Happy Jewish New Year, 5772. Rosh Hashanah

A Rosh Hashanah musical parody of Shakira's Waka Waka by The Ein Prat Fountainheads
from the Ein Prat Academy, Israel http://foheads.com.  Shana Tova to everyone!!

Google Baby (HBO)

Watch this trailer of an Israeli documentary film 'Google Baby' about parents quest for the perfect baby wins an Emmy. Looks like it is on HBO

Dead Sea Scrolls Are Now Online

Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to UN from Sept, 23rd 2011

Another excellent speech by Israel's Prime Minister.

MISSION COMPLETE: Hoover Dam This is A Long Swim

Me and Michael Adams, 

Executive Director of SAGE

I am happy to say that this year's charity marathon swim, Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim, is successfully completed. It was an emotional and amazing experience that I got to share with my close family and all of you. This swim was a mix of all the things I love: family, swimming and charity. We not only achieved our goal of $6000 but we surpassed it by $2200 and raised $8200. With a generous matching dollar for dollar grant from the H. van Ameringen Foundation makes the total $16,400, by far the most I ever raised for the farthest I ever swam and a new record to try and beat next year : )

Thanks again to everyone who donated
 making this such a tremendous success! 

Sincerely, 

Eyal Feldman, 
marathon swimmer and activist for elder adults




Below is a special video documenting my seven mile swim across Lake Mead. 

VIDEO: Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim

The video of my seven mile (11.25 km) marathon swim across Lake Mead from Nevada to Arizona and back on September 18th, 2011. To raise money for SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders). To learn more about this 7 mile marathon charity swim, visit www.hooverdamthisisalongswim.blogspot.com or www.sageusa.org

VIDEO GAMERS HELP SOLVE AIDS PUZZLE

Online gamers have achieved a feat beyond the realm of Second Life or Dungeons and Dragons: they have deciphered the structure of an enzyme of an AIDS-like virus that had thwarted scientists for a decade.

The exploit was published on Sunday in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, where - exceptionally in scientific publishing - both gamers and researchers are honoured as co-authors.

Their target was a monomeric protease enzyme, a cutting agent in the complex molecular tailoring of retroviruses, a family that includes HIV.

Figuring out the structure of proteins is vital for understanding the causes of many diseases and developing drugs to block them.

But a microscope gives only a flat image of what to the outsider looks like a plate of one-dimensional scrunched-up spaghetti. Pharmacologists, though, need a 3D picture that "unfolds" the molecule and rotates it in order to reveal potential targets for drugs.

This is where Foldit comes in.

Developed in 2008 by the University of Washington, it is a fun-for-purpose video game in which gamers, divided into competing groups, compete to unfold chains of amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - using a set of online tools.

To the astonishment of the scientists, the gamers produced an accurate model of the enzyme in just three weeks.

Cracking the enzyme "provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs", says the study, referring to the medication to keep people with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) alive.

It is believed to be the first time that gamers have resolved a long-standing scientific problem.

"We wanted to see if human intuition could succeed where automated methods had failed," Firas Khatib of the university's biochemistry lab said in a press release.

"The ingenuity of game players is a formidable force that, if properly directed, can be used to solve a wide range of scientific problems."

One of Foldit's creators, Seth Cooper, explained why gamers had succeeded where computers had failed.

"People have spatial reasoning skills, something computers are not yet good at," he said.

"Games provide a framework for bringing together the strengths of computers and humans. The results in this week's paper show that gaming, science and computation can be combined to make advances that were not possible before."

Read more original post here

Advocate.com writes about my charity swim: Seven Miles, One Cause

Click here to read original Advocate.com post by Michelle Garcia

Every summer for the past four years, Eyal Feldman has shown his passion for elder care by stripping down ... and swimming several miles in the name of charity.

In 2006, Feldman wanted to do more charity work, so he started volunteering with the Los Angeles Jewish Home, which focuses on wellness for Jewish elders. He started doing at-home visits with seniors and became close friends with some of them. But while plans to move to New York pulled him away, but he didn't want to stop volunteering, so he sought a new place to lend a hand. That's where he first learned about Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders, or SAGE, in summer 2008.

"They said I had to wait until September for volunteer training," he says. "So that's when the idea for my swim came, because I wanted to show how serious I was."

As Feldman, 33, waited to become a "friendly visitor" for SAGE, he started training for a charity swim to support the organization. The act suits him, as he says he would "rather be more hands-on than just write a check," so he suited up and took on the St. Lawrence River, raising $2,000.

And once he started his work as a SAGE volunteer, he recruited his peers to join him in reaching out to elderly LGBT people. Through his volunteer work, he met Larry Murphy, an elderly man who Feldman says became one of his closest friends through biweekly visits over the course of two years. Murphy passed away in March.

"He was out of the closet since the '40s — the term 'closet' didn't even exist!" Feldman says. "We had just a great friendship. He always said my visits were like bringing a breath of fresh air from the outside. It's hard when you get to be that age and you don't have a lot of friends who are still around."

This year, Feldman, the CEO of Boy Butter, is heading to Lake Mead in Nevada for an event he calls "Hoover Dam, This is a Long Swim" this Sunday, with a goal of raising $6,000 for a seven-mile swim. That follows his previous "Jesus Walked, I Swam" on the Sea of Galilee in Israel and other fund-raising swims in the St. Lawrence River and a bay off Long Island. This time, he's keeping it close to his family in Los Angeles, who will act as his safety crew, following him in a boat during his journey.

Though Feldman is close with his family, he knows that some LGBT people don't share the same familial bonds, especially as they age.

"I've always been attracted to, for some reason, helping the elderly," he says. "I know I'll reach that stage in my life, and I would like to think someone would do the same for me."

