Today, Jews (really really observant Jews) fast during the daylight hours to recall a devastating event of over 2500 years ago. This, the 10th day of the month of Tevet, is remembered as the anniversary of the Babylonian king’s assault of Jerusalem. Tradition maintains that it was on this day in 587 B.C. that Nebuchadnezzar […]
Anniversary of Crisis and Change — the 10th of Tevet Read More »
The bard’s “Show Me the Place” song on his new album titled Old Ideas lent an ethereal air to a prosaic errand this morning. The hound I brought home over ten years ago, starving, cut up, and covered in ticks is aging fast, and we’re trying to keep him comfortable. But about a week ago,
Leonard Cohen’s New “Old Ideas” Read More »
This post has nothing to do with Christmas. Just wanted to give you that “heads-up.” Years ago, I remember being blown away by a movie I’d never heard of. I can’t even remember now how I came across it. Best guess: the amazing folks at Video Fan in Richmond. Such a cool place, and the
Off the Map, the Movie Read More »
Are we all still such children or even animals at heart that we so love the light? For those of us in the northern hemisphere, and especially those in the northernmost reaches of the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice is cause for celebration. As a kid growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, I remember in the
Some things one might expect to find in the Bible aren’t there at all; while sometimes what we do find is downright surprising. Take Hanukkah, for instance — not there! Ironically, not in the Jewish bible, but it is in the Orthodox Christian bible (in part — 1 Maccabees, if you’re looking). Meanwhile, the Christian
Holiday Bible Surprises Read More »
I love technology… when it helps me. I do not love tech for tech’s sake. So when things go wrong, I get really stressed out. I have a new computer, the old was running slower and slower and was awfully heavy to tote. But switching to the new required hours and hours under Best Buy’s
The new Jewish Annotated New Testament is a welcome addition to the variety (cacophany?) of voices weighing in on Christian scripture these days. It is fresh, intelligent, and informed, actually a lot better informed than most of what’s out there. Published by Oxford University Press, it includes comments and insights from Jewish scholars, some of
Jewish Perspective on the New Testament Read More »
Maybe we could call it a grategy, though that lacks the melody of its sentiment. I had the rare opportunity yesterday to hear Gary Snyder, Pulitzer-prize winning poet, essayist, and sometime Buddhist with an environmental ethic seamlessly integrated into his daily practice. (He’s been living off the grid for decades, now, e.g.) He’s also got
Strategy of Gratitude Read More »
Cyrus’ daughter Atossa has captivated me for all sorts of reasons, not least: she may be the first woman to have had a mastectomy and survived. Whether she did or didn’t is a matter of some debate. Only a brief note by Herodotus informs us of her condition and treatment. The author of Bathsheba’s Breast,
Bathsheba’s Breast… Cancer Read More »
Our relationship with Iran has hardly been comfortable in the past decades, even before the latest bizarrities. Yet just when Americans were donning crazy costumes for weekend Halloween parties, and as surprising as was the snow in New York City, the calendar afforded a day for our countries to find common ground. My article in recognition of International
Cyrus the Great Day Read More »
