Toast to a New Year with These Celebratory Cocktails
5….4….3….2….1! Happy New Year!
As you and your friends welcome in a new year and are giving cheers to each other you find out one of two things. One your class is empty or two you are drinking the same cocktail you did last year. Why not have a New Year’s resolution right a midnight. Try one of these following drinks as a way to bring in 2015!
Enchanted Berry Bubbly (5 Servings)
• 1 750 mL Bottle Once Upon A Vine, Enchanted Woods Bubbly
• 1 12 oz. Pack Whole Cranberries
• 1 24.5 oz. Bottle Raspberry Flavor Syrup
Directions: Freeze cranberries overnight. Add a dash of raspberry syrup to each glass of sparkling wine and garnish with three frozen cranberries.
Bulleit Hot Toddy
• 1.25 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
• 1 tsp. fine grain sugar
• 2 small clove(s)
• 1.5 oz. boiling water
Directions: Add Bulleit Bourbon, fine grain sugar and cloves in a mug. Add boiling water. Stir.
Captain’s Black Washington Apple
• .75 oz. CAPTAIN MORGAN® Black Spiced Rum
• .75 oz. Apple Liqueur
• .75 oz. Red Cranberry Juice
Directions: In an ice filled shaker glass, combine all the ingredients. Shake well and strain into a shot glass.
Dec 26th
Reebok Classics Pump Question, Dropping Tomorrow, 12/24
To help celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Pump technology we combined our Pump custom fit technology with some of the most iconic shoes in Reebok’s basketball history. The first launch of the four-shoe “Pump It Up” pack, The Pump Question takes inspiration from the Pump Omni Lite that was made famous in 1991 by Dee Brown’s no look dunk and fuses it with basketball legend Allen Iverson’s signature shoe, the Question.
On December 24th you will have the opportunity to pick up a pair of this limited edition Pump Question at Jimmy Jazz, Shiekh Shoes, DTLR or Reebok.com for $174.99.
Dec 23rd
Give the Gift of #WirelessYourWay with Net10 Wireless
Signing up for wireless services sucks. It’s like you’re an elite football player in the days before free agency. The players union just isn’t organized yet. You can’t trust your agent. You’re stuck with the team that drafted you (or you know, maybe you signed with them early in your career and now you’re stuck). You can’t test the waters and bring your talents elsewhere. And then there’s that damn contract. It just binds you in ways you can’t even understand or collective bargain against.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. What if you’re mobile provider functioned more like a restaurant and less like a tyrannical professional sports team owner? What if you could pick and choose your own plans, change it all up whenever you want and achieve all this flexibility without a contract?
This is how Net10 Wireless is trying to do business. It’s a smart approach to shake up the outdated service relationship that exists between wireless providers and their customers.
I used to sell cell phones back in college. I was terrible at it. Things were just so convoluted and confusing back then. The 2000s just got started and cell phone technology and service plans were totally ridiculous. You name it, things were silly. Imagine paying ten cents a text (and that’s after using just a number pad to string along individual letters into words). Or how about local roaming charges? That’s LOCAL roaming charges. God forbid you’re on the freeway and you ping a cell tower the next town over. Yep, that’ll be extra. Want to make an out of state call? Well you better make sure you do it from the hours of 5-10pm on weeknights only.
We’ve come a long way since those dark, early years of mobile, but there’s still work to be done. There are still some outmoded practices that need to be done away with. We all know at least one person who’s gotten burned with a crazy bill or some contract-busting stomach punch from a major wireless provider. Net10 Wireless is trying to simplify this stuff.
Net10 Wireless gives you two starting points. Show up with your own phone or buy a new Android phone from them. These guys partner up with the nation’s top four carriers so you get a familiar level of coverage across the country. Then you pick a plan. If you want to change your phone or plan at a future date, you can do it without any silly penalties.
You got options on the plans. You can go with a) unlimited talk, text and/or data, b) unlimited international long distance, c) 30-day plans, d) pay-as-you-go plans. Option A ranges from $35-$75 a month. Option B comes in at $65 a month. Option C ranges from 200 minutes/month for $15 up to 1000 minutes/month for $25. Option D has longer carry over periods and ranges from 200 minutes for $20 to 1500 minutes for $100 that’s good for 180 days.
So yea, you got choices. It may seem a bit complicated at first, and sure there’s some obvious fine print and whatnot, but those prices are cheap, man. If you’re worried about data usage, most phones allow you to set limits and alerts on this sort of stuff.
