Archive for October, 2008

I Admit: I am Guilty as Charged!

As we enter the High Holiday season of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we are supposed to introspect upon the previous year, correct our misgivings, and demonstrate to the Almighty that we are interested in moving in a positive direction. On Yom Kippur we spend this holy day by refraining from food and drink, as well as verbally annulling our sins and shortcomings.

Well folks, I admit it, I drink caffeine…not 5 cups of coffee a day, but I’d be lying to say that I don’t enjoy the “kicker” a nice cup of caffeinated soda such as Coke Zero (a personal favorite) or a steaming Chai Latte (FYI: I like this drink because of its taste and aroma, not because it means Life in Hebrew) brings to my system. And yet, after reading this article from The New York Times on the health effects of caffeine, in which studies show that at 320 milligrams per 16 ounces, a Starbucks Grande coffee has over four times the 80 milligrams of caffeine of a Red Bull Energy Drink, it made me think twice about my daily consumption of caffeine, and its long term effects. In fact, this article left such an impression upon me, that I bolted from my chair and asked my wife, Tziporah, to help make sure that I start drinking less of the stuff…

Which got me thinking?

How many times in life do we continue a habit that we know or have read of the fact that this action is detrimental to the health of our relationships with our Creator, our friends, or even family, and we don’t stop to think twice and ask ourselves, “how can we modify our behavior?” What do you think?

October 9, 2008 | Tags: caffeine, coffee, coke, habits, holidays, rosh hashannah, starbucks, yom kippur | 1 Comment

The Gas Crisis

J.D. Roth asks, “Are Gas Prices Changing the Way We Drive?” Truth be told, during my recent trip to Los Angeles, I found the price of gas astronomically high, and as such I was constantly asking myself, “How can I accomplish the most amount of errands using the least amount of gas?” In general, I met people who had to suddenly become more scrupulous of their driving time, because of the ramifications it had on their wallet. While it may be “annoying” that we can’t just hop in the car and drive here and there as we please, a positive development from this Gas Crisis is that like it or not, it has forced us to become more cognizant of our time-which is certainly something Judaism, a religion that has Time-Bound Commandments, appreciates! Photo by mandj98

October 7, 2008 | Tags: crisis, gas | Leave a Comment

What’s Love Gotta Do With it?

Leviticus 19:18 instructs us to, “Love your neighbor as yourself!” Walking around the Holy City of Jerusalem I came across a bumper sticker, written in Hebrew with the above mentioned verse. However, what got my attention was not the quote per se, but the fact that it was written in GREEN Hebrew letters, symbolizing that a way in which all of us can easily show love and respect for one another is through being as person who actively attempts to be friendly to the environment! Accordingly, I thought it was worth briefly sharing with all my friends, that one of my favorite online sites, Amazon.com, has added an Amazon Green section, which lists products customers have selected as most environmentally-friendly, from household items to electronic gadgets.