| Jon Stewart: Baracknophobia (Video) |
[Jun. 19th, 2008|04:08 pm] |
Jon Stewart on "Baracknophobia." Not hilariously funny as he sometimes is, but poignant.
P.S. I've been spelling his name wrong all this time, Israeli style (no "C").
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| Parve Ice Cream |
[Jun. 13th, 2008|11:08 am] |
One of the cruelest tricks in the world is parve (non-dairy) ice cream. There it is, sitting on the shelf as though it belongs, labeled with a small little sign in an innocuous, hardly noticeable place. Then you get home, thrilled to be treating yourself to a much deserved fancy. It looks great. You dig in, scooping a dollop into your open mouth. But wait-- something is off. It's okay, but it's not the smooth creamy fullness you expected. You look again at the package. Parve! Foiled again.
(Why does parve ice cream exist? So that when you are eating a meal that is a kosher "meat" meal, as opposed to a dairy meal, you can still have ice cream. I say forgo the fake ice cream and only use ice cream, the real ice cream, when you really need it. I suppose it is good for those who are lactose intolerant though.)
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| Amy Walker's "21 Accents" (YouTube) |
[May. 26th, 2008|08:01 pm] |
This video is kind of amazing. Take a look. |
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| Worth a Laugh |
[Mar. 29th, 2008|07:32 pm] |
Classic!
Gender Bending Celebrities-- check it out, lol.
My favorite is Orlando Bloom because he looks just like Jamie Lynn Spears and Leonardo DiCaprio because it is so close to needing no retouching.
How about yours?
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| Video: "A Matter of Principal," A Man of Vision |
[Mar. 29th, 2008|07:20 pm] |
I meant to post this last week but didn't because of the LJ strike. Here you go.
Sourced from Lizrael, with thanks. |
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| Pesach Food |
[Mar. 20th, 2008|02:02 pm] |
On to the next Jewish food holiday.
I received this list of catering options by e-mail and think it's a nice basis for those planning in advance. There are some more non-traditional foods here, well, ones my family doesn't eat at the seder, but I'm posting the list if you'd like ideas.
Soups (sound good):
Chicken Soup
Matzo Balls
Creamy Carrot Soup
Vegetable Soup
Appetizers:
Chopped Liver w/ Caramelized
Leeks and Pearl Onions
Gefilte Fish w/ Horseradish
Charoset
Meat Knishes (how are knishes kosher l'pesach? Ohmygosh, they sound so good though. I haven't had a knish since I was back in the US, mmmmmm. If knishes are somehow KFP, add potato knishes to your list)
Sides:
Cucumber Salad
Roasted Vegetable Medley
Sweet Potatoes on Pineapple Rings
Apple Matzo
Potato Kugel
Zucchini Kugel
Seder Plate
( Yum, Entrees and Desserts Coming Up )
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| LJ Strike: A Worthwhile Cause-- Keeping LJ User-Centric and Ad Free |
[Mar. 19th, 2008|05:12 pm] |
Shared from ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) nogias, widely circulated.
For those of you who don't already know, there has been a strike scheduled for Friday, March 21st, 2008, during which we hope to have many members of LiveJournal provide LJ with absolutely no content for twenty-four hours. This means no posting and no commenting. If you post elsewhere and have it set up to be posted through a feed on LiveJournal, don't do it. Stay away from LiveJournal for twenty-four hours. That can't be too hard, can it?
I know some of you are probably quite active on LiveJournal and will find it hard to stay away for an entire day, just as I will, but this is something that needs to be done, to show the people running LiveJournal that we're watching the changes they are making, that we're paying attention, that we're discontent, and that we want to be heard and taken in to consideration.
We are not simply users who can be tossed to the side and ignored. We are the people who make up LiveJournal. Without us, without the content we create, without our words, our voices, our creativity, our participation, there would be no LiveJournal. This is a fact, and it needs to be realized and understood and then taken in to consideration when making decisions regarding the way that LiveJournal is run.
( Get Yer Information Here: Strike is Friday, March 21st )
What's this about?
