old pictures

when i look at old family photos i imagine what it would be like to jump into the pictures and relive those captured moments. i imagine the love i would feel immersed with long gone relatives. as much as i wish i could jump back into those moments  i also know that once loved ones have passed on they continue living within you and within your memories. its hard to explain if you have never experienced it. for better or for worse i have. they have left this earth. or so you think. there essense continues to live via what you have learned from them and what you remember of them.

happy birthday to me

its that time again. birthday time. well first i will say that its great  to be alive . life is such a gift.  though i may spend a lot of time complaining  i am very grateful for good friends and family who keep me sane. its been a good year although it could have been  better. i still have not accomplished all i would like to .then again who has?
l'chaim to all for a great year full of health, happiness and blogging.

the goldbergs

the goldbergs is a 1950's sitcom about a jewish family who live in the bronx. i  did not hear of this show until the 1990's . since i have discovered the goldbergs   i have viewed many episodes at the jewish museum and the museum of television and radio both in nyc. netflix has the last season of the show when they move to the suburbs.
short of buying the the ultimate goldbergs  full sereis collection one can now view many episodes of the goldbergs on amazon.com . you can buy an episode at a time or buy amazon prime membership to view it online. i must tell you that viewing these shows is the ultimate. they can be a bit corny at times but hearing gertrude berg (mrs. goldberg) talk about her cousin chana leah or her tante elke is so much fun. to think that the shenanigans of a jewish family who act so ethnic could have been on network television is amazing.
i just viewed my new favorite goldbergs  episode. it is episode 7 of season 1 which is about cousin chana leah who is very frustrated by her single daughter and thinks that all of the problems in her life would be solved if her single daughter married. because this series was filmed in the 1950's it is  far from pc  which i found extremely hilarious due to the current shidduch crisis. this episode is so funny and reminds me very much of present day frum jews.

hurricane hoopla

i have  just endured the hurricane hoopla 2011 on the east coast of the united states. except for the fact i have an extreme case of cabin fever i am glad it happened mostly shabbos and saturday night because i didn't have to listen to all of the drama on the news, not that i listened to too much of it last night either.
of course now its bright and sunny and a little bit windy out where i live right now since the "hurricane" has passed.
tell me why is it that i get to be imprisoned at work all week and when i finally catch a break and on the weekend  there is extremely stormy weather or even worse a hurricane? i mean really ,all i want to do is enjoy my free time , get together with friends and do my errands. im not asking for much.

Hurricane-Soulfarm

with all of the hurricane hype these past few days i decided to share my favorite hurricane song with you . (bet you didn't think i had a favorite hurricane song). presenting the song "hurricane" by soul farm. the performance is excellent. please bear with the beginning when they talk too much. the song that follows is amazing.

is change possible?

can people change?  if someone other than myself is the subject of this sentence the answer would have to be no . don't expect others to change because they probably will not. the only person one  can  change is ones self and even that is debatable. i can change my actions but i cannot change my inner self. even if i reach my goal weight and never gain back the lost weight i will always be someone who has to pay attention to what i put in my mouth . i guess its the same concept as people who are members of alcoholics anonymous. members always call themselves alcoholics even if they have been sober for decades.  someone who might have eradicated an explosive temper is still a volatile personality  they just have chosen to temper that part of their persona.

people get very caught up in controlling one's style of dress  and not as much the state of ben adam l'chavero. externals are easier to change. internal behavior is not.

even if you think people are capable of changing i would not depend on it. accept  them for who they are or move on. do not hold your breath. if its hard to control ones own behavior  imagine how hear it is to change someone else's behavior.

im not suggesting that one should never stand up for one's self in the face of others who do not think as perfectly as you do, but realize because they are not you they may never see things or do things the way you do. this is ok. find people whose essence you like and build from that . behaviors might change , but essence does not. 

Is a Jewish Convert obligated to reveal their status? (September 2008)

   i found this link on aliza hausman's website www.alizahausman.net . its very interesting. when you are born jewish you always wonder why someone born not a member of the tribe would want to be one . chaviva galatz discusses a little of the why and mostly the just wanting to blend in with everyone else part because once you are jewish that is what you are.