The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 7,800 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 13 years to get that many views.
2012 has been an outstanding year for movies. With Golden Globes nominations out and Oscar buzz all around this town, I thought I’d give you some of my completely biased reviews.
Some Favorites
Argo – I think this is one of the best films of the year.
Zero Dark Thirty – Jessica Chastain was fantastic. Another best of the year (and I don’t really care if the story is true or not)
Robot & Frank – Probably not going to get much attention but this lovely little film features great acting, a story that reminds humanity of the importance of connection and asks the pertinent question of the role of technology in our lives.
Hitchcock – Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren shine. Are either of them ever not good in a movie?
Cloud Atlas – I loved this film. How the story is constructed, the actors’ talents, loved it.
Flight – ever wonder what addiction really might be like? See this movie. Perhaps one of Denzel Washington’s greatest performances. I think the direction in this was also spot-on and am a bit disappointed there doesn’t seem to be recognition…
Silver Linings Playbook – good acting, important story.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi – technically this came out in 2011 but I didn’t see it until 2012 so I’m putting it here. MY DAD was right. this film is great. And you’re going to want to eat some sushi and/or go to Japan.
Skyfall – Perhaps one of the best Bond films. Worth seeing on the big screen.
The Hunger Games – I liked it. Don’t judge.
You Can Wait on These and Watch Them at Home, They’re Worth It
Lincoln – Yes Daniel Day Lewis is incredible but overall I found the movie slow and at times, tedious.
Moonrise Kingdom – Really good. Would probably be in the category above if it wasn’t this year with so many great films.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – Again, really good.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen – Loved the story. A little quirky. My kind of movie.
Amour – A beautiful foreign film about love, aging, and dignity.
The Dark Knight Rises – Enjoyable though VERY dark
Trouble With the Curve – a very good baseball movie
Les Miserables – I thought it was Les Miserable. Russell Crowe was awful, the singing was sub-par and I thought the camera work was weird.
Movies I Still Want to See and/or Missed in Theaters
The Guilt Trip – hopefully seeing Barbra on screen won’t make me cold like it did at her concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Life of Pi – loved the book
Django Unchained (though I might not see it because it seems so violent)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Last Quartet – Rabbi T said I should add this
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Did I miss anything? What’s on your list for 2012?
If you are a busy social media user like I am, you probably have an Instagram account (BTW if you are a parent of a tween or teen you probably should have one because your kid probably does, too!). You also probably saw this article that basically said Instagram is changing their terms of service and can see your pictures to advertisers without your knowledge. It took less than 24-hours for Instagram to change their ways. Today this story was in the New York Times.
I deleted my private Instagram account on Monday. (Private means you had to request permission and I had to approve you in order to see my photos). My question today is, did I act too quickly? I like Instagram. I think it is fun to see pictures of my friends and their children that don’t always make it to Facebook.
California Faith for Equality has an Instagram account (that I use with our social media guru).
So what shall I do, dear reader? Should I sign up for Instagram again or just move on? No seriously, I’m asking and taking a poll!
Happy Chanukah! I hope that those readers who celebrate Chanukah are having a joyous celebration!
Whether or not you celebrate Chanukah December 2012 is also an important time for giving to organizations that support values we share. As you know, I started working as the Executive Director of California Faith for Equality in July. This organization works tirelessly to support, educate and mobilize California’s faith communities to promote equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. This work is inspiring, important and I hope you will join me in supporting California Faith for Equality. To donate, click on the logo of CF4E below that will lead you to a secure donation page.
May the beauty of the Chanukah lights inspire every human being to work towards peace and equality for all.
Remember high school? While I try to forget it as much as possible, there are some things that I can’t forget.
Unfortunately, it seems one of the easily forgotten subjects was Civics or Government. I don’t even remember what the class was called though I think maybe I took it in 10th grade?
Anyway, as you might know (and if you follow me on Facebook and Twitter you surely do) the Supreme Court is currently holding (and might have just conferenced today) Hollingsworth v. Perry, formerly Perry v. Brown aka the Prop 8 Case.
