GeekSugar

Yelp Gets a Rival in the Decider, Courtesy of the Onion

GeekSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:00:18 PDT

I'm a longtime Yelp user, but lately things are getting a little crowded and messy in there. But it looks like I'll have options pretty soon: The Onion (yes, that Onion) is launching a new website for users to rate businesses, called Decider. It's not satirical, like its founder, but sincere, much like the AV Club.

So far, the only city Decider is in is Chicago, but they are planning to open it up for other cities soon, and so far, I'm a fan. The layout is clean and is sort of a hybrid of Yelp and CitySearch, employing the former's social networking and user ratings, and the latter's more formal elements, such as the editorial descriptions of businesses before the reviews.

I'm not taking sides; I can be a Yelper and a Decider - they just better get to San Francisco quick!

Mr. Jones Watch Makes Decisions For You

GeekSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:00:47 PDT

You know those days when you just can't make any decisions? White shoes or black shoes? Wheat or sourdough? BlackBerry or iPhone?

The Decider watch from Mr. Jones Watch might be your answer. All you have to do is think about the choice you need to make and then look at the watch to see whether it is displaying "YES" or "NO" (if you are inclined to cheat then you can pull the winding crown out which stops the mechanism giving you an answer with no ambiguity).

The case is made from stainless steel with a two-tone black and red leather strap, with white stitching. It costs £79.99 or $162 (USD). It's decidedly geeky, no? Yes? Maybe?

Source: Core 77

Victoria Beckham Fall 2012

Brittney Stephens — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:10:44 PST

Victoria Beckham's Fall collection can easily be described in one word: strong. The designer offered up her usual sleek, body-conscious dresses, but this time with a decidedly utilitarian touch. The military-chic collection was sexy, without being aggressively so, and was punctuated by belted waists, elbow-length sleeves, and high, collared necklines. Her signature slim-fitting vibe was still there, as were subtle nods to her family - Victoria mused that she "was in the kitchen one day" when son Romeo ran in with his baseball uniform on. "That's what inspired those bright sporty collars on the dresses," she told the Telegraph. Also, the loose beanies "were inspired by the ones David is always wearing," and there was even a handbag named after young daughter Harper. For the first time ever, David Beckham was front row for his wife's show, looking proud and excited while seated next to Anna Wintour. Get the full breakdown of the collection below.

Trends: Colorblocking, epaulets and gold buttons, belting, canvas panels.
Colors: Black, red, cornflower, moss, khaki.
Key Piece: The bright cornflower-blue zip-back dress; the dark khaki trench coat lined with python.
Accessories: Structured satchels, baggy knit hats, lace-up, combat-style boots with chunky baseball socks.
Who Would Wear It: Blake Lively, Kate Winslet, and, of course, Victoria herself.

Weekend DIY: Astronaut Ice Cream

Kelly Schwarze — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:53:20 PST

Along with looking into the mystifying world of science, picking up a freeze-dried astronaut ice cream sandwich is one of our favorite parts of a visit to a space or science museum.

Engineer Ben Krasnow also loved those strange pieces of sweets as a kid, so much that he naturally decided to re-create the food himself in his home workshop. Now Ben's methodology, as seen in the video below, is not intended as a quick afternoon DIY. He shows us how to build our own freeze-dryer with tools easily purchased on the Internet to then transform an ordinary ice cream sandwich into its NASA-approved counterpart. Geek sugar, indeed!

The video itself is a fun lesson in the scientific properties you may have forgotten since high school, as is the rest of his YouTube channel Fun With Applied Science.

Diane Kruger Mixes It Up on the Red Carpet at the Berlin Film Festival

Lauren Turner — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:30:30 PST

Diane Kruger wore a striped top and polka-dot skirt from the Alessandra Rich Spring collection in Berlin yesterday. She paired the prints with a fun jaguar clutch from Judith Leiber. Diane has brought out multiple fashionable looks during the Berlin Film Festival, including a dramatic Giambattista Valli and a unique 10 Crosby by Derek Lam skirt and dress combo. Her movie Farewell, My Queen is in the running for the festival's grand prize, the Golden Bear. Helping to decide which film takes home the top honor is Jake Gyllenhaal, who is a member of the jury. Also on hand for the German event are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, since they stepped out to premiere In the Land of Blood and Honey together today.

Mara Hoffman Fall 2012

Hannah Weil — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:48:22 PST

Mara Hoffman has made her name in the industry with her own brand of bohemian-cool separates perfect for the easy, low-key girl on the go. The designer's Fall '12 collection showcased her signature free-spirited, breezy silhouettes in floaty silks and sleek geometric prints with a decidedly Southwest feel. The jury's still out on the designer's headscarves (ones that flowed dramatically from the fronts and backs of her dresses), but ultimately nearly every piece feels entirely wearable - a cool mix of slouchy trousers and the most gorgeous maxi dresses covered in standout print. Every look is executed with both easy proportions and the perfect add-ons - wide-brimmed toppers and gold-tinged statement jewels were the natural finishers for Mara's West-meets-tribal fare.

Trends: Bohemian, prints, cutouts.
Colors: Vibrant, multihued prints, red, black, white, pink.
Key Piece: We love Mara's bold print on wearable knits; we're dying to slip into the gorgeous print maxis.
Accessories: Wide-brim hats, headscarves, gold jewels, knee-high and ankle boots.
Who Would Wear It: Mara's fans; the bohemian femme.

