BuzzSugar

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:48:17 PDT

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Blood Diamond
Nominated for five Academy Awards, Blood Diamond stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Danny Archer, a white African involved in the illegal diamond trade that funds African warfare. When he learns that native fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) has a rare pink diamond in hiding, he agrees to help Solomon rescue his son, who has been forced into military service. The film chronicles a brutal time in Africa's political history, along with bringing to light the controversial business of selling "conflict diamonds."

To see another recommendation,

Come Early Morning
Written and directed by Joey Lauren Adams (who played Amy in Chasing Amy, along with small parts in Big Daddy and The Break-Up), Come Early Morning is an indie film with a strong female protagonist. Ashley Judd plays Lucille, a tough construction worker in a small Southern town who spends her free time drinking at the bar and enjoying one-night stands. When a new man (Jeffrey Donovan) wants something more, she struggles with commitment issues, perhaps stemming from the strained relationship she has with her emotionally distant father (Scott Wilson). I like the "making of" story: Joey Lauren Adams got tired of the limited roles for women in Hollywood, so she made a film that appeals to women but wouldn't be lumped into the "chick flick" category.

9 Ways to Earn Extra Cash When Money Is Tight

Wise Bread — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:51:58 PDT

I'm sure everyone can do with a little more cash in their wallets. Here are some great suggestions by Wise Bread for you to make extra money.

Even though I'm self-employed full-time, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to make more money.

Earlier this year, I wrote a Wise Bread post on websites that can help you earn extra cash. More recently, I came across a blog post on Zaarly titled, "10 Ways to Make Money Without a Job." After reviewing the latter post, I thought it was time to revisit the topic and let you in on a few more ways to get paid.

The ideas that Zaarly presents are perfect for the unemployed or those who just want to pad their pockets a little more. In addition, there are moonlighting jobs that I do that I thought you should know about. Thus, if you're without a steady paycheck or you just want to build up a rainy-day stash, here are some of your options.

1. Offer Experiences to Strangers

I recently learned about a new site called Vayable, which allows people with specialized knowledge and talents, local info, and time on their hands to create experiences that others can purchase. It's basically a touring and activity company without the company. Anyone can join the site and set up an experience. For instance, the Kan Brothers offer motorcycle tours of San Francisco - which include helmet rental, a drink at a local hot spot, and a city map - for two to four people at $75 per person. In New York City, Kim G. is offering a personalized painting lesson for groups of two to six for a flat rate of $300; the experience includes acrylic paints; canvas board and supplies; studio space; wine, cheese, and crackers; and Kim’s undivided attention. Consider this tip if you're interested in joining Vayable: Browse the site to see what other people in your area are offering. By creating a unique experience that no one else has established, you have a better chance of getting booked.

Read on for more.

Nicole Stands Out in Red With Matthew and Zac For Paperboy Press

Lauren Turner — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:41:45 PDT

The stars of The Paperboy were up early in France to promote their project at the Cannes Film Festival today. Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Matthew McConaughey's morning photocall comes after an appearance on the French show Le Grand Journal just yesterday. Zac opened up about filming mostly in his underwear, saying, "I don't think I was supposed to feel comfortable. It's like life. This character is supposed to be learning the ways of the world, and that can be very uncomfortable. But it's also exciting." The trio will be back in the spotlight later today, when they premiere their movie at the Grand Palais.

Savvy Confessions: Asking For a Raise (It's Complicated)

Savvy Community — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:22:17 PDT

This post was submitted (anonymously, as always) to our Savvy Confessions group. Got any advice? Leave it in the comments.

Hi, fellow Savvy Confessors. I've got an issue I've been struggling with that I could seriously use some help on. I am in a job where I am paid to be "available." I am paid salary (based on an hourly rate at 40 hours a week) regardless of how little or how much I work. Some weeks I work four hours, and some weeks I work 40. Sometimes I have whole weeks off at a time - but only with extremely last-minute notice. Usually, I don't know my schedule until late the night before or early in the morning the day of.

There have been only three times since I started this job almost two years ago that I have gone over 40 hours, but I was compensated for overtime. I am on the books and paid weekly via direct deposit, but receive absolutely no benefits - health, dental, 401(k), etc. After 20 months, I am still on the same salary as when I started. For the most part, it's an amazing job - the actual work is really rewarding, my boss is really nice and friendly, and (as you can see with my fluctuating schedule) I have plenty of downtime to myself. All in all - a really awesome job!!

So what's the problem? Read on.

Gear Review: Lark Silent Alarm Clock

Leta Shy — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:48:00 PDT

You can count me as one of the 30 percent of people who don't get enough sleep every night, so when Lark sent me its silent alarm clock ($100) to test a couple months ago, I was all about it. Since then, I've been using it pretty regularly, here's what I think of the alarm clock.

First, here's what it is: The Lark is part app (compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad only at the moment, but an Android version seems imminent), part motion-sensing wristband that vibrates to wake you up and tracks your sleep quality throughout the night. It promises to both help you wake up more naturally and without disturbing your bedmate and change your personality from sleep-deprived night owl to well-rested morning lark. Included in the package is the Lark sensor, wristband, and charging dock where you plug your wristband into when you wake up - both to shut off the vibrating alarm and ensure that your wristband has enough juice to monitor your sleeping stats for the next night. The charging dock includes a USB port to connect your iPhone charger to it, so you don't have to use two sockets for each.

