Wednesday, October 31, 2012

An Expert Tip on Overcoming Fears

Do you have a phobia? Here's a smart, expert tip on how to overcome your fears. I'm trying it!

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If you have a debilitating phobia, you might try this smart tip from SELF: "If something frightens you, try talking about it unemotionally, as if you were describing an ordinary photo. 'The plane is taking off. The girl's seat belt is fastened. She's holding a book.' In a study from Columbia University, when people were asked to view frightening images, then talk about the pictures as detached observers (as if they were narrating a story), activity in the amygdala—a brain region where you register fear—quieted, while areas linked to self-control sparked up."

A Valuable Wedding Lesson, Courtesy of Levi Johnston (Yes, Bristol Palin's Ex!) Who Just Married His Other Baby Mama. (No, Seriously. There's a VERY Important Lesson Here!)

Normally Levi Johnston's wedding news wouldn't be Save the Date-worthy { yes, I do have SOME standards! } but I there's an important lesson to learn from his nuptials! (For reals!)

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Levi and Sunny Oglesby—who welcomed daughter Breeze Beretta Johnston last month—tied the knot in Wasilla, Alaska, yesterday. And TMZ got their hands on their wedding invitation, which made me cringe.



Source: tmz.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Famalies? Join Marriage?

Here is your valuable lesson: READ your wedding invitation proof before you have it printed. Have your mom read it. Have your guy's mom read it. Ask your smartest friends and any English teachers you know to read it. Depending on the format, you can't always spell-check a wedding invitation, but if you can, spell-check your invitation. (Obviously spell-check wouldn't have caught the "Join Marriage" boo-boo, but at least there only would have been one glaring grammatical error on their wedding invitation.)

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Madonna Falls Down Flat On Stage While Performing!


Madonna‘s concerts are just full of action these days. Whether she’s calling Obama a “black Muslim” or flashing audiences everwhere from Rome to Istanbul — butt-cheek and nipple even distributed, natch — Queen Madge really loves her spotlight, doesn’t she? Why else would she keep harping on and on about Lady Gaga ripping off Express Yourself and turning it into Born This Way, over and over again. Anyway, karma has a funny way of evening the snark out. Because there’s nothing quite as embarrasing as eating stage in fromnt of thousands of people. Because that’s exactly what happened to Madonna while she was performing at the Dallas leg of her MDNA tour show at the American Airlines Center.Watch around the 33 second mark for the real action. But, we have to admit, she handled it like the pro she is, turning it into a graceful tumble and then laying down on her back as if it’s part of the whole performance. Slow clap, Madge … slow clap.

Movie Moments That Still Scare The Crap Out Of Us


It’s Halloween season, the time of year when we watch all of those super scary movies that guarantee we sleep with the light on til Christmas. But not all horror flicks have blood and guts. Some of them are right there in the kid’s section next to the Yo Gabba Gabba DVDs! Yes, the most terrifying things we have ever seen have come directly from movies we saw as little kids. No matter how many decades go by, we will never be ready for these G-rated terrors!
We’re older now and more mature, and finally able to come out from under our blankeys and stand up for ourselves. So now we’d like to say what we’ve been meaning to say to the makers of these films for years: What the f–, you guys!? We were kids for god’s sake, and we trusted you to make light and entertaining movies for us. What the hell we you doing tricking us into watching this stuff!? Jerks. Check out these 12 scariest kid’s movie scenes of all time. Come on, do it. It’s all part of the healing process.

12. Willy Wonka Takes A (Boat) Trip
Jeez, did Wonka lace the candy with LSD? What the hell was in that mushroom? All we know is that the slug moving across the person’s face is probably the only thing in this movie more unsettling than Oompa Loompas.


11. Dead Woodland Creatures In Once Upon A Forest

It’s never to early to learn that people suck! This is the first appearance of a “humans destroy idyllic nature paradise” movie on this list, but this one’s a doozy. It actually shows the very cute and very dead woodland creatures that were gassed by man. Too real, you guys.

