You ever have that moment where you think .. “They should invent ….”

Well, than this is your website.

I hope everyone has a happy 2nd days, I had planned on blogging a bit here and there but my mothers computer went nutso as all her children came home for the once in a decade gathering of every single child. Plus my youngest had a stomach virus. (maybe he got it from my mothers computer .. lol) Ok, well, next week I’ll be back, I hope some people missed me. Ciao (yes yes .. CHOW)

Being back at home where you grew up is great. Except for the part where you remember why you don’t live there anymore
I will be bck in NY on May 3rd.

Can’t wait to be back to normal schedule. (and start blogging)

Expect a lot of personal family posts.

P.S. My younger bro poposed at the seder table. (I swear) He isn’t religious, but we were all together, which is a rare occasion.

8^th Day (aka the Marcus Brothers)

Tracht Gut

The Marcus Brothers are: Shmueli, Benny, Eli, Zalman, Chaim & Yossi

They reside in California, and as I understand a couple of them of are Chabad Shluchim. They have intended this cd to be a new and different type of Jewish Music. Something everyone can appreciate and enjoy. This is not “wild” or “goyish” The music is completely original. The lyrics are to say the very least original. They aren’t anything specific, not Moshav band type rock, not jazz, not Chasidic pop, not reggae, not a choir, not Yeshivish, not Lubavitch, nor are they Chaseedish or modern.

They all play their own instruments, and all sing, some more than others, the lead vocals are Shmueli Marcus. They sound very much like Avraham Fried on many of their songs. (Understandably, as they are his nephews)

Here is a brief description of each song.

Track One: Lama Balue

Right away we’re introduced to their musical talents. I still have no idea what Lama Balue actually means, but the song talks about faith. The music is great, but the words are a bit too mysterious for me.

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Track Two: Rain

This is possibly the best song on the entire album, it’s a slow song, this one line gives me the chills “So take this blessing from me, as your miracle is born, and the answer to your prayer shines tonight.” Wow … then at the last half of the song they switch to singing Yivarechecha Hashem V’ishmorecha, and they sound completely like young Avraham Fried’s it’s an amazing song.

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Track Three: Tracht Gut

This is a popular positive Yiddish saying, that the Lubavitcher Rebbe would often say, Tracht Gut, Vet Zein Gut, (not part of the lyrics, but part of the saying) Tracht Besser Vet Zei Besser, translated it means. Think good and it will be good. Think better and it will be better. This is about being positive and being happy. Sort of an Ivdu Es Hashem Bsimcha theme.

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Track Four: Yarmulka

For anyone who loved “The Pesach Blues”, by Moshe Yess and off the Journeys album, you will LOVE this song. Sample Lyrics “I Say Hamotzie when I eat it up, I say Shehakol when I drink it up, I say Shema when I sleep it up, I say modeh ani when I wake it up”

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Track Five: Fuhrt A Yiddlel

The first minute of this song is like a niggun, hummed low, and sung with lots of love, then it goes into a moshel about a guy who is lost at sea, and it conveys the message that no matter how far you go, you are never lost. (no matter where you roam, you can always come back home)

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Track Six: Bar Yochai

This is all English, and it’s sort of an ode to Shimon Bar Yochai, but done very creatively, the lyrics and nice, and the music is very good, one of their top songs musically.

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Track Seven: Ku Ka Recoo

This is based on the famous story about a man who goes into a shul and is obviously not religious, just a simple farmer, and in the middle of kol nidrei screams the letters of the alef beis, the daveners laugh, and later the Rabbi of the shul tells them that his tefilahs were more accepted than the other people’s cause even though he didn’t know how to read or know the words cause his kavana was so strong. This song is adapated from that story.

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Track Eight: Manhattan

This is the song they were playing on FiveTownsRadio.com for a while, this could be their “hit” song, it combines, Yiddish, English, and Hebrew lyrics. A very fun song, with very catchy words, and very catchy tune. The words are not easy to understand (the Yiddish words) as it’s a bit slurred and very slang Yiddish.

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Track Nine: Penny

Not my favorite song on the album, a bit boring, but the just of it, is one mitzvah can tip the scales in favor of Moshiach, and every mitzvah is like a diamond or a penny, and that one penny could be the “Penny of Redemption” lyrics are good, but the song is way too slow and a bit or a yawner, their musically worst song.

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Track Ten: Hasidic Rambler

This is my second least favorite song, also a bit of a slow moving song, seems they put their weaker songs at the end. Still very creative lyrics, and some (most) I don’t get.

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Track Eleven: Velvet

I don’t want to sound like a broken record but everything I said for track nine applies to this song as well, it’s just too slow, but once again the words are great, just too slow, these guys are at their best one they are singing the fast and fun stuff.

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Track Twelve: Ayim Mekom Kevodo

This is actually a great song despite what I wrote about their slow songs being their weaker ones. It all in hebrew, (Ayim Mekom Kvodo, Kvodo, Malai Olam, …. ) It’s an A Cepplla track and really showcases their voices, which in this song they really really do sound like young, cool, Avraham Fried’s.

This album truly is something different. It’s got something for everyone, my sister also recently bought it and has been playing Bar Yochai non stop, she called me from her house to tell me thanks for recommending it, and I heard it blaring … Bar Yochai …

You can hear clips and read more about them at My8thDay.com

This is amazing, I was reading this post by TTC, and came to the site mentioned in this article, and said, hey let me just click on the Vatican’s Website, I was curious what their “Aish.com/Chabad.org” looked like lol. (L’havdil, of course)

So I load it up, and see one of the links on the menu is “Vatican Secret Archives” See image below, click to see it more clearly. So you think THATS where they’re keeping our Kailim?

Mayor Mike “Property tax refund’s always come a week before election day” Bloomberg wants us to know we’re safe.

“In addition to having a safe Passover, we want to make sure to the extent that we possibly can the city accommodates the special needs of Passover, so the Department of Sanitation will make lots of extra pickups in community districts with large Orthodox Jewish populations to accommodate the demands of the annual pre-Passover cleansing ritual,” said Bloomberg.

Thanks Mike, but could you do me a favor and send those damn trucks that fix the potholes instead?? There is a pothole outside my house so big, I see the Chinese when I look down.

Note: It’s not that I don’t like Bloomberg, It’s just that he makes me nervous, he is tooooo short and he has the charisma and personality of a dead piece of wood.

and he holds way too many press conferences.

If anyone out there has worked at a Chabad House or ran a Matzah Factory or Olive Press Workshop and done a program at a Conservative Synagogue.

Or even been to a Pre-School at a Conservative Synagogue then you know that Debbie Friedman is like their Avraham Fried (or maybe Neshama Carlebach?) and Paul Zim is like their MBD

Documentary looks at music of Jewish bard Debbie Friedman

A Fox and A Goat

Ailes, Gore square off amid laughs

I was going to say a Fox and a Square, but wanted to keep within the framework of Mammals.

Also in the world of Political Mammal Imagery

UPDATE:

I was re-reading this article and this quote from Al Gore really struck me.

“The Internet doesn’t glue eyeballs to the screen the way television does.”

This just goes to show you that squares like him just don’t get it. I haven’t watched my local news channel in years, and the only time I go to cable news is when something big is happening, in which case I’m online usually as well, and find that the Internet has quicker updates to the stories.

In fact today I think more people are starting to have their eyes specifically glued to the Internet. Especially during the daytime, as the news cycles unfold, everyone is online refreshing their personal favorite news source sites.

… and yes, that means even the one with the flashing siren on it Mr. Gore.

Ok, I have the video, BUT it is 220 MB and Im having issues trying to make it smaller so I could put up on a Video hosting site.

If anyone has any suggestions I’m open - please e-mail me.

I will be uploading the file to yousendit.com a little later today and whoever wants that link e-mail me also. The catch with YouSendIt.com is that only so many people can download it.

My Aspring Artist Sister donated some used clothing to an elderly lady. Then when speaking to my mother she told her about it.

This is how that conversation unfolded:
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M.A.A.S: So when I was giving them to her, she kept saying, “Thank you dear, I give you a bracha that you should get everything you ask for!”

Mother: Well, than remember to ask for alot
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That’s my Mom!

Here are Mommy’s Line 1 & Mommy’s Line 2

Blah, blah, blog!
Celebrities don’t need the tabloids to tell their stories when they can do it themselves

Via the Ottawa Sun Online

Also see Celebrity Blogging 1

Wow, first before anything I just want to say Congradulations to Matisyahu and his crew, for real you guys deserve this, and you are for real.

Update on Amazon.com, Matisyahu is now #35 (as of 10:30 AM)

Now for the links:

Assosiated Press
Hasidic reggae star proving more than just a novelty
This story is also the on the FRONT page of AOL MUSIC (AOL USERS ONLY)

NY Daily News
An unorthodox mix: rap and religion

Rolling (freakin) Stone!
Matisyahu Keeps the Faith

Pittsburgh Tribune
Jewish music festival offers variety of sound (via JMBlogmeitster)

ABC News
Hasidic Reggae Starnot Just a Novelty (same AP story just with ABC news page and pics)

Billboard.com
South By Southwest Diary: March 19 (at the bottom)

The Hollywood Reporter
Matisyahu

CBS (Chicago) Same AP article just nice to see in a different format
Hasidic Reggae Star Is A Hit

MTV.com (new relases section)
New Releases: Rob Thomas, Ringside, Il Divo, Anna Nalick, Matisyahu & More

Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
What a combo! Reggae singer has Jewish accent

Once again, please if you see the NEW matisyahu video of Jimmy Kimmel from April 18th, 2005, please email me asap

UPDATE:

The Tallahassee Democrat
Torah, Torah, Torah! (scroll down)

I promise you, I’ve been making this joke since this guy’s name came up. (and here is proof)

via Toner (thanks for stoping by)