Back soon

First day back was hectic.

Ongoing BDS

Actual headline in supposedly serious magazine: How Bush's Obsession With Physical Fitness Is Different--And More Disconcerting--Than Obama's

Aruba update

*I've been reading, and loving, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I highly recommend it, or at least the 3 chapters I've read so far.

*I hate trivializing our global economic problems but wow, Aruba is hopping. Our hotel is at capacity, at New Years inflated prices, all restaurants were completely booked on New Years Eve and certain restaurants are booked all the way through January. The beach is packed. The casino is rocking.

*We are still looking for a location for our destination wedding. We were hoping Aruba was it but for many reasons it's just not. The search continues! Suggestions for resorts/islands still appreciated.

*I'm getting my first massage ever tomorrow. I've never had one because I'm squeamish about strangers touching me and generally don't like being poked and prodded. I am assured I will love it. We'll see.

*Happy new year! Sorry for being a bit of a bummer with my last post but Israel is very much on my mind right now. To be frank, I want them to put the smack down on Hamas so that they can not rise up. But Israel won't, we know they won't. I remember getting excited that they were finally going to deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon. But then they cowered to world opinion and didn't. Israel is strong, and it is brave, but it often listens to the requests of a world that hates it. I hope it completes its mission this time. The consequence of pulling back and allowing Hamas to regroup are too dangerous to consider.

I don't understand why Israel wouldn't want a truce

Hamas warns 'Gaza children will collect parts of your bodies and your tanks from the streets'

Happy new year!

Almost!

French demand ceasefire

Israel laughs in their face. Faces?

Awe-some

We're in Aruba and, because we're considering this hotel for our wedding, they upgraded us to a presidential suite and delivered champagne and chocolate to the room. So, obviously, for the rest of our lives we'll be telling any and all hotels we visit that they are in the running to host our upcoming function because wow, the presidential suite is pretty cool.

UPDATE: "What, you never stayed in a suite before, kid?"-my brother upon hearing multiple raves about the room.

It was a very good year

Dave Barry sums up 2008. January:

Not competing in Iowa are Rudy Giuliani, whose strategy is to stay out of the race until he is mathematically eliminated...

March:

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer becomes embroiled in an embarrassing scandal when a criminal investigation reveals that he looks like a large suit-wearing rodent. Also he has been seeing a high-class prostitute known as ''Kristen'' in a Washington, D.C., hotel. Spitzer resigns in disgrace; ''Kristen,'' hounded by the press and no longer able to pursue her profession, receives a $23 billion bailout from the federal government.

December:

The CEOs of the Increasingly Small Three auto makers return to Washington to resume pleading for a bailout, this time telling Congress that if they can reach an agreement that day, they will throw in the undercoating, the satellite-radio package AND a set of floor mats. ''We're actually LOSING MONEY on this deal!'' they assure Congress. Finally they reach a $13.4 billion agreement under which the car companies will continue to provide jobs, medical insurance and pension benefits, but will cease producing actual cars. The agreement will be overseen by the federal government, using its legendary ability to keep things on budget.

I got nothing

I always believed you were born gay, even before that became the only acceptable opinion on homosexuality.

I now know FOUR gay people who have "gone straight" and married women.

I also know one straight guy who, after a bad break-up with a woman, decided to only date men.

What's up with that?

Tonight in NYC

Ace of Spades is having a Moron-blog party in New York tonight. I'm not looking like I can make it right now but if you're interested, email blog.someone at gmail.com.

The post where I mock you back

Haha, I'm going to Aruba tomorrow.

The post where you can mock me in the comment section

Yeah, yeah, the Cowboys had a spectacular flame-out and it sucked and they should fire sweet, sweet Wade.

But at least I don't root for a team from New Jersey. Or a team from, shudder, New England. So I'll take it.

On Caroline Kennedy

Headline of the Day: Woman who’s never worked: I’ll work twice as hard

Best comment on the post linked above: "I love the befuddled look on her mug when he asks her whether they’d even be talking about her if her last name wasn’t Kennedy. “OMG, I wasn’t expecting that one!” And of course her answer made zero sense so she’ll probably be great for the Senate."

I thought we entered a "new spiral of despair" when rockets were being lobbed nightly at Sderot

But I realize it's much harder to care about dead Jews:

France also called for the truce to be renewed and rallied European nations to use ''all their weight'' to stop the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

''We have entered a new spiral of despair,'' French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told the Journal du Dimanche in an interview published Sunday. ''The truce must be restored.'

On the plus side, I'm pretty sure "European nations" using "all their weight" means running and crying to America or, laughably, the UN. So good luck with that.

Where's the international outrage?

Palestinian rocket accidentally kills 2 young Gaza girls

How Jewish is Hollywood?

Very, very says a guy that wants to maintain that canard:

As a proud Jew, I want America to know about our accomplishment. Yes, we control Hollywood. Without us, you'd be flipping between "The 700 Club" and "Davey and Goliath" on TV all day.

So I've taken it upon myself to re-convince America that Jews run Hollywood by launching a public relations campaign, because that's what we do best. I'm weighing several slogans, including: "Hollywood: More Jewish than ever!"; "Hollywood: From the people who brought you the Bible"; and "Hollywood: If you enjoy TV and movies, then you probably like Jews after all."

Hat-tip Michael Parker.

Live from New Jersey

I'm live-twittering my day-after-Christmas shopping experience, in case you're bored at work and want to know what's going down at a mall in NJUSA.

R.I.P Eartha Kitt

I could spend the rest of the weekend listening to nothing but old Kitt songs, and probably will.

It's Christmas time in the city

Bad Jew!

In Madoff Scandal, Jews Feel an Acute Betrayal

I can relate. I once chose Jerusalem Movers solely based on the name and they totally ripped me off. Still, I imagine having millions of dollars stolen is probably worse than 400 cassette tapes in 1999.

UPDATE: I love Judaism! No, you can never atone, not ever ever:

“It is not possible for him to atone for all the damage he did,” the rabbi said, “and I don’t even think that there is a punishment that is commensurate with the crime, for the wreckage of lives that he’s left behind. The only thing he could do, for the rest of his life, is work for redemption that he would never achieve.”

Happy Christmas

...and safe travels to all.

Twittering Mad

And speaking of Twitter and Mad Men, you can follow most of the cast of the show on Twitter. I only follow Joan so far but Ken Cosgrove and two different Betty Drapers follow me.

Madness

It's cool that Mad Men is USA Today's "Show of the Year" (via Andy Roth's twitter) but the scenes they showcase are not at all memorable or understandable without context. The typewriter theft, a random Asian waitress hitting on Don and Pete storming into Don's office after his dad is killed? And no scene with Joanie? I mean, c'mon. Everyone knows she makes that show. At least throw in Peggy.

What's Christmas without the consumerism?

Christian.

Will Obama legalize pot?

Probably not, say everybody.

Song of the Day

"It's a Wonderful Life" by Sparklehorse.

Don't drink too much this holiday season, ladies

Beer goggles last longer for women:

Researchers found that women who drink even moderately develop a reduced ability to rate attractiveness in male faces, even when they are sober.

Those who drank were less able to detect male facial symmetry, a marker of attractiveness and good genes which is thought to play an important role in the choice of a partner.