10. The Rat In The Baby’s Room From Lady And The Tramp
We watched this scene again recently and kind of don’t get what the big fuss was about. Sure, it’s probably not great to have a rat close to a baby. But this movie made it seem like the end of the damn world. 

 ”Can’t sleep, the rats will get me…”

9. The Child Catcher In Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
This photo explains everything.

8. Bruce Bogtrotter Takes The Cake In Matilda
Included this scene because of the bit (1:53) where the super terrifying Miss Trunchbull says that the chef’s “sweat and blood went into this cake.” We didn’t know that was just an expression, and thought she was forcing Bruce to eat an entire cake literally containing sweat and blood. It was years before this misconception was cleared up, but it spoils chocolate cake for us to this day.

7. Judge Doom Gets The Dip In Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
OK, this one might have been our dad’s fault for renting it for us when we were 5. “Oh, it’s got cartoons, it has to be wholesome and sweet, right?” Wrong. So very wrong.

6. E.T. – All Of It
Steven Spielberg somehow managed to con millions of movie-goers into thinking that this was cute back in 1982. We’re still wondering how he managed to do that.

5. Little Nemo Has A Nightmare
It started off as the happiest scene in the world. Nemo discovered he’s the long lost prince of some magical dream realm with some king that looks like Santa. He is waited on hand and foot and gets to rule alongside a super cute princess. Then he opens some damn door and eff’s everything up.
And don’t even get us started on this freak.

4. Pinocchio Acts Like A Jackass
We don’t want to pick on Disney, because that would be mean…and because they seem like the type to sue. But this scene from Pinocchio is beyond comprehension. Not only did this scene make us want to never drink or smoke, it also made us petrified of playing pool.

3. The Clown From The Brave Little Toaster
From the vacuum cleaner trying to off himself by sucking up his own cord, to that electronics store creep, pretty much all of The Brave Little Toaster is not very kid friendly. But this nightmare scene has haunted our dreams ever since.
Also, bonus points for the paranoid malfunctioning A/C:

2. Hexxus The Destroyer Of Fern Gully
Tim Curry revamped his Dr. Frankenfurter voice to be Hexxus, the embodiment of pollution. Watching this now, we can’t exactly put our finger on why this freaks us out so much, but it remains one of the scariest movies from our childhood.

1. Artax The Horse Drowns In The Neverending Story
The classic, gold standard moment for kid’s movies that traumatized ’80s babies. Sure he comes back at the end of the film, but by then it was too late to salvage our lost childhoods.

TV’s Best Halloween Costumes

Halloween means candy corn, haunted houses, and your dad wearing that musty vampire outfit yet again. But it also means Halloween specials on TV! Throughout the years, the small screen has captured the fun of dressing up for the holidays. It’s a time for our favorite characters to get creative and just a tad inappropriate as they sport costumes from the topical, the slutty, or other clever ideas that perfectly reflect their own personalities. Here’s a list of some of our favorite Halloween costumes from TV over the years that may give you some inspiration of what to do…and what not to do.

Best Mystery Costume – The Slutty Pumpkin (How I Met Your Mother): It was that crisp, autumnal night on Halloween when Ted Mosby thought he met the love of his life…in a costume that has become the show’s famed “Slutty Pumpkin.” Though her face was veiled, this mystery woman became the object of Ted’s harvest-filled fantasies. Many years later, we discovered that the woman was none other than Katie Holmes! Even though the costume doesn’t have much originality, we give them props for mocking the “slutty fill-in-the-blank” outfit.


Most Cerebral Costume – “Spud”-nik (Friends): Oh Ross, your combination of awkward, intellectual will always be so endearing to us. I love this costume because it totally caters to the Halloween nerd in me. Unfortunately, Ross’ costume doesn’t translate well, and let’s just say that bathroom jokes ensue. Didn’t anyone ever tell him that if you have to explain the costume, it doesn’t work?
So Gangsta Costume – T-Pain (Parks and Recreation): Trick or treat yo self!  The Snake Pit, and jammin’ to some Usher. His rendition of “I’m In Love With a Stripper” is pretty priceless.
Best Group Costume – Rock Horror Picture Show (Glee): Though I had stopped watching Glee by the time this episode aired, I knew I had to tune in for any tribute to cult hit Rocky Horror Picture Show. It’s hard to pick which is the best costume, since they all mimic the eccentric characters so well. Ahem, Brittany and her tap dancing as Columbia? But I would say the best would go to Kurt, whose all out ode to Riff Raff costume deserves recognition.
The Indifferent Costume – Three-Hole Punched Jim (The Office): This is for the guy who wants to go to the costume party, but is definitely too cool to go all out. Anyway, we love Jim for his dry humor, and this costume exhibits that in the best way possible.
Best Guest Star Costume- Adam Lambert (Pretty Little Liars): Adam Lambert can pull off anything, and now he can check off glam vampire from his list. His performance of his singles “Cuckoo” and “Trespassing” on the “A” train are surely worth sinking your teeth into.
No Words… – Mother Teresa (Modern Family): In season two’s Halloween episode, Haley comes downstairs repeatedly in inappropriate costumes (slutty cat, slutty nurse, you name it) only to be reprimanded by her mother to change into something more appropriate. Finally Haley arrives in a skin-tight mini-dress and blue and white veil, saying, “Mom, you cannot have a problem with this. I’m Mother Teresa.” Haley is so clueless and off-color here, which is why we think it’s so great. It’s another joke that clearly plays with Tina Fey’s famous Mean Girls line, “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Very true, Ms. Fey. Very true.
Best Glammed-Up Look – Flapper (Gossip Girl): Blair Waldorf would never show up to a party without making a grand entrance, and this is no exception. Blair becomes the ultimate flapper girl in this beautiful getup and, of course, everything is impeccable from her perfectly curled hair to her necklaces. Blair knows she would fit right into Gatsby’s raucous roaring ’20s parties. XOXO.
The Complete Transformation – Sally Jessy Raphael (Sabrina The Teenage Witch): Okay, we’re getting a bit nostalgic here, but how can we talk Halloween without Sabrina the Teenage Witch? Sabrina tells her aunt she’s going to school as Sally Jessy Raphael and dons some big red plastic rimmed glasses. Her aunts are dismayed at Sabrina’s lack of creativity, since Halloween is by far their favorite holiday. Hilda says, “That is the lamest costume I’ve ever seen,” and transforms her into the real Sally Jessy Raphael. Talk about trying to stay in character…
 
The Un-P.C. Costume – Peggy Flemming (Community): Spanish teacher turned student Senor Chang, played hilariously by Ken Jeong, arrives at Greendale sporting a turquoise leotard, a wig, ice skates and a medal. When Chang asks Jeff and Brita who he is for Halloween, they immediately guess Asian-American ice skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan because, yes, he’s Asian too. His actual costume? 1968 skating Olympian Peggy Flemming. Chang responds, “Just been proven racist by the racist prover.”

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Little Things That Make Me Feel Unbelievably Healthy (What's On Your List?)

I have a list of things that, without fail, (even on days when I'm sleep-deprived and have splurged on something I wish I didn't) always make me feel healthy. And when you feel healthy and proud of your choices, your more likely to continue to make healthy choices, right? Here's my list...

