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rumble grumble gurgle roar

2 April 2009 By Leave a Comment

I am actually having a pretty good day. I cannot explain the subject line.

Our dogs have fleas, which, I think, is impressive, seeing as they are both regularly (daily) with anti-parasitics. I consider fleas to be parasites, but apparently they are not in the family of parasite that they are already treated for. We got the cheaper option for flea stuff today, as I did not have 85$ to spend on Frontline plus. We’ll see how this other stuff works, and if it does work, maybe we’ll just go with it. The gal at the pet store said it did work, just not as well as Frontline.

We also hit the book store and I got a Mrs. Meyers how-to book. It contains step by step instructions for people like me who never learned how to properly clean. I am kind of excited about it. Ok, no kind of about it, I really am. I try very hard to schedule cleaning time, and to stay on top of things, but I really never learned how. I sweep and mop and it still looks dingy. So, this book is a good thing.

I also got Crafting Jewish, by Rivky Koenig. I am going through a Jew phase. Pesach is coming up and I figured I’d have some things to do with the kids. I kind of want… modern Judaism. Not the throw back old time religion, but 21st Century Judaism. It’s out there, and I am on a mission to find it. If you YouTube a lot, look for Punk Torah. He’s got some good video blogs up.

We’re hosting first night here this year, and perhaps second. We were invited out, but I’m not sure if we’re going yet. I am pretty excited about it. I am going passover shopping tomorrow morning.

We are beach bound on Sunday. We haven’t been at all this year! I think it is hilarious that I am saying that, seeing as from 2000 – 2006 we went less than three times. Last year we started going about once a month. The kids love it. I am trying to find a way to sand-proof my camera so I can get better shots. I might just stick to my P&S though.

I think that might be it.

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Why is Judaism synonymous with McCain?

18 September 2008 By 2 Comments

Seriously, please tell me why. I am actually physically ill right now with the copious amount of articles I can find with Jews supporting McCain/Palin and their disgusting ways. I am having considerably more trouble finding Jews for Obama type articles.

Maybe I am looking in the wrong places? I go to Chabad. It’s an ultra-orthodox shul. I am not ultra-orthodox, but they accept us, and we can’t afford to go to the reform shul. So SuperJew it is!

Why is SuperJew so incredibly not… super? Why is SuperJew anti-abortion, even when it’s rape? Why is SupoerJew up McCain’s ass?

I cannot find a single thing I agree with McCain/Palin on. Not a one.

I like to think I am a good Jew. I might not be as Jew-y as SuperJew, but the Torah teaches us there is no such thing as a bad Jew. The Torah teaches us love, compassion, understanding, and so many more things, I just cannot understand why SuperJew wants to keep so many of my friends from being married, wants to force women who have been raped (possibly by family!) from having abortions, wants to keep women who might die if they carry a child from abortion. Why does SuperJew want the shackles of religion controlling the government? If God is in charge of the US, can we start taxing God? Can we start repealing the commandments? We’ll take them, one at a time, to the supreme court. I bet if we get the right judge and jury we can have them repealed too, right along side Roe. Vs. Wade and so many other long standing, landmark cases, as well as some newer ones.

I google Jews & Obama. These gems are the first few entries:

http://jewagainstobama.wordpress.com/

http://jews4barack.com/mythfacts/?page_id=40

I am not even linking the creepy articles I’ve seen. Oh, sure I will. To get a good idea of how they think, read this one. Want satire? Try this.

Now before you think wrongly of me… I love being Jewish. I love the tradition. I love the comfort it brings me when I really need it and I love the freedom it allows me when I don’t. It is not my be-all end-all. It can’t be, because if there is a God, and s/he controls everything… I just don’t want to know. Too many things have gone wrong for me to be willing ot believe that. That said, I also do a lot of things that go against the teachings of the Torah. And that is OK by me, because I am not out to be SuperJew and I am not yet willing to devote my life to those teachings. Maybe I’ll never be. Maybe in another lifetime.

It frightens me just how many people are supporting McCain/Palin because they are “down home people” (they aren’t, he married money and she’s a gun-toting hockey mom in charge of a population smaller than the bottom half of Manhatten, nothing against guns or hockey, but not my image of a VP) and I wonder how many trully believe what they stand for… or even know.

I may not exactly be “for” Obama… but I am most definitely again McCain. I am not afraid of genuine, positive change. Change that I think Obama can start (and maybe see finish!) and that I know McCain will not even consider, and will start us in reverse. We certainly don’t need another four years of the Bush administration (or worse!), why elect someone hwo will be more of the same? Sure, the same might be comforting and familiar, but what have you been complaining about for the past eight years? SuperJew, it’s up to you to help do something different, and I have faith that come November 4, you will do the right thing, not choose blindly because it feels safe and familiar.

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Judaism

15 December 2007 By Leave a Comment

I just wrote this in response to someone asking about conversion.

If your mother was Jewish, you don’t need to convert, first of all. Judaism is matriarchal (it runs through the women) and even if you weren’t raised that way, you are. Now, if your mothers father was Jewish, and not her mother, then you aren’t Jewish by lineage. It has to be a unending line through the women. See, we are good for something lol

Outside of that, find a rabbi. Interview local synagogues. See which one you like. I grew up “conservadox” (somewhere in between conservative and orthodox) and more or less stay there. I hear the reform Jews are super lenient, and much of my family is reform. There is also a new movement… I can’t remember the name of it, that is very laid back.

DON’T JUMP INTO JUDAISM ALL AT ONCE! Not shouting, just loud. It wont work. There is too much. Pick one thing a week or even a month, depending on the size of it, and try it on, if it takes, good for you! If not, pick something else.

I am a traditional Jew, not an observant one. I benched after dinner for the first time in years last night (we were invited to Shabbos dinner, and I was given a book so I did. I was mighty proud of myself for remembering how!) and while I say once a week isn’t much to commit to, I don’t do it. Why? It’s not important to me. However, I do pray over the dead, for all yarzeits, for births, and a few other important dates. While I’m not a high holiday Jew (I actually avoid shul then, too crowded) I’m not a daily walk to and from Jew either. Maybe somewhere in between?

I’m sure this didn’t answer anything you asked. Judaism is the only religion to also be a race and a lifestyle. I know Christianity is a lifestyle, but in Judaism, you are living the Torah everyday (if you follow it that way). You are eating according to those rules, doing mitzvahs, giving charity, praying, and conducting your life around it. It’s a lot to take in, and it’s fascinating. Of course you don’t have to do everything, I don’t know many who do, but I think to make the decision not to do something you need to know about it anyway.

Check out chabad.org (they are the super frummies, but that site is so chock full of information, and if you have a Chabad house near you, give them a call or visit, they welcome everyone) and also jewfaq.org is informative.

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news worthy, i think

28 March 2006 By Leave a Comment

lots going on. tons. been speaking with pam almost daily it feels like, about the move. a Lot of details to sort out. We know how much monthly things ought to cost, or approximately. We know what our current bills are. so we can sort of budget. We need to find out a date for the truck, I want to get autotrain tickets so we don’t have to drive up, or at least not the entire way. 4 hours on one end and 6 on the other isn’t bad.

Mom’s hair is falling out. I made her a hat, and I bought her one as well. You can whisper next to it and it comes out. She told dorian it will grow back, maybe blond and curly like eshiva’s. You never know.

I wish she could tell me it’s ok for us to go and I’d believe her. But I don’t. I need to work past this huge feeling of guilt. I know we need to go. I know it’s better for my family.  I have this little thing that I don’t want the last time I see my mom to be the day we move. I don’t want the next time to be a funeral. I wrote this when I was maybe 15. Who knew.
Bah, bad vibes!

We went to the book store yesterday, bought a stupidly huge amount of books.  Chai got some Dora books, and Dor got a train book, and Esh got a Clifford book, and I got a cookbook, and some kid-level religion books (one was a shabbos board book, one is many different religions from a kids perspective, and one is the illustrated torah for kids, they’ll need to grow into that last one I think). I got an illustrated dictionary for the kids as well. Hmmmm  there were a few others, I can’t remember. Yes, I much prefer to buy books than borrow from the library. I still have books from when I was a child. OH! I got two Dick & Jane books for Dorian to read.
I have to go pick up the kids.

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Borrowed from

11 November 2004 By

Moral Values?
Biblical verses condemning homosexuality: Less than 7 (translations and context of these are unclear)
Biblical verses condemning abortion: 0
Biblical verses condemning gay marriage: 0
Biblical verses condemning stem-cell research: 0

Biblical verses about duty to the poor: More than 70
Biblical verses condemning war: More than 70
Biblical verses condemning greed: More than 90
Biblical verses exalting peace: More than 100
Biblical verses condemning falsehood: More than 100
Biblical verses condemning hypocrisy: More than 200

edit: I should have put this disclaimer up with this post: I do not know how accurate this is, I can’t say I have ever read the bible from page one to page whatever the last one is. I can say I have read snippets of it. I am pretty sure that in the Torah that this is mostly accurate.

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