BuzzSugar

Music Video: Regina Spektor, "Better"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:26:09 PDT

Regina Spektor already made one music video for "Better," but apparently, the nature of the song has inspired her to try again. If you're not familiar with the stellar music of this Russian-Jewish songstress, this video is a good introduction, since it features an army of Regina lookalikes with wild hair and icy-blue stares.

It's also a great taste of the quirky, piano-heavy folk pop that Spektor so artfully established on last year's Begin to Hope. Highly recommended for fans of Tori Amos and Feist. If you like the video, be sure to vote it up on VH1's Top 20 Countdown, and to watch,

What to Expect When You're Expecting Set Visit: Elizabeth Banks on Her Fake Bump and Personal Baby Joy

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:11 PST

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood will share the big screen in the upcoming comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting, which follows different mothers-to-be as they prepare for the arrivals of their bundles of joy. Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, and Elizabeth Banks are among the famous ladies who strapped on fake baby bumps to portray different kinds of pregnant women, and Banks's character, Wendy, doesn't exactly have an easy time of it.

I visited the Atlanta set of the film last year, where Banks was shooting a climactic scene in which her character addresses all the woes of pregnancy - in an auditorium with a rather large audience. The hilarious meltdown, which you can see in the opening of the trailer for What to Expect When You're Expecting, includes harsh truths like "I'm calling it: pregnancy sucks." It was great fun to see Banks film the passionate speech again and again, especially since the funny lady mixed up her one-liners from one take to another. What was even more interesting was seeing all of the extras who played the audience members, since the group of women was a mix of actual pregnant women and women rocking fake baby bumps.

I chatted with Banks about her own experience filming the movie, and she revealed that she actually felt like she was in her own little movie, since she doesn't have much screen time with her costars. Banks was refreshingly honest about not having any parenting tips and also admitted that though welcoming her son, Felix, has brought her a great deal of joy, it hasn't changed her stance on how she feels about kids in general. Here's more of what Banks had to say about pregnancy and motherhood:

What inspired you to take this role?
Elizabeth Banks: I cried when I read the script. It has a really great ending: at the end of the movie, everybody has a baby! It really is just a very relatable story for everyone: anybody who is a parent, has considered being a parent, has a baby, whatever. It's just very universal, what happens in the film. We really explore so many great storylines and different paths to getting a child. I had a unique path to getting my son, so I understand how everybody's path to their child is different.

How does it feel to wear the bump?
EB: It's sweaty! [Laughs] I think it's probably a decent approximation; it weighs a good 10 lbs. The boobs weigh about 6 lbs. They are really unbelievable. It's fun. It definitely makes you sit and walk in a totally different way. As an actor, it's a great prop.

How did you change when you became a mom?
EB: I get drunk much faster and easier, and it's a big problem, so I can't go out very much. I find that I underestimated the amount of joy. I'm really learning about my capacity for joy through my son.

To see what Banks had to say about baby fever and her parenting tips, just keep reading.

Adventures in Ingredients: Indian Bitter Melon

Camilla Salem — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:10:57 PST

To me, Berkeley Bowl is a sacred place worthy of a weekly pilgrimage. Perhaps the ultimate food-lover's grocery store, this massive Berkeley, CA, food emporium carries a huge selection of goods from around the world, and at great prices. I consider it a must stop for friends visiting the Bay Area, so why not share my adventures?

The most remarkable part of the store is probably the produce, which is clearly labeled to identify where each item comes from. The international and bulk sections offer never-ending inspiration, the meats and seafoods offer countless options and price points, and I always find myself mesmerized by fruits and vegetables from around the world that I've never seen before.

Case in point: Indian bitter melon. I grabbed five or six of these a week ago in an effort to learn about new exotic foods. Knowing nothing at all, I selected these purely based on the fact that they seemed sort of reptilian and would be fun to photograph. As the days went on (and as the bitter melon sat in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator), I became more hesitant, not sure what I was thinking.

Finally, I braved up, opened my computer, and did a little research. As it turns out, Indian bitter melon, or karela, is a commonly cooked vegetable in Indian cuisine. It's described all over the Internet as an "acquired taste," and apparently soaking it in salt water helps to remove some of the bitterness. I found recipes for stuffing and sautéing with various spices. The health benefits of this strange vegetable are plentiful, particularly in managing diabetes, and typically, I can convince myself to like anything if it's good for me.

