Tag Archive for 'Happened in general'

Netscape is not away

After I came back to Poland my computer was working slowly so after some time I decided to reinstall windows. I’ve copied important things from C disk to D disk and put the xp installation disk in the dvd drive, than I’ve formatted the C disk and then I’ve run the installer.

Last years I’ve used Firefox, and before that Netscape. I’ve switched to Firefox because it was installed on the computers that I was using and it was related to Netscape. But this time when I was planing on installing a browser I said to myself ‘No, install Netscape, the older brother of Firefox whom you used so much in the past’.

Right after installing Windows from scratch I opened home.netscape.com in IE. First thing to surprise me was that it redirected me to netscape.aol.com. Even if AOL bought Netscape and it may have happened long time ago why would they change the address now? What is the change for?

Than I looked for link saying Netscape browser and I’ve found it and clinked it. I’ve scrolled the page down and there was option of downloading 4 different applications. I didn’t see Netscape over there…

I used internet for the first time when I was about 12 and I was a Virtua Fighter fan. Most probably I did it with IE. But it was just once or twice when internet was practically  unknown. It was 96 or 97. Year later I started to use the web more in a Jewish computer center. People in charge were Netscape inclined. I’ve picked up on this quickly and became a big Netscape supporter. Throughout the years  I’ve mostly used Netscape and over time my emotional connection with the program grew.

At that point (beginning of 4) Netscape was subjectively better. It was more secure and showed more of HTML, JavaScript and so on. I also preferred the way it looked and some things in IE annoyed me.

Till 1997 Netscape won having at certain point close to 90% of the market. Than the browser war started and eventually Netscape lost. Microsoft was giving IE with every Windows and integrated it as part of the system, so most people just stayed with that. Netscape didn’t change so much within the version 4 and between version 4 and 6 (5 was skipped) more than 3 years passed and at certain point IE was more functional than Netscape. Also AOL made a mistakes and at certain point added a lot of external programs to Netscape installer. All that resulted in that new people used IE and a lot of old Netscape users switched. It ended up that only hardcore users stayed with Netscape. So did I.

Announcement on the AOL website said:

Official support ended on March 1st, 2008.
Given AOL’s current business focus and the success the Mozilla Foundation has had in developing critically-acclaimed products, we feel it’s the right time to end development of Netscape branded software. Read the history page for more details about this decision.

That what it said. They don’t care that the program existed for close to 14 years, people grew up with it, changed with it and matured with it. Like me, I’ve changed completely during this time. But taking into account their business plan they don’t care. I felt sadness and injustice.

What could I do? I could install Netscape theme for my Firefox.

So I did. At last that way Nescape will stay alive. And I’ve singned two petitions.

http://www.petitiononline.com/netscape/petition.html

http://www.petitiononline.com/saveNS/petition.html

The Purim Story

So it’s me, Hillel. My full identity is Hillel the Swordman from the Land of Truth. I’m Max just in the Land of Truth. I use a different name, but my name is also connected to Max.

How does it work exactly? I and Max are the same person just in two different worlds. On Purim we exchange. I come to Max’s and Your world and Maxio jumps there. I’m well informed of customs of Maksiu and I do a lot of things same way, especially if I’m in His world. And, yes, we look same.

Let me share with You what my Purim Story in Your world was.

Thursday night, the day of Megillah reading I planed on going to Yisroel P., the alternative Yeshivah minyan on Purim, but things outside of mine and Max’s power made me late for it. So, I went to Netzach instead. Afterwards I went to cheder ochel to eat, but I was late and there was little food left. To the people there who didn’t now me yet I revealed my identity. I ate a little of what was there.

