Never Over Elegant...

In case you haven't heard, Keira Knightley is the new face of Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle. Nice move! Here is a shot of her new ad plus a promo photo.



And, just for kicks, here is David "Oh so sexy" Beckham's new Motorola RAZR2 ad.

Martha vs. Maxine

As the great debates of 2007 press on, I urge my fellow Americans not to forget one of the most important debates of all...

Martha vs. Maxine.

Martha's Way: Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
Maxine's Way: Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake! You are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it, anyway!

Martha's Way: To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
Maxine's Way: Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix, keep it in the pantry for up to a year.

Martha's Way: When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any wh ite mess on the outside of the cake.
Maxine's Way: Go to the bakery! They'll even decorate it for you.

Martha's Way: If you accidentally oversalt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix-me-up."
Maxine's Way: If you oversalt a dish while you are cooking, that's too bad. Please recite with me the real l woman's motto: "I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!"

Martha's Way: Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
Maxine's Way: Celery? Never heard of it!

Martha's Way: Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
Maxine's Way: The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust so I don't.

Martha's Way: Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
Maxine's Way: Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink!

Martha's Way: If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.
Maxine's Way: Go ask that very cute neighbor if he can open it for you.

Martha's Way: Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
Maxine's Way: Leftover wine??????????? HEL-LO !!!!!!!

I think it's pretty obvious who won the debate this round... Maxine, you are a hero to Copa girls (and guys) everywhere!

Aw Shucks

Well I guess I can let it go that San Diego denied Dec 12 as Official Jen Richer day!

(St. Louis, MO) -- Ike Turner says he's not upset with St. Louis officials for turning down a request to proclaim September 2nd "Ike Turner Day." The rock pioneer tells "The St. Louis Post-Dispatch" he's surprised by the attention the matter is receiving, noting he wasn't planning to perform to get an award and he's only interested in entertaining audiences.
But Turner does think he's deserving of the honor. He explains that he has been recognized with the key to the city in Memphis, yet his ties to the music community there pale in comparison to his contributions to the St. Louis scene. He also insists that his reputation as a misogynist -- which was behind the mayor's rejection of the proclamation request -- is, quote, "the biggest lie in the world." While he has admitted to hitting ex-wife Tina Turner during their marriage, he claims he was misrepresented in the biopic "What's Love Got To Do With It." He adds that he can't change the past, noting, quote, "All I can say, and I would only say this to her, is 'I'm sorry.' But I can't undo yesterday."
Turner's slated to perform at the two-day Big Muddy Blues Festival, which will take place in St. Louis over the Labor Day holiday weekend. He'll be the headliner to close the event on September 2nd.

Copyright 2007
Metro Networks Communications Inc., A Westwood One Company

Play it, Sam, For Old Times' Sake...

The lovely folks over at AOL whipped up this list of the 77 most unforgettable movie songs. Throughout the list of 77 cinematically classic tunes you can watch YouTube videos featuring said music video or you can be boring and just listen to the song on AOL's song player.

Anyway, that is not the point. While I'm not 100% positive what the point is myself, I still think you should check out this list for a nice walk down memory lane. That is especially the case for songs #17-#1... with the exception of song #10, which I whole-heartedly disapprove of being in even the top 20.

And, just to entertain you visually, check out entry #67 "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal from "Batman Forever" starring the original National St. Hottie himself, St. Val Kilmer.

Oh Flounder, Don't Be Such A Guppy

(AP) The show that brought Disney to Broadway is taking its final bow today.

"Beauty and the Beast" is closing after 13 years and more than five thousand performances. In its place will be a stage version of "The Little Mermaid," which debuts in December.

"Beauty and the Beast" currently stars Deborah Lew as Belle, the young woman who transforms a morose creature with the power of her love. The creature is portrayed by Steve Blanchard.

The show debuted in 1994 at the Palace Theatre and transferred to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in 1999.

Only one of the original cast members has been with the show through the years: Bill Nabel, who plays the corkscrew during a production number that features enchanted utensils.

Battle of the St. Hotties

Recently the ladies of the Copacabana have been arguing about the real meaning of that age old tradition: National St. Hottie's Day.

Linds: National St. Hottie, Val Kilmer has put on a little weight. We may need a new idol. (I know jen, its blasphemy)

Mandy: whoa!

Jen: National St. Hotties Day - The day dedicated by the ladies of pink cashmere to honor the hotties of the world kicked off three years ago. The patron saint - who else - Val Kilmer or ICE MAN! On this holy day of worship followers watch at least one film starring the stud!

Well some of our confused worshipers has wondered from our saint, and blasphomously espoused doubt. To you I say...big boys need love too!

