Cougar on the Daily Show

After three weeks of houseguests, I'm ready to start up the blog again. And what better way than to share a hilarious clip from the "Daily Show." This is a great commentary on the so-called "cougar" phenomenon, one of those ridiculous trend stories that clogs the airwaves.

Suitcase Planter

Ever wonder what you should do with that busted old suitcase? Well, these people in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn turned it into a lovely planter.

Funny Thing About Cosmetic Science

I worry about my appearance as much as the next gal. It's as if my various problems—real or imagined—are on some sort of weekly rotation that include frizzy hair, the color of my teeth, cellulite, and dark circles. Really, none of it is too bad but what can I do? New York is a city with a disproportionate number of models or model/actresses or people who could be models. So there we are.

Clicking around on the nytimes.com today, I found an article addressing the dark circle or what I like to call the Frankenstein Eyes Syndrome. That's Dr. Frankenstein to you. After reading the article, I just had to share. According to the article, the cost of creams can start in the $20 range and surgery can cost a ridiculous $800. The worst part is that they still aren't sure what causes this condition, which can be quite severe for some people.

It's a vanity thing, sure. But how do doctors get away with approving creams and surgery for something they don't even understand? I am starting to think that it's one big joke on half of our population.

The New York Times is on the case and after interviewing a professor of dermatology, I now understand it all:

"There are a lot of factors that contribute to quote-unquote dark circles,” said Dr. Diane Berson, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in Manhattan. “It’s a combination of heredity and genetics."

You see, it's heredity AND genetics. It is all so clear.

You see, it's a combination of your lineage as well as the family tree. Your parents as well as your chromosomes. I realize that I am picking on one quote among many and this isn't cancer we're talking about, but don't we deserve a little better when this is a major industry? Women are expected to look good and on the whole, but women pay a good portion of income on bad science.

I'll just try to get some sleep, take my vitamins, and slap on the concealer. At least two of these things aren't a complete waste of time.

1960s + Bollywood + Scary Animals

A friend of mine directed me to this superfantastic and bizarre video on YouTube. My first thoughts:

Did someone spike my coffee with LSD?
Is this a bad trip?
Are we finally getting transmissions from another planet?
If I time traveled to the 1960s, what would be more disorientating—going to a Monkees concert, Woodstock, or just living this video?

The Truth Behind The Ten Commandments (the movie)

In The Ten Commandments, I Performed All My Own Miracles

Every year, during the special holiday season, one can watch a reenactment of the great Hebrew Exodus from Egypt. The movie is a grand epic about princes, forbidden love, and a man who received messages through burning plants. It was one of the few Jewish stories that made us look tough despite some big doses of crazy. Do any biblical characters resemble real people?

I had to watch the movie every year at Hebrew school, so now whenever I read about Moses, I imagine Charlton Heston. He is Moses and no matter how hard I try to give him another face, it is always that way. Does anyone else have this problem?

The "Onion" writers pretty much had the same idea and took it to the next logical place. The late Charlton Heston apparently self-reported that not only did he do his own stunts, but that he actually performed each of the miracles for the sake of the movie. Check it out, if you missed it at the beginning of the month.

(Okay, um, so I forgot to post this during the Passover holiday. Happy belated Easter too!)