After reading the headlines about the US Federal government shutdown and re-opening with many members of Congress making this assertion…”This will never ever happen again!” I reacted vocally by saying “Famous Last Words”in a sarcastic manner. A student of mine looked at me with a blank face wondering what I meant by that statement. As a person who is prone to irony, I must admit I say this quite a bit. It’s my way of poking fun at people’s lame assertions. Or as the Canadians say (in French): Ce genre de propos reviennent souvent hanterceux qui les ont tenus.
This expression is actually used quite frequently to describe words which come back to haunt us as they prove to be false or proved wrong by future events. This expression was probably made famous by a U.S. Civil War General John Sedgwick as he was standing on a battlefield nonchalantly remarking to his subordinates that the Rebels “couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance” right before he was struck down by a sniper. After pronouncing those words, he became the highest ranking Union casualty in the civil war.
Many times in a last ditch effort to be funny (literally!), famous last words are inscribed on tombstones (many of them compiled by Kathleen Miller’s book below). Consequently people smile instead of crying when they come to visit your (yes…we’ll all go one day…) grave site. In this way, you will have the last laugh! With the approach of Halloween, some of these “famous last words” inscriptions will once again be in the limelight (or under the moonlight if you’re out and about on Halloween or All Saints Eve):
I will not be back after these messages (or commercials!)….Merv Griffin (TV Late Night Talk Show Host):
Spike Milligan (Monty Python’s Life of Brian): “Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite.” (Gallic translation: “I told you I was ill!“)
I’m a writer…but then nobody’s perfect! Billy Wilder (Famous Film Director of the 1958 American classic movie (among others): Some Like It Hot)
Others at random (some unknown):
Follow Me! (at your own risk!)
Well…this sucks!
Here Lies an Atheist…all dressed up and no place to go.
and finally…Mel Blanc the voice of ‘Bugs Bunny’:
And let’s let Mel Blanc, the man of 1000 voices (including Bugs Bunny) have the last word (or laugh!)….
The fictional character Jack Ryan is crying now as his creator, Tom Clancy, is no longer with us. He passed away on October 1 at the age of 66 after writing some of the best American post Cold War espionage novels of all time starting with The Hunt for Red October in 1984 in which he introduced Jack Ryan as a CIA analyst (Alec Baldwin starred as Ryan in the 1990 movie and Sean Connery played his nemesis) and ending with Threat Vector in 2012. His last novel Command Authority will be posthumous and is set to come out at the end of this year.
In Clear and Present Danger, Clancy’s 5th novel (Harrison Ford stars as Jack Ryan this time), he pits his character against the President of the US and his aids who are leading a covert war against a drug cartel based in Colombia. The title ‘Clear and Present Danger’ is a term coined by Justice Oliver Wendell Homes, Jr. in the case Schenck v. United States.It was used to describe how the government should have the right to regulate speech if it jeopardizes the safety of the country especially during wartime (the First Amendment was abridged during WWI to ward against subversive advocacy).
Now with the government shutdown (see my previous post) over raising the debt ceiling of federal budget so that the government can pays its bills on time without defaulting (the deadline is probably somewhere between October 22 and November 1 according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office and the Bipartisan Policy Center)., Clancy’s novel takes on even more meaning. Is there a clear and present danger occurring with the kind of speech that is coming out of the American Congress? Are they jeopardizing not only the economy of the US, but the world economy and perhaps even world peace? Are the American people the unwitting bystanders just like Jack Ryan was?
Each side is saying: It’s my way or the highway…take it or leave it. And the arm wrestling goes on….
Al Gore to the Brookings Institute on September 27: “Nice global economy you’ve got there. It would be a shame if we had to destroy it. Here’s our demands. If you don’t meet our deadline. We’ll blow up the economy. (This is) a despicable and dishonorable threat to the integrity of the United States.”
