Sweet Dreams MORE »

It's Electric: The Electric Company Returns Hey you guuuuys! The Electric Company is back, ready to bring its wacky brand of educational programming to a new generation of kids. While Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno won't be around this time, the show's message remains the same: reading can be fun. A hipper, more energetic Sesame Street, The Electric Company's true successor, at this point, is probably the fantastic Yo Gabba Gabba, which captures the energy of the original series. Will the new Electric Company connect with kids? See for yourself: a comparison between the old school Electric Company and the version that will be launched in January, 2009, after the jump. Now if only they could resurrect Square One Television, the children's television universe would be good to go. MORE »

Paris Pushes Her Latest Perfume MORE »

Shirley Chisholm: "I Am, Was, And Always Will Be A Catalyst For Change" On this date in 1924, Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to the United States Congress, was born in Brooklyn, New York. Chisholm, who had gone to college to be a teacher, was elected to Congress in 1968, and broke another barrier by becoming the first African-American major-party candidate to run for the Presidency in 1972. While her run was ultimately unsuccessful, Chisholm earned 28 delegates and ensured that the face of American Presidential politics would be forever changed. "I am a candidate for the Presidency of the United States," Chisholm noted, "I make that statement proudly, in the full knowledge that, as a black person and as a female person, I do not have a chance of actually gaining that office in this election year. I make that statement seriously, knowing that my candidacy itself can change the face and future of American politics—that it will be important to the needs and hopes of every one of you—even though, in the conventional sense, I will not win." MORE »

Eva's Zebra Dress Gets Caught In A Trap MORE »

She Blinded Me With Science...And Awesome Dance Moves Hey, Scientists: need a way to explain your complicated thesis to others? Perhaps you should consider entering the "Dance Your Ph.D" contest, an annual challenge designed to give scientists the chance to express their thesis work through dance. This year's winners have just been announced, and include Sue Lynn Lau, a graduate student at the University of Sydney, Australia, who designed a routine as a representation of her thesis, "The role of Vitamin D in beta-cell function." The synopsis given on Lau's entry: "Every PhD begins in the dark, but it takes only a few bright sparks to kindle the flame of discovery." The contest is a pretty rad way to combine science and the arts, and is an incredibly creative way to share one's academic work without using any words at all. Clip after the jump. MORE »

Posh Becks In Her Specs MORE »

The "Downsized Holiday": Ur Doin It Wrong Alex Williams wanted to throw a holiday dinner party, but in this economy, he found it difficult to throw a proper shindig on a budget, and so he enlisted the help of David Monn, a party-planner who made it his mission to help Williams throw a "downsized" feast for his guests. Williams recounts this experience in The New York Times, writing with wonder about the deals he was able to snap up at Kmart, Jack's 99 Cent Store, and Trader Joe's, as if these places were exotic wonderlands where magical cheapness comes to life. In the end, Williams is able to carry off the entire party for a "budget" total of $238.40. To which we say: shenanigans, Alex Williams. She-na-ni-gans. MORE »

Sasha Fierce Reminds You To Put A Ring On It MORE »

Team Of Rivals It's finally official: after weeks of speculation, it has been confirmed that Senator Hillary Clinton will be nominated for the position of Secretary-of-State by President-elect Barack Obama. Obama is also expected to announce on Monday that Robert Gates will remain in his position as Secretary of Defense "for a year or more and that retired Marine General James M. Jones would serve as national security adviser." [HuffingtonPost] MORE »

Lindsay Lohan Lives In Leggings MORE »

Not-So-Endless Summer Is the era of the fake-bake finally over? The marvelous Simon Doonan says yes: "Every trend has a sell-by date, and the fake tan thing definitely expired this year," Doonan tells The Times. "What once looked healthy and lush now looks cheesy and has baaad connotations... I associate a tanned look with skin cancer, but, really, it’s the fake thing. Centuries ago, women used powdered lead to whiten their faces. It made them ill and is just as loony as hosing yourself with tangerine fake tan.” Beauty expert Joanna McGarry agrees, calling the super-tan look, "defined by excessive fake tanning, a French manicure and lashings of lip gloss, is unbelievably ageing.” So what's the alternative? According to Ruby Warrington, "the new pallor is all about the natural look, a kind of pared-down beauty that needs no artifice." In other words, George Hamilton is out and Edward Cullen is totally in.[TimesOnline] MORE »

Ashton And Demi: Dapper Darlings MORE »

Miss American Dream: Britney Spears Goes "On The Record" I was sixteen years old the first time I saw Britney Spears on MTV. She was dancing around in her now-iconic schoolgirl outfit, pouting in a basketball uniform, and dancing in a tight pink top with her stomach exposed to the world, asking us to hit her, baby, one more time. I can remember a sick feeling creeping into my system as the video played; Britney and I are essentially the same age, and here she was, all sex and skin, Lolita-ing her way into America’s heart. There was something very sinister about her, something creepy and unsettling: this is the girl that every boy I know wants to make out with, I thought. I am so screwed. I guess I wasn’t the only person who picked up on it: soon every “hot” girl in my high school had at least one midriff-baring tee, which they prepared to wear by going fake-tanning after school and starving their way to six-pack abs. Just the year before, everyone wanted to be Shirley Manson, all silver dresses and punked out red hair, and now the tide had turned. Britney Spears had come into our lives, and we would never be the same. MORE »

Hillary And Chelsea Have A Mother-Daughter Night MORE »

Reese Witherspoon Isn't Sure If She'll Buy Her Kid A Horse For Christmas This Year

• Reese Witherspoon is "a little strict" about her kids' Christmas presents, in order to ensure that they won't grow up super-spoiled. "I think kids do best when they only have a couple of things that they really enjoy," Witherspoon says, "I try and stay away from the gluttony of things. They don't appreciate it as much. When they only get one or two things they really like it." [People]

• However, Reese's daughter Ava has asked for a horse for Christmas, and Reese is still unsure as to whether she'll actually buy her one or not. [US Magazine]

• Perhaps Ava asked her father, Ryan Phillippe, to buy her a horse over Thanksgiving weekend, which she and her brother, Deacon, spent with Phillipe and his girlfriend, Abbie Cornish. Or maybe she should ask her mom's boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhaal, who spent Thanksgiving weekend with Reese in the United Kingdom.[JustJared]

MORE »

Saturday Night Dance Party As I am currently on the road, and SNL is a rerun tonight, we won't be having our typical Saturday Night Live Thread this evening. Today was a bit wacky, posting wise, but tomorrow we'll be back on track. Until then, have a safe and happy evening, and try to keep your post-Thanksgiving, post-Black Friday, "OMG I have to go back to work on Monday" blues away with a song or two. Feel free to add your own Saturday Night jams in the comments. I'll get you started, after the jump. MORE »

Angry Goose Threatens To Destroy Santa Claus MORE »