I told my friend A. that I was planning to write a book (I even have a title for it) on the topic of preacher's children that are grandchildren of Jews converting back to Judaism, or maybe just the non-Jewish grandchild of a Jew that converts back, and she suggested that I take notes throughout the conversion process so that I can reflect back on that during the writing of the book when I am post conversion and ready to record it. I can't recall if I have really taken a full accounting of notes as to how I got to the point I am now in having decided to convert, or whether I've kept that really hidden from the world. Some of you may know all this about me already, some of you will be bored in that case. The rest of you are in for a treat I suppose as I decided maybe I should use my blog to keep notes. I'd like to do a few posts about this, and in kind of randomized order I suppose as I don't always think linear. I welcome comments, questions, and other things posted on here. So long as you don't reveal who I really am. I will try to answer your questions in subsequent posts. I realize this is non-political, but frankly it doesn't matter politics can only take up so much of one's time.
I have always felt like I was born into the wrong family. I always felt more at home in the Jewish community. When I was a child most of my friends were Jewish. I can remember as a 9 year old child asking my father why everyone else lit a menorah and we didn't. Lucky for me, he went out and got one for me and we lit it. I used to try to talk to my grandfather about being Jewish, but he refused to discuss the subject and would make up things when I'd ask him questions. I used to ask all the rabbis I had access to by virtue of the area we lived in and my dad's position all kinds of questions, I even stumped a few of them.
I grew up though, not really even knowing that people could convert to being Jewish. I went on with my life, went to a Christian college, married my Christian husband, raising our Christian children. Still feeling like something was missing, so I asked the Chassidic community near by if there were activities I could participate in as a non-Jew. I even explained about my heritage, and I was welcomed warmly. The rabbi was the first person to suggest to me conversion. That was in January of 2008 when I met him face to face and we were talking about my background, he very quickly suggested that I convert. He didn't say it with pressure or anything. I was really excited and felt blessed by this. He said I needed to keep my name though, which made me feel sort of sad, I never liked my name and I'd like to change it.
When my marriage fell apart, and with it so many other aspects of my community so to speak I decided to start attending synagogue fairly regularly and have felt very at home in this community. After some time I decided that I don't want to be an outsider forever and I can always come back and visit this community as my new family and my sort of mother community so to speak. They will all wish me well it seems, one woman even blessed me that I be a good convert etc. I want what these people have, and though I can never be a Jew from birth I can choose to take on the challenge.
So, this is the start of when I decided to convert. I think it is the culmination of everything from my childhood and maybe even before my childhood. This is an executive summary of course of these matters, but I wanted to just include a bit of a note regarding this. I'm looking forward to having a topic to do a series of blog posts on outside of the usual.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Who the FUCK is Henry Paulsen sleeping with?
If Henry Paulsen was a woman and behaved in this kind of microcephalic manner, people would be asking who the fuck did she sleep with or something to that effect, but because he is a man no one dares asks this question. The idea that this bail out failure is a surprise is shockingly ridiculous, as clearly the public would urge their representatives to vote against this kind of measure. The first presidential debate however, indicates just how out of touch with reality the people running this country amok are. So, I ask who the FUCK are these people sleeping with?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Mourning
I am mourning this time for my friend, Les. Les was an amazing man, and I will always remember the way he cared for me when many others did not. He was very interested in how I was and what I was doing. He was also interested in the things that had happened to me and what was going on with those things. I suspect he was instrumental behind the scenes at getting some people to realize how they screwed up. I miss Les and I am having a harder day than I had expected. This is also my best friend's birthday though so it is a mixed bag.
Les and I were on the health ministry together at my former church and I always appreciated the way he participated in the meetings and in our lives. He will be missed by all who were blessed with his life.
Les and I were on the health ministry together at my former church and I always appreciated the way he participated in the meetings and in our lives. He will be missed by all who were blessed with his life.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Republican Convention
I've been bored out of my mind with this convention. Here's some of my opinions however. I can appreciate Joe Lieberman's speech and really enjoyed the way he presented himself. I think he was very classy and supported McCain without putting down Obama or making himself look like an asshole. I can appreciate Rudy's point related to the sexism card, and how come no one asks Obama about having enough time to be President and a father...no one ever thinks about that, so I will give that point to Rudy. I can appreciate Palin's feelings about Obama and the media etc. However, I wish Sarah Palin had been given a better speech. I think that the speech they gave her lacked any substance at all, I never heard anything about any issues that were significant. One jab about Obama wanting to meet with Iran, well Reagan met with Iran too so let's get over ourselves.
