Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Undead Monkeys, Stress & Away Messages

I'm supposed to be doing other things now.

But before I commence doing them, I am going to take a short break (God knows I need it.)


Firstly, I need an undead monkey for target practice. And I need him right now.

To make this short and snappy:

Things I ate today: Cookies & Gefilte Fish
Things I did not eat today: Dinner

Things I did today:

  • Called and spoke to the receptionist & curator at the YU Museum
  • Got in touch with their publicity correspondent/ exchanged numerous emails
  • Wrote an article
  • Edited 3 articles/ Uploaded articles/ Updated GoogleDocs accordingly
  • Was made to re-edit 2 of my own articles
  • Called numerous people to coordinate school-related activities
  • Other miscellaneous homework

Things I did not do today: Watch "Heroes"

On a happier note, I had a fun discussion with my little brother where I explained politics to him (and attempted to give a good definition for the word "doctrine,") was able to speak to some of my friends (who watched the rising stress levels from afar) and most importantly, learned something interesting.

Have you heard the idea that the snake in Bereishit's punishment was to eat dust, and this was because dust is very plentiful-therefore, God had as good as shown that the snake would never be in a position to need to pray to God because all his needs would be taken care of? And that this is considered a curse? Well, I always thought it was a midrash (I am convinced I read it in some midrashic forum.) Earlier this morning, I learned the following two things from assorted gmail chatters, one of whom was Chardal (thanks guys).

1. In the sefer Shi'vim Panim LaTorah, the Kotzker says that the punishment was that the snake would never feel like he needed anything which itself is a curse and Rav Simcha Bonim Me'Peshischa added the idea of not needing to pray to Hashem.

2. The Maharal on the midrash of Yitzchak being melamed zechut on klal Yisrael brings up the idea that independence from Hashem is a curse.

So apparently it is not a midrash but the Kotzker Rebbe's idea. But I could have sworn I read it in a Midrash...

On the happiest note of all, I get to give a shiur! Actually, it's more like a discussion group, but I get to be in charge (and you know this makes me happy.) Best of all, I get to teach my Torah- some ideas that I came up with- and that's approved and okay and all good. So that's really exciting.

Some other thoughts running through my mind right now...I don't delegate. I only delegate to proven, trustworthy and responsible people. I know very few of these people so I'm a big believer in "if you want something done right, do it yourself." Sometimes I think this is unfortunate.

One of the highlights of my day was a ridiculous story composed over IM (it was wholly alliterative) that featured my friends and I. It made me laugh, and that was helpful. Thanks, Eitan!

On the subject of IM...people, you need to make your Away messages interesting! It is my only form of entertainment while I am chained to the computer, so you ought to entertain me! How hard is it to write an interesting away message, something provocative and compelling or otherwise amusing? And yet very few of my friends do so. This is depressing. I shall be saddened now.

Oh, and here is a question for you: do you think people can train themselves not to react to situations or to insults but rather to choose how to respond?

How many of you find it difficult to bite your tongue when you (or people you love) are being insulted? And then, out of curiosity, how many of you manage it anyway? And why do you think silence is the answer?

Okay, I am zonked. Off to be a zombie now. After all, exhausted is the new sexy!

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

--do you think people can train themselves not to react to situations or to insults but rather to choose how to respond?

Without a doubt.

--How many of you find it difficult to bite your tongue when you (or people you love) are being insulted?

Why would one hold their tongue when a loved one is being insulted?

Scraps said...

Things I ate today: Cookies & Gefilte Fish
Things I did not eat today: Dinner


Sounds like me, last week. I don't recommend doing it too many days in a row, you start feeling woozy.

On the happiest note of all, I get to give a shiur! Actually, it's more like a discussion group, but I get to be in charge (and you know this makes me happy.) Best of all, I get to teach my Torah- some ideas that I came up with- and that's approved and okay and all good. So that's really exciting.

Chana, you are going to have a party. :-D Wish I could be there to watch...

Oh, and here is a question for you: do you think people can train themselves not to react to situations or to insults but rather to choose how to respond?