I looked for a place where happy people are doing something happy, best among yeshivah guys. Most yeshivah people went to places outside of Jerusalem though. There was something small outside the KK”L dirah and somebody was throwing eggs from angels dirah but beside that nothing seemed to happen. Than I went around few dirahs and again beside few people here and there nothing was going on. Let’s jump two hours. Than I went to the corner of KK”L and Usishkin (it has a new name, which I don’t know of) where guys were sitting and dancing. At certain point a chasidishe looking (loosely chasidish though) guy came driving a car. He stoped right at the corner and all the dancing guys started to dance around his car. He turned on the music and danced with them. Than he wanted to go but the guys were sitting on his car and going around it and not letting him go. Michoel went into action and pulled the guys off the car and let the driver go. So the guy turned off the music and went… 6 meters and stopped again and turned on the music again and started dancing on the roof of his car. Michoel sad ‘I’m not helping him this time..’ :))

After the whole corner KK”L/Usishkin happening finished I overheard somebody saying that most off the cars that went this way did It only because there were guys parting and out of it entertainment there. He may have been right till certain extend.

That night I also went to Mayanot in Nachlaot but it was loud and non interesting there.

At certain point I went to sleep, not very late though.

Motzei Shabbos

First of all I’m vary thankful to Reuven Rastaslavitzka from Max’s dirah who was so kind and let me use his digital camera.

I came around Mogen Avrohom and they were setting up things for the Purim shpiel. Than there was shpiel. Before that boys were singing ‘The Rosh, The Rosh, The Rosh is on fire’. Than there was crazy dancing in Mogen Avrohom with the background of few yeshivah boys playing and singing professionally, among them Fredie and Danie Sh.

At certain point The Rosh Yeshivah started giving brochos(blessings) on the street and then in the outside of the cheder ochel. He also played with my Holy Sword from the Land of Truth. Than for a long time there was party in Mogen Avrohom and on the street in front of it.

Later that night I went to Terry for a small party.

Photos from all that.

Sunday Morning

I went to Yeshivah’s shachris and listened to The Rosh speaking. Than there was breakfast in the cheder ochel. While I was eating a long friend of Max and mine, Jub M. (who was Max’s chavrusah for almost two years, and who understands Max at last in some sense), came and gave me mishloach monos, which was very appreciated. Let’s jump to the Seudah.

The Purim Seudah

(Sunday afternoon of Purim Meshulosh)

I arrived at Isroel P.’s house a little late. Everybody, including Zevie W. and Btzalel the fist fighter, were already there. During the seudah I’ve finished one bottle and 2 cups of Wine. It was cool.

About 20 minutes before shekiah I went to Max’s dirah, started second bottle of wine and made a phone call - I had something important to say to somebody, at last in my opinion, something positive though. Lets jump to s’feykoh d’yomoh of Purim.

Motzey Purim

I saw tho guys sitting on a bench and I’ve made photos with them - never saw them before. Than I’ve made friends with a completely random guy and had a photo with him. I’ve asked him wether he is Lubavitch (don’t know why?) and he said that yes, so I said that I love everybody and went on. I’ve pooped into Yochnan P. and said I will come back - photo. Than I walked towards KK”L - why? I don’t know and I don’t think I knew at the time either. Somewhere on KK”L, probably between Usishkin and Ibn Shaprut I’ve put my second bottle of wine, so that nobody will take it from me. I couldn’t remember where I’ve put it and didn’t find it ever. I saw some Rabbi, I guessed from Mayanot, and I asked him whether he teaches at Mayanot, he said yes and I asked him whether he knows Binyomin K. he said yes, so I said I also know him… great. Afterwards I had photos with one Lubavitch guys, than two with guys from Yeshivah and then I made photos of some children holding my Holy Sword. Than I’ve just like that… went into the house in front of which the photo with the  Mayanot Rabbi was made. I went into the dining room. I had a photos with a guy inside and sat down and started speaking with the owner of the house and asked him whether he knew some Lubavitch people which Max knows from Warsaw. He said he heard of them. So we spoke like this for maybe few minutes. Then his (think so) child started playing with my Holy Sword from the Land of Truth - photo. In meantime I started speaking with the Mrs. of the house. I’ve said few words about Midrash Shmuel. I asked whether the boys are too loud or something. She said something like ‘like these guys from next door’ implying that the guys there are loud. I believed her since there are few South Africans in that dirah - that explains everything. I’ve said that eventually Midrash Shmuel boys grow into serious and responsible individuals. She said that she doesn’t really care, which meant she has some self esteem and she doesn’t focus on others. Than everybody else left the room and I’ve stayed inside with the child playing with the sword and I drunk a bear. Summarizing the last point, I went into house that I was never in before, I started talking with people inside and they left me alone with their child. Did you think I’m more normal than Max? Later, from timestamps on the photos, I saw that I was there at last 40 mintes. Than I left.

