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Food Review: Code Blue Recovery Drink

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:30:47 -0800

I must admit I'm not big on special fitness drinks, especially recovery drinks. They're often full of extra calories, and I usually opt for water since most exercise physiologists believe you don't need to worry about replacing electrolytes, carbs, and protein unless you have been working out and sweating for more than an hour. I often think a lot of these drinks have added coloring and chemicals, so when I saw Code Blue marketed as an all natural post-workout drink I was curious to try it. I must admit, I liked its tropical flavor, and although it only has 40 calories per eight-ounce serving (the can contains 12 ounces, equal to one and a half servings) Code Blue does not have that artificial sweetener taste of many low-cal beverages.

To see how this drink is sweetened and if it is an unnatural color, just read more.

Looking at the ingredient list on the back of the Code Blue can, I can't say I felt like I was drinking something "natural." After water, the next three ingredients are: crystalline fructose, agave nectar, and malic acid, which adds tartness more than sweetness. Further down the list I found stevia leaf extract listed as well, which is a bit more natural. Code Blue contains the electrolytes potassium and sodium, but also contains the supplement milk thistle to help detox the liver (trainer Bob Harper believes in the treatment), and prickly pear extract to reduce inflammation.

The first time I tried Code Blue, I drank it straight from the can. You can imagine my surprise when I poured it into a glass and found the liquid to be a vibrant unnatural blue. Which prompts the question, what natural ingredient was used to color this drink and why even bother coloring it?

Ingredients: Filtered Purified Water, Crystalline Fructose, Agave Nectar, Malic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, D-Ribose, Fruit Juice (for color), Sustamine™ (L-Alanine L-Glutamine), Pectin, Inositol, Ascorbic Acid, Prickly Pear Extract (Opunitia ficus-indica), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Extract, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana) Leaf Extractives, Soy Protein and Rice Flour, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), DL-alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Selenium Complexed with Amino Acids and Polypeptides, Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)

I'm not really sold on the drink, but I'm not completely opposed to it either. I would certainly drink this over other recovery drinks, but more likely I will sip some water instead. Have you tried it?

This just in: The color comes from blueberries.

Jake Gyllenhaal May Be Thrilling Audiences With Source Code

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0800

It seems so long since we've seen Jake Gyllenhaal on screen (2007 in Rendition, to be exact), so I'm glad that we're about to get a lot more of him. Next month we'll catch him in Brothers, then in the Spring all buffed up in Prince of Persia - and he won't be slowing down. Gyllenhaal is in talks to star in the sci-fi thriller Source Code.

The geeky-titled flick is about a soldier (ostensibly played by Gyllenhaal) who "wakes up in the body of an unknown commuter and is forced to live and relive a harrowing train bombing until he can determine who is responsible for it." These days it seems like Gyllenhaal is balancing his more emotional roles (like in Brothers) with some aggressive action flicks. I don't mind - whatever the genre, I'm just happy to welcome him back to the theater.

Spooks: Code 9 Starts Tonight

PopSugarUK — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:00:00 -0700

Whether or not you've watched Spooks, you might be interested to hear that a spin-off of the show (no knowledge of the original series required) is beginning tonight on BBC3 at 9pm, featuring a young fresh set of cast members. Spooks: Code 9 is set in 2013, one year after a nuclear bomb blast in London that kills thousands and thousands of people. Here's how it's all set up:

In the wake of the attack, MI5 must completely restructure and establish field offices across the UK, working to gather intelligence from the very heart of local communities. They need young, new officers on the ground, and fast. Luckily, Britain’s youth is more than up to the challenge and is fighting back from the attack with a new sense of patriotism, combined with the hedonism that comes from being face to face with their own mortality.

Exciting huh? I've had a sneak peek at the first couple of episodes of the series and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of it, if you just can't wait you can watch the first ten minutes here. There are no crossover characters or storylines seeing as this series is set in the future and in a new world. The team are in their early twenties, and you'll probably recognise a few cast members from their previous work. Joanne Froggatt (Hannah) used to be in Coronation Street, Jamie Bell-lookalike Liam Boyle (Charlie) was in Shameless and The Street, Ruta Gedmintas (Rachel) was in The Tudors and Georgia Moffett (Kylie) is in Doctor Who and goes out with David Tennant.

