DaboysOf905

Dvar Torah..... By Insane Clown Posse

2010-04-21T11:44:00.004-04:00

About miracles. Sounds remarkably like a dvar torah you can hear at Aish or Chabad (except for the swearing.)

For example: "Miracles.... it's all around you and you dont even know it, it's crazy." And this: "And I dont want to talk to a scientist, ya'll mother******* lying, and getting me pissed."

These lines coming straight from the mouth of a bunch of tattooed rappers in clownface.

Amazing

An Open Letter To Lebron James

2010-02-21T02:30:00.003-05:00

Come to New York. Your country needs you here. This may sound melodramatic, but hear me out. You might have noticed that the US has gone through some difficult financial times over the past year. Bubbles burst, stock markets collapsed, bailouts were needed, recessions have lingered, etc. You may also be aware that a lot of these things originated in New York. The Big Apple is the financial capital of the country, and is uniquely responsible for our economic health.

So, you may ask: how would your coming to New York help the situation? Let me explain: Finance is a confidence game. Of course the real-world economics of deals have to work, but everything else comes down to confidence. And that is the greatest commodity you can bring here.

In many ways the Knicks have mirrored Wall Street incompetence over the last decade. Both institutions overpayed for bloated assets, employed short sighted decision making at the expense of long term planning, and suffered from poor leadership. Isiah Thomas and Chuck Prince are so similar they could easily be called brothers from another mother. But, the team has changed. The Knicks are offloading nonperforming assets, focusing on the future, and are under new management. The team is poised for a resurgence, and so is Wall Street. But the Knicks need a centerpiece, and the Street needs a symbol. You could be both.

You coming here would give the team the talent and championship swagger it has not had in a long, long time. The City would feed off that swagger. You would become the symbol of renewed faith in our team and in our City. Confidence would flow back into town; and the team, the City, The Street and our entire financial system would benefit.

A word about Cleveland. I understand how much you mean to that City. Other than your presence, they have had a bad run of things. A great argument could be made that you are a cosmic reward for all Cleveland's suffering. So, this year win them a Championship. You deserve it. Big Z deserves it. The fans deserve it. Cleveland deserves it. But after the trophy is handed out, say your goodbyes, you will have done your duty there. Then come and fulfill your destiny here.

It is the rare athlete who has the ability and opportunity to transcend sports and become legendary. Examples include Jesse Owens, Joe DiMaggio, Mohammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, and The 1980 US Hockey Team. You have been given the athletic ability to transcend your sport. You now have the opportunity to mean something greater to your society. Come to New York. Your legend awaits.

BestFilms of the 2000s

2009-12-29T13:23:00.002-05:00

It's the time for making lists, so I figured Id get in on the action. Here are my faves in random order. There are 47 of them. I was going for 50 but thought Id leave 3 spots open in case I forgot any. What do you think?

The Dark Knight; Crash; Reign Over Me; Wall-E; Synecdoche NY; Dogville; Amelie; Almost Famous; Avatar; The Lives of Others; In America; Hotel Rwanda; Tsotsi; The Departed; Donnie Darko; Juno; O Brother Where Art Thou; Memento; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon; Mystic River; There will be Blood; City of God; Finding Nemo; Shrek; Casino Royale; Kill Bill; 21 Grams; Snatch; Stranger Than Fiction; The Ring; Blow; Napolean Dynamite; Superbad; Sin City; Hurt Locker; The Fountain; Sunshine; The Prestige; I Am Sam; Training Day; Hero; Ushpizin; Zoolander; Requiem for a Dream; Love Actually; The House of Sand and Fog

In Praise of Bill Belichick

2009-11-16T18:49:00.002-05:00

I never thought I would post under this heading; but here I am. I have hated the Patriots for a long time. I freely admit that it is an irrational hatred, based on personal bias. But still, those are perfectly acceptable and mostly encouraged for sports fans.

Anyway, last night Coach B made a coaching decision in a losing cause that is being villified by most analysts. I wont detail in football terms what happened because if you care, you already know, and if you dont you wont understand. But basically, the coach made a decision that was statistically smart, but greatly against conventional wisdom. The stats said that if one decision was made, the team would have a 79% chance of victory; whereas if the other choice were made there would be a 70% chance of winning. Conventional coaching theory said go with the second choice.

The Patriots coach went with the right move, convention be damned, and his team lost. It was the best move, but sometimes, the best move does not work out.

If we only had world leaders who made decisions based on what is actually the best decision as opposed to what is perceived to be the best decision, we would live in a much better place.

Reason # 3276 I dislike the law

2009-10-28T00:34:00.003-04:00

Yesterdays NY Law Journal highlighted two cases in which plaintiffs were awarded money. In the first case, a probationary worker hired at some government agency was fired after 25 or so weeks for using the agency's loudspeaker system to make disparaging remarks about her supervisors. In the second case, a man had spent close to 2 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit because a forensics lab screwed up their fingerprint analysis.

One plaintiff banked $1.8 million. The other one got $140k.

As you might have figured out from the title of the post, the fired temp worker got the million dollar payday for having her 'due process' rights denied, while the poor shlub who was imprisoned got the lesser amount.

How this fits into anyone's sense of Justice is mindboggling to me.

Honest Abe

2009-10-28T00:20:00.004-04:00

That's not true
said the boy
the wise men have no clue
they pray to a toy
and expect me to too

They tell me a tale
saying I should believe
or they'll throw me in jail
till I bow on my knees

But their story's a lie
and their faith just a fraud
so I plan to defy
in a way deep and broad

Their gods I will smash
with my tools into dust
then Ill rock like the Clash
their foundation I must

My culture is wrong
its ideals based on myth
but alone Im not strong
I need help to come with

Get thee out
Said a voice
And Ill show you about
You do have a choice
I can show you the route

High Tide

2009-10-16T01:19:00.004-04:00

My neighbors all mocked me
they said I was fool
To think it was noticed
the poison we drool
Rich times were rolling
poor times were too
As abuses mounted
in march to deluge
Now it dont matter
the life that we had
Our culture developed
both good and bad
Some things I salvaged
most I could not
Can youth learn their lesson
or turn back to rot
For me it has ended
I've seen the new leaf
And drown out life's sorrow
in fermented grief

Wonderful Smells

2009-10-12T19:49:00.001-04:00

It’s not often that I associate NYC with wonderful smells. When I think NY scents I immediately imagine maple syrup, subway odor or Hudson stench. To be fair, maybe Ill think of the Mexican truck. But, for the past couple of weeks, upon coming home, I have been greeted with the most wonderful olfactory delights. You see, a new couple moved in downstairs from me, and someone in that apartment is always cooking up the most amazing food. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fare is un-kasherable, but every day I am more and more tempted to knock on the door and demand recipes. Would that be weird?

Honey Crisp

2009-10-08T20:40:00.008-04:00

with skin so shiny
you tempt me close
oneglimpseofyou
inflames
my soul to the point of
breaking just to have you
for my own forbidden
tart tangy soft and sweet
evenow satisfies
this craving for the
juices that
flow from your tender
flesh succulent like no
man has the right to
expect firmness unparalleled
i devour you like a cougar
to the core
where my being shudders
damn - you're a fine apple

Slide This One Right Over

2008-12-04T15:19:00.005-05:00

Dear [Name of nice restaurant we all ate at a few days ago withheld]:

I deeply apologize for the recent actions of my friends during our delicious meal at your fine establishment. It wasn't that our meals weren't satisfying enough, it was just that that darn slider looked so sad and lonely sitting all by itself on the other table.

Our mothers always told us not to let food go to waste, so when the customers got up from their table, left a large wad of bills and put on their coats, it seemed safe to assume that the fully-intact slider left on their plate was just going to go in the garbage. And when goaded by a friend with $5 bill to get up and just take that slider - well, one of us couldn't resist.

Some of us maintained our sense of decency, but one of DaBoys, couldn't bear to see that tiny, yummy burger go to waste. After slathering on a good dose of sauce and fried onions, he wasted no time in enjoying the bounty pilfered from the other table. Considerately, this DaBoy stopped midchew to offer the others at the table a bite, but we all politely refused. After all, we're happy to take from strangers, but not from our friends.

Ultimately, the DaDoy finished off the slider, making sure to clean his plate of the extra onions as well. I decided it would be smart to put the empty plate back on our neighbor's table, so as not to confuse our waiter. Considerate, no?

Not long after our laughter subsided and conversation shifted away from this incident... the customers from the other table reentered the restaurant smelling subtly of cigarette smoke! What? Did they intentionally leave one complete slider on their plate to finish after their cigarette break?

All we could do was laugh. Giggles and muffled snorts flew from our table. We're not sure if our fellow-customers even noticed the missing burger, or if they really did plan to eat it after their excursion, but we did make sure to check our bill for the price of 1/3rd of a plate of 3 sliders....

So, thank you, [restaurant's name], in advance for not kicking us out next time we show up at your door. I am sure that the surveillance video from the camera pointed directly at our table served to be pure entertainment for your waitstaff.

Sincerely,
DaGirl

Why Can't We Throw Things at People More Often?

2008-12-02T18:02:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, I wish it were more socially acceptable to throw things at people. Not hard, blunt objects (though believe me, there are times I want to throw those at people too), but more as a way of getting their attention. For example, let's say you are in a restaurant and you are trying to get a waiter's attention. The waiter is standing a few tables from your own, but they are facing the other direction. What can you do? Should you rudely and loudly bark "Excuse me!" or (if dealing with a waitress) "Miss!"? Tell me that it doesn't feel incredibly rude to do so, let alone disruptive to the other patrons to yell across a nice but relatively quiet restaurant.

What if, instead, you could just throw your napkin at them? No loud barking, much less disruption to other restaurant-goers, and it would instantly get their attention, no? But of course, you can't do that - the waiter/waitress would be offended and angry. Throwing things - even soft and painless things - at other people just isn't considered socially acceptable. But perhaps it should be.

Rumors of our Demise

2008-11-26T19:26:00.003-05:00

Dear our loyal past and future readers:

Our blog had been building a nice community and carving out an identity when at some point, we began petering out, and then disappeared without so much as a goodbye. We're sorry about that... it wasn't something we intended to happen, it's just something we didn't make enough of an effort to avoid. A lot has changed since we were last posting regularly. When you last found JT, LT, DK :-), and DaGirl, we were four plucky Upper West Side-dwellers, trying to make sense of (or at least poke fun at) the chaotic world around us from the comfortable confines of Apartment 905. What's happened in the past year? DK :-) moved out of 905 and changed jobs. LT has been busy: in the past five months, he bought a house in Staten Island with DaGirl, moved out of 905, and began law school. Just a week and a half ago, LT and DaGirl got engaged (yay!). This left only JT in 905, but alas, even he has moved out within the past month.

While Apartment 905 may be populated by unwashed heathens by now (or, more likely, sits empty given the evil and slightly incompetent nature of our building's management)... and while none of us live in 905 anymore, we prefer to think the spirit of 905 lives on. We may have left the apartment, but the vibe hasn't left us. And so, we hope to come back to posting at least somewhat regularly. We look forward to reacquainting ourselves with our regular readers of the past, as well as hopefully meeting some other new wonderful readers in the future. =)

- DaBoys and DaGirl

Worth Coming Out of Retirement for:

2008-10-29T10:39:00.005-04:00

Ok folks - this one was too good to let pass by....

What follows is an email I received as a result of being on some listserves for the Syrian community:

Attention Fellow Syrian Community Members

It is unfortunate and uncomfortible to bring to light and publicize a current and potential dangerous situation that is presently going on in our Syrian Community. A so called hair salon which caters to many Syrian women of our community has been engaging and openly dealing with immodesty and promiscuity to an extent which is now intolerable and is crossing lines, which can jeopardize marriages in our Syrian community.

