BuzzSugar

Buzz Gift Guide: Entertaining Dad

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:30:07 PDT

Dads: They're just like us. They, too, need good entertainment within arm's reach to keep life fun, so today I'm sharing a couple of gift ideas that I've got my eye on for Father's Day!

What dad wouldn't kill for the newly released collector's edition of Dirty Harry? This package comes with everything a fan would want related to the movie series, which stars Clint Eastwood as the macho San Francisco police inspector, including a new retrospective documentary titled The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry. Go ahead, make dad's day.

Music-wise, Al Green is the coolest cat of all - and his new album features duets with young singers including John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae, so it's a great candidate for a daddy-daughter sing-along.

I recently passed Ian McEwan's novel Saturday on to my dad while on vacation, and he gave it two thumbs up. It's the story of a middle-aged man who has everything you could want in life - a career, great kids, a loving wife - whose ordinary day takes an extraordinary turn that pushes his courage to the limits.

Finally, if you want to sit down and laugh with your dad this Father's Day, you'd do well to stay away from films like Knocked Up (awkward). Try introducing him to the goofy fun of the Flight of the Conchords HBO show instead.

Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition ($60)	Flight of the Conchords - The Complete First Season ($24)
Lay It Down, Al Green ($13)	Saturday by Ian McEwan ($13)

What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:53:34 PDT

Tuesdays are big in entertainment-ville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores, including iTunes. So I take a spin through each week's iTunes music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. In addition to the selections below, Fergie released a new deluxe version of her album The Dutchess. Here are today's selections:

Blast from the past: It's been nearly 12 years since '80's pop sensation Cyndi Lauper has had a new album, and rather than fully reinventing herself the songstress sticks to what she knows on Bring Ya to the Brink. It'll make you want to boogie and there is no mistaking that distinctive voice.

The softer side of Usher: If there is one thing you can count on Usher for, it's an infectious summer club hit. The first single off of his new album, Love in This Club is undoubtedly catchy, but isn't "making love in this club" somewhat unsanitary? I kid, I kid. The album is chock-full of guest appearances including Jay-Z and Beyonce.

One more album full of cool duets, so

Full of soul: No one does soul quite like Al Green and on his new album, Lay It Down he pairs up with contemporary artists such as Corinne Bailey Rae on Take Your Time and John Legend joins in on Stay With Me (By The Sea).

President Obama Shares a Spotify Mixtape

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:21:35 PST

Tech-savvy President Obama is known for his proficiency in navigating the world of social networks. Both the White House and president have been on Twitter for years. He recently joined Instagram (@barackobama) and held a post-State of the Union Hangout on Google+. The president's latest tech move is for the musically-minded; he (well, his reelection staff) released a 2012 campaign Spotify playlist.

The 28-song digital mixtape is a combination of staff choices and a few of the commander in chief's personal favorites. With songs from Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, and U2 among others, it's a playlist with a message of how the staff wants to look at the election season. After the president's soulful rendition of Al Green, it's likely "Let's Stay Together" was one of his selections.

Penelope Cruz Brightly Goes About Her London Business

Allie Merriam — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:45:19 PST

Penelope Cruz paired her green turtleneck with a pink blazer this morning as she left London's Berkeley hotel. She's hanging out in London with her two main men, husband Javier and son Leo Bardem, this week. Penelope and Javier are all about their Leo time, but did have an adults-only night out on Saturday, when they went for dinner at Benihana. Leo Bardem is one year old and already looking so big! His arrival was the highlight of Penelope and Javier's 2011, and their 2012 is shaping up to be an excellent year as well. Javier has been busy filming the new Bond film Skyfall, while Penelope's gearing up for the release of both Nero Fiddled and Venuto al Mondo in the Fall.

Announcing the 2012 Grammy Award Nominations

Rose Curiel — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:51:21 PST

For the second year in a row, the Recording Academy has given a hip-hop artist the most Grammy nominations. Last year, it was rapper Eminem with eight, and this year, Kanye West leads the nominees with seven chances at the golden gramophone, including a song of the year nod for "All of the Lights." West is also nominated twice in the rap album of the year category for his collaboration with Jay-Z on Watch the Throne and his own album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Brit crooner Adele wasn't far behind Kanye, picking up six nominations for her album 21, as well as a shot at song of the year with "Rolling in the Deep."

Bruno Mars also did well, racking up six nominations (that's down one from last year for those keeping track), while newcomers like Nicki Minaj and dubstep artist Skrillex are up for the best new artist category. See what other artists have a chance of walking away with a Grammy during the February 12 award show when you read more

In Season: Beets

Susannah Chen — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:33:55 PDT

When the colors of Autumn beg us to return to the golden hues of root vegetables, the first in line to blossom is the beet. From the crimson-red sugar beet to the pink-and-white striped Chioggia, these root vegetables come in a range of stunning, jewel-toned hues. They add a punch of color - and a sweet, mildly buttery flavor when cooked - to just about any course and are at their most tender during the Fall months, peaking in October. To find out how to select, store, and enjoy these versatile veggies, keep reading.

10 Jobs That Didn’t Exist 10 Years Ago

Kiplinger — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 10:30:29 PDT

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

Thinking about a career change? For the best odds of snagging and hanging onto a job for the long haul, you'll want to avoid professions on the decline in today’s economy (think bookbinders, textile workers and machine-tool operators) and focus on professions whose outlook is rosier (such as health care, financial analysis or social work).

Technology, cultural shifts and changing demographics combine to create new career fields all the time. Here are ten of our favorite new roles for 2011 and beyond, ones that didn't even exist ten years ago:

Social Media/Online-Community Manager

Social media or online-community management is a field made possible and necessary by the gargantuan rise in social networking activity. Sites like Facebook serve 500 million (yep, that's half a billion) users, who share personal and public messages, photos, videos, games and other experiences at a dizzying pace.

Social media strategists focus on building their employers' or clients' brands through the use of social media sites and tools, whereas online-community managers specialize in fostering user discussion and evangelism for the marketers they support. There is overlap between the two fields; one can manage social media tools without dabbling in online community, and vice versa, or the two functions can be combined in one group or person. What does a social media or online-community manager need to succeed? Essentials include great written communication skills, a sense of humor, empathy, a marketing background and lots of experience with social media tools (Facebook, Twitter and Youtube among them).

For more jobs that didn't exist 10 years ago, read on.

Wedding Buzz In: What Song Did You Pick For Your First Dance?

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:30:28 PDT

Spring is in the air, which means there's a good chance you'll be hitting the dance floor at a wedding or 12 in the coming months. I have a few friends who have been in full-planning mode for their upcoming nuptials, and they've turned to me for help choosing just the right music for their big day. Over the years I've seen many a first dance, with songs ranging from Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" to Ryan Adams's "When the Stars Go Blue." Whether you go with a classic or something that's a little more personal, the first dance is an iconic moment during the reception.

For that reason, I feel a lot of pressure trying to give advice to other couples about musical tastes, especially since I've yet to go through the marriage process myself. So I'm turning to you all for inspiration - what song did you choose for your first dance (or if you're not married, what's the best first-dance song you've heard)?

Marrakech in Mind: A Basic Moroccan Food Primer

Susannah Chen — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:10:39 PDT

We're halfway through Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Although it's a time of spiritual reflection, there's also a focus on food and Iftar, the meal that breaks the fast at sundown. This is no exception in the food-centric North African country of Morocco, where nearly 99 percent of the population practices Islam.

Moroccan cuisine is distinctive and unique, thanks in part to the historical Arab, Persian, Moorish, Mediterranean, and Berber influences. It's characterized by food heavily flavored with spices such as cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, coriander, and saffron, plus herbs such as mint and parsley. Don't know how to decipher a Moroccan menu? Continue reading to get to know a few staples of this North African cuisine.

Test Run: Panasonic's New Beauty Retouching Camera

Allure — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:29:36 PDT

We're excited to present this article from Allure!

I'm totally against airbrushing-in theory. Since I'm also one of the many women who loathe how they look in photos (a peek at my Facebook page reveals this with way too many embarrassing images of me making the fishy face in attempts to look "hot"), I couldn't help but be intrigued when I heard that Panasonic has a new camera that offers instant retouching.

See the story - and the amazing results - when you keep reading.