Jersey Numbers

So tonight we finally got our dorn basketball intramural "jerseys" (really, they're t-shirts, but whatever, they're cool). So I'm the Captain of my team (yes, capital C), and I went down to get my jersey, and I looked in the box while Joe was getting them out. He was pulling out each color, to see which one was mine. Wasn't red. Wasn't black :'( Then he pulled out the orange, and I was like, "No, please not orange...." BH it wasn't orange--it's dark green. It's not the coolest or my favorite color, but it's solid. Dark green is a solid color. So he pulled out my jersey....number 34. I'm like what the flip?! Thirty-freakin-four?! So I asked Joe, "Uh, Joe, whazzup?" And he's like, "Your size." And then I say back, "Yeah whatever." I got an XL just to make sure it fits--I don't know my sizes anymore, I don't keep track. L or XL, one of those. I hope...so anyway, back to where I was....Number THIRTY FOUR?! GOD! If I got like, 9, or 10, ok fine, that's not so bad. even 18, 19, 20's already is poushing it, but THIRTY FOUR?! I mean, 34 is no where near 1! Like, NO WHERE!! And don't even say it's relative, cuz relative to 1 million, 34 is rather close. But then of course, I know one of you reading this, like my brother Ra'anan or his wife Rebecca, or even Sara Adina will probably say, "Tonny, it's relative....vago'." And then I bet someone else besides these 3 will do it, too, because I didn't mention them, so they will be like, "Ha I did it too!" So I'm saying it to everyone, don't say it. 34 is annoying. Oy....Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life....it could have been like, 63, or like, 67 1/2.....

Midnight Ma'ariv

The Midnight Ma'ariv in the hall of the 7th floor of Rubin is SOOOOO clutch!!

Baseball Hats

So what's with baseball hats anyway? Why does everybody have one? "What exactly is the powerful, irresistible force of a simple baseball cap, anyway?" Well, here's your answer.

Beyond The Matrix

I saw The Matrix the for the first time in March 2000 in Montreal, on a New England Region NCSY Shabbaton. My friend, and neighbor, Zish, got a pirated copy of The Matrix from his uncle, and asked if we wanted to watch it? Nechemia and I were like, "Yeah, sure, why not?" So, after Shabbos before we left to our night activity (Lazer tag--Team Genocide: Make 7up Yours!), Zish asked our hosts if the TV-VCR in the basement where we slept was a working one, and if we could use it. The "Balabosta" (yes, that's the Ba'alas HaBayis...) said yes to both. So we came back, hung out in the oldest sons room in the basement, played darts--I won, of course--and after we left his room, we watched the movie. After it was done, I was like OMG that was amazing. Pure genius by the Wachowski Brothers.

After seeing it a few times, I knew there was something deeper than just the storyline. A deeper message that I wasn't fully getting yet. I knew it was there--the great lines in the movie show that, such as the following conversation between Neo and Morpheus:

Neo: What are you trying to tell me, that I can dodge bullets?

Morpheus: No Neo. I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to.

I mean come on, that's just a great line. The movie is full of them.

I didn't know the full meaning of The Matrix until around half an hour ago.

I signed up for Aish HaTorah's email things a while ago, like, "eh, why not?" you know (or did I become a member and not know it...)? So for some reason, of which I don't know why, I was compelled to look at what today's email held. I do that once in a while. So I opened it, and one of the articles was entitled Beyond The Matrix, so I read it.....It's awesome. It's a great article. I am telling everyone right now to read it. I may be stupid, and should have realized what this article says a long time ago--but I didn't. Or at least, not everything. I am telling everyone right now to read it, although....

"I can only show you the door, you're the one the that has to walk through it."

Schimmelism of The Week III

Yeah, I was so caught up in coming back to the PMOSE (yes, credits to R' Avraham Bronstein) yesterday, I forgot about it, but here is this week's:

Rabbi S: Vic Frenkel, we know, was colored.
Nachum: Colored?
Rabbi: Yeah, he was born in a crayon factory.

Ok, so I'm changing it--it won't be a Monday thing, just whenever I remember about it that week.

Laila tov vachalamot metukim y'all!

I love you Suri!! Mazal Tov!!!

MAZAL TOV!!!!

WOW!!! MY COUSIN GOT ENGAGED TODAY!!! WEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Suri Notowich, the oldest of my cousins from St Louis, got engaged to Yakov Mayer Botuck. I'm SOOOOOO excited!!! I'm going to daven SOOOO hard that I can go to St Louis for the wedding. If I can't, I'll be soooo pissed.

