Update #10: What Are You Getting on the 7th Night of Hanukkah?
over 9 years ago
– Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 08:55:28 AM
Hi All,
We've just about crossed one stretch goal off the list. Once we hit $12,500, everyone will get some free Jewish Wisdom Ball stickers to deface their laptops or plug some small holes in their sukkah.
Next stop is $15,000, where everyone gets a free card along with their order. What a great way to make someone believe that they're getting the finest Hanukkah present ever assembled and then tell them that it's only a card and you're keeping the ball for yourself. That's why everyone loves getting gifts from you.
There's also a new $20,000 stretch goal, which seems highly improbably, but why not? Thanks to the suggestion of one backer, there's now the very slim possibility that everyone will get a custom velour pouch to carry their Jewish Wisdom Ball. It's elegant in any setting, from the deli to the Mah Jongg parlor. Take a look!
Finally, it's time for a mea culpa. All along, I've been saying that the Jewish Wisdom Ball is the greatest Hanukkah present ever invented. That's true, but only to a point. The truth is that the Jewish Wisdom Ball is the greatest 7th night of Hanukkah present ever invented. You're probably wondering why you need to wait until the 7th night to get such a remarkable gift. But the answer is fairly obvious:
On the 1st night you get your real present, the one you actually want to receive. Like a pony or a kidney, or whatever the kids are giving these days.
The 2nd night you get socks. Just socks. They're traditional, they're practical, and yours all have holes in them. It's okay; we know.
The 3rd night you get nothing because who raised you to be so spoiled that you need a gift every night of Hanukkah? Your Bubbie is probably spinning in her grave.
The 4th night you get a gift card that you'll lose before you get a chance to spend it. Which is just as well, since you already have all the socks and kidneys you need.
The 5th night you get something handmade that's too hideous to display in public. The only thought that counts on this one is wondering whether the garbageman will judge you as he hauls it away.
The 6th night you get a book that you'll lie and say you haven't read yet even though you have. And it was mediocre at best.
That leaves you with the 7th night, the night for funny gifts and jokes. So put down the bacon-flavored lip balm and receive the gift of Jewish wisdom instead.
Anyway, we're coming down to the wire. Keep sharing, liking, and tweeting! I'll be sending out some more information in the next couple of days with details on what you can expect to see after the campaign closes.
What's that? You’re still wondering what you get the 8th night of Hanukkah. What's wrong with you? It's like the 3rd night taught you nothing. Your poor Bubbie...
-Rami
Update #9: What's a Stretch Goal?
over 9 years ago
– Wed, Sep 21, 2016 at 11:41:18 PM
Hi All,
I've got good news and bad news. The good news is we made it to the $10,000 goal and so everyone gets Jewish Wisdom Balls for Hanukkah this year. The bad news is that Milton Berle is still dead and it doesn't look like there's anything we can do about it.
But seriously, thank you, thank you, thank you to each of you who supported and backed the campaign. We hit goal with a whole week left to go, which means there's still time for a stretch goal. For those of you who haven't been on Kickstarter long, a stretch goal is not the aim of a good aqua aerobics class in Miami. It's actually another milestone to aim for to keep the momentum of the campaign going. For instance, if the campaign gets to $15,000, everyone who backed gets a free something or other in addition to their pledged items.
But here's where I desperately need your help! What do you want to see as a stretch goal? If you have any thoughts, please leave them as comments below. I would love to see this continue to grow and for everyone to get even more for their pledges.
And here's a semi-profound thought to leave you with: If the Jewish Wisdom Ball was a person, it probably wouldn't buy one. Right?
Thanks again!
-Rami
Update #8: A Pre-Rosh Hashana Surprise
over 9 years ago
– Wed, Sep 21, 2016 at 05:19:02 PM
Hi All,
Wow, what an incredible last few days for the Jewish Wisdom Ball. The number of new backers since Sunday alone has been amazing. I asked the Jewish Wisdom Ball today if the campaign would succeed and got a solid "Maybe a little," which is as close to optimistic as it gets.
In other news, Rosh Hashana is coming up in less than two weeks. For those unfamiliar, Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year holiday where Jews make sure they eat enough brisket that they can atone in good faith for the sin of gluttony on Yom Kippur (or something like that).
Brisket is, in fact, an apt metaphor for ourselves as we try to reflect and improve. The brisket is a tough cut of meat; try to cook it too fast or too hot and you get an unpleasant mess. But just like a person, if you treat it right, take things slow, and add a few prunes, you get something wonderful.
