How would this work?

Helmsley's Dog Gets $12 Million in Will
The Associated Press
August 29, 2007

Leona Helmsley's dog will continue to live an opulent life, and then be buried alongside her in a mausoleum. But two of Helmsley's grandchildren got nothing from the late luxury hotelier and real estate billionaire's estate.

Helmsley left her beloved white Maltese, named Trouble, a $12 million trust fund, according to her will, which was made public Tuesday in surrogate court.

She also left millions for her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who was named to care for Trouble in her absence, as well as two of four grandchildren from her late son Jay Panzirer - so long as they visit their father's grave site once each calendar year.

Otherwise, she wrote, neither will get a penny of the $5 million she left for each. Helmsley left nothing to two of Jay Panzirer's other children - Craig and Meegan Panzirer - for 'reasons that are known to them,' she wrote.

But no one made out better than Trouble, who once appeared in ads for the Helmsley Hotels, and lived up to her name by biting a housekeeper.

Helmsley died earlier this month at her Connecticut home. She became known as a symbol of 1980s greed and earned the nickname 'the Queen of Mean' after her 1988 indictment and subsequent conviction for tax evasion. One employee had quoted her as snarling, 'Only the little people pay taxes.'

When did these go "out?"

I was cleaning my bathroom drawer the other day and came across this gem.

I used to use it ALL the time. Come to think of it, so did everyone and their brother. (OK, most brothers didn't...)

So, when did hair clips go "out?"

Are fashion trends fun?

Stick with what you know

This product is not sexy.

It's not glamourous.

It's not cool or hip.

In fact, on a top 100 list of all products not sexy, I'm pretty sure it would rank in the top 25.

Would someone please try to tell these things to the marketing professionals in charge of Metamucil's new ad campaign?

A and I saw a commercial last night that was just absurd.

How embarrassing!

Miss South Carolina for President!

My First Time

Perfume didn't exist in my home in childhood. My mom was allergic to most things and couldn't handle the smells.

As I got older, I started getting wild and crazy by using scented lotions and such.

About five years ago, I started wearing perfumes I received as presents or got as samples but I never thought to purchase such things myself.

My good friend T and I went to the mall yesterday. She was looking to buy new perfume. After smelling a TON of different scents, I was persuaded to purchase my very own bottle of perfume. For the first time ever.

I am now the proud owner of Burberry London.

I'm quite excited.

Light reading

One of A's reps brought this book to his work for me to read. I had never heard of it before but was intrigued by what I might find out about the Playboy Lifestyle. (Although I'm not a hard-core regular viewer of "Girls Next Door," I still enjoying letting my brain turn into mush and watching from time to time.)

It's by Izabella St. James, a law school graduate, who was one of Hef's seven girlfriends from 2002ish to 2004ish.

A few interesting things I learned?
- Girlfriends have a curfew of 9 a.m. every night - unless they're out with Hef
- Hef is ultra-regimented - will only eat food made by the Mansion staff (even while out at restaurants!)
- Hef provides an allowance (or used to anyway) of $1,000 per week
- All Girlfriends have had work done (compliments of Hef)
- Hef no longer allows his Girlfriends to be Playmates for fear that they might up-and-leave him once they've reached Playmate status (as has happened multiple times in the past)
- Many Girlfriends had other boyfriends on the side - two were (are) actually married! (Including current girlfriend Bridget!)
- The Playboy Mansion is not as ritzy as one might think inside
- Some of the girlfriends were never - or very seldom - intimate with Hef
- Viagra proves to be quite helpful for Hef - even though, according to the author, Hef is just a shadow of his former self in this respect
- Izabella St. James and other girlfriends did not like Holly and Bridget and painted them in a very negative light

Despite not being a great writer and aimlessly jumping from idea to idea, St. James' book was interesting enough for me to fly through in two days. I must say, though, St. James, who tries exceptionally hard to come across as an intelligent, worldly individual, leaves the reader with the impression that she's quite bitter, boring and a bit ungrateful.