If you’re shopping for someone who needs a new plan, this is worth testing out. If you find yourself in-between mobile providers, check these guys out. If you ever consider getting a second line, this is definitely a smart option.
Mobile phones aren’t magic anymore. Phones got smarter. It’s about time that phone plans got smarter, too.
Dec 23rd
Life n Soul BM211 Bluetooth Stereo Speaker Review
If you’re like me, the actual week of Christmas is when you knock out the bulk of your holiday shopping. Sure, there may be a random gift that you pick up ahead of time, but most of us don’t think ahead like this. We wait until the ultimate last moment, grab something just in time, and tell ourselves, next year will be different. We know this is isn’t true, but that’s a holiday routine that most of us can relate to.
So what sort of options are you looking at for last minute gift purchases? I’m of the opinion that you just can’t go wrong with a wireless speaker. Who would be upset with gift like this? Nobody, that’s who. Everyone’s carrying gigabytes of music around in their pocket these days and we all consume insane amounts of tunes and videos on the regular through phones and tablets and so on. If you’re wondering what to get that special someone who likely owns a smartphone or tablet, check out the Life n Soul BM211 Bluetooth Stereo Speaker. If you are buying a new monitor with speakers built-in, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.
It’s hard to think back to a day when Bluetooth speakers weren’t the norm. Auxiliary cables and dedicated, immovable home stereos are just so old hat now. How can you be expected to listen to music or watch videos from one dedicated spot in your house? That’s madness. You want to be able to stream Homeland in your kitchen while you’re doing dishes. You want the ability to bump music at a picnic in the park without lugging around a boom box. The Life n Soul BM211 Bluetooth Stereo Speaker is good for these things.
The speaker itself is lightweight, but still packs a punch. It’s collapsible, so you can easily toss it in a bag or a large jacket pocket. The thing I like the most about this speaker is that it doubles as a phone/tablet stand. Open it up, turn it on, connect your device and couch that baby in there. Boom – instant portable HBO GO machine.
The sound quality isn’t terrible. This isn’t some $4,000 high-end accessory, here. The Life n Soul BM211 Bluetooth Stereo Speaker leans more toward convenience and functionality than audiophile-approved luxury. But so what. It does the job, it doesn’t sound tinny and the volume reaches reasonable, room-filling levels, especially for the size.
The price isn’t all that bad either. You can pick this guy up for around $79 all over the place. There’s even still time for expedited shipping, so get on it!
Dec 23rd
It Is The Return Of The WWE Divas!
When Total Divas returns with all-new episodes on January 4 at 10pm ET, a new duo emerges to shake up the dynamics of the cast: WWE® Diva Alicia Fox™ and WWE Diva Paige™. Former WWE Divas Champion, Paige, is a raven-haired Diva who preaches a simple message: she wants to mix it up in the ring. She first began battling when she was 13, following her family of English wrestlers, and gained prominence inside the WWE’s NXT Division, as the first NXT Women’s Champion. Similarly, the stunning and lithesome Alicia Fox has proven herself to be far more ferocious and eccentric than anyone ever expected. The talented Ms. Fox has etched her name in WWE record books as the first African-American woman to win the Divas Championship. Together, the two ladies, along with friend WWE Diva Rosa Mendes™, form a clique in the locker room that rivals the Bella Twins™ and WWE Diva Cameron™ (Ariane), leaving Natalya™ (Nattie) stuck in the middle.
As season three progresses, a longtime feud between Ariane and Alicia forces the two Divas to go head-to-head. On the couple’s front, the newly crowned WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella™ and WWE Superstar John Cena®, are on the outs after he blindsided her with the idea that they may not be meant for each other. Brie Bella™ also has to confess to Nikki that she went behind her back and confronted Cena about his stance on marriage that lead to the couple’s turmoil. Newlywed Eva Marie™ struggles with some surprising health and body image issues, while Brie seriously considers giving up her exciting career for a more domestic life. The locker room gets awkward when Rosa misreads another Diva’s outgoing personality as romantic overtones and tries to pursue a relationship. In addition, as Nattie deals with her imploding marriage and its subsequent fallout, she looks to family and friends for support and a new place to live – away from her husband WWE Superstar Tyson Kidd™ (TJ).
All-new episodes of Total Divas start Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 10pm ET, before returning to its regular time slot at 9pm beginning January 11.
Dec 22nd
Dark Horse Comics Has The Power With He-Man Collectors Pack
Just in time for fans’ holiday wish lists, Dark Horse and Mattel announce that the biggest art book of 2015 – The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – will receive a limited edition release.
