It's a spellbinding day here in Canada as we head to the polls and choose a new government. Can'tcha just FEEL the excitement in the air..... zzzzzzzzz.....

Have you noticed the barely existent fanfare that comes with it, compared to say, the American elections? We keep it short and sweet. It's announced, there's 56 days of mudslinging and debates (and that's considered a long campaign!) and then we all go to the polls to choose the lesser of the available evils. My, it's dizzying just talking about! ..zzzzzz...

However, for some reason, I *love* voting. I'm not sure if it's just an appreciation for the fact that I can or the hilarity that I'm actually allowed to vote (in my mind I'm still 17, evidently). I also really enjoy the process of it; when I walked in this morning the polls were quiet. Most people vote at night, I suppose. And the ladies there were extremely polite and helpful. It was all just so darned cordial.

When I got my ballot I headed to the little cardboard blind that gives you the illusion of privacy. There I stood and stared at the ballot for several moments. I even sang the Jeopardy song that plays while counting down when the contestants have a time limit to write down their final answers. You know the one... "Doo dee do do, Doo dee do. Doo dee do dee DO do do do do..". Anyway, I hummed that outloud. Then I cursed one of the politicians on the ballot outloud. Then I decided it was about time I stopped making myself look insane so I held my breath and made my X. The whole process took less than 5 minutes, I swear to god. It was amazing. If only I could have stretched the joy out longer!

What did I vote? Well, it was tough. The Conservatives scare the bejesus out of me for a whole boatload of reasons. The Liberals are corrupt, the Green Party is fairly unknown here and the New Democratic Party guy has this distracting mustache......
*sigh*

I'm not saying what I voted but I'll tell ya, I'll be holding my breath in the morning when I wake up and turn on the news to see who won. Please lord, don't make it Stephen Harper. And if you insist on making it Harper (why have you forsaken me, lord?!?) then please make it a minority government. Thx.

 
Apparently all it takes is my bragging about a ton of snow for it to suddenly stop snowing and switch back to raining. All my beloved snow is gone. When I went up north to see my grandma yesterday it was a beautiful day and it looked like a winter wonderland; snow everywhere, especially on the trees. It was breathtaking.

However, since I am a ruiner of great snowy weather, it began raining up there too (which is *unheard of* this time of year). It's downright warm back here at home now and muddy and gross. I want my snow back.

The trip was brief but did a world of good for both my grandma and I. She was thrilled to see me (I surprised her) and immediately set about making me the most awesome dinner. We watched a bit of tv and talked about the good old times when she was a kid growing up along the river. It was a nice visit.

On my car ride home I finally got the call I have been waiting for...... ladies and gentlemen, I got the job offer. That's right, as of Jan 30th I will be gainfully employed by an American company looking for reps up here in Canada. I will be making a chunk more money than I was before (yay!!!) with great benefits and bonuses. I am really very excited. I have given my landlord my notice and my friend will be moving out of my apartment. My application was accepted at the apartment building I am hoping to get into, and hopefully something will be available for April 1st. Things, dare I say, seem to be falling into place.

I wanted to blog about a couple of other things.... the Canadian election... Iran... but I'm in too good a mood to ruin it with such topics. It'll wait until tomorrow.

Have a great weekend everyone, Shabat Shalom!

 
A suicide bomber has blown himself up in Tel Aviv.

I don't know, anymore.... I just don't know what to say.
Details here.

I think I'm going to get in my car and drive 2 hours north to my sanctuary for the night; I'm heading up to see my grandma.
I'll be back tomorrow.

 
Today was a great day. Know why? Coz it snowed, I mean it *really* snowed. All blizzard-like. I was thinking to write an angry post about how it had been raining for days and days and how I wanted snow because this is Canada afterall, and I loves me some snow. I was even going to say that I was planning to vote in the election next week based on which party promised me snow if I called their head quarters and asked. How funny would that be if one of them actually tried to promise that?

Instead I decided to spread my good mood by writing to the makers of Diana Sauce and tell them just how much I love their honey garlic sauce. I mean I really truly love it, as my letter to them outlined. I made an awesome meatloaf (yes, MEATLOAF! why are you laughing??) the other day that was really truly the tastiest meal ever and it was in large part due to that sauce. I thought I'd share the love so they knew how I felt and hopefully it will encourage them to continue making it for years to come. They must never stop making the sauce. Never ever.

Anyway, I saw a copy of Macleans magazine (which is much like a Time magazine in it's format, and made in Canada) and right on the front page it had a picture of my favourite politician (that's right! The President of Iran!) and the quote with it says: "The Scariest Man on Earth. The Nuke-Happy, Jew Hating Lunatic President of Iran". HA! Hooboy, that made me laugh. I love it when journalists use the word lunatic. It's such a great word and so very appropriate in this case. And I love that the rest of the world finally sees the man for what he is, and I hope they realize his hate doesn't just stop with Jews. Beware all Western infidels, you'll be next! Just as soon as he gets Israel wiped off the map...

The article can be read here if you are interested; in the meantime here is a small snippet: "He believes that Israel is a "disgraceful stain" that must be "wiped off the map." He calls the Holocaust a "myth." And he claims that when he addresses world leaders, he is bathed in a divine aura that prevents those watching him from turning away, or even blinking. Meet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's new president, and the leader of a country that is set to go nuclear." It's a great article so go check it out; Iran is everyone's problem, not just Israel's, folks. And unlike the Iraq mess, Iran is making no bones about it.... they intent to create weapons of mass destruction.

On a happier note let me leave you with a picture of my friend's new baby boy, Colin. This was taken just over 2 hours ago.... he is 2 days old. And he's about the cutest thing ever, even if he did cry pretty much the whole time I was holding him. Little Chinese babies are so cute!!!

 
So I am in a pretty good mood these days. On the weekend I had a big heart-to-heart with my friend with whom I was planning on becoming roommates in the near future. We have decided not to become roommates afterall because his financial situation at the moment is quite unstable and I need someone who has more secure and steady work (his is quite sporadic). This actually comes as a great relief to me as the original reason for finding a roommate was because I myself needed some financial relief, but now that I have a new job in the offing my financial situation is likely to improve drastically; that being the case I'd rather live alone because I really like having a place to myself. After a talk with my friend (including plenty of irate words from my end over a parking ticket he got with my car that he didn't bother to mention or pay for) we have decided to nix the plans; he will be moving back in with his brother and I will remain, for now, with my parents.

I have been looking at a few new apartments and have found some that I really like, so hopefully it won't be longer than a few months at home with my parents. My parents have actually been encouraging me to stay with them as long as possible so as to save myself money, but I miss my own space. Plus, if an apartment opens up in the building I really like, I'll have to take it or lose it. This building is pretty popular so I can't risk losing out on an opportunity to get in. *sigh* It feels good having options.

With regards to the new job I finally called the recruiting officer to ask what was going on. She seemed kinda surprised that the interviewers hadn't called me, but said that an offer was forthcoming, that they just had to work out the details. I guess they (the American company) need to figure out how to pay Canadians and how to put together an enticing package/offer that doesn't include health benefits since ours is covered by the government. I hope this means greater benefits in the areas that aren't covered, like dental and optometrist stuff. That would be a sweet deal. Either way I just want to hurry up and sign this deal so I can get on with the business of getting my life sorted out. At this point I remain cautiously optimistic that the pieces are finally falling into place. Yay!

In other news......

- WHAT?? A Muslim Cleric made anti-Israel remarks?? I can't imagine!! "Jews know how to control people. This is how they know how to control our leaders." Yes, yes, we rule the world and that's why we are fighting tooth and nail for the one little piece of desert in the Middle East that doesn't have oil. *snore*

- Ah yes, my favourite leader, the President of Iran, is back to his ole tricks again! I just have to laugh at his crazy remarks. To recap, he likes to deny that the Holocaust ever happened, he thinks that Israel should be wiped off the map (or at the very least, moved to Europe, Alaska or Canada) and now he thinks that the Holocaust should be opened up for debate so that it can be decided for once and for all if it really happened. Funny how the only people who think that it didn't happen are the Arabs and white supremists. And I am sure the fact that this ridiculous conference will be hosted in Iran will ensure that it will be a fair and balanced discussion.

- Possibly the most ridiculous report yet on the Israeli Prime Minister's health/condition: "Sharon's aides said the prime minister had opened his eyes, according to some Israeli Web sites, but the statement from Hadassah Hospital denied his eyes had fully opened. The medical significance of the eyelid movement was unknown, the statement said." So... we're not sure if he opened his eyes or not, and if he did we can't even be sure what that would mean. Got it.

The only report to rival that one in terms of ridiculousness would be this one: "People who were present said Sharon first became teary-eyed, and then opened his eyes. However, the prime minister’s eyes shut once again just as doctors were racing to his room." Oh.....oh!!....OH!!!! So close, damnit!! I wonder how many times the fmaily has called the doctors in only to have him snap his eyes shut again. And I wonder how many times the doctors will fall for it before they start accusing them of crying wolf. Stay Tuned!

- "Tel Aviv synagogue manager nearly stabbed after commenting on smell of visitor's socks". Um. WHAT? And it really begs the question... just how smelly were those socks, anyway??

- Speaking of crazy Israelis, what the hell is going on in Hebron?? Israelis rioting and destroying Palestinian property??? Ugh. This sort of behaviour just embarrasses me. I really like to think that Israelis are above this kind of behaviour and I abhor giving the Palestinians any more excuses/ammunition to use against Israel. Come on guys, let's not sink to their level. We're better than that and it just looks bad when Israelis are reduced to such tactics. I understand frustration and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness make you want to do rash things, but this is SO not the way to go about change. Now Hebron has been declared a closed military zone. Nice job.

- "Thirty Canadian Christian Israel supporters leave Toronto behind, move to community near West Bank. "These people left a paradise in Toronto in order to live with us, and it is really heartwarming," said Yonah Ephraim, secretary of Moshav Magen Shaul where the Canadians live." Y'know, I'm just not sure what to make of this to be perfectly honest. I'm always happy when there is support for Israel, especially if it's not from Jews; it's a welcome surprise. And to hear that they are from my town is also nice. But how are they immigrating to a country that requires you to be Jewish in order to become a citizen (and not just a permanent resident?). Odd. This opens it up to all kinds of debates (including demographic balance and so on) but I'm just happy that someone outside of the Jewish religion is showing such strong support of Israel. It's not exactly a popular team to be cheering for.

Ok, that's it for me. Before I go I want to wish my friend Annie and her husband Frank a big Mazal Tov on their new baby boy, born today at 5am. What a great birthday present for Annie's birthday tomorrow! Welcome to the world, Colin Nicholas!

 
- I like Friday the 13ths because they have always been lucky for me, probably because I was born on a Friday the 13th.

- "The Pope used an audience of local politicians on Thursday to reiterate the Roman Catholic Church's objections to both abortion and gay marriage." This is why I don't like the Pope very much. His stance on gays has to change. Remember when we thought blacks, Jews and women shouldn't be allowed to vote? Remember how 'the powers that be' thought it was out of the question and ridiculous? See how that's a right not a privilege? Gay people have just as much right to get married as anyone else, and I hope one day we look back on this issue with the same disbelief as we do when we recall women's fight to be allowed to vote. Come to think of it the Conservatives have the same stance on the gay and abortion issues, and that would be just a couple of the reasons why they will never get my vote.

- So how amused was I to find this next article *right* underneath that last one about the Pope: "Sony Music has announced the launch of a record label focusing on gay, lesbian and transgendered artists. The label, known as Music With a Twist, will feature established gay and lesbian artists from all musical genres who already have mass appeal, and will also nurture new and emerging talent. Plans also include the release of compilation albums of hit songs adopted by gay, lesbian and transgendered audiences." Yeeha! Cher, Kelly Clarkson and Liza Minelli sales are gonna go through the roof! Take that, you mean Pope!

- new blogs I'll be adding to my blogroll: The Shane Life, dreams and false alarms, Samantha Burns, and Tzfat/Safed.

- OK, raise your hand if you are just a little bit tired of the reports about Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and what he is doing now (ie: "today he moved a finger" or "he shifted his right leg" kind of reports). Yes, I feel bad that the man is in the hospital and I mean no disrespect here... but how about reporting when there's actually *something* to report?

- job news.... oh right, there isn't any yet. I didn't get the call. No I am not worried, more like irritated coz now I gotta wonder about it all weekend and I can't move forward with any financial planning. I ran out of money long ago so I need an answer soon.

- If you watch the tv show "Lost" feel free to hop on over to Occasional Bitch's post about the recent episode. Beware there are spoilers.. kinda... so if you haven't watched it yet don't go (though I suspect it will just cause confusion, not so much spoil it. lol).

- I will have to get back to my theory on why I'll be murdered one day because I don't feel like typing it out now.

- I have found my dream restaurant and it's name is Cereality. If I had the money I would totally buy a franchise.

- I'm in a totally foul mood right now. In the last 24 hours I have found a bounced cheque from last September that my friend (who is living in my apartment) gave my mother to put into my account to cover the bills for the apartment while I was in Israel. And I just got a parking ticket in the mail from when he borrowed my car last month. He neglected to mention to me that he got a ticket under my name, let alone pay it. This does *not* bode well for us becoming roommates as was the original plan and what he's hoping will happen March 1st. We are going to have a big talk this weekend (aka: a "come to Jesus" meeting) and it's not going to be good for him. His financial situation is putting up some red flags for me and I am seriously reconsidering this plan.

- if any other blogger received a peculiar email from the guy who runs the website AgoraVox, please let me know. I am curious to see how many people he contacted about writing for the english version that is coming out soon and who else's blog he took parts of to publish on his site. I'm not sure what the deal is with this so I would like to know anyone else's take on it.

- I am *very* disappointed by the low number of people that De-Lurked the other day on De-Lurking Day. Shame on you, I know you're still hiding. Now come out and say hi.

- in response to ChicagoG's question, no a third date with Lawyer Guy has not been established yet, though we did talk on the phone yesterday.

- hey, did you vote for me recently? You can vote every 3 days y'know! so go on, hug a Jew today! click here.