Linds: we may need a new holiday to honor those who have fallen in the battle for hotness: national st. hottie's memorial day. what do you think?

Run, Forrest, Run!

President Bush went jogging with two wounded soldiers yesterday morning. One of them, US Army Specialist Max Ramsey, lost one of his legs during the war and the other, Ret. US Army Sgt. Neil Duncan, lost both of his legs. The funny thing is, not that there's anything funny about losing body parts fighting a war, but President Bush, who has all of his appendages mind you, was out run by Sgt. Duncan. Yes, yes... our President was outrun by a man who lost both of his legs.

It seems Bush can't really win at anything, can he.

It's Just His Emmy in a Box

Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg have been nominated for a 2007 Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Original Music & Lyrics category for their work on "Dick in a Box" that aired on Saturday Night Live this past season.

Don't believe me? Check the 2007 Emmy nomination list.

Or, better yet, why don't you check out the video and see all that Emmy-ness for yourself.


You can also click here

I'd Rather Die Than Kiss You

As part of the promotions for the new Harry Potter film, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint participated in an online chat show from Moviefone called "Unscripted." The show, like it's title, is completely unscripted and the shows' stars ask each other questions submitted by fans and also make up questions of their own. The results are pretty funny.

That and since the three stars have been born and raised in the Motherland, they're not too familiar with US cities, states, and state abbreviations. Which makes reading questions from fans in well-known states like "WI" quite funny.

And if you're wondering about the title in the post, well, just watch the clip...

The 50 Most Beautiful People on the Hill

I absolutely love reading Hill related blogs while I'm at work, partially because I can pass them off as article researching for fun posts for my Call to Serve website. But really it's for the snarky comments and juicy gossip.

Recently, TheHill.com posted their annual "50 Most Beautiful People on the Hill" article and guess who made the list? A GW alumni.

Here's his profile and article:
Guy Lipa
Age: 24
Hometown: Los Angeles
Dating status: Single
Political Affiliation: Democrat

Only one thing seems to ruffle Los Angeles native Guy Lipa: dating.

Lipa, a legislative assistant to Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), said he asks out few women, because the whole “dating process stresses me out.”

It can’t be for lack of attention. At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Lipa is handsome and dresses nicely. He has black hair and hazel eyes, with long eyelashes, and when we talked, was wearing a well cut gray suit.

In the opposite sex, Lipa likes someone laid back, attractive and active. The 24-year-old’s ideal date would be to a Dodgers game. The menu? Dodger dogs (a specialty of his hometown stadium) and beer.

A graduate of George Washington University, Lipa shied away from discussing his high school years, which he called an “embarrassing time.” He won’t divulge his high school superlative or the name of his band — he played the drums.

He’s a Pisces, but doesn’t follow astrology. Somehow Lipa manages to play ice hockey three times a week, as well as the occasional golf and softball game.

- By Kelly McCormack

Check out the whole article here.

Are You Really Gonna Love Me Forever?

Being that I'm a bit obsessed with YouTube, it was only a matter of time that I started to infiltrate the Chez Copa blog with some of my favorite videos for the greater good. The following video is a great acoustic version of, you guessed it, Paula Abdul's "Straight Up." He has a lot more really good singing videos (amongst other things) and I do strongly encourage checking out his performance of "Yeah" by Usher... if only in tribute to our beloved Pinkie (Pinky?) Jon.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy my insomniatic discoveries...

A Sight that Almost Stops Your Heart...

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night/
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike/
You know it's thriller, thriller night/
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight

This was one of the most disturbing things I have seen in a very long time. Although, I did enjoy the performance put forth by the "female" victim.

Just watch the video... you might enjoy it, or something.

Newsflash: Hillary Clinton... is a Woman!

You have GOT to be kidding me! What is this world coming to when we have nothing better to do than to mock Hillary Clinton for wearing a fashionable outfit to work? Granted she has been known to wear more conservative clothing, but she is still a woman... and women, well, we tend to be a bit gifted above the waist and sometimes like to accent said gift.

I'm slightly disappointed that Hillary Clinton's clothing is what the fashion section of the Washington Post is now reporting on. That's DC for you.

Hillary Clinton's Tentative Dip Into New Neckline Territory

By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 20, 2007; C01

There was cleavage on display Wednesday afternoon on C-SPAN2. It belonged to Sen. Hillary Clinton.

She was talking on the Senate floor about the burdensome cost of higher education. She was wearing a rose-colored blazer over a black top. The neckline sat low on her chest and had a subtle V-shape. The cleavage registered after only a quick glance. No scrunch-faced scrutiny was necessary. There wasn't an unseemly amount of cleavage showing, but there it was. Undeniable.

