I'm doing a 5k this weekend and need some new tunes to help me stay motivated and finish fast! What are some songs that keep you going and super motivated? I usually listen to Radiohead & Death Cab on my contemplative runs/jogs but I seriously need some cheesy Top 40 type songs to keep me on track this time, I think - so I'm thinking more on the Black Eyed Peas, Girls Aloud, Britney, Lady GaGa, Madonna, etc. ... thanks guys! (btw ... I have already checked out all of Fit's P.L.O.W. ... some good ideas there but I could always use more!)

I picked up a copy of The Times (Wednesday November 5 3 a.m. edition) someone had left on the Tube this morning and came across a terrific article by Sarah Vine regarding Michelle Obama titled "Style, Intellect: a new kind of First Lady." Among the most poignant points this piece (yes, giddiness has driven me to alliteration) addresses is the way she resonates with women today.

Vine writes, "Everything about this woman speaks to the modern, post-feminist woman: she is manifestly clever, independently minded, attractive in a normal, accessible way (and not in a scary, plastic-fantastic Cindy way). Her demeanour is a reassuring mixture of sassy and self-deprecating; her easy, confident dress sense neither too sexy nor too self-conscious. Most of all, however, she appears to be the personification of sanity, a woman who, while clearly supportive of her husband's quest for world domination, is nevertheless not afraid to point out when he is in danger of drinking too much of his own Kool-Aid." Those three sentences perfectly explain why I admire a woman like Michelle Obama and not (not ever) a woman like Sarah Palin. And while I'm not sure about Obama's quest for "world domination" - I know that I'm really looking forward to seeing this new First Lady in office.

Has anyone noticed how looking for flatshare is akin to going to a job interview? I can't decide which one's worse. I think I'd rather be quizzed about my credentials than judged by a line of three people about whether I would make a good housemate or not. But I've been looking to move out of East London to NW1 for three months now, seen seven different places, and had no luck. I'm stuck. It all starts very fine and well ...

1. I find a place that sounds all right and is affordable on moveflat.com, contact the person, and arrange a viewing. Print out my google map, highlight the route from the tube station to the house (because I'm overly organised like that), and run through the questions I've got in mind for the people living there.

2. I get there a tad early or on time ... then I have about 10 or 15 minutes to make a first impression.

3. I'm shown the room and the facilities - I make a mental note in my mind of what I love and what I don't think I could live with.

Then it goes a bit downhill from there ...

4. The awkward come-sit-in-the-lounge-and-have-a-chat part occurs ... "Where do you work?" "What do you do?" "What do you like to do in your spare time?" "Would you say you are a social person?" This part can go either one of two ways - you either obviously do NOT click with these people and you make your polite goodbyes and leave with the familiar "We'll call you" (not the other way around, just like a job interview) OR you click really well, laugh, joke, and get along but when you don't hear from them in a few days or you email and get a "Sorry, but we went with someone else in the end," you think "Where did I go wrong?" This is especially sad in the case of finding The Perfect Flat.

5. You also get the weirdos, like the Aussie couple who showed me their gorgeous flat and then abruptly announced that they were moving back to Australian next week and could you take on the lease and find two new people to fill the house. OR the militant and very hardcore Swede, who insisted on a carefully written out cleaning rota for each person in the house and counted who owed what to whom in terms of FABRIC SOFTENER down to the very last pence. Or the "open house" type of viewing where three to four people arrive at the same time and have to sit in a neat little row in the lounge whereby we then go around making the same awkward small talk - but with competition next to you. "This flat is MINE, bitch!" they think whilst smiling sweetly at you.

6. Anyways with the rejections come awkward things that are supposed to make you feel better, like "Oh we ended up going with a friend of a friend's ...but you were REALLY high on our list!" Oh wow, I was shortlisted for a flat! I've achieved something! OR "We went with someone else, but ... the girls were really positive about you!" Wow, strangers liked me - of course, not enough to live with me, but they did.

It's now the beginning of October. I wanted to move out of my shitty Shadwell abode by September. Then again, things could be much worse ... but though my current living situation at the moment is bearable (the inside of my flat is really lovely and there's the best curry house on the corner), I am certain that moving to the leafy neighborhood of Maida Vale, Marylebone or Pimlico will result in better moods in the morning and not clutching at my rape alarm at night when I'm coming home from work.

Does anyone have a favorite armband for a 3rd generation iPod nano that they'd like to rave about to me? I just got a new nano and am really excited to run with it ... I've got a pretty skinny arm though, so I need one that won't slip down or move around when I'm running.

I'm curious to know: did anyone on this site graduate from one of the Seven Sisters (Mount Holyoke, Smith, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Barnard, Harvard-Radcliffe, or Vassar)?

Does anyone else besides me think that Sugar should incorporate some kind of buying/selling/swapping function on this site in the same vein as Craigslist or eBay? I think it would be a terrific idea, as I'm sure lots of us out there (especially since I'm assuming the majority of members on this site are female) have either new or used items that could definitely use a new home. For example, I have a never been used Wilson's leather bag and Coach clutch I can't seem to get rid of and I'd feel so much happier selling/swapping it with someone on Sugar than elsewhere. I got this idea because my alma mater used to have this terrific message board where we used to buy and sell stuff on campus and it worked out SO well!!! It was called CollegeForSale and it would be great if we had a SugarForSale or something similar on here (kind of like the Marketplace on Facebook). Just an idea while I was daydreaming Now who's with me???

For probably about 10 years of my life, I've searched for the perfect cleansing gel for my acne-prone skin. Although I don't break out as often as I used to when I was younger, it's still a problem for me and I've tried everything from Cetaphil to Clearasil, to Neutrogena, to Clinique, to Proactiv ... and the list goes on and on. The problem with me is that when I use harsh chemicals like benzoyl-peroxide or salicylic acid on my face, it makes me break out even MORE because my skin is so dry - even if I follow up with a great moisturizer or moisturizing toner (believe me, I"ve been to a TON of dermatologists and estheticians. It wasn't until I recently had laser facial rejuvenation done (sounds scarier than it is!) to remove some of my old acne scars that I discovered Dermalogica products, which were recommended to me by the person who did my facial. It has seriously changed my life. Developed by the International Dermal Institute, this cleansing gel include soothing ingredients like balm mint and lavender extract that really calms your skin while removing impurities and excess oils - it never leaves my face dry and my skin thanks me for it! The line is quite costly however, with the gel itself retailing at $46 (I also use the multi-active toner and active moist moisturizer), but if you've been looking for a solution for a looooong time, this will fix your problems and make them stay gone.

I've been looking everywhere for a make-up base specifically for eyes as my shadow creases by mid-day and I was frustrated with the products I had been trying, when I came across the Clinique Touch Base for Eyes in Canvas ($13.50 at Nordstrom) and I'm a total convert! It's creamy, but goes on really light and really allows my eyeshadow to stay put. Best of all, it comes in seven different shades to blend in perfectly with your skin tone and in my opinion, is a beauty must-have.