Never fear if you're reading this after Sunday's premiere of two back to back episodes, as it's repeated on BBC3 throughout the week and available on iPlayer, with four episodes to follow in this series. I'll be recapping and reviewing the eps on Monday for you as a new Pop Watch, so watch along with me and let me know your comments on the series!

To see more cast photos, just read more

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Website of the Day: Grechen's Codes

GeekSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:05:56 -0700

Good economy or bad economy, everyone loves getting a discount, and I can safely say that every purchase I have made in the last few months online has not been without a coupon code.

I usually use Retail Me Not, but I discovered a new coupon site that focuses on women's clothing and accessories, and I'm a little unhealthily obsessed with it: Grechen's Codes.

Who's Grechen? I don't know, but she's some sort of guardian angel. The site makes it really easy to find codes for the sites I'm looking at, and I've even (dangerously) signed up for their emails, so that even if I'm not shopping, I'm alerted to good deals going on.

To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

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 dropdown 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.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Code Pink Socks It To Bush With Shoe Protest

LibertySugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:30:41 -0800

It was only a matter of time before Bush's opponents at home took advantage of last weekend's shoe attack to highlight their frustration with the President. Code Pink, the infamous group of women for peace, gathered outside the White House and in Berkeley, CA yesterday to hold a "Farewell Kiss Shoe-In" for President Bush.

Just like the Iraqis, who gathered in the streets carrying shoes to show their solidarity with the jailed journalists, the women of Code Pink picked up, or untied, the latest symbol of dissent. One member explained the group's motivation:

"It's outrageous that al-Zaidi could get two years in prison for insulting George Bush, when Bush is directly responsible for the deaths of 1.5 million Iraqis and 4,200 U.S. troops, and 5 million displaced Iraqis. The one who should be in jail is George Bush, and he should be charged with war crimes."

While the shoe demonstration could be seen as a little predictable, perhaps Bush only invited it when he said about his attacker, "I don't know what the guy's cause is." With banners dedicating shoes to the "widows, orphans and those killed in Iraq," Code Pink offered Bush an explanation. Check out the pics from the White House protest.

View 5 Photos ›

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Pop Watch – Spooks: Code 9, Episode 1

PopSugarUK — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Wow, Spooks: Code 9 began with some thrills and spills, as well as a rather bleak view of the future of the UK. Code 9 is a nuclear attack in London that happens in 2012, and one year later a crew of six good-looking young people are put together as a new MI5 team to fight the terrorist threat. If you want to find out more about the premise, then check out my introduction to the series, but here's my thoughts on yesterday's opening episode (my thoughts on the second episode will follow this afternoon)!

Right, so in the Code 9 nuclear bomb blast in London over 100,000 people are killed, and even more are dealt a death sentence from the radiation. Bleak.
So here's the team. There's Jez – a former petty criminal – he says he's there because "the straight guys" didn't exactly save the world. So, he's edgy then. I like him though.
Rachel is blonde and beautiful, looks like she's stepped out of a magazine, and apparently used to be a police officer. I'm hoping she'll actually put a little more feeling into her lines as the episode goes on, because... oh sorry, I think I nodded off. But she says something important: terrorists are getting younger which means the MI5 is turning to recruiting younger people to find them, which makes the fact that this new bunch of recruits look like they should be in Hollyoaks or something similar make a little more sense. Not that that's a bad thing...
Rob was a medical student, and seems a touch arrogant to boot? Vik was an entrepreneur who wants to protect the country. And redhead Kylie was in London when the blast hit, she was unhurt but is sick from the radiation. She used to be a psychology student.

To read the rest of my thoughts on the episode, with spoilers, just read more

We fast forward to one year later, after their training is over. It's now 2013.
The things women will do for their country – Kylie's dancing and making out with a suspected terrorist. The times, they are bad. Rob's line – "She's on top of things" – when Kylie was making out with the terrorist guy, made me feel a little icky. Sure it was meant to be funny, but Rob just got a minus point from me.
Side note: post London-bombing, everything has relocated up north.