It was startling to see that small acknowledgment of sexuality and femininity peeking out of the conservative -- aesthetically speaking -- environment of Congress. After all, it wasn't until the early '90s that women were even allowed to wear pants on the Senate floor. It was even more surprising to note that it was coming from Clinton, someone who has been so publicly ambivalent about style, image and the burdens of both.

The last time Clinton wore anything that was remotely sexy in a public setting surely must have been more than a decade ago, during Bill Clinton's first term in office when she was photographed wearing a black Donna Karan gown that revealed her shoulders. It was one of Karan's "cold-shoulder" dresses, inspired, Karan once noted, because a woman's shoulders remain sensuous and appealing regardless of her age.

Throughout Clinton's time as first lady, she wore clothes that were feminine and stately. But sexiness was not part of the image. Her second inaugural gown was by Oscar de la Renta. The original version of the gold lace dress had cap sleeves and a wide, jewel neckline. Clinton altered it so that it had long sleeves and a high, almost Victorian collar.

When she appeared on the cover of the December 1998 issue of Vogue, just after the Monica Lewinsky scandal had peaked, she wore another de la Renta gown, this one with a boat neck and long sleeves. She looked glamorous, regal and defiant. But one was not even tempted to mention the s-word.

By the time Clinton launched her first campaign for the Senate, she had found a desexualized uniform: a black pantsuit. Not a fitted, provocative suit, but merely an understated, flattering one. Clothes were off the table. End of discussion.

But as she has embarked on her campaign for president, she has given up the uniform. In its place has been a wide array of suits and jackets, in everything from dull khaki to canary yellow and sofa florals. Once again, she is playing the fashion field.

The cleavage, however, is an exceptional kind of flourish. After all, it's not a matter of what she's wearing but rather what's being revealed. It's tempting to say that the cleavage stirs the same kind of discomfort that might be churned up after spotting Rudy Giuliani with his shirt unbuttoned just a smidge too far. No one wants to see that. But really, it was more like catching a man with his fly unzipped. Just look away!

Not so long ago, Jacqui Smith, the new British home secretary, spoke before the House of Commons showing far more cleavage than Clinton. If Clinton's was a teasing display, then Smith's was a full-fledged come-on. But somehow it wasn't as unnerving. Perhaps that's because Smith's cleavage seemed to be presented so forthrightly. Smith's fitted jacket and her dramatic necklace combined to draw the eye directly to her bosom. There they were . . . all part of a bold, confident style package.

With Clinton, there was the sense that you were catching a surreptitious glimpse at something private. You were intruding -- being a voyeur. Showing cleavage is a request to be engaged in a particular way. It doesn't necessarily mean that a woman is asking to be objectified, but it does suggest a certain confidence and physical ease. It means that a woman is content being perceived as a sexual person in addition to being seen as someone who is intelligent, authoritative, witty and whatever else might define her personality. It also means that she feels that all those other characteristics are so apparent and undeniable, that they will not be overshadowed.

To display cleavage in a setting that does not involve cocktails and hors d'oeuvres is a provocation. It requires that a woman be utterly at ease in her skin, coolly confident about her appearance, unflinching about her sense of style. Any hint of ambivalence makes everyone uncomfortable. And in matters of style, Clinton is as noncommittal as ever.

Variations on the Green Fairy

Finally, there is a legal version of absinthe available for purchase in the US!! Phew, I can rest easier at night knowing that I no longer need to smuggle this delicious black death from Eastern Europe to DC.

I guess I should start polishing my absinthe spoons before hitting the liquor store... I do, afterall, have quite a collection of those hol(e)y spoons.

Barely Legal: American Absinthe Passes the Taste Test

Paul Adams

The absinthe revival, which has been on the move for more than a decade, just took a leap forward.

For years, American aficionados of the banned beverage that inspired such artists as Vincent Van Gogh and Marilyn Manson, have made do with quasi-legally imported European brands or, worse yet, near-substitutes made without wormwood, the critical ingredient that gives absinthe its distinctive, biting taste.

You need wormwood to make real absinthe, but the herb is a tricky one to work with -- one of its key compounds, thujone, has long been considered the cause of the drink's supposed side effects: hallucinations, artistic inspiration, degeneracy and homicidal mania. Thujone has been prohibited as a food and drink ingredient in the United States since 1912.

But Ted Breaux, a chemist from New Orleans and one of the prime movers in the absinthe revival, has developed Lucid, a real absinthe made with real wormwood that can be legally sold in the United States.

For several years, Breaux has been working with a French distillery, faithfully reproducing a number of classic absinthes based on chemical scans of the contents of vintage bottles. The scans accord with recent research and contradict the traditional theory that thujone is absinthe's magic ingredient.

