Ezzie wrote a post nominating Bad4Shidduchim to go on the NBN Jblogger convention and blog about a family making Aliyah.
I agree wholeheartedly with his decision and with the reasons for it. Not only will this be a great opportunity for Nefesh B'Nefesh to utilize a blogger who will bring their message out to a unique reader-base, it will also be an amazing bad-for-shidduchim-points-getting opportunity for Bad4.
For example:
1. Being involved with Nefesh B'Nefesh, a tzioni organization that helps Jews make aliyah to Israel - wait, did I say tzioni? Definitely bad for shidduchim.
2. No longer being anonymous, thereby letting the whole Jewish world know she has a blog - could be pretty bad for shidduchim.
3. Participating in a co-ed convention - GASP.
4. Being nominated on blogs, thereby drawing attention to herself - QUITE untznius!
5. Wearing a ponytail in public, especially if she gets on the livefeed camera at the convention - couldn't be WORSE for shidduchim!
I do hope she has the good sense to not wear any make-up while at the convention, or she might get some bad for shidduchim points deducted. I'll have to consult with my fellow judges on that one.
So, you see, supporting Bad4's opportunity to win an NBN trip to Israel + convention attendance is also supporting the bad for shidduchim cause as a whole.
In all seriousness - Nefesh B'Nefesh, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better choice to send to the convention. Bad4 is an excellent writer/storyteller with great descriptive skill colored with a helping of fun, but not silly, humor. She has a large following of young couples and singles - just the sort of people who are not yet set in their ways, but who are at a stage in their lives where aliyah could be a serious consideration.
So...go ahead and send Bad4 to Israel!
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Importance Of The Back And Forth
I wasn't sure how to begin this post, so I suppose I'll begin with myself. I don't like getting so personal, even though I have written some very personal things on here before, but I feel this is an important point to make.
It's very difficult to listen to other people's critical opinions concerning myself. I'm sure this is true for most people. When someone voices a criticism, it's as though that voiced criticism has a power ten times greater than anything going on in my own mind. So even if I previously believed I could do something, once someone verbalizes a doubt, I begin to doubt myself.
This is a bad thing. No one else's opinion about yourself should have that much weight. You should listen to that person's opinion, you should decide if you feel it is a valuable one, and you should take from it what you think reasonable. You should not in any way allow that person's opinion to define the way you think of yourself. Just because someone voices something does not mean that thing is accurate or true. And speaking something aloud does not give that thing any power if other people do not allow it to have power - if you don't allow it to have power.
On the other hand, an opinion expressed now has a life. It is up to you to decide if that opinion is silly, whereupon you can quash it with your own common sense, or if it has validity. If you determine it to be valid in some way, you can internalize those valid parts and use them to improve yourself.
Now let's extend this beyond the personal.
If someone criticizes an institution, does it mean that criticism is true? Of course not. It is one person's biased opinion - and opinions are nearly always biased. Everyone comes from his/her own point of view and each point of view is unique.
However, once that criticism is voiced, others may listen to it and agree. Or even if they do not agree, they may suddenly be considering that opinion. It is in their heads. It has a life.
This does NOT mean it is correct, nor does it mean the person voicing this opinion should be bashed for doing so. What it means is that someone who believes differently should voice his own opinion.
You see, before any opinions are expressed, they are believed. One person may speak them aloud, but many others are already thinking them in their heads. Keeping voices silent does not keep thoughts silent, and silent thoughts are almost more dangerous than ones verbalized in discussion.
Discussion is the key here. Without discussion, there cannot be real growth. Why do people learn in chavrusas? Because it is the discussion, the back and forth, that enables greater understanding. Otherwise, everyone should just learn on his own and keep his own thoughts to himself. That way they won't interfere with someone else's thoughts - right? They won't mess anything up for anyone.
Is that really an ideal way to exist? To have everyone think his own things in an isolated bubble of belief? How can we be one nation if we don't intellectually and religiously engage one another?
If there is a strong voice on one side, make sure you have an equally strong voice on your own side. There is nothing to be afraid of that way. Discussion is not to be feared. Without it, you would never get to explain to someone else why what you believe makes sense.
Someone of a different opinion would have no influence.
But neither would you.
It's very difficult to listen to other people's critical opinions concerning myself. I'm sure this is true for most people. When someone voices a criticism, it's as though that voiced criticism has a power ten times greater than anything going on in my own mind. So even if I previously believed I could do something, once someone verbalizes a doubt, I begin to doubt myself.
This is a bad thing. No one else's opinion about yourself should have that much weight. You should listen to that person's opinion, you should decide if you feel it is a valuable one, and you should take from it what you think reasonable. You should not in any way allow that person's opinion to define the way you think of yourself. Just because someone voices something does not mean that thing is accurate or true. And speaking something aloud does not give that thing any power if other people do not allow it to have power - if you don't allow it to have power.
On the other hand, an opinion expressed now has a life. It is up to you to decide if that opinion is silly, whereupon you can quash it with your own common sense, or if it has validity. If you determine it to be valid in some way, you can internalize those valid parts and use them to improve yourself.
Now let's extend this beyond the personal.
If someone criticizes an institution, does it mean that criticism is true? Of course not. It is one person's biased opinion - and opinions are nearly always biased. Everyone comes from his/her own point of view and each point of view is unique.
However, once that criticism is voiced, others may listen to it and agree. Or even if they do not agree, they may suddenly be considering that opinion. It is in their heads. It has a life.
