Penny Stock

Being Lord Voldemort

via BBC News:

It's reported John Malkovich has signed up to play a baddie in the next H@rry Potter movie.

He's said to be taking the role of Harry's arch enemy, evil Lord Voldemort, in 'H@rry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' - the fourth film in the series.

His young daughters, big Potter fans, apparently talked him into doing it.

But he'll share the role with a computerised puppet because at the start of the film Voldemort is so wasted by his own evil he is barely a skeleton.

He'll have a spectacular fight scene with Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, at the end of the film.

For the record, I don't believe this. I had been under the impression that JK Rowling and the H@rry Potter powers that be had made it clear at the start of the movies that the characters would all be played by British actors. Last I checked, John Malkovich is not British and according to his bio on IMDB, he was born in Illinois. In fact, I had read somewhere that Chris Columbus had desparately wanted to cast Haley Joel Osment as Harry in The Sorcerer's Stone but JKR nixed it since he is American. I guess time will tell whether this rumor is true.

Rabbi Ackerson Returns from Iraq

This is the cover story of this week's Baltimore Jewish Times:

U.S. Army Reservist, he is brigade chaplain for the Gaithersburg-based 220th Military Police Brigade, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. During the first Gulf War, Rabbi Ackerson, who lives in Pikesville and attends Congregation Shomrei Emunah, served as an Army battalion chaplain for the 2nd Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery (Hawk) of the 18th Airborne Corps in Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq.

"I have a healthy fear of going to war, which is good," Rabbi Ackerson, who grew up in Woodmere, N.Y., told the Baltimore Jewish Times in March 2003, shortly before his deployment to Kuwait. "War is a crazy thing. I come this time with more maturity and experience. I know what war entails.

"The average American doesn't understand war, especially the younger generation," he said. "They see all the high-tech stuff. You forget there are real live people shooting and being shot and dying. I tell the younger soldiers, 'It's not an adventure.'"

But even the characteristically modest and easygoing Rabbi Ackerson might employ the term adventure in describing his past year of service in the war zone, which included visits to such trouble spots as Tikrit and Fallujah.

Rabbi Ackerson and his family live around the block from us and attends our synagogue. I want to welcome him back to the neighborhood and thank him for all he has done and continues to do for our country and our community.

Mazel Tov Lanie and Joel

I have mentioned Lanie several times on this blog. Well I just want to wish her a huge MT on her engagement to Joel last night! It was a great party and we can't wait to celebrate more!

Act of Random Kindness

Today the nicest thing happened while I was shopping. It warmed my heart and made me realize that there are still good people in the world. I was in line at the grocery store and as I was finishing up and signing the credit card receipt, the woman behind me said, "excuse me, is this yours?" I saw she was holding my red pepper. I told her it was and when the checker asked me if I still wanted it, I decided that it wasn't worth the time and effort to make a new purchase (especially since I did not have the miniscule amount of money that the pepper would have cost). I told her forget it and I would do without it. The woman behind me then told the checker that if I didn't want it, she would take it. That seemed like a good idea. I finished my purchase and wheeled my cart towards the exit. About 10 seconds later, I heard another "excuse me" and I saw the woman who had been standing behind me in line holding out the red pepper for me. She had paid for it and wanted to give it to me. I tried to offer her money but she adamantly refused to take it.

I know this is not a big deal. I know the pepper did not cost a lot. But what I also know is I never saw this woman before in my life. I didn't really need the pepper that badly but she didn't know that. She showed me that in a world where barely anyone trusts anyone else, we can still smile at strangers, and we can do our best to help other people out- even in the most insignificant ways.

Good News Please

OK, here is a plea for people to post some good news. There have been a lot of tragic stories lately within our community, the Jewish community in general and for some close friends.

I am begging you. If you have any good news, please leave it in the comments section. Thanks in advance.

Shout Out

This is a shoutout to Esther and Mark. Guys- we had a great time with you this weekend. It was great meeting Mark and we are only wondering how our family managed without him in it for so long. He fits in great!! Looking forward to the next time we see each other!

