From the monthly archives:

December 2009

Naughtie By Nature [Snap Judgment]

December 31, 2009

[Everywhere, December 31. Image via Getty .] A girl reacts as she waits to welcome in the new year on December 31, 2009. Revellers across the globe began to ring in the New Year but a Bali terror warning and a deadly shooting in Finland stoked security jitters, already high after a failed US bomb plot. AFP PHOTO / Antony Dickson (Photo credit should read ANTONY DICKSON/AFP/Getty Images)

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Scholastic’s Great Idea: Updating The Baby-Sitter’s Club [BSC Forever]

December 31, 2009

Scholastic is releasing a Baby-Sitters Club prequel and updated versions of the old books to hook a generation of girls who can’t relate to perms or the joy of getting your own phone line. To quote Claudia, oh my Lord! In April Scholastic will release repackaged and revised editions of the first two books in the series along with The Summer Before , a new prequel written by Ann M. Martin, the New York Times reports. The Baby-Sitters Club was one of Scholastic’s most popular series ever, and executives say fans have been clamoring for a comeback. Martin, who wrote the first 60 books in the 213 book series, says that she proposed writing a prequel about the summer that precedes Kristy’s Great Idea : “I have had many suggestions from fans over the years for reunion books that take place far in the future,” Ms. Martin said. “I was more interested in exploring the characters and what led them …

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Scholastic’s Great Idea: Updating The Baby-Sitter’s Club [BSC Forever]

December 31, 2009

Scholastic is releasing a Baby-Sitters Club prequel and updated versions of the old books to hook a generation of girls who can’t relate to perms or the joy of getting your own phone line. To quote Claudia, oh my Lord! In April Scholastic will release repackaged and revised editions of the first two books in the series along with The Summer Before , a new prequel written by Ann M. Martin, the New York Times reports. The Baby-Sitters Club was one of Scholastic’s most popular series ever, and executives say fans have been clamoring for a comeback. Martin, who wrote the first 60 books in the 213 book series, says that she proposed writing a prequel about the summer that precedes Kristy’s Great Idea : “I have had many suggestions from fans over the years for reunion books that…

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Spice Shaker [Crimes And Misdemeanors]

December 31, 2009

To paraphrase Anna N, the British story “man in balaclava throws curry powder at Domino’s Pizza staff” seems funny, until you realize it could have been racially motivated. And that some of the staff needed hospitalization. [ Telegraph ]

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Spice Shaker [Crimes And Misdemeanors]

December 31, 2009

To paraphrase Anna N, the British story “man in balaclava throws curry powder at Domino’s Pizza staff” seems funny, until you realize it could have been racially motivated. And that some of the staff needed hospitalization. [ Telegraph ]

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In Other News, A "Thief" Took It [Art's Sake]

December 31, 2009

Degas’ ” The Chorus ” was stolen overnight from Marseilles’ Cantini Museum . The painting, on loan from the Musee d’Orsay , is worth $1.14 million. Investigators suspect “an intruder, a visitor to the exhibition or an inside job.” [ Breitbart ]

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In Other News, A "Thief" Took It [Art's Sake]

December 31, 2009

Degas’ ” The Chorus ” was stolen overnight from Marseilles’ Cantini Museum . The painting, on loan from the Musee d’Orsay , is worth $1.14 million. Investigators suspect “an intruder, a visitor to the exhibition or an inside job.” [ Breitbart ]

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Sleeping Trumps Skinny [Priorities]

December 31, 2009

Sleeping in is life’s greatest little pleasure, according to a recent poll, followed by finding money in your pocket and cuddling a loved one. And the “ecstatic” feeling of weight loss was all the way at no. 14. [ Telegraph ]

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Will You Wear Sequins on NYE?

December 31, 2009

Will You Wear Sequins on NYE? Yes – I’m all about the shimmer and shine! No, I’ll tell you what I plan to wear below.

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Chimney Sweep-Scorning Ex-Madonna Trainer Will Pump You Up! [Body Movin']

December 31, 2009

What better way to kick it into gear in 2010 than with disgraced, GOOP-approved and former trainer-to-Madonna Tracy Anderson : In a much-reported split, earlier this year Anderson, credited with Madonna’s signature musculature, got the high-profile boot from her Madgesty amid reports of ” personal baggage .” But Anderson, who in ‘06 was sued for allegedly stiffing a chimney sweep, has gone ahead and opened a schmancy gym with Gwyneth, and now is here to share the love. While her methods will, obviously, whip you into shape (as will indeed any sustained exercise) her tips are pretty standard-issue. A few: Don’t be vague! “Instead of thinking, ‘I want to get in shape,’ you should say, ‘I want to lose 10 percent of my body fat.’” We disagree: the first phrase is shorter. And by saying “shape,” you allow…

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The Real World: D.C. : Political Incorrectness Hits The Nation’s Capital [Reality Bites]

December 31, 2009

Last night, the 23rd season of The Real World premiered. This time around, eight roommates are living in a mansion in D.C. The standout was Andrew, a self-proclaimed “politically incorrect” cartoonist whose main goal is to “get laid.” He’s really working the “politically incorrect” angle. But I think watching him is going to be fun. He gives a good cringe factor, like Chet, but Andrew is actually trying to have sex, so things could get even more cringe-y. I mean, come on. I’m also really into Josh, but only because he’s so Philly. (He says stuff like “owlt” instead of “out.”