Than I had photos with more or less known to me people. Among them Fishel (he makes big meals friday night for people which daven at the Kosel) who asked me why didn’t I pope into his seudah (on purim Fishel has a tradition to make seudah for the cats of the neighborhood, some pronouce it Katz), I’ve said that he didn’t want to tell me the address earlier when I asked him and he said he thought I knew it anyway… such a classic Fishel…

Going back to the photos. I had one made with some cyclist and with Josh R.’s (guy in yeshivah) father. Than I caught few other people around KK”L and had photos with them.

Than I saw Yosef, guy from yeshivah. He said there is party at Naftie. When we went into Naftie’s house only the owner was there - a photo (Naftie and Martin didn’t want to be on-line). Yosef asked Naftie, think in english: ‘There were <some number, but big> kollel guys at your party’ and Naftie answered ‘Yes’. I wandered, if so many avrechim were at his seudah that means they came after their seudahs, and seudah would end like at let’s say 7, so how come nobody was there, if it was just about 7: 30? From the timestamps at the photos I worked out that it was 10 pm… I was 2 and a half hours behind.

I went back to KK”L and again had photos with people. One - Dovid Greenman, spiritual guy from Golders Green; second - Elie Meyer, or just Meyer; third - Yehudah Fish, or Fish, sweet guy; forth - Elie Wohl; fifth - Wiss (spelling ?). With Fish we decided that we should go to Meyer’s house, so we went. I saw a great book ‘7 habits of highly effective people’, which happens also Max was reading at the time, and since Elie Meyer’s wife was the one reading it, I started discussing the book with her. Here are few photos of me, Meyer and Fish.

At this point, thinking it’s like 10 pm, I went on a ground level porch of some house on KK”L where few midrash guys were. Than something happened to my sword, I just remember picking up batteries. Than somebody on the porch said that police was comming. He was completly sober, I think it was son of the owner of the house. He had something against Midrash guys. I felt It can’t be like that. He looked so mean, his face… really like a guy who doesn’t try to be happy and only makes life of others misserable. I highly dislike this type. If I see him again I will tell it to him straight and he may see the colors of my sword. At certain point then I felt weird fear that I did something wrong… but I can’t remember what it could even possibly be. Out of this fear I decided to go to Max’s dirah. So very carefully I walked toward the dirah hiding behind trees and cars like afraid of somebody being after me. Than I reached the dirah and told the guys like Mimoun and Daniel that Midrash guys are oppressed on KK”L and we need to avenge them. They say I went in this theme for an hour at certain point switching languages… I don’t remember it though. I went back to my world… to the Land of Truth…

Purim meshulosh…

I have to say that I’m a little sorry. It’s two weeks after purim and I didn’t write anything about it. Me, or Hillel the Swordman from the land of truth will make up for it in next few days b”h. There will also be a lot of photos of Hillel.
Who is Hillel?
Hillel is me in parallel world…

To be continued…

Amazing oneg

This was really an amazing oneg. Why?

I will tell you why. And on my own blog i can write whatever I like. Nobody from the stuff ever reads it so i can feel free to express my opinion. Because everybody knows I’m opinionated. Of course. At last Meyer says that.

So this oneg there were no people which want to take over. The Rosh was speaking, as cool as normally, sometimes asking people questions. But there wasn’t thing like that somebody else speaks taking over and spreading his submediocre humor and energies.

Somebody may say “But you max, are always laughing!!! How can you say that others take over.”. Ye, but how much as i may like attention or not and laughing or not, I do not subdue others and send my energies through my laugh and i laugh in a midrash cool way. Of course, it’s a question where do you put borders.. I think I’m okay and nobody ever said i should stop laughing.

