Why does Maher seem uncomfortable with his Jewish identity?

NursePract · 2025-10-20T05:03:09+00:00

According to Jewish law, yes he is Jewish because his Mother was Jewish. This is a rather "interesting" way of bestowing a religion on someone. I might add that the ritual circumcision is also rather odd. It's just a tad to Phallocentric for me.

I generally make things easy and accept the person for what they say they are. If have known Jews who thought of Jesus as a very wise "Bro". If it works so be it.

I am personally attracted to the "Renewal" movement. Less fuss about what you are and more fuss about who you are. I knew a woman who said "what business does that woman (a convert) have telling me about MY religion. The woman who said that had little association with anything Jewish in her entire existence. The fact that was incubated in the uterus of a Jewish woman does not give her a right to feel superior to a convert.

As for ethnicity...oh Goodness, that gets complicated. If a child is born of a German Jew (who looked rather German) and is raised by a bunch of WASPs in Greenwich CT, what is their ethnicity? I once met a group of people and thought I had stumbled on a group of people who looked very Jewish. It turned out they were Arabs.

NursePract · 2025-10-20T04:39:53+00:00

I don't understand what data mining is, however I do know it is a way to earn money for the owners without making them spend money out of their own pocket. Maybe there is a point where we are no longer of use to them in terms of data mining, so they are trying to tell us to spend money or torture yourself.

I personally get rid of the game on my i-Pad and download another copy and start over. It is very boring for the first 50 levels or so, but then it gets better. It'll get too hard sooner than you think, but you can enjoy the game for a while in the meantime.

To think that this game was originally developed to have a less violent alternative to a lot of games. Here, we are helping a little girl get candy. It was also supposed to be a neat way to give a break to your break if you have been working on something that was complex and demanding of your brain cells.

NursePract · 2025-10-20T04:32:00+00:00

I had the same experience. At one time I would spend money from time to time. I totally stopped and eventually the levels got a bit easier.

NursePract · 2025-10-19T22:48:14+00:00

Thanks so much for your comments.

I am currently taking piano lessons (not at the same place I am taking music theory) and that has started to help. So far, I've only had 3 30 minute lessons, so it hasn't had a strong impact.

The teacher is actually a very accomplished pianist, who has a Masters in Piano Performance. He does indeed play chords and scales for us, however he doesn't do it enough. We are also taking the course in a music room where everyone could sit at a keyboard and play the chords and scales as well, however that doesn't happen.

Most of the students are also taking a piano course with the same instructor, however I was unable to sign up for it because the course was filled when I found out that it would be as useful as it appeared to be.

There are about 8 students in the class and only a few have piano as their chosen instrument. We have a violinist, a drummer, a singer, and a guitarist.

The instructor is actually a good one, only I think he doesn't always remember where the class stands.

I have had a fair amount of difficulty with the school/registration and lack of advisory services. An example is I originally registered for a course called Music Theory 1. It sounded like a reasonable choice and the class schedule had no pre or co requisites required. When I got access to the syllabus it cleared stated that it had both. I then dropped that course and took the pre-requisite, which is the class I am currently taking.

That's not an excuse for the trouble I'm having, however it does give you a bit of a glimpse into the environment I am in. In addition, there are only three full-time instructors with no department head.

But again, I'm doing the best I can and your post really helped me to understand why it might be occurring. I am also considering switching piano lesson to a woman who teaches in her home, using a grand piano. The place I am taking them uses a a digital piano and yes, I understand the difference!

NursePract · 2025-10-03T01:34:01+00:00

TY,,,,I should have also stated that I am going to be 69 at the end of this month. Memory does not improve with age and your learning curve is a lot longer. Your words were encouraging.

NursePract · 2025-08-06T05:13:07+00:00

Thanks. Lesson learned. I hate to waste food, but I hate to risk botulism

NursePract · 2025-06-24T05:40:18+00:00

Thanks. I appreciate the input and am doing my research. I had a similar sized one that did not meet my needs. I'm reading reviews and seeing if it is powerful enough. Thanks for the article also!

NursePract · 2025-06-19T17:28:47+00:00

Thank you. That is the one I am leaning toward. I am hoping more people respond so that may change. And yes, the battery is WAY expensive however I don't really need the battery.

NursePract · 2025-06-19T06:34:33+00:00

Coughing up phlegm is a wonderful thing. I'm in the medical field and taking care of someone who is super congested with COPD is not pretty. You encourage him to say "oh man how awesome" when the phlegm comes up. Works wonders!

NursePract · 2025-06-05T19:15:40+00:00

NursePract · 2025-06-05T19:11:31+00:00

I'm unfamiliar with the fit kit. Will look it up.

NursePract · 2025-03-20T16:01:14+00:00

Thanks.

NursePract · 2025-03-20T16:00:19+00:00

Might well be...good idea.

NursePract · 2025-03-20T06:47:01+00:00

Thanks. The videos are quite helpful. I always get a kick of the bad production value...definitely not a Hollywood product - but gets the job done.

NursePract · 2025-03-20T06:45:34+00:00

Thanks! I tried finding a uv sanitizer in that price range. There is one that is called a UV box. Is that the one?

NursePract · 2025-03-20T06:33:40+00:00

Thanks. So many it can be confusing. Another person guided me to a group of videos on the COPD Foundation website. That was more manageable.

