GeekSugar

Burning Reminder Ring: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:00:48 PDT

In the realm of wedding planning, hunting for wedding bands is just one more thing to remember. One thing you don't want to have to strain to remember, though, is your anniversary. Well, you may not need help remembering, but some (cough, male) people may need help - get it with the first nagging gadget - the Remember Ring!

The Remember Ring burns your finger in the 24 hours before your anniversary, at hour intervals, to ensure that no roses go unbought and that no dinners go unplanned. It's 120 degrees, "hot enough to cause discomfort, but not hot enough to burn." Because that's what guys like to look forward to in marriage: Punishment. Hey, I'm not saying it's only guys who have trouble remembering important dates, but let's just say that it's funny how they only come in wedding bands for him.

The Apparition Trailer: Ashley Greene Runs From a Homemade Ghost

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:25:24 PDT

Remember that old inspirational saying, "If you can believe it, you can achieve it"? It looks like that's the case for Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, and Tom Felton in The Apparition. The trailer shows a team of young researchers attempting to create an apparition with their minds. When the experiment is a success, they realize that maybe it wasn't the best idea to go around making ghosts appear, especially when said ghost starts killing people.

This trailer is totally creepy and also pretty reminiscent of a couple of horror classics. The hubris of the young scientists trying to create something unnatural without regard for whether it may turn out to be totally evil is so Flatliners, while the "You believe it, you die" concept reminds me a lot of The Ring, though you had to at least watch a video tape in The Ring. These kids might be worse off, given that they have to control their own thoughts in order to survive. The flick comes out Aug. 24, but you can watch the preview when you

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

11 Things Hiring Managers Won’t Tell You

LearnVest — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:15:24 PDT

Ever want to read your interviewer's mind? LearnVest shares a couple of secrets hiring managers don't want you to know.

The next time you walk into an interview, consider the following:

Your wedding or engagement ring? Can and may be used against you.

Those photos of kids on a hiring manager's desk? They may not actually be the manager's children - but the photo is designed to get you talking about your kids or whether you plan to have some eventually.

And then there's the trick that can land some applicants $20,000 more when they start negotiating their salary.

In fact, LearnVest got the inside scoop from hiring managers across the country. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity because their methods were so controversial - and not what you'd find in any company manual.

New research out of the United States Census Bureau shows that women still earn less than their male counterparts at every education level. Although women are outearning men in terms of college degrees and doctorates, our wages aren't keeping up. In fact, the gap only worsens at higher levels of education.

RELATED: The 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs

But armed with this insider knowledge - straight from the mouths of those who hire you - you can help improve both these statistics and your bottom line.

I leave pictures of kids on my desk. They’re not even my kids.

Legally, hiring managers aren’t allowed to ask if you have kids, just as they’re not supposed to discriminate against you on the hunch that your child might occasionally have a soccer game. But we spoke to one hiring manager who leaves pictures of her niece and nephew to find out (legally) who has kids. “I’m not allowed to ask about family situations, but if they bring it up, it’s fair game. Kids are a distraction to this job, which requires long hours and weekends. I won’t hire someone who has other priorities.”

How to handle this: it’s very easy to get nervous and resort to small talk. (“Oh, are those your kids? How old? Mine are 6 and 10 . . . ”) Commenting on kids’ photos is easy bait, especially if you’re a parent yourself, but avoid it if you can. Talk about the weather or find something to compliment your interviewer on instead.

I check for wedding bands.

One hiring manager told us: “This is an entry-level job, and the people we hire are usually fresh out of college. If I see a wedding band, there’s a good probability that candidate is going to start a family soon. If I hire her and she goes on maternity leave, I can’t legally fire her, but I still have to find someone else to replace her while she’s gone. When she comes back, I can’t fire her either, so now I’m stuck with two employees when all I needed was one. No thanks.”

This one is an easy fix: leave your wedding ring at home. You're not obligated to share any information about your relationship status, so try to avoid doing so.

Read on for more.

Did Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Buy a House Together?

Kimberly Timlick — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 06:14:19 PDT

7 Basic Things to Keep in Mind When Buying Engagement Bling

Emily Co — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:15:05 PDT

The engagement ring may be one of the biggest expenses of your wedding, and as with buying any big-ticket item, you need to do your homework. We tapped Jerry Ehrenwald, the president of the International Gemological Institute, for some quick guidelines on what couples need to do when they're buying an engagement ring.

Learn about the four Cs. "Before purchasing a diamond, learn all about the four Cs - the color of the diamond, the clarity of the diamond, the quality of the cut of the diamond, and the carat weight of the diamond."
Check out reputable stores. "Shop at reputable jewelry sources. Make purchases from a jeweler who has been in business for a number of years. If you are not familiar with the jeweler or online site, check their reputation and rating with the Better Business Bureau before you buy."
Buy a certified diamond. "Certified means that a diamond rating report has been issued by an independent, unbiased gemological institute. This way, the consumer has the opportunity to compare one diamond’s quality to that of another, with regard to the value and quality of the diamond they’re looking at."
Grading report. "Purchase diamond jewelry accompanied by a grading report. The grading report provides an unbiased assessment of a jewel’s four Cs. It informs you if a stone is synthetic - in other words, man-made or laboratory grown - or has undergone any treatments, which may dramatically affect the value. Be sure an accredited gemological institute, such as IGI, has graded the diamond jewelry to the one internationally accepted system for diamond grading."

Read on for more.

10 Ways to Reduce Swollen, Puffy Eyes

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:24:58 PDT

Have you ever woken up with your eyes feeling heavy and are shocked to discover they're twice their normal size? Allergies, too much salt or alcohol, lack of sleep, crying, and even makeup can attribute to swollen, puffy, and red eyes. While it may take hours or even a few days for them to return back to normal, take these 10 steps to help shrink the swell. Remember, even though it's tempting, don't rub your eyes! It will only make the irritation and redness worse.

Don't underestimate water. Splash your face with cold water as you wake up to help calm puffiness, then drink a few glasses to hydrate yourself.
Remove any and all eye makeup using cotton swabs and eye makeup remover. Makeup caught in the tear ducts and waterlines will continue to cause inflammation and potentially infection unless you remove it.
Dip a cold rag or cotton balls into an ice bath. Apply to the face for five-10 minutes.
If you can think ahead, keep an ice pack or gel face mask in the freezer. Place on your eyes for 10 minutes.
Chilled chamomile, mint, ginseng, or black teabags sooth and tighten up the skin around the eyes. Set them over the eyes until the teabags are at room temperature.

Click here to read more.

The Vampire Diaries "1912": The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:37:15 PDT

The Vampire Diaries is back from its hiatus, and while we get a little fun flashback time with turn-of-the-century Damon and Stefan, this episode is a little boring for my taste (I think it's because Klaus is absent). That is, until we get to the end of the episode and get a shock that I didn't see coming at all.

We also get a sweet confession from Elena, but all the excitement is really about figuring out who the Mystic Falls serial killer is, so let's go over the good, the bad, and the bloody after the jump.

10 Smart Ways to Remember Things

Emily Co — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:05:29 PDT

If you've got too much on your plate, chances are you'll start forgetting things you need to do. Fortunately, there are plenty of tricks when it comes to remembering things. Here are a couple of them:

Tying a string around your finger. You can go the old-fashioned route and tie a string around your finger to remember something. Having a string on your finger is something out of the ordinary and will cause you to reflect back on the reason you tied on the string, which will then help you recall what you wanted to remember more easily.

Physical Post-it notes. If you want to remember a task, write it down on a Post-it note and stick it somewhere visible or someplace you know you're going to check regularly.

Digital sticky notes. If you're always on your computer, perhaps it's better to use digital sticky notes such as the Stickies app, which lets you leave notes on your desktop. You'll be saving paper and you'll have a less messy desk.

Writing on your hand. Writing what you have to remember down on your hand is a very effective way of reminding yourself what you need to do. The benefit of this method is that you can write out what you're supposed to do, but the downside is the not-very-professional look of ink on your hands.

Read on for more.

7 Things That Annoy Your Yoga Instructor

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:59:40 PST

Yoga instructors are some of the kindest, most caring, most forgiving people on the planet, but that doesn't mean they can't get bothered by a student's behavior in class. Here are seven things you don't want to do in front of your yoga instructor.

Talking during class: It's disruptive and inconsiderate to the other students in class trying to focus and relax, but it also means you're not giving your own practice the attention it deserves. If you feel the need to catch up with a friend, make plans to do something after class ends.
Ringing cell phone, or worse - answering it: Everyone is quietly moving through Sun Salutations and all of a sudden a phone rings and shatters the serenity. Always remember to turn your ringer off. If you're expecting an important phone call that can't be missed, place your phone on vibrate next to your mat and be sure to take the call outside.
Coming to class sick to sweat out your germs: No one wants to breathe in your germs. The teacher especially doesn't want to assist you if you're sick and absolutely can't stand when you leave your snotty tissues on the floor next to your mat. Take this opportunity to explore your home practice; return to the studio when you're healthy.

Keep reading to find out what else annoys your yoga instructor.

Meet Me in Moscow: A Russian Food Primer

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:45:20 PST

Whenever you're complaining about the ferocity of Winter, just remember things are much, much colder in other parts of the world. But while Russian Winters may be brutal, they've got plenty of amazing, comforting recipes with flavors designed to take that chill out of your bones. It's time to call up your babushka, put on your copy of Doctor Zhivago, and grab a tall glass of vodka, if you see fit! It's time to get reading about the delicious dishes Russian cuisine has to offer.

Dishes:

Solyanka: The base of the spicy and sour solyanka soup consists of pickled cucumbers with brine, cabbage, mushrooms, sour cream, and dill. It's either served with meat, fish, or mushrooms.
Pirozhki : Pirozhki are small buns that are stuffed typically with a savory filling and then baked or fried. Some typical fillings include meat, onion, eggs, mashed potatoes, or cabbage.
Stroganov: Beef stroganov, or stroganoff, is cooked up in many a cafeteria today, but this recipe originated in Russia. It's typically pieces of beef served up in a sour cream-based sauce on top of egg noodles.
Blini: These thin, crepelike pancakes are enjoyed with either a savory or sweet topping. As opposed to the French crepe, blinis are made from buckwheat and are part of traditional Russian cuisine.
Borscht: Soups are a staple of a traditional Russian diet. And borscht is the czar of these soups. While it's served up cold in many restaurants in the US, traditionally borscht, primarily made of beets, is served piping hot.
Vatrushka: This traditional Russian dessert is a big ring of flaky pastry dough with cottage cheese in the center. Similar to a delicious American-style Danish, it's typically topped off with raisins or bits of fruit.

Staples:

Smetana (sour cream): Blinis are topped off with it. Soups utilize its flavor. It's even used in dessert recipes! In short, expect to find fresh and delicious sour cream accompanying just about Russian ration you eat.
Black bread: The dark, crusty, hearty rye bread is served alongside many a Russian dish.
Ikra (caviar): Briny caviar is a definite splurge in the US, but in Russia, you can find caviar far more often on a table. It's often served with blinis or atop black bread.

Did I leave anything off? Any Russian foods you love to chow down on? Add your thoughts in the comments!

Source: Flickr User Istelleinad & geishaboy500