Hidden surprises

I love stumbling upon things that I'm not expecting like this little
gem of a street I saw today. Right next to Washington sq park, this
little street is a quiet haven in the village. Judging by the
cobblestone and the architecture it is well over 150 years old.

Amy's haloween wig

Fall is here

Wind, cold air, leaves on the ground... Fall is here. I like it. It
nurtures the melancoly loner in me.

At work again

I started my new job and I'm already in the swing of things. Here is
me on the patio at my office.

Sheemy look alike

Amy found this on cuteoverload.com.  There was a dog that got attacked by a shark and the owner actually punched the shark to save the dog. 
Amazingly his face is a lot like my sheemy's which makes sense why he did it. 

Surf

I went surfing the last few days. Yesterday I was in Far Rockaway and
today in Long Beach. It was awesome!

The woman I love

Isn't she gorgeous?

Sheeny having fun with my cousin, James

James having fun with sheemy

In the big apple

Well, many of you know that I've made it to NYC now. I've been here
almost three weeks and it's been an exciting, sometimes hard whirlwind
of emotions and experiences. I miss my friends and life in Israel and
it's hard and a bit intimidating to be starting out with nothing.
Still, my job search is going well and I may find out today if I get
an apartment I'm trying to rent.
This weekend I left the city to go to the hamptons with Jessica and
larry and their kids. They are some of the cousins I have in new
york. I was hoping to surf on my new board I just bought but it's bad
conditions this weekend.

its been a long time

So, I haven't posted in a while. I haven't done a lot of things in a while. I haven't painted, I haven't been to the gym. I haven't kept kosher or shabat. I haven't seen Amy.
I have been doing other things though. I have been traveling for work. I've been surfing A LOT. I've been working on my resume, and I've been getting really excited to live with Amy in New York.
I can't believe I've been in Israel for three years already. A lot has happened here and I don't feel as though I'm the same man as the person that arrived. I certainly would never have predicted that things would turn out the way they have, and yet it all feels right. I'm sad to be leaving Israel and the life that I've been given here. 3 years is a long time, but now that I'm leaving I see how short it is. Its long enough to have some experiences and get to know a place, the streets, the weather the fluctuations of tourist season and to start to make people a part of your life, but good friends and making a place "home" takes years. More than 3 I've determined. I feel like these years will fade from me as much as the memory of me will fade from most of the people that know me here. Its the way things happen.
I sincerely do hope I come back to live at some point, if only for a period of time again.

dance white boy

This is a security video from bestbuy. You have to wacth at least until 40 seconds into it.
Gotta love the white man.


http://view.break.com/506192 - Watch more free videos

I love this.

Here is a video of Japanese impersonators doing "we are the world"

1950's sexism at its best

Business in Amsterdam

I just got back from a business trip in Amsterdam. Its still really exciting for me to jump on a plane and travel for business. On this particular trip I was anxious to get home because I missed Amy. She'd been gone for the week before my trip and we literally passed each other at the airport as she got back and I was leaving the country for another week.
The trip was fun though and the picture above is me and my coworkers at our booth in the conference.
In addition to the business stuff I got to enjoy some of the city and I went to the Van Gogh museum which is my favorite museum in Amsterdam. I had some great meals and I came back laden with licorice and gouda cheese.

more art

Purim Spectacular

It was a great Purim this year. I had a fun time getting dressed up with the crew, Amy Anya, Barry, Leora and Saul and we all went to a great party at Adam Rosners's house.
Here's all the pics of the night.

Trip to Jordan

Last weekend Amy and I made somewhat last minute plans to go to Jordan for the weekend. We originally planned on just going to Petra, home to incredibly beautiful and famous ancient stone carved ruins in the mountains in Jordan. we ended up adding on a scuba diving trip that made for an awesome weekend.
There were all kinds of little set backs along the way like the border being closed when we arrived to cross it so having to stay a night in a cheap hostel near the border, and when the hotel in Jordan canceled our reservation and was only willing to rebook the same room at 50% higher price, but in the end everything worked out.
There are lots of great pictures of Petra and none of Scuba although there are a few at the dead sea.
Here's the pictures.

