Before Passover every year, Jews are supposed to clean all chametz (leavened products, which have a more extensive definition, but let that pass) from their homes.  Bread, cereal, etc., all are removed. And then the house is cleaned so that even the breadcrumbs are swept up (and burnt in a ceremony we've done, oh, maybe twice--but it was fun).  A ( Read more... )

I've been feeling pretty down lately about the state of the world.  Climate change is progressing nicely and will result in a different kind of world.  Don't want to speculate on the precise changes, but they are likely to make for a poorer world--in every sense of poor.  The continued insecurity of the economy, the bitter and apparently immovable ( Read more... )

In the past few years, businesses have taken to calling the people who come into their stores “guests.”  Guests and hosts share a reciprocal relationship based on hospitality.  When I invite people to be my guests for dinner, I am either paying for that dinner or cooking it for them.  The quality of the food is nice, but less important than the ( Read more... )

As the election season heats up, I'm thinking more about my beliefs about America and what we are and should be, what our values are and how we enact them.  So here goes...

I follow Claude Fischer's blog from his book, Made in America, and have recommended particular posts on a number of occasions. He's not ideological in the least, very much data- ( Read more... )

Lovely, lovely July 4th.  We had dinner in the backyard with John and Melissa, and toasted our country with love and seriousness--acknowledging that times are hard.  Then we went off to watch the fireworks at Las Positas.  A very large and happy crowd of all ages, ethnicities, states of dress (although following, the dress was mostly blankets!).  ( Read more... )

In the past week, I've been thinking about some examples of symbolic moral outrage--I'll list two, which is all the time I have.  That is, issues that generate such strong feelings that people split into one side or the other AND where the issue is symbolic of or replaces some other issue, thereby allowing the person to feel morally superior ( Read more... )

I just finished the bear of a chapter I've been working on for more than a year (I've gotten other stuff done, but really--that chapter's been eating away at me).  I am beyond happy!  Now--on to the next one.  This one was on what makes B'nai Mitzvah authentic, so at the heart of the work.  The others aren't that bad.  And just two more (rough ( Read more... )

It was pointed out that it's been almost two months since I've posted anything.  Which makes me not a lot different from anyone else I know (except Carol--thank you Carol!  You're terrific and your photographs are wonderful ( Read more... )

I have a few minutes here, so here's an update ( Read more... )

1. Been sick for a week now.  This is the fifth time I've been sick since early November--I don't think I ever remember being sick so often, even when our kids were small.  This one intersected Passover nicely, meaning we missed the second Seder.  Should have missed the first one, too, but I was too set on doing it--and didn't have enough brain to ( Read more... )