In my last post I showed you a graph from Feedjit that showed that page views of my blog doubled on the day I published a post about Little House on the Prairie. I opined as to how maybe I should write more posts about a certain G-rated, family-friendly television program of yesteryear.
In a comment, reader Carol in Cairns (that’s in Far North Queensland, you know -- oh, you didn’t? well, now you do) pointed out something that should have been obvious if I had done a little checking: “RWP, you did not mention that your previous two posts were about politics and religion ... two conversational taboo topics. I reckon if you go for the third taboo topic you will outdo your LH statistics.”
Well, I hate to disappoint, but I am not going to write about sex.
What I am going to do is write about religion again, because a little bird told me that in certain circles two posts on religion can be substituted for one on sex.
All right, then, let’s begin.
First, this evening at sundown Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) begins, 1 Tishrei 5774. I just know that I’ll still be writing 5773 on my checks for a few more days. (Laugh it up, folks -- these are the jokes.)
Accordingly, here’s an article from the Huffington Post that explains more about Rosh Hashana and also includes a photographic slide-show of no less than fourteen (14) traditional foods eaten at Jewish New Year.
For Jews, Rosh Hashana begins the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of reflection that ends on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
For most Christians and all atheists, it’s just another day in September, and they’ll be eating Big Macs and french fries as usual.
Second, here’s a fascinating article by a former minister that tells you eleven things you might not understand about your minister. A war of sorts erupted in the article’s comments section. The article is a good read even if you (a) don’t have a minister and (b) don’t want one.
If I smoked, I would light up a cigarette now.
Was it as good for you as it was for me?
Your link to the 14 foods sends me back to the original post again and again. 'All talk and trousers' is a phrase oft used over here for a build up and no result. I am interested in the foods mind, hence the clicking.
ReplyDeleteAll Consuming, a thousand pardons! How ungentlemanly of me to dazzle a droolingly good link before my readers and then not to deliver on my promise. The error, completely mine, has now been remedied.
ReplyDeleteBacon for Jewish New Year? Perhaps my father who refered to pork as four-legged chicken hadn't strayed as far from the faith of his fathers as I thought.
ReplyDelete"a good and sweet new year" to you and Lady RWP.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this celebration.
With reference to EC's comment on your previous post about your statistics, I found I was getting many more views when I had my blog listed on search engines and Bloogger, but also found some strange sources of those views, so locked it down. I also find if I cross post on Facebook and Twitter and Google+ I also pick up my readership, but that does not translate to commenters.
Elephant's Child, surely you jest, or your eyes deceive you! I don't see any bacon in the slide show. I do see Brussels sprouts, and what looks like guacamole, but bacon? Never!
ReplyDeleteCarol in Cairns, Lady RWP and I do not celebrate the Jewish holidays, but I do enjoy presenting some of them to my readers. However, I do not do it consistently.
Well I'll forgive you of course as I don't believe anyone has ever offered a thousand pardons to me before *laughs. It was an interesting link too. When myself and my sister were young children, we often thought we must be Jewish because our Pa, who has been in amateur dramatics for almost 50 years, played the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the roof repeatedly. And I was the lucky star who got to rehearse his lines with him again and again. It's his signature role without doubt, though he's played many, many other roles over the years.The last time was around five years ago, and will be his last performance as the character as his voice has been damaged by COPD, and he's 74 too. So there's always been an interest in Judaism, on and off. Funnily enough, I remember Snow saying that when he saw a photo of me for the first time I looked nothing like he'd imagined me from my writing. He was seeing a shorter dark haired Jewish girl, heavier set. So in a paralell universe there I am, knowing far more about the subject and yet always feeling a bit like I'm a tall red haired woman with little reverence about her at all.
ReplyDeletewillie nelson has written a book"when i die roll me up and smoke me" as a religious statement
ReplyDeleteI jest not. Item 6 - Bacon, Fennel and Apple Chutney (though they do mention that the bacon can be left out)!!!!
ReplyDeleteAll Consuming,what a coincidence of timing your comment is! Two Saturdays ago Mrs. RWP and I attended an excellent presentation of Fiddler On the Roof by the Music and Drama Department of the First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia (no small outfit, that -- the church seats 7,500 people and I'm not kidding). So the book is fresh in my memory and I can just picture you helping your father with his lines.
ReplyDeletePutz, your comment is out of left field, as usual. I have the feeling that if I smoked, which I don't, Willie Nelson and I would smoke different substances.