So Federal employees are being forced to take furlough which means they are temporarily laid off. Today marks the first full day when many government employees will no longer be on the job. They will have to take unpaid leave. According to the Federal government Blog roughly 650,000 Defense Department employees will be forced to go fishing (!!) or occupy their time doing other things. These furloughs are hitting beyond the borders of the United States and affecting some very disappointed and unhappy tourists who wanted to visit the American cemetery in Normandy. Here’s a recent CBS news broadcast which describes how people are feeling:
So how do you know who’s absent? As all professionals do, federal employees will have to put up auto-reply messages to notify e-mailers that they are absent leaving messages like this one: “I am furloughed today but will return [DATE]. Please contact me during my regular hours on non-furlough days.”
Some federal and defense department employees, however, had some more creative ideas and they took to the Facebook group “How I Spent My Furlough Day” — Here are the best five:
5) From Bruce Krapovicky: “I am currently furloughed and unable to respond to your email. If this were a weekend or a holiday I would respond to your email on my Blackberry, but federal employees are not permitted to use their BBs or perform any work on furlough days. Your national security is important to me. Please leave a message and I will get back with you tomorrow.”
4) From Joshua Marcuse: “Thank you for your message. Due to unexpectedly high volume of incompetence, intransigence, and irresponsibility by the elected leadership of this great country, we are experiencing 20 percent delays. Please hold until a public servant is available to assist you. Your email will be answered in the order it was received. Thank you.”
3) From Kelli Seybolt: “Furloughed! In case of emergency please contact the Senate Appropriations Committee at 202-224-7363 and request supplemental funding. I will return your call as soon as possible.”
2) From Andrea Yaffe: “Today’s my furlough day. I am supposed to do 20 percent less work. You’ll find out on Monday whether your email is part of the other 80 percent.”
And, the number one fake out-of-office message is…
1) From Scott Buchanan: “It’s against the law for me to check my blackberry today, so I’m going to the beach instead.”
And if you think these furlough days are only affecting American territories on earth…think again…the Federal shutdown is even affecting Space as attested by the following video from NASA:
Now that the school year is well under way, our educational system is once again being scrutinized. The cartoon above, sent to me by an educator, has been circulating around the internet demonstrating how, once again, many people believe that the educational system in the United States is sick and the cause of many of the ills which are befalling the country, e.g. inner city crime, unemployment, unskilled workers and a poor work ethic, a struggling economy, a large welfare system, etc. And of course the public and private sectors are each other’s throats trying to blame each other for the failing educational system. Applying the credo that “all men are created equal”, the the Public School system tries to promote a standardized educational system so that all students have access to the same high quality education. And the private school system keeps complaining about the lack of competition and entrepreneurship in Public Schools. We are now holding teachers accountable for the low success rate of many students especially in low income areas. But do we really want to privatize education? This problem was brought to my attention recently by David Brooks, a New York Times columnist who wrote an editorial entitled “Look Beyond The Report Card“. He writes: “…The results show that, in general, schools in more affluent communities perform better than those in poorer neighborhoods. No matter who’s responsible – whether it’s parents who supposedly don’t value education or teachers who have low expectations for students – it’s reasonable to conclude that creating jobs and improving conditions in those neighborhoods would help boost school performance. Social problems tend to be interconnected; solutions to those problems do, too.”
The source of this speculation probably stems from a book written by a Harvard Sociologist, William Julius Wilson in 1987 calledThe Truly Disadvantaged. In his book, Wilson points out that if kids grow up in an underprivileged setting without healthcare, a safe environment and a solid school system, they will perpetuate the poverty and social inequalities (crime, illiteracy, dysfunctional families, etc. ) that they have suffered from for generations.
