SixDegrees.org, which was created in partnership with the nonprofit, Network for Good, launched at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2007 to bring a social conscience to social networking. The Web site spotlights 50 celebrities' causes and allows noncelebrities to donate to or raise funds for their own favorite charities. Celebrities involved in the site include Kyra Sedgwick (Natural Resources Defense Council), Nicole Kidman (UNIFEM), Ashley Judd (YouthAIDS), Tyra Banks (TZONE Foundation), Kanye West (Kanye West Foundation), Rosie O'Donnell (Rosie's For All Kids Foundation), and Jessica Simpson (Operation Smile). The site features an auction of celebrity-signed items to benefit charity.

"We started with a group of my celebrity friends in January, but the real celebrities with a cause have turned out to be people who aren't from Hollywood," said Bacon. "In our first six months, for every celebrity involved, we've had 100 noncelebrities join, and this community has raised nearly $700,000 for thousands of charities with their badges. It goes to show that when we connect with others, our degrees of separation become smaller, and the world becomes a whole lot better."

Visitors to SixDegrees.org are encouraged to create charity badges, which are fundraising widgets that people can design themselves to raise money for any of more than 1.5 million charities and place anywhere online - including blogs, Web sites and social networks. The six people who receive the most number of donations from different people through their badge from July 19 to Sept. 16 will receive up to $10,000 in matching funds for their charity, and anyone who receives at least six donations through their badge will receive the official SixDegrees.org T-shirt from Hanes.

In Western celebrity culture we can trace the ebb and flow of the eyebrow. In the 1940s and 50s, female movie stars often removed their eyebrows completely. "Eyebrows, any body hair, anything suggestive of masculinity had to be immediately erased," explained Zoe Williams, a zeitgeist columnist with The Guardian newspaper. "There was a real interest in ramming home the difference between the genders."

Why? Was it a conscious effort to redefine femininity after the austerity of the war years? Who knows. But check out Ronald Coleman's slugs and Marlene Dietrich's sliver in Kismet, and you're left in no doubt who's man, who's women and the gulf between.

"Then in the 60s, everything got a lot more androgynous," continued Williams. Hair grew everywhere for years. It sprouted all over men and women. The bushy brow's zenith was reached on Brooke Shields' face in The Blue Lagoon. Society's evolution can be traced through the eyebrow. In the 80s eyebrows thinned again, reflecting the self-obsession and greed of the age. Power suits, shoulder pads, enormous cell phones and scary, mean, thin eyebrows. Watch Wall Street. You'll see. Women were groomed to within an inch of their lives.

With the new Misspelled Auction Search service, users simply enter the correct spelling of a product that they want to buy, select the "Get Misspellings" checkbox, and click on the "Submit Query" button. The service will automatically bring up current eBay auctions with both the correct and incorrect spellings so that users can find the auction that is right for them. To place a bid, users must sign up for an account at eBay.com.

"We offer a unique way to shop at for auctions so you can make an educated purchase" says Arthur Lee, owner of Branica.com. "Typically you can expect to see savings of up to 80% off the usual auction price with misspellings."

Since the full-coverage swimsuit dubbed the Burqini (as in burqa plus bikini) hit the international market in January, devout Muslim women have been snapping them up. The polyester suits were designed to accord with Islamic laws that require women to dress modestly and to eliminate the risk of drowning when the yards of fabric used in traditional burqas get soaked. Now, however, non-Muslim beachgoers are getting into the full-covered swim. Whether women are worried about health, weight or the tolls of age, the Burqini offers a comfortable alternative to a skimpy two-piece or clingy maillot.

The demure suits, pioneered by two Muslim women on opposite sides of the globe, are like lightweight, loose, hooded wet suits and hide everything but the face, hands and feet. Australian retailer Aheda Zanetti, 38, says she was inspired to design her Burqini after watching young Muslim girls struggle to play netball in bulky layers. Her competitor, California microbiologist Shereen Sabet, 36, came up with her full-coverage Splashgear suits after searching in vain for Islam-appropriate scuba gear. The UV-resistant, stretchy swimsuits start at $90 and have found upwards of 6,000 buyers--most of them online--in locations as varied as Malaysia, South Africa, Mexico, Ireland and the U.S. "I'm a very small business with a product the whole world wants," says Zanetti.

