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George Clooney Teaches Italy About American Thanksgiving

PopSugar — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

George Clooney was hard at work on the set of his film The American outside of Rome on Wednesday. He was bright-eyed and joking around with the crew despite a fun night out the evening before, when he enjoyed a date with girlfriend Elisabetta. It looks like George is spending Thanksgiving in his adopted Italian homeland, but he has loved ones around to keep him company during the holiday.

To see more George, just read more.

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Kate and Ryder Are on Cloud Nine After the Circus

PopSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0800

Kate Hudson brought Ryder out in Santa Monica last night to take in a performance from Cirque du Soleil. Despite Kate's hectic schedule promoting Nine, she's had lots of time to spend with her son during their trip to California. Alex Rodriguez, though, was the guy by Kate's side on Sunday at the American Music Awards. The duo was joined by Fergie and Nicole Kidman, two of Kate's costars in the film. Kate's silver dress attracted a fair share of attention at the awards, but it's her glitzy jewels stealing the show in Nine.

For more photos of Kate and Ryder just read more.

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On Board and Ready To Buy

SavvySugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:41:23 -0800

In a new move to up their retail, airlines may soon be offering more in-flight opportunities to purchase anything from limousine services to Broadway theater tickets. Though The New York Times reports that only American Airlines has begun limited testing of the retail concept, nearly all airline carriers have confirmed that they are planning to unveil similar expanded retail offerings on flights.

So why expand retail, especially in the midst of a recession? Well, according to SkyMall president Christine Aguilera, airline passengers are "some of the greatest consumers on the planet," simply because they've got nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. This aspect makes "onboard" retail unique because, frankly, "operators are able to lock their doors with their shoppers still inside."

To learn more about airline retail, keep reading

Sienna Snuggles and Smiles During Cold New York Nights

PopSugarUK — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:08:50 -0800

Sienna Miller snuggled up in her favourite furry coat as she stopped to sign autographs on her way to the American Airlines Theatre to perform in After Miss Julie in New York City last night. She's been spending her days walking her dog and her evenings on stage, but she's also found time to meet up with one of her exes. Whether she's dressed up for red carpet events or keeping it casual like last night, Sienna's hair always looks gorgeous, and you can find out how to get her tousled style thanks to our new BellaTV channel: check it out!

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The Scoop: Pampered Pets at an All Time High

PetSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:00:22 -0800

For those of you who answer "Spoiled Sweet" on all those Spoiled Sweet or Rotten polls, I guess you weren't kidding! In a story released yesterday, the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association estimates that American pet owners spent over $41 billion dollars last year on their furry pals.

APPMA President Bob Vetere credits trends in design and including pets part of your family to the rise in spending.

"High end products in general are on the rise, as is gift giving and new product introductions and innovation. The pet industry continues to grow at a record pace and the future is no exception. Pet owners and the companies providing pet products and services show no sign of letting up."

To hear more about where our money is going and why, read more

High end pet accessories, carriers, designer clothes, and organic food topped the spending list, but big money was also spent on pet health insurance, pet spas and hotels, as well as doggie day care.

What's more is Americans are expected to spend even more this year – an estimated $48 million – which is more than double what we spent in 1996! I suppose since over 71 million American homes are with pet, it really evens out, right? Or maybe I'm just feeling guilty over spending a little too much on North's food bowls. Either way, our pets are worth it. Wouldn't you agree?

Source

I'm Asking: Have You Ever Purchased or Transferred Miles?

SavvySugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:00:10 -0800

Ahh, the challenge of racking up enough miles to actually use them for a free ticket. Business travelers and those who frequently fly via the same carrier can stock up for award travel, but did you know that many major airlines have expiration dates following a period of "non-activity" (usually between 18 and 24 months)?

If you want to still make use of those miles, you can purchase the remainder to get a free upgrade or trip in batches of 1,000 miles. However, this adds up and varies greatly between airlines. Case in point: American charges $27.50 for 1,000 miles, whereas United rings in at $67.25 for the same number. It works well if you're close to a usable amount, but if your airline rewards program is simply going nowhere, transfer your miles to a friend or family member who's saving up for a ticket. After all, you don't want to be spending more money to get a free ticket than it would cost to buy the ticket itself.

Have you ever had to purchase or transfer miles when your mile-hoarding left you coming up short?

American's Spending Habits

SavvySugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:26:26 -0800

The New York Times published this mind-boggling graph (click on the graph to enlarge it) that delves into the spending habits of Americans at different income levels. A striking observation is that, according to this graph, people in the lowest fifth are spending about twice as much as they earn. The article points out that "if we compare the incomes of the top and bottom fifths, we see a ratio of 15 to 1 and if we turn to consumption, the gap declines to around 4 to 1." What observations can you make from the graph?

Charlize Theron Out, Angelina Jolie May Be in For The Tourist

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0700

Upcoming spy thriller The Tourist has had plenty of A-list names swirling around it, from George Clooney to Tom Cruise, and now one more is added to the mix. Charlize Theron has dropped out of the film, and Angelina Jolie is in talks to take her place.

Jolie would star opposite Sam Worthington, playing an American tourist who goes undercover for Interpol to trap a criminal with whom she's had an affair. Jolie doesn't have a ton on her plate at the moment now that Salt is wrapped, and another action thriller shouldn't be much of a stretch for her - though she has said in the past that she wants to take on fewer projects and spend more time at home with those adorable kids.

Are Prescription Drug Ads More Harm Than Help?

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:00:43 -0700

Chances are you've seen more prescription drug commercials than you can count - Viagra, Cymbalta, Celebrex, and Yaz are just a few that I can name from memory. The ads are pervasive and influential and pharmaceutical companies know that. From 1997 to 2005, drug companies tripled their spending in television ad campaigns from $1.3 billion to $4.2 billion. In 2006 that number bumped up even further to $4.6 billion.

Though the ads do inform consumers of what's available to them, health advocates say they present drugs and symptoms in very general terms and can confuse consumers into thinking they have something they don't. A national study found that one-third of all Americans have asked for a drug they saw on a commercial and of those that asked, 82 percent were given a prescription of some sort.

To give your opinion and hear more about this issue, read more.

It's hard to say without doubt if doctors are over prescribing these drugs but it's one of the concerns that's being raised. Other concerns include patients asking self-diagnosing and ads increasing medical costs and patient risks - the advertised drugs are usually newer with higher costs and less testing, making them more risky.

I can admit to asking about Yaz after seeing the commercials over and over again. It's the top-selling birth control in the United States due in large part to its marketing campaign - a campaign that is now under question as health experts step forward with claims that the drug is unsafe.

Have you ever asked your doctor about a prescription drug because of a commercial you saw? Did you end up taking the drug?

Do You Even Notice Other People's Earlobes?

BellaSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:41 -0700

Earlobe rejuvenation, a quick, less-than-an-hour, outpatient procedure to lift sagging ears is fast becoming a growing trend, particularly for American women in their 50s and 60s. "We make the earlobes look plumper, more rounded and smaller, giving a more youthful image," plastic surgeon Dr. Matthew Schulman told the Daily Mail.

Just like the neck and hands are known to show your age, the ears are often an area where people forget to apply sunscreen, thus speeding up the aging process. That, coupled with heavy earring wearing, has some women willing to spend £1,100 (about $1,750 USD) on the 40-minute procedure. But is that money well spent? Unless someone's ears are stretched out by earplugs or they're wearing lots of earrings, I hardly ever notice other people's earlobes at all. (And if I do, I don't think, "Wow, what a hag. She should really do something about that.") What about you?