Happy Passover

There are two videos I would like to share with you.
And one illustration, shown at the end of this blog post.

The first is a Happy Passover message from me and Levi.  He is enjoying his egg matzah tam tams already.  Wishing you and yours a happy holiday!  May it be sweet.  Considering I need a quick food to give him, and have no cooked food yet like roasted carrots, sweet potato or zucchini, the tam tams are good.  Soft enough like Joe's O's (Cheerio's).

The 2nd is the most appropriate message from Mr. Marley.  It is the time of our Exodus. I actually posted this video in the past.  But that link no longer works.  Movement of Jah people. We are all moving towards our freedom.  Jews and all people alike.  Let's speak nicely, be kind, and help each other out every day.  Let's share ideas and listen to one another.  Let's follow the good word and love the earth we inhabit. Let's respect all creatures.  Let's be positive and walk away from evil, bad words, and negativity.  Let's rise up against our oppressors.  Speaking of which, and I thank my friend Leah for reminding us to think of this today on the eve of Passover, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Overland Park, Kansas. 

Finally, here is a drawing I am sharing that was sent to the Nunever.  It was done by an anonymous fan of his drumming.  Talk about it all coming together on one wacked out frazzled Candy man (look at the dude's tie). It's a lot of band music references -- as if the illustrator is thinking that these are *the most* important music influences out there -- but I can see that the illustrator is trying to take it to another level.  All things together and connected I agree.  Gotta wonder what his very official-looking notes are on the right.  Very Wall Street, I would say.  Who knows, this person could be a Kellogg or Wharton graduate.  My interpretation is that this is what happens when the candy man at shul forgets his kippah and has too much candy.  Remember often times the candy man and kiddush club guy is one and the same.  So, just remember whatever you do, take care of your shoes.  And wear something on your head to shul, dude!

From an Anonymous fan of Noah Lehrman

Don't Pretzel My Buttons

And don't think I'm so clever, either: it's the name of the OPI nail polish I just got.  Kudos to the witty nail polish color writers.  Takes on a whole new definition of Hallmark card writer.  It was Concealed Light, Levi and I at the nail salon.

CL was such a great helper with the baby and reminded me of Miriam in this week's Torah portion, Exodus (Shnmot in Hebrew) who was a midwife and helped out her own mother as well.  Okay okay my daughter isn't quite catching babies as they exit the womb, but she did hold my baby while I was getting the mani.  

Coco, the ever chic Korean proprietor of my nail salon, questioned if it was ok that my 10 year old was holding him.  Clearly she didn't know that Jewish girls (and boys in my home) are employed at a young age to assist in childcare!  Let me give credit where credit is due and say that Coco was also an awesome helper.  She held Levi while I was getting my pedi and Concealed Light was getting her manicure.

Ultimately it was because of Miriam's prophecy that she and her mother Yocheved cared for, in secret, the Jewish baby boys, and saved the entire Jewish people.

Go girl power right from the start.

Like the color?

What's a Whole Phamily blog post without some music.  So, enjoy Bob Marley's Exodus," have a great Shabbes and enjoy your manicure if you got one this week!

Bunny Wailer didn't sell out

How enlightening it is to watch the documentary Marley, about the life of Bob Marley, that came out last year.  My own previous knowledge of Bob was limited:  it's really my sister Reba who is more the reggae listener.  After all, she is the one who wrote a college paper on Rastafarianism and has seen a lot of reggae.

I was particularly moved by what one of his original band members, Bunny Wailer, said regarding the early career.  When Bob was getting big and his promoters wanted him to tour around, Bunny Wailer felt that much of the requests were going to compromise the spiritual nature of their music.  He wasn't interested in playing in dance halls.  He wanted to stay true to the Rastafarian spirituality of the music.   I have great respect for that statement.  Aside from the fact that he is a three time Grammy winner and learder in world music, I dig Mr. Wailer's look.

from Wikipedia

So today in spin class when a modern rap tune came on which sounds like it sampled Queen's classic "Another One Bites the Dust," I couldn't help but wonder if Jah B, as Mr. Wailer is also known as, would agree with me that this tune reeks of mysogyny and materialism that degrades the women and the human spirit.