Health officials are urging fashion-conscious Italians to beat the heat by taking off their ties. Amid an unforgiving heat wave, the Health Ministry is advising employers to let male workers in loosen their ties.

"Taking off the tie produces an immediate decrease in the body temperature, by about 2 or 3 degrees Celsius degrees (4 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit)," health officials said in a news release. Temperatures registered Tuesday at 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) in the northern city of Ferrara, and at 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in cities such as Florence and Bologna, with hot winds and high humidity gripping most of the country.

Forecasters say the temperatures will stay the same in coming days, and electricity demand is soaring. A no-tie policy would lower demands for electricity by reducing the need for air conditioning, health officials noted. "It is a small gesture that costs nothing but which can help people better tolerate the exceptional heat of this period," it said.

I am offering the winning bidder the solution to the war in Iraq. This is not a flippant or facetious offer. There will be no joke forwarded to you if you are the winning bidder. If you are the high bidder, I will send you a viable solution to the conflict in which we are currently engaged. I am a Military Intelligence officer in the United States Army with an extensive background in the Middle East. I speak the language and understand the culture, history, and religion, well enough to construct a fair, honorable, and successful plan. I have spent time in Iraq as an enlisted intelligence Soldier during Desert Storm in 1991 and as an intelligence officer during this latest action.

I have been involved in the planning of over 400 combat operations and have personally participated in over 300 combat operations that ranged from terrorist cell take-downs to single-handed arms market raids. I do not lack courage or the ability to act.

I have headed humanitarian efforts that varied from toy drives to bridge building to educational support. I do not lack heart or the ability to feel.

My passion for this solution is genuine and my zeal is not misdirected. I do not demonize any group for the actions of a few but neither do I deify any group in some misguided attempt to show my open-mindedness. I have grieved for lost friends, both American and Iraqi, military and civilian. This war is not a concept, a philosophy, or a political agenda to me. It is a highly personal issue that I have applied an objective detachment to in order to arrive at a logical conclusion.

This war has currently cost us somewhere around FOUR HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS and over 3500 American lives. My buy it now price of five million seems perfectly reasonable by comparison. I'm not even asking you to risk your life. Unfortunately, sometimes it seems that the most valuable things in life are the least valued. For this reason I am starting the bidding at only one dollar. Just to sweeten the pot a little, I will not only send you the solution but I will also make myself available to you for two hours to further explain my solution and answer any possible questions that you may have. (Transportation costs are the sole responsibility of the winning bidder if they choose to exercise this option.) If you work for a senator or congressman or a possible presidential hopeful, maybe you should get everyone at the office to chip in and purchase my solution for them. Some of them might even be able to foot the bill themselves.

Renee Zellweger, Entertainment Industry Foundations' ambassador for Saks Fifth Avenue's 2007 KEY TO THE CURE campaign said, "I want to help the Entertainment Industry Foundation and its Women's Cancer Research Fund bring attention to the issue of women's cancer and the need to develop new ways to detect it and early treatment. With great support from Saks Fifth Avenue, EIF is funding some of the most exciting and ambitious scientific projects around better treatments and test for breast cancer. I became involved with several women's cancer charities and research organizations after one of my best friends was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. She received some of the most progressive treatments available today. I know first hand the importance supporting their commitment."

In the 8 years since the inception of the Saks Fifth Avenue charity shopping event, the company, together with its vendors and partners, has raised more than $23 million. Working to continue this success, the money raised through Saks Fifth Avenue's 2007 KEY TO THE CURE will benefit more than 50 charitable programs dedicated to finding new detection methods, treatments and, hopefully, a cure for women's cancers through EIF's Women's Cancer Research Fund.