This does NOT mean it is correct, nor does it mean the person voicing this opinion should be bashed for doing so. What it means is that someone who believes differently should voice his own opinion.
You see, before any opinions are expressed, they are believed. One person may speak them aloud, but many others are already thinking them in their heads. Keeping voices silent does not keep thoughts silent, and silent thoughts are almost more dangerous than ones verbalized in discussion.
Discussion is the key here. Without discussion, there cannot be real growth. Why do people learn in chavrusas? Because it is the discussion, the back and forth, that enables greater understanding. Otherwise, everyone should just learn on his own and keep his own thoughts to himself. That way they won't interfere with someone else's thoughts - right? They won't mess anything up for anyone.
Is that really an ideal way to exist? To have everyone think his own things in an isolated bubble of belief? How can we be one nation if we don't intellectually and religiously engage one another?
If there is a strong voice on one side, make sure you have an equally strong voice on your own side. There is nothing to be afraid of that way. Discussion is not to be feared. Without it, you would never get to explain to someone else why what you believe makes sense.
Someone of a different opinion would have no influence.
But neither would you.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Two Years Old
Somehow, in the midst of all the Pesach preperations, I passed over the fact that my blog is now two years old. Its real birthday is March 28. Today I thought about how it had to be coming up soon and when I went to check the date of my first post, I thought, "Oh, March 28. Not yet, then." Only later did I realize, "Wait a minute...it's April!" Ah well. So happy birthday to my blog.
I think the fact that I forgot about it is a good thing. It's shticky, you know? Does it really matter that my blog has a birthday? Is announcing it just an opportunity to hope for some comments in this comment-less blogworld these days? I think what I'm happy about is that my focus is more on what I am writing than that I am writing. Though this blog is not necessarily devoted to any one topic, nor even devoted only to serious writing, I do think I try to keep it as much myself as possible. I am not only serious or only silly, so neither is my blog.
I actually cannot believe it's been two years. Last March does not seem so long ago. I hope you've all enjoyed so far and found my blog either meaningful or funny or...interesting, at least. I hope there is something for everyone here, from those who like lighter posts to those who like to read more serious, deeper ponderings. As I said in the post below this one, I want someone to be able to read my writing and feel as though I am writing specifically to him/her. Maybe not every post, but sometimes. I think writing is about connecting, which is what makes blogging so much different from, say, facebook or twitter. You think you are connecting on those sites, but do you read someone's twitter and say, "wow, that is so me?" It's a very surface level connection.
I think the connection we make through reading and writing is much, much deeper. There is real human expression involved, real exchange of ideas, real speaking from and to the heart. I have enjoyed this ride so far. I hope you have, too.
I think the fact that I forgot about it is a good thing. It's shticky, you know? Does it really matter that my blog has a birthday? Is announcing it just an opportunity to hope for some comments in this comment-less blogworld these days? I think what I'm happy about is that my focus is more on what I am writing than that I am writing. Though this blog is not necessarily devoted to any one topic, nor even devoted only to serious writing, I do think I try to keep it as much myself as possible. I am not only serious or only silly, so neither is my blog.
I actually cannot believe it's been two years. Last March does not seem so long ago. I hope you've all enjoyed so far and found my blog either meaningful or funny or...interesting, at least. I hope there is something for everyone here, from those who like lighter posts to those who like to read more serious, deeper ponderings. As I said in the post below this one, I want someone to be able to read my writing and feel as though I am writing specifically to him/her. Maybe not every post, but sometimes. I think writing is about connecting, which is what makes blogging so much different from, say, facebook or twitter. You think you are connecting on those sites, but do you read someone's twitter and say, "wow, that is so me?" It's a very surface level connection.
I think the connection we make through reading and writing is much, much deeper. There is real human expression involved, real exchange of ideas, real speaking from and to the heart. I have enjoyed this ride so far. I hope you have, too.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Nothing To Say
When I was in high school, I kept a journal that I wrote in basically every single day. I wrote in it differently that I write here. It was more of a log - with commentary - of what I did each day. I would include thoughts and opinions and philosophizings about things, but it was a lot of, "today this happened, and can you believe what this person said, and blah blah blah."
When I made this blog, I realized quickly that I had entered a world more grown-up and sophisticated. I couldn't expect anyone to be interested in my day to day life, so instead I tried to be careful to write about things that were interesting to read.
But I've also learned, over time, that day to day life can be interesting if you write it in an interesting way. Like a story. But I still don't think people would really want to read that.
In any case, I find that it is Tuesday and I still have nothing to say since Friday, which is fine, seeing as my friends who blog don't update for weeks at a time. But I was never like that. I usually think a lot and like to share those thoughts on here. I suppose I just haven't been thinking very much lately. I'm not one of those people who only writes down very profound posts, but I don't have anything ordinary I'd like to share either, and yet I do wish I had something to write about. But all I have to write about is day to day life stuff which is really very boring.
So I suppose this post is about nothing, really, except how it's Tuesday and I don't have anything to say.
So...
Happy Tuesday?
When I made this blog, I realized quickly that I had entered a world more grown-up and sophisticated. I couldn't expect anyone to be interested in my day to day life, so instead I tried to be careful to write about things that were interesting to read.
But I've also learned, over time, that day to day life can be interesting if you write it in an interesting way. Like a story. But I still don't think people would really want to read that.
In any case, I find that it is Tuesday and I still have nothing to say since Friday, which is fine, seeing as my friends who blog don't update for weeks at a time. But I was never like that. I usually think a lot and like to share those thoughts on here. I suppose I just haven't been thinking very much lately. I'm not one of those people who only writes down very profound posts, but I don't have anything ordinary I'd like to share either, and yet I do wish I had something to write about. But all I have to write about is day to day life stuff which is really very boring.
