I would've become an industrial designer.

Great design might even make a visit to the Clinton Presidential Center in Arkansas worthwhile. Or Kansas City.

When I worked at a popular northeastern pharmacy chain I saw firsthand how packaging and design can matter to the customer. For example, when a very popular facial moisturizer got a packaging redesign it was suddenly very difficult for many of the more senior customers to extract from the package. Many of them either ended up returning it or bringing it in and having me take it out of the package for them. Either way resulted in an inconvenience for the consumer.

Karma and the Court

2005-06-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

What goes around comes around, especially if you're a Superme Court Justice.

Yeshivaish Sex Ed

2005-06-28T21:45:00.000-04:00

This post at Jewish Conections got me thinking....

I was one of the only graduating seniors in my yeshiva HS who would actually owe up to having lost my virginity while in HS (my choice and what I did in the context of a long term relationship is not up for anyone's judgment). Not that I was going around volunteering that information, but if someone asked, I was honest.

There certainly were others who did go out of their way to hide the fact they they enganged in ANY Remotely Sensual activities, including good friends of mine. I felt it sad that they could not turn to their parents for advice about that kind of thing. I watched many friends struggle with the decisions surrounding being shomer negiah and with their sexuality in general. Instead of seeing sex as natural and beautiful (which Judaism does) my peers saw it as shameful.

I am thankful that my yeshiva HS had a Taharat Ha Mishpacha class, or as I called it Sex Ed Yeshiva Style. We seniors were split up by gender and the rebbetzin who lead the majority of the girls class was pretty well informed. One day we had a GYN come in and teach us about birth control and the like. At least they did that for us and aknowlegded that it was in everyone's best interests to at least be educated about sex and STDs and etc...{This is what makes abstinence-only programs so scary-- that they don't teach about protection so when those kids end up having sex they don't use condoms (I know there are stats onthis somewhere, just can't track them down right now.....). Let's face it, teens are gonna experiment. That's life. Not all teens, but a good chunk. I mean teaching teens about codoms isn't going to make them say "wow! Wearing a condom looks fun! I need to go out and find a girl to hae sex with". }

I digress. My parents had always been open minded and taught me that sex was something special to be shared between two people. And that sex was powerful and if used to the wrong way or not respected could lead to hurt feelings...or worse.... And that is a boy didn't respect my boundaries then I should kick him to the curb.

Help

2005-06-27T15:13:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking of creating a blog to chronicle my upcoming unemployment (thereby forcing me to keep polishing my writing skills).

Any suggestions for names?

Thanks blog-o-sphere!

Torah Wisdom

2005-06-27T10:13:00.000-04:00

A new series titled Torah Wisdom focusing on Jewish laws and customs will debut on Shalom TV's programming. The network's discovery series is geared both toward those with observation questions and those interested in Judaism with introductory episodes on beliefs and rituals. David Jasse served as the series' exec producer with help from the Global Jewish Assistance and Relief Network, Jewish Children's Museum, Kings County Hospital, REDKEN/L'Oreal, Smith Barney and Time Warner Cable.

(via Cynopsis)

Stereotype of the greedy Jew?

2005-06-23T23:54:00.000-04:00

I had a bad day today. Lots of shit happened- car trouble, pending unemployment. But the best had to be the message that was left on my machine this afternoon.

Let me rewind.

I am on the board of a small Jewish organization. Very small, but it has heart. I can't donate a chunk of $$$ to the local Jewish community so I give them my time. I'm even helping to hook them up with some publicity for an event they're planning later this summer. I am young. I am a member of the Jewish community. And an active one. Sometimes it feels like their aren't many of us.
So, what does the message say? That my chairperson has been conrnered by a Federation exec at a meeting reminding him/her to check to make sure that the board s/he runs is up to date in their donations. What a terrible position for my chairperson to be put in.
I am angry. Apparently donating my free time is not good enough for some in my local community. I've run volunteer events. I know just as well as anyone that free labor is sometimes almost as important as money to a non-profit.
The best part of this is that I have given the Fed money. Not a lot. But some. I even have the receipt form United Way (donated through them...then my employer matches dollars) and the Thank You note from the Fed to prove it.
It's all right. I can now clearly see what is important to some people.
I think that this kind of insult- that I am not a valuable member of the community unless I give enough $$$$- is what makes some young Jews shy away.

Love Stories...witha twist...

2005-06-20T22:15:00.000-04:00

How did you meet your soulmate- now vs. then.

My Search is Over. For Now.

2005-06-20T15:55:00.000-04:00

I am sick of job searching. Sick. Of. It. I am beginning to see the same jobs over and over and over.
And to make matters more annoying my roommate, who has a perfectly good job, has two pending offers! Two! This frustrates me so much. I mean, I’m happy for him, as he does not love his suitable job, but I’m jealous too. I feel bad, b/c I try to act happy for him, but that sort of has a time limit. He sometimes goes on longer than he needs to about them and there comes a point where I just want to yell “Why must you gloat about your wonderful world of opportunities when I have nothing to look fwd to?”
I try to keep it in a positive perspective. And what do I have to look fwd to? No alarm clock, endless beach time, possibly some travel…But I just feel as though I am so aimless.
I am torn. Part of me wants to have a Real Job. You know, the kind where you wear a suit to work everyday and have underlings. But I’m not always sure how to get there or even if I truly want to. Part of me has no desire to have a Real Job. Like my friends in grad school. But I do not desire to have their levels of debt or their pressure to actually find something, to justify their research.

