Presence

Blog Baltimore Meetup

There comes a time for each of us when we must walk into a room, approach a complete stranger and ask, "Uh, are you here for the, um, blog thing?"

For me, that time was tonight. Lucky for me, the people I approached were the right ones.

The Blog Baltimore meetup was great. The blogroll:

• Rachi (Technomind)


• Alex (al3x.net)


• MB (SupaMB)


• DaBrettman (Brett)


• Kelly (I Spy Gemini)


• Tamara (Baltimore Roll)


• Dean (deamckenzie.org)


• Bre (breonline)


• Adam (eebmore)


• and a brief appearance by Amy (amymckenzie.com) and Caleb

I'll add more tomorrow; all in all, I had a great time, it was really great to meet everybody, and I hope we can do this again some time. Thanks to Kelly and MB for organizing this!

March Madness Update

With just the Final Four left to go, I moved up to 22nd place in the Junkies Bracket Contest! If Duke beats Connecticut, Oklahoma St. beats Kansas, and then Duke beats Oklahoma St. in the finals, I'll be very happy. Money!

"Omit needless words"

One more reason to abandon IE...Paul Ford releases The Passivator, a bookmark tool that helps detect passive verbs and adverbs in your writing. Works with Mozilla-derived browsers (Firefox, for example), Safari and Opera.

I'll keep this post short, to minimize Passviator infractions.

The Meaning of the Trial of the Sotah

A random Google search for Sotah turned up an article entiteld "The Meaning of the Trial of the Sotah" by Tilia Klebenov. The article offers a good summary of the source text, as well as deeper exploration into the meaning and symbolism of the Sotah process. In particular, the article draws a connection between the Adamah (Earth) used to dirty the bitter waters and the Adamah used to create Man:

In addition to the ink, it contains holy water, meim kiddoshim, mixed with some of the earth that is on the floor of the Tabernacle.(Num 5:17) This act contains multiple layers of meaning...[The Tabernacle] was the place where heaven and earth were linked by the just and powerful presence of the Divine. Because of this, the woman's drinking the earth and water is nothing less than her completing a circuit. She is becoming physically and visibly connected to the earth--it is now in her body--the same earth which God enters at this same location.

This is especially powerful when we realize that this is a culture which believed that mankind sprang from the soil. Adam, of course, is fashioned from the earth; and the Hebrew word for soil is adamah. The two words have the same root. In this sense, then, the woman is doing nothing less than imbibing her own essential nature, she is earth, and she drinks the earth. In so doing, she is placing herself utterly in God's presence, in the hands of the one who fashioned the first humans from that same soil.

I think this may help in understanding the focus on Eglah Arufah towards the end of the tractate.

Nuesner on the Passion

[via PaleoJudaica]

Jacob Nuesner, a man who must spend 12 hours a day just writing, has a new article entitled "A Judaic Reading of the Passion Narratives for Mel Gibson to Consider." I read through it once, but I'm printing it out to read again over the weekend.

Nuesner's article elucidates the Passion narrative in the context of Tractates Sanhedrin and Makkos, the sections of the Talmud dealing with the penalties for various crimes, including the death penalty. Neusner draws a compelling picture of the unifying theme behind the Jewish concept of capital punishment, as well as providing a legal/Halachik context for understanding the tenet of Techiyas HaMeisim (Resurrection of the Dead). The resulting conclusion favors a view of the Passion where the resurrection, rather than the death of Jesus, is the focal point of the story. Putting aside the connection to the Passion, this article is interesting for it's exposition of the thematic underpinnings of the Jewish legal system's theory of punishment, and how it relates to the eschatological vision of Judaism. Much different from the eschatalogical views of Maimonides that have been discussed of late.

Also, it kind of reminds me of an idea I had to rewite Camus' The Stranger, only this time, from the perspective of a Talmud-era convicted murderer. So much to do, so little time...

Take a bite out of Noam

For all you speech pathologist's out there, Noam Chomsky has a blog. Yeesh. This might be the day that blogging officially 'jumps the shark.'

So far, however, the site is providing excellent comic relief; check out the first post's comments; they are Hi-larious, with a capital "H."

R. Weinreb on Same-Sex Marriage

[via A Town Crier]

R. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb has an opinion piece in The Jewish Week entitled "Orthodox Response To Same-Sex Marriage." It appears to be a response to a previous opinion piece by David Ellenson entitled "Same Sex Marriage, In The Jewish Tradition" (why in the world The Jewish Week doesn't link internally to its own content is beyond me).

I'm not in the mood to get into a lengthy discussion on this topic, so I'll simply leave you with a quote that, I think, sums it up the best:

Observant Jews must have an attitude of empathy and understanding for individuals who say, “I have these urges, I can’t help them.” But we cannot accept those who would say, “I have these urges, they are God-given and therefore it is a mitzvah [commandment] to follow them.”

R. Weinreb also delves a bit into the question of public policy. While I'm pretty clear as to what the Orthodox position is, and should be, I'm a bit conflicted regarding the greater political question. Putting aside the legal nitpicking (levels of scrutiny and so forth), if you are really, really committed to a country that shall make no law based on religion, then, the way I see it, you either have to come up with a pragmatic reason to not recognize same-sex marriage, do away with the institution of marriage in a legal sense or recognize same-sex marriages (the last two might be, for all intents and purposes, the same). The last option is clearly the most expedient, while the first is perhaps the hardest to convincingly justify at this point (without relying on religion); the second, I think, is unworkable. I tend to take a more libertarian approach (the axe cuts both ways, ya' know), hoping that if indeed the traditional Jewish position is "more better," our example will provide the requisite data for others to base their decisions on. A bit presumptuous, I admit, but no one is forcing anyone to be an Orthodox Jew, either.

On a somewhat related note, Protocols mentions that Steven Greenberg's new book, Wrestling with God and Men, is now on sale.

On the Splitting of Hairs

On the off chance that a Maimonidean scholar happens to read this, I have a question: When the Rambam lists his thirteen fundamentals, he says that all who believe in them are "members of Israel." Is this categorically different from a follower of "Moses our Master and Abraham our Teacher," the appelation given to one who believes in the creation of the world in time?

This may seem like a trivial distinction, but I think it has to do with why creation ex nihilo is not one of the Rambams fundamentals (as far as I can tell, when wording the fourth priciple, he leaves open the possibility for Plato's opinion). Suffice it to say, Rambam felt he could not demonstrate that the opinion held by Moses our Master and Abraham our Father was incontravertably correct. For more on this, check out the comments thread from the Orthopraxy vs. Orthodoxy post.

Also, cf. Guide II:25.

R. Reinman Wrapup

R. Yakov Yosef Reinman, of Lakewood, NJ, spent this past Shabbos at Shomrei Emunah as a Scholar in Residence. R. Reinman spoke on five separate occasions; I made it to two and a half of these. The thoughts below are a bit disjointed; please ask questions if you think something needs clarification.

The first was his shiur at the 8:15 minyan. I was in the kitchen preparing the kiddush (one of my many "jobs"), so I missed most of it. It was an in-depth analysis of something from Chosen Mishpat.

I also attended R. Reinman's afternoon lecture, entitled "Did Rechavam worship Avodah Zarah (idols)." In addressing this question, R. Reinman delineated what he called, "a methodology for learning Tanach." He began the lecture with the statement, "There really is a good reason why we don't learn Tanach in Yeshiva - because it's very hard to understand." His methodology, in a nutshell, is that Tanach can not be understood without the Talmud. For example, when it says that Sholomo HaMelech (Solomon) worshipped idols towards the end of his life (I Kings 43), the Tanach is, in reality, exaggerating. As the Talmud states, "Anyone who says that Solomon worshipped idols is simply mistaken." Since Solomon did not actively oppose the idol worship practiced by many of his pagan wives, the Tanach considers it as if he himself participated. He then expanded this idea in regards to Rechavam (Solomon's son), to show that perhaps he was also innocent of idol worship. The main point of the lecture, however, was his methodology, the concept that Tanach is sometimes intentionally elaborate and exaggerated in its depictions of actual events, in order to convey or empasize a moral message.

And finally, what you've all been waiting to hear about: the Book Club discussion! R. Reinman began by giving an account of how he got involved with the book. He recounted his first meeting with Ammiel Hirsch, and detailed his process in composing his letters. He then went on to discuss the controvesy around the book, reiterating that he had suffered no persecution at the hands of the Agudah or Moetzes regarding their disapproval of the book. He offered criticisms of their statement against the book, noting that the wording could have been a bit more refined (Hirsch read the statement at each one of his stops on the book tour). R. Reinman felt positive about the overall impact the book made; he feels that his case was the better-presented in the book, and that both movement's ideologies were put on the table, something that, at least for Reform, is something new. He recounted the number of people that have communicated to him how the book changed their life, and their view of Judaism (he said many had become Orthodox after reading the book).

The central point for R. Reinman, in the book and in life, is Matan Torah. For him, this is the essence of our connection to Judaism. His main opposition to Reform (and other denominations) is their lack of acknowledgement of the significance and/or reality of the Covenenant at Sinai. Much of his talk was spent discussing how he viewed non-Orthodox Jews, and whether or not their religious expression is to be considered authentic Judaism (The book itself can be seen as basically an extended argument over this point. Whatever the topic, R. Hirsch would attempt to bring textual support for the liberal approach. R. Reinman, in turn, would show how the traditional position excluded the liberal view point). R. Reinman said that he believes a non-Orthodox Jew's feeling of the need for religious expression is a sign of a latent connection to Sinai; to be fully realized, it should be expressed in the traditional fashion (hence, his feeling that it would be better to watch TV than to learn Talmud with a Reform rabbi).

As regards the controversy, R. Reinman said it worked out for the best. The book tour, it turned out, was really just a platform for soundbites; it was about having the best jokes, not the best arguments. He asked if he could back out, but was told that he must fulfill his contract. Then the Moetzes came out against the book tour, and he was able to back out of the tour without a lot of undue trouble. He also said that most of the political hub-bub surrounding the book was directed at others that had supported him, and not at himself.

A few points I want to focus on: R. Reinman's description of the process he went through in composing and editing each response was very interesting. R. Reinman learns b'chavrusah (in partnership) with R. Mattisyahu Solomon, who encouraged him to take on the project, and reviewed every single letter before it was sent. He consulted frequently with, among others, R. Noach Weinberg (founder of Aish HaTorah, probably the largest Orthodox outreach organization in the world), R. Shalom Kaminetsky and an association in Israel called Arachim (according to their English website [warning, page is accompanied by annoying music], "...in Israel in 1979...Arachim was established to provide an intellectual response to the thirst of a growing secular Israeli public who were seeking to understand the basic philosophical concepts of Judaism.). Basically, R. Reinman had the full force of Charedi Orthodox Judaism at his disposal.

I asked R. Reinman if he knew if R. Hirsch had similar assistance from members of the Reform movement. R. Reinman responded that, "[Hirsch] denies it, but I can't imagine he didn't [have help]."

I think this is an important pont. The book is characterized as a convesation between two individuals; indeed, R. Reinman stated, both in the book and at the beginning of the lecture, that the only reason he was able to participate in a public debate with a Reform rabbi was because he did not represent the Orthodox rabbinate in any way. He came as an indepedent individual, with no pulpit or school assocaitions. In preparing his arguments, however, R. Reinman drew upon the advice and arguments of many people who have researched these topics in-depth (R. Reinman stated that he, personally, rarely contemplates most of the issues covered in the book). Hirsch, on the other hand, if he did indeed compose his arguments on his own, is writing more from a personal perspective. And this shows through; R. Reinman's arguments are elaborate, well thought-out and consistent, as one who had a well-prepared argument at hand. Hirsch, on the other hand, comes across as less composed and sometimes inconsistent (he contradicts himself at least once in the book), much as one who is arguing from one's own personal perspective often would. I think this significantly changes the nature of the book. On one side, you have the full breadth of dogma of Orthodox Judaism, and on the other, the personal philosophy of an individual. This might be a moot point, however, as one could argue that R. Hirsch was simply drawing upon the thought of Liberal Democracy.