It can surely endanger the welfare and well being of our Syrian sanctity in marriage.

This full service hair salon, located in Brooklyn, has had numerous encounters with a certain amount of husbands, in the community about affairs with numerous women of the Syrian community that frequent the establishment, and has had numerous issues come up that has husbands enraged and fearful that this will start spreading and becoming an epidemic that will have disasterous results in the future of families, that consequently bring a precarious situation if not done so already.

If patronizing this salon, and not knowing what is going on behind the scenes, this can and will most surely break up marriages and cause divorces in our community.

Only a hairdresser knows for sure how to penetrate in the minds of women, to eventually have them under his mindset. When a man is beautifying a lady, it is very common that the women let their guard down and pick up on emotional vibes that can cause sexual indiscretions to take place without the knowlege of their husbands.

It is extremely pertinent and of the utmost importance for husbands to be fully aware that this “Full Service” hair salon, located in the heart of the Syrian Jewish Community in Brooklyn, be scrutinized and taken seriously by husbands whose wives frequent the establishment of this “Full Service” salon.

Now, I'm not entirely convinced that this isn't a joke, but it certainly seems serious. Why not outright name said salon?

Husbands, take caution when your wife goes out to get that hair cut: "Only a hairdresser knows for sure how to penetrate in the minds of women."

Changing Religion

2008-02-25T17:11:00.004-05:00

A new study finds that American's are shifting religion at an increasing rate. I think that's interesting...I see a few possible reasons for this trend:

1. increased exposure to other religions
2. an increase in the number of people with no belief in religion (the unafiliated tag on the graph may account for that)
3. recent scandals scaring people away from Catholicism (and other religions.)

But the good news is that these has only been a change in .2 percent of those who no longer consider themselves "Jewish."

-DaGirl

Marrying Young

2008-02-20T00:28:00.005-05:00

Ynet recently posted a letter from a young women who by her own admission married too young (aged 20), got pregnant and is now seeking a divorce. She explains that her "husband is a truly good guy, but it appears that he just doesn’t know what to do. He never learned how to conduct himself with a woman." One of her major complaints is that whenever an issue arises between them, he runs to his Rabbi to discuss it and assigns more weight to his opinion than her own. I thought this was an interesting take on a pretty important issue. I wish her (and her soon to be ex) all the best.

Hat tip: DovBear

Legoing the Bible

2008-02-06T15:50:00.000-05:00

A coworker just sent me this link containing photos of lego designs of Bible scenes. Pretty cool.

HatTip: D(C)C

Making a Mitzvah Out of Sleeping In

2008-02-06T15:04:00.002-05:00

Looking for a good reason to get out of bed?

Try the snuznluz!

Every time you hit the snooze button, your alarm clock will automatically subtract money from your bank account and donate it to the charity of your choice.

The recommended use is to set it up to donate to your least favorite charity to motivate you to get out of bed, but if we set this up the opposite way, we could make a make sleeping through shacharit a good thing!

-DaGirl

Hat tip: Howard

Happy Super Giant Fat Tueday!!

2008-02-05T23:39:00.000-05:00

I hope y'all had fun voting, parading, getting beads and saying Shir Shel Yom Shlishi.

Hat Tip: NDK:-)

In Praise of...Eli Manning

2008-02-04T12:08:00.001-05:00

The top three reasons to love Eli Manning:

1. He is understated. For the entire season, this has caused him ruthless criticism for his "lack of heart" or failure to show emotion on and off the field. I, however, can only respect his modesty and subdued approach. He is an introvert on a field where the players who get noticed are those who showboat and boast, but he is content to simply play the best football he knows how.

2. He succeeded under immense pressure, with the shadow of his brother's huge success looming and his father's legacy on his shoulders. Still, he credits his entire team for the win, and is happy to share the podium with all of them.

3. He is a mamma's boy in the best sense of the word. While his father was on the road with the Saints, and Payton was busy playing in his football games, Eli spent his time with his mother. I think this made him into the mensch he is. (See reasons #1 and #2.) (Congrats to his fiancée!)

Also, if I may add one more little note, he won one of the most exciting football games ever played.

GO ELI!

-DaGirl

(Side note: Apparently, a Chabad center sent out an email prior to the game requesting that prayers be said for Eli ben Archie...maybe there is some higher power cheering for the Giants?)

New York Giants - Super Bowl Champions

2008-02-03T23:02:00.000-05:00

Wow. And it all started when Coach Coughlin played his starters the last week of the season.

Meeting your Match

2008-02-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

Internet dating has been around for several years now. Most of these sites are familiar, at least by name, to the singles crowd and probably 95% of single people have considered using them at one time or another.

Like many, I have mixed feelings.

On the one hand, they open up a world of dating opportunities with people you would never otherwise meet, but because of all of these choices now on the menu, it's even harder to make your final pick.

But there are two types of sites out there. There are basically dating glossaries, such as JDate or Chemistry.con, which provides you an exhaustive listing of every single person in their directory, searchable by guidelines you set. And then theres eHarmony, which provides matches for you based on a 250+ questionnaire and their own compatibility formula.

It's creepy to think that a computer can figure you out better than you can...but I am a firm believer that many people have trouble in relationships because they don't know what they should be looking for. They certainly know what they think they want and don't want, but that is often very different as to what is best for them in a long-term relationship.

So, I don't find it entirely surprising that eHarmony now claims that they are responsible for 2 percent of the marriages that occurred in America last year. Yes, that's over 120 marriages a day.

The entire industrialized world has changed over the last 20 years because of computers, so why shouldn't they work in the dating world?

Trust the machines, man!

-DaGirl

Late Night

2008-01-31T02:23:00.001-05:00

Why you may ask am I watching random French electropop at 221 am on a Wed night? Im not sure, but right now, I think this is the best thing ever. Dont you just love the internet....

Bad News, Snackers

2008-01-30T11:17:00.001-05:00

Double dipping is a bacteria-spreading menace!

Ok, it's not quite that dramatic. But, next time you have half of that tortilla chip left over from the previous bite...do us all a favor and suffer through crunching on it plain...

at the very least, dip it in the thick cheese sauce, not the chunky salsa...( i don't like nacho cheese much anyway)

-DaGirl

Pre-emptive Publishing?

2008-01-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

Apparently the Super Bowl has already been determined.

Yesterday, Amazon listed a book entitled: "19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England's Unbeatable Patriots."

Ignoring the overly-wordy title, I do understand that championship T-shirts are currently being printed for both the Giants and the Patriots, so they are ready to go as soon as a victor is determined. Those shirts that turn out to be false once the game is decided, are then - as I understand it based on a family friend in the business - sent to 3rd world countries. So, there's some kid in Africa wearing a 2007 Chicago Bears shirt and a 2007 Championship Colorado Rockies shirt, etc.

But books! Now, that costs a lot more to write and publish than printing a flimsy T-shirt.

Amazon has since removed the book listing from their site...I wonder if it was truly an error, as they claim, or simply a response to the backlash.

I think that if they wanted to be truly fair and balanced, for just a few hours, they should list a book entitled: "The 2008 Champion Giants: From Underdog to Top Dog in the League."

-DaGirl

Total Happiness or Success?

2008-01-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

A new study has demonstrated that happy people tend to be healthier, have more money, better careers and do better in school than people who are extremely happy. But, the study also showed that extremely happy people tend to form more stable relationships, volunteer more, and score higher on energy levels and indicators of self confidence.

Here is a picture of the Professor that ran the study. He looks pretty happy to me. In fact, maybe we should get someone a little less happy to check his data....

Hat tip: Slate

Your Tremendousness

2008-01-29T17:22:00.000-05:00

Seborga, a small town in Italy has just won my prize for best title for a leader. They refer to their prince as Sua Tremendità, or 'Your Tremendousness.' And here I thought that Turkmenbashi had a stranglehold on this category!

Hat tip: Volokh

This isnt Kabul, this is Beit Shemesh

2008-01-28T22:36:00.000-05:00

This might be old news to some, but I just recently came across this article in Haaretz describing how some Israeli women have taken to wearing full on hijabs and burkas when they are in the street. Jameel translates and discusses the article here, and Jewlicious comments here.

I find it amazing that this movement is being driven by the women themselves. In fact, the men are against their wives adopting this mode of dress and one man has even taken his spouse to beit din over the issue. I really hope that this style will remain a choice that some women have adopted, and not become religiously mandated practice.

Pretty Pictures

2008-01-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

A bit of a furor has broken out over the boycott of a Flatbush wig store. The store faces a yeshiva, and displays posters of pretty, religious looking women. Dovbear has photos of the store here and the issue is addressed on Ezzie's blog here. The Wolf tried to ask an innocent question about the issue on the Yeshiva World blog that publicized the boycott (see first link) and quickly got shouted down for "questioning" the Rabbi.

I think there are three interesting parts of the debate. From least to most important they are:

1) The underlying issue of boycotting a store for displaying pictures of women's faces.

In general, I am pretty liberal when it comes to looking at women. Women are pretty, and they are nice to look at. I dont really think that doing so harms my soul in any way. I am also pretty liberal when it comes to allowing women to dress however they wish. We live in a free society, and they have earned that right.

Having said that, the Flatbush Jews also have the right to live their life as they see fit. If they believe that Yeshiva boys should not be confronted by photos of pretty women outside of their school building, they are certainly free to enact economic pressure on the owner of the store to take those photos down. There have been no reports of illegal coercion being applied, and they are simply exercising their right to vote with their pocketbooks. Scoffing at these Jews for not wanting to see the pictures is inappropriate. In this instance, there are no victims of religious whim.

2) The Role of Authority:

Many of the comments at Yeshiva World expressed the opinion that the underlying issue, of whether the store should be boycotted, should not even be debated because the Rabbi had ruled, and it was not for anyone to question. As one commenter put it: "If Daas Torah tells us left is right, we must believe it. If the RY posts a letter with grammatical errors, then the errors are correct!" (Im not sure if the poster was being sarcastic, but others treated her seriously, and other commenters said similar things in less dramatic ways. The fact that I am not sure whether this was written in sarcasm probably says something by itself.)

While part of me wants to respect the right of people to submit themselves to such absolute authority, a greater part of me abhors such mindless acquiescence. G-d gave us free will for a reason. I do not believe he wants us to hand this gift over to a proxy. Even if you believe that you should act according to the dictates of a Rav, it still makes sense to understand his reasoning. Questions that begin with 'Why' are most important to ask. Answers that consist solely of "Because he said so" shouldnt pass muster after the age of 5. So, while people are certainly free to turn over their minds, bodies and souls to another, I find it a bit distasteful and would not be happy if those I love followed such a path.

3) Jewish conflict

One of the comments on the YW site that worried me the most was the following: "Pritzus is the biggest problem our dor faces... In fact, both Batei Mikdash were destroyed because of lack of tzniyus."

Really? Do people truly believe that immodest dress caused the destruction of the Temples? I always learned the Second Temple was destroyed because of Sinat Chinam - baseless hatred of others.

"Controversies" such as this one tend bring out the worst in everyone. Some react to stories like this with derision. The Yeshiva world responds by accusing their less fundamentalist brothers of being irreligious heathens who are "beyond the pale." Both attitudes are wrong. Each group has something important to learn from the other. If we could get beyond the shouting and fiery rhetoric perhaps we can begin to do so.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2008-01-21T01:38:00.001-05:00

I hope that y'all have a good one.

