June 12, 2008 3:03 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
It’s nothing new. The weather gets warm and with it comes a slew of
invites. Weekend beach getaways, parties, BBQs, outdoor concerts. You
name it; it’s on my calendar. It’s exactly what a good summer is made
of. And while it’s beating my budget to death, I’m having a hard time
saying no as more invites roll in. Not to get all middle school on you,
but turning down friends for spur of the moment brunch because I could
have a bowl of cereal at home seems a little lame, especially as I’m
trying to actually make more friends in a relatively new city.
April 8, 2008 5:58 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
Breaking up is always terrible. Being dumped over text message just makes it a whole lot worse. I’m guessing American Idol Carrie Underwood would agree. Turns out her Gossip Girl star boyfriend Chace Crawford (who plays Blair’s beau, Nate) doesn’t know how to pick up the phone and apparently (if the rumors are to be believed) dumped her via text message. Underwood claims it was “mutual,” but we all know someone had to send the first “its not u its me” text to set this electronic break-up in motion.
April 3, 2008 2:47 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
Or not. I was doing my typical morning read of CNN.com when I came across the results of a new sex survey. In the upcoming May issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers have concluded that the very best sex takes (on average) 3 to 13 minutes. Again, I was reminded of the uselessness of some “scientific” studies. Apparently, the whole point of this completely unnecessary research was to show that duration is overrated and quick performers are in fact within the “normal” range. Since when can sex be normalized? In every bed, there are only two people who get to decide what constitutes a good length of time for getting laid. And I don’t think it includes the mere 34 members from the Society for Sex Therapy and Research that were surveyed. Here’s one study I think should generally be ignored. Timing isn’t everything. READ MORE
April 2, 2008 3:42 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
I have to say, all the Hammers roll better than a certain Presidential candidate from IllinoisI'm not a great bowler. In the grand King Pin tradition of Homer Simpson, Fred Flintstone and the bath-robed, rug-missing Dude, I am, in fact, totally average. But as the captain of the Marie Claire bowling team, the MC Hammers—yes, we have a bowling team, and yes, you can be jealous of our very awesome team shirts. I have to say, all the Hammers roll better than a certain Presidential candidate from Illinois—I know, because all 14 of them did just last night. A measly 37, Barack? Really? Yes, really. We’re not bad considering we’re New Yorkers and lanes here are as hard to come by parking spots. Here’s a few bowling tips to improve your sad showing and get you ready in case you ever get to use the White House’s basement bowling lanes—or should you ever confront a gang of Hearst gals at the local Bowl-o-Rama.
1) Try to get a shirt as cool as ours. No more of this tie and cuffed trousers business at the lanes. When in Altoona, you know? And perhaps a slogan. It helps. Borrow ours if you must: “Too legit to quit.” It works on several levels.
2) Come up with a clever screen name for yourself on the scoreboard, a nickname like Obamarama or Barack-n-Roll!, so we have something to shout when you get that spare. Again, it helps with “lane cred” and shows the crowd that even after an embarrassing 37 that this is all in fun. See, folks, not wooden!
3) Dude, is that velcro on your shoes? Stick with the classic two-toned lace up when it comes to lane-side fashions. Bowling is, by definition, old-school. That means no “cosmic” blacklight bowling, no smoke machines, no gourmet snack bar. Certain things—like the age-old tradition of beer, nachos and bowling—aren’t meant to be upgraded.
April 1, 2008 3:23 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
This past weekend all I wanted to do was nothing. Nothing. No late night parties, no happy hours, no bar hopping. I just wanted to read a good book and get to bed early. But on Friday night, I found myself lying to people, telling them I was sick or going out of town because no one could believe that I just wanted to stay in. Some accused me of being anti-social; others thought I was trying to avoid them. Why isn’t it okay to just relax sometimes?
Consider the new group started by DC women called Success in the City. Their core belief: Network while doing the things we love, like shopping or going to spas. On an outing to a resort, one woman was able to land a new client between massages. Yes, women can network during mani/pedis, but does that mean we should?
Daily Dishers: Between all your professional and social responsibilities, what do you do to relax?
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March 31, 2008 2:14 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
In honor of the always-much-anticipated April Fool’s Day, I think it’s time to start planning your prank and getting your arsenal of Whoopee Cushions, Superglue and whatever else you can think of ready. Think you’ll be the only one? Think again. According to careerbuilder.com, nearly one-third of workers say they are involved in a prank of some kind at their office.The bigger question: Who takes the fall when the boss doesn’t find it as hilarious as you do?