Another anecdote: R. Reinman, several times, noted that the yeshiva world is unfairly characterized as being antagonistic towards other denominations (and to Modern Orthodoxy, I would add; R. Reinman referred to Shomrei as a Modern Orthodox shul, which, I imagine, would irk to no end some of our members). He claimed this was a misconception, that if we knew more members of these communities, we would see that it is altogether uncommon. This doesn't change the fact that we know that many charedi organizations, both in the U.S. and Israel, openly encourage this antagonism to their students.

Overall, I will say that I came impressed with R. Reinman. There is no question that he is an extremely intellegent and committed person. Hearing him speak about his personal faith was, to me, inspiring. As Sweet Rose (whom I finally got to meet!) said, "From the book, I didn't especially like Rabbi Reinman's viewpoint. Hearing him speak, I really liked him a lot more." Something about hearing him speak, the confidence and faith he had in his history and tradition, reminded me of the importance of experiencing the religious, as opposed to proving it. R. Reinman stated that most of the issues, like the facticity of the revelation at Sinai, are non-issues for him. He believes in them as a matter of tradition, handed down to him by his parents and grandparents. Although my parents passed this on to me, albeit a bit diluted, I was also brought up in public school, and given a healthy dose of positivistic skeptisim as well. To see someone who can look beyond the need for a rational crutch to support his religion, to me, is inspiring. It doesn't (and can't) work for all of us, but that doesn't mean it isn't a beautiful thing.

March Madness

Just to prove that it takes zero skill to do well in an NCAA tournament pool, I entered The Junkies free contest. After two rounds, I'm tied for 249th place (I have 46 points, first place is 53 points, so overall, I'm in seventh place). I'm not sure how many people are in the contest, but the rankings go up to 2499th place (I'm sure there's a way to figure this out using math, but you're not getting that from me).

The bottom line: I have no idea what I'm doing. I picked higher seeds over lower seeds unless the seedings were close together, in which case I went with a combination of name-recognition and geographic proximity, with a prejudice towards an upset (hence, I had Maryland going to the fourth round; for some reason, when I hear "Stanford", I think of Google, not basketball). I can potentially garner a total of 86 points, so there's not much chance in me coming out on top, but I think I have a shot at a decent showing. Just goes to show that you can be hurting at college hoops, and still make a money pick.

Test

I don't sing loud enough you say, is this loud enough for you?

Even thought this is a test, if you can name the song the above line is taken from, you get two points.

New banner

In case you haven't noticed, I put up a new banner. Perhaps later I'll explain a little more what I'm trying to convey with these.

In the mean time, I'd like to draw your attention to the blond-haired boy in the upper right hand corner, sitting alone at the back of the ride. To me, he's the most intriguing of all the people in the picture. Perhaps it's because he's sitting in the back, and hasn't yet reacted to what's ahead, as the others in the front of him have. He also looks as if he's looking right at the camera. Either way, the smile on his face is priceless.

"Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes." - E. W. Dijkstra

Scholar in Residence: R. Reinman

Just a reminder, for those that are interested, R. Reinman, co-author of One People, Two Worlds will be leading a discussion at 8:30 Saturday night, at Shomrei, about his book. The event is open to the public, but we are asking for RSVPs (either to the Shomrei Book Club or to me; a comment here will suffice).

I was planning on compiling a list of links to information about the book, but, well, never got around to it. One thing I did find is a letter authored by R. Reinman, explaining his decision to withdraw from the book tour. Hopefully the Book Club discussion will bring more light to this topic.

TheBaltiblog.com!!!

drumroll please...

Maphet made the official announcement - TheBaltiblog.com is live! Check out the opening message to get an idea for the type of information the site will present.

I'm excited about this (although, I wish I had more time to devote to it). The site is meant to be open, so, please, if you're interested, send Nathan an email and get started!

I fixed it!

The pipes were really calling today, at least in our house. Our kitchen sink had been leaking for a few months, and finally got bad enough (i.e. - the water was now dripping out onto the floor, rather than pooling up in the bottom of the cabinet) that it needed taking care of. In these situations, I apply Greg's First Rule of Home Improvement:

First rule of Home Improvement (also known as the "What the Hay" Rule): "Try it yourself first; it's already broken, so the worst you can do is not fix it; then you call the pros."

Unfortuneately, I often forget about the corollary to the First Rule:

Corollary to the First Rule (also known as the "Out of the Frying Pan, into the Fire" Corollary): It is possible, and likely, that when applying the First Rule, you will screw things up so badly that the damage will be worse than when you started.

I had tried to fix the leaky trap a few months ago (following the First Rule); I over-tightened the jam nut, cracking it, which, naturally, made things worse.

So yesterday I went to the Home Depot (Park Heights - the worst-run Home Depot in North America) and purchased a replacement jam nut. It didn't quite fit right, so I went back and got a rubber-pipe-joiner-thing (the technical name escapes me at the moment). The first one was too small (1-1/2" to 1-1/2"), so I exchanged it for a larger one (2" to 1-1/2"). This one was the perfect size, the smaller end fitting snuggly over the drain pipe, and the larger end covering the trap perfectly. Only one problem - the rubber joint was too long, so I couldn't reassemble the pieces.

And then, in a moment of inspiration that I can only call divine, I ran upstairs, grabbed my coping saw (left over from The Crown Moulding Experiment), and cut off about a half-inch of the rubber, and, viola!, it worked! All the bits and pieces were back in their places, and no water leakage. I was quite pleased, as I'm sure you can imagine. I really hadn't expected it to work.

And so, life in the kitchen has been returned to normal. The moral of the story is that you should always try, because without trying, you never fail and have to pay a plumber $800 to get a pummice stone out of your drain line. Which still confuses me, because we never owned a pummice stone...

Danny Boy

For some odd reason, I've been having a hankering to hear Frank Patterson's rendition of the classic Irish ballad Danny Boy.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.

For most, I imagine, this song evokes images of the rolling Irish countryside or thoughts of sitting by a warm fire late into the night reading an old book. For me, however, this song brings forth images of Albert Finney, in his pajamas, strolling calmy down a tree-covered street, Tommy Gun in hand, pumping round after round of hot lead into his would-be assasins car, until it crashes into a tree and explodes.

But that's just me.

But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

You know, I used to love the blogs. Everything was so fresh and new, there was an unspoken excitement when something new and cool happened. Then, once the allure of fame and fortune set in, folks became all political. Fights started, people joined sides, and all of a sudden you had to worry about offending one of your "allies." People got all uptight about stuff. Things became less fun.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

Here's to the good old days. "I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me."

Update: Of course, Frank Patterson's God Bless America tribute was on PBS tonight. The pipes are calling!

Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy

Steven I. Weiss, the man behind Protocols, has an article in the Forward discussing Marc Shapiro's new book, "The Limits of Orthodox Theology: Maimonides' Thirteen Principles Reappraised." I haven't read the book yet, but I will. It sounds similar, in more than a few ways, to Menachem Kellner's Must a Jew Believe Anything?.

It seems, from the article, that Shapiro is approaching the question of whether or not Maimonides 13 Principles of Faith are relevant today from a historical perspective; the question is whether or not the Jewish community (or communities) accepted these beliefs as dogmatic. I'm hoping that, in addition to this, Shaprio discusses Maimonides rationale for formalizing on these specific beliefs. Maimonides certainty in proclaiming these 13 articles as dogmatic did not stem from a historical tradition (quite the contrary, in fact); he proved, to himself, using the methods available to him at that time (Aristotiliean physics and metaphysics) that these statements were incontrovertably true. His position was a product of the entire intellectual climate of his time. Understanding Maimonides position requires understanding the underlying assumptions to all of his thought.

Most of the physics and metaphysics of Aritstotle has been wholy rejected by science. Maimonides motivation in affirming these beliefs stemmed from his belief that the science of his time was correct and true. If he were alive today, and knew what we know, would he write the same thing? I'm fairly certain that, without revisiting the proofs to see if they still stand, Maimonides would be hesitant to assert anything.

The other issue is the interpretation of the 13 principles. The best example is the resurrection of the dead. Looking in the original source, Maimonides makes a very curt statement as to what this belief entails. Basically he says, "The dead can be resurrected." Part of the reason why his works were set aflame with such regularity was because of this ambigious description. Not until the [Kesef | Lechem] Misheh, who re-explains Maimonides position on resurrection according to the prevailing conceptualization, do we have anything from Maimonides that seems to fit with present-day accepted dogma.

