Karen: Do you have the third person to pay rent? me: still deciding on final person me: another girl came by today to look, will probably choose a guy who I talked to a couple days ago Karen: Well, don't you need to get this finalized before you come to Dallas on Thursday? You won't have enough November rent if not. me: yeah, I will me: Moishe isn't expecting rent until the 15th me: I told him the situation me: he's doing what jews refer to as a misha or some such me: he admires my work me: and is thus giving me some leeway Karen: Is a misha a favor? me: a "misha" (not the exact word) being a means by which to "repair the world" me: he believes I am helping to prepare the world; there's another term for that concept as well, happened upon it while researching my book Karen: Prepare the world for what? The 2012 Mayan end? me: I don't think they ascribe to that me: at any rate, their calendar puts us at 5,400 or some such me: but repairing the world is a fundamental concept to hasidim me: they have similar view of man's fallen state relative to the Christians, but actually believe in doing something about it on a day to day basis Karen: Well, that's a nice concept. Maybe you should convert. me: thus my landlord giving me some slack while I battle the forces of evil and whatnot me: maybe me: Tikkun olam me: is the phrase Karen: Well, shiksa, meshugula, fukakta to you. That's all the Hebrew I know. me: very well me: seriously, though, I do really admire the conceptual underpinnings of orthodox jewery the more I learn about it Karen: the food isn't very good, though. me: no kidding