* It's about free and ad-free LiveJournal accounts being abolished for new members, ignoring the advice from the newly-formed Advisory Board.
* It's about LJ staff trying to sneak this decision in under the radar, and when people found out, telling the users it was done 'to make the signup process less confusing'.
* It's about LJ staff failing to apologize for trying to hide the facts from view and for lying about the actual reasons for their actions.
* And finally, it's about the latest decision to hide certain user interests from the list of Most Popular Interests, some of them being fanfiction, bisexuality, sex and depression. This decision was not announced or explained in any way. Users found out for themselves.
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| "Star Wars" (3 Year Old Version) |
[Feb. 28th, 2008|02:58 pm] |
According to the explanation posted, the little one only saw the movie once over the course of three days (to avoid too much television all at once). She wasn't coached. This is a version caught on film of her longer explanation of the movie.
The YouTube video, originally intended for friends and family, has gone viral and has over 1,700 comments-- which have now been disabled.
Enjoy!
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| Crack in Pringles? |
[Feb. 27th, 2008|10:08 pm] |
Just wondering, but is there crack in Pringles? There is no other food that I am addicted to such as these. I don't particularly think of them in general, but once the canister is open, I just can't stop.
Coca-Cola used to be made with a coca/cocaine base, so I think it's a fair question. I see no other explanation.
Is there any food you feel the same way about?
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| Calling Carmen San Diego |
[Feb. 21st, 2008|12:24 pm] |
Someone I know professionally has posted this question on LinkedIn and I think it's a great one. Interested in your opinion. Here's what she says.
"So I have very close friend who is looking to relocate, to anywhere in the world! She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a U.S. citizen and her primary language is English, but neither of those should be seen as a limiting factor in making a suggestion. She recently emailed me and few other friends asking for suggestions as to where she might move. However, I thought because you live outside the Bay Area you might be able to provide her better advice.
Perhaps you have a city which you'd like to suggest, maybe where you currently live or somewhere else? Advocate persuasively and you may find yourself with a creative, generous and all around fabulous new neighbor! What follows are her top 10 city criteria for a new home:
1. Positive Attitude: people are optimistic, working for positive outcomes, engaged.
2. Culture: arts, music, thought abound.
3. Balance of Relaxed Living and Ambition: People are creating and striving in their work, but they're not working just to make a buck. They may work long hours but it's because
they really feel they're making a difference. They also value wellness.
4. Beautiful, Diverse, Interesting Architecture: Such as the San Francisco, but could also be modern. (Chicago, New York City, Paris or ??)
5. Multi-Cultural: Different cultural expressions are valued, not a mono-culture.
6. Centrally-Located: It's a hub.
7. General Affluence: There is financial abundance, sense of wellness, people who have less also have access to resources.
8. Populated: There are many people.
9. Warm Weather: Weather is warm enough to wear flirty dresses.
10. Walking Distance to Resources: I can walk to a café I like or a yoga studio or other cool things.
Thanks in advance for all your help and advice!" |
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| Graffiti v'Shvita |
[Jan. 16th, 2008|11:16 am] |
Graffiti on my desk.
Person 1: "Peace for myself and I don't care about everyone!"
Person 2: [Arrow] "That's what I'm talking about"
I'm in the university library and the strike continues, more heated now. There are people talking from rooftops with bullhorns with loud music playing at various intervals. They have deep, rich voices like television voice over ads, almost like they are professionals. It sounds like all they are doing is talking, telling stories, although I know it's more contextual than that. People are sitting on the grass outside, alternately studying, socializing, and listening.
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| Babelfish Birthday Greetings (Spanish in Translation) |
[Jan. 16th, 2008|01:48 am] |
At one of the websites where I work, we were asked to send birthday wishes to an active new blogger who has put forth a great effort on the occasion of her 18th birthday.
My Spanish used to be good, but has since dwindled, so I wrote out my message and then popped in into Babelfish for a check.
