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I haven’t had a ton of luck with Ballroom dance based workouts. Usually, they’re kind of lame. Case in point: Dancing with the Stars-Cardio Dance, let’s just say it was underwhelming to say the least. After countless craptastic adventures in Ballroom Dance DVDs I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to pop in Dance Off the Inches: Dance It Off Ballroom. But, I did it, and surprisingly I liked it… a lot.
The thing that really sets the Dance Off the Inches series from other dance workouts is that they spend a significant amount of time teaching you the steps in a separate step guide. In this case the step guide was 20-minutes of just footwork. By the time you’re ready to actually do the workout it’s fast moving, but you’re comfortable and you’ll actually burn some calories. The instructor, Kristina Milova, is really good. She’s thorough in the step guide and really good at cuing the actual dance routines. In 40-minutes I felt like a Samba, Cha-Cha, and Jive rock star. Not to mention, I was dripping (which could be the workout or could be the fact that I haven’t hooked up my air-conditioner yet), and had burned 331 calories according to my heart rate monitor.
I have a ridiculous Exercise DVD collection, somewhere in the hundreds at this point, but this one is going at the front of my rotation. This is a good cardio stand-by for days I can’t get to the gym and don’t want to venture into the great outdoors-and it’s kinda fun and all that hip rolling makes me feel hot.
Non-committal types can rent it on Netflix or preview it on Collage Video.
By Kimberly Miller for 92.3 NOW
I’m a REAL nails girl…
I’ve always been a bit jealous of those that could rock the acrylics with class and panache, but have never really been quite ready to take the plunge. Okay, that’s a lie, there was that one time, in high school, when I got tips for prom, but after soaking my fingers in acetone for what seemed like days and being left with tiny little sore stubs of what my real nails used to be, I swore never again.
Never again until yesterday. I went into Dashing Diva, to get my bi-monthly pedicure when I saw a sign for their Virtual Nails. Virtual nails aren’t acrylic, they’re these crazy clear plastic nails that start at your nail bed and work like glorified press-ons for a couple of weeks. No fill ins, no filing down of your nail bed, just some glue and plastic. The cost: $35.
I’ll admit I didn’t realize quite how involved this process was when I signed up. The ads boast 30-minutes, it definitely took more than an hour. I’d like to nominate my nail technician for sainthood now. The process starts with a fitting, which took a fair amount of time in its own right as my nail tech compared size after size (they’ve got 120) to match my nail shape perfectly. At two points she glued down a size she deemed unfit, and started from the beginning with those nails. That’s commitment, I would probably never have noticed.
Once the perfect set was lined up the gluing commenced, which in itself was a three tier process, we moved on to the main event. She asked me about the shape and length I wanted and cut and filed with precision, checking in to get my thoughts as she files. I’ll admit that I kind of wish I’d gone of few millimeters shorter. This long-nails thing is taking some getting used to.
Perfectly even nails, check. next came the polish. I went with a French Manicure (an extra $5), and I have to admit, the final product looks really nice. Dashing Diva claims in their marketing materials that Virtual Nails look real. I wouldn’t go that far, they look and feel like traditional acrylics, but nice nonetheless. I love the novelty of them, and I love the fact that in two weeks I can either soak them off and be back to my own set of non-damaged nails, or get a fresh new set. I don’t see one of those scary electric files (aka, itty-bitty power sander) in my future ever again.
If you’ve got a special event coming up, or are just looking to play around with your back to school look, Virtual Nails are fun and affordable way to get your nail goddess on.
By Kimberly Miller for 92.3 NOW
Aww, the sadness…
Pop-punk’s favorite couple are taking a turn for the worse and it looks like Avril Lavigne may be on the market again soon. The rumor mill has it that the 24-year-old songstress and her famous for being in Sum-41 (‘memba them?), hubby Deryck Whibley will be pulling the plug on their 3 year marriage.
What started these rumors?
A few things… things like the fact that Avril was out and about this weekend in the Hamptons, dancing and flirting it up with a gaggle of eager lads who were noticeably not her husband. That and the fact Avril hasn’t been publicly seen with Deryck since December 2008.
The couple had been working on Avril’s latest album together, but Whibley is no longer involved in the process.
It looks like Deryck is no longer coupled OR employed. Keep your chin up… she’s the bread winner. At least you’ll get alimony.
Read More NOW >
By Kimberly Miller for 92.3 NOW
The “Pied Piper of R&B”, R. Kelly and hip-hop newcomer Keri Hilson have teamed up for a new single, called “Number 1″. Really, it should be called “Number 1 Sex” but I guess R. Kell felt the need to remove the last word, since just about every song he’s written includes it (Sex in the Kitchen, Sex Weed, Sex Planet… you get the idea).
Anyway, check out the actual clip below and after that have a look at the behind the scenes footage where Kelly and Keri talk about working together and paying tribute to their mutual idol, Michael Jackson.
VIDEO: R. Kelly feat. Keri Hilson – “Number 1″
VIDEO: Behind the Scenes of R. Kelly’s “Number 1″
92.3 NOW Artist Profiles:
It was about this time last year when the music world was graced with the unthinkable combination of Jay Z, T.I., Lil Wayne and Kanye West for the song “Swagger Like Us”. The song earned the rappers a GRAMMY award and the distinction of being involved in one of the best collaborations, probably in music history.
It seems as if the boy wonder, Drake, has the same idea in mind – as his latest single “Foreva” features hip hop heavyweights Kanye and Wayne again but also the always controversial and talented Eminem. This combo is quite unique for the simple fact that Slim Shady is a part of it since he rarely does big collaborations with other elite artists, outside of the Interscope Records family. The recent beef between Em and Mariah Carey has, for most of the summer, cast a shadow over the lyrical creativity in his music – so maybe this track will be a return to form.
Drake (feat. Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem) – “Foreva”
There’s no clear indication as to whether or not the track will be featured on the upcoming Drake album, Thank Me Later, but there’s every reason to believe it’s another track that will make fans crave an official release date.
Do you think “Foreva” will be as big a success as “Swagger Like Us” and does the collaboration with Eminem finally validate Drake as a hip hop heavyweight? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
In Other News…
MTV has a teaser clip available for what is arguably the best track on Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape, “Successful”. Check it out below.
By Ed Easton Jr. from the NOW Entourage
You know how Law & Order is on all day, every day? Well, perhaps it’s time to pay a bit more attention to the crime drama. A 24-year-old confessed Law & Order junkie used tips she learned from the long running cop show to catch the man that robbed her.
Justine Faeth, was at her job as an executive assistant at City Lights Media, when a man came in and asked her for a glass of water. Obligingly, she got it for him but while she was being hospitable, he was rummaging through her things and taking whatever suited his fancy. In all he left with her wallet, cellphone and iPod. He did drink the water though, and blow his nose, before he left.
Faeth called the cops but before they came, her television-garnered sleuthing skills kicked in and she put aside the thief’s water glass and tissue, knowing that television cops use that information for DNA tests.
The real life cops weren’t so obliging when they arrived, stating they only do that sort of police work for rape cases and homicides. Disheartened, she threw the materials away but they didn’t stay in the trash for long. The next day, the cops asked for them, in order to run DNA tests. I guess the cops watch Law & Order too!
The thief has since been arrested and identified as career criminal, Kevin Moore. Looks like he’ll know better than to use the ole ‘ may I have a glass of water’ trick in the future.
Read More NOW >
By Kimberly Miller for 92.3 NOW
It’s been quite the dramatic week for Lindsay Lohan… first she gets robbed, then the info that she’s launching a new reality show is leaked.
Yes, you read correctly, coming soon to a television near you will be the Lindsay Lohan Show (Err, not the actual name of the show, but might as well be!), where cameras will follow LiLo around so the viewing audience at home can know exactly how hard her life is.
I’m actually a little shocked, seeing as how Lindsay refused to be seen on her mom, Dina’s, short lived reality show Living Lohan. While I’m sure Dina was peeved that her cash cow daughter wouldn’t grace the TV set, she nonetheless mentioned LiLo a few times per episode, you know, just to remind you who she was.
I guess, desperate times call for desperate measures, and a reality show is just about as desperate as you can get when you fall from A-List to D-List status before you even hit 25.
