Friday, December 29, 2006

Added Links

I have added links (look to the right panel for links ------->) for a couple of sites I frequent pretty often. One is Pearls before Swine, a strip I reference periodically in my blog. It's main characters are a stupid pig and an obnoxious rat. Its probably the funniest comic strip ever written and appeals particularly to people with sick senses of humor like myself. You can learn more about the strip and their characters on Wikipedia.



The other is the insider's blog for the Dixie Chicks. The author Junichi is a professor at UC San Diego and began travelling with the Dixie Chicks at the beginning of their Accidents & Accusations tour. Lots of good insider info and candid pictures of the band.

Enjoy and Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Year. I will be ringing it in at Sharon's happening pad. Drink Wisely!

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Those Kids!

IMDB linked to a really cute column on MSNBC about child actors. The jist was how Dakota Fanning will one day take over the world but seeing some of the less fortunate ones (oy, the kid from Jerry Maguire. Puberty is NOT agreeing with him) was utterly hysterical. Check it out.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

I'm an Elf

For a good giggle, click here!

Aliyah group to hit 10,000

JTA- Nefesh B’Nefesh is set to bring its 10,000th immigrant to Israel this week.
The group announced that Simcha Gluck will arrive Wednesday, along with his wife Rachel.
Founded in 2001 to help facilitate aliyah from North America, NBN works in close cooperation with the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Tuesday’s flight will bring 220 new immigrants from North America.

Congrats to all the Olim who have taken advantage of this wonderful program and yasher koach to all the donors who made this possible.

Monday, December 25, 2006

Dreamgirls

I just saw Dreamgirls. This film will knock your socks off. Bravo Jennifer Hudson! You do NOT need Idol to make you a star! I swear, I have never in my life seen a standing ovation at a movie. You outperformed your Oscar and Grammy winning co-stars 100 times over. Hell, if Marisa Tomei could win a Best Supporting Oscar, they can start engraving your name on yours right now. Go see this movie.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Snoopy

My dad had his office holiday party Sunday. Every year his employees collect money to buy him a Chanukah gift. My dad happens to be one of the nicer bosses in the world so the gifts are generally quite nice. This year when my dad opened his gift, my mom appropriately exclaimed, "Oh my God, Susanne is going to shit bricks". Funnily enough, I don't think I've ever heard my mom use that phrase.




For those of you that do not know, my brother bought my mom and dad a few years ago a tiny little purebread maltese puppy whom they named Snoopy (seen above looking all innocent). Snoopy HATES me. Although we've only met a couple times, Snoopy obviously sensed the sibling rivalry that my being there brought on. And he was pissed. When I was home last year for Pesach he figured out which room I was sleeping in (I don't know how, he must have had spies) and stationed himself outside my door barking and scratching in the middle of the night. He probably thought that when I left a week later he earned a victory after causing me severe insomnia for several nights straight. My parents of course are blinded by this harrassment and are insulted when I speak affectionately of my brother Alan's maltese Giovanni (who happens to be the best dog in the entire world) instead of their Snoopy. Besides, I'm not the only casualty of his harassment. Our cat Bailey is terrorized by Snoopy even though hes 5 times Snoopy's size.

So by now you're wondering what the present was that my dad got. So here goes: They got him a gift certificate to have his portrait painted with Snoopy. Hell, I was never in any family portraits excluding formal cruise pictures and from Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. I asked my mom why we couldn't use this gift for the whole family to have a portrait made but she claims this artist's specialty is dogs. Nebbach, even Bailey is going to get screwed out of this one. At least Giovanni will be included. Hey, who could leave the world's most lovable dog out of their picture?

Like any other empty nesters, my parents spoiled this little puppy like there was no tomorrow. Toys, outfits, you name it. My dad brings him along when he accompanies my mom to Costco where he sits outside people watching. My dad says Snoopy's a "chick magnet". Maybe I'm just jealous that I'm the baby of the family and I'm not used to them doting over someone who isn't me. Well, unless you count forgetting my birthday one year so we could go to one of Alan's football games, or the time I injured myself but dad wouldn't take me to the hospital because we'd miss another of Alan's games (that one left a scar, I'll show you sometime). Anyway, what really matters is that this little 5 pound dog makes my mom and dad really happy. In fact all vacation my dad commented how much he missed Snoopy (lets all forget he was spending two weeks with his only daughter that he never gets to see). And what makes them happy makes me happy. In fact, I even got Snoopy a Chanukah gift. Is that something a woman scorned would do? I think not. I love you guys and your little dog too! Happy Chanukah!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Chanukah Miracle


Well Chanukah is based on the miracles during the time of the Maccabbees. I got a call after Shabbos from my family telling me about my cousin. This certainly is a miraculous story. My cousin Mark and his wife were awoken by their older daughter coughing in the next room. They decided to take the baby out of her crib so she wouldn't be awoken by her big sister. Minutes later the major storm in Seattle sent a tree crashing through the window and into the crib where the baby had just been. Baruch Hashem both kids are okay. The older girl who was still in the room has minor scratches.

This would have been the perfect Chanukah story except my cousin also added, "We don't have any family in the area," said Mark Steiner, who has worked at Seattle's iconic DVD and video store Scarecrow Video for decades. "I just hope to figure out how to still make this a good Christmas for the kids in spite of this." Any other nice Jewish boy couldn't have said it better. Thank God your family is okay and I hope you, your family, and everyone else have a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season!

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

I f-ing hate the National Inquirer

I hate the National Inquirer. They published a story today that the Dixie Chicks are breaking up. If you have like ever read my blog, you'd know that they are my favorite music group ever. They say in their documentary that if the stress from their backlash gets too harsh they wouldn't hold it against one another if any of them want to call it quits. I know, you are probably thinking, Susanne, its a tabloid, its not true. But who knows. Usually they are wrong and completely fabricated stories. But sometimes they are based on truth. The Dixie Chicks were recently nominated for 5 Grammy awards including the two biggies, Album and Song of the Year. This is no time to give up! Their music speaks to millions of people, thats why they were nominated. We need them!

Least favorite fashion trends #1

New segment of my blog. As I walk down 34th street lately, I see no Miracles. No, I see ugly clothes. Okay, let me rephrase, trendy clothes that I hate. I have two unfavorites currently.

Exhibit A) Those wool pants that stop at the knee. Who are we kidding people? Those are just glorified culottes. And those are soooo not cool. My mom made me wear those until the sixth grade when I'd get heckled by my classmates. Whats their utility? They're pantlike. But I wouldn't wear them in the bitter cold because they are practically shorts. Its just beyond me.

Exhibit B) Those long shirts that people are wearing as dresses. The only thing long shirts should be used for are pajamas. Not club hopping.

P.S. Still working on my vacation post. Sorry for the delay. Alot happened and I don't wanna miss a detail!

Note to Lindsay Lohan

Why be an alcoholic when you have access to heroin?