In honor of the holiday, I thought I would pass along a recipe for Rosh Hashana brisket. I was looking through some old cook books trying to find the most traditional recipe I could find. When I opened one old, dog-eared book, a recipe card fell out. Wouldn't you know it, the recipe was for "Bubbie's All-Time Best Brisket." What could be better? Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did:
Bubbie's All-Time Best Brisket Recipe
Go to the butcher and ask him for a 10-pound brisket. He never has one so get an 8-pound brisket instead. But you should still ask for the 10-pound one so he knows he can do better.
Ask the greengrocer if he has four rotting onions that he's going to throw away. The insides are still fine, probably.
Melt some schmaltz in a dutch oven. Use however much you like, but don't use as much as Aunt Sadie because her brisket is always too oily and it will give you a sour stomach.
Chop the onions and fry in the schmaltz until the kitchen smells like Brighton Beach.
Add the chicken to the pot to sear the outside. What?! This is a brisket recipe? Trust me, it's better with chicken.
Take the big red spoon from my cupboard and fill half way with salt. If you can't find the big red spoon, try the other red spoon.
Stir in the salt, add some carrots, and pour in as much Manischewitz as you have left over from Passover.
Cover the pot and call your mother. Ask her what she thinks about her upstairs neighbors. When she's finished talking, it's done.
Serve with potatoes and Tums for the sour stomach.
Enjoy!
-Rami
Update #7: You Could Do Worse
over 9 years ago
– Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 11:38:49 PM
Hi All,
Welcome to all our new backers since the last update! Thank you for your support and encouragement for the Jewish Wisdom Ball project. I was honestly unsure when I launched this whether it would succeed, and if so, whether the only people to support it would be friends and family. It's been incredibly gratifying to see so many names that I don't know among the backer list. If anything, it just goes to prove what the campaign video says: if you're looking for a great gift this holiday season, you could definitely do worse than the Jewish Wisdom Ball.
This update is also a chance to give a little window into the story behind the creation of the Jewish Wisdom Ball. I'll be spacing that story out across several posts, but first and foremost, it means an introduction to Spalding.
Spalding is the name I gave to the prototype Jewish Wisdom Ball, the one that you see in the campaign photos and video. Why the name Spalding? Because it's an inanimate sphere that you talk to as if it's listening and Wilson was already taken by Tom Hanks in "Cast Away."
If you take a closer look at Spalding, you'll see something isn't quite right about the front:
Yes, those are brush strokes. Spalding is a regular Magic 8 Ball that has been painted to cover the 8 with the chai symbol. It doesn't pass the eye test from up close, but it looks pretty good in the pictures, which is all that matters.
If you're curious how I found someone to do such a strange project, you just need to stop by Etsy. You can find someone willing to do almost anything on there. In my case, I found an artist who specializes in painting sports logos and cartoon characters on leather kippot. The paint is the same, the symbol was familiar to her, and she was used to painting on a curved medium. Simple, really.
Until next time,
-Rami
Update #6: A Poem Upon Reaching 50%
over 9 years ago
– Sun, Sep 18, 2016 at 10:38:52 AM
Hi All,
Today we hit two really important milestones within about an hour of each other. First we got our 100th backer and then we met 50% of the overall funding goal. Based on different prediction models, this means somewhere between a 66% and 96% chance of success for the project.
The reason those numbers are important is because it means backers are more likely to share the project on social media, bringing it to a wider audience. It's difficult for a project creator to keep asking backers to push the project over and over. So I wrote a poem about it.
A Favor
I'm sorry to bother, and it pains me to say,
I need help, and I really hate asking this way,
but...
it'll just take a second, and if you wouldn't mind,
if I could just ask a favor, and if you'd be so kind,
if you're sure you're not busy, if you'll just be a dear,
if you don't mind me asking, if your calendar's clear,
if you could just spare a minute for a really quick task,
if you're sure that you don't think it's too much to ask,
if you'd like to be helpful, if I have your permission,
if it's not a big hassle, if it's no imposition,
if you'll do me this kindness, if it's easy for you,
if there's nothing you have more important to do,
if you're sure it's no trouble, if you have time to kill,
if you could, if you would, if you might, if you will...
Oh, never mind, I see you're reading poetry. How nice that must be for you.
If you enjoyed the poem and would like spread it around, it's easier than it seems. For Facebook, just copy and paste this link: http://bit.ly/2cs9hB5
Next stop, 60%. The prediction models have a field day with that one.
-Rami
