But...my stapler.

Yesterday I went around inadvertently breaking (nearly) all the staplers in my office. I jammed the automatic stapler, 3 swinglines, a couple high-density, and a few regular office depot generics. Apparently there is a universal rule that you cannot staple lotto tickets together on the third Monday of the month. The worst part was I wanted to just sit at my desk and laugh after my little stroll of mayhem. But then someone would ask me why I was laughing, and how could I tell them it was because I had just innocently gone on a path of destruction through the office supplies?

GZM

Everyone seems to love acronyms these days. Using them for the common and deep alike. So why not the ground zero mosque?

After living in the middle east, where minarets are more prevalent than 7-11s in Taiwan, I can say I've been pushed past my ecumenical sense of acceptance by the experience, especially the prolific calls to prayer. I particularly noticed the level of change when I was out hiking and I flinched at a flock of geese calling. It wasn't until I saw the birds that I realized it wasn't the adhan. So personally, I am biased. After living surrounded by Muslims, I have nothing but annoyance left.

Thankfully, I live no where near ground zero, nor do I have any intention of moving remotely close. So I can keep my politics practical and accepting when it comes to the subject. Even so, I heartily agree with Judea Pearl that "Muslim Americans will benefit more from co-ownership of consensual projects than sole ownership of confrontational ones."

Just Peachy

I ate the most perfect peach today.

While sitting at lunch, I was commiserating over how to answer a friend who had recently messaged me to ask how I was doing.

It's not an easy answer lately, if I tell the truth. Since I am given to telling the truth, in graphic detail, I can't exactly get away with saying "fine" either.

So I sat tabulating the negatives of my life and trying to weigh them away with positives to construct an acceptable answer between bites of salad ("I'm unemployed, but I'm not going hungry!"). Then my thoughts wandered to the other times I've done this in the past. Usually at the end of relationships, when I was trying to figure out why it went awry and how to use it as "a positive learning experience." On the whole, it was a pretty glum meal, despite a nice salad.

Then I took the peach. The first bite literally shocked all other thoughts away. It was rapture. The consistency, the flavor, the juiciness were balanced in a way that I don't think anyone thinks is physically possible anymore. And I had actually paused before eating it. I wasn't sure I wanted to eat it. It could just have easily ended up in a clafouti I am slated to make later today.

But I did eat it. And it showed me the best part of my life right now.
I am learning to enjoy simple pleasures with utmost gratitude.

Asian Cooking Adventures!

I really love mochi; a soft, semi-sweet rice based pastry. I also love red bean paste, and since my mother thinks adzuki beans are super healthy and should be bought in 5 lb. bags it wasn't long before I tried to make mochi with red bean.

YouTube was my friend on this endeavor.

Cookingwithdog is basically my hero. Their zenzai and anko recipe is easy to follow and comes out perfectly. Because of the amount of mochi I was making, I turned all my adzuki beans into anko.




I preferred this mochi video because it didn't use a microwave in the cooking process.




Here is my anko, pre-portioned and ready to wrapped in mochi. The toothpick helps so that you don't mar the mochi whiteness.

My Thoughts On Gaza

My email and social feeds have been inundated with articles, videos, and friends' opinions--all about the recent Gaza flotilla incident. It's hard to speak clarity into such murky waters; but just because something is hard doesn't mean you shouldn't try it.

Instead of joining the fray of evaluating video footage and first-hand reports to determine who was "right" and "wrong", I want to remind you of some things that may have been forgotten.

Hamas is a terrorist organization. They flagrantly abuse civilians, murder women and children, and are composed of lawless, blood-hungry despots. Hamas controls the area known as Gaza. How can any sensible, peace-loving person expect accountability from such an organization? It is ludicrous. Without accountability there is no relief for the common inhabitant of Gaza. Without accountability no Gazan child will ever receive a donation of toys, no matter how many flotillas are assembled.

Israel is not stopping humanitarian aid with their blockade; they are trying to insure at least a small step of accountability. The only humanitarian aid a common citizen of Gaza will ever see comes from the hands of IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens.

Because Wise Words Should Be Repeated

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela

This quote is incredibly meaningful to me; not just because it says what I have felt in my marrow since I was young, not because it is what I have tried to communicate to people at many points in my life; not because the more I learn about Nelson Mandela, the more I appreciate him; and not just because the first time I heard it, it was in Hebrew. It is because of all these things, working in concert with each other. Whenever I feel a lack of passion or hope, these words bring it all rushing back like a forest fire. I am grateful.

