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Battlestar Gallactica: The Story in 7 Minutes

Cool, no?

You can click on a show and watch the latest episode.  Use arrow keys to get the change the direction of rotation.  It takes a few seconds to start up and begin turning:

From Pinsk to America

Beryl, pious but poor, was applying for a job as shamesh of a synagogue in Pinsk. The interview was going well, until the president of the shul handed Beryl the shul bulletin, in Yiddish, to read. Embarrassed, Beryl admitted that he was illiterate.

"We can't hire a shamesh who doesn't know how to read," the synagogue president said.

With no other prospects in Pinsk, Beryl sailed to America. Like other immigrants, he became a peddler. He prospered. Quickly he was a business owner, then a magnate, then a multi-millionaire.

In a business meeting one day, one of Beryl's employees handed him a report to read. "I don't know how to read," Beryl told him.

The employee was amazed. "Do you know where you would be today if you knew how to read?" he asked.

"Of course," Beryl answered. "I'd be a shamesh in Pinsk."

Link

Jewish Americans

THE JEWISH AMERICANS - A PBS documentary

This six-hour documentary follows 350 years of Jewish-American history, from the first settlement in the 17th century to the present, and explores the experience of immigration and assimilation. Liev Schreiber narrates.

Wednesdays, January 9-23, 2008, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

THE JEWISH AMERICANS "They Came to Stay/A World of Their Own"

Wednesday, January 9, 9-11 pm ET
The first episode covers the period from the 1700s, when the first Jews arrive in America, to the early 20th century, when more than two million Eastern European Jews, fleeing poverty and oppression, emigrate. Gravitating to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, they develop their own unique cultural institutions.

Airdate : 01/09/2008

Time : 9:00-11:00 pm

JEWA # : 101

OB : 1/9/2008

THE JEWISH AMERICANS "The Best of Times, the Worst of Times"

Wednesday, January 16, 9-11 pm ET
The second episode covers the early 20th century, when Anti-Semitism is on the rise even as some Jews succeed in mainstream pursuits; in the 1920s, Jewish immigrants come to dominate Hollywood. The episode also outlines the Depression and the reaction to the destruction of European Jewry during WWII. At war’s end, American Jews suddenly find themselves the largest and most powerful Jewish community in the world.

Airdate : 01/16/2008

Time : 9:00-11:00 pm

JEWA # : 102

OB : 1/16/2008

THE JEWISH AMERICANS "Home"

Wednesday, January 23, 9-11 pm ET
The final episode covers the post-war period, when discrimination against Jews in daily life begins to abate and Jews enter professions such as medicine, law and banking in record numbers.

Airdate : 01/23/2008

Time : 9:00-11:00 pm

JEWA # : 103

OB : 1/23/2008

Star Trek Alert

Oh dear.  I fear that I have revealed my true inner Trekkie nerdlike nature by reporting on every piece of Trek flotsam and jetsam that passes my way. Fortunately, you can't actually see me wearing my Vulcan ears as I post this latest.

The History Channel will be presenting 3 shows on Trek over the next week, begiining tomorrow.  One is called Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier.  The description from the website:

For forty years Star Trek has engrossed our imaginations and sent us on voyages across the galaxy. Through ten films and five series this entertainment juggernaut has become a pop culture icon and a window to our society. We will look at the impact that Star Trek has had on fans around the world. From the conventions in Europe and Las Vegas to the billionaire collector who scours the world for memorabilia, we will try to find out just what it is about this supposedly "silly" series that has meant so much to so many. Leonard Nimoy hosts.

The next - How William Shatner Changed the World (Sorry, but no, this show is not about his brilliant dramatic singing talent):

You've got a cell phone at one ear, an iPod at the other. You know that Blackberry is now a verb and Spam is not only canned meat. But just how did we get here? Blame William Shatner--yes, that William Shatner--Captain Kirk. We'll boldly go where few have gone before to reveal how scientists, inspired by the series, would revolutionize medicine and are surpassing the far-out vision of the future foreshadowed in Star Trek in the 1960s. From cell phones to computers to even leading-edge medical advancements, this 2-hour special explores how those sci-fi inventions have now permeated everyday life as we know it. Hosted and narrated by Shatner and based on his book, I'm Working on That, we'll meet the brightest minds of Silicon Valley and the Trek-inspired inventions that have help change the world.

And finally, Star Trek Tech:

For forty years Star Trek has engulfed our imagination and sent us on voyages across the galaxy. We'll take a look at the technology behind the gadgets used in the series such as phasers and communicators, and tell their stories from the people who knew them best--the actors, producers and prop men.

My recommendation:

Click the links provided to find out when the shows will air, watch them, live long and prosper.

Nostalgia

Themes from Lost in Space:

The Monkees:

The Adventures of Superman (I recited this in its entirety for my sons recently. Once they stopped laughing, I think they were amazed and impressed):

Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory:

A Great Description...

...of the best show on TV.  Though I don't know if I buy into the supposed parallels with conflict in today's world. I watch it for the sci-fi drama: Man vs humanoid machine in a future where man is close to extinction and has forgotten where earth is.

Battlestar Gallactica

Dark, compelling, fascinating characters, well-written, terrific acting, different from anything else I've ever seen on TV - I love this show.  It took me a few episodes to get into it, but once I did, I was completely hooked. If you like science fiction and are interested:

"Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far"
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr00zwM1fa0
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ma1s1UlYKE
Part 3: http://youtube.com/watch?v=EBvChecBwsQ
Part 4: http://youtube.com/watch?v=wdhbQhNujXo
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB3gQK8ghtQ

Women, Know Your Limits

Good, bad or indifferent, this made me laugh: