GeekSugar

What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?

TresSugar — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:00:23 PDT

There's a big difference between asking a young, healthy person what they'd like to do before they die and asking a person contemplating death in hospice, but both produce thought-provoking results.

Artists Nicole Kenney and KS Rives have been asking people at all ends of the life spectrum that very question for the last two years. Over 1,200 people in the US, Europe, Asia, and South America replied, and the two artists have posted the answers along with a Polaroid snapped at the moment of truth on Before I Die, I Want To . . .

The only rule? No do-overs with the pictures. "If you do it over," Nicole told the New York Daily News, "you lose it."

Fortunately, I do not have a camera, but I am putting the question to you anyway. What do you hope to do?

Website of the Day: Before I Die I Want To

GeekSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:03:13 PDT

Before we can kiss Polaroid cameras and their photos good-bye for good, an adorable website called Before I Die I Want To is honoring the beauty of Polaroid Pics by having people write down what they want to do before they die on Polaroid image of themselves. On the site, you can vertically scroll through submissions and even purchase the "Before I die I want to. . . " book which includes 111 of the portraits taken.

Do you have a favorite website you want to share with us? Submit your faves to our Website of the Day group! To learn how, just

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and “Regular Post.”
Give your story a “Title.”
Fill in the “Body” with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click “Next."
Choose the audience for your story to “Website of the Day” in the drop-down menu
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to “Technology and Gadgets.”
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click “I’m done” to submit content.

The Vampire Diaries Season Finale "The Departed": The Good, The Bad, and The Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:38:06 PDT

Season three of The Vampire Diaries has come to an end, folks, and forgive me if I am still sitting here with my jaw wide open. The finale is eventful, to say the least, and like seasons past, we saw the deaths of a couple of characters - along with the red herring deaths of a couple of characters. Oh, and by that I mean that something super crazy happens in the final moments of the episode that we'll be talking about all Summer.

I can't really talk about too much before the break without spoiling everything, so let's get to it. Dry your tears over that fact that there won't be any new episodes of The Vampire Diaries for a few months, and let's get to the final good, bad, and bloody of season three after the jump.

The Vampire Diaries "Before Sunset": The Good, The Bad, and The Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:56:52 PDT

I didn't really expect things to get that crazy on The Vampire Diaries until next week's season finale, but wow, this week is full of intensity. There are a few big fights, a little bit of vampire torture, and though Alaric is the villain of the episode, the group is victorious in taking down another of their foes amid the chaos. Bonnie gets to use her witchy skills, but she's not the only lady who's channeling her girl power this week; Elena gets pretty tough, not just relying on a Salvatore brother to save her this time.

We're gearing up for next week's finale, and though there's some obvious setup for the next episode, there's a pretty big event that happens this week. And as usual, there's also an ample amount of great moments and funny lines. So, to get to the good, the bad, and the bloody, just keep reading.

Fifty Shades of Grey, Fight Club, and the Complications of Male Dominance

The Good Men Project — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:00:55 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Clarisse Thorn sees nothing new in eroticized images of male dominance and violence, but she sees plenty that's thought-provoking.

Much is being made of the highly successful S&M erotica novel 50 Shades of Grey. People are blaming feminism for making women into submissives, blaming feminism for preventing women from being submissives, blaming women for having sexual desires at all, and a whole lot of other boring and typical stuff that comes up in any conversation about women and S&M. News flash: it’s not the feminist revolution that is "causing" women to have fantasies of submission. S&M fantasies have been around since the beginning of time. (And the 1950s S&M-sensation book, The Story of O, was much better written than 50 Shades of Grey.)

Top 10 Reasons to Use Condoms

As an S&M writer, I hear a lot of allegations about how "all" (or "almost all") women are sexually submissive and how this must Mean Something. This is echoed in the coverage of 50 Shades of Grey, in which everyone is demanding to know What It All Means About Women. I wrote a piece a while back called Inherent Female Submission: The Wrong Question, in which I took on a lot of this stuff. But there’s another submerged question here - about men. There’s plenty of talk and stereotypes about how men are inherently violent, or more aggressive than women, or "the dominant sex."

Keep reading below.

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.

8 Reasons You Need a Roth IRA Now

Kiplinger — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:50:27 PDT

Be savvy about your retirement. Kiplinger gives eight compelling reasons for getting a Roth IRA account now.

Smart young savers know to participate in their companies' 401(k)s as soon as they join the workforce to benefit from as many years of saving and compounding as possible (see Why You Need a 401(k) Right Away). But really smart young savers - including all of you who read Starting Out, obviously - should know to save via a Roth IRA, too.

In fact, the Roth IRA is such an important retirement investment tool that it now has its own holiday. On March 27, Jeff Rose, financial planner and GoodFinancialCents.com blogger, hosted an online event, the Roth IRA Movement, which he plans to make an annual celebration. He rallied 145 other personal-finance writers to spread the good word about the star savings account and inspire rookie investors to open their own accounts. "Overall, the turnout was awesome," says Rose. "Several people have already e-mailed me and said that someone they know opened a Roth IRA because of reading a post about it."

