Great Gift Ideas for Father’s Day
This month we get to celebrate Father’s Day. On Sunday June 16th we get a chance to spend time with our fathers and thank them for everything they have done for us. There are many cool things you can do for dear old dad. Find out what he wants to do and set something up. Whether it is playing a round of golf or taking him fishing try make sure he gets to do things he might not get a chance to do on a regular basis.
Now that I have been a dad for a few years I have realized all the love and dedication it takes to be a father. Another thing that I found out is that you might not live near your parents. This makes it hard for me to spend time with my dad. Still I know what he likes so I usually get him something that I know he can use or want.
One item that is always a hit for fathers is top notch liquor. You can sip a glass with your father and just have a great night of talking with the man who taught you how to drive. There are few brands out there that would make a great gift. Here are three ideas that are way better than getting your old man a tie or mug. They are Crown Royal XR LaSalle, Bulleit 10 Years Old, and George Dickel Barrel Select.
Crown Royal XR LaSalle
I was fortunate to try the XR LaSalle and this whisky was outstanding. This is the second addition to the renowned Crown Royal Extra Rare Whisky Series. The LaSalle is a unique blend that included a small reserve of the final batch of whiskies that was saved from the famous LaSalle Distillery.
As you sip it you taste a blend of dried fruits and honey. The fruit tastes are well balanced with the spicy notes of Canadian rye. The cost of the LaSalle is $129.99 and is worth every penny. You get this for your dad and I am guessing he will be kind enough to share.
Bulleit 10 Years Old
Bulleit 10 is the company’s selected reserve. It is a limited edition from founder, Tom Bulleit. This bourbon has a smooth taste and has tremendous oaky aromas. The small touch of vanilla and dried fruit completes the bourbon as you finish each sip that has a smoky vibe to it. You can get a bottle for $44.99. 
George Dickel Barrel Select
As the name suggests the George Dickel Barrel Select was developed from only hand select barrels. Each year Master Distiller John Lunn hand picks which barrel he will use to create this batch. This is a labor of love for Lunn. I was able to chat with him about his job and he takes a lot of pride in his work. The Select has a fantastic taste of caramel and vanilla. You can pick this up for your father for just $45.99.
So hope this helps you as you look to purchase a gift for your dad. No matter what you do just make sure you take the time to tell your dad how much you appreciate him. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!
Jun 10th
Film Director David Rodriguez Talks New Film “Last I Heard”
David Rodriguez had a life-long dream to become a director. Growing up he had a passion for the film industry. He is the youngest of four siblings and was born in the New York City. After ten years of living what he called the “suburban grown-up life” he wanted to make a change.
So in 2003 David went to make his dream a reality. In 2004 he was able to direct his first film called “Push.” Now with a few films under his belt, David is back with a new movie. This summer he will be promoting his latest project, “Last I Heard.” The film stars Paul Sorvino, Michael Rapaport, Renee Props, Paul Ben-Victor, Stephen Bauer and Chazz Palminteri.
David was kind enough to answer some of my questions I had on his latest film and who was his inspiration to become a director.
Art Eddy: You have a new feature film out that you wrote and produced called “Last I Heard.” Tell me a bit about the film.
David Rodriguez: Although “Last I Heard” is a small slice of life from a Queens, NY neighborhood, it also acts as a bit of social commentary addressing the ‘old school’ person’s mentality and how they would deal with a progressive society. The film touches on a few different issues but at its core, it’s about an old Italian gangster ‘Mr. Joe,’ played by Paul Sorvino, who’s trying to live the same life he lived after serving 20 plus years in federal prison. All along, he’s dealing with one blow after another, ultimately reverting back to who he really is and doing so at the ultimate price.
AE: In the film there are great actors like Paul Sorvino, Michael Rapaport, Renee Props, Paul Ben-Victor, Stephen Bauer and Chazz Palminteri. Tell me about working with a cast like this?
DR: What can I say, it was truly amazing. I’d find myself smiling from time to time, taking it all in. I had actors on set that were in some of the greatest films ever, “Goodfellas,” “A Bronx Tale,” “Scarface,” “Cop Land,” “Get Shorty,” and “True Romance.”
Their stories were amazing and the collective experience with this cast was something most directors dream of. I’m pretty firm on set and they all knew what I wanted, however, because we all knew each other so well, we created a very nurturing environment that allowed us to grow on set and everyone brought their ‘A-game.’ It was because of my actors that we made it look so effortless.
AE: You will be going to film festivals to showcase your film this summer. Do you enjoy these fests when you are promoting your film or is there pressure in hopes the audience will dig the film?
DR: Well, the first stop is the Seattle International Film Festival where we’re world premiering in competition. It’s a huge top tier fest so we’re excited to be a part of it. We’re also excited that we’re premiering and screening during the closing weekend.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous and excited, but ultimately we have to trust the work we do and I feel really good about this film. It was a blessed project as Sorvino said once. Everyone really showed up, cast and crew alike. I hope people dig it, but that’s all out of my hands now. I feel good. 
AE: You also co-wrote and directed the acclaimed feature film, “American Bully.” Tell me about the process of shooting that film?