Learn more about Eyal's fund-raiser at HooverDamThisIsALongSwim.blogspot.com

SAGE Friendly Visitor, Eyal Feldman, has Four Days Left ‘til Marathon Swim!

Eyal Feldman, a SAGE Friendly Visitor, volunteer and supporter will be swimming past the Hoover Dam in Lake Mead to raise money for SAGE and needs YOUR help! Donate now or find out more information by visiting http://sageusa.org! The swim is only 4 days away!

Folsom Europe 2011

Folsom Europe is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair held every September in Berlin, Germany. Folsom Europe was established in 2003 in order to bring the non-profit leather festival concept pioneered by the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco to Europe. Today this is the biggest gay fetish event in Europe and thousands of participants, locals and foreigners from all the world over dressed in their finest leathers, rubbers, latex, feathers, whatever or barely anything at all. It is a highly stimulating event festooned with beautiful, sexy and a sometimes kooky collection of folks enjoying all manner of drink, food, shopping and tons of eye candy for all the world to see. Folsom Europe is shockingly similar to any street fair in the world, except with fewer children and funnel cakes and much more flogging and dominance play. This was my second year in a row where I set up my own Boy Butter booth to sell my wares because Folsom Europe has become an essential promotional and sales event for my company, especially since Boy Butter is sold in over 400 stores throughout the European continent. Berlin is a beautiful and surprisingly affordable city for Europe and this event is definitely one that people should experience at least once. While you are here, you can rent a bike for 8 euros a day and visit the many museums and historical sites the city provides.

One of the entrances to the event

Some Boy Butter posters lining the sidewalks

Just finished setting up the Boy Butter booth

These gentlemen look remarkably like Power Rangers, especially the guy on the left.

A fellow Angeleno, Keiren visiting my booth

Some more BB posters, and I just noticed how naughty that poster is above mine, 

and I thought my poster was racy.

 Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence grace us with their presence 

A nice gay fetish beer garden scene at the fair, very German.

This lovely fellow deserves whatever title he seeks

 

I love propaganda

This was the best dressed puppy I saw

This guy looks like an extra from Hellraiser

A love this photo towards the end of the evening

A view from the Boy Butter booth

The TV tower at Alexanderplatz at night, a great way to end it.

Martha Stewart sets her sights on Israel - USATODAY.com

JERUSALEM – Martha Stewart spent the Labor Day weekend in Israel, where she attended a family wedding and scouted locations for an upcoming segment of her popular TV show.

Stewart is so well-known, even in Israel, that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife, Sarah, invited her for a 45-minute chat — on a very busy news day.

"I always wanted to come here and finally got an invitation to my nephew's wedding," 

Stewart said during an exclusive interview with USA TODAY in Tel Aviv. "I was also planning to do a show here — we go to foreign countries and do a one-hour almost-documentary on how to travel to a country — so we contacted the Ministry of Tourism."

While the ministry, which paid for the four-day trip, is used to wining and dining visiting dignitaries and celebrities, it rarely hosts foodies with a fan base as large as Stewart's.

In Jerusalem, Stewart took in the sights and smells at the Mahane Yehuda market, a cacophonous place brimming with the freshest local produce, baked goods and funky restaurants.

Click here to read full USA today story

3/4 of goal achieved for Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim

BREAKING NEWS!

Robby Browne, longtime SAGE advocate and host of New York’s premier Holiday Gifts for Kids and Seniors party, has pledged $1,500 in matching support to Eyal’s swim. He challenges you to make your gift today and, if you do, Robby will match it - dollar for dollar - up to $1,500 to ensure that Eyal reaches his goal.
After a great labor day weekend I am proud to announce that we have reached to 3/4 of the way to the goal for my 2011 charity swim for SAGE on Sept. 18th, Hoover Dam This is a Long Swim. In less than two weeks I will be swimming across Lake Mead from Nevada to Arizona and back on a seven mile non-stop marathon swim directly in front of the world famous Hoover Dam. We have raised almost $4200 so far and are so close to reaching and possibly surpassing our lofty goal of $6000. For training I am swimming 2 miles per day and am spreading the word about this swim as far and wide as possible. Please remember we are raising money to help the services and advocacy of LGBT older adults. Older adults are the fastest growing segment of our society and we need to pitch in to help them and us in the future. G-d bless us all with health, a long life and a sense of charity for those who are in need. Like Robby Browne, if you have donated to my swim, thank you so much, if you have not donated yet and are interested in doing so please click here.

My 7 mile route from Las Vegas Bay, NV to Shelter Cover AZ

German TV Exclusive: The Lives of the Super Rich feature Donna Feldman

Donna Feldman's German TV debut on a show called The Lives of the Super Rich with memorable cameos of members of the Feldman family.

The big apple babysitting adventures come to a close

Well, my cute little neighbor Seamus Franck is moving upstate to start a new life with a new dad and two new big brothers. Over the last couple of years Seamus and I have been spending quality time now and again with babysitting adventures around New York city. As this was our last time together as neighbors and babysitting buddies we really enjoyed running around, jumping, dancing, and watching the city go by. Our favorite places to go are the little play parks for kids around our neighborhood and our favorite new park, the Highline, where we always see interesting things and people.  I certainly hope Seamus remembers our time as fondly as do I.

Seamus and I 

Beautiful stonework on a church on 9th ave and 21st street

Seamus is pretending to be on the phone, cute

 

Seamus took this early sunset photo from the Highline

Beautiful classical music at the Highline

Babysitting like the day has come to a close

Davey Wavey Blog uses Boy Butter ad to compare Butter vs. Margarine

Gay fitness guru, Davey Wavey uses Boy Butter ad to highlight difference between butter and margarine.

When it comes to butter vs. margarine, many consumers are confused by the differences and are unsure which might be a healthier choice.

Click here to read full Davey Wavey blog post