Thursday, June 10, 2010

Rabbi Hershel Rabbs Remer III

Luke Ford says:

Rabbi Hershel “Rabbs” Remer — a comic — has spent most of his life in Los Angeles. (R. Rabbs YouTube)

“At one point, I really wanted to be a comedian. My dream was to perform at the world famous comedy store in Hollywood. It was for 21 and over. I couldn’t go. They opened up one in Westwood. It was for 18 and over. It’s since closed.

“They had an amateur night. Anybody could go on stage for three minutes. All my friends were like, ‘Rabbs, you’re really funny. You should do this.’

“I went down there. I had my name on the list. I was 18. Right before I was called up on stage, and I looked at the crowd and it looked like a hard room to play, and I said to the manager, ‘Get me off that list!’

“I completely chickened out. I shelved the whole idea.

“When I turned 21, I went to the Comedy Store in Hollywood.

“Fast forward a couple of decades and I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I said, I want to try this again. I can’t die and never know what would have happened if I had gone into comedy. I could’ve been something.

“And I tried it and I started performing live. In less than a year, I was invited to perform at the Comedy Store. I was a regular… The first time I stepped on stage at the world famous Comedy Store was the greatest moment of my life because I had gone full circle.”

Read On



Rabbi Hershel Rabbs Remer II

Luke Ford says:

Rabbi Hershel “Rabbs” Remer — a comic — has spent most of his life in Los Angeles. (R. Rabbs YouTube)

“Growing up, I was a loser. Probably still am a loser. I’ve always been the loser. I had a really bad childhood. I had a lot of problems in my house, growing up with my family. Little kids have a real way of pinpointing who’s got problems and then they compound those problems by picking on those kids. I was the kid who was picked on. And it’s always the kid who was picked on who later in life goes ballistic and kills everyone. So look out world!

“I was that kid. I became very introverted. I was a loner. I didn’t have a lot of friends. I spent a lot of time alone. My cat was like my best friend and then my cat died.

“Comedians tend to come from a very tragic abnormal sorry-ass life. I think it was Shakespeare who said that from the greatest tragedies come the greatest comedy. I’ve led a tragic life.

Read On



Where Are The Orthodox?

Luke Ford says:


Here’s an analogy that comes to mind. A group of terrorists say you Jews have no right to live in this neighborhood. To prove it, they’re going to walk all over your property next Tuesday night. You have good reason to believe that they will bring weapons as their peers have tried to kill you before. When they arrive on Tuesday night, you are armed. You warn them that you will stop them by any means necessary from trespassing on your property. They trespass anyway and begin to lynch your family. In response, you kill nine of them.


Rabbi Brous writes about “a tragic narrowing of the American Jewish heart and mind.”


I can’t think of any Jewish leader who’s announced pride in the killing of the nine Turkey-backed activists. What Jews and Christians who care about Israel have united on is their stand against the worldwide condemnation of Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself.


I didn’t hear anyone at the parade on Sunday say they thought the killings of the nine Muslim activists were great. What I picked up from the crowd and the speakers was that Israel has a right to defend itself, even when it sometimes acts in a clumsy way.


Rabbi Sharon Brous can name no examples of placards or speakers on Sunday glorifying in the killing of the nine Muslims.


Read On



Rabbi Hershel “Rabbs” Remer

Luke Ford says:

Rabbi Hershel “Rabbs” Remer — a comic — has spent most of his life in Los Angeles. (R. Rabbs YouTube)

Luke: “When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?”

Rabbi: “I wanted to have my own web cam equipment so that I could interview people.”

“At one point, I really wanted to be a comedian. My dream was to perform at the world famous comedy store in Hollywood. It was for 21 and over. I couldn’t go. They opened up one in Westwood. It was for 18 and over. It’s since closed.

“They had an amateur night.

Read On



Tuesday, June 8, 2010

I'm Losing My Life To Distractions

Luke Ford says:

This article rings true to me.

I find I’ve become addicted to the thrill of email. I check mine way too much.

I got a Blackberry two years ago so I could check my email anywhere.

I have friends who spend hours a day on Facebook, creating fake profiles so they can track the ex-girlfriends of their boyfriend.

What saves me is the Sabbath when I turn off my computer and cell phone.

Alexander Technique also helps me to be more present. And therapy. And good friends. When I’m with them, I don’t yearn so much to check my email.

I grew up a Seventh-Day Adventist, where I got lots of warnings about the distracting and negative power of television and rock music.

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My YouTube Videos Have Over 3 Million Views

Luke Ford says:

Whoa. Over three million.

Join the crowd.

I started posting videos online when I bought my first video camera in January 2007. Over the next few months, I earned about $700 from posting videos to Revver.com, until that site stopped paying out.

I always link up my videos to my stories. It’s a good way of driving traffic to my website.

People process information differently. Some people prefer to hear things, others to see things, and others to read things.

Read On



When My Body Gives Me Away

Luke Ford says:

I was just washing my hands before taking up the sacred task of blogging.



I looked into the mirror and saw a thumping under my left eye. Thump, thump, thump. Who knew I had a pulse under my left eye?



I think of myself as cool, calm and collected. I am Your Moral Leader. I am not supposed to be susceptible to the typical emotions that plague mortals.



Yet here I sit at my computer and there's an involuntary thumping under my left eye.



I hate that!

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