Pitching for Israel

2008-01-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

The Mets' GM, Omar Minaya, recently visited Israel. Seems he has a pretty good relationship with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Bush as well...

-DaGirl

Why Did I Never Learn About This Guy

2008-01-11T00:39:00.000-05:00

I was listening to Pandora today, when a song came on about a man named Moe Berg. I was only half listening, but I got the drift that the song was about an attorney who played major league baseball and spied for the US during World War II. I was pretty sure that the song was about an imaginary character, but to satisfy my curiosity I googled him and found that he was a real person, and an amazing American Jew.

Moe Berg was born in Harlem, graduated from Princeton and Columbia Law, played 15 years of professional baseball, and worked for the OSS and CIA gathering information on European resistance groups and the German nuclear program. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his service to the country. The wikipedia article about him is here, and it is awesome.

I find it appaling that I spent 12 years in Jewish day school and never heard of this man. He might not have been religiously observant, but he is certainly one of the coolest American Jews I have ever heard of. History teachers in Jewish day schools should be teaching about people like Moe Berg. He is part of our heritage in this country, and led a life from which school children could learn much.

In Anticipation...

2008-01-09T16:38:00.001-05:00

JT has promised to write a vacation roundup, in which he will hopefully detail the escapades of our trip to New Orleans....I am posting this to gently remind him to do so before the remaining memories leave his mind.

let me put it this way...NOLA ain't Seattle.

-DaGirl

Hopeful About Presidential Hopefuls

2008-01-08T01:58:00.000-05:00

LT blogged a while back about his disappointment in the current crop of Presidential candidates. Im not sure if he has changed his mind on the issue, but I myself am very happy with the current slate. I cannot remember an election in which we have been presented with so many good choices. In my mind at least 4 of the candidates would make good Presidents. I even think that the candidacies of some of the others have added value to the race. Of course I have my preference for the ultimate winner, but I could see myself being content with a number of outcomes.

Even so, as LT suggested, it might still be a good idea to buy some of those Bloomberg futures contracts.

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T00:54:00.000-05:00

Shana Tova from your friendly neighbors at 905. We will be on a group vacation till late next week, but after that we will hopefully resume our regular blogging schedule.

Thank you Tom Coughlin

2007-12-27T15:34:00.000-05:00

Dear Coach,
Thank you so much for deciding to play the Giants' starters on Sunday in an attempt to defeat the evil Patriot empire. Giants' fans are lucky to have you.
Go Blue!

Only an Idiot Would Jump in the [Tiger] Cage

2007-12-27T10:50:00.000-05:00

A little while back, I blogged about a Serbian man who was found dead in the bear cage at the Belgrade zoo. The zoo director was quoted as saying: "There's a good chance he was drunk or drugged. Only an idiot would jump into the bear cage." At the time I commented that we would treat such a story differently in America.

Well, it looks like we now have a chance to prove the theory. Though the details are still fuzzy, it seems that at least one of the victims in Tuesday's tiger attack at the San Francisco zoo taunted the animal, and allowed it to escape by dangling his leg into the enclosure. Now, of course I wish that nobody had died; but if the victim actually did dangle his leg into the cage, I dont see how this case if very different from the proverbial case of playing with fire. More sensational perhaps, but not very different. Im just really glad that other rule-abiding visitors to the zoo were not injured after the tiger's escape.

For The Record

2007-12-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

As a baseball fan, I was disappointed but not surprised by the contents of Senator Mitchell's report on steroids in the game. The scope of baseball's steroid abuse problem has been pretty much an open secret the past couple of years. But, it is still disconcerting to see the names of the sports biggest stars in a document detailing the extent of the cheating.

One of the more interesting debates being addressed in the report's wake is what to do with the numbers posted by doped up athletes. Assuming the allegations hold, do we let Bonds remain the official Home Run King, or should he just be listed as an incredibly gifted 5 tool player? Does Roger Clemens get credit for winning 354 games, or do we freeze him at his pre-steroid total of 192? And most important of all, does Glenallen Hill get to keep all of his 586 RBIs?

Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling says no. He believes that the numbers and awards obtained by those found to be doping should be erased and taken back.1

While I understand Schilling's position, I have to disagree with him. Baseball fans have always been obsessed with numbers, and the exploding popularity of fantasy baseball leagues in the past decade has only served to increase the phenomenon. I think we should use this scandal to question our focus on the numbers and reexamine the reasons for following America's pastime. It is time to recognize that stats have very little relevance across generations. Among other things, baseball has gone through the dead ball era, changes in the height of the mound, pre- Jackie Robinson segregation and now the steroid era. Stats put up by athletes from different times really can never be compared in any meaningful way. The numbers even lie when comparing contemporary players. 40 homers launched in the thin air of Coors field are not nearly as impressive as 40 put up in Atlanta.

Having said that, I think that we should reassess what those stats represent. Roger Clemens pitched his team to 354 victories. Steroids could very well have contributed to his dominating performance, but the arm, shoulder and mind behind those victories belonged to The Rocket.

We cant go back and replay those games. We also cant go back and determine the result of careers, games and entire seasons played without the influence of drugs. So let's just leave the record books the way they are. Players who cheated should be punished to the full extent of the laws of the land and the rules of the game, but we should not try to rewrite the past.

1. I found Schilling's thoughts through the Espn site. Unfortunately, that site did not directly link t o Schilling's blog. I guess professional journalists are too good for that sort of thing.

I'm such a dork...

2007-12-19T11:54:00.000-05:00

but this guy is great! If you are at all a fan of physics and miss really great college professors watch a few of his lectures (available on the site). I highly recommend the last 5 minutes of this one.

-DaGirl

Interfaith Holidays

2007-12-06T16:00:00.001-05:00

Not a lot of time to post. However, this article from The New York Times is not revolutionary in its conversations with Jewish-Christian interfaith families on how they deal with the December holidays, but it does show an interesting trend among those they interviewed.

Most (all?), it seems, said they were raising their children Jewish, but celebrate Christmas. Now, there are a lot of definitions that can go along with "raising a child jewish," but I wonder if that is the most common compromise?

From my perspective, there's a lot more attachment that the generic, secular Jew has to his or her religion than the Christian has for his or hers. Maybe it's just that Christmas is THE big holiday for them, while Jews have so many more scattered throughout the year (even if people only celebrate Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Passover).

Thoughts?

-DaGirl

I am Thankful For...

2007-11-21T15:07:00.000-05:00

In honor of one of my most favorite holidays, I invite DaBoys (if they're ever going to post again) to present their list of thanks-giving.

Here's what I am most thankful for (in no particular order):

1. Really Bad (and Great) Reality Shows. With the writer's strike seeming to have no end in sight, these shows are of particular importance. I watch the gamut of these programs, from Tila Tequila to The Amazing Race and, no matter how foul a mood I am in they always seem to help me destress, unwind and laugh again. (whether I am laughing with the contestants or at them.)

2. Cotton pajama pants. After a long day at work wearing a heavy sweater and uncomfortable shoes, is there really anything better than slipping into a soft, baggy, drawstring pair of pants?

3. Sour cream. Yum. (None of this low-fat stuff, I'm talking whole milk, full force sour cream.)

4. Karaoke bars. Be they sketchy, kitchy, or cool, there is no such thing as a bad night spent howling away with your friends in the privacy of your own karaoke booth.

5. Rain storms. There's nothing like a good Sunday rain storm to force you to stay inside, rent a lousy movie and eat ice cream all day. Ok, maybe I just like lazy Sundays, not the rain...

6. Feeling satisfied. After college, I think most people feel like they've been tossed to the wolves and for a long time a lot of things tend to be up in the air. So, I am glad that my life is feeling a lot more settled. I am in control, happy with my career track and simply satisfied with my lot in the world....at least for now :).

7. Family. It's cliche, but it's good to know that there are a handful of people out there who will always gather around the same table at least once a year and share a meal. Everything else may come and go, but these people are here to stay...and, honestly, there's nothing like laughing at your dad's terrible jokes together, right?

8. Good friends. I'm of the "less is more" friend philosophy and I must say that I have some of the best.

Here's wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

-DaGirl

The Scum of the Earth

2007-11-20T11:45:00.001-05:00

Are you kidding me!?

Jets fans love to moan and groan about how lousy their team is, but after reading that the "unofficial halftime show" during Jets games is to go to stairwell D and shout lewd obscenities at women, I find I don't have much sympathy for them.

Hey, schmucky Jet-fans...do you have nothing better to do with you time than to stand with a crowd of fellow-apes and leer at women who just want to cheer for your team? Don't you have mothers and sisters? How would you like it if your wife walked up that ramp and was groped?

How about next time during halftime, you simply buy a hotdog, have another beer and sit in the stands to support your team? Cause you're not making anyone love the Jets by being brutes.

-DaGirl

Jewish Smarts

2007-11-02T14:11:00.000-04:00

Congratulations, fellow Jews. Apparently, we were the subject of a recent lecture at the American Enterprise Institute about Jewish intelligence.

I can't find a transcript of of the lecture, but I listened to the audio of it briefly, and sort of enjoyed discovering that the average IQ of Ashkenazi Jews is 107 to 115 (the human average is 100). Also, we apparently excel more in verbal abilities rather than visio-spatial skills (that could explain our long list of Nobel prize winners, but relatively lousy athletic history).

It does raise an interesting debate of nature over nurture. Are we genetically more intelligent? Or has the cultural emphasis on education caused Jews to become "smarter"?

Personally, I think its a combination of both - maybe even a chicken-and-egg scenario. Genetically- influenced skills may beget a cultural emphasis or a cultural push would, in turn, beget a community where the genes of a intelligent man are more desirable.

I am more interested in the issue that Slate raises that Jews would cringe at such a notion of superior intelligence. Yes, it's a sticky issue, but our history also shows that Jews have prized modesty and keeping to oneself. Maybe that trait is genetic as well.

-DaGirl

Israel Insights?

2007-11-02T10:19:00.000-04:00

While DaBoys sort out their new living arrangements (somehow not-moving seems to be as life-disrupting as moving), it seems I am left to man (or woman!) this blog. Hopefully, one of DaBoys will have an insightful post soon...

In the meantime, the NYTimes, is featuring this video on its homepage, and this article, about the growing ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel.

I wonder what watching a video like this does to secular American perspectives on the orthodox community as well as Israel. (Assuming they watch it in the first place). As a person somewhat immersed in the observant world and a New Yorker to boot, it's hard for me to know or understand how a Christian or even a secular Jew anywhere else thinks about the ultra-orthodox or even Israel.

Probably, the ultra-orthodox is seen as foreign and extremist, and this video does nothing to make them seem more "normal," except for maybe the fact that they eat crappy American-style pizza. And the fact that an ultra-orthodox rabbi apparently thinks that the Statue of Liberty is somehow an anti-Jewish symbol really does nothing to help Americans sympathize with them. Do most people realize that the vast majority of Israel is made up of secular Jews who would never believe such a thing?

It would have been nice to show some of the modern-orthodox neighborhoods in Israel as well as this one community. Their population may not be as large as that of the ultra-orthodox (correct me if I'm wrong), but it would serve to show that Israel's population is not just growing through the immigration of these "extreme" jews, but of those more accepting of the modern world.

Oh, and do they really have rabbi-approved cell phones?!

-DaGirl

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T11:42:00.001-04:00

I know many Jews don't celebrate Halloween for various reasons, but I do think that everyone can use a good scare now and then.

nothing like a creepy Disney movie to make everything right.

Have an eerie Halloween!

