Still Wonderin': Midwood, You rule

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Midwood, You rule

Krum tagged me, so here goes ....

“Midwood, you rule. Even if Budapest is such a better name. Who else has ten thousand $11 million mansions, all built within 12 inches of each other? How about the one place where the only land more valuable than an $11 million mansion is a 2-hour parking spot on Ave. J. Thank you trend setting ladies of Midwood -- for wearing Gucci to the gym, but robes from Friday to Monday. To show our gratitude, we’ve got something for you. No, not single malt, or a stock tip -- cell phones without annual contracts, so you’re not locked in, unlike your neighbor, uncle, and mechuten doing 6-10 upstate. And with no annual contract, you’re free to move anywhere you want, as long as it’s not out of Brooklyn.

Labels: Cellphone contracts, Meme, Midwood

14 Comments:

I just love how you and others feel justified in mocking an entire community with sweeping generalizations. Is it true that some behave the way you describe, yes; do all, no. To me it sounds like you are either a current or an ex-Midwood guy so I ask you, do you parents behave the way you described, do your siblings, do your friends? Loshon hara is Loshon Hara and speaking bad about an entire community is not appropriate. Would your Rav approve of such derogatory statements even if made in jest? can your child's school point to such writing as an example of middos tovos? Humor is not an excuse to malign people, it just isn't.

By MO Jew, at 3:33 PM
Dear MO Jew,

First, i know you don't really love how I, or others, mock entire communities with sweeping generalizations. I can tell you're being sarcastic because the remainder of your comment is critical in tone.

That aside, I can tell you with full objectivity and pride that my parents, my siblings, nor I behave in the way that describe.

On the other hand, my family moved to Midwood over 30 years ago, preceding all the nincompoops who commit the shenanigans I mock. In fact, we moved to the neighborhood when it was still called Flatbush -- well BEFORE all the fancy people who demolished their new Flatbush homes so they could rebuild up to the property line were still livin' and lovin' Boro(ugh) Park.

I am sure my children's school would sanction my impressions completely, particularly because they themselves were victims of mocking and sweeping generalizations made by the more recent residents of Midwood, despite being, without question, one of the finest school in Midwood, and for miles around.

Would my Rav approve? i think a better question is if my Rav would agree. Except for the part when I make fun of Hungarians, I'm quite sure he'd congratulate my insightful observation.

Last, seeing the insanity they current population of Brooklyn have created, I'm often left wonderin' if I should laugh or cry.

So I laugh.

By Still Wonderin', at 3:57 PM
I was certainly being sarcastic and I am being critical, I was certain you would pick up on it. I do not beleive your Rav would approve of your tone, nor would he approve of certain of the words that appear on your blog from time to time. There are schools in the Five Towns (which I surmise is where you live) that pride themselves on Good Middos (even above torah learning). Name calling (nincompoops) is not Middos Tovos, neither is mocking.

Glad to hear that your family does not behave in the fashion you describe, neither does mine.

By MO JEW, at 4:14 PM
"nor would he approve of certain of the words that appear on your blog from time to time.

First of all, thank you for being a regular reader. I appreciate your support.

Second, I knew you were being sarcastic. My reference to your sarcasm is actually my way of being sarcastic. Thank you for giving the opportunity to entertain myself.

As for schools in the 5 Towns that teach middos .. I know you're right because my children attend two of the few. And one of those schools is an offshoot of the outstanding yeshiva i reference earlier, which was picked to death by frummer-than-thou hypocrites who yearn for Budapest, built out-sized houses to compensate for their out-sized insecurities, drive multiple LARGE cars, thereby reducing the possibility of finding a parking spot for anybody, Dress to the nines for everyone but their families and spouses, sit in jail, at an obnoxiously higher proportion than other ethnicities for committing outrageous white collar crime out of arrogance and greed, and yes ... truly believe that moving out of Brooklyn is an overt expression of going off the derech.

Calling them nincompoops? Not Middos tovos. I beg to differ ... considering what really comes to mind.

And would my Rav approve of my tone? He wouldn't like the words I've used in previous posts, he may not even like my mocking tone in this one. But would agree with my core beliefs? Absolutely.

As for your family ... kol hakavod. But when did they move to Midwood, from where, which part of Brooklyn do you live, and where did you go to high school?

The answers to these questions will indicate if you are an exception to the rule, or if people like your family are among those who started moving away in the early to mid 90s.

By Still Wonderin', at 4:30 PM
Hopefully your experience in the Five Towns (and apparently Shulamith and South Shore) will be a good one (better than your Brooklyn one) and that you can grow in learning and middos. If I may, I would suggest avoiding using the words you admit your Rav would not approve. You should learn and focus on your personal growth.

Have a good shabbos.