And that's not the only reason why I'm happy--I got 10 more points on my Psych final from last semester! Weee! I mean, it was only raised from a 50 to a 60, but thats still a nice jump. Rabbi Schimmel marked 6 questions wrong, which I really got right (that is definately not correct grammar, is it?). So I got a 75 in the class, and the Preeminent Modern Orthodox School of Excellence goes by 5 point increments til 80, and he said he can't give me an 80, but we'll figure something out. I hope...

YAY!!!! I LOVE YOU SURI!! MAZAL TOV!!!

Back in the dorm...

Well, I'm back at YU. The part I like about coming back to school is the saying hi to my people again, but like, dude, it's school. *Sigh* I got a lot of stuff to do. I have to go over Mishpatim over the next 2 weeks--although I'm hoping I won't need so much time--I have to start learning Megillas Ester (why does everyone put that 'h' in there?!), for the next week go over 6 prakim--SIX!!--for the Mishnayos Incentive Quiz at the Preeminent Modern Orthodox School of Excellence (again, credits to R' Avraham Bronstein); at least I wrote down the mishnayos like notes on paper--got it to 4 pages writing really really really small. So yeah I got my work cut out for me (that's how it's used, right?).
DJ pick up your phone please!!!

More on The King of Late Night

"Eizehu Chacham? Halomeid mikol adam."

I was just watching Today on NBC, and Matt Lauer was interviewing to people about Johnny, and one of them was telling a story about Steve Martin, the year he was hosting the Academy Awards, they were to do a shtick about how he was the best Awards host, and then Billy Crystal would come out and they would fight about it, and then Johnny would come out after a few minutes, just stare at them, and then leave, and they'd get the picture. So this guy was being interviews, Bill, said, "And Johnny said, 'Wouldn't that incure a station ovation?' saying standing ovation like he said 'cancer,' he didn't want it." (Yeah, the quote's not verbatim). Johnny HaMelech was very humble. We should all, inclding me (or I?), should learn from him.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrre's Johnny!!"

-Ed McMahon

Ramblings before bed--Johnny HaMelech, Sheleg, Big Game, DJ

Johnny Carson, who is known as The King of Late Night, was niftar today, at his home in Malibu. I personally have never really seen anything of him, but, I wish I could. :'( BD"E.

BHYY!!! Because of the snow, neither Abba nor Peggy wanted to drive into the city today to bring me to school. Peggy already said it last night, but today when I came down for lunch, Abba's like, yeah no I'm not. But I'm going tomorrow. Oh well. I'm not ready to go back to school though. Eh, crack...well, all good things must come to an end :'( The good thing is, though, is that not all good things come to an end. No, check that, they do, but at least, some last longer than others.

Aight, well it's the Eagles and Pats in the Super Bowl. I was half right. Now we have to daven for the Eagles. And so TO can play.

Yeah so last week I told DJ I was going to go visit her tonight, because I'd be coming back to school, you know? But I didn't come back, so I didn't see DJ. :-( That makes me sad. HI DJ!

Aight, I think I've rambled enough. Laila tov vachalamot metukim y'all.

Dogs eat dogs??

Peggy is talking to my cousin/her neice Ashira (even though Ashira was Peggy's neice before she was my cousin, she's still my cousin first...ok fine, sister...), and she said, "It's a dog eat dog world out there, nebach."

But do dogs really eat other dogs?!

Jews Rock This House

You know Jews are the ikar when, looking at the list of closings and stuff throughout CT, you see all these churches that say, "No Services." Yeah, asright, we Jews don't X davening. Yeah thats right. Rain, snow, sleet, hail, cats and dogs, whatever, we always go to shul. JEWS ROCK THE HOUSE!!

NFL picks

Eagles over the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

Just watch, just to spite me (or despite me...?) HaShem's picks will be Pats over Falcons....

Students overseas

The Manhattan High School for Girls send their kids to Russia. The Preeminent Modern Orthodox School of Excellence sends us to Palau...hehe....

Aish ubarad, SHELEG v'kitur...HALILU ES SHEIM HASHEM!!

I'm loving this snow...BARUCH HASHEM YOM YOM!!

What's this Oilam coming to?!?

I'm watching the news with my Aunt Reni, and they said that Bill Cosby allegedly commited sexual assault....WTF?!?! To say Bill Cosby commited sexual assault is like saying HaShem is imperfect, ch"v. This is the most stupidest thing I have ever heard in my entire life!!!!!

On a sadder note, Eastern Connecticut State guard Antwoine Key died Thursday night after collapsing during the opening minutes of a game at Worcester State....BD"E

And you think you saw it all...