Friends and family keep reassuring me that I am a smart, creative, and valuable person. I just wish that my talents were marketable in a way that would give me health insurance.

The Perfect Man

2005-06-16T22:11:00.000-04:00

I saw The Perfect Man tonight. For free. This is a good thing b/c I would not pay to see this movie. By all means, try to catch it on TV. It was cute. But not worth $10.
The film is a string of cliches and scenes that improbably come together to create something movie-like. Aria Wallace stole every scene she was in (and made me wonder what happened to that cute kid from Jerry Maguire). Odd to see Chris Noth as some sort of romantic lead (Det. Logan was hardly Mr. Sensitive and well, neither was Mr. Big).

Almost from the begining (which is an almost complete rip off of Mermaids) I began to count the movie cliches.

Mom throws cake at cheating boyfriend
Movie montage, with dancing, set to cheery song.
Movie montage, sans dancing, set to depressing music.
Gay friend (Carson Kressley, who was pretty funny...much funnier than he is on Queer Eye)
Funny best friends (Caroline Rhea & a very funny African American woman whose name is oddy missing from the credits on IMDB)
Artsy, sarcastic guy
Ditzy teen best friend
Rip off of the standing outside a window with a boombox from Say Anything (only this version used "Lady" by STYX.....)
A STYX cover band*
The distraction scene, used to prevent two characters from seeing each other

*OK, not a cliche, but too weird not to mention

My Prom Was Kosher

2005-06-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

Interesting article in The Jewish Week- Is My Prom Date Kosher? about taking non-Jewish dates to proms at day schools.
I went to yeshiva and brought a non-Jewish date to our (unofficial *) prom.

How far can this be taken? No non-Jews at school events? Does this mean that if a student's father is not Jewish or is just undergoing a conversion that he is not welcome at school plays?

*In reality the administration knew about the prom. It was one of those secrets that's not really a secret.

Cash, Check, or Fryer?

2005-06-15T16:03:00.000-04:00

Alleged Chicken-For-Sex Offer Lands Meat Man In Jail

If I were her I'd be insulted that he didn't offer to trade some prime Angus steak....

Mississippi Burning-Clearly this is more important than Jacko

2005-06-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

Jury selection begins in trial of Edgar Ray Killen, accused of killing three civil rights workers in 1964. The heinous murders were depicted in the 1988 film Mississippi Burning.

Yes, but where do you hide the gun?

2005-06-14T11:09:00.000-04:00

Nearly naked man attempts carjacking. Seriously, where do you hide the weapon?

Jacko is Wacko

2005-06-13T16:43:00.000-04:00

Silly thing overheard on MSNBC:
"...gather in the courtroom to hear the verdict. The jury already knows what the verdict is..."

DUH! They were the ones to decide it.

Jews + Missionaries

2005-06-10T15:23:00.000-04:00

(As seen on Jewish Connection)

Jewish Education + Missionaries

I value my Jewish education (Schechter school from K-8 and yeshiva HS) for the questioning nature, concept of tikkun olam, biblical factoids that help me do well when playing Trivial Pursuit, and sense of depth it has imbued in me. I also value it because it has helped me easily shoo away some missionaries I’ve encountered.

The Hare Krishna Guy
Picture it- New Years Eve of the new millennium, Big Cypress Reservation in Florida’s Everglades. I was there to attend a Phish concert and enjoy the sunshine. Besides a few college friends I was accompanied by an old friend form my Schechter school.
One day as we wandered around the campgrounds a guy wearing a saffron colored robe stopped us. Having recently taken a intro course to Eastern Religions I immediately recognized him as a member of the Hare Krishna sect. He began his spiel when one of us (not sure if it was me or my friend, D) piped up with “Umm…we’re Jewish”. The man began speaking about how all religions are related, or some nonsense like that. I countered with “I just read this great book called The Jew in the Lotus about how Buddhism and Judaism have some fundamental things in common”. Saffron man asked me more about the book. I told him a bit about it. He wrote down the title, thanked us, and walked away. D and I looked at each other and one of us said “Wow, all that $$$ my parents spent on Jewish education was worth it for the fact that we made a Hare Krishna walk away wanting to learn more about Judaism”.

The Mormons Go To Shul
Picture it- about 10 am on a Saturday, the summer of 2000, a hippie college town in upstate NY. I have just gotten up and am wearing pajamas consisting of a tank top, no bra, and boxer shorts. The doorbell rings. Who could it be so early on a Saturday? The main door was open, meaning that they could see me through the screen door. Busted! I had to interact with them.
They begin their spiel. I tell them that I had just learned about Mormonism in a class called Sociology of Religion. I then inform them that I’m probably not a good prospect, being that I am Jewish. They seem happy to hear this and then babble on about how our two religions are related. We are kinfolk.