So I suppose this post is about nothing, really, except how it's Tuesday and I don't have anything to say.
So...
Happy Tuesday?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
As Anyone Pleases
Benjamin Franklin begins his autobiography with, "this may be read or not as any one pleases."
I have struggled these months to understand what exactly is the purpose of my blog. It is not one that specializes in a certain area, it does not inform, it does not display controversial opinions...it is merely a diary of sorts. A place for me to ramble on about my thoughts and feelings and observations. But why should such a thing exist? What is the point in it? And why would anyone read it?
In a literature class I had yesterday, we read an introduction to Kenneth Dauber's book, The Idea of Authorship in America. In his introduction, Dauber explains how Benjamin Franklin's sentiment in his opening line is actually quite revolutionary. Previously, people wrote mainly for two reasons: either to illustrate some factual event or idea or to delve deeper and discover some higher insight about the world. And readers read either of these to discover truth, be it the more realist version of truth - gaining knowledge of true facts - or a more romantic version - the higher truth of insightful discoveries.
Franklin, however, was not writing to present any kind of truth. His writing is more casual; it does not claim authority. It does not say, "you must read me in order to be educated" nor does it say "you must read me because I hold some secret truth." Rather, it says, "this may be read or not read as any one pleases." Franklin puts himself not in an authoritative position over the reader but on an equal plane, almost of comradeship. If the reader chooses to read, then he has chosen to listen to what Franklin has to say the way one friend listens to another. There is that element of choice, and then, in making your decision, you decide either to have a relationship with Franklin's words or not. As Dauber says, "Americans were writing free of the need for legitimation." They didn't need to assert the importance of their texts over their readers. They weren't writing those kinds of books.
Well, neither is this blog an authoritative sort of blog. It does not inform. It does not hold some higher truth. It merely is what it is. There is a certain faith, as Dauber expresses, that comes in a work such as this blog. I choose to write it - and so I have faith that there will be readers to read - and you choose to read - so you have faith that I continue writing. And with that faith and that relationship - the one of the writer and the reader - a blog like mine can continue to exist. Without it, it would fade out.
I write not to tell you anything, but to share with you, if you are willing to listen. I can't promise you will find anything either educative or insightful here and I don't presume to assert that kind of authority. That said, if you do gain from reading what I have to say, then I am very glad of it.
Thanks for reading so far, because without you, this blog would be obsolete.
So thank you.
I have struggled these months to understand what exactly is the purpose of my blog. It is not one that specializes in a certain area, it does not inform, it does not display controversial opinions...it is merely a diary of sorts. A place for me to ramble on about my thoughts and feelings and observations. But why should such a thing exist? What is the point in it? And why would anyone read it?
In a literature class I had yesterday, we read an introduction to Kenneth Dauber's book, The Idea of Authorship in America. In his introduction, Dauber explains how Benjamin Franklin's sentiment in his opening line is actually quite revolutionary. Previously, people wrote mainly for two reasons: either to illustrate some factual event or idea or to delve deeper and discover some higher insight about the world. And readers read either of these to discover truth, be it the more realist version of truth - gaining knowledge of true facts - or a more romantic version - the higher truth of insightful discoveries.
Franklin, however, was not writing to present any kind of truth. His writing is more casual; it does not claim authority. It does not say, "you must read me in order to be educated" nor does it say "you must read me because I hold some secret truth." Rather, it says, "this may be read or not read as any one pleases." Franklin puts himself not in an authoritative position over the reader but on an equal plane, almost of comradeship. If the reader chooses to read, then he has chosen to listen to what Franklin has to say the way one friend listens to another. There is that element of choice, and then, in making your decision, you decide either to have a relationship with Franklin's words or not. As Dauber says, "Americans were writing free of the need for legitimation." They didn't need to assert the importance of their texts over their readers. They weren't writing those kinds of books.
Well, neither is this blog an authoritative sort of blog. It does not inform. It does not hold some higher truth. It merely is what it is. There is a certain faith, as Dauber expresses, that comes in a work such as this blog. I choose to write it - and so I have faith that there will be readers to read - and you choose to read - so you have faith that I continue writing. And with that faith and that relationship - the one of the writer and the reader - a blog like mine can continue to exist. Without it, it would fade out.
I write not to tell you anything, but to share with you, if you are willing to listen. I can't promise you will find anything either educative or insightful here and I don't presume to assert that kind of authority. That said, if you do gain from reading what I have to say, then I am very glad of it.
Thanks for reading so far, because without you, this blog would be obsolete.
So thank you.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Time Out
Over time, there have been a few people I've told about my blog - mostly because they asked me if I had one or not and I didn't see any reason to deny it. And their immediate next question has always inevitably been, "Really?! Wow. What is your blog about?"
Hmmm.
I never know how to answer that one because, the truth is, my blog isn't about anything. It's like Seinfeld - a blog about nothing (and, uh, there the resemblance stops). I just kind of write whatever pops into my head. I can't think of a single adjective to describe my blog except, well, random. Is it funny? Not entirely. Is it serious? Not entirely. Is it philosophical? Is it clever? Is it boring? Is it strange? I don't know. It's probably a little bit of all these things. I don't write about current events. I don't write about sports. I don't write about politics. I don't really discuss Jewish issues or Israel - and when I do, it's from a personal angle. I don't dabble in controversy. I'm not particularly thought-provoking or intellectual. I'm not philosophically engaging.
