Let’s start on a positive note…

Sandra Bullock at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Sandra Bullock looked absolutely stunning on the red carpet in a Marchesa dress that deserved to be on stage accepting the Best Actress award.

Penelope Cruz at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Though Penelope Cruz could have showed up in sweat pants and still looked incredible, this Donna Karan gown further solidified her status as red carpet royalty.

Gabourey Sidibe at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe has been the talk of the town since her debut in the movie Precious and she continued to draw the spotlight in this Marchesa dress.

Now onto the less positive…

Mariah Carey at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Between the weird draping, flower broach, thigh-high slit, and awkward one shoulder, Mariah Carey and this dress are pretty much a hot mess (please disregard the rhyme).

Charlize Theron at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Charlize Theron’s dress drew a lot of controversy at this year’s Oscars due to the fact that there were flowers on her breasts. I don’t really know about all that, but I do know that the flowers look stupid and her weird up-do is just a continuation of that theme.

Diane Kruger at the 2010 Academy Awards.

I’m typically of the persuasion that Chanel can do no wrong, but this dress with the bizarre inflated, ruffled midsection is simply not acceptable.

I’ll keep this post short and sweet, mainly because there’s not much one can write about the topic at hand. This evening, while grocery shopping with my roommate at Whole Foods, I noticed something intriguing on the bathroom door: Clean-Escape. I made a note of it in my phone and got home to do a bit of research. Clean-Escape: A New, Revolutionary Way to Open Doors. I’ll admit, it’s not the most attractive looking device in the world. The Clean-Escape website defines it as: “a heavy-duty stainless steel bracket with silicone rubber pads that mounts to the bottom of inward swinging doors.  The shape of the door opener allows a person to use his or her foot to open the door without touching the door handle!” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I am, without a doubt, the type person you see in the lavatory, opening the door with paper towel, doing a gymnastics-like maneuver to throw out the paper towel without letting the door close. You get the picture.  Now if only the disgusting bathrooms near the Fishbowl would invest in this…

Goodbye Gymnastics Moves, Hello Clean-Escape!

SHEI ran a series of articles on Bilal’s Stand, a movie by U-M alum Sultan Sharrief, during its Sundance premiere. The film is making waves again, this time having been selected for the New Directors/New Films Festival presented by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC). The festival, now in its thirty-ninth year, introduces the work of new directors from around the world to NYC audiences.

Bilal’s Stand will play at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, March 26 at MoMA and at 5:30 p.m on Saturday, March 27 at FSLC.

Ryan Gosling at a Lakers' game

True, the guy from the The Notebook (above) probably will serve as a stronger deterrent than magnet for the cardigan; adequate compensation provided, perhaps, by the RDJ rep (above above)- guy was great in Tropic Thunder. Still, though, in our hyper-fluctuating meteorological conditions, the cardigan proves versatile: a thin cardigan from H&M is sufficient for Spring; my chunky (regrettably) fire-engine red throwback from Lacoste (whose legitimacy – I bought it from a questionable vintage store – has been under fire) ensures survival during the December, February, and March (and April). And if we’re talking weather than, yes, you could buy a light jacket or a North Fleece; or, you could honor the timelessly elegant Mr. Rogers and grab a cardigan.

Talk about staple status: the cardigan’s been outfitting old men (some creepy, some dashing), hipsters, and anybody in between for years.  The fact fiends at (yes, appropriately) Cardigansweater.com report that cardigans were first worn by 17th century fishermen in the British Isles; naming rights, though, are accredited to (in some circles, I’m sure) pop culture icon James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan:

James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan. Thank you, Earl.

If those fishermen knew the sartorial path they would blaze– poor maritime chumps.  Not that the path’s been smooth; wearing a cardigan in high school would probably get you popped in the jaw.  However, the cardigan’s seemed to have experienced a recent surge in popularity, no less thanks to King James and  Jay-Z ; luckily, “Jersey Shore cardigan” yields no relevant results.  Not that wearing any item – much less a cardigan – should be contingent on which celebrities decide to wear it; but, if it’ll give one the necessary gall to do so – there’s, truth be told, a grandfatherly air it exudes – then I’ll shamelessly plug and plug away.

Not only may aesthetic observations abound, but the cardigan can be charged as limited in its scope of versatility.  Doesn’t the sheer irony of wearing something from your grandfather’s closet just wear thin?  Doesn’t the Ivy schoolboy look get stuffish?  A V-neck sweater is just that- a sweater; a button-down is just a button-down; nothing ironic, nothing kitschy; just classic.  Maybe; and, maybe I’m just biased toward the cardigan because I own too many, and wear them all too often.  But the cardigan revives the traditional clothing with a splash of whatever a bunch of buttons on a sweater may provide.

The pinnacle of fashion- the cardigan.  Worthy of runways and red carpets.  And, at that, my 2010 Oscars cardigan count: zero.

Hiking at Torrey Pines, San Diego

Looking for something fun to do but on a tight budget? Check out a local park and go running, biking, or hiking. This spring break I flew to California, and while I wanted to have fun, I did not want to come back home with a scant bank account. The perfect solution was checking out nearby trails and going to the beach.

