the hebrew word for "cling"

after listening to zencast.org a lot, I think I understand why so so many Jews become Buddhists.  It is the exact opposite.  Judaism is all about clinging, and Buddhism is all about "letting go". Sorry to over-simplify, but this is important.   I read this fascinating piece in the New Yorker about a Hungarian right-wing extremist anti-Semite who ultimately discovered his grandmother was a Holocaust survivor.  He contactacted a Lubavitz rabbi and converted in a big way.  "God bless him", is all I can say.

I thhink that.s a little exrteme, but you know that I believe in honoring one's forebears, so go for it -- better than  the alternative, which is mass hatred and violence.    

the language of language

With such a polyglot globe, might it not make more sense to persue a single  non-verbal laguage than a verbal one?
families
Drive the jersey turnpike around the frank r. lautenberg secaucus train station for a look into the 1960's future.  Ramps like you write home about.  The World's Fair writ Federal Largessshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secaucus_Junction.  God keep you Frank!.  I wanted to put a picture here, but, I could not pick from the many that would do.  That must be tough.      

settings > privacy > x

The number of times I get asked for "secret" information is astounding.

Isn't it?  Iheard a great interview the other day with s "security expert" who was asked about those comanies that claim to be able to "secure your information online"  or "in the cloud"

Work = joy

I was listening to a zencast episode the other day and what got to me was  the what she said about expecting happiness, because we talk about that a lot in my "small circle of friends" -- ok, there's a quote looking for attribution -- phil ochs'.   

on anther subject:
"If you love your work you are either really lucky or really stupid."
- O.B. Joyful
-no, actually not him.

The point was that there is an attitude about happiness in which we think things like, "if I only had___, or, if I could only___,... I could be happy.   Clearly this is wrong.  But learning this is difficult.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scu2h9J5GkQ

Many are called, but few are chosen

Is that why there are so many Jews in show business?

We were taking about stereotypes the otheer night.

the meaning of faith

Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water, after enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.

Keep them coming

I have been thinking a lot about the immigration debate that is heating up now following the Boston bombings.  Sadly, many are using this sad event as an excuse to propose tightening immigration requirements, claiming that if we just did not let these crazy aliens in, we would all be so much safer.

This of course is disingenuous, as well as insulting to the many proud immigrants who have contributed much to our society.

Aside from the many stories of young people entering the armed forces to defend a country with mixed feelings about taking them in, there are plenty of examples like that of a friend I had dinner with recently.  He came to New York from India as a young man.  After years creating visual effects  for Hollywood blockbusters, he and his business partner created software to help our military find IEDs in Iraq, thus saving countless American lives.

Clearly some of us need constant reminders that our nation was built by immigrants, and we continue to need them.