Wilma Got You Down?

If you are like me and the recent Hurricane has got you feeling a little depressed, check out this cute article:

Ten things I liked about Wilma

my favorites:
1. The sensational night sky, filled with more stars than I've ever seen in South Florida.
7. I talked to all my neighbors for the first time in a long time. They're great folks.
10. My electric bill will be really, really low this month.

So, it is a little cheesy - but it did make me see that people are still trying to see the bright side, even with headlines like these on the same website:

1 burned, 3 others hurt after candle sets fire to powerless Pompano home
Woman dies, man hurt in I-95 SUV rollover near Fort Lauderdale
No school in Palm Beach County on Tues. or Wed.; Broward mayor lifts Monday night curfew
Man killed, wife hurt in hit-and-run at stop sign in Hollywood
FPL passes the halfway mark, but 1 million customers still don't have electricity

DAMN! She's Good!

Belgian Kim Clijsters returns a ball during her WTA quarter final match against Germany's Julia Schruff in Hasselt's Ethias Arena.

The girl definitely deserved this win!

What Does She Know About Punk Rock?

Some critics, however, assert that Madonna is being reactionary, or even (gasp!) conservative, in her oft-stated refusal to let her kids (Lourdes, 9, and Rocco, 5) watch TV.

"It's not conservative," she says. "It's actually very punk-rock to not watch TV."

Sure she knows dance or pop music...but punk rock? I love Madonna...but until I see some pink messy spiked hair, some black ripped clothes with safety pins, and a little bit more screaming, I will not call her punk rock.

Actually, not watching tv is called BEING A HIPPIE!!!!!

Who Does # 2 Work For?

Mysterious Number 2 In The Eye Of the Storm

While watching NBC2 coverage of Hurricane Wilma about two dozen residents called the station reporting an unusual sighting. While watching a Doppler loop of Hurricane Wilma coming ashore, a number two appeared in the eye of the storm.

In going back through the recorded Doppler loop, we found exactly what viewers were talking about.

The image below was not altered in any way - it's a screen capture from the Doppler system. You can click 'play' above to watch the actual Doppler loop.

Silence...

First, I would like to apologize for not posting this week on the blog. Due to Hurricane Wilma, Elad and I were without power up until late Wednesday night. Unlike the over 3.6 million other people in South Florida, we luckily now have power. And what about the rest of the residents taking cold showers, eating non-perishable food, and bored of playing cards? They should expect power around mid to late November.

Since we live in a very touristy part of South Beach, the area was one of the first in South Florida to get power, because where would Miami be without the money coming in from tourism? However, for those first three days without power, all streets that surrounded the residential part that we live in had power. So literally one block behind my house was fully functioning. But now I cannot complain since almost everyone I know that lives in Broward and parts of Miami still do not have power.

If Yom Kippor didn't make me realize how good I have it, Hurricane Wilma sure did.

But in other sad news, I found out today that the Halloween Death Cab for Cutie concert, which I have been looking forward to for weeks now, is cancelled due to Hurricane Wilma's destruction. This definitely is bringing me down...but maybe Ben Gibbard will find it somewhere in his heart to reschedule and come back soon.

I would like to thank Julie for remembering the blog exists, however I must admit that I am little disappointed with the blog lately. In the past few weeks I have consistently posted in hopes that more people would read and comment, but it seems that this blog will end up in the same place that all the other millions of blogs are going...(nowhere)...which is sad because I was really having fun posting stories and links with that constant hope that someone was paying attention (besides Elad).

But that doesn't mean that I am done with the blog (or as I sometimes say "I am shutting down the blog"). Because I am still addicted to reading junk on the internet, I will still always have that desire to share what I find. So, alas, the blog won't go completely and forever silent anytime soon.