Btw. i was discussing something with somebody and i said that i represent somewhat main-stream midrash shmuel type of bocher. He said to it “You are normal?!! You are Polish and you laugh for 20 minutes when Rosh speaks. ^&*!!!”. He wanted me to feel bad… I couldn’t care less. I consider it quite funny for me and low for him… I love him anyway… I will be nice to him anyway…  don’t worry…

arrival in poland

so… i am in warsaw…
no… i don’t live in the getto, although it’s like one bus stops away - like 300 meters. it’s like crazy… it’s like..

so as soon as you get to the plane which is going to poland, and the feeling is stronger when you arrive at poland itself, you relize that polish people are very weak.
what type of weakness do i mean? of course psygological. i would diagnose it :)) (i’m not a doctor… not even 5 %…) as very low self esteem. and as everybody knows self esteem is probably the most crucial of all traits. your whole life is different if your self esteem is high. person is happier, walks more straight, cares less what other people think about him and on…
i highly recomend investing in it.

my point in not that poland is good or bad. my point is that polish nation in unhealthy psyhologicaly and the cause for it is lack of self estem.

another interesting thing is that every time i come back to poland i notice that my behaviour is different than my ‘in israel’ behaviour.

i walk slower, laugh much less, also differeny maners.

poland is like less cool for sure… on the other hand it’s like deeper… people sound more inteligent… on the other it’s lacking spirituality, in any form or colour.

some say i’m deep (meyer said regarding this depth ‘in america we call it retarted.’ even american can sometimes say something polish… do you have any clue what i mean… no… sorry certain things can’t be said straight)

shavuos

my shavuos was really great. probably the best yom tov this year.

i keep two days of yom tov….

beside that i like two days… i don’t know where i will live when i will ‘grow up’?

probably not poland… but where?

i realized also that main problem with poland is that it’s socially off, meanig i have too little friends…

davening was great, learning was great… amazing experience…

since came back

basically i’m trying to go back to the schedule in the yeshivah.

the in shabosos are in degel, not the school.

my dirah is completlly different now. last year it was a weird dirah, more eastern dirah (by the way poland belongs to central europe, not east - latin as script, between germany and russia, democracy, part of EU an NATO)… of course relatively… everything is relative.

last year there was one polish, one belarussian, one ukrainian, three british.

now there is one polish, one british, four americans (would be five if Itay wouldn’t leave just like that :))))

this puts the average latitude line somewhere on the atlantic.

of course if doesn’t matter where somebody is from… of course
the sun on it’s own makes the atmosphere a little more chilled.

so… back in yeshivah

so i’m back into the yeshiah…

in poland i was encouraged to go study something of substance… go to university not ‘just’ yeshivah… yes… you need to go on in life… do something serious…

seems to me, and for people whom the*r *pi*ion *atte*s t* me, like i’m not ready for this ’serious’ life… maybe i’ll *e**r b* r***y…

good should help in the last… i mean last before… and i mean words written…

i know it’s difficult to understeand….. but there is now way i can write something and just people which i want will read it. so i need to write in code and just people for whom it matters will decipher it.

btw i thnk yeshivah is a serious place… maybe it’s the most important time in ones life… i heard what’s the pshat in bochur? bachelor, kawaler in polish, means also chosen in holy tongue, means it’s chosen time in ones life… i has also amazing impact on ones life…

in the yeshivah itself… it’s great… took me few days to go back to the spirit… but now i think it’s fine….

and shavuos in like two and a half weeks

comming back

i’m comming back to yeshivah on thursday…

purim

hey

i’m hillel the swordman from the land of truth. i’ by a seudah by Gideon Lyoins…. he is so cool….

we had a dish caled ‘embrosia’… it was really good.

also Moshe Davidson is here

now we are going with shonfeld to fishel. it’s all good.

the rosh was wery shtark today… extreme of the extreme… that’s my peshat in Yom haKippurim, rosh is so exteme as in yom kippur… also (another psaht by inspiration of moshe davidson)… rosh was singing high holyday tunes…

all best