BuzzSugar

TV Tonight: Farewell, TRL

BuzzSugar — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:30:47 PST

Today, MTV bids farewell to a onetime pop culture behemoth: TRL. Not long ago, you all shared your memories of the video request show, which ranged from Jesse Camp to Mariah Carey's Popsicles to drooling over the Backstreet Boys. For tonight's special, some of the people involved with the show will be stopping by to do a little reminiscing of their own.

The two-hour "Total Finale Live" episode features host Carson Daly returning for what he's called his "high school reunion." Joining the fun: the Backstreet Boys, Fall Out Boy, and Justin Timberlake, among others. Mariah Carey will swing by the studio; Beyonce and 50 Cent will be among the performers; Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Nelly will collaborate for a special performance; and Daly hinted that even more special guests could swing by at showtime.

It's only appropriate to bring back the VJs, too, and so Lyndsey Rodrigues, Vanessa Minnillo, Dave Holmes, Jesse Camp, Hilarie Burton, La La Vasquez, and Quddus will join TRL-ers Carson Daly and Damien Fahey in the studio. With all of that going on, I wonder if they'll have time to play any videos?

The episode will air at 8 p.m. EST (check your local listings elsewhere) tonight. Will you be tuning in for one last look at TRL? After the jump, you'll find a video from MTV telling everything you need to know about the rise and fall of TRL in 60 seconds. To check it out, just

MTV Shows

Source

Buzz In: What Are Your Memories of TRL?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:32:12 PDT

MTV's TRL is about to call it quits - at least for a while - after 10 years on the air. A decade! Just think of it: Ten years ago, the airwaves were filled with boy bands like Backstreet Boys version 1.0, Britney Spears's "Baby One More Time" wasn't even on the radio yet, and I couldn't have picked original TRL host Carson Daly out of a lineup.

The show, which will end with a two-hour special on a Saturday sometime in November, has brought us many memorable moments over the years, from teenyboppers screaming in Times Square to celebrity highs and, uh, lows (three words: Mariah Carey, Popsicles). I was never the most devoted viewer of TRL, but it definitely had a place in my late-high school, early-college years, alongside Dawson's Creek and Blind Date.

As the show winds down, I'm wondering about your memories of TRL. Were you a frequent viewer, or did you tune in only when you were interested in the guests? Do any TRL moments stand out in your mind? And did you ever (totally) request anything live?

Source

4 Lies You Shouldn't Tell Your Interviewer

Emily Co — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:36:45 PDT

People who lie during their interview or on their résumé can get stressed out because it may lead to complications during the hiring process. They may also keep worrying about the interviewer finding out. It's always good to be honest, although perhaps you should wait until you're asked before volunteering certain information. Here are a couple of lies you should refrain from telling:

Why, yes! I do kind of live here

If you've used a different address on your résumé to tailor it to where the job is based, don't lie about it when it comes up in the interview. If your potential employer asks you where you live, tell them where you currently live, but let them know that you're willing to move for the job. The problem with this lie is you may have several rounds of interviews and you'll have to keep flying back and forth for them. If they think you live in the city, they'll probably give you short notice for interviews and those last-minute flights can be really expensive.

I make so much more than my real salary

If your interviewer asks you how much you made at your last job, you may think it's a white lie to fudge the numbers a little. However, some employers ask for a copy of your W2, so you may want to be cautious about giving a fake amount because it can be construed as unethical. If you don't want to cough up your previous salary, let it be known that you don't think it has any bearing on this new job and cite the typical industry number. If you're pushed to give your previous income, tell them you won't consider an offer below $XX. This is a gray area that many have different opinions on - some like Bargaineering founder Jim Wang don't think that there's anything wrong with a little inflation, while others vehemently disagree.

Read on for more.

How to Find Affordable, No-Fee Apartments on Craigslist

Business Insider — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:15:00 PDT

Searching for a home? Here are some great tactics for apartment hunting on Craigslist from Business Insider.

Believe it or not, I've found all of my apartments on Craigslist.

And I've never paid a broker's fee once.

I've always resented the notion of a one-month (or more) broker's fee, since in my experience, the real estate brokers showing my apartment were just making appointments.

RELATED: Tips For Cheap Feng Shui

I was the one telling them about the closest grocery store, amenities in the building, and all the quirks of the apartment.

There are apartments on the site if you know how to wade through the crap. It just takes research, common sense, and knowing exactly what you want.

