Just saw "Sleepless in Seattle" for the umpteenth time.

I love it.

I shouldn't. I don't believe this sort of thing happens in real life, it's also not my usual type of escapism. On the other hand, it being so fantastic (in the "fantasy" sense, not the "amazing" sense) it really does enable one to transcend their own expectations from reality.

I just witnessed my parents being all kissy-face.
And I'm quoting:
Mother:"When we met on [the place where they first met] and I shook your hand"
Father:"It was magic"

I'd be all awwww, if I didn't know they weren't just acting because of the movie.
In this case it's just a bit gross.

---

My nephew had a birthday party today, which was very nice. It was a beautiful day and practically the entire family came to spend an entire afternoon outside, lounging under a tree with freshly baked cup-cakes and watermelon (the boy's favourite food of all times, excellent choice in 35C degrees if you ask me).

Good day.

A day of honey, a day of onions (euphemism for tears, of course).

I went to the fireworks and watched Machina play for 45 minutes.
It was fun.
I had a great time listening to the music and seeing the fireworks with my family and singing along with the hundreds (maybe thousands) of my towns people to the songs which have become a part of the soundtrack of our lives.
Kind of like U2.

Elsewhere there are "alternative" ceremonies in which Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs are participating together talking about what this day means to each.
There are also ceremonies commemorating a calamity. Period.

Last year I went to a demo about a homophobic musician.
This year I'm going to South Africa and actually missing the brouhaha that will now doubt erupt while I'm gone at least by the 15th of May.

In any event, no matter what you are celebrating, commemorating or just having a weekly Wednesday night (or morning and day depending on the time zones) make it a good one and make it count.

יום עצמאות שמח!

Happy Yom Azmaut!

זיכרו את הנכבה!

Remember the Nakba!

Just got back from the Seder at sister's in laws in the south (near Be'er Shevah).
Traffic at one a.m!
Only on Pesach and Independence day.

Didn't get to add any of the nifty thing I spoke about, but there was very interesting talk none the less.
Well, we did add Miriam's cup, but it was half-arsed so I don't really count it.
Drank a Margarita and at least five glasses of wine.
More sleepy than intoxicated now.
Today is a new day.

In every generation we must see ourselves as though we had been enslaved and are now free.
Next year in a conflict free Jerusalem.

Three tests down, four to go.
Though technically two, seeing as I'm retaking two tests in the second semester, but who cares right?! I just want to get it over with.
I now have a chance to catch up on all the reading I didn't do for Uni during the semster, that is the novels and essays which are probably crucial for the second semester, which I, in a bout of uncontrollable procrastination... procrastinated upon.

Not a good idea.

On the other hand, I spent most of yesterday watching various Eddie Izzard sketches and Achmed the Dead Terrorist, who is much, funnier than Walter by the way. He also inspired me to create an icon, which shall be used at times I find things to be very, very silly (or stupid, or just plain infuriating) indeed.
To much Izzard I must say, he's rubbing of on me.

So Pesach, yeah.
End of Hebrew Slavery, freedom, eating constipation inducing food.
Lovely time of year, innit?

We'll be doing the Seder at my sister's in-laws this year, seeing as both parental units will be away. Wine and veggie kneydlach soup.
There will also be the reading of stories, singing, interpretations of said stories and song, hopefully Robbie and I can hijack the singing and get it over with as quickly as possible and that we can skip over all the songs that talk about how GD is great. I'd rather hear about how with shrewd planning and cunning three siblings managed to create such a panic on the Nile that Pharaoh thought to himself - Dude, these Jews are just not worth the effort.
'Course who else are going to be the Plebs in Egypt if not those crazy Hebrew Fuckers (who until Moses came along, were actually Henotheists) who believe in this One True GD nonsense, I mean really.

One of the things found on the Seder table is a plate on which is placed food items symbolic of the Holiday like a chicken leg or neck which symbolises the sacrifice at the Temple (of which remains only the Western Wall and a bunch of silly religious edicts which mark a Cohen as different from the rest of the Jewish people) and bitter herbs for, you know, the bitterness of our existence and all the bitching.