Daily Dishers: Planning a prank on your coworkers? Do tell! READ MORE
March 31, 2008 2:09 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
So three weeks ago on Saturday I sleepily shuffled into my living room with only two things in mind: 1: Waffles. And 2: The perfect accompaniment to said waffles, my preciously recorded episode of Lost. Fifteen minutes later and waffles in hand, I settled down in front of the TV and hit the almighty Power button. What’s this? A blue screen? Panicked, I scrolled through the DVR list, only to find that my trusty recorder hadn’t been online since Wednesday. Lost is Thursday, and I was Sawyer-less and out of luck. After rebooting, I lamented the loss of my perfect morning, and realized that I’m now three episodes behind and building (I’ll have to catch up online). So my favorite hour of television is slowly turning into a chore. Oh, and did I mention my iPod died this week too?!? What’s a girl to do?
What about you, Daily Dishers? When’s the last time the tech world let you down? READ MORE
March 27, 2008 4:43 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
Yessss, people. Fred Savage is back in a new pilot, Single White Millionaire, just announced at CBS.
I have nursed a rather unhealthy obsession will all things Fred since The Wonder Years, one of the finest damn shows ever. I laughed, I cried, I cringed in all its junior-high adolescent glory, and since Fred was just a month older than me, and considering the amount of time I spent watching TV, we kinda grew up together. The only difference was that he had a wise voice-over who had everything figured out, while I was on my own.
My WY connection grew even stronger a few years ago, when — true story — the guy I was dating gave me a snow globe, and I gave him a four-leaf clover, without either of us knowing that the other person was going to repeat the gifts Winnie and Kevin gave each other in the "Great Wonder Years Christmas Present Episode."
Okay, it’s beyond dorky, I admit, but my devotion remains. Ever since the demise of the show, I’ve had to tune in to see Fred in some pretty weird places: a freaky Lifetime drama where he date-raped Candace Cameron (No One Would Tell); a pre-Office sitcom about cube life (Working); and countless classic childhood flicks: The Boy Who Could Fly, The Wizard, The Princess Bride and Vice Versa (Judge! Reinhold!). The kid even hosted SNL. But these days, he’s a pretty prolific director. For every Daddy Day Camp he puts out into the world (seriously, Fred, don’t do that again), there’s a slew of fantastic It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes he’s helmed.
So welcome back to being in front of the camera, Fred. As my longest-standing crush, it’s great to see you.
March 27, 2008 4:38 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
Remember a time when celeb parents shielded their innocent offspring from the evil, unscrupulous paparazzi? Well, that was before Mom and Pop saw just how lucrative their spawn could be. Christina Aguilera’s tot recently raked in $1.5 million, while J.Lo’s twins commanded four times that. (And they just had to sleep and look cute!) Halle Berry is up next; maybe soon we’ll see just how much her kid’s really worth. Why are celebs so willing to pop ’em out camera-ready? Perhaps they’re trying to ensure that their time in the spotlight will only grow as their kids do. We know one thing that’s growing for sure: their wallets.
Daily Dishers: Celebs selling baby pics—a do or a don’t?
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March 26, 2008 2:31 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
We heard months ago that Obama was related to Cheney; now it turns out that he’s also related to Brad Pitt. Which would mean that Cheney is related to Brad Pitt. And Angelina is related to Hillary, who is also related to Celine Dion and Madonna. This is all according to the New England Historic Genealogical Society.Now every media outlet wants to use this information to point out that Obama and Clinton should play nice, because they’re practically cousins, or whatever. Seriously? Does anybody care? Issues, people, let’s get back to the issues. Or let’s just sit tight until Pennsylvania and stop twiddling our thumbs with this nonsense! READ MORE
March 26, 2008 9:50 AM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
As a loyal fan of the former Laguna Beach crew, I was right smack in front of my TV when the clock struck 10 for the premiere of MTV’s The Hills: Season 3 this week. But despite all the Heidi-LC-Audrina-Brody-Spencer drama that is sure to ensue this season, I realized I just didn’t care anymore. For starters, the show appears to be completely scripted now. The conversations are painfully forced, unfeeling, and flat. The only reason anyone says anything at all is to move the melodramatics along. Would Audrina really call Lauren in Paris to tell her about Brody’s latest womanizing? The girl was only away for a weekend.