So...what am I, then? If this blog is not any of the above, it's got to be something, hasn't it? Is that it - just random? Is there any point to this thing? Does anyone even really like reading it? Am I writing to anyone or just myself really? Do my words fall on deaf ears?
Um...raise your hand if you're still reading?
Hmmm.
I never know how to answer that one because, the truth is, my blog isn't about anything. It's like Seinfeld - a blog about nothing (and, uh, there the resemblance stops). I just kind of write whatever pops into my head. I can't think of a single adjective to describe my blog except, well, random. Is it funny? Not entirely. Is it serious? Not entirely. Is it philosophical? Is it clever? Is it boring? Is it strange? I don't know. It's probably a little bit of all these things. I don't write about current events. I don't write about sports. I don't write about politics. I don't really discuss Jewish issues or Israel - and when I do, it's from a personal angle. I don't dabble in controversy. I'm not particularly thought-provoking or intellectual. I'm not philosophically engaging.
So...what am I, then? If this blog is not any of the above, it's got to be something, hasn't it? Is that it - just random? Is there any point to this thing? Does anyone even really like reading it? Am I writing to anyone or just myself really? Do my words fall on deaf ears?
Um...raise your hand if you're still reading?
Friday, August 22, 2008
Beginnings
I always love beginnings. They're a chance to start over. Any mistakes from last year - that was last year. That's over. Now it's time to start new, to start fresh. They're another opportunity to build on previous friendships...to develop new ones...to try being organized again...to build up your GPA...
Back to school is probably my most favorite time of the year. Besides, it's exciting to start something new. And I'm so excited to be with my friends again.
I guess when you're in school, the year starts whenever school starts - not in January like for the rest of the population.
I'm so ready to start a new year. And a new year for me means a new year for everything about me. A new year of blogging, for instance. My blog is rather hard to define, I've realized. It's not about anything...it's just about everything. But that's okay. It's about me. It's about what goes through my head. It's about life through the eyes of a 21 (almost 22) year old Orthodox Jewish girl. It's about interesting things that happen to me, issues I think about, and whatever strikes my fancy. And I like it that way. I think it makes me seem more three dimensional, if a bit of a hodgepodge.
So I don't know what this year will bring. I have no idea what I'll be blogging about. I can't predict what sort of experiences I'll be having or what thoughts will be preying on my mind. But I'm excited to find out.
I hope whoever's reading this is ready (and will stick around) for whatever kind of ride the school year 2008-2009 will bring. :)
Back to school is probably my most favorite time of the year. Besides, it's exciting to start something new. And I'm so excited to be with my friends again.
I guess when you're in school, the year starts whenever school starts - not in January like for the rest of the population.
I'm so ready to start a new year. And a new year for me means a new year for everything about me. A new year of blogging, for instance. My blog is rather hard to define, I've realized. It's not about anything...it's just about everything. But that's okay. It's about me. It's about what goes through my head. It's about life through the eyes of a 21 (almost 22) year old Orthodox Jewish girl. It's about interesting things that happen to me, issues I think about, and whatever strikes my fancy. And I like it that way. I think it makes me seem more three dimensional, if a bit of a hodgepodge.
So I don't know what this year will bring. I have no idea what I'll be blogging about. I can't predict what sort of experiences I'll be having or what thoughts will be preying on my mind. But I'm excited to find out.
I hope whoever's reading this is ready (and will stick around) for whatever kind of ride the school year 2008-2009 will bring. :)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
G-chekle And Hide
For any of you who don't know me in person, I'm just letting you know now, I'm pretty shy. If I ever do meet any of you in person and don't talk to you for a while, it's not because I don't want to. It's just because I can't bring myself to.
The funny thing is, however, I'm not really shy at all when it comes to talking on the internet. Okay, I shouldn't say I'm not at all, but there's a significant difference.
So what is it about the internet that makes it possible for me to have this double persona? Why is it that gchatting on the internet is not as frightening as speaking to someone in person?
Case in point: today was the JBlogger convention in Israel. I was in the chatroom for a while and had no problem at all saying whatever was on my mind. If that chat room had been an actual room with everyone talking in real life, I would have been hiding in a corner and completely forgotten about.
So,
A. How does one overcome such a weakness of character?
B. What is really so different about gchatting and speaking in real life that I should be so shy of one and so much less so of the other?
The funny thing is, however, I'm not really shy at all when it comes to talking on the internet. Okay, I shouldn't say I'm not at all, but there's a significant difference.
So what is it about the internet that makes it possible for me to have this double persona? Why is it that gchatting on the internet is not as frightening as speaking to someone in person?
Case in point: today was the JBlogger convention in Israel. I was in the chatroom for a while and had no problem at all saying whatever was on my mind. If that chat room had been an actual room with everyone talking in real life, I would have been hiding in a corner and completely forgotten about.
So,
A. How does one overcome such a weakness of character?
B. What is really so different about gchatting and speaking in real life that I should be so shy of one and so much less so of the other?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Calling All English Majors!
I don't usually post one RIGHT after the other like I'm doing just now, but this was too good to pass up.
Bad4 noted a disproportionate number of English majors in the blogosphere. So I just want to give a shout out to everyone who is an English major - or who is an honorary English-major-wanna-be.
ENGLISH MAJORS ARE THE BEST.