The Five Best Races For Women

espnW — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:09:19 PST

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

By Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea

Sage Steele, SportsCenter anchor, is preparing to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World on Feb. 26 and hoping to fall in love with running in the process. Follow Sage’s journey on espnW.com

Women's races offer a decidedly different vibe than their coed cousins': more camaraderie, a sole sister atmosphere that welcomes all runners and walkers, and lots more running skirts. Here are five of the top women's races and series in the country. Sign up then train like Sage.

Disney Tinker Bell and Princess half marathons
Sage picked a winner. Let your inner child run free through the Magic Kingdom at these festival race weekends. Tinker Bell is in Disneyland, while Princess is in Disney World, but both allow thousands of runners to mix and mingle with Disney characters on courses that wind through each park. Racers put almost as much effort into costumes - Snow White, Belle, or Minnie, anyone? - as training. Bonus: your kids will be especially psyched to cheer you on.

Sage Steele gets some training advice from Disney runMom Lori Lovell

Nike Women's Marathon
Yeah, it's tough to snag an entry, but if you can, this race is so worth it. (Psst: Go through Team in Training.) This 26.2-mile race, and its half-marathon companion, traverses San Francisco with sweeping vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge and Pacific Ocean to take your mind off the killer hills in the first 10 miles of the race. Tuxedo-clad firefighters bestow each finisher with a Tiffany & Co. pendant.

Run fast by fueling up smart

Three more great races after the break.

"I Just Got Separated: Should I Stay Hopeful or Move On?"

Tres Community — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

My partner and I separated recently, and it has been very hard on both us and the kids. Things were simply getting out of hand; too much verbal and emotional abuse on both ends. We were together four years and I was very happy and in love at the beginning, but once I began working things started to go downhill.

We were engaged to be married, but since things were not going as well as planned, I decided to give him back the ring. Between stress, work, and money troubles, we just had too many problems. When I wanted to have sex (usually at night because the kids were asleep), he would reject me, and when he wanted to have sex (usually in the mornings when I needed to get ready for work), I simply wasn't up to it. In short, I am a very independent woman and I do not like being controlled.

I had to leave my apartment to get myself and the kids out of that toxic situation. I still feel so alone and confused, but I am definitely relieved. Since we do share one child together, (2 yr old) we must keep in touch and come to an agreement on custody. Right now, he has him twice a week and every other weekend, in addition to giving me $70 a week to help support him.
One huge problem I have with him right now is that I don't want him to smoke pot when he's around his son. Honestly, I had no idea it was such a large problem until now. I knew he smoked, but I thought maybe once the baby was born, he could give that up. Clearly, I was wrong. I don't want to keep him from his son, but I really don't like that fact that he has to be under the influence with his child. Is that wrong?

I am hopeful that maybe time is what we need to appreciate each other more and maybe we will be able to get back together sometime in the future. Although it may sound ridiculous, I did love him - I was just exhausted of all the arguments. I feel so tired, damaged, and jaded. I need therapy, but it's just too expensive.
Any feedback from you readers would be greatly appreciated.

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Rebecca Taylor Fall 2012

Hannah Weil — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:15:38 PST

Rebecca's girl is both an homage to '90s grunge and a fresh-faced street-styler. The Fall collection marries the designer's signature sweet side with darker territory, at least where texture and color are concerned. Rebecca's palette is decidedly moody in deep brown, burgundy, and black on leather, herringbone, wool, and velvet layers. Then she counters with cool-girl silhouettes; layers are in perfect proportion - for every slick leather layer, there's also a sheer-chiffon sleeve, slinky sequins, or abstract print. There's a lightness to counter the severity of her colors; she still homes in on that girlie factor we love in a pretty peplum top, a sexier snake-print halter dress, or ultra-femme sheer pleats. Like front-rower Olivia Palermo, this girl is something of a mix-master who's got as much femininity as she does cool-girl edge.

Trends: Rich texture in leather, velvet, and jacquard; sequins, peplum, heavy layers, and exotic print.
Colors: Brown, gray, and black with just a pop of purple and blue.
Key Piece: We love the open sheer-chiffon pleats on the gorgeous full-length print dress; also the cool factor of a leopard coat done in ombre.
Accessories: Metallic ankle-strap heels, fur-adorned ankle boots, chain-strap crossbody bags, and oversize leather satchels.
Who Would Wear It: Street-chic celebs like Nicky Hilton would rock the moto-style jackets and edgy layers.

Snacking Good: Natchitoches Meat Pies

OnSugar Blog — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:07:39 PST

We've always wanted to take a stab at rolling out a few Natchitoches meat pies. Thanks to an easy recipe from Food Orleans, this might be a dream realized sooner rather than later.

[Baked or fried? You decide.]

Natchitoches meat pies are one of those special little treats with a name as fun to say as they are to scarf down. Nackadish - that's how you say it - is a small town we drive through on our way north to visit Alexandria or Oklahoma, and it's where Steel Magnolias was filmed, and it's famous for these little pies. It's a beautiful little place, with a picturesque riverfront lined with shops and restaurants that have their own sort of French Quarter-ish wrought iron balconies (remember the Easter scene where Jackson slapped Ouiser? That's the riverfront!). But you don't have to go into the actual town to get yourself some meat pies; just stop at any gas station right off I-10. They all fry them up and they're all pretty wonderful.

For her recipe, continue reading.