Kevin's Watch

Me too!

Linna Heartlistener wrote:I was wondering how your weekend in the village went!!

One woman I talked to was one of three wives. We do not judge that, we try to encourage them and pray with them about the challenges they face.

Talk about challenges! Wow, what a place for her to be coming from...
Sounds like one of those situations that strips away a lot of random western Christian-culture assumptions & makes you rely on the gospel and on God.

Absolutely! First of all, she likely had little choice in entering in to the marriage to begin with. Second of all, some of the denominations decline to recognize such marriages; the thing that was upsetting her was that they wouldn't allow her to take Communion. We said whatever rules churches have, God accepts her as she is.

Another woman was in a similar situation because she had had a traditional marriage (rather minimal formality) and her husband and her went to different churches, but her church was insisting they come and get married in that church... which is blanket nonsense, imho.

I'm glad the universe is in the hands of Someone greater than we are. We sure can make a mess of things.

Incongruity... one of the Nigerian students just walked by the door singing "One Way Or Another" by Blondie.

Menolly wrote:Really pretty back yard, Iolanthe!

I am thinking I am really happy I moved to the more mild pacific northwest, compared to other areas north of the Mason-Dixon Line...

Thanks Menolly. It is twice as long as it looks as it goes on to the line of trees at the back (120 foot). Two generations of children and four dogs have made good use of it.

It is sooooo frigging cold! Its hovering around 25 out there! I went to take a walk this morning and even Helldog said Hell NO! I wish it would snow. Since I am NOT commuting anymore and the landscaper shovels, a walk in the snow would be lovely.

I got a lawyer yesterday. I need back and shoulder surgery from falling down that flight of stairs in June. And I am receiving little whispers from deep inside of me telling me the job is going to try do me dirty. The more I think about it the more I realize how I was being pushed out of the job for not reaching their quota of moveouts. Since they knew I was on limited duty why would they put me out in the field, climbing subway stairs to visit 29 shelters, which was impossible, unless they wanted me out. But they can't fill my slot while I am on workman's comp. Anyway, I just felt I needed someone to look out for my interests since I am non-unionized. My lawyer works and lives on Ocean Pkwy in Brooklyn. For those of you that don't know that area, it is mostly Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. My lawyer is Orthodox. Very weird to deal with them, especially since they consider me a 'fallen' Jew. He won't meet with me in private, won't shake hands, etc. But he is considered one of the top in his field.

Interesting Africa pictures.

lorin wrote:My lawyer is Orthodox. Very weird to deal with them, especially since they consider me a 'fallen' Jew. He won't meet with me in private, won't shake hands, etc. But he is considered one of the top in his field.

You probably know this, lorin, but FYI just in case.

Not meeting with you privately and refusing to shake your hand (or to have any type of supposedly questionable contact or interaction) is a gender thing. Even a fully hasidic Torah-observant woman would be treated the same way.

They consider giving women their space to be a way of showing the utmost respect for the gender considered naturally elevated closer to Hashem.

Shaun das Schaf wrote: Sorus, when I say I hear ya, I mean I hear ya with an owl's hearing.
Our new owners are bat-shit crazy and I long ago run out of the fingernails that were holding me up. Here, have another one of these .

And a or two back at ya.

I am so frakking sick of management that goes out of their way to make everyone miserable instead of fixing the actual issues.

Menolly wrote:They consider giving women their space to be a way of showing the utmost respect for the gender considered naturally elevated closer to Hashem.

Although it seems that the biblical verse from which it is derived forbids touching a women in "her time of unclean separation..." Leviticus 18:19.

Of course, in the best tradition of Judaism, there are many different interpretations of negiah.

--A

Avatar wrote:

Menolly wrote:They consider giving women their space to be a way of showing the utmost respect for the gender considered naturally elevated closer to Hashem.

Although it seems that the biblical verse from which it is derived forbids touching a women in "her time of unclean separation..." Leviticus 18:19.

Of course, in the best tradition of Judaism, there are many different interpretations of negiah.

That verse is strictly regarding husband and wife.

The halachically married couple are allowed to touch each other, even in public, except during the wife's menses and until she then dips in the mikvah.

Once beyond the age of b'nai mitzvot, non-married males and females do not touch each other in any way.

Two of the people I care most about in the whole world are going through hell right now, and there isn't a think I can do to help them except to support them and love them.

Sorus wrote:I am so frakking sick of management that goes out of their way to make everyone miserable instead of fixing the actual issues.

That's pretty much my husband's life right now. His boss makes a he** of a mess and he's left to get the blame while he tries to pick up the pieces.

Deer, ouch.

lorin wrote:...and even Helldog said Hell NO!

You're funny!

lorin wrote:My lawyer works and lives on Ocean Pkwy in Brooklyn. For those of you that don't know that area, it is mostly Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. My lawyer is Orthodox. Very weird to deal with them, especially since they consider me a 'fallen' Jew. He won't meet with me in private, won't shake hands, etc.

Well, that sounds somewhat awkward and tough in ways that I don't fully understand… though glad for Menolly's reassuring, "some of this is not just you."