Interesting, but I'd like to read a book from Holly or Bridget's perspective too.

Hanky = Grossness

Have you ever witnessed someone sneeze and then reach in their back pocket to pull out a dingy old hanky, blow nose (hard) in said hanky, and then return it to their pocket?

I have. And, everytime I am witness to this I instantly cringe.

I somewhat understand the pro(s) to using a hanky. It's environmentally a good choice. It's what generations of people have used before us.

But, the GERMS! The GERMS! Ew. Gross. How can people be OK with reusing something that you blow snot into like that? (I shiver at the thought alone...)

* This post was inspired by a co-worker who lovingly stores his hanky in his back pocket to use only to wipe face, not to blow nose. You know who you are...

Mc Gruff takes a bite out of Vick

Live at the Barge...

Jimmy Atto! Singer and rock star extraordinare!

Tomorrow
The Barge
Harrison Township
7 p.m.

It's for a great cause! (Breast Cancer)

Be there or be square!

(Let me know if you want more details...)

Check Jimmy out at http://www.jimmyatto.com/!

I'm addicted

I've been listening to a 90s radio station online (via Yahoo) all week.

Just to prove to you how totally awesome the station is, I thought I'd list some songs I recall hearing today:

All Apologies (Nirvana)
Far Behind (Candlebox)
Come Undone (Duran Duran)
Ironic (Alanis Morrisette)
Bitch (Meredith Brooks)
Weak (SWV)
I Remember You (Skid Row)
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm (Crash Test Dummies)
Sweet Dreams (La Bouche)
This Is How We Do It (Montell Jordan)
Unbelievable (EMF)
The Freshman (Verve Pipe)

And those are just the ones I can remember. Yup. I definitely grew up in the 90s.

(Seriously, how HUGE was that Alanis album?!)

Warning

I just learned how to post videos onto youtube. (A feat that I'm quite confident most people my age and younger conquered quite a while back...)

Anyway. I thought I'd warn you all in advance in the event that you start seeing a ton of videos starring my dog, Cooper.

So far, he's the only subject willing to be videotaped.

10 Must-Have Items for College Freshmen

Man. I already feel old and I've only been out of college for 5 years. I didn't have ANY of these objects and I got through college just fine. (Wow. I sound old.)

Yahoo.com:

Must-Have Gear for the Freshman

The road to college is full of tradeoffs. For a fresh freshman it's a tradeoff in terms of price versus getting a setup that'll last. So what to pick? This list or essentials will get you what you'll need to be successful at school, and still leave you with a few extra cents for pizza.

Dell Inspiron 1521

The workhorse PC for students' needs

This year’s sweet spot in the Dell Inspiron lineup is the 1520/21 model with its 15-inch display and slick ATI graphics. Deals of the moment include a free upgrade to 2GB of RAM and a huge 160GB hard drive. One potential downside is that there’s no built-in webcam option, but it does come in eight colors.

Apple MacBook Pro

The classic student favorite that’s now faster than ever

Don't want a Dell? Try the new MacBook with its faster Intel Core duo processor. Plus, its 15-inch display, built-in camera, and iLife applications make it a one-stop answer to your college problems. Even sweeter: Buy a Mac before September 16 and you get a free iPod Nano by mail-in rebate.

Kingston Collegiate microSD Cards

Store a ton on a fly-weight card

Win brownie points when you buy these 1GB or 2GB microSD cards emblazoned with your school’s name, wallpaper, and fight songs. Badgers and Tarheels, you can have a memory card with memories. Check to make sure link to Kingston your school is supported — but these are a real conversation starter and they're priced at an introductory $10.99 for 1GB.

Linksys Wireless-N Gigabit Gaming Router (WRT330N)

A router with killer speed and range

Just in time for back-to-school, this powerful router addresses the needs of gamers or just about anyone who needs a fast, reliable wireless network. Linksys claims up to four times the range and 12 times the throughput of the old Wireless-G series.

