Blog Posts by Piper Weiss, Shine Staff

Adelia Zeidler (Photo by Coleman-Rayner)Wait George Clooney has a sister? Meet Adelia Zeidler, older sibling to the sexiest man alive. Where has she been and why haven't we seen her on any celebrity sibling US weekly spreads?

By all accounts, she's been busy raising a family in Kentucky, working in payroll and accounting and trying to avoid questions like, "How do you feel about your brother being the sexiest man alive?"
But for some reason this week, the 52-year-old stepped into the spotlight to answer candid questions about her brother in an in-depth interview with the New York Daily News. But what begins as a gossip story ripe for pick-up ("George Clooney's sister says he's not gay!") evolves into a profile of a unique lady with a very un-Hollywood lifestyle.

George Clooney's most famous relative

Adelia, or "Ada" as her friends know her, lives in Augusta County, Kentucky a few blocks from her parents. She's held jobs at chain stores, raised two children, lost a husband. She's in the white pages. She calls Read More »from Who is George Clooney's Sister? 12 Facts About Adelia Zeidler

So maybe "50 Shades of Grey" didn't spark a baby boom as expected; it has inspired some very disturbing baby clothes. Onesies and baby tees stitched with quotes like "My mommy pretends Christian Grey is my daddy" are cropping up on the web retail site Etsy.com, and skeeving the pants off of grown-ups. An eagle-eyed blogger at Buzzfeed first spotted the trend, if you want to call it that.

There was a time, not so long ago, when people were embarrassed to be caught reading the pulp erotic fiction in public. Now we're advertising it on newborns. There's nothing wrong with a little light BDSM reading, or even a little light BDSM, but can we please leave the kids out of it? Prepare to cliff-dive into the dark underbelly of baby clothing. Two words: not okay. --Piper Weiss, Shine Staff

Read More »from "50 Shades of Grey" Baby Clothes: Now, It's Gone Way Too Far

(Photo courtesy of Sarah Powling/Lowell Sun)Watch out Bruce Willis. At three months old, Joey Powling Jr. has already out-smirked the actor, and proven braver than any run-of-the-mill action hero.

The photo of the newborn, taken by his mom shortly after open-heart surgery, has become an Internet sensation.

After his uncle posted the picture to the community board, Reddit, baby Joey was crowned "ridiculously good-looking surgery baby" and his adorable mug became a popular meme viewed by over 1 million people.

"What a legend," writes one fan of the photo. Other awesomely accurate feedback from commenters include: "A baby Bruce Willis" and "That baby is manlier than me."

But for Joey's family, the photo is more than an Internet ogling break. In an essay published in the Lowell Sun on Monday, Joey's great-uncle, Dan Phelps, explains the serious side to the smirking baby photo.

"Joey Powling Jr. was born in July with a condition known as Tetralogy of Fallot, or TOF, which is, basically, a hole in the heart (although

Read More »from Meet "Ridiculously Good-looking Surgery Baby." The Bravest Internet Sensation Around

(David Levenson/Getty Images)Her tomato soup recipe was called "terrifying." Her party planning strategies were dubbed "the wrong way to celebrate."

Critics did not go easy on Pippa Middleton's first book, "Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends." When you're under 30, armed with a six-figure book deal, and best known for your behind and your royal sister, the backlash is to be expected.

First look at Pippa's party book

What was not expected was Pippa's response to critics. After largely skipping out on book-related press appearances, Pippa finally opened up about "Celebrate" and her reasons behind creating it on Sunday. Her defense took the form of an essay, published in the The Telegraph—the same publication that gave her book one star (out of a possible five).

"I'm a real foodie—something, I think, not a lot of people know about me," she begins.

Pippa goes on to discuss elaborate recipes she's tackled for dinner parties—from slow-braised pig's cheek to pigeon-breast salad

Read More »from Pippa Middleton Defends Party-planning Book from Haters. Smart Move?

Duracell employees hand out batteries, provide chargers, in New Jersey. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)For every season—or weather disaster—there is a time. On Monday, when Superstorm Sandy tore through the East Coast, tragically destroying homes, towns and lives in its path, it was the time for retailers to step up or shut up.

Fashion retailers capitalize on Hurricane Sandy too soon.

As Yahoo! Shine first reported on Monday, many major fashion brands did neither. Instead they bombarded email inboxes and Twitter feeds with updates on storm-themed sales and links to their online outlets, encouraging customers to shop the storm away indoors. 

First thing Monday morning, Urban Outfitters sent an email blast about free shipping during "Frankenstorm" (discount code: all soggy). "This is an insult!" wrote one commenter amidst the chorus of complaints on company's Facebook page. "I finally to work got to work today after having no power for 3+ days, no heat...and my friends and family all suffering from the storm. The last thing anyone wants to do is see an insulting ad like this." 

Read More »from The Best and Worst Brands During Superstorm Sandy: Some Apologize, Others Make a Difference

American Apparel's On Monday evening, as a portion of the country declared a state of emergency, American Apparel declared a major sale. The retailer sent an email blast with a map highlighting the states hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy and offered online shoppers in those areas a "SandySale" discount code. 

As if anyone in those nine states--Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland--were bargain-hunting for spandex. The opportunistic moment sparked a serious backlash on Twitter. "Sandy Sale email blast? Really? The lowest of low," wrote one Twitter user, as others called for a company boycott. 

PHOTOS: New York After Hurricane Sandy

As one of the worst weather disasters in recent history tore through the East Coast on Monday, major retailers seemed more concerned with customers' wallets than their well-being. Sprinkled between the news alerts, safety warnings and personal updates on Twitter, were totally ridiculous reminders from Read More »from Retailers Capitalize on Hurricane Sandy Way Too Soon.

Nobody knows how to throw a party better than celebrities, especially when that party in their own honor. In one hot YouTube minute, Justin Timberlake ruined his flawlessly orchestrated good-guy image, when an offensive video starring homeless people was made by a guest at his rich people wedding. It was one of those moments that betrayed every "down-to-earth" compliment stars work so hard to earn. When it comes to weddings, stars just stop pretending to be like us.

Read More »from Whoops: Worst Celebrity Wedding Offenses in Recent History

(ThinkStock Images)After almost losing her life to her parents' poor judgment, a little girl has taken her family to task—and to court.

12-year-old Faith Carberry, of Longford, Ireland, filed a lawsuit against her parents, Mary Carberry and Tommy Varden, after sustaining severe injuries from a drunk driving accident caused by Carberry, driving a car purchased by Varden. On Wednesday, the liability suit was settled on undisclosed terms. 

The accident occurred in November, 2007, when Faith was seven years old. Carberry was binge drinking and crashed her BMW into an embankment, killing Faith's sister Ava, 6, and Faith's' friend, Michaela Logan, 9. Michaela's brother John was also injured but, like Faith, survived the crash.

Grieving dad pays teens to drive sober

Carberry allegedly has a history of chronic alcoholism, and at the time of the accident had been banned from driving after two DUIs.

Faith survived, but suffered serious spinal injuries which left her in a cast for 10 weeks. She

Read More »from 12-year-old Sues Parents After Drunk Driving Car Accident