DR: “American Bully” was a challenge on so many levels. We shot in Louisiana with producers who really were never on the same page as my cinematographer John Barr, the actors and myself. I didn’t know what the budget was when we started or how it was being spent. The weather was uncooperative in Louisiana at the time.
Ultimately, we were forced to make the best film we could in spite of all the challenges we had and I guess we pulled it off. It was a lesson for me throughout the process that every single person up and down the line needs to be on the same page in order to have success. That all said, I’m incredibly proud of that film and it’s very near and dear to my heart.
AE: What made you get into the career of producing and directing films?
DR: I’ve wanted to be in show business since I was 6 or 7 years old. At the time, my family lived in the Bronx and my oldest sister Janet would take me to all the big summer films at a theater on Fordham Road. I saw “Jaws,” “Rocky,” and “Star Wars” and it was a transformative part of my life, but growing up in a blue collar family wasn’t necessarily conducive to a creative mind. I got lost in those films, but it wasn’t until much later in life that I decided to go for it and attempt to direct. A few bad bouts with the 9 to 5 suburban life forced me to do what I always dreamed of doing. It was the scariest and best decision I ever made.
AE: Did any directors inspire you as you were looking to get into the entertainment industry?
DR: Fortunately, at the time that I decided to direct for food, one of the cable channels had a program where once a week or so they would feature a new director and that director would tell their story of how they got into directing and all that they learned throughout their careers. The show featured Ridley and Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Cameron Crowe, and Martin Scorsese and so on. It was like having an ‘A-list’ faculty of directors in my own personal film school. That said, if I had to pick one director whose body of work is most inspiring, I couldn’t. There are two, Martin Scorsese and Steven Soderbergh.
AE: Your focus is of course on “Last I Heard,” but do you have any other projects that you are thinking about starting?
DR: Of course! I wrote a New York based cable TV pilot recently that I’d love to direct and see happen as a series. I also have my eye on a few smaller projects at the studio level that I’d love to pitch, and I have some of my own scripts that I’d like to see happen. I really don’t know what’s going to happen as a result of “Last I Heard,” but I’m being patient and open to all opportunities.
AE: Who would you love to work with in your next project?
DR: As I’m sure you know, the climate of the business is ever evolving, so I’d like to work with actors that will help me get whatever I do next green-lit and financed. That said, if it was all over tomorrow, I’d be happy knowing that I worked with the most amazing cast ever in “Last I Heard” and they set the bar pretty high. It’ll be tough to top that experience.
Jun 10th
Give Dad what he really wants this Father’s Day. BACON!
Just in time for Father’s Day Oscar Mayer is presenting the “Oscar Mayer Original Collection.” Available only online you can pick up these elegant bacon boxes for you or your dad. There are a total of three specialized bacon boxes.
The three gift packs are being sold exclusively on the Oscar Mayer website, Say It With Bacon, which showcases the boxes in a way that pokes fun of jewelry ads, with a script headlines of “When words aren’t enough, say it with bacon”, and “Give the world’s most tasteful gift.”
Here are your choices. Each case has it’s own distinctive quality.
The Commander ($22) The Commander comes with a stainless steel money-clip engraved with the words “Bringin’ it Home” and an image of a bacon strip.
The Matador ($28) This one features two handsome bacon strip cufflinks.
The Woodsman ($25) The Woodsman which includes a rugged 12 function multi-tool with a bacon strip image carved into the handle.
Plus this is not just for Father’s Day. Oscar Mayer thinks you can use these one of kind gifts for birthdays and anniversaries…or even just because.
If you check out the website and see a sold out sign, well don’t fret. The company keeps on replenishing their stock of their commemorative boxes. To stay on top of all things bacon just follow @OscarMayer on Twitter for restocking alerts.
They even put together a hilarious video mocking those over the top jewelry store ads. Have to hand it to Oscar Mayer for this one. It is funny and deals with bacon. What more does a guy need?
Jun 6th
Lisa Kelly talks about her return to “Ice Road Truckers” on the History Channel
The original hit series “Ice Road Truckers” on the History Channel returns Sunday, June 9 at 10PM ET/PT This season, old rivalries hit an all-time high as two different companies with legendary truckers go head-to-head and try to put each other out of business. Also, after a year on hiatus, the queen of the road, Lisa Kelly, returns and chooses a side.
Throughout the season, the rivalry between the companies reaches to a boiling point as every load delivered means money out of the other team’s pocket. No assignment is off limits, no road is too dangerous and no ice crossing is too thin in this battle for winter roads supremacy.
Lisa Kelly sat down with me this week to talk about her return, broken wrists, and what she did last year when she took a break from the show.
Art Eddy: So the new season starts this month. You are back. Fans of the show are psyched that you are back. Are you excited to be back on the show?
Lisa Kelly: I am so excited to be back on the show. I had fun doing it. (Laughs)
AE: What did you do while you were away from the show?
LK: Oh it is a big, big secret. (Laughs) No, not really. Just working and living life like normal people do sometimes.
AE: So do you consider yourself not normal when you are doing the show?
LK: Sometimes it gets pretty not normal. It is pretty crazy.