Because of the enduring economic crisis and a growing number of people who just can’t seem to extricate themselves from the quicksand of poverty, two other sociologists have recently published two new books which substantiate many of Wilson’s beliefs and go beyond the scope of urban decay and a lack of opportunity in underprivileged areas. The first, published in 2012 by the University of Chicago Press, is Robert Sampson’s Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect.Robert Sampson is an imminent professor of sociology at Harvard University who has done extensive research conducted with Stephen Raudenbush and Patrick Sharkey into the influence of “place” on people’s lives. Sampson points out that not only can a socially disadvantaged environment harm a child’s basic well-being, but it can also hamper a child’s capacity to learn and even to re-adapt to a new more prosperous environment. He contends that a child who grows up in a poor neighborhood acquires a learning disability and will have a hard time catching up to other children of the same age in reading, writing, science and math. He writes that this handicap is “roughly equivalent to missing a year of schooling.”
The second book, Stuck in Place: Urban Neighborhoods and the End of Progress Toward Racial Equality, published in April in Chicago, Patrick Sharkey sets out on his own to exploit 4 decades worth of data to demonstrate how neighborhood social inequality and lack of opportunity can lock generations in the same downward spiral. Sharkey, an associate professor of sociology at New York University, writes that “over 70 percent of African-Americans who live in today’s poorest, most racially segregated neighborhoods are from the same families that lived in the ghettos of the 1970s.” In other words, “the American ghetto appears to be inherited”—an observation that has implications in how we organize our educational system and provide the same standards to all citizens.One solution that Americans are trying is transforming schools into small businesses in the form of “Charter Schools” which compete with one another and strive to satisfy their students’ individual needs (and those of their parents!) who consequently are considered more like “customers”.
Thus Charter Schools are special schools which are set up to solve some of the problems encountered in inner cities schools located in underprivileged districts. They are operated privately but receive public funding to pay for their teachers and administration. They are judged on the success of their students and funding is stopped if test scores do not show improvement in the core subjects or if their graduation rate falls short. To achieve good results, many schools apply strict discipline and make students wear uniforms to break down social and economic barriers. Although making up only 6% of the schools nationwide, the question most people are asking themselves is: do these “privately run” schools work better than “publicly run” schools in reaching their objectives of academic excellence?
In a recent study conducted by the Center for Research on Educational Outcomes at Stanford University, researchers found that charter schools perform better than public schools in educating low income students, minority students, and immigrant students who do not yet master the English language. The Stanford University researchers also found that children who attend charter schools have higher test scores and graduate from high school in higher numbers than their traditional public school peers. In addition to having a higher graduation rate than public schools, dozens of charter schools across the country have a 100 percent college acceptance rate for graduating seniors proving that they prepare their students better for college than public schools . Proof that competition is a great motivator! Now we just have to convince the teaching unions and principals…
A Litmus test for schools according to David Brooks:
Do teachers and administrators engage their students, encouraging them and hold them accountable when needed?
Do students show advancing mastery of and interest in crucial subjects like reading, writing, math and science?
Does the school promote critical thinking as well as memorization and test-taking skills?
“Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken.”~Bill Dodds, acclaimed children’s poet and novelist who tries to insert humor in all of his works.
Sacha Guitry a French actor, playwright and satirical humorist said about the “back to school day” called “La Rentrée” in France : « Ecoles : établissements où l’on apprend à des enfants ce qu’il leur est indispensable de savoir pour devenir des professeurs. »
Labor Day marks the end of summer vacation and there is a freshness and a newness in the air as students head back to school. A new school year marks the beginning of hope and renewal for many students and parents and teachers alike. Even though many are still trying to catch the final breaths of summer, most everyone is gearing up for a new educational experience. Changes can be felt across the nation as budgets have squeezed the way schools are run and the kaleidoscope of faces has become more complex. Below are random pictures taken at schools across America to illustrate the subtle changes which are taking place:
Today is Labor Day and the American civilian labor force participation rate now stands at 63.4 percent as of the end of July. (See Bureau of Labor Statistics) Part of that group is composed of a growing number of people over 60 starting 2nd careers. This group of aging Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1956), who make up nearly 25% of the American population, are considered the most educated generation of Americans in history. Instead of putting all of this experience and education to waste, many of them have started new careers or “second acts for the greater good” to share their knowledge and skills with those who are struggling to acquire them.
