Now that the new Star Wars is out, the question becomes what order to watch the series in.
Is it 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 7?
How about 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3?
Or 7, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3?
No. The correct order is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Anyone who disagrees can come and fight me. I think people who thought 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 was the correct order just say so because they had the prequels ruined by the most famous misquotation in history, "Luke, I am your father" and they feel threatened by people having the full Anakin story. He's more than an evil body in a black cyborg outfit. He's driven by the desire to be a good father. It adds so much more emotional complexion to the story.
May the force be with you.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
why do they call the presidential debates debates?
They ask specific candidates specific questions, and don't really allow much back-and-forth. Its more of a big group interview.
Let them give introduction statements on the important question- why they would be the best president- and then allow them to argue back and forth. It would be so much more interesting that way.
That bring said, I've watched all of around 30 minutes of debate in my life, all earlier today.
Let them give introduction statements on the important question- why they would be the best president- and then allow them to argue back and forth. It would be so much more interesting that way.
That bring said, I've watched all of around 30 minutes of debate in my life, all earlier today.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Terrorism
It's hard to know what to say sometimes.
A week ago, the world played witness to a terrible tragedy as ISIS carried out a coordinated terrorist attack in several locations in Paris- a soccer game, cafés, a concert. No need to summarize, everyone knows what happened.
I was at my aunt and uncles after a long week at work, and took a nap. I woke up, opened twitter on my phone, and saw all kinds of news stations posting about a terror attack in Paris. It was oddly reminiscent of this past January, when I was in Guatemala with my dad, and we got to the hotel after a long day only to learn about the Charlie Hebdo attack. I scrolled down through my twitter feed, moving back in time, essentially recounting what was happening in a backwards fashion. Within an hour, my Facebook feed was full of posts, hashtags, and profile pictures overlaid with the French flag. It was a larger show of sympathy on Facebook than for any event I've experienced.
The next few days I checked in on the events frequently. It brought me back to the Boston Marathon bombing- the chaos in the beginning, then the realization of what had happened, and the "retaliation." It did seem from pretty early on that it had been the doing of ISIS, and already, the #1 mastermind behind the attack has been compromised. I'm sure for a lot of people, the attacks are now filed away in "past happenings". But even though it's been a week now, the acts of terror are still present on my mind. Cedric, a close friend I met in Nepal, lives in Paris and I wrote to him yesterday, He said every day he has to walk by one of the attacked cafés. I can't even imagine how that must feel.
I'm not here to write out against ISIS. When they were teeny tiny, I had an idea that we should give them the benefit of the doubt- maybe they would lead to positive change in the turbulent middle east. However, that inking of an idea left me long ago as I read about their transgressions- destroying historical sites, massacring people... so many bad things. Anybody who is on a different page than me, who thinks that ISIS has good intentions in mind, please tell me why. I can't understand how their support grows. Thankfully, I think most people feel like I do. I'm also not going to write that the US needs to send troops into Syria. I don't know what's going on there, and I don't claim to be a IR mastermind. I don't know how to proceed, so I won't pretend I do.
What I do want to reflect on is the social media reaction that occurred in the past week, following the initial sympathy.
For some reason, within a few days of the attack, people were complaining about how people reacted on social media. They said our attention was improperly aimed. They talked about a bombing in Beirut a day before that got no attention. They complained that people only thought about others living in high-income countries instead of those living in desolation- those who we need to worry about. To them, I say "shut up, stop complaining." Yes, the people of Lebanon undoubtedly suffer far more than citizens of Paris. They endure far more; it's a different order of magnitude. But that all being said, I do believe that people should a) not tell people what to post on Facebook and b) Be respectful of all of the suffering of people affected by the tragedy.
I'm not saying we should only focus on tragedies in high-income countries. I'm also not saying we should never post about any tragedies, or post about all tragedies. Honestly, posting things on Facebook have such minimal influence on anything, that I kind of feel foolish writing this post. But it makes me sad that people are attacking posts which show unification and sympathy to those affected. Our posts weren't discounting the tragedy of Beirut, but could you imagine what the FB feed would look like if every time anything bad happened people posted? Our news feeds would be saturated with depressing news. And we have normal news stations that.
More than anything else, our reaction was a showing of solidarity, of unity, of humanity. Why take that away from us? The terror attacks shocked us, showing us that even when we think we're safe, doing fun things, there can always be surprises. To me, the outpouring of sympathy was incredible, and showed everyone that we are strong together.
I just wanted to finish with a few links to some powerful things I've read. Change may not happen from us sitting on our computers, reading, but it can change how we think, and that can lead to tangible impact down the road.
From Molly, a friend, a great piece she wrote on her blog:
https://mollyrothschild.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/frustration/
From the Dalai Lama- though I agree that prayers won't lead to tangible change and humans need to act, I do see the symbolism of prayer and think it's important in bringing people together:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/dalai-lama-stop-praying-for-paris-humans-created-this-problem-and-humans-must-solve-it/#.VkulY6jtRgY.facebook
And some information on ISIS, for those who don't know a lot about it:
http://www.cracked.com/blog/isis-wants-us-to-invade-7-facts-revealed-by-their-magazine/
#PrayforParis
#PrayforBeirut
#PrayforMali
#PrayforHumanity
#PrayforPlanetEarth
A week ago, the world played witness to a terrible tragedy as ISIS carried out a coordinated terrorist attack in several locations in Paris- a soccer game, cafés, a concert. No need to summarize, everyone knows what happened.