I'm being glib, but all these are fascinating symbols and they can all mean different things to different families, not just the Tribal meaning.
What I like about Pesach is how it's a Holiday that it's meaning is also very modern. I mean I can't think of other Holidays which is basically says "Oppression is Bad, Freedom is Good and it must be Universal".

Pretty neat.

One of the things that have yet to trickle into Israel from the Diaspora (or if it has it's hasn't even registered on the mainstream) is the presence of new Traditions, like Miriam's cup or the adding of an orange and/or olive to the Seder plate.
I'm thinking of suggesting it, maybe update Pesach a bit, make it a bit more actual.
Tradition is meant to symbolise the meanings of Holidays and if Holidays lack meaning, what are they good for then - eating and drinking into a stupor?

morin for the WIN!!!

Two tests down, five to go.
Yes, I'm groaning in despair, but all will be well, I have plenty of time to study for them all in fact. The two exams I had this week went really well (at least I'm feeling confidant) and I'm having a really fun time just vegging on the campus grounds after the exams with my peeps.

But I have something to look forward to, not only the end of exams, but also the fact that I'm going to South Africa for the first time since I was nine years old.
GD that's a long time, I mean I've seen my extended family since, but certainly not as much as in the first decade of life.
My Granny is turning 90 (tfu-tfu-tfu and spins around three times while knocking on wood) and Daddy (her son) and Mummy thought it would be a good idea for me to represent the Israeli contingent of her very far flung family.
Not only would it be excellent to see Granny (who I haven't seen in two years), it will be really great to get back in touch with my cousins with whom I'm not so close, seeing as the last time I saw them was at least five years ago if not more.

It's more than a month away and I'll not be in Israel for my B-Day (I'm only a few days after Granny), but I'll be sure to mention it at the time, if I have access to Internet, which shouldn't be a problem... maybe I'll take Frida with me.

Another good thing about being away on the specific dates is that I'll be missing weeks between Independance Day and the Nakba Commemoration Day, which are sure to be, um, quite charged.
60 years may not seem like a long time compared with countries with triple digits, but you know, thing are intense...

Anyway, that's what I had to say - more tests, going over-seas, intense national atmosphere and hopefully by the time I come back and am 23 things will be back to "normal", though I doubt it.

I had this really good entry all thought out, with lots of examples and points and arguments. But all that has seeped out of my brain due to end-of-Semester stress.

See yesterday Army (most of them Air Force) officers traveled around schools all over the country in a joint project with the ministry of education. This project is part of the 60 years to Israel commemorations, celebrations and what not.
At one of the school in which some of these officers came to speak, a demo by New Profile in which they constructed a huge papier mache brain and proceeded to squirt at with soapy water. I thought it was really smart and funny.

I told about it to my brother and mother and was really blown away by their negative responses.
My brother said they were being stupid and my mother asked if the demonstrators don't ask themselves what they can do for Israel.

Ahem.

See, the officers were there to talk about values and meaning of Israeli citizenship and what it means to be a Jewish nation in Israel - according to what I read about the project wasn't about convincing hight school kids that it's better to serve that to evade (which has been, according to the media which is trying to ensue a moral panic, imo, on the rise for the past two years).
I personally think it's wrong for the army to be a presence in schools other to give an overview of the positions available in the IDF and for that to be in after school hours so that it doesn't take over academic times - but that's really optimistic.

I don't believe for a minute that all they spoke about yesterday were "the values of Israeli citizenship" - Army service since the conception of this country has been a formative part of Jewish Israeli Identity (Druze and Bedouin can volunteer for the draft, but it is not mandatory). I'm pretty convinced that they spoke about the fact that to be good citizens they should serve their country through the IDF, that in the IDF they will learn what it means to be a moral, ethical and good Israeli citizen.

