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Sep

30

L’Shana Tovah

Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments

First, check out this animated American Idol-style Shofar blowout. I’d save it for the end, just to make you keep reading, but I’m not very good at holding back that way.

So, come Monday night, another year, another batch of sins to purge. Is the choice between doing it once a week and doing it once a year any different than the choice between washing your dishes all at once in a big, soapy sink versus putting each one in the dishwasher as its used? Or doing your laundry one load at a time, versus doing it all on a designated laundry day?

Even I don’t think that these activities are really comparable. But they do make me think of each other.

I was born a Jew and I’ve always liked it, especially as I’ve gotten to know more about it and test the limits of questioning it. I’m in a leadership program that I didn’t ask to be in and in fact tried to wrangle out of because I thought they had the wrong person – because I ask so many questions, and question so many things. Of course I was told that that’s exactly the kind of person they’d like to have in a leadership role.

Someone is shmying me big time, I know.

In any case, I absolutely adore this time of year for so many reasons: fall is my favorite season, I love the way sunlight plays on leaves and casts shadows as morning comes later and evening earlier. I love the family memories of the High Holy Days, sitting in synagogue, hearing the songs, the prayers, learning when to bend and bang my heart for my sins. My eyes are watering up just as I think about it. And I do get chills every year.

This year my chills will last longer because my husband will be performing a special service on Yom Kippur in the afternoon and early evening. He has an unparalleled gift and talent for davening (praying) and its probably what won me over – we met in Park Synagogue 15 years ago on Kol Nidre, the holiest of all times in Judaism, the night before the Day of Atonement, when we fast.

Talk about besherit – meant to be.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:56 pm September 30th, 2005 in Politics | 2 Comments 

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Sep

30

L’Shana Tovah

Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments

First, check out this animated American Idol-style Shofar blowout. I’d save it for the end, just to make you keep reading, but I’m not very good at holding back that way.

So, come Monday night, another year, another batch of sins to purge. Is the choice between doing it once a week and doing it once a year any different than the choice between washing your dishes all at once in a big, soapy sink versus putting each one in the dishwasher as its used? Or doing your laundry one load at a time, versus doing it all on a designated laundry day?

Even I don’t think that these activities are really comparable. But they do make me think of each other.

I was born a Jew and I’ve always liked it, especially as I’ve gotten to know more about it and test the limits of questioning it. I’m in a leadership program that I didn’t ask to be in and in fact tried to wrangle out of because I thought they had the wrong person – because I ask so many questions, and question so many things. Of course I was told that that’s exactly the kind of person they’d like to have in a leadership role.

Someone is shmying me big time, I know.

In any case, I absolutely adore this time of year for so many reasons: fall is my favorite season, I love the way sunlight plays on leaves and casts shadows as morning comes later and evening earlier. I love the family memories of the High Holy Days, sitting in synagogue, hearing the songs, the prayers, learning when to bend and bang my heart for my sins. My eyes are watering up just as I think about it. And I do get chills every year.

This year my chills will last longer because my husband will be performing a special service on Yom Kippur in the afternoon and early evening. He has an unparalleled gift and talent for davening (praying) and its probably what won me over – we met in Park Synagogue 15 years ago on Kol Nidre, the holiest of all times in Judaism, the night before the Day of Atonement, when we fast.

Talk about besherit – meant to be.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:56 pm September 30th, 2005 in Politics | 2 Comments 

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Sep

30

L’Shana Tovah

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

First, check out this animated American Idol-style Shofar blowout. I’d save it for the end, just to make you keep reading, but I’m not very good at holding back that way.

So, come Monday night, another year, another batch of sins to purge. Is the choice between doing it once a week and doing it once a year any different than the choice between washing your dishes all at once in a big, soapy sink versus putting each one in the dishwasher as its used? Or doing your laundry one load at a time, versus doing it all on a designated laundry day?

Even I don’t think that these activities are really comparable. But they do make me think of each other.

I was born a Jew and I’ve always liked it, especially as I’ve gotten to know more about it and test the limits of questioning it. I’m in a leadership program that I didn’t ask to be in and in fact tried to wrangle out of because I thought they had the wrong person – because I ask so many questions, and question so many things. Of course I was told that that’s exactly the kind of person they’d like to have in a leadership role.

Someone is shmying me big time, I know.

In any case, I absolutely adore this time of year for so many reasons: fall is my favorite season, I love the way sunlight plays on leaves and casts shadows as morning comes later and evening earlier. I love the family memories of the High Holy Days, sitting in synagogue, hearing the songs, the prayers, learning when to bend and bang my heart for my sins. My eyes are watering up just as I think about it. And I do get chills every year.