Here's what I've done to find fee-free apartments on Craigslist in Hoboken, NJ; Jersey City, NJ; the Upper West Side, NYC, and the Upper East Side, NYC:

Research, research, research! Figure out which area or areas you want to live in and really explore them. Take trips to the neighborhood during the day and at night. Assess which section is the expensive part of town, where the main street is, where the closest transportation is, and where the residential section is. Talk to people who live there as well as people who don't. Get as much information as possible from as many different people as possible.

Don't trust the pictures. Are all the shots narrow? Does the apartment look like it has many hallways but no rooms? It's probably a shoe box. Lots of pictures of the outside or only one room means that the broker/owner doesn't want you to see what's inside. Request more pictures before you take the time to see the apartment.

Read on for more.

The Vampire Diaries "The New Deal": The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:16:02 PST

The Vampire Diaries made its triumphant return after a long hiatus, and boy was this episode worth the wait. It's not the most action-packed episode we've ever seen, but there was a hell of a lot of plot development to make up for that. More specifically, I'm talking about the major OMG moment that happened in the final minutes!

Family is the running theme this week, as Klaus is trying to recover his ~~coffins~~ family members, and naturally he uses Elena's loved ones as bait. Meanwhile, Elena is having some problems relating to Jeremy, who is suddenly acting like his rebellious, season-one self. And, of course, it wouldn't be The Vampire Diaries without some friction between Damon and Stefan. Ready to break down this particularly juicy episode? Just

The Good

That kiss. That kiss. THAT KISS! OK, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's rewind.
Elena's feeling a little paranoid now that Klaus has disappeared, particularly when a dude starts following her on her morning jog. Turns out that she has a right to be worried: he's one of Klaus's new henchmen. Might I suggest that Elena get a gym membership? Running around alone isn't going to help keep her safe.
Now that Bonnie and Jeremy are over, she's back to being preoccupied with witchy business. She can't stop dreaming of finding four coffins in the dusty old haunted house and doesn't know what to make of the vision. I'd be confused too, especially since she seems to be dressed for clubbing in the dreams.
Jeremy is having his own trouble getting over the breakup, so he turns to Tyler for some day drinking and crossbow practice in the woods. Tyler can't stop crowing about how much he loves being a hybrid, and Elena and Alaric are immediately alarmed by Jeremy's newfound friendship. Jeremy has a point in calling Elena a hypocrite, but it's clear that Tyler is totally brainwashed by Klaus.
While Damon is busy enjoying "brunch in a bottle," Klaus shows up seeking help from Elena and Damon. He promises to leave them alone if they help him find Stefan and Rebekah, but Damon and Elena aren't buying it. Later on, Damon gets the whole coffin story out of Klaus over a drink, but Klaus sees through Damon's faux attempts to bond and decides to send a message to Elena.
That message is using his hitmen Tony and Tyler to hurt Jeremy. The only problem is that Alaric gets Jeremy out of harm's way and ends up getting hit by Tony's car. At least Tyler pushes back with Klaus a little bit when he realizes that Klaus has no problem killing people.
Stefan recruits Bonnie to help him hide the Originals, but Bonnie spills the beans to Elena almost immediately. Elena then confronts Stefan, who is icier than ever and earns himself another slap in the face when he says he doesn't care about Jeremy's well-being.
Damon decides that he's the only one to get through to Stefan, and they engage in a good old-fashioned brotherly staking. Once Damon has Stefan pinned, Stefan confesses that the only reason he let Klaus go was to protect Damon. Here's where I'm confused: if Stefan has no humanity whatsoever, why would he care about what happens to Damon? And if he does have a little bit of a humanity left, why is he still being such a jerk to Elena?
Elena gives Rebekah up to Klaus, believing that it will keep Jeremy safe. It takes about three seconds before Klaus starts threatening every other person in her life, so so much for that idea. However, I did notice that Elena seems much more confident around Klaus, which is an interesting development since I'm so over her damsel in distress act.
Once Elena learns that Jeremy will really never be safe, she takes her big puppy-dog eyes to Damon for help. I can't get enough of the tender moments between them when Damon gets all nurturing and tells her everything will be OK. On her request, he compels Jeremy to leave town and live with friends in Denver and never look back.
And then - the kicker! During introspective porch time, Damon tells Elena the truth about how Stefan saved his life, and admits that he didn't like hearing it because it gives him more reason to feel guilty about his feelings for her. Just when you think that he's about to take off, he turns around and goes for the kiss. The best part? Elena totally reciprocates! It is so on.

The Bad

Tyler is almost insufferable when he's not with Caroline. I loved seeing them as a couple, but now that they're broken up he's back to his obnoxious ways. I'm longing for the days when he was just a werewolf instead of a self-important hybrid.
Is this really the end of Jeremy? I hate that Elena's whole family has disappeared over the course of the seasons, and I find it hard to believe that they couldn't do more with his character.