Hmm, Rachel still can't quite manage to put effort into anything she says. This could prove to be annoying.
The make-out terrorist guy's cohort follows Kylie to the loo where Rob is in waiting, and a big fight occurs. Does anyone else think the club's toilet makes it look like a club from Skins? Anyhow Kylie and Rob get what they needed, and it's a success!
Meanwhile Jez and Vik are undercover elsewhere under the guise of monitoring stock. Jez's line – "I must have missed the scene where Jason Bourne was stacking shelves" – made me giggle.
So, it turns out their recruiter and marginally older colleague Hannah is training Rachel in "calm authority"... perhaps that is why she's dead behind the eyes? I kid, I kid. I'm sure in time she will warm up a little.
The boys run into another guy – they don't know him, but I recognised him from the promos – Jamie Bell-lookalike Charlie. Hannah also knows him – he's the final member of their team, a mathematician.
The new team bond over shots at the house they seem to share. Being in the MI5 seems like fun – rather like being in a student dorm? Although I suppose all the events that have led them there weren't actually that great...
Enter patronising smarmy Neil, who knows Hannah. He's mysteriously trying to get her to leave the MI5, like he did. "Come on over to the slightly darker, but much more fun side." She's loyal though, and believes in her new charges. "Never say I didn't try to throw you a life line" he says, what a weird thing to say.

Hmm, Charlie is very much a nerd – and likes to prove it often by talking in statistics etc, just in case we forget he's a mathematician. Although perhaps that is how mathematicians speak. I don't know too many. He is pretty quietly cute though.
Rachel and Charlie share a quiet moment out on the terrace – will romance blossom? (Maybe if she develops a personality? Sorry.) Rob obviously likes Rachel too... is some possible tension a-brewing?
So all of them live at the house except Jez, who we also find out spends an evening each week going to check whether his family have been found after the bomb blast. A helpful bit of back-story that gives us an indication of why he changed his life around – he wants to get revenge on the terrorists. This bit brought up some eerie memories of the following days of 9/11, with the walls of photos and missing people notices.
So, down to the nitty gritty of the episode: The PM is on his way for a visit and they have six hours to prepare to prevent a hit on him.
Turns out the possible assassin is fifteen years old. Wow, they are getting younger. Seems the whole ridiculous shopping centres vs hoodies campaign was right?!
Charlie is on the case, he knows something's not right as the assassin is in place way before the PM is due... and then Hannah is shot! It's the whole Lisa Faulkner in the deep fat fryer shock character death incident all over again (from the original Spooks series if you're not following... ). Hannah dies. It's very sad.
However, it does cause some kind of emotional reaction from Rachel. Which I was kind of thankful for. This being the future and everything I was starting to think she might be a robot...
The child-assassin falls off the roof, after Jez tries to save him. Hannah was his intended target all along. The team strike out on their own, after Charlie asks their superior for five and a half hours to give them a chance to sort things out.
They track it all back to smarmy Neil. I knew smarmy Neil was trouble. And apparently not too high up in things, as next thing we know he's been stabbed in the back. Oooh, mysterious.
So it ends with the news that Charlie is now their Interim Team Leader... and a guy gives him a USB stick with a message from Hannah on it. What will she say?!

So, what did you think? Are you intrigued by Spooks: Code 9?

Stay tuned for my thoughts on episode 2. If you only caught the first one or neither then you can watch them on the iPlayer, or it's repeated on BBC3 tonight and throughout the week. Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

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Dressing For Dress Codes

FabSugar — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:01:22 -0800

Getting an invitation in the mail for a fabulous event with a dress code requirement can be stressful. Dress codes are sometimes difficult to decipher, and can drive you crazy when trying to choose the most appropriate attire.

Thanks to our etiquette expert, DearSugar, who has created DearSugar's Guide To Decoding Dress Codes, we can all rest a little easier knowing that our outfits fall within the guidelines of the proper dress code. Here are some suggestions for what to wear when a dress code has you stumped:

Here's a Business Casual look for a party: Oscar de La Renta is the epitome of class and this tailored, tweed dress and belt are sure to be hit in any conservative crowd. Buy it here for $1,950. The belt is sold separately. You can buy it here for $350.

This Carmen Marc Valvo Taffeta Wrap Top & Skirt is a great choice for a Formal Affair
Buy it here for a total of $855 (jacket and skirt sold separately).

Lots more looks, so read more

This gorgeous Notte by Marchesa Bow Dress is perfect for Cocktail Attire when you are looking for something fun and flirty. Buy it here for $780.

This elegant, yet sexy Carmen Marc Valvo Gown is perfect for any winter Black Tie event or gala. The color won't wash you out and the form fitting shape is classic and jaw dropping. Buy it here for $960.

