The Shiva Visitor

(Shiva: The formal mourning period of seven days, observed as in the home of the deceased, during which friends visit and comfort the bereaved: often in the phrase sit shiva, to observe the period of shiva.)

"How did you know Benjy?"

"Camp, from camp."

"Oh, how he loved his camp friends, he talked about them all the time."

"That was Benjy."

"Sorry, I can't remember your name... All this grief."

"I understand. My name is Sheldon...Sheldon Le-Vine with a capital V."

"I remember a Sheldon Minkowitz, who used to play tennis with Benjy, but can't place a Sheldon

Levine-"

"That's Le-Vine with a capital V, rhymes with wine. LeVine."

"Yesss..."

Winding Down Summer Part 2

One of those glorious weekends to be alive, lots of sunshine, perfect temperature. Great way to spend Sunday at the pool. Got in a full day, ideal or spot under a maple tree, brought along my Kindle, and when not swimming with my son or watching him like a hawk, I actually got to read an entire Jonathan Franzen essay. (Part of prepping to read his new masterpiece, Freedom). Most relaxing moment: with son sitting next to me safely gaming away with friends on my iPod, I'm lying flat on my back looking at the clear blue sky through the maple tree, listening to the din of the crowd, a summer sound as sweet as the song of the cicada.

Turns out my bad recovering back paid off. I couldn't play in our softball team's sudden-death play-off game which pained me to a certain extent. I was coming off of my best hitting game of the season, not to mention an errorless season in the field, one where I played the infield (2B, second half of season), something I hadn't done since I was eleven or twelve. Admittedly, my range was modest, but no dropped or bobbled balls all season. In any case, team got slaughtered 25 - 3, so I saved myself some misery.

Baseball is no fun when you get killed and are standing there in the field watching your team commit error after error. And still then, even when you are winning, there can be something dreary to the game. I've always maintained that a softballs season should last 4 games, from mid May May to mid June, when it's still exciting to actually play a sport outside without a jacket (this being Canada), no less a game that was like the wallpaper of your childhood. After mid June, lots of the guys stop showing up for all of the "got better things to do in summer" excuses. So make the season short and sweet.

Winding Down Summer

Canadian summers are short enough, we didn't need the school boards to end them even earlier. In the good old days, Labor Day weekend essentially marked the end of summer and school school started that Tuesday. Now they start school August 27, effectively putting on the brakes of summer. Instead of a late August vacation, it's back to school supplies and clothes, not to mention settling the hefty school fees for those of us in the (crumbling Jewish) private school system. More money, less resources, more uncertainty. But today is magnificent, so I'll take my son to the pool all day and bask in the fading sunlight of summer.

Social Media Discomfort

Something about all this social media that makes me a bit queasy. Working to be popular. Get followers or recommendations and show your pipik to the world. And true, these social networks sometimes come through, but you still have to work them. No magic connections. My take: Facebook is good to keep in touch with family, especially the ones out of town. Twitter is for celebrities and their cyber-stalkers and for VIPs to broadcast to their networks, it's at its best for revolutions and disasters. For rest of the self-deluded Tweeters cultivating spammy followers, its the sound of one hand clapping. Linked-In has its moments, but it still gives me a queasy feeling anytime you put out an invite or any other request. Lots of spammy people too lurking about. To get results, you need to put in the resources and I'm skeptical that it pays off in the end...

The Beauty of Data Visualization

Who Says Nice Guys Finish Last?

Yesterday I interviewed Brad Feld, Managing Director of the Foundry Group, (foundrygroup.com) and was bowled over by his intelligence and graciousness. His creds and accomplishments are too long to list, and yet he is accessible. I watched Brad on a favorite podcast, This Week In Venture Capital, and decided that I had to try to interview him for Vue magazine. A quick Google search led me to his e-mail address, fired a brief em off, and lo and behold, I receive a positive reply back within 24 hours. A few days later, the interview happens. Which supports this theory I've been nursing for a while, based on past experience. The really top people always find time to respond, even if it's not what you were hoping to hear. They are without pretense, natural and considerate. They inspire. Let us learn from them...

