The Boxer- Simon & Garfunkel

At the moment this feels very familiar. More on this to come in later post.
I am just a poor boy and my story's seldom told
Ive squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still the man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest, hmmmm

When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin scared
Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know

Li la li...

Asking only workmans wages, I come lookin for a job, but I get no offers
Just a comeon from the whores on 7th avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
I took some comfort there

Now the years are rolling by me, they are rockin even me
I am older than I once was, and younger than Ill be, thats not unusual
No it isnt strange, after changes upon changes, we are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same

Li la li...

And I'm laying out my winter clothes, wishing I was gone, goin home
Where the new york city winters arent bleedin me, leadin me to go home

In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him
til he cried out in his anger and his shame
I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains
Yes he still remains

Li la li...
Mother's day is a marathon. I am tired of running on the treadmill. Someone stop the ride, I want to get off.

Haveil Havalim #216 The Happy 40th Birthday Jack Edition

Welcome to Haveil Havalim #216 The Happy 40th Birthday Jack Edition. Yes, it is true. As of the 9th I have been forced to wave goodbye to my thirties and say hello to my forties. A new decade beckons and I am ready to answer the call.

Of course it doesn't matter whether I am ready or not as I have not yet figured out how to stop the clock or better yet, how to turn it back. I have mixed feelings about this birthday. Part of me is completely ambivalent while another part is trying to figure out how this could be. I was twenty five last week and just a hair short of 31 yesterday.

Anyway, while I undergo my own private analysis you can take some time to read through our carnival. My apologies if this isn't up to snuff, birthday events and life activities have made it hard to focus.

I shared a joke called Baptizing The Bear that many people have found to be quite funny. I like jokes about bears, do you remember A Jewish Bear & Other Jokes.

Israel and Politics

We'll start off with Daled Amos post, Is There Such A Thing As Putting Too Much Pressure On Israel? and then we'll move along to Rubin Reports Please! Some Sanity in Evaluating U.S.-Israel Relations.

Esser Agaroth has Some Frightening Thoughts to share.

Speaking of frightening this post at Shiloh Musings will make you think. Check out Wife of Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister is a “Born Again Believer.”

Visit the Augean Stables and learn about Combatant/Civilian Casualties and the Moral Hysteria/Hypocrisy of the West.

Religion and State in Israel part one and two are ready for your review. Israel Innovation 2.0 shared 12 Israel-related headlines from the week of April 26, 2009.

I don't know whether it is right to call it holy pollution. Go read Pollution in a Promised Land: Alon Tal on Israel and the Environment.

At the Muqata read Israel's Settlers Going Green for the Environment.

The Israeli Soldier writes about medicine in the army in Things you know that you don't know.

Sometimes all you can say about political satire is that This Is Too Cruel.

The world is full of contradictions, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Nuclear Arms Are Bad...Except When They Are Good!

At Mere Rhetoric Omri points out inconsistencies. Take a look at Stephen Walt: Iran Will Never Attack Israel. Iran: We're Totally Going To Attack Israel.

A Mother in Israel wrote about The Week of the Police Robots.

How to Be Israeli's post, You are never too old to wear Spandex could also be applied to Texas and Cleveland. Talk about places in need of help, oy.

Seraphic Secret blogged Honestly, Obama's Lying. Over at Don't Gel Too Soon there is a post that says religious voters like the president. Read it at Support for Obama Among Jewish (and Other) Religious Voters is High.

The Velveteen Rabbi reviews "Slingshot Hiphop" and offers reflections on hip-hop, Israel and the Palestinian territories, and peace.

Reading about the New Mashbir brought back fond memories of summers past. We used to go to the Carvel next door for ice cream. Not to mention the time when a guy offered to sell me a pair of used Levis for forty bucks. That Israel doesn't exist any more.

Did someone say pirates? Cruise ships have learned to talk to Israeli security, read more at Aye aye sir - Israeli guards fight piracy on the high seas.

Harry at Israelity says Israeli bathers - beware of matkot sightings. To Serve Again tells the story of Orthodox soldiers who have never been able to serve in the reserves and now will begin to do so.

Ben Yehuda is not pleased with an ad campaign. Want to know more, go read More Codependent YeSh"A Coucil PR Crap.

Bar Kochba discusses Israel's future as a Jewish state in The Loyalty Fallacy. Over at Elms in The Yard the discussion covers Forced Segregation on Jerusalem Buses.

Flags Over Nazareth discusses the reaction of Muslims in Nazareth to the pope's visit. Esser Agaroth is not happy about the coming visit of the pope and neither is Shiloh Musings.

Yourish has the story about the Statue of Liberty. Go read Lady Liberty’s crown will re-open: AFT.