Elephant's Child, I'm just going to presume the recipe meant turkey bacon, which we can get in our supermarkets. Can you get turkey bacon in Australia?
What a coincidence! It's obviously a favourite of mine, and has me in tears every time. I'm glad you enjoyed it! *smiles.
ReplyDeleteNo turkey bacon that I have seen. However, I am a vegetarian and haven't looked for it either. My partner is a carnivore, and I think he would have mentioned it if he had come across it.
ReplyDeleteMy Dear Mr Brague - you appear to have accidentally deleted my first comment. This is distressing as I devoted enormous amounts of imagination, time and energy to its composition.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Hurt Pudding
Yorkshire Pudding, I am unaware that I have received an earlier comment from you on this post. While there have have been a couple of instances in the past when I decided not to publish something you wrote, that was not the case this time. I have not seen your comment. I can just imagine what it might have said, though, and yet I ask you to try to reconstruct it to the best of your ability and let me have a look at it. If it is not crude, rude, or downright lewd I will publish it. Sorry for any distress or inconvenience it caused you.
ReplyDeleteHere in the NY metro area pork bacon wouldn't be appropriate during the high holidays even if one were a very secular Jew who didn't abide by dietary rules the rest of the year. Interestingly even turkey bacon wouldn't be acceptable as it's considered condoning the "thought" of consuming a non-kosher food akin to the faux pollock crab meat or formed "shrimp".
ReplyDeleteSome deride observant Jews for still following kosher rules as they originated when food sanitation was a real concern. I tell Catholics it's not much different from their abstaining from meat on Fridays (even if just Good Friday, fasting on certain days or "giving up" something like candy for Lent.
In both instances the rites are meant to center one's mind for a time on the significance of their faith and relation to its practice.
I found the ex-minister's list sad. I was sympathetic to his reaction to being misunderstood by so many. I was sad for ministers who naturally find themselves drained after some time of giving of themselves & their family. Unlike paid therapists a minister most likely can't approach the problems/concerns brought to him/her with self-protective detachment. Even in the Catholic church in which I was raised (no longer formally practice) I was truly horrified by the number of people, particularly women, who thought of their "shepherd" as their property over which they could hold sway & shower with complaints instead of dialogue if their "concern" even warranted such.
Don't know if I made any useful contribution but I often pondered the subject of formal religion and its effects on groups & individuals for better and worse.
Thank you for the usual thought provoking post.
`Thank you, Leslie in NY metro area, for your comment. We lived in Poughkeepsie (Dutchess County) for three years way back when -- is that considered part of the NY metro area now? It is 85 miles from 42nd and Broadway.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that eating turkey bacon would be considered "condoning the 'thought' of consuming a non-kosher food"...it reminded me of some of the subjects Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount (being angry without cause is the same as killing; looking with lust is the same as committing adultery; turn the other cheek instead of exacting an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; love and pray for your enemies instead of hating them -- it's quite a list, really).
And I agree about how sad the ex-minister's list was/is. Proof of what he was saying could be found throughout the comments.
I live in central Jersey although I grew up in northern NJ in the Ramapo mountains. My parents both grew up as city dwellers and wanted their 4 daughters to have the experience of more natural surroundings. It was an idyllic childhood spending all day during summer exploring the woods and allowed to stay outside until either the street lights went on or the church bells in center of town tolled 6 PM every night.
ReplyDeleteFor a time I worked in NYC for an industrial manufacturer owned by DeLaval (Alpha Laval) which grew out of milk processing equipment fame. I traveled to Poughkeepsie a few times. What was once a lovely rural area has most likely grown as have most rural areas of anything within commuting distance to NYC. When I lived in northern Jersey I had a minimum hour bus ride into Port Authority. Yes, I think Poughkeepsie would be considered part of the NYC metro area but it's the terminus of the northern metro Amtrak line from NYC. Poughkeepsie residents might ardently disagree.
Having been raised Catholic which is a hierarchical structure I have to remind myself that other formal religions make "rules" much further down the line of authority. I think my parents & nuns in parochial school were unusual in that we were taught that our Christianity was firmly rooted in Judaism. It should be obvious to Christians even though the point of the New Testament was fulfillment/perfection of Old Testament "promises" through the teachings of Jesus.
The Sermon on the Mount is mightily demanding. I'm sorely torn between its idealism and the realities of our world while believing spirituality is an aspirational journey.