SanDisk Sansa E250

Swap out your music collection daily

If you're easily bored by your music selection, you may want to pick this Sandisk MP3 player for toting your tunes. It's got 2GB of flash memory — just enough for your walks to and from class, and an FM/voice recorder (good for notetaking). Couple the Sansa's built-in Wi-Fi with a Yahoo! Music subscription, and you’ve got a never-ending, constantly changing supply of music for a reasonable price.

Belkin 4-Port Hub

A USB port for every gadget

You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many USB ports. For $20, the Belkin hub adds another four USB ports to your laptop. Plus, you can cut down on cable clutter by converting one USB on your desktop or notebook into four.

Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1050

The perfect digicam for YouTube auteur

To record those freshman yea memories , you'll need the right digital camera. The Exilim EX-Z1050 has one of the slimmest, sexiest form factors on the market. And now, future filmmakers will love how the Exilim also doubles as a video camera for super simple capture and upload of YouTube opuses.

T-Mobile Dash

Multimedia, Internet browsing, full QWERTY keyboard, high-speed network, and now the ability to use public hotspots, the T-Mobile Dash does it all. It's one of the best-priced, full-featured smartphones around.

Melitta Smart Mill & Brew Coffeemaker

Clouds in your coffee?

Believe it or not — this is a Windows-based coffeepot that delivers the weather along with your java. Dory Devlin tasted the coffee and says it’s great. Students might prefer an alarm clock, but this will tell you "weather" you should bother going to class.

Ozone Inflatable Lounger

Gizmodo’s pick for pimping your dorm.

Looking for a place to flop while you play games, read, or just chill? Check out the Ozone, an inflatable chair with built-in speakers and input for iPod, MP3, or DVD players. Starving student bonus: it's less than $50.

Happy Birthday Connie Chung

Today's Connie Chung's birthday.

Thank YOU for the memories Connie.

C's African Safari Trailer

My bro is going to be the next great Hollywood filmmaker.

Then, he's going to provide his wonderful family with extravagant gifts and trips.

(I can dream, can't I?)

See his movie trailer above.

Cashin' in while they can

So apparently Heidi Montag, of "The Hills," is making an album now
(trying, like so many others before her, to extend her 15-minutes of fame).

"Body Language" was the first single leaked online.
(Click here to listen.)

Not too horrible I suppose. (Not great either, though.)

But, seriously, did Spencer Pratt have to rap?!
He is such a tool, isn't he? He makes me cringe.

Cute compliments

This made us laugh

A received a change of address verification from the post office yesterday. The last line of the letter read (in English):

"If you do not speak English or you do not understand this letter, please take it with you to your local post office for assistance."

Perhaps they should think that one through a bit more.

Ludicrous laws

Don't want to end up in the slammer? Be sure to obey these laws:

- Michigan- It is illegal for a woman to cut her hair without her husband's consent.
- Minnesota- It is illegal to mock skunks.
- Brainerd, Minnesota- Every man must grow a beard
- Ohio- It is illegal to sell beer while wearing a Santa Claus suit, even if you are a dog.
- Virginia- All bathtubs must be outside, not in the house.
- Toronto, Canada- It is illegal to ride a streetcar on Sunday after eating garlic.
- Arizona- It is illegal to hunt camels.
- Kentucky- It is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your pocket.
- Louisana- It is illegal to rob a bank, and then shoot the teller with a water pistol.
- Indiana- It is prohibited to bathe in the winter.
- Atlanta, Georgia- is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.
- New York State- It is illegal to shoot a rabbit from a trolley car.
- New Jersey- It is illegal to slurp soup.
- Arkansas- A man is allowed to beat his wife, but no more than once a month.
- Chicago, Illinois- It is illegal for a woman that weighs 200 pounds to ride horses in shorts.
- Connecticut- It is illegal to walk across the street on your hands.
- New York- It is illegal to do anything against the law.

* "Facts" compliments of http://www.geocities.com/oddfacts1234/

Orchids and Onions

Haven't done this in a while, so I thought I'd give it a go.

