Swimmer Michael Phelps won his 20th medal at the London Olympics yesterday, but one could argue that his 19th, earned on Tuesday, was a bigger moment. That’s when he became the most decorated Olympian of all time, passing the previous record-holder, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won 18 medals between 1956 and 1964. If you…
In the News
ObamaCare Is Bad News … for Canada
I’m amused by Happyplace.com‘s collection of anti-ObamaCare, pro-Canada tweets. Empty threats are so annoying. Can’t we pass a law that says that anyone who vows to move to Canada (“#forrealthough”) has to GO? Immediately? Like as soon as you say or write it, a moving van pulls up in front of your house. I know…
Nora Ephron: 1941 – 2012
Yesterday, after writer/director Nora Ephron died for the second and final time — in a Mark Twain moment, Ephron’s friend Liz Smith reported her death from leukemia a bit prematurely — I immediately searched for Ephron’s classic 1972 Esquire essay, “A Few Words About Breasts.” At first, I couldn’t find her musings on the pain…
Words of Wisdom From Wayne Gretzky
I’m not much of a sports fan, but there are a few athletes who impress me. One is basketball Hall-of-Famer Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who is one of my official style icons. Now I’ve added hockey great Wayne Gretzky to my list of people who give good advice. I was struck by one of his classic…
Hot for Jeremy Scott, Sympathetic to Nicki Minaj
I’ve always had a passion for whimsical fashion. Designer Jeremy Scott‘s work definitely has a sense of humor, so I’ve often admired it, though I haven’t purchased anything yet. Maybe I’ll rectify that because, once again, I’m salivating over one of his pieces — a Rainbow Brite-worthy jacket worn by Nicki Minaj. I wouldn’t wear…
Marion Sandler: 1930 – 2012
Marion Sandler, a groundbreaking businesswoman and philanthropist, died June 1 at the age of 81. Marion was one of the first two women to work in professional jobs on Wall Street. She went on to become one of the first women chief executive officers of a Fortune 500 company: She and her husband Herb Sandler…
What Wendy Wore: Neon-Pink Chris Benz to the Elly Awards
As I said in a recent post, I have worn neon-colored clothes since the 1980s. IF YOU MISSED MY HUFFINGTON POST PIECE ON NEON, CLICK HERE. When I saw this neon-pink-and-black Spring 2012 dress by designer Chris Benz last fall, I took a chance and ordered it. I don’t usually go for blousy tops, but…
RIP, Disco Goddess Donna Summer
Disco diva and five-time Grammy winner Donna Summer has died of cancer at the way-too-young age of 63. In 1979, all the 12-year-olds like me AND our parents were happily singing “Toot toot, ahhhh, beep beep!” along with her song “Bad Girls,” which was about prostitutes. Good clean family fun! My best friend and I…
In Dutch and InStyle
After looking over the list of English expressions that include the word “Dutch,” I feel like I have to give the Dutch a little leeway when they use English. At least, that’s what I decided after I saw a post that Dutch site Style Today did about my swear rings (and Topshop’s similar design). The…
A Goat for Beastie Boy MCA, aka Adam Yauch
I’ve been listening to a lot of Beastie Boys music since the rap trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14. I had a sinking feeling when the Beasties’ MCA, aka Adam Yauch, skipped the event for health reasons. Unfortunately, Yauch died today at age 47. Yauch first announced…