From the LDS website:
The Book of Mormon is another witness that Jesus Christ really lived, that He was and is God’s Son. It contains the writings of ancient prophets. One of these, Lehi, lived in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. God commanded Lehi to lead a small group of people to the American continent. There they became a great civilization.

I kind of nod. Then they tell me that they’d gone to temple the night before to celebrate the Sabbath. They really enjoyed it, even though they could not understand that language that people prayed in. “Hebrew” I inform them. Perhaps because of my tired state I then go on to explain the difference between biblical Hebrew and modern day Hebrew. They are very excited at this point and tell me that they are off to the library or something to learn more about Judaism…since we’re kin and all… A housemate comes out of hibernation and asks whom I was talking to. I tell him the story and he says “see you didn’t go to Hebrew school for nothing”. “Exactly” I reply “and worth every penny”.

[Side note- morning of college graduation another housemate answers the door to two Jehovah’s Witnesses. They begin to talk. B cuts them off with “Three Unitarians and a Jew live here. I really think you’ve got the wrong house.” Closes door.]

Epilogue
I told my parents those two stories and they said that it made them feel that spending all that money on my Jewish education was indeed worth it to ward off proselytizers, know who I am, where I come from, and to stay Jewish.

Plastic Surgery- The New Frontier

2005-06-09T16:24:00.000-04:00

Barring victims of female circumcision I have no idea why anyone would be so insecure as to want to do this.

Sex Change in the West Bank.

2005-06-08T22:03:00.000-04:00

Yes. I'm serious. (Who says that they don't have good medical facilities in the West Bank?)
(via Fleshbot).

Duuuude! I'm calling from Margaritaville!

2005-06-08T13:14:00.000-04:00

(via Fark)
Stoner + Jimmy Buffett's stolen cellphone = chaos

Who'd have thunk that the mayor of Margaritaville knew rapper Cam'ron?

Are Jews Really Smarter?

2005-06-07T10:28:00.000-04:00

Some researchers at University of Utah seem ot think so.

From the NY Times:

In describing what they see as the result of the Ashkenazic mutations, the researchers cite the fact that Ashkenazi Jews make up 3 percent of the American population but won 27 percent of its Nobel prizes, and account for more than half of world chess champions.

Casting call- Kids and Ken

2005-06-07T09:38:00.000-04:00

Casting for 2 news shows (via Cynopsis)

TLC show is looking for parents to share their secrets and learn a few new ones from the country's leading parenting experts. Are you clever parents who have come up against a new problem you don't know how to clever your way out of? The kids have been great, but recently they've changed and you're not sure how to deal with them? All good fodder for TLC's new show based on a popular UK series, where experts will come to your home and work with you and your family with a variety of exercises and trainings to improve the family relationship. Want to know more? Email Brenda Della Casa at bdcasa@diverseusa.tv as soon as possible. Include names and ages of family members and a brief description of your current situation. Oh, and make sure you speak with your spouse first.

Remember Ken Jennings? Remember he's getting his own show on Comedy Central? Now the network is looking for intelligent, competitive contestants for run-thrus. Trivia contestants of all ages & abilities have the chance to participate in game show run-thrus, and perhaps the chance to come back and compete against Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings in a non-airing presentation. All takes place in NYC from now until the end of July - you may be aksed to hang around for one afternoon or a few. Send your name, phone number, recent photo and why you'd be the perfect contestant to casting@embassyrow.com.

Holy cliches Batman!

2005-06-06T21:40:00.000-04:00

A 57 year old man contacted me through a personals site that I'd forgotten about. I thanked him for his compliments and declined politely, citing age as a reason. (My dad would be about 57 now...if he were still alive).
He just had to respond with something like 'if you got to know me you might see that I'm young at heart'. Could left things all nice and neat. But nope. Felt like he had to cross that line to Cliche World.

For the record I have friends who span in age from undergrads to their 40's. I have friends who are married with kids and mortgages and could potentially be my parents (if they were teenage parents....). [Not sure why I feel defensive about this.....].

Urban Jungle

2005-06-02T19:11:00.000-04:00

An article in Preservation Magazine about the photographers of abandoned (mostly) urban buildings. It opened up a really cool new world to me. I've always been fascinated by old, and sometimes abandoned, buildings. Preservation is what was supposed to be my career at one point (then, life got in the way.....I hope to find my way back eventually). These photographers explore a different notion of preservation than the traditional This Old House point of view....that the use of art and media can also preserve and that there is more than one way of doing things.

A good place to start- Infiltration

Explore......

