Elyaqim Mosheh Adam’s ’Blog • רשומון אליקים משה אדם

Summer in New York City: Rust

2011-08-02T03:54:00.002-04:00

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Roosevelt Avenue and 83^rd Street, Jackson Heights, 14 June 2010.

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New York Bear Den Promotional Drive

2011-07-08T22:51:00.002-04:00

Photograph by Chaz Antonelli.Hamming it up in a shot that simultaneously promotes Bear Den’s lounge atmosphere and Internet stations.
New York Bear Den at the Diversity Center of Queens, Alliance Building, 76-11 37^th Avenue, Jackson Heights, 12 June 2011.
────────

Chaz put up a Web page promoting New York Bear Den utilizing many of the suggestions I gave him at our last gathering on 12 June. I had been musing about why Bear Café had been so outstandingly popular while Bear Den, built on a very similar model, is less well‐attended and can’t seem to even take in a month’s rent to the Diversity Center of Queens at a single gathering. However, existing aspects of Bear Den we might take for granted could draw new participants: I thought promoting Bear Den in part as a lounge with eclectic music might draw the type of men who frequent venues like Nowhere. Also, relegating the board games to one specific table would open up other tables to general conversation and make us appear less like a gaming group like Board Stiff was. Chaz came up with the timely ideas to promote the air conditioning, Internet access and the remodeled (or soon‐to‐be remodeled) washrooms. We need to apply these ideas to other modes of promotion, and hopefully our attendance will grow.

A steering committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for the thirteenth to discuss the initiatives the Den will put in place.

Related

Chaz Antonelli, “What’s new at the Bear Den?,” n.d. [June 2011].
Chaz Antonelli, “2011-06-12 Bear Den,” photo album, Picasa Web Albums, shot 12 June 2011.

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March 2011 micro‐content, part II

2011-06-23T22:04:00.006-04:00

💬 Wow. Any fan of Wonder Woman should see The Big Beautiful Wonder Woman Blog. http://fatwonderwoman.blogspot.com/ —13 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

👀 Go for a stroll in my neighborhood and you just may encounter the Jackson Heights robot walking down the street. http://goo.gl/m8XJY —14 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF)

…bids farewell to beloved singer Nilla Pizzi who died Saturday. http://youtu.be/05SXs73_MpY —14 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF)

[Video favorite.] jackson height —15 March (Bz, FF, Fb, MS)▴ This video is absolute insanity! The camera operator raced down the aisles at Apna Bazar here in Jackson Heights, spinning the camera as he went. Who could even focus on any product?!▴ Kudos. I cannot even tell if you’re right or wrong beyond the Tilda and the vegetables. Your whole comment reads like the ingredient list of some atrocious recipe.

✾ Both Purim and Novruz will be next weekend as can only occur in a Jewish leap year, though Theodor Gaster wrote Purim was based on Novruz. —16 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, MS)▴ From Encyclopædia Britannica: “The principal monument of Jewish story in the Persian period is the biblical Book of Esther, which is basically a Judaized version of a Persian novella about the shrewdness of harem queens. The story was adapted to account for Purim, a popular festival, which itself is probably a transformation of the Persian New Year. Leading elements of the tale—such as the parade of Mordecai, dressed in royal robes, through the streets, the fight between the Jews and their adversaries, and the hanging of Haman and his sons—seem to reflect customs associated with Purim, such as the ceremonial ride of a common citizen through the capital, the mock combat between two teams representing the Old Year and the New Year, and the execution of the Old Year in effigy.”▴ But see also: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Purim/History/Origins.shtml

🗾 “Japan is one of the best friends the [US] ever could have to provide support…in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.” http://goo.gl/f7b1W —16 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

🌻 Od Çərşənbəsi چهارشنبه ‌سوری was yesterday, and now it’s full speed ahead to Purim פורים, Novruz نوروز and Holi ہولی. Happy spring!! —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, MS)

…bids farewell to songwriter Hugh Martin with a great vocal performance of “The Trolley Song” by Alex Heinen. http://youtu.be/Q8cECc1Vf3I ♫ —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

…bids farewell to songwriter Hugh Martin with this great rendition of “The Trolley Song” by Carol Burnett. http://youtu.be/hHrFZp0OXv0 ♫ —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)‎Of course; that was really my intent. I have a great version on vinyl by Leslie Uggams.

…mourns the loss of Shifra Lerer, legendary Jewish‐Argentine actress and singer in Yiddish theater and cinema. http://youtu.be/2wwdhylniAQ —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

…mourns the loss of Nicholas Kelo Jr. who shot and killed himself in Rittman, Ohio, after relentless anti‐gay bullying. http://goo.gl/NFroe —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)Thanks to Brian for the alert.

…cannot fathom the sorrow of Irish Jews when Taʻanit Ester תענית אסתר‎, a fasting day, falls on St. Patrick’s Day, as is the case today. ☘ —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, MS, FF)

⚔ Homophobes are out for blood. This assault was barely covered by the news until the victim’s friends alerted bloggers. http://goo.gl/AtQIu —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

[Video favorite.] Feed the Rich, Starve the Worker: That's Bullshit... from Madison —18 March (Bz, FF, Fb, MS, FF)Thanks to שמואל for sharing.

📜 For those unfamiliar with the Purim legend, here’s a little synopsis: http://youtu.be/mYGqOMe-DqQ —18 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

📷 See my pictures of my visit to Florida, including the Columns at Bear Creek, New Port Richey, and dinner at Red Lobster, Spring Hill. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —18 March

📷 See more of my pictures of my visit to Florida, including Macy’s in Gulf View Square, dinner at Super Royal Buffet, then Bed Bath and Beyond and Books‐a‐Million, Port Richey; then “The Art of Flight” exhibit, Tampa International Airport. http://on.fb.me/hqI0lU —19 March

💮 With whom better to celebrate Novruz (and Purim) than Leila Forouhar? The equinox approaches. http://youtu.be/2XtU5wbH368 —19 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

◬ If you didn’t like the previous cartoon synopsis of Purim I posted, try this one out for size. http://youtu.be/3wvrbAa2Onk —19 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)‎▴ Rehob Sumsum is the Israeli version of Sesame Street in Hebrew, but Shalom Sesame is a sort of blended version of the two aimed at English speakers and featuring Anglophone celebrities.▴ ‎This cartoon probably originally appeared on RS and was then adapted for Shalom Sesame with an English script.

💲 I just donated to the production of a movie about how the murder of Julio Rivera forever altered Jackson Heights. Might you consider donating too? (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/659926942/julio-of-jackson-heights-documentary-film) —19 March (Fb, FF, FF)

✾ Drink some bhang thandai while you watch this number from the 1981 movie Silsila. This weekend is Holi. http://youtu.be/rm17BPGvZSc —19 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

📷 See my pictures of the Queens Pride House “Valentine’s Gay Fun‐raiser Party” at the Diversity Center of Queens, Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/hqI0lU —20 March

♪ Probably my favorite Purim song of all time, but I prefer Ruth Rubin’s version which I could not find online. http://youtu.be/WMvLi2lF4a8 —20 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

…is not sure what this has to do with Novruz as he doesn’t know Uyghur or see holiday imagery, but it’s pretty. http://youtu.be/py8RplC9RQ4 —20 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)With it?

…hopes you enjoyed the supermoon and equinox and feel a part of our Solar System. Here’s a great Novruz summary: http://youtu.be/bYRTEjhnopI —21 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)▴ And if you like, see some of the Novruz videos I posted last year:
• http://elyaqim.jaiku.com/presence/1874d1c69cde45dcafbdbb18a6b05510
• http://www.friendfeed.com/elyaqim/99c2cd6a/
• http://youtu.be/pu6lkz2DqUw‎▴ • http://elyaqim.jaiku.com/presence/7fdb47776ac941149facc34e262b3f47

• Last modified 4 August 2011.
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Overweight, Bearded Gay Men, Who Call Themselves Bears

2011-06-16T00:52:00.008-04:00

Photograph by Valerie (ucumari), under a Creative Commons license.

Three of my favorite local Queens organizations were mentioned in a New York Times article last week. Unfortunately, it was about how Congressman Anthony Weiner had to cancel appearances at events organized by two of them—the Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride Committee and Queens Pride House—and it referred, unnamed and described rather unflatteringly, to New York Bear Den. Reporter Dan Bilefsky wrote

On Monday evening, Mr. Weiner…canceled an appearance at a forum at Queens Pride House in Jackson Heights on the implications of health care reform for the gay community.
On Sunday, the congressman…did not appear at a gay pride march in Queens.
Pauline Park, President of Pride House, said Mr. Weiner, a proponent of gay rights, would have found a sympathetic crowd at the community center, which has hosted events ranging from Nepalese dance troupes to support groups for H.I.V-positive mothers and fathers and mixers for overweight, bearded gay men, who call themselves bears.

Related

Dan Bilefsky, “Weiner Cancels Another Public Appearance, at Gay Forum,” section of “Weiner Says He Sent Photos and Lied, but Won’t Resign,” City Room, The New York Times, 6 June 2011.
Christopher Dufault, “Someone Needs a Bear Hug!,” Internals Plural, 6 June 2011.

• Last modified 30 June 2011.
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March 2011 micro‐content, part I

2011-06-01T21:40:00.010-04:00

📷 See my pictures of the Queens Pride House January community potluck at the Diversity Center of Queens, Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/gtzHcz —1 March

[Video favorite.] Little Chicken Shake .mov —1 March (FF, Fb)My online discovery of the night is Jackson Heights’ own Katha Cato of the Department of Positive Commentary (DPC). In this video, she makes an absolutely ghastly dish vegetarians might want to avert their eyes from viewing. In a sense, it’s a variation of the chicken split idea my friends and I came up with many years ago. Fun for the whole family!

📷 See my pictures of the Rockbear January “Underbear” party at Rockbar, Greenwich Village. http://on.fb.me/gtzHcz —2 March

📷 See my pictures of Thai dinner at Spicy Shallot, then “Jaime’s Peter Pan birthday party” at Music Box/Caja Musical, Elmhurst; then Friend’s Tavern, Jackson Heights; then la Abundancia Bakery, Elmhurst. http://on.fb.me/feSsg8 —3–7 MarchI shop and eat in Little India so frequently the merchants know me and give me special prices. One of these days, I’ll figure out if those prices are lower or higher than what normal customers pay.

• Pakistan’s Minister of Minorities is dead in a “campaign to slaughter every liberal, progressive and humanist voice”! http://goo.gl/KJSto —3 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

☕ “[T]his be will remembered as the time…the American people decided to come together [and] confront the plutocracy….” http://goo.gl/M4zcq —4 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

…is frustrated that the St. Pat’s for All parade and the “Globally Queer” block at the Queens World Film Festival conflict with one another. —6 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, MS)

[Video favorite.] 'America Is NOT Broke': Michael Moore Speaks in Madison, WI -- March 5, 2011 —6 March (FF, Fb)A poignant lesson in economics from Michael Moore that is very easy to understand. Liberals and progressives give us facts while conservatives give us lies and then threats with guns if we don’t believe their lies. Thanks to Leyb Mendl for posting.

[Video favorite.] YouTube Transcribe Audio Fail —7 March (FF, Fb)Some of my friends already noticed it and brought it up on my wall, but my being a linguistics geek got me mention in one of gunnarolla’s videos (beginning at 2:17). Basically, when Google’s automatic transcription of the audio track in one of his earlier videos was unable to make heads or tails of his Canadian English, I accused them of being anti‐Canadian.

📷 See my pictures of Thai lunch from Rumphool in Woodside. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —8 March

📷 See my pictures of Richard Shpuntoff’s screening of Julio of Jackson Heights as a work in progress at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —8 March

…found this funny video a few days ago but wonders if it’s appropriate to post on International Women’s Day. http://youtu.be/tJRzBpFjJS8 👩 —8 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

📷 See my pictures of New York Bear Den at the Diversity Center of Queens, Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —8 March

◬◬◬ Where can I get ozne Haman אזני המן‎ (i.e., Homen taşn המן־טאַשן) in or near Jackson Heights? ◬◬◬ —9 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)▴ If they’re still there. You’re just making me more frustrated, as well as more hungry.▴ I’m afraid my worst fears will be confirmed.

📷 See my pictures of my visit to Florida, including lunch at the Ram’s Horn and a visit to Publix, Hudson; dinner at Central City Pizza, New Port Richey; dessert from Walgreens, Hudson. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —9 March

[Video favorite.] Teresa Graves & Carol Channing "Soul Sisters" Laugh-In —11 March (Bz, FF, Fb)This video was shot before Carol Channing came out of the closet as black.

• Last modified 3 August 2011.
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Spring in New York City, part 5

2011-05-31T17:01:00.006-04:00

Shopping carts of all sorts at Met Foodmarket, 76-10 37^th Avenue, Jackson Heights, 16 March 2010. See the full set of pictures in my Facebook photo album March 2010, part VI.

