All posts by johncohn

Thursday night – Art night

September 27, 2012 johncohn Leave a comment

Busy day today.. cut off at 5:30 to run down town for a meeting of the ECHO Science committee sub team thats working on a new science/art exhibit for the Echo building. I love getting science nerds like Phelan and Cousin Bill with art nerds like Steve and Kate .. It’s always fun to see what everyone brings to the table.

I also loved the chance to walk around Steve’s shop at night. he does amazing things with metal and glass.. and has some curous art.. like this..

Speaking of art and science.. The Champlain MakerFaire is coming up this Saturday.. We already have 700 tickets pre-sold and about 150 makers, helpers and staff. That’s 850 people already coming !!! .. It should be a good crowd. I We do have a cap on the number of folks who can be in the building so please order your tickets here up front so you don’ have to wait to get in.

On that same topic, Megan at Seven Days did a really nice article on the makerfaire in this weeks addition on page 22. It even has a picture of the hoop I’ll have there.

Ok.. gotta sleep now.. more manana

nite all, nite sam
-me

Wednesday night – Yom Kippur 5773

September 26, 2012 johncohn 1 Comment

Today was Yom Kippur.. the day folks like me fast from sun down to son down . The time is to be one of deep meditation and repentance.. I fasted.. but i ended up working all day.. not just a little.. from 8Am to 6PM.. ..

Just one more thing to repent about.. Actually its not funny.. I’m working so hard right now that I’m letting other things go like sleep, and food, and family time.. I’m getting tired of it.. but its my own damn fault.

The one good thing I did do was to take a short peaceful walk with Diane mid afternoon.. That was was nice.. You could feel fall

One thing we do on Yom Kippur is to recite the Al Het.. .. ‘the confessions.. , Its like a check list in case you can’t remember all the things you slipped up on in the past year.. and (hopefully) aim to do better on in the new year.. What follows here is one of the new aged cleaned up ones.. The originals have things about about stoning and decapitation which are a bit too hard too modern sensibilities. Still, it’s amazing how little innovation there has been in sinning over the millinea.. The list still holds pretty true..

For the mistakes we committed before You under duress and willingly.
For the mistakes we committed before You through having a hard heart.
For the mistakes we committed before you through things we blurted out with our lips.
For the mistake we committed before You through harsh speech.
For the mistakes we committed before You through wronging a friend.
For the mistakes we committed before You by degrading parents and teachers.
For the mistakes we committed before You by exercising power.
For the Mistakes we committed before You against those who know, and those who do not know.
For the mistakes we have committed before You through bribery.
For the mistake we have committed before You through denial and false promises.
For the mistake we have committed before You through negative speech.
For the mistakes we have committed before You with food and drink.
For the mistakes we committed before You by being arrogant.
For the mistakes we committed before You with a strong forehead (brazenness).
For the mistakes we committed before You in throwing off the yoke (i.e. refusing to accept responsibility).
For the mistakes we committed before You through jealousy (lit: ‘a begrudging eye’).
For the mistakes we committed before You through baseless hatred.
For the mistakes we committed before You in extending the hand.
For the mistakes we committed before You through confusion of the heart.

For all these, G-d of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us.

I think my current predicament is that last one.. ‘confusion of the heart’.. I need to ratchet it down a little on the work side.. so I can have a little more peace and fun with family and friends.. I’ll try to make it so..

Hope all my landsman friends had a peaceful and meaningful day..

Shana Tova all, shana tova Sam

-me

Tuesday night – Erev Yom Kippur

September 25, 2012 johncohn Leave a comment

It’s Erev Yom Kippur, the night before Yom Kippur.. the big daddy of all Jewish holidays.. Tomorrow yidllach everywhere will blow off work and go without food and drink. All in the name of atoning for the stuff you did last year and planning better for the next..

I just had a 6 hour drive back to Vermont tonight which gave me some prime atoning time.. Generally you try to think of how you might have wronged others.. .. but last night I was thinking that ‘d been too hard on myself regularly.. maybe that sounds self serving.. but I don’t mean it that way.. anyway.. at least I know what I mean.

One other tradition is to apologize to anyone you may have wronged and to ask for their forgiveness.. so…..if I done you wrong.. i really do apologize . I wonder if the talmud has anything on the validity of atonement by social networking..

always breaking new ground here.

nite all, nite sam..

-jc

Monday night – Days of Awwwwwww

September 25, 2012 johncohn Leave a comment

Tomorrow night marks the end of the days of Awe.. the 10 days between Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur.. its supposed TO be a time of reflection about the past year and intention setting for the coming year. I guess I have been reflecting.. mostly about how much busier i let myself be than I want to be.. I do it at the cost of health, happiness, well being, friendship, love.. peace.. I’m trying to refine my resolve to be less mindlessly busy in the coming year.. I hope I can make it happen..

I’m writing from Maxs boat. but max just had to leave for work.. he’s practicing being overly busy too.. i think i taught him that.. unfortunately.. It is wonderful seeing him and Jak ..

Not much else to report for the day other than I had the pleasure of dropping in briefly to a workshop given by Dave Cuartielles, one of the 4 founders of the arduino project.. I wish I could have stayed longer.. but work has me too busy to play..

It was nice bring on the Pratt campus briefly .. brought back good memories.. and a few sad ones.. heres the room I stayed in stayed bringing max back to school a few weeks after sams passing.. That was one of the loneliest and saddest nights of my life there.