BuzzSugar

SXSW Set of the Day: Peter, Bjorn & John

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:05:40 PDT

At first, it was the impossibly catchy song "Young Folks" that turned me on to Peter, Bjorn & John. But as I spend more time with the Swedish pop group's breakthrough album, Writer's Block, I discover more and more songs that I love.

Now, after hearing KEXP's podcast of PB&J performing at South by Southwest, I'm jonesing to see the band live. But until then, this highly satisfying live recording should hold me over, with a set that includes "Young Folks," "Paris 2004," and "Amsterdam." Be sure to listen to the end, when the band tries to collude with the Austin mafia. To hear the show,

Song of the Day: Peter Bjorn and John, "Young Folks"

BuzzSugar — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:33:00 PST

I finally got around to checking out Peter Bjorn and John, whose Writer's Block was one of the most buzzed-about albums of 2006. Now, the CD is finally getting an official stateside release on Feb. 6, and the Swedes are performing on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on Jan. 29.

To celebrate, I thought I'd share this track "Young Folks," which I'm really digging right now. Not only does it have whistling - I'm really a sucker for whistling - but it also has a great bouncy melody that just makes me smile. To listen to PB&J's "Young Folks,"

Cannes Minireview: On the Road

Allie Merriam — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:50:15 PDT

Required reading for teenagers in America, Jack Kerouac's On the Road is now a big-screen film, and the finished product just debuted at Cannes. It's one of the most anticipated movies to be screened at the Grand Palais - read on to see what we thought.

Who's behind it? Walter Salles, of The Motorcycle Diaries, was tasked with directing the picture, which is of course based on the Kerouac classic. Salles has a long list of stars - at one point, I wondered who isn't in this movie. Sam Riley, who had a star-making role in 2007's Control, plays the lead role of Sal Paradise, and Garrett Hedlund is his pal Dean Moriarty. Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst have smaller parts as Dean's love interests, and Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen, Tom Sturridge, Steve Buscemi, Elisabeth Moss, and many more have other cameos. The production has been in the works for decades. Francis Ford Coppola secured the movie rights back in 1980.
What's it about? It's the beat generation in the USA during the 1940s, but Sal Paradise can't seem to get past his writer's block. Sal takes up with a group of friends who love drinking, talking, dancing, and moving. Dean Moriarty enters the picture and offers adventure. He likes to move around the country, not caring where the money comes from or which hearts he breaks. Sal's a devoted friend to Dean, and they travel the country meeting up with friends, family, strangers, and going wherever the road takes them.

To read what I thought, just read more

The Words Trailer: Bradley Cooper Has Got a Story For You

Shannon Vestal — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:50:51 PDT

Get ready to bend your brain as you watch the trailer for The Words, starring Bradley Cooper as a writer. His character, Rory Jansen, suffers from writer's block until he has a breakthrough and finally produces a best-selling novel. The only problem is that he stole the story from former soldier (played by Jeremy Irons), who put his life story to words years before Rory finds his writings. As you watch the preview that doesn't really come across, because the trailer starts out telling Rory's story, paralleling it with Irons's character in flashback (played by Ben Barnes). And then, randomly, Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde show up, because apparently Quaid's character wrote Rory's plagiarism tale. Got it?

None of that is really clear as you watch, nor does it make sense as to why a cheesy, romantic-comedy-esque song comes on in the final moments. Let's hope the movie itself is far more coherent than this first look, because I know I won't be missing a chance to see Cooper and his baby blues as a struggling artist. The film comes out Sept. 21, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.

Top OMG Moments From Gossip Girl "Raiders of the Lost Art"

Laura Marie Given — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:16:01 PDT

Diana's big secret is finally revealed on this week's Gossip Girl, and Chuck has to deal with more parental problems than he'd ever imagined. Blair returns to her scheming roots, which leads Dan to question their relationship, and Serena plots to take over the Gossip Girl role once and for all. Blackmail, threats, and cryptic codes take over the Upper East Side - and Chuck is forced to face his past in a major way. From writer's block to brothels, let's recap this week's top OMG moments.

Photos courtesy of The CW

Mad Men's 5 Maddest Moments: "Signal 30"

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:49:04 PDT

It's all about Pete Campbell on Mad Men this week, as we get a little more insight into what's making him so miserable. Though he's guilty of a few despicable acts, we also get to see Trudy in her best form, plus the added bonus of seeing Pete get put in his place in a very unexpected manner.

The Campbell comeuppance isn't the only twist: there's also an awkward kiss that takes place within the walls of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and some great zingers from Don. Is it just me, or is Don funnier than ever this season? Just another reason why I'm a fan of the Megan effect. Let's break it down when you

The company you keep: Despite his resistance, Don and Megan get roped into a dinner party at the Campbells' new suburban home at Trudy's urging. Don's the man of the hour, as Pete can't stop brownnosing, and Don comes to the rescue when the sink starts flooding. The real hilarity is that no one can remember poor Cynthia's name (Don gives a classic "Hello, you" when he arrives, and Megan even blurts out Cynthia's name during her "eureka" moment). It's a nice insight into Pete's seemingly perfect life, complete with an adoring wife, cute daughter, and of course, a brand-new stereo.
Hail to the king: We've known that Pete's been unhappy for quite some time, but his issues with both work and his home life come to a head this week. First off, he's taking driver's ed, but he's learning a lot more about a fellow teenage student than he is about the rules of the road. His blatant ogling is enough to make my skin crawl, but then he takes it up a notch by actually asking her out on a date. Multiple times. (Even she appears to be a bit weirded out by the situation). No matter though, because she finds herself a suitable lad her own age, and Pete turns to a hooker for a self-esteem boost, but more on that later. The real bottom line here comes from Pete himself, who says to Don, "I have nothing."
Big leagues: After a jolly good World Cup outing, Lane befriends a fellow Brit named Edwin, who's interested in using Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce to represent Jaguar. Even though he's not an account man, Lane wants to wine and dine Edwin on his own, and Roger even preps him for the dinner. Unfortunately, Lane can't deliver the goods, so Roger, Don, and Pete take over. They court Edwin with a lobster dinner, but he's got more sinister ideas on his mind. He asks the SCDP guys to show him a good time, which is essentially code for a prostitute party. Everyone wastes no time shacking up - except Don, who seems to be sticking to his guns and staying faithful to Megan. Everything seems to be well and good, until Edwin's wife finds some chewing gum in an, um, unfortunate area, and Edwin pulls the plug on working with SCDP.
Dukes up: Lane's furious about the guys going behind his back, and puts all the blame on Pete. Pete insults Lane in return and they settle the score with a legitimate fist fight right there in the meeting room. Bert, Don, and Roger can't help but watch as the two throw punches, and Lane eventually knocks Pete out. Pete's obviously mortified, and even Lane doesn't get much time to celebrate his victory, since he makes a fool of himself a few minutes later. When Joan comes in to talk about the situation, he makes a pass at her. Lucky for him, Joanie just sweeps it under the rug and it doesn't seem like it'll affect their friendship.
Writer's block: Ken and Peggy seem to be butting heads a little, until we learn that they've got a secret pact: if either of them leave, they'll bring the other one along. It's not a main focus of the episode, but it's definitely something that will likely pop up again later this season. What is a major focus of the episode is Ken's writing career. Posing as his alter ego "Ben Hargrove" (so clever, Kenny), Ken's been getting his sci-fi works published under the radar. At least he is until Cynthia spills the beans at the dinner party and Pete reports the information back to Roger in no time. Ken claims that he's giving up to "leave the writing to the writers," but it's clear that he's still indulging in his passion at the end of the episode - and perhaps using Pete as inspiration?

Were you surprised to see Lane and Pete come to blows? How much longer do you think Don can stay faithful?

Photo courtesy of AMC

Love. Write. Win. Introducing the OnSugar Blogging Challenge!

