I'm Back

It's been a hectic month. Too much work, too little blogging...or something like that.

So let's break it down, list style:

1) American Idol is a massive disappointment this season...I have no idea who is going to win. There isn't one person on there that I find myself rooting for, although Jordin Sparks was pretty good last week.

2) There's another Michael Shafrir out there. I kid you not. I had known about him for a while but had never really acknowledged his existence. Now we've been trading messages on Facebook. He was born in Tel Aviv, lives in DC, is 2 years younger than me, and might be the same person. Here's proof.

3) Fun ways to get woken up on a Sunday. A phone call from your buddy Sleezer telling you that your older sister is quoted in this month's Playboy. I can't find a link, but Sleezer tells me that in the print edition it's the article right before the shot of Britney's exposed crotch. Lovely.

4) I've been wanting to take a long vacation for a while now.

This drive seems really nice. So does this one. And while we're at it, throw in some Nicaragua, some Thailand, and some Peru. After trips last year to Israel and Japan (plus like 10 other cities in the US), I've got the travel itch again.

5) I don't talk much about Chowhound.com, but it's probably my favorite site. For one thing, it's moderated, so there's no shilling, the conversation never really degrades into a flame war, and the people that are regular posters are knowledgeable, helpful, and passionate. As an example, here's a 119 message thread about the best item's at Trader Joe's. And here's 27 entries about the lack of good Vietnamese food in New York. It's a great site for living vicariously through others' food experiences, it's encouraged me to try new cuisines, and it's a fantastic way to kill a few hours on Sunday nights.

6) Kobe Bryant is going nuts. He's the purest scorer in the league (or the "Association" as Boonton likes to say) and is going for his 5th straight game of 50 points or more. Just a real pleasure to watch for hoop heads like me.

7) I am unhealthily obsessed with bulldogs. This guy is AWESOME. (Thanks to Barker for the link).

7) Marc was on Fox and Friends this morning talking about the 7 Deadly Sins of Interviewing.