I was at my aunt and uncles after a long week at work, and took a nap. I woke up, opened twitter on my phone, and saw all kinds of news stations posting about a terror attack in Paris. It was oddly reminiscent of this past January, when I was in Guatemala with my dad, and we got to the hotel after a long day only to learn about the Charlie Hebdo attack. I scrolled down through my twitter feed, moving back in time, essentially recounting what was happening in a backwards fashion. Within an hour, my Facebook feed was full of posts, hashtags, and profile pictures overlaid with the French flag. It was a larger show of sympathy on Facebook than for any event I've experienced.
The next few days I checked in on the events frequently. It brought me back to the Boston Marathon bombing- the chaos in the beginning, then the realization of what had happened, and the "retaliation." It did seem from pretty early on that it had been the doing of ISIS, and already, the #1 mastermind behind the attack has been compromised. I'm sure for a lot of people, the attacks are now filed away in "past happenings". But even though it's been a week now, the acts of terror are still present on my mind. Cedric, a close friend I met in Nepal, lives in Paris and I wrote to him yesterday, He said every day he has to walk by one of the attacked cafés. I can't even imagine how that must feel.
I'm not here to write out against ISIS. When they were teeny tiny, I had an idea that we should give them the benefit of the doubt- maybe they would lead to positive change in the turbulent middle east. However, that inking of an idea left me long ago as I read about their transgressions- destroying historical sites, massacring people... so many bad things. Anybody who is on a different page than me, who thinks that ISIS has good intentions in mind, please tell me why. I can't understand how their support grows. Thankfully, I think most people feel like I do. I'm also not going to write that the US needs to send troops into Syria. I don't know what's going on there, and I don't claim to be a IR mastermind. I don't know how to proceed, so I won't pretend I do.
What I do want to reflect on is the social media reaction that occurred in the past week, following the initial sympathy.
For some reason, within a few days of the attack, people were complaining about how people reacted on social media. They said our attention was improperly aimed. They talked about a bombing in Beirut a day before that got no attention. They complained that people only thought about others living in high-income countries instead of those living in desolation- those who we need to worry about. To them, I say "shut up, stop complaining." Yes, the people of Lebanon undoubtedly suffer far more than citizens of Paris. They endure far more; it's a different order of magnitude. But that all being said, I do believe that people should a) not tell people what to post on Facebook and b) Be respectful of all of the suffering of people affected by the tragedy.
I'm not saying we should only focus on tragedies in high-income countries. I'm also not saying we should never post about any tragedies, or post about all tragedies. Honestly, posting things on Facebook have such minimal influence on anything, that I kind of feel foolish writing this post. But it makes me sad that people are attacking posts which show unification and sympathy to those affected. Our posts weren't discounting the tragedy of Beirut, but could you imagine what the FB feed would look like if every time anything bad happened people posted? Our news feeds would be saturated with depressing news. And we have normal news stations that.
More than anything else, our reaction was a showing of solidarity, of unity, of humanity. Why take that away from us? The terror attacks shocked us, showing us that even when we think we're safe, doing fun things, there can always be surprises. To me, the outpouring of sympathy was incredible, and showed everyone that we are strong together.
I just wanted to finish with a few links to some powerful things I've read. Change may not happen from us sitting on our computers, reading, but it can change how we think, and that can lead to tangible impact down the road.
From Molly, a friend, a great piece she wrote on her blog:
https://mollyrothschild.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/frustration/
From the Dalai Lama- though I agree that prayers won't lead to tangible change and humans need to act, I do see the symbolism of prayer and think it's important in bringing people together:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/dalai-lama-stop-praying-for-paris-humans-created-this-problem-and-humans-must-solve-it/#.VkulY6jtRgY.facebook
And some information on ISIS, for those who don't know a lot about it:
http://www.cracked.com/blog/isis-wants-us-to-invade-7-facts-revealed-by-their-magazine/
#PrayforParis
#PrayforBeirut
#PrayforMali
#PrayforHumanity
#PrayforPlanetEarth
Thursday, November 19, 2015
so what will I be doing?
"I guess today marks the first day of the rest of my life.
I woke up at 6:27, three minutes before my alarm went off. I lay in bed for several minutes, before realizing that I was already falling behind schedule. Got up, showered, shaved, got all dressed up, and off I went. To Harvard square on the red line, and then to Mt. Auburn Hospital on foot.
I think it hit me when I walked into the hospital. The smell of hospital filled my nose- antiseptic, disinfectant. I've spent a decent amount of time in hospitals, luckily almost all as a volunteer not a patient, "
I wrote this a month ago today, on my first day at Mt. Auburn. The past month has been so hectic that I haven't even completed this post, but I think the one month mark is symbolic and thus works well as a check-in point.
So let me pick up where I left off, with a major correction. I am not really working in a hospital. I have a non-clinical job. In fact, my office is not at the hospital but in fact at a leased out space around a mile away.
I'm an Epic Analyst. Epic is an electronic health record system, widely used in the US. I'll be working on ASAP, the Emergency Department app, which is awesome because I love the ER.
Right now, Mt. Auburn Hospital has a ton of unconnected health record systems, which means lots of delays as doctors wait for patient records and papers to be filed. In 18 months, we have the go-live with epic. Target date is May 2017. It's a long time from now, but there's a lot to do. In essence, I have to (be a part of a team which will) design the ASAP interface, decide what different users have access to, set workflows, etc. When the go-live dust has settled, almost every department in Mt. Auburn hospital (and the associated physician network) will have epic software, leading to much more streamlined care.
I'm in Wisconsin right now, on trip 2 of 3, where I actually learn the system. And I have to get certified before February, because that's when we really get started. But I already passed the test and project for class #1.
It's an awesome job. Very conceptual in nature but leads to a physical project in the end. It's a huge project- the hospital is sinking upwards of $100 million into the implementation, and with great power comes great responsibility. I may be a cog in the wheel of implementation, but I'm still very excited.
More to come.
I woke up at 6:27, three minutes before my alarm went off. I lay in bed for several minutes, before realizing that I was already falling behind schedule. Got up, showered, shaved, got all dressed up, and off I went. To Harvard square on the red line, and then to Mt. Auburn Hospital on foot.
I think it hit me when I walked into the hospital. The smell of hospital filled my nose- antiseptic, disinfectant. I've spent a decent amount of time in hospitals, luckily almost all as a volunteer not a patient, "
I wrote this a month ago today, on my first day at Mt. Auburn. The past month has been so hectic that I haven't even completed this post, but I think the one month mark is symbolic and thus works well as a check-in point.
So let me pick up where I left off, with a major correction. I am not really working in a hospital. I have a non-clinical job. In fact, my office is not at the hospital but in fact at a leased out space around a mile away.
I'm an Epic Analyst. Epic is an electronic health record system, widely used in the US. I'll be working on ASAP, the Emergency Department app, which is awesome because I love the ER.
Right now, Mt. Auburn Hospital has a ton of unconnected health record systems, which means lots of delays as doctors wait for patient records and papers to be filed. In 18 months, we have the go-live with epic. Target date is May 2017. It's a long time from now, but there's a lot to do. In essence, I have to (be a part of a team which will) design the ASAP interface, decide what different users have access to, set workflows, etc. When the go-live dust has settled, almost every department in Mt. Auburn hospital (and the associated physician network) will have epic software, leading to much more streamlined care.
I'm in Wisconsin right now, on trip 2 of 3, where I actually learn the system. And I have to get certified before February, because that's when we really get started. But I already passed the test and project for class #1.
It's an awesome job. Very conceptual in nature but leads to a physical project in the end. It's a huge project- the hospital is sinking upwards of $100 million into the implementation, and with great power comes great responsibility. I may be a cog in the wheel of implementation, but I'm still very excited.
More to come.
share me!
Blogspot is pretty cool in that I can see how many people are reading my posts. It was definitely a lot more when I was in Nepal, but that makes sense. I was doing awesome stuff there, now I'm just another young professional, doing my job.
But still, there are a lot of people who do read this blog. Its usually a)on weekends and b) when there's some facebook action going on. I only posted about this blog on Facebook once, but occasionally somebody likes my post, or comments on it, and when that happens there's a spike in viewership.
Anyways, I'm probably not going to keep updating this blog much if I don't get viewership. It's fun to write and all, but I don't like talking to walls. If you like my posts, share me on FB! If my posts make you laugh, share me on FB! If you think my posts lead you to deep thought and self reflection, share me on FB! People make such a big deal about every little thing they do on Facebook, but it's as easy as clicking a button. Isn't it worth it, if you show a single person this blog, and they really enjoy it?
And if you go to my FB and share it from that original FB post, who knows, maybe you'll be the person who set off the most massive Facebook trend ever! What is there to lose?
But still, there are a lot of people who do read this blog. Its usually a)on weekends and b) when there's some facebook action going on. I only posted about this blog on Facebook once, but occasionally somebody likes my post, or comments on it, and when that happens there's a spike in viewership.
Anyways, I'm probably not going to keep updating this blog much if I don't get viewership. It's fun to write and all, but I don't like talking to walls. If you like my posts, share me on FB! If my posts make you laugh, share me on FB! If you think my posts lead you to deep thought and self reflection, share me on FB! People make such a big deal about every little thing they do on Facebook, but it's as easy as clicking a button. Isn't it worth it, if you show a single person this blog, and they really enjoy it?
And if you go to my FB and share it from that original FB post, who knows, maybe you'll be the person who set off the most massive Facebook trend ever! What is there to lose?
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
free money!
(for me)
But actually. It's not that I NEED the money, but free money is always nice, and it's even better when it's free for me and good for you.
