Frieda Vizel’s podcast has become my “must listen as soon as it comes out” morning listen. Her latest on the internal chasidic economy is a typical example of her excellent work: sympathetic without sacrificing accuracy. We need more of this in our fractured time: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Waitaminit! “Natick” is pronounced “NAY-tick,” not “NAH-tick”? @rexparker.bsky.social , did I miss this?

Okay, desperate times call for desperate silliness: From the recently-released BHS 1985 Barbershop Quartet finals, here’s Rural Route Four with the groaniest parody I’ve seen in some time: m.youtube.com/watch?v=Af_D...

Getting engrossed in a niche, extremely well-researched and presented long piece of academia that appeals to you and maybe 10 other people in the world: 10/10 experience. Highly recommended.

Washington Heights Kinyan Hamasechta shiur starting a new perek of Sukkah. DM if interested…

Barbershop content thread time! Something that’s way too awesome about barbershop is that it’s simultaneously competitive and communal. Groups often sing with each other in whole or part, and it can be pretty awesome. Here’s two of the modern greats having fun: m.youtube.com/watch?v=IsDR...

In Jewish studies: Nechama Leibowitz and Christine Hayes In musical theater: Dorothy Fields In science: Lise Meitner & Marie Curie

Okay, a barbershop content two-fer: First, 2024 BHS champs Three and a Half Men having a blast doing a Harold Arlen number as part of their swan set at the 2025 competition: m.youtube.com/watch?v=hUgW...

א ליכטיג חנוכה!

Is there *really* no easy-to-find video of Stephen Colbert saying “a lichtig un freilichin Chanukkah” to Jon Stewart from Back in the Day? Why do we even *have* an internet?

Old man complaint: If I haveta have three days of flu followed by a day of stomach bug/food poisoning, I should at least get 5 pounds’ weight loss from the experience…

There was something I needed to do that I put off for too long. I sat down, thought about how to do it, tried doing it, and it worked! #ADHDLIfeCelebration

Barbershop content: 2025 BHS champs Lemon Squeezy absolutely hamming it up with “Popular.” It should not be legal to have that much fun while sounding that good: m.youtube.com/watch?v=kVBf...

Oh, and it’s been too long since I’ve put some barbershop content here. Rural Route Four were, as the name might imply, a rural-based quartet (two of the members ran a dairy farm) who combined hokey humor with heavenly harmonies. Here’s a classic fun number from them: m.youtube.com/watch?v=hXm0...

🧵Since biblical translation has come up in my feed, let’s have some fun with it, eh? The expression we’re going to examine is עזר כנגדו (“ezer k’negdo”), which appears, as per my concordance, twice in the Hebrew Bible, in Genesis 2:18 & 2:20, translated in the King James as “help meet for him.”

Because the world deserves good news: xkcd.com/3172/

Barbershop content of the day: The Lovely Wife(tm) twisted my arm to post this performance by perpetual champs Vocal Majority. She didn’t have to twist all that much… m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lto...

More barbershop it is! Not generally a big fan of barbershop choruses, although I can respect the work. This one, though, is just breathtaking: New Zealand Pacific Islander chorus Pacific Connections doing a “Moana” medley at the 2023 BHS international. m.youtube.com/watch?v=icaZ...

Today’s barbershop content: GQ, possibly the most versatile quartet on the planet, doing an impromptu performance for gospel legends the Fairfield Four: m.youtube.com/watch?v=EZzF...

Today’s barbershop clip: the Hot Air Buffoons were never a great technical quartet (although their bass was a former champion), but they had fun. The “four clap” gag never fails to crack me up: m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Qu...

This podcast is so obscenely good, I can’t even begin to find the words. Been slowly working my way through the back catalog, but decided to give the most recent one a listen, and it’s an absolute gem. Hickey’s combination of knowledge, sensitivity, and enthusiasm is unparalleled.

“Don’t put your trust in revolutions. They always come around again. That’s why they’re called revolutions.” — Terry Pratchett, Night Watch

Today’s BHS performance for you. It may not be traditional barbershop, but if you care about that for more than a second, I fear for your soul: m.youtube.com/watch?v=ehXy...

