Talia, She Wrote

So... I am a total quote girl. I love them, I am touched by them, and I horde them...

But I am simplifying my life so I am going to put them all in this blog post and take them off my Facebook, etc. I'll keep adding so you keep checking. :)

"You have to keep moving forward. As long as you’re holding on to where you were yesterday, you’re standing still." -The Rebbe

"Faith, in its most sublime function, provides man with a level of courage that he could not otherwise achieve"

“…A Rabbi is a person in search of that which can never be found, but he knows that the search is what is important. Somehow to translate faith into life and love into action. And when he experiences it, he catches a glimpse of what everything is all about. And suddenly pettiness disappears. And hurt and aggravation fade away. And there is a light most wondrous to behold. Some people call it redemption. The Rabbi calls it God." –My Grandfather


Reb Nachman of Breslov said: "The voice of my beloved- the pulse. If you want to know G!d, you need only to listen to His voice within. You need never be lonely for Him or out of touch with His inner spirit; you can always touch your pulse and say, "Ah, there you are."


"Intolerance lies at the core of evil. Not the intolerance that results from any threat or danger. Not the intolerance that arises from negative experience. Just intolerance of another being who dares to exist, who dares to diminish the space in the universe left for you. Intolerance without cause.

It is so deep within us, because every human being secretly desires the entire universe to himself. Our only way out is to learn compassion without cause. To care for each other simply because that “other” exists." - The Rebbe

"In a single bond I am bound with Him; my soul is united with Him, burns in Him, cleaves to Him."
- Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on the day of his passing, Lag BaOmer

"Hayom katzar, v'hamlakha m'rubah" -
"The day is short, the task is great"

"Actors are not made, they are born."
-Angela Landsbury

"I have great faith in fools; my friends call it self-confidence."
- Edgar Allan Poe

"In the midst of difficulty, lies opportunity."
-Albert Einstein

"A sorority is more than letters on a sweatshirt, I say. More than traditional songs, a gold pin, rituals, and obligation, or a way of life. A sorority is learning about people, a sorority is giving without expecting a return. A sorority is earning respect from others, as well as for yourself. A sorority will not solve all your problems. But I have made good friends and found confidence there to help me take life one step at a time."

Okay folks... watch this before you read my blog (but keep reading... please!)


Okay...

So if you have ever read any of my blogs, you know I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. I like him because he is flawed. He isn't all brawn and no brains. He loves to engage is mental gymnastics and can spend hours sitting in a chair thinking with his eyes closed before taking action. And yes, I know what you are going to say ... he's a boxer, he's hyper, he has ADD sometimes and yes, he does... but never once did Doyle write a scene where he was boxing or engaging in that type of physical behavior (I believe, I haven't researched this). He eluded to it... but never was Holmes interrupted in the middle of a boxing session. Knowing about that time period, I am inclined to say that Doyle wrote the boxing in to "place" Holmes in society. That was something that gentlemen did. They went to Gentleman Jacks to box. Nothing that I have ever read (and I have read most everything on Holmes) has given me the impression that he was an "action hero."

This new film (and only judging based on the trailer) seems to be an Americanized action flick with a predictable format that they decided to name Sherlock Holmes. I had my doubts from the start. The best Holmes-ian productions have been British. And hey, not discriminating here... I'm American but Doyle was British, Holmes & Watson were... Americans may have a hard time enjoying the subtly of the British humor and what not but an Americanized, cowboy-esq, action hero Holmes doesn't sit right with me.

Needless to say, I will see the film and let you know what I think but ... ... ... ... right now, I'm not sold...

SO, in my last blog (almost a month ago... yeah, sorry about that) I spoke briefly about my new job at Patheos.

Background - Patheos is a comparative religion website with a fantastic interface. It is a fabulous resource for anyone who is studying religion, wanting to know more about their own traditions, or has questions that have plagued them for years. The site launched on May 5 and it has been SO exciting! We have had some great coverage on the launch. See our Time.com article here. Leo and Cathie (the founders) are really passionate about the site and incredibly articulate about it!

Okay, so my role - I am the Community Manager for the site. You can really break the site into a few sections. There are the Gateways and library where the worlds traditions are cataloged and serve as a great resource. The Public Square is a place where the leaders of the faiths who are chronicled as Gateways can weigh in on some of the hottest, most controversial and thought provoking topics in our world today. And then there is the community section. That is where I come in. In the community, we have groups, blogs, and discussion forums. I have been hard at work creating the governance documents for this community. Leo and Cathie, in fact, everyone at Patheos is really committed to making this a safe place to express beliefs and learn about others. It has been a really cool and interesting and hard process for me but I have created some documents that I am really proud of and I think serve this community really well.

In addition to that, I have been learning about the back-end management and how to use the software that we are utilizing for this website. It is Pluck software and it is just so versatile and awesome. I have to say, I was partial geek before but now I am going into full geek mode! It's a lot of fun. Not only do I do the governance but I have also been charged with the social media aspect. Twitter and Facebook and all that jazz. My specialty! I have been learning so many new techniques and measurement ideas.

So that's the new gig. Really enjoying the co-workers, bosses, and the work. I am very happy I made this decision. On to Chapter Five in The Life of Talia. :)