By MO JEW, at 4:42 PM
Correct me if I am wrong, but many (prominent) members of the Five Towns are in jail or subject to various criminal investigations. Crime is not a Brooklyn thing it is a greed thing.

Shabbat Shalom

By Anonymous, at 4:45 PM
Since you know so much, I suggest you go to Krum's site and write a 'Lawrence, You rule" post.

But I appreciate your adorable, little expression of righteous rage.

Thanks for playing.

By Still Wonderin', at 5:05 PM
"But I appreciate your adorable, little expression of righteous rage. "

Not sure what that means. Have a godd shabbos.

By Mo jew, at 7:04 PM
LOL, I had a good time the two of you sorting it out. In all honesty I kinda agree with both sides on a certain level.

But to point out a slight inconsistency on SW's part - when the Lawrence papers criticise his community for reasons very similar to those for which he criticises others ("I have a dream" & this current one, to name a few), he calls them outrgiht anti-semites or worse. kinda interesting, ain't it?

At least he's right on the UN.

By The Anti-Semite, at 12:34 PM
"when the Lawrence papers criticise his community for reasons very similar to those for which he criticises others ("I have a dream" & this current one, to name a few), he calls them outrgiht anti-semites or worse. kinda interesting, ain't it?"

I may be inconsistent ... but i really have no idea what you're referring to. Fill me in so I can defend or acquiesce.

By Still Wonderin', at 1:01 PM
"Last week, the Alliance of Lying Paranoid Schmucks (ALPS) a self-appointed lobbying group that claims to advocate on behalf of underprivileged Lawrence public school students, launched an ad campaign accusing Orthodox Jews of baking Passover matzos with the blood of murdered Christian children, spreading the Bubonic plague by poisoning wells in Lawrence, controlling the media, banks, U.S. foreign policy, and global climate, and of being hell-bent on dismantling the Five Towns' public school system." vs. you "I have a dream" post. See a parallel? - Note that I'm not denying nor conofirming anyone's claim. But you shouldn't be surprised if soome people view their charachterisation by you as you view the Herald's charachterisation of you.

PS - since you love 80es pop so much... I just heard Bon Jovi added 5 concerts in the area. But doon't wait for me there :-).

By The Anti-Semite, at 7:47 AM
1) the ALPS ads were not observed criticisms of the Lawrence Jewish community, rather targeted hate-mongering intended to paint the the local community in an erroneously negative light to influence voting. There is absolutely no comparison.

2)What is my "I have a dream" post?

3) I like Bon Jovi, but not enough to sit with a several thousand aging teeny-boppers who idolize the prevailing king of bubble-gum metal.

By Still Wonderin', at 8:14 AM
1) Fair game. The intent was that everyone generalising & stereotyping in wide-sweeping brushes shouldn't be surprised at the criticised side's angry reaction.

If you really feel like puking for the fun of it, check out Alfred Rosenberg (aka Failed Contraception - Dov Bear's twin in Jew-hatred) reporting on the issue.

2) OK, if you're not pulling my leg I owe you a big big apology. But I'm fairly sure that I read on this very blog a pretty nasty article on how the Charedim -as you lump 'em/us all in the same basket- take upon themselves millions of dollars in debt, build up to the property line, etc., etc., - though a lot of legitimate claims, the tone & vective and the sweeping accusation as if no one in the community ever objected to this insanity, as well as making believe that only Charedim can do is is pretty appalling.

BTW - see your "it" article - you make a few claims as if a) NCSY & OU were stricltly MO orgs, which is not the case. You downplay the fact that MO youth are far more prone to these activitis because of the very nature of their society. And that the Charedim consistently and systematically ignore the problem, - while it is unfortunatley partly true, it is far from being entirely true.

3)I only like one or two Bon Jovi tunes. I was REALLY angry that I had to miss Sab vith Dio a month ago - I was supposed to have off, and just a week prior I was informed of a major function, and the director wouldn't hear of anything. Well, I anyway can't afford all the goodies out there this summer - Sab, Genesis, Police, Asia who not. Hopefully will catch Priest - that's the one I really can't miss... 1st love...
OK bye now - for a good trivia - how many LP's/tunes can you spot among my article titles?

By The Anti-Semite, at 3:35 PM
Flatbush, you rule! Your commitment to the Jewish religion is insane, and we know that creativity is not the main thing. You all wear your black and white, sit in your shules, say the same prayers and read the same books over and over and over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over over and over again and struggle to find novel ways of harrassing yourselves with stringent halachot to be closer to God! How great is your community O flatbush, that you find new ways to harass yourself in the name of God, and when you need to call your chavrusa to discuss brand new stringincies in halacha to make your lives more difficult in the name of God, try our mobile phone plan with no annual contracts by virgin cellular, its your contract with hashem that counts!

By Anonymous, at 12:26 PM