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Music Video: Marshall Eriksen, "You Just Got Slapped" (from How I Met Your Mother)

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:34:29 PST

What's better than slapping your best friends across the face in a hilarious and unexpected manner? Why, singing about the slapping, of course! If you watched last night's very special Slapsgiving episode of How I Met Your Mother, you saw Marshall's latest slap of Barney - and you also saw the gang gathered around the piano at the end, singing an ode to the special moment.

Well, that's not all: The HIMYM crew recorded an official music video for the song, with Jason Segel's Marshall fancied up all in a tux and tails, slapping glasses off the top of his grand piano. All it's missing is Barney's warbling harmonies.

The "You Just Got Slapped" video has replaced the countdown clock over at SlapCountdown.com, or you can also just watch it right here if you

Photo courtesy of CBS

American Idol: Was the Right Person Voted Off?

Maggie Pehanick — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:13:49 PDT

Joshua Ledet has been let go of season 11 of American Idol. I don't know about you, but I just overreacted a little bit. My neighbors might come over and check to make sure if I'm all right after the shriek that I let out when Ryan announced Phillip Phillips would be joining Jessica Sanchez at next week's finale. Admittedly, I haven't been championing Joshua over the past couple weeks, but that's just because I figured the judges were doing it so much that I didn't need to. Apparently the soul singer could have used the extra help.

At least we got a couple performances leading into the elimination. I did a double take when I saw Lisa Marie Presley up on the Idol stage, then another one when Adam Lambert showed up, glowing all kinds of neon. It wasn't a bad show, I'm just surprised at the outcome. So was Steven, who, if you didn't catch his reaction, had an "I'm not impressed" look slapped all over his disapproving face. What do you think - was the right person voted off?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Glee-ful Highlights From Episodes "Props" and "Nationals"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:18 PDT

It's a Glee double whammy this week as the New Directions prep for, and then head to Nationals! As we've seen at the end of each season, emotions are running high, as the kids get ready to take on Vocal Adrenaline. The stakes are even higher this year since a lot of the seniors are graduating, and there's one gleek in particular who's feeling a little left out.

Season three has not been my favorite, but both of this week's episodes won me over in a big way. The first hour is both funny and poignant, while the second is very sweet and sentimental, as we get ready to say goodbye to some of the core cast members. The night definitely brings back memories from the first season when the show took the world by storm, and reminded me why I fell in love with it in the first place. Let's break down the highlights when you

I'm glad Tina finally gets a little time to shine, though it's a bit awkward that the opening voice-over is all about how the show has essentially ignored her for the first three seasons. Still, it's a nice break, and the sweet moments between Rachel and Tina feel authentic and are fun to watch, particularly when Tina offers to take Rachel on a road trip to see Carmen Thibedeau. And though it's not my favorite number of the night, I love that Rachel gives Tina her wish to duet on "What a Feeling."
Just because it needs to be mentioned: Kurt and Blaine's Halloween costumes as Snooki and the Situation. Amazing.
OK, the switcheroo moment was everything I hoped it would be and more. Though the sneak peek pictures gave away who would become who during Tina's dream, it's still amazing to see the kids all mixed up: particularly Artie as Santana. Genius. My head continued exploding throughout the entire sequence, especially seeing the reaction shots to Tina's rendition of "Because You Loved Me" (Mr. Schue's impression of Sue is spot-on). Speaking of which, Tina totally kills the song: are we getting a preview of what Glee might be like next season?
Coach Beiste has had to do some emotional heavy lifting lately, but this is one of the few times we see Puck truly vulnerable. His feelings of inadequacy about his future come to a head when one of the bullies at school challenges him to a fight in the schoolyard. After Beiste breaks it up, Puck breaks down in tears about feeling like garbage, and he and Beiste comfort each other in a truly touching moment. What's even better is that Beiste proceeds to dump Cooter, and she and Puck sing a sweet duet of Taylor Swift's "Mean." (Honestly I'm surprised it's taken Glee this long to get that song).
I love all the throwbacks to the first season in this episode; there's talk of Tina's first audition, some reminiscing about Puck's days tossing kids in dumpsters, and even an utterance of the Glee-patented insult "lima loser." Those were the days.
How is it possible that the New Directions are, yet again, about to perform at Nationals and they're still trying to slap together the routine just hours beforehand? It's no wonder they're all on edge, but at least they aren't trying to write their own songs this time around.
I can't even talk about how much I loved every one of the New Directions' performances at Nationals; this is by far and away my favorite performance episode. I had chills during "The Edge of Glory," which turned into goose bumps for "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." But the real kicker is "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" - the number is mesmerizing, and I felt proud of how far they've come. I can't remember the last time I was so caught up the performances of this show. They absolutely nailed it.
As for Vocal Adrenaline, well, they certainly bring the theatrics. I'm a fan of Unique's, but something about their numbers lacked energy. But maybe that's because the dudes were so tired from picking up the girls repeatedly and pushing those heavy-looking pinball machines around?
Giving Unique the suddenly existent MVP award is a nice consolation when the New Directions win the grand prize. I do kind of wish they'd give up the celebrity judges' shtick though. No offense to Lindsay Lohan, but getting a peek inside the self-involved judges' room used to be funny but now it just feels stale.
The scene where we get to watch the New Directions celebrating their victory feels like three years coming, and it actually could have been a very fitting end to the series as a whole. The kids are about to graduate and move away, and now they've finally got the biggest trophy in all the land. Hell, they even let Will and Emma finally do it (though did that really need to be shoehorned in with the confetti?). The icing on the cake, of course, is Mr. Schuester's Teacher of the Year award and the performance of "We Are the Champions." A perfect end to a great episode.