Also, SJ commented over the weekend that I post more often than anyone she knows. I was debating whether or not to feel self-conscious about this, but then I decided, y'know? It's my blog and if I have a lot to say, well, I can't help that! I don't speak enough in person so I guess I'm just drawn to writing. And no one has to read it if they don't wanna, you know? And now I know I'm gonna get yelled at by someone about being apologetic and disclaimering on my own blog, but...! Hmmm.
Bad4 noted a disproportionate number of English majors in the blogosphere. So I just want to give a shout out to everyone who is an English major - or who is an honorary English-major-wanna-be.
ENGLISH MAJORS ARE THE BEST.
Also, SJ commented over the weekend that I post more often than anyone she knows. I was debating whether or not to feel self-conscious about this, but then I decided, y'know? It's my blog and if I have a lot to say, well, I can't help that! I don't speak enough in person so I guess I'm just drawn to writing. And no one has to read it if they don't wanna, you know? And now I know I'm gonna get yelled at by someone about being apologetic and disclaimering on my own blog, but...! Hmmm.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Struggle
Sometimes, blogging is a struggle. I have so much to say, but often feel incapable of expressing it. And I start to feel like every post of mine has to be perfect, you know? It's like the curse of the perfectionist. And I often wonder who out there is really listening, anyway. I feel this need to write, to share myself and my opinions with the world because I want to be heard. Who doesn't want to be heard? Who doesn't want to feel like they can make a difference, even on a small level? Who doesn't want to feel like what they say matters? But that desire to be heard also comes with a lot of stage fright and fear. Who would want to listen to me? What do I have to say that hasn't been said a thousand times before? Why would people care about what I think? I'm just a random little nobody with no credentials for having my opinions on any matter actually mean anything. And what if people lose respect for me because of something I say or something I don't know? I'm not even talking about risky opinion type things. Even just regular stuff. It's so much safer to remain quiet and listen to everyone else than to speak up or write something and risk regretting it.
But...I want to write.
But...I want to write.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Making Connections
I really liked this post by Northern Light.
My favorite parts were:
Just like with anything, there are positives and negatives to reading blogs. There's always an issue of safety - not everyone is who they say they are, not everyone should necessarily be befriended, etc. You have to decide what you want to expose yourself to and what you don't. But at the same time, the internet - and blogs in specific - provides an amazing forum for human connections. We can wander in and out of someone else's point of view, soaking up as much as we'd like before dipping into the opposite point of view from a different blog. We can gain a greater understanding of people - ordinary people with ordinary lives, experiences, and opinions. And yet those, perhaps, hold greater truth than the opinions of public figures. There is the world we're shown by newspapers, television, and politicians. And then there's the greater, richer world underneath - that lived in by the laymen of this earth.
The internet is not something to be feared. It takes a certain wisdom to appreciate it and to navigate it. But once you learn how, it's like a treasure hunt. There's a lot of junk, but hidden among all that are real, amazing discoveries.
I think one of the biggest problems in this world, especially among the Jewish community, is that people really just don't understand each other at all - and many are not even making an effort to. At least with blogs, the words are there. All you have to do is read them - and lots of people are too curious not to, even if they do so without commenting or telling anyone.
I once heard a quote that goes, "When all think alike, no one thinks very much." It's okay to be different from someone else. It's okay to have different opinions. In fact, that's a good thing. Discussion and debate are what make us human. Otherwise we'd all just be robots.
Everyone has a point of view. Everyone has opinions. We just have to be brave enough to share them - and we have to be open-minded enough to understand and respect those of others, even if we disagree.
My favorite parts were:
"It's actually GOOD that kids grow up with internet skills; just like other habits that can be deleterious if overdone, they just need to be taught how to manage them properly.
As the coauthor of a book that largely warns parents not to let kids watch TV, I've been in the habit of assuming that children should spend their time away from anything with a screen. While that's still true to a point--I still think TV is harmful, as the content is selected by the provider and not the consumer--I think there ought to be more considered comment not about how MUCH time kids spend on the computer, but exactly HOW they use it."
"I don't have THAT much time to surf blogs, or, frankly THAT much interest in most of them, but what a luscious little treat I can give myself to peek into some fascinating other worlds now and then. It's not the superficial "all about me" world of Facebook (yuk) but words written from the hearts and lives of people who are consistently fascinating and stimulating."
Just like with anything, there are positives and negatives to reading blogs. There's always an issue of safety - not everyone is who they say they are, not everyone should necessarily be befriended, etc. You have to decide what you want to expose yourself to and what you don't. But at the same time, the internet - and blogs in specific - provides an amazing forum for human connections. We can wander in and out of someone else's point of view, soaking up as much as we'd like before dipping into the opposite point of view from a different blog. We can gain a greater understanding of people - ordinary people with ordinary lives, experiences, and opinions. And yet those, perhaps, hold greater truth than the opinions of public figures. There is the world we're shown by newspapers, television, and politicians. And then there's the greater, richer world underneath - that lived in by the laymen of this earth.
The internet is not something to be feared. It takes a certain wisdom to appreciate it and to navigate it. But once you learn how, it's like a treasure hunt. There's a lot of junk, but hidden among all that are real, amazing discoveries.
I think one of the biggest problems in this world, especially among the Jewish community, is that people really just don't understand each other at all - and many are not even making an effort to. At least with blogs, the words are there. All you have to do is read them - and lots of people are too curious not to, even if they do so without commenting or telling anyone.
I once heard a quote that goes, "When all think alike, no one thinks very much." It's okay to be different from someone else. It's okay to have different opinions. In fact, that's a good thing. Discussion and debate are what make us human. Otherwise we'd all just be robots.