- Orchids to Fridays
- Orchids to dinner out with friends
- Orchids to a glass of wine
- Onions to working until 5 p.m. on Fridays
- Onions to traffic
- Orchids to new job responsibilities
- Onions to cracked windshields
- Orchids to not having a house to sell
- Orchids to feeling like an adult
- Onions to having to get an oil change
- Orchids to raspberry vinaigrette dressing
- Orchids to spellcheck

You?

Too good to be true!

This post goes out to my Owens sistas.

This is Chapter 13. I hear he just came out with 17.

I'm thinking about buying the series myself.

Happy Birthday K!

Happy Happy 28th Birthday K!

If only you could celebrate your birthday in paradise... Say like in Cabo.

That would be awesome.

Hope your birthday is filled with laughs and love.

I'm a believer

I'm quite impressed with Proactive.

I've been using the zit-zapping remedy for just four days now and can already see and feel a difference in my skin.

Very cool.

Der tuh der der der

(The title of this post was taken directly from cuteoverload.com.)

What do your dreams mean?

I dreamt repeatedly of spiral staircases last night.

Also, I vividly remember vacuum cleaners as well.

Very strange.

According to this website, my dreams symbolized the following:

Spiral staircase
To see spiral or winding stairs, signify growth and/or rebirth.

Vacuum
To see a vacuum in your dream, suggests feelings of emptiness. You may be experiencing a void in your life. Alternatively, you may need to clean up your act and your attitude.

Very interesting indeed.

Just curious

Are you a member of an online professional networking group?

If so, what site? Have you found it to be worthwhile?

Is it just me?

Or are these types of amusement park accidents happening a little too frequently these days?

Click here to read the story.

Fellow Jeep Owners Beware...

I received an email from my good friend, C, today. Attached were the pictures you see in this post. Apparently, he was driving to work this morning when his Jeep (brand new, mind you) caught on fire. He pulled over, got out, and then watched flames engulf his vehicle and explode.

Unbelievable. Thank goodness you are OK, C.

* This is also the C (of B and C) whose PC apartment caught on fire last year. Crazy.

Welcome to the World, Wayland!

Congratulations to the Whinghter's on their new bundle of joy!

Wayland Charles Whinghter

Born on Wednesday, August 8 at 5:25 p.m.

9 pounds, 7 ounces

Fake eyelashes

Have you ever sported fake eyelashes?

I've always been intrigued but thought the possible pain would outweigh the fun for a night on the town.

(I have a co-worker who wears them every single day. I'm pretty sure she gets them professionally glued on.)

Hair troubles

Most of you who read this blog are aware of my ridiculous allergy to dyes of all sorts. You also know that I've had many troubles finding a salon that doesn't leave my head in shambles.

In T-Town, I had finally found my place. My salon. My colorist. My product. (Aveda.)

She was so wonderful, careful. And, the product only slightly discomforted my scalp.

Last night, I attempted to go to a new place up in the Mitten State. I searched online for Aveda salons close to home. The closest ended up being about a half-hour away. Not too bad, I thought.

I walked in to an all-Albanian staff. (Odd? Yes. But also quite interesting.) The woman and her assistant proceeded to foil me up - hearing all about my allergy rants but not ever quite listening. I could tell they didn't take it very seriously.

Sitting aside, waiting for the color to delve into my roots, I noticed my head burning a bit. I awkwardly interupted an Albanians-only conversation to notify them that I could tell my allergy was acting up. They said they'd be right with me. I sat there for an additional 10 minutes.

I became more angry with every second that passed.

She finally rinsed me. Dried me. Took me to the register where I paid an exorbent amount of money for a service that proved to be far less than noteworthy. To top it off, I'm pretty sure my head will soon be turning into a massive mess of unsightly scabs and burns. (It usually takes a day or two to do so.)

I am frustrated my friends. Very frustrated.

Just because

Hehehe.

Thanks F.

I finally finished it!

Bravo! Bravo!

Wow. I was glued to "Deathly Hollows" last night.

I must say, I was VERY pleased.