Who it's for: The Lark is useful if you have a partner and you both wake up at different times. Since it's a silent alarm clock, it rouses you with a series of vibrations through your wristband, so if your normal wake-up call is earlier than your bedmate's, your partner can snooze away without being disturbed. That may or may not be valuable enough for you to justify the $100 price tag, but it is an effective solution. Besides the alarm clock portion, the Lark app tracks several sleeping stats: how many hours you slept as well as how many times you woke up during the night and how long it took you to fall asleep (both based on your movements).

Keep reading for my thoughts on the Lark alarm clock.

5 Ways to Beautify While You Sleep

Jessica Cruel — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:28:00 PDT

Sometimes there isn't enough time in the day to do all the steps in your beauty routine - cleansing, exfoliating, toning, masking, moisturizing, (whew). So why not maximize your schedule and let the products do all the heavy lifting while you snooze? Just add these simple steps and products to your nighttime regimen, and you can wake up one step closer to a more polished look. Discover which overnight treatments are so easy you can do them with your eyes closed when you keep reading

Race-Day Tip: Strip Down at the Starting Line

Michele Foley — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:30:20 PDT

When going into your first marathon, you may already know the basic tips for achieving race-day success, but there are certain tricks that only come from experience. No one tells you that you may be waiting at the starting line for a few hours before the race is even underway, often in early-morning temps 20 degrees colder than what you'll experience during the actual race. To keep muscles warm before embarking on a 26.2-mile journey, a few things will be your saving grace: a garbage bag and clothes you can't wait to give up.

Seasoned runners show up to the starting line in layers, but not their best Patagonia or North Face fleece. These are clothes they wouldn't think twice about losing or ruining - the sole function is to keep them warm until the race starts. Shortly before the start, extra layers are peeled off and thrown into a garbage bag, which is placed along the side of the road for charity organizations to pick up. Some races provide garbage bags, but it's always smart to bring your own. (And bigger races also provide a bag-check in case you can't bear to give up your race-day base layers.) You can also opt to throw away extra clothing during the race itself, just be careful how you do it - you don't want to create an obstacle for another runner. Always go to the side of the road and aim long!

What race-day tips have you picked up along the way?

Everyday Activities That Make Your Allergies Worse

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:45:18 PDT

Most of us are psyched for warmer weather, but allergy sufferers are cursing runny noses, congestion, red eyes, and itchy throats. You may not realize it, but here are the everyday things that can aggravate your symptoms.

Exercising outside is a no-brainer when temps start going up, but not so for those allergic to pollen. If you can't bear to skip outdoor workouts, try to exercise early in the morning when pollen counts are lowest. If you decide to exercise outside, be sure to wash your clothes to get rid of pollen and take a shower to rinse allergens out of your hair. If your allergies are really bad, invest in a gym membership or equipment for your home gym - exercising in the AC will make you breathe much easier.
Opening the window to get some fresh air? Don't you dare. Pollen and other allergens blow in where they come in contact with your eyes and nose. Keep the windows in your home, office, and car closed, and definitely don't use a window fan. If you're hot, turn up the air-conditioning.

Keep reading to find out other common things you're doing that can worsen allergies.

Pet Peeves: My Cat Won't Stop Meowing!

PetSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:00:00 PDT

Q: My kitty is a chronic meower. Every morning when I get up, she just follows me around meowing very loudly. Really, I don't mind too much, but the fact that I live in an apartment is what really troubles me. I'm scared that some of the other tenants might start to complain about her meowing so early in the morning. And it's not just friendly, tiny meows . . . these are like loud, long, irritating meows. What should I do?

A: Before I talk about ways to work through kitty's continuous meowing, there are a couple of things to check out first:

Make sure the cat has food, water, and a clean litter box. Your kitty could simply be communicating that she wants something to be done about one of those things.
Figure out when your cat is not meowing. Is it a certain time of day or during a certain activity? If you pay attention to kitty, does she continue to meow? When does she start again? Then, try to find a way to continue whatever activity stops the meowing (for example, if kitty consistently meows after you stop playtime, get some games for her to amuse herself with after you go to bed).
Consider a trip to the vet. When cats are vocal, they are usually trying to communicate something to us. Check with your vet to make sure your pet is healthy. There are certain times when cats are noisier, like when they are in heat or pregnant.

To hear more tips for solving the problem, keep reading.

Simple Tips on How to Stay Healthy All Day Long

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:18:51 PDT

When striving to be healthy, a few everyday changes can make a world of difference to your body. Maybe you're just focused on a morning workout or staying away from the wrong activities before bed, but if you want to reboot your lifestyle for the long haul, you've got to commit to a healthy lifestyle all day long. Interested in what I mean? Read through these tips to help you keep your healthy living on track whether it's morning, noon, or night.

Morning

If a morning gym session fits your schedule best, then our early morning exercise tips are a must read. From laying out an outfit the night before to scheduling a session with a trainer, these tips can help kick off your day with an energetic bang.

We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Whatever your dietary needs or time restrictions, we've got you covered. Start the morning with healthy whole-grain hot cereal recipes or low-sugar breakfast ideas or save some time in the morning with a healthy breakfast made the night before.

Think outside the box and mix up your standard morning beverage routine. Take your pick of these inventive drinks to boost your energy to get your head right for your commute and commitments.

Keep reading for tips to stay healthy during the afternoon and evening.