Art In Ruins- a fab local New England site
Opacity- haunting photography of old hospitals around NY and New England
Insane Bunkers- another local fave
New England Ruins- haunting
Dijital Photography- mainly New England, check out the creepy old slaughterhouse
Abandoned NJ- answered questions about some places I'd encountered in my childhood in the tri-state area
Weird NJ- just cool. and weird. and very Jersey.
Modern Ruins- mainly Hudson Valley
Abandoned Buildings of the Northeast- check out the section on Rockland Psychiatric Center
Hudson Valley Ruins- great site with great pictures that shows off the plethora of creepy old and beautiful buildings in the Hudson Valley

Not nearly exhaustive enough. I'll add more as I explore the interweb. (Let me know if I've overlooked any).

Gay Ford

2005-06-02T10:35:00.000-04:00

American Family Association boycotting Ford Motor Co. over gay issues (via Fark)

DETROIT (AP) -- A conservative Christian group launched a boycott against Ford Motor Co. Tuesday, saying the second-largest U.S. automaker has given thousands of dollars to gay rights groups, offers benefits to same-sex couples and actively recruits gay employees. "

From redefining family to include homosexual marriage, to giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to support homosexual groups and their agenda, to forcing managers to attend diversity training on how to promote the acceptance of homosexuality... Ford leads the way," American Family Association chairman Donald Wildmon said in a statement.

Maybe next the Klan will boycott Ford for forcing managers to attend diversity-training sessions promoting the acceptance of black, Asian, and Jewish employees in the workplace? And let's not forget those pesky female employees. How dare they be outside the kitchen making a living to support their families?!

"Ford values all people, regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural or physical differences," Ford vice president of human resources Joe Laymon said. Laymon added that other automakers -- including General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp. -- provide benefits for same-sex partners and market their vehicles to the gay community.

Because Ford is not stupid. Gay people buy cars too.

GE also gives domestic partner benefits to same sex employees. I guess the members of the American Family Association feel that they can live without lightbulbs too. And so does Microsoft. No more Windows for the AFA. Maybe they should just give up and go live in a cave somewhere......

Deep Throat (NOT the movie)

2005-05-31T14:47:00.000-04:00

The identity of Deep Throat, the most (im)famous informant in American journalistic history seems to have been revealed.

(via Lost Remote)

For more Watergate tidbits read Leslie Stahl's autobiography, Reporting Live. Not only was she one of the first reporters to cover the story, but she used to date Bob Woodward.

Teaching English in Japan

2005-05-30T18:16:00.000-04:00

I ran across a really wonderful website a few weeks ago. It's about a young man from CA who teaches English in Japan. Several things I've learned from reading the editorials posted there:

when around Japanese schoolkids, you'd better watch your ass
our American ideas about sex, gender, and the personal space bubble seem to differ from those in Japan
Japanese women, on average, have smaller breasts than American women
the Japanese have really taken a shine to gangsta rap

Presidential Elections as Reality TV

2005-05-25T23:47:00.000-04:00

Over 500 million people cast their votes last night to crown Carrie Underwood the newest American Idol. 500 million. That’s more than the population of Canada!
Just over a million people voted in the last presidential election. Sad, considering who the president is matters more for us as a country.

What if we made the candidates for President of the United States competes on a reality show? Would putting the presidential election in the format of Survivor, American Idol, or Big Brother inspire more Americans to get involved in the electoral process?

The candidates would be locked in a house together, no advisors, no handlers, no high level donors. Citizens would be able to vote (only once) each week to kick someone off (like on American Idol) until only one is left. S/he gets to be the next President of the United States.

The candidates would compete in a series of tasks:

An American history quiz
Pass a citizenship test
Recite the Declaration of Independence by heart
Spontaneous oratory and debate segments
Town meetings with ordinary citizens
Moderate a “summit” (a trial run to see how a candidate might fare when actually in negotiations with, for example, Israeli and Palestinian leaders)

Idol Thoughts

2005-05-25T21:03:00.000-04:00

I admit to not having watched the majority of this season of American Idol...not since the first few rounds anyway. However, I must say that I did predict that Carrie would move on to the top 2 (at the time of this writing they have not tallied the final votes).
I've had a knack for this. Season 2 (I only began watching American Idol at the end of season 1) I picked Ruben "the Velvet Teddy Bear" Studdard in the early rounds to win it all. And season 3 I called Fantasia as well. (really cool name + voice + personality).
If Carrie wins it all I will be very proud of my odd intuition that will in no way be useful to me in my everyday life.

The Contender

2005-05-24T21:11:00.000-04:00

I am now watching the live season finale of The Contender. I've never watched a boxing match before, but the Pride of Providence, Peter Manfredo Jr. is one of the finalists. Being that RI is so small I've actually met the guy a few times when he's had to come into my place of employment. Nice guy, very polite. Dad was pretty nice too.
The fight is taking place at Caesars Palace in Las Veags. What really caught my eye was what occured when each fighter made his grand entrance- he walked through a door and was then flanked by some guys in very silly anceint Roman army uniforms. I have desperatly tried to find a picture, but failed. They just looked so funny. Like in Friends, when Joey ends up working at Caesars Palace. Crossed with something Shawn Michaels might wear.