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Americans Have Audacity To Be Less Hopeful In 2009 [Half Empty]

December 31, 2009

Hope campaigned hard for a comeback this year, but in a CNN poll of 1,160 Americans only 51 percent said they’re hopeful for the world , down from 68 percent in 1999. Are you optimistic about the next decade? [ CNN ]

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Wait, What? Why Was Sandra Bullock The Top Moneymaker in ‘09? [Look At Me, I'm Sandra B]

December 31, 2009

In a final sign that this decade needs to die and sharpish, Sandra Bullock has topped 2009’s list of Hollywood earners , with such additions to the film canon as All About Steve and The Blind Side : I have nothing against Sandra Bullock. She’s a likable performer, and who didn’t enjoy While You Were Sleeping? Plus she’s always seemed like a good egg. Which is why, every time I saw one of her previews in a theatre this year – be she asshole-chasing psycho, bitchy boss or saintly white woman, I cringed and sunk lower in my seat and muttered to my companion, “what is she thinking ?’ Reason 3,0006 I’m no agent: Bullock has …

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Lonely Rowed [Snap Judgment]

December 31, 2009

[Melbourne, Australia, December 31. Image via Getty .] A rower trains on the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

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Pop Quiz, Hot Shot: Week of December 28, 2009

December 31, 2009

It’s time to test your knowledge of what’s happened this week with our favorite celebrities. Have you paid attention to everything that’s gone down? Take the quiz! Question 1 of 5 What sort of sporting event did Lindsay Lohan attend in NYC? Basketball Ice hockey Football Wrestling

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J.Crew’s Crazy Cool Year!

December 31, 2009

There was a reason why we went J.Crazy for J.Crew in ‘09. Creative director Jenna Lyons took the brand to a whole new level, surprising every stylista – from prepsters to hipsters – with its girly tomboy aesthetic. There were tailored blazers, ruffly jeweled-embellished tops, beautiful baubles, and boyfriend jeans abound. CEO Millard “Mickey” Drexler was showcased on CBS’s Sunday Morning , and who can forget J.Crew’s presidential endorsement: Michelle Obama. Indeed, it was a crazy cool year. Click through to see the best from J.Crew in ‘09. View Slideshow ›

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Weirdly, We Find Ourselves On Team Paris; Designer Goods Got 600% More Expensive In The Past Decade [Rag Trade]

December 31, 2009

Gwyneth Shoes is suing Paris Hilton for copyright infringement. Her alleged offense? Giving her shoes, in the heiress’s words, “a heart-shaped comfort pad…so you can dance all night!” Gwyneth apparently considers all heart-shaped design features on insoles its property. [ NYP ] A source says Kate Moss drank and ate so much over the holidays that her hangover forced her to forfeit a long-planned New Year trip to Thailand with boyfriend Jamie Hince , family, and friends, costing the model over £20,000. But did she at least get photographed eating ? [ Mirror ] Stephen Jones and Luella Bartley were among the British fashion figures named to the Queen’s New Year Honors List. The milliner is to become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and the designer, whose company earlier this year ceased trading, will become a Member of the Order of the British Empire. [ WWD ] Cathy …

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Rambunctious Baby Pandas Tax Moms’ Strength [Lolpandas]

December 31, 2009

This panda cub is one of just four born in 2009 at the Giant Panda Institute in Chengdu, China. Panda moms can’t breed every year because the cubs tire them out — and presumably because of cute overload. [ Sun ]

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Liz Jones Hates Everything, Loves Recycling [Jonestown]

December 31, 2009

Today in Things Liz Hates : New Year’s, parties, kissing, and other women. And that’s just the beginning. Liz Jones writes a column about New Year’s Eve which is pretty much everything we have come to expect from the perpetually negative Briton. Naturally, she doesn’t like it at all . Jones hits all her normal complaint points (including a few I’ve bitched about myself ): the parties are horrible, all the men are taken, everyone is full of false cheer and the midnight kiss is awkward as hell. We get it: New Year’s sucks. But as usual, she reserves the bulk of her rage for other women. Particularly, the hostess: I hate parties generally…

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Bathing Beauty [Snap Judgment]

December 31, 2009

[Nepal, December 31. Image via Getty .] A Nepalese Hindu woman bathes in the Shali River on the outskirts of Kathmandu on December 31, 2009. Hundreds of married and unmarried women in the Himalayan nation have started a month long fast in the hope of a prosperous life and conjugal happiness. AFP PHOTO/Prakash MATHEMA (Photo credit should read PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty Images)

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