I just read a fascinating article in Azure magazine called The Hope of Marseilles, which explores why of all the French cities with an increase in anti-Semitism, Marseilles is the only one to have successfully got it under control. I learned a lot about French political culture, why Al Gore likes communitarianism (and so do I...hi, Al!) and France doesn't, and how Marseilles' socio-economic integration happened.
There are many reasons why other cities can't blindly replicate the Marseilles model. But there are lessons to be learned, and not only by France.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
News flash: I have a cold!
It's not even a dramatic cold, not the flu, not a migraine, no headaches (unless you count a sore scalp, one of my usual cold symptoms). Blogger.com gave me a lot of resistance today, so I had to read and sleep instead. Maybe Blogger.com had a cold, too.
I did manage learn that Prowesslessness, his wife who is now henceforth to be known as Pippi Bluestocking, and their baby, whose pre-birth sobriquet was Tractor but is now know as Little Bear (update your address books, please), all have colds down there in chilly Florida. The family that sneezes together...does something else together, I don't know what.
I did manage learn that Prowesslessness, his wife who is now henceforth to be known as Pippi Bluestocking, and their baby, whose pre-birth sobriquet was Tractor but is now know as Little Bear (update your address books, please), all have colds down there in chilly Florida. The family that sneezes together...does something else together, I don't know what.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Savta Dotty's Treasure House (3)
Welcome to Savta Dotty's Treasure House! It is chock full of things you have never seen before, and probably never even heard of!
For example, Savta Dotty's children's baby teeth. Wow! Is that cool or what?*
How many people do you know whose mommy has saved their baby teeth for more than 30 years? Some mommies even know which baby teeth belong to which child. Those are extra good mommies!
I guess Savta Dotty is a so-so mommy, because she doesn't remember which teeth belong to Elswhere and which teeth belong to Prowesslessnesslessness. Can you tell? (The DNA home testing kit seems to be missing.)
Even so, her children's baby teeth are Savta Dotty's Treasures.
Ya'll come back real soon to the Tooth Fairy Crash Pad, to see more Treasures!
* Response to the uncensored image did not please my more squeamish readers, so I moved it to a more discreet part of the treasure house, where the morbidly curious can still view it.
For example, Savta Dotty's children's baby teeth. Wow! Is that cool or what?*
How many people do you know whose mommy has saved their baby teeth for more than 30 years? Some mommies even know which baby teeth belong to which child. Those are extra good mommies!
I guess Savta Dotty is a so-so mommy, because she doesn't remember which teeth belong to Elswhere and which teeth belong to Prowesslessnesslessness. Can you tell? (The DNA home testing kit seems to be missing.)
Even so, her children's baby teeth are Savta Dotty's Treasures.
Ya'll come back real soon to the Tooth Fairy Crash Pad, to see more Treasures!
* Response to the uncensored image did not please my more squeamish readers, so I moved it to a more discreet part of the treasure house, where the morbidly curious can still view it.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Today I Was a Sugar-Plum
Savtadotty's mom: "No, you can't stay home today just because it's raining. We're not sugar-plums, we don't melt in the rain. We put on our galoshes and our raincoats and rainhats to stay dry, and then we go out about our business."
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Savta Dotty's Treasure House (2)
Welcome to Savta Dotty's Treasure House again! It is chock full of things you have never seen before, and probably never even heard of! Wow!
For example, a Melamine Bunny Napkin Ring, circa 1942.
Long before plastic, long before paper napkins, the Dotty family used to have cloth napkins at all meals. However, laundry was done by the stay-at-home-mom (SAHM), and hung out to dry on a washline. Then it got ironed! (Not underwear or towels, but just about everything else.) So, to reduce labor and expense (no need to waste electricity, water and laundry soap, y'know), the cloth napkins were re-used until the Laundry Inspector (SAHM) determined they were soiled enough to wash. No one was expected to use someone else's slightly dirty napkin, so we were each assigned our personal napkin ring, made of melamine. The other members of the Dotty family were Big People, and got round rings of different colors (yellow, green, blue, and peach), but Safta Dotty was a Little Person way back then and so she got a Bunny.
How many people do you know who still have their Melamine bunny napkin rings, of any color?
That's why the Salmon-Pink Melamine Bunny napkin ring is one of Savta Dotty's Treasures.
Ya'll come back real soon to see more Treasures!
For example, a Melamine Bunny Napkin Ring, circa 1942.
Long before plastic, long before paper napkins, the Dotty family used to have cloth napkins at all meals. However, laundry was done by the stay-at-home-mom (SAHM), and hung out to dry on a washline. Then it got ironed! (Not underwear or towels, but just about everything else.) So, to reduce labor and expense (no need to waste electricity, water and laundry soap, y'know), the cloth napkins were re-used until the Laundry Inspector (SAHM) determined they were soiled enough to wash. No one was expected to use someone else's slightly dirty napkin, so we were each assigned our personal napkin ring, made of melamine. The other members of the Dotty family were Big People, and got round rings of different colors (yellow, green, blue, and peach), but Safta Dotty was a Little Person way back then and so she got a Bunny.
How many people do you know who still have their Melamine bunny napkin rings, of any color?
That's why the Salmon-Pink Melamine Bunny napkin ring is one of Savta Dotty's Treasures.
Ya'll come back real soon to see more Treasures!
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Silly Blog Songs
Blog a Little Blog of Me
A Bloggy Day in London Town
I'm Blogging My Way Back to You Babe
A Blog He Would a-Wooing Go
Can't Buy Me Blog
I Wanna Hold Your Blog
How Much is That Bloggie in the Window?
Blog Me a River
Deep in the Blog of Texas
Can you think of more?
************************
added January 19
"Don't Blog for me, Argentina"
A Bloggy Day in London Town
I'm Blogging My Way Back to You Babe
A Blog He Would a-Wooing Go
Can't Buy Me Blog
I Wanna Hold Your Blog
How Much is That Bloggie in the Window?
Blog Me a River
Deep in the Blog of Texas
Can you think of more?
************************
added January 19
"Don't Blog for me, Argentina"
Friday, January 14, 2005
Ofer Halevi, Featured Photographer
My friend Ofer Halevi is now the Featured Photographer at O'Reilly's Digital Media site. Have a look at his fascinating and beautiful black-and-white photos. Warning: they make you think.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Savta Dotty's Treasure House (1)
Welcome to Savta Dotty's Treasure House! It is chock full of things you have never seen before, and probably never even heard of!
For example, an authentic Skate Key, circa 1944. Wow! Is this cool or what?
Long before there were skateboards and inline skates that look like ice skates, and metal scooters, we used to have roller skates with ball bearings, for sidewalks only. They were four-wheel metal platforms that we attached to our shoes. No sneakers, platforms, flipflops, just sturdy oxfords or saddle shoes. We used a skate key to tighten the skates so they didn't fall off the shoes, although there were also straps. The keys were either worn on a string or shoelace around one's neck or kept in a pocket.
How many people do you know who still have their skate keys?
That's why her Skate Key is one of Savta Dotty's Treasures.
Ya'll come back real soon to see more Treasures!
For example, an authentic Skate Key, circa 1944. Wow! Is this cool or what?
Long before there were skateboards and inline skates that look like ice skates, and metal scooters, we used to have roller skates with ball bearings, for sidewalks only. They were four-wheel metal platforms that we attached to our shoes. No sneakers, platforms, flipflops, just sturdy oxfords or saddle shoes. We used a skate key to tighten the skates so they didn't fall off the shoes, although there were also straps. The keys were either worn on a string or shoelace around one's neck or kept in a pocket.
How many people do you know who still have their skate keys?
That's why her Skate Key is one of Savta Dotty's Treasures.
Ya'll come back real soon to see more Treasures!
Saturday, January 08, 2005
My Best Friend
"Shuki" is a mix of long-haired Dachshund, Canaani, with a Rough-collie tail, and who knows what else? She was rescued as a puppy 10 years ago.
She is very proud of her tail. She is less enthusiastic about her sweater, which is French...tres sportif, non?
She is very proud of her tail. She is less enthusiastic about her sweater, which is French...tres sportif, non?
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Don't You Worry 'Bout Me
One of the things about living alone and aging is the worry that one day you'll slip and fall getting out of the tub, or trip over one of the wires that aren't supposed to be on the floor, or fall off of the stepstool when the phone rings while you're changing a lightbulb , etc. etc. Not to worry: now I have a Magic Bracelet!