“Encore” (previously called Civic ventures) is trying to build a movement to inspire mid-life and retired Americans to pursue second careers for the greater good of their communities. Their dream is to produce, together, a windfall of talent to help solve society’s greatest challenges, from education to the environment, health care to homelessness. Thanks to the experience dividend now being realized around the world, many of them are taking the time and energy to live a legacy, instead of just leaving one.
Marc Freedman is CEO and founder of Encore.org (formerly Civic Ventures). He spearheaded the creation of Experience Corps (now AARP Experience Corps), mobilizing Americans over 55 to improve the education of low-income children, and The Purpose Prize, an annual $100,000 award for social innovators in the second half of life. (read more about Marc in his Blog)
Freedman has been described by The New York Times as “the voice of aging baby boomers who are eschewing retirement for … meaningful and sustaining work later in life,” while The Wall Street Journal states, “In the past decade, Mr. Freedman has emerged as a leading voice in discussions nationwide about the changing face of retirement.”
To single out those workers over 55 who have given back to their communities, Marc’s non-profit organization invented a prize called the “Purpose Prize” to honor them. Watch the following video to understand more about what he and others are trying to achieve:
The Purpose Prize®, now in its eighth year, is the nation’s only large-scale investment in people over 60 who are combining their passion and experience for social good. $100,000 is given to each nominee as an award to recognize how they have solved and made a dent in tough social problems. Created in 2005 with funding from the John Templeton Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies, this prize highlights the importance of experience and proves yet again how people can succeed at any age. Passion and dedication is more of an inner trait that can be felt at any age and it is this passionate fire within people which sparks them to bring about changes tapping into a whole life experience to set it in motion.
Millions of dollars in new resources for winners to expand their innovative projects. Purpose Prize winners have leveraged every dollar they’ve been awarded by a factor of eight. (from Encore.Org)
Here is former President Bill Clinton praising the powerful contributions of Purpose Prize winners, saying their stories “are creating a new vision for life after traditional work.” :
Jane Pauley, a well-liked TV journalist on NBC’s Today show who has won many awards went on to become a host on the AARP’s (American Association for Retired People) Life Reimagined TODAY series on NBC’s Today show, describes her own encore experience in the following video clip:
And finally, Purpose Prize winner Don Coyhis talks about how his search for an encore led him to develop a substance abuse recovery program that taps the power of Native American culture, tradition and community. :
Because people are living longer and healthier lives, the question comes up…what are you going to do for the rest of your life? This movement proves that more and more people want to use their time, talent and experience not only to benefit themselves but more importantly to benefit others. Question:Will the 80 million plus Baby Boomers make the verb “to retire” obsolete?
Robin Williams (American comic actor) said: Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!” As everyone is trying to stretch “their dollar”, they’re trying to find ways to celebrate “on a shoestring” or as the French say: “à budget serré ou restreint ou en se serrant la ceinture”
So here we are back again on May 5th and time to break out the Tequila and Guacamole! The best May Day event has become an American tradition and while in France I don’t want to miss out even if we have to “tighten our belts”! As you know, Hispanic culture is an important part of American life these days and Cinco de Mayo is a special day set aside by the Mexican-American community to celebrate Mexican identity, promote ethnic pride and build a sense of community. Cinco de Mayo is a commemoration of a battle which took place in Puebla in 1862, in which Mexican troops were triumphant over the French army (Napoleon III wanted to conquer Mexico but was surprised by Benito Juarez’s army). Actually Mexicans from Mexico celebrate more on September 16, their independence day, but Americans are usually busy at that time of year and the “diez-seis de septiembre” is not as catchy or as easy to say!! Since before the turn of the century, Mexican Americans literally built the great southwestern cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson, Albuquerque, Dallas, and San Antonio. To commemorate this event a new film has just been released called Cinco de Mayo: La Batalla. It was directed by Rafa Lara and stars Kuno Becker, Angelica Aragon, William Miller and Liz Gallardo. The film hits theaters in Los Angeles and Orange County on May 3, 2013. Even though the ratings aren’t the best, we might learn more about this event which gave its name to one of America’s favorite “party” holidays.