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.
────────

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.

Previously

“Religious Experience at the Ambassador Program,” 17 March 2010. (Spring in New York City, part 1.)
“Standard and Sea,” 5 May 2010. (Spring in New York City, part 2.)
“Passover sweets,” 6 May 2010. (Spring in New York City, part 3.)
“Hard-Boiled Eggs,” 8 May 2010. (Spring in New York City, part 4.)

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November 2010 micro-content.

2011-01-31T02:13:00.003-05:00

📷 See my pictures of the Queer Rising night march in Chelsea and Greenwich Village, and Rockbar thereafter. http://on.fb.me/bIs3Y9 —1 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

📷 See my pictures of the New York Bear Den Halloween gathering at the Diversity Center of Queens, Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/bIs3Y9 —1 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

…learned what the term “Morton’s fork” means from this article about the proposed New York City Charter revision. http://nyti.ms/9EoE8L —2 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF)

…suggests installing the free Symbola font because he likes using emoji characters newly supported in Unicode 6.0. 😉 http://bit.ly/2d7HeU —2 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF)

…was “helped” to vote by someone with an invariably befuddled look on her face who confused the surname and given name of everyone on line. —2 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)She even “informed” a registered voter she was not registered, until her coworker, who was probably used to the ineptitude, caught the error before that voter was turned away.

💣 Islamic terrorists addressed a parcel bomb to a gay synagogue, although it was not intended to reach its addressees. http://bit.ly/cV8Ymt —3 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/3-RW3nUHs8g] —3 November (FF, Fb)

My photos of Queens Pride House volunteers at Friend’s Tavern; Peter’s “Fashion Night Out” party, Music Box, Queens. http://on.fb.me/9gHto9 —3 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

…bids farewell to songwriter Jerry Bock with a gorgeous song oft performed by old friend Miss Understood. http://youtu.be/PoaDq2ROHqA ♫ —4 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/Tpge6c3Ic4g] —5 November (FF, Fb)…hopes you have a fun viewing this.

My photos of the “Garage Classics: What Can You Do for Me?” Dance 208, the LGBT Community Center, Greenwich Village. http://on.fb.me/9gHto9 —5 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

🔥 Šabbāt šālôm and happy Dīvālī. Did you light your lamps? —5 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/yBxzMMCokpI] —6 November (FF, Fb)▴ Republicans and conservatives are so evil that they feel they can lie anytime they like in order to promote their agenda. The world is a scary place on which to live when their constituents ignore the truth because lies make them feel better.▴ Some idiots believe that merely disagreeing with someone is an infringement on freedom of speech. Some idiots also believe that freedom of speech means that every person’s beliefs or anything that can be read in a book, a periodical or on the Internet is of equal validity. Thus they believe anything to be truthful if said by someone whom they support. They believe their choosing from any sources whatsoever the ones that make them feel best will result in finding unquestionable truths, especially if other idiots go along with it. This is not how reality works, numbskulls.▴ The conservative leaders are evil, their constituents are at best misguided, and the “middle management” just know how to echo the rhetoric. … Don’t get me started on why gays or anyone would want to support the military and its genocidal policies against Arabs and Afghans! Do you have any idea how much gays are suffering in ʻIraq since the US came in?

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/nTR7V8cA9OY] —6 November (FF, Fb)As comedians and television personalities, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert did even better than I had hoped, but ultimately, I agree with Bill Maher.

…dreamed that, in a pinch, the leftover liquid from a can of Spam could be used to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West. 💤 —7 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)

📷 See my pictures of Queens Pride House’s Stonewall history talk by Rich Wandel on “Spirit Day,” Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/9gHto9 —7 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/fdh7eVotrP8] —8 November (FF, Fb)Saudi fashion that mixes traditional and contemporary aspects. Thanks to Gay Middle East for a link to the video.

…can’t spell “intergenerational” without “rational.” 👴 —8 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)

After anti-gay bullying, fourteen-year-old Brandon Bitner ended his life in front of a tractor trailer in Pennsylvania. http://bit.ly/aNUfX3 —8 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

📰 A violent attack in Jackson Heights steps from my building on an employee of a business I frequent. http://bit.ly/bzAO62 —8 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

…commemorates the birthday of Carl Sagan, gone from the universe fourteen years now. http://youtu.be/wupToqz1e2g 🌎 —9 November (FF, Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)

⛤ Activities for Kifkif’s “Moroccan National LGBT Day” (اليوم الوطني للمثليين المغاربة) were held in Rabat last month. http://bit.ly/bNSsTe —9 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/mLHqEcSBWjE] —10 November (FF, Fb)

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/iT42Iq1qKkY] —11 November (FF, Fb)▴ The song “Idhi oka nandanavanam” from the 1985 Telugu movie Adavi donga. When you have had enough of the original, take a look at a parody of it: http://www.vimeo.com/2630940.▴ Yes, the video is a fairly accurate depiction of a typical street scene here in Jackson Heights, except that on 73^rd Street they’d be singing in Bengali. (Not a lot of Telugus in this neighb.)

…notes another great contribution Near Eastern people made to Western culture. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101109172344.htm —11 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

…suspected even before reading this article that Yiddish meşugas משוגעת should probably be spelled ‏*משוגעות. http://bit.ly/COGc8 📖 —11 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

…thanks Sally for a great Ambassador Program event in Astoria last night that truly fostered appreciation of the depth of Egyptian cuisine. —12 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)

“Michele Bachmann Totally Looks Like Bat Boy” —12 November (Fb, FF)

…saw a screening of La Mission at Queens Pride House and really liked it (and thought Benjamin Bratt was gorgeous). http://bit.ly/bLbdY6 🎦 —12 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

📷 See my pictures of the cast and crew of BearCity at the Rockbear “Underbear” party, Rockbar, Greenwich Village. http://on.fb.me/b0n2g8 —13 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

…is excited an Amalgamated Bank will open in his neighborhood. —13 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)It is a labor bank in which I have had accounts for decades when I lived in the Bronx. Once the branch in Jackson Heights opens, I will no longer need to travel to Long Island City or Manhattan for transactions that need to be done in person. There’s a 24-hour a.t.m. closer to where I live that doesn’t charge me fees, but when it’s broken or empty of cash, I can trot down to 78^th Street for a no-fee alternative.

…is winding down from a fun weekend that included the FurBall and Bear Den’s great Thanksgiving event. http://www.gaycenter.org/node/5800 🐻 —14 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

📷 See my pictures of the Queens Pride House Halloween Extravaganza in Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/b0n2g8, http://on.fb.me/cGM6Ou 🎃 —15 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

Content on Delicious. —16 November (FF)

🚗 The FBI secretly placed a tracking device in the car of a young Egyptian-American for undisclosed reasons. http://www.gizmodo.com/5658661 —16 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

🍒 The Jackson Heights Greenmarket will now be open year-round. http://www.vimeo.com/16838546 —17 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

…has finally, now that autumn is drawing to a close, finished uploading his New York pictures from the summer. http://on.fb.me/9F42Sa 📷 —18 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)

“There can be no honor…serving in a shameful war. [G]ays deserve civil rights. But Iraqis deserve them just as much….” http://bit.ly/aDvdTY —18 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF)

My photos of the Dance 208 Halloween Ball, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Greenwich Village. http://on.fb.me/d2IP9S —19 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

☠ “Utah leads the nation in suicide among men 15–24,” including gay youths David Standley and Tim Tilley, and others. http://bit.ly/bbs5zI —19 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)… See also http://bit.ly/csItmL.

☠ Eighteen-year-old Josh Wilkerson was bludgeoned to death after purportedly making sexual advances toward his killer. http://bit.ly/bPJiEv —19 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

⚔ “Does Opposing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Bolster US Militarism?” http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/22/does_opposing_dont_ask_dont_tell —19 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)▴ If only the gay movement or any movement could truly be “ending discrimination in all of its forms,” but there are so many issues affecting us that we must pick our battles wisely. Gay people face poverty, inadequate health care, workplace discrimination, elevated suicide and addiction rates and staggering violence. (Recently here in New York City, gay men were abducted and tortured in the Bronx.) However somewhere along the line, self-styled gay leaders decided that getting married and serving in the military were the issues that should get the most money and attention. The gay community should only be too happy to temporarily put DADT on the back burner so we can fight our biggest problems rather than contribute to these obscene wars that have killed thousands of people and are based on greed and the dehumanization of Near Eastern peoples.▴ … Had we somehow bundled (the repeal of DADT) with ENDA from the beginning, because ultimately it is an issue of employment discrimination, we might have avoided the glorification of the military, especially when people of color are so disproportionately employed by the military, and when the situation of gays in ʻIraq has deteriorated so dramatically since we took down their government. ¶… The gay movement could, for example, have made health care reform our biggest fight, putting our energies into obtaining a public option and securing health coverage for the large number of us who are dangerously underinsured. Instead we ignored it and made believe we would get health coverage if only we were allowed to marry, a ridiculous middle-class presumption that the gay uninsured are in committed relationships with people who already have coverage.

…knew he liked Australian pop music for a reason. http://youtu.be/Qho9o4zRwtE —19 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

♪ And so it was that later … the face of Alice Ghostley turned a whiter shade of pale. http://www.kissthisguy.com/sub_vote.php?id=9963 😄 —21 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/b_91V1Cgi2A] —21 November (FF, Fb)I think I saw the back-up dancers voguing on Christopher Street a few weeks ago. The song is in the Balochi language, closely related to Kurdish.

📷 My pictures of Halloween in Jackson Heights, including the Beautification Group’s parade. http://on.fb.me/d2IP9S http://on.fb.me/90mGdZ —22 November (Jk, Bz, FF, FF)

The latest news on Víctor Mejía de los Santos, whose skull was broken with a metal bat three four blocks from my building. http://bit.ly/azrqp9 —23 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF)See also http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/11/20/jackson_heights_times/news/jh_coma_victim_folo_20101118.txt.

…wishes a happy “Ḥag hā-Hôdāyâ” (חג ההודיה) to all his friends and is thankful they are a part of his life. 🍴 —25 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/rCJ78Ttzuf4] —25 November (FF, Fb)

📷 See my pictures of the Ambassador Program enjoying Egyptian cuisine at Cherry Café شيري كافية in Astoria. http://on.fb.me/h5cWs2 —27 November (Jk, Bz, FF)

…misread “donated” as “detonated” in an update: “I went to a local church…and d[et]onated 2 turkeys and plenty of sides for the homeless.” (http://www.facebook.com/100000195199804/posts/167093483331599) —28 November (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb)I hope they weren’t still frozen!

[Video favorite http://youtu.be/j8egssDkmPw] —28 November (FF, Fb)▴ …may sound surprisingly old-fashioned but remembers a time exemplified by this 1998 video when women singers could drown themselves in glamor without feeling obliged to act like strippers or pole dancers. The title “بیقراری” “Biqərari” means “restlessness.”▴ Also view some of her later videos: http://youtu.be/UEBMh1UA1Q0 and http://youtu.be/kKZDpDBk3Q0.

• Last modified 2 August 2011.
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If You Hadn’t (but You Did) {FOUR VIDEOS}

2011-01-04T14:21:00.005-05:00

“If You Hadn’t (but You Did)” is a patter song composed by Jule Styne with a lyric by Betty Comden and Adolph Green from the 1951 Broadway revue Two on the Aisle and was introduced by Dolores Gray. One of the things I like best about the lyric is how easily the words are understood despite their extreme foreshortening to force a rhyme with if: terrif’, diff’, Pacif’, prolif’, beautif’, signif’, specif’ and certif’. Below is Dolores Gray’s performance from the original cast album.

Here is a live performance by Carol Channing and Perry Como, presumably from a 1956 episode of The Perry Como Show, with an entirely rewritten introduction. Carol couldn’t keep up with the pace and flubbed the whole thing, but this is still one of my favorite renditions of it.

This is a video clip of a live performance by Kristin Chenoweth apparently from “From Screen to Stage: Kristin Chenoweth and Rob Marshall,” an episode of Evening at Pops originally televised 1 August 2004.

And this is Chenoweth’s studio recording from her 2001 album Let Yourself Go.

Related

Yandere [Susan Weaver], “Kristin Chenoweth—If,” Yandere: Anime and Game Obsessed, 7 July 2008.
Yandere [Susan Weaver], “Kristin Chenoweth—If (You Hadn’t, But You Did) Video. Yandere~,” Yandere: Anime and Game Obsessed, 25 January 2010.
Mark Rothman, “‘South Pacif’’, Part One,” markrothmansblog, 31 August 2010.

