TresSugar

The People's Court: What's Your Verdict?

GiggleSugar — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:00:00 PST

A not so little known show called The People's Court is in its ninth season of broadcast. Seriously, people--what the hell are we watching here? (You know you're guilty of tuning in at some point or another.) The show attributes itself to the rise of the entire "television court show genre" because it was the first to feature an hour's worth of "real litigants...real cases...real justice...all year long!" Right. I think the people and cases featured on the show are about as legitimate as the following Mad TV parody. So what's your verdict on The People's Court?

8 Things You Think Are Good for Your Money . . . That Aren't

LearnVest — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:03:23 PDT

You may be wasting money when you think you're saving. LearnVest shares eight of the biggest money misconceptions.

Frugalista. Recessionista. In the past few years, people have coined a lot of silly words describing women and their approach to money, but the thought behind each of them is the same: You care about your hard-earned dollars and want to make them stretch.

That's true of most of us: We scrimp, we pinch, we try to feed our proverbial piggy bank as much as possible. Yet sometimes, in our excitement to be financial overachievers, we overreach.

It turns out there are a number of things that sound like they'd be doing good things for your money, and make you feel like you're saving more . . . when, actually, they're having the opposite effect.

Paying Every Debt Equally

When you have multiple debts to pay off (a credit card here, a student loan there) you might feel like a rock star simply for keeping up with them all and dividing your attention in a lot of different directions. Which, in a sense, you are! After all, you should always pay at least the minimums on all your loans.

But, if you have extra money to pay down your debts, you’re doing yourself a disservice by dividing it equally. The debts with the highest interest rates grow the fastest, so you should focus your muscle on the most toxic debts first.

Read on for more.

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Prom-asaurus"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:30 PDT

It's prom time again on Glee, and this year's festivities contain just as much drama as last year's, plus infinitely more dinosaurs. That's right - Brittany decides to exercise her presidential rights in order to celebrate the peace that apparently once existed between cavemen and dinos. It doesn't make much sense, but it does give Brittany the opportunity to prance around in a Flintstones-esque getup to Ke$ha's "Dinosaur."

It wouldn't be prom without a heated race for king and queen, and the usual suspects have their eyes on the prize: Quinn, Santana, Kurt, and Brittany. Only Quinn uses questionable methods in hopes of winning the crown, but once again, there's a shocker when the envelopes are finally read. It really feels like we're inching closer to that bittersweet Glee graduation, so let's recap the episode when you

Can I just say how much I loved all of the performances this week? OK, "Dinosaur" isn't about to be added to my iPod, but the slate of pop songs is otherwise wonderful. Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine harmonize beautifully on "Big Girls Don't Cry," while "Love You Like a Love Song" and "What Makes You Beautiful" are perfect current choices for the prom. The clincher of course is "Take My Breath Away," which serves nicely as the prom king and queen dance. Overall, I was feeling it.
With NYADA no longer in the picture, Rachel decides to shift her focus away from her shattered dreams and on to her prom and her wedding. That is, until she learns that Finn and Quinn are campaigning together for prom. It's easy to see both sides of the equation: Rachel doesn't want her prom night ruined by another girl, but Finn wants to help his friend who's had a rough year. Rachel doesn't give in though, and decides to throw her very own anti-prom party. It might have been a good idea if anyone besides Kurt, Blaine, Puck, and Becky showed up.
Quinn starts making major strides at therapy with Joe's support, and decides to show off her walking skills at the prom. In the meantime, she shamelessly uses her condition to sway voters, much to Finn's chagrin. He's sent over the edge when he catches her on two legs during the prom, and is particularly mad at himself for putting Quinn's feelings first. Finn nearly gets into a brawl with Joe after aggressively demanding that Quinn come clean to all the people that voted for her, but ultimately storms off instead.
Finn sets out to bring Rachel and co. back to the prom, which is well timed since Rachel just so happens to be showing off her perfect prom dress at that very moment. It seems like everyone's happy, until Santana learns that Brittany won't win prom king and is bitter about the whole prom court situation. Quinn has earned the most votes anyway, but she takes no pleasure in the victory - and tells Principal Figgins that Rachel was a write-in winner. It's a very sappy, very Glee moment, but it's a refreshing change of pace after Kurt winning prom queen last year as a cruel joke. Rachel's genuinely shocked, and once she realizes she's not in her own version of Carrie, she enjoys her moment in the sun.
There are major strides for the rest of the kids as well: Becky finally gets her crown, Puck fulfills his lifelong dream of spiking the prom punch, and Blaine conquers his fear of going gel-free. Like I said, big accomplishments.

