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Faux Music Video: Robin Sparkles, "Sandcastles in the Sand"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:30:06 PDT

Oh, How I Met Your Mother. Not only did they bring us a legen - wait for it - dary kiss last night, they also premiered the long-awaited B-side to Robin Sparkles' "Let's Go to the Mall," a mournful breakup ballad called "Sandcastles in the Sand." We got a preview of the video last week, but that didn't make the ultimate reveal any less amusing. (Admittedly, my biggest laugh in the episode came from a well-timed Degrassi joke - but that could just be me.)

The overwrought, obviously-written-by-a-16-year-old ballad included lines like "Together we were going to travel the globe/from Alberta to Ontrario," an awesomely bad makeout session with a character played by James Van Der Beek, and cameos from Tiffany and Alan Thicke to bring real '80s cred. I think the best description might be Barney's from the episode: "You know, if you re-edit it, there's a tampon commercial in there somewhere." It also made me think of this Wilson Phillips video for the first time in a decade or so, which I suppose is something to be proud of.

Did you think "Sandcastles in the Sand" lived up to the promise of "Let's Go to the Mall" and "You Just Got Slapped"? To check out the full video, just

Photo courtesy of CBS

First Look: Robin Sparkles, "Sandcastles in the Sand"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:30:41 PDT

The moment that How I Met Your Mother's Robin first revealed that she was the Canadian teen pop sensation Robin Sparkles, complete with hit single "Let's Go to the Mall," was one of the show's truly classic moments - not to mention one of my favorite online TV spots of all time.

On Monday, Robin Sparkles is back - this time with a little help from James Van Der Beek as an ex-boyfriend of Robin's who happened to star in the video for the B-side to "Let's Go to the Mall," a wistful breakup ballad called "Sandcastles in the Sand." Variety already has the whole song streaming online, but I'm holding off on listening to it until Monday. It's probably silly, but I want to be at least a little bit surprised.

I did, however, cave and watch some of the video teasers that have been released via CBS and MySpace. From the peeking I've done, I can tell the videos have a great, dated vibe, with a dose of Heidi Montag beach video and an amazingly awkward Dawson-related make-out scene. Can't wait till Monday? You can check out both video teasers if you

Photo courtesy of CBS

Summer Safety: Beware of Beach Sand

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:00:15 PDT

Whether you're building sandcastles or just burrowing your feet, getting sandy is an essential part of going to the beach. But if la playa plays into your vacation plans, be warned: beach sand can contain bacteria known to cause stomach bugs.

Though sand often looks and feels clean, remember that germs are everywhere. According to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, young children who dug in the sand raised their risk of diarrhea by 44 percent. Furthermore:

Other studies that have examined the bacteria content of sand at a variety of beaches that were nowhere near a treatment plant have found high levels of E. coli and Enterococcus bacteria in the top eight inches. In fact, levels can be almost 40 times those found in the water at the same beaches.

This doesn't mean that you and your family need to steer clear of sand altogether. Just be sure to keep sand and sandy hands away from your mouth. According to Dr. Philip Kazlow, you won't develop a gastrointestinal illness unless you actually ingest the germs, so just wash your hands before eating or touching your mouth. If you've got little ones, bring along some hand sanitizer to prevent this Summer health risk.