It’s easy to find organic things to do in California. After all, the state is lush with hills and its residents who don’t have to worry about being cooped up during cold, snowy months can spend that time being active outdoors. My personal favorite park is Torrey Pines in San Diego. Not only did I get some exercise from climbing the small mountain and skipping giddily to each trail, but I was also offered a picturesque view at each trail’s looking point.

One of the trials had beach access, and most of the trails looked out into the ocean. I even saw a pod of dolphins! The view was simply spectacular. And when there wasn’t an ocean view there was still enough surrounding activity to entertain the eye. There were many unique plants, animals scurrying across the path, and cool sandstone formations.

While an ocean view is not possible at any park in Michigan, there are still some neat places that can tantalize your outdoor craving. Kensington Metropark in Brighton, MI has an eight mile loop around a big lake. In the summer many people go paddle boating, biking, rollerblading, or lay out by the designated beach area. A waterslide was recently built too.

So if you are in need of some fresh air after this long winter and you want to be fiscally responsible, check out the natural resources around you. You might even realize that you can have just as much fun frolicking around outside as you would spending money on another form of entertainment.

Tim Burton's vision of the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, and Alice

Lewis Carroll’s madly inventive Alice in Wonderland has long been a source of inspiration for artists and designers alike. Annie Leibovitz shot a breath-taking editorial photo shoot for Vogue in 2003 based on the novel. The recent release of Tim Burton’s twisted take on Alice has spurred a renewed obsession with the “curiouser and curiouser” tale. The wardrobe in the movie is wonderful, from the Mad Hatter’s masterful creations to the Queen of Hearts’ heavily bejeweled Edwardian frock. Fashion’s obsession with Carroll is really no surprise–after all, the story in itself is all about fantasy and imagination. Obviously, fashion and Wonderland are a match made in heaven.

The Mad Hatter was definitely on the mind of John Galliano, as his runway paid an ode to the humorous, wacky character, while Alice+Olivia presented shimmery waistcoats, more jaunty hats and flirty sun-dresses fit for a Mad Tea Party. Stella McCartney is designing a line of jewelry based on Alice in Wonderland, and you can’t forget the infamous, Madonna-donned, Louis Vuitton bunny ears–the white rabbit, anyone? Needless to say, you don’t need to look to high-end designers for some Alice in your life. Many stores are stocked with floppy hairpieces, over-sized pocket watches and tea party frocks to satisfy your needs.

The Academy Awards, i.e. the Oscars, are the biggest awards for achievement in motion picture making in the United States and for the media to croon over everybody's dresses.

The Oscars are tonight, if you haven’t heard , and we’re live-blogging it here at SHEI (or, at least, I am).  If you’re hanging around Central Campus and are near South Quad, feel free to join a flock of people downstairs in the Basement and snark with us in person, OR click the link below to open up the window at EIGHT O’CLOCK (8PM) to join in on the conversation live online; we’ll be discussing everybody’s attire, predictions, the winners, the losers, how long it takes for the orchestra to play somebody off the stage, and more.  Get excited.

Click Here

GelaSkins, which bills itself as a purveyor of   “mobile art,” carries skins of Steadman’s illustrations for Thompson’s opus magnum Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Head to their website for the full selection; below’s a limited preview of the selection.  Best find in a while:

Your laptop looks better with Dr. Gonzo on it.

As does your iPhone

The infamous "Lizard Lounge" livens up your iPod

A bit graphic, suffice to say

The unidentified fellow’s wearing a snood, an olde-time piece of headgear.  I’ll wager that their popularity won’t reach our cozy collegiate hamlet.  Not that I have any any opposition to the boys from Monty Python…

"Relinquish your pretty women! Your blue books, too."

Or maybe I’m just snoody.  Er, snooty.

JoBros on Chatroulette

A couple nights ago after giving up on a particularly dry reading for class, I walked downstairs to discover my housemates playing around on Chatroulette, a website that pairs you with random webcam chat partners. Sound horrifying? It is. But it’s also ridiculously addictive.

Here’s how it works: You visit the website, and without having to sign up for an account or even choose a nickname, you’re paired up with a random stranger. If you don’t like the looks of your chat partner, you can click “Next” and Chatroulette will pick another person at random. When you’ve found somebody who isn’t too creepy or too naked (more on that below), you can chat via text or audio.

About every ten Chatroulette cycles features male genitalia, so I wouldn’t visit if you’re easily offended (or sitting in lecture). But every now and then you’ll run across somebody who isn’t creepy or boring – like the biker guy from Chicago who introduced us to his Ukrainian wife, or Phillippe, my housemate’s new French boyfriend.

Not just for boredom-induced chats with random strangers, Chatroulette  presents the opportunity for all kinds of social experiments, like the “If You Turn Your Head I Win” game. This guy writes, “If you turn your head I win” on a piece of paper and flips the camera sideways, and tallies up every head-turn he gets. It’s great seeing the reactions of “losers,” most of whom crack up and give the guy a big thumbs-up.

Oh, and you might run into Jon Stewart.