- Shabbat Shalom, all!

 
- why I like Friday the 13ths
- The Pope and his gay hatin' stance
- new blogs being added to the blogroll
- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his "progress" report
- job news about me
- discussion of the latest episode of Lost
- why I think I'll be murdered one day

and so much more! stay tuned for tonight's post!

 
At the risk of completely jinxing it, let me just say that the job interview I had this morning went fantastically. Better than I could have imagined and they all but offered me the job right there. I should be getting the final yes or no call sometime in the next 36 hours. Keep that mojo coming, kids..... coz if I get this I will be earning well above what I was earning before which would nicely help me pay off my debt from my jaunt to Israel. WOOOOO HOOO!!!

More details once the job offer is tabled.... I don't wanna get too cocky just yet.

 
Do you love me? Prove it.... vote for me by clicking here and choosing my blog's name from Group A. Actually wait, go vote for in the barren season. She's pregnant and you should always be nice to pregnant ladies, right? And she could use a few votes, so show her some lovin'.
Looking for more Jewish goodness? Check out edition #52 of "Haveil Havalim". A good place to start if you've never sampled Jewish blogs before.

Also, as Janet has pointed out, today is the day for lurkers to come out from the dark and say hi. You know who you are.... you come on my blog but never ever say anything. I know you're there! So today is the day you finally say hi. It's easy, watch: "Hi my name is Hiding McGee and I like to read your blog each and every day! Keep up the good work!". If you're feeling really outgoing today you may even add something interesting like: "I first started reading your blog after Googling "who's the funniest girl in Toronto?" and have been hooked ever since!". You might also include some information about yourself: "I am from New Mexico but after reading about your love of snow I think I am ready to move up to Canada!"

See? Easy as pie, folks. Now stop lurking and come on out and say hi! Today is De-Lurking Day!

 
-> the world is still holding its collective breath over Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his brush with death. Will he make it? Won't he? Sadly, it doesn't matter because his political career is over either way. And leave it to the president of Iran to pray for Sharon's death. Ptooh! Typical.

What did surprise me (though I'm not sure why) were the Israelis (read: those expelled from Gaza) who were also waiting for his death. Shame on you. At least some settlers aren't so bitter. Oh and DON'T even get me started on the Christian quack Pat Robertson and his comments on the matter.

Me? I'm more afraid of the guy who's in charge now that Sharon is out of the picture. Look at that monkey!!

-> I'm sure most people outside of Canada don't know this, but we have a big election coming up. Like other governments all over the world, ours has been plagued by scandals and now it's time to decide what is going to be done about it. I have no idea who I am going to vote for and in fact this topic caused a crazy, fiery debate with my friends at a potluck dinner recently (which secretly made me happy because I didn't know my friends had it in them, that they cared, or that they were that well informed. I was proud and happy that our generation is involved).

So let's see.. there are three major parties in Canada (and lots of little ones). The Conservatives and Liberals and then the NDP (New Democratic Party). Hmmmm... let me see. Vote for the Conservatives..... (pro Iraq War, anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage) or the Liberals (scandalous money grubbing rat bastards). Yeah, no thanks. NDP? I dunno.... they haven't really impressed me. But they aren't the Liberals or Conservatives, which is good. How about the Marijuana Party? (oh god, only in Canada!!)

Part of the debate among my friends was "wasted votes". One couple (whose very marriage is on the line with every election) was divided on this issue; the husband (Conservative) was upset that his wife would vote for an independent party (the Green Party) because they have absolutely no chance of winning anyway (quite true). Therefore her vote would be wasted because it wouldn't make a difference. He (and many people) feel that you should vote for one of the two parties to help bring in a majority government. So, even if you don't like the Liberals (for example) you would vote for them because you dislike the Conservatives even more and you don't want to see them win the election. Get it?

Anyway, I don't want to vote to spite another party. I never have and I won't start now. If change is going to come it will come slowly and if you want to see a new government, a new option, you have to start voting accordingly. Don't like the big 3? Then vote for another party. Each vote translates into money ($1.25?) towards the party. The more votes the more money they get for the next election. It's slow, but what big change isn't?

If you are reading this and you are Canadian please be sure to vote on January 23rd and do it from the heart.

-> it has finally stopped raining and has been snowing. Colour me happy.

-> um. what the hell is this?? Some people are just weird I guess.

-> so I saw a headline on CNN.com that read: "Study: Free booze benefits homeless alcoholics" which of course caught my interest. When I clicked on it to read it I had to laugh when I saw it was a dumb idea cooked up in Toronto.

-> ... which reminds me. Today I went and put flowers and a stone I picked up in Israel on the grave of my friend Shane who died in 2001; he would have been 31 today. Instead he died at the hands of a 19 year old girl who decided to drink and drive. Shane was mere months away from celebrating 10 years of sobriety at the age of 26. His tribute can be found here on the website for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He was a good man, a good Jew and a good friend. Don't drink and drive, people. It's as simple as that.

