Write myself in

ME
Hi.

YOU
Hi.

ME
What's up?

YOU
Trying to sort out some things.

ME
Like what?

YOU
What I am trying to say.

ME
What are you trying to say?

Valley Girl Clip

Joan Armatrading-A Woman In Love-Play The Blues.

Living In A Plastic Bubble

and it's good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b9DgoAOg3M

Satan

We were suppose to have a discussion about this concept, when the good turn bad, based on Torah, but we talked of many other topics. One woman just returned from March of the Living with her 18 year old son and shared a story with us. My eyes welled up as she read from her journal. She said shoes are everywhere and you can still see bones and ashes of the bodies. In time, I hope my daughter realizes how important it is to never forget. Nobody has the right to take someone's life. You can't stand by and watch evil happen. Hate is a crime.

There's a light

http://www.wilcoworld.net/

WARNING: This message may be fraudulent and may link to fraudulent web sites.

To view this email as a web page, click here.

Knock on the door

DAUGHTER applying play make-up on MOTHER'S face as she plays video game on computer.

DAUGHTER
It's Adam.

MOTHER wipes make-up off with a tissue. Opens the door.

MOTHER
Hi.

ADAM
Hi.

Closes the door. MOTHER and ADAM talk as they walk.

MOTHER
What's going on?

ADAM
Not much.

MOTHER sits down. ADAM walks over to guitar, picks it up and starts playing the riff to Smoke on the Water.

ADAM
My Dad also taught me how to play Iron Man.

He then runs over and starts tickling the DAUGHTER until he stepped on her toe. She starts to cry. MOTHER lifts the foot examines the toe. ADAM looks too.

Someday we'll find it

Taking a trip on the Beagle

David's Fantasy

What Makes Men Fall in Love?
Posted by David Zinczenko
on Thu, Mar 15, 2007, 11:34 am PDT
Post a Comment View all 944 Comments »

Judging from the kind of mail we get at Men's Health from men seeking relationship advice, I can tell you this definitively about men: When a man falls for a woman, he falls hard. Men love to be in love. While men often get stereotyped as single-minded sex-seekers, the truth is that a man's stomach churns like a slushy machine when he's in those initial stages of the perfect relationship.

When you consider that half of men say that they're currently not with their soul mates, that means a heck of a lot of slushy machines are waiting to be turned on. What are they waiting for? What makes a man fall in love? After you rule out the obvious intangible laws of chemistry, attraction, and being in the right place at the right time that kick-start many a relationship, I think the question really becomes this: What makes a man fall -- and stay -- in love? About 60 percent of men deem friendship the most important thing in a relationship (sex comes in at a skimpy 8 percent, according to a national Harris Interactive poll), but let's delve a little deeper. What exactly does that mean, and what kind of woman does a man really want? With full acknowledgement that men's tastes in women are as unpredictable as the plotline of "24," these are some of things that many men value in "the one."

A Woman with a Passion in Something Other Than Him
Yes, it's nice to be doted over. Yes, it's nice to be pampered. Yes, it's nice to be with a woman who showers you with compliments, neck kisses, and all of her attention. But there's a virtual Great Wall of China between a fleeting, flirtatious glance and the kind of attraction that can last a lifetime. Many men say they like a woman who's immersed in something else other than the relationship -- be it her work, or her sport, or whatever her "thing" is. Why? The passion she shows for something else confirms her inherent goodness, her personal drive, her independence. All pluses in the woman we're hoping to spend a few decades with.

A Woman with No Problem with Guy Time
Every relationship has to choreograph the time-together dance. Once a couple elevates from casual to serious, it goes through that period when most waking and sleeping minutes are spent together. But at some point in the dance, one person will call a time out from the music of coupledom, and try to spend more time with his or her friends -- while still being careful not to step on any feet in the process. Even when they're with the most perfect woman, men still crave the occasional space to spend golfing or drinking or doing whatever (64 percent of men are happy to have the time to themselves when their wives or girlfriends have plans). Men love, appreciate, and are thankful for women who respect and endorse (and not complain about) his need to have a few testosterone mixers. Don't worry, March Madness will be over in just a few weeks!