Want a job? Already have a job but want another one on the side? Sign up for Varsity Tutors! It's easy to get a job (if you are at all a competent teacher), it pays amazing ($20+/hr from the beginning) and you get to be a tutor (online or in person)- it's even a good deed! And best of all, if you use this link : https://www.varsitytutors.com/tutoring-jobs?r=2zEUCg then I get $100! then you can refer people and get $$$ too (and of course tutor people). The job can be busy if you want it, but I've literally tutored three people in the past 18 months, and not only do they not care that I don't tutor, but they make it super easy for me to start tutoring again. Sign up, how can it hurt?
Want to buy some stock? Use Robinhood! It's an app which lets you buy and sell stocks with no trading free, that's right, $00.00! And sign up at the link : http://join.robinhood.com/yanivr so we each get a free share of stock!
Sign up for the dollar shave club! It's cheap, makes your life easier, and is also quite entertaining. And the razors are superb, if I may say so myself. And they have hilarious weekly "bathroom reading" notes they send out. And they have all kinds of other bathroom fun stuff as well. Use this promo URL: http://shaved.by/cVaIu and I get $5 off next time I get my razors shipped to me! That's a free month of Razors! Wowzers! Don't get so excited that you forget to use my promo URL though...
That is all. I'm no salesman, I'm just trying to make everyone a little better off.
But actually. It's not that I NEED the money, but free money is always nice, and it's even better when it's free for me and good for you.
Want a job? Already have a job but want another one on the side? Sign up for Varsity Tutors! It's easy to get a job (if you are at all a competent teacher), it pays amazing ($20+/hr from the beginning) and you get to be a tutor (online or in person)- it's even a good deed! And best of all, if you use this link : https://www.varsitytutors.com/tutoring-jobs?r=2zEUCg then I get $100! then you can refer people and get $$$ too (and of course tutor people). The job can be busy if you want it, but I've literally tutored three people in the past 18 months, and not only do they not care that I don't tutor, but they make it super easy for me to start tutoring again. Sign up, how can it hurt?
Want to buy some stock? Use Robinhood! It's an app which lets you buy and sell stocks with no trading free, that's right, $00.00! And sign up at the link : http://join.robinhood.com/yanivr so we each get a free share of stock!
Sign up for the dollar shave club! It's cheap, makes your life easier, and is also quite entertaining. And the razors are superb, if I may say so myself. And they have hilarious weekly "bathroom reading" notes they send out. And they have all kinds of other bathroom fun stuff as well. Use this promo URL: http://shaved.by/cVaIu and I get $5 off next time I get my razors shipped to me! That's a free month of Razors! Wowzers! Don't get so excited that you forget to use my promo URL though...
That is all. I'm no salesman, I'm just trying to make everyone a little better off.
Monday, November 9, 2015
entertainment
Books, movies, TV shows.
Three entirely separate categories, yet three things so similar. They are all works of art which, in exchange for our time, give us endless pleasure.
The same can be said of museum exhibits, video games, music, and many other things.
Each form of entertainment has its own audience, a group of people who lets their entertainment form(s) define their life, to a certain degree. These entertainments distract us from our daily activities and enjoy the stimulation provided. People routinely set time aside for consuming these forms of entertainment.
But what do we gain from these sources of entertainment? Not much, really. They lead to very little tangible gain. It's important to stretch your horizons, but is it really worth it to watch every episode of Friends? Probably not. We spend countless hours, days, years of our lives talking about the latest episode of Game of Thrones and the newest Star Wars, playing FIFA and finding new music. I think that we use entertainment as a way to connect with the people around you. But it doesn't really seem like the most effective use of our time.
I'm not hating on entertainment at all. I love it. Even this blog is entertainment (I hope). I'm certainly not arguing against entertainment.
Three entirely separate categories, yet three things so similar. They are all works of art which, in exchange for our time, give us endless pleasure.
The same can be said of museum exhibits, video games, music, and many other things.
Each form of entertainment has its own audience, a group of people who lets their entertainment form(s) define their life, to a certain degree. These entertainments distract us from our daily activities and enjoy the stimulation provided. People routinely set time aside for consuming these forms of entertainment.
But what do we gain from these sources of entertainment? Not much, really. They lead to very little tangible gain. It's important to stretch your horizons, but is it really worth it to watch every episode of Friends? Probably not. We spend countless hours, days, years of our lives talking about the latest episode of Game of Thrones and the newest Star Wars, playing FIFA and finding new music. I think that we use entertainment as a way to connect with the people around you. But it doesn't really seem like the most effective use of our time.
I'm not hating on entertainment at all. I love it. Even this blog is entertainment (I hope). I'm certainly not arguing against entertainment.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Reflection
Six months ago, a devastating earthquake hit Nepal. Since then, so much has changed. I think not only about their lives, but mine as well. And though for now our paths have diverged, they will meet again.
It's easy to get caught up in ones life, and I say this now before really getting into working 40 hours and a ''professional'' job. But though things settle down and become easy for some, it's important to remember that it's not so easy for everyone.
It's easy to get caught up in ones life, and I say this now before really getting into working 40 hours and a ''professional'' job. But though things settle down and become easy for some, it's important to remember that it's not so easy for everyone.
