I was using Stumble Upon earlier today and came across a few news tidbits that I wanted to share.

+ Study: Cannabis Bigger Cancer Risk Than Cigarettes : Considering that this seems to always be a health debate, I found this article really interesting. Recently I read a thread on a LiveJournal community about if cannabis is linked to cancers. I was surprised by the extremely conflicting information, and sometimes just flat out uneducated information, that people had received. I think it’s very important for people to be aware of what they are putting into their bodies before doing so. This was found on Yahoo! News.

+ Study: The Pill Protects Against Cancer : Again, I think it’s important for people to be aware of what they are putting into their bodies. I’ve heard a lot of debate about the health risks vs. the health benefits of birth control. I think that every female should be extremely aware of health news in this area. Also found on Yahoo! News.

+ professional web design : Website and computer services geared towards small businesses and home users. Provides a wide range of services. Everything from web design, web hosting, software training, computer security, and more. These services are offered by their technicians and are on the ball about getting to their customers fast.

All the cute spring clothes in stores right now are really making me look forward to the upcoming warmer weather! In the spring and summer, I think that casual, cute and girly outfits are the way to go. You can easily look put together without putting too much work into it. I put together this outfit as an example of the type of outfit I can’t wait for it to be warm enough to wear. Urban Outfitters always has really funky and cute skirts, like the Lux Twill Button Front Skirt in Red. I’d pair it with two plain tanks in solid colors, like the Hollister Co. Emerald Cove Tank in White and Navy. I find that buying multiple tanks in the same cut really helps them to lay better when you are layering them. Since it’s usually still a bit chilly in spring, I’d wear a cute sweater with a bit of detail, like the Hollister Co. Diver’s Cove Sweater in Navy. Add some funky sunglasses, like Forever 21 F9261 Sunglasses in Black / Dark Grey. Leather sandals would look really cute with this look but I tend to stick to rubber flip flops, like Hollister Co. Core Flip-Flops in Navy.

While she might not always show up on the list of the best dressed people, Sarah Jessica Parker has such an amazingly unique sense of style. She’s not afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to clothing and accessories, which is some true fashion inspiration. Part of that may have something to do with the creativity used by the stylist on the set of Sex & The City, but so much of it is no doubt her personal flair. This can be seen by the unique red carpet choices that she has had over the years. In 2000, she hosted the MTV Movie Awards and wore 15 different costumes during the show. She has also started her own fashion line, Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker, which is available only at Steve & Barry’s stores. Every item in the collection is not only extremely cute and wearable, but also happens to be $20.00 (USD) or less. Parker understands that clothing isn’t just fabric and material, but that fashion is an art form. Someone with a love affair with New York City like hers takes full advantage of all that the city has to offer when it comes to fashion and style.

Speaking of New York City, tt’s one of the many places that I would really like to plan a vacation to. It seems like travel deals are really hard to come by lately, so it’s a vacation that I am going to put a lot of effort into planning first. As soon as I can find an affordable flight to New York it’ll be easier to make more concrete plans. There’s just so much to see there! The Statue of Liberty, Broadway musicals, Rockefeller Center, the American Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)… It would all be amazing to check out. Not to mention all of the amazing shopping that could be done in all the different cultural areas of the city.

A book that I recently read for the first time is The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby. Hornby just happens to be my favorite author, so a book full of essays with his opinions on other books just sounded too good to pass up. And, it was. The essays in this book originally appeared in Hornby’s column in The Believer titled “Stuff I’ve Been Reading”. Every month Hornby wrote a list of books that he bought and a list of books that he read. Then wrote his thoughts on the books that he had read that month. Snippets of his columns can be read online. The book was a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Hornby’s picks ranged from poetry, classics, biographies, and fiction.

My favorite piece was the column from December 2003 and January 2004, in which he discussed the book George and Sam : Autism in the Family by Charlotte Moore (published as George & Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism in the United States). Hornby has a child with autism and wrote the introduction for the book. What he shares of his life with his son, and his comments on relating to Charlotte Moore give a real glimpse of who Hornby really is as a person. A snippet of that piece :

“I read Charlotte Moore’s book because I agreed to write an introduction for it, and I agreed to write an introduction because, in a series of brilliant columns in the Guardian, she has managed not only to tell it like it is, but to do so with enormous good humor and wit - George and Sam (Moore has three sons, two of whom are autistic) is, believe it or not, the funniest book I’ve read this year. I’m not sure I would have found it as funny six or seven years ago, when Danny was first diagnosed and autism wasn’t a topic that made me laugh much; but now that I’m used to glancing out of the window on cold wet November nights and suddenly seeing a ten year-old boy bouncing naked and gleeful on a trampoline, I have come to relish the stories all parents of autistic kids have.”

In fact, many of you are probably more familiar with Hornby’s work than you realize, just with the movie versions of his books. So far, the majority of Hornby’s novels have been made into movies (High Fidelity, About A Boy, Fever Pitch) or are being made into movies (How To Be Good). High Fidelity is as true to the book as any movie can get, and closer than any of the others. Even a large majority of the dialogue is taken, word for word, from the novel. Of course, all columns in The Polysyllabic Spree contains plenty of Hornby’s signature dry humor that makes his writing so unique and wonderful. I’m very much looking forward to reading the follow up book, Housekeeping vs. the Dirt.

I’m not usually one for debates, but, this is something that I am very curious about. I recently saw on the news about a young girl, around 3 or 4, that was allergic to so many things that the only food she could have was made by a pharmaceutical company. Since it was considered a supplement, even though she would die without it, her insurance did not cover it. The “supplement” cost her family over $1,000 a month. The company donated a months supply to the family. I can only imagine how hard that must be for the family to know that they will have that expense for their daughters entire life. That got me thinking about all the people that order their prescriptions from Canada. What do you guys think of the whole controversy about people here in America ordering drugs from Canada?

A lot of people do it because the same drugs are available for a significantly reduced price and are sent directly to your home. So I can see how it would be of great help to those who have a hard time leaving their homes to go to the doctor and/or pharmacist on a regular basis, such as the elderly or the disabled. Plus, some items are really expensive to those without health insurance. Some people need these drugs but have a hard time affording the high cost. It’s just so sad to think of all the other families out there that are struggling financially because they are having to pay high costs for necessary prescriptions through the United States markets. I was doing some research on this subject online and kept coming across one Canadian Pharmacy that has been around for a very long time, and seems to have a good reputation. They carry a huge variety of all kinds of prescription drugs and herbal supplements for a lot cheaper than they would be here in America. It seems like a reputable company that provides the prescriptions at a low cost would be a great way to go for many people and families.

Regular mayonnaise is very high in fat, calories, and cholesterol. A good alternative in many cases is a vegan version. The average vegan mayonnaise has half the calories and fat per serving as the average regular mayonnaise. One of my favorite dairy free cookbooks, 366 Simply Delicious Dairy-Free Recipes by Robin Robertson, has a great recipe for tofu mayonnaise. I’ve used it to make vegan ranch dressing and other dips before and have found it to be quite good. Another reason why this is one of my favorite dairy-free cookbooks is because it provides nutritional information for all its recipes.

Ingredients :
+ 1 1/2 cups firm silken tofu, well drained
+ 2 tablespoons safflower oil
+ 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
+ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
+ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
+ 1 teaspoon salt
+ 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
+ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions :
Plase all of the ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate covered until chilled. Refrigerated and tightly covered, this mayonnaise will keep for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 2 cups.

Nutrition Information :
+ Calories : 29
+ Protein : 1 gram
+ Fat : 2 grams
+ Percent of calories from fat : 73%
+ Cholesterol : 0 mg

Okay, not to sound like a total fan girl here but, who doesn’t love Cher? From back in her days with Sonny Bono, to the “Turn Back Time” video, until now, Cher has been a constant presence in the Hollywood scene for decades. She’s been successfully performing since 1965! According to Wikipedia, “Since her debut in 1964, Cher has sold over 100 million records worldwide and an estimated 70 million solo singles, becoming one of the biggest-selling artists of all time.” To say that she has had an impressive career is a huge understatement. Cher’s last tour ended in 2005 and she is just now getting back onto the scene.

You can get Tickets to see Cher in Las Vegas soon! Fill out the form on that website and you will be notified as soon as they become available! I’ve already signed up. She’s going to be replacing Celine Dion at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. They are expected to start in May of 2008 and are sure to be amazing. I’m definitely going to try and catch her show on the Vegas trip that we’re planning on taking sometime this year! How can you pass up a chance to see Cher? Seriously. Is anyone else going to try and go?