She's back

My favorite internet starlet of late is back capitalizing on Amy Winehouse's great song. What could be better?

guilty post

it's been a while. since my birthday according to my last post. that already feels like a while ago. this is a guilty. i feel guilty i haven't written anything in a while. i've been bus with work. true. i've been busy painting. true. i even got to go surfing a few times. true. and yet i still have neglected this arena of my cyber existence.
alright. i feel better. i think i got it out of my system.

Sheemy's friend

Sheemy is my dog and this is the cute friend he made on his walk last night. Talk about a a big cotton ball! His face is actually like that. A big cottony nondescript ball of whiteness. Oh yeah, today is my birthday too

Happy birthday nerd

Yes, its my birthday this week, and what better way to celebrate another year than getting my first pair of glasses. Just in case thirty one didn't feel old enough mother nature jumped in to help out by giving of the classic gift of fading eyesight.

You can count on me

Yes, I scour the web to find you odd, random and sometimes disturbing things, and this doozy is no exception. If you find yourself laughing like I did then you're sick. If you think I'm sick for posting it, well, you're probably now sicker for having watched it.

Too Real???

I had two people comment on my blog today. That's approximately two more than the normal number of comments I get and whats strange is that they were both the same comment.

"I enjoy reading your blog. Even though it's public domain, I feel funny about reading it, until now, when I'm revealing to you that I read it."


I don't hide my blog, and most people that know me know that I'm an open person. I'm trying to remember now if there is very much incriminating evidence in previous posts? Hmmmm? maybe I should go back and read. I don't think so though. Its true I speak honestly and maybe more honestly than some people are willing to do. My goal in life, not just in a blog is transparency. I want to be clear and straight forward in every area of my life. For such a long time I was one guy with friends, another at work, another with family, and another with women. Its much simpler to be one person in every area. The only trick is knowing who that person is. That is after all part of the thrust of this blog, I know Jeremy.

So, dear readers, all three and a half of you, please don't feel worried that you're reading things that aren't appropriate for you. I may speak personally here, but none of it is a secret.

Funny ass list

I found this list from a random site

HOW TO TICK PEOPLE OFF

1. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sexual favors."
3. Specify that your drive-through order is "TO-GO."
4. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
5. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
6. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
7. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
8. Practice making fax and modem noises.
9. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc" them to your boss.
10. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
11. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
12. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
13. Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
14. Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
15. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
16. Staple pages in the middle of the page.
17. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
18. Honk and wave to strangers.
19. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
20. TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
21. type only in lowercase.
22. dont use any punctuation either
23. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
24. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times.
"DO YOU HEAR THAT?"
"What?"
"Never mind, it's gone now."
25. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
26. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
27. Ask people what gender they are.
28. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
29. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
30. Sing along at the opera.
31. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
32. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."

What the Fuck?

I'm experiencing a weird convergence of the Universe right now. I'm busy enough trying to figure out the status of things with my current (and wonderful) girlfriend, Amy. I got a phone call 3 days ago from my ex fiancee's father telling me that he thinks now is a good time to try and get back in contact with her because maybe she wants to or is ready or something??? It wasn't very clear and not really enough to convince me to call a girl that fucked me over as much as she did. Finally, today I get a phone call from my sweet, albeit messed up, ex wife who I'm pretty sure was high. Although I was touched when we got back in touch, things have taken a turn I didn't expect.

This is more drama than I'm used to. I work hard to keep things pretty simple. I was so upset about all the drama of Miya (the fiancee) cheating on me and leaving me because it felt like I was thrust into a soap opera out of what had been a pretty stable and happy life. At least it was for a few years before that.

I don't really feel like things are dramatic. I mean it is and it makes for good conversation but I don't feel like this stuff has control over me. Of course it affects me and makes me think about the past but at least it doesn't throw me off track completely. Show up, pay attention and let go of the results. Thats what one of my teachers told me and it seems to work pretty well.