• Last modified 5 January 2010.
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Azerbaijani Jews sing “Coco Jamboo.” (Video)

2010-07-27T22:15:00.003-04:00

Despite its popularity in the 1990s, I may not have heard the original English version of the song “Coco Jamboo” until it was played at the East Elmhurst gay night club Scape while I was there for my friend Ernesto’s birthday party on the tenth.

Last summer, I had encountered a version of the song in Azerbaijani when doing some online research about my Mountain Jewish origins, and I actually assumed it was the original until I went to Scape. What is the title line of the English version (“Ya ya ya Coco Jamboo”) became in Azerbaijani “Ya ya ya Yəhudilər [Jews],” the singing of which I found completely irresistible when I finally heard the original.

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Hard-Boiled Eggs.

2010-05-08T23:57:00.007-04:00

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Hard-boiled eggs.
New Grand Buffet, 34-45 48^th Street, Long Island City, 4 March 2010.

These are surprisingly hard to find in my own neighborhood. I have gone to virtually all of our many supermarkets and not one offers whole or halved hard-boiled eggs. See more of my pictures of this particular trip to Long Island City, as well as of other things.

Previously

“Religious Experience at the Ambassador Program,” 17 March 2010.

Related (updated 4 July 2011)

stars_unlimited, apparently a.k.a. スターズ笠間 (stars_kasama), “Hot Rod Custom Show 2010,” Stars!, 5 October 2010. Use of my photograph without attribution.

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Cake-off chitchat.

2010-05-07T22:20:00.002-04:00

For those of you who asked, here is the surreptitious video of my telling friends about the Passover pastries. The conversation took place at an event called the “cake-off” in the Woodside apartment of a friend from the Ambassador Program and Jackson Heights Food Group. I was about as stereotypically Jewish as I can imagine being: discussing Jewish cuisine while coincidentally wearing a Hadassah (ההסתדרות הציונית הדסה) t-shirt.

Video by judibean.“Cake-off” at Stella’s place, Woodside, 17 April 2010.

Previously

“Passover sweets,” 6 May 2010.
“From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, April 2009,” 19 May 2009.

Related

Sara Markel‐González, “Eating Our Way Through The Menu at Red Ribbon Bakeshop,” Serious Eats, 26 April 2010.

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Passover sweets.

2010-05-06T23:48:00.001-04:00

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.The best Passover pastries I’d ever had in my life.
Community Passover seder (ליל הסדר של פסח), the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights,
37-06 77^th Street, Jackson Heights, 29 March 2010.

As I was later captured on video telling friends, these and others consumed that night were probably the best Passover pastries I’d ever had in my life. See more of my pictures of the community Passover seder at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights.

Previously

“From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, April 2009,” 19 May 2009.

Related

Chap James Day, deaghaidh micro-’blogs, 29 and 30 March 2010.
My pictures on Facebook.
Chap’s pictures on Facebook. (Maybe you can see them, and maybe not.)

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Standard and Sea.

2010-05-05T23:43:00.001-04:00

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Standard and Sea.
Sea, 835 Washington Street, and Standard Hôtel, 848 Washington Street,
Greenwich Village/Meatpacking District, 21 April 2010.

My dear, old friend Derek had plans to celebrate his birthday in both of these venues, and my attempt to capture them in one picture turned out pretty well. Later I would speculate on Facebook: Because the Thai language has no śr consonant cluster, the word ศรี is not pronounced śrī as it is in Sanskrit (श्री) but instead as sī. I would think this is more likely the reason the restaurant is named “Sea” than because of any connection to the sea.

See more of my pictures of that night celebrating Derek’s birthday.

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The Blizzard Is Now Only a Memory.

2010-03-26T23:10:00.002-04:00

❅ Elyaqim Mosheh Adam is surprisingly eager to play in the snow. —26 February { }

━━━━━━━━━

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Snow on and hanging from every surface.
72^nd Street between 35^th and 37^th avenues, Jackson Heights, 27 February 2010.

Is it safe to come out now? Spring is finally here after some nasty New York snowstorms. See more of my pictures of the 26 February blizzard that hit Jackson Heights between Taʻănît Estēr (תענית אסתר‎) and Pûrîm (פורים).

Previously

“From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 20–26 December 2009,” 9 January 2010.
“Fifth and final week in Egypt, 1–7 March 2004,” 7 March 2004.

Related

Tony Crespo, “Was just leaving my pad to go to work and what do I see?,” NYC Gay Cop, 26 February 2010.
Enzo Martínez, “Shooting a Snow Storm,” Enzo, Martinez, Jackson Heights, Photography, Images, Ideas, 7 March 2010.
Laura Picallo’s picture on Facebook, 26 February 2010.
Tweets by Joel Cortes, Queens Pride House, Jackson Heights Life, 26 February 2010.
Wikipedia, s.v. “Third North American blizzard of 2010.”

Jewish Papercutting Critical of Religious Tenets.

2010-03-25T19:25:00.001-04:00

Jacqueline Nicholls: The Art of Paper-Cutting from Jewish Forward.

British artist Jacqueline Nicholls is described as Orthodox, but her traditional Jewish papercutting can certainly have resonance to secular and atheist Jews as well.

Related

Nadja Spiegelman, “Audio Slideshow: Challenging Rabbinic Misogyny—With Paper Cuts,” The Sisterhood, The Jewish Daily Forward, 23 March 2010.
Jacqueline Nicholls, Jacqueline Nicholls.

Nasty and Nice in Jackson Heights.

2010-03-25T05:30:00.005-04:00

Two examples of heterosexism.

In addition to the recent disgusting anti-gay electioneering of Hiram Monserrate, including his appeals to local religious communities with the knowledge religious people tend to be at least as intolerant and hateful as he is, here are two examples found on the Internet of heterosexism in Jackson Heights, one of which is admittedly related to Monserrate’s failed campaign.

• Gay Jackson Heights resident David Maddux described an altercation with a Monserrate worker at local eatery Espresso 77, 35-57 77^th Street:

While sitting outside in the glorious sun, a person with a fistful of Monserrate flyers approached us and offered one. We declined, saying, “Never!” and “He’s a bigot!” I don’t understand Spanish well, but know enough to comprehend when a mouthful of gay slurs is levied at me. There was no mistaking her vehemence. And her hatred. First time that’s happened in decades. (David Maddux, “Re: Special Election to replace Monserrate,” post on Jackson Heights Life, 16 March 2010.)

• And a micro-’blogger published this bit of hatred presumably after visiting the neighborhood: “Deres a lot of transvestites in jackson heights its disgustin.” (Anthony García, MrR0ttenApple micro-’blog, 8 March 2010.)

Polyglot Chhaya.

Speaking of 77^th Street, local community development corporation Chhaya, 37-43 77^th Street, has a sign with their name written in five scripts:

chhaya
ছায়া
छाया
چھایا
ਛਾਯਾ

The definition of the word, according to my dictionaries:

ছায়া n. shadow; image; shade. [Bengali]
छाया (nf) shade; shadow; … [Hindi]
‎چھایا chhayá, H. n. f. Darkness; shade. [Urdu]

See the picture of it that accompanies the article Seema Agnani, “Bringing Basements to Code,” Urban Omnibus, 10 March 2010.

Religious Experience at the Ambassador Program.

2010-03-17T00:01:00.010-04:00

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Pansit (便食) palabok.
Ambassador Program at Tito Rad’s, 49-12 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside, 2 March 2010.

The Ambassador Program’s visit to Tito Rad’s turned into a transcendent experience when the Flying Spaghetti Monster revealed himself in an otherwise ordinary bowl of pansit palabok. (See my other pictures of that event in my Facebook photo album.)

Update, 14:00: In an odd coincidence, another openly gay, non-Filipino Jackson Heights resident posted a ’blog article this month consisting of a picture of pansit palabok shot in a different Queens neighborhood: Tony Crespo, “At Red Ribbons in Woodside having Palabok and Mango cake,” NYC Gay Cop, 8 March.

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Caja Musical Under Construction.

2010-03-15T22:00:00.002-04:00

Photograph by Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.

Drag performer imitating Lady Gaga with an immense wig.
Tony’s birthday at Caja Musical, 40-08 74^th Street, Elmhurst, 7 March 2010.

See my pictures of Tony’s birthday, the culmination of “Under Construction Week” at Caja Musical, Elmhurst.

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From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 10–30 January 2010.

2010-02-06T16:50:00.002-05:00

▴ …reminds all to eat fruit and plant trees because sundown begins Ṭû bi-Šəbāṭ {ט״ו בשבט}, the Jewish “new year of the trees.” —29 January (yaacovmaoz on YouTube) { , }

▴ My pictures of Filipino cuisine at Tito Rad’s Grill, Sunnyside, and Japanese cuisine at East 21, Elmhurst. —29 January { }

▴ My photos of Ambassador Program at 美而特青岛人家 M & T Restaurant, Flushing, মল্লিকা ভিডিও Mollika Video, Jackson Heights. —28 January { }

▴ …saw a tote bag on the subway with this “I ☠ YOU” graphic on it. He loves New York. —26 January (David & Goliath Tees) { , }

▴ …had his sunglasses blown from atop his head into the gutter by this morning’s fierce wind, but it also facilitated a neighborly chat. —25 January { }

▴ —24 January (MikeDiamondTube on YouTube) {}

▴ My pictures of Jackson Heights Food Group at Louie’s Pizzeria, Shangri-La Express, Elmhurst, and Lety’s Bakery, JH. —22 January {, , }

▴ Automatically calling criticism of the Israeli government “anti-Semitism” obscures and promotes true anti-Semitism. —21 January (The Alternative Information Center via MuzzleWatch) { , }

▴ —21 January (cha cha cha ! on YouTube) {}

▴ …admits he sometimes wonders if there is a mackerel in the fishnet. —21 January { }

▴ A 2200-year-old temple dedicated to the goddess Bastet {𓎯-𓏏-𓁐} has been found in Alexandria {الإسكندرية 𓂋:𓏤:𓂝-𓀨-𓏏::𓊖}, Egypt. —20 January (The Guardian via Gods and Mythology of Ancient Egypt on Facebook) { , }

▴ —20 January (Rubaru on YouTube) {}

▴ “Jiggling jellyfish! [HQ]” —20 January {}

▴ …warns you of profanity and ethnic stereotype, but this gay, Jewish friend of a friend released a good parody song. —19 January (Creation Nation on YouTube via dannyho on Twitter) { , }

▴ …commemorates the Azerbaijani victims of Qara Yanvar (Black January) 1990, as well as the Armenian victims of the preceding pogroms {погромы, פּאָגראָמען}. ‎—19 January { }

▴ —19 January (cdbpdx on YouTube) { }

▴ …is briefly mentioned (not by name, but as “my friend”) in this article and can be seen in the accompanying picture. —18 January (Queens Tribune Online) { , }

▴ My pictures of Michael {מיכאל}’s birthday, “The Metro” at the Pyramid Club, Stay and Urge Lounge, Lower East Side/East Village, then Barracuda etc., Chelsea. —17 January {}

▴ …now understands it was a maternity clinic, not a bordello. —17 January { }

⌂ A good article about gay Jackson Heights mentioned many friends of mine, but paid too much attention to politicians. —16 January (The New York Times) { , }

▴ …thought the Whitman’s® Sampler® was good, but perhaps not as good as the Ladybug Creamsicle®. —16 January { }

▴ More of my pictures of winter in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst. —15 January {}

▴ —14 January (The Library of Chicago Radio and Children’s TV on YouTube via Broadcasting Ourselves ;)) { }

▴ …has no comment. —13 January (Totally Looks Like…) { }

▴ —13 January (Tales of Mere Existence on YouTube) {}

▴ My pictures of “Evil Ritual Gathering of the Temple Cult,” 金豐大酒楼 Jing Fong Restaurant and 杏福西餐餅店 Hon Café, Chinatown, then New York Bear Den at the Diversity Center of Queens, Alliance Building, followed by dinner at Taquería Coatzingo, Jackson Heights. —12 January {}

▴ …has pared his pictures from Sunday down to the best 145, and is uploading them as we speak (or actually, as he types). —12 January { }

▴ …is really in need of a trip to Shangri-La right about now. —12 January { }

▴ More of my pictures of winter in Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Woodside. —11 January {}

▴ …is excited about the digitization of the Cairo Geniza {גניזת קהיר}, found in the Ben ʻEzra Synagogue {בית הכנסת בן עזרא} he visited in Old Cairo {مصر القديمة}. ‎—10 January (History Compass Exchanges via Languagehat) { , }

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From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 3–9 January 2009.

2010-02-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

▴ A cute video about a Palestinian drag queen I had the pleasure to meet on a number of occasions. —9 January (WNYC Radio on YouTube via Lady Bunny Blog) { , }

▴ …is a little concerned about becoming purpuric or ecchymotic from being poked so much. Ouch. —7 January {}

▴ More of my pictures of winter in Jackson Heights, plus the GY-NY/GLYNY mini-reunion at Manatus, Greenwich Village {and Chelsea Gallery, Chelsea}. —7 January { }

▴ An illustrated primer on Indian and Pakistani snacks and sweets available—where else?—in Jackson Heights. —7 January (Edible Queens) { , }

▴ A good article about gay South Asians in New York City (with a misconception about the age of NYU’s Queer Union). —7 January (Gay City News) { , }

▴ —6 January (F-Bod Studios on YouTube) { }

▴ …wishes a merry Christmas to all his Armenian Apostolic friends. Friends associated with other Eastern and Orthodox churches will have to wait till tomorrow. —6 January { }

▴ More of my pictures of winter in Jackson Heights. —4 January { }

▴ More of my pictures of winter in western Queens, including the morning after (Catholic and Protestant) Christmas at Terraza 7 Train Café, Elmhurst. —3 January { }

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From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 27 December–2 January 2009.

2010-01-11T16:00:00.002-05:00

▴ …found another reason to be on a low-carbohydrate diet: Bread is scary. —2 January (HoldTheToast Press) { , }

▴ My pictures of my birthday dinner at Ichi Umi 一海, Murray Hill, Manhattan, and “Daddy” at Vlada, Midtown/Hell’s Kitchen. —1 January {}

▴ …wonders if you can find the picture of him in this article. —1 January (Jeffrey Tastes) { , }

▴ —1 January (The Thinking Atheist on YouTube) { }

▴ …is curious whether you say “twenty ten” or “two thousand ten.” —1 January { }

▴ Imani, the final Kwanzaa principle, comes from Arabic إيمان iman (faith), from the same root as Hebrew אמונה emuna (faith) and אמן amen. —1 January { }

▴ Happy Gregorian New Year from the vantage point of the North American Eastern Time Zone! —1 January { }

▴ The name of the Karamu feast on the sixth day of Kwanzaa comes from Arabic كرم karam (generosity), also the source of the name كريم Karim. —31 December { }

▴ The Kwanzaa principle of Nia (purpose) derives from the Arabic نية niyya (intent). Maybe Hebrew פניה peniyya and כונה kawwana are related? —30 December { }

▴ —29 December (morn1415 on YouTube via Unreasonable Faith) { }

▴ The Kwanzaa kinara not only resembles the Ḥanukka menora {מנורה}, they have the same Semitic root as Hebrew נר nēr (lamp), Arabic نور nûr (light). —29 December { }

▴ …is yet another atheist who appreciates minarets {منائر‎}. —29 December (Friendly Atheist) { , }

▴ I was recently talking to a friend about the “rock’n’roll en español” to which I used to listen in the 1990s. “Ay Tenochtitlán” is a good example. —28 December (seguridadsocialrock on YouTube) { }

▴ …bought half-price Christmas chocolate at Walgreen’s on his weekly carbohydrate day. —28 December { }

▴ The Kwanzaa principles of Ujima (collective work) and Ujamaa (cooperative economics) both come from Arabic جمع jamaʻa (gather together). —28 December { }

▴ The seven principles of Kwanzaa are “nguzo saba” in Swahili, from Arabic سبعة sabʻa (seven), the same root as Hebrew שבעה šibʻâ (seven). —27 December { }

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From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 20–26 December 2009.

2010-01-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

▴ Pictures of my Flushing adventure to 중국집 Chinese House Restaurant, 한양마트 HanYang Mart, 旺角 Corner 28 and Golden Mall. —26 December { }

▴ My pictures of the 2009 North American blizzard in western Queens. —25 December {}

▴ …feels this guy is sexy but not much of a singer. Merry Christmas only to those from Catholic or Protestant families. —24 December (The Kai Chronicles on YouTube) { , }

▴ Qazax (Kazak) tənbur/qopuz/lute soloist with a pretty video. —24 December (larealitegothique on YouTube) { }

▴ Nate “Blunty” Burr discusses his Australian pronunciation and inadvertently mentions Mountain Jews. —24 December (Nate “Blunty” Burr on YouTube) { }

▴ …no longer allows any Facebook friend to see photos in which he is tagged if the privilege isn’t reciprocated. Those affected feel relieved. —23 December { }

▴ …wishes all his friends a happy HumanLight. —23 December (Wikipedia) { , }

▴ …had a meal yesterday that could not have been as delicious as the friends who joined him. (Not to imply he ate the friends, as he did not.) —22 December { }

▴ …received so many birthday notes on his Facebook wall that he must click “Older Posts” thrice to see them all. He thanks all the authors. ♡ —20 December { }

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More of the Acne Lions Truck.

2010-01-07T23:48:00.006-05:00

While seeking pictures of other things on Flickr, I uncovered three more pictures of the “Acne Lions” truck, all by the same prolific photographer, ddc95.

Photograph by ddc95.Roosevelt Avenue and 63^rd Street, Woodside, 26 April 2007.
────────

Photograph by ddc95.Roosevelt Avenue and 70^th Street, Woodside, 16 June 2007.
────────

Photograph by ddc95.37^th Avenue and 73^rd Street, Jackson Heights, 27 July 2007.
────────

Previously: “The Acne Lions Truck,” 17 January 2009.

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From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 13–19 December.

2010-01-01T07:04:00.008-05:00

▴ …tightened the light bulb on the last day of Ḥănukkâ {חנכה} and wishes the audio quality of this last-day video were better. —18 December (cutegal85 on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)
▴ —18 December (TurkishStylo92 on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)
▴ …thinks God is incredible, and loves wordplay. —18 December (Bigot Blog, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)
▴ …is owed thirty cents by Delish…Halal. —18 December (my photograph, Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …enjoys nature photography. —17 December (guardian.co.uk, Facebook|FriendFeed|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)
▴ …ate so much salad his jaw aches. —17 December (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)
▴ My pictures of the Jackson Heights Food Group’s eating Eastern European cuisine at U Dzika {and then donating clothing, Jackson Heights, and subsequent meal, Shangri-La Express, Elmhurst}. —16 December (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed, Jackson Heights Life|FriendFeed)

▴ My further pictures of winter in Jackson Heights. —16 December (Facebook)

▴ …dreamed that, when he investigated the noises he had heard, he saw a chimpanzee climbing the fire escape. —15 December (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)
☺ Sundown today began my birthday on the Hebrew calendar (28 Kislēw {כסלו}). Yes, I was born during Ḥanukka. —14 December (See Sound Squiggle on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)
▴ …didn’t much care for their Europeanized pronunciation until Dudu Zar {דודו זר} started singing. Happy Ḥanukkâ to all! —13 December (dayingale on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)
▴ …dreamed he was in what was promoted as a huge store but was essentially a big train car that traveled from one shopping center to another. —13 December (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

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Google Voice automated transcript fun.

2010-01-01T03:30:00.002-05:00

Photo: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Words do not always come easily.
Roosevelt Avenue at 63^rd Street, Woodside, 8 December 2008.
────────

Google Voice provides transcription of voice-mail messages, but not always accurately. Here are some of the better errors I received.

☏ “He went and got into a story.”
Actually “I’m heading back into Astoria….” —7 November message from M.J.M.

☏ “This is Tom. After about. Oh calling.”
Actually “This is Tom Approbato calling.” —8 November message from T.A.

☏ “Hey, my kid plan.”
Actually “Hey, Moyşe. It’s Glenn.” —24 November message from G.D.

☏ “…I should be on that by surprise course….”
Actually “I should be going there by subway, of course…”
• “…I’ll just pick it gravitates.”
Actually “…I’ll just take a grab at it.” —28 November message by A.C.

☏ “…I’m actually writing 7 my home station.”
Actually “I’m actually right in front of the Murray Hill station….” —20 December message from S.S.

☏ “…[S]ort of Tuesday.”
Actually “All right, I’ll see you soon.” —21 December message from A.G.V.

☏ “…[R]ecapped now. …I can look for you sitting down off the the The that.”
Actually “We’re in a cab now. … I will look for you sitting down, or I’ll ask at the desk.” —21 December message from A.G.V.

☏ “You know I wanna rewind I can’t get you when….”
Actually “You know I worry when I can’t get you in….” —28 December message from my mother.

☏ “I’m interested in room 2….”
Actually “…and the rest of the group too.” —29 December message from B.P.

☏ “…I am missing you. Happy New Year and help you when it’s slow and hobbies.”
Actually “…I am wishing you a happy new year and a healthy one as well. Okay?”
• “…[W]henever i know why can’t do it on my Sammy and please take a hope to talk to you on the president and next year, depending on my cell.”
Actually “…I’m doing it right now while I can to all my family and friends. Okay? So you take care. Hope to see you and the rest of the gang next year depending on my schedule.” —31 December message from E.B.

David F. Gallagher, “Pushing the Limits of Google’s Speech Recognition,” Gadgetwise, 29 June 2009.
Vincent Paquet, “Towards better transcription. Period.,” Google Voice Blog, 7 August 2009.
Jessica Dolcourt, “What’s your funniest Google Voice transcription flub?,” Crave, 29 October 2009.
Google Voice Screwups, 31 October 2009 on.

Previously: “Jott’s error: ‘One drink with her to go necked(?)’.”

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5mS84iVvp.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed, Facebook (and FriendFeed), and Jaiku (and FriendFeed).

C. Aswath, 1938–2009.

2009-12-30T17:40:00.002-05:00

I learned from Wikipedia that Indian composer and singer C. Aswath (ಸಿ. ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥ) died yesterday, and I had never even heard of him. I don’t understand the Kannada language, but this song composed by Upendra Kumar from the 1983 movie musical Kamana Billu (ಕಾಮನ ಬಿಲ್ಲು) is obviously about life in the big city.

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5mPzXLN7Y.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed, Facebook (and FriendFeed), and Jaiku (and FriendFeed).

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 11–17 October 2009.

2009-12-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

▴ …had almost forgotten about this video. —17 October (VIDEOBLAST on Dailymotion, Facebook|FriendFeed|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …wants to offer an egg roll to Mr. Goldstone. Mr. Goldstone, we love you. —16 October (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ Pop singer Ayan is a Mountain Jewess from Azərbaycan, and she is singing here about “Abşeronun üzümü,” grapes from the Abşeron area of the country. I wish I had found this adorable video in the spring as it’s in celebration of the Novruz Bayramı, the new year’s celebration on the Persian calendar. (Note the dish on the table with the eggs, sprouts, desserts etc.) —16 October (Samir Babakishiyev on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ Zohar Argov {זהר ארגוב‎} was a tragic figure from his rise to stardom in the field of Mizrahi music to his drug use, arrest on rape charges and subsequent suicide. —16 October (REVIVOMAN on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ The remainder and majority of my pictures of the Jackson Heights Merchants Association Diwali Mela (دیوالی میلہ), Jackson Heights. —14 October (Facebook, Jackson Heights Life|FriendFeed)

▴ …thinks the daughters of gay people can help get the movement’s priorities in order. (Thanks to the group I Still Think Marriage is the Wrong Goal.) —13 October (Queer Kids of Queer Parents Against Gay Marriage!, Facebook|FriendFeed|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ —12 October (RT on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ —12 October (mabuse74 on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ The first installment of my pictures of the Jackson Heights Merchants Association Diwali Mela (دیوالی میلہ), Jackson Heights. —12 October (Facebook, Jackson Heights Life|FriendFeed)

▴ …took 280 pictures yesterday. —12 October (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …daily states he’s gay in his Facebook profile and came out before National Coming Out Day existed, but will nevertheless commemorate it. —11 October (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5mPjX7ntR.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed.

Atheism as opposed to cognitive dissonance.

2009-12-30T00:49:00.006-05:00

Photo: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Making reasonable choices is an essential part of life.
(Trade Fair, 75-07 37^th Avenue, Jackson Heights, 14 August 2009.)
────────

Atheism as opposed to cognitive dissonance.

Is atheism a choice? … I’m inclined to say no. While it’s a conscious effort that leads us to seek out the truth through study and reflection, we can’t decide ahead of time what the evidence will say. Evaluating evidence is in the domain of our subconscious. … In my conception of belief—confidence that something is true—it’s very difficult to argue that my atheism is a choice. … ¶ Theists often seem quite capable of talking themselves into belief without evidence. I find this to be delusional. But it explains why religious believers often think that our atheism is a choice: if they put evidence aside to believe, they assume we can, too. …[T]his is begging the question—in essence, I’m simply asserting that I’m incapable of accepting something as true without evidence.

—Jesse Galef, “Is Atheism a Choice?,” Friendly Atheist, 2 December 2009.

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5mOvM1XmV.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed, Jaiku and Jaiku (and FriendFeed).

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 18–24 October 2009.

