BINGO BUGLE

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Head of a Dog” – 1870. How cute is THAT?!

Become a Facebook FAN!

Everyone is on Facebook these days. Companies big and small, your mother (uh oh), your mother-in-law (double uh oh), your kids (they’re embarrassed you’re here), your boss (triple uh oh), your co-workers (this could be bad, or good), and your real world friends, including those “fab” gal pals who make it their mission to post snaps of you taken when you’ve had too much to drink and decide you’re a really, really good dancer.

It’s hard to create a Facebook page for yourself that reflects your many “interests” yet keeps you out of trouble with everyone. While “everyone” is probably okay with the fact that you like to post photos of dogs dressed up in holiday costumes (sample below), your boss might not like to see that update you made about falling asleep at your desk, or how much time you spend on Farmville. And while your friends may love those too-too-tipsy shots of you shaking your groove thing, I can guarantee your mother-in-law will use this against you somehow.

Bunny doesn’t want a bland Facebook page, but, then again, Bunny doesn’t want to get fired either. If you have any tips on making Facebook work every which way for everything and everybody, through privacy settings, or creating separate profiles, or some such, post your comments here please!

Everyone loves a parade, sort of.

Is it just me, or do these people look completely nuts?

Mmm Mmm Wood!

If seeing abandoned Christmas trees awaiting the chipper bums you out like it does me, maybe this article will cheer you up: http://www.peoplepets.com/news/cute/rescued-goats-eat-discarded-christmas-trees-like-candy/1

(Should I be embarrassed that I often log in to PeoplePets?

The plot of “Twilight” in less than one minute:

My sister sent me this link (how she found her way here I do not know) and within seconds I was living vicariously through this self-described recovering control freak new yorker who isn’t ashamed to chase a waffle truck and has replaced her television with a tray of gin (it was love at first blog-entry). I will be checking in here from time to time, and you probably should, too.
http://katenyland.blogspot.com/

Walmart.com is now selling caskets, urns and funeral jewelry. I find this vaguely disturbing, but I’m not certain why. And can anyone please tell me what “funeral jewelry” is?!
According to Ad Age Magazine, Costco, Amazon and some place called Caskets2U (thank god they didn’t call themselves CastketsAreUs) also have an array of death supplies, including the “Mom Remembered” casket, with embroidered roses and and the word “Mother” inside the lid (um, folks, mom can’t read when she’s in there — better to put that on the outside don’t you think?).
Well, I’m holding out for branded funeral urns (36% of the people who died last year were cremated). Can’t you just picture how fabulous your ashes would look in a glittering “Hello Kitty” urn? Or a Burberry Urn with its own little trademark plaid scarf wrapped about it? Or best of all, for those who liked to knock a few back in their day, the Absolute Vodka Urn, shaped like the beloved bottle? People, there is money to be made here!

Or does the editor of Paris Vogue look a lot like “The Grinch”?

While I love a magazine that features fabulous frocks on six foot models and the current “It Girl” – editor Anna Wintour has managed to make Vogue so much more, without being celeb-obsessed (InStyle), preachy and desperate (Marie Claire), out of touch (Harper’s Bazaar), or vulgar (W). From books to body talk, from cinema to the stage, here are the top ten highlights of “my” October Vogue.

#10 Ivanka Trump’s new book, “The Trump Card.” Page 197. I like Ivanka Trump. Brains, beauty and now a book of career tips. Even though I read somewhere that she hunts foreign pheasants for fun, I still think she’s rather classy and does her mother proud. Book available at Amazon.com.

#9 Knits from lutzandpatmos.com. Page 178. Modeled by the exquisite Charlize Theron, the hand-made knits of Lutz & Patmos are made of environmentally friendly yarns and produced in environmentally friendly production facilities. If I were rich, I’d buy the Gauze Knit Poncho. http://www.lutzandpatmos.com/.

#8“Screen Test” article. Page 194. Concise article about the debate on when to start getting mammograms. Breast cancer articles are so frightening that I usually don’t read them; this piece, however, provides information in a level-headed way that makes you feel like you’re in the driver’s seat.

#7 Actress profile: Carey Mulligan. Page 196. A small feature on the up-and-coming actress who was so charming in “Bleak House.” Can’t wait to see her in “Never Let Me Go” – see #5 below, due in 2010, and this month’s “An Education,” with Peter Sarsgaard.

#6 Michelle Williams Interview. Page 204. Michelle Williams has been a favorite since “Brokeback Mountain.” This interview is a sensitive look into the private life of a very talented actress, and manages to entirely avoid being crass about her connection to the late Heath Ledger.

#5 Ishiguro’s 2005 novel “Never Let Me Go” – mentioned in the article about Carey Mulligan, who will star in the film version scheduled for 2010 release. I bought this book about a year ago and hadn’t gotten around to reading it; now that I know that the book’s narrator is a (?!) (don’t want to spoil it for you) (oh my god how weird) I’ve picked it up again – and it’s fantastic!

#4 Photo of Karlie Kloss. Page 216. The 15-year-old, 5-foot-11-inch model of the moment in a truly wonderful shot (not the photo above). See a video of the very charming Kloss demonstrating her “death stare” at: http://vainandvapid.blogspot.com/2008/05/modeling-talk-with-karlie-kloss.html.

#3 Excerpt from the new book, The Queen Mother: The Official Biography by William Shawcross. Page 214. A sneak peak at what looks to be a revelatory royal biography. Available on Amazon.com.

#2 Profile of Actor Jude Law. Page 250. Law is set to star on Broadway as Hamlet. With Photo of Law – need I say more. Different pic above for your amusement.

#1 Jeffrey Steingarten’s article about candy. Yum! The persnickety and fab Mr. Steingarten has whipped up a delicious piece about candy stores in New York City. Being a candy freak and a huge fan of Manhattan, I can guarantee you that the next time I’m in NYC, I will be visiting Dylan’s Candy Bar, three floors of every imaginable sweet. See a video at http://www.dylanscandybar.com/store-locator/.