BuzzSugar

Are You Ready to (School of) Rock (Again)?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:30:21 PDT

Well, Jack Black is.
Paramount is announcing today that they will move forward on a sequel to School of Rock, the 2003 comedy in which Jack Black played a substitute teacher who teaches a bunch of fifth graders how to properly rock 'n' roll.

OK, actually, it kinda sounds. . . really cute.
I'm not often excited about sequels, but this one might turn out to be pretty adorable. Variety describes the plot:

[T]itled School of Rock 2: America Rocks, [the movie] picks up with Finn leading a group of summer school students on a cross-country field trip that delves into the history of rock 'n' roll and explores the roots of blues, rap, country and other genres.

I'd really like to take that trip myself, actually.
It's definitely a cute enough premise, and screenwriter Mike White is back on board, which is good. I generally like his projects (The Good Girl, Year of the Dog, Orange County). And in all honesty, I think the students' little U.S. music tour might actually teach us some stuff.

Source

Meeting My Sperm Donor

The Good Men Project — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:00:50 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Ben Sommer, conceived through alternative insemination, is a young man now and tells the story of deciding to meet his donor.

I grew up in a middle-class home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with two loving parents, both of whom are women. My conception was perhaps the most organized and scientific miracle of the modern American family - my architecture, the dream of dozens of individuals conducting their work across thousands of miles.

Objectifying Ryan Gosling

I was conceived through alternative insemination. A donor submitted his sperm to the Sperm Bank of California in Oakland (TSBC). Later, it was sent to the Fenway Community Health Center in Boston. Since opening its doors in 1982, TSBC has helped families without the ability to conceive on their own to birth over 2,000 children. Two thirds of those have ended up, like me, being raised in a lesbian household. TSBC is also the first sperm bank to offer a donor-identity-release program, which allows children of alternative insemination access to their donors' information when they turn 18.

I am not as much an oddity as you might think. As of 2005, some 270,000 children in the United States had same sex-parents. We are a generation that is just now beginning to come of age and able to share our stories. This is mine.

Growing up in a lesbian household was much like growing up in any other family unit, I imagine: vacations to Cape Cod, parents working late and sometimes not, play dates with a diverse group of friends.

I never gave much thought to that mysterious figure across the country. I never questioned the fact that I didn't have a father. As far as I was concerned I didn't need one. Is having two moms really all that different than having a mom and a dad? Parents are parents, right? I didn't see a difference at the time. My parents didn't either - at least at first.

They decided to conceive through a donor, in part, to avoid the complications that a third parent would bring. Asking a close male friend to donate, like some couples have done, can create unforeseen consequences. In the past, there have been custody battles between the donor and the parents raising the child. This was the case with a friend of mine, whose parents arranged donation from a male family friend. With a semi-anonymous donor like the man my parents chose, it would be clear who my parents were. And it was.

That's not to say that it was smooth sailing. "When we first learned you were going to be a boy, we really panicked," my mother told me recently. "Who's going to teach him to throw a ball? We didn't have many male friends. There was even basic stuff, like who's going to teach him to pee standing up. That doesn't come naturally."

Read the rest of the story below.

Jillian Michaels's Secrets to the Strongest You . . . Ever

Health — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:43:51 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

The top trainer and life guru reveals the one question that'll get you to your goal - plus the single best workout to keep you feeling great for life.
By Alison Prato

Jillian Michaels catapulted to fame as the punishing trainer who got results on The Biggest Loser and Losing It With Jillian. But the 38-year-old has always been just as interested in building confidence as she has in sculpting rock-hard abs.

It's no accident that her most recent book is Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life. Everything Jillian tackles - including her recent gig as a life adviser on The Doctors, her DVDs (such as her latest, Jillian Michaels Kickbox FastFix), and her intimate podcast - is meant to help the rest of us claim a healthier, happier life.

Health.com: Get the Body You Crave With Celeb-Inspired Workouts

Sitting high in the hills of Southern California, the woman who calls everybody "buddy" is surprisingly funny and self-deprecating. And as expected, she's incredibly open, talking about her tough tween years, how she stays motivated (and how you can, too), and the dream she's fighting to make a reality.

Read the interview with Jillian after the break.

Rachel McAdams Joins Vanessa and Josh For a Journey 2 Premiere

Allie Merriam — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:01:09 PST

Vanessa Hudgens only had eyes for boyfriend Austin Butler on the carpet at last night's LA premiere of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. They were joined at the event by her costars Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and a Monique Lhuillier-clad Kristin Davis at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Rachel McAdams doesn't have a role in the film, but her The Vow is coming out soon. She donned a gorgeous Peter Som dress and shirt for the occasion, and later attended the afterparty at The Colony nightclub to pose for pictures with High School Musical buds Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa. The screening was held a week before the movie arrives in theaters next Friday, Feb. 10. The cast has spent a great deal of time together recently. Vanessa, Josh, and the gang were just in Hawaii for a press junket - stay tuned for our chat with them! There were hours free from press duties, though, and Vanessa Hudgens slipped into a bikini for some beach fun with Austin.

6 Questions to Find the Best City For Generation Y

Kiplinger — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:05:51 PST

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

As young adults, many of us enjoy a unique time in our lives when we can relocate wherever we like. We’re often free from any significant ties, such as kids or a mortgage, that can tether us to a certain location. Plus, with the technological advances of the past decade, we need not fear losing touch with family and friends; we can stay connected with the touch of a button - regardless of distance.

So when the world is your oyster, how do you decide in which part to settle? Here are six questions to ask when figuring out which city is best for you:

Will I find good work there?

In today's tough market, Generation Y has had a particularly difficult time finding and keeping a job: While the job market struggles to regain its footing, with the national unemployment rate at 9.5% as of June, 25- to 34-year-olds suffer joblessness at a 10.3% rate, and 20- to 24-year-olds are unemployed at a staggering 15.3% rate. But some areas have held up better against the recession. Austin, Tex., Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., for example, have experienced lower unemployment than the rest of the country.

Jobs in certain industries are more prevalent in some areas. For example, if you’re interested in politics, the nation’s capital is the obvious choice. Or if you aspire to “make it work” as fashion’s next hot designer, the Big Apple might suit you best. If you have no particular trade in mind yet, look to big cities with opportunities in a wide range of fields. (For career ideas that promise a bright future, see 13 Careers for the Next Decade.)

Read on for more.

6 Surprising Health Mistakes Even Smart Women Make

Prevention — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:05:18 PST

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

When was the last time you got 8 hours of sleep or lifted weights at the gym? You're not alone if you can't remember: Even some of the most savvy women didn't get the memo about these health-wrecking habits. Find out if you're among them.
From the Editors of Prevention

You're supposed to watch saturated fat and eat lots of vegetables — that's why you usually pick up a salad for lunch and dinner (even when the kids get burgers). But you're not obsessed with the scale like some women you know. You brush your teeth twice a day, and you last flossed, oh, maybe two weeks ago. You exercise but avoid lifting so you don't bulk up. The tummy pains you got last week? Must have been gas — nothing serious. And hey, you'd like to get 8 hours of sleep, but the days are short, and it's hard to get everything done. Sound familiar? These so-called "good" habits may actually be derailing your health. Here, experts share the surprising things you're doing wrong — and how to recover.

1. You Always Order a Salad
Don't assume that bowl of lettuce is always the healthiest menu pick.

Truth is, a lot of take-out and restaurant salads are basically a burger in a bowl, says Brie Turner-McGrievy, RD, clinical research coordinator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in Washington, DC. That's because add-ons like fried chicken, croutons, and full-fat dressing pack major calories, fat, sodium, and other unhealthy nutrients. One example: McDonald's Bacon Ranch Salad with Crispy Chicken and Newman's Own Ranch Dressing has 540 calories and 35 grams of fat; a Big Mac has 540 calories and 29 grams.

The fix: Don't scratch take-out salad off your menu; just use a few common sense rules before you order. Avoid high-fat add-ons such as sour cream, extra cheese, croutons, bacon bits, and creamy dressings like Caesar and ranch. Opt for salads that aren't just a fiber-free mound of iceberg lettuce dotted with a few carrot and red cabbage shavings. And plan ahead: Most fast-food chains supply nutritional info online so you can scout out the best options before you leave.

Avoid These Surprisingly Unhealthy Salads

2. You Rock Out While You Work Out
Do your ears ring after a long iPod-powered workout?

Check the volume on your iPod or MP3 player, advises Andrew Cheng, MD, an otolaryngologist at New York Medical College. The normal range of an MP3 player is 60 to 120 decibels; persistent exposures above 85 may cause hearing loss. If you're concerned, ask a friend to stand next to you while you listen: If she can hear your music, it's too loud.

Learn the fix and four more other common mistakes, when you read more.

Game On: Dance Central 2 and Kinect Sports Season 2

Susi May — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:57:12 PDT

I don't think exergaming will ever replace running in the great outdoors, but it certainly gets people off the couch and moving - something we could all do a bit more of. My family of four has been perfecting our dance moves and working on our sports skills since last Christmas, when my hubby received a Kinect as a gift, turning his Xbox into family fun time. Updated versions of our fave games, Dance Central 2 ($50) and Kinect Sports Season 2 ($50), were just released. We've been tearing it up in the living room with these two games, and here's what we think.