Cycles

2005-05-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

I found out that a close family friend died yesterday. Cancer + liver failure. She was only in her 50's, a college friend of my mom.
I'm so sick of people being taken from me. I know that might sound selfish, but I don't care. Since 2001 I have yet to go a year without having a relative or family friend die...and they have not all been elderly either. (At least 10 people in my extended family under the age of 35 have lost a parent sometime in the past few years, myself included). Cancer, car accident, Parkinson's......
At least I know that she was not in pain. Honestly, I can say that until I turn blue but it does not make it any easier. She deserved more time.
Writing about this was supposed to be therapeutic. It's just getting me more upset.

Amish-Mart

2005-05-18T10:27:00.000-04:00

Via Fark, a Wal-mart for the Amish. I guess Wal-Mart really does some thorough demographic research.

Careful-'weird tech guys' on the loose

2005-05-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

According to this article many employees are behind company computer sabotage, usually because they are mad at their superiror(s). I guess there is something worse than putting garlic in someone's phone receiver.

Holocaust Education From a Bartender

2005-05-17T09:34:00.000-04:00

Alison Stern Golub is a very insightful writer of a column for a local Jewish paper that I serve on the editorial board of.
Check out her article on an unusual form of Shoah remembrance.

More Holocaust ads

2005-05-16T09:45:00.000-04:00

First there was PETA's Holocaust on your Plate ad. Now Wal-Mart jumps into the fire.
(as seen on Independent America)

Federal Trade-offs.

2005-05-12T15:18:00.000-04:00

How much is the federal government taking away from your state? Find out here.

Revelations about Fred Durst

2005-05-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

I'm always a bit incredulous of the whole model/actor/singer/writer concept. Sure, some are closer to today's multi-tasking, multi-talented ideal than others. But I have to admit that Fred Durst just might be able to make it as an actor should his singing career dry up. I've been watching Revelations on NBC and think that Fred is holding his own. I am amused by the fact that the satanist Ogden (Durst) and his gal pal Tulia (Caryn Green) always seem to speak in rhyme.
(Should you get a chance to see Hour 4 of Revelations make sure you catch Fred's "Mormon" scene).

Math Lesson

2005-05-06T16:29:00.000-04:00

12 foot RR overpass + 13 foot truck = chaos

(with some really good pictures)

Yom Ha Shoah- The Liberators

2005-05-05T10:37:00.000-04:00

In addition to commemorating Yom Ha Shoah it is also the 60th anniversary of VE Day as well as the liberation of the concentration camps. The station that I work at produced this half hour special that I am very proud to have been a part of.

Fear Factor Live!

2005-04-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

A new attraction will appear this summer at Universal Studios- Fear Factor Live.
Guests will be able to compete against each other in front of an audience. There will be extreme stunts.
Check out the casting requirements- my favorite is "Guests with prothetic limb(s) please see casting director for further instructions"

X Phile

2005-04-27T21:48:00.000-04:00

I am a huge X Files fan. Never been to a sci-fi convention, but have seen every single episode so many times that I am now taking time off from watching the show b/c sometimes you can overdose on TV.
Now Esther tells me that David Duchovny, the thinking woman's pin-up, has a blog.

And a shitty day begins to get better.......

On The Market

2005-04-25T22:12:00.000-04:00

What happens when we pair economic theory with dating?

Philip Greenspun examines this very question (via Erosblog)

Sexy Semitics 2

2005-04-25T19:50:00.000-04:00

What a shocking article about the Orthodox version of Sex in the City. (via Conservative Apikoris)

I guess everyone needs an outlet of some sort. And it sosrt of goes to show that having such strict rules in a family/community/school/etc... only encourages rebellion in an extreme and possibly dangerious (STDs, pregnancy, rape) form.

Chaotic Seder

2005-04-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

Happy Passover!

My seders took place in what is normally my aunt and uncle's living room. Walking in and seeing the living and dining rooms on opposite sides of the hallway than normal made me feel that we were walking into bizzaro world.

Highlights of my Seders:

My mom's boyfriend, normally a mild guy, asking my uncle if he thought Viagra was kosher for Passover
Getting to read the Wise Son. Every year the head of the Seder (usually my uncle) dictates who read which Son. It is an honor to be asked to read any Son at all (at least in my family). I have, after 26 years, finally worked my way up the ladder to read the Wise Son. (Though sadly, on the second night I got asked to read the Simple Son and the One Who Does Not Know How To Ask)
Overtired children and adults
That giving little kids kazoos and harmonicas is a bad idea (not my idea)
10 Plagues finger puppets
My "other" birthday celeration- My English birthday is April 13th. However, I was actually born on the 2nd Seder night. As a result my family celebrates my birthday on Passover, whenever the holiday happens to fall. (Once, in college, Passover fell in March and I came home to a bunch of happy birthday messages on the answering machine. My roommate was confused, asking "isn't your birthday in April?"). The celebration always involves 'fake' cake sans candles.

Sexy Semitic?