I think it's been a long time since the IDF has participated in a War that was solely for the protection of its citizens. All the operations across the borders have been offensive since the 80's and all withdrawals have been unilateral, meaning no agreement was discussed with those whose territory we were leaving. Almost all the operations done on the civilian population in the West Bank (and once Gaza) are defended by saying it's in the name of security are excuses to control said population by fear and humiliation. The soldiers (boys and some girls of 18 and 19, commanded by 20-somethings) are scared and they have guns and they've been taught to hate that little girl in a hijab, or that teenage boy with hate for them in return.
Do I even need to mention the immorality of the collective punishment on Gaza?

A small aside about Gaza: I can talk about the fact that Hamas fires Qassams at innocent people in the West Negev and Sderot, but seeing as the government that is funding this oh so educational project gives less than a shit about those people being fired upon, the less said the better.

I was asked why I don't have sympathy for those soldiers who have to do those horrible things in the name of security. I do. I have a lot of sympathy towards them and the fact that they are serving in an Army that requires them to do such unethical things and that they are educated to view those who are not like them as less-than-human.
Those soldiers traumatize and in turn are traumatized as well.
I wrote about this phenomena not too long ago.
Those soldiers, my soldiers, are ordered to invade other peoples homes in the name of security. They sometimes take food and other electrical supplies from those homes.
Some of them remain silent about what they once they are discharged.
Some of them break through this silence.

I don't believe that the Army does what it is supposed to do and it is because of this that I criticize it, that I feel a reform within its system and the way we, as Israelis, view the function of the military in our lives.
The gun is never a sacred instrument... in Hebrew it is equivalent to male genitalia.
Maybe I'll give a feminist reading of the role of the IDF, it's been done before, but now I've said what I felt had to be said about how I feel about the Army entering schools and talking about civic "values" and "duties".

So, did it feel good to not use LJ for a little bit.
Gotta say, I didn't feel any different, my Internet addiction just wet to different avenues.

the majority of my f-list participated whether it was consciously or not I couldn't say, but most of the communities didn't participate, which eh, kind of sucks since a huge amount of content and influence comes from the comm's and not individual users and such.
I really like LJ and I don't want to leave, the platform is convenient and fun, the networking done here is by far superior to MySpace and Facebook, in my opinion.
My paid account expires on the 14th on May (my birthday, duh) and I don't want to regress into a Plus account in which my LJ will be swarming with ads to do with things that what I write about would be significant.
Not.

Anyway, there were a few things worth blogging about, but they happened on Thursday and were properly resolved and on Friday when going out for Friday night supper was somewhat irritating due to constant racial slurs but people who say "I'm not racist, I love the black man" - when he's your gardener, quite obviously.
And Right Wing people who try to convince me that a vote for a fringe part is a Throw Away vote. Not it's not, it's voting for my principals.
Any way it was a really irritating evening, but at least I got to hang out with friends and Purim accessories.

Purim really washed over me this year - probably because I've come to associate Purim very strongly with terror attacks and there were only warnings this year with no actual explosions, shootings or kidnappings, there is however until Monday for a terror attack to be disconnected from the Holiday, so we'll see.
I mean yeah, I went all Ester and Vashti are ancient feminist icons (for different reasons obviously) and I went to Uni with butterfly antenes in order to get into the mood, on Wedensday, which is all before Purim, so nyah.

Pretty boring all in all.

Here's a pic which as sabotabby said should be spread throughout the intertubes.



Wouldn't it make an excellent t-shirt?!

Reply to the Meme:

Buffy and the Basics

My favourite season is probably the third (even though most of my favourite individual eps are from the fourth and sixth seasons), but the arch with the Mayor, Faith and the way ethics and morality got all mixed around in that season, making it so much more complicated than the second and most certainly the first. I feel the third offers the most foreshadowing (in retrospect obviously) to the rest of the seasons; Buffy's relationship with her friends, her independence, Willow and Xander finally closing up the feelings that were quite obvious between them before... I mean two of my favourite eps are the two most connected ones, The Wish and Doppelgangland... 'tis cool with the sexy Willow and the foreshadowing of #1 her Lesbianism (which admittedly I felt had more to do with Tara as a person rather than her inherent sexuality) and #2 her total badassness as a villain - the Troika may have been the baddies, but Willow was the Big Bad - especially as a Vamp.

