With the economy in the sh*tter…it’s not crazy to ask yourself how the eff you are gonna pay for college. Well for you young’uns lookin for schooling in this time of economic turmoil, here’s a list of schools you might want to avoid, despite their prestige.

Consumerist.com posted a list of the 25 most expensive colleges in the U.S. (determined by tuition + room and board). Naturally, this list consists of the creme de la creme of prestigious schools (though surprisingly you won’t see Yale or Harvard on there), that charge extra for the name.

Now, I may not be going to Sarah Lawrence - which costs about $53,166 per year - but I think I’m getting a damn good edumacation without totally putting myself in debt (by “totally” putting myself in debt” I mean I’ll only be paying back loans till I’m about 40… not 80). While prices are on the rise, Hofstra University maintains a rather affordable tuition with plenty of financial aid. The University boasts several accredited departments as well as famous alums, such as Francis Ford Coppola. Hofstra proves that there are schools out there that offer a great education without having their students bend backwards to cover tuition.

So really guys, what’s in a name? Why the hell are these school’s so expensive? And how is anyone going to pay back the loans if they can’t get a job? And are these schools really worth all this money?

So many questions; I need answers!

If there’s anyone reading this who attends one of these top-o-the-line schools, tell us: are you gettin your penny’s worth?

The Sex and the City Movie left me slightly depressed. No, not because the movie made me all mushy and introspective, wondering when I am going to find my Steve, Harry, Big or Smith. That sentiment wasn’t even a blip on my radar.

Rather, the SATC movie left me depressed for admittedly superficial reasons. Forget Freuds Penis Envy — the SATC Movie left me with major, MAJOR bag, clothes, and shoe envy. I felt like having a tantrum circa 1983 (But mom I waaaaant it!!!!!).

I am not exaggerating when I say that I was salivating at the sight of Miranda’s Norma Kamali Swim-suit and Carrie’s 5,000 pairs of Manolo’s and Louboutins. Suddenly my flip flops and white terry zip-up made me feel like a hot-mess.

Maybe I should have dressed up for the movie (I say this now with extreme sarcasm, because I still think movies go hand in hand with sweatpants and popcorn; not patent leather pumps and thigh highs). But when the movie was over, I had an itch to go home, freshen up and put on my best Carrie Bradshaw imitation. Read More »

If you’re anything like me, you have a brother (or two, or…god help you, three), and every year it’s pretty impossible to figure out what to get them for Hanukkah or Christmas. You slide subtle hints into IM conversations, use your parents for help, even flat out ask them “what the hell do you need??!”, but sometimes to The Bro is so illusive, you just want to slam some money down in front of him and shout get your own present!!

Coming in at a close second in the gift-giving challenge is the BF. Sure, you love him. Sure, he knows you better than most people. But finding a gift he’ll like because it’s cool, and not just because you’re his girlfriend? Tough.

In case you haven’t reached your breaking point yet (I know Hanukkah is almost over, but there’s still time!), I’m compiled a list of presents the Bro and the Beau might like. It’s always hard to tell with these strange specimens, but hey, even if they scrunch their face up again this year…at least you tried. Besides, they’re been giving you shit from The Body Shop for years. Teach them through example about branching out.

• Charles & Marie Dosh Wallet ($60) – compact, manly, and oh-so-full of special pockets, this wallet is a lot better than that ratty, duct-taped thing he’s been carrying around for years. It’s a little expensive, but just think of it as payback for that time you stuck gum in your Bro’s hair or ‘accidentally’ told your friends about the Beau’s bedroom ‘issues’.

• Dakine Plaid Backpack ($59.50) – it’s really hard to hate on a backpack, especially one that’s so nondescript and cool. Plus, he can carry his laptop and snowboard / skateboard around wherever he goes. Read More »

Sometimes trends are so ridiculous (and downright hideous) that while I put the title of “Trend Watch” on this article…I sincerely hope that this new item will never bear the title of “trendy”.

