Sunday, August 31, 2008

Nice email from a former colleague

(Names are changed for her privacy; she and I shared an office. We didn't always get agree about everything, but there was always mutual respect.)

Sarah,

When I arrived at the office yesterday morning, (our supervisor) told me that you had been let go.

My immediate reaction was an unrelenting sadness – sad because of the position that you are now in – sad because I had lost my (not always) silent partner.

Professionally and personally you have nurtured me in countless ways:

In areas that I was unfamiliar with I always knew that I could turn around and ask your advice – whether it would be how to find some important information on the Internet – the meaning or correct use of a word – the correct approach to answering a “[first name of publisher] question”.

I am a healthier, more productive and kinder person for having known you. Because of you [her acupuncturist/my East Asian medicine mentor and sensei] and [her flute teacher, with whom I connected her] are a part of my life – because of you I learned how to be kind to my cat. I am a better person in so many ways for having known you and I sincerely appreciate and will always be grateful for your influence on me.

I am here – if I can help – just ask.

Luv

[her name]

So I emailed her back, thanking her for her note and asking her how I might word some of what I did for her, professionally, on my resume. She replied:

Don’t limit yourself to just Software research.

What I found amazing about you – and I counted on -- was your ability to find anything on the Web – to input the most precise search query which would return only the most relevant sites.

Please use me as a reference since I am the head of the web department at [where I worked].


Seeking Additional Employment

Tight economy = I was let go, last week. I've got 10 years of experience (mostly in editorial, a few years in marketing) in trade magazines publishing. I'm not opposed to a career change. If my wallet were bottomless, I'd just go to school full time and become an acupuncturist in three years. But I need health insurance, so I need a position that will offer me that. I love copy editing -- my brain is wired for it, some people are quite aware of that, and I hope to have some freelance work headed my way in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime -- have brains, will travel (and half-asleep right now, pardon me). Challenges welcome. I need to tweak my resume; I'll take care of that this week. Things will work out for the best, in the long run.

I certainly wouldn't mind working someplace shabbos-friendly, but it would have to be a really cool job if it were the kind that would require me to wear a skirt every day. (By cool, I mean something challenging.)

sb

Observations of Shabbos

I was cranky all day because I really wanted to take a shower. Feeling dirty doesn't bring me closer to God. It makes me want to pass out until it is over. Other than that, it was very nice. What's the deal with taking a shower on Shabbos? No hot water, but cold water's fine? If so, I totally would've taken a cold shower, earlier today. Best thing about shabbos being over was taking a shower. I like being clean.

If you add a peeled, chopped zucchini to your potato kugel recipe, it makes the kugel extra wonderful. I see no reason not to substitute the oil in potato kugel recipes with applesauce. But that's coming from someone who made up an applesauce noodle kugel recipe.

I love my family.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Thank you, Richard Mikuls (RIP/BDE; I just found out)

A Moment For Richard Mikuls

Lost a wonderful friend

Valley's renowned guitarist dies at 56
Bruce Fessier • The Desert Sun • June 11, 2008

Richard Mikuls, who played with legends of the music world, had a
heart attack

Richard Mikuls, who reigned as the Coachella Valley's guitar king in
the early 1990s, died Monday at an Ironwood Country Club condo in Palm
Desert.

Mikuls, who had been in poor health for years, died of a heart attack.
He was 56.

Mikuls had been touring and recording for five years with Peter Tork
of the Monkees. Before that, he was the lead guitarist in a band that
pioneered the unplugged concept in the Coachella Valley called
Unplugged, the Band. Led by John Stanley King, it was named the
valley's favorite band two years in a row by Desert Sun readers.

Randy Hewitson, owner of Musicians Outlet in Palm Desert and a rhythm
guitarist in that band, said Mikuls had been in demand in Los Angeles
since he was 17. That's when blues great Albert Collins had to get him
off the stage of the Roxie nightclub because "the union man is
coming."

But, even while playing regularly in L.A. studio sessions, Mikuls
would drive to the Coachella Valley once or twice a week to play with
Unplugged.

"He was, in my opinion, the best guitar player I've ever heard in my
life," Hewitson said. "It was unbelievable when he played. There'd be
guy groupies - four or five guys who would be standing in front of him
to watch him play."

His friend Tim Riley of L.A. said Eric Clapton once heard him play in
Palm Springs and exclaimed, "This man could teach me blues guitar all
over again."

Mikuls grew up in the Palos Verdes area and played in his teens with
jazz guitar great Lee Ritenour.

He went on to play with Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway,
Freddie Hubbard, B.B. King, James Moody, Stan Getz, Chuck Berry, Sly
Stone, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and
the Pointer Sisters.