Everyone has a point of view. Everyone has opinions. We just have to be brave enough to share them - and we have to be open-minded enough to understand and respect those of others, even if we disagree.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Breaking free
In life sometimes you can tend to feel "stuck" doing things you really don't want to be doing. And as much as you know you shouldn't be doing them, you can't seem to stop. Whether it's wasting too much time watching TV, leaving everything for the last minute, getting too caught up in your own anxieties, or even something more serious than any of those, I'm sure everyone's experienced some sort of "stuck-in-a-rut" feeling, probably more than once.
The crazy thing is that when you're stuck, it's terribly hard to get out, but once you do get out, it's one of the best feelings in the world. It's terrible to feel trapped inside something and it's even more terrible when part of your brain is screaming, "get out!" and yet the rest of you is reluctant to do anything about it because it's easy to stay where you are or it feels good or it provides you with something you didn't have before. But whenever you do something to excess or something that makes you feel kind of uncomfortable and your brain starts telling you to get out, the most important thing to remember is to listen to yourself. You always do know what's best for you, even if you try to ignore it or even if you manage to convince yourself otherwise.
I know this is so much easier said than done - aren't most things? But it's important to recognize this issue all the same, even if it's not so easy to follow. Sometimes you need help from your friends and that's okay, too. I know I used to hate being helped. I felt like I had to do everything myself or else it wasn't really my own triumph. I'm starting to get over that. And sometimes friends help you out when they don't even know. This is happening to me, too. And maybe you're helping out a friend and you don't even know.
It's always so important to listen to your friends and also to listen to yourself. Your friends (should) have your best interest in mind and you, of course, have your own best interest in mind. It's easy to delude yourself into thinking you know what's best based on what feels the best, but you always do know what's really best if you make an effort to look deep inside yourself. It's hard, but it's possible. Overcoming challenges is possible. Climbing out of ruts is possible. Finding your way is possible. I'm learning this and I haven't even had the world's worst ruts to climb out of. But let's just say that Jblogging has helped me probably in more ways that it knows (er, and by that I mean, all of you jbloggers).
Anyway, remember - bloggers never say die!
The crazy thing is that when you're stuck, it's terribly hard to get out, but once you do get out, it's one of the best feelings in the world. It's terrible to feel trapped inside something and it's even more terrible when part of your brain is screaming, "get out!" and yet the rest of you is reluctant to do anything about it because it's easy to stay where you are or it feels good or it provides you with something you didn't have before. But whenever you do something to excess or something that makes you feel kind of uncomfortable and your brain starts telling you to get out, the most important thing to remember is to listen to yourself. You always do know what's best for you, even if you try to ignore it or even if you manage to convince yourself otherwise.
I know this is so much easier said than done - aren't most things? But it's important to recognize this issue all the same, even if it's not so easy to follow. Sometimes you need help from your friends and that's okay, too. I know I used to hate being helped. I felt like I had to do everything myself or else it wasn't really my own triumph. I'm starting to get over that. And sometimes friends help you out when they don't even know. This is happening to me, too. And maybe you're helping out a friend and you don't even know.
It's always so important to listen to your friends and also to listen to yourself. Your friends (should) have your best interest in mind and you, of course, have your own best interest in mind. It's easy to delude yourself into thinking you know what's best based on what feels the best, but you always do know what's really best if you make an effort to look deep inside yourself. It's hard, but it's possible. Overcoming challenges is possible. Climbing out of ruts is possible. Finding your way is possible. I'm learning this and I haven't even had the world's worst ruts to climb out of. But let's just say that Jblogging has helped me probably in more ways that it knows (er, and by that I mean, all of you jbloggers).
Anyway, remember - bloggers never say die!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
New Blogger Wows Critics
By Elianna (except for this part):
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nmuusususushdsalkahghf hj hhfjnetre n b bbsa vdb nvdnfv n fnn bfbfbxaaaqaxavdsvvccwddvvd
Monday, December 17, 2007
A Letter
Dear Blogger,
I understand that you want to do everything you can to enhance the experience those using Blogger have and I appreciate that effort, but I fail to see how the little Blogger symbol next to all our names when we comment enhances anything. In fact, it detracts from the overall blogging experience. It is distracting and unpleasant, glaring rudely up at us and taking our attention away from the words of the comment itself and, Blogger, you must seriously ask yourself which is more important - our words or your failed attempts at asceticism?
Sincerely,
A Disgruntled Blogger
I understand that you want to do everything you can to enhance the experience those using Blogger have and I appreciate that effort, but I fail to see how the little Blogger symbol next to all our names when we comment enhances anything. In fact, it detracts from the overall blogging experience. It is distracting and unpleasant, glaring rudely up at us and taking our attention away from the words of the comment itself and, Blogger, you must seriously ask yourself which is more important - our words or your failed attempts at asceticism?
Sincerely,
A Disgruntled Blogger
Friday, December 7, 2007
A blogger's monologue
To blog or not to blog
That is the question
Whether ‘tis nobler in the ‘sphere
To suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous comments
Or to take arms against a sea of issues and by not blogging, face them!
To blog, to sleep no more, and by a sleep to say we end
The gchat and the thousand statii messages
That gmail’s heir to,
‘tis a deprivation
that’s never to be wished.
To blog, to read;
To read, perchance reply.
Ay, there’s the rub,
For in that lack of sleep
What posts may come
When we have shuffled off this writer’s block?
Must give us comments.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Bloggers never say die!
