Thoughts from the Universal Geek

I'll get things started with something you might call a "golden oldie."  Between roughly 2012-2017, my family temporarily relocated to Greenville, SC (job transfer, don't ask). In the summer of 2015, between Rabbi Julie Kozlow leaving our synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel, and Rabbi Barry Kenter starting a 1 year stint as interim Rabbi, I served as a substitute "Rabbi" on Saturday mornings. As I said the first time I took the bimah (pulpit), I'm not a rabbi, but I can play one on Shabbat. Or, perhaps, not an actual rabbi, but an incredible substitute! Or, maybe, the Emergency Rabbinic Hologram. Most Shabbatot (Sabbaths), I was very careful to keep my focus 100% on the Torah portion of the week, scrupulously avoiding any mention of current events. After all, current events can get any faith leader into hot water; if a "real" rabbi could get in trouble for mentioning current events, how much more so a purely temporary one?  Well, on Wednesday, ...

I'll keep my introduction quite simple: if I'm interested in something, anything, I geek out about it. Guitars: I learn to play, start a small collection. Whiskey: I jump headfirst into the community of Magnificent Bastards who make up the Whiskey Tribe. Shaving with an old school safety razor: I'm an active participant on the "Badger and Blade" website.  And so on. In a chat with a friend, it occurred to me that, rather than send essays   via email or SMS, it'd be better to start a small blog and send links to it. Hell, maybe someone will like what I have to say. Stranger things have happened, although not commonly or recently.   Peace, love, & Star Trek,  -Z