Why get your tush to Israel or anywhere now!

An article in today's Oy Chicago:

http://oychicago.com/article.aspx?id=5550

10 resolutions for 10 days Feb. 15-25

I am anticipating an incredibly stressful week and although I can't control what comes at me, I can control how I respond to it. Here is my plan to stay calm and cool.

1. Eat right
I will not skip meals. I will eat at least one healthy snack in between meals. I will eat enough protein, vegetables and fruit and not carb out because I'm stressed.

2. Go to the gym
I will hit the gym at least three times between Monday and Saturday for an hour each time.

3. Caffeine intake
I will not have more than 2 cups of coffee every day.

4. Posture check
I will make sure that I'm sitting at my desk in an ergonomically correct way so I won't have neck, shoulder or arm pain.

5. Stretching breaks
I will take three breaks during the day to stretch and do three poses each time from here: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories

6. Sleep
I will sleep for at least seven hours each night.

7. Humidifier
I will not be lazy and use it every night.

8. Obstacles
If something happens that messes up my week, I won't catastrophize it, I will take things as they come and do my best.

9. Temper
I will remember to not take others frustrations personally.

10. Temper
I will not interrupt, even if I know what someone is going to say. Instead I will breathe through it.

What are your tips for dealing with a stressful week?

Love letter to Jon Stewart

Dear Jon Stewart,

I love you. Every night that you are on television is a day that the world is a bit smarter and a bit funnier.

You inspire me because you are a voice for my politics, you are advocate for critical thinking and you are sometimes just off the wall hysterical.

The political responses to the problems facing America today frequently leave me befuddled, and when you are flabbergasted you voice and affirm my own frustrations.

You are smart and delve into an issue and assess it using higher level thinking skills. While others claim to be fair and objective, you draw conclusions using logic, unfortunately a rare commodity in editorial television media.

I believe that you are owed some credit for Generation X, Y and Millenials even caring about the news anymore. Your insights are not taken as gospel, but at the very least they motivate the three “whatever” generations to learn more and for even some of us to stand up to inaccuracy and propaganda. When you took on Jim Cramer, it did make me cringe a bit because I felt bad for him, because you are smarter, but you showed all of us the importance of righting wrongs, and on that day you were the guardian, or maybe guard dog, for the common person.

You delve into controversial topics with an openness needed to properly address them. I don’t think anyone addresses the issues of racism and provides the American Jewish and American Muslim point of views as articulately as you do.

You are the Oprah of nonfiction books and I have read many of the ones that were featured on your show. One time I suggested to a large book chain that they put a Daily Show/Colbert Report display with books featured on your shows, and they looked at me curiously, so I never brought it up again.

I also admire how you embrace and make fun of your Jewishness. I wouldn’t call you a Jewish comedian per say, but a comedian who embraces his Jewish identity. Your background is always with you, even if you aren’t particularly religious. And although you are on the left, you haven’t jumped on the anti Israel bandwagon like other Jews have. In fact you defend Israel, in your own way, like when you show the Hamas children’s cartoons to show the world why peace in the Middle East is not an easy task.

I used to feel ashamed for feeling this way about you. I thought it demonstrated my frivolity. Why didn’t I feel this way about Wolf Blitzer or Katie Couric or Brian Williams? But your recent appearance on “The O’Reilly Factor” inspired me to come out to the world, or at least the 25 people who read this, (Hi, mom and dad!) and declare my love for you.

Happy early Valentine’s Day. Thank you for keeping America sane.

Love,

Scarpetta

Here are some of my favorite Jon Stewart moments. Submit yours, mostly because I want to see them and crack up.

Jon on the Factor

Best Hannukah moments

Jim Cramer slam down


Cross Fire


Reaming the Democrats recently

Hamas Cartoons


Hamas vs. Fatah

Obama isn't magic

What killed Jennifer Lyon?

Meet Jennifer Lyon, age 37. She died a couple of weeks ago. Her killer: not having health insurance.

How can I know that? You are right. I don't. But she made a decision as so many people do, not to go to the doctor because it's too expensive, because they don't have insurance. She found a lump and didn't see a doctor until another one appeared.

I guess we'll never know what would have happened had she seen a doctor right away, had she had health insurance.

Tell your U.S. Senator, in Jennifer's name, to pass health care reform.

Click here for your Senators' contact info. And they do take every email into account.

Thanks to Marisa Sanders who passed this on to me. It's about an actor who didn't seek proper treatment because he didn't have health insurance.