Starting at sundown today (3/29/2010), Jewish people around the world will be celebrating Passover. Passover is a Spring festival that symbolizes freedom.

Pesach begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavu’ot and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel, but little attention is paid to this aspect of the holiday.

The name “Pesach” comes from the Hebrew root Pei-Samekh-Cheit Pei-Samekh-Cheit (in Hebrew), meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or to spare. It refers to the fact that G-d “passed over” the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt. In English, the holiday is known as Passover. “Pesach” is also the name of the sacrificial offering (a lamb) that was made in the Temple on this holiday. The holiday is also referred to as Chag he-Aviv Chag he-Aviv (in Hebrew), (the Spring Festival), Chag ha-Matzot Chag ha-Matzot (in Hebrew), (the Festival of Matzahs), and Z’man Cheiruteinu Z’man Cheiruteinu (in Hebrew), (the Time of Our Freedom) (again, all with those Scottish “ch”s).

Probably the most significant observance related to Pesach involves the removal of chametz (leaven; sounds like “hum it’s” with that Scottish “ch”) from our homes. This commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. It is also a symbolic way of removing the “puffiness” (arrogance, pride) from our souls.

The grain product we eat during Pesach is called matzah. Matzah is unleavened bread, made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt. We have come up with many inventive ways to use matzah; it is available in a variety of textures for cooking: matzah flour (finely ground for cakes and cookies), matzah meal (coarsely ground, used as a bread crumb substitute), matzah farfel (little chunks, a noodle or bread cube substitute), and full-sized matzahs (about 10 inches square, a bread substitute).

I love celebrating Passover because it is a great time to bring family together and nothing is better than family. I rarely make it the whole time eating just matzah, but I do try, but I guess I’m not the BEST Jew out there.

Happy Pesach to all the Jews out there! Enjoy the time with your family!

Dr. Evil’s son is engaged.  I only think of Seth Green from Can’t Hardly Wait and Austin Powers as Dr. Evil’s song.  Also when I watch Family Guy I laugh thinking that Chris Griffin is played by Seth Green.  A big fat blonde loser played by a ginger is just funny to me.  Green is also the executive producer and co-creator of Robot Chicken.  It is actually pretty funny and worth watching if you like that sort of thing.

Anyway, Green is engaged to model/actress Clare Grant.  She is pretty damn good looking for the gingy.  She’s funny too.  She does voice-overs on Robot Chicken as well.

Green, 36, and Grant, 30, attended the Tarina Tarantino Sephora launch party in Hollywood Wednesday and were seen cuddling at the valet stand, but were tightlipped about details of their upcoming nuptials, according to E! News. A source tells PEOPLE that despite reports, the couple did not get engaged on New Year’s Eve.

[via PEOPLE]

His next movie is a Disney movie, Mars Needs Moms, and her next gig is a show on MTV, $5 Cover.  Looks like we will be seeing more of the couple coming up.  Hopefully this engagement actually turns into a marriage, and hopefully this marriage actually lasts.

Try and figure it out before you look at the rest of the pictures.  It isn’t that easy, I’m not gonna lie, but definitely give it a try.  It will surprise you for sure!  It is very interesting and that’s why I wanted to post this!

It is the remains of dried up coffee and sugar.  When I first looked at the first picture I thought it was some type of metal or some kind of fabric.  I had no idea.  What a surprise!

BARRINGTON, R.I.—A Rhode Island man who says he couldn’t afford medical care for his dog has been charged with illegally operating on the animal.
Alan MacQuattie removed a cyst from the leg of his 14-year-old Labrador mix. The dog was operated on again by professionals to deal with an infection from the first surgery.

E.J. Finocchio, a veterinarian and president of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, calls the surgery a “heinous crime.”

Court records show MacQuattie pleaded no contest last week to misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine.

A phone listing for MacQuattie could not be found. But he told WPRI-TV, which first reported on the surgery, that he didn’t think there was anything cruel about what he had done.

[via Boston News]

I don’t think this is animal cruelty. It is a guy who made a poor decision out of love for his pet. I’m not condoning this crime AT ALL but calling it a “heinous crime” is a bit harsh. If this were a cow and the guy was a farmer, do you think there would be all of these complaints? It wasn’t a serious surgery, it was just a cyst. The guy was trying to help his animal. Instead of spending money on charging this guy they should have just donated money to the humane society.

The Bachelor, Jake Pavelka, may have another Jason Mesnick moment pretty soon. Reality Steve has done it again, and has found out the winner of the bachelor, who happens to be Big Bird (Vienna Girardi).  It was between Big Bird and Tenly.  Boy did he choose the wrong one!

Anonymous sources have leaked photos to Starcasm.net of Big Bird and her boyfriend back home in Florida. Supposedly she was even with him the night before she left for the bachelor.

This does not sound like new news to me what so ever.  Having gone to the same college as Big Bird, University of Central Florida, we were indeed going to have some mutual friends.  We were also both in the Greek community at UCF.  She was in Kappa Delta and I was in Delta Delta Delta, both sororities in the top 4 of the school.  So, we definitely know a lot of the same people.