Dance Central 2
The new soundtrack includes a mix of old-school tunes ("Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot and Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff") and recent hits (Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and the Usher/Pitbull tune "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love") and is highly inspirational. The graphics are improved from last year's game; even though the game is now busier visually, the graphics are not distracting but certainly add to the entertainment value. The final photo of the game is now you, the player, in the ending position, which is always good to nail for extra points. The developers have managed to create a background so you don't see the walls of your living room in the low res photos of your moves, but disco-inspired horizontal neon lines. When you do a move correctly, a tracer appears around your hands giving you positive visual feedback. It's cool!

Keep reading to learn more about both games.

What to TiVo: Friday

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Modern Family (repeat)
8:30 Suburgatory (repeat)
9:00 Revenge (repeat)
10:00 20/20 (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (repeat)

8:00 A Gifted Man (new)
9:00 CSI: NY (new)
10:00 Blue Bloods (new)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guest Bryan Cranston)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guests Jason Schwartzman and Eliza Coupe)

8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (new)
9:00 Fringe (new)

8:00 Up All Night (repeat)
8:30 Whitney (repeat)
9:00 Dateline NBC (new)
11:35 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest David Arquette)
12:35 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guest Paul Giamatti and Alison Brie)

8:00 Nikita (new)
9:00 Supernatural (new)

Morning Links - Did Pippa Middleton Break Up With Her Boyfriend?

PopSugar — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 07:22:00 PDT

Pippa Middleton may have split from boyfriend Alex Loudon - People
Ron Howard on his daughter Bryce Dallas Howard's obsessions - Huffington Post
Do you think these are the 25 funniest movies set in school? - Rotten Tomatoes
Chris Martin looks unusually happy to see photographers - Lainey Gossip
LeAnn Rimes gets a haircut from Jennifer Aniston's stylist - PopEater
Inside Kendra Wilkinson's Vegas birthday bash! - TMZ
Catherine Zeta-Jones wows at the Tonys! - Us Weekly
Will it be a boy or a girl for Tori Spelling? - Wonderwall
Possible love connection for Jessica Biel and Colin Farrell? - Celebitchy
Alexander Skarsgard does a hot photo shoot for Vogue - Amy Grindhouse
Tracy Morgan seems to have a friend in Chris Rock - Zap2It
Brooke Burke shares her bikini-body secrets - Fox 411
Lady Gaga has a huge drop in record sales - ICYDK

Five Reasons to See Fast Five!

Allie Merriam — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:30:41 PDT

The Fast and the Furious franchise is back, with Fast Five arriving in theaters this weekend. I checked it out earlier this week, and though I wasn't a big fan of the earlier installments, I have to admit that this movie wildly exceeded my expectations. It's not the most feminine of films, but my goodness, was it fun. Here are five reasons I think you need to check this one out.

Reunion! This being the fifth installment of the series, and the third to be consecutively directed by Justin Lin, Fast Five brings back the all-stars from previous films (except Michelle Rodriguez, whose Letty died in the last one). In addition to Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, we've got 2 Fast 2 Furious's Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Tyrese Gibson along with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift's Sung Kang. With their powers combined, the group tries to pull off one last heist, stealing the money of a Rio gangster so that they can retire rich and finally purse their dreams.
Action, action, action. The movie starts off big. There's a major drama-packed scene right in the beginning involving the theft of three cars off a moving train. That doesn't exactly go to plan, though, and there are explosions, a gun fight, and a wild escape before the train crosses a bridge over a wide ravine. Next, there's a hot scene in which a macho federal agent (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and his men chase Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Jordana Brewster over the roofs of a Rio favela. There are also plenty of requisite car chase scenes, though they keep the auto action light due to all the stunt work. The director definitely saves the best for last too.
Paul Walker. I'm of the school of thought that Paul Walker does not get enough roles. He's always been in his element in this series, and once again, he's on the money playing the not-too-deep character of Brian O'Conner occupied with pulling off a job while keeping an eye on his lady friend, Jordana Brewster's Mia Toretto.
IMAX. This much action requires viewing on the biggest screen possible! IMAX must have been invented to screen movies like this.

To see my top reason you need to check out Fast Five, just

Diesel vs. Johnson. Answering the prayers of action movie fans, Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson finally appear in the same frame! Not only are they side by side, but they're adversaries, and you can imagine where that leads!