For that special someone

I've been thinking about my ex a lot recently for various reasons, not the least of which is that its been two years this months since things ended.
I came across this site which totally cracked me up. They send a big box of animal crap to the person of your choice. If only I'd known about this two years ago.
www.shitsenders.com/

Great video

If this doesn't make you laugh then there's something wrong with you.

last nights storm

Yesterday and last night the rain was coming down so hard and there were periodic bouts of thunder and hail, but most impressive was the wind. Tree branches were strewn all over the city, even a lamp post near my house was haphazardly laying on the sidewalk after having been blown over. It was so eerie to see the lights still lit up as it lay up-rooted on the sidewalk and sectioned off with a police do not cross tape as if it were an urban homicide.
When I woke up this morning to walk the dog there I saw the wind had thrown debris from trees, pieces of buildings and other normally fixed objects all over the streets with as much care as one flicks away an unwanted scab off their finger tip. What stood out most to me were the dozens of umbrellas I saw that lay like carnage on a battlefield. They clearly were not meant to survive what they encountered and it looked like most would never have volunteered or allowed their spring releasing mechanism to open fully if they knew where they'd end up and how they'd look afterwards.

There boots were made for walking

Today is rainy and really windy. When i took my dog for a walk this morning he ran back inside after a few minutes as if he was saying "fuck that."

I think he had the right idea.

I have to go to work though. In theory I could take the day off but it seems like a pretty silly feeling to succumb to, 'its cold and i'd like to cozy up and do nothing today.' i might trust the feeling more if i didn't have it almost everyday, even on nice days.
So I'm sitting on the bus going to work in the rain and writing this boring blog entry on my phone. The book I'm reading about building a popular site says that these personal entries are not a good theme for a successful site. After all, who would want to read entries like this all the time? Good thing this blog isn't popular;).

our little cabin

I wanted to post a few pics of the place Amy and I stayed in over the weekend.

confessions of a BART fartist

I just discovered the Best of Craigslist page which consists of reader voted posts from any category taken from anywhere in the country (world?).
Any way, there are many funny ones in there and I recommend it for some good ol voyeuristic fun.

You've never seen humus like this

Amy and i are up north in the ancient city of aco. This photo is of one of the country's most notorious humus spots and it is always packed like nobody's business. The name of the place is Humus Said and requires waiting about 30 minutes in a line out the door of the restaurant that spills onto the street. The line is so packed and chaotic that it can be a tense 30 minutes. Plus, if you're not on your guard it could easily turn into 40 minutes by not noticing some opportunistic locals that shamelessly force their way in front of you. By the time you're seated however there is a general feeling of relief and camaraderie with all the other patrons who know that good things come to those who wait.
Not many places that are hyped up as much as this spot can live up to the expectation but in this case it is well worth it. I didn't know humus could taste like this. Wow. Not bad for 14 shekel (about $3.50). It was one of many great things Amy and I experienced on this trip.

Don't know who to vote for?

This is a great site that can help you by telling you what candidates are most like the political views you hold.
You just take a short quiz and then Presto! It tells you by % which candidates are perfect for you and why!
check out http://glassbooth.org/

happiness- a study

For the last few years I've been particularly interested and concerned with what I have at best been able to call, "the problem of abundance" or "plagued by choice." I came to the conclusion that in spite of all the freedoms, luxuries and options most Americans have today they are by and large not as happy as people from other places.
Not only that, but I also noticed that there is almost a conversely true principle that people from much poorer places I'd been were much happier. I also noticed the affect that America had on the children of immigrants that I noticed to be very happy and after growing up in all the freedoms, luxuries and options that the US offered these children were often filled with the same angst and emptiness that I could easily recognize in myself and everyone else. So what is it about? I can't necessarily say what its about for everyone but for me its in part about feeling like I'm supposed to be great and well off and happy all the time and if I'm not it means I'm a failure. Its like somehow I couldn't take advantage of this world of opportunity at my feet.
I've really had to do a lot of growth and therapy to get over issues like this. I think that there is a lot of merit in just living and trying to be good. Be good to the people around you. Be good at what you do. Its all the new agey stuff of living with intent and purpose that you can hear all over the place now, but I believe part of the reason we're hearing more of it is because we've drifted so far from that in our pursuit of happiness and success.
I just read an interesting article from the economist about this topic that I recommend.
Here's how the article starts off, "THE World Database of Happiness, in Rotterdam, collects all the available information about what makes people happy and why. According to the research, married, extroverted optimists are happier than single, pessimistic introverts, and Republicans are happier than Democrats. Nurses enjoy life more than bankers, and it helps to be religious, sexually active and a college graduate with a short commute to work. The wealthy experience more mirth than the poor, but not much. Most people say they are happy, but perhaps that is because they are expected to be." click here for the article.