How did you feel about the second helping of prom - and which prom episode do you prefer?

Photo courtesy of Fox

8 Ways to Make Your Own Career Luck

LearnVest — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:15:52 PDT

People often say that you make your own luck, but how do you make your own career luck and get the job of your dreams? LearnVest shares how you can do so.

You sit next to someone on an airplane who later helps you land your dream job.

Your dentist’s daughter is a book editor, and wouldn’t you know it, she’d just love to publish your memoir.

You have a role model in your industry, and your roommate’s fiancé just so happens to be her best friend.

OK, chance doesn’t always work out as we might wish . . . but a few travel apps, a weak economy, and plenty of gumption got us thinking.

Cajoling Lady Luck may be easier than ever, with new services like Planely, a Danish start-up, and Satisfly, a Hong Kong-based start-up. Both apps connect passengers before their flights, so they can see the Facebook profiles of fellow travelers and choose seats by people they’d like to meet. Airlines like Dutch carrier KLM and Malaysia Airlines are getting in on the act with similar services of their own. Sharing and viewing this social media info is, of course, optional all around.

Read on for more.

Brad Meltzer Talks About His New Heroes For My Daughter

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:11:19 PDT

"Where's my book?" In the two years since Brad Meltzer released Heroes For My Son, that's what the New York Times best-selling author has heard over and over from his daughter. Now, just a month before Mother's Day, Brad reaches out to his daughter and mothers everywhere with Heroes For My Daughter.

In his new book, the father of three profiles 56 people who he believes are worthy of the hero title. The collection of biographies and photographs spans Amelia Earhart and Lucille Ball to Mahatma Gandhi and Judy Blume. He's also introducing a line of inspirational clothing pieces featuring caricatures of the heroes. I recently spoke with the author about the new book; here's what he had to say.

LilSugar: Are there any crossovers between the heroes you picked for your son and the ones you have selected for your daughter?
Brad Meltzer: I did 50 brand-new heroes for my daughter. But there were six heroes that I felt were worth repeating from Heroes For My Son - a sort of hall of fame that I felt needed to be there for my daughter: Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Lucille Ball. Plus, I again included my mom. C'mon. It's my mom!

LS: What were the criteria you used to make your selections? What did it take for them to "make the cut"?
BM: To pick a hero, it's like the Supreme Court definition of pornography: you know it when you see it. But in the book, there's one thing every hero has in common. They all had to do this: help someone. Some people help thousands of people directly, like Marie Curie or Susan B. Anthony. Others help us by inspiring us, like Amelia Earhart. But you do have to help someone.

It’s the dream that links every single hero I picked for her. As I now often tell my daughter Lila, no matter what stage of life you're in, when you want something - no matter how impossible it seems - you need to fight for it. When you believe in something, fight for it. And when you see injustice, fight harder than you've ever fought before.

Keep reading for more about Brad's picks, including some little-known facts about the heroes.

Don't Throw Out Those Used Sneaks! How to Recycle Old Fitness Gear

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:05:25 PDT

Exercising regularly means going through lots of fitness gear. Instead of just tossing out old kicks or a worn-out yoga mat, do something good for the Earth. Here are ways to recycle or reuse old workout gear.

Sneakers

Donate: You can toss them in a Goodwill bin, or send them to an organization that'll put them to good use. Soles4Souls's tag line is "Saving the world - one pair at a time." This organization takes your tired, but "gently worn," sneakers and finds needy feet to fill them. They strongly suggest organizing shoe drives and mailing all the pairs to one of their three warehouse locations. Another organization, One World Running, has been serving runners around the world since 1986. Through collection programs, they are able to provide shoes for needy runners across the world. Check here for drop-off locations.
Recycle: Turn your old shoes into something new. Nike Reuse-A-Shoe takes all brands of sneakers that are beyond "gently worn" and turns them into a recycled product known as Nike Grind, which is used to make tracks, indoor basketball courts, fields, and playgrounds. Just drop off your retired sneakers at any Nike store, or check here for drop-off locations.
Reuse: Keep an old pair of sneakers around for days when you're running or walking in the rain or on muddy trails. Some people even use old shoes as plant potters. Fill a disinfected shoe with soil and grow some basil or cilantro on your deck or windowsill.

Keep reading to find out what you can do with your old fitness clothes, equipment, and yoga mats.

