Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Eurocup 2008
Well as I sit here and watch Italy beat France (most likely) I am so glad that this sport exist. It makes me wish that my parents were actually born in Europe so I could partake in seeing these amazing games. The stadium sounds and the passions of the fans that follow their coutries to the corners of the Earth makes this game so wonderful. As I hear these fans i see one thing about this sport that makes it so wonderful. It brings out nationalism that I feel at some points is dead in America. Think about it this way.......if we had other national teams like basketball, which we do if you have been under a rock forever, no one follows the national team......soccer is unique. People travel to watch soccer. Soccer is the world game that brings respect to countries. It lets the world know who you are and can bring your countries name and glory to almost every house in the world that has a tv. Soccer brings people together no matter what for a simple face, to cheer on their team to bring glory to the country that each person lives in no matter what the differences are at home. Soccer is the unifying sport of the world and Americans i don't think can handle it on that level. As Americans we seem to love not to get along to argue over evrerything and never want to agree. Even fans of the same team argue with each other at games and bring in the outside world to sports. Soccer is something well almost pure. Its the pure joy of players and coaches and the regular citizen to help their countries names. It is seen in the players them selves how much it means to them. Some don't get paid at all to play and others get paid a very small fee.....so small a fee that its not worth it to risk your carrer, and this is a major difference from the other sports. BTW England players as of right now donate their pay to charity. Other sports here in American, mainly the NBA, complain that they don;t want their players to play on the national team so they wont get hurt....you don;t not hear of soccer managers doing this. There is the risk of your star player getting hurt, but the risk is worth the reward. Your National team gaining the respect of the world is something t hat cant be bought. This is what is wrong with America. We want to think of our selves all the time and never the country . We would rather not prove our selves on the world stage. Soccer is something that brings the world together and most Americans want to sit outside that box and not join the rest of the world......
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Why i hate the week after spring break
Yes that is right spring break makes me hate a certain time of year every year. We get this great break that puts us all into the mode of summer, and then we are stripped of that glorious feeling like a politician taking a lollipop from a baby. Im sick of this wishing to have summer but having to go back and have a midterm on a Tuesday. What is wrong with these teachers? Do they really think that we will study over the break? News Flash its called break for a reason, we all need it.
On other news how about Michigan getting back in the voting for the primaries. What does it tell you about our country that we tell the state, "Hey if you change your primary you will not get to seat anyone." Then we the race gets close we allow them to actually maybe decide the race. This is saying, "Hey you broke all the rules, but you can now have the biggest say." This is the dumbest thing i have heard of in awhile. There is a reason politics in America needs to change and here is the perfect example. We are all taught high morales, but when it gets tough we throw them out the window? This needs to stop. Send my voice out there and say no more and everyone else should too.
Now that i got that out of my system id like to say it has turned to a glorious time right now, and we all know its March Madness. The time where Cinderella teams bust the hopes of number one seeds everywhere and get to the elite eight and then the band wagon fans are let down when they are knocked out. Its the time of year of half court buzzer beaters and Christen Laitner type shots. Its the time where everyone at least once gets on their knees and begs g-d to let them make the half court shot to keep the hopes alive for the next round. This is one of the best times of years and I believe that it brings out a passion that can compare to Futbol in other countries.
As for what i think will happen in the tournament i have UNC and Texas playing for it in the end and DJ winning it all for the longhorns. YES YES YES i know how typical i pick Texas, but in the end if they play like the did against Kansas at home and UCLA away they can beat anyone in the country and have a great shot of winning it all. I think which DJ's leadership they can do anything.
Well as for right now I think that is all i can ramble on about right now, but I'm sure i can think of other stuff later this week to complain and talk about. For now i leave you with the thought of post. When it comes down to it how does a person know they are completely whole?
On other news how about Michigan getting back in the voting for the primaries. What does it tell you about our country that we tell the state, "Hey if you change your primary you will not get to seat anyone." Then we the race gets close we allow them to actually maybe decide the race. This is saying, "Hey you broke all the rules, but you can now have the biggest say." This is the dumbest thing i have heard of in awhile. There is a reason politics in America needs to change and here is the perfect example. We are all taught high morales, but when it gets tough we throw them out the window? This needs to stop. Send my voice out there and say no more and everyone else should too.
Now that i got that out of my system id like to say it has turned to a glorious time right now, and we all know its March Madness. The time where Cinderella teams bust the hopes of number one seeds everywhere and get to the elite eight and then the band wagon fans are let down when they are knocked out. Its the time of year of half court buzzer beaters and Christen Laitner type shots. Its the time where everyone at least once gets on their knees and begs g-d to let them make the half court shot to keep the hopes alive for the next round. This is one of the best times of years and I believe that it brings out a passion that can compare to Futbol in other countries.
As for what i think will happen in the tournament i have UNC and Texas playing for it in the end and DJ winning it all for the longhorns. YES YES YES i know how typical i pick Texas, but in the end if they play like the did against Kansas at home and UCLA away they can beat anyone in the country and have a great shot of winning it all. I think which DJ's leadership they can do anything.
Well as for right now I think that is all i can ramble on about right now, but I'm sure i can think of other stuff later this week to complain and talk about. For now i leave you with the thought of post. When it comes down to it how does a person know they are completely whole?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
A journey to Mexico
When Yoni told me about this trip I had no idea what I was getting my self into, but it turned into another experience that will no doubt change my life and the way I feel about our Southern neighbors and Jewish Identity.
When we all hear Mexico we think of the poor border towns that we as Texans have been to or have heard about, but Monterey was something totally different. It was almost like a new Mexico, a Mexico that was forging into the era of globalization, but still kept its roots firmly placed into a culture that is unique.
When coming into the airport in Monterrey it seems brand-new and a sign that this city is not going to be the same. When I stepped off the plane I expected the cheap shops and dirty roads that have so been part of my Mexico experiences when I visited the country. Instead I got a Monterey where out my Hampton Inn hotel room window there was a HEB, 7/11, Starbucks, McDonalds, and Applebee’s. Corporate America has moved into this city, and in some ways this was good and in other ways this was bad. Sure the corporate America and the large industrial companies that have moved into the city have definitely made it maybe the richest city in Mexico, but in the end is this good? Does it take away the culture that is Mexico? In some ways I really believe it does. Yes there is still the passion for Futbol and a culture of music that is familiar to the region, but some of the feel of the city is lost with corporate America.
I went to Monterey thinking that I was going to be able to travel to the shady markets that are so commonplace to Mexico. The places where you walk and think in your head, “if I feel asleep here I might just wake up in a tub of ice and stitches where a kidney used to be.” Now some people would say this is awful, but I honestly believe that it adds character to a country. It makes it important to try and actually pick up the culture and listen to the people and not just act like a tourist and think you can get away with it. Instead I got high-class malls and a thriving nightlife, which I’m not complaining about that part, it was the best club scene I have seen for your dollar. In the end Monterey offers the classic Mexican charm if you have never been there before, and was a amazing city. I just believe that the American grip on it might be a little to tight.
