Magic Jewball

I know that classic rock is woefully underrepresented in iSotW’s so let’s help put a bit more on this side of the scale, shall we? Because classic rock is still my first love, the style of music that first made me realize that this what I loved best in the world and that, in fact, my whole future would be based on it.

There are several reasons I’m choosing this song and it being my favorite song by Yes isn’t even one of them. Because it’s not. My favorite Yes song is And You And I which may be the one song with the most other songs contained within it. Part of that is because it’s 11 minutes long (this is one of the shorter ones at five and a half minutes). But mostly it’s because, although AYAI is really a beautiful and haunting song(s), it’s not the mood I’m in at the moment, and that mood would be happiness. See, I think if I had to attach one track to the feeling of joy and hope and bubbling optimism, it would be this one. Like most Yes songs, I have no idea at all what it’s about, I just go on mood and tone. And it just feels like “great things are happening!” and it always has, ever since childhood. And that’s how I’m feeling just now at this juncture.

The other reason to pick a Yes song is because I’ve recently (shut up!) put up a real and actual Facebook profile under my childhood nickname in order to connect with old friends. It has been awesome! One person I could not find, though, was my freshman roommate from college and I’m sorry about that because I just saw that Yes is getting it back together and taking it on the road. I know I’ve mentioned this before but I turned her on to Yes and she turned me onto the Beatles. Since we had to agree on a CD to play as we went to sleep, I heard a lot of Classic Yes and Revolver that year. I guess I wonder if her love for Yes has lasted as long as mine for the Fab Four. And now I’ll never know because she’s not on FB. Damn.

Lastly but not leastly, I picked this song because its title encapsulates what I have been feeling as I enter the last two weeks of training for my first 5k, the Philly Race for the Cure. Too bad it has no beat or I’d run to it.

Still, I assume I’ll be doing the same thing at that race as I am every time I listen to this song: grinning like an idiot.

Napster:
Yes – Going For The One

Streaming audio available on the iPod Song of the Week page.

Is it still Tuesday? I know, that’s when I said J-Ball would return. Crazy people! J-ball is always here right in your computer! I, however, have been busy planning the most fabulous May known to mankind. Not only am I seeing a whole bunch of shows (did someone say Duran Duran?) and still training tirelessly (actually, that’s a lie, I’m really really tired) for Philly Komen on Mother’s Day, but I’ve booked a trip to see Maureen & TJ and lots of other people I dig in Atlanta the week after.

That is to say, I haven’t been blogging. Listen, making dinner out of matzah mel and potato starch is hard work. It wears a person down. I did discover a new chocolate pudding that is Casher Lepessah, meaning it’s both Kosher for Passover and French. That kind of scares me because the use-by date is 6/4 which says to me that everywhere in the world other than here it’s expired. I choose to remain ignorant, however. It’s for export, right? Right?

Is that girl wearing a kipah? Maybe it’s a long-haired boy.

The Sugarcubes – Delicious Demon

Well, I met Tami and I know you will all be shocked, shocked to learn that she did not come to New York in a bonnet. I didn’t even make that up! Tami said she should have come to NY in a bonnet. I didn’t even have a mental association between Mormons and bonnets. But now I do! Note to self: Laura Ingalls – Mormon.

Anyway, you may wonder what’s with all the Mormon hype but I really do think there’s a big connection between the experience of being Jewish in America and being LDS. People don’t get us and think we’re wacky. They say things like, “do you wear weird underwear? How come you go to Temple and not church? I couldn’t live without alcohol-caffeine/lobster-McDonald’s. You believe that literally? It’s 2008!”

So Tami and I bonded and decided to call ourselves MormoJew in a show of unity. She even told me the secret of why those break away polygamists (who are NOT Mormons, by the way) have such high hair. Like I’m going to tell you! I told her how Jewish ladies don’t have to wear a tallit (prayer shawl to the less Jewey – you can see them in Fiddler on the Roof, as Tami did) and she told me that Mormon ladies don’t have to go on missions. But she did. She went to Sri Lanka and exploded from spicy food.

Speaking of spicy food, here is Tami, at left, with former Reader of the Month, RNerd, and our waiter, Mr. SellALot. Shhh, he doesn’t realize he’s on this blog. We left your tip in the Ganesha, Mr. SellALot!

To all the world’s religions, happy Passover, happy Orthodox Easter, happy Papal visit! JBall will be back Tuesday!

Swear to God! This is my favorite Duran Duran song.
Duran Duran – New Religion

Dear Catholic visitors to New York,

How come the excitement over the Pontiff’s visit + the brevity of said visit do not cause you to move faster but rather to cluster in large groups at subway entrances and other places I need to get through quickly? Just sayin’!

Also, if you could all pray for the Yankees’ success whilst at Yankee Stadium, that would be beyond awesome and also might make up for the rest of this stuff.

Happy Passover!
Becca

PS, to all religions: I’m meeting my first Mormon this week! Stay tuned for updates.

R.E.M. – Losing My Religion

And you thought people in Israel couldn’t get more depressed!

Apparently, Morrissey will be playing Tel Aviv! And he has put together this adorable publicity spot to let the people of Israel know where to see him. That faux tattoo on his arm says “Israel” in Hebrew.

I’m blowing kisses right back at you, Morrissey! Chag sameach!

[youtube width=”425″ height=”355″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66WTRhNcnNo[/youtube]