Blog Posts by Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger

Anakin, the feisty two-legged kitten, charmed up the Web six months ago when his owners first started posting videos of him playing on YouTube. Now, he's six months old and as spunky as ever. Anakin was a feral cat born without a pelvis or back legs. His owners say he zooms around on his front legs, but as he grows, they may get him some kind of wheels to support his body. One of their other cats, George, has "adopted" him and likes to give him baths and rough house. You can learn more about this rather extraordinary kitty by checking out his blog.

Also on Shine: Teen's Gorgeous Photos of Her Dogs

The wind battered our windows last night, but as I listened to the news and texted with friends around Brooklyn and Manhattan I knew we were getting off easy. Emerging from the house this morning, there were piles of leaves and branches, but being situated on a hilltop spared the neighborhood from the watery deluge that hit other parts of the borough. When the wind calmed and the rain stopped, my 14-year-old daughter, Dora, and I went for a drive along the Brooklyn waterfront to see how other areas had fared--especially Red Hook, which we heard had been completely flooded during the storm surge the night before. I thought we'd probably hit some roadblocks since low-lying areas along the coast were supposedly evacuated. We snaked our way to DUMBO, an affluent, artsy area under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. The streets were clogged with garbage and cars, covered in weeds, were spun into the middle of some cobblestone streets. Still, families were out walking their desperate dogs,

Read More »from Brooklyn After Sandy

Preparing for a serious weather event can be especially stressful for children. Kids thrive on stability, and it can be upsetting to see parents and caregivers acting anxious and disrupting normal routines. It's also scary to witness the physical destruction caused by a storm and sad to leave treasured belongings behind in the case of an evacuation. Earlier this year, Sesame Street produced a series of videos geared toward helping kids feel safe during a hurricane or other natural disaster. Their website also offers tips for talking to kids as well as activities ideas for waiting out a storm. The video explains what a hurricane is and shows the whole Sesame Street gang banding together to assist and reassure each other. It's an excellent resource for parents who are feeling panicked and seeking a way to communicate with their kids without creating more anxiety. You can also visit the website of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network for even more detailed information on

Read More »from Sesame Street Hurricane Kit: Helping Kids Cope

Don't worry, it's normal. I love when science proves that I'm not a wimp. In a study performed by the University of Dayton, out of 17 women who specifically trained for three months to complete a single pull up, only 4 succeeded. "We honestly thought we could get everyone to do one," Paul Vanderburgh, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Dayton, tells the New York Times.

In what sounds like a rather grueling regime, the women, all average weight and college-aged, pumped iron on an incline three days a week to gain muscle mass, and also did aerobic exercise to slim down. After 90 days, they were leaner and stronger: the average participant lowered her body fat by two percent and increased her upper body strength by 36 percent. Still, when it came time to do the dreaded pull up, most of the women failed.

Vanderburgh explains that women not only develop less muscle than men (whose body composition is fueled by testosterone), the proportion of women's limbs makes performing a pull up

Read More »from Women Can’t Do Pull Ups: It’s a Law of Physics

Maybe the fashion police should crack down on saggy trousers, but real law enforcement? A new ordinance by passed in a three-to-one vote by the city council of Cocoa, Florida prevents a "person in public view from wearing pants or skirts below the waistline that expose the undergarments or the skin…." The law will go into effect on January 1, 2013.

Photo: Student's Controversial Political T-shirt

Although members of the city council say they passed the ban in order to increase civility in their "family oriented" town of 17,000, critics claim it's a mask for additional "stop and frisk" type activities by the police. "This is nothing more than a vehicle for further harassment of young people," Alberta Wilson, president of the Central Brevard Branch of the NAACP told FloridayToday.com. "I don't like the saggy pants anymore than you do, however, I respect people's Constitutional rights." Police Chief Mark Klayman acknowledged that the ordinance would provide greater opportunity to

Read More »from Baggy Pants Ban in Florida Sparks Controversy

This idea is so cute I'm straining not to type that its "purrfect." Created by the smart ladies over at Buzzfeed Shift, the video shows that in a few easy steps you can transform your locks into kitty ears. Forget the black tights, whiskers, and tail--using your own hair creates a quirky, surreal effect that you actually are a cat. Come Halloween, pop on your favorite outfit and be a feline who happens to like dressing up as a human.

More on Shine:

Worst "Sexy" Halloween Costumes

Shop Your Closet for Easy DIY Costumes

Pumpkin Carving Tips from The Pros

Read More »from Cat Ear Hair Tutorial: Easiest Halloween Costume Ever

Maniac Pumpkin Carvers "Starry Night"Is your Jack-o-lantern's face comprised of three triangles and a lopsided grin? Welcome to the lame pumpkin club. Both professional carvers and talented amateurs are doing some pretty cool things with pumpkins these days like etching out layers to create intricate patterns of light and cutting elaborate silhouettes that go far beyond traditional kitty faces and ghouls. Shine quizzed two experts on how they achieve their magical results.

DIY: Easy Halloween Costumes from Shine's Editors

Choosing a pumpkin

Marc Evan is one-half of Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, a Brooklyn-based custom carving business that turns out more than 300 pumpkins during their autumn rush. Although Halloween is especially busy, Evan says there is also a big demand for harvest themed pumpkins and fall wedding decorations.

Photos: Heidi Klum's Best Halloween Costumes

Different pumpkins are suited for different projects. "For a classic lantern style, we look for a lighter pumpkin that's free of defects,"

Read More »from Pumpkin Carving Tips from the Pros

You don't need to spend a lot of time or money putting together a fun costume for Halloween. Shine's editors brainstormed on how you can shop your closet to create something fabulous and free this season. Gender or age don't really matter for these getups, we happen to love old, male "disgruntled bridesmaids"- at least on Halloween. Extra credit: Add "zombie" to any of these ideas for a spooktacular twist.

Check out: Worst "Sexy" Halloween Costumes
by Sarah B. Weir, Shine Writer

Read More »from Easy Halloween Costumes: Shine Editor's Picks