Why, Exactly, Is It Called a French Braid?

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:00:57 PDT

French braids are popular the world over, but they certainly aren't emblematic of France. It's unclear what about them, really, is so Gallic. As it turns out, "French" braids aren't French at all. So who's really responsible for the technique? The style's history is much cooler (and longer) than you might imagine. Learn how your favorite braid got its start below.

5 Habits of the Always-Fit

Leta Shy — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:48:23 PDT

Some people make it look so easy - they bounce out of bed in the morning, sprinkle their Greek yogurt with berries, and hop outside for their daily run. A green smoothie and a few post-workout stretches later, they're well on their way to having yet another healthy day.

For others, sticking with a healthy lifestyle isn't always so simple. Staying fit and healthy can be a struggle, since sticking to a workout and diet (aka not diving into a pint of ice cream every night) can test anyone's willpower. But the good news is that practice makes perfect, and becoming one of those enviably fit and healthy people can be just a few simple lifestyle changes away. Read on for five habits to borrow from the always-fit.

Make it a no-brainer: It can be hard to start an exercise routine, but it can be even harder to stick with it. But keeping with a regular exercise schedule gets easier the more you do it - that is, until you stop. Those enviably fit people have a secret: think of exercise as a daily must-do. You'll avoid getting into a rut, and you'll start to consider a workout as part of your everyday routine. Not only that, getting into an exercise routine makes skipping out that much harder; many people say that if they go without exercise for a few days, they start to feel anxious.

Take control of your food choices: It's an easy excuse to fall for: you can't eat right because you're surrounded by fast-food options, or you just don't have time to prep a healthy meal. People who are fit and healthy anticipate their hunger so they're not caught off guard with a grumbling stomach at the mall food court. Prepping meals and bringing your own snacks may take a little more time, but spending a few extra minutes to make meals and pack snacks will help you stay away from a fast-food fix. Stock your pantry with these healthy staples (think canned tuna, frozen veggies, and energy bars in bulk) that'll make throwing together a meal or to-go snack a breeze.

Read on for more healthy habits.

How to Handle Sticky Situations at Work

Kiplinger — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:06:52 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Working in corporate America, you're bound to encounter a difficult communication situation or two with your manager - from asking for vacation time during a busy month to letting him know that you're considering jumping ship. Whether you're an entry-level worker or in a more senior position, having to address these types of issues is an inescapable part of office life.

Here are five common scenarios with advice on how to approach them without burning any bridges.

You're Being Recruited by Another Department Head

The situation: You like your current job, but it would be remiss of you not to keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities that allow you to grow and learn new skills. A manager in another department has taken note of your stellar performance and makes it clear that she'd be more than happy to have you on her team. However, your boss isn't in the loop, and you don't want to offend or anger him. A week goes by, and the pursuing supervisor steps up the pressure: "I'd hire you tomorrow. Shall we talk specifics?" You're interested in listening to what she has to say, but you don't want to burn any bridges. How do you proceed?

What you should do: First, let the manager who's courting you know that you're flattered she's taken note of your work. Next, if you're seriously considering making the move, be very clear in letting this person know that you have an obligation to your current boss. Ask her how she wants to proceed with bringing your manager into the loop. They are peers, and it would be much better for the person pursuing one of his top performers to initiate the conversation.

Read on for more sticky situations.

George Clooney and Brad Pitt Team Up For Live Prop 8 Play Performance

Molly Goodson — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 09:55:49 PST

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Martin Sheen were among the A-list actors who participated in the stage reading of 8 in LA last night. The play, written by Dustin Lance Black, showcases the proceedings of the 2010 Proposition 8 federal court battle about California's gay marriage ban that was approved in 2008. The real life events were not broadcast to the public so Dustin Lance Black wrote this script to show what went on behind those closed doors. The play made its debut on Broadway last year, but last night it was all about the star power. 8 streamed live on YouTube, where it will also be available to watch at any time for the next week. Other celebrities in the performance included Kevin Bacon, Chris Colfer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson Jamie Lee Curtis, Matt Bomer, and more.

The overturning of Prop 8 is a cause that George and Brad have both spoken about many times. Clooney recently spoke about rumors about his own sexuality to The Advocate, saying, "I’m not going to let anyone make it seem like being gay is a bad thing. My private life is private, and I’m very happy in it. Who does it hurt if someone thinks I’m gay? I’ll be long dead and there will still be people who say I was gay. I don’t give a sh*t."