Does this mean I have street cred?

In the news today: Charlotte qualifies among the top ten most dangerous big cities.

News to me: Charlotte qualifies as a big city? That's so cute.

So Charlotte ranks on the same top-ten list as Compton, Detroit and Flint, Michigan. (I had no idea how hard-core I was! I'm practically living on Crenshaw and I didn't even know it!) Yet this is the city that sends five squad cars to arrest someone hiding DVDs in their pants at the SouthPark Blockbuster. I bet we're an embarrassment to the other nine cities on the list.

"Aww" of the day

Scout, taking over the bed once again.

Happy ‘Dress Like a Whore Day’!*

During a recent highlighting, my stylist told me about the Halloween party she attended last year. A college-aged girl arrived wearing nothing but white panties, a little white tank and high heels. When asked what exactly she was, she replied the name on the package was “Sexy Southern Belle.” Her friends promptly inquired as to the whereabouts of the Southern belle portion of the costume. Her response? “My panties have ruffles on the butt!” Well, duh.

I’m hardly a Halloween prude, but these costumes are getting out of control. Let's clarify the difference between sexy and slutty: Sexy creates a fun, flirty costume; slutty creates a photo op that will shame your mother and will one day haunt you when your children find that old scrapbook in the attic.

I can’t exactly claim the high road here; my Halloween resume hardly reads as a feminist manifesta. I’ve been a vampire, cowgirl, French maid, walk-of-shame girl, butterfly. All involved some baring of the skin that didn’t quite contribute to the accuracy of the character portrayal. My defense is similar to all the other “good girls” who use Halloween as an excuse to get all sexied up – it’s all in fun, just about escaping ones own character for a night of playing a new one. Because really, my usual get-up as a sleepy web-developer-by-day, English-student-by-night isn’t all that hot, unless you’ve got a thing for dark under-eye circles. Hubba hubba.

However, even my vinyl-clad vampire costume looks school marmish compared to what’s strutting around elsewhere. The last few Halloween parties I’ve attended have included costumes so revealing they had no place outside of the bedroom or brothel. One should never have to avert eyes from nipple sightings when reaching for the chips. Here are a few such costumes featured online, offensive in two ways: one, the obvious; two, for being packaged costumes-in-a-bag involving no creativity whatsoever:

And thus the “sexy costume” has officially gone too far. A sexy pizza delivery woman? Since when is food delivery the latest in fantasy fodder? And really, should that much skin be exposed with all that hot cheese around?

Here's the "Sexy Deviant Housewife" costume, complete with cooking tools and prescription bottles. If anyone attends a party with someone dressed in this, please promptly flick her in the forehead and throw a copy of Steinem at her.

I think the headline of this "Cherry Pie" costume was the best part. “Want to be food, but sexy?” And to think that someone out there is nodding Yes.

And to bring it home… Is your daughter too small for a adult sexy costumes, but wants to be a whore just like mom? The copy says it all: “Let this cutie nurse take care of you when you arent feeling well. What a day brightener she would be! This nurse costume is for the little girl that is still a little girl.” Um, if my “little girl” ever wore something like that and struck such a pose, she'd play dress-up at a real-live convent for the rest of her life.

* headline courtesy of/ripped off from Carlos Mencia

Do geese like jelly beans?

In the midst of a horrible day, I took my books to Freedom Park for a little scenery to go along with my anxiety attack. There I heard a little boy ask, “Mom, do geese like jelly beans?” He also asked her if geese hang out under willow trees because that’s where they like to have parties. Could anything be cuter? Sometimes I think that life and education are mostly about getting back to that place of freeing your mind enough to just wonder.

To complete anyone's fall wardrobe...

Need a gift for that special someone? Are YOU that special someone? I adore this store, full of jewelry made by a college friend who is infuriatingly multi-talented. I mean, where else can you get Butterfinger earrings or an Annie's locket necklace? Nowhere, I tell you.

Currently I'm sporting a Snoopy necklace from Totes Tamron. And it's the cool old Snoopy. Vintage Snoopy, if you will. Beat that.

David Beckham, sure. But the Hoff?

C'mon UK, I know you can do better. In entertainment news:

David Hasselhoff's European single "Jump in My Car" is currently No. 13 in the midweek charts in the U.K., and reportedly is poised to go higher.

The US might have broad definitions of the Geneva Convention, but somethings clearly go beyond our moral code. Here's one.