Why Does Anyone Give a Rat’s Ass about Jessica Simpson’s Weight?

If you have stood within 100 yards of a magazine rack lately, then you are already aware that America has a ludicrous infatuation with Jessica Simpson’s weight, as if yo-yoing weight is an unheard-of phenomenon, or even newsworthy.

I am not a fan of Jessica Simpson. For that matter, I am not a fan of any woman who plays the blonde bimbo card for her own popularity and acceptance, and therefore perpetuates an ancient stereotype that hurts all women. My low opinion of her aside, I look at these magazine covers and have to wonder why anyone with any semblance of a life or a brainwave gives a rat’s ass what Jessica Simpson’s weight currently is!

I’ve never understood the hunger for celebrity gossip or how those magazines sell any copies. Whose brain is so easily tantalized that shallow details of people famous for drug rehab stints or binge shopping makes for can’t-put-down reading material?

Jessica Simpson certainly didn’t seem to mind the publicity about her body when she starred in Dukes of Hazzard or any other photo-op that conveniently caught her in a bikini and uber-inflated lips, so it’s hard to sympathize with her selective wish for privacy if she has gained weight (or if photos are simply taken at bad angles and exaggerated, something I am sure our press would never dream of doing). Still, I am left wondering why anyone gives a damn.

Maybe other women revel in her supposed weight gain to feel better about their own weight struggles. Maybe it’s just pettiness that we enjoy seeing celebrities suffer even a tiny taste of what the common person does. Maybe people are just fascinated with stupid crap because it requires less energy than thinking about anything more significant than the numbers on Jessica Simpson’s bathroom scale.

In the grand scheme of things, what does anything about Jessica Simpson’s life, or any celebrity’s life, actually have to do with your own life?

Interesting that the only celebrities’ weight struggles who catch media frenzy are women. Female celebrities whose abdominal region is not sufficiently concave are accused of having a “baby bump”, and despite all of Oprah Winfrey’s accomplishments, the media circles with a blood lust around her waistline. Ultimately I’d say the ones with the true problem are those salivating over such “news” to the neglect of a world filled with far more interesting things.

Brushing Hair 100 Strokes

Last night I sat sideways on the couch while my boyfriend Gary sat behind me and brushed my hair for me, and all I can say is, I can see why cats close their eyes and purr when they are being petted. It was so relaxing and peaceful I almost fell off the couch.

It reminded me of the old advice to brush your hair 100 times every night for healthy hair, and I decided to do some quick research to see if that is actually good advice.

The argument goes that brushing your hair 100 times would distribute the hair’s natural oils to the ends and strengthen the roots. The counterargument is that such brushing would encourage split ends and beat up the hair.

According to Softpedia.com’s article, Pros and Cons for Brushing the Hair 100 Times a Day, “The “100 strokes” method might have worked centuries ago, when people, and women in particular, would wash the hair only once a month. Lucky for us, this is no longer the case now. All the beauty products currently available are meant to take care of our hair all year round, with awesome results.”

The Hairstyler.com offers these tips for brushing your hair:

* Don’t brush your hair when it is wet. This is because wet hair tends to be weaker and stretches more easily than dry hair and the stress of brushing can actually do more damage than good. Only brush your hair when it is completely dry as you will get the full effect of using a brush on your hair without damaging your hair.

* Try not to brush your hair if it’s curly. Unfortunately the only effect you’re going to get is frizzy curls. You can, however, brush your curls out just before you are about to wash your hair as this will help to take out any excess products.

* A good paddle brush with soft bristles and a wooden frame is the perfect hair styling tool as the plastic and metal brushes we use today can sometimes tear the hair away from the cuticle.

My hair tangles very easily, so I brush my hair before I get into the shower and before I go to bed. Or, sometimes I enlist my boyfriend to brush it for me! (I highly recommend the latter.)

Perfume Finder Quiz

Espin.com offers the Perfume Finder Quiz to determine your fragrance personality!

My Result: Down to Earth

“You’re a natural beauty, and you’ve never needed to fuss with a strenuous beauty routine just to get attention. A bit of a nonconformist, you hate following orders — you’d rather be outdoors and free to do what you want. So when you pick a scent, it should reflect your unpretentiousness and love of nature. Pick something earthy, like herbs, pine needles or sandalwood. You could even throw in some light, fresh flowers like hyacinths, or the smell of the rain. Wear it when you’re stressed out, and it’ll calm you down — or better yet, wear it all the time.”

This is pretty right on, especially the part about light florals; I can’t stand floral scents except hyacinth, or lily of the valley, something very light and clean smelling. My favorite scents are laundry detergent (though I wouldn’t choose Tide as a perfume!) and spicy smells, like cinammon or sandalwood. I wear perfume all the time and feel like something crucial is missing if I happen to wander out the door without it!

What is your fragrance type?