I can’t believe 3 weeks past since we launched. Time, as always, passes very fast. We had a great week with the 10 hottest guys @ twitter article, which went pretty viral (thanks to our amazing supporters on Twitter). And of course, some great new users came on board too.

We are not much without some of our top users. The users who are constantly submitting and writing great content are contributing hugely to the growth and success of SmakNews. The following is a list of our newest and most notable smak-talkers:

1) Kate Lawrence (Kate), She wrote 3 articles over the weekend, all of which were really great.  We are very happy she started writing on Smak Its exciting to see that users are beginning to utilize our “write your own news” option as well as submitting great content; we hope she continues serving us great news.

Here are the 3 articles she wrote, enjoy:

Spears Family Car-Wreck Horror
Heidi Montag Marries Spencer Pratt – For Real!
Golden Girl Lights Up The Heavens

Our 2nd top user of the week is:

2) Phoebe Chin (BuzeeBee)

If you read SmakNews then I don’t need to say any thing more about BuzeeBe. A natural Smak -talker, Buzeebee knows all the hot buzz and isn’t afraid to put in her 2 cents–talk about a busy worker bee! Submitter of virally “Hot” content, we love you Pheobe

Our 3rd top user is brand new but already making a name for herself on SmakNews:

4) Missy  (Missmissea) Establishing herself as Smak’s first power user, we thank you again this week, Missy

If you have any suggestions for the site or feedback please leave them in the comments below or send an email to our main girl- Gina Mom at gina@smaknews.com.

BTW, We’re working very hard on releasing Smak 2.0 which will be coming very soon. You will see some great surprises.

Have a great week.

With all this talk about the “hottest girls @Twitter,” we had to wonder… who would make the list for the hottest tweeting men?

Some men are just too hot to trot, but luckily for us, they’re easier to tweet. Thanks to Twitter, developing an internet crush just became easier—the only question is: which social media stud is your favorite to follow?

Pete Cashmore

@Mashable is no stranger to Twitter or in maintaining a sex appeal over the net, one that’s actually more delicious than the chocolate cupcake he’s smooching with.

Suggestion: for a guy this hot, try the “Direct Message” approach. DM: Ahh…Pete, let’s tweet. I promise I’d be good to eat.

Kevin Rose

@kevinrose owner of powerful social media site Digg.com, which was only named the “Hottest Small Company in America,” is definitely one to follow, favorite, and fall hopelessly in love with.

Michael Arrington

@TechCrunch - if watching him all over TC50 and reading about him “all the time” isn’t enough, you can try to tackle down Mike’s attention with Twitter.

Fun fact: Michael shows off his sense of humor on April Fool’s every year, even when it’s in making fun of his own dating capabilities. As if!

David Karp

@davidkarp – young but accomplished for his age, who wouldn’t want to tumble with Tumblr’s founder, known as the internet’s boy wonder?

Why don’t you try to get his attention by being subtle on Twitter: #followfriday @davidkarp…#followmonday @davidkarp… ok #followeveryday @davidkarp!

Muhammed Saleem

@msaleem – social media strategist, expert guest blogger, and young entrepreneur, this dude proves he knows a thing or two about the art of manliness. How… manly.

Jeremy Gutsche

@jeremygutsche – latest trend at Twitter: falling for Jeremy’s blue eyes. The owner of Trendhunter.com is not only good to look at, but he’s also one of the most requested keynote speaker!

Perez Hilton

@perezhilton – Prior warning: if you decide to send him a naughty TwitPic – make sure it’s not asking to be viciously tagged with vulgar pictorials all over his racy blog!

Twitter Persona: Sexy by association, Perez is a friend of everyone whose famous and tweeting. Be a voyeur to his titillating, twittering sensations.

Benjamin Teo

@upicks – a man of many tweets…this lover from down-under is so popular on Digg and Twitter that we’d have to question just how “social” are you willing to be, Ben?