[DISCLAIMER: I know you're not supposed to apologize for your work, but, erm, anyway...I do apologize if this post makes absolutely NO sense WHATSOEVER. It very well may not. If it doesn't, I hope you get SOMETHING out of it, at least! But y'all know it was really just a way for me to plug The Goonies. Hehe.]
I have been wondering, lately, why it is that I feel this need to write everything down. What is it about writing that alleviates stress or furthers understanding about things? What is it about writing that intensifies joy?
I think part of it is this ability, especially on a blog versus a private diary, to share these experiences with others. To share a bad day, to share a joyous occasion - it sort of takes it out of you and plasters it onto a blog where it is both removed from you and in a place where you can always return to it.
Another part of it, as I realized while taking a midterm today, is to search for deeper understandings. Whenever I have an idea in my head, the more I write about it, the more I come to understand it. Things begin to come together when I write them down. I seem to think in a more organized way while writing and I always end up understanding something about myself or about the world (or about literature, or anything, really) on a much deeper and more complex level than when I first had the idea.
But there is yet another quality of writing that I enjoy - writing as an adventure. It really is an adventure, if you think about it, even according to the monomyth. Joseph Campbell's monomyth is a tradition of a certain circular shape to stories. A monomyth starts off with katabasis or a call to adventure. This can be anything from the White Rabbit running past Alice to Hagrid paying a visit to Harry and the Dursleys. Then the hero goes on a series of trials and tests with various helpers, ending in the restoration of order to a disordered world by either defeating a dragon or defeating some other thing, and then there's usually at onement with the father or mother figure and then the return journey.
Writing is very similar. The call to adventure is when you get an idea. The trials and tests are the actual story writing process, writer's block, etc. Finally the story is finished and that is the return.
But anyway, this was sort of a tangent. The point of this post was never to compare writing to a monomyth. I think that happened because I am trying to show that there are different reasons for feeling this need to write everything down. Either to alleviate one's self, to search for meaning in an issue, or thousands of other reasons.
As many of you ALSO know, I am in love with the movie, The Goonies. There is a particular scene (though it is broken up a bit by another scene) in this movie which has three moments where I feel inspired by them to write about something.
The story so far has been that Mikey and his friends Mouth, Data, and Chunk, and his brother Brand and his friends Andy and Steph have gone on an adventure to find hidden treasure. They need this treasure because their homes on the goon docks are going to be foreclosed later that day if their families don't come up with some fast money so that a country club can be built on the land. Meanwhile, there is this family of outlaws called the Fertellis and they happen to be based in an abandoned restaurant where the kids start looking for the treasure. All of the kids get away to the caves underneath to go on the treasure hunt, except for Chunk, who has been caught by the Fertellis. The Fertellis at this point don't know why the kids were in the restaurant snooping around and they question Chunk about it. When he says they all went down into the fireplace to look for buried treasure, the Fertellis don't believe him and make him tell the whole story. Instead of the story they WANT to hear, he starts confessing to every crime he's ever done (these crimes being cheating on a test, stealing his uncle's toupee, etc.). Meanwhile, the Goonies are underground in caves searching for the buried treasure. The one catch is that there was this expert explorer guy, Chester Copperpot, who once went looking for the treasure and he never came out. This makes the treasure hunt even more frightening. The Goonies think Chunk has gotten away and gone to the police, but they aren't really sure. This particular clip begins right in the middle of a booby trap set long ago by One Eyed Willy, whose treasure they are seeking. Chunk is also in the middle of his "confession." And so we start.
The three moments I'm talking about are:
1. When mouth takes the coin and says, "this one was my dream, my wish, but it didn't come true. So I'm taking it back. I'm taking them all back."
I think that feelings like that - feelings of despair, of darkness, of glumness, really inspire people to write. Bad days, if someone said something mean or rude, even just dreary days where nothing particularly bad happened but the whole mood of the day has been pretty much a downer. That is something people need to get off their chest. I know I feel so much better after writing about it. If I were Mouth, I'd have gone home that day and written a blog entry about being in the well and taking the coins back.
2. When Mikey says, "Don't say that, never say that - Goonies never say die!" This is so important. This is about not giving up, about perseverance. This may not be a cause for writing, but it has so much to do with writing. Writing is all about perseverance. It's about seeing the story or the idea through 'til the very end. It is about hope and the belief that there is a light up ahead, even if we can't see it now. And even that, now that I'm thinking about it, could cause one to write. If I was struggling to find the light in a seemingly dark situation, I think writing about it would help a lot. A whole lot. It could help me to see things clearly, to reassess, to view the situation with a more objective eye.
3. Mikey's speech from, "Chester Copperpot - don't you guys realize? He was a pro! He never made it this far." until, "It's our time down here!" This is similar to the other moment, moment #2, in that it's about perseverance and not giving up. It's about believing in yourself and in your abilities and not underestimating your strengths, even if you feel insignificant. It is about striving for clarity about the world and your own role in it, which is something I think I try to do a lot when I write blog posts. It is also about having a voice - a real voice that other people will listen to. A lot of times, normal people feel so insignificant because they're not the ones calling the shots in this world. People wonder, how can I, little me, make a difference? It's about "our time." It's our time here in blogland, guys.
It is also just an awesome, awesome speech and I love it. I love this whole scene down in the well.
While they might not match perfectly with everyone's view of writing and of stories, I think they match with mine - most of the time, anyway. If this post confused anyone, I'm really sorry! It's me trying to clarify ideas for myself and exploring new angles to my own thoughts. If you get anything out of this post at all, I do hope it's that you want to watch the whole Goonies movie!
