This may not seem
Very important, I know.
But it is. So I’m bothering
Telling you so.
–Dr. Suess’s Sleep Book

Happy Birthday to Theodor Geisel, whom you may know better as Dr. Seuss! Who among us didn’t grow up on his books? You know what I mean…being read Ham & Eggs and The Cat in the Hat as a bedtime story, watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas every December, reading The Lorax as an introduction to environmentalism, getting Oh the Places You’ll Go! for a high school graduation gift…the guy had quite the monopoly going.

Dr. Seuss’s warm-hearted, wonderfully weird children’s books, populated by their cast of furred and feathered humanoid creatures, were as entertaining to kids as they were instructive to adults. Above all else, his work encouraged kids and adults alike to take moments out of their day for things that were purely joyful, serving no purpose more important than relaxation and time spent together. It’s not a bad message, and in honor of Dr. Seuss, sit down today to take a little time for your own enjoyment! After all–it’s doctor’s orders.

When you think things are bad,
when you feel sour and blue,
when you start to get mad…
you should do what /I/ do!
–Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

Calm before the storm.

Japan is taking a stand against a serious injustice that touches all of us: the daily indignity–nay, the daily TORMENT–of co-ed bathrooms.

Soon, female passengers on Japan’s All Nippon Airlines will enjoy express bathroom visits on international flights, courtesy of a designated female-only bathroom that men will only be able to use in case of an emergency, or an all-male flight (no word on whether ANA considers an all-male flight an emergency?) An All Nippon spokesperson explained that the decision was made because “men often leave the seats up.” And, just like that, All Nippon became the first major airline to make a business decision based on a popular source of conflict on sitcoms. Business history!

Surveys showed that 90% of female passengers supported the idea of female-only bathrooms, but we’re willing to bet guys might bristle at the idea of being kept out of certain lavatories. Bold move, Japan - making the skies more orderly and bathroom lines longer since 2010. Guys, what do you think?

The happy steak owner

Last Saturday night Nicole Richie hosted a party at the Cooper Square Hotel in NYC for her new clothing line, Winter Kate. Nicole’s tunic above is from the collection. Inspiration for the collection is drawn from Richie’s favorite animals, like peacocks, and includes mostly tops.

For years, Nicole has been accused of being too thin, but I’m happy to report she looked healthy and vibrant. And to drive the message of heath and happiness an extra mile… she was standing perched by a shelf at the penthouse party, all by herself, chowing down on a steak and fries like nobody was watching. It was wonderfully refreshing— and it looked delicious!

NY-based celebrity doctor Richard Ash, MD, shares 3 interesting positive correlations between steak and your well-being. (Note: Dr. Ash is not saying steak is “healthy,” but read on for some reasons why you could do worse.)

3 Reasons to Feel Great About Eating Steak, from Dr. Ash MD

1. “Initially people feel better when they eat meat because it makes their body alkaline (the effect you get from eating a lot fruits and vegetables) for the first 24 hours,’ Dr. Ash said. “But then the rest of the week will trigger your body to do the reverse.” Crash and burn! At least she’s living in the moment

2. “Steak is also a good balancer. If you’ve been on antibiotics or you have acid reflux, or if you have chronic candidia (yeast overgrowth) – steak will help you feel better.” Not sure if Nicole had any of the above, but if she did, 2 more points.

3. Also, according to Dr. Ash, “If you’re trying to gain weight, you don’t want to use steak and fries – it’s not something that will necessarily promote weight gain.” So, there are better foods for this— so you don’t have to feel as though you are deliberately injecting yourself with fresh cow lard every time you take a bite.

This should all come as great news for carnivores worldwide! Also, for famous party hosts: It’s your party, you can house a steak in the corner if you want to!

Okay, so she didn’t quite clean her plate – a lesson in moderation from Nicole Richie

Photo credits: www.lastnightsparty.com

Image courtesy of examiner.com

It was a pretty wild day for team USA at the Olympics yesterday, as two hotshot US athletes made good (or should we say gold?) on their hype. Shaun White outpaced the competition in the half pipe by whipping out his signature double twist trick on the second run. And Lindsay Vonn won gold in women’s downhill, despite near-disastrous conditions on the mountain that prevented the athletes from practicing on the actual runs they’d be competing on (remember when we said they were going to have to chopper in snow? Well, yeah.)

Unsurprisingly, American speed skaters Shani Davis and Apolo Anton Ohno skated easily (ho ho) to the next stage in their heats. And round robins continue for curling and hockey, so stay tuned for some powerhouse match-ups. Canadian pride is on the line when it comes to hockey, so Canada’s matches with Russia and the US promise to be explosive.

If you’re not watching the games…don’t miss out!

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Games begin tonight! Whether you like sports or not, I think everyone can get behind the idea of opening ceremonies–there are costumes for the fashionistas, choreography for the dance fans, and great design for creative, artsy types. And if you’re not into any of that, there’s usually some pretty cool gymnastics and fireworks.

Host cities usually pour millions of dollars into designing an opening ceremony that reflects their nation’s history and culture. In anticipation of the Vancouver opening ceremonies (what will those Canadians come up with??) we wanted to look at some of the opening ceremonies of the past.

The parade of nations in Athens brought the centuries-old Games full circle back to the land where they originated.

Beijing had one of the more exciting–and expensive–opening ceremonies in recent memory.

Atlanta went with a “Traditions of the South”, which many found controversial.

The uber-theatrical Salt Lake City opener:

And just for a throwback, here are the Helsinki Games from 1952: