What Should You Worry About?
by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
published: 10/18/2009
Identity theft? Killer sharks? Disease? We're bad at assessing risk—we panic about the wrong things.
Humans are good at many things—typing, inventing stuff—but we're quite bad at assessing risk. Day after day, we get bent out of shape over things we shouldn’t worry about so much, like airplane crashes and lightning strikes, instead of things we should, like heart disease and the flu.
So how can we find out what's truly dangerous? Economics. Upon hearing the word, most people think of incomprehensible charts and jargon and promptly change the subject. However, we can use the field's powerful ideas and tools, along with huge piles of data, to understand topics that aren't typically associated with economics. Topics like shark attacks.
Think back to the summer of 2001, or what the U.S. media dubbed the "Summer of the Shark." The prime example was the story of Jessie Arbogast, an 8-year-old who was playing in the warm, shallow Pensacola, Fla., waves when a bull shark ripped off his right arm and a big chunk of his thigh.
The media was full of such chilling tales. Here's the lead paragraph from one article published that summer: "Sharks come silently, without warning. There are three ways they strike: the hit-and-run, the bump-and-bite, and the sneak attack. The hit-and-run is the most common. The shark may see the sole of a swimmer's foot, think it’s a fish, and take a bite before realizing this isn’t its usual prey."
A reasonable person might never go near the ocean again. But how many shark attacks do you think actually happened that year?
Take a guess—and then cut that figure in half, and now cut it in half a few more times. During all of 2001, there were 68 shark attacks worldwide, of which just four were fatal.
Not only were the numbers lower than the media hysteria implied, but they were not much higher than those of previous years or of the years that followed. Between 1995 and 2005, there were on average 60.3 shark attacks worldwide each year, with a high of 79 and a low of 46. There were on average 5.9 fatalities per year, with a high of 11 and a low of three. In other words, the headlines during the summer of 2001 might just as easily have read "Shark Attacks About Average This Year."
Elephants, meanwhile, kill at least 200 people a year. Why aren't we petrified of them? Probably because their victims tend to live far from the world's media centers. It may also have to do with our perceptions gleaned from the movies. Friendly elephants are a staple of children's films like Babar and Dumbo; sharks are typecast as villains.
There are any number of topics about which our fears run far out of proportion to reality. For instance, whom are you more afraid of: strangers or people you know? While "strangers" is the obvious answer, it's probably wrong. Three out of four murder victims knew their assailants; about seven of 10 rape victims knew theirs. While the public is justifiably horrified when a stranger snatches a child off the street, the data show that such kidnappings are extremely rare. As for the crime of identity theft, most of us fear nameless, faceless perpetrators—say, a far-off ring of teenage hackers. We try to thwart them by endlessly changing our PINs (and forgetting them). But it turns out that nearly half of identity-theft victims are ripped off by someone they know. And fully 90% of thefts happen offline, not on the Internet. Fear sometimes distorts our thinking to the point where we become convinced that certain threats are so enormous as to be unstoppable. Every generation has at least one such problem—the plague, polio. Today, it's global warming. The average global ground temperature over the past 100 years has risen 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit, or .74 degrees Celsius. But even the most brilliant climate scientists are unable to predict exactly what will happen to the Earth as a result of those atmospheric changes and when anything will happen. We humans tend to respond to uncertainty with more emotion—fear, blame, paralysis—than advisable. Uncertainty also has a nasty way of making us conjure the very worst possibilities. With global warming, these are downright biblical: hellish temperatures, rising oceans, a planet in chaos. But instead of panicking and collectively wringing our hands, it might help us to look at other "unsolvable" problems humanity has had to deal with. Like, well, horse manure. As urban populations exploded in the 19th century, horses were put to work in countless ways, from pulling streetcars and coaches to powering manufacturing equipment. Our cities became filled with horses—for example, in 1900, New York City was home to some 200,000 of them, or one for every 17 people. Unfortunately, they produced a slew of what economists refer to as "negative externalities." These included noise, gridlock, high insurance costs, and far too many human traffic fatalities. The worst problem was the manure. The average horse produces about 24 pounds of it a day. In New York, that added up to nearly 5 million pounds. A day. It lined the streets like banks of snow and was piled as high as 60 feet in vacant lots. It stank to the heavens. And it was a fertile breeding ground for flies that spread deadly disease. City planners everywhere were confounded. It seemed as if cities could not survive without the horse—but they couldn’t survive with it, either. And then the problem vanished. The horse was kicked to the curb by the electric streetcar and the automobile.
Virtually every unsolvable problem we've faced in the past has turned out to be quite solvable, and the script has nearly always been the same: A band of clever, motivated people—s cientists usually—find an answer. With polio, it was the creation of a vaccine. If the best minds in the world focus their attention on global warming, hopefully we can handle that, too. Yes, it is an incredibly large and challenging problem. But, as history has shown us again and again, human ingenuity is bound to be even larger.