The Bloody

How crazy did Jeremy look taking that cleaver to the hybrid? I'm just glad that we were spared the gore.
Though there was no blood-sucking this week, watching Alaric cough up his own blood was more than I needed to see. Yuck.

Are you as pleased with this episode as I am? Will you miss Jeremy? And most importantly - do you think we'll be seeing Damon and Elena action on a weekly basis now? Sound off in the comments!

Photo courtesy of The CW

13 Signs You’re Too Busy

LearnVest — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:15:38 PDT

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

There’s busy.

Then there’s too busy.

Busy is running from one appointment to the next. Too busy is running over someone on your way to the next appointment (physically, vehicularly, whatever). Busy is leaving your cell phone behind at the grocery store. Too busy is leaving your kid behind at the grocery store.

And then there’s the biggest of all ironies-we want to cut back, but frankly, we just don’t have the time to figure out how to do it.

Sound familiar? Well, we’re here to do an intervention-a time intervention. Today, we’ll help you figure out if your life is starting to burst at the seams when it comes to your time. If it is, you need a wake-up call to reset priorities, because there is no shakier foundation for healthy, balanced living (and healthy, balanced money management) than not having the space and breathing room that time provides in our lives.

If you’ve crossed over the line into too busy, you’ll need to reset your foundation: Maybe it means taking a day off from work to reassess your life priorities. Maybe it means evaluating what your time is worth and outsourcing chores like housekeeping or laundry. Maybe it means taking a break from social engagements for a little while to focus on building the right foundation.

Here are 13 signs that you might need a time overhaul in your life-and easy tips on how to get started, today.

You Spend a Good Amount of Time Worrying About Your Time

If your time is preoccupied with, well, your time, you might be: endlessly cycling through your to-do list in your head, spending a lot of time arranging and rearranging your schedule, or wishing throughout the day that you had more time.

If you've worried about your schedule or wished you had more time more than three times a day, you need a break from time itself as a stressor in your life.

Try this: Take a mental break. Remove one thing from your schedule for today that is the least important-it might be putting off doing the laundry or postponing a work call. Spend that time instead totally luxuriating in something in the present moment (like eating a macaron or listening to your favorite song) and not thinking about your schedule, or future plans, at all.

Read on for more.

Can't You Control That Kid?

BabyCenter — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 06:30:45 PDT

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts over on BabyCenter, including this post from Joyce Slaton with her tips for disciplining your children!

Few things make me see red quicker than that question, or its multifarious cousins: Can't you keep that kid quiet? Don't you think your child should be sitting down? Why are you letting him make that noise? Ask these questions in my presence, and you are asking for a swift lecture in a very snappy voice that will leave you feeling about a half-inch tall.

Related: Stupid Things Parents Do

So in her blog post yesterday "I'm at My Wit's End as a Mom," when Kristina wrote "I suck at being a mom because I cannot control my kid," I wanted to reach right through the screen and give her a big, fat hug. Oh, Kristina. You don't suck! What sucks is the system that tells us we should be able to control other human beings who are all id and absolutely no superego.

We have such a thing in America about control. We're supposed to be happy and carefree, calm and in control, no matter what's going on in our lives. We're supposed to look on the bright side. We're supposed to stand quietly in line with composed faces, keeping our bodies still and our mouths closed. We're supposed to lead a line of children following meekly along behind us like ducklings, right into the restaurant where they are to sit and eat their salads, speaking only when spoken to. Children are supposed to sleep in their own beds, share without asking, say thanks for horrible presents, and wear whatever mommy damn well says to.

More after the jump.

Jason Segel Talks Muppets, Amy Adams, and His Next Hollywood Dream

Allie Merriam — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:48:00 PDT

We were able to pay a visit to the LA set of The Muppets earlier this year, and the movie's mastermind, lifelong Jim Henson fan Jason Segel, stopped by to chat about life on the set with Kermit. The project was written by Jason and his partner Nick Stoller, and was brought to life with director James Bobin, leading lady Amy Adams, and a roster of talented puppeteers. Jason spoke about how he and Nick tried to make the film fun for both kids and adults, and revealed how happy he was to land Amy Adams as a costar. Jason, who at the time was finishing the Five Year script with Nick between scenes while logging an almost-regular workweek on the set of How I Met Your Mother, also touched on new Muppets, operating Fozzie himself, and what his next big Hollywood dream is. Jason said:

On people's perceptions of a Jason Segel Muppets movie: "I think maybe there was a moment of wariness that I was doing this with a sense of irony. Like there was a wink-wink about it - 'Oh, cute. R-rated Jason Segel is going to do the Muppets and make fun of it.' But as soon as we arrived on set and everyone saw that that wasn't the case, that this was coming from a very genuine and true place, we were all on the same team very very quickly."
On making a movie for kids and adults: "We're trying to harken back to the original three Muppet movies, The Muppet Movie, Muppets Take Manhattan, and The Great Muppet Caper. I think one of the things the original Muppet movies did amazingly well is that they don't condescend to children by feeling like they have to dumb things down to the lowest common denominator. And when you don't do that, you get a family film in its truest sense. An entire family can sit and watch and enjoy it. The worst equivalent is Barney the dinosaur where parents are having to sit there while their kids watch this and the parents want to blow their brains out. This I think is going to be the exact opposite. I think parents are going to be laughing as hard as kids are going to be laughing. We have jokes geared toward children and we have jokes that are geared specifically toward adults that go right over a kid's head. It's something that The Simpsons does as well. There's something very special about a family sitting down to enjoy something together - that was our goal."
On why Amy Adams is the perfect leading lady: "I wrote it for her. She was in my mind from the beginning, ever since I saw Enchanted. The role is very different, but first of all, she's like the best actress alive. To go from Enchanted to Doubt, and The Fighter, this woman can do anything. She's able to do this wide-eyed naiveté that is not part of her personality in real life - she's one of the most smart, on-top-of-it women I've ever met. But she can do this kind of thing - my character and her character and Walter are true innocents. She's able to do that. She channels it through her eyes, and she can sing. She's totally game. She's up for it. She also really gets the jokes, so she was the perfect choice from the start. I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't gotten her."
On writing, filming TV, and filming movies at the same time: "I spent [ages] 21-25 totally out of work. And so now that I have a chance to do stuff, there's a part of me that thinks I'm not letting this opportunity pass by. You see it go away so quickly. It's so fickle. I like writing, I genuinely do. I get tired and all that stuff, but when you think about it, it's like the alien is going to burst out of your chest. When I get an idea it's kind of hard not to do something because it feels like the alien is going to burst out of my chest. I'm not good at setting it aside and saying I'll get to it eventually. I want to start writing it, even if it means staying up all night. It's tough to complain . . . I bought a house! What do I have to complain about, a little lack of sleep?"

View 5 Photos ›

Photos courtesy Disney

To read what Jason says about the new Muppet, more on the movie, and his one remaining Hollywood dream, just