If your criteria for “who is a ‘good Jew’” include “what political positions do they hold,” or if you believe that victims of antisemitism only deserve sympathy if they share your political viewpoints, then you have made politics your religion. Don’t do that.

Continuing to post barbershop content until I see better stuff in my timeline… Here’s the “Who’s on First?” of barbershop comedy: FRED’s “I Got Rhythm.” If you’re not laughing, you have no soul: m.youtube.com/watch?v=2GZU...

Okay, more barbershop content it is… Sunday Night Social is very quickly becoming one of my favorite quartets. Love this rendition of a song that I know from Mandy Patinkin’s hyperactive version. m.youtube.com/watch?v=q30c...

Ignoring the journalistic malpractice of the headline, I found this conversation to be quite worthwhile. Don’t have to agree with either side to appreciate the discussion: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

I warned ya: if you don’t make the news better, Imma keep posting barbershop quartet stuff. Somehow I missed this when it was performed a few years back. A gorgeous song from a gorgeous score, given a fantastic arrangement & performance by an insanely talented quartet: m.youtube.com/watch?v=0Olc...

Dave Brubek Indigo Girls Tom Lehrer Abie Rotenberg Rush Safam Naomi Shemer Stephen Sondheim

If we could not have any more young people in my life die from cancer, that would be just f*in’ peachy, y’know?

Is it too much to ask for both?

All together now… m.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZLq...

Until my feed gets less depressing, I’m gonna post barbershop quartet videos to cheer me up. Fortunately, the Barbershop Harmony Society had enough to last me for a really long time. Here’s a stupidly funny gag from “high, loud, and buzzing” masters First Take: m.youtube.com/watch?v=b4eW...

My current favorite performance. Arranged and performed with deceptive simplicity and brilliance. So damn good: m.youtube.com/watch?v=oem8...

Okay, everyone. Stop the doomscrolling, and take three hours to enjoy some obscenely fantastic barbershop singing. After you find your favorite groups, you can go down a rabbit hole of their past performances. It’s better than whatever else you’re looking at, I promise: m.youtube.com/watch?v=L1aD...

First time taking one of @rokhl.bsky.social ‘s classes and enjoyed it greatly. If you’ve got the time and a few bucks to spare, consider learning a bit…

There are people online who firmly believe that political candidates who share with 80% of their preferences are not worth voting for when running against candidates who share 0% of them, and I really don’t get it…

May The Good Lord bless the person who decided that the NJ rest stop midway between my home and Lakewood should be the Jon Bon Jovi one, so that each time we pass it, The Lovely Wife(tm) and I can belt out “We’re halfway there” and annoy the snot out of the kids…

Really like this piece from Rabbi Guy Austrian: www.sourcesjournal.org/articles/in-...

Joker origin story:

Gave blood yesterday for the first time in a few months. I don’t believe I noticed it last time, but the pre-donation questionnaire has FINALLY been updated to remove any reference to same-sex activity as a risk factor. If you can give blood, please do so…

A diagnostic questionnaire used to evaluate the severity of nasal problems is officially known as the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test or SNOT. Not sure if I should giggle or be disappointed…

For those who might not have heard it: here’s a BBC “desert island music” interview with Tom Lehrer from 1980. Not at all surprising that we have a few overlaps: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...

“When you attend a funeral/ it’s sad to think that sooner’r/ later those you love will do the same for you” Always a favorite. RIP and thanks for everything…

*Grumblegrumble three weeks grumblegrumble* OTOH, I now know what I’m listening to at 12:01 on 10 Av…

Been a while since I’ve done a #JewishLearning thread, but must publicize @seforimchatter.bsky.social ‘s latest with R’ Moshe Taragin, discussing R’ Amital zt"l. A beautiful discussion of a beloved figure: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...

Woo! And Hoo!

Quick PSA: Antisemites are responsible for antisemitism. Not Jews. Not even *those* Jews. Or *those*.

It is possible to be a Mamdani supporter without being an antisemite/kapo. It is possible to vehemently oppose Mamdani because of his past statements on Israel without being a fascist/sell-out. Please do better.

Three months in a row making it to shacharit on Rosh Chodesh on time because I scheduled my alarm properly! #ADHDLifeCelebrations