Purim Odds and Ends

It has now been snowing for over 24 hours here in New York, which is, in my out-of-towner-never-really-lived-in-snow-before opinion, CRAZY. I have never seen this much continuous snow fall in my life. It's actually pretty nice, since most of the time the snow quickly because gross, slushly and grey. While the snowfall did go through a phase or two of that sort yesterday, it has turned out rather nice.

(NOTE: As of 3:25 PM it seems to have stopped! Let the melting commence!)

I just wish the snow had started Sunday night and lasted through Monday so we could have post-Purim snow day reprieve from school work (not that I really get drunk on Purim at any rate. I'm a firm believer in the drink til tipsy and take a nap shittah of the Rama and others).

In other Purim news, my friends in the "Stollel" (I still don't know what that means) have created yet another hilarious video! This one as an Adar/Purim theme to it. These guys are amazing.



Lastly, my friends working on the Mighty Morphin' YU Rangers video told me that they have run into some technical difficulties (that are rooted in software limitations) which will prevent them from completing the project before Purim . They said they should soon have a solution to finish up the last few scenes and hope to have a grant premiere in one of the big dorm lounges (Muss or Morg) in the very near future, afterwhich it will be posted on Youtube.

Have a great Shabbos and a freilechen Purim! Stay safe, and keep in mind that the real Simcha of the Purim Seudah is derived from the discussion of all the miracles and happenings in the Purim story, and giving praise to HaShem for saving us - NOT from drinking. Wine (and only wine) is meant as a conduit for us to better access our inner selves, as Chazal say: "Nichnas Yayin - Yatza Sod" - "Wine enters and secrets/essence comes out."

A friend of mine added a corollary to the ma'amar Chazal - "Yazta Sod, and not the contents of your stomach."

May we all celebrate Purim with the proper mindset and with true simcha, avoiding the stumbling block of debasing ourselves through excessive alcoholic consumption.