Mikuls recorded two solo CDs, "Evil Secret Agent" and "Blow and Go."
He also made a compilation CD, "Songs from The Boneyard," and a DVD of
his art work.

A life celebration for Mikuls is planned from 1 to 4 p.m. June 21 at
CopyKatz, 200 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs.

Mikuls is survived by his mother, Barbara Mikuls of Hemet; two
daughters, Melody Garrard of La Quinta and Carrie Mikuls of Hemet; and
a sister, Carole Mikuls of Hemet.

Videos of Richard playing.

Bloggers post about Richard.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Some stuff I wrote elsewhere that's worth pasting here, imo.

In the comments to this post on Tisha B'Av, I made a few comments, which are copied and pasted below. Please check original post's comments for full context. Thank you.

  • 11 s(b.) Aug 11, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    –what were the 3 causes of the destruction of the first bayit?–
    please clue me in.

    I don’t want the Beit HaMikdash back. I think contemporary Beit HaMikdash is like bilvavi (the song). Build an altar in your heart and sacrifice your soul on it (by doing better, being nicer, increased middot, etc.). I do not agree with longing for the days (which none of us remember, and longing for the past is deconstructive, I’m not doing it). I do not long for moshiach, for the beit hamikdash, for next year in Jerusalem. I find moshiach in the divine spark inside me. The third Beit HM is in my heart and I am the only animal sacrifice in it. If I want next year in Jerusalem, I’ll buy a plane ticket. Tikkun olam begins with people taking action, not waiting for a guy in a talis on a donkey sauntering into town to blow shofar. The time is always now to do more and better to heal this world.

  • 12 Left Brooklyn and never looked back // Aug 11, 2008 at 2:08 pm

    s(b.) the three reasons stated in the gemarah are:

    1. idol worship
    2. adultry
    3. murder

  • 13 s(b.) // Aug 11, 2008 at 2:09 pm

    thanks. :)

  • 14 suitepotato // Aug 11, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    s(b.): “I don’t want the Beit HaMikdash back. I think contemporary Beit HaMikdash is like bilvavi (the song). Build an altar in your heart and sacrifice your soul on it (by doing better, being nicer, increased middot, etc.). I do not agree with longing for the days (which none of us remember, and longing for the past is deconstructive, I’m not doing it). I do not long for moshiach, for the beit hamikdash, for next year in Jerusalem. I find moshiach in the divine spark inside me. The third Beit HM is in my heart and I am the only animal sacrifice in it. If I want next year in Jerusalem, I’ll buy a plane ticket. Tikkun olam begins with people taking action, not waiting for a guy in a talis on a donkey sauntering into town to blow shofar. The time is always now to do more and better to heal this world.”

    Be careful. The last person who dared to voice the idea of transcendent messiahship, that we are each are own savior, had it rewritten before his blood was dry into a superstitious simplistic idea that he was in fact the one and more to the point only messiah and that G-d doesn’t want to know you unless you genuflect to that concept.

    I agree with you by the way. You capture the idea of psychological rebirth from one assumed worldview to a carefully chosen one, the idea of being one’s own salvation, and that we are inherently powerful, not powerless.

    Bravo s(b.). Bravo.

  • 15 s(b.) // Aug 11, 2008 at 6:27 pm

    I’m no Jesus. I’m just believe that there’s a divine spark in all of us. And if Moshiach is part of Hashem, and we’re part of Hashem, then part of Moshiach’s part of the part of Hashem that’s part of us, too. Can I say part a little more? lol

    Inherently not powerless would be a good way to describe it. I think existence is cooperative. What was said in the two last names comments about the couple being equal with Hashem at the wheel, I can dig it.

    I think what’s up in my world is a cooperative effort between me and Hashem. Like, God looks out for me, but I still have to look both ways before I cross the street. Work together.

    I am far from the only person to have ever thought of this. There is stuff from diverse ends of the Judaic spectrum to support this notion. If anyone does not know how to do a web search and want me to support this, let me know, and I’ll throw something up on my blog later tonight. I have to try and catch a class now.

  • 18 s(b.) // Aug 11, 2008 at 11:19 pm

    the same way marriage is a triangle with Hashem and spouse, I think relating to the world is a triangle with Hashem and humanity. In the middle invisible part, moshiach is found, if you want to find it there. If Judaism is Box of Rain, Moshiach is Eyes of the World.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Welcome Patrick Finn!


My friends had a son today. I'm so happy for them. This child was born into big love.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Vibes was great. (audio links enclosed)

Pictures to come later. I haven't forgotten about them. In the meantime, you can download some audio from the Vibes:
http://gatheringofthevibes.com/2008/Vanilla-1.1.4/comments.php?DiscussionID=19189