Be thankful for what you have, and always strive to make the world a better place.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
The Middle East Conflict
As I write this post, my news feed on Facebook is blowing up with posts about what's happening on the streets of Jerusalem right now. Seemingly random stabbing attacks are happening daily, perpetrated by both Jews and Arabs. It's terrible- a couple days ago I watched a video of an Arab man driving into a bus stop full of Israelis, then get out and start hacking them with an axe. It was one of the most terrible things I've ever seen.
Mahmud, one of my best friends, is an Arab-Israeli who I went to school with in Israel. He now lives in Boston, and I saw him the other day. We talked about this conflict, how we envision it easily developing into a military assault if nothing changes, how this happens every few years, and how painful and scary it is. This is my number one point about the middle east conflict. It causes so much damage- to buildings, to people, and to peoples minds. It's a lose-lose every time things boil over. It makes me so sad reading about innocent mothers and children getting slaughtered. And the violence only leads to more violence.
I can't just complain and offer no opinion, so I'll try and explain my thoughts.
Israel was given to the Jewish people by the mandate in 1948. It was in light of the Holocaust and WWII, when 6 million Jews were killed. But looking back at Jews over history, they have often been ostracized, forced to move, killed, exiled, and I don't know why. So in my opinion, giving the Jewish people a state was a very sensible thing to do, and to do it in a place they (we) hold valuable (because of Jerusalem) makes sense. It's a pity that it's one of the most sought land pieces in the world.
So since the Jews have been given Israel, there has been tension between them and the Palestinian people, who were living on the land pre-mandate.
And obviously, tensions rise and fall. And there are super radical people and people who just want to get along and people who just want safety. And while a lot of the time there isn't a massive problem with internal Israeli security, it as boils over far to frequently. So how do we move forwards?
I think the first thing to do is step back and see what both sides want, and we work forwards from there. From the Israeli perspective, they want a Jewish state. I also think this shows a reason they feel threatened- the birth rate is much higher in Arab-Israeli families than Jewish-Israeli families, meaning that in the future, maybe 20, maybe 50 years from now, there will be an Arab-Israeli majority and Jews will no longer have their Jewish state.
What to Palestinians want? That's a good question, and I'm not the best person to answer it, but I expect it's land, equality, and Jerusalem.
Because of this, I strongly believe that the only solution is a 2-state solution. This way, Jews get a Jewish state and Palestinians get equality, not having to live oppressed in a Jewish state. I also firmly believe that if the world decided to make Jerusalem an international holy city, kind of like the Vatican, it would really reduce violence because then nobody could claim ownership. Would this work? Who knows? But what I do know is that what is currently happening is not working.
We have to focus on the loss of life, the tragedy of war, the damages we all suffer. Instead, we look at the crazy perpetrators and their extreme perspectives. I am not a fan of Netanyahu, and with him in charge I don't see any real developments taking place. It's awful. But just because he's in charge doesn't mean nothing good will happen.
I worked at Ultimate Peace, a camp of Jewish and Arab Israelis, playing ultimate peace together, learning values and camaraderie. These children then take lessons back to their communities, and try and spread positive vibes. This is what we should do. We should be working on the ground, with people, children, to open their minds to what could happen if we all got along.
Mahmud, one of my best friends, is an Arab-Israeli who I went to school with in Israel. He now lives in Boston, and I saw him the other day. We talked about this conflict, how we envision it easily developing into a military assault if nothing changes, how this happens every few years, and how painful and scary it is. This is my number one point about the middle east conflict. It causes so much damage- to buildings, to people, and to peoples minds. It's a lose-lose every time things boil over. It makes me so sad reading about innocent mothers and children getting slaughtered. And the violence only leads to more violence.
I can't just complain and offer no opinion, so I'll try and explain my thoughts.
Israel was given to the Jewish people by the mandate in 1948. It was in light of the Holocaust and WWII, when 6 million Jews were killed. But looking back at Jews over history, they have often been ostracized, forced to move, killed, exiled, and I don't know why. So in my opinion, giving the Jewish people a state was a very sensible thing to do, and to do it in a place they (we) hold valuable (because of Jerusalem) makes sense. It's a pity that it's one of the most sought land pieces in the world.
So since the Jews have been given Israel, there has been tension between them and the Palestinian people, who were living on the land pre-mandate.
And obviously, tensions rise and fall. And there are super radical people and people who just want to get along and people who just want safety. And while a lot of the time there isn't a massive problem with internal Israeli security, it as boils over far to frequently. So how do we move forwards?
I think the first thing to do is step back and see what both sides want, and we work forwards from there. From the Israeli perspective, they want a Jewish state. I also think this shows a reason they feel threatened- the birth rate is much higher in Arab-Israeli families than Jewish-Israeli families, meaning that in the future, maybe 20, maybe 50 years from now, there will be an Arab-Israeli majority and Jews will no longer have their Jewish state.
What to Palestinians want? That's a good question, and I'm not the best person to answer it, but I expect it's land, equality, and Jerusalem.