Troy to College?

YOU'RE FIRED; NOW GO TO SCHOOL: The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that not only has Donald Trump given millions of viewers a renewed faith in the sublime virtues of capitalism, he's also helping educate his fellow man. Appearing on Larry King's CNN talkfest Wednesday night, The Donald, who came with the rest of "The Apprentice cast, made an offer Troy McClain could not refuse: To send him back to college ... for free!

That's nice.

My Stylesheet

Can anyone guess what my favorite color is?

When Life Imitates Art

It’s not every day one gets the chance to go over his or he "To be"s and "Not to be"s in private with one of the world’s most acclaimed Shakespearean actors. Kenneth Branagh, however, is offering just that — a one-on-one tutorial session. For the right donation to charity, that is.

Branagh has signed up with the Paul Bevan Cancer Foundation, which is hoping to raise £30,000 to pay for an information and support center for cancer sufferers and their relatives. The actor, who recently joined the Foundation as a patron, has offered his services as a personal drama coach.

FULL STORY

It is nice that Branagh is donating his services to charity- and it seems to be a good charity. However, it is pretty funny. This seems like a very Gilderoy Lockhart thing to do. Well cast.

Looking Forward

We finally get to meet my cousin Esther's future husband, Mark this weekend. They flew from Israel yesterday to NY and will be in B-more from Friday till Sunday. We can finally decide if Mark is an ugly troll or the Jolly Green Giant (Just Kidding!) I can't wait!!

To see the floor

As I walked into my walk in closet this morning and picked out some clothes to wear, I realized that my closet has been clean and walkable for a month now. Quite an accomplishment for me. Gotta keep the spirits up somehow.

In other news, my grandmother gave use these really cute coasters yesterday. It is a shame we don't have a coffee table...

Worst song ever?!?

NEW YORK (AP) -- Starship may have built this city on rock and roll, but Blender magazine is tearing it down, naming the band's "We Built This City" as the worst song ever.

What? No way. I have such good memories of this song from when I was a kid. Especially when K-106 (of blessed memory) inserted their plug in the middle of the song "we built this city, we built Baltimore K106!). I know this is not a great song- but the worst? I highly doubt it. How about "Happy to Be Stuck With You" by Huey Lewis or "Dancing on the Ceiling" by Lionel Richie? So sad...

Pardon my appearance

Please bear with me as I try to figure out what colors to make this stupid blog. I am a color choosing idiot (see my "Pepto Bismol Pink" living room for proof, oh and my kitchen that I redid a year ago that has yet to be painted because of the living room debacle). Anyway, I am also at the whim of Greg because I have no clue what I am doing with the style sheet- so like I said- bear with me and if any of my readers happen to be interior decorators- leave a comment. I NEED YOUR HELP!!

The Truth About Gum

I am a gum swallower. Many people cringe when they hear that. I have a hard time chewing something, extracting the flavor and not swallowing it. Just me. I have gotten into the famous digesting gum conversation a lot over the past few weeks because Gila just tried gum for the first time and can't get the hang of spitting it out. So, for once and for all let's settle the gum digesting question.

Luckily for me, I have Snopes- the urban legend debunking site. I love this site because I have a bunch of well meaning yet totally paranoid friends and relatives who freqeuntly send me the typical "world is ending", "9-11 rumor", and "shampoo will kill you" forwards. Whenever I get one of these e-mails, I go to Snopes and do a search on the topic and find out whether it is true or false. For ther record, they are usually false.

Anyway, here is what Snopes has to say about gum.

It's hard to find anyone who hasn't heard this specious claim about swallowed gum, usually when they were children. No, there's nothing to support this rumor; as sticky as chewing gum might appear to be outside the body, once it's sent down the alimentary canal it's no more remarkable in that respect than most anything else we swallow.