A Woman with a Strut
Her strut in the bar may have been part of his initial attraction. The strut from the bedroom to the bathroom after the first night together may have been pure visual ecstasy. But the strut that happens day in and day out is one of the major attractors for a man. What do I mean by the strut? It's that attitude, that sassiness, that confidence, that charisma, that charm that shows she can be a little bold and little daring. In a recent post I talked about the line between a woman being confident and a woman being so aggressive that she turns men away, but the truth is that in certain aspects of relationships, men want women who have the strut. Men want to be with women who challenge them, who push them, and who take the lead some of the times. And that's as true in the bedroom as it is in planning their next weekend getaway. The danger? While it can be insanely attractive, that strut of confidence can also swing a man 180 degrees -- if she uses it in other places, like to flirt with other guys, to become a relationship dictator, or to pick a fight with his mom in front of the whole family. He'll point that kind of strut right out the door.

A Woman with a Good Taste in Ties
Okay, so we don't really care about the ties per se. But what we care about is a woman's ability to give us a little-and this is a key word-gentle guidance. I know Freudian followers will say that it's a man's need to be mothered, but it's more than that. Every relationship is a give and take, and guys will definitely take women who can warn us when our new soul patch looks stupid, who can guide us to the perfect suit and shirt combo for an upcoming job interview, who can help them make decisions without being harsh or judgmental. Guys like to project that they know what they're doing and that they don't need any help. Women who can help steer us, without aggressively grabbing the wheel, are the most treasured copilots.

Have your own ideas about what makes us fall -- and fall hard? Share them here.

Ecclesiastes 3:

1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven;2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;6. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
© Eliezer C. Abrahamson

Eyeshine

The look on your friend's face

I get it. He already made up his mind.

Inside the Rabbinic Mind

I went from one extreme, a rocking concert, to this discussion twelve hours later. I counted seventeen people at the table. The woman next to me disagreed with the Rabbi's interpretation, it's not the first time.

Rachel I Love you.

Love & Lies

I read the word treatise

Then I searched Google.

http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/hume/treat.html

Then I looked him <----------- up.

And found out Charles Darwin counted Hume as a central influence, as did "Darwin's bulldog," Thomas Henry Huxley.

Closer to the truth

All you had to do
Without hiding
Love from me
Is say I don't believe
In you or any convoluted
Story you imagined
Including the one
Where we look alike

Perfect

As planned, we let them go. Our neighbor's son helped Ewe release them. We hadn't met until then.

10

Are out. We are going to let them free when Ewe comes home from school. As much as I would like to keep them around, they belong outside.

One started shaking after hearing 9 Crimes

The Rambam describes the nature of prophecy.

E-MAIL ARTICLE PRINT ARTICLE

by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon

messages=new Array()
messages [1] = "Torah the entire body of Jewish wisdom and teachings, both the Oral law and the Written law. Sometimes refers only to the hand-written scroll of the Divine Law (the Five Books of Moses). "

messages [2] = "Rambamacronym for R. Moshe ben Maimon, also called "Maimonides"; 4895-4964 (1135-1204 CE). Physician and Torah scholar originally from Cordoba, Spain, but who fled from persecution to north Africa, eventually settling in Egypt. Known for his works of Jewish law and philosophy works, Mishna Torah and Guide to the Perplexed, he also commanded kabbala, though he did not overtly present this knowledge in his works. "

messages [3] = "Pardes literally, "orchard." The word is an acronym of peshat, remez, drush, sod -- the interpretation of the Torah according to the plain meaning of the text (peshat), allusion to deeper meanings (remez), the homiletic explanation (drush), and the esoteric explanation (sod), respectively. These correspond to the four worlds, Asiya*, Yetzira*, Beriya*, Atzilut*."

messages [4] = "mitzvahTorah commandment(s), religious obligation(s); pl. mitzvot"

messages [5] = "Angelincorporeal heavenly beings, specifically melachim, malachei haShoresh, seraphim, ofanim, and chayot."

Becoming a Prophet
Adapted by Eliyahu Touger from Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Chapter 7
1. It is [one] of the foundations of [our] faith that G-d communicates by prophecy with man.
The Rambam lists as the sixth of his Thirteen Principles of Faith, the concept of prophecy. In Hilchot Teshuva 3:8, the Rambam includes in the category of heretics who have no portion in the World to Come "One who says prophecy does not exist and knowledge is not communicated from the Creator to the heart of man". (See also "Guide for the Perplexed", Vol. ii, Chapters 36-46.)

Prophecy is bestowed only upon a very wise sage of a strong character, who is never overcome by his natural inclinations in any regard. Instead, with his mind, he overcomes his natural inclinations at all times. He must [also] possess a broad and correct perspective. A person who is full of all these qualities and is physically sound [is fit for prophecy].