Because of this, I strongly believe that the only solution is a 2-state solution. This way, Jews get a Jewish state and Palestinians get equality, not having to live oppressed in a Jewish state. I also firmly believe that if the world decided to make Jerusalem an international holy city, kind of like the Vatican, it would really reduce violence because then nobody could claim ownership. Would this work? Who knows? But what I do know is that what is currently happening is not working.
We have to focus on the loss of life, the tragedy of war, the damages we all suffer. Instead, we look at the crazy perpetrators and their extreme perspectives. I am not a fan of Netanyahu, and with him in charge I don't see any real developments taking place. It's awful. But just because he's in charge doesn't mean nothing good will happen.
I worked at Ultimate Peace, a camp of Jewish and Arab Israelis, playing ultimate peace together, learning values and camaraderie. These children then take lessons back to their communities, and try and spread positive vibes. This is what we should do. We should be working on the ground, with people, children, to open their minds to what could happen if we all got along.
Friday, October 9, 2015
sports
I love sports. Honestly, they're such a big part of my life. I played soccer, basketball and baseball from a young age. I dropped basketball but played soccer and baseball through high school, travelling with my varsity teams and serving as captain of the baseball team. I was captain of my intramural team throughout college in sports ranging from soccer to football, dodgeball to volleyball.
I wrote one of my Tufts application essays on sports, how they make me tick. And though I don't participate in sports so much more I still watch a lot of sports and I play fantasy football. Freshman fall I took a class on sports and culture. Three years later in my final semester at Tufts, I took a class on sports as performance.
What is it about sports?
-One of my earliest relics is a Ken Griffey Jr. shirt I got in a promotion at my first mariners game. It used to go down to my ankles but now it's a shirt.
-My first year cheering for a team was the year the Mariners won 116 games, 2001. I promise I wasn't a bandwagon jumper (see case in point below), it was just the first year I really was old enough to read the sports section.
-Mariners now have the MLB's longest playoff drought, 14 years, since 2001.
-Probably the main reason that I'm not a big fan of basketball (other than that I don't have the finesse needed to be a great shooter) is that when I was young the NBA stole the SuperSonics from Seattle.
-One of my best friends, Jacob, got me interested in Tottenham Hotspur when they were 8 games into the season and had only 2 points- two ties and six losses. "Eight games in and less points than a triangle." Since then they've sent me on an emotional roller coaster. COYS
-Seahawks have been crazy for the past few years.
-I've always enjoyed the football atmosphere on Sundays. Now that fantasy is a thing, it's only gotten better.
Some other things about me and sports:
If I could only watch one sport on TV, sitting on a desert island, it would be soccer.
If I could only watch one sport on TV, wherever else, it would be football.
If I could only watch one sport at a venue, it would be baseball.
My favorite sports to play are soccer, baseball, volleyball, then other stuff
I've run 2 half marathons including the lowest one on earth
I really want to do an ironman in my life
I don't know what it is about sports, but I really do love them.
I think a large part of it is our innate desire to win. Even if there is no logical reason, if we see two people playing a game we want to join in, thinking we can beat them. Professional sports magnifies this desire and commercializes it. I don't know how good it is, but I'm not complaining.
There's probably going to be a lot of Sport on this blog. Just letting you know.
I wrote one of my Tufts application essays on sports, how they make me tick. And though I don't participate in sports so much more I still watch a lot of sports and I play fantasy football. Freshman fall I took a class on sports and culture. Three years later in my final semester at Tufts, I took a class on sports as performance.
What is it about sports?
-One of my earliest relics is a Ken Griffey Jr. shirt I got in a promotion at my first mariners game. It used to go down to my ankles but now it's a shirt.
-My first year cheering for a team was the year the Mariners won 116 games, 2001. I promise I wasn't a bandwagon jumper (see case in point below), it was just the first year I really was old enough to read the sports section.
-Mariners now have the MLB's longest playoff drought, 14 years, since 2001.
-Probably the main reason that I'm not a big fan of basketball (other than that I don't have the finesse needed to be a great shooter) is that when I was young the NBA stole the SuperSonics from Seattle.
-One of my best friends, Jacob, got me interested in Tottenham Hotspur when they were 8 games into the season and had only 2 points- two ties and six losses. "Eight games in and less points than a triangle." Since then they've sent me on an emotional roller coaster. COYS
-Seahawks have been crazy for the past few years.
-I've always enjoyed the football atmosphere on Sundays. Now that fantasy is a thing, it's only gotten better.
Some other things about me and sports:
If I could only watch one sport on TV, sitting on a desert island, it would be soccer.
If I could only watch one sport on TV, wherever else, it would be football.
If I could only watch one sport at a venue, it would be baseball.
My favorite sports to play are soccer, baseball, volleyball, then other stuff
I've run 2 half marathons including the lowest one on earth
I really want to do an ironman in my life
I don't know what it is about sports, but I really do love them.
I think a large part of it is our innate desire to win. Even if there is no logical reason, if we see two people playing a game we want to join in, thinking we can beat them. Professional sports magnifies this desire and commercializes it. I don't know how good it is, but I'm not complaining.