-> the date last night went surprisingly well. Lawyer Guy (as we shall now call him) and I went to the market and picked up fresh salmon, went back to his place and made sushi (well, he did) and then watched The 40 Year Old Virgin. No, nothing happened so get that out of your head. He was a total gentleman and didn't lay a paw (or lips) on me. Hard to believe, I know. Will there be a third date? I think so... but the jury is still out on whether or not there is a spark.

-> I have been prepping for my interview on Wednesday like I have never prepared for an interview before in my life. I have filled out forms and applications with the greatest of care and I have been reviewing tough interview questions. I have been reading up on the company and its products. I want, I NEED, this job. I'll do my best not to drop to my knees and beg for it. Keep that mojo coming, kids!!

Oh, and ya know how you can tell it's an American company I am applying with? Two things: I was asked to fill out a waiver for a drug screening test. I was also asked to fill out a "voluntary applicant data record". The form reads: " 'our company' in an effort to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Laws and regulations, asks that you voluntarily complete this Affirmative Action Data sheet". Didja see that? Voluntarily asks us to complete it. Riiiiiight. Voluntarily. If you want the job that is. Just try using those forms in Canada, you'd never get away with it without someone raising a ruckus.

-> just for the hell of it I have included a gratuitous picture of my cat Isaac playing in tissue paper. go ahead, click the thumbnail for a larger dose. :-)

 
Alright, I am about to head out on a second date with this guy I saw last week. Would it be pessimistic of me to say I don't get the feeling this is going to work? Part of me is saying.. "he's a lawyer, make it work!!" and part of me is saying "he's a lawyer, it'll never work".
Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion...

 
There is a 5 article series appearing in a local paper here (Globe and Mail) about the security fence being built in Israel. Part of me felt compelled to read it, part of me said not to bother because it would only make me mad. I read the first part with the idea in mind that I should always listen to the other side so I can at least see what their argument is.

It had the usual marks of a biased report about the fence; calling it a wall instead of a fence, only giving the Palestinian side without ever interviewing families devastated by bombings (perpetrated by terrorists who crossed where there was no fence), calling bombers and terrorists "activists" or "militants", and showing misleading photographs.

At first I was mad because I am sick and tired of those tactics. The news always shows the security fence as this large foreboding concrete wall. The fact of the matter is 97% of the FENCE is just that... a wire/chain link fence. Only 3% is that big ugly concrete barrier. They also neglect to mention that those sections are tall and concrete because those are the spots where snipers like to sit and shoot at Israelis, so it has to be higher and solid. But they never mention that in these articles, do they? I'm also sick of these reports and movies that only show the devastation felt by the Palestinians whose lives are ruined by this "wall" being built. How about talking to all the friends and families devastated by the bombings? Where's their side of the story? Are people completely forgetting WHY this fence is being built in the first place? Are people forgetting that fences can be taken down (how about that Berlin Wall??) when peace is reached but lives cannot be brought back? And why do we continue to call these terrorists by more gentle terms, like militant and activist, when no where else in the world would they be called anything but terrorists? (DO check out the sad yet rather amusing "CNN-BBC-S.F.Chronicle-Washington Post Handbook: How to Be an Activist")

These things anger me, but I also start to wonder about my own bias. I readily admit I have my own bias towards Israel, but that is why I read these articles... to try and understand the other side. I have to wonder how much my bias blinds me to the sometimes questionable actions of the Israeli government. I want to believe that the security fence isn't effort to unilaterally decide on borders and that it isn't a land grab but I think it would be naive to think it doesn't have something to do with it. And I am not completely unsympathetic to the everyday Palestinians whose lives are being ruined by the actions of radical groups claiming to be acting on their behalf. But I just want so badly to believe that Israel is always in the right, even though I know deep down inside that can't always be the case.

Either way, articles like this don't help the Israeli cause at all, and indeed do more damage to people's already weak understanding of the conflict. Unfortunately, it makes for good reading to have an "in-depth" piece about a big bully/oppressor and the underdog trying to fight back under "impossible odds". Everyone likes to see the little guy win, right? And so these articles will always be published. It's frustrating, but it's reality. Israel has always failed to use the media properly, despite Palestinian claims to the contrary.

Anyway, if you are interested in reading the article you can go here and judge for yourself. Keep an open mind and take everything with a grain of salt.

In similar news, Israel is holding its breath as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's life hangs in the balance during surgery. He had a stroke recently and was undergoing angioplasy to fix his heart. However, news out of Israel is now saying that he suffered a major stroke while on the operating table and things aren't looking good. I worry about what kind of news I will wake up to tomorrow but I can do nothing but wait and see; such is life when you follow news in a country that is 7 hours ahead of you due to time zones. I'm sure Palestinians are ready to hand out candy in celebration if things don't go well...

Before I go I am going to relent and give in to being tagged with a meme, by IfYouWillIt. Normally I don't do this sort of thing but I happen to like this blogger a lot and hopefully it will lighten the mood of this post, so here goes:

Four jobs I've had in my life: I've had the trifecta of jobs; toy store, record store and pet store. I've also been a warehouse supervisor and used to unload 18 wheelers with a forklift.

Four movies I could watch over and over: Matrix (just the first), Alien & Aliens, Star Wars (original trilogy) and Galaxy Quest.

Four places I've lived: Hamilton, London, Huntsville and Richmond Hill (all in Ontario)

Four TV Shows I love to watch: Battlestar Galactica, Prison Break, Commander In Chief, Survivor, and Lost. (oh wait... that's five. oops)

Four places I've been on vacation: Florida, Israel, England and coast to coast in Canada.

Four websites I visit daily: CNN, Ynet, Jerusalem Post, Google News

Four of my favorite foods: cereal, sushi, steak, popcorn

Four places you'd rather be: Israel, Australia, Turks and Caicos, Ireland

Four books I'll read over and over again: hm... I'm not one for reading books more than once.. Celestine Prophecy (read that twice), Dr. Phil's 'Self Matters' (I've read it halfway through a number of times. one day I'll finish it, I swear!), the Big Book and all of the Osho books I own.

Now it's time to tag some other suckers, coz misery loves company! I tag Sam, ocB, Andrea, Celti and Mulder. Bwah ha ha!!

 

 
Well, I hope everyone has recovered from their nights of celebration. It's days like this that make me glad I don't drink, lemme tell ya. I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked last night since I too was out late, so I've been more or less useless all day, lounging around and trying to catch up on sleep (rather unsuccessfully). I like to ease my way into a new year, ya know? *wink*

As I laid in bed begging for sleep I realized I don't have any new year's resolutions. I've never really been one for resolutions anyway, as I feel they set a person up for guilt and failure, but I wondered if I should. I mean, I just went on a big journey in my life and I think I should take some time to reflect upon that, look at what I learned about myself and life, and apply it somehow. I'm not too sure how, but it sounds good, no?

There are things I would like to start incorporating in my life, and have wanted to for some time. I think a lot of the reason why I haven't before is because I have been unclear as to what I wanted to do and how. I hear goals are good, so I think I need to draw up a plan. I was doing pretty well with the meditation thing in my life before I went on my trip, so I want to return to that. I have already contacted my friend/meditation group and will be going back to meditating with them. That's a good start. I'd also like to get back into yoga... something easy to do at home and therefore easy to keep up with. I think dreams of going to a gym and building a sculpted body are often so daunting for people that they either never start at all or quit when the goal seems too far away. I wanna make my changes manageable. Meditation alone and with a group is easy, I can do that at least a couple of times a week, and I have done so pretty consistently for a year now. Yoga I also did regularly though I can't recall why I stopped; I think it's because I started going to the gym. Amazingly, I was a regular gym goer for almost a year before I went on my trip so I look forward to getting back into it (words I thought I'd never hear myself say). So my track record for maintaining the path to a goal has been surprisingly good. Lots of people start the new year by saying they'll go to the gym and then stop by March, so I am hoping that having beat the odds once before I can do it again.

So let's see. That means I wanna get back to the gym, get back into my meditation, and when I can't get to the gym (or on my down days) do some yoga. Pretty lofty goals, but I think life might interfere. I guess muchof this depends on whether or not I get this new job next week, and if I do it might make it better because I will be working from home. Or will it make worse because I'll be on the road a lot? I can't tell.

One last goal... I need to get back into eating properly. Again, in the last year I have made some changes, slowly, and have seen good results. Whole wheat bread, soy milk, bran.. you have to make small changes where you can and work up to bigger changes. But I need to educate myself about nutrition if I want to take that process farther, so I think that will be my next project. Hm, I think I need to start making a list or something.

Anyway, like I said, I don't want to overwhelm myself with impossible goals, and I don't think any of you should either. If going to the gym seems impossible, just go for a walk after dinner every night. Baby steps. Don't make radical changes all at once, it's too hard to adapt and maintain. You didn't develop these habits overnight, so you can't change them over night either. Set yourself up for success, not failure.

Before I go I'd like to point out that my favourite new politician, Mahmoud Ahmadineja, the president of Iran, is kicking the year off right. You may recall that he had said a couple of months ago that Israel should be wiped off the map. Then he said that the Holocaust never happened and that 6 million Jews and other "undesirables" didn't die. He also suggested that Israel be moved to Alaska or Canada. Well this winning thinking has lead to yet another bizarre remark: he has now suggested that "Europe wanted to continue the genocide by establishing Israel, a Jewish state in the midst of Muslim countries". You know, the genocide that supposedly didn't happen. Make up your mind, man! Was there, or was there not, a Holocaust??

While deep down inside this kind of insanity does frighten me with it's outrageous level of irrationality, I also find it extremely amusing and entertaining. That's why I am loving the whole Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes (TomKat) Thing. It's a descent into madness that I can't help but be entertained by. Unfortunately, when it's a world leader, the consequences can be far more reaching. This man is opening his mouth and uttering insanity and millions of Jew haters around the world are listening, and though many are afraid to voice it, they see the world in the same sick way that he does. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what scares me.

So. For the new year I, like thousands of beauty pageant contestants before me, hope for world peace. It's time we start be good to each other....
I hope everyone has wonderful, prosperous, joy filled and loving year. And a peaceful one (dare to dream!).

 
Well, here we are, the turn of a new year. I have dyed my hair pink in celebration (yes PINK, ocB!) and am heading out shortly for some kind of party. I'm not usually much of a party goer but I figure it's time to change that. I need to be more sociable... coz ya never know who you're gonna meet or what new friends you can make, right?

I had a date last night, which is a pretty good way to finish the year, I figure. I'm not going to say more than that for now... we'll see after a second date. Gotta keep you kids coming back for more! *wink*

Have a great and SAFE new year, everyone. Be smart but have fun. May 2006 be filled with love, joy and peace.

L'Chaim and Cheers!!

 

A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli near Jerusalem at a bus stop.


A suicide bomber killed an Israeli soldier (and a few Palestinians) as he tried to enter Israel from the West Bank. Have a look at Meryl's take on this.


Rockets from Lebanon find their way over into Israeli territory (the town of Kiryat Shmona) with Al Qaeda claiming responsibility??. Israel strikes back.

Happy Chanukah, Day 5. :-/

 
I saw two movies yesterday, Brokeback Mountain and The Chronicles of Narnia.

For those not in the know, Brokeback Mountain is about two cowboys in the 60's who struggle to come to terms with feelings for each other in a rather unforgiving and intolerant society. It follows the men over 20 years as they fall apart and come back together despite trying to move on and live as straight men. It's heart wrenching watching them try and shut off that part of themselves in order to lead a more accepted life. If your mind is open enough when you watch you will forget that this is a "gay love story" and just see it as a love story like any other. If you are not so open it might be tough for you to watch two men embrace, hug and find love in each other's arms. How you see this movie is up to you.

It's a slow paced film, but it can really be no other way. Given the nature of the film it has to move at a slow steady pace in order to allow the proper character development. I thought it was great and I hope it helps people understand that gay love is just like any other love...

Also, there was a trailer for another film I'd like to see called "Imagine You & Me". It's about a couple about to get married, but before the wedding takes place the woman unexpectedly falls in love with someone else; another woman. Ah yes, nothing like a movie about straight people realizing they might not be so straight afterall! (see: Brokeback Mountain)

Moving right along.... to The Chronicles of Narnia. I read the book some 20 years ago when it was called "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe". Seeing as I can't recall what I had for lunch yesterday, it's safe to assume I wasn't going to remember anything about a book I read when I was 11 years old. That made it fun to go see the movie because I didn't have the foggiest clue what it was about (other than a lion, a witch and a wardrobe).

When I entered the theatre it was full of children.... one of my very favourite movie-going scenarios! (*ack!*) But hey, what did I expect.. it was a film directed at a younger audience afterall. I grabbed a seat at the back (read: as far from children as possible) and settled in for a 2 hour and 20 minute fantasy come true. I am happy to report that it was very well done, especially the lion that had me squinting at the screen and wondering.. is that thing real or computer animated?? I thought the kids in the movie were great (though the youngest one annoyed me a bit) and I continue to love Tilda Swinton (who bore very similar makeup in her role in Constantine). All in all, a great tale with fantastic special effects, though I have to say some parts are a bit dark/violent for really young kids... so beware.

Did anybody else see them? Any thoughts?

Before I go I'd like the person who nominated me for Best Personal Blog in the Jewish & Israeli Blog Awards to raise his or her hand. Come on, now! Well, whoever you are, I am flattered that I was thought of though I was not at all expecting to be nominated this year. The awards have taken on a much larger feel to them this year since Jerusalem Post is sponsoring it and I felt like it was way out of my league. Indeed, I am out of my league and don't expect my nomination to go far, but what they say is actually true.... I really am honoured that I was nominated. I had no idea I was even nominated! Thanks.

For the full listing of nominations you can see the list here.

 
- Know what makes me happy? An empty email inbox. When I finally have time to sit down and answer all the emails that have been sitting there demanding my attention, and I get to clean up the mess that is my inbox. Oh how I love it. Maybe it's the neat freak in me, but I like my inbox spotless whenever possible. Since I haven't had a real home base or steady computer use for about 4 months this has been a rarity, but I have managed to achieve it twice now in the last week. Joy!

- Speaking of computer I can't wait to get mine set up properly again. I have my laptop setup in one room with internet access, and I have my desktop set up in another room to play my new games, F.E.A.R. and Star Wars Battlefront II. I have been playing Star Wars all day today but haven't got F.E.A.R. running smoothly yet. It's going to take some serious tweaking to get this resource-thirsty game to play. Star Wars is bringing me plenty of joy though as I get to run around as a Jedi. I am hoping I don't need to buy more RAM or a new video card to play F.E.A.R. Does anyone have a connection for vid cards and can help me get a deal? *wagwag*

- I. Am. Canadian.

- It's been raining the last few days which is melting my snow. This is making me very unhappy. I went running around in the snow earlier today and even tried to get my cat to join me, but it was a no go. He's not all that fond of cold wet feet it would seem. Coward!

- For some reason I can't get DVDs to play properly on my desktop computer; I have picture but no sound. Strange considering I have sound for everything else (video games, music) but not for the movies. I tried Realplayer and Windows Media but they both seem to be having the same problem. I mucked around with all the sound settings but got nowhere. Any ideas?

- Mmmmm! Free movie fonts!

- I have been reading a book called "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. I picked it up because he was originally a comic book writer whose work I enjoyed immensely and I heard great things about his book so I thought I'd try it. If you like Clive Barker, William Gibson, or Stephen King (and ya like strange, sometimes sci-fi stuff) you might like this. It's really quite a huge book (600+ pages) which would normally take me a year or two to read but I have been going through this quite quickly. It deals with wars between Gods of old (Norse, Greek, Irish Gods..etc..) and Gods of new (American Gods). Nice original idea and gives food for thought. Check it out!

- Bloggers I have met: Allison Kaplan, Rinat, Mulder, Chayyei Sarah, Civax, dark1r, Gilly, IfYouWillIt, Dave, Noorster, Imshin, Shai, John, Harry, Brian Blum, David, and I think a couple more from the Israeli Blogger Bash I went to last year..

- Bloggers I have talked to on the phone: Jonathan, Yael and Sam.

- Bloggers I wish I could meet: Tzaddi, Celti, Laurence, Occasional Bitch, Yael, Lisa, Peninah, Rat, Solomonia, Tango, Tech Wench, Janet, si, and Meryl.

- Bloggers I am most likely to meet next: Cassiopeia (she lives less than an hour away in my ole home town) and Sam.

- Speaking of bloggers, there's a new kid on the block; Mia, half Israeli half Swiss. There's a crazy combo, no? Go check out her blog, Mia's World.

- am I the only one who is annoyed that Blogger's spellcheck always questions the word "blog" (or any variation thereof)? You'd think that would be in Blogger's list of words/dictionary.

- So Google has finally come out with an instant messaging/chat program (a la "MSN Messenger") called Google Talk and I had been hmm-ing and ha-ing over whether or not to bother installing it. Finally dark1r encouraged me to download it, so I did. *shrug* I haven't actually found anyone online at the same time as me to try the damn thing out yet, so I can't give you much of a review. Such is the problem with new programs. I think y'all oughtta download it and try it out with me.

- Batman's boner.

- am I too old to play with Lite Brite?

- is it wrong of me to laugh when Dave over at Israellycool makes fun of the French?

- I have to say, it pleased me to no end that someone found my blog by typing this into Google: "I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday. I regret nothing."

- I am hopelessly addicted to a web surfing tool called "Stumble Upon" (I got it as a Firefox Extension, but anyone can get it and use it). It allows you to enter in topics of interest into a list (which can be refined as often as you like) and it finds random cool websites of interest to you. You give it the thumbs up or down as to whether or not you like it and it helps the program to 'learn' about what you enjoy and directs you to similar pages. I have spent HOURS using it and it has me enjoying just plain ole surfing again. In fact, I'm gonna go do some stumbling right now!

 
Tonight is the second night of Chanukah and I find it hard to celebrate. Here I have been feasting on mounds of food with my family and friends and squealing over my presents, while thousands of people halfway around the world are still trying to put their lives back together after the tsunami that hit one year ago today. It makes me feel a bit guilty and shallow when I think about what they are going through and what I have just been enjoying over the last 24 hours. Life is good for me, and I hope I always remember that and remain humble. I watch memorials being held on tv and I mourn for the people who lost so much. I have heard mixed reports on whether or not things are getting better over there; some reports say that remarkable progress has been made, while others say that there are thousands of people still living in squalor. I pray that the progress continues and that these people feel hopeful once again...