With only one more episode to go, it all culminates with next week's graduation episode. Were you touched by this episode like I was? What'd you think of the New Directions' showing at Nationals?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Fixes For These 10 Money Mistakes

Business Insider — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:15:04 PDT

Everyone makes mistakes. Business Insider shares solutions for some common money mistakes people make.

Recently, two friends confessed they live check to check - a revelation worsened by the fact that they only check their bank balance once or twice a month.

We called in the finance experts, and here's what we decided they should do to get on track.

"I check my balance once . . . every two weeks."

The mistake: The more we rely on our debit cards, the easier is to go over budget - and risk having our bank misorder the charges to slap us with overdraft fees. It's the reason my friend keeps paying $39 for that Starbucks latte.

The fix: Get in the habit of checking your bank balance morning, noon, and night, says financial expert Farnoosh Torabi. "Rather than compartmentalizing into a once-a-month chore, make checking statements a habitual, daily thing."

"What, my bank offers an app?"

The mistake: Ignoring your balance can make you "forget" about incoming bills and checks waiting to clear, and not using your bank app is careless.

It also keeps you out of sync with your money, something you don't want to do in an era of rampant identity theft.

The fix: Download the app!

Read on for more.

Should There Be a War on Makeup For Little Girls?

BabyCenter — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:57:47 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 Betsy Shaw about kids and makeup.

Hope Perlman survived the moment of mothering girls I dread. In her post for NY Times' Motherlode, she relays the day her 13-year-old daughter begged to be allowed to wear makeup to a party.

After much soul searching – Perlman occasionally wears makeup herself – and lecturing, she said yes. She describes her rationale here:

"I wanted her to fit in, because I know fitting in is what middle school is about. But what, exactly, was she starting to fit into? The role of the teenager tortured by her failure to live up to a magazine picture? I'd been that teenager, with a picture of a model taped to my bedroom mirror. It wasn't what I wanted for my child."

So she acquiesced. But not before letting her know exactly what she thought about the message, so aggressively delivered by a male-dominated advertising industry, that girls and women need to paint themselves, cover their skin with lotions and potions, to be beautiful and feminine.

"So that's how I allowed my daughter to start wearing makeup," Perlman says at the end of her essay, "I gave her permission - along with a large and cumbersome bag of guilt. The personal is political. Better remember that. Here's your mascara, honey. And your burden of awareness. Enjoy!"

I relate to Perlman’s story: When my daughter first sensed I had "issues" with makeup, she was about four years old. She asked me to get her a makeup kit, like the one her little friend Hanna got for being a flower girl, and I refused.

"Why not?" she pouted.

Instead of simply saying "because I said so," I treated her to a verbal tirade of stinging righteousness that came from an apparently conflicted place inside of me.