More work definetly needs to be done here. Reframing Judaism as an orthopraxis is not enough; the connection between action and belief is, at least for children of the West, too strong to sever so resolutely without setting adrift many who are already, perhaps without even knowing it, lost at sea. The ramifications for Orthodoxy's interaction with its Reform and Conservative brothers is also an important consideration.

All The Dude ever wanted was his rug back...

When attempting to understand a work of art, it is essential to keep in mind the context in which it was created. Just as one's appreciation and understanding of a Picasso is augmented when considered as a response to the surrealist movement, the Coen brother's masterpiece, The Big Lebowski is enhanced when compared with it's cinematic forebear, The Big Sleep.

The Coen Brothers, who are characteristically reticent about discussing the meaning of their films, cite Raymond Chandler's novel, and Howard Hawks' 1945 film adaptation starring Humphrey Bogart as intrepid detective Phillip Marlowe, as the inspiration for The Big Lebowski. The films share many qualities. The Coens pay homage to the original in many ways; the films share characters (for example, a wealthy, wheelchair-bound war veteran), crimes (blackmail) and locales (Los Angeles). On a still deeper level, the films are essentially the same in that they both are about a man trying to make sense of the incomprehensible.

The Big Sleep unfolds from the perspective of Marlowe, the private detective hired by the General to resolve a blackmail case. We never leave Marlowe's perspective, seeing what he sees, experiencing what he experiences. We follow him through the streets of L.A. as he pieces together the clues that lead to murder and betrayal. We are given the distinct sense that Marlowe has no idea what is going on, is making it up as he goes; the plot is convoluted and at times, does not even make sense (the writers, one of whom was William Faulkner, were told to follow the novel's plot as closely as possible, which they did; they were so confused as to who killed the General's chauffeur, they asked Chandler for clarification, and he replied that even he was unsure who did it). By the time the movie comes to a close, we look back and wonder just how we got there.

The Big Lebowski is, in essence, the same. Apart from a few scenes narrated by The Stranger, the plot unfolds exclusively from The Dude's perspective. We follow him around L.A. as he tries to unravel any number of mysteries (who micturated on his rug, the whereabouts of Bunny, who stole his car). Some of these are never resolved (it's still not clear to me who stole the car - was it Larry?), while others are puzzled through by the Dude. While the Coens add a subtle layer of philosophy to the story (there is a lot here, by the way; a lot), the underlying path of the two protaganists is essentially the same. At the end, we know we're done, but damned if we know how we got there. Both films put their heroes in a world that is random, irrational and defies understanding, and leaves it up to them to puzzle their way out. In the case of Marlowe, this begets a great detective story; in the case of The Dude, well, hilarity ensues. Marlowe challenges this uncertainty with all his strength; The Dude, as they say, abides. Both come to the realization that answering the Big Questions will not solve anything. You might as well go bowling.

There's a lot more to be said, particularly about The Big Lebowski, Western religion and nihilism, but that is all for now. I will leave you with a tangential link between the themes presented in The Big Sleep and Lebowski with the recently celebrated holiday of Purim, where the Jewish people, their Temple and connection to God recently destroyed, are cast into a world without God's Presence to provide guidance. They are confronted by an evil that seeks to destroy them, and through a seemingly unrelated string of events come out victorious, a bright new future on the horizon. I think there are a few themes in common here.

A few related links of interest:

• An interview with Joel and Ethan Coen about The Big Lebowskit: The Coens Speak (Reluctanly)


• The Big Lebowski Random Quote Generator


• The International Encyclopedia of Philosophy's page on Nihilism

Slate's FAQ on Gay Marriage

Slate has put together a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) of a legal nature on gay marriage. It's quite informative. One issue I would like to see addressed is the different levels of scrutiny given to preferred statuses and how that plays a role in the current debate (I think I used all the right legal jargon there). [via SupaMB's Side Blog]

A side note: I'm now subscribed to four different feeds from SupaMB (regular blog, geek blog, and their respective link blogs). I think it would be cool if I could subscribe to a single feed of all of SupaMB's content. It would be easy to do with Blogdigger Groups - just make a private, moderated group, add all four feeds, and link to the generated RSS feed from the homepage. Then I could get all SupaMB's content in a single feed.