These characteristics do not themselves bring prophecy, but remove obstacles that a prophet might face were he to lack them.

" Prophecy is not acquired in a short time or without great effort...."
When he enters the Pardes [the realm of spiritual knowledge] and is drawn into these great and sublime concepts, if he possesses a correct perspective to comprehend and grasp [them], he will become holy. He will advance and separate himself from the masses who proceed in the darkness of the time. He must continue and diligently train himself not to have any thoughts whatsoever about fruitless things or the vanities and intrigues of the times.

This is because prophecy is not acquired in a short time or without great effort.
Instead, his mind should constantly be directed upward, bound beneath [G-d's] throne [of Glory, striving] to comprehend the holy and pure forms and gazing at the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, in its entirety, [in its manifold manifestations] from the most elevated [spiritual] form until the navel of the earth, appreciating His greatness from them.

[After these preparations,] the spirit of prophecy will immediately rest upon him.
Nevertheless, there is the possibility that G-d will withhold prophecy from a person who is worthy of it.
" When the spirit rests upon him, his soul becomes intermingled with the angels...."
When the spirit rests upon him, his soul becomes intermingled with the angels called "ishim", and he will be transformed into a different person and will understand with a knowledge different from what it was previously. He will rise above the level of other wise men, as the prophet, Samuel told Saul: "[The spirit of G-d will descend upon you] and you shall prophecy with them. And you will be transformed into a different person." (Samuel I 10:6)

2. There are a number of levels among the prophets. Just as with regard to wisdom, one sage is greater than his colleague, so, too, with regard to prophecy, one prophet is greater than another. They all, [however share certain commonalities].

With the exception of Moses, as stated in Law 6.

They receive prophetic visions only in a visionary dream or during the day after slumber has overtaken them, as the verse states: "I make Myself known to him in a vision. I speak to him in a dream." (Num. 12:6)
When any of them prophecy, their limbs tremble, their physical powers become weak, they lose control of their senses, and thus, their minds are free to comprehend what they see, as the verse states concerning Abraham: "And a great, dark dread fell over him." (Gen. 15:12)

Similarly, Daniel states: "My appearance was horribly changed and I retained no strength." (Daniel 10:8)
Since these prophets' level of refinement is not complete, their conscious minds cannot operate in their normal fashion while they prophecy.

3. When a prophet is informed of a message in a vision, it is granted to him in metaphoric imagery. Immediately, the interpretation of the imagery is imprinted upon his heart, and he knows its meaning.
For example, the ladder with the angels ascending and descending envisioned by the patriarch Jacob was an allegory for the empires and their subjugation [of his descendants]. Similarly, the creatures Ezekiel saw, the boiling pot and the rod from an almond tree envisioned by Jeremiah, the scroll Ezekiel saw, and the measure seen by Zechariah [were all metaphoric images].

" Prophecy cannot rest upon a person when he is sad or languid, but only when he is happy...."
Similarly, some of the prophets would relate the allegory and its explanation. Others would relate only the explanation. At times, they would relate only the imagery without explaining it, as can be seen in some of the prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah.

All of the prophecies come in the form of metaphoric imagery and allegories.

4. All the prophets do not prophecy whenever they desire. Instead, they must concentrate their attention [upon spiritual concepts] and seclude themselves, [waiting] in a happy, joyous mood, because prophecy cannot rest upon a person when he is sad or languid, but only when he is happy.

See II Kings, Chapter 3, which relates that after Yehoram, King of Israel, had aroused the wrath of Elisha, the prophet, it was necessary to have a minstrel play before him before he could attain prophecy. And see the Guide for the Perplexed (Vol. II, Chapter 36), which explains that the reason prophecy ceased shortly after the destruction of the First Temple is that the difficulties of the exile prevented our people from experiencing the genuine happiness necessary to be fit recipients of the prophetic spirit.

Therefore, the prophets' disciples would always have a harp, drum, flute, and lyre [before them when] they were seeking prophecy. This is what is meant by the expression [I Samuel 10:5]: "They were prophesying" - i.e. following the path of prophecy until they would actually prophecy - as one might say, "So and so aspires to greatness."

5) Those who aspire to prophecy are called "the disciples of the prophets." Even though they concentrate their attention, it is possible that the Divine Presence will rest upon them, and it is possible that it will not rest upon them.