2009-12-29T11:00:00.003-05:00

▴ My video of my friend Peter’s birthday celebration at Caja Musical, Elmhurst. —24 October (I on YouTube, Facebook and Facebook, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ My pictures of my friend Peter’s birthday celebration at Caja Musical, Elmhurst. —24 October (Facebook)

▴ …isn’t usually concerned with the world of sport, but…. —23 October (explosm.net, Facebook|FriendFeed|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ My pictures of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee happy hour at Bar los Recuerdos, Jackson Heights, and subsequent socializing at Friends’ Tavern, Jackson Heights, and Caja Musical, Elmhurst. —23 October (Facebook)

▴ —22 October (Ecomukti on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ More of my pictures of autumn in New York City. —22 October (Facebook)

▴ Sexy Jew. Thanks, Chap. —22 October (SexyManFan on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ Hear the endangered Cypriot Maronite variety of Arabic in this two-part documentary in Greek (with English subtitles). Look for the link to part two when part one is over, and please excuse the religious content. —21 October (gskordis on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed) {Already embedded in a prior article.}

▴ …has a pre-existing condition. —21 October (OK Go!, Facebook|FriendFeed|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ —20 October (davey wavey on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ —20 October (ErialC on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed)

▴ My video of the Jackson Heights Merchants Association Diwali Mela (دیوالی میلہ), Jackson Heights. —19 October (I on YouTube and Facebook, Facebook|FriendFeed)

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5mO3WQFNI.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed.

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, November 2009.

2009-12-19T14:56:00.001-05:00

▴ My pictures of the vigil, Hudson River Park Pier 45, and “optional mass,” the Church of St. Luke in the Fields, in memory of Jorge Steven López Mercado, Greenwich Village, 22 November 2009. —28 November (Facebook)

▴ …thanks Glenn for a sensational meal last night with such traditional Thanksgiving foods as gumbo and kašk u bâdenjân (کشک و بادنجان‎). —27 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …is too old to know or care about the distinctions between the “Pokémon,” “Digimon” and “Kakimon” (קאַק אים אָן‎). —26 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …came to the conclusion, after insufficient research, that the Czech word kavka (jackdaw) is not related to a name for the Caucasus, Kavkaz. —21 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ Pictures of the Jackson Heights Food Group at 친구네분식 ★ 포차 Friend’s Restaurant and the Cuckoo’s Nest, Woodside. —21 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …wonders which animal you are. —19 November (The Onion, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

☠ And another violent attack on a gay youth…. —19 November (khou.com, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

☠ Another outspoken and non-conforming gay youth has been brutally murdered. We’re fighting for our lives here, people. —18 November (The Baltimore Sun, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ Pictures of “The Fur Ball” at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, Greenwich Village. —17 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …finds this song cute but annoyingly repetitive. But who cares? Look at the wigs in the video instead. (Thanks to Bunny’s ’blog.) —17 November (greymanfilms on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …thinks the logo for this snow cone (“gola” گولا) company looks a bit familiar. —16 November (Go·gola India, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ Pictures of Jeff’s (and Laura’s and Chet’s) birthday at Best Fuzhou Restaurant 松柏園福州小吃, Chinatown. —14 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …is glad a télévision series like Nova can teach him about Homo erectus. —14 November (Nova on PBS Video, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …appreciates photography and videography all the more because some art is inherently ephemeral. —13 November (xogml69 on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ This is my kind of bar: lots of food and puns available. —12 November (English Whirled Wide on Facebook, Facebook)

▴ My pictures of the premier meeting of the LGBT Equality Coalition of Queens, Bayanihan Filipino Community Center/Philippine Forum, Woodside. —10 November (Facebook)

▴ …envisions a reworking of last year’s hit song into an acoustic Central European–style version called “Polka Face.” —9 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …commemorates the victims of Kristallnacht and thinks something similar could probably happen even nowadays. —9 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …wonders how many of his friends noticed the egregious grammatical errors he made in his last two posts. —7 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …thinks this article has some inaccuracies but nevertheless exemplifies some key reasons I [sic] moved to the neighborhood. —7 November (New York Globe, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …dreamed he had a cat painfully clinging to each of his feet that would scratch and claw all the more if their removal was [sic] attempted. —6 November (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …sometimes just needs some fun pop music. —6 November (seeme96 on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ My pictures of New York Bear Den at the Diversity Center of Queens, Alliance Building, Jackson Heights. —4 November (Facebook)

▴ …finds it ironic that brown boobies have white chests. —4 November (Wikipedia, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ My pictures of Halloween at View Bar, Chelsea, as well as some other costumed folk en route. —2 November (Facebook)

▴ My one hundred ninety-one pictures of signs of autumn in Jackson Heights. —2 November (Facebook)

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5m93okSuT.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed.

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 2–12 December 2009.

2009-12-12T22:45:00.001-05:00

▴ …is again drawn to thinking about oil on this holiday, but in a different context than usual. —12 December (Tigrzeye516 on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …wishes all an oily Ḥanukkâ. חג חנכה שׂמח!‏ ‎—11 December (yogev cohen on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

☠ Another anti-gay assault in Jackson Heights. —10 December (New York Post, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ My pictures of New York Bear Den at the Diversity Center and อรุณี Arunee Thai Cuisine, Jackson Heights, 6 Dec. 2009. —9 December (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …is considering taking this health advice. —9 December (English Whirled Wide on Facebook, Facebook)

▴ My pictures of the Roosevelt Avenue Taco Cart Crawl in Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Corona. —8 December (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …had forgotten how both economical and good a meal at a diner can be: main dish, salad, soda, potato, vegetable and dessert for ten dollars. —8 December (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …didn’t go out dancing tonight because he was still a bit sick, but the pneumonia‐like rales disappeared in time to make him wish he had. —5 December (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …thinks linguistics and affected queenliness are a good combination. —5 December (--- M I S T E R D U N CAN---- IN ENGLAND ---- 2009 --- on YouTube, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …appreciates the camaraderie of opponents of religious fanaticism. (Thanks to Andrés.) —4 December (Yale Daily News, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …found a photograph of his used without credit (i.e., stolen) in an article about Jackson Heights. —4 December (কিছু বলার নাই, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ …appears in some pictures in this article about the Roosevelt Avenue Taco Crawl. —3 December (Interactive Journalism, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

▴ My pictures of my friend’s birthday celebration at Kiku (菊) Sushi, 235 Ninth Avenue, Chelsea, 23 November 2009. —2 December (Facebook)

▴ …had an innocuous mooning photograph (with a bare posterior) removed by Facebook. As he has commonly seen much more revealing and erotic pictures on Facebook, he suspects some “friend” reported it. —2 December (Facebook)

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5lyuHCCeo.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed.

The vigil and mass for Jorge López M.

2009-11-28T12:40:00.006-05:00

Photos: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.

Not surprisingly, I was running late for the vigil here in New York City for Jorge López who was the victim of a ghastly murder in Puerto Rico. His story greatly moved me, but I was nevertheless victim of my own difficulty managing time. While hurrying down Christopher Street toward Pier 45, I encountered a new friend I had met at the most recent Fur Ball who was walking the opposite direction. I didn’t think I was all that late, but his walking companion gave me the impression the whole event might have been over, and my friend informed he himself left because he was bored.

Little of the vigil had elapsed when I arrived. I had missed speeches by some people I know, but I listened to the remaining speakers, many of whom were able to move the crowd to sadness or anger and others who read woodenly from scraps of paper or their mobile devices. I felt a little guilty that I spent so much time socializing with friends I had not seen in a while, but times like these can call for us to reaffirm our bonds of friendship. I felt a lump in my throat when my friend Karlo had difficulty maintaining composure describing how a gay youth activist and volunteer had become a pile of body parts.

One of the things that moved me most was seeing the vigil participants leave together and move en masse down Christopher Street while still holding their lighted candles. The mass afterward at the Church of Saint Luke in the Fields had been clearly marked as “optional” in all the literature, and maybe it would have been best had I not attended. It had its good moments, particularly hearing Dionne McClain‐Freeney, former head of the Center’s Youth Enrichment Services program, performing on the piano, but overall was far too religious for this atheist. I did however encounter some more friends and had some particularly good photo opportunities.

After saying my tearful goodbyes to everyone who seemed to want to rush home, I went to View Bar to join the crowd watching the American Music Awards, but there were only about ten customers present.

Atop this article are my seventeen best pictures, but I took over one hundred fifty. All my pictures of the vigil and mass can be seen in their Facebook photo album. I also found many other pictures on Facebook of the event, and I wish to be informed of any I have missed: See albums by A.G., C.B., C.D., D.D., E.P., E.X., J.McG., J.N., J.N., L.C., M.D., M.D.B. and N.O. Photo sets on Flickr are by David Badash, jasminegrapes, Raymond Perfetti and Vernon W.

Thus far, I have located sixteen videos on YouTube that document the vigil, and they are all on my playlist. There is also at least one video on Facebook.

David Badash, “NYC Vigil for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado,” The New Civil Rights Movement, 22 November.
“Hundreds attend New York vigil for Jorge Steven Lopez and Jason Mattison, Jr.,” Boy in Bushwick, 22 November.
James Withers, “Photos from NYC rally for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado and Jason “Jaysen” Mattison Jr.,” 365Gay, 22 November.
Meredith Traina, “NYC Vigil For Puerto Rican Hate Crime Victim,” WPIX, 22 November.
Mike Dreyden, “Remembering… Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, the Vigil,” Mike Dreyden Blog, 22 November.
James Withers, “Vigil for crime victims,” 365Gay, 23 November.
Natasha Ghoneim, “Alleged Hate Crime In Puerto Rico Resonates In West Village,” NY1, 23 November.
Oren Yaniv, “Candlelight vigil for gay teenager brutally murdered in Puerto Rico,” Daily News, 23 November.
Phillip L. Vélez, “Jorge Steven López Mercado,” Velez’s View, 23 November.
Daryl Hannah, “GLAAD Co-Sponsors Vigil for Jorge Steve Lopez Mercado,” glaadBlog, 25 November.
{Update, 1 December} Joseph Alexiou, “Remembering Jorge Steven Mercado, a vigil,” homo-neurotic, 24 November.

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5lczOFbpM.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed, Facebook (and FriendFeed), and Jaiku (and FriendFeed).

Hodgepodge, 2009 November 26.

2009-11-26T09:40:00.005-05:00

• The botanical dictionary Plant Names in Yiddish די געװיקסן־װעלט אין ייִדיש (‎2005), by Mordkhe Schæchter (מרדכי שעכטער Mortxe Şexter) is now available online free. (Lorna Sass at Large, Apodion.net, Languagehat)

• My beloved friend Andrew Jónás, whom I mentioned in previous articles, died of a cerebral hemorrhage just prior to Yôm Kippûr. I miss him. ☹ (Cheer New York, Mike Dreyden Blog)

• Importing my Facebook events into Google Calendar was one of my best decisions. (SBDC via Lifehacker)

• My old friend has turned out to be a responsible parent who recognizes poor parenting when she sees it. (The Swamp)
(See also a discussion of a child-choked business in my neighborhood.)

• Today’s right wing is fundamentally different than it was sixty-five years ago. (Daily Kos)

• Sometimes an article just nails it: a great atheistic essay in the form of a point-by-point reaction to another article. ([R]eason [S]cience [M]etal)

• Ḥummuṣ is mistakenly perceived to be specifically Islamic rather than generally Near Eastern. (Holy Taco via Robguy 4.0)

• The plight of an ethnic minority of course also affects their music. (Deutsche Welle on YouTube, via Aktiveytor)

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5lZlMdAMV.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed, Facebook (and FriendFeed), and Jaiku (and FriendFeed).

Fragile Jewish Diaspora languages.

2009-11-22T05:41:00.003-05:00

Photo: Antropoturista (tomke_lask).View from a window of a synagogue in Quba (Qıbə), Azərbaycan.
────────

An article (Tom Colls, “The death of language?,” BBC News, 19 October 2009) made me think about the eventual deaths of various Jewish languages. Hebrew as an everyday spoken language is often rightly cited as an example of a triumph in the revival of dying languages, but often overlooked are the Diaspora languages that Hebrew rather intentionally displaced, many of which are now in decline or even seriously endangered. In a comment on the article, M.D. noted

The flip side of the revival of Hebrew…is the probably imminent demise of Yiddish and Ladino (Judaeo‐Spanish), two previously vibrant Jewish languages…. The movement to transform Hebrew…into the national language of Israel had as much to do with 19^th‐century Zionist romanticism as anything else. Yiddish and Ladino were considered ghetto languages by Zionist intellectuals, and so not only not worthy of preservation, but deserving of oblivion. [T]he speaking of languages other than Hebrew (but especially Yiddish) was actively discouraged.

My own two ethnic Diaspora languages, Yiddish (ייִדיש) and Juhuri (ז׳אוּהאוּראִ) are both listed in UNESCO’s Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger as “definitely endangered.” Yiddish is spoken by more than three million people including many children, but is apparently in decline, and the overwhelming majority of Ashkenazim worldwide have no fluency in it. Juhuri has fewer than 100,000 speakers, and while I have no concrete information, I suspect it is gravely endangered outside of insular populations in the Caucasus. Mountain Jewish children and young adults across the globe are probably more likely to speak Russian, Hebrew, Azeri or English than Juhuri. It might even qualify as “severely endangered” were it not considered a dialect of Tati rather than a language unto itself.

Related: Steve Caruso, “The death of language?,” The Aramaic Blog, 21 October 2009.

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5lTR3zWI3.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed, Facebook (and FriendFeed), and Jaiku (and FriendFeed).

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 25–31 October 2009.

2009-11-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

▴ …likes this video a little too much. Thanks, Shemuʼel (and Elaine, Peter etc.). —26 October (C.O’C. on Facebook; Facebook)
▴ …is compiling a list of people who removed him as Facebook friend and has so far reached 28 (not counting two whom he’d never met, four who later requested to be friends again, and the many who rejected his request in the first place). Many were vital community contacts he had met once or twice; others were friends whom he loved and who he thought loved him. He acknowledges, however, he takes Facebook too seriously. —27 October (Facebook) (Update: As I continue to remember and notice people, there are now forty-one on the list.)
✡ “Just call me ‘Dreydl’ (דרײדל),” said the active partner in the relationship, “because I’m a top!” —27 October (Facebook)
▴ …still loves Mr. Goldstone and wants to give him an egg roll, but not everybody feels that way. —29 October (MuzzleWatch, Facebook|FriendFeed, Jaiku|FriendFeed)
▴ …loves a gruesome Halloween recipe. —30 October (not martha, Facebook|FriendFeed)
▴ …also enjoys viewing (as opposed to taking) aerial photography. —30 October (instantShift, Facebook|FriendFeed)
▴ …learned what is orange and sounds like a parrot. —31 October (Jokes.com, Facebook|FriendFeed)
▴ …is finally dressing to go out for Halloween. Thank goodness for that extra hour we’ll get. —31 October (Facebook, Jaiku|FriendFeed)

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5lMeVltKW.
• Additional comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed.

Park(ing) Day came to Jackson Heights.

2009-11-13T17:01:00.007-05:00

Photo: Hrag Vartanian.

Had I read at all about the coming of “Park(ing) Day” to my neighborhood on 18 September, I probably dismissed it as not being relevant or interesting. More than likely I confused it with the unfortunately similarly named “It’s My Park Day” which I avoided because of its emphasis on families and children. If I anticipate crowds of screaming, running children, I scream and run the opposite direction. If I expect throngs of babies in strollers, I stroll someplace else.

Photo: Haci Richard.

That day turned out to be a busy one for me anyway. After staying up late at Elevate meeting guys on whom I developed crushes, I probably slept right through Park(ing) Day before marking the Jewish new year by running out to LGBT Night at Asia Society’s Leo Bar. The front door of my apartment building was also barricaded at the time due to construction that necessitated my coming and going via the service entrance. Due to all these poor excuses, I did not attend.

Photo: Hrag Vartanian.

Despite my lack of attendance, a small, temporary park called “Stone Soup Park” was nevertheless assembled across parking spaces in front of our Aqua Clara Laundromat, the location chosen because of the participation of the Laundromat Project who “bring art programs to where our neighbors already are: the local laundromat” and thereby “aim to raise the quality of life in New York City for people whose incomes do not guarantee broad access to mainstream arts and cultural facilities.”

Photo: Hrag Vartanian.

That art program was The Photo Booth Without Borders by local artist Carlos Martínez (site, micro-’blog, Facebook) who was sponsored by the Laundromat Project’s Create Change Public Artist Residency Program to develop artwork specific to the neighborhood, and whose fascinating installation did this by “recording participants’ personal stories and taking photographs of them interacting inside the booth.” (I assume “Create Change” to be a double entendre that also refers to the coin-operated laundry.) Live music was even performed by tango trio Mi, Miha & Me.

In addition to the movie above, Carlos also made one about the creation of the piece, and Hrag uploaded two videos (1, 2) shot at the event.

In retrospect, I wish I had attended, but at least there was one gay, Near Eastern person present enjoying and documenting the event: Hrag Vartanian, whose pictures adorn this article. Pictures and videos by Haci Richard are also online, but they seem to confirm my worst fears that it became an occasion for parents to dominate such a small space by stuffing so many children and strollers into it that childfree adults cannot enjoy themselves.

Photo: Haci Richard.

Updated, 11 December 2009: I found an additional set of photographs by L.M.
Updated, 29 December 2009: And two more by C.C.F. and C.M.

Cristina Furlong quoted by Lindsey Lusher Shute, “Queens residents make Park(ing) Day soup,” Park(ing) Day NYC, 15 September 2009.
Lindsey Lusher Shute, “Jackson Heights Plans Community Photo Album on Park(ing) Day,” Park(ing) Day NYC, 16 September 2009.
“Carlos Martinez’s Photo Booth Without Borders opens at Park(ing) Day in Jackson Heights, Queens,” The Laundromat Project, 19 September 2009.
Hrag Vartanian, “‘Photo Booth Without Borders’ Documents the Faces & Stories of Jackson Heights During Park(ing) Day,” Hrag Vartanian, 21 September 2009.

• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5lGRAyesX.
• Comments on this article may be available on FriendFeed, Facebook (and FriendFeed), Jaiku (and FriendFeed), and even Jackson Heights Life (and FriendFeed).

Hodgepodge, 6 November 2009.

2009-11-06T16:21:00.003-05:00

• An article about Dr. Tina Strobos’ hiding Jews during World War II specifically noted the ethics of atheists. (The New York Times via J.K.G. on Facebook)

“It’s the right thing to do,” she said with nonchalance. “Your conscience tells you to do it. I believe in heroism, and when you’re young, you want to do dangerous things.” ¶But such an outlook has an origin, what Donna Cohen, the Holocaust Center’s executive director, calls “learned behavior.” Dr. Strobos comes from a family of socialist atheists who took in Belgian refugees during World War I and hid German and Austrian refugees before World War II.

• The Coalition of Reason advertises atheism in the New York City subway system, but alas in Manhattan stations only. (City Room via J.B. on Facebook)

• The Institution for the Secularization of Islamic Society (ISIS). (Center for Inquiry)

• Hear the endangered Cypriot Maronite variety of Arabic in this two-part documentary in Greek. (YaLibnanTV and YaLibnanTV on YouTube, via جبل اللغة, via Languagehat, also available at gskordis and gskordis)➥ (Facebook/FriendFeed, Jaiku/FriendFeed)

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5l5kCWl1K.

Hodgepodge, 2009 October 11.

2009-10-11T15:02:00.000-04:00

• Are senior citizens too old to refer to themselves as “questioning” their sexuality? [JATGAB]

• Macintosh OS X font and keyboard layout for Malayalam. [MM via MM]

• The Yiddish word זעמל zeml (“roll”) is apparently of Semitic origin, as are the English words simnel and semolina, all being cognates with the Aramaic סמידא səmîdâ (presumably *ܣܡܝܕܐ in Syriac script) and Akkadian samidu. [ב״ל via ב״ל via LH]

• Tuesday, 29 September, I ate the lunch buffet at Mehfil (महफ़िल محفل) (site, Y + Wp.) where I saw some of Masterji and an episode of Jugni chali Jalandhar (site, Wp., Fb.), both very silly.

• “I didn’t ask for Poland Spring! I don’t drink Poland Spring!” My articulate friend and former co-worker Laverne Cox on Maurice Runea: The Show. [RC on V, via OLCB]

• This photograph of the Jackson Heights Food Group was taken back in January by our server at Delhi Heights with my camera and posted online by me. (See Facebook.) Months later, the picture wound up on John’s Queens, NY, Blog incorrectly credited to the group founder, Jeff Orlick. Sorry, wrong Jew. (See also JT, JT and JHL.)

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5kVeJ4Yn9.

DJ Prince.

2009-08-19T15:29:00.006-04:00

I discovered DJ Prince (site, Fb., MS, YT) of Norway, first through his “anatomy” videos on YouTube that dissect and identify the samples used in dance recordings. See for example his video about “Groove Is in the Heart.”

I could only find four of the many sampled songs with Project Playlist, but nevertheless here they are:

He also has a page of music files, and the one I present here of course is one with South Asian music.

“Du What U Du (DJ Prince Bhangra Edit)”

And look, he’s handsome too.

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5j9XX7cfd.

Anti-Trans/Anti-Gay Assault in Jackson Heights.

2009-07-02T16:25:00.008-04:00

MY POST on my own Facebook wall: Elyaqim was horrified to learn today of a trans-woman beaten in a bias attack a few blocks from his home. When we are still being bludgeoned in the streets, the top issues of the gay movement’s self-appointed leaders (e.g., marriage, children, military) seem less relevant. —1 July, 22:31 (SFBG, Fb.|FF)

The assault on Leslie Mora occurred 19 June in front of 72-11 Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, about three blocks from my building. As is my style, I present a bibliography below of the first articles about it I encountered online. As is also my style, I took it as an opportunity to rail against the highest-profile bourgeois gay organizations that might feel this brutal incident should take a back seat to the Gay Marriage Machine which seeks to ensure that same-sex partners will get benefits at the racquet club.

• “Transgender Woman Brutally Beaten in Queens Bias Attack - TLDEF Demands Full Investigation into Hate Crime,” Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund Web site, 30 June 2009. Reproduced with minor changes at transgenderlegal.org/headline_show.php?id=120. Also reproduced as “Transgender Woman Brutally Beaten in Queens Bias Attack,” The Angels, 30 June 2009.
• Kat Long, “Transgender Woman Attacked in Queens,” New York Blade, 30 June 2009.
• Helen Boyd [Gail Kramer], “TLDEF: Queens (Trans) Woman Beaten in Bias Crime,” en|Gender, 30 June 2009.
• “Why Is One of These Attacks a Hate Crime, While the Other One Isn’t?,” Queerty, 30 June 2009.
• CaitieCat a.k.a twice_immigrant, “Another Sister Attacked,” Shakesville, 30 June 2009.
• Miranda, “Read This: Another Sister Attacked,” Women’s Glib, 30 June 2009.
• Justine Nicholas Valinotti, “Leslie Mora and Jackson Heights,” Transwoman Times, 30 June 2009.
• Rachel, “Transgender Woman Attacked in Queens,” The Feminist Agenda, 1 July 2009.
• Mixed Queer, “Trans Woman Attacked in Queens NY,” Mixed Queer (..] |V| [] [} : {] :{] D )…( Q {( U [] :{] :{] R {..), 1 July 2009.
• David Yale Mailloux, “#176: I Just Don’t Understand…,” DYM Sum, 1 July 2009.

(And don’t forget to read the article to which I originally linked: Tommi Avicolli Mecca, “The Price of Normal,” San Francisco Bay Guardian Online, 24 June 2009.)

Photo: Laura Vogel.

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5kYwAk57c.

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 18–31 May 2009.

2009-06-17T22:38:00.001-04:00

Compiled below are my writings on my own and others’ Facebook walls 18–31 May 2009. My comments on other users’ posts are presented here out of context.

☞ Like Facebook but unlike Twitter, FriendFeed and Jaiku allow threads of comments on micro-blog posts. —19 May, 12:17 (MP¹, Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

✝ Quirky religious music video. (Thanks to Bunny’s ’blog: http://www.ladybunny.net/blog/2009/04/god-will-fuck-you-up.html .) —20 May, 10:15 (YT via LBB², Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

▴ Elyaqim thinks this Jewish birthday party got completely out of control, and is exhausted just having watched the video. —20 May, 17:56 (YT³, Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

▴ I had not seen this cartoon in years. I love the way Bea Benaderet screams her head off. This must have been fun in the recording studio. —20 May, 22:36 (YT⁴, J.O. on Fb.)

✡ While I may not agree with every last point made, an interesting article about the marginalization of Mizraḥim in the absorption of Jewish immigrants to Israel. {Israeli Policies of Immigration and Immigrant Absorption: The Role of the Institutional System in the Social, Economic, and Cultural Integration of the Mizrahim, by Ksenia Polouektova.} —22 May, 11:31 (CEU⁵, Fb.|FF)

✴ Five words: “Marie’s creamy Italian garlic dressing.” —22 May, 13:34 (Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)
• I was buying jar after jar of the blue cheese, but Met Food was out of it today, and I noticed the Italian garlic has only one gram of carbohydrates per serving. And green salads have so few Calories compared to almost any side dish or main dish that having a high-calorie dressing almost seems reasonable. —15:34

▴ 今日 Anyone else want to go? —24 May, 08:00 (PT on Fb.⁶, Fb.)

[After a friend commented on my pictures of architectural sculpture in Jackson Heights.]
▴ If you mean the ones in front of the house on 72^nd Street, I’m not sure. They could be flower bulbs, cabbages or even acorns. The ones in front of the building on 35^th Avenue are gargoyles. —24 May, 21:14 (Fb.)

▴ On my recent trip to the New York Botanical Garden, I had such fun with the word “rotunda.” —25 May, 13:32 (YT⁷, S.W.S. on Fb.)

▴ We can commandeer a table in a JH restaurant. النعمت has great albeit bland food. ڈیرہ has spicier food, but it’s a little loud. —25 May, 23:44 (Fb.)

▴ Elyaqim Mosheh Adam could have sworn the sign hanging on the bank said “Free chicken” instead of “Free checking.” “Always thinking of something to eat!” —26 May, 13:36 (Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

❖ If rendered in Katakana, the slogan of a theoretical airline, “The right way to fly,” would be identical to that of a theoretical cooking oil, “The light way to fry.” —26 May, 18:41 (Fb.|FF)

[After a friend commented on my picture of the Jackson Heights Food Group.]
▴ We all decided to go out for dessert, but by the time we made it to Lety’s, there were only three of us (Karen, Rachel and I). One by one or two by two, everybody else…deserted us. —29 May, 11:18 (Fb.)

§ After a friend of mine said he thought the Bukhari Jews were from someplace near Hungary, I wanted to promote the awareness that Buxoro (Bukhara بخارا) is in fact in Uzbekistan, Central Asia. —29 May, 12:31 (Wikipedia⁸, Fb.|FF)

[After a friend commented on my link.]
▴ There is certainly some rhetoric in that particular article, but not as much as your summary suggests. If you “have never read such hyperbole,” I suspect you’re immune to the outlandish hyperbole coming from the liberal/centrist homophile groups like LLDEF and HRC. Have you seen their gay marriage statements?! They conflate gay marriage with the very survival of our community and its interpersonal relationships. They state gay marriage is our ultimate issue to rationalize the obscene amounts of money being funneled into it when gays are still losing jobs, facing homelessness and drug addiction, and losing our lives. Hyperbole is not just the domain of the left and right. —29 May, 13:53 (LaGAI⁹, FF)
▴ If it is symbolic and not actual, bourgeois gays need to be told what they’re doing wrong. If they are defining their politics so individualistically as to marginalize huge segments of their own community, they should not make a movement out of it, least of all not one filled with so many lies that are needed to make it smell good. —14:19

◍ My likely destination tonight. Anyone want to come with? —30 May, 19:18 (DHD on Fb.¹⁰, Fb.)

▴ Elyaqim Mosheh Adam was nearly busted by the disco police. —31 May, 15:42 (Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

1. Steve Rubel, “Friendfeed Is the Next Great Blogging Platform, Here’s Why…,” Micro Persuasion, 23 January 2009.
2. John R. Butler, “The Hand of the Almighty,” Surprise!, self-published, 2003, reproduced as the soundtrack of “God Will Fuck You Up!,” Turpis Haereticum channel of You Tube, 3 September 2007. Thanks to Lady Bunny, “God Will Fuck You Up!,” Lady Bunny Blog, 21 April 2009.
3. Performance by Avrom Tolmasov, Rustam Samarkandi and Yasha Barayev of the song “Sarı köynək,” as “Avram Tolmas, Rustam, Yasha Baraev,” MIKEPRODJ77 channel of YouTube, 11 February 2008.
4. Little Red Riding Rabbit, Warner Bros. Pictures, 1944, reproduced as “Little Red Riding Rabbit Video by Crystal MySpace Video,” gdrobert channel of YouTube, 2 March 2009. Thanks to J.O.’s posting on Facebook.
5. Ksenia Polouektova, Israeli Policies of Immigration and Immigrant Absorption: The Role of the Institutional System in the Social, Economic, and Cultural Integration of the Mizrahim (MA thesis, Jewish Studies Program, Central European University, 2001).
6. Event page for “Passport to Taiwan 2009,” New York, 24 May 2009, created by the group Passport to Taiwan, Facebook. The earliest recorded activity on the page was 20 May 2009. I wound up not attending the event.
7. Radio Free Vestibule, “Bulbous Bouffant,” Sketches Songs and Shoes, Borpo, 1994, reproduced as soundtrack of “Bulbous Bouffant—The Vestibules” with cartoon animation by Spencer James Parks, 2006, spejampar channel of YouTube, 11 September 2007. Thanks to S.W.S.’s posting on Facebook.
8. Wikipedia, s.v. “Bukhara,” 23 May 2009 revision of the article.
9. Kate Raphael and Deeg Gold, “Gay Marriage: Civil Right or Civil Wrong?” (a.k.a. “Gay Marriage Opiate of Masses”), Lesbians and Gays Against Intervention (LaGAI) Web site, April 2004. Reproduced as “Marriage Is Still the Opiate of the Queers,” UltraViolet, April–May 2004.
10. Event page for “Double Headed Disco,” New York, 30–31 May 2009, created by Double Headed Disco, Facebook. The earliest recorded activity on the page was 13 May 2009.

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5hcFqQPtD.

The Importance of Protein in Evolution.

2009-06-12T02:05:00.001-04:00

I was thinking about how human actions affected our evolution. Persons born with beneficial mutations or adaptations were more likely to survive and pass on those genes to successive generations. If it is in fact of genetic origin, a preference for the taste of cooked food seems to have protected certain humans from deadly microbes and hence led to the possession of those genes by a larger segment of the population.

Consequently, could a liking of the taste of meat have impacted human evolution irrevocably, whether positively or negatively? A little research seems to have borne out that eating meat has indeed had a dramatic effect on our evolution, although whether the taste itself contributed to it still eluded me. The increased amounts of protein had a beneficial effect on our brains, and our bodies also increased their ability to digest fats and cholesterol. This may seem like an endorsement of eating meat in modern times, but it is rather a recognition of the importance of diets that are high in protein and presumably low in sugar. While an omnivorous diet would meet those criteria, modern‐day vegetarians can consume large amounts of légumes, nuts and seeds as protein sources.

• Bernard Campbell, Human Evolution: An Introduction to Man’s Adaptations, 4^th ed. (Piscataway: Aldine Transaction, 1998), 277. “Meat is a concentrated form of food comparable to seeds, which have been exploited by the rodents and are no doubt a contributory factor to their great success. Meat contains a high percentage of protein and, when digested, will release a whole range of amino acids necessary for the synthesis of body tissues. … Meat also contains vitamins (particularly in the liver) that are not readily available in a vegetable diet. There is little doubt that the final stage in human evolution was correlated with the exploitation of the large terrestrial mammals. … Our immensely successful evolutionary radiation must be associated, then,…with an important change in emphasis from a diet that was mainly vegetarian to one that was increasingly omnivorous.”

• Anna Gosline, “Taste for Meat Made Humans Early Weaners,” New Scientist, 29 January 2005. “[T]he nutritional benefit of eating meat at a younger age would have helped children’s brains to grow and develop more quickly. Human brains grow three times quicker than those of chimpanzees.” The article also states however that eating meat may have made human lives shorter: “[A] branch of hominids began to eat animal carcasses—a risky activity that would have brought them into contact with other predators and significantly raised mortality rates for the hunters. This would have created a selection pressure to wean infants earlier and earlier, since those no longer dependent on breast milk would have been more likely to survive their mother’s death….”

• Hillary Mayell, “‘Evolving to Eat Mush’: How Meat Changed Our Bodies,” National Geographic News, 18 February 2005, 2. “When humans switched to meat-eating, they triggered a genetic change that enabled better processing of fats…. [A]s a species we are relatively immune to the harmful effects of fat and cholesterol. Compared to the great apes, we can handle a diet that’s high in fat and cholesterol, and the great apes cannot.”

Photo credit: Matt Lewkowicz (Horsefeathered).

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5kYw1atS3.

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 11–17 May 2009.

2009-06-06T15:41:00.001-04:00

Compiled below are my writings on my own Facebook wall 11–17 May 2009, as well as anything else that might be construed as an example of micro-blogging.

▴ Elyaqim is a Brokeback “Mountain Jew.” —11 May, 03:38 (Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)▴ It’s a blend of “Brokeback Mountain” and “Mountain Jew,” and an attempt at gay Jewish humor. —07:21
▴ I recommend looking up “Mountain Jews” in Wikipedia for more information, but they are a particular group of Persian-speaking Jews of the Caucasus Mountains. I am partly of Mountain Jewish origin on my father’s mother’s side, but I am not averse to other Jews (from the Catskills, for example) adopting the name. —12:08
▴ You can always drink the beverage that rhymes with “Mountain Jew,” but personally I prefer Fresca. —17:32

✡ I am very willing and able to hug and be hugged today. —11 May, 12:59 (BJWU on Fb.¹, Fb.)

♫ A music video with an Indian theme performed in Russian by a Jewish singer (with a Persian name) featuring African-American–, Indian- and Near Eastern–influenced dance moves as well as a fantastic plot line. This video has it all. Did I mention shirtless men? —14 May, 09:36 (YT², Fb.|FF)

▴ Elyaqim dreamed he had a second apartment down the hallway, about which he’d apparently forgotten. Stepping into it and looking around, he determined it would be his “love den.” —15 May, 11:27 (Fb.|FF)

❂ If you’re interested, two ’blogs with pictures of attractive mens. —16 May, 13:38 (EMAWL³|FF, Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

▴ Elyaqim is excited to have seen the Acne Lions truck again today. It’s like spotting a celebrity. —16 May, 14:59 (EMAWL⁴|FF, Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

▴ Elyaqim is awake early on Sunday and can hear the birds twirping. —17 May, 05:30 (Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)▴ I heard the beads twirting when I wrote my status (and I still hear them now), and I’m sticking with that story.

▴ Elyaqim wonders why Google doesn’t pay him for coming up with such good suggestions for improving their services. —17 May, 14:41 (EMAWL⁵|FF, Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

1. Event page for “Hug-a-Sephardi Day,” 11 May 2009, created by the group Brown Jews of the World, Unite!, Facebook. The earliest recorded activity on the page was 29 January 2009.
2. “Индийское Диско,” music video, performed by Жасмин (Jasmin), [2005,] reproduced as “Жасмин/Zhasmin,” gucio21 channel of YouTube, 1 June 2007. The video credits И. Постоев and И[горь] Логинов with composing the music and Л. Постоева with writing the lyric. The recording includes phrases from Bappi Lahiri’s 1982 song “Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy aaja” from the film Disco Dancer, which in turn is essentially a Hindi version of the 1980 song “You’re OK,” a.k.a. “T’es OK, t’es bath, t’es in,” by Jean Kluger and Daniel Vangarde, originally recorded by Ottawan.
3. Elyaqim Mosheh Adam, “My Kind of Objectification,” Elyaqim Mosheh Adam’s Web Log • רשומון אליקים משה אדם‎, 16 May 2009.
4. Elyaqim Mosheh Adam, “The Acne Lions Truck,” Elyaqim Mosheh Adam’s Web Log • רשומון אליקים משה אדם‎, 17 January 2009.
5. Elyaqim Mosheh Adam, “My Google Service Wish List,” Elyaqim Mosheh Adam’s Web Log • רשומון אליקים משה אדם‎, 17 May 2009.

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5hKu1o2Mx.

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, 1–10 May 2009.

2009-05-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

Compiled below are my writings on my own Facebook wall 1–10 May 2009, as well as anything else that might be construed as an example of micro-blogging.

▴ Elyaqim is willing to walk quite the distance for the right salad. —2 May, 01:53 (Fb.|FF|FF, Jk.|FF)▴ It’s a Jackson Heights situation comedy: The Trade Fair at 75^th Street usually doesn’t have the store-made prepared green salads I like (with red cabbage, bell pepper and shredded carrot), so I walk all the way over to the Trade Fair at 89^th Street. I am further encouraged by often bumping into interesting supporting cast members along the way. —2 May, 02:10

♐ “Carl Sagan on Astrology,” critical thinking about astrology combined with scenes of Manhattan in the late 1970s, from the PBS mini-series Cosmos, episode “The Harmony of the Worlds,” 12 October 1980. —2 May, 16:24 (YT¹, Fb.|FF)

▴ Elyaqim ate at a restaurant near a young woman who limits her male Facebook friends so they don’t see her pictures without hijab {حجاب}, and then a gay man who said he kissed his male friend because he was horny. “What are friends for?” (I agree.) Such is Jackson Heights life. —2 May, 22:23 (Fb.|FF|FF)

▴ Elyaqim is drooling over the new character blocks in Unicode 5.2, due in autumn, including ☥Egyptian hieroglyphs☥. —5 May, 12:28 (BS², Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

‎٭ Gays are organizing in Morocco! A nascent group called Kifkif (كيفكيف) planned a conference in Marrakech {مراكش} last month. I have been informed it did indeed take place: “The conference was held on the 15^th in Marrakech and a few brave souls gathered outside to lend their support. It was a much more sedate event then promised, but a huge first steep for gay rights here. That’s what I keep telling myself to remember.” —5 May, 21:17 (F24³, Fb.|FF)▴ New York City is the greatest city on earth, but Marrakech is like my second home. It’s beautiful and friendly. I have not been back in about five years, and the things that are happening there now would probably not have been possible then.—7 May, 00:18

▴ Elyaqim misses three people whom he admits he didn’t know very well, but of whom he was quite fond and who dropped him as Facebook friend. :`( —6 May, 23:53 (Fb.|FF|FF, Jk.|FF)▴ …Look at the emoticon and see how they made me so sad that I shed a grave accent from my colon. (I of course mean the typographical, not the anatomical, colon.) —7 May, 00:35
▴ …Different folks have accounts for different reasons. I’m sure some people feel overwhelmed, or even that their privacy is compromised, if they have too many Facebook friends. Having over 600 friends, I am nearly immune to occasionally being dropped by some people I barely know. When I come home from a party, my friend list will increase dramatically, but two of the three to whom I refer in this status update were “stars” of the respective parties at which I met them, people who really contributed to making a memorable time for me and with whom I certainly wanted to maintain contact. —7 May, 17:17

☤ This is outstanding news. My father and his mother were destroyed by Alzheimer’s, so maybe there’ll be a cure should I develop the illness. —7 May, 09:47 (BBCN⁴, Fb.|FF)

▴ Elyaqim notes that the Persian suffix “-stān” (ـستان), as in the names of so many countries and regions, comes from the same Proto-Indo-European root (*stā-) as the Yiddish word “ştetl” (שטעטל), a small Eastern European town with a large Jewish population. —7 May, 17:40 (Fb.|FF|FF)▴ The English “-stead” and “stand” came from the same root. —7 May, 17:57

▴ Elyaqim sat next to super-villain Firebrand (a.k.a. Gary Gilbert) at a Jackson Heights pizzeria last night. Firebrand’s fights with Iron Man in the 1970s and ’80s did not come up in conversation. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebrand_(Marvel_Comics). —8 May, 05:13 (Fb.|FF|FF)

⚘ It would be my first time back in the Bronx in over a year! —8 May, 08:12 (PGM on MU, Fb.)

▴ Elyaqim ordered food from Maharaja (ਮਹਾਰਾਜਾ) on 37^th Avenue, and the toothpick holder was labeled “Objects of domestic utility.” —8 May, 22:52 (SC⁵, Fb.|FF, Jk.|FF)

1. Carl Sagan, writer, “The Harmony of the Worlds,” episode of télévision series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, 12 October 1980, excerpt duplicated as “Carl Sagan on Astrology,” undercoverkptic channel of YouTube, 16 November 2006.
2. Andrew West, “What’s New in Unicode 5.2 ?,” BabelStone, 27 April 2008.
3. Samir Barkachi, “Morocco’s Gays Come out of the Shadows,” The Observers (France 24), 26 March 2009.
4. “Trial Drugs ‘Reverse’ Alzheimer’s: US Scientists Say They Have Successfully Reversed the Effects of Alzheimer’s with Experimental Drugs,” BBC News, 6 May 2009.
5. Anna Broadway [Christi Foist], “Objects of Domestic Utility,” Sexless in the City, 25 April 2005.

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5h1BaTm4r.

From Facebook Wall to Surface Web, April 2009.

2009-05-19T11:45:00.004-04:00

Compiled below are my writings (excluding comments) on my own Facebook wall in April 2009, as well as anything else that might be construed as an example of micro-blogging.

▴ Brutal as it was, Saddam Hussein’s régime was at least secular. —1 April, 15:39 (UKGN, Fb.|FF)
▴ Elyaqim has never been there but thinks the view must be stunning if it’s called “the Eyeful Tower.” —1 April, 15:41. (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ Elyaqim is greatly relieved the supermarket cashier on whom he has a crush had been on vacation rather than gone forever. Now bag my groceries! —3 April, 20:56 (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ When religious people determine public mores, critical thinking goes out the window and gays die. Saddam Hussein’s régime was secular; then the US occupied ‘Iraq, and zealots gained control. —4 April, 23:23 (Reuters, Fb.|FF)
▴ After a rather intense argument among four gay men in a Jackson Heights restaurant last night, I offer this link as one of many that illustrate how the current Gay Marriage Machine steamrolls over and discriminates against all sorts of families that don’t fit the “nuclear” model. Nancy D. Polikoff has become one of my heroes. —6 April, 20:20 (LAT, Fb.|FF)
▴ “Six gay men confirmed killed in Iraq” in the past week alone. —7 April, 12:58 (GNZ, Fb.|FF)
▴ Elyaqim loved when his friend Glenn expressed pride in the borough of Queens by referring to one of our supermarkets’ selling “the bounty of the county.” —8 April, 14:10 (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ Elyaqim reminds all his friends to put blood on their doors tonight to avoid plague. Happy Pesaḥ to every-bloody! חג פסח שׂמח!‏ ‎—8 April, 19:02 (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ Passover song by the legendary Jo ‘Amar. —8 April, 20:19 (YT, Fb.|FF)
▴ A “Vigil of Remembrance and Solidarity” will occur tomorrow at noon at the UN Mission of ‘Iraq (iraqunmission.org), 14 East 79 Street in New York City, in protest of the anti-gay murders and arrests in Baghdad. —9 April, 18:39 (GWB, Fb.|FF)
▴ Elyaqim just returned home from a trans-folk concert (double entendre intended) in his neighborhood and particularly enjoyed the “dentures”/“oysters” rhyme, the drawing of the “impractical mermaid” and the puppet show that starred a platypus. Don’t you wish you had been there? —10 April, 21:42 (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ Elyaqim wishes that, in the spirit of sadism/masochism, he had been invited to a seder/massacre this Passover, but alas was not. —11 April, 19:37 (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ Elyaqim is appalled customers write on the wall of his local Japanese/ Chinese/ Thai restaurant, but one graffito does make for a good status update: “Girl you look good! Like turkey breast and Pepsi.” (If you don’t believe him, he’ll post the photograph.) —12 April, 18:02 (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ Sounds like a nice Sunday afternoon, but I have a sneaky suspicion I have a schedule conflict. If only I could remember. —13 April, 22:57 (PGM, Fb.)
▴ Elyaqim went out Friday night in Astoria and met two great guys named Ken and Michael, and then went out Saturday afternoon in Elmhurst and met two great guys named Ken and Michael. —18 April, 18:37 (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ I think I would prefer the horses do it than the traffic agents, but I admit it’s a tough call. —20 April, 00:50 (JHL|FF)
▴ I took gobs of pictures. See album number 1 and album number 2. (A Facebook account is not required to view the pictures.) —20 April, 04:43 (JHL|FF)
▴ How did I not know about this 2004 song sooner? Thanks to Avi for posting it. The title of the song (“Keep Your Jesus off My Penis”) reveals the lyric may be a little saucy for work. My favorite lines:
“So you’re screaming bloody murder ’bout the Taliban régime
Subjugating women and being too extreme
And basing legislation on some ancient holy book.
Does that sound a bit familiar? Here’s a mirror. Have a look!” —22 April, 19:44 (YT, Fb.|FF)
▴ What an odd autograph. “I LOVE CHILI! [Signed,] Phyllis Diller.” —23 April, 06:37 (TLL, Fb.|FF)
▴ Elyaqim shopped at the Queens Center Mall for the first time and enjoyed seeing the people far more than the merchandise in any store other than his destination. –24 April, 14:35 (Fb.|FF|FF)
▴ My closest friends know me as someone who doesn’t like children but who loves entertainment for children (so long as it was created by adults). I was still watching children’s télévision in the 1990s as this video shows. I miss Lynne Thigpen. —24 April, 14:48 (YT, Fb.|FF)
▴ Elyaqim heard his friends refer to “matzo pizza” and thought they were talking about the Peruvian city and tourist site. —24 April, 15:02 (Fb.|FF|FF, Jk.|FF)
▴ The musician Kip Attaway has a gay-themed song, “Mahu from Oahu.” (Working at Waikiki Wally’s and Lucky Cheng’s over three years, I learned what “mahu” means.) The song is not flattering, but not truly anti-gay either. (It also has some inaccuracies; it’s not likely a drag queen would use the men’s room.) What do you think? —26 April, 06:06 (K.A. on MS, Fb.|FF)
▴ “[Gays] have been forced to re-think the…notion of what a family is. ‘Through our success in creating different kinds of families, we have shown that groups of people can constitute a family without being heterosexual, biologically related, married, or functioning under a male head-of-household….’ [We] would be better off continuing to expand how family is defined ‘rather than confin[ing] ourselves to marriage.’” —27 April, 23:41 (Phœnix, Fb.|FF)

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5gtHLFYQi.

My Google Service Wish List.

2009-05-17T05:42:00.003-04:00

I have four wishes regarding the interaction of five Google services.

◘ One should be able to export items from Google Reader as they are (i.e., as rectangles with rounded corners) into Google Notebook. One would then be able to organize and arrange items in notebooks rather than having no other option for sharing them than their appearing in reverse chronological order among one’s shared items (or needing to be opened one by one to be added to notebooks). Google Notebook could then theoretically become an advanced version of Google Reader shared items.

◘ One should similarly be able to export items from Google Reader to Google Calendar. I subscribe to events listings and want to quickly and easily generate an item in Calendar for each event I plan to attend. As it is now, transferring information event by event from Reader to Calendar is quite tedious, and I usually do not bother doing it.

◘ Jaiku should be able to communicate better with Blogger, including being able to automatically generate articles on Blogger should a user desire. For example, one should be able to have all of one’s Jaiku posts for a day, week or month listed in an article on one’s Blogger Web log with links back to each individual Jaiku post.

◘ One should not need a Jaiku account to comment on Jaiku posts. The interface should be the same as on Blogger which has a pop-up menu to indicate with which identity one wishes to comment on an article. (The options currently are Google Account, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM, OpenID, Name/URL or Anonymous.)

I also have a peeve about Blogger that is unrelated to its interaction with other Google services: When one publishes an article, one is then provided with links to view the blog in either the same or a new window. I would appreciate an additional link to the dedicated u.r.l. of that particular article, especially if I was updating an old one that would no longer be on the main page. As neither Google Notebook nor Jaiku are any longer in active development, I imagine most of these simple and straightforward ideas are nonetheless pipe dreams.

Graphic: LST.

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5gqJM9mGd.

My Kind of Objectification.

2009-05-16T13:07:00.004-04:00

I recently discovered two ’blogs dedicated to the appreciation of male beauty from some of my favorite parts of the world.

❂ Briyanshu, “A white, American gay guy looking at Indian men (aka Briyanshu’s Bollywood Butt Blog),” dedicated to South Asian men.
❂ Chirayliq (Çıraylık, چىرايلىق) which is subtitled “Men of Central Asia” but really also includes West Asian, North Asian, Caucasian, South Asian, and even some East Asian men. “Chirayliq is the Uighur word for ‘handsome, pretty, beautiful, attractive’. This blog concerns itself with the handsomeness of Central Asian men, and not only. From the Black Sea to Kamchatka, from the Kara Sea to Himalaya, this is a gallery celebrating the rugged charm of the men from the steppes, mountains, deserts and taigas.”

A version of this article is preserved at webcitation.org/5gooyIF0D.

Gregarious Gregorian New Year.

2009-02-09T03:00:00.003-05:00

Photo: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Johnny, Tatiana and J.P. rang in the new year Nowhere.
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New Year’s Eve 2008–09 was spent at “A Function” at Double-Headed Disco, Nowhere (Google group, Facebook, MySpace, Yelp, Web log), 322 East Fourteenth Street, Manhattan, with Garth, Charles שת, Mara מרה, İlker and a gaggle of new friends. One of the new friends told me I was “meant for loving” and kept trying to embrace me all night. Unfortunately, paying attention to me meant taking his attention away from his coat which was stolen on such a bitterly cold night. He should have checked it with Paul, the friendly cloakroom attendant. More pictures can be viewed in my Facebook photo album “New Year’s Eve 2008–09,” as well as in DHD’s photo album, “A Function—New Year’s Eve.”

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Photo: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Quality control: İlker and J.P. tested the horns.
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Photo: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.Paul, the friendly cloakroom attendant. Note the warning on the wall: “Nowhere is not responsible for lost or stolen items.”
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Photo: Elyaqim Mosheh Adam.A new year’s scandal! One can only assume the sign was supposed to say “coat check.”

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✴ Elyaqim wishes all his friends and acquaintances a healthy, peaceful new year. May its days be pleasant ones, unlike our present ones. —1 January, 20:35

A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5eTPhizPV, as well as on Facebook.