Another thing that I have found lacking is anyone under the age of 35. It seems that these people are all quite a bit older than those that went to the Democratic convention, and whereas I am sure the base has been energized I was bored. I was never part of the base. I have always been a Libertarian Republican, and now I just vote Libertarian because I feel the Republican party is going in a direction that I don't want to go down. I think it is unreasonable to be touting this speech as a wonderful speech. Yes, it was well delivered, but there was very little quality to be worthy of extraction. I hope that McCain's speech tonight will lay out a plan to move ahead, because I feel a real hunger to understand what the party is thinking.
Until next time, I am still voting Libertarian it's the only way to take back this country.
Another thing that I have found lacking is anyone under the age of 35. It seems that these people are all quite a bit older than those that went to the Democratic convention, and whereas I am sure the base has been energized I was bored. I was never part of the base. I have always been a Libertarian Republican, and now I just vote Libertarian because I feel the Republican party is going in a direction that I don't want to go down. I think it is unreasonable to be touting this speech as a wonderful speech. Yes, it was well delivered, but there was very little quality to be worthy of extraction. I hope that McCain's speech tonight will lay out a plan to move ahead, because I feel a real hunger to understand what the party is thinking.
Until next time, I am still voting Libertarian it's the only way to take back this country.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Alaska...
Alaska and it's 3 electoral college votes are now center stage. I'm not really sure how to take that in light of the electrifying Democratic convention. Even I have to concede I was fascinated with the convention, and I am a Libertarian, and don't even consider myself to be a democrat (odd contradiction I know). Like probably 99% of the other people watching the political scene I figured that McCain would ask Joe Lieberman to run with him, and maybe he did and Joe refused, who knows? I'm not sure I'd run with McCain either were I in the position of Joe Lieberman. Neither here nor there I suppose, we will never know how Sarah Palin was the one picked for the ticket. It does seem bizarre though to pick someone from Alaska, I mean 3 electoral votes isn't much, and she's so unknown I doubt she can help with a lot of things like independent voters etc. Course, I am an internationalist, and I thank God every day that I am an internationalist and I don't need to worry about these pesky domestic political issues.
I think the choice of Sarah Palin is an interesting choice, and I am rather intrigued by this choice for a number of reasons. First, I am intrigued because true to form the Feminist backlash has begun. I find it intriguing that the same women that wanted to have Hillary Clinton in the White house (I am still confused, someone please tell me what qualified Hillary for the presidency? Oh right she was married to the president...hmmmm...I am so not buying that snake oil.) are insulted by the choice of Palin. What's wrong with the choice of Palin? She seems like a decent person to me, I mean the whole thing is bizarre because she isn't on the same name recognition level with Mit Romney, but then again plenty of people would fit that bill. Palin helps to score McCain points with the Republican base that he is having so much trouble keeping up with. It also makes him look really good to the public, because now he too can talk about making history, especially if by some weird twist of fate he manages to pull out a victory (I'm not going to hold my breath and expect that to happen).
Palin, I think also causes another interesting twist. Palin forces women to look at their motivations for voting. I think this is a fundamental problem with US politics. The feminists are always about electing women, but only THEIR own women. A woman like myself, or like Elizabeth Dole is frowned upon by the "feminists" and now we have women saying it is insulting that Palin was chosen. Women are 51% of the population, does it really matter how insulting it is? Some women will vote for McCain and some will vote for Obama it is just the way it is. When you are more than half the population you're going to vote in different ways. Course men don't vote uniformly either, and if they did I have had a number of men tell me how Palin is really good looking and they hope she becomes V.P. So clearly we know how that'd turn out. This brings up another point, are these women insulted because she is a beautiful woman? What if she were ugly would it matter so much? Just like would Obama be a rock star if he were White?
