(no subject)

[heidi]

Memes and wishes

fannish5:

1. How many and which of your fandoms do you own on DVD?
All one of my fandoms - I have both HP DVDs, plus a Canadian copy of Philosopher's Stone, thanks to terig.

I guess technically I used to be in the Tomorrow People fandom, and while I know that some of the seasons are out on DVD in the UK, but regionless, I haven't bought them yet. Perhaps when they get to some of my favorite episodes?

2. If you had tapes, did you toss them when you got the DVDs?
I won't toss my Tomorrow People vids when I get the DVDs, because they won't have the random snippits of old Nickelodeon programs & adverts on it, and nothing compares to having tv-promos from 1982!

3. What are your favorite extras (commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes featurettes, bloopers, foreign language dub, interviews with cast, etc.)? Generally and specifically.
I am shameless for commentary on DVDs, but unfortunately, the HP vids don't have it. So I'd have to say extra scenes, especially those that take place in Borgin & Burkes and feature Jason Isaacs, yum.

4. What do you view first: the episodes, commentary, extras?
Extras, always extras! Wheee!

5. What fandoms on DVD do you not yet own or are not out yet?
Erm. Prisoner of Azkaban. Not out yet. Heh.

Friday Five

1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays?
Well, I would, except I live in South Florida, where truly cold weather is unheard of for the holidays. We did get a fake!snow machine, though!

2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect?
I wish all my friends from every circle of my life could come down and enjoy our Hanukah party with us. This is the ninth year that we're having a party during Hanukah, with latkes and music and snow cones and friends, friends, friends, and it's always wonderful - but I wish everyone who I care about could be here.

3. Do you do have any holiday traditions?
We collect dreidels. I inherited my grandfather's collection of dreidels and tops, and the boys and I will play with them for hours. Also, the annual party is a tradition - and this year, I'm going to return to making my spicy ginger cookies, yum!

4. Do you do anything to help the needy?
Most years I participate in Toys for Tots, and we donate through the boys' school.

Back in 1998, Aaron's grandmother got on my case because I told her that Aaron and I wouldn't be spending Christmas Day at a soup kitchen, which was a tradition he'd done with his family from the time he was about 12; we weren't telling anyone I was pregnant, and she said I was being selfish and thinking only of my own day off. I couldn't explain that I was actually thinking of the complete nausea I experienced when being around turkey, including hers on Thanksgiving weekend. I don't think our relationship has ever truly recovered.

5. What one gift would you like for yourself?

A trip to NYC for June 3-5, 2004. No question, if there is one thing I want for this year, that is it.

I'd also love an iPod, but I'd rather go to NYC to see PoA with a bunch of you.

---

Happy Birthday, taradiane! Wishing you all the best in the world for your birthday & the new year!

Comments

[smilie117.livejournal.com]

A trip to NYC for June 3-5, 2004. No question, if there is one thing I want for this year, that is it.

I'd also love an iPod, but I'd rather go to NYC to see PoA with a bunch of you.
-- YES! That is what I want for 2004 - NYC is the place to be for PoA! :D I am so taking vacation time and coming back up from Maryland for the PoA premiere - just got to see it with fandom peoples ^____^

[wendywoowho.livejournal.com]

Tomorrow People

TOMORROW PEOPLE!!!!!!

Loved that show!!!!

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

John, Stephen or Mike?
Or TIM?

[aome.livejournal.com]

We'll get to witness the lighting of the Menorah on Christmas Eve/fifth night of Hanukkah this year, at my family's annual gathering. So - we can't come to your party, but I'll think of you. :)

[wendywoowho.livejournal.com]

John. Dreamy!

[debellatrix.livejournal.com]

A trip to NYC for June 3-5, 2004.
littletort and slytherincess were thinking of going and I have shamelessly invited myself. It would be *so* good to see you and everyone else again :D

[praetorianguard.livejournal.com]

Are you still visiting Tony while you're there?

[til-midnight.livejournal.com]

Steal This Movie with Vincent D'Onofrio. It was him and the director, but the commentary is just so freakin' hilarious. I'm a sucker for anything D'Onofrio.

His nephew (or something) was in my homeroom last year and my little brother has spent the past two years trying to convince me that the kid was really related to someone famous. I never believed him until now.

[roobarb.livejournal.com]

what is a driadel?

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

I don't know. It looks like my inlaws are coming to Miami on Saturday, and want to have Jon's birthday party on Sunday, which would make it impossible for me to, well, skip his party to ssee Tony :P

I have so little control over my own schedule.