Mike Johnson

@thebusybrain - a family man with a normal day job, this highly present user epitomizes “busybrain” alright, which just makes him that much cuter to follow

Neal Rodriguez

@notifyneal -the HuffPo writer who ignited the battle of the beautiful on Twitter, Neal’s muscular bulges shows off just how many pull-ups per day proves results. (Answer: 28)

We’re hearing about lay-offs here, rising unemployment there, and economic collapse everywhere. But how has Hollywood responded?

Perusing the top SmakNews stories, it seems to me as if there’s no solid yes or no answer as to whether celebrities–those A-listed kings and queens of media coverage–are suffering just as bad as the rest of the world.

Yes, Paris may not have as “lavish” a mansion to work out from, and Lindsay might have had to downsize from her crashed Maserati to a Mercedes CL or SL something, but can this really be considered as truly “downsizing”?

I’m sure we would like to think that these multi-millionaire moguls are just as badly reaping the economy’s inescapable downfall, but according to several signs of having too much other “drama” in their lives, ahem Britney, Lindsay, and the other tabloid cover queens, we are also betting that budgeting is not the on top of their list of to-do’s.

Looking at their average incomes made from last year, and hearing of major salaries in the works of other upcoming films, the answer to whether celebrities are watching their designer wallets at all? Probably not.

But with newer news of lay-offs per day and a country on the verge of depression, an entire global wave of fiscal responsibility will inevitably sweep throughout currently. It would be interesting to see if the nation’s sentiment, the engrossing feeling of their fan-base, will have anything to do with the response and the inner modesty of these larger-than-life public figures. After all, isn’t it about time you heard about them giving back to the people who made them… instead of them just simply giving us more and more reasons to hate them, envy them, and talk smak about them?

I can’t believe it’s been almost a week (tomorrow) since our beta launch!  And what an exciting week it has been.

As with all beta launches there are bugs and issues to iron out… and although we diligently tried to catch and correct all issues, some had escaped our attention.   As we continue to make SmakNews what we know it can be - we would like to take a moment and say thanks…

To thank them for helping us out.  To thank them for being the “pioneers” if you will, of SmakNews.

They have submitted some interesting and informative stories, as well as engaging “smak talk”.  We look forward to reading more of their submissions and conversations.

To missmissea, kwindchy, AbsolutelyTrue and jeanettewahduffy:   you ladies rock!  We here at SmakNews say, “thank you!”

Sincerely,

The SmakNews Team

Of all the months you ought to prance around showing off your conscientious mind meets stylish tricks, this month you’ll have a reason to do it for more than just your pocketbook. Mother Earth’s annual holiday is April 22^nd, but for a greener society, the celebration of such a worldly cause is to be held throughout the entire month of April showers – after all, we all want to feel like we deserve May’s blooming flowers, don’t we?

Here are 5 easy steps on how to incorporate your quest for fashionable finds, mixed with your need to save, and finished with your pure love for our beautiful green, gorgeous planet.

1. Re-usable bags over pricey leather handbags:

We’re talking more than just grocery store bags. Lately our shop-hungry eyes have spotted many shops carrying some trendy looking totes that are not only eco-friendly and lightweight, but feature some cute screen-printed sayings of love, peace, and Earth! Plus, with such fashionable flair, (as the one pictured from Forever21 above) not only will you be deemed extraordinarily eco-chic, but your lust for heavy, leather bags will thank you … after you saved enough money and guilt to return to it once again!

2. Flip-flops over suede boots or strappy leather heels:

What a better way to welcome Spring, warm up your toes from wintry months past, and get a natural tan to extend pass your ankles than some light-weight and easily stylish thong-slippers! You won’t be getting any blisters on your bank account from these Rainbow Hemp flip flops- and the Earth will love you for being that much closer to the ground with it.

3. Walking, biking and busing over driving:

(image courtesy of thesartorialist.blogspot.com)

Well if you have the right flats for it, why not show it off on the sidewalks? Or even better, strangers on the bus? Plus, driving around with your car’s air and heating system is definitely a faux-pas for such a beautiful month as April.

4. Candles, incense, and windows over extreme lighting, aerosol fresheners, and tightly sealed balcony doors:

Over-usage of electricity and harmful chemicals were things that were “never” actually cool to begin with. This month, just remember to be extra cool by avoiding all unnecessary extravagances of unearthly goodness, plus natural light, natural scents, and open air always expressed good taste.