2 Hours

Wondering why it takes me so long to get going in the morning. Lucky I'm an early riser, because it takes me 2 hours from waking to working. Walk dog, coffee and refill, newspaper (iPad still cannot fill in that need. Tried cancelling newspaper for a couple of months and felt a strange void), morning prayers, maybe some toast and time frittered away on the web. There's your 2 hours...

It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

Can't help thinking that Hollywood and the publishing industry are next to bite the Internet dust. Hollywood seems so tired and trite when you compare it to the quality, more-relevant content you can pick off the web for free. I can barely stomach to watch any kind of TV anymore. For example, have been watching podcasts of MIT physics classes - what could be more compelling? Where else would I get this type of opportunity?

Then there's the book-reading I've been blogging about, or actually the absence of. Ever since finishing university, I've been a voracious and diligent book reader, even keeping annual 'books read' lists with notes. Then came my iPod - iPad - Kindle and now the only reading I'm doing is the NYT, Mashable, Reuters and the free chapters of books you can get from Amazon and iBooks. It's like having a virtual book store in bed and I'm sampling galore...But that's just it -- sampling, not buying. Wondering if I even have the wherewithal to even finish a book. And yet, I'm planning to read David Foster Wallace's, Infinite Jest, by year end. A challenge considering it's been 10 months that I've been reading the Charles Schultz bio...

A Few Things as Summer Winds Down

Injured back while running the bases during last week's game. Recovering slowly.

New medley project kicking off, hoping for the best.

iTunes U: Call it taking, watching or auditing but spending a lot of my leisure time learning about physics from MIT:

http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Feed/berkeley.edu.2400479330.02410762918

Have this idea for a novel: Bunking with Bernie. Story of a youngish telemarketing fraudster who gets caught and winds up in jail, sharing a cell with Bernie Madoff. With nothing left to lose and a desire to unburden his heavy heart, Bernie fesses up, giving the reader a tour of the mind of the ultimate conman...

Have been obsessed with prison life for Madoff, how he is able to live with himself, how he is treated in prison, how he is able to survive...I would do anything to read a Bernie Madoff in prison...

Note: This is the second post in a row where by accident, I deleted the first draft...

Coolest Dream

Must rewrite the blog post I lost on Inception, podcasts and lucid dreaming...Last night had the coolest dream. I'm in this shabby NY apt. and we hear some noises. First thin its rats, then I check outside and see its these snowboarders (about 3) and they are sweetly cruising along the snow-covered side of the freeway, highway and streets, over and under bridges and overpasses, etc. Meanwhile I'm following them at this fast pace although I am not actually snowboarding. but somehow just enjoying this exhilarating ride...

Moms of a Bygone Era

Another friend's mom passed this week and not really old. From the days where kids played outside all day, caught caterpillars for fun, had zip gun wars and only reported home to eat, sleep and wash when forced. During those quick dashes in-and-out of the house we'd see the mommies having coffee, gossiping or maybe playing Mah Jong. What I'd to walk into that kitchen of a bygone era. RIP AR...

Summer Sports Wrapping

Still can't believe how much I relive my little sports moments pretty much the same way I did when I was eleven. Was thrilled wrap our soccer season on a high note with 2 crushing victories (5-1 & 7-1). The 7-1 game was sweeter because it was payback against a team we lost to before and an annoying coach...not to mention my son's winning goal. And now over to softball, last game of the season, one where I have been inconsistent at the plate, although best season in years in the field. Had 2 extra base hits including my longest hit of the year, ran the bases well and held my own at my new position, second base. (Still surprised every time I filed a grounder or catch a pop fly).

2 Weddings and Ready for a Funeral

Fortunately I've got too much work and am too groggy to elaborate on last nights wedding hop. Yes, I know I'm a grump, but these weddings are brutal. They kill an otherwise beautiful summer day, make you wear uncomfortable clothes, spend a lot of money, sit through seemingly never-ending under-the-alter blessings, noisy music and overeat. Must've been a couple dozen Zohan wannabes at one wedding, while other stuffy (no-food) wedding could've used a few Zohans. Why don't people just elope?