Adapted from "SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance," by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, 2009. To be published by William Morrow.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Why I'm No Longer The Same Yankee Fan That I Once Was
I’ve been a Yankees fan since the day I was conceived. I’ve especially been following them rigorously since 1996. Those are my earliest Yankee memories. (I guess you can say I’ve been pretty spoiled over the last 14 years). My Bar Mitzvah party theme was the Yankees. I’ve been to hundreds of Yankee games. I’ve seen them play in such cities as Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Tampa, Philadelphia, and of course New York. I attend spring training every year and I was written up in the New York Post last year. I’ve worked in Yankee Stadium (until I got kicked out for snooping around and trying to get autographs) and I’ve met numerous of current and former Yankees at shows and dinners. I guess I can be classified, as a big Yankee fan to say the least, and as a big Yankees fan it is my right to have many opinions about the team that I’m so passionate about. Lately over the past couple of years I’ve become very conflicted about how I feel about the Yankees. I am currently in a very difficult/uncomfortable state with my feelings towards the Yankees. The reason why I’m in such an uncomfortable state is because although I love the Yankees so much, I also hate them. I hate them to the point that I’m not sure if I’m going to be a Yankee fan after the Jeter era is over. I hate them for the following reasons:
I hate the new Yankee stadium
I hate the new ownership
I hate and I mean hate Joe Girardi
These are 3 strikes and the Yankees might be out on my watch.
Nothing sickens me more than the opening of the new Yankee stadium and the closing of the old/real Yankee stadium. This is a huge tragedy. The Yankees selfishly “sold-out” when they built this new stadium. All of this just to earn a few more bucks Their was no need for this new stadium to come about. This new Yankee Stadium is totally unnecessary. The Yankees were doing just fine financially and the fans were not complaining about the old stadium. The Yankees have been breaking attendance records every year and were the richest team in baseball yet they still went ahead and selfishly built this new stadium (without any fans opinions involved) just to earn a few more bucks. They raised the prices because they can. Because they know that they have a huge fan-base and people will still show up no matter how expensive tickets are. Not only are they a sell-out when it comes to raising ticket prices, but they are also a sell-out when it comes to what they are really doing. The Yankees are all about History, Tradition, Pride, Mystique, and Awe, so how can they go ahead and move out of and destroy the building where that all took place. Their going against everything they stand for. It’s supposed to be ‘The House That Ruth Built” not the house that Steinbrenner built, and they’re going ahead and throwing all that history in such a holy ballpark down the toilet. Granted the current Yankee stadium is not the same as the original (it underwent a facelift in 1974-75), however it is still the same field. It is still the same dirt. Home plate is in the same location where Babe Ruth used to smack home runs from. Center field is in the same location where the great Joe DiMaggio once snagged fly balls. It’s the same field where guys like Gherig, Berra, and Mantle would play their hearts out. And now their throwing it all away so that fans can now watch replays on a big screen TV and have wider seats to sit in. Is that why we go to the ballpark???!!!, To sit in wide seats and have a plasma HD jumbo tron??? This is what we are throwing history out for??? Is that what it’s all about?? Gimme a break. What upsets me the most is that I feel like I’m the only fan who cares. Fans don’t see what’s going on. Fans cannot see that they are selling their Yankee souls for the glitz and glamour of wider seats and a big screen in center. They are being tricked by the ownership who are promising a great future in a new ballpark. I can’t understand the stupid/fake fans who are happy to sell their Yankee pride for a lavish new ballpark. What saddens me the most is the thought that when the day comes when my grandson asks me where “The Babe” used to smack home runs, I’m going to have to point across the street to the parking lot. It’s supposed to be “The House That Ruth Built”, not the house that Steinbrenner built. They would never build another stadium in Boston. Or Chicago (cubs), so why here? They love Fenway and Wrigley. It’s holy to them it’s a place that they take pride in, which they’ve called home for almost 100 years now, and its unheard of for them to replace their stadiums. So why Yankee stadium? If anything Yankee stadium is 20 times holier and more magical than those ballparks. So how could we replace it? How could we be replacing and destroying such a beloved ballpark here in New York? Let me tell you something people the ghost of Yankee Stadium are not moving across the street. They are staying put in the hallowed ground where they belong. So good luck Yankees. I was so comfortable in the old park I felt at home. I felt like I was a somebody. This new ball-park is just the opposite I feel lost and confused. My usual upper deck seats are farther up and further back. I feel like I’m in corporation land and rich people land. This new stadium has no energy, it’s like watching a game in a freaking Starbucks. The reason why this is so is because its filled with rich corporate businessman pricks who aren’t real fans, don’t know how to make noise, and don’t show up to the games when the weather is bad. I miss the cracks of the old stadium. Each crack acting like a wrinkle on an old mans face representing so many years of great memories and tradition. I miss the thunderous roar and the way the old stadium would shake when the Yankees would play well.
Another thing about this new stadium is that ticket prices have soared as much as over 100%. There are tremendously fewer affordable seats (when I say affordable I mean $30 and under). The only people benefiting from this new stadium are the big companies and rich executives who have no respect for tradition and pride. They are the ones who will be receiving more and more money each year on behalf of every single fan who attends a game. The Yankees built this new stadium and are charging more for tickets without any regard to those who cannot afford to pay more. By raising prices, they are only catering to their rich clientele who don’t mind spending more because they can afford it. They are totally disregarding the smaller guys who can no longer afford to take their family out to the ballpark. They would much rather have new wide seats and a big scoreboard then to satisfy ALL their fans.
Reason number 2 why I hate the Yankees is because these new owners (hank & Hal) are a joke. George Steinbrenner was a man of integrity who was respected and feared. These new owners are nothing more than just DNA lottery winners who are extremely unprofessional with their comments, that they make Mike Tyson look like a genius. Hank Steinbrenner is known to make foolish outrageous comments perhaps for the reason that he wants to live up to and replicate his dad. However there will never be another George Steinbrenner. George Steinbrenner built himself through hard work and perseverance. Hank and Hal cannot become him overnight. They should flat-out stop trying to become him because those are shoes that they just wont be able to fill.
Reason number 3 why I hate the Yankees is because of Joe Girardi. I happen to think that he’s an awful manager who is arrogant, unintelligent, impatient with the media, and stubborn who plays way too much by the books. I rant much more about Girardi in rants # 1 and 2.
Ever since the season of 2004, I’ve lost my passion, my fire and desire,my mojo for the Yankees. The reason why this is so is because Boston beat us and went on to win the World Series. Not only did they beat us, but they did so in dramatic fashion winning 4 straight games against us after having their backs up against the wall being down 3-0 in the ALCS.
2003 was the highest point of my baseball career. When Aaron Boone hit that home run in the 11th inning to knock Boston out of the playoffs, I was ecstatic. That was without a doubt the most exciting game and the most exciting series that I’ve ever seen in my life. That series was highlighted with such heated competition and a famous brawl where Pedro Martinez beat up Don Zimmer and was beautifully capped off with Aaron Boone’s shot deep to left. I didn’t even care that the Yankees went on to lose to the Marlins in the World Series. Nobody seemed to care. We were still celebrating our victory over Boston. That was our World Series as far as we were concerned. It was such a higher stage than the actual World Series against the Marlins. However, the fairy tale ending did not last long..
I went from such a high in 2003 to such a low in 2004 when Boston got their revenge by beating us in the ALCS. I was more upset that Boston went on to win the World Series than I was about them knocking us out. The reason why this is so is because that ended the “Curse of the Bambino”. They finally won. After 86 years Boston were now champions and there was no more curse. No more chanting “1918”. To me as a Yankee fan, I took tremendous pride in beating Boston every year and defending the curse. My goal for every season was to make sure Boston doesn’t win. Defend and protect the sanctity of the curse. Of course I also wanted the Yankees to win every season but more importantly was just to make sure Boston doesn’t win. We had bragging rights for 86 years until 2004. After they won I had a feeling of “GAME OVER, now what. They won. What’s there to play for now?”. Boston finally had bragging rights over us for the first time. I had and still do have a feeling of worthlessness when it comes to Yankee baseball. I feel like “what’s the point now”. Every year each team regroups and tries to accomplish the same goal and each year there’s a different winner. Yeah I get it. It’s kind of clichéic to me now. There used to be more than just trying to win every year. It was trying to win so that we could shove it in Boston’s face. That was our sense of baseball pride. Now Boston is shoving not 1 but 2 rings in our face. We are now equals with Boston. We used to be only superior but now they finally got a piece of the pie and I cannot deal with that. They knocked me out as a fan. They succeeded.
That my friends is why I am no longer the same Yankee fan that I once was
I hate the new Yankee stadium
I hate the new ownership
I hate and I mean hate Joe Girardi
These are 3 strikes and the Yankees might be out on my watch.
Nothing sickens me more than the opening of the new Yankee stadium and the closing of the old/real Yankee stadium. This is a huge tragedy. The Yankees selfishly “sold-out” when they built this new stadium. All of this just to earn a few more bucks Their was no need for this new stadium to come about. This new Yankee Stadium is totally unnecessary. The Yankees were doing just fine financially and the fans were not complaining about the old stadium. The Yankees have been breaking attendance records every year and were the richest team in baseball yet they still went ahead and selfishly built this new stadium (without any fans opinions involved) just to earn a few more bucks. They raised the prices because they can. Because they know that they have a huge fan-base and people will still show up no matter how expensive tickets are. Not only are they a sell-out when it comes to raising ticket prices, but they are also a sell-out when it comes to what they are really doing. The Yankees are all about History, Tradition, Pride, Mystique, and Awe, so how can they go ahead and move out of and destroy the building where that all took place. Their going against everything they stand for. It’s supposed to be ‘The House That Ruth Built” not the house that Steinbrenner built, and they’re going ahead and throwing all that history in such a holy ballpark down the toilet. Granted the current Yankee stadium is not the same as the original (it underwent a facelift in 1974-75), however it is still the same field. It is still the same dirt. Home plate is in the same location where Babe Ruth used to smack home runs from. Center field is in the same location where the great Joe DiMaggio once snagged fly balls. It’s the same field where guys like Gherig, Berra, and Mantle would play their hearts out. And now their throwing it all away so that fans can now watch replays on a big screen TV and have wider seats to sit in. Is that why we go to the ballpark???!!!, To sit in wide seats and have a plasma HD jumbo tron??? This is what we are throwing history out for??? Is that what it’s all about?? Gimme a break. What upsets me the most is that I feel like I’m the only fan who cares. Fans don’t see what’s going on. Fans cannot see that they are selling their Yankee souls for the glitz and glamour of wider seats and a big screen in center. They are being tricked by the ownership who are promising a great future in a new ballpark. I can’t understand the stupid/fake fans who are happy to sell their Yankee pride for a lavish new ballpark. What saddens me the most is the thought that when the day comes when my grandson asks me where “The Babe” used to smack home runs, I’m going to have to point across the street to the parking lot. It’s supposed to be “The House That Ruth Built”, not the house that Steinbrenner built. They would never build another stadium in Boston. Or Chicago (cubs), so why here? They love Fenway and Wrigley. It’s holy to them it’s a place that they take pride in, which they’ve called home for almost 100 years now, and its unheard of for them to replace their stadiums. So why Yankee stadium? If anything Yankee stadium is 20 times holier and more magical than those ballparks. So how could we replace it? How could we be replacing and destroying such a beloved ballpark here in New York? Let me tell you something people the ghost of Yankee Stadium are not moving across the street. They are staying put in the hallowed ground where they belong. So good luck Yankees. I was so comfortable in the old park I felt at home. I felt like I was a somebody. This new ball-park is just the opposite I feel lost and confused. My usual upper deck seats are farther up and further back. I feel like I’m in corporation land and rich people land. This new stadium has no energy, it’s like watching a game in a freaking Starbucks. The reason why this is so is because its filled with rich corporate businessman pricks who aren’t real fans, don’t know how to make noise, and don’t show up to the games when the weather is bad. I miss the cracks of the old stadium. Each crack acting like a wrinkle on an old mans face representing so many years of great memories and tradition. I miss the thunderous roar and the way the old stadium would shake when the Yankees would play well.
