According to Shell oil, two violent crimes are committed in the U.S.
every minute of every day. Women driving alone can be particularly
vulnerable, though there are many things you can do to keep yourself
safer, both inside your car and out.

About a year ago, my very favorite mascara ever was discontinued. I quite literally drove around town buying up EVERY LAST AVAILABLE TUBE (all of which were on final clearance and selling for about a third of what I had been paying, which sort of made up for the whole DISCONTINUED part). But I also started to think about how, one day, I would look in the drawer and realize that I needed to find a new mascara.

That day has come, my friends.

I'm disappointed that at this late stage they still give points for effort and exceeding expectations, rather than on skill, style and execution

But I should suck it up and face my disappointment, because this rooting for the underdog and voting for those who surprise us rather than stun us has always been a part of the equation of reality talent shows.

I just don't have to like it.

Mental efforts are highlighted today as the Moon moves through Virgo, a sign recognized for sharp intelligence and devotion to its commitments. Most people work quite effectively by themselves under this influence, but since most people are feeling task-oriented and interested in efficiency, it’s not a bad day for meetings, either. Just make sure you stick to the agenda and keep track of time. The impending Sun-Neptune square could create confusion or pretty distractions.

To quote Megnut: "Summer drinks should be like summer evenings: long, light and cool." May I add? Summer drinks should be like summer evenings: easy, relaxed and refreshing.

In two days, my home will be descended upon by a mother-daughter group from Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, Colorado and Saskatchewan. Half are staying at my house (what we're calling the "restaurant") and half across the street at a neighbor's, whose shaded patio has "happy hour" written all over it. So I went looking for recipes for easy summer cocktails, concoctions that can be served on a moment's notice, ones that will titillate the eyes and the nose and the throat.

So belly up, bloggers, summer's nearly here.

Through the years, I’ve had subscriptions to many of the major women’s fashion magazines at some time or another: Cosmopolitan. Marie Claire. In Style. Glamour. In the past year or so I’ve switched to fitness-related magazines instead: Shape. Fitness. Oxygen. Women’s Health.

Yesterday Google announced a new social network tool called Friend Connect. Google suggests that every blog owner in her right mind will want to add Friend Connect to her blog. What is Friend Connect, and do you want to use it on your blog?

Here's Google's PR about Friend Connect:

Movie previews or trailers as they're called are part of the fun of going to the movies. In fact, these days with time so short, the best way to see a movie is towatch the trailer since most of them make seeing the movie itself totally unnecessary. Yes, we rightfully complain about trailers when they give away crucial plot points or when the block of previews is actually longer than the movie you went to see, but when done well, movie trailers are cinematic gems.

Did you hear the one about the guy who dressed up as Batman and knocked himself out on his ceiling fan, landing on his wife who was tied to the bed and had to scream for help? Now, I could swear that when I heard that story it was Superman. The AFU and Urban Legend Archive has it under Batman, however, and I guess it's an urban legend. One that got space in the Seattle Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Super hero stories aside, my guess is that most of us have at least one sexual mishap in our past. Let's face it, sex can be messy, sex can be dangerous, and if you're not laughing at some point, I think you might be doing it wrong.

Wondering what the art blogging scene looks like outside of the United States? Some of the loveliest art and design blogs make their bricks and mortar homes in faraway places I'd love to visit someday. Here's a virtual tour of the very blogs you'll want to add to the art and design tab on your reader before the next post comes around.