 
I call it healthy inertia. By choosing the simple things that make us feel healthy, we're more likely to continue to make healthy choices throughout the day/week. Here are seven things that I turn to frequently to feel healthier:
1. Green tea, repeat: If I'm feeling stressed and overwhelmed, or if I've just eaten something I wish I didn't, green tea has this way of resetting my good-health button. Green tea is loaded with good-for-you antioxidants that researchers believe have benefits that range from improved skin to weight loss, so I know that whenever I can squeeze in a cup of green, I'm doing well.
2. Stretching: Maybe it's the act of stopping, pausing, and just focusing on my muscles and joints that has a way of boosting my mood, but I swear by stretching as the ultimate way for me to recharge when I'm feeling stressed, so I do it as often as possible. Do you?
3. Drinking a tall glass of water:
Hydrating can kill a headache, reduce food cravings and boost energy--it's no wonder that a cold glass of water is my most frequent trick for getting me in a healthy mood.
4. Taking a hot bath: This one's a double whammie for me: muscle relaxation and aromatherapy (I love lavender bath salts).

I'd also add to this list: a good, long workout; hugs and kisses from lovie-dubbies . :)

It's a Caturday and a Sundog in one!


If you're hung all the way over, just do what this dog is doing right here. These sluts know how to do it. (Side note: I first watched this awwww-ness out in the open and someone behind me goes, "Why is that dog hugging a dead cat?! That video is sick." Way to turn something innocent and beautiful into MURDER, bitch.)

Chanel Found A Way To Make Their Brad Pitt Ads Even Weirder


THE HELL is all of this? I've never EVER wanted to buy a bottle of Chanel No. 5, but I might now (thanks to Papa Brad), because it's obvious who ever was in charge of making this wreck freebased that stankness for inspiration and I want to be that buzzed.

Oppa Gangnam Style ala Wolverine

How Kyot

ABS-CBN Christmas Station ID 2012

Every year, the Kapamilya Network marks the start of the yuletide season with the launch of the ABS-CBN Christmas station ID. It has become almost a yearly tradition that Filipinos around the globe look forward to.

Lumiliwanag ang Mundo sa Kwento ng Pasko, ABS-CBN Christmas Station ID theme, highlights how the Filipino spirit always shines through despite calamities that ravage our country. It shows how each one of us become bearers of light, as we help our countrymen get back on their feet... how we remain resilient because kindness never runs out, because help always comes.

Many scenes in the SID are inspired by real events. Some of these stories happened at the height of the habagat - A fireman saved the lives of those stranded in their own homes; a chef opened the doors of his restaurant to feed victims; a young woman offered her own jacket to a street child who was suffering under the cold rain; Philippine coast guards went out of their way to save lives; Volunteers and civilians selflessly offered their time and energy to relief work.

This year's offering features hundreds of Kapamilya stars paying tribute to ordinary Filipino heroes, at the same time helping spread the light across the globe.

The parol, a Pinoy Christmas icon, is this year's Christmas SID centerpiece. Film director John-D Lazatin suggested the idea of having kids orphaned during Typhoon Sendong design a parol. This, in turn, is used as an instrument of light spreading around the world. When we own the Kapamilya parol, we're not only spreading the light, we're also being part of an effort to help our disaster affected Kapamilyas, as proceeds from the parol sales would be donated to Sagip Kapamilya, the ABS-CBN Foundation arm which provides relief to affected communities of disasters, as well as engage in rehabilitation and disaster risk reduction projects.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Don’t try to fight PONPONPON.


Just let it take over your brain. The macaroni and cheese! The farting of magic! The bones! The PONPON waywayway PONPON way PONPON wayway PONPONPON wayway PON way PON wayway verse. (Did I get that right?)

Perfection.


What’s your favorite treasure in the PONPONPON video? (And when does it appear?)

Disney Hipster Princesses


Up with organic bras and tweets from actual birds! Down with whatever it is that these Disney hipster princesses are meant to be putting down. Hipsters? Black glasses? But…?

disney hipster princesses, hipster disney princesses, disney hipsters, hipster princess
Still, very cute.

Especially that Snow White, amiright?

Fashion-y Halloween Costume Ideas

You know you're gonna need a Halloween costume, and you know you wanna look drop-dead fabulous, right? Let's get the party started early with 11 (easy!) ideas :)
 

ANNA DELLO RUSSO: Duh, do you think it's a coincidence her H&M collection--with oversize jewels and cheeky sunnies inspired by the queen of street style herself--arrived in stores in October!? It was practically made for fashion lackeys who want to dress up as their idol!