Political Poseurs

If half the leaders who are compared to Ghandi and Mandela were half the men that those two were, we would have at least half the problems we have now.

But they aren't.

And we need to stop pretending they are.

It is especially notable in the way the Muslim collective is pushing for the formation of "Palestine" in a similar way to how they pushed for the formation of "Pakistan". They are not for unity, peace, compromise, or the greater good. Muslims are not interested in "working together." They are only for their own interest and sovereignty.

If someone could prove this view to be historically wrong, I would be delighted.

Health Hindrance?

So the latest buzz has moved on from health care to immigration. Nothing like an emotionally charged political crises to keep our attention divided and our hearts racing!

But health care--in its broad, endless sense--is still important to me. Mostly because my glasses are broken, and I have needed vision correction since 2 years old. In 2009, California discontinued optometry as a medical field included in MediCal, the state provided health coverage. This became important to me, because in 2009 I became unemployed. 

It is a severe annoyance that women's health is synonymous with "reproductive health"--which is really a less provocative term then "reproductive control", though the latter is more accurate. Do women not break bones? Do women not have allergies, or need eye care? Do men not contract life threatening STDs? Why is "women's health" limited to birth control options, abortions, STD testing and cancer exams for reproductive organs? This trend establishes the assumption that women are a bunch of reckless sex maniacs and nothing else. And  what happened to that study linking birth control pills to reproductive organ cancer? Why is there no public anger over this? Why are we accepting this? It is ridiculous, infuriating, and demeaning. And it is fronted and supported by those most vocal for "women's rights". 

Right now, I can't afford a new pair of glasses and an eye exam. All my state is offering me is condoms, abortions, birth-control pills, and the opportunity to have my breast tissue mauled.

Perhaps they don't know that abstinence is 100% effective, or maybe they think that sex is my job.

If I can't get new glasses, my employment options are obviously decreased.

Back, Looking Forward

So, I'm back in California, physically. After a rough patch of jet-lag, which was barely recovered before daylight savings, I think I am mostly present. I know people always sing about leaving your heart here, but mine is firmly planted on the other side of the globe.

I love Israel. I love the culture, the weather, the food, the traffic, the holidays, the clothes, the cats...everything. These people are my people, even if I am not theirs. When the opportunity comes to go back, I will without hesitation. If the opportunity to stay there comes, I will with no reservation.

Until then, I'll cook, dance, and try to make some money. Anybody have a job opening?

Power

The following is a story sent to me from a rabbi in Taiwan. How we met, and who he is, is a special tale in and of itself. But for now, we'll keep this post current. I wanted to re-post this story for several reasons. One, when I read it, it was exactly the points and beliefs I needed to reminded of this morning. The second reason is because of the man I call "my favorite beggar" at the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem.

There are beggars in Jerusalem, but they are unlike the panhandlers you see in San Francisco, or San Diego. Collecting "tzedaka" is a sanctioned occupation for Torah students (to the best of my understanding). Otherwise there are the disabled "regulars" asking for alms and a few newcomers who see a way to get some quick pocket money.

The man I'm speaking of collects money, but he also sings songs about Elohim. He dresses in clean clothes, and has a car. And he never refuses any amount, no matter how small. Every time I see him, I smile. He has so much joy and such a pleasant spirit about him. He tells me that each smile makes me a little bit more lucky, like a prayer, and every little bit collects until a collection of smiles is so great it reaches heaven. Whether I've given him money or not, he wants to pray a blessing over me and my brother. The blessing of the Cohenim, the blessing over the sons and daughters of Israel. I smile every time I see him. I also smile every time I remember.

A Very Merry Unbirthday to ME!

Sometimes you plan to do something that is fun in a normal sort of way, then suddenly that one activity blossoms into a whole series of fun, and you have an amazing day. Like today.

*Warning: This post contains punctuation intended for feeling, tone and/or emphasis and not for grammar. I know, I know it's /supposed/ to do that anyway, but hey, look, it's already started...

1. Planned to go see Avatar in 3D.

This involved braving ticket pre-purchase in Hebrew again, because all the shows sell out in a flash and a bang. It also involved a small trek to the coast, because I'm not too excited about 1am movie showings, especially in combination with public transportation. The trip was *lovely*, the theater *amazing*, and we got there with some time to spare! (which is /always/ nice). The last point led to the next point.