Blog Baltimore Happy Hour

[via SupaMB]

Kelly over at i spy gemini has a brilliant idea: Hump Day Happy Hour for Baltimore Bloggers on Wednesday, March 31.

Who else is up for it? Location is still up in the air, but I think this is a good idea. Spread the word.

I'm good just about anywhere. Beer, thankfully, is almost ubiquitously kosher.

The Jewish Passion

Jeff (a new Baltiblogger - welcome!) left a comment asking if anyone went to the Aish lecture last night on Judaim's perspective on The Passion. I didn't attend the lecture, but I did find a site entitled The Jewish Passion, which seems to have been put together by some of the same folks that spoke last night. I haven't gone through the site, so this is an informational link only.

Waiter, there's a fly in my...

I finally made it to Stacks, D.C.'s erstwhile Kosher delicatessen. The restaurant itself is great, the location amazing - 5 blocks from the White House, only a few blocks from Metro Center (did I ever mention that I absolutely love the D.C. Metro? Every time I ride it I have memories of elementary school trips to the National Zoo, and the little red haired girl from...uh, but I digress...). As far as the food goes, I'm not so sure. I ordered the Steak Sandwich ($14.95). I figured I probably wouldn't be back there for a while, so I might as well go all out. The Steak Sandwich was OK, certainly not worth $15 (not enough onions).

The worst part was, I ordered water to drink (when your sandwich costs $15...well, you get the idea). After drinking about a quarter of the glass, I noticed a small, deceased bug (species unknown) floating alongside an ice cube. The waiter was very polite, and kindly exchanged my water, free of charge. Needless to say, I didn't leave a tip.

So overall, Stacks gets a lukewarm review. But then again, if you're in D.C., where else ya gonna eat?

Link of the Day

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

We can beat this. Together.

Wrong Number? I don't think so!

What happens when you get a new cell phone that just happens to have Chris Rock's old cell phone number? Hilarity ensues, with appearances by Adam Sandler, Spike Lee and Jack Nicholson (or at least his assistant). (via BuzzMachine)

FavIconoclast

According to Google, this site is your number one resource for:

religious favicons

Ironic, as I'm generally against idol worship.

Cahan on Vouchers

Elliott Cahan, who is running for Baltimore City Council in District #5, posted on his website about school vouchers:

While the crisis around the school system continues to unfold, one option that does not appear to be on the table is school vouchers. We can no longer dance around this issue. I urge the Governor to set aside funds to allow city students to attend private schools. Instead of giving money to that giant vacuum on North Avenue, give parents back their tax dollars in the form a voucher that will allow them to choose where their children should go to school. Start with the kids in the worst performing schools in the City. Save these kids before it is too late. We heard so much talk about improving test scores. The test scores have really only improved in lower grades and have continued to decline as the children get older. Therefore, any gains that have been made are vanishing. Save our children now and give them vouchers.

It's pretty clear, at least to me, that the problems Baltimore City is having with the school system were caused by the ineptitude of the School board (to give you an idea, here's a statistic for you: Baltimore City went from 192,000 students in the early '90s to around 92,000 today. Number of schools closed in that time period: 0). Education is so important and is given such short shrift in this country, particularly in Baltimore. It's no wonder we have one of the highest murder rates in the country.

Elliott also wants to put a park near my house. I was playing around with Microsoft Streets and Trips yesterday (amazing program). While looking at my parents neighborhood, the house I grew up in, I noticed that our street backed up to a state park. I spent many a long summer afternoon in those woods, riding bikes, building dams and forts, fishing for mutant catfish (I don't think, as a child, I knew I was playing in a state park; I figured I was in "the wild."). As, at heart, I'm still that twelve-year-old boy who thought it was a good idea to go swimming in Muddy Branch Creek (emphasis on Mud), I'm all for it.

Aish Passion Lecture

I got an email from Aish Baltimore about a lecture discussing The Passion:

What are you going to tell your kids, your co-workers, yourself about Judaism’s take on The Passion and the events preceding and following it? How do the Talmud and numerous other ancient texts describe the interplay between the Jewish sages and the founders of Christianity? Why didn’t more Jews accept the “Jewish Messiah”? Just what IS the Jewish concept of the Messiah and the Messianic Age? And more!