And finally…

5. Recycle, re-use, and reduce— your closet, your bathroom, your make-up bag:

Bottom line, we just want to remind you that Earth day, like any financially fashionable day, is all about being prone to minimalism of any sort of waste. Be sure to sort through your closet (and make more space for it!) and send old clothes away just as much as you should look into recycling options for your shampoo bottles and other empty plastic items. A certain eco-friendly cosmetics line, Origins, offers discounts for recycle programs as well.

Apparently Britney Spears Walked Off Stage at Vancouver Concert last night during her Circus tour in Vancouver, shortly after her concert started and then again later on in the show.

I hope she is okay, for her children’s sake, if nothing else.  Regardless what I may think of her personally, her children deserve to have a mommy that is, well… sane.

What do you think of Britney Spears?  Or do you care?  As for Britney’s actions during her Circus tour, I wouldn’t be too happy.  If I pay for concert tickets, I want my moneys worth.

Check out the story for yourself and see the reason why she walked off the stage, and what people are saying about it.  And let us know what you think of Britney’s latest antics.

Here at SmakNews, we are all about promoting “smak talk.” After all, what better way to release long hours of stress and work if not by dishing out your honestly annoyed opinions about some of the most unworthy subjects of media spotlight. But who knew that one of pop culture’s most celebrated smak-talker will out-do everyone in the entertainment/gossiping blog ring?

Eminem, formally known as Marshall Mathers, or infamously known as the “Slim Shady,” has done it again with his latest video, “We Made You” which we’ll share with you here only after providing you with the appropriate warning: beware, vicious smak-talking ahead!

Perez Hilton, we know what you’re thinking, why didn’t you think of this sooner? Instead of your daily blog rants and amateur white-off graffiti - you could have invested in a Dr. Dre produced beat and heavily funded music video.

Eminem puts into song (or rap verse) what we all read from blogs, what we all see on TMZ TV, and what we (sort of) feel about those rotten spoiled stars ourselves, and raises the amp meter to about…hmm, say 10x stronger? Eminem targets Brett Michaels, Amy Winehouse, Lindsay and her once lover Samantha, Kim Kardashian, Ellen Degeneres and many more.

But is this sort of malicious mocking taking the idea of “smak talking” too far?

Many blogs are saying Eminem’s insults are chauvinistic, hating on not only female celebrities excessively but sexualizing political figures (ahem, Sarah Palin) and poking fun at homosexuality. But what are the direct, so-called “victims” of these attacks saying? In her blog, Kim Kardashian reveals how “flattered” and “honored” she is by Eminem’s selection to spoof her throughout the video.

Hmm… smak-talking perceived as “flattering”? Well, I guess that statement could just make the rest of us smak-talking social site goers a bit more prompted to keep the flattering coming

Alas, the message here gathered from the “king” (he likes to dress up as Elvis) is simply: go big or go home with your smak talk. Otherwise, how else are you going to know you made it?

One of the “Hot” stories here at SmakNews today - Move Over Jessica Alba, Honor Steals The Show, spurred a conversation about weird celebrity baby names.

I don’t totally agree that Honor is a weird name.  I mean, Faith, Charity, Hope and names of the same ilk have been popular for years.  And in my opinion, Honor kind of falls into the same category.

Go check it out and join in the conversation.  We would love to hear your opinion.

SmakNews just raised its first round of funding from Founders Fund -$5 million. 

More details on this awesome deal to follow within the upcoming week.

We will be launching our highly attractive software on April 5th (this Sunday) in private beta– if you who haven’t signed up yet, please do so by visiting SmakNews.com.

Thank you all for the support! We wouldn’t have done it without you

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Editor’s Note: Thank you all for being a great sport during our April Fool’s online jokery. Sadly to report, we did NOT receive such funding, but we are happy to know so many of our fans were so quick to congratulate us… and somehow, the joke even prompted one blog to report on us.

Ok, now we hope you get to see what all the “smak” talk is about for yourself, as we are counting down to our beta launch today — in less than 2 hours!