Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Who, or What, is a "Hebrew"??

Although I really should be working on an essay that is due this Thursday, I can't resist answering another question of etymology. This one is closer to my heart, as I've grown quite fond of the symantics behind the historical continuum that constitutes the Hebrew language. Where does the word "Hebrew" come from? I've accepted the reality of this english word for a very long time without ever questioning what it means (other than the proper name of a language that people from my ethnicity might speak). It appears as though the word has biblical origins. Like many other hebrew words, it was transliterated in a strange way into the form which you now see before you!

Take a look at the explanation that I found off of a site called the Biblical Hebrew Magazine.


The root עבר means to "cross over" or "pass through". As names play a very significant role of the ancient peoples of the Near East, this name and its meaning is indicative of Abraham and his descendents. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were nomads who by definition are ones who travel or pass through many lands on their nomadic journey. In Genesis 12:6 we read (From the KJV) "And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land." The phrase "passed through" is the Hebrew verb עבר (the same word as the noun/name Eber).


Curious isn't it? My ancestors were properly known as nomads. This seems to be the general trend throughout history. Jews have 'crossed over' borders into many countries, and have been harassed and made to 'pass through' to yet other areas, in hopes of some respite from their troubles. How is it that a nation which relied on so many different forces of nature (i.e. the sun, the rain, the soil, the animals, the plants and the wind) came to conceive of only one god? Why is it that these nomads had the single greatest influence on the Western world?

An acquaintance, with whom I was chatting earlier on today, spoke of Christianity and how it served to spread Judaism's message of Monotheism to most of the Western world. I don't know if this would be a sound argument to make, but Monotheism seems to complement nicely the political structure of Monarchy. One King, many subjects. Was it this political compatibility which led to such a strong impetus to convert everyone? Did it turn people into such subservient subjects so as to facilitate the reign of kings throughout ages?

History is interesting, isn't it?

Hebraically,

- Inkhorn

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Etymology of the word 'Fag'

Since I seem to have gotten a good response from the last etymology posting to my blog (See my blog about the word Kike) I felt that it would be fun to do some quick internet research into the history of the the word "Fag".

I found a really neat online etymology website, and here is its response to 'Fag'.

fag (v.)
"to droop, decline, tire," 1530, apparently an alteration of flag in its verbal sense of "droop." Trans. sense of "to make (someone or something) fatigued" is first attested 1826.
fag (n.)
British slang for "cigarette" (originally, especially, the butt of a smoked cigarette), 1888, probably from fag-end "extreme end, loose piece" (1613), from fag "loose piece" (1486), perhaps related to fag (v.).
faggot (1)
1279, "bundle of twigs bound up," from O.Fr. fagot "bundle of sticks," from It. faggotto, dim. of V.L. *facus, from L. fascis "bundle of wood" (see fasces). Esp. used for burning heretics (a sense attested from 1555), so that phrase fire and faggot was used to mean "punishment of a heretic." Heretics who recanted were required to wear an embroidered figure of a faggot on their sleeve, as an emblem and reminder of what they deserved.
faggot (2)
"male homosexual," 1914, Amer.Eng. slang (shortened form fag is from 1921), probably from earlier contemptuous term for "woman" (1591), especially an old and unpleasant one, in reference to faggot (1) "bundle of sticks," as something awkward that has to be carried (cf. baggage). It was used in this sense in 20c. by D.H. Lawrence and James Joyce, among others. It may also be reinforced by Yiddish faygele "homosexual," lit. "little bird." It also may have roots in Brit. public school slang fag "a junior who does certain duties for a senior" (1785), with suggestions of "catamite," from fag (v.). This was also used as a verb.
"He [the prefect] used to fag me to blow the chapel organ for him." ["Boy's Own Paper," 1889]
Other obsolete senses of faggot were "man hired into military service simply to fill out the ranks at muster" (1700) and "vote manufactured for party purposes" (1817). The oft-heard statement that male homosexuals were called faggots in reference to their being burned at the stake is an etymological urban legend. Burning was sometimes a punishment meted out to homosexuals in Christian Europe (on the suggestion of the Biblical fate of Sodom and Gomorah), but in England, where parliament had made homosexuality a capital offense in 1533, hanging was the method prescribed. Any use of faggot in connection with public executions had long become an English historical obscurity by the time the word began to be used for "male homosexual" in 20th century American slang, whereas the contemptuous slang word for "woman" (and the other possible sources or influences listed here) was in active use.


The word has quite a long history! I wonder how people would react if they realized that every time they were calling someone a fag that the very term harkens back to burning people at the stake? Its use would probably change quite a bit.

We all seem to have so many words that carry sharp judgments along with them. I can't say that I'm innocent of judging people, but in the final calculation it seems like there will always be ways of categorizing 'us', 'kind of us', 'not really us' and 'definitely them'.

Discriminatingly,

- Inkhorn

Friday, November 25, 2005

Back to Yeshiva?

Well it's that time of the year again...

I get a break from my work! Since work is such an integral part of my life another option has popped into existence as of late: namely, going to study at Yeshiva.

Yeshiva is a very challenging environment for me to be in. For a recap on my summer Yeshiva experience, you may want to read This, This, and this!.

There's actually a lot more than what I just cited. If you're interested click on the July archive on my blog and read away!

Anyway I think that all in all it's a really stimulating environment to be in. If I go down there this time, I will strive to spend my time as independently as I can. I say this because last time they slotted me into a program that I was influenced to follow. Sometimes the program actually became a bit too advanced for me, and sometimes it was a bit too boring. If I take a more independent route then I'll be picking and choosing the classes I do and do not go to. I can also just study Jewish texts with a single study partner if that's what is best in a given circumstance.

I think I want to do this. It would potentially be between December the 18th to the 25th. I really like getting out of the familiar. Another benefit is that I get a lot of interesting issues to rant about when I'm at Yeshiva!

Yay!

Yeshivishly,

- Inkhorn

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Money....Sigh........

The Graduate School application process has begun. I just filled out my first online application, and it was for Boston University. The whole process costed me 65 american dollars. Small beans by itself but once I fill out many more applications it will seriously hurt my credit card.

I seriously hope I get financial aid whether or not I go to an American University. I was looking at an application for the University of Southern California last night. According to their estimates, being there costs around 37 000 dollars! Lots of money, damn!

Anyway I feel the need to fill out more applications and spend more of my money.



Yay........................


Impoverishedly,

- Inkhorn

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Pre/Post GRE


Me Before the GRE



Me After the GRE



Well I did as much studying for the GRE as I wanted to. I used a Princeton Review Psychology GRE prep book and my first year psych textbook as a supplement. I think it went rather well! I got through the whole test within the time alotted and still managed to go over every answer I gave to the test.

I'm happy that hurdle is out of the way. Now for graduate applications and all my other school work!

Shavenly,
- Inkhorn

Thursday, November 10, 2005

The Rogerian Attitude of Genuineness

I am on pretty good terms with one of my neighbours here in residence. He's an exchange student from Israel who has a very workable knowledge of the English language, which obviously makes communication that much better!

I usually pass by him when he's sitting in his room. We chat about any number of things. The topics usually broach upon the concerns that are most exigent in our lives. It's a nice thing just to be able to either "shoot the shit" when the feeling arises, or talk about those things that are more serious.

There have been times when he's had some pretty serious stuff to talk to me about, and times when I've had things that I wanted to share with him. Pretty open friendship I'd say.

Just tonight he conveyed to me that when he talks with people he can see an aura of many colours emanating from their bodies. I don't believe this is something that I can, with light heart and conscience, refute or be condescending about. I don't think that I understand everything that goes on in the existence, and that everything physical is the only reality. Why should I, someone who attends synagogue every Friday and Saturday, prays to a ubiquitous Entity, put someone down for a spiritual belief? It's something that I hope I always keep in mind when talking to people who have non-mainstream beliefs.

With that in mind I continued to talk to him about auras and colours and the like, to try and get a picture of a realm of perspective that I know not of. As the conversation progressed, I found myself getting uncomfortable with the prospect that someone is seeing some .... for lack of a better word .... autonomic expression of my body. The physical outside of the body is the boundary between what you are comfortable with the world seeing, and that which you would like to stay inside. When someone, in my experience, claims to know what is going on inside of me without asking I find it rather disconcerting. I think I was not able to stay as comfortable as I would have liked while talking to him due to a sort of defensiveness.

How can I convey a sense of genuineness when I feel like closing up that which seems to be emanating from me. It's a rather weird level to be on in a friendship.

Curious. Maybe I have to work on being more open and responsible when I feel things like that.

Reflectively,

- Inkhorn

Monday, November 07, 2005

More on Meditation!

I was in the midst of some studying today (for my Psychology GRE) when I decided to take a break. During my break I felt that it was time again to try out meditation!

I got onto my bed and assumed a cross legged sitting position with one hand holding the other. I partially closed my eyes again and concentrated on my breathing.

I found some interesting things this time.

At one point, for some reason, I started visualizing the room getting sucked into my body through my nostrils upon every inward breath, and being blown back out into place upon every outward breath.

Curiously, doing this made me very aware of most things in the room, even though my eyes were closed.

