Further to My Previous Correspondence....

Sometimes I have little moments of inner-dialogue.
...like ever since I went swimming again this week.
Me: "Hello my various muscles that have, for the last 10 years, mastered the art of keeping my upright in my chair".
Triceps: "I hate you."
Hamstrings: "Yeah, me too"
Me: "Don't be silly! You'll thank me later!"

Sigh. I know - I really should get out more.

It's That Time of Year...

No, I'm not channeling my 'inner Vogue'... okay - I'm wont to do that sometimes.... But I mean that I'm swimming again! I know, a little excited - but it's seriously so great! I've located a master's swimming team here in Haifa - they're really good and there's a coach and everything!

Truth? I'm heck-of out of shape, though friends. Sigh. Oh well - all you need is time, right? Image courtesy of Cardigan Empire

So now that we're in the full swing of summer - how about you guys? Any hobbies that get some face time at this time of year? Or do you love your hobbies more consistently than I do?

With Liberty And Justice For All...

I first saw Dorthea Lange's Pledge of Allegiance, Raphael Weill Elementary School, San Francisco in 2002 at the Getty - and I was almost immediately blown away by the simultaneous power and tender emotion in this picture.
This picture - of a school yard full of little girls reciting the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States in 1942 - becomes more profound when you learn that within a few short months of the taking of this picture the United States government placed thousands of Japanese Americans in 'detainment camps'. Even these little girls.
The United States has come a long way in the roughly 70 years since the days and attitudes surrounding World War II; but if you examine - and closely compare - contemporary events with current events, I think you'll find mind numbing similarities. Consider particularly that if the economic uncertainty hasn't reached the devasting proportions experienced during the Depression, then the world seems determined to ignore the lessons learned from the Armenian genocide, the attempted extermination of the Jewish people, of Gypsies, and of anyone who questioned Stalin. In fact the appalling number of genocides occuring on a daily basis has sadly eclipsed the evils suffered by millions in the beginning part of the last century - at least in terms of diversity.
Friends, we can't afford to ignore history - excuse me for waxing pedantic, but I think we all know what happens as a result of that - but let us learn from it.
Let us, too, consider the Pledge of Allegiance, let us be "indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

That Deserves A Wow...

As per usual, I'm dealing with international releases on movies - so I'm of course late to the party - but friends? This movie is rad. Amazing, even.

Image: Courtesy of a random Goog.le search.

Thank you.

Sometimes You Feel Like...

An undercover Ninja.

Stealthy? Check.

Crafty? Hecks yes.

*shout out to Naysan for the head's up - you're a peach*

It Only Gets Better....

So there's something to be said about driving (or was it riding?) off into the sunset - but what's better than sailing off into the sunset? Yeah, I know.

Venice, courtesy of The Sartorialist

Field Trip...!

So I went hiking in this rad little canyon (gorge?) just north of the Sea of Galilee last weekend called Yehudia. It was amazing! Hike down to a snow-melt fed creek (super tiny river) with nice swimming holes and waterfalls....

Let's just say that there are ways and ways of getting down, hmmmm?

Yes, I rocked the second hand soccer shorts and requisite wife-beater/tank-top.

It's how I roll.