Wednesday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 06:25:23 PM EST
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Tonight begins the 8 days celebration of Hanukkah. What's it about?

In 167 B.C.E. the Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus made the observance of Judaism an offense punishable by death. He also ordered all Jews to worship Greek gods.

The year before, Syrian-Greek soldiers had seized the Jewish temple and dedicated it to the worship of the god Zeus. Enough was enough. Jewish resistance began in the village of Modiin, near Jerusalem when Greek soldiers demanded Jews bow down to an idol and eat a pig. Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, refused to accede to the Greek soldiers' demands and he and his five sons killed the Greek soldiers. [More...]

Mattahias fled to the mountains where other Jews joined him. He died in 167, and his son Judah Maccabee became the leader of the revolt. They fought back and won and took back their temple. Because it had been so defiled by the Greeks/Syrians, they rededicated it. Hanukkah means "dedication."

Jewish troops were determined to purify the Temple by burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to their dismay, they discovered that there was only one day's worth of oil left in the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their surprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days.

This is the miracle of the Hanukkah oil that is celebrated every year when Jews light a special menorah known as a hanukkiyah for eight days.

Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating the holiday. This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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Wednesday Night Open Thread | 25 comments (25 topical)

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since it is an open thread (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by the capstan on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 07:20:15 PM EST

and I got on here too late to reply to a comment about the 2012 election:

"The bias on this blog needs to be corrected by actual data...."

Can't help but wonder if you were around when the stubborn readers who did not enthusiastically support Obama in '08 had to go wander the net looking for a new political home. We filtered back to Jeralynn and BTD when some of the shiny wore off the pony here. If we rebels seem to be in the majority now, it is Obama's own fault: he seems to be a very small 'd' democrat, I believe.

time for a (5.00 / 2) (#24)
by CST on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 03:01:20 PM EST

good news dump

"Obama restores drilling ban off the Atlantic coast, Florida"

"Are jobs coming back? Signs point to yes"

"Civil unions clear Illinois legislature"

cuz sometimes, we all need a little silver lining

Yes, Virginia the US can get stupider (none / 0) (#3)
by waldenpond on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 08:04:22 PM EST

You know how there is a creation 'museum'? Well, now there will be a creation 'theme park' and it will get tax breaks and govt subsidies. Just think of all the little kiddies being bussed in with your tax dollars. hahaha!

Yes, the dinosaurs existed side by side with early humans.... and yes, I'm still sticking with the Repubs winning the next round because of the growth of this type of willful stupiderness.

What happened to the Talkleft youtube (none / 0) (#4)
by jes on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 08:48:10 PM EST

account? I was looking for the video of Natalie Merchant and Michael Stipe doing "Candy Everybody Wants" during the Clinton inauguration and it says the account has been terminated.

I love that video so much. I should have downloaded it when I had the chance.

Can it go back up? What happened?

: you tube cancelled my account (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by Jeralyn on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 12:17:29 AM EST

because they claimed some of my videos violated copyright. I still don't get it. The Natalie Merchant and Michael Stipe video came from a VHS tape I recorded in 1993 of the 1993 MTV Clinton Inaugural ball that aired publicly. It's been in my closet the whole time since. A few years ago I transferred some of the performances like the Merchant/Stipe video you like and the ones of Don Henley singing Democracy and Dirty Laundry to a dvd and then converted it to mp3 or mp4 and uploaded to you tube. It's not like those performances could be purchased and the artist would get royalties from them. They performed for free at a public event. Nonetheless, Viacom or Henley's record label complained and they wiped out my account without notice. All the videos went pouf. Including my Owl Farm videos, videos I took in Iowa on the campaign trail (including Mellencamp at a John Edwards event), some of my own tv appearances and videos of my interviews of public figures (like Tommy Chong, I really liked that one.)
I do still have most of them all on various computers, I just haven't figured out where to upload them without having the same thing happen. I may just put them on TalkLeft, but first I have a little more learning to do about encoding and embedding flv files.
The reverse process is easier. I've learned how to grab any streaming video off you tube or a tv network's website, save it to my computer, strip out the commercial, convert to mp4 and upload to itunes to watch on my iPod, iPad and iPhone.
So I have the videos you like, I just haven't put them back up yet. But I will at some point.

"celebrate" Chanukah? (none / 0) (#5)
by desmoinesdem on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 10:04:41 PM EST

I thought we Jews observe our holidays.

Just kidding--but I do love Lenny Bruce.

