I was just asked to audition for the End The Madness! Talent Show on Aug 25. Sure I can play a bit and figure out chords, but I’ve never really considered myself a performer and this isn’t the same as an open mic night or a random talent show.
I could use some help here, especially from people who have heard me play. Whaddaya say?
Keep in mind that if the audition does go well – or at least better than everyone else – I’d probably have to actually perform.
Sorry for the interruption, but I just got this photo from the Chicago Jewish Folk Arts Festival.
Last night’s 60 Minutes covered the psychic talents of mentalist Marc Salem. Most people have heard of him by now as he’s been performing in several shows and appearing on TV for quite a while.
I’m not going to address the guy’s skills, but I do have a really funny story from way back when. About 15 years ago at the Jewish Renaissance Festival, I went to see him with my family. He wasn’t a big name then and the attendance was relatively sparse, but we thought it would be an interesting show. Anyway, over the course of his shtick he goes to my mother and borrows her watch. Immediately after picking it up, he asks “who’s Alan?” and then starts rattling off obscure details about my father. Even the cynical Yuter clan was impressed at this display of psychic prowess.
After the show we started shmoozing with him and he admitted that that particular trick was somewhat unplanned. It turns out he knew my father from way back,1 recognized him in the audience and thought that even though it was a risky shtick to pull, the potential payoff was too great.
1. On the other end, my father isn’t always the best at recognizing or remembering people especially when they use a stage name.
Quick post to let y’all know I’m still alive, busy, and heading to NY soon. On a completely unrelated note, the winning number for Chicago’s Dec 25th evening pick-3 number was 666.
Submit punchline below:
Once again, Dani gives us two links to the official OU responses to the shehita controversy. First is the Statement of Rabbis and Certifying Agencies on Recent Publicity on Kosher Slaughter which was actually earlier. Now, it happens to be hosted on the OU’s site. The second piece is a message from Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb (Executive Vice President) and Rabbi Menachem Genack (Kashrut Rabbinic Administrator).
I’m putting the text of the message below. Between the two letters, I think the OU has done a decent job of responding both to the halakhic non-issue and to PETA’s claims of animal cruelty.
While I doubt this will be the last we hear of this in the media (internet and otherwise), I’m willing to let it go until a real halakhic problem comes out of it or until something egregious actually warrants a response.
Got a tip that Dani linked to the OU’s response to the Rubashkins/PETA controversy. For what it’s worth, I think they did a good job of responding to that which required a response.
Fark links to this BBC article about Bank Leumi developing a credit card which will not work on Shabbat.
First, I’m curious how would this apply to people traveling overseas or for Internet purchases? Does it go by Shabbat in Israel or where the purchase was made?
On a more serious note, I have no idea what the point of this is. The Orthodox don’t shop on Shabbat – or at least shouldn’t.1 Secular Jews (or clever Orthodox) will either use a different card – either from Bank Leumi or someplace else or just use cash or cheque. Certainly if the bank forces all clients to use the restrictive card, they would only increase the animosity towards the Orthodox.
Provided that the bank doesn’t force people to use the cards, this plan seems fairly innocuous. If it makes you happy, go for it – certainly no issurim are being violated by having it. However, I’m troubled by this quote: “Reports also say it may not work on any day in shops which do not honour the Sabbath.”
I have no idea how they would manage to do this from a technical perspective. The only thing I can think of is that “certain authorities” would create a blacklist and send that in to Bank Leumi. I can’t even begin to enumerate the problems with such a system (think corruption, fights over authority, payoffs, blackmailing, etc.)
1. Perhaps it’s like the content cell phones and the Orthodox can’t be trusted to be shomer Shabbat on their own such that they need external techinical restrictions to keep them on the proper path.
I haven’t been following the election Ukraine so much, but check out the picture in this MSNBC article.
While I’m happy that democracy is winning out there, is that really any excuse for an accordion?
Thesis is coming along, slower than I’d like, but progress is progress. Meantime, I’m getting into Shabbat mode which means I can ignore things for at least one day It’s a shame I’m too behind to weigh in on the Rubashkin’s scandal, but I’m sure other people are taking care of it. If you’re interested, you can listen to an interview with new OU President Stephen Savitsky and Rabbi Weinreb.
‘Roid Rage
Next up is the whole Barry Bonds taking steroids (“unknowingly” of course). Yeah, everyone seems to be talking about it as well, and not surprisingly, everyone is missing the real point.
Why is it so important if Bonds – or anyone else – took steroids? The simple answer is steriods violate “the integrity of the game.” The logic is that when players take these illegal steroids, they give themselves an unfair advantage over the other players. This of course shatters the romantic illusion of legitimate athletic competition. In addition to the player’s tainting their own acheivements, the entire institution of sport is now called into question.
This spirit of competitiveness cannot simply be dismissed. Sports can unify communities, but only through the drama of succeeding against all odds. We like replaying the myths of the weak beating the strong because it reminds us that we can suceed against adversities if we try hard enough.1
The problem is that this message can be found almost anywhere in society. For some trite examples from Bruce Almighty, “a single mom who works two full-time jobs, and still finds the time to pick up her kid at soccer practice, that’s a miracle. A teenager that says “no” to drugs and “yes” to an education, that’s a miracle.”
However, unlike the mother or teenager whose struggles produce something, sports cannot claim any instrinsic value. What does it really give back to society? Does it give kids something to shoot for? Unquestionably. Does it help pull people off of the streets? Yes. But so can other things as well. Sports offers the millions of contracts and the attitude that if you’re rich you can get away anything including murder.
Once the myth of competition is tarnished, there really isn’t anything left.
It’s also why people are so up in arms about Barry Bonds, arguably the “best” player of his generation. Suddenly, he has nothing left. All his accomplishments are fraudulant. He might have donated some of his millions, but who really cares about that? He’s known for his stats, not for being a hummanitarian. Like most athletes, his only lasting legacy was on the field.
Without his numbers, Bond’s legacy might as well be buried undreneath it.
1. Or have divine assistance.
First there was that whole messiness with McGreevey donations and witness tampering. Now, the school named after Charles Kushner’s family has over 40 students busted for drugs and alcohol.
I have several friends who teach there, my father contributed to the curriculum when it first started, and I’m sure there are many positive things to say about the school. Still, I know this school has had such problems and it’s been going on for years.
But now, not only does this happen, but I first hear of it from FARK of all places.
Hopefully this will be embarrassing enough to the school, the board, and the students to actually effect some change.
I can’t say I’m terribly optimistic, but that’s for another time.