PopSugar — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:50:50 PST

There's only one week left! Your very last chance to win the final two prizes: an HP Pavilion dv6t laptop to the OnSugar blogger who receives the most reblogs on their own blog, or an extraordinary HP Envy14 Spectre and an external drive to the blogger who inspires us the most!

We've been posting a new question each day to get you thinking. Feel free to play along or, if you are already writing about your passions, just tag your posts LoveWriteWin. Spam will not be considered valid entries, so make sure you're creating legitimate, well-crafted posts. Read the official rules and then get writing! Read on for a guide to entering.

11 Rules to Dramatically Increase Your Productivity

Wise Bread — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:35:04 PST

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

There's a problem with a lot of productivity advice out there, and it's this - your "rules" for personal productivity are often going to be different than mine. Sure, sometimes there's overlap. Sure, you can always learn from others.

But if you want to see a dramatic increase in your productivity, spend less time reading and memorizing other people's rules, and more time figuring out what your own rules are. You'll be more productive and in a way that works with who you are.

So I'm sharing a few of my personal productivity rules. Maybe some of them will work for you or inspire you to think of your own.

1. Small Daily Movements Become Big Accomplishments

I tend to think that I must have big blocks of time in order to get any forward movement. So I hesitate and procrastinate, waiting for that "open time" when I can really push and get a lot done on whatever the current project is.

Turns out, that's a waste of time. Small daily movements add up. It's just that the movements or steps themselves are so small, I think they don't count. They do.

I have to constantly remind myself that I don't need a whole day or a whole week to devote to some project. I just need to take the 10 or 20 minutes I have here and there and use them. I need to achieve a little bit of forward movement every day. That adds up, and it builds momentum, and pretty soon there's been quite a lot accomplished.

For more rules, read after the jump.

5 Ways Spending Less Will Create More Happiness

LearnVest — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:15:49 PST

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

Recently, New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote an op-ed piece about the “Haimish Line.” The Haimish Line is an invisible line sometimes crossed when you go from spending less to spending more - in doing so, Brooks contends, you often sacrifice warmth and connection to attain luxury and space. According to Brooks, “haimish” is a Yiddish word that suggests “warmth, domesticity and unpretentious conviviality.”

An exclusive, white-tablecloth, four-star restaurant where servers disappear and diners are on their Blackberries would be north of the Haimish Line. A small, casual diner on the corner bustling with loud conversations from neighborhood folks talking over each other would be south of the Haimish Line. A new dorm building with a shiny, new, unused lounge would be north of the Haimish Line; the well-worn lounge of ratty furniture that students veer toward would be staunchly planted south of the Haimish Line. The Haimish Line even slices across neighborhoods: densely packed urban neighborhoods where kids run home from school and and people have stoop conversations versus spread-out suburbs of isolated living in separate homes and cars.

Brooks advises that we learn to spend our money well and stay south of the Haimish Line.

I found this essay so compelling because money often buys privacy, space, exclusivity and “luxury”-all of which are the very opposite of “unpretentious conviviality.” In America, the picture of success is a bigger house (where the family is more spread out), moving to the suburbs (with more distance between neighbors), a nicer car (to be more vigilant about spills in), and flying first class (ok, so some things are not worth getting all concerned about “the Haimish Line” over).

Read on for ways to spend less and create happiness.

Fight the Online Shopping Urge With These Smart Tools

LearnVest — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:15:20 PDT

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

The internet. It’s our best friend and worst enemy, depending on the hour of the day and our frame of mind.

It’s our ally when it comes to finding important info or Googling someone’s photo. But when it comes to procrastinating, getting sucked down a social media rabbit hole, or online shopping (and forget about reading all those reviews) . . . well, sometimes we could just use an “off” button.

Online addiction–it’s not only a formidable money-suck, it can be a time-suck as well (which is just as concerning, given how much your hour is worth).

So, after spending one too many precious hours online, we’ve decided to fight fire with fire. We’ve found software, plug-ins, and websites that will help you focus on the task at hand (like, you know, your job - or your life) instead of getting sucked into yet another flash sale or Youtube marathon.

Read on for our online addiction fixes.