California is at the heart of this celebration not only because it used to belong to Mexico in the 19th century but also because a third of the population of California is Hispanic and 84% are of Mexican descent.California used to be called “Alta California” by the Mexicans and the inhabitants were called “Californios” or “Californianos”. A cross marks the place where El Pueblo of Los Angeles was settled and the Angelinos or the residents of Los Angeles put a lot of heart and soul into celebrating this day (a little bit like the Irish-American community do on St. Patrick’s Day, the Chinese on their New Year’s or Oktoberfest for German-Americans and others who like beer!). There are parades, fiestas, mariachi bands playing in the streets, carnival rides, games, dance and art show that last over 2 days.
Of course Mexican food and alcoholic beverages are the highlight of the festivities and no Mexican celebration would be without their signature cocktail the “Margarita” made with the inimitable Mexican liquor: Tequila. If you’re getting thirsty just thinking about this world famous drink, watch the following video in which “Mixologist” (a more professional name for “bartender”) Eben Freeman, of Tailor restaurant in New York City, demonstrates how to prepare a variation on the classic Margarita cocktail. (A little secret…I use ‘Agave syrup’ instead of super fine sugar. It gives more of an authentic taste…but as they say…”to each his own”!)
Some people though are on a shoestring budget. In this tough economy, they are trying to find ways to celebrate and save money at the same time. Watch Bill Tull, American comedian Conan O’Brien’s “Propmaster” (person who puts together props for sketches) who gives us some tips are how to economize this Cinco de Mayo:
S: Don’t forget that in 2010 Mexican cuisine received UNESCO status as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. And as for that Guacamole recipe which I developed after years of experimenting:
Debby’s Guacamole Recipe (a border treat!):
Ingredients
2 ripe small Hass avocados
1 green lemon, juiced
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1 or 2 pickled jalapeno peppers
1 small plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 small yellow skinned onion, finely chopped
chopped cilantro (2 tablespoons or according to taste)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Blue corn tortilla chips, for dipping
Directions
Press garlic into a bowl. Add jalapeno peppers and smash together. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let set for a few minutes (salt will “cook” garlic removing a little bit of its pungency).
Cut avocados in half around the pit. Separate the halves. Pop out pit with spoon, then scoop flesh of avocados into the bowl. Mash the avocado with the garlic and jalapenos until almost smooth. Squeeze the juice of the green lemon over the avocado mixture. Add chopped onion, tomato and cilantro to the bowl to add color contrast. Stir with a fork. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan or pecorino cheese (or Mexican cotija). Serve with yellow or blue corn tortilla chips. Goes really well with margarita cocktails! olé!!
A Disconnect: a communication breakdown between 2 people or 2 groups when there’s no connection between the 2 parties: “there is a vast disconnect between public opinion and federal policy” [French translation: décalage]
Rush Limbaugh, the conservative talk show host says: The mainstream media today has the biggest disconnect with its audience that it’s ever, ever had. And as the disconnect grows and as more and more people distrust them, then the media digs in more and more and says you don’t know what you’re talking about, you don’t know how we do our jobs, you don’t know what’s important.
Carrie Brownstein, the American musician says:« I think that half of us feel fraudulent in our lives anyway. There’s that strange disconnect of not really knowing what we’re doing sometimes, or why it matters. It’s our existential crisis. »
Marcel Aymé,« Peut-être le décalage entre les générations est-il beaucoup plus dans la forme que dans le fond. »
After deciding to unplug for a little while, I decided to get caught up on some movies I hadn’t seen. Of course I wanted to start with all of the Academy Award winners starting with the Best Movie category so I sauntered over to my local movie theater the other night and saw Argo. I was struck by the fact that I had never heard of the special mission, code name ‘Argo’, that had been put together to free the hostages in Iraq in 1988. Of course I remember the event itself and the quandary that then President Carter was put in…bargain with the Iraqis and lose face? Or wait until the rage (justified according to the film based on the Shah’s actions which had been silently supported by the US and the UK because of oil contracts) subsided and hope that the hostages will be released without doing anything.
I felt a real ‘disconnect’ between the reality and what I knew at the time…especially as I had…and have always tried to keep up with international relations and politics. Is there a disconnect? Are we purposely being kept in the dark by business interests lurking behind the scenes?
It’s strange thinking about it knowing that the Australian activist Julian Assange is still holed up in London at the Equatorian embassy waiting for a let up of the legal proceedings launched against him. The Educuadorean government has little hope that the Wikileaks founder will be able to leave its London embassy in the near future (see article in the Independent). Julian Assange has just released a book entitled Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet which speaks about the ‘disconnect’ between internet users and the forces behind the internet which are using information that they collect against us. O.D. Louchard writes: “Should be required reading for anyone in college.” Calling the Internet “a threat to human civilization,” Assange views cryptography as the only way for individuals to protect themselves from the mass surveillance tools deployed to wage war and to spy on ordinary people
The American moviemaker Olivier Stone visited Assange on April 11, 2013 writing on Twitter: “A sad occasion in that Julian could not follow me out the door. He lives in a tiny room with great modesty and discipline…Strong mind, no sun, friends who visit work to be done.”Let’s look at a short video clip from mashable.com which sums up the situation:
Among other celebrities to visit Assange was Lady Gaga. Michael Moore wrote a supportive op-ed in The New York Times stating: “he did much for free speech and is now being victimized by the abusers of that concept.”
Are you feeling worn out? Are you always checking your e-mails or instant messages? Well…you’re not alone. Millions of people are feeling fatigued from over use and dependence on their tech gadgets. A non-profit Jewish group called “Reboot” decided to start a grassroots project called the “Sabbath Manifesto” which aims to encourage people to turn off their gadgets and start living a more balanced life. So they started the National Day of Unplugging which allows you to put down your smartphones, tablets, turn off your computers and TVs and from sundown to sunset go out and see your friends and enjoy nature.
Even though it is inspired by religious observances on the Sabbath, the weekly day of rest, it has also struck a chord with non-religious people who have jumped on the bandwagon organizing events to spread the word about how becoming “unwired” can energize our lives.
Tanya Schevitz
Reboot’s National Communications Manager Tanya Schevitz, tells us the positive impact taking a tech break can have. “People want to stop living through Facebook and Twitter and reconnect with family, friends and the community around them in real life.” The Sunday Morning Digital Life, an online newspaper based in Sydney, Australia, reports that Amie Liebowitz, 20, a student at the University of Sydney, plans to take part. She describes herself as ”always connected in every way possible” and anticipates 24 hours away from her screens will be very difficult.
”I guess we always say ‘FOMO’, which is fear of missing out, and with social media you just develop this need to know everyone’s business all the time, which is really unhealthy and I can recognize this. But I have this massive fear of not seeing what my friends are doing,” she says.
They go on to report that according to a survey from hotel chain Travelodge, 72 per cent of those interviewed checked social networking sites in bed before going to sleep, while 65 per cent checked and sent text messages last thing at night. Perhaps most startling of all, 20 per cent of those who checked their phone in bed admitted interrupting sex to read text messages.
Dr. Larry Rosen
Larry Rosen, author of iDisorder and a professor of psychology at California State University has studied the effects of technology and how they can induce psychological disorders. He says that: ”One day will not change anything. What needs to change is an understanding of what we are doing to our brains and how to reset or calm them periodically to help us learn how to focus and attend to our world without getting overwhelmed and anxious.” He thinks that people should stop a little bit every 2 hours to lessen their addiction to technological devices. It sounds as if we need to exercise our brains just like we exercise our necks and backs after sitting at a desk too long.
Of course that’s not the real point behind the National Day of Unplugging. The people behind the Sabbath Manifesto just want to remind people that we needed feel wired to feel that we exist and that there is a “simpler, less networked way to live.” Generations X and Y now have the “social” permission to leave Facebook and Twitter for awhile and interact with people face to face.
Watch these people who express how they felt about “unplugging” in 2012 (March 20-21):
So…if you’re like millions of people who have already “unplugged”, here are the 10 Core Principles to observe according to the Sabbath Manifesto:
The Ten Core Principles
Many years ago, God said, “six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest”. This is a passage found in Exodus 34:21 from the American Standard Version of the Bible.
In the Sabbath Manifesto, they encourage people to follow the rituals of our ancestors from sunset to sunset, one day a week.Any background, nationality, and religion are encouraged to participate and do not need to be of Jewish descent.The celebration of Sabbath in Jewish traditions begin from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. The root of the word “Sabbath” means to rest and it especially emphasizes family, friends, and food.
1. Avoid technology
Although this principle suggests keeping away from technologies, it actually means to take some time to appreciate the various technologies that made our lives easier today. According to the Bible (Genesis 2:2),God stopped creating on the seventh day of creation. He took the time to look around himself to appreciate the various objects he made before resuming. People in the 21st century rely much on their technological devices to complete their never ending works. By avoiding the use of technologies, Sabbath refreshes and relaxes the people’s mind such that they are able to complete their given tasks.
This principle generated the most comments out of the 10 on the home page of the Sabbath Manifesto. The majority of the comments are very positive towards this particular principle with people indicating the activities they have done to celebrate Sabbath.
2. Connect with Loved Ones
It has always been in Jewish traditions that friends and families gather together on the day of Sabbath to celebrate this blessed day. The busy lifestyle of today makes it difficult for family gatherings and because of this; a lot of people can take advantage of Sabbath to meet up with family members that they have not seen for a long time. As part of the tradition, parents will bless their children during the gathering. According to Jay Michaelson, a Ph.D candidate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, making love on the day of Sabbath is also a Jewish tradition.One could value the romance with their loved one without thoughts of business related matters wandering the mind.
3. Nurture Your Health
The majority of people in today’s society work full-time from Monday to Friday, some working even on a Saturday. After a long week of work, Sunday is regarded as a well-deserved day of rest. According to the Bible (Genesis 2:2),[8] on the seventh day of creating the world, God stopped. This is exactly what people do in today’s society as Sabbath means a day where people do not have to wake up early in the morning to attend work or school, a day where people could ignore their boss as well as a day where people can repair their worn-out body from a week of endless work.
4. Getting Outside
Sabbath is a day of rest and it suggests that people should leave their house and participate in various activities with their friends or family members. By leaving the house, one is not trapped within a closed environment for hours and by doing so, fresh oxygen is available to refresh the mind of an individual. Meditation is also an excellent method of relaxing. The Jewish form of meditation, Hitbodedut, is done to relax the mind and body of an individual while surrounded by mother nature.
5. Avoid Commerce
The day of Sabbath primarily focuses on the theme of resting. Not doing and attending business related works are considered part of resting; however, there is more meaning towards the specific term. According to the Talmud, a context compiled of Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs and laws, stated that there are 39 rules that the Jews have to follow on the day of Sabbath.Most of these prohibitions come down to one general statement and that is to not create something physically. For example, lighting up a fire is not allowed on Sabbath due to the above reason. By making a fire, one has physically brought the flame to the world, thus creating “something” that originally was not there. Since God stopped making things on the seventh day of creation, the Jewish believe that they also should not be allowed to create objects on the day of Sabbath to truly honor this blessed day.