(By the way, this is post #201)

would you take advice from this lady?

i often watch the national geographic programs on "taboo." there is one that often airs which focuses on people who have extreme plastic surgery to resemble the animals with which they identify. it's pretty astonishing to see the lengths people go to in order to make sure their outward appearance reflects their identity/personality.

anyway, there's this socialite named jocelyn wildenstein who used to be a "normal" looking person. over the years she's undergone extensive surgery to resemble a feline of some sorts. she's become relatively well-known for her efforts, but i'm not sure i'd want her advice if i was contemplating a nose job/face lift/etc. if i wanted to resemble the koala i'm convinced i was in another life? she's the first person i'd look to for advice. =)

no trick or treating for nj sex offenders

nj is the first state to issue a curfew for sex offenders on halloween. under the curfew, the sex offenders cannot go to any parties where children would be, answer the door to trick or treaters, or take their own children out. some critics oppose it b/c they say it's unconstitutional but so far no attorneys have been willing to fight the curfew. other critics say that it the state is allowed to institute such a curfew but that enforcing it would be difficult.

i'm inclined to agree. i'm all for any restrictions that will prevent situations where children have to be in the midst of sex offenders, but i'm curious to see how this curfew will be enforced. other critics have said that the curfew will not accomplish anything -- it will not protect children, lessen the risk of abuse, etc. i'm not sure how they can argue that b/c it seems to me that if you remove the possibility of having sex offenders encounter numerous children (especially where they often have similar outfits, are in large groups and are sometimes unsupervised, or supervised from a distance) at one time, you also eliminate the risk to the children on at least one evening in the year.

thoughts?

Metrosexual Ken

Ken is getting an "extreme makeover"

I dont ever remember Ken having real hair. I guess that's because I knew Ken in the 1980's, with his plastic hair helmet.

Ah Ken, where are you going with that mesh tank top?

Public Apology from the Constitution State

What are the chances that this entire time he has been dating Jennifer Aniston's movie double?

(click on picture to enlarge and see the fake Jennifer Aniston)

From Gawker.com

NB to the kind folks at People: When creating a photo feature about Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, be sure that it’s actually Jennifer Aniston in the pictures and not, as the photo agency captions indicated, Aniston’s double.
We know, it’s confusing. The bitch is like Saddam Hussein.
People

Is this an action movie? Is that why she has a double? Do all movie stars have doubles? I need to know more!

If I had a body double there is so much I can do.....not that I can think of any at this moment...but there has to be something!

Someone Needs a Haircut

Princess Fiona, laden with wool after missing the main shear more than once, appearing to float, her legs hidden by her four-year fleece.

Is Terrorism Real?

Former CIA Analyst: Government May Be Manufacturing Fake Terrorism - A Government openly promoting torture, A President acting like a King cannot be trusted, must be impeached

McGovern said he would not put it past the Government to "Play fast and loose" with terror alerts and warnings and even events themselves in order to rally people behind the flag.

Go to the story for more...

Do you thihk it is possible? Could terror threats just be part of Bush's agenda to scare people into following him?

From Machiavelli's "The Prince" (if you haven't read it, this book is pretty much a ruler's/Dictator's "how to" guide)

Concerning cruelty: whether it is better to be loved than to be feared, or the reverse
"The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved." Chapter 17, pg. 60

7 things...

As per Julie's request on her blog....

7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. Stop working.
2. Leave Florida.
3. Cross County USA.
4. Pay off Student Loans.
5. Cross Continent Europe.
6. Cross Continent Africa.
7. Make an impact on the legal community.

7 things I can do:
1. Sleep.
2. Stress out (aka being a lawyer).
3. Balance a budget.
4. Pass a bar exam.
5. Love.
6. Entertain.
7. Eat a huge rocky road peanut butter chocolate fudge ice cream sundae.

7 things I cannot do:
1. Diet.
2. Get more people to read and comment on this blog.
3. Get other lawyers to be nicer.
4. Afford a full time personal trainer.
5. Create more time in a day to call everyone I need to.
6. Be perfect.
7. Change the past.

7 things that attract me to another person:
1. Their history.
2. Their aspirations.
3. Their hair.
4. Their style.
5. Their sincerity.
6. Their courtesy.
7. Their lack of fear.

7 things that I say most often: (mostly to Elad)
1. LEEPYHEAD!
2. Silly!
3. ZAPA
4. Super yum yum.
5. Nug Dug.
6. Boyfriend.
7. Cool.

7 People I want to do this:
1. Elad (he is probably the only one who would do this).
2. Seonah (on this blog).
3. Diana (if she ever would read the blog).
4. Law school friends (if they would ever read the blog).
5. Bubba (that would be so cool).
6. My family (Lori being the only person who has seen the blog).
7. Melody (because she is good like that on the internet).

Seasons

I'm off work again for some ridiculous Jewish holiday. Again with the conflicting emotions. I like vacations as much as the next guy, but the lack of paid vacations at current position and the frequency of these damn holidays this month is just too much. (Seven days!) Also - and this is the weirdest one coming from me - there is a hell of a lot of work to do to prepare for two major events in November and December (see: this, and this monster). And you can bet I'll be pulling long hours next week and the week after. But, anyway.

The seasons seem to be finally changing here in Florida. The post apocalyptic heat of the past, um, six months is subsiding. I walked the dog this morning and it was cool outside. It's cloudy today and wet, but damn, that feels nice. This oppressive, tyrannical, heat of the summer months is ridiculous. Anybody who doesn't "believe" in climate change should get his evangelical ass to South Florida in August. So with the lifting of the heat bubble, comes joy and happiness.

Freedom to wear long sleeves! A license to enjoy a calming walk or rollerblade without being screamed at by the terrible rays of sunshine. The relaxation of sitting outside and having a bite.

Florida, in my humble opinion, still sucks. But it sucks a lot less in the winter.

THE FUTURE IS HERE!!!

Books with photos that move - Harry Potter-style - may soon be with us. But before that, get ready for boxes of cereal that extol their own virtues via a built-in video display and chocolate bars that flash and flare to attract your attention.

Siemens has announced a new type of colour display screen so thin and flexible it can be printed onto paper or foil, and so cheap it can be used on throwaway packaging.

The technology uses "electrochromic substances … that change their colour when an electrical voltage shifts charges in their molecules" and the German technology company suggested uses could include medicines displaying instructions in various languages.

"It is also conceivable that small computer games will be on packages or that equipment boxes will display animations that give users step-by-step operating instructions."

WIMLA!

Say hello to #21 - Hurricane Wilma.

Xinhua Returns to China

This is the official Xinhua landing photo - do you think it is real?

SUCKER

'Today' Reporter Paddles in Shallow Water

If Michelle Kosinski's canoe had sprung a leak on NBC's "Today" show Friday, she didn't have much to worry about.

In one of television's inadvertently funny moments, the NBC News correspondent was paddling in a canoe during a live report about flooding in Wayne, N.J. While she talked, two men walked between her and the camera _ making it apparent that the water where she was floating was barely ankle-deep.

Matt Lauer struggled to keep a straight face, joking about the "holy men" who were walking on water.

"Have you run aground yet?" Katie Couric asked.

"Why walk when you can ride?" Kosinski replied.

Later, an NBC News spokeswoman explained that Kosinski had been riding in deeper water near an overflowing river down the street, but there were concerns that the current was too strong for her.

"It's not like we were trying to pass it off as something it wasn't," spokeswoman Lauren Kapp said.

Who, us? No! Why? Well, maybe.

Jerry Falwell, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Andy Borowitz

Pandora

Can you help me discover more music that I'll like?

www.pandora.com

Type in any musician/band that you like - the website will first play an example of what you typed in - then will play bands that are similar.

Also - if you create an account you can make something like a radio station - then search other member's profiles and see what they are listening to.

Open up pandora's box - get a whole world of music!

(Thanks Chris for the link)

VICTORY!

Remember when I posted about the new season of the Simple Life? Well it has officially been cancelled by Fox!!

Finally Fox picks an actual crappy show to cancel.

The Key to a Good Relationship is Communication

A woman whose bitter hubby demanded a divorce on a road banner got her own back yesterday — by publicly branding him a love cheat.