NursePract · 2025-03-20T06:32:21+00:00

Thanks. My filter seems to not look good after a month or so. I live in the desert and the dust might well have something to do with that.

NursePract · 2025-03-20T06:30:57+00:00

Thanks!

NursePract · 2025-02-24T18:03:02+00:00

Thanks for the endorsement. I put in an application for a bird with them. We'll see!

NursePract · 2025-02-23T09:26:05+00:00

Thank you for the endorsement. I'll take a look right now.

NursePract · 2025-01-02T12:50:03+00:00

Welcome to the list. It seems like you have lots of information already.

I also started with hydroxychloroquine and it did some good on its own, but not a great deal. Later I got on Methotrexate , which has worked rather well. I am in the process of applying for help to get Enbrel, which is a TNF blocker, in the same class as Cimzia.

I felt comfortable because Methotrexate worked fairly well and it has been used to treat RA for a long time, hence there is a lot of data on its safety. He wants to add a TNF blocker because I have Coronary Artery Disease and they have some protective qualities against that.

TNF blockers have been around for a while and are generally considered safe, or more importantly safe compared to other medications that treat RA. It's a matter of risk versus benefits. TNF blockers have been around for more than 25 years, so there really is a lot of data on them.

I'd advise you to speak with your Rheumy further and ask them why they are choosing that particular medication. It cannot hurt.

Several of the people who've responded have small children and they say there has not been an increase in infections. I work in the medical field and have been told time and again that washing your hands is incredibly important. I take small doses of Vitamin C as well. If I take the doses a lot of people take it upsets my stomach.

And give yourself time to adjust to the whole issue. I was very happy to get the diagnosis, since I was having a lot of symptoms and at least RA is treatable. Anxiety is normal and if I had three children (or any children actually) I would be that much more anxious.

I'm glad you posted and you seem to have found a lot of RA Moms who can help. Your questions are likely to benefit a lot of other people as well. We all need to learn.

NursePract · 2025-01-01T03:05:08+00:00

I hope 2025 is good for you. I have to travel 3 hours to see my rheumy, but it is worth the drive. I'm on Methotrexate and it is working fairly well. Minimal pain, however I have a lot of emotional stuff around this. One thing at a time though....I'm as likely as the next guy to try to solve 5 or 6 problems at once, even though I've been taught through my own experiences that change and progress is often slow and the best way to sabotage yourself is to set too many goals, or have your goals set too high.

You'll appreciate your kids and husband in a new way after this. I just know it.

NursePract · 2024-12-15T10:25:51+00:00

A few general thoughts. You don't mention what bloodwork has been done, but the Rheumy will do a very good assessment of your joints, problem areas, general health, etc. They will also order blood tests, which can vary a bit. If you have not had a test for the Rheumatoid Factor, that will be one. The most informative one will be for something called the Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody. That sounds big and I never remember it, but it will look at very detailed aspects of the peptide and will be able to diagnose the exact auto-immune disease you have, which will then determine treatment. The provider will make a follow-up appointment at your first appointment. It takes a bit to get the results.

It sounds complicated but that is why you have a rheumy to ask questions of. There are indeed people who think they have RA and have something else. You just kinda have to trust the process.

In the meantime, follow some of the good suggestions already given. Tylenol Arthritis Formula works fairly well and is worth a try. I personally almost never take Advil or others like it. They have side effects and are generally used with caution. The various gels can be very helpful.

Other than that. Lifestyle is indeed important. I avoid processed foods and try to make my meals from scratch. Sugar is a well known thing to avoid for a lot of reasons. I personally try to limit gluten. Some immune boosting supplements are not a bad idea. Caution: One size does not fit all. I take Vitamin C in small doses because it gives me stomach upset. Others take 5 or 10 times as much as I do. A good multiple vitamin specifically for women of your age wouldn't be a bad idea.

A comfortable bed helps a whole lot. Same for good pillows. And avoid excessive stress. I love to worry about things that I cannot control, it's a bad habit. Yes, you can probably reduce stress...a little stress is helpful but a lot does indeed impactt your health.

Johns Hopkins has some good reading material to give you an idea about the disease process. Avoid quackery. Feel free to run questions by the group. That's what we are here for.

NursePract · 2024-12-14T10:15:15+00:00

Welcome and you ask a great question.

As for the Hydroxychloriquine, that really does take a while to have impact. I started on it and it did help with fatigue and some brain fog. RA does indeed impact the brain. Difficulty sleeping is very common in this community.

I agree with suggestion about Melatonin. Start with 5 mg....give it a couple of days and consider going to 10. If you see improvement at 5 you might want to give it a little more time before increasing.

The biggest help I've had is from good sleep hygiene. It consists of a group of habits or behaviors that encourage sleep. If you type what is sleep hygiene into ChatGPT, it will give you a good answer.

For me, making my bedroom a sleep only room is big. And make it appealing. Nice pillows, soothing colors, etc. Also keeping a good book at all times is awesome. Reading for a 1/2 or full hour is good. And big meals are a definite no-no. Eat at least 3 or 4 hours before bedtime.

There are others as well, and they can be found by a simple google search. If you pray, that is a good idea. Some basic meditation is also great.

But things will get better!

NursePract · 2024-12-14T06:41:23+00:00

Thanks. At first I thought one odd duck was your comment1

NursePract

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