"When I tested bottles of vintage absinthe," he says, "I was surprised to find they contained very little thujone."

Many of the Eastern European imports, spirits with strange neon colors, advertise "ultra-high thujone" levels in some of their products, no doubt figuring that if thujone is grounds for banning, it must be a selling point.

Breaux has no respect for these colorful wannabes.

"If a maker or seller has to depend upon promoting myths and misinformation about thujone to sell a product, that is a fairly reliable indicator that said product is sorely lacking in quality and authenticity," he says.

If authentic, handcrafted absinthes contain very little thujone, there's no reason one couldn't be marketed in the United States. By manipulating factors including the climate, season and regions from which he harvests his herbal ingredients (including wormwood), Breaux developed his concoction. Lucid Absinthe, marketed by Viridian Spirits, passed the U.S. regulatory test for thujone and arrived on American shelves in May at $60 a bottle.

Even though detractors say an absinthe without thujone is worthless, Lucid immediately sold out. Kamal Mukherjee of Borisal Liquor in Brooklyn, New York, sold 36 cases in one week.

Clearly, there's a market for a true legal absinthe -- but how does it taste? I sampled Lucid alongside a few of its competitors: Absente, which is made with southernwood rather than wormwood; Breaux's own Verte Suisse 65; and two Czech absinthes named Absinthium 1792 and Oliva. As prescribed, I trickled ice water into each one. I omitted the customary sugar cube except where necessary. As the water mixed with each absinthe, the liquid clouded while its aroma blossomed and filled the room.

Absente has a pleasant bite, but also an artificial-tasting, one-note Good & Plenty sweetness. Lucid is considerably drier and more herbal-tasting. Lucid's anise taste is prominent but not overwhelming -- it harmonizes with the other elements of the flavor, resulting in a sophisticated complexity. But the Verte Suisse is on another level entirely, with soft notes of wood and earth, spice and flowers, and an evocative depth of flavor. If the absinthe of old was really like this, I can see why it had such a maniacal following.

After the Verte Suisse, almost anything would be a letdown, but the two Czech examples seemed particularly poor. Absinthium 1792 has the shocking aquamarine color of an oral-hygiene product, and it separates into an insalubrious-looking pair of opaque layers when it clouds. Its minty-fresh, sweet, alcoholy flavor is generic and inoffensive. The Oliva tastes less artificial but decidedly more toxic. Even after I dissolved two sugar cubes into my glass, the yellow-green liquor tasted acridly of wormwood and mint, with hardly any anise, and lingered drily on my tongue. It reminded me of the time I chewed a catnip-filled sock to see what all the tail-chasing fuss was about.

Did any of them produce hallucinations? No, although even the mellow Lucid gave me a headache within a few minutes. I'll continue to sip my expensive, imported bottle of Verte Suisse ($170 including shipping) and bate my breath until there's a premium American absinthe that comes close.

The Ultimate Ego Booster!

Congratulations ladies, Pink Cashmere has officially made it into a Google search! Seriously! I just did a Google search for "pink cashmere" and our website, www.pinkcashmere.org, came up fourth on the list after three pages about Prince's song "Pink Cashmere."

You can try it for yourself, but here's a screen shot just in case you need more proof:

Shout Out to the New Verbage

Thank you to Merriam-Webster

The additions:

• crunk -- a style of Southern rap music
• DVR -- digital video recorder
• IED -- improvised explosive device
• smackdown -- contests in entertainment wrestling
• telenovela -- Latin American soap opera
• gray literature -- hard-to-get written material
• microgreen -- shoot of a standard salad plant
• ginormous -- Gigantic
• Sudoku -- Linds obsession!

Right to Bear Arms - Ladies of Copa Unite

I'm making us appointments! Lets get hydrated!

Washington Hospital Center Running Low On Blood

(Washington, DC) -- The Washington Hospital Center's Blood Donor Center says they're in critical need of blood donations right now. What makes the problem even worse is that while they're used to shortages every summer, this year's has cropped up sooner than expected. Especially in need is the universally used Type-O blood, the kind most often used in blood transfusions and surgeries. The Blood Donor Center is asking anyone, but especially those with Type-O blood, to drop by their Irving Street location Thursday and Friday to donate. Officials there say on average around the country, only five-percent of the population donates blood.

