BuzzSugar

HBO Gets on the Wrong Side of the Hells Angels

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:36:57 PDT

In a throwdown between a notorious biker gang leader and a major pay-cable network, who wins? We're about to find out, as Hells Angels founder Sonny Barger has filed a lawsuit saying HBO stole his ideas without credit when creating the upcoming biker-gang drama 1%.

The show, which stars Donal Logue, was about to start production on its pilot. But Barger is arguing that the pilot's writer and producer, Michael Tolkin, is using stories they developed together without giving him credit. Tolkin was once hired to write a screenplay based on Barger's autobiography, and Barger says he also told Tolkin about a number of novels he'd written based on a fictional motorcycle club. The two apparently pitched the idea for a series together, and Barger claims that after he objected to a number of details in the pilot, HBO decided it wanted nothing to do with him. According to the suit, the original pilot used Barger's nickname (Chief), some actual place names (the major setting of Carefree, AZ, which is near Barger's home), and details of his life (that he moved from Northern California) without giving any credit. All of those details have since been changed.

Barger now wants due credit for his ideas - and it's not clear if this will keep the pilot from getting off the ground. The thing is, I'm pretty sure nobody wants to mess with the Hells Angels.

Source

5 Steps to Your Best Blowout Ever

Allure — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:05:00 PDT

We're happy to present this story from our friends at Allure:

It's not every day you get a lesson in blowouts from Alli Webb, founder of the Drybar blowout bars. Rule number one: If you've gotten your blowouts down to 10 minutes, you're doing something wrong. (Sorry!) Webb gave me the rundown on the other most common styling mistakes - and how to get the ultimate results. Get her advice when you read more.

One-Minute Slimming Food Tricks That Work

Prevention — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:34:33 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Sarah Robertson, Prevention

Here are successful strategies to cut calories and burn fat that take 60 seconds or less. With about 1,000 waking minutes in every day, you'll find plenty of opportunities to slip these tips into your routine and watch the scale go down. If you've already begun your weight loss, these tricks can maximize your efforts and speed results.

Sip green tea before a walk
The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)

Dip your bread
Use olive oil in place of butter. It's healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories on average than those who used butter.

Seven Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working

Learn more one-minute diet secrets after the break!

What It Takes to Buy a Home

Kiplinger — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:14:47 PDT

Do you have what it takes to buy a home? Consider this exhaustive guide from Kiplinger.

Tired of renting? It could be a great time to buy your first home. In many cities, home prices have bottomed, and rents have risen. Mortgage rates are still superlow. In fact, homes haven't been as affordable since 1971. On the downside, in many cities, buyers have fewer homes from which to choose and more competition for the best houses.

In Austin, TX, newlyweds Mark and Ariane Corcoran bought their first home in March. They were renting in a popular downtown neighborhood, where they paid $1,200 a month for a 500-square-foot loft apartment, when they inherited enough money for a down payment. When they began shopping, they expected to buy a classic 1930s Austin bungalow. They found lots of prospects online but drove by most of them. "Agents are really good at taking photos that exclude what they don't want you to see, like the used-car lot out back," says Mark.

They put in an offer on a $225,000, 800-square-foot home. But after the home inspection, they realized that it needed $20,000 to $30,000 in renovations and repairs and that they'd quickly outgrow it. They walked away during the state-mandated rescission period (during which a buyer can back out for any reason and get back any earnest money deposited).

Ariane identified their next prospect within an hour after the listing appeared online. It was a newly built, 1,600-square-foot home with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a yard for the dogs. The builder asked $270,000, the couple offered $260,000, he countered, and they paid $268,000. They put down 20 percent to avoid private mortgage insurance and snagged a 30-year fixed rate of 3.75 percent from a credit union. Their monthly mortgage payment is $1,524.

Before you take the plunge, consider the answers to questions often posed by first-time buyers. Read on for what to ask yourself.

How to Spray Perfume in Your Hair (Yes, There Are Rules)

Jessica Cruel — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:02:00 PDT

So, you've been spritzing your favorite fragrance on your hair to get a scent that wafts through the air with every hair flip. And while perfume can mask smoke and other unwanted odors, the question remains: Is it safe for your strands? It turns out, there are a couple things you should ask yourself before you turn your body spray into a hair mist.

What's in this? Eau de parfums usually contain a high alcohol content in order to make the scent last - even up to 20 percent. Although alcohol is a necessary evil, when you're searching for a type to spray in strands, look for a brand with lower levels (10 percent or less), recommends celebrity stylist Serge Normant. Also, consider if the perfume contains ingredients that can be good for your hair. Normant, for instance, is set to launch a low-alcohol fragrance for hair and body, Avah, on June 1, and the juice is formulated with hair-nourishing vitamin E, jojoba oil, and aloe vera.

How should I apply it? If you decide to spritz your hair with a fragrance, don't get it too close because it will rewet your hair and saturate it with alcohol. Normant recommends spraying the product in the air instead, and then walking through to get a light mist. Ahh.

Source: Flickr User AMELIA SPEED formerly foxandfeathers

3 Tips to Mastering DIY Gel Manicure Kits

Jessica Cruel — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:31:00 PDT

Gel manicures are popular fixes for busy women who need chip-free finishes that will last. And recently, at-home kits have hit the market with brands like SensatioNail, Red Carpet Manicure, and Sephora by OPI (available soon) coming out with their own versions. Now that Spring is here and temperatures are rising, your hands and feet will be begging for a little attention - not to mention the benefits of long-lasting manicures and pedicures. Get tips on making your DIY gel set look good for weeks when you read more.

10 Grocery Deals That Trick You Into Spending More

Business Insider — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:15:24 PDT

To help you avoid an expensive grocery bill, Business Insider shares grocery deals that aren't really deals.

These days everyone's trying to make the most of their trip to the grocery store, but it's hard to tell when you're saving big if the grocer is using tricky marketing tactics.

We tapped deals expert and founder of the excellent site Grocery Game, Teri Gault, to help us decipher the deals from the duds and share her exclusive tips for stretching your grocery budget. Try them this week.

1. Reaching for big packages. "People are reaching for the big packages all the time but a lot of times the medium package is cheaper," says Gault. "It's just a marketing thing. We think the bigger package will give us the bulk price but that's not always the case." To find the real steal, calculate the cost per unit using the prices on the shelf.

2. Falling for the "buy one, get one half off" routine. "Whenever you see these they sound like a great deal but the two items together are only a 25 percent savings," Gault says. "Buy one, get one for free is truly half off, not this."

3. Hitting the clearance shelf. While there are good deals to be found here, the problem is that most of the items are only 50 percent off and damaged, says Gault. "You can score good groceries that aren't damaged whenever a sale hits instead."

Read on for more.

A Cancer Survivor's Goal: 50 Triathlons by Her 50th Birthday

espnW — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:26:06 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Julia Savacool

It's a good thing Jenn Sommermann discovered triathlons when she did. "I was turning 40 years old, and my friend and I were looking for a way to commemorate the occasion," Sommermann said. "We decided to train for a triathlon." Because Sommermann was on the East Coast and her friend was on the West, the two trained together virtually, exchanging workout notes and messages of encouragement. Several months later, they competed in the Danskin Women's Tri in Seattle.

"That was it, I was in love with triathlons," Sommermann said. Little did she know, two years later the fitness she gained through the sport would help her win a battle against ovarian cancer.

It was December 2006 when Sommermann received her diagnosis. She'd been feeling out of sorts for months, but had been reluctant to see her doctor.

The symptoms for ovarian cancer are subtle: Bloating, weight gain, fatigue and indigestion are all indicators for the disease, but they are also common symptoms for many women during their monthly cycle. The main difference with ovarian cancer, explained Sommermann, is the symptoms don't go away.

It was by chance she discovered the cancer - she was pressing on her stomach one night and came across a hard lump. "I called my husband over, and he felt it, too," she said. "I knew this wasn't good." She went to see her physician immediately, and an ultrasound revealed a tumor about the size of an eggplant. "I had Stage 3 ovarian cancer," said Sommermann. "I was in shock. The disease is 94 percent curable if you catch it by Stage 2. But after that, the numbers are not in your favor."

Surfing gets Anastasia Ashley through tough times

Read more about Jen's inspiring story after the break.

5 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Your Outdoor Run

Shape — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:11:45 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to celebrity trainer Jay Cardiello for some help!

The weather is getting nice and you may have been bitten by the "run bug." To make the transition from indoor runs to the great outdoors seamless and safe, I compiled a list of my top five tricks to get the most out of your outdoor run. Whether you have had some success running on the treadmill, or you are completely new to outdoor running, there are two crucial factors that you must understand.

25 Most Deceiving Exercises (They Tone More Than You Think).

First, let's talk about a little guy named Newton. See, Newton has this law that states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Are you with me so far? Good. Well, with runners, the concern is what we run on. The harder the surface the greater the ground reaction force, which is basically the force exerted by the ground back onto the body (in this case, our little legs) that are in contact with it, is. To simplify this, surfaces like concrete and pavement will cause a greater reaction back into our joints and legs than an energy absorbing treadmill. This not only makes us work harder, but will tire us out faster and cause greater stress on our joints.

Are Your Workouts Causing Pain? How to Find Out.

Second, the treadmill is a flat belt that provides consistency with each step. There are no stones, traffic, or inclement weather activity that would cause you to be off balance or have to change your gait. Running outdoors forces the body to make constant small adjustments. That said, here is what’s going to make your outdoor run a successful one.

5 Unique Ways to Make the Most of Your Treadmill.

Learn how to make the most out of your outdoor runs after the break!

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.