Sunday At The Blog With Neil

Shoshana linked to this article: As a character on an old TV show used to say (care to name it?) - "Ve- eh -e -eh -ry Interesting." This certainly doesn't sound Frum. And yet, Eizehu Chacham? I don't know if she saw this piece - I suspect not, but a friend, not long ago told me that she thinks that conventional dating doesn't work - that only friendship works...as a gateway to more. A chavrusa of mine used to often pause and sum up his life-view by repeating two words: Its rough."

As I'm typing this there's a story playing on NPR about freedom of press in China. The media people walk a thin line and part of their technique is being cryptic. There's a saying some journalists in China like: "When you're angry, write poetry."

My friend and fellow teacher-Rabbi Michael Unterberg recently linked to this article: It's by and about Suzanne Vega. I am a fan of her singer-song writer talents. Anyone familiar? Before looking at the link, can you name her two (so far) top 40 hits? Here's a hint (not really, just a random fact): My brother saw her as an opening act when she was starting out.

Sometimes I wonder if I've ever mentioned a word on these "pages." Last night I used the in blog search to see if Ive ever mentioned an elephant. I once wrote, and I stand by this, that my blog is an elephant. First of all it's grown large. Mainly, I mean that it's like the story about the three blind men. They each encounter an elephant differently - one rams into the side, one touches the trunk, one a leg. So they each think it's something else. Some people visit once or twice and form their opinion of this blog. "Too much parsha," someone told me - who clearly hadn't been here since at least October when I shipped the parsha posts off to their own space. "You do a lot of lists of trivia questions." Do I? I do that every now and then.

Speaking of "trivia," I just got this article via email. It was sent to be by the highly talented and organized head of the Yeshiva College Bowl League - Joane Bernstein. The attached message read: WITHOUT THIS PERSON, THERE WOULD BE NO COLLEGE BOWL ... PLEASE READ AND APPRECIATE.

Speaking of elephants:

Skedaddling
By Michael S. Glaser

~

"What is love?"

I asked the Elephant

.

thinking she, with her big heart,

might know

.

but when she raised

her ponderous trunk,

.

cleared her throat

and began to trumpet her reply,

.

I watched a thousand tender mercies

flee the thunder of her response.

``

This reminds me of the time that I tried to engage a friend in an analytical discussion about Paul Simon's The Boxer. "What do you think it's about?" And for a second I felt like the idiot as this fellow stared at me blankly and said, "It's about a boxer." Sigh.

"In the clearing stands a boxer/And a fighter by his trade/And he carries the reminders/Of every glove that laid him down/Or cut him till he cried out/In his anger and his shame/'I am leaving, I am leaving"/But the fighter still remains'"

When the democratic primaries were getting underway (right around the time that a superstar honor student asked me to give him a list of hot current event topics and when I said Barak Obama, he looked at me unsure and then pretended to just be confirming the obvious when he asked - thats an Israeli politician, right?") I read that Obama's wife said he could run on one condition - that he stop smoking. Fascinating. I looked into this a bit and it seems that there are questions about whether or not he really stopped. Today people don't smoke publicly anyway, and as with all things, you never know.

Current Event Questions , Inspired by Wait Wat, Don't Tell Me

1. What event severely affected thousands in the Mid-West this week?
2. What did the Celtics do again, finally?
3. What actress died at 86?
4. What one word did most people say they'd choose to describe John McCain - if they were confined to one?
5. What new bill was agreed on by both parties this week?
6. Lost drillers were found in ________.
7. A man under house arrest, at home with his wife, asked for what?
8. A python owner was investigated in his home and reacted, how?
9. Shell decided it is returning to the fields of ______.
10. Apple announced that over 5 billion songs have been bought on _____.

Weekend in New England just came on the radio, sung by its writer Randy Edelman. Ironic, that the man who sang I Write The Songs, didn't write so many - including this claim, which was penned by Bruce Johnston.

At Shabbos lunch someone mentioned this Ellen clip - it's one of those very cool science experiments.

I've done this post in spurts throughout the day and now the day is ebbing away. I just returned from the wedding of a talmid. They were singing VeEmunatcha BaLeilot and I turned to the rabbi next to me (Rabbi Nisanel/Gotch Yudin) and told him the vort of Reb Shlomo Carlebach (in the name of someone). In the dark, hard times we appreciate G-d's faith in us- emunatchah!
l
I had just told him about my blog ad he was curious because the camp he directs (Morasha) is starting a blog. He asked if that thought was going on the blog and I said yes.

Then he told me this true story from Rabbi Frand: There were two men serving in Siberia. They were told that they would be released if they merely signed out. But the catch was that it was Shabbos. One of the two men spoke up ad said that he was young and could serve and it was against his belief system to write on the Sabbath and he would continue to serve. The second man heard this and agreed. Then the first man, realizing that the second was an older and frailer man said that he changed his mind - he felt he was allowed to sign, but only on behalf of the other man. When the official heard this he was moved to let them both go.

In my heart I know

writing Goodnight and G-d Bless

means more - please hear it