There's probably going to be a lot of Sport on this blog. Just letting you know.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
politics
Politics are something that everybody talks about. I figure I should just talk about politics now in the beginning and get it out of the way. A lot of what I say here is based on the infographic shown on the bottom of the page, and the Shock Doctrine, a book I am reading by Naomi Klein. The book is about how American economists, politicians and businessmen have enforced strict globalization and capitalism on a multitude of nations in dire times, manipulated economies for their own benefit, and in doing so caused untold damage. It's pretty crazy and only now am I getting to the part on internal changes started during the Bush Jr. era. It really has me thinking about the power of government.
Back to politics.
Lets first think the core role of politics in our society. Politics is the process through which our government is run. Politics is a process which is carried out by politicians, people who citizens elect, to make decisions in the government. Politicians make decisions every day which affect us both directly and directly.
I am a registered Democrat, but in a more ideal society would probably lean to the right, because Republicans tend to be more conservative. The government (I talk about the US government) costs a lot of money right now, but that being said, it does a lot of really good things too. If the money being funneled through the government maximizes the benefit of its citizens, I would say it is doing its job, and the US is doing a good job right now. But it could be doing a better job.
When people talk about politics today, they predominantly speak about what the politicians are saying and how they are acting. They talk about upcoming elections and past debates, what candidates say or the new attack ad. It makes me sad, because the government should be working together to help the people, and how can they be working together if they are constantly attacking each other. People are focusing on the politicians instead of on the functionality of the government.
Government is the entity responsible for taking in money from taxpayers and other sources and using these funds to ensure society its best outcome. Nowadays there are a lot of responsibilities for the government. They are responsible for:
-maintaining infrastructure
-paying for healthcare
-caring for the homeless
-maintaining equality and justice
-assuring safety from internal and external threats
-dealing with other nations
-creating and maintaining economic rules and regulations
I'll probably go in depth about these topics at other times, but that's not for today. It's a huge scope of responsibility, and a very complicated one. And we want our government to be trustworthy, transparent, secure, responsive, and we should have extremely high expectations for what comes out of our government. The government today doesn't cover all the bases fully, but it's also extremely strung out in some places. While I was working in the Statehouse I really understood how budgets are set, and there isn't enough money going to places that need it.
I wish that we lived in a society where the government didn't have to interfere with our social lives, but it does, because people disagree about fundamental issues such as religion and science. In my ideal society, government would honestly probably be run by computers, looking at economic data of people and corporations and taking what is needed, and then using that money to maintain their societies. In my ideal society there would be no borders. In my ideal society the government would be minimal in size unless unemployment rose, in which case it would be prepared to offer jobs. Obviously this ideal society is not going to come around any time soon, but it doesn't hurt to dream.
As to whether I think the government would be better off socialistic versus capitalistic, I think a balance is needed. Capitalistic measures are needed to ensure that the economy develops, in order to keep up with other very quickly developing nations. But I also think that socialistic measures should be taken, in that the government should have oversight of programs in many areas including healthcare and education. I wish that politicians were not allowed to meddle in business, but this is unfortunately not the case.
When I think of politics, I think about a massive ship on an endless ocean. The ship is our nation, and there are plenty of other ships around too, each a different nation. Where are the ships going? I can't really tell you, but they are all going in the same general direction. The ships can help each other out or crash into each other, or do nothing. Is it a race? Not necessarily. But not only are there different ships on the ocean, but each ship has people on board, and this raises all kinds of other points. Who is in charge of the ship? what is the well being of the passengers on the ship? are they happy? How much energy should be spent keeping the people happy, and how much on moving the ship forward? Is it better to race ahead, or to help the stragglers?
One last note is that right now, I think the government is doing way too little in some areas (homelessness) and way too much in others (international occupation) and that although it is important to look out for international economic interests, internal stability is far more important.
a little taste of ice cream
When I started this blog I thought it was going to be full of stories from working in an ice cream store (JP licks). That part of my life is pretty much done, and though I haven't been posting daily stories from work, I could have been. It's been amazing far, and I'm sad it's ending. So much for unlimited free samples. Too many favorite flavors. The coworkers are awesome, and customers are always fun. Here are some of the best stories:
- I'm kind of a barista now! Not certified, but I know how to make all the drinks and make a frothy foam. Burned myself a few times though
- The stoned guy that asked me why I was giving him his ice cream (because you ordered it)
- Making mistakes with the orders and having to keep the problematic ice creams
- The drunk guy who passed out on the table
- my "modern" latte art
- free red sox game (brought a friend for free too) after working there for two days
- working in a kosher store, meeting the rabbi, and hearing lots of hebrew
- helping people decide which ice cream they want is always entertaining
- making up fake ice cream flavors
- DIPPING CONES!!!!
everybody is happy when they walk into an ice cream store. it's a social phenomenon.
i don't think my next job will be like that...