2005-04-22T20:14:00.000-04:00

..in the Casual Encounters (which I tend to browse when bored) section of Craigslist:

40 year old fun, professional (successful), handsome, secure, intelligent, clean, single guy here, in _______ (east side).... looking for a Jewish girl for a friend with benefits type thing, for a while before I wife hunt. I will be a great provider and spoil you.

Here are some of the thoughts that ran through my head upon reading this post :

is the guy Jewish?
is he hunting for a Jewish wife?
if he is Jewish, isn't is supposed to be the other way around- fool around with shiksas before you settle down?
if he's not Jewish, maybe he has a fetish for us sexy Semitic gals
I wonder what makes him think that a nice Jewish girl would make a good 'toy'?
if you're all those things you claim to be, why resort to the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist?
what does he mean by "great provider"- will he go out in the bush and kill me a gazelle? (which I would then use to make both dinner and new clothing)

Thoughts?

Smile!

2005-04-22T11:51:00.000-04:00

Someone at work just sent me this. I thought it was cute and want to share it with my readersip of 5.

:-7

Want to email the new pope?

2005-04-21T10:02:00.000-04:00

With New Pope Comes New E-Mail Address

RAW fashions

2005-04-18T21:56:00.000-04:00

Shawn Michaels needs the Fab Five more than any Red Sox player. Tonight on RAW he is wearing this coat-like thing (sort of like this one) that looks like something a tacky dominatrix should wear.
I'm sure he's a decent guy outside of the ring. This is nothing against him as a person. It's just that the person who dresses him should be smacked around by Batista or Triple H or any wrestler who knows how to dress better. And many wrestlers wear things that most homeless drag queens would toss back, but Shawn takes the cake.
Here we have a look I like to call Mad Max extra. Or a wacky fetish film.
I don't even know what to call this look.
And let's examine the outfit found here. The animal striped heart on his crotch is a real turn on. In fact, he often seems ready for a night at the leather bar. Hearts seem to be a theme with him as he is the Heartbreak Kid. (Maybe it's also some sort of really subversive thing- like I'm a big wrestler, paragon of manliness, and I am so much of a man that I am macho enough to wear hearts all over. ) But really, there is such a thing as overkill.
Though I have to admit, he doesn't look too bad in this.

Help Save Arrested Development

2005-04-13T10:20:00.000-04:00

Get Arrested

Why is it that many good shows get cancelled?

Freaks & Geeks
My So Called Life
Kindered: The Embraced (yes, I'm a bit of a goth geek)
Strange Luck
Firefly
Andy Richter Controls the Universe (the original cast)

Birthday Eve: Is 30 the new 25?

2005-04-12T20:56:00.000-04:00

Birthday + jobsearch = stress.

Tomorrow I turn 26.
I cross the line and am now closer to 30 than to 20.
Not sure how I feel about this.

I have a lot to be thankful for- my health, good family, roof over my head, etc... I am (relatively) happy with my body/looks.

But I can't help this gnawing feeling that I'm now closer to 30 but not any closer to being a grown up. I want to have fun and try new things and go out and drink too much on a weeknight sometimes. Sure, I have a job and bills to pay, which can = grown up. But inside I still feel like a kid a lot. And am treated like one too sometimes. Example: at a wedding shower dinner for a co-worker on Friday I was the youngest one by 30 (one exception being a 32 year old, but she has 2 kids) and the ladies felt odd bringing up certain topics in front of me (this faded as the wine flowed, but still.....).
[Sometimes I do feel like an adult. This occurs mainly when I am around friends who are grad students. They are impressed that I have a real 9-5 job and get up every day at the same time.]

And I don't feel any closer to accomplishing any sort of career goal. Or even having a career goal. I feel that I am drifting through life. Goals change. I don't want to be put into a box. (After all, I'm not a mime). I do not want to look back in 40 years and say that I hated being a salesperson/accountant/lawyer/insert-job-here_____ . And I have spent a lot of time lately looking at jobs and wondering if I am qualified for them and then questioning what my present job has actually helped prepare me for. I am frustrated. I am a bit too overeducated for many of the admin assistant jobs that I see (not being a snob, I was actually told that by several interviewers during my last major job search). Not cut out for numbers. Hate retail (and most of the customers). Boobs not perky enough to be a stripper (j/k). This blog has made me doubt my writing skills (or at least reading other people's blogs has).

One good thing about a birthday- it's the one day of the year that people pretty much have to be nice to you.

:-)

Searching

2005-04-12T15:32:00.000-04:00

As I continue the search for a new job I have noticed a few things:

A great website called indeed.com
Jobs on Craigslist- it is helpful for me, the applicant, to have contact information in the ad. I am finding it a bit shady when there is no mention of the company name. Here is an exmaple.
Cornerstone America, stop bothering me! Same goes for AmEx financial consultants.

This is why....

2005-04-06T11:08:00.000-04:00

...I refuse to drive through the new Big Dig tunnels in Boston.

