BuzzSugar

Lucy Lawless Tells Kevin Smith What's What at Comic-Con

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:30:22 PDT

I would have wanted to attend a panel on women in the sci-fi, horror, and comic book genres anyway, but the fact that it was moderated by Kevin Smith just sealed the deal. And I didn't realize I was in for such a comedy show. Smith was, as one might expect, hilariously droll, sarcastic, kinda bitter but not quite hostile. But that Lucy Lawless (you may know her as Xena, and/or D'Anna Biers on Battlestar Galactica) is sassy! She's gregarious and smart and has an incredibly cutting sense of humor that she used to repeatedly take Smith down. It was informative, but also one of the most entertaining panels I've attended yet.

In addition to Lawless, the other panelists included Jaime King (Sin City, The Spirit) Pia Guerra (the awesomely smart and creative illustrator of a comic that I'm slightly obsessed with right now, Y: The Last Man) and producer Gale Anne Hurd (Terminator, Punisher: War Zone).

Smith asked each of the ladies some prewritten questions (not written by him, and clearly not questions he was happy asking) about their experiences as women in such fanboy-dominated universes. To see what they had to say,

Lawless referenced Sigourney Weaver multiple times as both an influence on her as an actor and in terms of Weaver being a pioneer of sorts for women in the sci-fi genre.
Jaime King admitted that doing her first horror movie was "sort of traumatizing," and that as much as she was supposed to try and detach from it all, it still seemed real.
Lawless said that the key to great female characters in these genres is "all in the writing," and that if people want to see more quality characters, they need to write quality characters for women. At this, Pia chimed in to say that the great writing of female characters requires writing them as "humans first."
Jaime King said she read a comic book aloud to Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller when she auditioned for Sin City. She thinks some people have a misconception of what Miller is like, and she said he's "actually a very gentle, caring, loving man."
At Gale's mention of Aeon Flux, the crowd went crazy cheering. It was nice to hear this character so warmly appreciated.
In response to the question, "Would you like to see more female directors in these genres?" of course Lawless, King, and Guerra all of course said "yes," and encouraged women to "step it up." Actually, Lawless said aspiring directors should "get off your arse, use your digi [camera], and do it your own self."
When asked who his favorite female character of all time is, Kevin Smith replied, "God." So, yeah. I'm kind of in love with that Kevin Smith.

You're Fired! 20 Signs That a Pink Slip Is Coming

Wise Bread — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:54:53 PDT

If something feels off at the office, you may want to brace yourself for the worst. Wise Bread shares signs to look for when a pink slip is coming.

There are two types of employees. One has a good idea of what they do, who they are, and what position they play in the company. They are savvy. They know the score. They are under no delusions, and will no doubt leave for another job long before they are ever considered as cannon-fodder.

And then there's the other kind. The guy who could get Gandhi to hate him. The woman who spends most of her day chatting on the phone to friends or doing online shopping. Or the nice chap in sales who is completely oblivious that the recent merger means his job is now obsolete. They all have Ostrich Syndrome. They couldn't see a pink slip coming if it was 8ft tall and glowing in the dark, screaming "you're fired!"

You want to avoid being in that second category at all costs. So I've compiled a handy list. If you can answer yes to THREE or more of these questions, you may want to think about sprucing up your résumé and dry-cleaning your best interview attire.

1. Are you no longer in the loop about, well, anything?

This is a huge telltale sign. Suddenly you're finding out about company news from the cleaning lady or the new girl in accounting. If you were formally in the know about all things business related, but now suffer from "the company's doing what??!" disease, the writing is probably on the wall.

2. Did you recently screw up big-time?

We're not talking a minor faux pas here. Did you lose money on an account that was previously bulletproof? Oh dear. Were you caught having sex on the boss's desk with the boss's spouse? That's probably not a career-enhancing move. Unless you're a real dope, you know if you have screwed up. And if you know, HR knows. It may not be the final nail in your coffin, but it's a nail in the coffin nonetheless.

