The Loneliest Monk

I keep having these dreams about high school.  There's one girl in particular who keeps showing up, mostly as a peripheral character.  We were friends in middle school and high school, nothing romantic, which is how it stays in these dreams.  Last night I dreamt I was visiting the high school a couple years after having graduated and gone on to college.  The weird part was I had superpowers like Shadowcat, from the X-Men.
On a side note, Shadowcat is my favorite female member of the X-Men.  She's Jewish, she's hot, she's smart, she's a ninja...  She's kind of like a mutant Natalie Portman in that way.

Bobby Darin sounds positively square next to Ben E. King.  The first thing I noticed is that in the chorus, Darin resolves to the root of the tonic chord.  King drops down to the third, which sounds a little hipper.  King phrases behind the beat and takes some liberties with the melody, adding drama and strengthening the narrative voice.  Darin sounds relaxed, but rather unimaginative, although it's probably just as well he doesn't plead like King.

Everywhere I go these days, I think I see the girl who broke my heart.  I thought I was starting to get over her.  Now I think she's got a doppelganger who stalks 5th Avenue.

My landlady woke me up at 8:30 this morning when she let herself into my apartment.

 
 

On Wednesday's All Things Considered, Daniel Schorr observed of President Bush, "Lying as a matter of convience has become almost a conventional technique."  About two and a half minutes long, it's a short piece but, as is typical of Schorr, there's plenty of information crammed into it.  Listen to the whole thing here.

Just found out one of my favorite comicbook artists suffered a fatal heart attack last Sunday (Aug 12).  I was just rediscovering Wieringo's art via his internet presence, and perhaps even took for granted the diligence with which he kept his fans in the loop.  My friend Dan-David hipped me to Wieringo's artwork when he gave me a stack of Sensational Spider-Man comics, all in Hebrew.  I went out and bought the corresponding English copies, so I could try and learn some Hebrew.  Mostly, I just read books in English and really started to dig on Mike Wieringo's style.

The first thing I remember noticing is how he draws a chin.  The guy just really knows how to draw a chin (fig. 1).  His lyrical visual style (fig. 2) has developed a bit of an edge in the past ten years (fig. 3).  Wieringo's return to Spider-Man felt like he had come full circle as a comicbook artist, seeing Marvel's flagship hero through an era of major changes, i.e. Marvel's Civil War.

Judging from the online response to Mike Wieringo's passing, it seems like he was a popular guy in the comics community.  He was also a health nut, supposedly, which makes his heart attack that much more tragic.

What are the 10 foods you must have in your refrigerator and/or your kitchen cabinet? 
Submitted by Carol.  

The last time I had that much food in my kitchen was when my parents came here for Shabbos.  Usually I just have a $2 loaf of hamotze bread, cashew butter, and jelly.  Sometimes I buy breakfast cereal to add some variety, as well as soluble fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals.  If I'm feeling rich, I'll blow ten bucks on a frozen pizza (whole wheat).  Pizza can really only be washed down with two beverages, beer or soda.  Beer I don't buy because drinking alone is too depressing for even me.  I buy soda on rare occasions, because it's kind of expensive and it's not real good for you.  Also, they say it's really bad for your teeth, and I'm not exactly the king of dental hygiene...  Mostly, I just drink tap water.  When it occurs to me, I buy the calcium orange juice.  I had a stash of tuna fish (from my Mom) and sardines (from the Fastows) that lasted me several months because I kept forgetting it was there.  

Came across my fraternity's entry in Urban Dictionary.

"The greatest fraternity that ever existed. Composed of individuals who are [. . .] known for being non-discriminatory towards everybody and propagate freedom for all men of all creeds."  (source)

For a something slightly more objective, you may want to try the actual Pi Lambda Phi website.  There's an in-depth history of the fraternity, a list of famous Pi Lams (e.g., Sandy Koufax and Rodgers & Hammerstein), information on their activities philanthropic and educational and humanitarian, etc.

You can skip all that shit because it's boring.  All you need to know is the Creed of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity.

The Creed of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity

That all Men are created Free and Equal.

             

That no Society of Men can flourish unless Members of that Society are endowed the Opportunities and Privileges of Freedom.

             

That Freedom implies the Elimination of Prejudice -- That the Elimination of Prejudice means a Better Understanding 'twixt Men.

             

That it is incumbent upon me to fight for such Freedom even with my Life.

             

That it is incumbent upon me in my Personal Life to be devoted to the Highest Standards of Honesty and Justice.

             

That because my Country is dedicated to the Highest Standards of Freedom and Justice for all Men of all Creeds, I hereby pledge Allegiance to my Country, and to its National Symbol.

My parents raised me by these and other, similar values.  It's worth mentioning that my parents are Pi Lams.  My Dad is an active alumnus; my Mom's status is less official, and that's a story for another time.