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The JackB

"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx

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Archives for January 2008

50 Years of Lego

January 28, 2008 by Jack Steiner 5 Comments

I still play with them. That’s the advantage of having children. You can still play with their toys and be cool. Here is a little bit of information for you neophytes.

LEGO brick curiosities

• There are about 62 LEGO bricks for every one of the world’s 6 billion inhabitants.

• Children around the world spend 5 billion hours a year playing with LEGO bricks.

• More than 400 million people around the world have played with LEGO bricks.

• LEGO bricks are available in 53 different colors.

• 19 billion LEGO elements are produced every year.

• 2.16 million LEGO elements are molded every hour, or 36,000 per minute.

• More than 400 billion LEGO bricks have been produced since 1949.

• Two eight-stud LEGO bricks of the same color can be combined in 24 different ways.

• Three eight-stud bricks can be combined in 1,060 ways.

• There are more than 915 million combinations possible for six 2 x 4 LEGO bricks of the same color.

• 7 LEGO sets are sold by retailers every second around the world.

• The LEGO bricks sold in one year would circle the world 5 times.

• 40 billion LEGO bricks stacked on top of one another would connect the earth with the moon.

Filed Under: Toys

Email, Email, Email

January 28, 2008 by Jack Steiner Leave a Comment

This is a post that I would have preferred to audioblog, but since that is currently not an option I’ll spend a few minutes and reach out and click someone. Let’s spend a few minutes discussing email shall we.

I am an email pack rat.

Way back in the early days of my blogging career I shared two posts with you called A comment about email addresses and comments and How many email accounts do I need? If you are one of the few masochists who took the time to read those posts you are probably wondering why I need 24 different email addresses. I don’t blame you because I wonder about that too.

Although in truth I really do not use all 24. Off the top of my head I’d estimate that I use about six of them consistently. A few of them are unofficially retired. I check in on them once every six months or so just to see if there is anything worth looking at it.

The submissions for the great roundup of the Jewish/Israeli Blogosphere come into the talktojacknow-at-sbcglobal-dot-com. You can find the latest edition right here. If you are like the Shmata Queen and avoid roundups let me tell you, you are making a big mistake. Check it out, read it. It is right here.

Anyway, I try to work on the roundup throughout the week. Do a little bit each day so that I have a minimal amount to do Saturday night. I also make a point to file each submission in a folder. Pays to be organized, but do I really need to hold onto all of these submissions. Am I going to be audited by someone. Why do I need them. I think that I just might have to dump some of these folders, or alternatively maybe I’ll use them for some massive anniversary post.

I dunno.

On a different tack but still regarding email here is another comment. I have a bunch of random email messages floating around my inboxes. They’re notes that for one reason or another I have decided to save. They probably should be deleted. What do I really need them for.

I intentionally set up folders so that I could keep my inbox from being overrun. But I guess that it is fair to say that some of these aren’t easily labeled. I set up a miscellaneous folder to handle those. But even with the miscellaneous folder I still find that I have these rogue messages hanging out around the inbox.

They’re the Jack Bauer’s of email. They understand who they serve and why, they just have their own set of rules for service.

Ok, when I start coming up with the wacky television analogies you know that it is time to end the post. This should be my biggest problem. Go read Haveil Havalim and while you are at it consider sending over an entry or hosting.

Filed Under: Blogging, Random Thoughts, Technology

Haveil Havalim #151- The P.S.D. Edition

January 28, 2008 by Jack Steiner 18 Comments

Welcome to the 151st edition of Haveil Havalim, the weekly roundup of the Jewish/Israeli blogosphere. This edition is being sponsored by Jameel’s Waffle House where you can enjoy the best breakfast in Israel.


In just a moment we’ll officially launch the P.S.D. Edition, also known as Post Soccer Dad. We are in need of new hosts. If you are interested please contact me at talktojacknow-at-sbcglobal-dot-.com

There is a good chance that this will be updated and or edited throughout the day so please check back frequently.

And one more request, I would really appreciate it if you could help publicize this by placing a link to it upon your blog. I hope that you enjoy it. And now on with the show.

Israel

Smooth offered Prominent Arab Editor, PA Officials Blame Hamas for Gaza Crisis and 20 Years of Research Reveals: Jerusalem Belongs to Jews. Try reading Why Arabs Suffer at The Augean Stables. Sammy has a suggestion for Egypt.

Have you ever wondered Is Gaza occupied? Carl asks Where did all the money go? 40% of Gazans have no running water. Here is a Shocka: British taxpayer money supporting PA hate education.

Maybe you should check out the UN Human Rights Council’s List of APPROVED Gaza Solutions. Or Just Like Lebanon-Olmert Blows it In Gaza.

No surprises with this next story. Video: Pals fire rockets, mortars, guns at Israeli news crew. Akiva wrote A Tidbit of Media Honesty – Gaza.

Cosmic X shares Putting Pressure On Shas. Soon it will be The Yahrzeit of Ilan Ramon.
At The (not) Forgotten Prisoners of Zion you can watch
the Daughters Of Zion Video.

At Judeopundit you can read Qassam Brigades Info: “What if the Zionist entity executed its threatens and assassinated your leaders, How your response will be look like?“

Hamas spent months cutting through Rafah wall.

Joshuapundit posted Hamas Destroys Another Section Of The Gaza Wall And Beefs Up Control Of Its New Stronghold.

From Fresno Zionism we learn Three myths about Israel and the Palestinians. From Mere Rhetoric Terrorist Wing That Had Been “Totally Dismantled” By Fatah Launches Attack, Murders Israelis.

Mottel shared thoughts from his first trip to Israel in The Jerusalem of My Soul and In the Desert of Judah.

Joe Settler wrote about the Diaspora and the Future of Jerusalem.
From an Urban Kvetch Birthrighters Can Now Share Israel Experience With Parents.

Eric presents The Israel Situation: UN Anti-Israel Bias Continues.
Soccer Dad presents
What the support says.

Solomonia shared Top EU official: Gaza siege not a war crime and MSM Plays Along with Hamas Photo Staging (Updated).

From Daled Amos In Gaza, Some Journalists Remain In The Dark.

The Sandmonkey says Gaza lessons and facts. After all there is a Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza.

A Mother in Israel asks Where are The Parents?. Israeli Satire Laboratory manufactured Government Crushes Insurgency in Sderot, Blames Settlers.

For a slice of life is Israel you might want to try Why am I Not Surprised?, Riding the high school application roller-coaster or Yosef presents Disengagement of 2008. Try taking a gander at Why am I Not Surprised?

Have you ever heard “Ma, we live in a slum” Ask a Soldier’s Mother about Thermal Success.

From My Shrapnel we have Rugellach to Die For. Sometimes It cannot get better than this…
And now for More on Arafat’s blood hoax.

In the beginning there were billboards. Dan says Welcome to Tzipiyah.com!. Have you read Ice Man: Olmert freezes entire West Bank cold.

Rafi shared a shameful tale: Haredi man beaten in Bet Shemesh last night. He followed up with The letter I sent to Haredi MKs about Bet Shemesh violence.

DovBear blogged about it as well The victim’s words and A call to action.

Judaism

Tamara blogged about Using Virtual Worlds to do a Mitzvah. And now a A Tale of Two Tu B’Shvats. Lvnsm27 also blogged about Tu B’shvat and so did Batya with Celebrating TU B’Shvat.

And just to be thorough here is one more Tu B’Shevat Celebration for your review.

Some titles beg for attention: Goat-manned outposts. And now for the Non-Orthodox News Round Up – The Israeli Edition.

TherapyDoc discussed Therapy and Religion. Attila presents Unintended consequences. Rabbi Neil Fleischmann ponders Hope and Think.

Here is some important information about How seating arrangements at weddings affect Jewish Geography.

DovBear wants to know Are women the blacks of Orthodox Judaism? Batya blogged about Moral Codes.

Yo Yenta asks Why Is This Bestseller Different from All Other Bestsellers?. I enjoyed reading
Myths About Judaism in Movies and Television.

Lubab wants to know Will Jews and Gentiles Ever Be Able to Join Hands?

And from A Simple Jew: Question & Answer With Shoshannah Brombacher – Painting, Chassidic Stories, & Classical Music.

Most days it feels like I am ready to tear my hair out, not cover it. Shira covered New Blood Libels.

Abacaxi Mamão had this to share about a conference: Overheard (and Learned) at LimmudNY 2008. Steg brings us this ditty “Baruch Hashem” Usage at Epidemic Levels, Baruch Hashem.

Dixie Yid provided New Seminal Work on Rav Klonymous Kalmish Shapiro; the Aish Kodesh and Learning Kabbalah: A Guest Posting by Rabbi Micha Golshevsky.