PopeWatch 2005

2005-04-01T16:22:00.000-05:00

Update:

I've just learned of The Pope Blog (thanks Esther)

Some interesting info on how to elect a new pope.
From Time.com:

When the Pope dies, the head of the Sacred College of Cardinals, or Camerlengo, verifies the death. Standing over the deceased, he calls the pontiff by his baptismal name three times. Upon receiving no response, he announces the death and arranges for the Fisherman's ring -- inscribed with the name of the reigning pope -- and papal seal to be broken (how LOTR). Later, another ring will be made for the newly elected pope. The Camerlengo then prepares for the Pope's burial and the traditional nine days of mourning. Assisted by three officials elected from the college, he directs the election of the pontiff's successor.

Fifteen to 20 days after the death of the Pope, the Sacred College of Cardinals meets for the election. Hailing from every corner of the globe, the cardinals are handpicked by the pope to advise and help him. There are currently 123 voting cardinals. Do they sleep there? (Seriously, Im asking? Anyone know?)

The next morning, the cardinals attend mass in the Sistine Chapel and the electoral session begins. According to the reforms of Pope Paul VI, only cardinals under the age of 80 may vote. While for centuries only cardinals have been elected pope, in theory, any adult male Roman Catholic is papabile, or a potential candidate for the papacy. Lets elect another old dude? Sounds like the Supreme Court.
Two ballots are taken each morning and two each afternoon until a successful vote is completed. Like a jury. After each voting session, ballots are burned. If the vote is inconclusive, a chemical substance is added to the paper to produce black smoke. Billowing from the roof of the Vatican Palace, the smoke is a message to the crowds watching in St. Peter's Square that the church is still without a pope. Cool. Mystical. Practical.

Who is in the running to be the next pope?

Work

2005-03-27T14:27:00.000-05:00

So, I said I'd never blog about work. Well, as of June 30 I will no longer have a job. One company I am assigned to work for has decided to terminate their Joint Sales Agreement (JSA) with CompanyB. Honestly, I am not too shocked. Company A fired a bunch of corporate staffers in late Janurary and the day that they did that I updated my resume and put it on Monster and HotJobs and etc.
I am sad about my job in the sense that I will miss having a steady salary and health insurance, and I really like the people at my workplace (not the job itself), but I feel oddly free at the same time. I had been having some problems with my boss. Nice guy, but not really willing to let me broaden my horizons. I have been a go-to person by people in other departments only to have them be told NO by the boss. He doesn't like to share or something. Plus I've not been loving sales. I've discovered that I dislike dealing with local sales (not that I do the actual sales, but I have to deal with the fickle nature of them. Local merchants don't always grasp fundamentals of TV advertising, it can be frustrating.)
Company B's HR person said she'd do whatever she can to help us displaced employees.
Maybe I will move back to NY......

Actual Personal Ads Taken From Israeli Newspapers

2005-03-17T19:53:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me these. Enjoy!
(I can't vouch for their validity, but they're funny anyway).

>>Israeli professor, 41, with 18 years of teaching in my behind.
Looking for American-born woman who speaks English very good.

>>Jewish businessman, 49, manufactures Sabbath candles, Chanuka
candles, havdalah candles, Yahrzeit candles. Seeks non-smoker. POB 787

>>Female graduate student, studying kaballah, Zohar, exorcism of
dybbuks, seeks mensch. No weirdos, please. POB 56

>>Staunch Jewish feminist, wears tzitzis, seeking male who will
accept my independence, although you probably will not. Oh, just
forget it.POB 435

>>Yeshiva bochur, Torah scholar, long beard, payos. Seeks same in
woman. POB 43

>> Worried about in-law meddling!? I'm an orphan! Write. POB 74

>> Sincere rabbinical student, 27. Enjoys Yom Kippur, Tisha B'av,
Taanis Esther, Tzom Gedaliah, Asarah B'Teves, Shiva Asar B'Tammuz. Seeks
companion for living life in the "fast" lane. POB 90

>> Divorced Jewish man, seeks partner to attend shul with, light
shabbos candles, celebrate holidays, build Sukkah together, attend
brisses, bar mitzvahs. Religion not important. POB 658

>> Couch potato latke, in search of the right applesauce. Let's try
it for eight days. Who knows? POB 43.

>> Shul Gabbai, 36. I take out the Torah Saturday morning. Would
like to take you out Saturday night. Please write. POB 81

Jew-isms on TV

2005-03-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

Overheard during the pilot of Jake in Progress:

Kylie walks out into living room wearing a long black skirt, longslevved blue sweater, preparing for a date with Jake.
Kylie (to roommate): How do I look?
Roommate: Like a Hasidic Jew on her first trip to the mall.
Kylie: I don't want to give him the wrong impression.
Rommate: That the Holy Land is off limits?.....

March Madness- What's In A Name?

2005-03-13T18:25:00.000-05:00

It's March. Basketball frenzy has gripped the nation. I have no interest in bracketology, but I have a interest in oddball team names. A team name is in some sense a representation of your school and/or city. So what posses some school to choose names like those listed below? What are the rules?