"Saks Fifth Avenue is the leading retailer for this type of national philanthropic outreach and KEY TO THE CURE is one of the most important initiatives that our company supports," said Stephen I. Sadove, Chief Executive Officer of Saks Inc. "We are enormously grateful to Ms. Zellweger for honoring us as this year's EIF ambassador to KEY TO THE CURE, as well as to Juicy Couture for designing such an amazing T-Shirt for the campaign."

Saks Fifth Avenue's shopping weekend will take place October 18 to 21 at all of its stores nationwide, during which a percentage of sales will benefit local organizations through EIF's Women's Cancer Research Fund. In support of this program, Ms. Zellweger will appear in a national public service announcement (PSA) wearing a limited edition t-shirt designed by Juicy Couture, exclusively to benefit Saks Fifth Avenue's KEY TO THE CURE. Renowned photographer Michael Thompson generously donated his time to photograph Ms. Zellweger for the campaign. Known for his versatile and inventive vision, Thompson has worked with countless prestigious fashion

*****

Saks Fifth Avenue initiated its shopping weekend in 1999. Since then, the company has donated over $23 million to women's cancer research and treatment organizations throughout the United States. Organizations benefiting from these funds include: EIF's Women's Cancer Research Fund; The Breast Cancer Research Foundation; the Cleveland Clinic; Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; the Nevada Cancer Institute; and many others.

The Women's Cancer Research Fund, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, was established by Chairs Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg, along with Founders Kelly Chapman Meyer, Anne Douglas, Quinn Ezralow, Marion Laurie and Jamie Tisch. WCRF supports innovative research, education, and outreach directed at the development of more effective approaches to the early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of all women's cancers.

And while David wants to change the American opinion of professional soccer, Victoria, 33, seems determined to change the American opinion of her. "I think people are really going to see me for the first time," she says. "I think they have this impression that I'm this miserable cow who doesn't smile. But I'm actually quite the opposite.

"When you're out there, they're trying to get pictures up your shirt, down your top," she continues, in explanation of her tendency to scowl in paparazzi shots. "With all the flashes, it's as much as you can do to just find your car. I'm going to try and smile more for America."

*****

As of this fall, the Beckham style will be widely available in America. Victoria's denim line and collection of sunglasses-both under her dVb label-will be sold at Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel and other upscale stores. (Intimately Beckham, a fragrance in both men's and women's versions, will be in department stores.) For Victoria, an admitted shopaholic, it's a major triumph to be sold in such retail temples. "Being a Spice Girl opened a lot of doors, but it also shut many because of preconceptions people have about me," she says. "I've had to bang down those doors."

Victoria insists that-unlike some celebs with namesake labels-she was very much involved, even traveling to the factory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to supervise the production of her jeans. "I'm a real consumer, and I think I know how real women want to look," she says. She even had her new friend Jennifer Lopez road test a pair to make sure they suited curvier girls.

Coveted by the likes of Nicole Richie, Sienna Miller and Nicole Kidman, the £990 origami-folded stretch cotton frock has been designed by Roland Mouret, whose Galaxy Dress became the hottest item of 2005.

Posh posed for photographers at the team's ground in Carson, California, on Friday with a £10,000 Barbie- pink ostrich-skin Hermes Birkin bag on her arm, Balenciaga court shoes and her trademark oversized sunglasses.

Having worn the dress long before it goes on sale in November - and in the pink limited edition which will be sold only in upmarket New York department store Bergdorf Goodman - Posh is sure to have made shoppers from Sloane Street to Sunset Boulevard green with envy.

It is, to use her husband's terminology, a gloriously executed goal against the fashion opposition. And to guarantee she's one step ahead of every other red carpet hopeful, Posh has put her name down for all 21 items in Mouret's new collection - an order worth more than £30,000.

