Skipped to vent.

I don't know if you heard it, but this summer was the most violent summers Israel has known wrt inner violences, murders, etc..

The current hype is blame it on minors who drink.

Stop. Breath. This is one of the Not Enough WTF in the World cases.

Let's ignore how violent and confusing the country I live in became (or always was, but I'm guessing that the internet revolution actually confused and didn't merged in in Israel as well as it could be). Let's ignore that my country is pretty much living of the fumes of the fuel it once had, fragmented and hurt by much of globalization process that happened the last 30 years or so. Let's ignore the destruction of the middle class in Israel, which caused a lot of "normal" families to drop under the constantly-shifted-to-make-Israel-look-better-in-global-polls poverty line.

Yeah, let's just ignore all these processes that are rotting the society of the experiment I live in, and blame it only on underage drinking. Or Jewish girls dating Arabs. Or dysfunctional families.

Because it's "them", those weirdos. Not "us", the Sabra. We're OK, and always have been, and no, have no idea what happened to us.

LA Times did a big thing on the Pioneer Woman. I've always wondered if she had major sponsorship given the prizes she gives out. Interesting to learn that some come from her earnings on the site.

I read her blog semi-regularly (mostly the photography section), and whenever a contest's prize is sponsored by someone else (Microsoft, Snapfish, etc.), she says so, fairly prominently. And when it's not, she says something like "I have no affiliation with KitchenAid; I just love their mixers more than life itself," etc.

Which is nifty.

I have to work extra hard to swallow my bitterness when I'm in yoga and the lithe young thing just does whatever I can't do, which some days, feels like everything. Of course, the point of yoga is learning to be content with where you are. But I'm still working that piece of magic.

Oh, Kat is ME! But I adore my 24 year old instructor to bits. She's very good about helping me find my place and work within my boundaries.

I adore Pioneer Woman to pieces.

The current hype is blame it on minors who drink.

Yeah, that makes sense.... Ugh.

In today's news from my job, Recent College Grad just asked me (after we received the 2010 Holiday Calendar) if we get New Year's Eve off. Yeah, no. Due to it not being on the calendar.

"Are his records due to his physiological advantages over his competitors?"

Wait, you mean people who are BETTER AT SPORTS are BETTER AT SPORTS??

Yeah, you know, it's funny -- some people do better on tests because they are naturally smarter, too.

Jesse, what about Central Square in Cambridge or the Cambridgeport area? The South End? Southie? Eastie?

I do understand the JP desire though. I don't judge- it's just my knee-jerk rant! (well, I don't judge *you*, but I judge JP a little.)

What's hilarious, Nora, is I feel (without actually being there!) that JP is the Park Slope, Brooklyn, of Boston (maybe of 5-10 years ago). And I am totally judgy about Park Slope! Upping my price limit a little in my search opened up more South End places. Also, what about the North End? That seems cute, but possible awkward to live in.

If you don't have a car, the North End is a great place to live. (so I hear) Even with a car, it's just that parking is a headache.

I have no car! And no plans to get one -- I figure I can make it work for a year if it turns out I need one, and then I can just move.