On that note, say hello to Spats!

These absurdly overpriced leather covers are made to cover your already expensive high heels to give you more variety; more options.

Awesome, just what we all need…something to make us even later in the morning!

Not only that, but if you ask me, these gladiator-esque shoe coverings look really f*cking dated. Weren’t these on the fringe of being cool, like, 3 years ago?

Also, who the hell do we think we are? Mr. Peanut? Victorian era, old-timey, wealthy gentlemen?

Possothespat.com is offering these ugly little things for bundles of cash. And in what looks to be an atempt to be edgy, they have taken pictures of girls with only okay looking feet to pose on toilet seats with these things on. Scandalous! Read More »

Sometimes I look at this world and I shake my head.

Other times, I laugh.

When it comes to this story, I’m not sure which I should do.

Nakazawa Foods, A Tokyo-based company, is preparing to launch its new line of “Adult Milk”, products targeting people “who live in a stressful society”.

These new products, including actual cartons of milk, will be extremely rare and special because they include liquid “taken from cows once a week at the break of dawn as they discharge a lot of a stress-relieving hormone called melatonin during the night”.

Yup. Milk that helps fight stress. Read More »

MTV has gone above and beyond lame by giving Lauren Conrad her own fashion line—and making it expensive as hell.

The annoying blond from The Hills (doesn’t narrow it down at all, does it?) has been an intern at Teen Vogue for a while, and I guess after two years of licking envelopes and putting dresses back on hangers, MTV decided she had enough training to put out her own line of boring, expensive crap.

Looking like stuff you could pick up at Forever 21 or H&M for $20, Conrad’s designs (named after herself. How imaginative) range from an $85 to $150 dollars, totally slamming the door on any of her teenage fans who don’t have their parents credit card handy.

After clicking through the small array of rayon shirts and dresses (and a headscarf that costs $25.00), I can’t decide which pisses me off more; the fact that MTV has become so obsessed with money that it no longer applies to normal people, or the fact that girls will actually buy expensive stuff designed by a chick who has no official training whatsoever.

All I’m saying is, if I’m going to buy something that’s almost 90% rayon, I’ll push past the 10-year-olds to the Wet Seal at my neighborhood mall.

Check out the entire Lauren Conrad Collection after the jump! Read More »

Kombucha!

No, I’m one of the Three Ninjas (Remember them? How cute was Rocky?), Kombucha is a fairly new organic refreshment. A drink. An expensive drink, but, it’s damn good…good for you, that is.

According to Wikipedia, Kombucha is “the Western name for sweetened tea or tisane that has been fermented by a macroscopic solid mass of microorganisms called a “kombucha colony,” usually consisting principally of Bacterium xylinum and yeast cultures.” Fermented tea?? Sounds delightful.

A man by the name of G.T. Dave began bottling this light and fizzy juice in 1995 after his mother beat breast cancer, all the while drinking this ancient concoction. According to the bottle, Kombucha supports digestion, metabolism, immune system, appetite control, weight control, liver function, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, healthy skin and hair. Need I say more? Read More »

I’m not a big drinker, but I love me a well-made cocktail.

Why, just the other weekend I ordered a $12 concoction that sounded wonderful at a swanky outdoor bar (the drink did not, in fact, taste wonderful, but you better believe I sipped that sucker dry — $12 cocktails are always to be finished, no matter what).

Because I’d rather go with quality rather than quantity, I was super psyched to read this little article in the New York Times about organic cocktails.

No more Red Bull and bottom shelf vodka here, these new fruit and vegetable fueled drinks are popping up in bars all over the United States.

With recipes “like freshly juiced organic carrots, Granny Smith apple juice, elderflower liqueur and vodka”, the new “organic” cocktail trend allows health conscious connoisseurs feel better about topping off that third drink.

And while nothing is going to make sipping an alcoholic beverage healthier than eating an apple, researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture recently reported, “adding alcohol to strawberries and blackberries increased their antioxidant capacity”. Read More »