Eva Longoria and Tony Parker pimped out their "special day" to OK! magazine for $2 million, but they didn't have to pay for the goodies their wedding guests received. Those invited to the insanely over-covered nuptials got $700 bracelets from French jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels, along with Bebe bags filled Vitamin Water, L'Oreal products for women and a Cole Haan kit for men. At least the lovebirds paid for their wedding rings and luxurious gifts for each other, but, "They didn't purchase anything for their guests," said our insider.

Even the tacky "Mrs. Parker" track suit Longoria sported before hopping on her honeymoon plane was a gift from Bebe, the fashion company she endorses. And with the press snapping the happy couple at every moment, swag-givers got plenty of press. Reps for Longoria, who's now on her honeymoon in Turks & Caicos, would not confirm or deny details of the event to Page Six.

Sometimes, you can't stop your weight-loss secrets from leaking out. Dieters have been flocking to drugstores to pick up Alli, the first over-the-counter weight-loss pill to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, despite the scary warning: Stray too far from your low-fat diet and you just might poop your pants.

The drug's maker, GlaxoSmithKline, has been up front about the pill's side effects, suggesting that first timers wear dark pants or bring a change of clothes to work until they get used to the diet pill's potentially yucky consequences.

*****

The diet pill works by blocking 25 percent of fat from being digested. Alli users take one pill with every meal, and to avoid an "Alli oops," they should eat less than 42 grams of fat a day, or about 15 grams per meal. But those fat grams can be sneaky. One grande Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino contains 15 grams of fat, and if an Alli user adds even a low-fat muffin to that meal, it could get icky.

"It's so important to understand that you must adopt a low-fat, healthy lifestyle," Jones says. "We call them treatment effects — that's a signal for you that you're not staying in the guidelines. What Alli will not do is make up for not living a healthy lifestyle."

"In the homes of the future, it's all going to be about technology," says Gopal Ahluwalia of the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C.

He stresses that high-tech items mostly are being installed in upscale housing today. While the buyer of an average-size house doesn't want to spend more than 3 percent to 4 percent of the purchase price on technology, purchasers of million-dollar homes don't worry about tech costs, Ahluwalia says.

House size is a determining factor. "In a small house, there's no room for a separate media room with a 64-inch TV," he says.

One reason for the increased popularity of technology in the future will be its acceptance by younger homeowners -- Generations X and Y, born after 1965, Ahluwalia says. They are more at ease with technology and have more use for it, he says.

Ms. Longoria, who with her stylist Robert Verdi, has had a longstanding love affair with Piaget, also commissioned a one-of-a-kind timepiece as a wedding gift for her MVP husband. "An extraordinary player deserves a truly extraordinary watch," says Metzger. "This is the type of request we love at Piaget because it's what we do best." Certain to become the most sought-after watch by professional athletes around the world, the Piaget 'Number 9' is a specially customized version of the classic Piaget Polo watch. It features a 43mm 18K white gold case and a makes a bold, handsome statement with its slate grey 18K gold and titanium bezel and matching slate grey dial. The 50 diamonds that form Mr. Parker's winning number 9 make it all his own.

The moment they arrive, girls of all ages will be captivated by two large Barbie doll styling stations, complete with eight interactive touch screens that guide girls through a step-by-step design process to personally select a doll, fashions, accessories, a doll case and even a gift for themselves. The possibilities are nearly limitless as girls can choose from among seven Barbie dolls and friends featuring different skin tones and hair colors and styles, as well as from a "closet full" of runway and real world-inspired fashions and accessories to create highly-personalized Barbie dolls.

After styling out their Barbie dolls, girls can debut their newly styled doll in a mini "fashion show," in which each customized Barbie doll will appear from behind a screen, "walk" down the miniature working runway and, ultimately, strike a pose for her audience. Like any premier fashion show, two large screens on both sides of the runway announce each girl's newly styled Barbie doll using fun animations and music. Styled by Me Barbie dolls will be available for an average retail price starting at $65.

"Barbie has always been on the forefront of reflecting cultural and fashion trends, and today we combine fashion and technology for the first experience of its kind for girls," said Richard Dickson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Media and Entertainment, Worldwide, Mattel. "With styled by me we've created an unparalleled retail experience based on the rich fashion heritage of the Barbie brand and the personalization and customization that today's girls love."