And a little basic information on me: I'm 22, I had a perfectly normal sheltered childhood, most Jewish families have in the towns surrounding Tel-Aviv from Anglo-Saxon background (my family is South African) I'm the first Sabra, I was born in Israel and have never lived anywhere else, unless you include the six months I spent in the US with my sister as an Au Pair (see the America saga for time I spend there between Feb-July 2006).
I have no idea what I want to do when I finish Uni, I've barely started that yet.

A defining/important moment in my childhood/teen-hood

*sigh* I don't know! I lived a little sheltered life, nothing happened to me, ever, I was totally oblivious to everything that didn't concern me... even the Gulf War in which Scuds came down on us passed without scarring me (I think, my therapist doesn't seem to think it affected me especially).
There are two things which really come to mind as defining moments or events - and that's probably the birth of my oldest Nephew... suddenly I was auntie and my sister was a mother, I was pretty overwhelmed at the time. I was 16 and when I held him the first time I cried and was really scared I'd drop him or do something horrible, but all I had to do was hold him close and it was okay. Now the boy is six and I have to struggle just to give him a kiss, *sigh* they grow up quick - we do argue about the Beatles though, I'm a John-girl, he's Paul all the way *grin*.
The second event is the second Lebanon War, it affected me in a way I never thought could actually happen in real life, you can find out more by reading my entries about my reserve service (which I no longer do) here - July-Aug 2006.

Vegetarianism

I became a vegetarian very late in life, only two years ago.
My oldest sister has been a veg most of her life and for some reason it never rubbed off on me until I was 21.
I decided to go veg when I realized I wanted to live a more ethical life (which I felt started when I stopped consuming disposable menstrual products and began using a Mooncup), I briefly considered going vegan, but that would have been too much of an imposition on my mother (who cooks the food I eat) and thus kind of negate the whole ethical thing - when I live on my own we'll see what happens.
The whole vegetarian thing, when it comes late in life, is sort of mystifying to old friends and acquaintances: Why now and not before? How much difference does it actually make? Where do you get your protein? But you eat fish* right? It's almost (but not quite) like coming out of the closet, because it requires other to adjust to this new information, which, while not exactly conflicting with the image that one has of me, is still not exactly what they thought.
I really love being a veg, as it opened up a whole new avenue of food that I now eat, which I didn't bother to before - Tofu and different kinds of cheese, fried aubergines, pine nuts - I have more, but none at the top of my head.

*Because for some reason fish is a variant of vegetable o_O

Not to worry! More to come.

Things are tense as you can probably imagine.
I'm not really good at putting my point across when it comes to things I'm passionate about, there are often times where my chronic foot-in-mouth disease becomes acute.

I always end up sounding so emotional and irrational and blubbery, as though those are bad things and make my arguments thinner. It's bloody irritating that the only times my views are even listened to is when I speak "logically", "unbiased" and "rational".
As though there's anything logical, unbiased and rational in the situation we're living in.

Yep rockets, sieges and disharmony... the balanced way of life. *sigh*

I think I give the impression, or I actually may be, a whole lot more moderate than other activists I'm in touch with.
I'm as anti-Occupation and pro-Human Rights as they come... but I can't deal with hypocrisy.
The hypocrisy of "Anarchists" who fight for the right of National Determination while saying that another kind Nationalism is wrong - "we only fight against the Occupation!" - yes, well that's all very nice isn't it, if your point of view is so narrow you can't see the wide spectrum of where you're standing.
Like I previously mentioned, I believe that since Jews have a homeland, Palestinians deserve the same thing.
Often when I mention this to the more anti-Zionist people I know (my kind of post-Zionism is too moderate for most of them, as I've said) and I ask them what will you do if there is no longer an Israel? Where will you go?
What does that matter? They reply.
A great deal - citizens of the world we all want to be, but to be rootless and disconnected from where we come, to be doomed to become "Wandering Jews" again... that kind of Cosmopolitanism kind of ended in disaster... more than once.

