BuzzSugar

Buzz In: What Should Be Your State's Rock Song?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:30:52 PDT

In charming civic-type news, The Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize??" has been nominated for official Oklahoma rock song, apparently the token indie rock entry in a list that includes the likes of Elvis Presley and, well, Oklahoma. As Pitchfork writes:

"Oklahoma already has an official state song ("Oklahoma," from the musical, natch), a state folk song, and a state country-and-western tune. What they don't have just yet is an official state rock'n'roll song. And that is where you come in."

The state legislature has ordered Oklahomans to vote here before Nov. 15 - though as far as I can tell, anyone can vote, 'cause the computer has no way of knowing whether or not you're an Oklahoman - for whichever rock song you like.

This is a pretty fun idea, so I think we should start thinking of the official rock songs for the rest of the 49 states! For example, it seems to me Washington should probably at least nominate "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana as one of theirs (it seems the Evergreen State only has a state folk song). Maybe something from my 50 Songs for 50 States challenge could get you started.

What do you think? What other songs would you nominate for which states?

Source and Source

Cher Lloyd Performs Her New Single "Want You Back" and Talks Snoop Dogg and Wedding Plans

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:30:32 PDT

Cher Lloyd first made waves as a 16-year-old contestant on the UK's The X Factor, winning over the judges with her version of Soulja Boy's "Turn My Swag On." Cut to two years later, and Cher is poised to bring her signature style of pop - and big personality - to the States. Her new single, "Want You Back," featuring a rap by Snoop Dogg, will hit radio stations here today and we were lucky enough to have Cher swing by and perform an unplugged version of the song for us at PopSugar Studios. We talked to Cher about her reaction to hearing Snoop on her song, her outspoken ways, and the moment early in life when she decided to pursue a music career. She also chatted about her fiancé Craig Monk, who she said is her "biggest fan," and her plans for her upcoming US album. Check out our interview!

American Idol: Who Deserves to Get Cut This Week?

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:24:30 PDT

We had a dual theme this week on American Idol. "California Dreaming" - which essentially meant songs about California, written by artists from California, or songs that were written in or around the state of California - was the first, followed by a round of songs that the contestants "wished they had written." Phillip Phillips started off the show with CCR's classic "Have You Ever Seen the Rain." Normally, Phillip is totally my bag, but this rendition was a little Los Lonely Boys-y for my taste. Hollie whipped out Journey's "Faithfully," which paired nicely with the Farrah Fawcett 'do the stylists gave her. Joshua Ledet went with "You Raise Me Up," which was right in his wheelhouse, and impressive as usual. It was slightly disconcerting to see 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez wobble around on those sky-high heels during her performance of "Steal Away," but the vocals were ridiculous.

Sitting on large swings and walking on pianos ensued during the duets round before the contestants went on to perform songs they've been most inspired by. Unfortunately, as we were so brutally reminded in the intro this week, every cut gets deeper as the competition goes on. So who deserves to be next on the chopping block?

8 Frugal Summer Vacation Ideas

Wise Bread — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:15:37 PDT

If you're thinking of forgoing your usual Summer travel plans due to high prices, you should consider these frugal trip ideas from Wise Bread.

The sky is brighter, the air is warming up, and the layers of clothes are getting peeled off. That can only mean one thing - summer is near.

One of the things that I love most about going on vacation is the chance to break out of my everyday routine, eat crappy foods guilt-free, and stay up blissfully late watching as much trashy reality TV as I please. Setting aside daily responsibilities, trying new things, being in a different space, and having carefree fun is refreshing. But while it’d be nice to go to Fiji or another distant tropical paradise, that just isn't reality for a lot of us.

So what do you do when money is tight, you don’t want to get further into debt, and you really need a vacation? You still take a vacation, but just a frugal one. One that your budget will love. Here are eight frugal summer vacation ideas to get you going.

1. The All-American, Almighty Road-Trip Vacation

About 10 years ago, my husband was able to travel through 30 different states in the span of a month and a half with a friend in a $400 1982 Chevy Sprint. It’s an experience he’ll never forget, and while gas prices do get high in the summer, the road trip is still one of the cheapest options for frugal vacations. Grab a map, pack a large cooler, stop at grocery stores along the way, sing cheesy songs, tell stories you’ve never told before, watch the sun rise and set, and make yourself some memories. (This can be combined with the “I Had No Idea There Were Over 400 National Parks” vacation below, if you’re feeling adventurous.)

2. The Infamous Staycation Vacation

Set a time frame. If you can only get two to three days off from work (or less), that’s OK! This is how you do it - turn off the phones, put an auto reply on your email, turn off the computer (and really keep it off), don’t check your usual social media feeds, and really allow yourself a break from everyday life and the technology that comes along with it. Then go to the grocery store and get sundae supplies: ice cream, candy toppings, hot fudge, caramel, and whipped cream, and why not throw in some cherries too? You are on vacation after all! Rent those guilty-pleasure movies you’ve been wanting to see, and settle in for a movie marathon. Those books and magazines that have been stacking up? This is the time to read them! Those museum exhibits you’ve been dying to see but just don’t have the time for? Go check ‘em out! Hanging with friends on a patio on a random Tuesday night? Go for it! The point is to have fun, indulge in some pleasures you normally don’t get to, and get out of your normal routine.