I was pretty sure these pictures were of this guy named Craig, that a friend of mine knows.  She also knows that Vienna stayed with him this summer and said that if he wanted to be with her then she wouldn’t go on the show.  Looks like he didn’t want to be with her that bad.  What I find strange is that she had a relationship with another guy and now these photos are leaked… who is this mystery man?

I am pretty sure I will find out the mystery man’s name pretty soon considering we know a lot of the same people.  I will try my hardest to find out and guess who will be the first to know… you!

Welcome to the Evening Scoop, a collection of links on stories you may have missed throughout the day.  If you feel that there’s a story you’d like to have up here feel free to contact us.  Otherwise, enjoy!

The Scoop

Don’t color your hair without reading this – [Shine]

Is Nicholas Cage an artist or a hack? – [EW]

The Style of SXSW – [Bust]

If you’re thinking about wearing light wash jeans – [She Finds]

The Right way to Shampoo tip of the day – [Styleist]

The kind people at CitySearch that let us in on INA and Balthazar are now in a nod to the econalypse launching a killer website, 3 Buck Bites. In case you’re really dense, here’s the skinny: 3 Buck Bites is a website which spotlights various culinary godsends that cost three dollars or less, well $3.99 to be exact.

This is maybe the best thing that’s ever happened to the starved young things slumming it in this giant Hooverville of a country. Yes, I’m talking about writers. But I’m also talking about all of the other unemployed, barely employed, and expecting to soon be unemployed Americans. Best of all, the gastronomical steals aren’t just limited to major metropolitan areas, not that there’s a world beyond New York anyway. (What is this mythical South Dakota of which I hear?)

3 Buck Bites understands that some of us are domestically challenged but can’t take another Filet-O-Fish meal, and actually their selections are cheaper than those McDonald’s “value meals” anyway. They’re highlighting cheap eats in the vein of crepes, ceviche, and dumplings. Imagine that! Cheap, delicious food for people who have only ever used “bun in the oven” as a euphemism! Now that’s something that could get me amorous.

These days you can make your body pretty much whatever you want with a bit of collagen or silicon and a lot of money. Cosmetic surgery has given Ashlee Simpson a straighter nose, Pamela Anderson bigger breasts, and Joan Rivers, well, a cryogenically horrifying face. You can nip and tuck your way to any appearance. Ah, the American Dream.

But plastic surgery isn’t just about lipo or breast implants or nose jobs. It gets far better than that. I mean, the sky’s the limit! And if you want to investigate some very strange vanity, you need look no farther.

The Umbilicoplasty

I remember being shocked at age four when I discovered that belly buttons can stick in or out. Suddenly, I really wanted an outie belly button– until I got distracted by graham crackers. Evidently, some people never let go of the dream though and have umbilicoplasty performed to change the direction of their belly button.

Dimple Fabrication

Yes, you too can look like this kid. And I’m not talking about any procedure which requires hormone therapy. What I mean is that there are doctors who can actually give you facial dimples. Personally, I think it would be much cheaper to pop a pain killer and whack yourself in the face with a sharp object, but I hear the scarring can be problematic.

Pubic Hair Transplants

Hair plugs have always been a laughing matter to everyone that doesn’t have them, so why should pubic hair transplants be any different? I know a lot of women that spend loads of time, money, and wax on keeping their proverbial lawns manicured, but I guess some people will never let go of the 70′s.

Botox Armpit Treatments

You know what I just hate? Pit stains. But that’s the beauty of deodorant. Now, however, some people think they’re so beyond Lady Speedstick that they’re actually getting Botox injections in their armpits to prevent underarm sweating. Why go to CVS when you can go to a 90210 MD? Well, I can think of a few reasons.

Calf Implants

We’ve seen loads of breast implants. Everyone and their great-grandmother has them lately. (Well, at least that’s true of the cast of characters on The Real Housewives of Orange County.) But now you can also get calf implants if you feel under-endowed below the knees. I always thought that pants were great for chicken legs, but some people just need to wear shorts. And I blame that, like many other problems in America today, on Jessica Simpson.

When it comes to marriage, many of us shudder. Shared bank accounts!? Shared bathrooms!? Shared eternity!? That’s enough to give anyone cold feet. But there are things even scarier. Like themed weddings. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Well check these babies out.

The Star Wars Wedding

No doubt I can see the correlation between the Dark Side of The Force and marriage. But can we please remember that Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker were brother and sister for a moment? That’s brother-sister kiss is hardly what you want parading through people’s minds as you walk down the aisle.

The Zombie Wedding

Yes, some married people are like zombies. But do you really want to promise to be with someone for all of eternity whilst dressed as evil, never-satiated undead? I think not.

The Halo Wedding

I like video games as much as the next girl. It’s great being able to shoot people without repercussions. But please, keep the video games away from the wedding. There will be plenty of time to zone out with the XBox when you’re trying to avoid your spouse’s requests to take out the trash.

The Clown Wedding

Just look at these people. Enough said.

The Henry the VIII Wedding

The man chopped off his wife’s head. Not even irony could fix this wedding theme.