Now for the reason for why I was really there was a great program called Young Judah, which is a Zionist movement here in the United States. They set up a weekend for us to interact with other Jews from the UK, Israel, and Mexico. The whole convention was an eye opener to the culture that is Jewish. As the hours passed and the more we all talked it became apparent that even though we are from different countries with different cultures, in the end we are all the same. We all know the same songs and the same beat. We all feel the same love for the land of milk and honey and want to help it prosper and grow. It also showed us how in America we don’t face as much anti-Semitism on college campuses as do the Brits who seem to have to fight it off every day to just have a normal life. This fact brings me to beg the question: how much does the British government really care about the Jewish people? The British government seems to stand by Israel, but it seems when it comes to Jews in Britain that they look the other way and let the Jews defend them selves from attacks that have no validity. Another question that was pulling at my mind was how the Jewish people want to fit into a society. The discussion that brought this around to my brain was when we were talking about Jews in America and how the population is shrinking, assimilation is a big problem, and this got me to think. Our fathers, fathers, fathers before us struggled to fit into a population to be one with the people and not have to face the hatred of the people like Jews have for so many centuries. Now this has become a reality in America and it seems like if we fit in, we want out and vice versa. So I beg the question: What will make us happy in a society? I honestly believe it has to be a good mixture of the two. We have to teach our young to have a sense of Jewish identity, but also show them the ways to blend in. There has to be a perfect mix for this to work and it will take a long time, but I believe it can be done. Another interesting think about Jews in Monterey was that during Shabbat services it was not just services, but a social event at the same time. We had prayers going on and some people would be going along, and then you could turn your head and there was a group of people talking amongst themselves and not even paying attention, and this wasn’t just the same people, but instead it was everyone doing it at one point and time. I have not been to many countries, but I have a feeling that this is distinctly something in Monterey. This was something that made we realize how close this small community was and what it really meant to be a Jew. It was the two pillars that I think really makes us special as a people, social and religious. In the same place at the same time they were doing the two things that make us so great as a people.
Now as I ramble on in this blog I feel like I have to also mention one thing that seems to have made an impression on me. I meet a girl in this lovely city that seems to be unlike any other girl I have ever met. Here was a girl that finally intellectually stimulated my brain with everything she said and also shared the same ideas that I have. It’s hard to describe her in words, but I guess I can say she was the most free spirited person I have ever met and I loved it. She was as beautiful as the Aura Borealis on a clear night in the arctic, it’s like seeing these beautiful lights and they still make you have deep thought. She has both beauty and brain and its rare to find it anymore. She easily had the beauty to fit in with the “hot sorority girls” but had the brains of a freethinking revolutionary. It was something I have never really experienced and she left me wanting more. Being in her presence is something special and you knew it.
In the end the whole experience was something that changed me forever and made me really think even more how deeply we are connected to our land as a people. Again I found my self feeling like I was at home and fit in once again and didn’t have to worry about if anyone would give me shit for being Jewish. It really makes me want to make Elijah. On a final note as I was sitting in the airport today I realized that in the end all these conventions really have a double meaning. One is to bring us all closer to Israel, which it works and the other is really to make Jewish babies. I know some people would say this is not true, but I say it is and it’s a really good thing. Its so hard to find a lot of Jewish girls in America and these conventions bring us together to meet new people and really can give us connections to new people that we could never meet. I leave you with this last line, “How do we as a people get the Jews that have no desire to see Israel and be part of the Jewish culture?”
When we all hear Mexico we think of the poor border towns that we as Texans have been to or have heard about, but Monterey was something totally different. It was almost like a new Mexico, a Mexico that was forging into the era of globalization, but still kept its roots firmly placed into a culture that is unique.
When coming into the airport in Monterrey it seems brand-new and a sign that this city is not going to be the same. When I stepped off the plane I expected the cheap shops and dirty roads that have so been part of my Mexico experiences when I visited the country. Instead I got a Monterey where out my Hampton Inn hotel room window there was a HEB, 7/11, Starbucks, McDonalds, and Applebee’s. Corporate America has moved into this city, and in some ways this was good and in other ways this was bad. Sure the corporate America and the large industrial companies that have moved into the city have definitely made it maybe the richest city in Mexico, but in the end is this good? Does it take away the culture that is Mexico? In some ways I really believe it does. Yes there is still the passion for Futbol and a culture of music that is familiar to the region, but some of the feel of the city is lost with corporate America.
