Monday, December 10, 2012
Temptation to switch is the real story of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
Would you switch from Coke to Pepsi? What about changing your driving habits to reduce carbon emissions? Would you Occupy Wall Street? Would you change your religion? Temptation to switch is the real story of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which began Dec. 8 at sundown and lasts for eight days. It’s relevant today as a way to think about what we’re willing to give up. How much pop culture can we accept into our lives, and how much of our tradition (be it Indian, Catholic or Jewish) do we want to preserve? Pressure to conform Some 2,000 years ago, Greeks dominated the world from Western Europe to India and imposed their cultural philosophy, “Hellenism,” on their subjects. Greek culture, language and philosophy were considered the way of …
Friday, December 23, 2011
Lights outside the mall and latkes inside marked the third day of Hanukkah
A steady rain didn't douse the flames leaping from the large menorah outside Eton Chagrin Boulevard on Thursday night. The lights blazed brightly, befitting given they were ignited to observe the third day of Hanukkah. The menorah lighting at Eton Chagrin Boulevard was sponsored by Chabad of Cleveland and the Fromovitz Jewish Learning Academy. Dozens of families attended the event, which also featured free latkes, doughnuts and other snacks. Latkes, or potato pancakes, and doughnuts are Hanukkah food because they are fried in oil, a substance essential to the holiday. Hanukkah lasts for eight days and is also known as the "festival of lights." It honors the success of the Maccebean uprising against Antiochus and Syrian-Greeks, who had …
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
A month of hints on taking happy holiday photos
This is the fifth article in a series called "Picture Perfect" about how to take great holiday photos. From now until the New Year, candles will be a big part of holiday celebrations. Hanukkah started Tuesday night and Kwanzaa begins Dec. 26. Both observances include a candle lighting ritual — a perfect opportunity to snap a memorable photograph. The trick to capturing candlelight is getting enough illumination for a good image without destroying the effect of the candle. Relying on the camera’s automatic mode won’t do. The flash is triggered and the result is a flat, lifeless photo. I made one so you can see just what I’m talking about. So don’t depend on a spontaneous snapshot; construct a quick-and-dirty setup and you’ll take a photo …
Conor
4:03 pm on Saturday, December 24, 2011
Truly, you always want a dark room to take the best photos. It turns out nicely. more ›