For purely illustrative purposes here is the tune by The Sugarhill Gang I heard in spin class.  I do not honor or respect it, but it is for solely educational purposes that I place it here.  I say it's drek.  It's nah good vibes, evil!



 If you want to know the truth, both tunes sampled "Good Times" by Chic, but still...
 

When I read that Bunny Wailer is also known as Jah B and a leader in world music, it got me thinking of other Jah musicians I have known of.  One who is a very private person and whose name I can't even write here at the moment.  I respect his privacy.  Another is Rocker T, a Rainbow family musician who has the most beautiful tune "Thank Jah Most of All" and for whom I yet again thank our brother Adam for sharing his Happy Tape with me.  I am losing hope of ever going to Rainbow.  I don't think I could actually hack it at this point.  I need an aero bed at the minimum.  I'm not exactly into roughing it any more.



Now if that were remixed into a faster version , that would surely make a great spin tune, and none of that garbage that reinforces negative stereotypes of women in contemporary rap.

Positive Vibrations...Jah Love, Protect Us

What with all these Bob Marley references the past week, ya'd think that I was fully into reggae.  Au contrare, my friend.  I really don't know too much about reggae.  That would be my sister Reba's department.  But, as you know, I love Pandora, and when I listen to the Grateful Dead channel, I get a lot of good reggae mixed in there.  Go figure.

And in case you didn't know, when he sings Jah Love, it is the same exact thing as Yah Love.  And if you are about Ahavat Yisrael, you know that the all-loving God (Jah or Yah, depending if you are Jamaican or Jewish or Jehovah's Witness or Some Other) is universal.  Jews:  apologies if you were offended that I didn't write that as YKVK, G-d, G!d, or any incarnation thereof.  Just not my thang.  See, I will do it again.  God.  So there (sticking my tongue out).  Remember that tune from last summer that I blogged about, Ya'alili?  Same message, same deal.  Different language, different culture, different hair style, different accent.

But we's all da same breathing human beings!






I am all about the positive energy, and Bob puts it out there in the best way possible.

Just one small quotation from "Positive Vibrations":

If you get down and you quarrel everyday,
You're saying prayers to the devils, I say.  Wo-oh-ooh!
Why not help one another on the way?
Make it much easier.  (Just a little bit easier).

Happy Birthday, Bob Marley and Tong Yuen

Not only are we busy getting ready for Tu B'Shvat and celebrating Chinese Lantern festival with tong yuen which are rice balls (recipe to follow), but thank you to all of my Facebook friends for alerting me to the fact that today is Bob Marley's birthday.

My high school friend Mike posted a lovely rendition of "Lively Up Yourself," from 6/13/80

As you know I love numerical synchronicity.  When I saw the date of this YouTube, I livened up myself!

6/13 or, 613 is a significant number in Judaism.  As you know, I am Jewish and I live a Jewish life, so when I see that number of course I make the connection.  I have mentioned how I love when I go to Madison Square Garden, especially to see my favorite band, I view the jersey hanging high above for "Horowitz" with the number 613.

613 refers to the total number of mitzvot or commandments in the Torah.


Don't know if my friend Mike looked at that date or realized, but I think it's pretty cool.

So, there, I have linked Rastafarians with Jews.  Not such a huge stretch.

Tong Yuen

family recipe from my friend Hannah

Serves 2

1 tsp oil

2/3 c glutinous rice flour (use up what’s left from making nian gao)

Cold water

Roasted, crushed peanuts

Sugar

Add water gradually to the rice flour and mix by hand until melded.  Shape into bite-sized balls.

Boil in water until they float to the top.  Cool before sampling!  Serve, sprinkled with peanuts and sugar.