Read on for more ideas.

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Big Brother"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:43:14 PDT

Glee is back after its break and the cliff-hanger of Quinn's accident, and we see what happens with her and whether Rachel and Finn went through with their wedding. We also get to meet Blaine's impossibly good-looking brother Cooper (guest star Matt Bomer), and though everyone else seems to be entranced with him, his visit makes Blaine confront their relationship issues.

We've been waiting a while for the show to come back, and aside from learning about Quinn's state, not much happens. It also kind of feels like an excuse to showcase Matt Bomer's singing and dancing abilities . . . which I actually have no problem with. Let's break down his performances and the other highlights after the jump.

Paralympian April Holmes Making a Name as a Winner

espnW — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:35:45 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Adena Andrews

April Holmes may have lost part of her leg, but the Paralympics star refuses to be seen as handicapped. She's on a quest to finish what she started in 2008 and come home with two medals in London. Follow more journeys to London on espnW.com.

April Holmes was in first place during the 200-meter final at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing when the spike on her prosthetic left leg got caught on the track, causing her to fall to the ground. Another competitor stepped on Holmes' face with a track spike. Holmes also caused Marie-Amelie le Fur of France to fall. Despite a right eye filled with blood and a bruised leg, Holmes hobbled to the finish line to complete the race. "I have this thing about finishing whatever you start, so despite my condition I was going to cross the finish line," she wrote in her blog.

Amanda McGrory Rules Wheelchair Race Scene

Five days later, despite being sore and tired, Holmes raced in the 100-meter final. Her leg and hips hurt so much she could barely warm up. She even told her competitors they were going to win the race. "I could barely lift my leg, but I never let [my family] know," Holmes said. "They would be too concerned and I didn't need the pity party. Instead, I needed energy and God." As Holmes likes to say it was "by the grace of God," that she crossed the finish line to win gold in the 100 in 13.72 seconds. That's three seconds slower than the able-body Olympic record held by Florence Griffith-Joyner. Holmes would later discover she did it all with a labral tear in her left hip.

Failure Not an Option For Texas' Beverly Kearney

Holmes was elated with her first gold, but on the flight home she couldn't help but think she should have two medals around her neck. That's why she began training two months later for the 2012 Games. Her goal is to claim the 200 medal that eluded her in Beijing.

Before the Paralympics - where she became the fastest amputee in her class, holding world records in the 100, 200 and 400 - Holmes was an All-American in the 400 and 4x400 relay at Norfolk State. After graduation she started working and gave up competitive athletics.

Read on for how April ended up competing in the Paralympics.

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.

American Idol: Who Deserves to Get Cut This Week?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:29:24 PDT

It was Billy Joel week on American Idol, and the contestants were in a New York state of mind - or at least Erika was, who was sporting a fresh new short 'do. (As Ryan put it, "not since the Sanjaya ponyhawk have we seen such a transformation.") Diddy was the musical mentor with Tommy Hilfiger on wardrobe. Much to Tommy's chagrin, Phillip Phillips wore gray, again, and Diddy was confused about whether HeeJun was a singer or a clown.

Mentor observations aside, it wasn't the most impressive of performance shows. The judges continued their love affair with Joshua Ledet but the usually outstanding Hollie Cavanaugh was only kind of meh. Admittedly, Jessica Sanchez's rendition of "Everybody Has a Dream" was goose bump inducing and "Piano Man" might be our favorite Colton Dixon song so far. Altogether, this week was a mixed bag, but the question remains: who deserves to be sent packing?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Link Time - Adele Is the Answer to Our Problems

TresSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:38:19 PST

Here's an Adele song for every problem life might throw at you - Huffington Post
New Jersey's state senate passes gay marriage bill - The Daily Beast
Valentine's Day dates for newly engaged couples - YourTango
The dos and don'ts of PDA - CollegeCandy
10 reasons to love small boobs - The Frisky
Disturbing tweets from Chris Brown's female fans - Slate
The Vow tops the box office - BuzzSugar
Afternoon eye candy: Rupert Grint - theBERRY
Move in with your boyfriend without going broke - Betty Confidential

President Obama Shares a Spotify Mixtape

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:21:35 PST

Tech-savvy President Obama is known for his proficiency in navigating the world of social networks. Both the White House and president have been on Twitter for years. He recently joined Instagram (@barackobama) and held a post-State of the Union Hangout on Google+. The president's latest tech move is for the musically-minded; he (well, his reelection staff) released a 2012 campaign Spotify playlist.

The 28-song digital mixtape is a combination of staff choices and a few of the commander in chief's personal favorites. With songs from Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, and U2 among others, it's a playlist with a message of how the staff wants to look at the election season. After the president's soulful rendition of Al Green, it's likely "Let's Stay Together" was one of his selections.