GeekSugar

Miss Manners Says It's Cool to Ignore Friend Requests

GeekSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:00:45 PDT

Take it from Judith Martin, Miss Manners herself, that when it comes to friend requests on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace, you don't have to feel obligated to accept these invitations - especially when it involves mixing business with pleasure. The columnist in the Chicago Tribune recently said this about turning a blind eye to certain invitations:

Miss Manners is not one to suggest ignoring invitations, but this is more of a commercial solicitation. Even messages such as these from people you know socially are so widely distributed as to resemble the sort of open invitations that teenagers post on trees when their parents are out of town.

So there you have it. You can ignore those little invites and not feel guilty about it. Why? 'Cause Miss Manners said so.

Holiday Wish Lists: Practical or Tacky?

LearnVest — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:15:58 PST

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

Ah, the wish list.

It made a lovely debut when we were little, often addressed to a certain Mr. Claus. It had a good run for a few years, but retired itself in adulthood as the stuff of kids and dreams (with the exception of weddings and babies, when they take on the adult guise of “registry”).

And now that we are adults, wish lists (outside of those socially acceptable registries) are at best silly and at worst mercenary, right? That’s what many think.

Are We Becoming More Mercenary?

A recent New York Times story discussed the recent trend of the wish list-it’s back, along with more mercenary attitudes towards gift-giving, like a desire for gift cards instead of actual gifts. (According to the story, for the last five years, gift cards have been the most requested gift, according to National Retail Foundation surveys.) A study released earlier this year showed that people who receive gifts they had requested actually derive more pleasure from them and appreciate them more.

Read on for more on wishlists.

Infertile and Proud: The Growing Women's Movement to Destigmatize Infertility

Yahoo Shine — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:15:41 PST

We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Yahoo! Shine:

There was a time, not so long ago, when infertility was something whispered under pitying, gossip-ful coffee breath. "That's Rose's daughter, she can't have a baby" or "They keep trying, but something's wrong." These days, many women are sick of the whispers. They're infertile and they're not ashamed.

The childbearing generation of the late 2000s are nothing like those that came before them. Many are opting out of parenting in favor of fertile careers, others are turning to the magical promise of medicine. We've seen it work for celebrities and innumerable reality stars. But we don't usually hear about the one in 20 couples who don't have the same success. Keep reading for the rest of this story.

True Blood Bites: "And When I Die"

Becky Kirsch — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:11:04 PDT

Wow. The season four finale of True Blood is slow going at first, but the final moments both knocked the wind out of me and left me speechless. Halloween comes to Bon Temps, and the holiday brings with it a whole slew of events that are a lot scarier than Arlene and Terry's zombie makeup. The residents are visited by plenty of blasts from the past (and the implication of yet another one), and by the end of the episode, a handful of major characters join the ranks of the dead.

I'm admittedly a bit irritated that there's no progress on the fairy front since we've been waiting all season long to see what that whole business in the premiere is about, but there's certainly plenty of setup for next year's stories. I can't wait to share my thoughts with you and hear yours, so beware the spoilers when you

Geeky Guides to Acceptable Internet Behavior

GeekSugar — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:52:38 PDT

The more you surf and share online, the more likely you are to become too casual and commit an Internet flub. Like becoming Facebook friends with your sister's ex, or never putting up an away message. Where do you stand on the Internet etiquette divide and do you know the rules for acceptable behavior? Find out before you offend someone.

Online Etiquette: Acceptable Instant Messenger Behavior	Miss Manners Says It's Cool to Ignore Friend Requests	Have You Ever Had to Defriend Someone Online?
How Do You Feel About Relationship Status on Facebook?	Do You Set Status Updates on IM?	The Worst Commenters on the Internet ... It's Really That Bad

If Your Back Hurts in Savasana, You're Not Alone

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:00:46 PDT

While teaching a Vinyasa Yoga class Saturday morning, I noticed three of my students shifting around while in Savasana (aka corpse pose), the relaxation pose done at the end of class where you lie on your back and just breathe. Afterward I asked if they were uncomfortable, and they all complained of an aching lower back.

It seems like an oxymoron that a resting pose would be so unbearable, but Savasana causes many people discomfort, including me. I've discovered some tips to prevent the unsettling back pain, so if you suffer during Savasana, give these a try. One might do the trick, or you might need to incorporate a few in your next yoga class.

Skip inversions like shoulderstand. I know this pose tends to be a must-do at the end of a class, but since it's challenging for your neck and spine to extend in this manner, it's a common cause of pain during or after the pose. If you don't want to miss out on inversions altogether, lie on your back and extend your legs in the air while keeping your pelvis on the floor. If you absolutely can't give up shoulderstand, be sure to do Fish as a counterpose, which will help release your neck and lower back.
Do modified backbends. Pressing yourself into a full backbend requires upper-body strength, but most of all you need a flexible spine. Compressing your vertebrae into a tunnel shape may be too much for your spine and back muscles, so do an easier version like Half Wheel or Camel with one hand on your foot at a time.

Learn more tips so you can say "ahhh" in Savasana instead of "owww."

Hall Pass: Pass on This Unfunny Mess

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:05:00 PST

Hall Pass is the latest movie from the Farrelly brothers, the writing/directing pair who established their distinctive style with comedy classics like Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary. This time around they stick to their formula of a basic plot sustained by edgy jokes and gross-out humor. Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson play Fred and Rick, a pair of buddies who are bored with their respective marriages. Rick (Wilson) is a suburban dad who can't help checking out other women, while Fred (Sudeikis) is basically a dog who seems to hate being married altogether.

Neither can control his roving eyes and inappropriate comments, and when their wives (Christina Applegate and Jenna Fischer) get fed up with their antics, they each give their husband a "hall pass" - a one week break from being married. With their spouses out of town, Fred and Rick assume they're about to go wild as single men on the prowl. Their misadventures make for a journey that's often gross, vaguely offensive, and unfortunately, rarely funny. Find out why I wasn't into Fred and Rick's bachelor adventure when you

read more. The crude dialogue is pretty off-putting; Fred and Rick seem to care less about meeting women and more about seeing who can objectify them more. Fred's commentary, in particular, is traumatically bad. While it may just be the character, Sudeikis makes Fred an obnoxious pig with little respect for women and even less for his marriage. When his wife Grace (Applegate) is similarly tempted by the fruit of another, you actually hope that she strays from her bad-mannered spouse. One saving grace is Wilson, whose endearing nature is unshakable, even when forced to deliver the script's filthier lines. Still, even when his character's sentiment shows up, it's not enough to redeem him. Plus, if the dirty talk isn't what turns you off, then many of the graphic sight gags will. Should you choose to see this movie, don't do it right after eating. What's most unfortunate about the film is the opportunities it misses. It has the chance to be relatable when it comes to long-term relationships, but instead, it mocks marriage. And although Fischer and Applegate begin the movie as humorless shrews, they're given what could have been a substantial subplot following their girls' week in Cape Cod. It's more compelling than the mens' story, but it makes up so little of the movie. And while I want to say that the biggest thing missing from the movie is humor, it's even more lacking in heart.