I think that some people can, but not everyone is capable of this. It requires being able to disengage one's emotions, and not everyone has an easy time doing this. Some people can do it easily, some with difficulty, and some not at all, in my opinion.

Larry Lennhoff said...

How many of you find it difficult to bite your tongue when you (or people you love) are being insulted? And then, out of curiosity, how many of you manage it anyway? And why do you think silence is the answer?

It is pretty easy for me. I ask myself - will the world be a better place if I speak up or shut up? Most of the time the answer is shut up.

e-kvetcher said...

Why is the rum always gone?

haKiruv said...

I'm supposed to be doing other things now.

It was like 4am...things like...sleeping?!?!

Young women have strange eating habits. However, I hear e-kvetcher's diet consists mostly of rum and Double Stuf Oreos.

haKiruv said...

Oh wait, I just realized that I read this at 4am.

Anonymous said...

--Why is the rum always gone?

**gets up; staggers sideways drunkenly**
"Ah, yes, that's why."

Anonymous said...

Oh, and here is a question for you: do you think people can train themselves not to react to situations or to insults but rather to choose how to respond?
Oh, yay, Chana! It's like you read my mind or something, cuz I was just thinking about this comment this week...
It fascinates me how some people are so emotional inside yet so stoic on the outside, barely ever letting their true thoughts or feelings come across on thier faces or body language.
I myself have been working on using a semi-poker face from time to time to see how well it works for me--to protect me from other people prying into places they shouldn't be getting into, or so I won't have to explain my reaction to anyone, or just to test my self-control (which is my favorite reason; self-control has become my obsession as of late)--but I still wonder if those emotional-yet-stoic people do it consciously or naturally...I guess there are both kinds out there.

But you're talking about those to whom stoicism--or rather the ability to think rationally in a moment of incitement and decide how to respond--does not come naturally, whic is probably the case with most people. I'd say that it is definitely possible to learn the art of thinking rationally in an emotional situation, but its super hard and takes a whole lot of training and commitment and self-drive...

Now to g,
I agree with you that when a loved one is being insulted it hurts terribly and one should try to intervene on their behalf, but there is a difference between standing up for someone and (what I think you meant by saying) not holding thier tongue. There are other ways to help... Correct me if I got your gist wrong...

Anonymous said...

Chana--
I'm gonna stick this comment here even though it's for "ballerina girl" because that one isn't on the homepage screen anymore and I don't know if you'll see another comment made there. (It occurred to me that I may be violating blog rules or something--dunno if I'm allowed to comment on another post here...I'm semi-new to the blogosphere, so feel free to inform me if I'm being a wayward commenter...:-) )

Anyway, I watched the linkin park video you linked on to your comment, and my whole image of Lexy is now shattered...I had seen her so differently in my head when I read your story.

Which gave me two things to think about:

1) It's amazing how different people's imaginations paint such different and diverse realms out of a single subject matter...it's mind boggling to think of how many combinations and permutations (pardon the math terms) are possible to be formulated in the myriad brains of the readers of 1 piece of work...fascinating...

2) This is precisely the reason why I HATE watching films of books I'd previously read. Besides for Lord of the Rings, which did a FABULOUS job converting book to screen (or at least the chapters they managed to squeeze into a 9 hour trilogy...) most other movies just mess up the images you already have in your head of what you read... It's almost like...a bizayon for the books... (*sigh*)

Anonymous said...

Corner,

--there is a difference between standing up for someone and (what I think you meant by saying) not holding thier tongue. There are other ways to help

True, it would depend on the situation. The language of holding ones tongue was more of a reference to the post ("bite your tongue")

Anonymous said...

G--

I hear you.
It always depends on the situation...everything in life depends on the situation.
It actually gets me frustrated sometimes in terms of asking questions or giving answers: "Oh, well, it depends..."
Wouldn't life be different if there were no situations like that. (Guess it would be both easier and more complicated at the same time...worth pondering over...)

And just a question for you--are you called "G" in real life too? :)

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