I read this article at ESPN.com tonight, and I just went, oy, I really feel bad for this guy.

Talk About Bad Timing

Brooklyn Take II

We went to Brooklyn today. BH the car was ok, it didn't die today. In the end, the car needed a fuel pump. "There is no warning signs for it--it just gets dead." Thats from Peggy. So Brooklyn was nice; we picked up a friend of Rivka's from St Louis, she hung out with us. She was cool. We had pizza, hung out at 13th Ave for a little, Eichlers and such, then went back to Peggy's work thing. She got these 6 scarves for free at a store...long story. So Rivka and her friend Chani were playing with them, covering their hair. They looked cute. And I was learning for the Mishnayos Incentive Quiz at the Preeminent Modern Orthodox School of Excellence (again, no it's not mine, I'm not that original or funny--that's from Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, my JH teacher)--you could get up to $50 for the YU SOY Sfarim Sale. And then with the shiur learning thing, I could theoretically get $100 for the Sfarim Sale, all free, not using 1 cent of my own money BH. The cheap Jew I am....Of course I could also get a chavrusa with one of, if not the, gedolei hador, R' Hershel Schechter, since my rebbe has connections and all (my rebbe is his son in law)....that would also be hot. So then we dropped off Chani in Flatbush, and then we went to the airport. I hate it when any of the Notowiches leave. Yeah yeah, I know, don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened, yeah I know. But like, even though they come often, usually at the beginning and end of the summer, they usually go to camp in NY so they can stop here. But Rivka is going to Memphis for the summer, and I would like to see her, if not all of the Notowiches, before I go to EY (iyH). So that was sad a little. I love her so much. I love all of them so much, they're mamash like sisters to me, it's great. And of course Peggy cried when Rivka left....but then we saw one of Peggy's old friends with 3 of her daughters, and hung out while they waited for their son to come back from FL--I wanted to meet him because he's going to be starting YU on Mon after a year and a 1/2 at OJ. And then we left, went to Maariv, then came home.

I want to go to St Louis....

But now I'm home. Chaval, it's not near St Louis.

LA, Miami, Boston, Yerushalayim--I wouldn't mind going to those places either. But don't make me pick, I seriously wouldn't know where to go first.
I have an appointment tomorrow.

DJ, hang in there...

Ed, I bet you're going to major in philosophy. Hehehehe....

Peggy just told me that ER is listed to start at 959 tonight....Yeah, ok, whatever.....stupid TV people.....

Aight, laila tov vachalamot metukim y'all.

KN

Car's dead, Jim...

So yesterday I was in Brooklyn all day, hanging out at Peggy's work--she's at Women's League, one of their houses--with Rivka, one of the cousins from St Louis, she's here for a week from last Thurs. So we get there around 1200, Rivk and I playing Scrabble (as my brother said once, "In our family, Scrabble isn't just a game, it's a personal vendetta."), after she beats me by around 40 points (I couldn't do anything after she put out a 4-letter word for 57 points....J on a double-letter score, AND a triple-word score...) I learned a little bit, Mincha, then we left around, uh, I forget. No, we probably left around 6. Yeah, that sounds right. Anyway, we're on our way to pick up our Kosher Delight order, and a few blocks away, on 46th St, the car dies. Like, just dies, in the middle of the road, blocking traffic type of thing. Not cool. So BH we were on a hill, Peggy put the car in neutral, and drifted down to the corner of Fort Hamilton and 46th St. Like, mamash the corner, we were perpendicular to the corner, not all the way on the side. So Peggy called her work, told them the car died, and one of the councelors, Eli, came looking for us--he also had our food; KD brought the food instead of keeping it there for us to pick up (they're food is great, but they're idiots). So Rivk and I went into his car which he pulled right up in front of Peggy's, ate the onion rings. Peggy came in, and then a few minutes later, a cop comes to give a ticket, so Eli gets out of the car to explain. The cop says, "Get back in the car!" "Dude, the car's dead, it ain't going anywhere." "Get back!" "Dude, it just died, we're waiting for a tow truck." "Are you BS-ing me??" "No." So in the end, the cop just put the envelope of the ticket on the windshield to make it look like she got a ticket so she wouldnt get another one, but Peggy had to stay in the car. So Eli gets back in, we drove around the block to be facing the other direction, and then he ZOOMS across all 4 lanes of the street to be facing Peggy to try to just the car. Didn't work. While they were doing this though the tow guy came. Peggy went with him, but Rivk and I couldn't. We had to find another way home. So Eli followed the tow truck to the gas station we brought the car to, got some stuff, and then figured out what the plan was. So Peggy would go home with the tow guy, a christian Pakistani guy named Josh, and Rivk and I would wait for Abba to come (he was in Croton anyway teaching Hebrew School--BH he wasn't in CT already. When we got to the gas station, he already at the George). So from the gas station, Eli took us first to his house to change his pants because they had a huge hole by his right knee (so apparently, at 430 AM he was roming the streets of B'klyn (he couldn't sleep) and while he was walking, he knocked into a Puerto Rican dude, and the PR was like, F***ing Jew. So Eli says, "What did you say? I couldn't hear you, did you say F***ing Jew?" at that point, Eli, who was in Tzahal for 2+ years, punches the dude in the face, his head snaps backwards, and then does a move thing on him, and brings him to the ground quite quickly. I don't know how, but he got a hole in his pants), then we went to KD again to pick up some soup for someone, dropped the soup at the dude's house, and then went back to Peggy's work and Abba was there already. So we left at around 815, 830, got home at like 1000, 1015. All that time smelling the KD chicken in the carm not being able to wait to have it. Rivk kept saying, "I can't wait to have the chicken, I'm SOOOO excited!" Apparently they don't have KD-like establishments in STL. So yeah we got home, ate supper, wathced Everybody Loves Raymond, Jay Leno, etc, went to sleep. So that was my exciting day yesterday.
So the car....they think its the alternator (spelling?). When Peggy tried turning the car on, the engine would turn, but it wouldn't catch. And the lights were on, I think the heater was working too, so it's not the battery, they think. So we'll see what happens. We're supposed to go to B'klyn today also, but we'll find out when Peggy calls the Mobile station right here where they dropped the car. They could say it's all better, they could say, it's broke for awhile, lady, or they could say we haven't looked at it yet. So it's possible we won't go, and I could make an important call to EY today....

Schimmelism of the Week II

Yeah so right before supper, I was like, oh yeah, S.O.T.W., don't forget....but I did. So here is this week's S.O.T.W.

Rabbi: ...and the punctuated equalibrium was...
Tonny: What's a punctuated equalibrium?
Rabbi: They are jerks of sudden growth in society. Speaking of jerks of sudden growth, is Hoffman here?

NYM

so what is the first the you think of when you see NYM? hm? what is it? i know, that the first thing i used to think about when seeing NYM was New York Mets. but that was until June 18, 2005 around 1000. now i think of my darling nephew Nesanel Yeshaya Moshe Schwarzmer. he is just sooo cute. 2 days ago, he stood himself up. YAY!

CIA

i want to work for the Culinary Institute of America just so i can say i work for the CIA.

"Yeah, i work for the CIA." "What do you do for them?" "I'm a chef...."

go to Hell...Michigan???

there's a Hell, Michigan...hehe

NFL Recap--Shabbos Kodesh, 1/15/05

so yeah, that was ridiculous. the steelers weren't supposed to win. the Jets were. jeez...idiots. you see, i went to learn from 630 - 730, thinking that hey, maybe in that z'chus of my learning, the Jets will win. and i even hung up on the phone with abba, when there were 4 seconds left, with Doug Brien trying to kick a field goal (and also cuz the rabbi was about to start the shiur part...but yeah), again, hoping that with all the pain it caused me to hang up, and wait for the update from abba, HaShem would reward me with the Jets winning the game. but no, not happening. aparently, HaShem thought better of having the Jets win, i should get a different reward. i and the rest of the oilam. oh well. as always, next year....oy vavoy...
so im going to go for either the Atlanta Falcons or the Philadelphia Eagles. the Eagles cuz i like #5 Donovan McNabb and TO, #81 Terrell Owens and they're mad crazy awesome (oh yeah, and TO was on my fantasy team...). and cuz i feel bad for them--they lost in the NFC Championship game (the winner of that game goes to the Super Bowl) for 3 straight years, they deserve to win it this year. and i want the Falcons to win cuz #7 Michael Vick, he's mad crazy awesome and i love him. and cuz their black jerseys are soooo hot. well, so are the Eagles' black jerseys....whatever, i'm going to go for whichever one of the two go to the Super Bowl. i went for the Pats last year, but not anymore, it's getting kinda boring with them winning every year and stuff.
that would be cool though, Falcons vs. Eagles in the NFC Championship game. cuz like, you know, birds and stuff...yeah. shut up--it was funny. it's like, we finally get to find out who would win in a fight, y'know? well, sorta...
aight, im going to bed. im tired. well, im going to try ot go to bed now, whether i do or not is a whole separate issue. laila tov vachalamot metukim y'all.

~Tonny

PS -

PS - you got to love this headline from ESPN:

NFL: Moss' trip to the moon wil cost $10,000

Doug boy, you break my heart...

"I want Doug Brien's head on a sliver platter with a lemon in his mouth."

-New England Region NCSY President Ed Abramovitz

J! E! T! S! JETS!! JETS!! JETS!!

this is my first sports post. BH for sports. anyway, i don't think i'm going to have any kavanah whatsoever at mincha from 430 til after Shabbos tomorrow (wow, i haven't spelled this word out in forever...). the second i get home from shul, i'm dashing upstairs, putting on my black and green Santana Moss 83 Jets jersey, rushing downstairs, and then turning on the tv to watch the Jets-Steelers game (i'm watching ellen degeneres right now--i didn't do it, my aunt is watching it--and she was doing a weather comedy routine thing with her guest--i think michael keaton but i'm not sure--with the map behind them, and that cool stuff, and all the while, nbc has a scroll text on the bottom about the real weather. i just thought that was funny). when i turn on the tv, i expect it to be around halftime, so i'm hoping to see a winning Jets score, like Jets 213,904, Steelers -56. hey, seriously, when you give up 213,904 in one half, then you deserve to get negative points. seriously.
so the Jets need to make "Big" Ben Roethlisberger make plays. he's amazing, but he's still only a rookie, and playing in the biggest game (so far) of his career. the most passes he's thrown in one game this year is 28. yes, thats it, just 28. but he hasnt needed to throw so many passes, with Duce Staley & Hall of Famer Jerome "The Bus" Bettis heading their great running game. the Jets have really a good run defense; their front 7 have been really solid recently--yes, this is including Eric Barton, who has been quite good, besides his hit on Drew Brees. and overall, the Jets have one of the best defenses (surprisingly) in the league. the Jets also need to get their running game on, with their Hall of Famer C-Mart, Curtis "My Favorite" Martin, and LaMont Jordan. they also need to play to the Steelers secondary, which isnt the best. if they do that, the Jets i think will be ok, and i think have a very good chance to win.

J! E! T! S! JETS!! JETS!! JETS!!

Mikey Butler & Mrs. Steiff Aleihem HaShalom

today, 3 Shevat 5765, were the yartzheits of Mikey Butler, and Mrs. Steiff, Aleihem HaShalom. i didn't know Mrs. Steiff, but i know quite a few people who do. everyone loved her. i like to think, that if she were my teacher, my feelings about her would be like everyone else's.
i met Mikey when i was in 5th grade, at a 5th - 8th gr jr spring regional shabbaton in ffld. i didnt know about his illness, and didnt really know about it til 9th gr. but anyway, Mikey was the drummer at that shabbaton, and i remember, motza'ei shabbos, at the night activity, i wasnt really doing anything, except standing by the stage, watch Mikey do his thing. i love the drums, and he was really good; i enjoyed watching him very much. known for his quote, "day by glorious day," he lived everyday to its fullest, and having bitachon, that all that happened is from HaShem, and He knows what he's doing. my words do not do justice to Mikey, so please, click here.

May the neshamos of Refa'el Micha'el Yitzchak HaLeivi ben Nechama Sara and Shaindel Rachel bas Eli'ezer Tzvi have an aliyah.

Schimmelism Of The Week I

I just had a great idea: apparently, so I hear, a lot of people like my Schimmelisms, so Im' going to have, as the title suggests, a Schimmelism of the week every week, so everybody can delve deeper into the mind and humor of this very, very interesting man, Rabbi Dr Sidney B Schimmel. I will post them on Mondays, usually. obviously I couldn't post this week's on monday, so here it is on thursday:

Zack: Rabbi, are you going to come to our hockey game tonight?
Rabbi S: If your game is in my living room, I'll come. & make sure you don't break anything if it is.

Occasionally, I might not use a Schimmelism, but other quotes heard within the walls of the Preeminent Modern Orthodox School of Excellence that I think are just mad funny, such as:

Jason: Mr. Deutsch, have they fixed the Pentagon yet from 9/11?
Mr. D: I assume so.
Nachum: No, they're going to change the name. Going to call it the Triangle.

Baruch....Shehechiyanu

Woah, my first post...this definately deserves a Shehechiyanu...im going to try to actually some content worth reading here. i hope y'all enjoy.

should i actually have proper capitalization in my blog?