Friday morning roundup

Are we getting so dumb, as a country, that we're willing to waste money out of spite?

I love hippos, but I understand the invasive species issue.

Oh, I understand why beautiful clothes cost so much. I even understand why ugly clothes sometimes cost so much. I think what the fashion industry doesn't understand is why most people can't afford them. I don't "see longevity" in the clothes I buy because I'm a klutz, and so are other people, so I'm not going to invest in things that I'm going to spill food on or tear when I trip or snag when someone pushes me on the metro. I don't doubt the value of many of these clothes; I just don't think they're a good way for me to spend my money.

What's really sad, though, is this:

"This week the situation reached a nadir of sorts when the Paris house Emanuel Ungaro — once the pride and joy of the Upper East Side — announced that it had hired Lindsay Lohan as its artistic adviser."

I do have an Ungaro suit. Not sure it still fits me, though.