To find out what I did with these and what I thought of them, keep reading.

Busy Gets Back to Business With Courteney and the Cougar Town Cast

Katie Henry — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:12:57 PST

The women of Cougar Town were decked out to film a big scene for their season finale in LA yesterday. It's rumored that the next 15-episode run of the show will begin with an engagement and end with a wedding and Busy Philipps, Courteney Cox, and Christa Miller were all in gowns for the afternoon. Courteney's white dress in particular may imply she'll be walking down the aisle with her onscreen love Josh Hopkins. Both Josh and Busy had an exciting weekend escorting good friends - winner Octavia Spencer for him and Michelle Williams for her - to Sunday's SAG Awards, but yesterday they were back to work on Cougar Town. The third season kicks off on Valentine's Day; get a sneak peek at the Cougar Town premiere before it airs!

In addition, David Arquette is scheduled to make a cameo on at least one episode and Couteney stepped behind the camera to direct. The fate of the sitcom is still up in the air, and Courteney confessed on her newly created Twitter account "she sure hopes" there will be more to come from the cul-de-sac crew. As for Busy, we could see her on at least one more red carpet this month since Michelle is also nominated for an Oscar.

Game Change Trailer: Julianne Moore and Ed Harris Channel Sarah Palin and John McCain

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:06:27 PST

Is it too soon to revisit the 2008 election? I hope not, because the trailer for HBO movie Game Change looks incredible. The film begins at the onset of John McCain's campaign, as political strategist Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson) advises presidential hopeful McCain (Ed Harris, who looks frighteningly like the senator) to select Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for his ticket.

Like Harris's McCain, Julianne Moore does a dead-on impersonation of Palin as she initially charms people as McCain's folksy running partner. The film looks like it doesn't hold back as it charts Palin's blunders with the media (being able to see Russia from Alaska is in there) and McCain's dissatisfaction with her. As a citizen, it was an entertaining campaign season, so I think the dramatization of it will be even more enthralling. The movie airs on March 10, but you can watch the trailer for Game Change now after the break.

Feeling Sick? Do These 3 Things Stat

Leta Shy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:16:08 PST

It starts with a few sniffles, a scratchy throat, or a nagging cough. Many times you don't think twice about it, either because you're too busy or you just hope it goes away soon. As soon as those telltale signs of an oncoming cold appear, follow these tips to encourage a speedy recovery.

Take zinc: When the sniffles strike, take zinc; it's been proven to shorten the life span of colds, as well as make symptoms less severe. The studies found that zinc only works when taken as soon as your cold symptoms begin, so hit the cold aisle as soon as you notice any rundown feelings.
Make rest a priority: You don't have to quarantine yourself, but you do have to rest. If you feel a cold coming on, don't just ignore it; revamp your schedule so your day includes plenty of rest. Whether that means canceling evening plans or foregoing the DVR for an earlier bedtime, make rest a priority.
Drink water and tea: Staying hydrated should be your top priority, but that doesn't mean you should reach for sugary sodas or dehydrating cocktails. Keep your water bottle full and drink some warming tea (try our recipes for cold-fighting ginger tea and sage tea for a cough) to hydrate and feel better.

Besides these three things, don't forget to exercise regularly (but not if you're too sick!); it helps build your immunity so you can cut colds short or prevent them from happening in the first place.

Security Tips For Data Privacy Day!

Anna Monette Roberts — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:30:34 PST

It's Data Privacy Day, so we're here to give you 10 tips to keeping your computer safe, secure, and totally private. Nothing is worse than having your computer hacked into, your personal information stolen, or becoming a victim of fraud. We've rounded up all of our best tech advice to help keep your computer protected and free from hacker malice. If you haven't implemented these 10 tidbits yet, today is the perfect day to begin to take charge of your computer's safety.

Avoid fraud: Be wary of emails, calls, and log-in screens that ask you to verify all of your information. Always air on the side of precaution when sharing more sensitive information like banking passwords. If a company reaches out to you (rather than you personally reaching out to them), don't give your personal information out. Redial the number or email the company using the information posted on their website.
Set up a hack-proof password: When logging in to websites, come up with difficult and different passwords for each site, using a variety of letters, numbers, and symbols. Change it every couple of months for additional safety.
Double-check your firewall: Most computers have a built-in firewall that protects your computer by stopping hackers and malicious software from accessing your computer via the Internet. Make sure to keep your firewall setting on, and you could even customize what websites, domains, and IP addresses you want to access from your computer.
Forget about free public WiFi: Hackers often create fake networks, titling them "Free Public WiFi" in hopes of stealing your personal data. Even if the WiFi is legit, it's still dangerous to access private information in an unsecured network. Always opt to pay the small fee for a service that requires you to log-in to an official network.
Safely search for celebrities: Googling your favorite celebrities can be a dangerous business if you don't recognize the sites you are clicking on. Many Google results of famous celebrity names lead to infecting your PC with malware and viruses.