If I'm conscious enough to push the Red Button on the waterproof Magic Bracelet, I Will Be Saved! In response to my button-push, a voice loud enough to drown out both the heavy-metal-music-playing neighbors downstairs and the teenage drummer next door will boom throughout my apartment from the Magic Box on the Wall,
asking "what's the matter?" Then, depending on whether or how I answer that question, the paramedics, the police, the ambulance will be dispatched, notifying my designated key-carrying friend and neighbor, so they won't have to break my door down when they arrive.
All this for a measly NIS 49 (that's about US$12.00) per month!
So you can all stop worrying 'bout me starting this minute.
If I'm conscious enough to push the Red Button on the waterproof Magic Bracelet, I Will Be Saved! In response to my button-push, a voice loud enough to drown out both the heavy-metal-music-playing neighbors downstairs and the teenage drummer next door will boom throughout my apartment from the Magic Box on the Wall,
asking "what's the matter?" Then, depending on whether or how I answer that question, the paramedics, the police, the ambulance will be dispatched, notifying my designated key-carrying friend and neighbor, so they won't have to break my door down when they arrive.
All this for a measly NIS 49 (that's about US$12.00) per month!
So you can all stop worrying 'bout me starting this minute.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
A Prayer
Dear G_d,
Why do You cause so much misery and destruction? I'm not talking about man-made decisions that caused loss and grief, such as suicide bombers and wars and genocides. Those are a consequence of man's Free Will, and I believe we humans are supposed to take responsibility for those. I'm talking about those things the insurance companies call "acts of G_d" and other people call "natural disasters." I'm talking about hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, volcano eruptions, spontaneous fires, earthquakes and tsunamis.
It's really hard to reconcile Your existence with what appears to be punishment of innocents.
I want to try to find meaning, or at least a Lesson, 'cause that's what I do:
If this tragedy gives rise to better communication among the world's scientists, bureacrats, politicians, if it shrinks the global village so we all better understand that no one is really safe until everyone is safe, if we who are privileged to have enough food and shelter for today learn to share what we have with those in need today, without self-seeking, without status-seeking, even without tax-deductions, then maybe the hundreds of thousands will have died for a purpose. Blaming can never bring them back.
****************************
Postscript January 16, 2005
"…if there is to be meaning in the world, we need to put it there."
by Susan Neiman, "The Moral Cataclysm" in today's NYTimes Magazine
Right on, Susan.
Why do You cause so much misery and destruction? I'm not talking about man-made decisions that caused loss and grief, such as suicide bombers and wars and genocides. Those are a consequence of man's Free Will, and I believe we humans are supposed to take responsibility for those. I'm talking about those things the insurance companies call "acts of G_d" and other people call "natural disasters." I'm talking about hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, volcano eruptions, spontaneous fires, earthquakes and tsunamis.
It's really hard to reconcile Your existence with what appears to be punishment of innocents.
I want to try to find meaning, or at least a Lesson, 'cause that's what I do:
If this tragedy gives rise to better communication among the world's scientists, bureacrats, politicians, if it shrinks the global village so we all better understand that no one is really safe until everyone is safe, if we who are privileged to have enough food and shelter for today learn to share what we have with those in need today, without self-seeking, without status-seeking, even without tax-deductions, then maybe the hundreds of thousands will have died for a purpose. Blaming can never bring them back.
****************************
Postscript January 16, 2005
"…if there is to be meaning in the world, we need to put it there."
by Susan Neiman, "The Moral Cataclysm" in today's NYTimes Magazine
Right on, Susan.
I Am My Computer
Fellow list-makers, here's how you can become your computer too:*
1. Learn how to cross out items
2. Cross item 1 off list
3. Cross item 2 off list
4. Cross item 3 off list
5. Cross item 4 off list
6. Cross item 5 off list
7. Cross item 6 off list
8. Cross item 7 off list
9. Cross item 8 off list
10. Cross item 9 off list
etc. Cross item n off list
etc. Cross item n+1 off list
etc.
* "strike"Word or phrase you want a line through"greater-than" sign "/strike" "less-than sign"
Thanks, elswhere.
Now, how do I show the symbols+word+symbols "greater-than sign" strike "less-than sign" as plain text in html? (Old programmers never die.)
etc.
* "strike"Word or phrase you want a line through"greater-than" sign "/strike" "less-than sign"
Thanks, elswhere.
Now, how do I show the symbols+word+symbols "greater-than sign" strike "less-than sign" as plain text in html? (Old programmers never die.)
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