-DaGirl

Loaded Words

2007-10-30T12:04:00.000-04:00

According to the NYTimes, the lexicon for the female genitalia has expanded, to include "vajayjay."

I am going to put aside my personal feelings about Grey's Anatomy (where this term was apparently made popular) and Oprah, but I hate, hate, hate that adults need to make up silly little names for the parts of the body they are too embarrassed to say.

It's one thing to refer to a "pee-pee" when talking to a child, but it's an entirely different thing to cutesy-up a body part when talking to an adult. I admit that the writers of Grey's Anatomy used the word for laughs, and it probably got some...but to have Oprah saying on national TV - to millions of women - that its a "nice word," implies that there's something inherently dirty, crude or wrong about the female parts.

As Dr. McWhorter (a linguist from the Manhattan Institute) says, “It sounds warm and familiar and it almost makes the vagina feel like a little cartoon character with eyes that walks around.”

(there's an image to keep you up at night)

I don't think things are same for the male parts. Years of erectile dysfunction ads and frat-boy comedies may have softened our ear to the word "penis." Men probably also don't want to cutesy-up any of their body parts, preferring them sound as manly and testosterone-filled as possible.

You know that college game where you'd go around in a circle and have to say "penis" louder than the person before you? Do you think the game would be harder if you had to say "vagina?"

-DaGirl

Note: LT pointed out that the slang terms men use to refer to their genitals tend to be almost malevolent and evil. (You can think of the terms yourself, I know you've heard them before.)

Winds of Change

2007-10-29T16:58:00.001-04:00

While the virtual 905 has been somewhat dustbowlish lately, there has been a lot going on in the Real World 905.

First piece of news: DK:-) has moved on to a new place. We wish him best of luck at his new home, although he knows that he will always be considered a resident emeritus in his old home. He will Im sure be posting about the joys of moving.

We will be looking for someone to take DK:-)'s place. For now, we will refer to the as yet unidentified resident as NDK:}.

There has been much more blogworthy material lately which will hopefully be posted in the coming days. So, stay tuned!

Is it the weekend yet?

2007-10-10T11:27:00.000-04:00

At 6AM this morning, I woke up in a panic because I had dreamed about waking up late for work.

This morning, I proceeded to pour my milk into a glass and orange juice into my cereal.

At work, I spilled a piping hot cup of tea on my finger, leaving a not-so-friendly little blister.

Ok ok, I get it....it's gonna be one of those days....

-DaGirl

F.W.B.

2007-10-02T12:54:00.000-04:00

Turns out that a "friends with benefits" relationship causes stress and worry about the future of the friendship.

Duh.

-DaGirl

(LT, here's an opening for your post on the virtues of this sort of arrangement...)

Baseball Event: Once in a Hundred Years

2007-10-01T15:48:00.001-04:00

Now that the season has ended, I thought it would be a good time to post this video of the magical bat moment of the year.

DaBoys are happy. DaGirl, not so much...

2007-09-26T15:54:00.000-04:00

I don't mean to stomp on top of JT's lovely post below, but I felt this story was worth bringing to your attention.

Seems that men are, in general, happier than women. Researchers took a standard "how do you spend your time" questionnaire and expanded it to include a response to "how do you feel during this time?"

The results are interesting, if not revolutionary. It seems, that women spend less time doing leisure activities than men (duh). They spend, in general, more time "at work," including paid work and housework. But more importantly, they aren't happy doing all these things.

Why?

I think the article explains the evolution of a woman's role over the last 50 years quite nicely, so I won't try to pretend I'm a sociologist. I also think this quote says it all:

Ms. Stevenson was recently having drinks with a business school graduate who came up with a nice way of summarizing the problem. Her mother’s goals in life, the student said, were to have a beautiful garden, a well-kept house and well-adjusted children who did well in school. “I sort of want all those things, too,” the student said, as Ms. Stevenson recalled, “but I also want to have a great career and have an impact on the broader world.”

For me, it comes down to the simple idea that men just don't care as much as women. They don't feel the same pressure to have a beautiful home, perfect children, successful career, interesting hobbies, a beautiful garden, chic and stylish clothing, and perfectly manicured fingernails. I don't blame them, they don't have to care as much.

To all the guys out there, enjoy what you got, and give the women in your lives (moms, sisters, friends, wife, etc.) another little reason to smile every now and then...there should be enough happiness to go around.

-DaGirl

The day the world almost ended

2007-09-26T14:39:00.000-04:00

Twenty four years ago today, the Soviet early warning system alerted its monitors that the US had fired 5 nuclear warheads at the USSR. The Russian on duty, Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov, followed a gut feeling, instead of relying on the sensors going off around him, and informed his supervisors that the alert was only a false alarm. Millions of lives, perhaps even our own, may have then been saved by this man very few of us have heard of.

The Succot holiday serves to remind us that life, while fragile, is truly secure. We walk into the Sukkah tonight knowing that we are not protected by concrete, locks, and alarm systems, but by something much greater. I wish the entire 905 community a chag sameach filled with light, happiness and peace.

Thoughts on Thoughtlessness

2007-09-25T16:19:00.000-04:00

Seems there is a trend plaguing us twenty-something bloggers, as LT points out in his last post and Harley blogged about today, which involves a feeling of drifting away from G-d or religion.

I have remained largely quiet during these last few weeks, mostly because, as I've told LT, I have had not a single tangible thought worth an inch of text in the last month. I attribute it to a few things: the rigors of training for a new job, the craziness of the Jewish holiday season, the post-summer lull in social activities, and a general malaise that has seeped into my bones.

But today I realized that, while it's wonderful to have profound, meaningful thoughts to help you understand the world or deal with others, there's also so much pressure to do so (especially this time of year) that it becomes paradoxically stifling.

With a religious holiday (or two or three) occurring every single week for an entire month, there is too much pressure to feel a significant feeling and to think a significant thought. Who can reflect on Rosh Hanshana, immediately turn to repentance for Yom Kippur, and in less than a week, prepare the mind to celebrate Sukkot and celebrate even more fervently, Simchas Torah?

Forgetting the errands, preparing for meals and everything else - the mental jumping jacks are exhausting.

My mind is tired. And I don't feel all that bad for having a less-than-thoughtful month. And I don't think that having a few weeks of laziness about thoughts on religion, the meaning of life or my personal future, says anything about my true intelligence, feelings about religion, or overall thoughtfulness.

Drifting away and/or towards religion, personal goals, thoughts or intentions is all part of one's growth. And sometimes idleness in an area we normally find routine is necessary for us to find something that truly captures our attention and stimulates our mind in a way we find much more rewarding.

-DaGirl

Gathering Thoughts on Singlehood & Faith

2007-09-24T11:25:00.000-04:00

We've already made countless posts on Dating and the Upper West Side. I've even gone so far as to offer a comprehensive explanation of "the Modern Orthodox singles crisis". One of our conclusions, time and again, has been that communities and relatives need to ease the pressure they put on singles, and revise their "timetable" (by what age they "expect" the single to get married).

But lately I've begun to wonder if maybe our communal leaders, our relatives, and our married friends have good reason to be concerned about us singles. I've noticed a trend. For many people, the longer they stay single... the more lax they grow in observance, the further they drift from their observant communities, and the weaker their faith grows. Whereas if they had gotten married younger, there's a good chance they would have ended up "locked in", eventually living and raising a family in a nice, warm, Modern Orthodox community.

This is disconcerting. What should faith have anything to do with one's marital status? Whether we're married or single, it does not make it any more or less likely that Judaism is "correct", nor should it make it any more or less important that we pray and observe mitzvot.

Left unanswered is the key question: What's causing people to drift away from faith? Is that drift inherent to their state of their singlehood, or a result of their community's lack of acceptance (or a combination of the two)? In other words, do people lose faith because their repeated failure to find someone makes them feel spiritually forsaken (in which case, their communities should be doing everything in their power to reel them in and find them spouses) . Or do people distance themselves from their communities because their communities pressure them, making them feel flawed, unacceptable because they're (*disapporoving frown*) still single? Or maybe it has nothing to do with singlehood - maybe even married people tend to lose faith in their 20s and 30s; they are just less "free" to speak their minds and change their lifestyles because they've already committed to their family, shul, children.

I have some of my own thoughts, which I'm organizing into a future post. But for now I'd like to pose these vexing questions to you.

Last-Second Reflections on Teshuva

2007-09-21T17:25:00.000-04:00

Just now, as I sit down to my pre-fast meal, I read one of the most interesting articules on Teshuva I've read in a long time (in Slate, of all places... not some "letter from the Rabbi"). It discusses the modern phenomenon of "spray fire repentence" - the sending out of a mass "forgive me" e-mail, or other similar cursory attempt to hit up as many people way with a formulaic "do you forgive me for anything I might've done?"

I've always tried to make my requests for mechila (forgiveness) both specific and sincere... but I think this will renew my conviction to never send out spray-fire request.

A mass e-mail (or blog post) wishes for a good year and a g'mar chatimah tovah, on the other hand, however, is still both appropriate and nice. And so, I wish our readers just that. :-)

Why are Women More Religious than Men?

2007-09-20T00:15:00.000-04:00

Several studies in the past have established that women tend to be more religious than men. But why? One of the more popular theories is based on Pascal's Wager - on a risk vs. reward analysis that weighs the potential risk of spending eternity in hell. Since women tend to be more risk-averse than men, the thinking goes, they're more likely to be religious as a hedge against the possibility of eternal punishment.

A new study reported in this month's The Atlantic shows that fear of hell does not explain the "religion gap" between the genders. According to the Atlantic, reasearchers

...found not only that women who don’t believe in life after death are more religious than men who don’t expect an afterlife, but that the gap between the sexes was larger among those who don’t anticipate an eternal reward or punishment.

So why, then, do women tend to be more religious than men, even when they don't believe in life after death? Is it because thay are more attuned to the emotional components of faith and prayer? Is it because they tend to have stronger ties to their religious communities? And lastly, are women actually less likely to be skeptics than men are? Or are they just more likely to keep their secret heretical thoughts to themselves?

A Soliloquy on Shades of Grey

2007-09-19T15:11:00.000-04:00

I wrote the following in an e-mail to a few close friends about 6 years ago, at 1am. It just kinda came to me in a rush. I'm not sure how I feel about it today... but I still feel there's something in here I cannot ignore, something powerful, something I would do well to remember this time of year...

Yes, life may be very complex, filled with myriad varying shades of sometimes seemingly indistinguishable greys... a modern movie director, wanting to appear avante-garde, might say something like, "I'm more interested in the complexity in the human psyche - the darkness in every hero and the trace of goodness in every villain." this is so oft-repeated, it has become cliché.

But here's what I am more interested in: yes, things are complex - but within this whole mess of greys are greys of varying shades and intensities. Within every frame - every capture - there are lighter greys and darker greys. Maybe if you squint hard, the light and dark greys against each other begin to appear as black and white. Maybe the light grey even becomes indistinguishable from white.

Granted, there are times when the greys are so close as to render a separation nearly impossible. Granted, there are times when the light (perhaps the light emanating from our own hearts, even) plays tricks on our eyes and renders the light darker or the dark lighter. Granted, there may be times when each of us is tantalized and tempted as the fringes of our intent brush the concept of purposely choosing the dark, if only for a fleeting moment.

But all of that once again obscures the fact that there is always still a darker and a lighter.

There may be a trace of goodness in the villain and darkness in the hero...

But BEWARE, innocent ones, for monsters do still exist and roam the earth. Be INSPIRED, terrified ones, for heroes do arise to vanquish them.

Be wary yet ever-optimistic, heart-broken ones, for the lighter grey does not always triumph.