So the question is, will you watch it?
Read More NOW >
By Kimberly Miller for 92.3 NOW
It’s been a crazy summer folks. I hardly remember the first month and a half, because it just seems like a bad rainy dream. The sun has come out recently, with renewed vigor and now that the calendar is inching closer and closer to Fall, I’ve made a list to remind myself (and you) of all the things to do before summer ends.
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1. Sandals
Wear those super cute summer sandals that you’ve finally broke in enough. May as well get a few more bandaid-less uses out of them!
2. Mmmm Gelato!
Check out il Laboratoria del gelato, my new favoritist place in the Lower East Side (95 Orchard St), creamy, delicious, tastes like the stuff you get in a little shop in Florence. Oh, and there’s well over 100 flavors listed on their website, you’re bound to find one you like.
3. Spend a day at Coney Island
Eat a hot dog, ride the Cyclone, shoot the freak, catch a baseball game, or just wander around in your bathing suit!
4. Go all the way to the top…
…Of the Statue of Liberty! Lady Liberty’s crown re-opened for the first time since 2001 last month. Hit the stairs and check out the amazing views from her crown before all the school field trips take over.
5. Pack a picnic
Grab some food and lounge in one of New York City’s amazing parks. I’m partial to Prospect Park, but I guess Central ain’t too shabby either.
6. Hit up Water Taxi Beach
Check out any one of their three locations (Long Island City, Governors Island, and South Street Seaport, for music, dancing, beer in plastic cups and the sand between your toes!
7. Free Movies!
Take advantage of all the free movie screenings in local parks. It seems like this summer was the summer of movies and picnics for me. A great way to enjoy your friends and your city, and save some money.
8. Sit on a stoop!
Quintessential New York people watching opportunity. Obviously, this is much easier if you live in a building with a stoop, but don’t be afraid to adopt a local stoop, I’ve found that people are mighty kind if you’re just looking for a concrete surface to rest your weary tush on. I always feel very old school New York as I copasquat on other peoples real estate.
9. Free Fridays at MoMa
Okay, you can do that all year round, but I like to suck up as much free air-conditioning as possible. Hey, you might even get some culture while you’re there.
10. Finally…
Enjoy every last single second of sunshine and wearing almost nothing. Ah, summer dresses, how I’ll miss you!
What’s on your Pre-Fall To Do list? Leave some comments below.
By Kimberly Miller for 92.3 NOW
Have you been to the newly opened Highline Park yet?
Well, according to the New York Post, you’re missing quite the show.
Highline Park just happens to be right across from the Standard Hotel, which doesn’t seem like much of a problem to me, unless of course you factor in the slightly exhibitionist nature of the Standard’s guests.
Tourists and locals alike have been complaining about the explicit sexual acts that Standard guests make a point of sharing with the willing and unwilling viewing public alike.
The Standard Hotel has floor to ceiling windows, windows the hotel staff encourage patrons to take full advantage of when losing those inhibitions. Heck, the hotel even asks for pictures…. or video, apparently. According to local voyeurs residents, the Standard seems to be quite popular for porn shoots.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn seems to be making it her mission to put the canoodling to an end. Which will probably make the park slightly more popular with the stroller crowd, but definitely less entertaining for the rest of us.
Read More NOW >
You learn something new everyday…
Today I learned that Michael Jackson shot his awesometastic video for “Bad” at the Hoyt – Schermerhorn G/A/C-subway station in Brooklyn. Awesome right?
I also learned that city councilwoman, Letitia James, wants the station renamed after Jacko.
With the impending re-naming of the Atlantic/Pacific stop to Barclay’s, and the proposal to swap Hoyt-Schermerhorn, will Brooklynites have to memorize an entirely new subway syllabus?
Not so much, the MTA said no to James’ request, but she’s not deterred, she’s looking to start a petition. So, get your pens ready if you want to transfer at “The King of Pop” for service to Queens and Manhattan, because James is going to be needing a lot of signatures to pressure the MTA into renaming a station without a sizable donation.
Oh Snap! Wesley just got SERVED!
By Kimberly Miller for 92.3 NOW