6. Light Candles
Sabbath usually begins with the lighting of two symbolic candles at sunset. One candle is called shamor, meaning to keep or protect, and the other candle is called zachor, to remember. Lighting candles also represent festivity which brings together family and friends during a meal. A great medieval Jewish thinker named Maimonides, once said that, “the candles are an integral part of the Sabbath’s delight”.
7. Drink Wine
Sabbath begins on Friday night and typically the Kiddush ceremony is held before the Sabbath meal. Kiddush is the tradition of sanctifying Sabbath and other Jewish holidays with the blessing of wine.Maimonides said that drinking wine associates Sabbath with a positive physical taste.
8. Eat Bread
With the busy schedule of the modern day man, people are accustomed to eating take-out and microwave processed foods. However, with Sabbath, people are encouraged to take the time to prepare home cooked meals. This day should be celebrated with family and friends. At Sabbath meals, the ritual of placing two loaves of bread on the table symbolizes a full meal and a time of rejoicing.
9. Find Silence
Not talking is a form of taking a break from the usual activities of humans. Meditating is an idyllic way to separate oneself from the world and all its distractions. Aryeh Kaplan, an American Orthodox Rabbi, wrote in his book that biblical prophets are able to “”engage in external isolation, secluding themselves from the general populace…There they could meditate on God and His works without interruption.”Finding silence enables people to reflect on themselves and all of life’s blessings.
10. Give Back
Before the lighting of candles, it’s tradition to give coins to charity. It has been said that this enables others to spend future Sabbaths without the worry of money. However, giving back may continue even after the lighting of candles. Hachnasat orhim is the concept of inviting people in your home so that others can experience the celebration of Sabbath.The people may consist of family, friends, and even strangers.
The Sabbath Manifesto partnered with VolunteerMatch to launch the “Unplug & Giveback Campaign” where volunteer enthusiasts are able to look for nonprofit organizations and become connected. This will encourage people to use all of their free time from unplugging and volunteer in the community.
Washington, D.C. is all abuzz about the deadline for the automatic budget cuts ($1.2 trillion), aka (also known as) the Sequester (eek!) to kick in at 11:59 pm tonight. They were supposed to start at the beginning of January but the President postponed them until now figuring they would SURELY be able to reach a deal by now….Wishful thinking! (the President wants to tax the rich and the House of Representatives wants to cut spending) So what’s the big deal? Well…for us common folks if Congress and the President don’t reach a deal about how to “balance” the budget, the computer program which regulates automatically the way money is distributed in the US from the military, to Social Security, to federal school grants will begin to reduce these budgets by at least 5%…across the board indiscriminately without choosing which programs contain a lot of fat and which programs need to be kept because reducing their budgets would hurt “the little people” (the less fortunate and less wealthy) among us. Everyone knows that the US is a “debtor” nation…we live way beyond our means…the nation’s debt-to-GDP ratio is close to 70%…but everyone’s been “kicking the can down the road” thinking that the next generation will solve our problems…or our spending craze. But if we let the sequester take place, Washington will be cutting “fat” (wasteful spending) and “muscle” (military, education, transportation, etc.) where it’s going to hurt. All of these cuts are going to reduce GDP (our Gross Domestic Product) by about 0.5% this year. That means that Wall Street will react (business confidence) and that will ricochet on small businesses who do business with the government (government contracts) who will probably hire fewer people, spend less and maybe even…(gulp)…lighten their fiscal load by restructuring (laying people off). But to keep people onboard in federal agencies, workers will be asked to take “furlough” days (unpaid days off).
This is especially bad for states like Texas and California where a lot of high tech and aerospace companies are located: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, United Technologies and Northrop Grumman. All this doomsday talk sounds like what we heard before the year 2000 when all the techie geeks kept telling us that the world would come to an end on Dec. 31, 1999 at midnight! So hold on, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet!! (or in more ‘proper’ English: we’re not at the end of our troubles or we’re not out of the woods yet!!)
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