Matisyahu-NBC's promotion of the 2010

Singer Matisyahu in sync with Olympic spirit

Nov 13, 2009

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Matisyahu, whose music merges Hasidic Judaism with reggae beats, hip-hop and rock, is lending his voice to NBC's promotion, of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The network has chosen his uplifting anthem "One Day," as the theme song for its "Countdown to Vancouver" promotional campaign.

"One Day" is the lead single from Matisyahu's third album, "Light," which Epic released in August.

He describes the song as being about "unity and coming together for one common cause; about putting aside all differences and issues, to connect in some way."

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The spot premiered November 3, and ran November 4 on all of NBC's affiliated cable networks, including Bravo, Oxygen, MSNBC and USA; and will air on NBC through February.

It features Vancouver contenders Apolo Ohno (speed skating), Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing), Shaun White (snowboarding), Gretchen Bleiler (snowboarding) and Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto (figure skating); describing what the Olympics means to athletes and spectators alike.

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The Winter Games take place February 12-28. Matisyahu said: "When you see what those athletes go through, and being the background for that," "it pulls on the heartstrings."

For the week ended November 8, "One Day" experienced a 13 percent increase in download sales -- its first weekly increase, since the beginning of October. To date, the song has sold 117,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In keeping with his cross-genre style, Matisyahu said, fans can expect a new version of "One Day" featuring Akon, to premiere in the next few weeks, by Kelly Staskel.

In the meantime, Matisyahu is touring in support of "Light," working with Kenneth Cole on the "One Day for Change," viral campaign on Twitter, and participating in a Charity Folks online auction. The prize being, a Brooklyn bike ride, with the recording artist.

Matisyahu is also finalizing details, for his fourth annual Festival of Light, in New York, during Hanukkah, which begins December 11.
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(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)

ORIGINAL URL:
http://ca.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCATRE5AC5NZ20091113

Socialism and the Law of Gravity (Great example!)

An economics professor at a local college, made a statement: that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class.
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That class had insisted, that Obama's socialism worked, and that no one would be poor, and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class, on Obama's plan".

All grades would be averaged, and everyone would receive the same grade; so no one would fail, and no one would receive an A. __________

1. After the first test, the grades were averaged, and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset, and the students who studied little were happy.
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2. The second test, the students who studied little, had studied even less; and the ones who studied hard, decided they wanted a free ride too, so they studied little.

The second test average was a D!
No one was happy.
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3. The 3rd test, the average was an F.
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The scores never increased, as bickering, blame and name-calling, all resulted in hard feelings; and no one would study, for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise; and the professor told them, that socialism would also ultimately fail, because: when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try, or want to succeed; as a result, the economy will self-destruct.

LaGuardia Flight Diverted to Philly

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93331?fp=1

In the wake of the news, online searches on both "phylactery" and "tefillin" both surged from nothing into breakout status.

Other related queries also quickly popped up. "What is a phylactery" and "tefillin pictures" were on top of peoples' minds.

Those who researched the religious item learned that the phylactery boxes contain prayers inside them. You can see an image here, courtesy of Wikipedia.
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What's a soul" By Rabbi Aaron Moss

Question:
Why do you speak of a soul, how can you put souls in boxes?

To me, the essence of spirituality is: there is a transcendence, that we can experience, that is beyond divisions.
Gary
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Answer:
Dear Gary,
The idea, that all souls are the same, is one of the biggest mistakes of modern spirituality. We are so used to thinking, that definitions create barriers, and barriers cause hatred; that we are convinced, that to be spiritual, means to have no borders.

From a Kabbalistic perspective, this totally misses the point of existence.
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Before creation, G-d had unity. G-d was all there was; there were no borders, definitions or distinctions. If unchallenged unity, is what G-d wants, He had it already. He would, not have created the world.
Creation was an act, of making borders (limitations). From unity, came multiplicity.

Ours is a world of divisions: body and soul, male and female; as well as the divisions of nations, families and individuals.

Why did G-d create multiplicity? Doesn't that go against the oneness of G-d?