So I was writing before the Supreme Court conference concluded and we learned that yes, the Supreme Court will hear Hollingsworth v. Perry likely in March.
On with my rant. In my position with California Faith for Equality it didn’t take long to realize that I know basically nothing about how the justice system really works. So in the spirit of education being better than what I received, I would encourage the curriculum around civics to change. How fantastic could it be if instead of reading out of some dry government textbook (yes I remember a textbook) students used the current research modalities available and followed one case through the court system. It could be a historic case from another period of time like Brown v. Board of Education, any case, really. I can just guarantee you that type of curriculum would have been much more useful to me.
What do you remember from high school civics?
In the “spirit of the season”, the season of Black Friday and Cyber Monday today is deemed Giving Tuesday. As you might know (and you might since this blog post got the most hits ever), I work for California Faith for Equality, an organization that mobilizes, supports and educates faith communities and faith leaders to promote equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and support religious freedom. I hope you will consider CF4E as a recipient of your generosity on this Giving Tuesday. You can donate here.
Thank you!
From California Faith for Equality‘s blog and written by yours truly:
Today, Tuesday, November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance.
California Faith for Equality remembers and honors the countless people who are transgender who have died.
Prayer for Transgender Day of Remembrance by Rabbi Reuben Zellman
God full of mercy, bless the souls of all who are in our hearts on this Transgender Day of Remembrance. We call to mind today young and old, of every race, faith, and gender experience, who have died by violence. We remember those who have died because they would not hide, or did not pass, or did pass, or stood too proud. Today we name them: the reluctant activist; the fiery hurler of heels; the warrior for quiet truth; the one whom no one really knew.
As many as we can name, there are thousands more whom we cannot, and for whom no Kaddish [Jewish memorial prayer] may have been said. We mourn their senseless deaths, and give thanks for their lives, for their teaching, and for the brief glow of each holy flame. We pray for the strength to carry on their legacy of vision, bravery, and love.
And as we remember them, we remember with them the thousands more who have taken their own lives. We pray for resolve to root out the injustice, ignorance, and cruelty that grow despair. And we pray, God, that all those who perpetrate hate and violence will speedily come to understand that Your creation has many faces, many genders, many holy expressions.Blessed are they, who have allowed their divine image to shine in the world.
Blessed is God, in Whom no light is extinguished.
May the memory of the transgender people whose names we know and whose names be a blessing.
Today is the Hebrew anniversary (yartzeit) of MY MOM’s death. Last night I lit the yartzeit candle and gave thanks to the Holy One for the blessing of MY MOM’s life. Her life was cut short too soon, but gratitude for the time we did have overwhelms me today.
I love you, Mom.
GRANDMA, THE DIVA, and me
1 Kislev, today on the Hebrew calendar, marks the 12th yartzeit (anniversary) of my GRANDMA’s death.
Today I choose to remember my GRANDMA as the woman who could get down on one knee to pose for a picture in awesome 1980s clothes.
The GRANDMA who was the definition of a picky eater and from whom legendary stories exist about taking Kentucky Fried Chicken (it wasn’t KFC then) out of the bucket and serving it on fine silver platters.
The GRANDMA who LOVED to shop. She made some fine purchases, too. I still wear the robe she bought me at least 15 years ago.
The GRANDMA who loved me unconditionally and I know would be SO PROUD of all of the work that I am doing to make the world better (and you can be sure she would LOVE to tell you that I’m a rabbi).
I love you GRANDMA.
MY MOM in August 2008 appreciating the thumb holes in her new sweatshirt.
730 days ago MY MOM died. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her sometimes remembering times gone by, other times angry at her for dying (I didn’t say I was rational only human), often just missing the sound of her voice, her smile…
On the 5th of Kislev I will light a yartzeit candle in your memory but today can’t go by without remembering, too.
I love you and will miss you forever Mom.
Rabbi Eleanor Steinman 