Maybe it's the memory of persecution, maybe it's just a sense of unfairness, but I was born here and this is the only home I know and I want it to be a better place for my Nephews, Niece and my next potential Nephews and Nieces and maybe even potential children.
To just give up and go? To abandon what's been built here, what's been accomplished and what can still be built and accomplished?
That seems like anathema to me.
I won't give up on being Israeli, because I want to have allies and friends (in Palestine and beyond) and not wander loosely in the world with only a memory.

And in a less wolly manner: my brother, that clever guy, if only he wrote his ideas (hint-hemlock_sholes-hint).
He has great suggestions for non-violent direct action which would really be constructive if people were made aware of how powerful they could be.
I'll definitely pass those ideas along to people who might actually be able to do something.

---

I wish I had time to write feminist comic book and sci-fi criticisms like I used to, but all I do now is read my articles for Uni and my News feeds and blogs.
Doesn't let my brain veg in a constructive manner.

Yesterday afternoon Mummy went to fetch the Jerusalem Kids, because they spent the weekend with us. I always love when they come here, it's great fun to be Auntie.

Today the 'rents came (sister and brother-in-law) and we all decided to go on a short hike at a really beautiful national park on the coast (Sharon Beach (Hebrew link), if you're interested). It was a beautiful day, sunny but not too warm with a gorgeous breeze moving the sea-air around. The view from the cliffs was amazing, if a bit nerve wracking with a three year and a six year old running around pretending to be Superheroes, Elephants and wrestling on the sand (yeah, they brought most of the beach home with us).
We weren't actually near the Sea (unless the ten second drop into the rocks counts as near), but the yellow sand and yellow/light brown calcareous rock were also breathtaking, especially with the sand flowers and plants which were lush and filled with juices (which the three year old managed to spread over his hand), there were also huge Aloe-Vera plants dotted around.

Robbie was also there and we all hiked together, it was a whole lot of fun, even though I didn't really want to go out, but Mummy mentioned that I only go out at night and am slowly getting the complexion of a vampire, which is worrying, seeing as my skin couldn't be whiter unless I was an albino (rosy cheeks and blush don't count, that's circulation).
Also, seeing as Robbie decided to forego a hat (who doesn't bring a hat to a hike at noon?!), Leigh fumbled in her bag and produced a silk scarf for him to wear as a bandanna; I took pity on him and took the scarf and let him wear my denim "Kova Tembel" (bucket hat), and I wore the silk scarf as a bandanna.
I don't usually wear scarves on my head, I feel I look silly in them, but Leigh assures me I looked like a Radical Religious Jewish lady, so it wasn't so bad :D

Oh! And Edited to Add - 20:21 I went to see Atonement with my friend Shira last night, excellent, highly recommended. Keira Knightly must eat something, dude! And James McAvoy is going to be a legend one day, if he doesn't die young like other we know *cough*HeathLedger*cough*.

There are times when nostalgia takes over Mummy and she is reminded of things that happened when I was a baby.

Mummy being aware of my activist ways and such once said that she really should be surprised that I turned out the way I did, because even when I was as young as one year old I knew what was what.
My family used to watch Scarecrow and Mrs. King which had a catch phrase when my family taught to me -

Family: Scarecrow and Mrs. King keep the world safe for...
Little me: Domocwacy.

Yes, I started early.

In the end despite wanting to be so different from our parents we end up being just like them. I think that out the four siblings I am most like my mother.
I think I've mentioned this before.
I still think that isn't such a bad person to be like.

Olive picking was fun for the whole family, my folks didn't stay 'till the end, but that didn't matter, at least they came.
I picked, talked politics with a 20 year old anarchist and a 16 year old marxist... when did I turn into my parents where all I desire is to quietly live my life while trying my best not to opress anyone and make a little money to sustain myself, the other people were much the same as I... only significantly older - I felt very old around those two, and I'm only 22!