Keep reading for more of the story.

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.

No Balance Transfer Fee Offers Aren't Always a Bargain

Business Insider — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:49:00 PST

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

Credit card companies may be targeting consumers with great credit with a host of new perks recently, but CreditCards.com warns against falling for 0% balance transfer fee offers.

In a study looking at offers from 37 lenders, the site found offers to waive these fees for as many as 21 months.

But there's a catch: Companies are also charging much more for balance transfers once the offer period ends.

They've got customers who carry balances and have a healthy credit score in their crosshairs, rolling out more than 1 billion mail offers to consumers in the third quarter of 2011 alone.

Earlier this month, Cardhub.com's Credit Card Landscape Report found credit card companies were more than willing to extend 0% introductory rates for new customers in the last quarter of 2011, and offered 60% more cash back rewards offers.

"After the CARD Act, we thought zero percent balance transfer offers would just go away," Linda Sherry, director of national priorities for Consumer Action, told the site. "But it turned out that wasn't true."

Another way they've compensated for keeping the waiver alive is by nixing the usual $50-$75 balance transfer fee caps.

CreditCards.com's survey found 12 cards offer the fee waiver for six months, three for a year and seven for 15 months.

Read on to find out more about the cards.

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "I Kissed a Girl"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:41:59 PST

Everyone's got election fever on this week's Glee, and we find out the results of both the student body and congressional race. Because of the political ad threatening to expose Santana, we watch her deal with her sexuality, and the support she gets (and doesn't get) from those around her. It brings out a soft side of Finn (no, that's not a reference to Santana's preferred insults for Finn), who asks everyone to sing a song celebrating women. Sue also gets taken to task for her love life, but her tactics end up hurting Coach Beiste.

Meanwhile, Puck and Shelby take their forbidden relationship to the next level, and Rachel does something to help Kurt, but she ends up hurting the whole glee club. It's a surprisingly emotional episode, and there are lots of great lines (Santana and Sue really outdo themselves this week), but what made it for me are this week's upbeat, encouraging musical numbers. Let's break it all down into the highlights when you keep reading.

Keep Your iPhone 4/4S Slim With the Moshi iGlaze Case

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:01:50 PDT

Some people just feel better with protection. iPhone protection, that is. I've been using the Moshi iGlaze case ($25) on my iPhone 4S for the past few days now, and I have to say - it's been a very pleasant experience. Not only does the iGlaze keep my phone from getting scratched up in the back (thanks in part to a buffer film that you attach before slapping on the case), but it also keeps my iPhone 4S looking slim and trim. The sides of the case don't protrude out, and after a while you'll barely know you've got a case on your device. What's more, there's a nice matte finish on the back of the cases of color, while the clear version virtually disappears altogether.

The Moshi iGlaze comes in the five colors you see here (along with a clear version), but you can get a closer look in the gallery!

4 Reasons Roommates Fight About Money

Kiplinger — Mon, 23 May 2011 11:55:44 PDT

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

Whether you're moving out of the dorms for the first time or you've been living sans-resident-adviser for a while now, you might consider getting one or more roommates to help cut costs. But sharing a living space can be a minefield of monetary problems.

Sidestep any big blowups by discussing how you’ll address potential problems with your roommate(s) before you even sign a lease. And consider formalizing your chat by creating an official roommate agreement - signed and notarized, just in case a little spat escalates to a legal battle. Here are eight common causes of cohabitation conflict that you might address in your contract:

1. Size Matters

Specify how much each person will pay for rent and which room (or side of the room) each person will get. Especially if one room is bigger or comes with better perks (such as a nice view or its own bathroom), everyone needs to agree on the living situation. You may all decide that the person taking the biggest room ought to pay the biggest slice of rent.

Or you can work out another arrangement. For example, my old roommate and I shared a two-bedroom apartment, where I got the master bedroom (complete with a view of tennis courts, where unwitting casual players were subjected to my dramatic, stroke-by-stroke commentary) and she took the other, much-smaller room. We didn’t want to quibble over how much each room was worth, so we agreed to split the rent evenly. To make it fair, I let her use the majority of the common area as her personal office space. And we lived together happily ever after -- for a year (she was even a bridesmaid in my wedding).

Read on for more money issues roommates fight about.