Soccer Dad asks the important question, Serious about syria? One can certainly hope that that the news is going to be about effective diplomacy yielding positive results.

Treppenwitz tells the story of a decades old kidnapping. Want to know more, go read Seeking Closure.

Lisa is involved in some Blog Promotion.

Judaism

The Rebbetzin's Husband has thoughts about Twittering in Synagogue? Frum Satire says that Orthodox Jews don't drink Manischewitz.

Mrs. S is speaking Heblish. Want to know more go read Heblish: Pesach Sheni edition. DovBear wrote about Shul seating.

I liked My Right Words response to a comment he received on this post. He also has the story of the Jewish, er Catholic priest too.

At Shearim you can read a post that had me both nodding my head yes and shaking my head no, I have to stick to my task in an outside World

A Simple Jew shared Guest Posting By Anonymous - My Questionable "Jewishness." Too young To Teach says that Everyone Loves a Conspiracy.

Jacob provides key information with his post Educational websites about Lag Ba'Omer, "Flame On."

The Ima wrote about Creating Jewish Identity. Like her, I wonder what sorts of thoughts/stories my children will tell when they are older.

A Mother in Israel blogged about Abortion in the Religious Zionist Community. It is an interesting topic to say the least, no easy answers.

Home Shuling took A shabbat stroll with a purpose.

At Daled Amos you should read EU Legalizes Kosher Slaughtering--But The Battle Is Not Over and Norwegian Media Retaliates Against Author Of Book On Nordic Anti-Semitism (Updated).

LOZ presents She'er: Wife or Relative? (Trop).

Ask Mottel about JTA's Fail Whale of a Twitter List. At The Real Shliach he recounts a farbrenger with R' Shimonke Lazaroff, head Shliach of Texas.

Miscellaneous

I don't know about you, but B'IMA SHELI is becoming one of my favorite expressions.

Seraphic Secret isn't Catholic, but he is giving confession. You can read more in Screenwriter Confesses: 'I Could Never Love a Woman Who Didn't Love The Seven Samurai.'

Shtetl Fabulous may be on Hiatus. In regard to Mother's Day go read TherapyDoc who writes You Only Have One Mother.

My Right Word asks the question, Which is better, blogging or getting a letter published in a newspaper?

Beneath the Wings has an important post called Blogging Against Disablism - (updated and expanded version).

Leora has a useful post called Pros and Cons of Self-Hosted WordPress. Batya's post The Pictures Look Nicer Than The Real Thing may make you want to take a shower.

Alternatively you could always get a car wosh.

At To Light a Spark there is a post that suggests that we resemble a certain sea creature. Go read, You Are a Fish.

This next poster thinks that Having Nothing In Common with your spouse is a spiritual challenge.

I laughed at LOZ's description of what he thinks he might have put his head in. Someone better check in with Benji and make sure that aliens haven't eaten him.

On second thought read this post and you'll know that something had to have happened. ;)

While we are speaking about things that happened, let me be clear there are
Rules For Dating My Daughter.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of haveil havalim using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Another Birthday Comes & Goes

Another year has come and gone and I have another notch to add to my belt. My thirties have ended and I have entered that decade known as the forties. I stare at my reflection and mutter inconceivable.

The face looking back at me is familiar, yet different. There are lines and creases that are starting to display themselves on a full time basis. The twinkle in my eyes is still there, but there is something else there too.

Life experience has bestowed upon me a certain sort of wisdom that has left a combination of concern and ambivalence that I am trying to sort out. I unsettled. There are things going on that just don't do it for me. I am unfulfilled and in search of things that make me happier.

I feel the pressure of time to make some changes sooner than later. I have seen too much. I have watched relationships crumble and been to the funeral of more than one friend. Those experiences serve as life lessons that I look at as signposts and roadmaps that I intend to use.

There are many good things in my life that I am thankful for but I don't have the same feelings/tolerance for those that aren't adding value. You can't ever remove all of the negative influences and elements from your life, but you can minimize them. You don't have to give them free reign.

So I stand here taking inventory and doing all that I can to be the master of my domain. If you ask me what life is going to look like in five years I'll tell you that I haven't got a clue. Ok, I have a few ideas, but there are so many variables, so many unknowns that it is tough to give a good answer.

I have to admit that I kind of appreciate not knowing what is going to happen. There is something kind of exciting about it all. And I should add that it is not like I am not going to try and influence things. I have my thoughts and ideas about what I want to see happen. I suppose that the blog will be a good tool for chronicling it all.

Stick around and see what happens.

On This Day In History

Click here for a list of things that happened.

Not Dead Yet

Been a whole slew of crazy things that have happened since I last updated this joint.  It is not an exaggeration to say I am not dead yet, c...