You see, the true difficulty is in remembering that there can be a relative black and white despite the absence of an absolute black and white. We cannot be fooled by the trace of white in the darker grey - it is still the Darker grey. We cannot be consumed by the trace of black in ourselves, because hopefully we are still lighter. We cannot be compelled to inaction, for we are the both blessed and cursed warriors. We cannot stand idly on the sidelines, as we are both heavenly privileged and hellishly burdened with the opportunity to take our place in the routine and epic struggle between good and evil.

We are weighted and wanting, waning and wandering, wearied and worried. But we cannot waver, for we are the only ones left to fight the fight. We are, all of us together, alone in this battle.

Let this, then, be a prayer. A prayer, that our potency be great, our will unwavering, our hearts pure, and our vision true. O, that our vision be true.

Re: Pesky Little Irksome Questions

2007-09-19T12:32:00.000-04:00

Monday's post on the "Pesky Little Irksome Questions" relatives ask us provoked quite a discussion. Curlygirl made a post ("Well wishes or I wish you would stop asking?")to discuss her feelings on the matter more in depth. I tend to give relatives less leeway and benefit of the doubt than she does (which is not to suggest that my own relatives are tactless... but rather that I know many people whose relatives make them uncomfortable). But I agree wholeheartedly with her main point:

I can handle personal questions and well wishes about my lovelife from those in my inner circle, but if you're not. . . . just wish me a good Yom Tov (holiday)and move on, ok?

PS - As Jack points out, it's Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Manning and Brady, Marino and Montana

2007-09-19T10:46:00.000-04:00

We live in a rare and special time in sports history, witnesses to greatness we aren't fully absorbing (despite the propensity of sports media to over-hype just about everything). It's football season again, and in the past I've blogged in praise of Football, it's depth, and why it's become so popular. And there's no position in football (or perhaps, in all of team sports) that evokes as much interest, inspiration, and awe as the quarterback of a football team. No other position in sports is tasked with such a complex role - they must not only be an exceptional athlete, they must also be tough, cerebral, have a great memory, have fast reaction times, be able to process a staggering amount of information in a short time, and on top of that... be a true leader. And if they somehow manage to accomplish all that, they are rewarded accordingly in our esteem. We see them as our heroes and golden boys, our prom kings and heartthrobs, and as our captains, leading their men in battle.

Before now, much of the debate over the "best quarterback of all-time" has been centered on two men with very different resumés: Dan Marino and Joe Montana. There are other names worthy of consideration, but discussion tends to gravitate to those two because of their sharp contrast. In Dan Marino, you have a heavily-tanned top gun, possessing a cannon for an arm and a cool demeanor. By the end of his career, he owned just about every passing record in the book: most passing yards, most touchdown passes, etc. But he will most be remembered from the one thing he didn't accomplish... Marino never won a Super Bowl. In Joe Montana, you have a self-assured hero with a mischevious grin. There were many others with more athletic ability and stronger arms, but none were as cool as Joe Cool, winner of not one, but four Super Bowls.

And today, there are two quarterbacks playing who are better than Montana and Marino. Seems like a bold statement? Let's consider it...

Peyton Manning is better than Dan Marino: Although things can change (sports are unpredictable, if anything), Manning is on pace to shatter just about every single one of Dan Marino's passing records. Moreover, last year Peyton accomplished the one thing that always eluded Dan... he won a Super Bowl.

Tom Brady is better than Joe Montana: So far, Brady has already won three Super Bowls, and there's good reason to believe there are more on the way. But I'd argue Brady's accomplishment is even more impressive: in Montana's era, there were fewer NFL teams to compete against, and teams had no salary cap. With the hard salary cap, teams simply cannot afford to hold on to all of their star players, making dynasties even harder to build.

Maybe you feel like I'm getting ahead of myself here, and it's far to early in their careers to draw these conclusions. There's always the possibility one of them could lose form, or go down with an injury from which they never fully recover. But both have been impressively durable, and I think the odds are good that by the end of their careers, each will be remembered as one of the best quarterbacks in history. And while this is not the first time sports has furnished us with two all-time greats playing in the same era (Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, for another example), it's not often both players also play in the same conference, standing in each other's way of the Super Bowl. If you're a fan of the game, soak it in and enjoy it while you can, for a matchup of contrasting greats like this may not come again for a long time.

When Attempted Adultery Goes Very, Very Wrong

2007-09-18T14:15:00.000-04:00

If you ever find yourself considering cheating on your spouse, and you intend to meet someone anonymously online to do so... I urge you to consider this story.

EDIT 1: Another article with more info

PS - At first I thought you can't make this stuff up, then I realized someone did.

Gym TV

2007-09-18T11:40:00.000-04:00

The gym in my building has one set of televisions. That means that whoever gets there first chooses which channel is played. Now, I have always known that there are major differences between how men and women watch TV. For instance, when a guy has control of the remote, there are no commercials. As soon as a commercial break starts, we will flip channels. If a women has control, the same channel stays on the entire time. The content of the program is also predictable. When guys choose the channel, we pick either a sporting game, espn, or a movie about sports or war. Women on the other hand typically choose Sex and the City or a reality TV show.

All this is rather obvious, but the reason I am writing this post is E! TV. The last few times a women has controlled the remote at the gym, she has parked the programming on the Entertainment station. After three viewings, I can honestly say that I just don't get it. I can understand why people might feel compelled to watch the exploits of Sara Jessica Parker & crew, or get sucked in by Big Brother 8. But why would anyone want to watch a show about the top 10 celebrity relative leaches? Every time I am subjected to watching something on E! I feel the need to sit shiva for large numbers of my brain cells. If someone can explain the attraction I would be much obliged.

Pesky Little Irksome Questions

2007-09-17T11:52:00.000-04:00

My 7-year-old nephew has taken a keen interest in familial relations. And when so many relatives are around during the holidays, we all try to help him understand the relationships - how I'm related to his father in the same way he's related to his brother, etc. During dinner on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, the marriage relationship came up and the following conversation took place:

7-year-old Nephew: So Abba (my bro) is married to Ima (my sister-in-law)
E (my brother's mother-in-law): That's right.
7-year-old Nephew: And Aunt R (my sister) is married to T (my brother-in-law)?
E: That's also right.
7-year-old Nephew: Is Uncle LT (me) married?
E: Not Yet.
7-year-old Nephew: When's Uncle LT getting married?
LT: Wow... even him now? What is th... I just can't escape.
R: Yeah, that's a good question... when are you getting married?

As JT has blogged about in the past, few things are more frustrating than the endless stream of "Pesky Irksome Questions" that relatives unleash on singles. But this is ridiculous.... the kid's 7 years old! Maybe we're being unfair to our relatives and our communities, and maybe it's just human nature to harmlessly wonder. Or maybe things are even worse than we dreamed, and we get 'em roped in to that line of thinking young.

Hmm... I think I'm more comfortable blaming the insensitive relatives who ask pesky irksome questions. Hey, now I can accuse them of having as little tact as a 7 year old.

Shana Tova to all

2007-09-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

I know that champagne and toasts are usually associated with a different New Year's celebration, but all the same, I'd like to raise a toast to the upcoming year:

May you start your new year on a new footing, with a good first step towards any changes you feel you need to make. May the coming year be filled with adventures - the good kind that give you stories to retell, laughs to share, and opportunities to grow. May you enrich the lives of those around you. And may you come closer to finding the ideal path for yourself, and living by it.

Shana Tova U'metukah!

How to Pick Up Girls (if you're French)

2007-09-11T17:06:00.000-04:00

Apparently the French are not content to rest on their laurels, despite their reputation of being among the smoothest operators in the world in matters of love and dating. A recent study (hat tip: The Atlantic) aimed to look at the body language behind attraction. They found that women are far more likely to respond positively to advances from a man if the man initiates some mild physical contact (a light touch on the forearm). That light contact made women 50% more likely to agree to dance in a nightclub and twice as likely to give their phone number to a complete stranger on the street. The theory is that touchy men are seen as more "dominant", and by extention more confident, assertive and attractive.

Some reactions I have:
Caveat: This study only studied the French. It's possible we Americans are far less touchy and open to contact from strangers.
Point: Heh, this would explain why it's so hard for modern orthodox singles (with laws of negiah (laws prohibiting touch between unmarried singles)) to meet new people.
Counterpoint: Touching isn't the issue if you can't approach the girl in the first place. I can count on one hand the number of modern orthodox guys I've known who have the guts to walk up to a girl they don't know and ask her for her number.
But: Maybe if the negiah laws weren't there, some of the inherent awkwardness would be reduced, the guys would have a better chance of success and they'd be much more likely to work up the guts in the first place.

Conclusion: If you're a guy, you have no qualms about touching members of the opposite sex, and you know that the girl you're thinking of approaching has no qualms about being touched by members of the opposite sex... then give it a shot. Go up to her, touch her very lightly on the forearm and ask her for her number/to dance. Worst case she says no and you never see her again.

Oh wait... we live on the UWS. You're virtually assured you'll see her again and be forced to relive that rejection every time you do. No wonder no one takes any risks up here.

Uman Uman

2007-09-11T11:42:00.002-04:00

This is an amazing video of Lipa Schmeltzer's version of Numa Numa. One of these days I need to make it out to Uman. Shana Tova everyone!

Hat tip: Rafi of Life in Israel

The Elephant in the Room... is Painting Abstract Art?

2007-09-11T11:42:00.000-04:00

We've all pondered at one point "what separates us from the animals". Is it our sense of self? Nope... primates, dolphins and elephants have all passed the "mirror test". Is it our ability to understand language? Nope... apes have learned sign language, and as DaGirl posted about just yesterday, even birdbrains can understand some spoken language. Perhaps, then, it's our ability to conceive of the abstract. Yes, that's it - art and culture are what separate us from the animals! Aren't cave paintings considered one of the first signs of human sentience?

Alas, no such luck. It turns out that elephants can paint.

Their agent says they work for peanuts

Although I'd like to meet the person who first looked at an elephant and thought "Hmm... if only he had a paintbrush", the concept of elephant art is mind-blowing. We think of art (especially abstract art) as a window to the soul. But if elephants can paint, does that mean that they have "souls" as well? If elephants do, then how about rodents? Birds? Lizards? Bacteria? Or perhaps it's yet another reason to question whether we really have a soul at all - whether anything truly separates us from the animals or if the "soul" is just some rationalization we constructed because it makes us feel better about our place in the universe.

The good news is that if you want a daily reminder that mankind might not be so special after all (who wouldn't?) you can actually buy elephant art from a variety of non-profit organizations that use the money to help protect elephants. Yes, you too can hang in your room a painting whose implications would be... well... the elephant in the room. A simple Google search for "elephant art" should point you in the right direction.

Bird Brain

2007-09-10T21:42:00.000-04:00

Alex, an African Grey parrot, died today at the age of 31.

Why should you care?

If you have never heard of Alex, he was the bird-equivalent of Koko the Gorilla who was taught sign-language. However, without opposable thumbs, Alex relied on his vocal abilities.

Bought from a local pet store, Alex was taught over 150 words and could recognize shapes, colors, materials and simple numbers. He was basically one of the few arguments reserchers could make about the ability of animals to learn language.

Some said Alex had the verbal skills of a young child, but he had no ability to generalize or grasp basic concepts such as arthimetic. There is evidence of him creating new words, using the word "banberry" to describe an apple when the only fruits he knew were banana, grape, and cherry. He was able to describe the differences between two objects. And he also expressed sadness, impatience and boredom with the use of the phrases he knew.

Last night, before his owner and trainer, Dr. Irene Pepperberg, went to bed, Alex said to her: “You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you.”

Is this language? Or is it simply an advanced form of mimicking behavior? It's probably somewhere in the middle, but Alex did teach us that sometimes the simplest of expressions may be a sign of something greater underneath...

-DaGirl

I'm No Longer Hopeful about Presidential Hopefuls

2007-09-10T16:08:00.000-04:00

Just a few months ago, I was chatting with JT about the field of potential presidential candidates, from both parties. At the time, we were both bullish. We had a hard time recalling such a wide-open election with so many worthy candidates.

Maybe it's a result of Nasty Politics, but almost all the likely candidates have fallen so very far in my eyes, so speedily. Then again, it's not as if I've been paying that close attention to what the campaigns and candidates themselves have been saying, so I can't fairly blame attack ads I haven't even seen. Maybe it's more like a relationship with a significant other - at first all you see are the positive attributes. Each side puts forth a front that highlights their strengths, and you... wanting and hoping to believe that this is the one... you focus on the potential. But over time, you become aware of the liabilities. You become aware of the potential... for disaster.

Wow... am I really comparing politics to dating? Should I be concerned that the analogy seems more fitting the more I think about it? When you first go on a date, you hope that this person could be the one - different from all the others. You don't want to eventually have to "settle" for someone who doesn't give you goosebumps of hopeful excitement. And likewise with presidential candidates - we all long for someone who will unite the nation, lead pragmatically, and restore our faith in our government. We dread having to "settle" yet again. When was the last election you can recall that didn't carry a taint of "lesser of two evils".

And so rapidly, I've fallen out of love with every prominent candidate as I've learned more about them and read what they've had to say about various issues (especially foreign policy). Giuliani went from being a pragmatic and strong leader to being a potential megalomaniac. Obama went from being a forward-thinking beacon of hope to potentially being the next Jimmy Carter.

How bad have things gotten? I'm a shot of tequila away from buying Political Future contracts on Mike Bloomberg winning the election outright.

What we Forget about Prayer

2007-09-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

So I have to confess, I've been on a bit of a hiatus from prayer for a while. Even when I have been in situations to pray, I've done so with very little feeling. My feelings mirror that of another good friend of mine... it's not that I'm disenchanted per se (though I certainly have my issues with religion), it's just that I'm just not enchanted.

But there's something we tend to forget about prayer, especially if we haven't done it in a while: it need not be about religion, and it need not even be about God. Prayer affects us. It's time to organize thoughts, think through what you need to be doing and get some perspective; when you live in such a fast-paced environment as Manhattan, it's possible to go weeks without a moment of private reflection if you're not careful. Further, when we pray for ourselves - when we take a moment to "ask" for things... it's not necessarily that we expect a personal diety to descend from heaven and grant our wishes. We know well enough that bad things happen to good people to know that we can't expect to always receive our hearts' desire... no matter how much we beg. But the simple process of asking forces us to do something: it forces us to articulate that which is most important to us. It forces us to prioritize, and hopefully think about what we want and how it fits into our life.

One of my favorite studies of all time concerned exercise. The study showed that, paradoxically, getting up in the morning 30 minutes earlier and exercising for those 30 minutes actually led you to have more energy and be more alert over the course of the day than you would have had if you had gotten that extra sleep. I think something similar can be said about prayer. Even if you feel little enchantment with religion, even if you have problems with faith... taking that few minutes to reflect every day can make you a more focused and more effective person.

Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus

2007-09-06T21:35:00.000-04:00

One of the stories Ive been following this year has been Colony Collapse Disorder - the mysterious phenomenon that has been decimating North American bee populations over the past few years. Bee extinction is worrisome because of our dependency on the pollinating insects for a wide range of our food products, and for broader environmental concerns.

It has just been reported that a specific virus may be playing a role in this problem. The virus' name: Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus. The name comes from the fact that the virus was discovered by Hebrew University researchers.

Now as wonderful as it is that Israeli scientists are at the leading edge of biological research, I cant help wishing that they had come up with a better name. Attaching the adjective 'Israeli' to a virus that could seriously deplete our food supply cannot be the best thing for the Jewish state. Now, I can only hope that the Hebrew U researchers come up with a cure. Perhaps they could name it Israeli Bee Savior Serum. Now that would be a name you could market!

Another Jewish-Spoof Video

2007-09-06T18:27:00.001-04:00

Looks like this is the week of Jewish spoofs at Daboys:
This one is a take-off on Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend"
Enjoy!

The Future of Nasty Politics

2007-09-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

In politics, "going negative" carries benefits and risks. Trash your opponent's reputation, and fewer poeople will vote for him or her. But in the process you're likely to be seen as an aggressor - just another immoral politician willing to do anything to win. Your reputation will suffer as well, and fewer people will vote for you (it's for this reason that the more negative an election is, the lower turnout tends to be). Even worse, you could spark retaliation, giving your opponent an excuse to trash your repuation and claim innocently "but they started it!"

Ah, if only there were some way your opponent's reputation could be trashed by some kind of third party, so you wouldn't need to incur the risks.

Enter 3rd party organizations such as the Swift Boat Veterans, who memorably bashed Kerry in the 2004 election. Freedom of speech offers such groups the right to bash any candidate they dislike... and the candidate they support cannot be blamed for it. This tactic is already being used for the 2008 election (NY Firefighters against Guiliani). This trend of 3rd party attack groups scares the bejeezus out of me.

For one thing, they are uncontrollable. Major news sources may refuse to report the scandals unearthed by such groups, and network might refuse to show their ads... but the internet and its array of anti-whoever blogs will be very quick to pounce on any tidbit. News sources might have to report just to avoid being scooped, or being seen as favoring the candidates.

But even worse, they are unaccountable. Dan Rather's reputation was irreperably harmed because he relied on dubious information. But nameless and faceless 3rd Party Organizations? If they get the facts wrong, they can just reform under a new name. There's no major loss. Further, these organizations don't need to play by the rules that candidates play by. Is there any detail too sordid? Could someone scour a candidate's private e-mails to find evidence of wrongdoing and post them anonymously? Could someone possibly obtain a hard-drive from a candidate's old computer to prove they had downloaded porn? Unlike in the past, our misdeeds are far more likely to leave a virtual trail that e-sleuths could track down. And unlike in the past, there are far more ways to make such information public.

Of course, politics have always been nasty. When Grover Cleveland ran for office, his opponents would make light of his bastard child by chanting "Ma! Ma! Where's my Pa? Gone to the White House, Ha Ha Ha!" But I still fear that politics are headed towards unprecedented levels of nastiness. Perhaps we will adjust by becoming numb to the personal attacks. But perhaps there's a price to that, as well.

Rosh Hashanah Girl

2007-09-04T10:53:00.000-04:00

It was only a matter of time before something like this was made.

I only hope that we dont have to live through a "shofar in a box" song.

Hat tip: JH

Why Jews Should Love the BoSox and Hate the Yankees

2007-08-31T12:20:00.000-04:00

A little while ago, in a comment on DaGirls' "My Mets" column, a Dutch reader asked "which is the most Jewish club - Mets or Yankees or Red Sox."

Now, American Jewish Life Magazine has provided the answer in its article: "Why Every American Jew Should Love the Boston Red Sox and Hate the New York Yankees, the Annotated Edition"

It's pretty good - so check it out.

Hat Tip: Volokh Conspiracy

Hebrew without Judaism

2007-08-24T11:05:00.000-04:00

There's a new charter school in Florida that has been founded as a Hebrew/English school.

In the mindset of keeping church separate from state, the school's leaders say that there will be no Jewish religious education taught whatsoever, and Jewish culture (like Israel dancing) will be taught only as a sublesson in the daily hebrew class.

Im not so keen in the idea of Charter schools in the first place, so I will hopefully have time to flesh my thoughts out on this later today, but for now, I'm a little torn on the issue.

First of all, the school's principal is a Rabbi, and while I am sure he has only the best intentions, I can understand some parents' concern that some classes may skew to religion. At the very least, wouldn't there be some fundamental Jewish morals guiding the school as it's being led by a Rabbi? (Not that that's necessarily a problem either).

However, it seems the school's leaders are taking every necessary precaution to try to prevent and relgion from appearing in their school, almost to a fault (i.e. the removal of a textbook jut because it has a picture of a shofar in it).

First of all, it's a charter school, so parents don't have to send their kids there if they dont want to. And it seems that the makeup of the school is somewhat mixed racially based on the languages spoken at home - spanish, russian, hebrew - (although they didn't ask the children to fill out their religion on their applications). Some are making the argument that it will deplete the private yeshivas in the area, a point I don't buy...I would imagine that those parents who want a religious education for their children will still send their kids to yeshivas and day schools, if it is in their means. And for those jewish families who can't afford a jewish day school, at least this school could give their children a Hebrew foundation, which the parents can use to teach them religion in the home.

Hebrew, however, is so tied up in religion - as much or more so than Arabic, I think - that I do wonder if a Hebrew education without the religion will be a little hollow.

What do you think?

-DaGirl

And now for some Potty Humor

2007-08-23T12:22:00.001-04:00

Check out this new invention: GasBGone

According to the website:

"The GasBGon flatulence filter seat cushion is a fun, yet serious solution to the embarrassing problem of malodorous gas (breaking wind).
GasBGon seat cushions apply cutting edge carbon filter technology to absorb the sound and odor that accompany flatulence. The unique cushioning property combines to form a dual filter technology to muffle the sound and the smell.
Truth is, everyone has flatulence and passes gas an average of 14 times a day. Granted, some people are more frequent and odiferous than others. Research indicates that the GasBGon cushion actually absorbs more than 90% of the odor emitted for most end users. This is the result of a carbon filter that has the equivalent surface area of a football field.
The product was conceived and developed by Jim and Sharron Huza. Jim is an air quality and filtration engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry while Sharron is a nursing student and experienced sales and marketing professional."

The website has testimonials and everything! Classic.

Moshe Rabeinu was a Satmar

2007-08-21T15:09:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh, now that explains it!

Only an Idiot would jump in the bear cage

2007-08-20T16:01:00.000-04:00

I just noticed a story on CNN about a Serbian man who was found dead in a bear cage at the Belgrade zoo. The zoo director was quoted as saying: "There's a good chance he was drunk or drugged. Only an idiot would jump into the bear cage."

I wasnt expecting a quote like that in this type of story and found it fairly humorous. My friend JH put it this way: "That's the difference between Americans and the rest of the world-- if this had happened in the U.S., the statement would for sure say things like "a tragic incident," "deep regret," and "our deepest condolences to the family." In the rest of the world they say it straight-- the guy was an idiot."

Of course, it is still a tragic accident for which I extend my deepest condolences to the family...

Dear Cube-Neighbor,

2007-08-14T17:06:00.000-04:00

I know that my days are numbered at this company*, so I feel it is time I tell you that I cannot stand it when you email me simple questions that you could ask me directly by just turning your head slightly to the left and opening your mouth. I realize that it looks impressive to have a 40 e-mail back and forth with one word responses. And it's nice of you to waste my time trying to make me write out lengthy explanations. But I think it just makes both of us look silly when you email me, and I respond by opening my mouth and talking to you.

The good news is that our other cube-mates must think I'm talking to myself.

Thank you for making me realize now nice direct, passive aggressive human interaction is.

-DaGirl

*I got a new job! YAY!