I thought I was going to go to the Teacher's Demo tonight, but I'm just too exhausted, I can barely look at the screen straight... though no doubt a piece of cake and a cup of coffee will make me feel better, getting on a bus and standing with a few thousand people complaining about our crappy education system doesn't seem to hot to me at the moment.

Next weekend there's a Take Back the Night March and that, no matter what I do that day, I will not be missing.

I'm going olive picking tomorrow.
And Mummy and Daddy are coming with me.

My siblings don't know what I've done but they suspect I brained washed them somehow, or slipped them a Micky in their coffee at some point.

My family so totally kicks ass!

I went to see "Stardust" with Tami last night.

Oh my GD it was visually gorgeous.
It was very, very adapted from the book, but it was a good one, I thought. There were a few details that irked me, but that's simply because I'm a Gaiman purist - The Graphic version of "Neverwhere" irked me too, besides being one of the coolest things evah!.

Those who haven't read the book will enjoy it and want to read it and those who have read it will want to read it again (for the fifth time).

I think it's bound to get a few Oscar nods, though I doubt it will win anything, maybe editing, music, costume design, you know the small stuff, none of the big ones like screen-play, directing, the acting was great, but none of the actors gave really breakthrough performances, it felt as though they were ordinary people in an extraordinary world, which made all the more "real". Suspension of disbelief is so important in fantasy movies, that the slightest hint of so-called fallacy ruins the effect.
Throughout the movie I was believing.

Like most fantasy movies of this kind, it had detached feel to it, it wasn't the Huge Epic like "Lord of the Rings" or "Narnia", nor was it connected to Franchise like "Harry Potter". It had the feel of "The Princess Bride", "Willow", "Lady Hawk" and the other classic 80's fantasy films, only with 21st century flair and technology.

It was beautiful, and it was a "classic" modern-day adult fairy tale.
And that's all it ever will be.

In addition, the genocide in Darfur must be stopped.

I've been sick, yesterday I had a fever that knocked me out. Now I've got a constant leak coming out of my nose with slight shivers, but am no longer wanting to die. Will be going to my cousins for Sukkot with my brother since the parental units are gallivanting in China! (ooooh, the jealousy of it all consumes me).

And now a meme from antongarou:
( The Alphabet Meme )

In addition, the genocide in Darfur must be stopped.

After three cups of coffee, an entire day of sleep and meeting with friends late in the evening, I finally feel normal again.

This year, unlike last, I didn't feel hungry at all, I actually didn't eat that much at the breaking of the fast, mainly drank and had a really drawn out supper.

It was a good day. It past quickly, I did my best to think positively and help my mother as much as I was able without falling asleep standing up - not eating and drinking took a lot out of me this year, I think I lost weight over the past few months.

Another thing that this contemplation brought upon is the fact that I really, really hate the religious institution in this country, the invidious restrictions and subtle oppression are so much more apparent to me for some reason. The Schul my family goes to is a part of the Conservative movement, which one of the more progressive movements in Judaism that still takes Hallacha into account, albeit with modern and contemporary interpretation.
Marriage through the Conservative institution isn't recognised as legal.
Female Rabbis aren't recognised as legitimate Rabbis by various rabbinical institutions in Israel.
Queer Jews, are at this point, invisible in the Conservative movement.
The validity three "R" movements (Reconstructionist, Renewal and Reform) are considered apocryphal in Israel.
In Israel, if you are Jewish, it is culturally appropriate to be either secular or religious, an in between stage, or religious-that-is-not-Orthodoxy just doesn't fit in with the way Israel is structured.
And it creates a huge divide in the Jewish population. As though there's any wonder we can't get along with "Other" people.

A point was supposed to be made, not really sure what it was. Something to do with Identity and political ramifications of all sorts of things, but it's after one AM and I'm tired.

In addition, the genocide in Darfur must be stopped.

So I'm now fasting, no food or water for 25 (or is it 26) hours is how it goes for this Nice Jewish Girl.
I think it's the only time in the Jewish Calendar where I actually do the "Jewish" thing.

