Fear Factor Live!

A new attraction will appear this summer at Universal Studios- Fear Factor Live.
Guests will be able to compete against each other in front of an audience. There will be extreme stunts.
Check out the casting requirements- my favorite is "Guests with prothetic limb(s) please see casting director for further instructions"

X Phile

I am a huge X Files fan. Never been to a sci-fi convention, but have seen every single episode so many times that I am now taking time off from watching the show b/c sometimes you can overdose on TV.
Now Esther tells me that David Duchovny, the thinking woman's pin-up, has a blog.

And a shitty day begins to get better.......

On The Market

What happens when we pair economic theory with dating?

Philip Greenspun examines this very question (via Erosblog)

Sexy Semitics 2

What a shocking article about the Orthodox version of Sex in the City. (via Conservative Apikoris)

I guess everyone needs an outlet of some sort. And it sosrt of goes to show that having such strict rules in a family/community/school/etc... only encourages rebellion in an extreme and possibly dangerious (STDs, pregnancy, rape) form.

Chaotic Seder

Happy Passover!

My seders took place in what is normally my aunt and uncle's living room. Walking in and seeing the living and dining rooms on opposite sides of the hallway than normal made me feel that we were walking into bizzaro world.

Highlights of my Seders:

• My mom's boyfriend, normally a mild guy, asking my uncle if he thought Viagra was kosher for Passover
• Getting to read the Wise Son. Every year the head of the Seder (usually my uncle) dictates who read which Son. It is an honor to be asked to read any Son at all (at least in my family). I have, after 26 years, finally worked my way up the ladder to read the Wise Son. (Though sadly, on the second night I got asked to read the Simple Son and the One Who Does Not Know How To Ask)
  
• Overtired children and adults
• That giving little kids kazoos and harmonicas is a bad idea (not my idea)
  
• 10 Plagues finger puppets
  
• My "other" birthday celeration- My English birthday is April 13th. However, I was actually born on the 2nd Seder night. As a result my family celebrates my birthday on Passover, whenever the holiday happens to fall. (Once, in college, Passover fell in March and I came home to a bunch of happy birthday messages on the answering machine. My roommate was confused, asking "isn't your birthday in April?"). The celebration always involves 'fake' cake sans candles.
  

Sexy Semitic?

..in the Casual Encounters (which I tend to browse when bored) section of Craigslist:

40 year old fun, professional (successful), handsome, secure, intelligent, clean, single guy here, in _______ (east side).... looking for a Jewish girl for a friend with benefits type thing, for a while before I wife hunt. I will be a great provider and spoil you.

Here are some of the thoughts that ran through my head upon reading this post :

• is the guy Jewish?
• is he hunting for a Jewish wife?
• if he is Jewish, isn't is supposed to be the other way around- fool around with shiksas before you settle down?
• if he's not Jewish, maybe he has a fetish for us sexy Semitic gals
• I wonder what makes him think that a nice Jewish girl would make a good 'toy'?
• if you're all those things you claim to be, why resort to the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist?
• what does he mean by "great provider"- will he go out in the bush and kill me a gazelle? (which I would then use to make both dinner and new clothing)

Thoughts?

Smile!

Someone at work just sent me this. I thought it was cute and want to share it with my readersip of 5.

:-7

Want to email the new pope?

With New Pope Comes New E-Mail Address

RAW fashions

Shawn Michaels needs the Fab Five more than any Red Sox player. Tonight on RAW he is wearing this coat-like thing (sort of like this one) that looks like something a tacky dominatrix should wear.
I'm sure he's a decent guy outside of the ring. This is nothing against him as a person. It's just that the person who dresses him should be smacked around by Batista or Triple H or any wrestler who knows how to dress better. And many wrestlers wear things that most homeless drag queens would toss back, but Shawn takes the cake.
Here we have a look I like to call Mad Max extra. Or a wacky fetish film.
I don't even know what to call this look.
And let's examine the outfit found here. The animal striped heart on his crotch is a real turn on. In fact, he often seems ready for a night at the leather bar. Hearts seem to be a theme with him as he is the Heartbreak Kid. (Maybe it's also some sort of really subversive thing- like I'm a big wrestler, paragon of manliness, and I am so much of a man that I am macho enough to wear hearts all over. ) But really, there is such a thing as overkill.
Though I have to admit, he doesn't look too bad in this.