amazing article

Ok, you guys might not think its amazing but I read this article about why popular things become popular such as Brittany Spears, Harry Potter, or the Blair Witch Project and the way that social communities (ie the world we live in) influences this. Who would have thought the article touches on crazy parallel universes and other mind boggling ideas to rattle around in your noggin. I hope you have as much fun with it as I did. Read it all the way through, its worth it.
Here's an excerpt "Conventional marketing wisdom holds that predicting success in cultural markets is mostly a matter of anticipating the preferences of the millions of individual people who participate in them. From this common-sense observation, it follows that if the experts could only figure out what it was about, say, the music, songwriting and packaging of Norah Jones that appealed to so many fans, they ought to be able to replicate it at will. And indeed that’s pretty much what they try to do. That they fail so frequently implies either that they aren’t studying their own successes carefully enough or that they are not paying sufficiently close attention to the changing preferences of their audience."

What's really important

I am reading a book on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) right now. Basically that is what people trying to make money online are concerned about because it can help increase your site's rankings on search engines like google and that, plain and simply, is worth $ these days. The author, Aaron Wall, is from Oakland, CA (yeah Oakland!) and included this quote at the end of his opening "tips" section. I found it very topical though and I appreciated that he took the time to share this:

"I also want to share a quote with you from Weaving the Web by one my favorite web
personalities, and the man who created the Web, Tim Berners-Lee:

People have sometimes asked me whether I am upset that I have not
made a lot of money from the Web. In fact, I made some quite
conscious decisions about which way to take my life. These I would
not change - though I am making no comment on what I might do in
the future. What does distress me, though, is how important a
question it seems to be to some. This happens mostly in America,
not Europe. What is maddening is the terrible notion that a person’s
value depends on how important and financially successful they are,
and that that is measured in terms of money. That suggests
disrespect for the researchers across the globe developing ideas for
the next leaps in science and technology. Core in my upbringing was
a value system that put monetary gain well in its place, behind things
like doing what I really want to do. To use net worth as a criterion by
which to judge people is to set our children’s’ sights on cash rather
than on things that will actually make them happy."

My little camper

This is shimshon sleeping last night. I shoved the camera in his face to get a live action shot of doggie bliss.

Amy's great dinner

Amy made the best stuffed egg plant ever. :)

catching up

So much to blog about. Where do I start? I've painted again. I was on a bit of a break and then I painted 4 more. Some I like, some not so much. Its really fun to paint though and I love it when I make something beautiful. I was painting in the park near my house over the weekend. I took my dog shimshon and set up my paints and brushes in the sun and sent to work. I was a bit self conscious because I wasn't so impressed with the painting I was doing. Nonetheless, I finished it and came home. Once home I did 3 more and I was happier with those.

What else? it's been fucking cold here. good lord! I guess it is the time of year for that after all but damn. There isn't a lot to do when its so cold. You don't really go on walks or hang outside. Almost everyday I retreat home to cook dinner, maybe watch a movie and that's it. I feel a bit like a hibernating bear waiting for spring. Its been so cold I haven't surfed since in about a month. There haven't been waves which is the only thing that consoles me. Its just to cold. I'm fine in the wetsuit, but my head and feet and hands would be so cold.

Work is going great. I finally feel both like I'm getting to the point I'd wanted to within the career and the company. I really like my job and the industry and I haven't been this happy professionally in a long time. I've been there 6 months and I only now feel like I'm starting to become a professional in the field and that excites me because I know I still have so much more to learn. I'm grateful to be excited about work.