"For nearly 150 years, FAO Schwarz has provided families with memorable, enchanting shopping experiences, and we're thrilled to open the styled by me Barbie boutique, designed specifically for today’s generation of girls," said Ed Schmults, Chief Executive Officer, FAO Schwarz. Styled By Me is the ultimate celebration of our long-standing relationship with Mattel and Barbie and a prime example of our joint commitment to bring fresh, new ways to bring children's dreams to life."

Good news for grocers: Food is one of the strongest-performing categories for Independence Day, according to Kathy Grannis, an NRF spokeswoman. More than 60 percent of consumers will have a cookout or barbecue, and Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs for the holiday, according to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council. Meanwhile, Florida accounted for 835 million pounds of watermelon produced last year.

*****

More than 17 percent of shoppers will have purchased patriotic merchandise (think flags, patches and pins). Swimsuit sales for Jacksonville retailer and mail order company Venus Swimwear peak during holidays like July 4. "While parts of the country can still be cold at spring break time, pretty much everywhere is hot and in summer mode by July 4," Venus founder Daryle Scott said. These past two weeks, sales have gone up nearly 25 percent, and the company is shipping 20,000 suits per week.

In an elaborate series of experiments on mice, researchers showed that the neurochemical pathway they identified promotes fat growth in chronically stressed animals that eat the equivalent of a junk-food diet. The international team also showed that blocking those signals can prevent fat accumulation and shrink fat deposits, while stimulating the pathway can strategically create new ones, possibly offering new ways to remove fat as well as to mold youthful faces, firmer buttocks and bigger breasts.

****

"There is a lot of uncontrollable stress right now in our societies. There's also a lot of inexpensive high-fat food," said Mary F. Dallman of the University of California, San Francisco, who co-wrote a commentary accompanying the research. "This could help explain the obesity epidemic."

*****

To explore this, Zukowska and her colleagues conducted a series of experiments in which they subjected mice to chronic stress -- either standing in cold water an hour a day or being caged with a more aggressive alpha mouse for 10 minutes a day -- and then gave them standard feed or a high-fat, high-sugar diet similar to the junk food fare many Americans consume. After two weeks, only the mice that were both stressed and fed the junk-food diet gained a significant amount of weight, accumulating about twice as much fat in their bellies as non-stressed mice that consumed the same diet.

*****

When the researchers examined the animals' fat tissue, they discovered sharply elevated concentrations of a substance called neuropeptide Y (NPY), a chemical messenger produced by nerves in various parts of the body, including fat. They also had far higher levels of a molecular partner NPY needs to work, known as the neuropeptide Y2R receptor. "This tells us that NPY and this receptor trigger the whole process of stress-induced obesity," said Zukowska, noting that other recent studies found that humans with defective NPY receptors are resistant to obesity, while those with excessive NPY are prone to it.

After confirming the role of NPY in fat formation in additional studies in genetically engineered mice, the researchers showed in laboratory experiments that NPY induces the growth of immature fat cells, coaxes mature fat cells to get bigger, and promotes blood vessels necessary to sustain fat tissue. The researchers also demonstrated that injecting a substance that blocks NPY prevented mice from accumulating fat even if they were stressed and ate a high-fat diet, and could shrink fat deposits by 40 percent to 50 percent within two weeks. "It just melts the fat. It's incredible," said Zukowska, noting that the technique could offer an alternative or supplement to liposuction.

On the flip side, when the researchers inserted pellets containing NPY under the skin of mice and three monkeys, they were able to stimulate fat growth, suggesting the approach could replace skin fillers and other cosmetic and reconstructive surgical techniques. "This has tremendous potential applications for both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery," said Stephen B. Baker, a Georgetown professor of plastic surgery who helped conduct the research. Detailed studies of the mice and preliminary findings from the monkeys found no signs of any adverse side effects.