Another interesting thing about this choice is that it's ALASKA. I mean how many Americans can find Alaska on the map? I doubt many people outside of Alaska really know where it is. I applied for a few jobs up in Alaska, I thought it might be fun to live there, and they have a shortage of women up there, and a large Russian influence. Alaska is now important for the first time in the history of this country. I mean sure it is important for all the resources we robbed the Russians of when we bought it, but it's also now important because it is now the home state of a possible V.P. of the U.S. and for the first time ever. I can't recall one president of vice president that was from Alaska, can you? I wonder what it must feel like for the Alaskans right now, I've been trying to get in contact with a few Alaskans I know, but haven't gotten through to them.
I think it's both brilliant and risky to choose Palin, and even though I will most likely not vote for McCain, because I plan to vote Libertarian. I think it will be interesting to see what this roll of the dice brings not only to McCain's campaign but to elections and politics in the future as well. This election has been a historical one for sure, and with the exception of my thoughts on Lieberman I have been right in all my analysis of it. Oh and by the way the 88th anniversary of women getting the right to vote that the Democrats were carrying on about, that was under a Republican Congress...so I guess the Dems can't say they are the progressive party on that end of things.
I'd like to thank McCain for the choice of Palin, I find it to be an interesting one and as I said I am fascinated by it for a lot of reasons. I'd like to thank Gov. Palin for accepting the nomination, I think it was courageous on her part and I also think it'll make things a lot more interesting.
May the best ticket win, let the games begin!
I think the choice of Sarah Palin is an interesting choice, and I am rather intrigued by this choice for a number of reasons. First, I am intrigued because true to form the Feminist backlash has begun. I find it intriguing that the same women that wanted to have Hillary Clinton in the White house (I am still confused, someone please tell me what qualified Hillary for the presidency? Oh right she was married to the president...hmmmm...I am so not buying that snake oil.) are insulted by the choice of Palin. What's wrong with the choice of Palin? She seems like a decent person to me, I mean the whole thing is bizarre because she isn't on the same name recognition level with Mit Romney, but then again plenty of people would fit that bill. Palin helps to score McCain points with the Republican base that he is having so much trouble keeping up with. It also makes him look really good to the public, because now he too can talk about making history, especially if by some weird twist of fate he manages to pull out a victory (I'm not going to hold my breath and expect that to happen).
Palin, I think also causes another interesting twist. Palin forces women to look at their motivations for voting. I think this is a fundamental problem with US politics. The feminists are always about electing women, but only THEIR own women. A woman like myself, or like Elizabeth Dole is frowned upon by the "feminists" and now we have women saying it is insulting that Palin was chosen. Women are 51% of the population, does it really matter how insulting it is? Some women will vote for McCain and some will vote for Obama it is just the way it is. When you are more than half the population you're going to vote in different ways. Course men don't vote uniformly either, and if they did I have had a number of men tell me how Palin is really good looking and they hope she becomes V.P. So clearly we know how that'd turn out. This brings up another point, are these women insulted because she is a beautiful woman? What if she were ugly would it matter so much? Just like would Obama be a rock star if he were White?
Another interesting thing about this choice is that it's ALASKA. I mean how many Americans can find Alaska on the map? I doubt many people outside of Alaska really know where it is. I applied for a few jobs up in Alaska, I thought it might be fun to live there, and they have a shortage of women up there, and a large Russian influence. Alaska is now important for the first time in the history of this country. I mean sure it is important for all the resources we robbed the Russians of when we bought it, but it's also now important because it is now the home state of a possible V.P. of the U.S. and for the first time ever. I can't recall one president of vice president that was from Alaska, can you? I wonder what it must feel like for the Alaskans right now, I've been trying to get in contact with a few Alaskans I know, but haven't gotten through to them.
I think it's both brilliant and risky to choose Palin, and even though I will most likely not vote for McCain, because I plan to vote Libertarian. I think it will be interesting to see what this roll of the dice brings not only to McCain's campaign but to elections and politics in the future as well. This election has been a historical one for sure, and with the exception of my thoughts on Lieberman I have been right in all my analysis of it. Oh and by the way the 88th anniversary of women getting the right to vote that the Democrats were carrying on about, that was under a Republican Congress...so I guess the Dems can't say they are the progressive party on that end of things.
I'd like to thank McCain for the choice of Palin, I find it to be an interesting one and as I said I am fascinated by it for a lot of reasons. I'd like to thank Gov. Palin for accepting the nomination, I think it was courageous on her part and I also think it'll make things a lot more interesting.