6) All the statements made above describe the path of prophecy of all the early and later prophets, with the exception of Moses, our teacher, the master of all the prophets.

" G-d spoke to Moses...as a man speaks to a friend...."
What is the difference between Moses' prophecy and that of all the other prophets? [Divine insight is bestowed upon] all the [other] prophets in a dream or vision. Moses, our teacher, would prophecy while standing awake, as states: "When Moses came into the Tent of Meeting to speak to Him, he heard the Voice speaking to him." (Num. 7:89)

[Divine insight is bestowed upon] all the [other] prophets through the medium of an angel.
Because their level of refinement is insufficient for them to receive the divine revelation openly.
Therefore, they perceive only metaphoric imagery and allegories [which reflect the nature of that particular angel]. Moses, our teacher, [would prophecy] without the medium of an angel, as the verses state: "Mouth to mouth I speak to him" (Num. 12:8), "And G-d spoke to Moses face to face" (Ex. 33:11) and "He gazed upon the image of G-d" (Num. 12:8) - i.e. there was no metaphor. Rather, he would perceive the matter in its fullness, without metaphor or allegory. The Torah testifies concerning him "[I speak to him...] manifestly, without allegory" (Num. 12:8), meaning his appreciation of prophecy would not be through metaphor, but through open revelation, appreciating the matter in its fullness.

All the [other] prophets are overawed, terrified, and confounded [by the revelations they experience], but Moses, our teacher, would not [respond in this manner], as the Torah relates: "[G-d spoke to Moses...] as a man speaks to a friend" (Ex. 33:11) - i.e. just as a person will not be awe-struck from hearing his friend's words, so, too, Moses' mental power was sufficient to comprehend the words of prophecy while he was standing in a composed state.

All the [other] prophets cannot prophecy whenever they desire. Moses, our teacher, was different. Whenever he desired, the divine spirit would envelop him, and prophecy would rest upon him. He did not have to concentrate his attention to prepare himself [for prophecy], because his [mind] was always concentrated, prepared, and ready [to appreciate spiritual truth] as the angels [are]. Therefore, he would prophecy at all times, as the verse states: "Stand and hear what G-d will command you." (Num. 9:8)

He was promised this by G-d, as [implied by]: "Go and tell them 'Return to your tents,' but you stand here together with Me" (Deut. 5:27-28).This should be interpreted to mean that when prophecy departs from all the [other] prophets, they return to their "tents" - i.e. the needs of the body, like other people. Therefore, they do not separate themselves from their wives. Moses, our teacher, never returned to his original "tent". Therefore, he separated himself from women and everything of that nature forever. He bound his mind to the Eternal Rock. [Accordingly,] the glory never left him forever. The flesh of his countenance shone, [for] he became holy like the angels.

7) There is the possibility that a prophet will experience prophecy for his own sake alone - i.e. to broaden his perspective and to increase his knowledge - [allowing him] to know more about the lofty concepts than he knew before.

" If he follows the paths of prophecy in holiness...it is a mitzvah to listen to him...."
It is also possible that he will be sent to one of the nations of the world, or to the inhabitants of a particular city or kingdom, to prepare them and to inform them what they should do or to prevent them [from continuing] the evil which they are doing.

When he is sent [on such a mission], he is given a sign or a wonder [to perform], so that the people will know that G-d has truly sent him. Not everyone who performs signs or wonders should be accepted as a prophet: only a person who is known to be fit for prophecy beforehand; i.e. his wisdom and his [good] deeds surpass those of all his contemporaries. If he follows the paths of prophecy in holiness, separating himself from worldly matters, and afterwards performs a sign or wonder and states that he was sent by G-d, it is a mitzvah to listen to him, as the verse states: "Listen to him" (Deut. 18:15).

It is possible that a person will perform a sign or wonder even though he is not a prophet - rather, the wonder will have [another cause] behind it. [This is because signs and wonders and even divining the future can be performed by sorcery and the like, as explained in ch. 8-10]. It is, nevertheless, a mitzvah to listen to him. Since he is a wise man of stature and fir for prophecy, we accept [his prophecy as true].

This is the nature of [the Torah's] commandment. [To give an example of a parallel:] We are commanded to render a [legal] judgment based on the testimony of two witnesses. Even though they may testify falsely, since we know them to be acceptable [as witnesses], we presume that they [are telling the truth].