Another thing about this new stadium is that ticket prices have soared as much as over 100%. There are tremendously fewer affordable seats (when I say affordable I mean $30 and under). The only people benefiting from this new stadium are the big companies and rich executives who have no respect for tradition and pride. They are the ones who will be receiving more and more money each year on behalf of every single fan who attends a game. The Yankees built this new stadium and are charging more for tickets without any regard to those who cannot afford to pay more. By raising prices, they are only catering to their rich clientele who don’t mind spending more because they can afford it. They are totally disregarding the smaller guys who can no longer afford to take their family out to the ballpark. They would much rather have new wide seats and a big scoreboard then to satisfy ALL their fans.
Reason number 2 why I hate the Yankees is because these new owners (hank & Hal) are a joke. George Steinbrenner was a man of integrity who was respected and feared. These new owners are nothing more than just DNA lottery winners who are extremely unprofessional with their comments, that they make Mike Tyson look like a genius. Hank Steinbrenner is known to make foolish outrageous comments perhaps for the reason that he wants to live up to and replicate his dad. However there will never be another George Steinbrenner. George Steinbrenner built himself through hard work and perseverance. Hank and Hal cannot become him overnight. They should flat-out stop trying to become him because those are shoes that they just wont be able to fill.
Reason number 3 why I hate the Yankees is because of Joe Girardi. I happen to think that he’s an awful manager who is arrogant, unintelligent, impatient with the media, and stubborn who plays way too much by the books. I rant much more about Girardi in rants # 1 and 2.
Ever since the season of 2004, I’ve lost my passion, my fire and desire,my mojo for the Yankees. The reason why this is so is because Boston beat us and went on to win the World Series. Not only did they beat us, but they did so in dramatic fashion winning 4 straight games against us after having their backs up against the wall being down 3-0 in the ALCS.
2003 was the highest point of my baseball career. When Aaron Boone hit that home run in the 11th inning to knock Boston out of the playoffs, I was ecstatic. That was without a doubt the most exciting game and the most exciting series that I’ve ever seen in my life. That series was highlighted with such heated competition and a famous brawl where Pedro Martinez beat up Don Zimmer and was beautifully capped off with Aaron Boone’s shot deep to left. I didn’t even care that the Yankees went on to lose to the Marlins in the World Series. Nobody seemed to care. We were still celebrating our victory over Boston. That was our World Series as far as we were concerned. It was such a higher stage than the actual World Series against the Marlins. However, the fairy tale ending did not last long..
I went from such a high in 2003 to such a low in 2004 when Boston got their revenge by beating us in the ALCS. I was more upset that Boston went on to win the World Series than I was about them knocking us out. The reason why this is so is because that ended the “Curse of the Bambino”. They finally won. After 86 years Boston were now champions and there was no more curse. No more chanting “1918”. To me as a Yankee fan, I took tremendous pride in beating Boston every year and defending the curse. My goal for every season was to make sure Boston doesn’t win. Defend and protect the sanctity of the curse. Of course I also wanted the Yankees to win every season but more importantly was just to make sure Boston doesn’t win. We had bragging rights for 86 years until 2004. After they won I had a feeling of “GAME OVER, now what. They won. What’s there to play for now?”. Boston finally had bragging rights over us for the first time. I had and still do have a feeling of worthlessness when it comes to Yankee baseball. I feel like “what’s the point now”. Every year each team regroups and tries to accomplish the same goal and each year there’s a different winner. Yeah I get it. It’s kind of clichéic to me now. There used to be more than just trying to win every year. It was trying to win so that we could shove it in Boston’s face. That was our sense of baseball pride. Now Boston is shoving not 1 but 2 rings in our face. We are now equals with Boston. We used to be only superior but now they finally got a piece of the pie and I cannot deal with that. They knocked me out as a fan. They succeeded.