This oft-repeated claim may stem from genuine confusion over a term commonly applied to chewing gum: indigestible. Although gum resists the body's efforts to break it down (hence the 'indigestible' designation), it does not linger in the stomach. Gum is eliminated as human waste in the same way — and at the same rate — as any other swallowed matter. Granted, it comes out the far end relatively unchanged by the trip, but it does come out on schedule. (Here is the rest of the article.)

Happy Anniversary

I want to wish my sister and brother-in-law a very happy 11th anniversary!!! So, was Pop right? How were the first 10 years?

I win...I mean Bill Wins!

I just finished watching The Apprentice and I have to say I am quite excited!! I thought the whole live show ending was a bit cheesy and a tad SNL-esque thanks to "The Donald" reading from "The Cuecards" (thanks for pointing that out, Esti) but nevertheless, it was a great ending to a great show. I wish I had joined some kind of betting pool back in February when I made my predition but I guess hindsight is always 20/20.

Ahh, victory is sweet.

Sunrise, Sunset...

Wow, I just got the info about Ezra's Little League team. This is his first year playing and he is in the pee-wee league. He will be playing tee-ball. His coach said we need to provide the glove and the association will give (complements of my 55 dollar check) the hat and shirt. Ezra is on the Orioles. He will be happy about that. I am happy. Greg probably would have been happier had he been on the Red Sox. Oh well- we both signed the "Little League Parents Code of Conduct" Form so no complaining allowed ;). Wow, I am feeling all farklempt at the thought of my little boy playing baseball. Imagine how I will feel when he grauates high school or at his wedding...Sunrise, Sunset....

Tonight's The Night

(CNN) -- Will it be The Kwame or The Bill?

It's down to the final two contestants on "The Apprentice," NBC's breakout hit reality television show starring Donald Trump and 16 people determined to win a $250,000 job with his organization.

Well, we have waited 13 weeks for this. In case I haven't beaten this horse to death already, I am going to opine without interruption for a few minutes (that is why I like blogging). You'll remember (I reminded you last week) that on February 4th, I predicted that Bill would take it all. Honestly, I wasn't basing my prediction on a whole lot at that point. My major points were that when looking at the Apprentice Party Pictures on Bill's website, he looked like a champion and he seemed like a pretty competent person AND hadn't shown himself to be a complete idiot yet on the show. As far as the pictures go, I stand by that logic. I consider myself someone with pretty good intuition and so far it has done me well.

Now, two months later, I still predict Bill will win tonight. I will say this though. My ego will be the only part of me to be upset if Kwame wins tonight. I like the guy too. He seems like a qualified, smooth,and pretty nice guy (although his comments about skirt-chasing last night on Dateline were a bit off putting).

I believe a lot of the decision will depend on the actual job description of the Apprentice's winner. If the person will truly start and run a division of Trumps company, then Bill is probably a better candidate for the job. He successfully started and runs his own multi-million dollar company and to quote one of the interviewers last week, Bill has the "capability to hit the ground running." Like Trump, he is not scared to put himself on the line and doesn't walk on eggshells around employees (hopefully that won't be his downfall). My only concern is that this person will be an Apprentice, not another Trump. We shall see...

If the apprentice will be working under a pre-established business model, then Kwame might get the job.

In any event, someone has to win. And I can go back and forth and discuss each candidates strenghts and weaknesses all day. But tonight someone will be hired and as a good viewer, I must make my prediction and stand by it. I continue to predict that Bill will take it all. See you tonight or tommorow morning.

Love the Picture! Take this quiz.

You are a MASTER of the English language!


While your English is not exactly perfect,
you are still more grammatically correct than
just about every American. Still, there is
always room for improvement...


How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I wasn't going to post my results of this quiz since they're not as stellar as Maphet's . However, I couldn't resist since the picture displayed is from my all time favorite movie. Besides, at least I am not a grammar idiot.

"Weird Al" Yankovic's parents found dead

FALLBROOK, Califorina (AP) -- -- The elderly parents of Grammy-winning recording artist "Weird Al" Yankovic were found dead in their home, apparently victims of carbon monoxide poisoning, officials said.

