Um, okaaaay...

I like Gwen Stefani and all, but this is just kind of weird...

Gwen Stefani has placed some unusual demands on her ever-present entourage, the Harajuku Girls. The New York Daily News says that even though the doll-like hangers-on speak perfect English, they're contractually barred from conversing in anything but Japanese.

Tara, Tara, Tara...

Tara Reid is just trying too hard.

T-shirt of the month

I would LOVE to get this t-shirt and then get tickets to the Oprah show. I'd bet I'd get something then! (And it would probably be me getting escorted out by security!)

Meat Lovers

Napoleon Dynamite: Grandma just called and said you're supposed to go home.
Uncle Rico: She didn't tell me anything.
Napoleon Dynamite: Too bad, she said she doesn't want you here when she gets back because you've been ruining everybody's lives and eating all our steak.

Stupid radio commercial of the day

So, I'm driving home tonight, and the following commercial comes on the radio:

Waiter: "Can I get you anything to drink, ladies?"
Lady 1: "I'll have an iced tea."
Lady 2: "I'll just have water."

Voiceover: "Don't you wish picking your birth control pill was this easy?"

WHAT?

Cute!

This skirt wants to come live with me.

Oscar

The Academy Award nominations were announced today. I am particularly pleased with the nominations for Scorsese for The Aviator for Director, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Aviator for Best Actor (although I'm really torn... I haven't yet seen Ray!, but I've heard that Jamie Foxx was amazing in it, and I just think he's adorable anyway after his Golden Globes speech), The Incredibles for Best Animated Film, and of course, Charlie Kauffman for writing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The man's a genius. A mad genius, but a genius no less. I named my cat for him, for Christ's sake.

I really don't have a pick for Best Actress for this year. It really hasn't been a year for strong roles for women, if you think about it. I guess, of the nominees, Hilary Swank most deserves it. Then again, I've heard Annette Bening is wonderful in Being Julia. AND she lost to Hilary Swank the last time they were both up for Oscar, so really, she should win so it's fair. Last time, of the two, Annette Bening really should've won. Don't get me wrong, Hilary Swank was really great in Boys Don't Cry, but Annette Bening hit a homerun with American Beauty. She was robbed.

Dunkin' Donuts Delivery

Did you know that you can order Dunkin' Donuts coffee to be delivered to your home or office? That's fantastic customer service, if you ask me.

It only took 24 years...

... But the Eagles are going to the Super Bowl!!!! Yesterday's game was so exciting... I hope they can keep this momentum up. It would also be nice to see T.O. back in the picture -- Andy Reid said he hopes to see him play at the Super Bowl, but the team trainer needs to look at him first. Of course, if he comes back, we'll still be down. Chad Lewis has to undergo emergency surgery for a Lis Franc sprain he received while scoring his second touchdown. So THAT sucks.

Nonetheless... GO EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Snow day

Wow, the meteorologists weren't kidding about the snow. It's really piling up out there. I had to run out to the pharmacy earlier to pick up a prescription, and I overheard a woman on her cell phone there, telling the person on the other end of the line, "It's ridiculous. There's just too many people out on the road for weather like this," without seeming to realize even the slightest bit of irony in her statement. I then drove past the Wawa, where they were packed to the gills with people loading up on bread, milk and water, since apparently people think we're going to be snowed in for weeks. I watched as a man, instead of driving through the lot and actually looking for an available parking space, just parked his car behind a row of others, threw on his hazards and strolled into the store.

I'm pretty sure the other customers might have killed him. But I'm not sure.

Battle of the Birds

Our beloved Eagles will face the Falcons tomorrow at 3pm for the NFC Championship game tomorrow at the Linc. It's going to be a tough one, but I really feel the Eagles can pull it off. Apparently, I'm not the only one, either -- 5 out of 7 "experts" have the Eagles picked to win it and head to the Super Bowl. Let's go, EAGLES!!!!!!!

Sanctity of life?

Let me precede this post with a disclaimer: I am not writing about this because I'm pro-life. I'm writing about this because Villanova University is honoring a person who killed herself and her Down's Syndrome baby - not exactly upholding the sanctity of life part of the school's mission statement.

Now, let me give details. A former teacher at the university, Mine Ener, got married in 2002, and gave birth to her first daughter in 2003. The child was born with Down's syndrome - something that was not known until the child was born. After the baby was born, Ener sank into a deep post-partum depression, and was on prescriptions for her depression and psychosis. Because of her state of mind, Ener returned home to Minnesota to stay with her mother awhile, bringing the baby with her. While she was there, she slit the baby's throat and killed her, saying she wanted to give her "relief." Three weeks later, in a Minnesota jail, Ener got a hold of a trash can liner and suffocated herself.

Today, Villanova University dedicated an alcove of their library to this woman. According to Barbara Clement, the university's spokesperson, Ener was a beloved teacher and a mentor, and should be honored for who she was - not the person she became in her last few months of life. Clement states that in Ener's right state of mind, she would have never done such a thing.

I find myself really struggling with this issue. I have no idea what post-partum depression as deep as that might entail, and I didn't know the professor in question before or after the incident, so I'll admit I might not be the best person to comment on said subject. However, I'm really bowled over that a Catholic university felt they should commemorate Ener, no matter how her life ended, for the work she did while at the school. But as a Catholic school whose mission statement includes upholding "the sacredness of each person," can they really overlook her suicide, and her taking the life of her baby??

But it gets better!! Here's the ironic twist to the story:
[Hoffman] noted that Villanova's basketball arena was long known as the John E. du Pont Pavilion, in honor of a wealthy benefactor. But du Pont killed Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz in 1996, was found guilty of third-degree murder, and was judged mentally ill. Villanova removed du Pont's name from the arena the next year, and spokeswoman Clement said at the time the name was "no longer appropriate." Clement said yesterday the cases were not parallel.

Winter... finally

After getting a little dose of it yesterday (2 inches), we're really supposed to get hit this weekend with snow. Every news outlet is giving different amounts, but any way you look at it, it looks like it could be a lot. Plus, they all seem to agree that it will be heaviest on Sunday... Should be interesting watching the Eagles play in that stuff!!!

Seriously, though, it's about time. This winter has been unseasonably warm up until this past week.

Ewwww...

So, one of the girls I work with was telling me a friend of hers used to work at a pharmacy, and her friend told her to always bring her own pen when signing for a scrip. Why, you may ask? Think about it: you're at a pharmacy. Hundreds of sick people come in there every day to pick up a prescription, and they're picking up that same pen with their germy, infected-with-God-knows-what hands. So let this be a lesson to you: bring your own pen to the pharmacy from now on.

I'm going to go boil my hands now.

MLK

It amazes me. This article on msn.com started out in the right direction, commemorating such an honorable man, and then it veers off into John Kerry talking about the unfairness of the election and how he learned from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. how to handle such finite disappointments. I'm blown away -- he somehow was able to make this Martin Luther King day about himself!!

The election's been over for months now... can we move on already???

Golden Globes

Did anyone else cry when Jamie Foxx made his acceptance speech? That was the sweetest thing ever.

Deal of the Week

Express is having their fabulous sale right now where they basically mark everything in the entire store down to make room for their new merchandise for next season. I'd had my eye on this beautiful wool/cashmere blend, black, 3/4 length coat since it first came out, but at $198, and my bank account as low as it is, I let it go. However, it got marked down to $50 on Friday!! So I snatched it up. I can't believe I got this coat for so cheap!!!

Fashion is officially dead

I was just in a store where they were selling "slouch" socks. Remember slouch socks? Is there a reason to bring these back in style? Why must EVERY 80s trend re-surface???

Sorry, boss, I was on my break...

So, Gwen Stefani's dress that she wore on the cover of the Tragic Kingdom album was stolen from an exhibit in Orange County. I really find the most interesting part of this story is that it was stolen from off of a mannequin that was behind a "plastic glass wall". First of all, it's either plastic or it's glass. Pick one. Secondly, I'm thinking the security guard who was working that shift might be fired. How do you miss someone going behind a plastic wall and undressing a mannequin? Are you kidding??

Happy Belated...

I am such a jerk. Ever since 2005 started, I have really let my calendar fall by the wayside, and in the meantime, have missed a lot of birthdays since January began. Thus, I would like to wish happy belated birthday greetings to my friend Chrissi, whose birthday was January 7, my step-nephew, Jimmy, whose birthday was January 10, and today is my friend Eve's birthday, and it is also my cousin's husband's birthday. Happy Birthday!!! Sorry I didn't send you all cards!!!!

Movie recommendations

So, last night my boyfriend and I rented Garden State, and I absolutely loved it. I laughed, I cried, and my boyfriend fell asleep about 20 minutes into it. I don't know that he didn't like it, he was just really tired. Anyway, I've always been a big fan of Zach Braff on Scrubs, but he's a totally different character in this. At times I felt he was carrying the melodrama a bit overboard, but nonetheless, he's still adorable. And Natalie Portman is just the cutest thing ever in this movie!

This past Friday night, we also took in The Aviator with my sister and her husband, and all four of us thought it was excellent. I am not at all a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but I must give credit where credit is due -- the man deserves an Oscar nod for his performance. He was truly amazing. Cait Blanchett overdid Kate Hepburn in her first scene, but seemed to grow more comfortable with it as the movie went on. Kate Beckinsale was also very good as Ava Gardner. And of course, my darling Gwen Stefani played Jean Harlow -- it wasn't really a big role, but I thought she did well.

Next on my list is The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou -- I loved The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore, so I'm hoping I won't be disappointed!

RIP Brad and Jen's relationship

I know it's so not a big thing in the grand scheme of things, but this still makes me a little sad! I liked them together. I thought they were cute.

Hahahahaha...

I think Ashlee Simpson might want to think about cutting back on her live performances for awhile...

Desperate Housewife

Do you think it bothers this guy that his wife-to-be is infamous for taking her clothes off and acting like a slut? I guess not.

Happy New Year!

Ringing in 2005 was an absolute blast. My very dear friend Sarah and her sister Tess had a party at their house in Manayunk for New Year's Eve -- there weren't a ton of us, but still a good size crew, and everyone really seemed to have a great time and get along well. I came to find out that our friends Helen and John got engaged on Christmas Eve -- congratulations! Tess and Sarah's roommate Pat also got engaged recently to his girlfriend Courtney, which is also very exciting news! Of course, there was much imbibing of many different forms of alcohol, and I woke up yesterday with a pretty large headache.

As we all know, the best way to fight a hangover is a little hair of the dog that bit you, so my wonderful friend Tracy was kind enough to make us all Big Gulp-sized screwdrivers for the train ride down to the city where we took in the Mummers Parade. I have never had the pleasure of seeing the Mummers Parade firsthand (27 years of living here, and I've been missing out!) until now, and I cannot say enough how much fun I had down there. Everyone is so nice and having so much fun, everyone talks to everybody, everybody's getting along... it's just a really great dynamic. The best part of the day came when we were hanging out in Dirty Franks, and who comes walking in but the great Bobby Clarke. Clarkey had beers with everyone, posed for pictures with all the Mummers, signed some autographs, and shook hands with everybody. He really was a nice guy. We met some other great people down there, including some really nice Mummers who had finished their leg of the parade and were doing their bar crawl before heading to Two Street for the real celebration.

I might have to seriously consider making this a New Year's Day tradition for myself. All these years I could've been having all this fun down at the Mummers Parade, and I've been missing out!!!