This year my chills will last longer because my husband will be performing a special service on Yom Kippur in the afternoon and early evening. He has an unparalleled gift and talent for davening (praying) and its probably what won me over – we met in Park Synagogue 15 years ago on Kol Nidre, the holiest of all times in Judaism, the night before the Day of Atonement, when we fast.

Talk about besherit – meant to be.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:56 pm September 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

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Sep

30

"What is a blog?" is not a dumb question

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Even if some folks who live in the blogosphere tire of hearing it.

As a relative neophyte (who works damn hard to not be one anymore, but every time I look, there are new things and old things I didn’t know about related to blogs, so I’m having a hard time feeling like I’ve settled in just yet), I appreciate this article from the Online Journalism Review.
I hear Jeff Jarvis’ exasperation, but I also find what he is quoted as saying in the article to be liberating and empowering to anyone who wants to blog:
“I don’t care,” e-mails Jeff Jarvis, the veteran print journalist and prominent blogger behind BuzzMachine. “There is no need to define ‘blog.’ I doubt there ever was such a call to define ‘newspaper’ or ‘television’ or ‘radio’ or ‘book’ — or, for that matter, ‘telephone’ or ‘instant messenger.’ A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. People will use it however they wish. And it is way too soon in the invention of uses for this tool to limit it with a set definition. That’s why I resist even calling it a medium; it is a means of sharing information and also of interacting: It’s more about conversation than content … so far. I think it is equally tiresome and useless to argue about whether blogs are journalism, for journalism is not limited by the tool or medium or person used in the act. Blogs are whatever they want to be. Blogs are whatever we make them. Defining ‘blog’ is a fool’s errand.”
To those who’ve resided in the blogosphere for a while, nothing in the article may be new or even interesting. But if you haven’t started blogging and find yourself intrigued, this article offers a lot of beginner’s information.
Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:03 pm September 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

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Sep

30

Writers’ anthology raises $ for Red Cross

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

No publication date yet, but we’re hoping mid-October. Here’s the website that will grow up around the book. Wil Wheaton, Robin Lee Hatcher and Orson Scott Card are the biggest names in it. Jennifer Lawler and other prolific freelancers and authors (plus me) have work in there, too. We’re using Lulu and all proceeds will go to the Red Cross.

Turns out that one of my neighbors, who is also running for PP City Council, works at the Cleveland Red Cross, so I’m hopeful that we can get a good effort going once the book is available.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:40 am September 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

Print This Post Print This Post

Sep

30

"What is a blog?" is not a dumb question

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

Even if some folks who live in the blogosphere tire of hearing it.

As a relative neophyte (who works damn hard to not be one anymore, but every time I look, there are new things and old things I didn’t know about related to blogs, so I’m having a hard time feeling like I’ve settled in just yet), I appreciate this article from the Online Journalism Review.
I hear Jeff Jarvis’ exasperation, but I also find what he is quoted as saying in the article to be liberating and empowering to anyone who wants to blog:
“I don’t care,” e-mails Jeff Jarvis, the veteran print journalist and prominent blogger behind BuzzMachine. “There is no need to define ‘blog.’ I doubt there ever was such a call to define ‘newspaper’ or ‘television’ or ‘radio’ or ‘book’ — or, for that matter, ‘telephone’ or ‘instant messenger.’ A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. People will use it however they wish. And it is way too soon in the invention of uses for this tool to limit it with a set definition. That’s why I resist even calling it a medium; it is a means of sharing information and also of interacting: It’s more about conversation than content … so far. I think it is equally tiresome and useless to argue about whether blogs are journalism, for journalism is not limited by the tool or medium or person used in the act. Blogs are whatever they want to be. Blogs are whatever we make them. Defining ‘blog’ is a fool’s errand.”
To those who’ve resided in the blogosphere for a while, nothing in the article may be new or even interesting. But if you haven’t started blogging and find yourself intrigued, this article offers a lot of beginner’s information.
Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:03 am September 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

Print This Post Print This Post

Sep

30

Writers’ anthology raises $ for Red Cross

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

No publication date yet, but we’re hoping mid-October. Here’s the website that will grow up around the book. Wil Wheaton, Robin Lee Hatcher and Orson Scott Card are the biggest names in it. Jennifer Lawler and other prolific freelancers and authors (plus me) have work in there, too. We’re using Lulu and all proceeds will go to the Red Cross.

Turns out that one of my neighbors, who is also running for PP City Council, works at the Cleveland Red Cross, so I’m hopeful that we can get a good effort going once the book is available.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:40 am September 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

Print This Post Print This Post

Sep

30

"What is a blog?" is not a dumb question

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

Even if some folks who live in the blogosphere tire of hearing it.

As a relative neophyte (who works damn hard to not be one anymore, but every time I look, there are new things and old things I didn’t know about related to blogs, so I’m having a hard time feeling like I’ve settled in just yet), I appreciate this article from the Online Journalism Review.
I hear Jeff Jarvis’ exasperation, but I also find what he is quoted as saying in the article to be liberating and empowering to anyone who wants to blog:
“I don’t care,” e-mails Jeff Jarvis, the veteran print journalist and prominent blogger behind BuzzMachine. “There is no need to define ‘blog.’ I doubt there ever was such a call to define ‘newspaper’ or ‘television’ or ‘radio’ or ‘book’ — or, for that matter, ‘telephone’ or ‘instant messenger.’ A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. People will use it however they wish. And it is way too soon in the invention of uses for this tool to limit it with a set definition. That’s why I resist even calling it a medium; it is a means of sharing information and also of interacting: It’s more about conversation than content … so far. I think it is equally tiresome and useless to argue about whether blogs are journalism, for journalism is not limited by the tool or medium or person used in the act. Blogs are whatever they want to be. Blogs are whatever we make them. Defining ‘blog’ is a fool’s errand.”
To those who’ve resided in the blogosphere for a while, nothing in the article may be new or even interesting. But if you haven’t started blogging and find yourself intrigued, this article offers a lot of beginner’s information.
Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 6:03 am September 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

Print This Post Print This Post

Sep

30

Writers’ anthology raises $ for Red Cross

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

No publication date yet, but we’re hoping mid-October. Here’s the website that will grow up around the book. Wil Wheaton, Robin Lee Hatcher and Orson Scott Card are the biggest names in it. Jennifer Lawler and other prolific freelancers and authors (plus me) have work in there, too. We’re using Lulu and all proceeds will go to the Red Cross.

Turns out that one of my neighbors, who is also running for PP City Council, works at the Cleveland Red Cross, so I’m hopeful that we can get a good effort going once the book is available.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:40 am September 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

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Sep

30

Baby dies, in SUV for seven hours

Filed Under Politics | 4 Comments

Not again.

Nods to Ang’s Weird Ideas.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:39 am September 30th, 2005 in Politics | 4 Comments 

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Sep

30

Judith Miller released, will testify

Filed Under Politics | 5 Comments

Dick Cheney’s chief of staff released her.

Should she or shouldn’t she?

At least I know now that she’ll be able to fulfill her SPJ annual conference gig in a couple of weeks.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:28 am September 30th, 2005 in Politics | 5 Comments 

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Sep

29

Baby dies, in SUV for seven hours

Filed Under Politics | 4 Comments

Not again.

Nods to Ang’s Weird Ideas.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:39 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | 4 Comments 

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Sep

29

Judith Miller released, will testify

Filed Under Politics | 5 Comments

Dick Cheney’s chief of staff released her.

Should she or shouldn’t she?

At least I know now that she’ll be able to fulfill her SPJ annual conference gig in a couple of weeks.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:28 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | 5 Comments 

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Sep

29

So over in Dover?

Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments

I guess it depends on what the defense offers as evidence that Intelligent Design belongs in a science class.

So far, however, these stories from 9/29/05 in the York Daily Record show me some serious religious motivation on the part of the school board members to inflict, I mean, inject religion into public school science education. Last I knew, it’s unconstitutional to do that.

In other news in the case, it sounds like the reporters in question will testify after all.

An article in the York Dispatch details parents’ reactions (as stated under oath in the case) to changes in the curriculum, as perceived and regurgitated by their kids.

Sigh. I have an anecdote to share about putting my foot in my mouth when talking last year to a person I assumed wouldn’t support ID in high school science. And I was wrong. As being wrong often does, it lead to a fascinating conversation with this friend. And, although it didn’t change my opinion about excluding ID or Creationism from science class, it did make me wish that more proponents of that side spoke about it the way my friend did. The Ohio Board of Education’s endorsed language that allows for debate over evolution mirrors this friend’s much more temporate approach to evolution: it’s something to be questioned, but through the confines of scientific methodology. Period.

Slippery slope? We won’t know for a long time, but the amount of space purportedly between Americans and everyone else when it comes to science advancement does have me worried.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:10 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | 2 Comments 

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Sep

29

Baby dies, in SUV for seven hours

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

Not again.

Nods to Ang’s Weird Ideas.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:39 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

Print This Post Print This Post

Sep

29

Judith Miller released, will testify

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

Dick Cheney’s chief of staff released her.

Should she or shouldn’t she?

At least I know now that she’ll be able to fulfill her SPJ annual conference gig in a couple of weeks.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:28 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

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Sep

29

More story on Story’s thin NYT story

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

This CJR Daily entry refers readers to the survey used for the 9/21/05 NYT story (using that word loosely) that alleges to report on how female college students at elite institutions want to be stay at home moms. Apparently, the story is now part of TimesSelect, but I managed to get to the story here from this entry in David Goldenberg’s Geflog and a lengthy correction posted three days later is here. Geflog reproduced the questionnaires.

Stories about the story have proliferated ad nauseum. This one at Slate is one of my favorites and I also liked the analysis done by Frank Newport, a contributor on Gallup’s Blog. Finally, Wendy Hoke, Sandy Piderit and Connie Schultz make valuable contributions to the debate, contributions that certainly are more coherent and credible than Story’s story.

Now that I think of it, if TimesSelect operated so that it weeded out the articles least worthy of having a wide audience, and charged just for those, maybe we could save some bandwidth out there in the web.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 6:01 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

Print This Post Print This Post

Sep

29

So over in Dover?

Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments

I guess it depends on what the defense offers as evidence that Intelligent Design belongs in a science class.

So far, however, these stories from 9/29/05 in the York Daily Record show me some serious religious motivation on the part of the school board members to inflict, I mean, inject religion into public school science education. Last I knew, it’s unconstitutional to do that.

In other news in the case, it sounds like the reporters in question will testify after all.

An article in the York Dispatch details parents’ reactions (as stated under oath in the case) to changes in the curriculum, as perceived and regurgitated by their kids.

Sigh. I have an anecdote to share about putting my foot in my mouth when talking last year to a person I assumed wouldn’t support ID in high school science. And I was wrong. As being wrong often does, it lead to a fascinating conversation with this friend. And, although it didn’t change my opinion about excluding ID or Creationism from science class, it did make me wish that more proponents of that side spoke about it the way my friend did. The Ohio Board of Education’s endorsed language that allows for debate over evolution mirrors this friend’s much more temporate approach to evolution: it’s something to be questioned, but through the confines of scientific methodology. Period.

Slippery slope? We won’t know for a long time, but the amount of space purportedly between Americans and everyone else when it comes to science advancement does have me worried.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:10 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | 2 Comments 

Print This Post Print This Post

Sep

29

So over in Dover?

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

I guess it depends on what the defense offers as evidence that Intelligent Design belongs in a science class.

So far, however, these stories from 9/29/05 in the York Daily Record show me some serious religious motivation on the part of the school board members to inflict, I mean, inject religion into public school science education. Last I knew, it’s unconstitutional to do that.

In other news in the case, it sounds like the reporters in question will testify after all.

An article in the York Dispatch details parents’ reactions (as stated under oath in the case) to changes in the curriculum, as perceived and regurgitated by their kids.

Sigh. I have an anecdote to share about putting my foot in my mouth when talking last year to a person I assumed wouldn’t support ID in high school science. And I was wrong. As being wrong often does, it lead to a fascinating conversation with this friend. And, although it didn’t change my opinion about excluding ID or Creationism from science class, it did make me wish that more proponents of that side spoke about it the way my friend did. The Ohio Board of Education’s endorsed language that allows for debate over evolution mirrors this friend’s much more temporate approach to evolution: it’s something to be questioned, but through the confines of scientific methodology. Period.

Slippery slope? We won’t know for a long time, but the amount of space purportedly between Americans and everyone else when it comes to science advancement does have me worried.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:10 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

Print This Post Print This Post

Sep

29

More story on Story’s thin NYT story

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

This CJR Daily entry refers readers to the survey used for the 9/21/05 NYT story (using that word loosely) that alleges to report on how female college students at elite institutions want to be stay at home moms. Apparently, the story is now part of TimesSelect, but I managed to get to the story here from this entry in David Goldenberg’s Geflog and a lengthy correction posted three days later is here. Geflog reproduced the questionnaires.

Stories about the story have proliferated ad nauseum. This one at Slate is one of my favorites and I also liked the analysis done by Frank Newport, a contributor on Gallup’s Blog. Finally, Wendy Hoke, Sandy Piderit and Connie Schultz make valuable contributions to the debate, contributions that certainly are more coherent and credible than Story’s story.

Now that I think of it, if TimesSelect operated so that it weeded out the articles least worthy of having a wide audience, and charged just for those, maybe we could save some bandwidth out there in the web.

Bookmark and Share

By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:01 pm September 29th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment 

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