Muslims are better prayers?

Not that I’m converting to Islam anytime soon, although quite the contrary, but its interesting to note. I was talking earlier to my Muslim coworker regarding his Ramadan this month; what it actually entails and how hard it is for him. It’s always interesting listening to their side and sort of comparing it to my own religion. We never really discuss Israel, just Jews and Muslims as a religion.

As every one knows, they fast for 30 days during the day then eat at night. That itself sounds really hard. I can just imagine yesterday 30 days straight. Although yesterday’s fast wasn’t super hard (also it can be because we ate for 3 days straight which helped a bit), but I can’t imagine doing that everyday for 30 days. That’s a lot of days. He wakes up at 4 am to eat as if it’s the most normal of habits. Whenever we have these fast days, I personally eat a big meal before I go to bed at midnight so not to wake up extra early in the morning.

Besides the fast, they have a 2 hour prayer every night starting at 9 PM. The time I am usually implanted on my bed watching the tube, they are at mosque. I complain about selichos with the extra 30 min for a week, they are praying 2 hours a night (in addition to their other prayers) for 30 days straight. But he says every person comes on time, turns off their cell phone, and not a sound is heard for 2 hours. I can’t remember the last shul I have been to where that happened. Maybe I am just used to my Flatbush shul, roll in 5 or 10 min late, schmooze with some people then get down to business for a few minutes then schmooze a little more, (watch the important people check their blackberries every 10 minutes when its not shabbos), maybe I am just antzy to sit still for that long.

After talking to him, I couldnt help but think about this. For some reason I believe him that this actually goes on at the mosque. I think it’s kind of odd that there is more respect and devoted people at the mosques than we have at our frum shuls.

Disrespectful 9/11 protestors

I walked over to ground zero earlier on my lunch break to pay my respects to those that were lost six years ago. Although I’ve been there many times before as I work only a few blocks away, but I thought ill make sure to make it my business to go on the actual anniversary. But for some reason, I am always more disappointed on the actual anniversary (as I was equally disappointed last year when I stopped by for the 5th anniversary), than during any other day of the year. This day seems to bring almost as many protestors as there were mourners and visitors combined. These people claiming that it was an inside job. That evil bush and the evil government planned the attack. It’s amazing how many naïve media whores there are out there to actually think that actually happened. Never mind my personal opinion on that matter, but to have hundreds of them wearing their ‘9/11 investigates’ t-shirts screaming all around is really disrespectful and uncalled on the day when almost 2800 people died.

I usually try not to make this blog political, as it is not a political one, but certain situations like these get under my skin. This has nothing to do with frum people or Jewish people, as I am sure there were some of them as well in this group, but more of an American and New Yorker. I hope these protestors can take their idiotic beliefs elsewhere or yell on a different day and have more respect next year.

Frummie car salesmen

This weekend I decided to start looking for new wheels. Relying on other peoples car’s can only work for some time after wrecking my own, but now its time to get a new car. But as I look around Brooklyn, each guy seems more dishonest than the next. I went to this one frum place, thinking he’ll be a nice and honest salesman, I have been mistaken. After telling him the amount I want to spend, he starts convincing me to spend an extra 5,000 dollars and finance a newer and better car. He made valid points stating it will last longer and they are just a nicer and better cars. Well, bearded yeshivisha car salesman smoking and blowing it into my face as I was talking to him, if I was interested in doing that I would’ve asked you for a more expensive car. It doesn’t matter if I finance it or not. But the car he wanted to sell me for that price, I know I can get 5,000 dollars less.

Now, I wonder now if there are any trusts worthy car salesman. This is one fear of mine when buying a new car, is being ripped off. I guess I have to look for the one who will me rip me off the least. My last car was bought by an Israeli person, who I sorta trusted. So now, it’s a question who do I trust more of the 2 most dishonest groups of people, the Israeli’s or the yeshivish hocker man. Thinking about it now, those Indians or Italian salesmen don’t look all that trust worthy either.

Also yesterday, I was able to check out the under hyped, under crowded, and under marketed Jewish concert festival. I think this event is a much better version of the Israeli day concert/parade that took place back in May. Ill take the speechless, hippie Jewish crowd with Hebrew beer vendors over the political agenda, over crowded teenie bopper Israeli concert any day.

Frummies cry ant-semitism

I was reading this article like two weeks ago on some yeshivish website regarding PETA cracking down on kapores in Brooklyn. They showed a letter from PETA stating how these Kapores places are mistreating the chickens and need better care. Now, after reading the comments on that, I wasn’t sure if I should be angrier at the kapores centers or the frum people angry at PETA. I have been to these places and I can see how these chickens are being mistreated while being cooped up all day with a million other chickens in their bins then thrown around by these bearded men like it is a stuffed animal. So, I can easily see where this agency is coming from and why they want to crack down on this.