Lecture and Q/A session with Scott Hillman, Executive Director Jews for Judaism - expert in both Talmudic and Early Christian writings and world renowned counter missionary.

Judaism's Perspective on the Passion!

Wednesday March 10th at 8:00 PM
At The Aish Baltimore Center
11433 Cronridge Drive
Owing Mills, MD 21117

This event is sponsored by AISH BALTIMORE and JEWS FOR JUDAISM

RSVP now we expect a sell out crowd.

For place your reservation, just click or call 410-902-7700 x666

I'm guessing the phone number's extension is a joke.

The 142nd fastest gun in...Rockland County?

This article about a Hasidic cop in good ole' Rockland County looks to be about five years old, but the picture makes it timeless.

And, of course, where would a Hasidic man of the law be with out the standard set of Yiddish cop lines:

...a collection of useful phrases:
"Vas is dan numen (What's your name)?"
"Is ales in ordernung (Are you all right)?"
"Vi azoi hot er oizgesen (What did he look like)?"

'You can always tell when you get to our house'

Calvin and Hobbes Extreme Strip Search for 'snowman'.

Truly incredible. The amount of effort put into this site is unreal. And that's what makes it so amazing.

Some other good searches:

• 'tuna fish sandwich' (the first result listed here is Calvin and Hobbes strip #1)


• 'calvinball'


• 'sledding'


• 'toboggan'

And last, but most certainly not least:

'noodle incident'

Happy childhood memories, y'all. The tears are from laughing, I swear.

Books Free? (Not 'Free as in Beer')

(Make that four...although I never really considered actually doing this...)

Netflix for Books: Booksfree.com.

What I love about these services (Netflix included) is the ability to structure your consumption. I do this with Netflix all the time; place three or four movies that are conceptually linked in some way (same director/remakes/inspirations/sequels) together, so I get not only the film itself, but some sort of context to contemplate it in. Going to Blockbuster or the library is becoming too haphazard. Why go to Blockbuster, where they basically carry only new releases, when I can get anything under the sun in a few days from Netflix?

Booksfree, however, is going to have to come down in price a bit (their most affordable plan is two books at a time for $7.99 a month), since they are competing with the library system. They need to make a years-worth subscription cost about what the average person pays in late fees to the library, plus a little. I would say that's about $40. They might also consider doing like Netflix does; in addition to limiting the number of books you can have out at one time, limit the number of books per month.

The big advantage of these services is in the selection. It's practically impossible to find anything worth listening to in the Books-on-Tape section of my library, not to mention the atrocious selection of Books-on-CD. This service looks to have a wide selection, which could be a big plus. And they are selling their used inventory at discounted prices. Smart move. This could be a keeper.

Thank the Sweet Lord

I have three words for you: The Red Heifer.

Menus are available online. Here is a sample:

BBQ Pit- Choose from our signature sauces; House Original, Texas Pecos or Louisiana. All entrees served with rolls, cole slaw and potato salad.

BBQ Baby Jumbo Beef Ribs 18
Two bones, enough for one person.

BBQ Jumbo Beef Ribs 21
Two bones, enough for one hungry person.

BBQ Super Jumbo Beef Ribs 24
Two colossal bones, enough for one very hungry person!

BBQ Beef Back Ribs 24
1/2 Rack 13

BBQ Beef Short Ribs 18
Two bones, enough for one hungry person.

BBQ Sliced Beef Brisket 12
Platter.

BBQ Pulled Beef 9
Platter.

BBQ Chicken 13
Half large chicken 13

BBQ Chicken Legs 9
Two leg platter.

Somebody up there's been listening, that's for darn sure.

I've already stopped eating in preparation for my first visit.

Prisoner of Azkaban Trailer

[via Maphet via HPANA]

HPANA has a new Prisoner of Azkaban trailer to download.

Looking good! For those interested in the "real" story behind Prisoner of Azkaban, I refer you to this article.

Only in America

I was recently made aware of a kollel program for married, working men, where they learn for an hour each morning, take tests every few weeks and get paid $50 for a passing grade.

As Yakov Smirnoff said, "What a Country!"