May the best ticket win, let the games begin!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Demagoges
The Democrats are having their convention this week, and it's making me sick. I mean not only am I sick with a cold, or sick because this is my 1 year anniversary of not being able to see my kids, or a whole bunch of other things, but it seems to me that the Democrats are more hypocritical than in previous years. The Democrats are the "party of the people" yet Nancy Pelosi REFUSED to call a special session of the House in order to address the problem of people losing their houses. The Democrats are the party of the people, yet they don't care about the people. Hillary Clinton thought this was her turn and that she would be president, and she is just plain mean spirited, ungracious, and the Clintons together are BITCHY about the situation with Obama. Obama, who is the candidate that was chosen to be sacrificed so that the Clintons could maintain their stranglehold on the party came out in the end and beat the Clinton machine, and yet he is the one being vilified by the Clintons, why didn't he ask her advice on the VP, etc. I mean really, if I lose a race am I required to be asked by the winner about things? Clearly the people have spoken, and Hillary has no more experience than Obama does. Bill Clinton should really get out of the whole scene, frankly so many of these people are washed up it's not even funny.
They're not attacking McCain nor are the Republicans defending McCain. In part this is because it's a Democrat year, and as such mostly Democrats will be elected, but also it is because this is a Dole vs. Clinton rematch with Clinton being played by Obama and Dole being played by McCain. Neither of these candidates really wants a major contest in terms of mudslinging etc, but McCain can't afford such a contest because he doesn't know how to compete with Obama. Obama is competing on a new playing field, he's using the internet to his advantage and doing a whole bunch of other things in an attempt to improve his competitiveness, including the text message announcement of Joe Biden. McCain, has no idea how to compete in this context and the Republican machine doesn't know how to compete this way because they haven't put the effort into learning how to do these things.
Hillary's speech last night was I think a poor attempt at supporting Obama, and she is setting the stage for a hopefully successful campagin in 2012. I think she will continue to be a thorn in the Democrat party side until she is crowned the imperial ruler for all time. This is of course a very sad situation and I feel badly for Obama, Clinton, and my country. This is the ONLY post I will do with the Clintons in it because I frankly want them all to be out of the news and my life. The whole thing with Chelsea being front and center all the time makes me ill as well.
They're not attacking McCain nor are the Republicans defending McCain. In part this is because it's a Democrat year, and as such mostly Democrats will be elected, but also it is because this is a Dole vs. Clinton rematch with Clinton being played by Obama and Dole being played by McCain. Neither of these candidates really wants a major contest in terms of mudslinging etc, but McCain can't afford such a contest because he doesn't know how to compete with Obama. Obama is competing on a new playing field, he's using the internet to his advantage and doing a whole bunch of other things in an attempt to improve his competitiveness, including the text message announcement of Joe Biden. McCain, has no idea how to compete in this context and the Republican machine doesn't know how to compete this way because they haven't put the effort into learning how to do these things.
Hillary's speech last night was I think a poor attempt at supporting Obama, and she is setting the stage for a hopefully successful campagin in 2012. I think she will continue to be a thorn in the Democrat party side until she is crowned the imperial ruler for all time. This is of course a very sad situation and I feel badly for Obama, Clinton, and my country. This is the ONLY post I will do with the Clintons in it because I frankly want them all to be out of the news and my life. The whole thing with Chelsea being front and center all the time makes me ill as well.
Friday, August 15, 2008
You Can Torment the Bear as Long as You Stay in Your Own House....
So the Russian proverb goes. This is evident in what is happening with Russia, Georgia, and perhaps Poland will be next if I am to believe the articles in the news that I've seen today. It's ridiculous of course that Russia would go after Poland, but apparently Russia has threatened to do this. I am sure there are a number of reasons for this, but I don't care to give an opinion on the subject, other than to say it would be ridiculous to go after Poland.
Russians have lived by this proverb for centuries at the very least, and I have lived by it in my own life as well. It's because I love this saying, I think it is great. I think it is also very true, if you think about bears and the nature of them. Consequently this can be said of bears as well, they can torment things as long as they stay in their own house.
Russians have lived by this proverb for centuries at the very least, and I have lived by it in my own life as well. It's because I love this saying, I think it is great. I think it is also very true, if you think about bears and the nature of them. Consequently this can be said of bears as well, they can torment things as long as they stay in their own house.
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