And another thing ... I couldn’t believe Lauren would stitch a hem into a pricey, borrowed ball gown! Call me crazy, but typically if I’m wearing something that costs more than my life, I’d treat it with some degree of respect. I definitely wouldn’t wear it to a club (I was so hoping a drink would spill on her!), or hike it up to ride on some strange man’s motorcycle. That’s just me. But I guess if my life were a scripted soap opera, I’d probably ruin it, too, and then cry in shock afterward. Go figure.
Daily dishers: Are you tuning in this season? Or is it getting as old as watching Coral on Real World/Road Rules challenges?
READ MORE
March 25, 2008 1:32 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
It’s 8 PM on a Saturday. The dim lights give off a nightclubby feel, not to mention the bouncer at the door, red-carpet entrance, thumping music and raspy-voiced DJ. I expect to see half-naked women dancing on tables. Oh, but wait! It’s a bowling alley. Remember bowling? That family-friendly sport where you could yuk it up with the kids? Welcome to the NEW bowling: martinis, mojitos, and mayhem. As my friends and I downed round after round of drinks at Leisure Time Bowl in NYC, we had no choice but to say cheers to the poor family with kids at the next lane. READ MORE
March 21, 2008 2:06 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
The other night I sat in front of my TV and watched three hours of the Real Housewives of New York. Yes, three hours. And no, the show isn’t that good. I just couldn’t bring myself to change the damn channel. I admit I’m as much a sucker for reality shows as the next person—but what kept me watching was more that I couldn’t believe real rich people talk about money this much. It seemed like the show (superimposing price tags on their city townhouses and Hamptons mansions) and the cast (literally counting out their hundreds) were working double-time just to convince me that they were in fact wealthy and worthy of my envy. I didn’t buy it. In fact, it was only interesting to watch the one character who openly admitted to using people as “connectors” to crawl her way up the social ladder. Albeit a pathetic goal to cop to, her honesty and complete lack of social skills were refreshing and reminded me of the misery of middle-school cliques that this woman seems hell-bent on reliving. And who really wants to watch that? Apparently, I do. READ MORE
Ever wonder what Marie Claire editors chat, gossip, and gripe about over their morning lattes high above Manhattan in the Hearst Tower? Click on our daily editors blog and join in the fun. Views of the bloggers are solely theirs, and not necessarily those of Marie Claire or its parent company, Hearst Magazines.
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Dorothy Allred Solomon is the twentieth-eighth of forty-eight children born to polygamist leader Dr. Rulon C. Allred and his fourth wife. She is the author of several books about her upbringing, including In My Father's House (Franklin Watts, 1984) and Daughter of the Saints (W.W. Norton, 2004), the latter winning the WILLA award for memoir. The paperback version of her latest book, The Sisterhood: Inside the Lives of Mormon Women (Palgrave, 2007) will hit bookstore shelves in October.
Abigail Pesta is a journalist who has lived and worked around the world, from London to Hong Kong. A highlight from her travels: bar-hopping in Shanghai with a minor-league Mafioso in his hearse-like limo. A lowlight: getting attacked in Cambodia by swarms of flying cockroaches, each one the size of your thumb. She writes short-short stories for her website, Fine Words Butter No Parsnips.
Eileen Conlan is an assistant editor at Marie Claire. She lives in New York City, and loves cooking, reading and reviewing new books, and shopping the city for the perfect deal. She also has an affinity for traveling, and anything vintage, making the Hell's Kitchen flea market her favorite weekend haunt. Eileen is looking forward to finding new ways to save her pennies while encouraging you to do the same.
I'm an editorial assistant in the features department, I'm addicted to bad reality television, New York Times crossword puzzles (Monday only!) and figuring out how to save a little money in the country's most expensive city. I'm blogging about that too
Lauren is the articles editor at Marie Claire. She loves to obsess over politics, play soccer, and watch movies, not necessarily in that order. She can't imagine any human interaction that wouldn't be improved with a line from The Simpsons or Rushmore. She saved Latin� what did you ever do?
As Associate editor of the Radar section, I obsess daily over movies, television, celebrities and music. A southern girl at heart and Brooklyn by address, my skill set also extends into witty asides, vintage shopping, planning themed parties, brunching, entertaining, applying eyeliner, dancing, concocting bourbon mint iced tea, gift giving, movie quoting, coffee drinking and Elvis spotting. I love conversations that begin with "remember the time...", am still paying off my student loans (and then some), and have fallen madly in love with my DVR.
Yael Kohen is an associate editor. She loves to argue, deliberate and overanalyze everything from politics to relationships (to the politics of relationships) to books, movies and television.
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