BETTIE PAGE: If we learned one important lesson from Mean Girls, it's that Halloween is the ideal excuse to bare it all. If that's your bag, get yourself a pair of black sheer thigh-highs, some elbow-length gloves, clip-on bangs, and a vintage slip and call yourself the perfect pinup girl.

PSY: Show of your Gangham Style in a bright sport coat, a bow tie, sunglasses, and a pair of saddle shoes. The most essential element of this costume is, of course, your moves!

Source: pem.org via Rose on Pinterest
IRIS APFEL: She's the grand dame of society fashion, and this is probably the one day of the year you won't look crazy copying her style. Go for enormous oversize frames (punch the lenses out of some gas station sunnies!), a simple white wig, and more jewelry than you ever imagined humanly possible. A brocade coat from your grandma's closet will probably help your cause, too.

JACKIE KENNEDY: Early and late Jackie are equally chic, but we've always had a thing for her pillbox hat era. Scour your local Salvation Army or thrift store for a double-breasted suit, then accessorize with hugely oversize sunnies, short white gloves, a strand of pearls, and of course, a hat.

Source: google.com via Romain on Pinterest
TERRY RICHARDSON: Consider your lazy boyfriend dressed for Halloween--a red plaid flannel, a camera around his neck, and omnipresent thumbs up are all he needs to be the in-demand fashion lensman.

CHER HOROWITZ: You knew you were holding onto your minibackpack and argyle skirt for a reason, right? This is it, ladies! Put on some knee socks and practice saying "As if!" in your best Beverly Hills drawl all night.
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HONEY BOO BOO CHILD: Start on eBay, where the perfect 80s prom dress--hot pink taffeta, covered in crystals--can easily be your pageant look. Then fire up the curling iron, grab yourself a bottle of Mountain Dew, and let the Go-Go Juice take over.

LUCILLE BALL: If you'd rather wear something that's feminine and pretty flattering, you can't do better than the original comedienne. Your local thrift store will have a fit-and-flare dress in a polka dot or check pattern; all you need to add is a red wig and a bandana around the top, bright lipstick, and a surprised smile.

MAGIC MIKE: If your guy has abs, this is the perfect time to flaunt 'em. 

Do you know what you're going as yet? Can't wait to hear about your costume, so SHARE!

The Newest, Coolest Way to Share Yummy, Healthy Recipes

If you're tired of copy-pasting the tasty-looking recipes you find in all the nooks and crannies of the internet into an email or Word doc (fancy!), I think you're going to like this.

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Yummly--the recipe search engine that currently has more than 500,000 recipes for just about everything you can think of, from just about everywhere--has just launched a new "Yum button" that lets you immediately share recipes that you like to your Facebook wall, all with just a click.
According to David Feller, Yummly's CEO: "Food is social. Providing the Yum button, and option to connect it to Facebook, is a natural extension to Yummly's digital kitchen platform."

Very nifty!... assuming, of course, that your FB friends are into food pics and recipes in their newsfeeds.

Happy World EGG Day!

If you like eggs--and even if you don't--these recipes are a must-see (after all, today is World Egg Day!).

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Eggs are excellent go-to sources of high-quality protein, as you know--that's one of the aims of World Egg Day, by the way: to celebrate eggs for their potential to feed people around the globe. They're also filled with good stuff like riboflavin, folate, vitamins B6, B12, lutein--ingredients that are great for helping you build muscle and keep your vision sharp. Plus, eating them for breakfast may even aid in weight loss: studies have found that eating eggs for breakfast can keep you feeling fuller, longer, than carbs.

Of course, eating eggs when they're drowned in butter, cream, cheese, or--yep!--bacon kind of nixes all of those benefits (super-cheesy quiche need not apply. Bummer!).
Anyway, I was excited to find these egg recipes--tasty and healthified! Tell me what you think:
Traditional Eggs Benedict is yummy, for sure, but also super-rich. An Eggs Benedict salad, on the other hand...


Source: epicurious.com via Lexi on Pinterest
These scrambled eggs are filled with garlic, spinach, and broccoli--love the Cojita cheese on top, too!

These crustless quiches in cups are too cute! They're also partially made with egg whites, plus part-skim mozzarella, and broccoli.

This tortilla is baked, then filled with beans, avocado, and peppers--and eggs, of course.

Source: kitchen72.com via Lexi on Pinterest
I'm so intrigued by these egg white puffs! They have protein powder, a little sweetener, and cinnamon (I've also seen some versions that have peanut butter, and others with cheese).

Ooh, and these mini frittatas--made in a muffin tin--have more egg whites than they do whole eggs, plus zucchini, spinach, onion, feta, and parmesan.


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Calorie-Torching Exercises To Do... While Sitting

We're all guilty of sitting for a few more hours a day than we really ought to--but between work and school, there's a lot of time that's devoted to spending time on our tushes. Luckily, if you're stuck in a seat for most of the day, you can still exercise... with Sitacise.
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According to Sitacise founders Kathy and Mark Brown, sitting sit for six or more accumulative hours your risk for heart disease increased by 54 percent. But if you do "NEAT"--non-exercise activity thermogenesis movements--you can help reduce your risk (and, bonus: burn lots of calories). Here are four exercises--er, Sitacises--that you can try from your chair, right this second. No, it's not quite the same as a regular workout--but at least you can do something when you're sitting.

Seated Water Bottle Curl
This tones the biceps, forearms, and wrists.
* Fill two water bottles.
* Plant your feet firmly on the floor. Hold the bottles to your sides near the top of your thighs.
* Slowly raise the bottles until they're shoulder high.
* Return to the starting position and repeat for up to 30 seconds.

Seated Leg Extension
Firms, shapes, and strengthens the front of the thighs and knees.
* Plant your feet firmly on the floor. The small of your back should be pressed firmly against the seat back.
* Extend one leg at a time, but don't lock out your knees.
* Return to starting position and repeat with your other leg; alternate legs as long as you can (or up to 30 seconds).

Water Bottle Bench Press
Tones the chest, shoulders, and upper back.
* Start with feet firmly on the floor.
* Hold bottles chest high and push straight out, but do not lock out your elbows.
* Slowly return to the starting position and repeat as often as desired (up to 30 seconds).

Seated Calf Raises
*Works the lower legs and helps recirculate blood back through the veins (this is good for helping prevent swollen ankles and feet, or deep vein thrombosis).
* Plant your feet firmly on the floor.
* Raise your heel while keeping your toes on the floor.
* Slowly return to the starting position and repeat until finished (or 30 seconds are up).

The 5 Weirdest Things About This Vintage Anna Kendrick Cabaret Video


Well…Anna Kendrick sure can sing, right guys? That’s the one thing we can say about this vintage video of the Pitch Perfect star belting out Cabaret’s “Life Upon The Wicked Stage”.

And, there are about 1 million upsetting details about this video that make me happy and surprised that Anna Kendrick turned out to be a semi-normal adult. Details like…
  1. That bizarre outfit: Was there a gas leak in the wardrobe department? Though really, what would have looked more appropriate next to Madonna-style satin lingerie? Oh, right…nothing.
  2. The Japanese subtitles: Unless the subtitles explain something about the video we don’t know, any Japanese viewer would have to be twice as confused as we are.
  3. So. much. armpit. hair. Don’t mean to hate on body hair, but it really adds to the Twin Peaks vibe of the whole video. Now that we think about it…every aspect of the backup dancers is jarring. For example…
  4. All the pelvic thrusting. :(
  5. The lighting design. Did the Joker do the set design and lighting for this show?
  6. The fact that the audience is laughing. Rather than immediately stepping into the lobby to call the police. See, we couldn’t even narrow it down to five!
Anna really kills it, though, doesn’t she?

