tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360902011-10-10T16:46:31.055+02:00The Puddle<b>This page is a tribute to Meir Uziel's popular column where life is all about frogs in a puddle.</b>Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1159448012923202332006-09-28T15:53:00.000+03:002006-11-07T17:37:23.913+02:00Silence Frogs croak, a fact that is believed to have risen concomitantly to their mental capacities. Yet ability does not dictate a commandment to do so. Nor must one incessantly croak for the sake of ostentatiousness. Despite this, society does not openly embrace an abeyance of croaking. Opportunities are to be jumped upon, space is to be utilized, voids are to be filled and silences are to Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1159446986996892702006-09-28T14:28:00.000+03:002006-09-28T15:51:56.336+03:00Silence Frogs croak, a fact that is believed to have risen concomitantly to their mental capacities. Yet ability does not dictate a commandment to do so. Nor must one incessantly croak for the sake of ostentatiousness. Despite this, society does not openly embrace an abeyance of croaking. Opportunities are to be jumped upon, space is to be utilized, voids are to be filled and silences are to be Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1157901824489246532006-09-10T18:21:00.000+03:002006-09-12T07:54:36.163+03:00ConnectivityUltimately, frogs’ skin is indistinguishable. We run the reductionist risk of lumping frogs into superfluously catholic categories. The opposite, but equally unrealistic, extreme is each frog for himself. Instead, frogs find ways to make the puddle smaller. (link) Communities, whether self-labeled, unlabeled, (by association), or exclusive and fluid, are all guised attempts at making Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1155787389198349472006-08-17T06:49:00.000+03:002006-08-17T12:47:54.140+03:00Across the Great DivideSmall changes, substantial changes. Yet the essence remains untouched. Our hero made it to the other side. She feels liberated; how she lives has been transformed, not who she is.Discrepancies and disparities are inevitable. Her inert environment discomfits our labile hero; loneliness pervades the other side. Most notable is the absence of close frogs, as most opt to remainCookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1155622612598933462006-08-15T08:56:00.000+03:002006-08-16T06:53:27.393+03:00Popping the Ideological Bubble"Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation"- Oscar Wilde The puddle is filled with life. Diverse life-forms that, together, create the eco-system that is our puddle. Variation within species is no less significant than the differences between the species. Frogs are the majority, but are only loosely tied together as members of Anura. In fact, Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1085715494545013642004-05-28T06:48:00.000+03:002004-05-28T06:38:44.296+03:00Who Are You, Really?
As frogs, we often forget how much our surroundings influence us. The puddle's warmth and familiarity induce amnesia, (mis)leading us to believe that we have always felt a certain way.
On those rare occasions when we leave the puddle, we are reminded what a privilege swimming was in the first place. A few degrees of difference between our origin and destination make all Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1063691182690897492003-09-16T08:46:00.000+03:002003-09-17T10:29:47.646+03:00For Tzur
Happiness does not come easily to all frogs. It is easy to fall into the flow of superficial satisfaction from priorities determined by other frogs. But then night falls and the frog is in bed when it all begins. Alone in the dark, the frog becomes overwhelmed by suppressed feelings and thoughts. The frog must decide whether to live tomorrow as they have lived today.
The night is an Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1062314442006164492003-08-31T10:20:00.000+03:002003-08-31T10:21:28.463+03:00Experimenting
I just saw Adaptation, which had perhaps the best quote ever, eloquently summarising why I've been experimenting with being anti-social:
You are what you love, not what loves you
I'm starting to go through my archives and delete anything that isn't written in froggish. I'm also going to delete all links, except for "reading." Just because.
Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1060098875621605672003-08-05T18:54:00.000+03:002003-08-05T19:51:23.743+03:00Drifters
A fundamental property of the puddle is it fluidity. Although swimming, or even drifting frogs have direction, they have almost no control over which other frogs and creatures in the puddle pass by them. Sometimes they meet familiar frogs, by chance or intentionally. On other occasions they happen to float by otherwise anonymous frogs and strike up a conversation, some of which are moreCookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-1058173809960103742003-07-14T12:10:00.000+03:002003-07-14T12:14:36.013+03:00Strange World
A Personal Post
Is this our last chance to say all we have to say
hiding here inside ourselves we live our lives afraid
With this song playing in the background our hero sat in the police station yesterday, making perhaps the hardest decision she has ever faced.
Unfortunately the puddles in our world are full of big frogs who take advantage of their size and abuse little frogs. Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-945023432003-05-17T19:17:00.000+03:002003-05-19T00:12:08.000+03:00Thoughts
There is a frog in the puddle that our hero has known for about a year. A while back this frog found himself in a dire situation, and our hero was in the position to lend a helping hand. Recently their paths have crossed more often, and they chat about the happenings in the puddle as well as about each other's lives. You see, they lead very different lives, yet share a lot on common. A Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-941770932003-05-12T05:05:00.000+03:002003-05-12T05:07:20.000+03:00The Game
One of our hero's favorite pastimes is to observe other frogs and evaluate their character and personality. She is known in the circles of the puddle as disliking many frogs and loving others, for no reason other than one pleasant or agonizing interaction with them.
Recently our hero has encountered a frog who she finds very interesting. Deep inside, she believes this frog is a good Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-937413142003-05-04T13:39:00.000+03:002003-05-05T00:44:02.000+03:00Back From the Depths
Our hero has been up to her neck in puddle issues and enough drama has passed her way to last an entire year. The waters in the puddle turned murky and it became extremely hard to see what each frog was up to. In the absence of clarity our hero resorted to only trusting her closest friends, those other wonderful, powerful frogs that shared her vision.
For the past two and Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-926992602003-04-16T08:48:00.000+03:002003-04-16T08:48:32.310+03:00Taking a Swimming Break
When frogs swim in the puddle, there is nothing except them and the water. They feel the water and know that they must keep paddling. It does not matter how large or small the puddle is; when they swim all that matters is that they are emerged in water. Some frogs thrive in the water while others need to take occasional breaks. Our hero was in a puddle, a nice one, one Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-922087622003-04-08T11:10:00.000+03:002003-04-08T11:24:15.000+03:00Quotes of Today
Today I pretend to me In Passing. Here are some tidbits:
"Don't make me come over and bash your heads"
-My extreme leftist, Bill Clinton hating, English teacher when I dared speak to my friend during class. (Note: I am going to write a letter after the semester is over about the use of violent language in the classroom, specifically from someone who claims to be a pacifist.)
"ICookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-901644252003-03-05T09:46:00.000+02:002003-03-05T09:46:44.826+02:00Rejuvenation
When I started this blog, it was intended to be for myself. I was going to write my experiences in froggish, elaborate on my thoughts and re-analyze my life through a different perspective. It's now been 11 months since The Puddle started filling up, and lots of stuff has been covered. I've commented on Israeli politics, Cal politics and life in general. My counter has been off Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-862772152002-12-19T19:16:00.000+02:002002-12-20T02:30:17.000+02:00I'm not going to be posting over break, as I'll be traveling around the country. I'll leave you with something I wrote over the summer that you may have missed. I'll be back Jan 20th!
College as a Puddle
You know that feeling when you are alone in the world? Yeah, sure, you know people and have friends, but overall, it’s you for yourself. There is no organized friendship like high school, and Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-860395552002-12-15T21:53:00.000+02:002002-12-15T23:05:53.000+02:00Line Starts Here
A line can represent every frog in the puddle. Every line starts at some place and is headed to another. When looking at the collective of lines, you get a picture similar to the underground or metro.
Some lines that originated from very different places ended up in similar directions, and some that started out near each other find themselves worlds apart.
Some of these linesCookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-857727942002-12-10T10:12:00.000+02:002002-12-12T13:26:49.000+02:00Uncontrollable Laughter
2 nights ago, our hero took an outing to a nearby puddle. It was a fancy evening, and our hero found herself dressed in her finest (and most uncomfortable) clothing. Many important student frogs came along, amongst them leaders and members of other groups and a few prominent names. They young frogs were all seated together and the far end of the dining hall, and were Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-851902152002-11-28T04:17:00.000+02:002002-11-28T04:17:59.000+02:00Look! (Over My Shoulder)
There was an area of the puddle that only our hero understood. The other frogs could swim around and see the sites, but only our hero was truly at home there. Sometimes she would swim there daily; sometimes a week would pass before she decided to pay that particular neighborhood a visit. She had a few enemies there, or rather frogs she respectfully disagreed with and Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-835653862002-10-26T22:18:00.000+02:002002-10-26T22:23:36.000+02:00D'oh!
A wise froggie shared these words with me at 3am a few nights ago. We both should have been in bed, but only I was. Rolled up under the covers, surrounded by the darkness and stressing about life, she came over to reassure me that everything would be OK. We had a wonderful chat in the dark, and before leaving she wanted to read me these words of wisdom:
"If your love has no hope of beingCookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-821712492002-09-27T03:49:00.000+03:002002-09-27T09:12:53.000+03:00Is It Worth It?
I've got a few goals in life:
1. Learn to fly a little plane. (I also intend to learn how to land, in case you were wondering)
2. Learn how to blow glass. I saw pictures when I was little in the museum, and it facinated me. I also saw it being done on 4th street, maybe I can learn there over winter break.
3. Live on a farm. I want to grow my own food, and be surrounded by green Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-814810562002-09-12T03:07:00.000+03:002003-08-31T10:59:05.106+03:00Anniversaries
Thus, we designate a not-so-frequent date in which we can allow ourselves to create a space in remembrance of those killed. Once a year we remember, try to feel what we felt when it first happened. Some people even use such dates for personal reflection and soul-searching. We can afford to avoid planes for one day out of the year, as illogical as that is. However, we cannot get Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-806636082002-08-24T23:06:00.000+03:002002-08-25T04:00:55.000+03:00Tips for Fresh-folk
The puddle has filled up, mostly with little froggies who were scrawny tadpoles until a week ago. As I am about to turn 21, and am going through my annual old phase I'll disperse some advice I've learned during my time in the puddle (which by no means is coming to an end, as I'm on the 5+ year plan).
1. Realize that you are a small frog in a BIG sea. Deal with it. Find a Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-803474322002-08-17T07:40:00.000+03:002002-08-17T17:53:50.000+03:00Suffocation
It is easy to toot your own horn. I'm sure every froggie reading this believes they are good at what they do. In fact, this may as well be true. I hope all the frogs find something they enjoy and are good at to be involved in.
But, sometimes others can ruin the tooting. The worse is when they unintentionally rain on your parade. These are the frogs who make you feel crappy about Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-803031062002-08-16T06:21:00.000+03:002002-08-16T06:21:22.616+03:00Solitaire, Not the Game
It has been an interesting week in the puddle. Our hero has not had much to do, which is a concept she is not too familiar with. After re-settling into her lilypad, she is now working a bit, as to make a few extra $$ before school starts. She would have considered this time a lonely one, except for the change of mind she had over the summer.
In the far-away puddle thereCookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-790761582002-07-17T22:56:00.000+03:002002-07-20T21:43:32.000+03:00College as a Puddle
You know that feeling when you are alone in the world? Yeah, sure, you know people and have friends, but overall, it’s you for yourself. There is no organized friendship like high school, and no structure. This is what college has been like for me so far, and it is very easy to get lost in such a puddle.
Self-motivation is key for college-bound frogs, in addition to Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-788293662002-07-11T21:56:00.000+03:002002-07-11T21:58:02.000+03:00Warm... Hot... Boiling... Skirts!
-Fashion rants from Cookie Goddess
This past week was very warm in the puddle. Our hero worked 4-days, teaching tadpoles how to paint the paper, and not themselves. After work today, our hero went into town to run some errands. Even though she was pressed for time, she ran home first to get out of her work clothes. A quick shower, a glance into the closet, and…Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-778017782002-06-16T09:42:00.000+03:002002-06-17T10:19:46.000+03:00Where Do You Come From, Where Do You Go?
-updated version
Parent-frogs and a strange tendency; they wish for their offspring to be their exact replica. They work hard to ensure an environment conducive to cloning. After years of nurturing, the grown tadpoles are prepared to invoke on a journey to different puddles. At some point, a young frog finds a puddle to call home, and settles there. ThisCookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-769777022002-05-26T06:29:00.000+03:002002-05-26T16:07:02.000+03:00It's Not Easy Being Green
Contrary to popular belief, The Puddle is not dead, just on a short break. Tonight, the break is over. Although I will not be posting as often as I do in Berkeley, I will still share my experiences with anyone willing to read them.
Tonight, I will tell a tale from the past. I was reminded of this while talking with a friend and discussing how all male frogs are Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-768181082002-05-22T02:42:00.000+03:002003-08-31T11:30:03.733+03:00Directly From the Source
As you have probably noticed, this blog borrowed its theme from a weekly column in Maariv, a daily Israeli publication. Meir Uziel prints reader's letters, mostly love stories translated into froggish. They are not always anonymous, and do not always have happy endings. Although I must confess to have never written in, I have identified a few of the stories as be those Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-767722792002-05-21T00:49:00.000+03:002002-05-21T00:49:08.246+03:00The Skies Are Weeping
As quickly as serenity overcame the puddle last week, it now became rainy and yucky. Suddenly the frogs could not sit on lily pads and absorb the sun as their minds absorbed information; they were forced to hide under the reeds to stay dry. As time went on, more and more frogs were leaving the puddle. Some were leaving for good, some would be back in a few months. As Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-764864902002-05-13T09:11:00.000+03:002002-05-13T09:11:07.526+03:00A Hop Outside Of The Pond
Our hero and her friends took a field trip the evening, to a lily pad across the puddle. Food and drinks were bought for the festive occasion. A good group of frogs met (minus a few senior ones) and hopped together to a set location, only getting slightly lost on the way. The frogs played some ball before settling down, and preparing their meal. Despite the pressing Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-764311272002-05-11T18:36:00.000+03:002002-05-12T02:23:34.000+03:00Is This It?
Friday nights tend to be exciting enough. The frogs meet, sing and dine in celebration of the day of rest. This Friday was no exception, although it was special for one reason. It would be the last time all the frogs met, as summer was looming over their heads. This was the perfect opportunity to recognize all those who had made the puddle the fun place it is. Many people have workedCookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-762953002002-05-08T09:18:00.000+03:002002-05-08T09:18:52.226+03:00So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
Tonight the activist frogs held a farewell meeting to sum up the year. Although last meetings have a tendency to be small, they are by no means worthless. Thanks are given, feelings are shared, and the remaining activists walk away with a good feeling. This year, an exception to the rule occurred; quite a few frogs showed up. With a lily pad full of green, Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-762107422002-05-06T09:08:00.000+03:002002-05-06T09:38:03.000+03:00An Enchanted Evening In The Pond
This evening was an exciting one in the pond; the frogs attended a formal dinner, in one of the more fancy parts of the pond. The main guests were older and more respectable frogs, which our hero and friends were honored to join for this joyous occasion. First, there was a small meeting, where the tadpoles met with an important, charismatic frog and discussed Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3436090.post-758362112002-04-26T07:47:00.000+03:002002-04-26T07:49:07.000+03:00The puddle in the spotlight is Berkeley, CA. Yes, it is the hotbed of student activism, and yes, frogs here like to think of themselves as progressive and openminded, but there is more to this nutty city than hippy, happy, kumbaya-singing people running around and hugging trees all day long. Many frogs live in this puddle, and quite often they do not all get along. This blog will tell the Cookie Goddessnoreply@blogger.com0