BuzzSugar

Music Video: R.E.M., "Hollow Man"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:30:30 PDT

Once upon a time, R.E.M. was a band known for making some visually arresting and thought-provoking videos - and their new video for the song "Hollow Man" shows that Michael Stipe and co. still know what they're doing.

The song, from their new album Accelerate, is a downtempo melody that surges into a toe-tapper pretty quickly. The video's images are chopped and spliced together, and it looks like a mix between an old video game and a broken TV set. The bright color scheme is something I'd bet Kanye West would envy. It's a little dizzying, but I think I'm digging it.

To take a look for yourself and let me know what you think,

R.E.M. to Launch New Album Early - on Facebook

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:31:48 PDT

Want to make Michael Stipe your Facebook buddy? Now's the time! R.E.M.'s next album Accelerate will debut online one week ahead of its official release date - on social networking site iLike and any of the sites that use iLike's application, like Facebook. According to Billboard, the March 24 roll-out is "the first of its kind for a major act."

Stipe says he's just going with the new wave of how listeners find music which he says "has certainly changed in the last 5 or 10 years. I think you can either go with it or sit back and watch it happen, and I would rather be out on the field than in the bleachers."

I have to say, I am loving the first track we've heard off Accelerate, "Supernatural Superserious," and most of you seem to like it, too. Regardless of how much they embrace the digital age, R.E.M.'s still got it.

Gas Prices Are Up! What You Can Do to Save

Emily Co — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:20:33 PST

Unrest in the Middle East and the closing of American refineries have gas prices going up, up, and away for US consumers. Analysts are predicting that the prices may continue to rise.

But don't worry, there are a number of methods to save on refueling your car. Here are some tips:

Spend to Save: Look for deals around you that will help you save on your gas. For example, you can choose to frequent wholesale stores like Costco, which will give you a little bit of cash back on Costco gas. If you're a real gas guzzler, check out this full list of gas rebate cards on CreditCards.com.
Don't Top It Off: Topping off your gas may result in a higher gas bill, because you might be paying for gas that goes back into the station's tanks after your gas tank is full, says the Environmental Protection Agency. You can also ruin your car's vapor recovery system if there is no room for the gas to expand in your tank.
Smooth Trip: Starting and stopping excessively can shorten the life of your engine, transmission, brakes, and tires. Go easy on your braking and accelerating. Remember to also turn off your engine if you know you'll be waiting for a long while. Staying put without moving means you're getting 0 miles per gallon.

For more gas-saving tips, read on.

Two Feel-Good Ways to Quicken Postworkout Muscle Repair

Leta Shy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:22:10 PST

You know the feeling: sore muscles after your workout. If you want to feel better fast, help speed the process along by doing these two things soon after your workout.

Feed them right: Eating or drinking protein soon after your workout will help repair spent muscles. The best postworkout foods are a mix of protein and carbs for energy and repair (a ratio of 4:1 carbs to protein, since carbs help replenish energy stores), so grab a yogurt or drink a chocolate milk. Want to quicken the process even more? Try a turmeric tea: the spice has anti-inflammatory properties that help accelerate muscle repair.

Get a massage: Who needs an excuse to get a massage? Sports massages feel oh-so-relieving, and there's good reason why. A new study found that getting a sports massage right after a workout decreases inflammation and boosts your muscles' oxygen intake, which helps your muscles rebuild and repair. Since it's not exactly possible to book a sports massage after every workout, make sure you keep up with your postworkout stretching and foam-rolling routine.

Whether you're easing pain right after a workout or later, find more tips for dealing with postworkout muscle soreness here.

10 Tone-Up Tweaks to Get a Better Burn

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:39:36 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

It happens to the best of us. Your gym routine becomes just that - a routine. Bust out of your plateau and burn more fat with these strength-training tweaks from the pros.

Make Every Day Your Best Burn Yet
Supercharge your gym routine by ditching the moves that have stopped delivering results and replacing them with ones that will challenge and build more muscle. Start with these total-body toning tips from some of our favorite trainers.

Arms: Change the Weight
Dumbbell curls are great for your arms, but unless you're changing up the sets and reps, your biceps will get accustomed to the level of stress you're placing on them, meaning you'll stop seeing the sculpting results. "Few people use the proper weight and even fewer graduate the amount of weight being used during arm exercises," says Richard Miller, owner and CEO of GymSource in New York City.

When you curl the same weight for a long period of time, your body send nutrients to the muscle you're working to help recover. If you pick up an eight-pound dumbbell every time, your muscles aren't experiencing varied stress and won't add new nutrient masses to that area, making your arms fall flat. Use this cheat sheet to know when it's time to step it up a notch:

You should feel fatigue at 15 reps or fewer. If you don't, add more weight.
Aim to increase weight by less than 10 percent. If you normally lift eight-pound weights, up it to 10 pounds, and so on.

See more helpful tips after the break!

Stop Stressing: 3 Fast Ways to Chill Out

Real Beauty — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:49:57 PST

We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Real Beauty.

If your schedule has been anything like ours, you're on accelerated deadlines at work so you can take that much-needed vacation. Before you go into panic mode and binge eat on sugar cookies or french fries, take a short moment to physically help yourself relax. Corporate employee-turned-masseur Leonardo Ranieri devotes his career to providing body rubs in the office place with his company Massage At Work. (Note: We've tried a massage with him, and it's absolutely mind-numbing.) But if you can't make it to the spa, try targeting the three pressure points below.

How to Run a Faster 5K

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:23:54 PST

You've been running regularly for some time and have completed a few 5K fun runs. But now it's time to step it up and take this distance seriously. Here are some tips to help you beat your personal record when running 3.1 miles.

During Training

Add speedwork: If you want to run a faster 5K, you have to practice running faster. Coach Andrew Kastor recommends adding 80-meter sprints into your training schedule, and here's his plan for running a faster 5K in four weeks. Remember: sprinting can be hard on the body, so make sure to start off with shorter sprints and build up to the full 80 meters, especially if you're new to speed work.
Add short uphills: Hills require strength and endurance, so if you practice them during your training, you'll develop speed and muscle power, and just as with plyometrics (jump exercises), hill sprints will increase flexibility in your muscles and tendons, which reduces your risk of injury. In your training, tackle shorter steep hills (about six to 10 percent incline). Sprint up for 10 seconds, then walk downhill backwards to avoid pressure on the knees. Repeat, eventually building up to eight 10-second sprints. It's a surefire way to stronger, faster legs.
Incorporate strength training moves that target your shins, calves, quads, glutes, and core: Running alone won't increase your speed. You need to strengthen the muscles that make you move so your actions will be more powerful and more efficient. Incorporate variations of squats, lunges, step-ups, calf raises, bent over rows, and these three booty moves from celebrity trainer David Kirsch.
Become familiar with the route: Obtain a map of the 5K course, and if the route is open (like in a neighborhood or wooded trail), practice running it to familiarize yourself with the hills, curves, and mile markers. Knowing the course in advance will give you confidence and an added advantage over runners who are running it for the first time.

Keep reading to find out what to do on race day to run a faster 5K.

Mommy Tummy Pregnancy Simulator: Ga Ga or Gag?

LilSugar — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:32:27 PST

"You have no idea what this feels like!" This phrase has likely been uttered in every different language since the beginning of time - wives angrily berating their husbands for not being appropriately empathetic to their big, achy, swollen pregnant selves. The Mommy Tummy hopes to enable men to give an authentic, "Yes, I do know how it feels!" in response. It's a Japanese project currently in the development stages with the stated goal:

With Mommy Tummy, we aim for a better world that treats maternity with the care it deserves.

The gadget is made up of a water bag, touch sensor, acceleration sensor, and fetal air actuator to simulate the growth, weight, and movement of a fetus. Little balloons inflate and deflate at random to simulate a kicking fetus, and balloons placed in front of the chest area simulate breast development. Water is pumped into a bag to mimic the pregnant belly and is even maintained at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and a vibrator inside the jacket simulates the fetal heartbeat. Sure, the men have the luxury of taking it off when they're over the hot, bloated fatness of it all, but it may just give them a lil glimpse into what women go through in the name of reproduction.

Photo courtesy of Kosaka Laboratory

Do You Qualify For Obama's Student Loans Program?

Emily Co — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:00:11 PDT

Last week, President Obama announced the "Pay as You Earn" plan, which is supposed to make it easier for about 1.6 million students to pay back their loans. Right now, the student loan debt in the US totals up to over $1 trillion, which is even more than credit card debt. And the burden seems to keep growing - students who graduated in the Spring of last year had about $25,250 in loans each, which is up five percent from the previous years, reported The Project on Student Debt.

What is it exactly?

In 2014, borrowers will be allowed reduce their loan payments toward all major types of federal student loans to 10 percent of their discretionary income through the Income-Based Repayment plan. The IBR was passed last year, and the "Pay as You Earn" plan that was proposed by the president on Oct. 26 is the accelerated and improved version of it.

With the "Pay As You Earn" plan, 1.6 million students can start to cap their loan payments next year, and after 20 years of payment, their balance will be forgiven. Further, six million borrowers will be allowed to consolidate loans and reduce interest rates in January.

Who qualifies for it?

You qualify for it if your student loan debt is high compared to your income and family size. There's an online calculator at the US Department of Education website in which you can plug in numbers to see what your chances are. The calculator comes up with your monthly payment under the plan, and if it is lower than the monthly payment you're going to be paying on your eligible loans under a 10-year standard repayment plan, you will be eligible to repay your loans under the income-based repayment plan.

Read on to find out how to start.

I'm Asking: What's Your Definition of Ambition?

Emily Co — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:42:39 PDT

Ambition used to mean climbing the corporate ladder and making more money. However, a recent More magazine survey revealed that women are now seeing success as having a better work-life balance and flexibility. Two out of three women polled would accept lower pay in exchange for more free time, and 73 percent said they would not want their boss's job.

The Early Show featured Pamela Skillings, a previous vice president at Citigroup, who was making a six-figure salary but decided to step back from the rat race when she was 35. Pamela seems a lot happier with her current situation although she's earning less. "Now my ambition is to do good work, to make a difference . . . even when I'm working harder, I feel like what I'm doing is more meaningful," says Pamela.

We're long familiar with statistics of women making less than men, but it also seems that paychecks and promotions just aren't as important as women. The Harvard Business Review touches upon this phenomenon:

"What's causing women to ease off the accelerator while their male peers speed ahead? Women are confronted with a choice that men simply don't have to make: to reach for the brass ring at great personal sacrifice, or to embrace marriage and parenthood at the expense of their dreams. CWLP research shows that fully 41 percent of women who actually make it to the executive suite arrive without an intimate partner, and 40 percent arrive without children.

Yet ambitious women need not be trapped into [making sacrifices to get ahead]. With companies increasingly recognizing that they need the best talent - all of it - to succeed in today's cut-throat marketplace, more and more companies are implementing programs enabling women to claim and sustain their professional ambitions without sacrificing their personal ones."

One solution is to have companies change the way they support women in the workplace, but that requires a general shift from the traditional views of working women, which will take some time. What's your definition of ambition?