Seraphic Secret shared The Death of Education and Torah at Hebrew Union College.
Schvach says
Behold, Neither Slumbers Nor Sleeps…

Lion of Zion asks Is There Really a Tuition Crisis
? Heichal HaNegina has an awesome story about a great Rebbe, R. Yechezkel of Kuzmir.

Jacob wants to know Why the heck does it take so long? Ezzie offered Them Cheatin’ Jews.

Daf Notes learned Paying Up a Debt of his Fellow and Distinction between Charity and Returning a Lost Object.

Politics

At Jewschool they blogged about Obama’s Jewish “Problem”. Sammy shared Obama’s Scary Anti-Israel Advisors.

Friar Yid has issues with some people: Give me back your oxygen. Aussie Dave knows that the world is full of winners, especially The Darwin Awards. KRG shared it is 35 Years.

Elisson notes that listening to speeches is a cure for insomnia. Barbara blogged about Israel and Obama and Honor Killings. Ghandi is the topic of Schvach’s post The Descent of an Honored Reputation.

Soccer Dad’s post explains Why they hate us. Irina is out on The Lawyerly Front. Over at Atlas Shrugs you can read about an Anti-Israel rally and Obama: The Anti Israel Candidate.

Watcher reports Egypt: Border Guards Can Shoot “Palestinian Brothers”

From Bookworm: Britain’s descent into madness. Over at Plancks Constant you can read about The Right to Insult Muslims.

Personal/Miscellaneous

And now for posts of a personal nature.

We’ll begin with my post Streets of Philadelphia and then continue on to Elie’s post about Aaron’s Birthday – 2008.

Baila reminisced with 26 Years Later… Raizy explains Why Teaching Is Sometimes Worth It.
Fearless exterminators are needed. Read Giant Hornets and Bullet Ants and Bot Flies, Oh My and find out why.

Dan presents The right to be ambitious. Aidel Madel is doing The “I Can” Exercise. Shira is Steppin’ Out. Rabbi Sedley shared Anthrax Guitarist becomes frum?

I’d like to be exhausted for the same reason as Chana. It’d be nice to be a student again. I’d shout Long Live the Hydrox! Wolfish Musings are Frozen In Time. Do you have Chionophobia.

Here is a post about a different sort of movie A Light For Greytowers Premieres in NY!”>New Chick Flick: A Light For Greytowers Premieres in NY!

And from Canada’s famous Jewish atheist we offer Reflections At 47. Ocean Guy is sharing the Daughter Going Away Blues Shuffle.

Doesn’t everyone have a Kibbutz Love Story. Ok, maybe not like that one. JB has important information How Does STARBUCKS Deal With a Recession? Free Refills!

Dean has a link to the car for me.

Don’t forget to check out The Extreme Weather Kosher Cooking Carnival.

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.

Filed Under: Haveil Havalim

Old Material Sees Daylight Again

January 25, 2008 by Jack Steiner 2 Comments

My apologies for the lack of new content, been a little busy. Good news is that new material is coming. In the interim here is some old material that some of you may not have seen before.

If Life Ended Today What Would You Regret
Question About The Dead

Where I Come From
Why an orgasm really is all in the mind
Oh Chanukah- Some Assembly Required

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Top 10 Romantic Movie Moments

January 25, 2008 by Jack Steiner 4 Comments

CNN is offering their list of the top 10 romantic moments in film. Casablanca is number one on my list. I am trying to decide what others I would include.

What do you think?

Filed Under: Movies

Quotes about Love and Life

January 24, 2008 by Jack Steiner 3 Comments

What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
~ by Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for their religion –
I have shudder’d at it.
I shudder no more.
I could be martyr’d for my religion
Love is my religion
And I could die for that.
I could die for you.
~ by John Keats ~

I’d like to run away
From you,
But if you didn’t come
And find me …
I would die.
~ by Shirley Bassey ~

You will never know true happiness
until you have truly loved,
and you will never understand
what pain really is
until you have lost it.
~ by Anonymous ~

The most precious possession that ever comes
To a man in this world
Is a woman’s heart.
~ by Josiah G. Holland ~

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~ by Mark Twain ~

If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be too cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.
~ by Ray Bradbury ~

Never, never, never, never give up.
~ by Winston Churchill ~

Once you agree upon the price you and your family must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts the opponent’s pressure, and the temporary failures.
~ by Vince Lombardi ~

Filed Under: Quotes

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