See more tips to better privacy.

Savvy Confessions: Will My Job Be Affected If I Take Maternity Leave?

Savvy Community — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:15:29 PST

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, asking how her job will be affected if she takes maternity leave. Do you have any advice for her?

I work in a very small office which includes myself, a nurse, an office assistant, and our program director. Before the holidays, the program director took on an additional position within the company, but at another clinic, which now has him out of our office about 50 percent of the time. At that time, there was one other person in the office with the same job as me, but she was fired a few weeks ago, so now, I fly solo a majority of the time until we can find someone to replace her. Two days before my six month review, I found out I am pregnant! My husband and I are SO EXCITED, and had planned on starting a family this year. Initially, when I interviewed for the position, I mentioned that my husband and I were hoping to begin a family soon as well. Now, I am terrified to tell my boss that I am pregnant! He is a really nice person, but saying that he does not handle stress well would be an understatement.

Read on for more.

Jennifer Morrison Talks About the Fairy Tale She Wants on Once Upon a Time and Emma's New Love Interest

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:34:19 PST

Jennifer Morrison plays Emma on Once Upon a Time, the show's reluctant heroine who has been chosen to break the curse of a town full of fairy-tale characters. I chatted with Morrison about the series, and I had to know how she felt about Graham's shocking death and whether we'll ever see him again. We also discussed the upcoming tales we'll get to see on the show, including the story Morrison would love to see play out. Read my interview below, and if you want to catch up with the show, you can watch episodes online here.

BuzzSugar: We were really upset when Graham died; were you sad when you found out it was going to happen?
Jennifer Morrison: Well, we knew what was coming in the story line since the beginning of the season. But all of us were upset because we love Jamie Dornan, and I thought he was just absolutely fabulous in the show. We all were very close, you know? So it felt like a huge loss, not just on the show, but just personally. We were all really close friends, and we still feel that loss. It feels weird with him not being in Vancouver with us.

Buzz: Is there any way that Dornan might return?
JM: The thing is, just because he died in reality doesn't mean that he can't return as the huntsman, because those are flashbacks. So, depending on the structure of the show, and the story we decide to tell, as far as I understand, there's room for him to exist still in fairy-tale land.

Buzz: With him gone, is Emma getting another love interest?
JM: Well, this last episode that aired, there's a stranger that comes to town, played by Eion Bailey, who is in that very last scene in that last episode that aired. I don't know for sure where they're cutting this at, but I know that there is a possibility that this stranger in town could somehow be connected to Emma at some point. Beyond that, I don't really know.

To find out what else Morrison said about the show, including the fairy tale she hopes to see on Once Upon a Time, just keep reading.

Organize Your Bedroom in the New Year With These 5 Tips

CasaSugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:56:27 PST

Have you made organizing and beautifying your home a resolution for 2012? Before you lose your motivation, resolve to work on one of the most important rooms of your house - the bedroom. As the place in your home where you spend (hopefully) six to eight hours a night sleeping, and time on either end relaxing, it's a great place to get started. Here are five easy tips to help you begin the process.

Move your computer station or laptop to another room. Bedrooms should ideally be reserved for sleeping, relaxing, and romance. If nothing else, invest in an under-the-bed storage container or basket that you can use to toss your laptop in and slide under the bed.
Donate any clothes and shoes you have not worn in the past year that are cluttering up your closet. Also, add any extra bedding you do not use to that pile, as well as books you will never lend to friends or read again. Choose your favorite local charity, or go with one of the bigger national charities that does great work, such as Goodwill or Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Recycle papers and magazines that have spent too long sitting on your bedside table.
Toss anything not in good enough condition to donate. If the objects are large, arrange a pickup from your waste service, or take them to the dump, which will probably involve a fee.
Add shoe storage, closet storage, and under-the-bed storage. The more items that are out of sight, the more serene your bedroom will feel.

Source