Restricted to 4,000 copies, The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Limited Edition comes packaged in a deluxe Castle Grayskull slipcase, with an exclusive foil embossed cover and portfolio print, coming in at just under 400 pages with commentary written by Tim & Steve Seeley.
In 1982, the world was introduced to He-Man® and Masters of the Universe®. What followed was a cultural sensation that changed the landscape of children’s entertainment forever! Join Mattel and Dark Horse in this comprehensive retrospective chronicling the decades-long epic journey of He-Man from toy, to television, to film, to a true pop culture phenomenon!
The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe includes rarely seen images of concept sketches, prototypes, and more from Mattel’s archives. Featuring beautifully restored art from master illustrator Earl Norem—celebrated artist of the most memorable He-Man images, interviews with Dolph Lundgren, Paul Dini, Erika Scheimer, and many more!
The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Limited Edition is on sale in comic shops April 15th and April 28th in bookstores. Pre-order your copy today from these fine retailers:
Think Geek
PopCultcha
Big Bad Toy Store
Forbidden Planet
TFAW
Dark Horse Booth at 2015 Conventions
Dec 22nd
Train’s Jimmy Stafford Talks Music, Football, The Free Concert At The Allstate Sugar Bowl
On the heels of their seventh studio album and first new album in two years, Train will be headlining a free show in New Orleans on December 31 prior to the 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Train has a rich musical legacy including the hits “Meet Virginia”, “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” and “Hey, Soul Sister.”
I was able to chat with Train’s lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford on the free concert he and his band mates will be performing at on December 31st that is courtesy of Allstate. We also talk about his band, coming up with songs, football and more.
If you are in New Orleans make sure you stop by the Jax Brewery Parking Lot (418 North Peters Street) at 6:15 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to check out the free Train concert.
Click here to listen to the interview.
Dec 19th
Charles Tillman Gives NFL Fans A Holiday Surprise
Tis’ the season…for holiday hijinks! Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman teamed up with Courtyard to surprise guests and spread some holiday cheer at a Courtyard by Marriott in Chicago, IL.
Posed as an eccentric Scrooge-like director that was hired to film a holiday video card for Courtyard, Tillman had unsuspecting guests sing “Jingle Bells” while wearing makeup and ridiculous props all while being captured by hidden cameras.
When the disguise came off, Charles Tillman revealed himself to be the same “nice guy” that NFL fans recognize.
Dec 18th
WWE Superstars And Divas Have A One Track Mind
The show that averages 3.1 million viewers on Friday nights and beats all Friday primetime viewing on any cable network is moving to Thursday nights on Syfy beginning January 15th at 8pm ET. With more than 800 original episodes, SmackDown is the second longest-running weekly episodic program in U.S. television history, only behind WWE’s other flagship program, Monday Night Raw®.
“Quite simply, more young men watch television on Thursday night than on Fridays,” said Michael Engleman, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Digital and Global Brand Strategy, Syfy. “Among Men 18-49, PUTS are 15 percent higher compared to Fridays, expanding the potential audience for SmackDown. Since the majority of broadcast programming skews female, we’re also using Thursday nights to counter program.”
“WWE’s sizable and passionate fan base make SmackDown the #1 entertainment show on Syfy and the most-watched, regularly-scheduled program among key demographics on the network,” said Michelle Wilson, Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer, WWE. “We look forward to bringing the WWE audience to Thursday nights on Syfy.”
Over the past 15 years, SmackDown has been broadcast from 170 different venues, in 148 cities and towns, in seven different countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Iraq, Japan, Italy and Mexico. The name SmackDown came from WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson’s popular catchphrase, “Lay the Smackdown®.”
Dec 18th
Give The Jordan Ultimate Gift Of Flight
The Jordan Ultimate Gift of Flight pack features the newest Air Jordan and one of the best Air Jordans ever, celebrating performance, innovation and Legend Blue.
Released back in 1996, the Air Jordan XI was ahead of its time: form and function melded perfectly for a great look on the court and off. Today, the Air Jordan XX9 is the lightest Air Jordan with a reengineered FlightPlate and one-piece woven upper that moves naturally and comfortably with your foot.
The Air Jordan XI features Legend Blue on the patent leather and smooth leather upper, and a white midsole and translucent outsole tinted in Legend Blue. The Air Jordan XX9 features Legend Blue highlights with elephant print, framed with a white upper and translucent grey midsole.
LAUNCH: Tuesday, December 23, 2014 – 8:00 AM EST – Cost $500.00
Dec 17th
