TresSugar

Elmo and De Niro in Casino?

GiggleSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:14:00 PDT

We know that Elmo isn't the angel he pretends to be. He can be something of a psychopath, which makes perfect sense after you look at him in this audition for the Martin Scorcese mob movie Casino. His part? Conniving wackadoodle Joe "Am I a clown? Am I here to make you laugh?!" Pesci's character of course.

Uh Oh! Watch Out For These 12 IRS Audit Red Flags

Kiplinger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:06:09 PST

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

The IRS audits only slightly more than 1% of all individual tax returns annually. The agency doesn't have enough personnel and resources to examine each and every tax return filed during a year. So the odds are pretty low that your return will be picked for review. And, of course, the only reason filers should worry about an audit is if they are fudging on their taxes.

However, the chances of being audited or otherwise hearing from the IRS increase depending upon various factors, including your income level, whether you omitted income, the types of deductions or losses you claimed, the business in which you're engaged and whether you own foreign assets. Math errors may draw IRS inquiry, but they'll rarely lead to a full-blown exam. Although there's no sure way to avoid an IRS audit, you should be aware of red flags that could increase your chances of drawing unwanted attention from the IRS.

1. Making too much money

Although the overall individual audit rate is about 1.11%, the odds increase dramatically for higher-income filers. IRS statistics show that people with incomes of $200,000 or higher had an audit rate of 3.93%, or one out of slightly more than every 25 returns. Report $1 million or more of income? There's a one-in-eight chance your return will be audited. The audit rate drops significantly for filers making less than $200,000: Only 1.02% of such returns were audited during 2011, and the vast majority of these exams were conducted by mail. We're not saying you should try to make less money - everyone wants to be a millionaire. Just understand that the more income shown on your return, the more likely it is that you'll be hearing from the IRS.

Read on for more red flags.

Sneak Peek: The Real World Las Vegas's Hard Rock Penthouse

Julia Walsh — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:05:00 PST

The Real World returns to Las Vegas tonight at 10 p.m. EST for its 25th season premiere - can you believe it? The days when I followed the show have long been over, but I am continually impressed with the set decoration. This season the penthouse suite of the Hard Rock Casino in Sin City will be home to the seven new strangers. It's the perfect place to go wild with prints, bright colors, bold artwork, and graphic interior architecture, and the designer got it all right. If not in Vegas, where else would you indulge in over-the-top design? Come along and check out this sneak peek of the suite!

8 Life Lessons Learned From CES 2012

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:31:59 PST

This year's CES didn't just teach us about gadget trends and the future of the industry - it also taught us a few things that we'll remember in our everyday lives as well. Here, we offer up a few tips to take with you on your next journey to a big tech conference, or to keep in the back of your mind for life. Trust me: our pain is your gain!

Get plenty of sleep. Between long hours on the show floor and various industry parties (and afterparties), there's a good reason we'd love to see siesta lounges at CES. But if you can't nap during the day, be sure to get enough shut eye at night. This is true even for the real world, where you've got emails, shows, and news to catch up on. Put away the laptop at a decent hour and get your beauty rest. You'll wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day's to-do list.
Carry water. Downing coffee, cocktails, and Diet Cokes, coupled with the dry weather in the desert, and filtered air in the hotels and casinos can cause dehydration fast. Keep a bottle of water on you at all times. This not only keeps your skin fresh, lips hydrated, and head clear, but it'll keep you from overheating due to thirst.
Wear good shoes. Did I mention how much we walked at CES? Seriously, the biggest expo I've ever seen, it spans the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding hotels. It's not hard to walk six miles in a single day. Multiply that by three or four days, and you've got yourself a good workout. Dress your feet appropriately for CES, and everyday life, since it can save your back later down the road.
Get in the lunch line early. Hungry bloggers line up to get their lunches far before the 11:30 a.m. call time. Although we never saw a shortage of food, who wants to wait in another line when you're tired and hungry? This is another way to say "eat your lunch." Skipping meals can lead to headaches and crankiness, symptoms you don't want to experience when you're in a fast-paced and crowded space or in your office.

Check out the rest of the list when you read more.

Brad Pitt Celebrates His 48th Birthday With Angelina and the Kids in Vegas

Katie Henry — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:50:22 PST

Brad Pitt turns 48 today, and last night he kicked off the celebrations with Angelina Jolie and their six kids in Las Vegas. The group were spotted leaving The Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino following a presentation of Cirque du Soleil's latest show, Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour. In addition to spending time with family, the birthday boy also got some exciting real estate news. Brad sold his $12 million Malibu home to Ellen DeGeneres in a deal that was reportedly finalized on Friday. It's was a week full of well-deserved surprises for Brad who was also nominated for a Golden Globe and SAG Award for his outstanding performance as a lead actor in Moneyball.

George Clooney Earns, Then Donates His Big Speaker's Fee

Allie Merriam — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:21:55 PST

George Clooney headed out to Sydney's Star City Casino yesterday afternoon. He arrived Down Under Sunday in order to speak during a leadership conference alongside Martha Stewart, Russell Simmons, and microlending pioneer Muhammad Yunus, and the actor's expected to leave the country today. Admirers could pay $1,000 to lunch with George Clooney yesterday and hear him speak about his work to bring attention to political crises in Africa. The trip to Australia netted George $600,000, and he reportedly donated the fee to charity. His girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, meanwhile, stayed behind in LA and was seen checking out a Jay-Z and Kanye West show. Stacy tweeted that she's a big fan of Kanye's song "Runaway" in particular, since she empathizes with his lyrics about toasting haters.

Prince Harry Rides a Motorcycle Off to Three Wild Nights in Vegas

Katie Henry — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:13:42 PST

Prince Harry and his security detail were spotted inspecting motorcycles at a rental shop in Scottsdale, AZ on Friday. The prince selected a $17,000 black Harley-Davidson Softail Classic, slipped on a vintage helmet, and then set a course for Las Vegas. Harry and his entourage arrived in Sin City and headed right for the clubs. Harry showed off his hot dance moves at Tryst that evening and then spent Saturday morning in a casino. Prince Harry allegedly lost $300 gambling, though he apparently took full advantage of the hotel's free drinks. Later that night, the guys checked out Cirque Du Soleil's "O" at the Bellagio and continued the party at XS Nightclub. The weekend seemed to be Harry's latest opportunity to mingle with American ladies, and he reportedly left the club on Saturday with a blond friend.

Harry and friends made the most of their final night on the strip yesterday and returned to XS. Harry sat at a private VIP table with his group, which also including two female partygoers, though he mainly kept to chatting with the guys and avoided the dance floor. The prince is expected to return to Arizona, where he's taking part in helicopter training, today.

Nick Stern/double vision media

8 Wrong Mindsets That Are Preventing You From Getting Rich

Business Insider — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:24:40 PST

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

Focusing on everything we lack, or lugging around a "scarcity mindset," is possibly the easiest way to wreck your finances.

You'll be so focused on what you can't do, you'll miss out on key opportunities, says Toby Johnston, CPA and CFP with Mohler, Nixon and Williams in San Francisco, Calif.

"When you think the pie is already set, it's already limited, so competing against the next guy to get a bigger piece of the pie seems pointless," he says.

What money mindsets are holding you back? Read on to find out and learn how you can change them.

You're stuck in the here and now

Someone stuck in this mindset may think they only have enough to make ends meet, says Johnston. In other words, they're living day-to-day, with nary an eye toward the future.

"They don't really put forth the effort, so they never get beyond thinking, 'Hey, if I made a little effort to cut back, I'd have something left over to invest,'" he says.

Make going on a BS diet a priority so you can stop spending on the things you don't want (or need) and have money left over to put the rest toward savings or investments.

You're on the paycheck-to-paycheck treadmill

Much like living day-to-day keeps you trapped in a scarcity mindset, spending your paycheck at the beginning of the month only to be left counting down the days until you receive the next check is no way to increase your net worth, or total assets minus liabilities (debt).

Here's a tip: Memorize the only equation you'll ever need to master you finances - Wealth equals what you earn minus what you spend. Live by it.

Read on for more wrong mindsets.

90210 "Vegas, Maybe?": Most Scandalous Moments

Rose Curiel — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:32:52 PST

The 90210 gang is far from Beverly Hills this week when they take an impromptu trip to Vegas, but drama always seems to find them. Naomi spends most of her time trying to get Austin to pay attention to her, while Dixon sweats his way from casino to casino as he tries to resist the temptation to do drugs.

Elsewhere on the strip, one gal catches her beau in the arms of another woman, and someone elopes! But what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas because I've got all the episode's juiciest details when you keep reading

The Best of the Bond Girls

Tara Sharp — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:30:00 PDT

Say hello to the newest woman to join the ranks of iconic Bond babes! It's been confirmed that French actress Bérénice Marlohe will be the Bond girl in Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond flick.

Earlier this year the very first Bond girl, Linda Christian, passed away at 87. She played Valerie Mathis in the 1954 TV adaptation of Casino Royale before James Bond films hit the big screen. There have been countless Bond girls over the years, from Pussy Galore to Mary Goodnight to Strawberry Fields, and the most iconic 007 femme fatale would probably be bikini-clad Ursula Andress, who played Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962. See the bodacious ladies who've wielded guns, showed off their assets, and bedded Bond for the last 50-plus years!