Copyright 2007 Metro Networks Communications Inc., A Westwood One Company

Something to Sink Your Teeth Into

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll
data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source,
right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with
the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is
unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the
citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so
unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the
summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these
unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery
store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in
the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic
Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through
each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we
would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around
the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck
our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and
even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You
may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a
group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch
equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your
belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a
burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a
bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack
or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or
militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90
percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy
that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67
percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world
has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great
disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most
blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we
don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the
good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has
no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent
approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in
the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an
economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called
every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled u
ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there
defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news
or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you
couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and
be glad?

Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually
caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was
failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have
volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom.
There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.

They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general''
discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case
scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of
Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds
it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car
crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at
the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit
corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend
their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why
they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about
how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this
way......Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off
the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your
bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country.
There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God
several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative."

"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding,
severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and
with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is
a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Jay Leno

I Bet They Use $100 Bill Toilet Paper Also

You know, just to rub it in a bit.

What's got me so worked up? How about NASA buying one freaking expensive toilet! Check out this post from SlashDot

NASA Purchases $19M Russian Space Toilet

"NASA has paid $19 million for a Russian-built international space station toilet system. The toilet system, similar to the one already in use in the station's Zvezda Service Module, is scheduled to arrive at the space station in 2008 and will offer more privacy for a crew expected to double from three to six by 2009. The space station toilet physically resembles those used on Earth, except it has leg restraints and thigh bars to keep astronauts and cosmonauts from floating away. NASA says purchasing the multi million dollar toilet is a bargain compared to developing one from scratch."

And here's a more in-depth article from the AP printed in the Houston Chronicle:

NASA buys $19 million Russian toilet for space station

Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. — In space, a loo costs a lot.

NASA has agreed to pay $19 million for a Russian-built toilet system for the international space station. The figure may sound astronomical for a toilet in space, but NASA officials said it was cheaper than building their own.

"It's akin to building a municipal treatment center on Earth," NASA spokeswoman Lynnette Madison said Thursday, explaining the cost of the new toilet system.

Also, astronauts are familiar with how it works since it's similar to one already in use at the space station. The new system will be able to transfer urine to a device that can produce drinking water.

The new system is scheduled to be delivered to the U.S. side of the space station in 2008. It will offer more privacy than the old toilet system, which will definitely be needed: The space station crew is expected to grow from three to six people by 2009.

The system will be installed on the American side, and the current toilet system on the Russian side will remain in place.

The space station toilet physically resembles those used on Earth, except it has leg restraints and thigh bars to keep astronauts and cosmonauts in place. Fans suck waste into the commode. Crew members also have individual urine funnels which are attached to hoses, and the urine is deposited into a wastewater tank.

Crew members using the current toilet system on the Russian side must transfer tanks of their urine to a cargo ship, which burns up in Earth's atmosphere once undocked from the station.

The $19 million toilet system was part of a larger contract valued at $46 million that NASA signed this week with RSC Energia, a Russian aerospace company. The extra equipment includes software updates for the station's inventory management system, a spare air pump and engineering support for a mechanism which allows space shuttles to dock with the space station.

To Mac or to PC, That is the Question...

and this is the music video.

Pho Sure!!!

On Saturday Mandy, Katie and Lindsey, brewed with excitement and rumbling stomachs, headed out on a Washington DC/NOVA adventure. The destination...Pho 75. Ideally situated between Rosslyn and Courthouse, Pho 75 serves one thing and one thing only, Pho.

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup served as a bowl of white rice noodles in clear beef broth, with thin cuts of beef. Variations featuring meatballs and chicken breast are also available. The dish is garnished with ingredients such a onions, coriander, Thai basil, mint, lime, bean sprouts and chili peppers. The last four items are usually provided on a separate plate, which allows customers to adjust the soup's flavor as they like. Some sauces such as hoisin sauce, and the Thai hot sauce , are popular additions as well. Pho can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Vietnamese phở restaurants usually retain the cultural practice of not delivering the bill to a customer's tables, since it is considered rude—in Vietnamese culture, it is seen as a way of trying to rush the customer out the door.

Pho was an absolute success. This restaurant definately deserved to be on Washingtonian's list of best cheap eats. The whole meal including a drink only cost each of us around $7.50. We highly encourage everyone to head out there.

Pho 75

1711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.
CASH ONLY

Does US Weekly Count as Reading?

One morning a husband returns after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, his wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, and begins to read her book.

Along comes a Game Warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, "Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?"

"Reading a book," she replies, (thinking, "Isn't that obvious?")

"You're in a Restricted Fishing Area," he informs her.

"I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading."

"Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up."

"If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault," says the woman.

"But I haven't even touched you," says the Game Warden.

"That's true, but you have all the equipment, for all I know you could start at any moment."

"Have a nice day ma'am," he said, and he left.

MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads, it's likely that she can also think.