I know I’ve said this in nearly every one of my posts, but I think it bears restating: I truly loathe stupid people. The following story is a perfect example of idiocy compounded exponentially.

Just two weeks after Joshua Lipton was charged in a drunk driving accident that seriously injured a woman and left her hospitalized, the 20-year old college junior attended a Halloween party dressed as a prisoner in an orange jumpsuit. His friends posted pictures from the party on Facebook and it wasn’t long before they made their way to the hands of the attorney prosecuting the case. The pictures were used as evidence in court to show that Lipton lacked remorse for what he had done. The result? The judge slapped Lipton with two years in jail.

Let this be a lesson to all you stupid people out there. If you’re awaiting sentencing for a DUI that left someone hospitalized, it’s probably not a great idea to publicly mock the situation.

The American economy is in a bad way right now. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures prices in terms of consumer goods, rose 1.1% in the month of June alone, representing an annualized rate of 13%. Gas prices are up. Food prices are up. Banks are struggling and mortgage lenders are failing. Rightfully, Americans are worried. Businesses are worried. Hell, Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, is worried.

But guess who isn’t worried? Yes, that’s right - somehow, astoundingly, President Bush is not worried. Rather than promise us that he understands the severity of the problem and considers the economy a top priority (since, after all, most Americans do!), he not only downplays the problem, he belittles it! When asked about whether he was worried over the state of the economy in a speech given this week, President Bush offered this reassuring gem,

“I’m not an economist, but I do believe that we’re growing. I’m an optimist.”

And I do believe that we’re only half a year away from a new Presidency. Amen!

(Speaking of optimism, if I had one wish, I think it would be for the President to not speak for the remainder of his term in office and to voluntarily cede all decision-making rights over to Congress. I want him to become a silent, lame duck.)

To Jewish girls, straight hair is like the Holy Grail. From age 12 on, we fight our waves and curls with blow dryers and flat irons, trying in vain to get perfect, straight locks. (They don’t call it a Jew-fro for nothing.) I’m no different. I would estimate that I spent about an hour every single morning drying and straightening my hair to remove its natural frizz.

Then I discovered a process called Japanese Hair Straightening. It’s basically a reverse perm - instead of making straight hair permanently curly, it makes curly hair permanently straight. Pin straight, to be exact.

I got my first Japanese Straight Perm three years ago and it changed my life pretty substantially. My morning routine was reduced to 15 minutes (including shower), since I could literally just wash and go. No more blowdrying required. My hair dried perfectly smooth and straight on its own! I recently got my second Japanese Straight Perm this week and couldn’t be happier. Between my job and my toddler, the last thing I have time for is fussing with my hair.

The only drawback is the cost. Japanese Hair Straightening isn’t cheap. I paid $250 for mine and that’s on the low end of the range. Prices go all the way up to $800, depending on the salon and the length and texture of your hair. I think the price is worth the convenience. The results last about a year (or until it grows out).

My final comment is if you’re considering getting a Japanese Straight Perm, find a salon with lots of experience. I’ve had the best luck with Japanese salons where the hairstylists received their training in Japan. Here, the fanciest salon in town might not do the best job (and will likely overcharge you as well).

If you have questions about this process, please leave a comment or send me an email. I’m so happy with this and want to share it with other women!