Now, in true dork fashion, I will venture on to the HP message boards...

Will you buy it?

Is anyone else really annoyed by Sarah Jessica Parker's new commercial for "Covet." In case you haven't seen it, I've posted it for your pleasure.

I don't know why I'm so annoyed by it... I seriously cannot STAND the last line!

Looking for that perfect bathing suit?

Check out wholesomewear.com to find these gems.

I'd like the "Culotte Swimmer" myself.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

35 years today.

You have set such a great example for us.

Love you so much.

An experiment

Warning: This post is a bit personal. We're all adults, right?

I ran out of my birth control pills about two months ago.

A relative stranger to any new city I happened to be in at the time, I was unable to schedule a doctor's appointment to alleviate this issue. So, after 10 years of dutifully taking my pill around 10 p.m. every night - mostly to manage my terrible cramps - I decided that I'd get my body back to "normal" and just quit to see what would happen.

My observations thus far:

1. No more cramps! (Amazing!)
2. Shorter cycle (Also amazing!)
3. More zits (Not so amazing at all.)

All in all, a pretty good experiment if I do say so myself. That is, except for the constant breaking out of my face. (I finally broke down and ordered Proactive the other day. I'm sure I'll post about my trials and tribulations with the oh-so-famous product very shortly...)

I'll keep you posted on any future breakthroughs. (I know you're just dying to know.)

So terrifying (yet awfully funny)

http://nationalbanana.com/video/45

For more crazy videos, check out www.nationalbanana.com.

What's next?!

Is there a product out there that DOESN'T cause cancer?! Geez!

Yahoo.com - I've long heard rumors that the fine particulate dust used in laser printer toner cartridges may be a health risk. It certainly makes sense: Not all of that stuff can stick to the paper, and if you've ever spilled toner you know there's no way it can be good for your lungs. Now a controlled study is confirming the information, saying that 30 percent of all laser printers tested emit dangerous particles described as "causing lasting damage on the scale of inhaled cigarette smoke." These tiny particles lodge deep in the lungs and can lead to anything from lung irritation to full-on cancer.

The tests come from an Australian technology university and were conducted in a "large open-plan space," and found that printers could increase particulate matter in the air by up to 500 percent.

While I'm still trying to obtain the list of high vs. low particle emitters from the university, there appears to be a lot of variability among machines and even among different toner cartridges. New cartridges, for example, produce more particle matter than old ones. Printing graphics pages also produces more particle matter than text, since more toner is used, and obviously, air quality gets worse the more pages you spit out. I'll post the full list of printers tested here (or a link to it) as soon as I can obtain one.

The upshot is that printer emissions should potentially be regulated much the way that auto emissions are, but even in the absence of government intervention, use common sense around your printer: Limit use when possible (tell the guy that prints out every single email to cut it out), sequester printers in their own rooms and away from workers, ventilate offices appropriately, and have your own air and printer tested before it becomes a serious health problem.

UPDATE: The full study is available online now (scroll down to Table 1, at the bottom, for the list of printers tested). HP LaserJets (the vast majority of the models tested were HPs) appear among both the best and worst on the list. Check it out!

Impatience

I am THE most impatient person I know. We've lived in our apartment for just a few weeks now and I've already been checking out houses online!

Ridiculous.

Sometimes I drive myself crazy.

I just have to remind myself that we'd rather wait a few years and get a house we love instead of rushing into it and settling for something less.

If only all the realtor sites were somehow blocked from my computer...

Did you know...

... that it's Shark Week this week? Yup. All your questions about the creepy, carnivarous creatures answered on the Discovery Channel. Watch and learn.

* On a semi-related note, I would like to state that I have never - and will never - see "Jaws." No. Interest. What. So. Ever.

My husband. The Hottest Media Man.

My husband has just informed me that he entered into Cosmo's "Hottest Man in Media" contest.

Friends, family, acquaintances, strangers, stalkers.

Please. I beg of you. Click here and vote for him.

The winner receives a trip for two to Turks and Caicos.