Cribbed from JewishMag.com

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

The dreidel is a traditional Hanukah toy. If the dreidel were merely a symbol of the Hanukah story then (borrowing from another holiday)-- Dayenu!--it would have been enough to assure its significance and memory throughout the generations. In fact, the dreidel has other symbolic meanings.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language-Fourth Edition, the word dreidel derives from the Yiddish word dreydl based on dreyen, to turn. These words are themselves derived from Middle High German (draejen) and Old High German (draen). One occasionally sees alternative spellings dreidl, dreydl, and dreidyl in various contexts. More than one dreidel constitutes dreideloch but the common English plural is dreidels.

A dreidel differs from an ordinary spinning top because it is emblazoned with the four letters Nun-Gimel-Heh-Shin representing the words Nas-Godol-Hayah-Sham (A Great Miracle Happened There).

The Hebrew word for dreidel is sivivon.

There is something serene and harmonious about a spinning object. Physicists tell us that a spinning object generates an inertial torque that resists opposing motion. Spinning gyroscopes keep ships and planes on course. Whirling Dervishes spin themselves into a frenzy that they might enter a higher state of consciousness.

The dreidel is theology. The dreidel spins around a central point. It topples when it loses its connection to that point. So do we when we lose our Center. Spinning the dreidel is a symbol that life revolves about a Central Presence.

The dreidel is history. A dreidel has four sides. The four sides represent four empires that once enslaved us. The Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman empires each conquered most of the known world. In time they themselves toppled and fell.

The dreidel is psychology. A case can be made that the human spirit has four primary attributes: self (soul, nefesh), body (guf), reason (sechel) and everything (by extension, evil, hakol). When the dreidel is spun the four sides can no longer be distinguished and blend into a harmonious oneness about a single infinite point. Spinning the dreidel is a symbolic act of striving for that harmony.

The dreidel is philosophy. The four sides represent four aspects of the human dimension: that which stands apart (nivdal) the wheel of life (galgal), humility (shafal) and human potential (hiuli).

The dreidel is mystical numerology. Every Hebrew letter has an associated numerical value. Gematria assigns meanings to the arithmetic value of a word. Many congregations offer contributions in increments of $18 because the word chayim (life) has the numerical value eighteen.


The letters of the dreidel sum to 358, which is the same as the Hebrew word mashiach (Messiah). Spinning the dreidel is a symbolic act of messianic hope.

The letters in the Hebrew word for snake (nachash) and by extension evil, also sum to 358. Spinning the dreidel is a symbolic act of faith that eventually evil stumbles and results in its downfall.

The dreidel is Kabbalah geometry. The typical six-sided dreidel is related to a three dimensional projection of a torus in four-dimensional space. Followers of the Kabbalah assign mystical meanings to this geometric shape and its associated symmetries. It is said that if the each letter of the Hebrew alphabet were placed on a different vertex then various folds reveal combinations of letters spelling significant words.

The dreidel is mathematics. As recently as November 2003 there have been college mathematics seminars on the probability of winning a game of dreidel, the expected number of spins in a game of dreidel and whether the first player has a statistical advantage over the other players. Spinning the dreidel is not the same as doing your math homework.

Re: Cribbed from JewishMag.com

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

The dreidel is fun. The traditional game of dreidel is played with raisins, nuts, candy or gelt with four basic rules (shin--put one in; heh--take half, gimel--take all; nun--take nothing).

The dreidel connects holidays. The Hanukah dreidel spins from above. The Purim grogger spins from below. In the story of Hanukah, assistance and salvation came from above (Divine intervention). In the story of Purim, assistance and salvation came from below (ourselves).

Extreme dreidel: At the time of this writing the Internet search engine Google cites 803 dreidel references in its database. E-Bay contains over 150 dreidel entries. Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman spun a weightless dreidel in zero gravity aboard the space shuttle Endeavor in December 1993. The largest number of simultaneous spinning dreidels (200) was set at the Mayer Kaplan Jewish Community Center in Skokie, Illinois in 1998. The largest dreidel may be the one located at Chabad House in New Brunswick, New Jersey (it is 16 feet tall).

There are needlepoint dreidels, dreidel comforters, digital dreidel simulators, dreidel clip art, chocolate dreidels, inflatable dreidels, an unofficial Dreidels For Dummies, Braille dreidels, human dreidels, Eco-friendly dreidels, Golden Dreidel awards, piñata dreidels, marzipan dreidel cookies and a recipe for dreidel toast.

Spell dreidel any way you choose. Choose whatever interpretation you like.

Re: Cribbed from JewishMag.com

[roobarb.livejournal.com]

they sound really nice, how big are they?

[til-midnight.livejournal.com]

Cool.