Commuters have been captivated by the feud. But marriage councillor Trish Owen warned: “It’s not very constructive.”

Official Street Cards

Official Street Cards - Greeting Cards with a Hip Hop Voice

Friendship

Love

Invitations

Lock Down

Yom Kippur Wishes

It's the Jewish "Day of Atonement" tomorrow. We celebrate/mourn the year's passing with a big feast followed by a fast (which makes a weird sort of sense actually). I don't fast - it's too hard, and I don't believe I have any real sins to atone for. I'm no saint, but I believe that my sins are mine to hold onto and keep and deal with on my own accord. But others feel differently and I respect them for it.

In other news, my dad's in town, visiting for the holiday. It's strange and joyous to see him, alone now without my wicked stepmother in tow (he's undergoing a divorce (finally)). He seems proud of me, for my life and what I've accomplished and how well my girlfriend can cook.

Instead of focusing on the bad things over the past year (none come to mind, actually), I'd rather take stock of what I have. There's so much sadness in the world and we see it everyday in the news, my heart goes out to people affected by hurricanes and earthquakes and war, it's important for all of us around the world to appreciate the joys and happiness of everyday life.

This holiday - though it's not what the holiday was intended for - I intend to do just that.

I LOVE GOOOOOLD!

If you know me, you know I LOVE GOOOOLD! Austin Power's Goldmember, that is! :)

Looks like they are looking to make a 4th. But this time - probably no Mike Meyers - instead they are going to make the movie like the upcoming 007 Casino Royale and have the movie focus on the younger years of Austin Powers and Dr. Evil (maybe played by Seth Green?).

I don't think this one is going to live up to my GOLDmember standard

UFO's

"UFO Maps overlays Google maps of the US with sightings data from the National UFO Reporting Center."

You would think the Western states would be heavy on the sightings - but it looks like the North East wins! Oh those crazy North Easterners!

(Boing Boing hooks us up with today's link)

Who is Karl Rove?

A Timeline of Karl Rove's Life

From the time he was 10 years old, Karl Rove, Bush's closest and most important political adviser, has made a specialty of dirty tricks. They run all the way from trying to slime a candidate by calling him a peacenik or gay to planting phony campaign literature on an opponent. If the Wilsons turn out to be anything but just another weird turn in Rove's career, that would be real news.

Years of Interest:

FALL 1970: Rove pays visit to Chicago campaign headquarters of Alan Dixon, a Democrat running for state treasurer. Disguised as a volunteer, Rove steals official campaign letterhead and sends out 1,000 invitations to people in the city's red-light district and soup kitchens, offering "free beer, free food, girls, and a good time for nothing" at Dixon headquarters. When hundreds of homeless and alcoholic Chicagoans show up at a fancy Dixon reception, Rove succeeds in embarrassing the candidate. Dixon still wins the election.

1994: Rove becomes political adviser to George W. Bush in his race against incumbent governor Ann Richards. Bush aided by $1 million pumped into the race. Rove dreams up idea of staging calls to voters from supposed pollsters who ask such things as whether people would be "more or less likely to vote for Governor Richards if [they] knew her staff is dominated by lesbians."

2000: Rove is at heart of Bush's vicious smear job on John McCain in South Carolina primary: Thinly disguised Bush surrogates claim McCain was a stoolie while a P.O.W. Rove also credited with spreading rumor that McCain's adopted Bangladeshi daughter is black and illegitimate and his wife a drug addict.

2000: Rove is required to sell his Enron stock before Bush takes office. Reportedly still holds between $100,000 and $250,000 worth of shares when appointed.

JULY 8, 2003: Syndicated columnist Robert Novak mentions to Rove that former ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, is a CIA undercover operative. Rove's comment: "I heard that too."

NOVEMBER 3, 2004: In his victory speech, Bush calls Rove "the architect" of his re-election.

FEBRUARY 2005: Rove is promoted to assistant to the president, deputy chief of staff, and senior adviser.

