Amazing Reinvention of TOTO!

31 07 2009

Dear H-Town,

A local H-Towner sent this to me. It is truly amazing. The creation of the the thunderstorm is unreal and the song is fantastic, and all of it done without any musical instruments or sound effects except the instrument created by G-d, the human instrument. Truly amazing! Enjoy!



Moved to self-hosting!

31 07 2009

Dear H-Town,

It is 4:30m and I have tried to go to sleep three times already, but have failed. So, I decided to work on the final move from the virtual Wordpress.com one bedroom apartment DearHTown.com was occupying rent free to a brand new penthouse suite for my blog to roam free and have a better view of the blogosphere. Although, hosting the blog on my own server it is not rent free, I will have more options and technological perks that will be worth every penny. Anyway, there is nothing of much substance in this post except letting you know I moved. Don’t worry. When you type in www.DearHTown.com you will still find me, although the blog may be enjoying some sun by the rooftop pool. Post ya later!



Do the clothes make the "Jew"?

28 07 2009

Dear H-Town,

Enjoy this weeks JTube from Jewlarious.com that asks the question “Do the clothes make the “Jew”? It is a great questions. Post your answer in a comment or here at the Jewlarious site. Enjoy!

more about “Do the clothes makes the “Jew”?“, posted with vodpod



HolyShidduch.com launches!

27 07 2009

Dear H-Town,

A few year ago I had an idea for a website where those dating in the Jewish world could share their expericnes. Dating is not easy and often those experiences are difficult, so having a place to vent seemed like a good idea. So there you have it. HolyShidduch.com was born. Check it out and post your shidduch stories. There are different sections to post in. You can comment on other posts and you can decide if the person posting thier shidduch story deserved it or not. ENJOY!!!!!!



An IOU from California?

23 07 2009

Dear H-Town

So, I recently filed my taxes  and today I got a letter from the California State Tax board. At first I was excited thinking my state refund check arrived. However, as I began to open the letter I noticed the words “Registered Warrant.” I freaked! I know I filed my taxes late, but I did file the appropriate extension on time, so why was there a warrant issued for me? Thank G-d upon further reading it was explained that “Registered Warrant” was government slang for “IOU” which was slang for California is broke. They sent me a tax return check, but with the written condition that I can’t cash it until October.

I can’t beileve this is what is going on in my former residence.  Maybe Arnold could look between the cushions of his couch and find my money?



When do we stop hating?

21 07 2009

Dear H-Town,

As we near the nine days and Tisha B’Av, my mind drifts towards some of the pain of the Jewish people, specifically the Holocaust. I came across a quote from Rabbi Shlomo Carelbach that made me question my own ability to view everyone objectively, lovingly and without judgment. I consider myself a relatively open person and try my best to care for all people, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, etc. However, I have occasionally thought about the German people and the sins of their ancestors. I have had a hard time separating their sins from the children who had nothing to do with the ethnic cleansing of the Jewish people and other minorities. I still am not sure where I stand or feel on the matter as my experience with German people has been minimal, but the quote from Rav Carlebach below certainly suggest one way to move forward.

Reb Shlomo Carlebach visited the concentration camps in Poland in 1989. He was asked how he could greet, shake hands with — and even hug — children of the perpetrators and even the perpetrators themselves. Reb Shlomo replied

“If we had two hearts like we have two arms and two legs, then one heart could be used for love and the other one for hate. Since I have but one heart, then I don’t have the luxury of hating anyone.”



Tony Romo endorses Yalmulkas!

20 07 2009

Dear H-Town,

Finally, Tony Romo endorses Yalmulkas!

more about “Tony Romo endorses Yalmulkas!“, posted with vodpod



How can people cope with being overshadowed by a sibling?

20 07 2009

Dear H-Town,

Enjoy this weeks JTube clip from the movie Fred Claus. The question this week is “How can people cope with being overshadowed by a sibling?” Feel free to answer in a comment or go to Jewlarious.com to respond.

more about “How can people cope with being oversh…“, posted with vodpod



Mazal Tov to My Sistas!

19 07 2009

Dear H-Town-

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to my sisters in the Holy Land. Mazal Tov to Adiella on her engagement and Mazal Tov to Mashie on the birth of her first son! A lot of simcha in the Jones family.



A friends blog. Check it out.

17 07 2009

Dear H-Town,

A friend and I were having a discussion about the poistive and negative ramifications of the ever increasing on-line social networking. The details of that discussion is for another post, but one certain positive is the ability to keep connected with friends, albeit short and sometimes superficial, on-line.

Recently, a friend of mine contacted me through twitter who I had not spoken to in a while and we updated each other and reconnected. While I would have loved to see and talk to this person face-to-face, distance does not allow that. So, a short tweet, facebook status update and short e-mail would have to do. Anyway, of the new things I learned about my friend, one was that he has a very active and interesting blog that I wanted to share with you. Click here to go to Rabbi Finks blog.