I went to Monterey thinking that I was going to be able to travel to the shady markets that are so commonplace to Mexico. The places where you walk and think in your head, “if I feel asleep here I might just wake up in a tub of ice and stitches where a kidney used to be.” Now some people would say this is awful, but I honestly believe that it adds character to a country. It makes it important to try and actually pick up the culture and listen to the people and not just act like a tourist and think you can get away with it. Instead I got high-class malls and a thriving nightlife, which I’m not complaining about that part, it was the best club scene I have seen for your dollar. In the end Monterey offers the classic Mexican charm if you have never been there before, and was a amazing city. I just believe that the American grip on it might be a little to tight.
Now for the reason for why I was really there was a great program called Young Judah, which is a Zionist movement here in the United States. They set up a weekend for us to interact with other Jews from the UK, Israel, and Mexico. The whole convention was an eye opener to the culture that is Jewish. As the hours passed and the more we all talked it became apparent that even though we are from different countries with different cultures, in the end we are all the same. We all know the same songs and the same beat. We all feel the same love for the land of milk and honey and want to help it prosper and grow. It also showed us how in America we don’t face as much anti-Semitism on college campuses as do the Brits who seem to have to fight it off every day to just have a normal life. This fact brings me to beg the question: how much does the British government really care about the Jewish people? The British government seems to stand by Israel, but it seems when it comes to Jews in Britain that they look the other way and let the Jews defend them selves from attacks that have no validity. Another question that was pulling at my mind was how the Jewish people want to fit into a society. The discussion that brought this around to my brain was when we were talking about Jews in America and how the population is shrinking, assimilation is a big problem, and this got me to think. Our fathers, fathers, fathers before us struggled to fit into a population to be one with the people and not have to face the hatred of the people like Jews have for so many centuries. Now this has become a reality in America and it seems like if we fit in, we want out and vice versa. So I beg the question: What will make us happy in a society? I honestly believe it has to be a good mixture of the two. We have to teach our young to have a sense of Jewish identity, but also show them the ways to blend in. There has to be a perfect mix for this to work and it will take a long time, but I believe it can be done. Another interesting think about Jews in Monterey was that during Shabbat services it was not just services, but a social event at the same time. We had prayers going on and some people would be going along, and then you could turn your head and there was a group of people talking amongst themselves and not even paying attention, and this wasn’t just the same people, but instead it was everyone doing it at one point and time. I have not been to many countries, but I have a feeling that this is distinctly something in Monterey. This was something that made we realize how close this small community was and what it really meant to be a Jew. It was the two pillars that I think really makes us special as a people, social and religious. In the same place at the same time they were doing the two things that make us so great as a people.
Now as I ramble on in this blog I feel like I have to also mention one thing that seems to have made an impression on me. I meet a girl in this lovely city that seems to be unlike any other girl I have ever met. Here was a girl that finally intellectually stimulated my brain with everything she said and also shared the same ideas that I have. It’s hard to describe her in words, but I guess I can say she was the most free spirited person I have ever met and I loved it. She was as beautiful as the Aura Borealis on a clear night in the arctic, it’s like seeing these beautiful lights and they still make you have deep thought. She has both beauty and brain and its rare to find it anymore. She easily had the beauty to fit in with the “hot sorority girls” but had the brains of a freethinking revolutionary. It was something I have never really experienced and she left me wanting more. Being in her presence is something special and you knew it.
In the end the whole experience was something that changed me forever and made me really think even more how deeply we are connected to our land as a people. Again I found my self feeling like I was at home and fit in once again and didn’t have to worry about if anyone would give me shit for being Jewish. It really makes me want to make Elijah. On a final note as I was sitting in the airport today I realized that in the end all these conventions really have a double meaning. One is to bring us all closer to Israel, which it works and the other is really to make Jewish babies. I know some people would say this is not true, but I say it is and it’s a really good thing. Its so hard to find a lot of Jewish girls in America and these conventions bring us together to meet new people and really can give us connections to new people that we could never meet. I leave you with this last line, “How do we as a people get the Jews that have no desire to see Israel and be part of the Jewish culture?”
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