Considering these matters and the like, the Torah states: "The hidden matters are for G-d, our Lord, but what is revealed is for us and our children" (Deut. 29:28), and "Man sees what is revealed to the eyes, but G-d sees into the heart" (Samuel I 16:7).

The Rambam is implying that it is impossible for man ever to know the absolute truth about a situation. Therefore, the Torah gives us criteria with which to govern our decisions. Though they may not be totally foolproof, they are, nevertheless, applicable to our circumstances. If we follow these criteria and an error does occur, G-d does not hold man responsible.

(In the following three chapters (8-10), Maimonides sets out the rules for determining whether a purported prophet is genuine or not.)

(Published by Moznaim) Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon 'Maimonides', known as the Rambam, from the acronym of his name Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon; 4895-4964 (1135-1204 CE). Physician and Torah scholar originally from Cordoba, Spain, but who fled from persecution to North Africa, passing through Morocco and eventually settling in Egypt. Known for his works of Jewish law and philosophy works, Mishna Torah and Guide to the Perplexed, he also commanded kabbala, though he did not overtly present this knowledge in his works. Rabbi Eliyahu Touger is a noted author and translator, widely published for his works on Chassidut and Maimonides.

Human

Riding in car, the CHILD asks a question.

CHILD
What is 40 + 80?

MOTHER
One twenty.

CHILD
No it isn't!

MOTHER
Yes, it is!

CHILD
No! It's one hundred and
twenty.

The MOTHER smiles and shakes her head.

For my sister.

Build you a space elevator?

http://www.seed.slb.com/en/scictr/watch/elevator/build.htm

Jean

Elisha

Self-portrait: Olriutchson

 

Cast some light and you'll be alright

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1428362303

 

Do nothing

Let things settle
Open yourself up
To this wisdom
All your hatred
Is imagined
Let it go

Found in my oyster po boy last night

 

Vulture Wisdom Includes:
Immunity
How to Express Yourself in an Active and Balanced Way
Avoid Getting an Unfavorable Reputation
Cleanses and Restores Life and Death to Their Natural States
Resolution of Problems
Life, Death, and Rebirth
Compassion
Protection
Discernment

 

In a parallel universe, I am the bull

NEWARK, N.J. - It took an urban cowboy from the farms of South Africa to corral and lasso a 600-pound bull running loose Friday in the streets of New Jersey's largest city.

For Denton Infield, now an animal control officer, rounding up wayward cattle was second nature, even if the scene was not.

Officers chased the bull for 10 hours through the streets of Newark — at one point, it took a turn toward downtown — before Infield final got close enough early Friday to corral it in the parking lot of a tool and die shop. There, the bull was tranquilized and eventually drifted off to sleep as the rush-hour traffic snarled and children snapped pictures with their cell phone cameras from passing school buses.

"Back home in South Africa, this is quite common," said Infield, a manager with the Associated Humane Societies' Newark office. "A lot of our cattle are transported by truck, and a lot of times the truck will turn over and there's cattle all over the place."

But that's in rural South Africa. Newark is quite another story.

"It's a shock to see a bull running loose here," said resident George Romero. "Usually when you hear about Newark, it's a murder or some crime, but a bull running loose? Seeing is believing. I was like, 'Holy Cow!'"
The bull was corralled less than a mile from Newark Liberty International Airport, about eight miles from New York City.

It was the second time in as many years that wayward cattle were caught wandering around Newark. In May 2004, a steer escaped from a slaughterhouse and was eventually taken to a farm sanctuary.

Infield said the bull caught Friday likely escaped from a slaughterhouse or fell off a truck bound for one.
The 3-year-old mixed breed bull had an auction tag affixed to its back, indicating it wasn't far from The Final Roundup.

The bull was first spotted at 10 p.m. Thursday, running up and down an industrial street leading to Newark's heavily populated downtown. Police shooed onlookers away and blocked off streets to keep vehicles away from the animal, which managed to elude its pursuers until Friday morning.

"He was jumping over air conditioning units and over small fences," Infield said. "He was a little wild."
Infield finally chased the bull into the empty parking lot, where he tossed a rope around its neck and nudged it close enough for a second animal control officer to jab it with a tranquilizer syringe.
"He's asleep now," Infield said, rubbing the animal's flank.

Authorities called in a trailer from Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township, a refuge for abused or unwanted animals that is operated by the Humane Societies. Infield said the bull would be taken there to live out the rest of its life.