No, it doesn't. Because the deepest unity, is unity found specifically within diversity. If we are all the same, then unity is no big deal. So G-d gave us all particular souls, each with its unique and diverse characteristics.

When each individual as an individual, and each nation from within its own culture and perspective, recognizes the same G-d, that is real unity.

In other words, a unity that is challenged by diversity, yet emerges from that very diversity, is an invincible unity. That is something G-d "couldn't" have, without a world like ours.
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To blur the boundaries, between nations, genders and individuals, is to avoid facing the challenge, which lies at the very heart of G-d's purpose in creation -- to find unity in our differences.

For the unity of humankind, we need one G-d; but for G-d's unity to be complete, we need human diversity.

Jews should be Jews, non-Jews should be non-Jews, men should be men, and women should be women. And every individual, has to be himself. Only then, can we learn from each other, the wisdom that we ourselves lack.
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The majesty of G-d is revealed, when each individual and community, connects with Him, from his/her/their unique vantage point. There is a contribution, that only you can make, to G-d's master plan.

That's why, you were born as you are -- a Jew, a male, and the other distinctive spiritual characteristics, that make you "Gary."

Great Thoughts (short)

Instead of talking about the negative:
Focus on being a lamp-lighter: Because You are very bright!

Special Delivery- Rabbi A. Moss

Question:

It's my birthday this weekend, but I have always felt funny about celebrating it. My birth was a bit of an accident - my parents said I was a surprise, and I was born six weeks premature.

Is there any meaning in celebrating the day, that I wasn't really supposed to have been born?

Answer:

Your birthday is chosen by G-d; not your parents, your astrologer, or the obstetrician. Birth is G-d saying that, the world can't go on without you. It is the day, that your soul's mission had to begin.

There were already more than six billion people on earth, when you were born. Did the world really need you? Can one more soul, really make a difference?

Obviously the answer is yes. Otherwise G-d would not have sent your soul to this earth. The fact that you were born means, there must be some unique gift that you have to offer the world, that none of those other six billion people, could possibly achieve.
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A birthday is an opportunity to reflect: This is the day that my soul was dispatched on its mission.

How is the mission going, Have I been contributing my part, to the furthering of G-d's purpose, to create heaven on earth?

Have I been doing my part, to enhance and improve myself, and my world?

How much time and energy do I spend, on meaningful pursuits?

How much more time could I spend, on what really matters in the coming year?
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Far from being an accident, your birth was clearly, a deliberate act. The fact that you surprised your parents, and you arrived early just shows, how urgently the world needed you. Your soul couldn't even wait a few weeks, for the due date, to get down here. G-d had another due date in mind.

Your soul was sent down by priority delivery, make sure your soul always takes priority.

Avatar and Moshiach

Avatar and Moshiach

Are these the fellings we should have, longing for the Geula world?
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Avatar, a 2½-hour Virtual 3D movie, was too real, for some fans who say, they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts, after seeing the film; because they long to enjoy the beauty of the virtual alien world Pandora.

The movie was so beautiful, it showed something we don't have here on Earth. I think people saw, that we could be living in a completely different world, and that caused them to be depressed."

"All I have been doing as of late, is searching the Internet, for more info about 'Avatar.' I guess that helps. It's so hard, I can't force myself to think, that it's just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na'vi will never happen

Ever since I went to see 'Avatar,' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora, and all the Na'vi, made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about, all the things that happened in the film, and all of the tears and shivers I got from it.

I even contemplate suicide, thinking that if I do it, I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora, and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

Other expressed feelings of, disgust with the human race, and disengagement with reality.

Compared with life on Earth, Pandora is a beautiful, glowing utopia.

When I woke up this morning, after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning. It just seems someaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep doing things at all. I live in a dying world."

One can say, my depression was twofold: I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place; but I was also depressed and disgusted, with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted, to escape reality."
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After discussing on the forums for a while now, my depression is beginning to fade away. Having taken a part in many discussions concerning all this, has really, really helped me.

Before, I had lost the reason to keep on living -- but now it feels like these feelings are gradually being replaced with others

Creating relationships with others, is one of the keys to human happiness; and that even if those connections are occurring online, they are better than nothing.