On creating a new Muppet: "Nick Stoller and I did. We wrote the script together, he's my writing partner. We invented Walter! We did not get to design him physically because then they would owe us a lot of money. So we came up with him on paper and then they were very clear that we could not be involved in any aspect in the physical design of Walter. But it is pretty crazy when I saw him and I knew he was born in our brains. It's like Nick and I had a little baby - with our brains."
On whether or not this movie would be a musical: "We knew it was going to be a musical from the start. All the Muppets movies are musicals. When you look back at the great lineage of the Muppet music, like "The Rainbow Connection." I mean that is not a joke of a song. That is a serious song. If a legitimate musician put out that song they'd win a Grammy. We really wanted the music to be great and James (director) was the perfect choice for this movie and it seems like he's been training for this."
On what Muppets we'll see again: "We're bringing out a lot of the Muppets from the archives. A lot of guys from the old Muppet shows, some of the kind of obscure performances make appearances. I can't give too many away, but there's some old favorites of mine . . . there's some really cool weird ones."
On improv from the Muppeteers: "There is! I did not expect that for a minute! These guys know the characters so much better than I could hope to. I could imagine what the character might say, but these guys have been playing them for 20, 30 years."
On operating a Muppet himself: "Yeah I just operated Fozzie a minute ago! I've done Fozzie, Dr. Teeh, and I've done Beeker so far. It's been amazing. That is what knocks your socks off. This is going to sound different from how I mean it - but my hand is inside Fozzie? That's amazing. I never thought that would happen!"
On taking pieces from the set home: "I really want a lot of stuff that I see around here. They're very protective certainly over the puppets, but I've gotten a few bits of paraphernalia that I'll save and treasure forever. Some really special photographs. Me with Kermit, shooting the . . . breeze? What's the the PG version of that? That's the greatest picture I've ever seen. I love it."
On Muppets not being puppets: "In the original script, I was a ventriloquist and Walter was my puppet. But one of the things you find out is that you really don't want to cross the line into mentioning puppet. It becomes very, very complicated because the Muppets and not puppets. Muppets are living creatures in this world, you know what I mean? So as soon as I realized that that made things really complicated to have a puppet vs. the Muppets . . . it became complicated, so we cut that aspect of the story and it actually really simplified the story."
On Walter's personality: "Walter is the sweetest little guy you'll ever meet. He's like Kermit. He's like a very young Kermit. He's naive and he's sweet. Walter's thing is he's never met anyone like him. Like I said you don't use the word puppet, but he's my best friend and we grew up in Smalltown, USA - that's literally the name of the town - and he's never seen anything else like him. Except for the Muppets on television. So his dream is to go meet the Muppets and maybe have a family. It really does have tones of young Kermit."
On the movie's bad guys: "There are some other new Muppets. Villainous characters - they're not specifically Muppets. They're not very nice, so they're not Muppets. But they're adorable. I love them. They're another great creation. I can't give too much away about them, but they're really cool."
On the movie being a lifelong dream: "Once [the studio] said they were going to make it, everyone in my life was like, 'All right! Whatever you need. Let's get this thing made.' Because I've had puppets and Muppet figurines in my house, in my bedroom, since I was a kid."
On making Muppets history: "I'm not an arrogant dude, but to be even the tiniest footnote in the Muppets lineage is nuts to me. That is insane! So I feel very honored."
On Hollywood stars requesting cameos: "I got a lot of calls, especially my contemporaries who have kids all wanted to be a part of it for their kids. The idea of bringing their kids to meet the Muppets, or even to be able to show them the movie eventually. People love the Muppets. There's a lot of Muppet love out there."
On the music: "Bret McKenzie wrote most of the songs, and we have a couple reprises of some of the old songs. I wrote one of the songs, but it's a jokier version. Bret really took the songs and ran with them, and they're awesome . . . but some of the lyrics are definitely adult-based."
On where we find the Muppets: "We've got them in varying states of success and disarray. Some are famous, some are . . . destitute is the wrong word, you're not going to see any destitute moments . . . but some aren't doing what they wish they were doing. Everyone is doing their own thing, and it's a bit of a struggle for all of them to come back and do the Muppet show again."
On his next big Hollywood dream: "I'd like to be president of the United States. No. I've like to play a villain in a superhero movie. I think I'd be really good at it. I'm like 20 percent creepy. I'm really am. I am 20 percent creepy, I exclude it from this movie. But when you watch Sarah Marshall, the Dracula musical is funny but it's 20 percent creepy. I really want to play a villain in a superhero movie."

My 5 Essential Tech Tools For Relocating

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:08:36 PDT

Moving can be such a hassle, but it doesn't have to be painful. Over the course of the last month, as my apartment hunt has gone into full swing, I've discovered that these five tech tools can be a lifesaver when it comes to saving up, budgeting, selling off my unused items, and even taking a virtual tour of apartments from miles away. Check out my most-used digital tools, then share with us the apps and sites you have used to help you move!

PadMapper - Recently recommended to me by a co-worker, PadMapper has helped me save lots of time by aggregating more available units (via Craigslist, Apartments.com, and other rental agencies), and placing them on a Google Map for easy location browsing.
Ustream - My husband and I couldn't make an open house at the same time, so he streamed the apartment tour on Ustream so I could see it in real time. The best part is, I could comment via the chat feature to ask questions and hear the conversations as if I were really there.
Ebay For iPhone - Since we're moving to a smaller place, some of our precious gadgets and gizmos have to go. Instead of dealing with the hassle of negotiation and no-shows on Craigslist, we started selling some of our goods on Ebay. The app has streamlined our process, since you can upload pics from your iPhone and list your item right on your mobile device. Plus, you can check on the status of your items and get alerts when someone has bid or bought instantly.

See the rest of the list after the jump.

California's Social Networking Privacy Act - Way to Go or Going Too Far?

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 18 May 2011 12:11:44 PDT

There's a new law being shopped around California's senate called SB242, or the Social Networking Privacy Act, which requires social networks to allow parents full access to their kids' profiles and even lets them request removal of text or photos from a minor's (under 18) profile. For me, this calls into question the rights of the user. Facebook allows users age 13 and up to open an account, and since these kids are still underage, should their parents have total access to their Facebook accounts? And does the state have a right to step in and make that decision for them? I'm a big proponent of involved parenting when it comes to online activity, but I'm not sure a statewide bill is the answer to keep your kids' online activity clean.

While this bill may sound strict, there is a plus side - the bill would also force social networks to walk users through privacy settings upon signup, explaining what each setting means before the account goes live. I'm all for that action. What do you think about California's SB242?