Blog Posts by Piper Weiss, Shine Staff

There are at least four songs by female pop singers with the title Breathe. Yoga studios across the country bear the name. An entire network for women is devoted to Oxygen and Bliss Spa has created a signature oxygen treatment. Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus have "Breathe" tattoos. Now Drew Barrymore is the latest to imprint the reminder on her body. Is breathing something we're chronically forgetting to do? If so, I'd like to recommend a portable oxygen tank.

Not that kind of breathing silly! In the world of wellness, breathing is a luxury. You pay $20 bucks to have someone tell you to just focus on your breathing. (Also to remind you to thank yourself for showing up.) The age old practice of meditation gets choked in translation to take the form of a congratulatory reminder that you're already doing something. That thing being the bare minimum to stay alive. You're breathing. Isn't that great?


Shouldn't our self-expectations be a little higher? We are owning the job

Read More »from Remind me: why do women need to be reminded to breathe?

There are two sides to every break-up. Laurie Panico remembers it this way: "I was devastated. There was no closure. It wasn't expected at all, so I was heart-broken."

Jonathan Knight, one of five members of the boyband New Kids on the Block, tells a different story. His reasoning for the band break-up in 1994, had something to do with falling out of love with the fans. "Sometimes, back then, it got real scary," Knight told People Magazine. "Especially at airports-the most I got were some scratches, but those crowds could get out of control."

A bad breakup -between fans and boyband-should end there. But you know what they say about setting someone free, if they come back it's meant to be.

"Eventually my wounds healed," Laurie said on the phone yesterday. "I didn't get into anyone else but went on with my life. When Joe came out with his 'Stay the Same' album in '99, I went to his CD signing but I got the feeling they all didn't want to be remembered as part of that boy

Read More »from Hangin' Tough: New Kids on the Block's number one fan for 21 years

This is not the kind of moment your name associated with. Thanks internet, for ruining our lives. (ThinkStock Images)
In the past, people changed their names to become famous. In the future, we'll be changing our names to avoid the public eye. That's what Google honcho Eric Schmidt predicts for our kids and grand-kids. Already the internet has become a database of contact information, work history and personal memories for millions. It's also a catalog of personal foibles. We can untag the photo of us on Facebook with the hookah in our mouth, or de-friend the guy we dated during a spasm of loneliness. But we'll never get rid of that fan letter to Brad Garrett, that "online diary" entry about how we hate our love handles, or that cached photo that comes up first of our dance-floor face-plant. Are we not allowed to make mistakes, to evolve an become better people? How about the people who ranted about their boss as an intern--and have to cross their fingers no one searches them before every job for the rest of their lives? Or those bosses who've been slandered publicly for all internet-ernity?

Read More »from Permanent Web Markers: What's your biggest internet regret?

Seinfeld's Elaine Benes is a fashion icon. That's the word on the street according to the New York Times. Oxford shoes, loose floral dresses, and long flowing curls are the new black. Jerry's nike high-tops, not so much. So what other sitcom characters deserve a second style moment?

This weekend the Food Network is taking to the open sea. Iron Chef's Cat Cora and Chef V City's Aaron Sanchez lead the mission of the The Food Network at Sea cruise making all station stops at Fort Lauderdale, San Juan, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. Now I could seriously get behind a ship stuffed with delicious meals and food preparation challenges. In fact how has it taken so long for anyone to think of this? Cruises are a lot like conventions: some reflect a small but devoted cultural community, others are beacons of a growing wide-spread movement. As far as which category the following cruises fall into, your guess is as good as mine.

The Backstreet Boys Cruise
Be honest, you fantasized about being trapped on a yacht with AJ McLean 10 years ago. Now's your chance. The package deal includes a live concert, a group photo session, and a "Backstreet Boys Experience with all band members," whatever that means. Uh oh.

I Can Do It! At Sea Caribbean Cruise

Denise Linn.

Read More »from 7 upcoming cruises we can't even process

Johnathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor in the scene from

Yesterday, the website Gawker asked "Why Are Straight Women So Obsessed With Gay Sex?" just as I was wondering why straight men are so obsessed with lesbian kisses. My question was easy to tackle: boners. Two straight unattainable female sex symbols making out --most recently Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in the trailer for their new movie--implies a threesome with the male viewer. There's a reason two lesbian characters kissing doesn't get the same buzz as two straight women engaged in a so-called 'lesbian kiss'. Whether it's Sandra and Scarlett locking lips at an awards show or Jennifer and Winona tongue fencing during an over-hyped episode of "Friends", it's never about them being gay or bisexual. It's just about them turning guys on. Done!

Now how about that first question? Get comfortable. We straight ladies are equally obsessed with opposite sex kissing but the reasons are less direct. That's always the case, isn't it? Most on-screen male gay kisses aren't as overtly designed

Read More »from Is the onscreen male gay kiss a turn-on for straight women?

Ice cold Tab. anyone?
In my mother's cabinet is a can of sardines from the 60's. I'm sure of this because whether or not the food's gone bad, the font expired in 1972. It's always a bad sign when you don't recognize the packaging, or worse it gives you flashbacks. And do they even sell sardines anymore? Mom grew up in the era of suburban bomb shelters, which may explain why she eats canned fish and doesn't believe in expiration dates. Especially when it comes to pantry items.

Mom's not so different from CVS. This week, the drug store giant agreed to compensate the state of Pennsylvania and its consumers after stocking it's shelves with expired food products. According to the website WalletPop:

"The settlement announced today by state Attorney General Tom Corbett is the latest in a string of cases nationwide that includes New York, California and Connecticut. In Pennsylvania, consumers had complained about expired over-the-counter drugs, infant formula, baby food, dairy products and other food."

Read More »from CVS lawsuit makes us wonder: What's the oldest food in your kitchen?

You don't have to shout to have your complaint heard. (ThinkStock Images)No one likes a whiner. That may be why we keep our mouths shut and eat the $25 entrée cold, pay the bill we don't owe, or put up with the plaid suit our partner pulls out of the closet for yet another wedding.

It's not that complaining is wrong, it's just that there's a right way to do it. A few key phrases can turn your position of underdog into top dog, without so much as a raised eyebrow. The website Jezebel recently posted helpful advice from expert complainers on how to gripe effectively. But what about the people who field the complaints? The poor souls who serve as sounding boards know the difference between a tantrum and a genuine problem. Only one is solvable. However common or complicated the situation, speaking up can make all the difference. But first you need to know how to be heard.

The complaint: "My cable company is overcharging but no one will listen to me."
The recipient: Better Business Bureau (BBB) executive Alison Southwick
No one fields more complaints than

Read More »from 5 common complaints and how to make them successfully