Here are some of our favorite lessons to take away from the inaugural Roth IRA Movement:

1. You can open a Roth no matter how young you are, as long as you have earned income. Peter Anderson points out in his Roth IRA Movement contribution, 10 Reasons Why I Love the Roth IRA (And Why You Should Too): "There isn't an age limit to have a Roth IRA, so even your children can have one!" They can, that is, as soon as they make money working, whether it be babysitting, lawn mowing, working retail or whatever.

And it's super-easy to open a Roth through your bank. Or you can try one of Kiplinger's favorite online brokers. TD Ameritrade requires no minimum initial investment and charges no maintenance fees. For your application, you'll just need your Social Security number, your employer's name and address, your checking or savings account number and bank routing number (if you want to fund the Roth IRA electronically), and your beneficiary's address and Social Security number.

Read on for more.

Meatless Monday: The Ultimate Vegetarian Chili

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:15:36 PDT

You've heard how meatless Mondays are good for the planet. Now, look to Cooking in Pajamas for a fast and easy vegan chili recipe.

Meatless Monday is back baby! It never actually went anywhere, I just kept forgetting to blog about it. In my quest to get healthy and lose a few pounds before my 20th anniversary trip in April, I have been testing out a plant based diet. I keep going back and forth on whether I want to include fish in my diet. I am thinking of limiting it to once or twice a month. While I decide, I am loving some of the vegetarian dishes I have made. For lunch yesterday I made a polenta pizza. . .a grilled slice of polenta topped with a slice of heirloom tomato, shredded mozzarella, garlic and basil.

This chili will knock your socks off. Not only is it healthy, it is a flavorful and spicy bowl of vegetables, beans, chiles, spices and wine. You can easily serve this to the die-hard meat eaters in your house, and it will be gobbled up.

This chili is also vegan, which means it contains no dairy products. If you are not into the vegan thing, feel free to top your bowl of chili with sour cream and sharp cheddar. The chili is quite spicy. As you see it has a jalapeño AND a chipotle chili. If you would like a more mild version, use half of the jalapeño with the seeds removed. Try not to cut back on the chipotle because it adds a deep, smoky flavor.

For her unique technique - which involves marinating tofu for extra flavor! - keep reading.

Brad Meltzer Talks About His New Heroes For My Daughter

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:11:19 PDT

"Where's my book?" In the two years since Brad Meltzer released Heroes For My Son, that's what the New York Times best-selling author has heard over and over from his daughter. Now, just a month before Mother's Day, Brad reaches out to his daughter and mothers everywhere with Heroes For My Daughter.

In his new book, the father of three profiles 56 people who he believes are worthy of the hero title. The collection of biographies and photographs spans Amelia Earhart and Lucille Ball to Mahatma Gandhi and Judy Blume. He's also introducing a line of inspirational clothing pieces featuring caricatures of the heroes. I recently spoke with the author about the new book; here's what he had to say.

LilSugar: Are there any crossovers between the heroes you picked for your son and the ones you have selected for your daughter?
Brad Meltzer: I did 50 brand-new heroes for my daughter. But there were six heroes that I felt were worth repeating from Heroes For My Son - a sort of hall of fame that I felt needed to be there for my daughter: Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Lucille Ball. Plus, I again included my mom. C'mon. It's my mom!

LS: What were the criteria you used to make your selections? What did it take for them to "make the cut"?
BM: To pick a hero, it's like the Supreme Court definition of pornography: you know it when you see it. But in the book, there's one thing every hero has in common. They all had to do this: help someone. Some people help thousands of people directly, like Marie Curie or Susan B. Anthony. Others help us by inspiring us, like Amelia Earhart. But you do have to help someone.

It’s the dream that links every single hero I picked for her. As I now often tell my daughter Lila, no matter what stage of life you're in, when you want something - no matter how impossible it seems - you need to fight for it. When you believe in something, fight for it. And when you see injustice, fight harder than you've ever fought before.

Keep reading for more about Brad's picks, including some little-known facts about the heroes.

The Vampire Diaries "The Murder of One": The Good, The Bad, and The Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:33:18 PDT

Excuse me while I try to contain my excitement, but Klaus is back, you guys! After his glaring absence caused me to enjoy The Vampire Diaries far less than usual, my favorite villain is back this week. He's trying to unlink the spell that means death to him and all his siblings, and Stefan, Elena, Damon, and everyone else are trying to kill him (yes, still) before he succeeds.

As usual, Team Kill the Originals are thwarted by the old vampires, and Damon spends much of the episode being tortured with his pecs getting some much-needed air. And amid all the action, Stefan and Elena have a very important conversation about where her heart lies. Ready to get down to the good, the bad, and the bloody? Let's do it.