3. Are people avoiding you at all costs?

Eye contact is difficult to make with someone if you know his or her head's on the chopping block. Small talk is just as tough. It's best just to avoid that person altogether. So if people are no longer doing that fun "stop 'n' chat" in the hall, or the coffee room empties when you arrive, then guess what . . . you may be a marked man or woman.

Read on for more.

10 Places to Meet Your Future Geeky Boyfriend

GeekSugar — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:02:36 PDT

Here's a question every geeky gal wants answered: "Where can I meet a single geek?" For all the single ladies out there, here are 10 possible places to uncover scores of single geeks.

By the way, leave your other tech-related questions on our Facebook page, in the comments, or in our Ask a Geek Girl group.

Neighborhood coffee shops - Bring a book or your laptop and hang out at an independent coffee shop several times a week. You're more likely to see regulars (aka good-looking geeks) at local joints than you would at a chain. For an easy opener, ask if you can share the table, then spark up a conversation.
Night classes - Whether it's a dance lesson, coding class, or novel-writing seminar, classes are a great place to meet a future brainy mate. Pounce on the opportunity to partner up with the cute geek in the room, whether it's to complete a project, study, or edit each other's work.

See the rest of the list when you read more.

5 Fears About Raising Little Girls

BabyCenter — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:55:08 PDT

Here's a post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we bring you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Erin Lane about raising girls.

Last week I wrote about the five things that worry me about raising my son. This week I’m spilling my guts about what scares me about raising my daughter. There is definitely some overlap. Let's face it; parenting is scary whether you have a boy or a girl.

With my daughter, I think I find it more worrisome because I know exactly what I did growing up…and I want her to just skip all that. Pretty please? In reality, I was a pretty good kid, but I drank in high school and that alone has me screaming oh no she won't.

So here it is…the top five things I worry about raising my daughter.

Body Image: First off, I want to point out that I know boys have body image issues too, but I do worry about it more with my daughter. Fake perfection permeates the media and I know how much she's going to be exposed to. I want her to love her body as it is and to not feel that it's too big or too small. I remember feeling fat in early high school and taking diet pills just to see what they would do. I don't want that for her. I want her to be comfortable in her own skin and will do my best to help her feel that way.
Puberty: Oh lawdy me! I read Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret in 4th grade so I know what's coming at me. The whole first menstruation, buying a bra, shaving her legs, needing deodorant, skin problems era is taunting me already and E. just turned one. I worry that it'll happen too early or too late. I worry about the hormones and the impending attitude. I worry about boys (or girls!) taunting her if it doesn't happen exactly along the lines of everyone else. I worry about the icky men who started cat calling me when I was in middle school. It all just plain frightens me. I don't know how my mom did it alone with two of us.
SEX!: Puberty inevitably leads to sex - learning about sex, talking about sex, thinking about sex and (god forbid) having sex. While I prefer to believe my daughter will stay chaste forever, I know that is simply not the case. I pray that my husband and I do a good job in teaching her self-respect and understanding the consequences of her actions. I pray she only encounters nice boys, who will respect what she wants and doesn't want. I pray that if she has questions and is ever unsure, that she feels safe enough to come and talk with me. I pray that whenever her first time comes, that it's on her terms and is based purely on love.
Mean Girls: Uggggg! This may be my top worry. I've been here. I think every woman alive can associate with being both a mean girl and having experienced a mean girl. I have certainly been both. I don't know why it happens, but it seems to be happening earlier and earlier. I thought mean girls started in middle school but a friend today actually said she's seen it with six-year-olds. A best friend suddenly doesn't like you anymore. You're ostracized from the school lunch table with no warning. A group of girls deems you unworthy. I hate that this is coming. I just want to wrap my arms around my sweet girl and tell her she will always be loved, she will always be beautiful no matter what anyone else says. I wish what I said was all that mattered, but we are quickly coming upon the days when that won't be true. I want her to stay sweet, to be friendly to everyone. I'm being unrealistic I know, but one can hope.
Peer Pressure: This one encompasses all of the above. No matter the situation my daughter finds herself in, I want her to be comfortable enough in her own skin to stand up for what she believes in. I want her to feel OK being the odd ball out (that's a tall order, I know!) I definitely caved to the pressure on a few occasions and know she will too. But I want her to know that most of her friends will be just as uncomfortable as she is..no matter the situation. And sometimes, it just takes one person to say "no thank you" to give the rest of the crowd permission to say the same. I hope I raise that child. If not, that's ok too. She'll live and learn, but I hope that I can give her that confidence in herself.

BabyCenter has some great tips for raising a confident girl. Check them out and tell me what worries you. We can commiserate together.

More great posts from BabyCenter:
Was Your First Baby a "Good" Baby?
10 Cute Carrot Crafts For Easter
5 Ways to Dress Your Bump For Spring
Separation Anxiety For Mom
10 Cute Gifts to Make For Baby Boys

Versace Fall 2012

Marisa Tom — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:16:53 PST

The Versace Fall 2012 collection was all about the Rooney Mara goth chick-meets-Joan of Arc goddess hero, right down to the bluntly cut bangs and barely-there eyebrows. But this no-nonsense kind of girl certainly knows how to dress up. The dark palette and edgy shapes were inspired by brother Gianni's final collection, "an era," Donatella said she finally had "the courage to go back to." The result? Strong dress silhouettes - some in tough leather, some in chain-mesh satin, for example - were highlighted by Byzantine cross embroidery, a slick metallic sheen, and corseted bodices that closely resembled metal armor. But not to fear, the signature Versace hourglass figure remained intact, thanks to artful peplum details and silver accents that strategically emphasized the waistline. To illustrate our point, just look to one jaw-dropping chain-linked silver disc gown for bombshell confirmation. We think this standout number proves a worthy candidate for rush delivery to the Oscars red carpet. To polish off the Fall '12 lineup with a saucy minx undertone, Donatella sent models out wearing fishnet mesh boots, fishnet gloves, and holding cross-embroidered clutches. See below for more Versace details.

Trends: Byzantine cross embroidery, chain mesh detail, ultra-shiny finishes, and corseted bodices.
Colors: Black, metallic silver, neon yellow, orange, and pops of red.
Key Piece: The full-on chain mail and chain mesh-infused gowns screamed "red carpet."
Accessories: Cross-embroidered clutches, fishnet boots, and fishnet gloves.
Who Would Wear It: Ladies who can own a strong, edgy shape, like Rooney Mara, Kate Beckinsale, and Diane Kruger.

New Style Trend to Try: Floral Pants +Tees

Brittney Stephens — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:05:16 PST

You can't really think of Spring without thinking of florals - and in addition to wearing the print on dresses and tops, we're loving the way it looks in a pant too. We saw the look on the Spring runways from designers like Vivienne Tam, Peter Som, Richard Chai Love, and more - and it might just be one of our favorite combinations for the coming season. The look just screams Spring, and although it isn't for the sartorially timid, it's a fun, fresh way to wear prints. If you're feeling fearful about how to pull it off, there are a few tips to keep in mind:

The best way to try the look is in a style that you would wear otherwise. If you're a denim enthusiast, there are a ton of floral-print jeans on the market, from Paige Denim, 7 For All Mankind, and Current/Elliott. If you're more of a trouser girl, opt for some of the awesome picks from ASOS and J.Crew.
Ease into it by keeping things solid up top. You'll look totally chic (not to mention effortless) if you pair your florals with a solid tee and heels - and go easy on the accessories!
Think about your body. If you're petite, you'll want to go with a smaller pattern; if you're tall, you can get away with a bolder, large-scale design. Either way, pick a color combo that can easily blend into your current wardrobe.
Click through now to see and shop five Spring-ready ways to try the floral pants and t-shirt trend.

Whitney Eve Fall 2012

Hannah Weil — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:05:58 PST

Honing in on a cool-girl craftiness (and her own signature style), Whitney Port sent fuzzy sweaters, mixed prints, and pretty florals down the runway this morning for her Fall Whitney Eve collection. Front-row celebs Nigel Barker, Tyson Beckford, and Coco Rocha nodded along as models hit the catwalk and Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)" blared in Lincoln's Studio. The soundtrack may have been just a bit over-the-top - flirty floral dresses and peplum don't exactly scream tough-girl - but chain-adorned velvet trousers and burnout velvet pants may speak more to that edginess. As a whole, though, the collection feels decidedly breezy and feminine, albeit with that same quirkiness - read: mixed prints, playful cropped proportions, bold hues, and a splash of sequins - that defines Whitney's own LA style.

Trends: Velvet, mixed prints, textured knits, florals, crop tops, peplum.
Colors: Orange, black, navy, nude.
Key Piece: The cropped printed knit mixed with the printed miniskirt.
Accessories: Angular, geometric necklaces; metallic ankle-strap platforms and socks.
Who Would Wear It: Quirky-cool 20-somethings like Whitney herself.

Young Adult: Charlize Theron Ain't No Judy Blume

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 03:05:00 PST

Growing up is hard to do, especially if you're a delusional, malicious shrew who's stuck in the past. That sums up Charlize Theron's Young Adult character Mavis Gary, a woman who lives in Minneapolis and has a career writing novels aimed at adolescent girls. Her world of hard drinking and sleeping in is disrupted when she gets an announcement from her high school boyfriend Buddy (Patrick Wilson) that his wife has had a baby. Mavis interprets it as a message that he's still in love with her, and she disdainfully heads back to her quiet Minnesota hometown to win him back. It's a journey that makes you cringe every step of the way, but Theron is so delightfully nasty that she makes the film sharply funny, even if it's also brutally uncomfortable.

Screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman are behind the dark comedy, who teamed up previously for Juno, which found humor in the tough situation of their straight-talking female lead. Young Adult may have a sharp-tongued heroine in common, but that's where the similarities end. To find out why else I liked Young Adult, just keep reading.

OnSugar Blog: A Baby Recipe - Potato, Sweet Potato & Tuna Pasta

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:16:59 PST

Lots of moms like to think out loud, and CherylDee is one of them. Here is one of the latest posts to her Lipsticks to Baby Bottles blog.

A few days ago I decided to try out a recipe I found online. It sounded delicious, well in a baby delicious sorta way! So let's jump right into it. Here's a list or more like pictures of the items you will need to create this dish for your bubs.

I know I did not state any carrots in the title, but I did add in some, purely just for color. Well and K loves carrots, but I added just a tiny bit. So there you have:

Heinz Baby Pasta Stars (You can get this from any leading supermarkets)
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots (if you want)
Tuna in water or flakes if it's easier

So just chop up the items and pop them into a pot of boiling water. Chopping them up to smaller pieces makes it easier to mash up later when they're fully boiled. While your vegetables are boiling you can start doing your pastas in a separate pot. For one serving you can just use 1 tablespoon worth of pastas. Up to you if you prefer the stars version or the spaghetti.

Keep reading to see the rest of the recipe.

Hello Diva! Patti Labelle's (Alleged) Disgraceful Treatment of a Toddler

Natasha Dantzig — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:40:53 PST

Patti Labelle might be in the market for a very good publicist. According to ABC News, a lawsuit was filed on Monday by Kevin and Roseanna Monk, claiming that the legendary songstress flew into a rage, allegedly screaming at Roseanna Monk and throwing water on both Monk and her 18-month-old daughter. What prompted this extreme reaction? Apparently Labelle (who has five children of her own) didn't approve of the way Rosanna Monk was supervising her daughter, and didn't appreciate Monk's response, "Lady, mind your own business," when confronted by the songstress. The little girl was understandably petrified, throwing up, and crying hysterically, and is apparently now having trouble sleeping through the night.

Being a diva is one thing, but this sounds totally beyond the scope of normal human behavior - can't imagine Aretha pulling this type of stunt. Have you ever witnessed anything like this? What's the most inappropriate reaction to a toddler you've ever seen?