Here's what Babelfish came up with:
"Happy cumpleanos of Israel, Catherine. I hope that you have an excellent and full anus of salubrity and congratulations with all its friends. With carino and respect."
Here's what I actually said:
"Happy birthday from Israel, Catalina. I hope that you have an excellent year, filled with health and happiness, and surrounded by all of your friends. With kindness and respect."
-- or--
"Feliz cumpleanos de Israel, Catalina. Espero que tengas un ano excelente, lleno de salud y felicidad, y rodeado por todos los amigos. Con carino y respeto."
I guess the emphasis is on the babble.
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| Riled Up About HIV/AIDs |
[Jan. 8th, 2008|05:16 pm] |
Reading eliaswake's post* on cancer made me remember the classes we had in elementary school on HIV/AIDs and Understanding Handicaps.
They taught us about how HIV was transmitted, how you could get it and how you couldn't, and how to treat people with HIV (eg normally). In Understanding Handicaps we watched videos about people who were blind and deaf, learned what their worlds were like, put on double pairs of mittens and tried to hold pencils and write, do puzzles, and play other games requiring small motor skills.
And I'm wondering why.
Understanding Handicaps, I get that. But why were we so focused on HIV/AIDS? Because it was new? Because basketball stars like Magic Johnson had it so we thought that everyone was susceptible? Because we were finally realizing that we were all at risk?
I had friends who died of AIDs from blood transfusions in the early 1990s, and I have friends who still have HIV and are surviving. But still I wonder, why did we care so much about that one disease then? What is it about AIDs that spooks people so much, when other diseases which affect far more people, like cancer, are considered an unfortunate part of modern, everyday life.
* Protected
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| Boycotting Life |
[Jan. 8th, 2008|04:56 pm] |
I have been boycotting life recently and I'm fine with that.
Feeling in a bit of a slump and understanding that it's part of the natural pattern. The winter holidays are there because we need them so badly. It's no wonder the holidays of lights fall in the darkest, longest times of year.
At the Grocery Store
Arriving in Israel, one of the first words you learn is "balogan," for which there is no exact translation-- come here and it will be immediately obvious exactly what it means-- but whose general definition is chaos. Human created chaos.
The grocery store line took an expected 20+ minutes today. Not having a car means doing a major shopping about once a month with a price tag that's out of this world. Visiting my parents on the weekend, I would see their shopping bills and cringe, never believing that I would spend that much on groceries. Now I am.
But never fear, some entertainment is guaranteed. I was in line behind two uniformed soldiers who were clearly on a run for their entire unit. In their shopping cart-- and yes, I actually took notes to tell you about it and for humor's sake-- were 6 cases of Coke, about 25 bags of a junk food known as Beasley, 18 cartons of apple, orange, and pomegranate juice, and 20 bowls of dried soup, the kind you add water to and voila.
The store wouldn't accept their credit card, so they paid in cash-- or more appropriately coins. The bill of 249.73 was paid for in change: one shekel coins and 10 cent agurot. The cashier was slow because her long, curved nails reached well past her fingertips and she couldn't pick up the coins one by one, so she had to sort them and slide them from the metal counter, to her hand, to the drawer.
Good times.
Good Books
I was lucky enough to get a good haul of books last time I was at the public library in a small community outside of the city and have recently been indulging in bestsellers like Mike Gayles, Nora Roberts, and Joy Fielding, whose novels I've previously avoided, but now tempt me like a siren's song.
Give Yourself a Break
My best advice to you if you too are feeling the slump in these long, gray days is to let yourself rest. Don't hold yourself to the usual deadlines and errands. Give yourself time to recover and recuperate in whatever way you need to. If you aren't sticking to your usual to do list, give yourself a break instead of aggravation over, "I didn't do this, and I didn't do that." We all deserve to give ourselves a break. |
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| Recent Reads: December (6) |
[Dec. 29th, 2007|11:26 pm] |
- The Kiss, Kathryn Harrison
- Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris
- Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom for Morrie Schwartz
- All is Vanity, Christina Scwarz
- Isabel's Bed, Elinor Lipman
- Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan (I may be spelling the beach's name wrong)
For special quotations, please go to my poetry and writing journal: crossingthesea.