But many of the comments were putting down PETA and claiming that they are ‘just out to get the Jews’. Every time I hear that excuse when something doesn’t go there way, I grow another white hair. Once again do these so called ‘frum jews’ think they are above the law, similar to the riot in Boro Park when someone was illegally speaking on his cell phone while driving. If the law states it is illegal, it applies to everyone, even Jews. Not every single time the government cracks down on something you don’t like, can you cry Anti-Semitism? I remember reading one really ignorant comment saying that it is a ‘freedom of religion’ and how can they the government do this. Cuz it’s the damn law – that’s why.

And these people are so quick to use that rational when it’s gearing towards them. I bet these people aren’t so fast to use that defense when other religions are doing such practices. Imagine the Koran said to kill all the Jews because its freedom of religion. Ok, maybe that’s far fetched, but even a similar practice to kapores where an animal can be harmed in the process, lets see how many Jews say its ok to such practice because of their religion. My guess is none. Jews, Muslims, and Christians all have to obey the same laws and all have the same treatment in this great country of ours.

NY snobs in Europe

Note: Below is guest post from my friend and occasional editor, known here as Lance.

During my recent trip to Europe, after much angst I decided to take a minimalist approach and pack as little as possible. But I included a nice pair of slacks for my shabbos visit to the shul nearby the center of town.

I was surprised when I discovered a group of young guys from Queens. One of the guys actually brought his suit, but it was totally wrinkled because it had obviously been squished into his suitcase for several days.

I'm all for dressing up for shabbos and holidays, yet there has to be some point of practicality to the whole deal. I mean was this guy so obsessed with maintaining the Queens kewl guy look that he absolutely had to bring his snooty dark suit?

I understand that there's a thin line between classy and casual, but when on vacation I think most sane people understand that it's ok to take a minimalist approach.

Plus, what about when in Rome do as the Romans do? Almost everyone there had a nice button down shirt and slacks.

But what irked me more was that there was also a group a girls roughly the same age from Queens there as well. For some reason or other, we all failed to connect on Saturday night together, despite the fact that everyone was headed to the same direction and that they all casually knew each other.

Why is it that even hundreds of miles away from home we still can't all get along? Am I being to impractical? Why can't the commonality of being young, Jewish, around the same age be enough of a reason to want to join up together? Isn't it more fun that way?

Do guys have to pay for a girl on a faux date?

Does the guy pay for a girl even if their not dating? Every so often I hang out with this girl, despite us trying the dating route which didn’t work out, we continue to go places once in a while as we share similar interests. I don’t want to discuss whether platonic relationships can work out and whether this is one. That’s been covered already enough in the blogosphere, so there really isn’t a need for people to hear me speak about it. This is about whether a guy should pay for the girl when they do hang out as friends.

Recently I took a full day trip out of state with this lady friend (it was just us), and after I offered to pay for the gas, I would’ve assumed she would cover the tolls and her own admission fee. She did tell me a few times that she is going to pay me back for the expenses I laid out for her (even a souvenir), but the end result was, she didn’t give me any of the money. If this isn’t a date and we are not in a relationship and we are going strictly as friends, I should treat her like other guys I hang out when I drive with them, although most people give me the money without me asking for it. I am not the kind of guy to ask for the money at the end of the trip, I hope they are nice and honest enough to cough up with cash voluntarily. Am I being ungentlemanly about this?

Mornings and Marriage

Maybe it’s because I’m just not a morning person, but certain things scare me about the morning. For instance waking up in the mornings and being married. I don’t know enough about this and nor do I voyeur on couples morning habits, I guess the only evidence I have is from TV and movies.But the point I’m trying to make here I guess is that I really hate mornings and when I wake up because I hate being bothered and spoken to. I like my privacy. I like waking up and not having a million questions asked.

I’m a type of guy that won’t talk to anyone regarding anything for at least an hour after waking. This never really came up on dates, though. I guess its something not to brag about to a girl, such as telling someone, "Oh by the way I’m a cranky bitch in the morning, so if you’re not interested in another date I’ll understand."

I know I’m far from the only one who’s like this, but from TV, these couples wake up at the same time and start yapping the moment their eyes open. What amazes me is that these people hop out of bed in an instant.

Maybe this is just me, but I feel going to sleep alone is tons sadder than waking up alone. I love waking up alone with the quietness. If I’m off and my alarm clock isn’t waking me up, I'll probably rise at noon thinking it was 7 am. I guess in married life, if your spouse is an early waker upper, you’re pretty much screwed for life.

I remember speaking to some older married guy about this on a ski lift (great place to start schmoozing with random strangers you’ll never see again in your life) about this issue. He told me he and his wife have an understanding that he hates mornings as well and they don’t speak to each other until 10 a.m. or so. I think that’s brilliant. Although it may take time for it to work because they each wake up in the same room and use the same facilities and eat kind of near each other. But they can do it 5 or 10 min shifts.

It still gets me thinking every time I wake up and people start talking to me and asking me questions. One may wonder how this has anything to do with frumness, well it doesn’t, but NSF is without internet and is over thinking about life complications.

Editors note: Despite this post being posted at night, it was thought out and written in the morning.