Yom Kippur is a spacial day, not because it's a the Holiest of all "holy"days, which it is, but because it's the time of year, as it's been culturally cultivated in Israel, as a quiet day. Truly quiet. There isn't any mainstream radio, nor mainstream television, everything is shut down, and the streets are empty, no cars, no buses, no traffic. Nothing the the click-click-click of bicycles zooming down the empty streets as children make the most of the free roads that come sun-set will be filled with people coming home from Schul and dying for that cup of coffee they've been craving ever since they've stopped ingesting sustenance.

For me, it's a day of contemplation, meditation, soft music, poetry, family, lounging, walking, talking little, waiting, watching, listening, thinking about the meaning of food and water and thinking about my life in general.

The whole Atonement thing is old for me, it doesn't fit into the way I view my life; I try to take responsibility for my transgressions against people at the time that it happened or at least as near as possible. I don't think people deserve a clean-slate every year, or the impression of a clean-slate. We have to take responsibility for what we do and remember them. Though the Day of Atonement is meant as a time between GD and humankind, most take it to mean a time to wash away the "sins" of the past year.
Frankly, if a person needs a special day in order to try and make better about the things that may or may not have hurt another person, then there are serious issues there, is all I'm saying.

Last year I was depressed. Very. I wasn't aware of this, but looking back I can see that I was still very much trying to ignore the repercussions of the War. No easy. I had decided to try and live more ethically and became a vegetarian, I don't feel as though I'm punishing myself, which is how i felt last year, I'm able to recongnise this now.
I also thought I should try and become a little more religious when it came to Judaism, but quite quickly realised that my spirituality isn't to be found anywhere where I must bow down to anyone, corporal or otherwise. GD in this kind of setting is irrelevant, because my spirituality comes to fulfill me and GD, whether this entity exists or not, has no bearing on my spirit.

And so once a year I wear white, walk with my family to Schul, sing Kol Nidrei, the beautiful dirge which cleanses us of the years nastiness, sing the rest of the prayers with all the rest of the congregation and then walk home and admire the peace (crazy cycling kids and all), the half moon, the beginning of autumn and admire the fact that I'm really lucky to be a alive and feel it so much more acutely because I'm denying my physical needs for one day.

A holy day.
Double that.
It fell on Shabbat.

And now I part you with the words of one of my favourite poets/singer-songwriters:
( Who By Fire by Leonard Cohen )

In addition, the genocide in Darfur must be stopped.

First of all, let me give my whole F-List and other lurkers a huge, big, excellent blessing for the New Year!

Shana Tova everyone!
!שנה טובה ומתוקה

Second, I've been so caught up in holiday preparations that I completely neglected to send a New Year Email to my friends and family, making me a very bad Jewish girl indeed, but thankfully there's Yom Kippur, where I can send yet another New Year email AND make up for my transgressions on the matter (just a little tougue-in-cheek) there.

And third, I'm drinking fair trade coffee from my spanking new plunger thanks to morin, so a huge on-line thanks about that, even though I already her thanked her in person!

Once again, a HAPPY NEW Jewish YEAR to everyone

In addition, the genocide in Darfur must be stopped.

Now that I am semi-coherent (after my two and a half cups of coffee) I can actually write a little about has been going on with me.
I seem to be updating quite sporadically lately, due to Real Life doing it's damnedest to keep busy and away from my beloved Frida.

Mummy and Daddy have gone to far flung places in the USA, visiting the family (My sister, her Hubby and my Nephew and Niece) and will have abandoned me to the large house and do what I like. However, seeing as I am a goody two shoes the wild parties will probably not be on the agenda (though coffee, or any other beverage, and conversation in definately on the menu).

I worked with the baby for a few days this week, and will continue to look after later on in the month.

And now a Hogwarts Quiz I snagged from bitter_moss:
( Ummm, maybe? )
Not sure how accurate this is, but I turned out pretty cool in this quiz.

In addition, the genocide in Darfur must be stopped.