The Onion (none / 0) (#6)
by andgarden on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 10:34:17 PM EST

or the New York Times. You tell me:

"Frankly, you would think that an audience in New York, at the 92nd Street Y, would be interested in hearing about art and artists," Ms. Solomon added in an e-mail. "I had no idea that the Y programmers wanted me to talk to Steve instead on what it's like to host the Oscars or appear in `It's Complicated' with Alec Baldwin. I think the Y, which is supposedly a champion of the arts, has behaved very crassly and is reinforcing the most philistine aspects of a culture that values celebrity and award shows over art."

: Amazing. Refunds to all. Besmirches (none / 0) (#7)
by oculus on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 11:05:56 PM EST

the very fine reputation of 92nd St. Y, IMO.

Hasidic reggae singer profiled on NPR (none / 0) (#8)
by oculus on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 11:06:58 PM EST

this afternoon. Sweet voice. Anyone heard/heard of him?

Matisyahu: (none / 0) (#9)
by oculus on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 11:14:25 PM EST

NPR


I don't know him well (none / 0) (#13)
by lilburro on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 08:08:14 AM EST

but I do like his song Sea to Sea.


yea (none / 0) (#15)
by CST on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 09:25:31 AM EST

he was kind of part of the college quasi-hiphop (as opposed to indy rock) music scene - he played a lot of live concerts at universities. A long with people like Ben Harper, Talib Kweli, etc...

If you like Matisyahu I also recommend Damien Marley - son of Bob.


: Are you telling me NPR and I are (none / 0) (#20)
by oculus on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 10:49:09 AM EST

kind of out-of-touch??????

Saw him live... (none / 0) (#16)
by kdog on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 09:39:31 AM EST

this summer opening for Sublime w/ Rome...wild unique character.


excited (none / 0) (#17)
by CST on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 09:53:49 AM EST

for Monday yet?

Football is unhealthy.


Big time.... (none / 0) (#18)
by kdog on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 10:19:53 AM EST

Feels like playoffs...so wish the Jets were home though...there would be classic signs and quality heckling of Tom "Plugs" Brady in light of recent revelations:)


it really does (none / 0) (#19)
by CST on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 10:40:42 AM EST

I was kind of hoping the Jets would lose last week to take some of the pressure off. Oh well.

I'm just glad he grew a beard. Now he looks more like the O-line than Justin Bieber.


That makes 2... (none / 0) (#21)
by kdog on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 11:02:22 AM EST

I thought the Lions were gonna do us a favor on Turkey Day for a minute there in the first half.

This is better though in a way, more sporting...whoever wins Monday night earns the division beyond question, and possibly homefield throughout the playoffs.

I'm feeling good, but we need to pull it all together for 4 quarters...offense/defense/special teams. Last minute heroics ain't gonna cut it against the mighty Pats.


it's really hard to read (none / 0) (#22)
by CST on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 11:14:12 AM EST

the pats right now. The offense is on fire but sometimes comes up small when a big play could win it all. The defense is getting rolled, but comes up with the big plays - playing "bend but don't break".

It makes me uncomfortable at times, but so far so good.

I think this week will answer a lot of questions about both teams, no matter who wins.

Neither team has much of a kicker right now, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of 4th down attempts. Should be a great game.


: Yeah... (none / 0) (#23)
by kdog on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 11:49:11 AM EST

don't bring up kickers...Jets brought some schlub in for a tryout this week they are so worried about Folk.
Excited to see what gameplans the coaches come up with too...are we gonna big blitz a lot or try to get there with 4? you guys gonna stack the line or double Santonio & Braylon? Let the chess match begin!

Of course Orszag was looking out for your (none / 0) (#10)
by MO Blue on Wed Dec 01, 2010 at 11:25:08 PM EST

interests and not his future wealth. Corporate welfare at its best brought to you courtesy of your taxpayer dollars.

Citigroup Inc., recovering from its $45 billion bailout in 2008, is in advanced talks to hire former White House Budget Director Peter Orszag, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Orszag, 41, may take a job in the New York-based firm's investment-banking division, the people said, declining to be identified because the discussions are private. An announcement may come as early as today, one of the people said. digby

Hold the phone... (none / 0) (#14)
by kdog on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 09:20:46 AM EST

if it is true the S.O.S. ordered diplomats to be spies, her and Uncle Sam's name is Mudd, and rightly so.

Diplomacy is seriously threatened when diplomats are used as undercover spooks...I hope the dirt they dug up was worth the damage done to diplomacy.

: It seems worthwhile. They found out (none / 0) (#28)
by KeysDan on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 07:48:48 PM EST

that Muammar al-Gaddafi has a Ukrainian nurse who is a blonde bombshell.

Bi-Partisanship! (none / 0) (#26)
by vicndabx on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 03:43:45 PM EST

Pete King speaking out against Charlie Rangel's censure on C-Span....

: Peter King? Oh my . . . . (none / 0) (#27)
by nycstray on Thu Dec 02, 2010 at 05:47:25 PM EST