Is the Negative Voice the Evil Inclination?

I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts today - Jonathan Roche's No Excuses Weight Loss on Blog Talk Radio. It isn't really about weight loss, although that may well be a welcome side effect of listening to Jonathan in the long term. It's really about the Lizard Brain, the Imposter Police, or what … Continue reading Is the Negative Voice the Evil Inclination?

Book review: HOT MAMALAH by Lisa Alcalay Klug

So here it is: the long-awaited review of Lisa Alcalay Klug's latest book, Hot Mamalah: The Ultimate Guide for Every Woman of the Tribe (affiliate link). Lisa's publisher very kindly sent me a copy of the book to review, so that's my disclosure. When I first started reading this book, I felt completely overwhelmed. It … Continue reading Book review: HOT MAMALAH by Lisa Alcalay Klug

About the Imposter Police

It's a funny thing - whenever I mention the Imposter Police, women immediately know what I am talking about, and men look at me as if I have two heads. I first encountered this concept when I was a student in the Physics Department at the University of Amsterdam. I helped organise a symposium about … Continue reading About the Imposter Police

The Greeks called it ἀκρασία

I first ran into the term akrasia, acting against one's own self-interest, in a post by Mark Sisson. I've had blogging about akrasia on my to-do list for a while, and tonight I finally sat down to do it. Grabbed a chocolate chip cookie before I started writing. Sigh. Paleo, huh. I have to admit … Continue reading The Greeks called it ἀκρασία

Tell the Truth, All the Time, with Compassion

I'm not sure I'm allowed to use this picture of David Wood, but I'm going to do it anyway, and I suspect David will not sue me for it. He's not that kind of guy. I discovered David Wood via Dean Dwyer, who interviewed him about his remarkable life - growing up in England, leaving … Continue reading Tell the Truth, All the Time, with Compassion

Seeing – #BlogElul 22

This morning at minyan I had the privilege of leading Shacharit, as I usually do on Sundays. I was thinking about the commandment to wear the tzitzit, the ritual fringes that give the tallit its meaning - otherwise it is just a four-cornered shawl. We remind ourselves of this commandment every morning in the third … Continue reading Seeing – #BlogElul 22

Hearing – #BlogElul 21

The High Holiday services are very auditory - the cantor leads the congregation in many traditional tunes, often there is a choir to enhance the experience. The rabbi gives a longer and more intense sermon than usual. The shofar sounds 100 times over the two days of Rosh HaShanah, and with full force at the … Continue reading Hearing – #BlogElul 21