Let's take a look at some of my favorites:

Stetson Hatters -they are named after the Stetson hat. Seriously. Like I'm real intimidated by a team called the Hatters . (Now a team named the Mad Hatters, that might be different).
Boston University Terriers- again, not too intimidating (although scarier than a hat)
UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs- represents non-aggressiveness (always an important quality in competitive team sports).
UC Irvine Anteaters- or as the students prefer to be called the C.I.A. (Completely Insane Anteaters)
U of Northern Colorado Fightin' Whities - only an intramural team, but a great story. And don't forget the mascot.
Texas Christian University Horned Toads
Purdue Boilermakers
Amherst College Lord Jeffs
UNC Tarheels- Even UNC doesn't seem to know for sure what a tarheel is (note the use of the term "War Between the States")
Georgetown Hoyas- what is a Hoya.
College of the Atlantic Black Flies
Brandeis university Judges- after judge Lewis Brandeis
Columbia College (Hollywood) Claim Jumpers**
Williams College Ephs- yet their mascot is a purple cow
RISD Nads- GO NADS! Just wait till you see their mascot, Scrotie).

The use of clergy or religious themes-

Ohio Wesleyan University Battlin' Bishops
Providence College Friars
Catholic University Cardinals
College of the Holy Cross Crusaders,
Wake Forest Deamon Deacons
Lincoln Bible College Preachers

Points for having a good sense of humor:

(CUNY*) John Jay College for Criminal Justice Bloodhounds
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Hardrockers
Whittier College Poets -amusing, but not intimidating
Oklahoma Baptist College and Institute Prophets- does this mean that they know what the resulting score will be?

Not creative at all:

St John's University (MN) Johnnies
U of Illinois Illini
St Bonaventure Bonnies
New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Miners
MIT Engineers
US Merchant Marine Academy Mariners
US Naval Academy Midshipmen

And the most creative team name in all of the NCAA:

Webster University Gorloks

On a related note- high school team names
(for the record, my HS team was the Cougars)

*City University of New York
** If someone can explain this one to me I'll be much appreciative

Silver Spoons, Live!

2005-03-13T17:53:00.000-05:00

I met Ricky Schroder last week. Yes, little Ricky from Silver Spoons. He was in town to promote his new movie, Black Cloud, about Native American boxers, at the Mohegan Sun casino (where they have both Native Americans and boxing events). I happened to be doing my daily time at the front desk while the receptionist was at lunch when this limo pulls up. I asked who was in the limo and the reporter( interviewing him) said it was Rick Schroder and then asked me (in all seriousness) not to act hysterical. I said I'd try to contain myself and not reach a Beatles-level of frenzy. [He did not find this funny. Some people have no sense of humor.]
Rick was accommodating of the small group of employees (mainly female) pestering him for autographs. No sordid details to report. A nice guy, didn't seem pretentious or anything. A most posistive brush with celebrity.

Guns don't hurt people....

2005-03-10T19:48:00.000-05:00

.....cats with guns do.

And in other stupid news:

Police Find Stolen Truck Carrying Radioactive Material

Driving around with radioactive material and you leave your car running= you are a Darwin Award waiting to happen.

The little things.....

2005-03-09T21:21:00.000-05:00

Reading a story like this one gives me a small ray of hope for peace (or something resembling it) in the Mideast.
Too many people are wrapped up in the battle of egos, the "us v. them" mentality to take a step back and realize that they really don't need to be bombing, shooting, or otherwise maiming and killing those on the other side. And that education is the key. Like the bumper sticker says:

A mind is like a parachute- it doesn't work unless fully open.

Got family issues? Want to share them with the country?

2005-03-02T09:34:00.000-05:00

(via Cynopsis)

The makers of Wife Swap are going to take an American family divided by conflict and over the course of seven days work with them in an attempt to bring the family back together again. The family members will be accompanied by a "Family Relationship Therapist" who will encourage the members to air their issues, be there to mediate, and hopefully repair the long standing feud that has separated them. The family tries to resolve their differences, relinquish their grudges and rediscover the relationships that made them a family in the first place.
If your family is interested in participating, contact Producer Sandra Philippeaux, RDF Media for more information at sandra.philippeaux@rdfmedia .com.

Sounds kind of like Jerry Springer gone the way of Dr. Phil.

i used to believe

2005-03-01T19:51:00.000-05:00

i used to believe
is worth checking out. I found that there are ideas that I had as a child that others seemed to have shared as well. Such as:

"I used to believe that all things that tasted minty (Gum, peppermints) worked just as well to clean your teeth as mouthwash did."
"I used to think that thunder was God bowling and the lightning was when He got a strike"
"I used to believe that if I broke open the T.V. I would be able to climb inside my favorite shows"

In my opinion the funniest thing on this site (so far) is this entry:

I had a strange fear that if I closed my eyes in the bathtub, William Shakespeare would come up through the drain and kill me. I knew his name, but I had no idea who he was, so I just naturally assumed he was some sort of bathtub vampire.