But seriously, guys, Goonies never say die...and neither do Bloggers!
I have been wondering, lately, why it is that I feel this need to write everything down. What is it about writing that alleviates stress or furthers understanding about things? What is it about writing that intensifies joy?
I think part of it is this ability, especially on a blog versus a private diary, to share these experiences with others. To share a bad day, to share a joyous occasion - it sort of takes it out of you and plasters it onto a blog where it is both removed from you and in a place where you can always return to it.
Another part of it, as I realized while taking a midterm today, is to search for deeper understandings. Whenever I have an idea in my head, the more I write about it, the more I come to understand it. Things begin to come together when I write them down. I seem to think in a more organized way while writing and I always end up understanding something about myself or about the world (or about literature, or anything, really) on a much deeper and more complex level than when I first had the idea.
But there is yet another quality of writing that I enjoy - writing as an adventure. It really is an adventure, if you think about it, even according to the monomyth. Joseph Campbell's monomyth is a tradition of a certain circular shape to stories. A monomyth starts off with katabasis or a call to adventure. This can be anything from the White Rabbit running past Alice to Hagrid paying a visit to Harry and the Dursleys. Then the hero goes on a series of trials and tests with various helpers, ending in the restoration of order to a disordered world by either defeating a dragon or defeating some other thing, and then there's usually at onement with the father or mother figure and then the return journey.
Writing is very similar. The call to adventure is when you get an idea. The trials and tests are the actual story writing process, writer's block, etc. Finally the story is finished and that is the return.
But anyway, this was sort of a tangent. The point of this post was never to compare writing to a monomyth. I think that happened because I am trying to show that there are different reasons for feeling this need to write everything down. Either to alleviate one's self, to search for meaning in an issue, or thousands of other reasons.
As many of you ALSO know, I am in love with the movie, The Goonies. There is a particular scene (though it is broken up a bit by another scene) in this movie which has three moments where I feel inspired by them to write about something.
The story so far has been that Mikey and his friends Mouth, Data, and Chunk, and his brother Brand and his friends Andy and Steph have gone on an adventure to find hidden treasure. They need this treasure because their homes on the goon docks are going to be foreclosed later that day if their families don't come up with some fast money so that a country club can be built on the land. Meanwhile, there is this family of outlaws called the Fertellis and they happen to be based in an abandoned restaurant where the kids start looking for the treasure. All of the kids get away to the caves underneath to go on the treasure hunt, except for Chunk, who has been caught by the Fertellis. The Fertellis at this point don't know why the kids were in the restaurant snooping around and they question Chunk about it. When he says they all went down into the fireplace to look for buried treasure, the Fertellis don't believe him and make him tell the whole story. Instead of the story they WANT to hear, he starts confessing to every crime he's ever done (these crimes being cheating on a test, stealing his uncle's toupee, etc.). Meanwhile, the Goonies are underground in caves searching for the buried treasure. The one catch is that there was this expert explorer guy, Chester Copperpot, who once went looking for the treasure and he never came out. This makes the treasure hunt even more frightening. The Goonies think Chunk has gotten away and gone to the police, but they aren't really sure. This particular clip begins right in the middle of a booby trap set long ago by One Eyed Willy, whose treasure they are seeking. Chunk is also in the middle of his "confession." And so we start.
The three moments I'm talking about are:
1. When mouth takes the coin and says, "this one was my dream, my wish, but it didn't come true. So I'm taking it back. I'm taking them all back."
I think that feelings like that - feelings of despair, of darkness, of glumness, really inspire people to write. Bad days, if someone said something mean or rude, even just dreary days where nothing particularly bad happened but the whole mood of the day has been pretty much a downer. That is something people need to get off their chest. I know I feel so much better after writing about it. If I were Mouth, I'd have gone home that day and written a blog entry about being in the well and taking the coins back.
2. When Mikey says, "Don't say that, never say that - Goonies never say die!" This is so important. This is about not giving up, about perseverance. This may not be a cause for writing, but it has so much to do with writing. Writing is all about perseverance. It's about seeing the story or the idea through 'til the very end. It is about hope and the belief that there is a light up ahead, even if we can't see it now. And even that, now that I'm thinking about it, could cause one to write. If I was struggling to find the light in a seemingly dark situation, I think writing about it would help a lot. A whole lot. It could help me to see things clearly, to reassess, to view the situation with a more objective eye.
3. Mikey's speech from, "Chester Copperpot - don't you guys realize? He was a pro! He never made it this far." until, "It's our time down here!" This is similar to the other moment, moment #2, in that it's about perseverance and not giving up. It's about believing in yourself and in your abilities and not underestimating your strengths, even if you feel insignificant. It is about striving for clarity about the world and your own role in it, which is something I think I try to do a lot when I write blog posts. It is also about having a voice - a real voice that other people will listen to. A lot of times, normal people feel so insignificant because they're not the ones calling the shots in this world. People wonder, how can I, little me, make a difference? It's about "our time." It's our time here in blogland, guys.
It is also just an awesome, awesome speech and I love it. I love this whole scene down in the well.
While they might not match perfectly with everyone's view of writing and of stories, I think they match with mine - most of the time, anyway. If this post confused anyone, I'm really sorry! It's me trying to clarify ideas for myself and exploring new angles to my own thoughts. If you get anything out of this post at all, I do hope it's that you want to watch the whole Goonies movie!
But seriously, guys, Goonies never say die...and neither do Bloggers!
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