Brad Pitt’s Teaser Video For Chanel Is Kind Of Lame


C’mon, Chanel, why you gotta play us like that? Almost five months ago to the day, Chanel released the news that Brad Pitt was going to be starring in their forthcoming campaign for the classic, cult 91-year-old perfume, Chanel No. 5. Couldn’t believe it because this is a women’s perfume, and it really is a pretty forward-thinking decision to have an actor take the helm to shill the fragrance. But the statement said it all, reading, “Chanel has selected world renowned actor Brad Pitt to be the face of the upcoming advertising campaign for Chanel No. 5.” Cue brain exploding. And then it got better. The commercial has been shot by director Joe Wright, who also shot this incredibly sexy short film starring Keira Knightley for Chanel. Andrea d’Avack, the president of Chanel Fragrance & Beauty revealed that, “this dynamic, modern campaign will make people think in a completely different way about No.5.” Of the actual campaign, he said, “It is the first time we’ve had a man speaking about a women’s fragrance. We think very much that the perfume is a seduction between a man, a woman and the perfume …”

And THEN, Chanel released a teaser video, which I clicked on and watched in breathless anticipation. Only to have my bubble burst rudely. Call this a teaser, Chanel? You can’t see his face. It’s seven seconds long. And all it has is Brad’s (gravelly, sexy) voice saying, “Are you going somewhere? Where?” That’s it. That’s all we get. Which is nothing but — lame, lame, LAME.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Taylor Swift’s New Music Video Looks Like The Most Taylor Swift Thing To Ever Taylor Swift


We’ve seen some Taylor Swift things in our life, but there is nothing more Taylor Swift than the first shots of TSwift’s new video shoot in France. First of all, she’s shooting it in Paris. The whole thing is so French, there’s a window behind her that is inscribed with the word “croissant,” written in gold, and it isn’t even an important detail in the shot. Second of all, please look at Taylor’s baller status outfit. The only human being who can rival Taylor in the vintage patterned skirt and sheer blouse department is Zooey Deschanel, and even then Zooey hasn’t been photographed holding a tiny fruit tart. At least not recently anyway.


Boom! That’s some Taylor Swift game right there! We don’t even have to get into the red lips, do we? The shoot is apparently for Swift’s “Begin Again” video, which makes complete sense…
The girl is clearly in a cafe, on what could very easily be a Wednesday…
And nothing will convince you faster that loves doesn’t only “break and burn and end” than a handsome Frenchman (especially when paired with a flawless pair of bright red cigarette pants.)(We die.)

You guys, just a warning: there is an awful lot of cuteness in this post

And the best part is, if your boss catches you "ooh"ing and "aww"ing this morning, you can say you're just working on your job performance!

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New research from Hiroshima University has found that, after looking at pictures of puppies or kittens, people performed tasks more quickly or more accurately.
In the small study, 48 subjects played Operation--a.k.a. the buzzy, alarming board game that still haunts the nightmares of some of us--and were then shown photos of gourmet food, people, and baby and adult animals. Then they played the game again. Those who had viewed the pics of squee-worthy baby animals played 44 percent better than they had earlier (the adult animal pics seemed to have an impact, too, at 5 percent). 

(The cuteness is coming right up, promise.)

The teensy animal pics also seemed to affect accuracy, too: in another experiment, another 48 participants had to do visual search tasks, finding words and numbers in images, and images made up of numbers and words. Their accuracy increased by a modest 2 percent. According to the researchers, cute things "not only make us happier, but also affect our behavior. This study shows that viewing cute things improves subsequent performance in tasks that require behavioral carefulness, possibly by narrowing the breadth of attentional focus."
So! With all that said, here are some cute baby animals to--maybe, possibly!--help get you focused on work this Tuesday morning: