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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

I Learn Alone...

...anyone who has ever spent any length of time in a yeshiva knows or has seen someone like this.

A tribute - to the guy in the corner of the Beis Medrish:

I learn alone, yeah
With nobody else
I learn alone, yeah
With nobody else
You know when I learn alone
I prefer to be by myself

Every morning just before shacharis
I don't want no coffee or tea
Just me and good Mishna B’rurah
That's all I ever need
'Cause I learn alone, yeah
With nobody else
Yeah, you know when I learn alone
I prefer to be by myself

The other night I laid sleeping
And I woke from a terrible dream
So I caught up my pal Talmud Bavli
And his partner Yerushalmi
And we learned alone, yeah
With nobody else
Yeah, you know when I learn alone
I prefer to be by myself

The other day I got invited to a shiur
But I stayed home instead
Just me and my pal Shulchan Aruch
And his brothers Shach and Taz
And we learned alone, yeah
With nobody else
Yeah, you know when I learn alone
I prefer to be by myself

My whole yeshiva done give up on me
And it makes me feel oh so bad
The only one who will hang out with me
Is my dear old Rambam
And we learn alone, yeah
With nobody else
Yeah, you know when I learn alone
I prefer to be by myself

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Israel Trip Highlight Pictures

What a crazy, crazy trip, but definitely worth it. Here are the pictures I can put up on the blog...

From top left, L-R:

Row 1: Ezzie at kotel; some palm trees in Lod; the view from Nof Ayalon; Ezzie & Kayla all ready for Shragi's wedding; Kayla walking around Nof Ayalon; Kayla in town enjoying her Coke in her new shirt.
Row 2: Kayla enjoying Groovin's fish tank in Kochav Yaakov; the wedding reception at the Binyanei HaUma; Kayla checking out the plane home at Ben-Gurion; trash cans burning in a charedi neighborhood of Yerushalayim; guns ready for a salute at the kotel for an inauguration for hundreds of IDF soldiers; encased menorah on the steps down toward the kotel.
Row 3: Inauguration setup; lunch with Jameel; Kayla walking around the streets of Israel; Ezzie & Kayla near the kotel 
Row 4: chupah for Shragi's wedding; tana'im at the wedding (signed by Ezzie); setup for inauguration at kotel; tzeischem l'shalom sign on way out of Yerushalayim.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Last Night...

... To the Congress of the United Cavalier Fans

Yesterday, May 13, 2010 - a date which will live in infamy - the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association was suddenly and deliberately attacked by forces of the Empire of LeBron.

The Cavs organization was at peace with that person and, at the solicitation of Cavs Fans, was still in conversation with the Horesemen and their emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace, and a max deal contract, in the off-season.

Indeed, one hour after LeBron jumpers had commenced bricking in Boston, the League Commissioner delivered to the Cavalier front office a formal reply to a recent message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing contract negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Boston from New York makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Global Icon has deliberately sought to deceive the Cavaliers by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace and playoff victories.
---------

Yes, I'm bitter
Yes, I'm angry
Yes, I know that this is being ungrateful
No, right now I do not care

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

For LOST fans

El Al 815?

By JTA Staff

NEW YORK (JTA) -- In the final season of "Lost," the show has explored an
alternative reality, defined to some degree by what would have happened to
the main characters had Oceanic 815 from Sydney to Los Angeles not crashed
on the island.

In that spirit, what if the plane had gone down but it had been an El Al
flight?

Well, the plane never would have crashed because the El Al pilots would have
been able to perform evasive maneuvers. But if it had .

* Jack would not have been the only doctor.

* John Locke would have been named Yeshayahu Leibowitz.

* Sayid would have never made it on to the plane.

* Instead of Sayid's makeshift radio, some of the Israeli passengers would
have set up a high-speed Internet link.

* Some Lubavitcher would have shown up before long to open up a Chabad
house.

* There would be more than just one recklessly driven German-made vehicle on
the road.

* The existence of a nuclear weapon on the island never would have been
acknowledged.

* Gratuitous shots of Kate in her underwear would be replaced by quick peeks
of haredi women sans sheitels.

* The island suddenly would have attracted the attention of the entire
world, with the United Nations accusing the passengers of illegally
occupying territory and using disproportionate force to fend off attacks by
the Others.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Ani Yehudi

Hat tip: RafiM

I enjoyed this video by a number of Israeli musicians entitled Ani Yehudi:





Monday, May 03, 2010

Whirlwind Month (,Trip,) & Who Wants Lunch!?

It's been a bit of a crazy month, and it's about to get a lot crazier. Life has included rushing to get out my company's annual financial statements* - for not just one but two years, one and a half of which I wasn't there for; the Intuit Town Hall meeting on personal finance where I was asked to join as a panelist (full replay here); Chana and her chassid got engaged, DGEsq's wife had twin girls, FrumDoc & FFW had a baby boy; GS got engaged; Moshe helped our Lander Alumni pull off an amazing dinner, and as of last Thursday, we decided that I will in fact head to Israel for my best friend Shragi's wedding, scrambled to get tickets and passports that day... and I'm leaving tomorrow... and I'm bringing 23-month old Kayla with me for the week-long trip. Oh - and I have to put out the next quarter's financial statements by May 17th.

Anyway, who wants to meet up in Israel (Jerusalem area, most probably) for lunch or dinner this week? {Bonus! It might be with Jameel, too!} :) While I still don't know my full itinerary, I'll have a bit of flexibility in between visiting all my cousins and aunt and family friends and of course, the aufruf and wedding of my dear friend Shragi [the author of the "Well Waddaya Know..." trivia series on SerandEz based primarily on his forensic psychology studies].

So - who's in? E-mail me at serandez at gmail.com!

* - more on that later.