Wow, that is crazy. Pathetically enough, I am a huge Weird Al fan (remind me to recount the story of the Weird Al concert sometime). The saddest thing is, being a Weird Al fan, and knowing his songs, when hearing news like this the first think you think of are his twisted lyrics and about how this could have been the punchline of one of his songs. Oh well. May the Yankovic family be comforted.

The Apprentice

Not to toot my own horn, but I rock. No matter what happens next week, I think I have surpassed most (i.e., Technomind- read my comments, etc.)in the Apprentice Predictions. I have not read one article or blog predicting Kwame's victory. If he wins, more power to him. I am just happy that my prediction has gone this far. You will be hearing from me next Thursday night.

On Bald Spots

Here is a great story about my 4 year old nephew. Last friday, my sister took her kids for haircuts. On Friday evening, we were all sitting around and we noticed that my nephew had a bald spot from the bottom of his hairline (at the neck) up around an inch and a half by an inch and a half (it looked like a perfect little square). Anyway, it wasn't overly noticeable because he is blond but it was still pretty funny and my sister was livid. She really likes the woman who cuts her kids hair (I use the same woman and really like her as well) and she could not imagine that she would make such a blunder and not point it out to my sister- besides my sister tipped her quite generously!

Anyway, throughout the weekend, various people noticed the bald spot and it became quite a topic of conversation. Each time, my nephew sat there and didn't say a word. Well, my sister called me up last night laughing that out of the blue, her son said to her, "Hey Mommy, when I put the scissors on my hair, it just kept falling off!" What an end to a funny story. Needless to say, my sister is glad she did not call up the hair stylist to give her a piece of her mind!

Ah, Caffeine Free

It is funny how we all obsess so much over food on this holiday we call Pesach/Passover. I just wanted to give a shoutout to my friend, Andrea who brought Kosher for Passover Caffeine Free Pepsi and Sierra Mist home from NY for me and my childrenlast night. She rocks (and Baltimore does not since it has NO Kosher for Passover soda that is caffeine free) .

For all those who are interested, many people prefer the Kosher for Passover Coke because instead of being made with corn syrup, it is made with cane sugar. For those who like the sweeter version of Coke- they are selling it in supermarkets across the country (usually in cities with a substantial Jewish Population- Baltimore being one of them) with yellow caps.

No Dursley's in 4?

Via imdb.com:

Boy wizard H@rry Potter's evil uncle and aunt have been cut from the fourth movie in the fantasy series. British actors Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw were shocked to discover scenes involving their characters Vernon and Petunia Dursley have been scrapped from the film adaptation of JK Rowling's fourth book H@rry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. Sleepy Hollow star Griffith explains, "Filming had already started on the fourth and Fiona and I asked the producers, 'Are we in it?' and they said, 'Oh, did no one tell you?' The problem is that the fourth book is just too long for a film, so they've done away with our bit - where Harry is at home with the Dursleys - and will just begin with him at school." The 56-year-old even begged Rowling to write a special scene for the scheming pair. He adds, "I said to JK Rowling, 'Couldn't the Dursleys turn up to an open day at Harry's school or something?' But she said, 'I don't think so.'" Griffiths, Shaw and Harry Melling - who plays the Dursleys' indulged son Dudley - have yet to find out whether they will be reappearing in the fifth movie.

I am glad to see the producers and directors are demonstrating some common sense as the books/movies get longer. Here Here!

Spring Forward

Just another friendly reminder to move your clocks forward on Saturday night for Daylight Savings Time. As they always remind us, now is a good time to check your smoke detectors as well. I love this time of year. Now, if it would only stop raining...

When you see Count Olaf...

Not sure why I didn't know about this, but they are making a movie out of "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" with Jim Carrey playing Count Olaf. It is funny, but over the past few years I have been thinking that Jim Carrey would be wonderful as Willy Wonka. Oh well- wrong book. This is good news anyway. Should be interesting, and "interesting" here meaning "A state of curiosity or concern about or attention to something." (you will only appreciate that if you read the book(s)).