Rick Ankiel

2007-08-10T12:28:00.000-04:00

Seven years ago I witnessed one of the oddest scenes I have ever seen as a sports fan. In the first game of the divisional series between the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis, Rick Ankiel, the 20 year old Cardinals' pitcher totally lost control. In the third inning, Ankiel threw 5 wild pitches in one inning; a feat which had not been accomplished since 1890. Up until that point, he had been one of the most promising young pitchers in baseball; striking out batters at a rate second only to Randy Johnson in the NL, and coming in second in rookie of the year balloting. After that point, he was never the same, suffering from incredible, and physically unexplainable control problems that prevented him from competing at his former level.

A couple of years ago to resurrect his career, Ankiel switched to the outfield. Many sports fans, myself included, were rooting for the guy, but knew that his quest was a long shot. I mean how many top pitchers are able to become capable hitters. I can think of one. Babe Ruth. That's it.

But now, it looks like he's made it back. Yesterday, he was called back up to the Cardinals club after leading the Pacific Coast League with 32 home runs. In his first game back to the show, Ankiel hit a three run homer to lead his team over the Padres 5-0. Tony La Russa, the Cardinals' Manager illustrated how big this story was by exclaiming that Ankiel's homer was his second happiest moment in a Cardinal's uniform after winning the World Series last year.

Rick Ankiel shows we can follow our dreams even while travelling a completely different path from the one we have mapped out. Here's hoping that his comeback continues to be successful.

Strokes of Genius

2007-08-10T10:06:00.000-04:00

Check this out!

The bloody bandaids is a little gross, but that self-portrait...unbelieveable.

-daGirl

Pandora

2007-08-09T16:47:00.000-04:00

I like listening to music at work. When I first started, I stuck to CDs. But, when you go through about 4 a day no matter how many you have, or how much you like them, CDs become boring. You always know what song is coming next, and there is just so much you could take. So I switched to Ipod. But, that just added another thing to carry in my pockets, and I had to remember to keep it charged. My next stop was internet radio. I used to listen to NY's Jack FM, but when that station was retaken by CBS FM (a move that made my dad ecstatic and me not so much) I switched to the Seattle version. That was good for awhile, but I had the commercials to deal with. Also, if I didnt like a song I couldnt hit the next button to go on.

Today I was introduced to Pandora. On this site, you input an artist or song that you like, and a playlist of similar music is generated for you. It's awesome. The first group I put in was U2 figuring that would be an easy band to match. Right away they played two of my favorite songs; Under the Bridge by the Chili Peppers and Pictures of You by The Cure. Since then, I've been playing around with the site, adding groups to my preferences, and rating songs that are played. Pandora has pretty quickly learned my tastes. They play lesser known songs from well known bands, as well as hit singles, and also throw in material from bands I do not know. They explain why they play certain songs based on my preferences, and how elements in the music fit my tastes. For instance, they played Black Balloon by The Goo Goo Dolls because it "features a subtle use of vocal harmony, mild rhythmic syncopation, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation, major key tonality, and acoustic rhythm guitars."

Also, after signing up for the site I was sent an email saying hi and asking for my opinion on the service. They said I could just reply to the email instead of making me fill out some random internet survey. That's right, there was no "please do not reply to this email" disclaimer. That made me happy.

So bottom line, I totally recommend Pandora. Sweet, they just started playing Sister Christian by Night Ranger - Nice! MOTORIN......................

McPackaging

2007-08-07T10:04:00.000-04:00

At first this study seems shocking. When kids are presented with the same foods—let's say a carrot—with one in McDonald's packaging and one in plain packaging, it seems 4 times out of 5 they will prefer the one in McDonald's package.

True, this speaks to the power of the Mc-y-D's brand, and I want to be outraged that McDonald's has taught children to associate the Golden Arches with better tasting food, but can we really blame McDonald's here?

I know that when I used to sit in the grocery cart while my mother went food shopping, I naturally reached for the packages with bright colors and cartoon characters. If she suggested the generic brand of Cheerios, I refused, simply because the package wasn't attractive.

So, it would be one thing if these researchers offered the children the same hamburger—one in McDonald's paper and one in an equally colorful and attractive, yet non branded wrapper—and the children still picked McDonald's. Then we might have a bigger case for public outrage...

It do think it's interesting, however, that the kids were more likely to be OK with the non-McDonald's hamburger than the carrots...I think that speaks much more highly to what the public can be doing to make fruits and vegetables more attractive to kids.

-DaGirl

Illustrating wisdom in the NY Times

2007-08-06T16:08:00.000-04:00

The Times yesterday ran an article describing how millionaire families do not feel financially secure, and continue to work long hours well into middle age to support their lifestyle. The issue, according to one high earning individual is that:

"Here, the top 1 percent chases the top one-tenth of 1 percent, and the top one-tenth of 1 percent chases the top one-one-hundredth of 1 percent."

The article is interesting for a number of reasons, but I thought that this was a particularly great illustration of the proverb "eizehu ashir; hasameach bichelko," or in English, "Who is rich? He who is happy with his portion."

The Envy of All the Ultra-Orthodox...

2007-08-03T11:05:00.000-04:00

My favorite American family, The Duggars, have just welcomed child #17 into their family.

Mom, Michelle, is as chipper as ever, and is quoted as saying "We'd love to have more."

Good for her! Since all of her children have names that start with the letter "J" (There's Joshua, 19; John David, 17; Janna, 17; Jill, 16; Jessa, 14; Jinger, 13; Joseph, 12; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 9; Jedidiah, 8; Jeremiah, 8; Jason 7; James 6; Justin, 4; Jackson, 3; Johannah, almost 2 and now Jennifer Danielle) I wonder if she'll ever run out and switch to a new letter...

Interesting tidbit: Michelle Duggar has been pregnant 126 months, or 10.5 years of her life! ....yeeech.

Below, a sample of Momma Duggar's family recipes:

TATER TOT CASSEROLE
2 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
3 2lb bags tater tots
2 cans cream of mushroom
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cans cream of chicken
Brown meat & place in large cass. dish.
Cover with tator tots. Mix soup & milk together.
Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour.
(One of Daddy's Favorites!) Makes 2- 9"X13" pans

...assuming you can make that kosher, it would certainly help you feed the room at your next huge Shabbat meal...

905 VACATION! -- Seattle

2007-07-20T14:01:00.000-04:00

Last week, LT, Dagirl and myself took a trip out west. We decided to not do the traditional LA, or SF vacations, and instead opted for the less visited, but spectacular Pacific Northwest. I knew very little about the Seattle area before going. My general impression of the place consisted of mental images of the Space Needle, Microsoft execs toting around Starbucks mugs, and lots and lots of rain.

DaGirl: the Space Needle is to Seattle what the Empire State Building is to NYC, except it truly serves no practical purpose.

But after having visited, I can honestly say that Seattle is my new favorite American city - vastly superior to NY, and that I hope to get a chance to go back soon. Some of the highlights from our trip:

1) Pikes Place Market - Home of the original Starbucks, and the land of flying fish, this semi open air market contains hundreds of non-corporate stores selling everything from engraved rocks with pithy slogans to the most ginormous and fantastic artichokes I've ever seen (or tasted!).

DaGirl: This is a shot down one of the food vendors at Pike's Place. All of the food was so meticulously placed in neat rows, that the vendors asked customers to not touch the food.

DaGirl: The first Starbucks. Can you imagine what would have happened had the marketing team decided to stick with the original logo?

2) Mount Rainier - Have you ever hiked in 75 degree weather (DaGirl: it was more like 85 degrees, but who's counting) through snow? Well you could do that here. Plus, it has some of the most spectacular cliff side views you'll ever see.

DaGirl: Mt. Rainier.

DaGirl: This marmot came right up to LT looking for a little treat. I, of course, couldn't resist offering up JT's sunflower seeds. Note: It is not OK to feed wild animals...do as I say, not as I do.

3) Seattle Mariners game - Seattle loves their Mariners and it shows. The stadium filled with electricity at all the right moments, and the game was a joy to watch. The crowd even put together a wave that circled the stadium more than 5 times, and had an extended introduction for their closer, reminiscent of the entry of "Wild Thing" in the original "Major League" film. Plus, free massages (DaGirl: and manicures!) were given out as a promotion. Who could ask for more.

DaGirl: Safeco Stadium. I for one was thrilled sitting in the right field bleachers and being no more than 10 feet from Ichiro!

4) San Juan Island - The best way to get to this amazing corner of our country is by a one hour ferry ride. We only stayed two days on the island, but it was a great two days. We filled them up by going horseback riding, visiting an Alpaca farm, checking out what 27,000 lavender plants look like, kayaking, fishing, getting in a jellyfish fight, and hitting up a local pub. We even got to see a bald eagle!

DaGirl: A view from the ferry ride back to the mainland at sunset.

DaGirl: Alpaca butts!.

DaGirl: Are lavender fields forever?

DaGirl: If I could wake up to this every morning, I would be 100% content with life.

5) Seattle's kosher scene - Going in, I was ready for a lot of meals consisting of tuna fish and traditions soup. Boy was I wrong! We dined on all-you can eat Indian food, and vegetarian Chinese (DaGirl: Don't forget the kosher NY Style bagel and sandwich shop.) The Mercer Island neighborhood also hosts the largest kosher section I have seen in any American supermarket. It houses a deli counter, bakery, freezer section, and rows of kosher dry goods.

DaGirl: Sorry, no pictures of the food, but it was yummy!...

I could write more, but Ill leave this one open for LT and Dagirl to edit with pictures and commentary.

To sum up, while sitting at a secluded beach on San Juan island, we overheard a mother speaking with her children. She said: "Look out there, you have all these beautiful mountains and this magnificent ocean, and just think; we live here! We must be the luckiest people on Earth." And that sentiment sounded just about right to me.

At least it doesn't take quarters

2007-07-18T15:20:00.000-04:00

Sorry for our absence. JT, LT and I have been away on vacation (We missed you DK :-)). However, JT has promised me that he will post a comprehensive summary of our adventures.

In the meantime. Here's a little gift for that "person who has everything"....

Getting all hot and heavy, and then having to either:

scramble around for a condom

watch as someone else, half naked, scrambles around for the condom

shrug (or be shrugged at) apologetically when such prophylactics cannot be found

does seem like more of a mood killer than an aphrodisiac.

However, imagine you're a girl (if you're not), and you go back to the apartment of a guy who has this handy, dandy device stashed under his bed...

do you:

Even better, guys what would you do if you went back to the apartment of a girl who has this product, (made with characteristic German efficiency), sitting on her nightstand?

-DaGirl

For Your Summer Viewing Pleasure

2007-07-02T15:02:00.000-04:00

Faithful readers,
Do yourself a favor. Stop reading this silly blog, and run to the nearest movie theater to see Ratatouille.

After Finding Nemo, parents rushed to pet stores to purchase clown fish for their kids...do you think this movie will do the same for rats?

I can promise you, it will be among the most joyful two hours you have ever spent in a movie theater.

-DaGirl

What are you still doing here? Go! Turn off the computer and get to the movies!

The Agony of Competitive Eating

2007-06-26T09:23:00.000-04:00

Everyone in this blog-o-sphere please bow your heads for a moment of silence in honor of the jaw of Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi.

Every July 4th, I look forward to watching the Nathan's hot dog eating competition with some combination of horrified disgust and can't-look-away intrigue. But, one of the two top hot-dog-scarfing competitors, Kobayashi, has suffered a possible career-ending jaw injury during training for this event.

The mustard bottle is bewildering me...these people dunk their buns in water to help them slide down their throat...do they take the time to squirt a little spicy brown on them too?