FEBRUARY 11, 2005: The Bush administration denies having had anything to do with the Swift Boat Veterans, who smeared John Kerry during the campaign and denounced his war stories as lies. But rumors persist when Rove pays tribute to the group at the Conservative Political Action Conference during the annual Ronald Reagan banquet in D.C.

JULY 2005: Rove's attorney Luskin acknowledges that Rove spoke with Time reporter Matthew Cooper about Valerie Plame in July 2003, but he claims that Rove never mentioned her name. Fitzgerald once again reassures Rove, according to Luskin, that he is "not a target in this probe."

(Thank You Village Voice)

Envy is a Sin, Right?

The media tells us what to think, believe, feel, eat, dress --- and now they tell us who to envy

Fortune Magazine's Top 25 Envy List

Why isn't my dog on this list? I envy him the most :)

David Lee Roth to replace Howard Stern when Stern leaves for Satellite....

Word already out that Adam Carolla (of "The Man Show") will take over for the West coast and Roth (formerly of Van Halen) will take over for the East Coast.

How long do you think he will last?

Taking Advantage of Global Warming - The Cycle Continues

As Polar Ice Turns to Water, Dreams of Treasure Abound

We build big cars, big industries, pollute the air, and cause Global Warming

Global Warming causes the ice in the Arctic to melt

The ice melting reveals virgin land below

Untouched land leads to exploration

Exploration leads to excavation and finding oil

Finding oil means more drilling

More oil - more industry - more big cars - more Global Warming

Simpson's Humor

Deep Breaths

I have a feeling today is going to be a little chaotic....

So let's all take a moment to breath in - breath out.....and repeat.....slowly....

The day has already started on a chaotic foot for Elad (speeding ticket) and I just walked in and was handed a package of documents that I have to call someone and yell at them about. Where is my advil?

On top of that - doesn't the whole world seem kinda off? I opened up the news websites this morning and every headline made my head spin. Earthquakes....New Orleans....Politics...my brain doesn't know where to begin. I will have to admit - I am a little afraid. Hopefully it is just a full moon or some weird thing like that.

Not Yet Sure of the Point of This....but....

Robotic fish unveiled
The world's first autonomously-controlled robotic fish have been unveiled at London Aquarium.

Maybe they will be used to fight off the dolphins with laser beams on their heads?

75% of 2005 = ?

So we are in October, which means we have fully completed 75% of 2005. What does that mean to you?

Have any goals/plans for that last 25%, or do you plan on just waiting it out for the new year?

When you look back on the year, does anything stand out?

Is it a year of firsts? A year of lasts? A year of the same?

Pretty Sick

This picture released by LifeGem, shows one of their creations: a diamond made from the ashes of cremated remains. LifeGem uses super-hot ovens to transform ashes to graphite and then presses the stone into blue and yellow diamonds that retail for anywhere from 2,700 to 20,000

Why?

Regis and The Donald Sing 'Rudolph'
Here's something you don't hear every day: Regis Philbin and Donald Trump singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

The duet by the daytime talk-show host and the real estate mogul-TV reality star is featured on "The Regis Philbin Christmas Album," Hollywood Records announced Tuesday.

Thank You!

FU H2!!! (www.fuh2.com) a.k.a. My new favorite website.

People send in pictures where they "flip off" Hummers. There are literally thousands of pictures on this website, and most of them have a funny little comment written by the person who submitted the picture. (I like this one because it is taken from a Mini)

Also - you should check out this funny Hummer story called "What does your car say about you" on City Rag.

Music Reco's

Some recommendations for listening/buying/downloading*:

Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better With... (Five out of five weird Scottish indie hairdo's.)

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (Four and a half out of five love-lost metaphors.)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Four and half out of five indecipherable verses.)

Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (Four out of five weird, horn-heavy, time changes.)

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (Five out of five great lakes.)

And if you don't already have it (what's the matter with you?!), the almost-but-still-not-quite-sure best album of the year:

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm


(*with entirely personal and ridicilous ratings by me.)

YAY!