- I'm kind of a barista now! Not certified, but I know how to make all the drinks and make a frothy foam. Burned myself a few times though
- The stoned guy that asked me why I was giving him his ice cream (because you ordered it)
- Making mistakes with the orders and having to keep the problematic ice creams
- The drunk guy who passed out on the table
- my "modern" latte art
- free red sox game (brought a friend for free too) after working there for two days
- working in a kosher store, meeting the rabbi, and hearing lots of hebrew
- helping people decide which ice cream they want is always entertaining
- making up fake ice cream flavors
- DIPPING CONES!!!!
everybody is happy when they walk into an ice cream store. it's a social phenomenon.
i don't think my next job will be like that...
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
First Blog Post
So this is my first blog post of my new blog. When I went to Nepal, I wanted to be able to keep my friends and family in the loop while not spending too much time connecting virtually, so I kept a blog. My thinking was that I could post things once and let everybody read the post. I also didn't want to crowd everybody news feed with stories that only interested a select few.
I really enjoyed writing the blog though, much more than expected. I looked forward to having the chance to write something every day, and in the end I had way more people following me than I could have ever expected. I'm not one who likes excessive attention, but I do like to share things if people are interested.
And when I left Nepal and came home, I had this realization that without a blog, I really didn't have an avenue to share stories without, once again, cramming my friends news feeds. It's interesting to think that Facebook, a social network, has the capability to end "friendships" as much as begin them, as some people really hate when people post obsessively. Frankly, annoys me as well. So I thought about starting another blog, and now, that's what I've done.
What will be the content of this blog? My daily adventures. I may not be in Nepal, digging through rubble or building new schools, but that doesn't mean I have nothing fun to write about. Some possible topics:
-Life working at an ice cream store.
-The job hunt.
-"Couch Surfing"
-Fantasy Football Obsession
-and much, much more.
This blog isn't going to be about anything specific. More so, it's going to be my space, which I can share with all of you. I won't be posting daily, but I will try and update regularly. I'm going to complain about mundane things, draw humor from things most of you may not find funny, and probably make comments of questionable integrity. If you have a problem, tell me. I'll fight you, or we can make peace. I prefer peaceful measures.
I also want to keep most posts short because people these days, myself included, don't have the time, or the attention span, to read anything long.
But I do want to finish this post with a little anecdote from my trip back after Nepal. Funny story in my opinion, but I have a weird sense of humor. When this story happened was the first time I realized I may want to keep a blog to share my life a little more.
I had just gotten off the flight in Israel, where I was going to kick it for a few days before coming back to Boston. I got to the baggage claim fast, but of course my suitcase was lost so I was there until the end. At one point, a lady bends over to get her bag. The bag is too heavy, and she struggles to lift it, and next thing I know, she's getting dragged across the floor. First I think it's because she is just stubbornly holding on to her bag, but I quickly realize that her purse, slung around her shoulders, is caught on another suitcase which is sitting on the carousel, making its way around. And because the carousel is full, instead of the bag staying still, the lady moves. The lady ended up getting dragged around 5 feet, pulled by a bag on a baggage claim carousel. It could have ended badly, but it didn't.
See, not even that funny. I promise, things will get better.
That's it.
I really enjoyed writing the blog though, much more than expected. I looked forward to having the chance to write something every day, and in the end I had way more people following me than I could have ever expected. I'm not one who likes excessive attention, but I do like to share things if people are interested.
And when I left Nepal and came home, I had this realization that without a blog, I really didn't have an avenue to share stories without, once again, cramming my friends news feeds. It's interesting to think that Facebook, a social network, has the capability to end "friendships" as much as begin them, as some people really hate when people post obsessively. Frankly, annoys me as well. So I thought about starting another blog, and now, that's what I've done.
What will be the content of this blog? My daily adventures. I may not be in Nepal, digging through rubble or building new schools, but that doesn't mean I have nothing fun to write about. Some possible topics:
-Life working at an ice cream store.
-The job hunt.
-"Couch Surfing"
-Fantasy Football Obsession
-and much, much more.
This blog isn't going to be about anything specific. More so, it's going to be my space, which I can share with all of you. I won't be posting daily, but I will try and update regularly. I'm going to complain about mundane things, draw humor from things most of you may not find funny, and probably make comments of questionable integrity. If you have a problem, tell me. I'll fight you, or we can make peace. I prefer peaceful measures.
I also want to keep most posts short because people these days, myself included, don't have the time, or the attention span, to read anything long.
But I do want to finish this post with a little anecdote from my trip back after Nepal. Funny story in my opinion, but I have a weird sense of humor. When this story happened was the first time I realized I may want to keep a blog to share my life a little more.
I had just gotten off the flight in Israel, where I was going to kick it for a few days before coming back to Boston. I got to the baggage claim fast, but of course my suitcase was lost so I was there until the end. At one point, a lady bends over to get her bag. The bag is too heavy, and she struggles to lift it, and next thing I know, she's getting dragged across the floor. First I think it's because she is just stubbornly holding on to her bag, but I quickly realize that her purse, slung around her shoulders, is caught on another suitcase which is sitting on the carousel, making its way around. And because the carousel is full, instead of the bag staying still, the lady moves. The lady ended up getting dragged around 5 feet, pulled by a bag on a baggage claim carousel. It could have ended badly, but it didn't.
See, not even that funny. I promise, things will get better.
That's it.
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