Help Save Arrested Development

Get Arrested

Why is it that many good shows get cancelled?

Freaks & Geeks
My So Called Life
Kindered: The Embraced (yes, I'm a bit of a goth geek)
Strange Luck
Firefly
Andy Richter Controls the Universe (the original cast)

Birthday Eve: Is 30 the new 25?

Birthday + jobsearch = stress.

Tomorrow I turn 26.
I cross the line and am now closer to 30 than to 20.
Not sure how I feel about this.

I have a lot to be thankful for- my health, good family, roof over my head, etc... I am (relatively) happy with my body/looks.

But I can't help this gnawing feeling that I'm now closer to 30 but not any closer to being a grown up. I want to have fun and try new things and go out and drink too much on a weeknight sometimes. Sure, I have a job and bills to pay, which can = grown up. But inside I still feel like a kid a lot. And am treated like one too sometimes. Example: at a wedding shower dinner for a co-worker on Friday I was the youngest one by 30 (one exception being a 32 year old, but she has 2 kids) and the ladies felt odd bringing up certain topics in front of me (this faded as the wine flowed, but still.....).
[Sometimes I do feel like an adult. This occurs mainly when I am around friends who are grad students. They are impressed that I have a real 9-5 job and get up every day at the same time.]

And I don't feel any closer to accomplishing any sort of career goal. Or even having a career goal. I feel that I am drifting through life. Goals change. I don't want to be put into a box. (After all, I'm not a mime). I do not want to look back in 40 years and say that I hated being a salesperson/accountant/lawyer/insert-job-here_____ . And I have spent a lot of time lately looking at jobs and wondering if I am qualified for them and then questioning what my present job has actually helped prepare me for. I am frustrated. I am a bit too overeducated for many of the admin assistant jobs that I see (not being a snob, I was actually told that by several interviewers during my last major job search). Not cut out for numbers. Hate retail (and most of the customers). Boobs not perky enough to be a stripper (j/k). This blog has made me doubt my writing skills (or at least reading other people's blogs has).



One good thing about a birthday- it's the one day of the year that people pretty much have to be nice to you.

:-)

Searching

As I continue the search for a new job I have noticed a few things:

• A great website called indeed.com
• Jobs on Craigslist- it is helpful for me, the applicant, to have contact information in the ad. I am finding it a bit shady when there is no mention of the company name. Here is an exmaple.
• Cornerstone America, stop bothering me! Same goes for AmEx financial consultants.

This is why....

...I refuse to drive through the new Big Dig tunnels in Boston.

PopeWatch 2005

Update:

I've just learned of The Pope Blog (thanks Esther)


Some interesting info on how to elect a new pope.
From Time.com:

• When the Pope dies, the head of the Sacred College of Cardinals, or Camerlengo, verifies the death. Standing over the deceased, he calls the pontiff by his baptismal name three times. Upon receiving no response, he announces the death and arranges for the Fisherman's ring -- inscribed with the name of the reigning pope -- and papal seal to be broken (how LOTR). Later, another ring will be made for the newly elected pope. The Camerlengo then prepares for the Pope's burial and the traditional nine days of mourning. Assisted by three officials elected from the college, he directs the election of the pontiff's successor.
  
  Fifteen to 20 days after the death of the Pope, the Sacred College of Cardinals meets for the election. Hailing from every corner of the globe, the cardinals are handpicked by the pope to advise and help him. There are currently 123 voting cardinals. Do they sleep there? (Seriously, I’m asking? Anyone know?)
  
  The next morning, the cardinals attend mass in the Sistine Chapel and the electoral session begins. According to the reforms of Pope Paul VI, only cardinals under the age of 80 may vote. While for centuries only cardinals have been elected pope, in theory, any adult male Roman Catholic is papabile, or a potential candidate for the papacy. Let’s elect another old dude? Sounds like the Supreme Court.
• 
  Two ballots are taken each morning and two each afternoon until a successful vote is completed. Like a jury. After each voting session, ballots are burned. If the vote is inconclusive, a chemical substance is added to the paper to produce black smoke. Billowing from the roof of the Vatican Palace, the smoke is a message to the crowds watching in St. Peter's Square that the church is still without a pope. Cool. Mystical. Practical.

Who is in the running to be the next pope?