#HashtagsAreTheStupidestThingToHappenToHumanity #WhenWillTheyGoAwayAlready?!

I remember when this symbol - # - was called the pound sign and no one knew what it was for.   I actually called it the tic tac toe button, but I may have been the only one.  Simpler times.  Now it's called a hashtag (whatever that means) and it's used to string words together that are impossible to read (like my title for this post...yes, I see the irony) and I don't understand it at all.  I understand creating a hashtag as an actual tag for a wedding or other event, or something else so that all posts about the event or thing can be accessed by just looking up or clicking on that hashtag.  I get that.  That makes a lot of sense.  And I've done that before.
What I don't get is why people write something, and then follow it up with a hashtag and some words all strung together that no one can read.  I also don't understand why you can't just umm...maybe...write that as a regular sentence.  For example, someone might write "Went to the store today.  #freesamples  #neededmilk  #chickenwasonsale  #score".  What is all that gibberish?!  Why can't you just write "I went to the store today b/c I needed milk.  They had free samples.  And chicken was on sale.  Score!"  I once actually saw someone write "#awesomejob"  Really?  You needed a # for that?!  You couldn't just write "Awesome job!"???
Can you imagine if we started actually speaking that way?
person 1: Hey!  Hashtag how are you?
person 2: Hashtag I'm fine.  Hashtag How are you?
person 1: Hashtag good.  Hashtag how was your weekend?
person 2: Hashtag it was nice.  Hashtag we took the kids to the zoo.  Hashtag my little one was scared of the lion, but hashtag my big one played like a hashtag monkey all day.  Hashtag kids!

Hashtag Oy!

15 years in Washington Heights

I've lived in Washington Heights for 15 years, this July.  I moved in July 2001 after college and a lot has happened since then, and a lot of fun memories were made.

In 15 years living in Washington Heights, I've
had 14 roommates,
lived near Mount Sinai for 13 years,
been a member of Mount Sinai for 12 years,
made 11 videos for friends and/or shul events,
driven to 10 different states for weddings and/or vacations,
served on 9 different shul committees,
moved 8 times
to 7 apartments on 7 different streets,
had 6 jobs,
worked for 5 years on my shul's kiddush committee, (which has a special place in my heart),
run 4 major shul fundraising events,
lived here under the governance of only 3 mayors of NYC (b/c Bloomberg took forever)
lived in 2 zip codes,
and went to 1 Mount Sinai singles event that changed my life forever.

Wow!

Just because your phone rings, doesn't mean you have to answer it!

I've been taking the subway for about 17 1/2 years.  It's certainly changed a lot since I started...like...umm....well it was $1.00 a ride when I started.  Now, it's $2.75 for a one way trip on a regular metrocard.  And while I never bothered with tokens, they still were in circulation when I started taking the subway.  Other than that, not much has changed with the trains.  I have noticed that recently there is a lot of cell phone reception on the trains, especially at certain stops.  I've always enjoyed and appreciated the subway for not having reception b/c at least no one will be talking loudly on their phones for everyone to hear, like they do on the buses.  The quiet is nice.  I'll admit that it's nice to be able to text people while on the train, especially when the train gets stuck and I'm running late, or if I want to let someone know where I am and in how long I'll get to where I'm going.  That's also nice.  And there still isn't consistent reception enough to make a solid phone call.  So it's still quiet.  For now.  But my quiet ride definitely has an expiration date and I bet one day soon, there will be enough reception to make a complete phone call underground from the subway.  For now, though, I will enjoy my (mostly) quiet ride.
Except for those random people who get an incoming call and decide to answer.  And then they spend most of their call yelling something like "I'm on the subway...I'm going to lose you...I'll call y-  $#!t!"  Did you not see that coming?!  You're on the subway!  Underground!  You have about 5 seconds to say anything on the phone!  Sometimes, you don't even have time to say "Hello"!  So why are you picking up your phone?!?!  Just let it go and call them back when you get off the train!  If it's that important, they'll try again and leave you a message.  Or they'll text you, b/c who today doesn't text?  And you can text them back that you're on the train and you'll call them back when you get out.  And your text will probably go thru in a few feet b/c there seems to be service almost every few feet, albeit not enough to make your phone call.  But just b/c your phone rings does not mean you have to answer it!