But he is considered one of the top in his field.

But yaaay for competence!

And yay for you dealing with this stuff!

Three cheers for you dealing with this stuff, even though it dredges up the pain of what people/administration/whoever from your old workplace were trying to do to you.
<-- (That is me sayin' "You rock" for you, even if you aren't necessarily feelin' it atm.)

Menolly wrote: Not meeting with you privately and refusing to shake your hand (or to have any type of supposedly questionable contact or interaction) is a gender thing. Even a fully hasidic Torah-observant woman would be treated the same way.

They consider giving women their space to be a way of showing the utmost respect for the gender considered naturally elevated closer to Hashem.

I do understand this. It is just weird because we have such similar backgrounds and such different outcomes. When I hear them speak Yiddish I remember my grandmother and feel sort of like I left the party, but I was never at the party actually. Makes me yearn for family. (not MY family mind you)

Three cheers for you dealing with this stuff, even though it dredges up the pain of what people/administration/whoever from your old workplace were trying to do to you.

You know what it dredges up, Linna? It dredges up the frustration at myself for lingering for 20 years in a place where I didn't belong. Nobody chained me to that job, I took the shackles and put them around my own ankle. As time goes by I see more and more what I did to myself.

Sorus wrote: I am so frakking sick of management that goes out of their way to make everyone miserable instead of fixing the actual issues.

I am right there with you on that one.

Menolly wrote: Not meeting with you privately and refusing to shake your hand (or to have any type of supposedly questionable contact or interaction) is a gender thing. Even a fully hasidic Torah-observant woman would be treated the same way.

They consider giving women their space to be a way of showing the utmost respect for the gender considered naturally elevated closer to Hashem.

Found it interesting that this lecture was uploaded today. It's a long class, and the first five minutes or so of audio is missing, but figured I would post the link, in case anyone wished to pursue this further.

Are Women Superior?

The time has come the walrus said to talk of many things of shoes of ships of sealing wax and cabbages and kings... ok, tomorrow is my day of theater, making used car sales men cry. I have been prepped by my friend and may I have the confidence of lucimay, the fortitude of aliantha and the practicality of lorin to guide me through. Yes this is my fortay but it's always nice to channel.

Cameraman Jenn wrote: and the practicality of lorin

At the next Fest I am going to buy you a drink for that one and we can both laugh. Go get 'em tiger!


It is 6:30am, 8 degrees and my pipes are frozen. The house plumbing is getting cold too. Seriously, no water, nada. I have the heat on 75 and it is 58 in here. I put a space heater in the crawl space to thaw the pipes. We'll see if that works. I feel for all the people around me that still have no heat from Sandy.

Well, I am an epic fail. I got up today and realized that I just had no urge, desire, ability whatsoever to go car shopping. I took the day and ran my errands and I'm doing laundry and relaxing. Therefore tomorrow will be my day to make grown men cry.

Lorin, don't know why you don't think you have a strong sense of practicality in your nature. You do. How we see ourselves and how others see us are profoundly different in perspective.

I have been doing icky... just ...so ...stuck, right now.
I think I have some idea why though, and what I can do...

lorin wrote:

Three cheers for you dealing with this stuff, even though it dredges up the pain of what people/administration/whoever from your old workplace were trying to do to you.

You know what it dredges up, Linna? It dredges up the frustration at myself for lingering for 20 years in a place where I didn't belong. Nobody chained me to that job, I took the shackles and put them around my own ankle. As time goes by I see more and more what I did to myself.

Well, there's always some of that...

(okay, I guess A LOT of that sometimes!)

Bah, I don't know what to say to that!
Hope you can get those thoughts to somehow be driving something positive instead of just driving the ole "wishing you could go back into the past and do it over" train.

"So you paid a high price for your wisdom, you say?"

Linna Heartlistener wrote:I have been doing icky... just ...so ...stuck, right now.
I think I have some idea why though, and what I can do...

The old, not knowing what to do but doing what you know thing...

My daughter is taking SATs again today to try for a better score. I cannot believe how blessed I am in my kids. I was a horrible teenager who did all the stupid things with not a clue how it affected the people who loved me. I guess I'm making up for it now though; working in my classroom on a Saturday.

Linna Heartlistener wrote: "So you paid a high price for your wisdom, you say?"

Haven't we all? If I knew then what I know now.............

Linna Heartlistener wrote:I have been doing icky... just ...so ...stuck, right now.
I think I have some idea why though, and what I can do...

Just knowing is 1/2 the battle.

deer of the dawn wrote: My daughter is taking SATs again today to try for a better score. I cannot believe how blessed I am in my kids. I was a horrible teenager who did all the stupid things with not a clue how it affected the people who loved me. I guess I'm making up for it now though; working in my classroom on a Saturday.

Taking the SAT's twice!! I was barely willing to take them once. I was a horrible teen. Remember Darlene in the show Roseanne? That was me.

lorin wrote:: At the next Fest I am going to buy you a drink for that one and we can both laugh. .

deal