🎭 Theatre Writeups, 🛣️ Highway Updates, 📰 Musings on the News, and other 🗯️ Rants and Roadkill Along the Information Superhighway
As I continue to get the house ready for Pesach (we have 20 people tonight), a quick question (h/t to Larry H on Facebook for the inspiration): Do C programmers start counting the Omer at 0? Therefore, is tonight Omer[-1]?
P.S.: The picture of the tables will be coming later today. As a reminder, email me if you want a copy of our haggadah.
Music: Simply Streisand (Barbra Streisand): The Boy Next Door
3.1415926535 979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 5923078164 0628620899 8628034825 ... Read More ...
In 1961, the humorist Stan Freberg issued Volume 1 of The United States of America, a musical telling of the founding of America through the Battle of Yorktown (Volume 2 goes through the end of World War I (“They’ll never be another war…”)). The first scene on Volume 1 relates the story of how the Indians discovered Columbus. As today is Columbus Day, I present a transcription of the scene:
Read More …
It’s National Waffle Day. I though about posting something, but then decided not to. But then again…
… and the table is set. Not as fancy as in years past, but I still think it looks pretty good:
‘Twas the night after Seder, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The matzah, the farfel, the charoset I ate,
After both the Sedarim, had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked over to shul (less a walk than a lumber),
I remembered the marvelous meals I’d prepared;
The turkey with gravy, the beef nicely rared,
The wine and the matzo balls, the Migdal pareve cheese
The way I’d never said, “I’ve had enough; no more, if you please.”
As I tied myself into my apron again
I spied my reflection and disgustedly, then
I said to myself, “you’re such a weak wimp”,
“You can’t show up at shul resembling a blimp!”
So-away with the last of the meatballs so sweet,
Get rid of the turkey, chopped liver and meat.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
“Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won’t have any more macaroons from the box,
I can’t wait til next week. (Ah, the bagels and lox.)
I won’t have any luchen, farfel or pt’chah,
I’ll munch on a carrot or wire shut my own jaw.
It’s a three day yom tov and shabbas is still
Ahead of me with another fleshiks meal to fulfill.
If I have to cook one more chicken, I think I will riot.
So a zisn pesach to you all and to all a good diet!
A number of lunchtime news stories: some true, some not.
In recent years, I’ve been getting more and more fed up with the polarization of politics. Republicans won’t talk to the Democrats. Democrats won’t talk to the Republicans. Each side demonizes the other and paints them as 100% evil and the destroyer of society. The recent budget problems have made me think the future is bleaker and bleaker. Jerry Brown, who is one of the most skilled politicians and negotiators we’ve had in Sacramento, couldn’t get the sides to move together towards a deal. And don’t get me started on Congress: it appears the Republicans don’t even want to compromise, and instead get their jollies by floating political ideas that they know will never go anywhere. Talk about wasting money! Then they want to go and spend even more money on completely shutting down illegal immigration, which seems to go against their pledge to do anything to reduce the deficit.
Well I’ve had it. The only way to fix this is to take matters into my own hands and run for office. I’m not thinking Congress — I like our congresscritter, Henry Waxman, far too much. But perhaps at the state level — I haven’t been impressed by either of our state folk: Cameron Smyth or Sharon Runner (who just took over her husband’s seat). I think I could go in there and bring an engineer’s perspective to the State Assembly. Fix the budget with some compromise. Improve computer security. Fix the highways.
I just think it could work, if I could get some financial backing. If it doesn’t… well… there’s always being a producer on Broadway… “Cats Don’t Dance: A New Musical“… it could work.
