Monthly Archives: October 2009

Big Idea! Part II.

October 26, 2009
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If you stayed with this series so far you may probably have already realized that the essence of this story is very much about how I got to the point that I am at today.  Of course it is also about the idea as a whole, but quite honestly if I just put it all out there right now, it probably  would not have as much as much meaning as it would if it unfolds just the way it is doing right here, and right now. I also realize that the twists and turns in the story line, may in some ways detract from some of the momentum which I never really seem to gain, as well as possibly add to the frustration level of my reader who may not really have the kind of time and patience which I would hope that my readers would have. So, for example; if I start telling you about how when I was in child in grade school from kindergarten through 2nd grade and was reading Richie Rich comic books, about this kid Richie Rich, who was so wealthy that he had a butler, and this maid who was made of iron, who ironically

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The Big Idea.

October 26, 2009
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The Big Idea.

Hey, what’s the big idea? We have all heard this expression, usually of course of it is more of an exclamation we make when someone does something to us that we do not like. However, in my life, I have had much time to come up with all kinds of big ideas, so now I decided it is time to share at least one (maybe several) of these ideas. By way of introduction, I just wanted to mention that my father, Donald Sanders (he should rest in peace) was always talking about business ideas with his brother (my uncle) Harvey Sanders (he should rest in peace). Now I used to be lucky enough to listen to so many of these various schemes. I got the idea that the two of them really enjoyed thoroughly discussing the idea from every conceivable angle. However no matter how great the idea may have seemed upon its initial introduction, usually by the end of the discussion, it was decided, that one simply could not make any money with it. Now I could also tell you that it was usually one person, typically my uncle, who believed in the idea, while it was my father

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Judaism 101, My latest Excuse to Write At Least Once A Week.

October 23, 2009
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Here is what I really wanted to write about. I went to Barnes and Noble last night and picked up a couple of books to read (and maybe buy), while my daughter and her friend were looking for books to read together (and maybe buy). As I now reflect on if it is okay to end a sentence with a parenthetical statement, I also reflected last night on our world is changing which is how the world changing is probably a good thing. I noticed a table with a few books on it about writing, and how to write your first novel, and a particular book entitled “The Constant Art of Being a Writer” by N.M. Kelly-Writers’s Digest Books, 2009. I also noticed a book by an author who I have previously read, John Kotter and a book entitled “Our Iceberg Is Melting”, John Kotter, St. Matin’s Press, 2005. The Iceberg Is Meltinng, appears on the surface to be a children’s book, however it has quite a lot of depth to it. One of the charachters is intorduced, is a penguin (they are all penguins livning on the same iceberg) who is introduced as being somewhat aloof from society. This

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Talking About Our Generation

October 22, 2009
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Noah was righteous in his generation. There are many sources one can go to which explains what this is really saying. The typical comparison is made to Abraham our father, and that Noah might not have been considered as righteous or as a Tzadik in the time of Abraham. Typically sources would point out that Noah did not do a good enough job in his day to bring the people of his generation to repent. Additionally the sources would say that the flood waters were called “the waters of Noah” as a way to point a negative aspect in his character. Yes, the above is perhaps an oversimplification, yet it may contain the seed of the idea. However, that may not be what brought me here to my keyboard to write about today. It is in some of the esoteric teachings of Torah which speaks of the “Lamed Vav” tzadikim (36 righteous people) who are on this earth at any given time. There are those who say that by their merit the entire world is saved from destruction. These people are believed to be hidden. so that one would not ever be able to approach one of these individual and ask

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Primordial Man: Tree of Life. Or Knowledge of Good and Evil.

October 15, 2009
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We all have choices. You can choose who you will marry, where you will live, what you will do to earn money, and how you will live your life. There seems to be choices you make just once (or maybe twice, or more) choices you make and then can change later. There are choices you make, and maybe can not simply undue. Good choices, bad choices, well thought out choices, haphazard choices, random choices, choices you make under pressure and choices you make under duress. Choices you may think real hard about, and the maybe somehow make the wrong choices. Or choices you may think about for just a moment, and somehow make the right choice. Choose not to, or choose to do, but choose you must. What sort of choices did the first created being have? According to Kabbalistic sources we can learn some of the acts of G-d’s creation of the universe before the first man arrives on the scene. According to Talmudic sources specifically in GEMARA in the tractate (book) Chagigah daf (page) 11, maybe later in 12, we get some explanation of the Hebrew words Tohu and Vohu. Somewhere within these pages I also recall some elaboration on how we

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Stars Not Busy Being Born Are Busy Dying

October 14, 2009
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Stars Not Busy Being Born Are Busy Dying

Finding a starting point to begin any kind of explanation on the book of of Genesis from our Holy Torah is indeed a challenge. An obvious choice would be to start at the very beginning; at the first Hebrew letter of Torah. The only problem with that idea is that there is so much out there, even about such a seemingly small concept such as asking: Why does the Torah begin with the letter Beis (the second letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet) instead of Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet would take an enormous amount of words and entire set of additional terms most closely associated with Kabbalah. I distinctly remember asking that very question at a shabbos table when my daughter and I were just starting on the derech (path) to becoming orthodox Jews. I remember distinctly being greeted with the “Ah” yes what a question. Later I found out that there was a nice story book reason being given which was also an authoritative and valid with sources provided in the midrash. Question 3.24: What is a Midrash? What is a Midrash? FAQ: What is a Midrash? Click Here. Now, I have previously given over some

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When Angels Argue With G-d.

October 14, 2009
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When Angels Argue With G-d.

Three ideas from Genesis and what can we do with these ideas today. How do the oldest stars in the universe exert their influence on us today?

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First the Low Carb Craze and Now “The China Study”.

October 12, 2009
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The follow is taken from a web site promoting the book called “The China Study”: Early in his career as a researcher with MIT and Virginia Tech, Dr. Campbell worked to promote better health by eating more meat, milk and eggs — “high-quality animal protein … It was an obvious sequel to my own life on the farm and I was happy to believe that the American diet was the best in the world.” He later was a researcher on a project in the Philippines working with malnourished children. The project became an investigation for Dr. Campbell, as to why so many Filipino children were being diagnosed with liver cancer, predominately an adult disease. The primary goal of the project was to ensure that the children were getting as much protein as possible. “In this project, however, I uncovered a dark secret. Children who ate the highest protein diets were the ones most likely to get liver cancer…” He began to review other reports from around the world that reflected the findings of his research in the Philippines. Although it was “heretical to say that protein wasn’t healthy,” he started an in-depth study into the role of nutrition, especially protein,

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Getting Caught in the Theoretical and Breaking Free.

October 8, 2009
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Getting Caught in the Theoretical and Breaking Free.

Okay, lets now take to the final level. The thought that proceeded much of this writing had to do with a particular cassette tape by Napoleon Hill that my Uncle Harvey Sanders (He should rest in peace) had lent to me sometime in the early 80′s. The tape talked about several ideas which I am now going to elucidate: Getting baked in the Squat: Napoleon Hill, a fairly well know author writing on such topics like: “Think and Grow Rich”. had used to an extended analogy to discuss his central idea. Free Download Think and Grow Rich The above link is somehow a free download so that you can download his book for free. (there must be a catch, and does his publisher know about this site?) The central idea was about not being decisive or being a glittering generality. He had used this analogy about how he was offered these muffins that were baked by a a neighbor or friend of his. They tasted okay but he wondered why they were so short and squat. Why they were not tall and fluffy like a muffin or biscuit is supposed to be. (I think it was biscuits). Any way the

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Getting Caught in the Theoretical (Part II)

October 7, 2009
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The theoretical is of great use to us all. Where would we be without being able to pose hypothetical questions. When children learn how to play chess, they will often pick up a piece, place it on a square, and then proceed to analyze exactly what might happen if they were to place their piece there, while keeping their finger on the piece, so that way they can take it back. What would you do if I told you…? People often test the waters before making some huge announcement, like I have some really good news to tell you. The theoretical is of great importance to us all. We want to know how someone who is important to us would react to a given set of circumstances. In the frum world the are many things that could get in the way of a couple getting together for a date, so that possibly they could get married. In the secular world dating is much more simple, because although the end goal of getting married might on some level still be there as a real goal, it does not seem to express itself in the early dating rituals. The reason dating in

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