BOO-HOO-TAY!!

Never have I ever....danced at a Bootie party!!!

bitter

why do jews eat bitter herbs on passover (and dip them in salt water)?

is it because of their beneficial digestive qualities?

in deference to the 8 days you can't drink beer?

in homage to jewish comedian lewis black or to horseradish-throw record-holder al weider?

to symbolize the cruel treatment the israelite slaves were subject to in egypt (see the haroset in that heiroglyph?!), and the bitter experiences of the jewish people throughout history?

masochism?

well, everyone has their opinions. but my theory boils down to this:

you can't fuck with horseradish.

haroset (4)

y'all see these pyramids? well guess what, muthafuckas? the jews built them. that's right, we were slaves in egypt, and we dragged some big-ass rocks through the desert and piled them on top of each other so that the man - the egyptian man - could mummify and then bury his sorry ass in all his sorry glory (no offense to any modern day egyptians reading this blog). and you know what they used to hold those oversized triangles together? this shit:














yeah, you heard me, this mixture of apples, almonds, wine, cinnamon, sugar, dates, walnuts, ginger, raisins, and/or oranges are what's holding the pyramids of giza together. at least, that's what we were told in hebrew school. so the next time your ass is at a passover seder and you find yourself picking some gooey apple out of your teeth, remember that if not for us jews, the mummy would never have been made.

Concert tonight in Brooklyn...

Hey guys. Raju and I are going to see a band tonight at Southpaw in Brooklyn. The concert is at 9pm. The band is "Do Say Make Think."

It seems I suddenly have an extra ticket. Anyone free?

Let me know if you want to come along. Ticket was $15. Will be fun.


Go here to listen to them: http://www.myspace.com/doomachesatan

seder family dinner?

friends

i am happy to enlighten you regarding the passover holiday, but i must admit there is an alterior purpose in blogging about eggs and lambs hanging from hooks.
last year we had a passover seder which i think all parties can agree was most succesful. everybody brought a little love to the table, and the haroset (you'll find out tomorrow) was awesome.
we have been thinking about having a 87 2nd Pl 4th Fl reunion seder next week, but i want to see if people are feelin' it. the actual seder day (monday) is out because my mom will kill me if i don't show up in ossining. but thursday, april 5th? i know josh s. can't make it....
let's make it a JJ8 week: nadya's latino ball, sol's bowling birthday, passover family dinner.....???
what are folks thinking?
[comments, please]

Joe and Raju = Hot Bartenders

Raju and Joe bartend the Latino Law Student Charity Banquet on SUnday April 1, 2007. Come see the men in assless chaps, eat a full course dinner, enjoy an open bar and feel good at the end because it went to street children. There will be 2 bands, a Grammy award winner, a beat box flutist, salsa classes and general merriment. Look nice.

6-11, in the Greenberg lounge at the law school. Washington Square South between McDougal and Sullivan.

eggs! (the third in a series)

up 'til now you probably thought passover was a holiday about escape and the merciless killing of furry creatures..

well, it's really a holiday about this sad life. mourning and rebirth. the bittersweetness of being a jew. all conveniently symbolized with a roasted hard-boiled egg. in one small package, the egg represents the sacrificial lamb (see below), the destruction of the temple (parts I and II), the mourning for said temple (did you know people used to give away eggs in funerals), springtime, rebirth, and life.

ah, egg! so white, so round, and so good.

Flickry Dickry Doc

Lots of pics within of life here in Europe:

http://www.flickr.com/gp/96243091@N00/hR8Vgp

This weekend Jules and I went to Budapest--an A+ city all around.

Reunion in an Eastern European public bath?

Bowie as Curator

check out http://www.highlinefestival.com/

passover II - death of wooly

SHANKBONE

so the SHANKBONE symbolizes the bone from the lamb the israelites sacrificed to god the night before fleeing egypt. the blood from the lamb was streaked on their doorposts and that way the Angel of Death knew not to come in and kill their first born. thanks, lamb!

here's what Wikipedia had to say about subsequent animal sacrifice:

The sacrificial animal, which was either a lamb or kid, was necessarily a male, one year old, and without blemish. Each family or society offered one animal together, which did not require the "semikah" (laying on of hands), although it was obligatory to determine who were to take part in the sacrifice that the killing might take place with the proper intentions. Only those who were circumcised and clean before the Law might participate, and they were forbidden to have leavened food in their possession during the act of killing the paschal lamb. The animal was slain on the eve of the Passover, on the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan, after the Tamid sacrifice had been killed, i.e., at three o'clock, or, in case the eve of the Passover fell on Friday, at two.
The killing took place in the court of the Temple at Jerusalem, and might be performed by a layman, although the blood had to be caught by a priest, and rows of priests with gold or silver cups in their hands stood in line from the Temple court to the altar, where the blood was sprinkled. These cups were rounded on the bottom, so that they could not be set down; for in that case the blood might coagulate. The priest who caught the blood as it dropped from the victim then handed the cup to the priest next to him, receiving from him an empty one, and the full cup was passed along the line until it reached the last priest, who sprinkled its contents on the altar. The lamb was then hung upon special hooks or sticks and skinned; but if the eve of the Passover fell on a Sabbath, the skin was removed down to the breast only. The abdomen was then cut open, and the fatty portions intended for the altar were taken out, placed in a vessel, salted, and offered by the priest on the altar, while the remaining entrails likewise were taken out and cleansed.

what's up with that seder plate? (part I)

passover: it's coming up soon.

a chance for jews around the world (and their friends) to gather at a table and reaffirm their millenia of suffering. an opportunity to tell the story of the exodus and debate what it means to be a jew. and, crucially, an evening to slowly get demolished over 4 full (and mandatory!) cups of wine.

so, you may ask, why the flat bread?

well, these big cracker-looking things are called "matzah." when the jews fled from egypt they didn't have time to let the bread they were baking rise. so this is what they ate instead. an added advantage was, after eating matzah for a week straight, they were all extremely constipated. so in getting away from the egyptians, no extra time was wasted squatting in the bushes.

stay tuned for tomorrow's installment: shankbone.

rents in carroll gardens going down?

this guy was seen in the neighborhood yesterday:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/23/nyregion/23robbery.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Wee Wee!

A song I think Ben will enjoy:

http://salonmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o1/mp3s/2007/mar/jay-wee.mp3

Freeeeeeeeeedom!!!!!!!!!

I quit my job today! Last day is next Friday. If anybody needs an accomplice for anything during the month of April, I'm available.

After that, I'm planning on spending two months immersing myself in spanish, both in Spain and in Guatemala....probably Spain in May, Guatemala in June. So Feldman, let's plan on meeting up somewhere on that continent you're on. And Adz, this means that you'll be able to visit me from Nicaragua. I haven't finalized exact plans for these places yet, so if anyone has suggestions for places to go, especially in Spain, let me know.

I'm so happy!

More

This looks pretty dope. jazz orchestra + dancing + 1920s clothing + in an old church = c'mon.

Junkies Celebrate St. Patrick's Day With Green Heroin

In an attempt to avoid my previous/typical St. Patrick's Days experience [barfing green beer all over midtown, waiting in long lines at crappy bars lined with crappy Shamrock's, being accidentally gay-bashed watching the parade] I was hoping to rope a few of you into something more ambitious... perhaps a goodmorning Guiness, followed by a brunch of cornedbeef&cabbage, followed by a field trip to Woodlawn, Woodside, or BreezyPoint [the big three interms of IrishDensity] [Intensity] [& Number of Drunken Green Titties Per Person], followed by a bar crawl around said neighborhoods.

Deja Vu

Folks, evening is nigh. Come play in the snow/rain/hail/sleet. The place is Zebulon (258 Wythe Ave), the time is 10 PM, the reason is the Hungry March Band, and the secret password is Jon Ross promised to come out and better not flake.

For those looking for earlier merry making + free beer there is a gallery (the arm gallery in Brooklyn on N 7th & Havemeyer) that is hosting a little get together at their place around 8.

Calling All Cars/Proof Of God

Kiddos: It seems there is indeed a God. And he wants you to attend his church (a.k.a. The Blind Tiger Ale House). After being booted from its original location (and replaced by the 'bucks, no less), BTAH re-opened on Bleecker only to lose its license immediately in the ultimate screw over. But the side of Good has prevailed, Evil has been pushed back, and the license has been reissued.

To celebrate, this Thursday (March 15), they will have some great beers. 28 on tap, 2 casks, and 40 different bottles. Most of it will be American Microbrews that you do not know; all of it will be good.

So put your church clothes on and come join in the goodness.

(Yes, I like this bar a lot).

Attn: Ben, Schwartz, others of discriminating taste

Danger Mouse and the Black Keys are recording an album with Ike Turner.

-MYMIND!

News You Can Use

No Hungry Marching Band this weekend as the rockett notes however March 28th is rapidly approaching and I urge everyone to buy tickets to the Do Make Say Think show at southpaw. $15.

More weekend stuff

1) friday at 10PM @ zebulon in williamsburg to see the hungry march band (don't worry about it - they're good)

2) followed by house party in bushwick (265 mckibbin street)

300 (cancelled)

probably can't do it.

-Josh

+41 61 321 56 64

That is my and Julie's phone number in Switzerland. Call it, yo!