As background: A few weeks ago, Kobayashi's biggest competition, Joey Chestnut, shattered his hot-dog eating record by inhaling 59.5 frankfurters and buns in 12 minutes (about 6 more than Kobayashi downed last year). This was the set up for what could have been a championship face-off to rival the greats: Yankees vs. Red Sox, Frazier vs. Ali, Palmer vs. Nicklaus...you get the point.

Oh well. Instead, I'll just have to look forward to the next mayonnaise eating contest. Four 32-ounce bowls of mayonnaise in 8 minutes....awesome!...blech!...

-DaGirl

BTW: This girl is my hero. Ranked up there with the best (and biggest) guys in the sport. (this is a sport, right?)

UPDATE: Yesterday, Joey Chestnut defeated Kobayashi by eating 66 hotdogs, compared to Kobayashi's 63. With a few seconds left, Kobayashi had also eaten 66 dogs, but after a "reversal of fortune" was given a three hotdog penalty.

Secular Shomer Negiyah

2007-06-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

I dont have much time to comment right now but I thought this was pretty interesting:

Kilmer Middle school in Virginia has instituted a no touching policy so strict that students can be reprimanded for holding hands, or high-fiveing. According to Kilmer Principal Deborah Hernandez, "You get into shades of gray... The kids say, 'If he can high-five, then I can do this.'"

According to the CNN story, violence and harassment seem to be the two main reasons for the policy as "school officials think touching can turn into a big deal. They've seen pokes lead to fights, gang signs in the form of handshakes and girls who are uncomfortable being hugged but embarrassed to say anything."

Happy Juneteenth!!!

2007-06-19T11:33:00.000-04:00

To quote a Legend:

Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.

Primping and Preening

2007-06-06T11:47:00.000-04:00

Ok, so the comments for this post sparked some debate over the reasons a girl may or may not get all dolled up for a date.

So, as the resident female in this blog, here's my position:

I, personally, don't really go all that out of my way to prepare for a date. Yes, I will likely change when I get home from work, or maybe put a little extra thought into my outfit if I am meeting the guy right after work, but I won't wear anything that isn't part of my normal rotation. I think of it as a small step above my average outfit.

Besides the clothes, I may brush my hair and leave it down (instead of my typical ponytail), but that's about it. My nails are done every two weeks regardless of my plans for those weeks (I would never do them otherwise), and I hate blowing my hair out, so I just dont bother.

Yes, I know I am a very low maintenance girl and others are not like this. I do, however, understand that a more girly-girl will want to look her finest for a date.

Manicures, special clothes and perfect makeup jobs are not always noticed by the guy, but they are done for both his benefit and the girl's: if she feels like she looks great, she's more likely to be confident and comfortable on the date.

Now, many guys have told me they like a girl who looks good in sweats and a ratty T-shirt. That's great. I can understand the need for a girl who doesnt fuss about her looks just to stay in and watch a move. But, let's be honest, you also want a girl whom you can bring to that next wedding and have everyone in the room turn their heads and wonder, "how the hell did that shlubby guy end up with that hottie?"

See? All that primping benefits you.

-DaGirl

...comment at will....

Why Don't Cellphones Have a "DND" Feature?

2007-06-05T15:10:00.000-04:00

20 years ago, only technophiles and doctors carried beepers. Today, everyone and their 8-year-old cousin walks around with a cellphone and/or blackberry. I'll admit, I was a holdout at first... I was probably one of the last among my friends to get a cellphone when I first signed up for one around 7 years ago. I feared giving up a sense of peace and quiet - I liked the idea of being unreachable at times.

But now I have a cellphone. Now, I am reachable all the time. My only recourse is to turn off my cellphone - which I do when I go to movies (as the witty "turn off your cellphone" clips remind me). But how about other times I'd just rather not be disturbed? I reach for that "off" switch, but something holds me back... it's the thought that if there were an emergency, someone might need to reach me, so how could I be so irresponsible as to make myself unreachable?

This brings me to my question: Why the heck don't all cellphones come with some kind of easy-to-use standby feature? The idea would be to put your phone in some kind of "Do Not Disturb" mode. People who call you would be prompted "If this is an emergency, press ___, otherwise please leave a message at the tone." Isn't this a win-win? I'd much rather leave someone a message than reach them irritated because they'd preferred not to have been disturbed. And I'd be able to enjoy peace and quiet along with the peace of mind from knowing if there were an emergency, I could be reached.

So I ask... why isn't this feature commonplace?

The Religion of Dating

2007-06-04T15:31:00.000-04:00

Friday night, right before Shabbat was about to roll in, DaBoys and I got to talking about how dating was a lot like religion. The similarity is somewhat surprising.

Here's some of our rationale:

1. Both require you to dress up a little nicer that usual.
2. There are membership dues involved in both cases.
3. There's often the need for strange rituals.
4. You (hopefully) tend to be a little more respectful when involved with either.
5. Everything revolves around food.
6. Alcohol comsumption is strongly encouraged.
7. There's often the need to apologize or repent for your sins.
8. If one doesnt work out for you, there are always others to choose from.
9. In the end, both should make you a better person.

Got any more to add?

-DaGirl

Kiddush Hashem on Chinese TV

2007-06-04T13:19:00.000-04:00

Jameel posted about a story on Rav Elyashiv's prohibition of obtaining benefit from Chinese organ harvesting. The Rav "said it was a desecration of God's name for Jews to exploit the moral corruption of the Chinese regime, which kills political prisoners with the aim of turning a profit by selling their heart, kidney, lungs and other organs."

These are the kinds of stories I love to see.

Phew...I Needed That

2007-06-01T09:32:00.000-04:00

It's Friday and there's a glorious summer day out there! Sucks that you have to be stuck behind a desk toiling away all day, right?

Well, I felt that way this morning...until I watched this:

You feel a little better, right?

(The Fraggle Rock intro has also been shown to be effective in curing a case of the Mondays, helping you get over Tragic Tuesdays, getting you past Hump Day and even for raising your spirits on Almost-There-But-Not-Quite Thursdays. Do not listen to the Fraggle Rock theme while operating heavy machinery. Consult with your doctor before combining this song with any type of caffeine, ice cream or witty humor, extreme giddiness may result. In case of a serious bout with work woes, be sure to watch video on repeat until symptoms are alleviated. Do not take more than 30 times in an hour—I repeat—do not take more than 30 times in an hour. The Fraggles and Doozers will not be pleased...I'm serious, you do not want to see what happens.)

Shabbat Shalom!

-DaGirl

My Brickbreaker on Blackberry Saga

2007-05-31T11:48:00.000-04:00

Those who own a blackberry understand the appeal of Brickbreaker. It is a simple, yet frustrating game, similar to Arkanoid, that is installed on every Bberry. When I first got the device, I was a casual player. I would play on my ride to work, and during downtimes. But then, about 4 months ago I began this monster game and just couldn't stop. Before this game started, my high score had been in the 30,000 range. In this game, I breezed past this score and just kept going. Around the time I passed the 200,000 mark, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal describing the blackberry addiction and noting that the top score worldwide was in the 1.3 million range.

Finally I had a goal. I wanted to become the worldwide brickbreaker record holder. I would be an inspiration to blackberry users everywhere! So, I kept plugging away. In subways, on lines, while engaged in less than stimulating phone conversations. There I was, hitting a little virtual ball with a little virtual paddle.

Last week I reached 1.3 million. But the game started going a little screwy. It seemed that my little device could no longer handle my score. Then, the game wouldn't let me continue altogether. Final score 1,306,950. I still had over a hundred lives, but the game just wouldn't let me go on. It seemed to be telling me enough already!

But, I knew that my score wasn't good enough to be #1. So I went online to see how I could coax the game into letting me play some more to rack up the last few points. I found a forum for people addicted like myself, and learned that the game always conks out after cycling through 80 rounds of 34 levels. So there I was, finished with the game after more than 50 hours of playing time. So I submitted my score, and was given a worldwide rank of 84. Not #1, but at least I finished the game. Now if I could just fight off the urge to start again...

Dating Immaturity

2007-05-29T15:07:00.000-04:00

A new facebook application called "matches" was recently developed by a couple of Jewish New Yorkers. According to its description, adding this app allows you to:

"select friends you have a crush on, or are simply interested in. The app does not reveal that it is you that selected them, it merely tells them someone is interested in them. If they submit a match for you too, it then notifies you and lists you and the other member in your confirmed matches section."

Right after it was created, a whole bunch of UWSers added the app to their facebook profiles.

I was under the impression that such techniques were jettisoned sometime around 8th grade. I mean, it seems pretty simple to me - if a guy likes a girl, he asks her out. If a girl likes a guy, she uses her feminine wiles to let him know (or she asks him out.) This whole "I like her, but don't want to let her know unless she also likes me, and clicks the little heart button thing on facebook" idea seems very immature to me. I like to hope that it is not indicative of a general relationship immaturity problem in our community, but I'm not very confident that my hope is justified.

Where's My Beret?

2007-05-21T17:18:00.000-04:00

In honor of the upcoming holiday of Shavuot, I have written the following poem:

Who needs chicken, when there's cheese?
Put some on pasta, it's sure to please.

Cheddar, swiss, brie and feta,
Pile it on, there's noting betta'

Step aside meatballs, chops and steak,
Dessert is better with cream in the cake.

Make your own sundae or banana split,
Eggplant parm is always a hit.

The traditional roast just got tossed,
For some fettuccini and alfredo sauce.

We know of fat it has the most-est,
But what other food fights osteoporosis?

Let's thank the cows, goats and sheep,
For all the dairy that makes us weak.

For today, there's only one who is allowed to rant,
And that's the guy who's lactose intolerant!

-DaGirl

Dedicated to SH...

(you all have permission to groan now) :)

Wherefore art thou LT?

2007-05-21T14:45:00.000-04:00

Oh LT,

It has been so long since last you posted. Every day, the good residents of the virtual 905 eagerly await a sighting. We have started to come up with some theories as to your whereabouts...

Have you:

Buried yourself under something that this time you can not dig out from?
Been sick as a poodle?
Been experiencing the longest ever case of Super Bowl Hangover?
Been writing another musical autobiography?
Gotten lost in suburbia?
Been abducted by the building manager for messing with her head?
Gotten swallowed by the evil TV?
Gone undercover to find the real root of the MO single's crisis?
Fallen into the Springfield Mystery Spot a la Ozzie Smith?

Wherever you are, we hope that you are well and will stop by soon!

Seven Minutes in the Life of a Beautiful Woman

2007-05-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Sitting across from me on the subway today was one of the most physically attractive women I have ever seen. She was dressed in only sweatpants and a tie died t-shirt, and wasn't wearing makeup, but her beauty radiated through the grimy subway car like a 10000 watt spotlight shining through a Mongolian swamp. Only after tearing my eyes from her did I realize that all of the men, and many of the other women, were staring at her with the same slack-jawed expression on their faces. She seemed oblivious to the stares and went about her subway ride nonchalantly.

The beautiful woman then just happened to get out of the car at my stop, and also happened to walk in the same direction I take. While walking behind her I got a taste of what she must go through every day. Practically every person she passed stopped and stared at her as she walked by. One older guy even got within 6 inches of her face so that he could look at her more closely.

I wonder how she feels about all the attention. I would think that she is conflicted. Also, at some point in her life, I would imagine that the looks will get less frequent and then stop altogether. That will probably be a hard thing to go through.

While walking near her I got to thinking about the largeness of life. Everybody has their own problems, issues and challenges. A story could be told about seven minutes in the life of anyone, and that story could be very important, and not important at all. It's very easy to get caught up in our own lives, and the silly day-to-day problems that we are facing. But thank G-d for creating beautiful women to give us some perspective!