Blog Posts by The_Stir

To become a Victoria's Secret 'Angel' is basically the greatest thing that can possibly happen to a model.

The Angels are widely regarded as having the best, most desirable bodies in the industry.

Seeing the Angels in magazine ads and on television, it's easy for the average woman to feel pretty glum about her body.

But now that Adriana Lima has revealed the extraordinary lengths she goes to in order to have that 'Angel'-worthy figure, I've decided I'll keep my average body.

Happily.

Those kinds of extreme measures just aren't worth it.

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In an interview with The Daily Telegraph that has sent shock waves around the world, Adriana was frank about her extreme diet and fitness regimen in the days leading up to the annual televised Victoria's Secret fashion show, set to air on November 9.

For starters, since August, she's been working out with a personal trainer every day.

As we try to process all the sordid and unbelievable details of the Jerry Sandusky child sex scandal, it's hard not to wonder what his wife must be going through right now. I can only imagine she is as horrified and shocked as the rest of the world, as most any wife would be. But I also wonder if she is now looking back on the past 15 years and questioning how she couldn't have seen the clues more clearly. We know very little about Dottie Sandusky or the couple's relationship. Yet if you read the grand jury's indictment (not recommended for those with weak stomachs), it's hard to believe that she or one of their six adopted kids or anyone else close to the family didn't suspect something was off with this guy if everything they say about him is true.

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Much of Sandusky's grooming (and some of the assaults) of his victims ages 8 to 15 occurred in Sandusky's own home, at family events, or at times and in ways that

man placing ring on wife's fingerWe Americans just love paradoxes. We fancy ourselves so progressive and leaders of the free world, but then half of us are still "traditionalists" or, as I see it, backassward-ists. Case in point: A nationally representative survey of 815 Americans, in which 50 percent supported a law requiring women to change their last names upon marriage. What?! What year is this again? Who in their right mind would advocate that the government force women to take such a major step backward?

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Let me just say ... I have always said I think when I get married, I'll keep my last name professionally, but take my husband's name personally. I'm not quite sure how that works and if it'll be a total pain in the butt, but it's what I see making the most sense for me. But when it comes to what other women do -- taking their hubby's last name or not -- I've always felt it was completely up to them. Maybe they have particular

Every year you probably ask yourself the same thing: Should I get a flu shot this year, or should I pass it by?

It's understandable that you might feel uncertain. There's a lot of confusing information floating around out there about flu vaccines, which are available either as a shot or as a nasal spray. For instance, a recent study indicated that flu vaccines offer you only "moderate protection" from catching this season's flu. That's hardly inspiring. On the other hand, "moderate protection" is better than no protection at all, right?

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What should you do? The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months receive the flu vaccine each year, unless you are allergic to the vaccine. But even still, there's no one-size-fits-all answer.

Here are a few flu shot pros and cons to consider as you weigh what's right for you:

Pros:

Flu shots can be life-saving: In the United States alone,

broken heart bookI won't go into the dirty details, but trust me when I say that my divorce was the saddest and most painful thing that's ever happened to me. What made it worse? The really dumb things that people would say when I told them my husband and I were no longer together. I'd like to think that their hearts were in the right place, but it's difficult to know for sure when their mouths were spewing such insensitive nonsense.

Check out the 10 things you should never, ever say to a divorcee.

1. "Didn't you see this coming from the beginning?" Busted! I glimpsed into the future and saw disaster and ruination but planned an entire life with him anyway because I enjoy a good crushing life-blow. Next time around, a little heads-up?

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2. "I always hated [insert scorned spouse's name here]." Do you mean you always hated the man who I thought I would love forever and said so in front of everyone

Oh look, you bought a whole giant vegetable, you cut it up, you lit a fire inside it, and soon you're just going to throw the whole thing away now that Halloween is over. Maybe you even bought more than one pumpkin to waste in this decadent manner. What kind of a world do we live in where people buy massive quantities of fresh produce only to use it briefly for home decorating purposes and then just chuck it?

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Okay, fine. You're "too fancy" to use moldy pumpkin for a pie or two. You could still redeem your extravagant ways and compost your rotting pumpkin corpses, but maybe composting isn't your thing. What else could you do with your moldy, sagging jack-o'-lanterns now that it's November? Oh, the possibilities!

Alien planet diorama: Slice off the top half of your jack-o'-lantern and you've got yourself a fascinating landscape from another galaxy. The uneven pumpkin flesh becomes hills and valleys. The

Don't you just love it when science gives you a reason to do something (or eat something or drink something) you love? Yeah, me too.

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That's why I mentally file away every study showing that chocolate, coffee, and red wine are really good for you. (To be honest, I can never exactly remember why -- but that's really not the point. The point is that some researcher out there says there's an excellent health benefit to enjoying a morning latte, afternoon candy bar, and evening glass of wine.)

Now there's a new study offering a health rationale for doing yet another thing many of us enjoy: hoisting a pint of beer.

Yep, researchers at Cambridge University have determined that drinking anywhere from a half a pint (for those who are premenopausal) to a full pint (for women who've already suffered through menopause) of beer each day can help women stave off osteoporosis. Apparently beer packs a one-two punch: The

You can get a flu shot. You can try every immunity boosting-prevention tip in the book. And still there are going to be those times when the flu hits you -- and hits you hard.

When that unfortunately happens, you'll be willing to try anything and everything that's rumored to help you feel better. The good news is you might not have to trek all the way to the pharmacy for a fast-acting remedy. That's because there are several items right in your own pantry that can alleviate your symptoms just as well as prescription drugs. Check out these six natural cures that could have you feeling better in no time.

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-Chicken soup. This time-honored cure needs no further explanation.

-It's thought that raw garlic, which contains several helpful compounds, including allicin, can fight infection. Of course, chomping on a raw clove of garlic isn't the most appetizing thing in the world, especially when you are