That my friends is why I am no longer the same Yankee fan that I once was
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Ultimate Yiddish Words
Yiddish is an unbelievable language. It has been a language of the Jewish people for about 1000 years. Unfortunately since WWI and WWII and our integration into American society, the language has been slowly disappearing with only few grandparents from the old country who are still alive today speaking it. It will soon be an extinct language after the last generation of European Jews die out. However, all is not lost Yiddish has influenced American culture and language and especially our Jewish culture. Many words from the Yiddish language have been adopted by Americans and are now fluently used in western American language by Jews and non-Jews alike. Here is a list of words, which I like to call the “Ultimate Yiddish Words”.
This list is not in any order:
1. Shtick- one’s theme usually comical, someone’s act (That’s his shtick)
2. Shpeil- a story or a play (That’s my shpeil)
3. Shlep- to carry with difficulty or annoyance (I don’t want to shlep all those bags to the airport), or (Its such a shlep)
4. Shlump- a discombobulated person, who’s clothing is usually wrinkled, shirt is half tucked, yarmulke is falling off the side of his head, and who’s very disorganized. Usually also heavy (Look at that shlump)
5. Meshugana- crazy (What are you? meshugana?)
6. Oy vey/Oy gevalt- oh god (What? we lost the baseball game! Oy vey)
7. Kinderlach- children (oy, look at the cute kinderlach)
8. Nebuch- a helpless, hopeless, incompetent person (He’s a nebuch)
9. Gut vucht- have a good week. Usually said after the Sabbath. (Hello Shlomo, Gut vucht!)
10. Gezuntite- god bless you. Said after someone sneezes. (hachoooo,…. Gezuntite)
11. Shluf- nap, sleep (I’m tired, I’m going to take a shluf)
12. Kvell- to beam with pride/pleasure. (Oy, I’m kvelling)
13. Veshtunkin- smells, foul odor (your veshtunkina)
14. Shmutz- dirt (you have some shmutz on your face)
15. Gezunte hey- so be it, whatever (If that’s what he wants to do, gezunte hey)
16. Tsai gezunt- synonym for Gezunte hey
17. Kainehara- good for you, god bless you (he’s 95 years old and his mind is still sharp, kainehara)
18. Shmuck- idiot, negative word to describe someone (you stupid shmuck!!)
19. Yuntiff- holiday (Good Yuntiff)
20. Yasher koach- good job, usually said to someone after he lead the prayer service (Yasher koach Mr. Hurowitz!!)
21. Mishpaca- Family (I have such a big Mishpacha)
22. Shvartza- black person (he’s a shvartza)
23. Nudge- annoying, pest (stop being such a nudge)
24. Kvetch- to complain (stop being such a kvetch)
25. Shnoz- nose, usually referring to a big one (look at the size of that shnoz!)
26. Rachmanus- pitty (have some rachmanus on him)
27. Mamish- really (this is mamish amazing)
28. Chutzpa- nerve (what a chutzpa he is to not bring a gift!)
29. Nachus- joy, pleasure (you should bring lots of nachus to your entire family)
30. Hoodlum- street punks (a bunch of hoodlums were chasing me down the block)
31. Tsarus- grief, hardship (we should hear of no more tsarus)
32. Yenta- female gossiper (don’t tell Fannie, shes such a yente)
33. Schnur- begger, moocher/freeloder (the schnurs are now collecting)
34. Schtickle- a alittle bit (“Suzy, give me schtickle of fluoride”-Tim Watley (SEINFELD)
35. Shvitz- sweat (I’m schvitzing over hear)
36. Bissel- a little, very similar to schtickle (give me a bissel of matzo ball soup)
37. Bubbe,Zaide,Mami,Tati- Grandma, grandpa, mother, father
38. Goy- non-jew (hes a goy)
39. Klutz- clumsy, Steve Erkle (don’t let him carry the glass, hes a clutz)
40. Mentch- good boy, well behaved, good manners (what a mentch)
41. Schmooze- talk (moishe is such a schmoozer, he can talk for hours)
42. Shikse- non jewish woman (what!? He’s marrying a shikse?)
43. Chachke- a souveneir, goody, usually crap (I bought a few chatchkes from my trip)
44. Tuchus- butt (look at the size of that tuchus!)
45. Shiduch- blind date, dating match (that’s a very good shidduch)
46. Nosh- to snack, eat (I’m going to nosh on some chips)
47. Faigela- gay (he’s such a faigela)
48. Shmendrick- fool, jerk (you stupid shmendrick)
49. Macher- big shot (you know Bernie? He’s a real big macher in the company)
50. Shmekle- penis (nobody wants to see your shmekle)
51. Shtup- either to tip with money, or to have sex with (shtup him $20 and he’ll let you in)
52. Sheitle- wig (oh my, that’s a beautiful sheitle your wearing)
53. Frum- religious (the mendelson’s are a frum family
54. Shtark- very religious (eitan is a very shtark boy)
55. Bubkes- nothing usually describing money (I don’t want that job, it pays bubkes)
56. Vus Machten- whats new? (nu vus machten?)
57. Faklempt- emotionally choked up, overwhelmed ("Talk amoungst yourselves, I'm alittle faklempt") -Coffee Talk (SNL)
58. Shmatah- dirty rag which is used to clean (wash it off with a shmata)
59. Bubba Maisa- bullshit, not true (that story is such a bubba maisa)
60. Frabrengen- celebration, party with songs and joy (lets frabrengen!!)
61. Shvach- so so, not good (the party was very shvach)
62. Heimish- old school, homelike, warm (the food is very heimish)
63. Laibadik- lively (everyone was so laibadik)
This list is not in any order:
1. Shtick- one’s theme usually comical, someone’s act (That’s his shtick)
2. Shpeil- a story or a play (That’s my shpeil)
3. Shlep- to carry with difficulty or annoyance (I don’t want to shlep all those bags to the airport), or (Its such a shlep)
4. Shlump- a discombobulated person, who’s clothing is usually wrinkled, shirt is half tucked, yarmulke is falling off the side of his head, and who’s very disorganized. Usually also heavy (Look at that shlump)
5. Meshugana- crazy (What are you? meshugana?)
6. Oy vey/Oy gevalt- oh god (What? we lost the baseball game! Oy vey)
7. Kinderlach- children (oy, look at the cute kinderlach)
8. Nebuch- a helpless, hopeless, incompetent person (He’s a nebuch)
9. Gut vucht- have a good week. Usually said after the Sabbath. (Hello Shlomo, Gut vucht!)
10. Gezuntite- god bless you. Said after someone sneezes. (hachoooo,…. Gezuntite)
11. Shluf- nap, sleep (I’m tired, I’m going to take a shluf)
12. Kvell- to beam with pride/pleasure. (Oy, I’m kvelling)
13. Veshtunkin- smells, foul odor (your veshtunkina)
14. Shmutz- dirt (you have some shmutz on your face)
15. Gezunte hey- so be it, whatever (If that’s what he wants to do, gezunte hey)
16. Tsai gezunt- synonym for Gezunte hey
17. Kainehara- good for you, god bless you (he’s 95 years old and his mind is still sharp, kainehara)
18. Shmuck- idiot, negative word to describe someone (you stupid shmuck!!)
19. Yuntiff- holiday (Good Yuntiff)
20. Yasher koach- good job, usually said to someone after he lead the prayer service (Yasher koach Mr. Hurowitz!!)
21. Mishpaca- Family (I have such a big Mishpacha)
22. Shvartza- black person (he’s a shvartza)
23. Nudge- annoying, pest (stop being such a nudge)
24. Kvetch- to complain (stop being such a kvetch)
25. Shnoz- nose, usually referring to a big one (look at the size of that shnoz!)
26. Rachmanus- pitty (have some rachmanus on him)
27. Mamish- really (this is mamish amazing)
28. Chutzpa- nerve (what a chutzpa he is to not bring a gift!)
29. Nachus- joy, pleasure (you should bring lots of nachus to your entire family)
30. Hoodlum- street punks (a bunch of hoodlums were chasing me down the block)
31. Tsarus- grief, hardship (we should hear of no more tsarus)
32. Yenta- female gossiper (don’t tell Fannie, shes such a yente)
33. Schnur- begger, moocher/freeloder (the schnurs are now collecting)
34. Schtickle- a alittle bit (“Suzy, give me schtickle of fluoride”-Tim Watley (SEINFELD)
35. Shvitz- sweat (I’m schvitzing over hear)
36. Bissel- a little, very similar to schtickle (give me a bissel of matzo ball soup)
37. Bubbe,Zaide,Mami,Tati- Grandma, grandpa, mother, father
38. Goy- non-jew (hes a goy)
39. Klutz- clumsy, Steve Erkle (don’t let him carry the glass, hes a clutz)
40. Mentch- good boy, well behaved, good manners (what a mentch)
41. Schmooze- talk (moishe is such a schmoozer, he can talk for hours)
42. Shikse- non jewish woman (what!? He’s marrying a shikse?)
43. Chachke- a souveneir, goody, usually crap (I bought a few chatchkes from my trip)
44. Tuchus- butt (look at the size of that tuchus!)
45. Shiduch- blind date, dating match (that’s a very good shidduch)
46. Nosh- to snack, eat (I’m going to nosh on some chips)
47. Faigela- gay (he’s such a faigela)
48. Shmendrick- fool, jerk (you stupid shmendrick)
49. Macher- big shot (you know Bernie? He’s a real big macher in the company)
50. Shmekle- penis (nobody wants to see your shmekle)
51. Shtup- either to tip with money, or to have sex with (shtup him $20 and he’ll let you in)
52. Sheitle- wig (oh my, that’s a beautiful sheitle your wearing)
53. Frum- religious (the mendelson’s are a frum family
54. Shtark- very religious (eitan is a very shtark boy)
55. Bubkes- nothing usually describing money (I don’t want that job, it pays bubkes)
56. Vus Machten- whats new? (nu vus machten?)
57. Faklempt- emotionally choked up, overwhelmed ("Talk amoungst yourselves, I'm alittle faklempt") -Coffee Talk (SNL)
58. Shmatah- dirty rag which is used to clean (wash it off with a shmata)
59. Bubba Maisa- bullshit, not true (that story is such a bubba maisa)
60. Frabrengen- celebration, party with songs and joy (lets frabrengen!!)
61. Shvach- so so, not good (the party was very shvach)
62. Heimish- old school, homelike, warm (the food is very heimish)
63. Laibadik- lively (everyone was so laibadik)
64. Shvitz- to sweat (that boy is shvitzing from playing sports)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Republicans vs Democrats
What’s the deal with Republicans and Democrats. Their views and beliefs are not consistent with each other. (more so with democrats then republicans which we’ll get into in a minute) their ideas do not match up consistently with themselves. Sometimes, they even seem to be hypocritical and contradictory in comparison with everything else they believe in. For example: Democrats care all about the environment and want to save the planet and are obsessed with global warming and put billions of dollars into these issues, yet they are pro-choice/abortion. They care so much about saving the trees but are okay with killing unborn babies.
Republicans are anti many things and are strict and rigid with their rules. They seem to have the reputation of being disciplinarian/no fun/old school party poopers. So why are they pro-guns? Why guns? Democrats are the opposite. They are liberal/free spirited/anything goes type people. So why would they be anti guns? Because the republicans like them? Their cool with everything else, so why anti-guns?
These things just don’t make sense to me. Another point I want to make about democrats and republicans is that it seems to me that democrat/liberals are very intimidating over republicans. Its almost as if republicans are accused of being racists. Republicans are not nearly as open about being republican as democrats are. (at least in the northeast where I’m from) you see a million Obama bumper stickers and you don’t see a single McCain one. It’s almost as if people are scared to put a McCain bumper sticker on their car out of fear of vandalism.
Republicans may be viewed as racist and unfair but in reality they are rational and realistic as opposed to democrats who are optimistic idealists. Democrats are more emotional and don’t exactly add up all the ramifications to what they want to achieve, while republicans are realists and go by what facts and history tells them not by what their heart tells them and therefore they might unfairly be accused as being cynics/party poopers when in reality their just trying to be smart and rational as possible, which is what’s good for our country!! Its what makes sense!!! Its what really gets things done!!!
Republicans are anti many things and are strict and rigid with their rules. They seem to have the reputation of being disciplinarian/no fun/old school party poopers. So why are they pro-guns? Why guns? Democrats are the opposite. They are liberal/free spirited/anything goes type people. So why would they be anti guns? Because the republicans like them? Their cool with everything else, so why anti-guns?
These things just don’t make sense to me. Another point I want to make about democrats and republicans is that it seems to me that democrat/liberals are very intimidating over republicans. Its almost as if republicans are accused of being racists. Republicans are not nearly as open about being republican as democrats are. (at least in the northeast where I’m from) you see a million Obama bumper stickers and you don’t see a single McCain one. It’s almost as if people are scared to put a McCain bumper sticker on their car out of fear of vandalism.
Republicans may be viewed as racist and unfair but in reality they are rational and realistic as opposed to democrats who are optimistic idealists. Democrats are more emotional and don’t exactly add up all the ramifications to what they want to achieve, while republicans are realists and go by what facts and history tells them not by what their heart tells them and therefore they might unfairly be accused as being cynics/party poopers when in reality their just trying to be smart and rational as possible, which is what’s good for our country!! Its what makes sense!!! Its what really gets things done!!!
One more thing about democrats/liberals. They care so much about global warming and give it so much attention with media coverage and put so much money and energy into it. Fine, I agree that its important, but shouldn't we be worrying about other things, like Iran and other terrorist countries that want to kill us. shouldn't we be worried about whats gonna happen with the world tomorrow as opposed to whats gonna be with the world in millions of years from now. By that time we'll have the technology to defeat global warming anyways. So lets worry about the state of the world TODAY and not worry about the world when our great-great grandchildren times 100 are roaming the earth.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Judaism Is A Race
Dear ladies and gentlemen, If Judaism is supposed to be a religion and not a race then why is a Jew categorized as being a Jew instead of being categorized as an American or Polish or German? Christians aren’t categorized as being Christian. Their categorized by what region their heritage is from. (Irish or Italian). So why are Jews categorized and defined and labeled by their religion while everyone else is categorized by country? Its Because Judaism is treated as a race that’s why.
The Death of The Encore
An Encore is the act of a band coming back out on stage to perform one last song after they’ve already finished the show. This is done out of the reaction from the fans who cheer and refuse to leave the venue until the band comes back out. An encore is basically one last free bonus song for the fans. It’s a reward to the fans for being so great and so energetic, and it’s a testament to the band for rocking their hearts out.
However real encores are dead and gone. They’ve been replaced with predictable clischéic encores, which are now part of the show. There is no such thing as a real encore anymore like there was back in the days of Woodstock. They are now part of the act, which degrades and puts a damper on the true definition of an encore. The lights don’t even turn on after the “band finishes” but before the fake “encore” (for Pete’s sake at least make the encore look real). The band would still come out for an encore even if the crowd didn’t make a peep, because its now part of the show.
An encore is supposed to be something that the band earns for being awesome and rocking the venue. But these fake/predictable/clichéic/trite encores ruin the spontaneity and integrity of what a true encore should be.
Shame on you people.
However real encores are dead and gone. They’ve been replaced with predictable clischéic encores, which are now part of the show. There is no such thing as a real encore anymore like there was back in the days of Woodstock. They are now part of the act, which degrades and puts a damper on the true definition of an encore. The lights don’t even turn on after the “band finishes” but before the fake “encore” (for Pete’s sake at least make the encore look real). The band would still come out for an encore even if the crowd didn’t make a peep, because its now part of the show.
An encore is supposed to be something that the band earns for being awesome and rocking the venue. But these fake/predictable/clichéic/trite encores ruin the spontaneity and integrity of what a true encore should be.
Shame on you people.
School Is For Losers
The reason why I am adamantly anti-school is because I truly believe that its bullshit. There’s no reason why we need to spend 1/3 of our lives sitting in a boring classroom to prepare us for the world. We are overeducated as a nation.
Idealistically, the point of school is to create smart intelligent people who will be beneficial to society. However most people are not smart and intelligent. In fact most people are downright stupid. So then what’s the point of making them go through the entire educational system? The point of making everyone go to school is so that the small percent smart kids can get discovered and go on to become successful members of society. So what about the other 90% of stupid kids? They have to suffer through the school system without getting anything in return. So basically we make everyone suffer through the educational system just so that the smart kids can get weeded out.
Another part of the educational system, which I am adamantly against, is College. Yes we need doctors and lawyers. But there’s no reason why they have to waste 4 years of their lives in undergrad learning about sociology and anthropology. It’s a waste of time. College is also a waste of time and money unless your going to major in the business field. Certain majors such as anthropology, sociology, and philosophy are pointless. What’s a major in sociology going to do for you? I never met a sociologist before and I’m pretty sure the philosophy business died out about 500 years ago. I’m not sure how profitable these degrees are. In my opinion people should go out into the workforce after 8th grade. I’ll even settle for 10th (let them grow a bit more in physical stature). The only thing that high school and college does for you is to train you to cheat the system and take the easy way out. It teaches how to cheat and be deceitful. (at least from what I’ve seen in my experience).
You may be wondering why I’m attending college if I’m so against it. The only reason why I’m currently in college is because it’s become a sociological requirement. If more people from my background didn’t go to college then I wouldn’t. I’m not willing to be the first pioneer (the Martin Luther king of anti-education), however I will write about it like I’m doing here. Let me tell you this. I am not an ounce smarter after attending college. It was a waste of time and I only did it because I had to. I never understood those kids who go to 50 thousand dollar a year colleges. Unless you’re a straight A student and your going to eventually get into Harvard Law then it is the biggest waste of money. Instead of giving away the 50 G’s a year to a college, wouldn’t you rather want to invest it. Over the course of your 4 year college education you will have spent 200 thousand dollars in school. Wouldn’t you rather take that 200 G and build yourself financially with that money instead of giving it away? Instead of going to NYU for 50 thousand a year, go to Queens for 4 a year and put the rest of that money in your pocket.
And to all those who say “well I go to college because I like learning and education and knowledge”. To that I say: watch a fuckin documentary on whatever topic your interested in. you don’t need to take an in depth course which delves into a topic rigidly, and tests you on it, and make you write pain in the ass papers about it. If I’m interested in something I watch a documentary on it or I wikipedia it. I don’t sign up for a course that’s going to end up being a pain in the ass burden for me.
Idealistically, the point of school is to create smart intelligent people who will be beneficial to society. However most people are not smart and intelligent. In fact most people are downright stupid. So then what’s the point of making them go through the entire educational system? The point of making everyone go to school is so that the small percent smart kids can get discovered and go on to become successful members of society. So what about the other 90% of stupid kids? They have to suffer through the school system without getting anything in return. So basically we make everyone suffer through the educational system just so that the smart kids can get weeded out.
Another part of the educational system, which I am adamantly against, is College. Yes we need doctors and lawyers. But there’s no reason why they have to waste 4 years of their lives in undergrad learning about sociology and anthropology. It’s a waste of time. College is also a waste of time and money unless your going to major in the business field. Certain majors such as anthropology, sociology, and philosophy are pointless. What’s a major in sociology going to do for you? I never met a sociologist before and I’m pretty sure the philosophy business died out about 500 years ago. I’m not sure how profitable these degrees are. In my opinion people should go out into the workforce after 8th grade. I’ll even settle for 10th (let them grow a bit more in physical stature). The only thing that high school and college does for you is to train you to cheat the system and take the easy way out. It teaches how to cheat and be deceitful. (at least from what I’ve seen in my experience).
You may be wondering why I’m attending college if I’m so against it. The only reason why I’m currently in college is because it’s become a sociological requirement. If more people from my background didn’t go to college then I wouldn’t. I’m not willing to be the first pioneer (the Martin Luther king of anti-education), however I will write about it like I’m doing here. Let me tell you this. I am not an ounce smarter after attending college. It was a waste of time and I only did it because I had to. I never understood those kids who go to 50 thousand dollar a year colleges. Unless you’re a straight A student and your going to eventually get into Harvard Law then it is the biggest waste of money. Instead of giving away the 50 G’s a year to a college, wouldn’t you rather want to invest it. Over the course of your 4 year college education you will have spent 200 thousand dollars in school. Wouldn’t you rather take that 200 G and build yourself financially with that money instead of giving it away? Instead of going to NYU for 50 thousand a year, go to Queens for 4 a year and put the rest of that money in your pocket.
And to all those who say “well I go to college because I like learning and education and knowledge”. To that I say: watch a fuckin documentary on whatever topic your interested in. you don’t need to take an in depth course which delves into a topic rigidly, and tests you on it, and make you write pain in the ass papers about it. If I’m interested in something I watch a documentary on it or I wikipedia it. I don’t sign up for a course that’s going to end up being a pain in the ass burden for me.
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