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| Word Play: Feckless, Reckless, and Rash (Thesaurus.com) |
[Dec. 27th, 2007|05:56 pm] |
In case you were wondering:
"1. feckless means ineffective or having no real worth or purpose; reckless means marked by unthinking boldness or with defiant disregard for danger or consequences
2. rash (the adjective) suggests imprudence and lack of forethought; reckless implies disregard of possible consequences"
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| "I Am Legend" (Will Smith) ** SPOILERS ** |
[Dec. 26th, 2007|01:00 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  Scared out of my mind | ] |
** Warning, possible spoilers ahead (my thoughts related to the movie and not details about the movie itself.) **
So anyone who knows me knows that I do NOT see violent movies. Not "normal" violence, not horror, and certainly not psychological thrillers, which I consider the worst for my active imagination which finds root most deeply when I am sleeping (or supposed to be) and my defenses are low.
I am not saying that Will Smith's "I Am Legend" is not a great movie. I trust him more than any other movie star I know (although I admit that I didn't see "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and "Pursuit of Happyness," misspelling and all, were only sufferable due to his amiable presence). However, "I Am Legend," is the stuff of nightmares-- likely my own.
As person to person violence becomes normative on television, in the news, and in various other modes of "entertainment," and as we come to realize that we truly do hold the capacity to destroy humanity in our lifetime through nuclear war, viruses, and environmental destruction, our blackest nightmare scenarios transition from big bangs and loud noises to true manifestations of fear.
The apocalypse reality not of the earth and humanity's destruction but of sole survival, of absolute loneliness, of vile emotional disfigurement, of loss of love-- these are our new concerns when we think of the end of life in the world.
As our appetite for the awful develops, American movies now are finally starting to channel the blackest Japanese horror films, which know our deepest and most sensitive fears, as well as their direct access channels.
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It also didn't help that we've been talking recently about the effects of nuclear and chemical weaponry on our small little land. Iran hits first and knocks out 200,000- 800,000 people in the first drop (all traces of the articles I was reading have disappeared from Israeli news sources... strange) and then chemical weapons from Syria take out the rest of us.
We don't have proper bomb shelters in the south the way we did in the North and there is no elevation like in Haifa or Jerusalem. (Chemical gases are heavier than air, so you stand the best chance of reducing your exposure by getting to a high place.)
Call me melancholy-- although I don't consider myself to be-- but these are some of the thoughts on our mind these days.
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Not a very Christmasy post. Wouldn't you rather I'd have gone out for Chinese food and seen a comedy with friends? An interesting turn of events. |
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| Book Review: Jane Austen, Smith, Fran Lebowitz ("Isabel's Bed") |
[Dec. 23rd, 2007|03:49 pm] |
I used to collect reviews. Book reviews, movie reviews, anything. This is one I particularly like.
"If Jane Austen had been born about two centuries later, gone to Smith, then palled around with Fran Lebowitz, changes are she'd have written like Elinor Lipman."
Review of Isabel's Bed by Elinor Lipman by Julia Glass of the "Chicago Tribune" (back of book).
Crossposted to crossingthesea. |
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| Soup Season |
[Dec. 6th, 2007|03:20 pm] |
What kind of good Jewish grocery store runs out of matzah meal? It's soup season for heaven's sake.
Meanwhile we went to a nearby Russian market in search of it. That was a fool's errand. An entire row of hard alcohol longer than a race track, and not a single matzah ball or matzah product to be found.
Are you enjoying your holiday? Sure hope so. Chanukkah is such a perfect winter holiday: the bright lights against the early dark, the food that warms and fills our bellies, games and good conversation with family and friends.
(Gifts? It's not a gift giving holiday in Israel. Gifts are given during Passover and Rosh Hashannah.)
I'm torturing myself look at photos of soup on Flickr and dreaming of hot liquid joy pouring down my throat. Yum! Veggie soup is my back up. We'll try to make it tonight.
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