This Carolina Herrera Jersey Draped Gown has just the right flair for a modern White Tie event. It has a short train for a dramatic effect. This dress is representative of something so dressy that you will be doing more standing pretty than partying and dancing. Buy it here for $2,990.

Pop Watch – Spooks: Code 9, Episode 2

PopSugarUK — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Last night saw the opening double bill of Spooks: Code 9 on BBC3. I recapped the first episode for you earlier today, but now's time to look back over episode 2's events. I can't wait to read your comments on the episode, but for now here's my thoughts:

We focus in on Jez in the opening moments as he heads over to a woman's house for a booty call. It's intercut with a guy in a temporary morgue at a detention centre at Camp Windesmere, filming the dead bodies within it and their gruesome injuries.
Slightly distracted side-note: Jez's bum is rather nice – more of that please. His "friend" says she's an informer, and asks him if he's breaking rules by sleeping with her. Hmm, I have bad feelings about this.
We see a short video clip of the evacuation technique that's come in post-Code 9. This really reiterates the changing world in 2013, the system reaches peoples phones and warns / updates them on things occurring near them.

To check out more of my thoughts, just read more

The investigation into Hannah's death is out of their hands. But Charlie's trying to work out the password to access the media file that Hannah left for him. It later transpires that his name is the password.
The video footage of Camp Windesmere is put up on screens at a university following someone hacking into their alert system. Obviously this causes panic and a bit of a backlash.
The person who hacked into screens is Jez's informer friend with benefits, Kate. Jez tells Vik, and he says as far as he's concerned he knows nothing. It turns out "Kate" has stolen this identity after Code 9 caused so much identity confusion. Jez doesn't tell the rest of the gang he was sleeping with her straight away, and asks Vik for a chance to sort it before he admits it.
Elsewhere one of Rob's colleagues at med school took an overdose on morning of attack, they've only just got round to doing a post-mortem on the body. Was it suicide or something sinister? He lies to Kylie about why the police were talking to him. Mysterious.
"Kate" hacks into alert system again causing a panicked evacuation at Chapel St station. The results of this include many injuries and people being crushed.

Charlie and Jez have a heart-to-heart at a MI5 shooting gallery, Jez confesses what happened. I thought this was a nice moment between them.
Rachel talks to an inside military man unofficially, he tells her there was a riot and three people in the Camp Windesmere detention centre died. Rachel asks for the names of them so they can look into any family members who might want revenge. He says no. She blackmails him, oozing that "calm authority" taught to her in the first ep by Hannah.
Back at the house Rachel talks to Hannah about whether she fancies Charlie. Rachel goes all coy, and then they discuss that Rob wouldn't be happy about Rachel getting with Charlie. Hmm...
Rob goes undercover at relocation centre to try and get a fake ID which should lead them back to someone who sold one to "Kate". Eventually Rob gets beaten up – he's no good at being undercover. Eventually (with help) he gets info about a nurse named David who asked the ID-seller to contact him if anyone asked about "Kate". David then gives them the info about a possible attack she's planning at the university.
So "Kate" or Laura (her real name) was sleeping with Jez so she could clone his PDA to override the evacuation systems so she could get revenge for her brother's death. It ends with Charlie killing her as she's about to detonate the bomb.
Finally, Charlie and Rachel watch the message left by Hannah - she thinks there's a traitor within MI5, and believes they're directly responsible for attack on London.

Exciting, huh?! So, have you settled into the series yet? What did you think of this latest episode? Let me know...

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Binary Code Pillow: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:00:13 -0700

Okay, so maybe I have a thing for binary code housewares and jewelry. I first fell for the binary code doormat, then I fell for the silver and chic Fancy geek ring with a binary message.

While the binary code pillow, may be more dorm room chic than either of those items, I love it too. The pillow is 18" and comes in black with a matrix of green text on it. What's the codes message? Why, "Pillow" of course!

What Secret Service Code Name Would You Give Your Kid?

LilSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:00:18 -0800

The Obama girls' Secret Service code names have been revealed as falling in line with the long presidential family tradition of having monikers that start with the same letter. Barack and Michelle's older daughter, Malia, 10, is Radiance and her sister, Sasha, 7, is Rosebud. It's not clear what, if any, rhyme or reason there is behind the names, but if you were moving to the White House, what would be fitting code names for your children?