Behold - the new cast for the next season of Project Runway! Starting Wednesday, December 7 at 10PM on Bravo.

This show got me through the bar exam - and I CANNOT wait until the next season :)

Maybe I Should Take It Back?

According to Sploid and MSNBC this picture was released years ago - and was taken on August 6, 2001. The MSNBC article takes an interesting look at the role Bush's counsel has played in his private life, in covering up his drunk driving records, and how she was by his side in Florida on September 11th and the aftermath.

Why do we care about this picture? On August 6, 2001, Bush was given "The secret presidential-briefing papers detailing Osama Bin Laden's terror plans using hijacked planes piloted by terrorists already living within the United States."

To steal from Sploid a little more....

If you remembered that the Bush Administration lied again and again about this memo and the threats expressed -- first they claimed they couldn't even imagine such a thing, then they claimed there was no imminent threat, and then three years later the 9/11 Commission managed to extract the long-denied Presidential Daily Briefing -- then you might also wonder how much Harriet Miers knows about the continuing White House coverup regarding the Sept. 11 attacks.

And, if you enjoy the exercise of wondering about such things, you might wonder why it may be very, very important for the Bush Administration to have someone on the Supreme Court who knows how very, very important it is to make sure certain secrets always remain secret.

Maybe Not So Bad?

Since Bush's announcement yesterday that Harriet Miers was going to be the next choice for a new Supreme Court Justice the media has been in a frenzy to get more information. The Conservatives have not been shy about their anger towards Bush's choice - and now we are starting to see why....

Gay Rights
An indication of her stance on gay rights comes from this questionnaire from the Lesbian/Gay Political Coalition of Dallas Miers filled out while running for the Dallas City Council in 1989. In it, she supported full civil rights for gays and lesbians and backed AIDS education programs for the city of Dallas.

Contributions to the Democrats
Although Miers has focused in in the past 15 years (and more of her money) on Republican contributions - in the 1980's she contributed to the Democratic National Committee, as well as Al Gore's unsuccessful presidential bid in 1988.
(can we say flip flop....hehehehehhe)

hopefully more to come.....

Floating Homes

Amphibious houses








The Dutch are gearing up for climate change with amphibious houses. If rivers rise above their banks, the houses rise upwards as well.

I think these homes are built on poles, so as the water rises, so does the home, and then sinks back down as the water level drops - genius!

Is Every Family Crazy?

My family has pretty much weekly gatherings for friday night dinners. This past week we have seen each other a few more times then normal because of holidays and each time the night ends in someone being frustrated or annoyed and wanting to go home.

So I must ask myself - Does everyone have a crazy family? Is drama inevitable at a nice at home dinner? And I don't mean the extended family - I mean your immediate family that you see on a normal basis.

What is dinner like when there isn't that drama? I probably have had a few dinners were no drama has occurred -- but it seems like a long time ago....

How Did He Get Away With This One?

Doctor sued over sex treatment for back pain
An Oregon woman whose doctor convinced her that he could cure her lower back pain by having sex with her is suing him and his medical clinic for $4 million, according to legal documents obtained Monday.

Yup, the doctor told his patient something like - the only treatment I can give you is sex with me - otherwise you are stuck with heating pads. And she was like, OK!

Something sounds very fishy about this story - how can the patient be so dumb to believe the doctor - she probably liked him and found out he does this with other patients and is now suing him. Or maybe I am wrong - and the doctor was actually on to something.....

bush's latest appointee to the supreme court

her name is Harrie Miers and she's White House counsel, not a current or former judge. she appeals to the conservatives but is not as much of a threat to the sanctity of the Court as some Democrats feared. her views on various hot button issues aren't necessarily obvious b/c she's never written an opinion for a court, but she's believed be from the same conservative vein as John Roberts.

will she be the force to sway the Court in the direction John Roberts is feared/presumed to lead? will she make it past confirmation?

only time will tell. i'd like to see how bush's approval ratings change (if they do) in his latest attempt to win over the american people.

the safe[st?] female/minority appointee