Finding this an interseting phenomenon, I decided to visualize the same thing happening with my body. The same thing that happened with the room happened with my body. My whole body tingled with an almost conversational response to my meditative awareness of it. It was very gratifying, and present centering at the same time. I felt as though I established the boundary between my body and the rest of the room in a way that I normally never think about.

Opposite to that, I found that when I was in the 'breathing in the room' mode I actually felt more connected to my environment in a very symbiotic way.

Curious stuff, this meditation!

Relaxedly,

- Inkhorn

Sunday, November 06, 2005

13 Year old Female Hitlers: Prussian Blue

So I was on the phone catching up with a friend of mine. She told me of this band that is somehow affiliated with white supremacy: Prussian blue.

I checked out their website by googling them (I won't post it here because it's not worth sullying my blog with an advertisement for them). Man are they terrible. They have a link on their blog to an interview with someone who supports a website called "Nazi Gassings". I visited this too, and was chagrined to find out that it is a web site that tries to spread Nazi propaganda to anyone who will read it. It tries to argue that 6 million Jews did not die and that few, if any Jews, were gassed in the war.

It's scary when I think of this from a relative perspective. I'm sitting here at York University where I'm taught a nice tolerant liberal education. I try my best to account for any and all prejudices I might have so that I can broaden my perspective on the world as much as possible. When I come across this bullcrap, however, I can neither accept it nor tolerate it. I guess it is too emotional for me.

I don't have any family members who are holocaust survivors, thank G-d. The feeling of revulsion I got from reading that crap was purely a result of learning about the holocaust through so many different sources. I can only imagine what someone who came out of the war would feel like when reading the material off of these 12 year old girls' website. They would be absolutely sickened. Their material devalues the existence of so many people in this world. Look at the following lyrics:


Well sit down and listen, to what I have to say. Soon will come a great
war, a bloody but holy day. And after that purging our people will be free, and
sing up in the bright skies, a sun for all to see....

Times are very tough now for a proud White man to live. And although it may
appear that this world has no life to give. Times are soon changing, this cant
go on or long. And on that joyful summer’s day we’ll sing our Victory song…

The women, they’ll smile, on Victory Day. And the children, they’ll laugh and they’ll sing and they’ll play. And the forests will echo our grace, for the brand new dawn of our Race…
You are my brother and in war we proudly sing. Our Cause shall never tire. Our gift to you we bring: A holy creed of Racial purpose, A mighty Race to defend. And when we fly our holy flag Their oppressive reign shall end….

And when we finally conquer, our people will be free. And all across this great land, the bold Truth we shall see. So as we march together, to avoid catastrophe, let’s remember always our sacred Destiny….

Before I get too tired to finish this up, I'm going to give my comments to each stanza:

- Stanza 1: They have delusions of grandeur. They believe that some day a great force is going to bear down on the minorities of the world, leaving their 'people' free. Their usage of the word purge leads me to believe that they think that people who look different from them are vile digestive aliens in need of expulsion like a bad case of alcohol indigestion.

- Stanza 2: A continuation of the delusion of grandeur. This time they emphasize the victimization of the 'White' person. The white person apparently has been rendered lifeless by the many multi-cultural minorities of the world. Shame on them for being so mean?

- Stanza 3: More waxing poetic about the potential for a world where the multi-cultural minorities have been put in their place - possibly by a 'bloody, but holy day'. The reference to the forest approving draws upon notions of the 'natural order of things'. Apparently they think white people are destined to cast off the yoke of their third world oppressors.

- Stanza 4: A reiteration of the important mission that white people have. Their usage of the words "holy creed" makes me think of the Christian crusades, when countless people died in the name of their god. They also make a further reference to "Their oppressive reign". "Their", again, probably refers to the obvious third world or other minorities who daily oppress the poor white supremacists.

- Stanza 5: A further iteration of their delusion of grandeur. Their constant usage of war terminology really heightens my belief that they really have military aspirations. They apparently want to take over Germany, maybe Europe, and secure it for the good of 'their people'. Probably referring to 'Aryans', judging by the rest of their bullcrap.

I'm really quite disgusted by this stuff. I hope they meet with severe disciplinary action.

Pro-semitically,

- Inkhorn

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Bathroom Research......

People in my residence have an awful sense of responsibility when it comes to the bathroom. They clog the toilet with toilet paper, they forget to flush their pee and they leave paper towel in the bathroom sink.

As a fun experiment I have decided to draw arrows pointing to the flush lever on the far wall of a toilet stall that I always find pee in.

I'm thinking that, when they come into the stall, the blue arrows will be one of the first things they see due to them being a vibrant change in a visually unchanging environment.

Upon seeing the blue arrows pointing to the flush lever, I am hoping that the schema in their minds that tells them how to flush the toilet will be activated so that after they are done they shall remember to do it!!!

Stay tuned for the results...

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