AE: Did you get a lot of mail or tweets from fans wanting you to come back on the show?
LK: Yea the fans are great. It was a great support system, but that was the number one asked question. It tells me that people care so that was awesome, but yea tons of that.
AE: The show is very interesting, but you guys are just doing your job. Some of the stuff you guys have to do is amazing. Does it feel weird to you that people are so involved with what you do for a living?
LK: I am just amazed that people are interested in it. You say what we do is amazing and I think it is amazing that you guys think it is amazing.
AE: What can fans of the show expect from you and the rest of the gang on the show?
LK: I am not entirely sure because it is a whole new ball game. Everything has changed this year. I am not in Alaska. I am in Canada now. I am not working for Carlile. I am working for a different company. Just for the show. I took time off of Carlile for show. I am back at Carlile now. I am literally in my truck right now.
Other than that I don’t know. There is a new show runner. It is a whole new thing. I had a lot of fun. I didn’t throw caution to the wind I would say, but I would say because I wasn’t working for Carlile I didn’t have to be so focused on safety and not getting fired. I had fun with it. I don’t know how that will come off, but I had a lot of fun with it.
AE: During this season I heard you broke your wrist. How did that happen and has that affected your driving?
LK: I didn’t break my wrist on the show. I broke it racing motocross last summer in June or July. I was racing and over jumped a jump and impact fractured it. I don’t know what happened. All I know is that I am doing okay. It took forever to heal. When I tried to shift at international 13 speed it just aggravated it to where I didn’t know at first what to do.
So I trained my camera guy on how to shift for me. So I would tell him what gear I had to shift into. I was like okay this aint going to last long. Then I am like oh I got duct tape. So I started duct taping it. The whole show it was wrapped up. It was really bothering me. It just won’t get better. I can tell I am getting old. I don’t heal.
AE: In what ways has the show changed your life?
LK: It has just changed it period. It changed it from top to bottom. It has taken over. It’s become my life. I can’t talk to anybody without mentioning the show or some interview because that is my life. I’m not bragging. It is just you want me to talk that’s all I got.
AE: You and Hugh Rowland have a bit of a rivalry. Will we see more of this transpire on the show this season?
LK: I didn’t know that we had something going on until I saw the preview. So I guess we have something. I don’t know. I just do my job and whatever happens, happens. Things did happen. I didn’t see it as a big deal of anything more than I would normally handle somebody that’s difficult.
To listen to the entire interview to find out what other bones Lisa has broken click here!
Jun 5th
Wine 101 for Dudes
If you’re a whiskey and beer drinking kinda guy, you probably don’t have a great relationship with wine. And that’s okay. Wine isn’t for everyone. But it isn’t just a chick beverage, either. If you’re like me, wine is just something that’s never been a viable option. Sure, you may have gotten tipsy during a wine tasting or two, but what if you don’t know the basics? How are you supposed to dive in and enjoy the delicious chemical balance of fermented grapes without any real frame of reference?
Well fear not, fellow wine noobs. We got the basics covered for you right here. To prep this Wine 101 for Dudes guide, we spoke with Lauren Waters, the Senior Wine Education Manager at Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines. Lauren gave us the lowdown on everything from introductory wine selections to ordering tips to tannins and Grenache and so much more. Keep reading and get yourself up to speed, bucko!
Know What Noobs Like: Fruit Forward
“People who are new to the wine category or haven’t been dabbling in wine for that long, what they really love are wines that are really fruit-forward, and by that I mean that they’ve got tons of intensity and tons of fruit flavors and all types of fruit character in them and that they’re pretty easy to drink.”
Remember fellas, when it comes to wine, fruity is good.
Safe Bet: Red Blends
“Consider wines that aren’t really heavy, either in tannin or acidity or all these other things that you might hear about; wines that are just basically easy to drink, easy to appreciate and easy to enjoy. To that end, we typically find ourselves looking towards California wines because they’re more of a riper, more approachable style over all, so red blend.”
Basically, if you’re looking at a wine list and you’re lost, reach for a California red blend. It’s a nice, friendly, fruit forward introductory selection.
Put It in Neutral: White Wines
“In terms of white wine, I find that a lot of people like, especially when they’re starting out, things that are more neutral. So they don’t tend to like the really oaky chardonnays or things like that. They tend to like wines that have less oak character and less pungent flavors. Unoaked chardonnays are always a hit. Pinot Grigio is always kind of a neutral variety. Riesling is something that a lot of consumers that are new to the category tend to like because they tend to have a little bit of sweetness to the wine that makes them really easy to like.”
So if you’re not feeling fruit forward, you can always play it safe and go for a nice white. But how are you supposed to know which wine to reach for?
Know the Situation: Red vs. White
“The difference between red and white wine is really when and how you want to enjoy it. So really it’s about the occasion. So if it’s a really hot summer day or you’re sitting by the pool or it’s a beach day or something like that, you want something that’s light and fresh and cool and can also quench your thirst. So that’s a great time for a white wine. Also if you’re out to dinner and you’re having like a lighter food option, say you’re having like fish tacos or something like that, white wine is really the perfect selection to go along with that. Speaking to red wine, red wines are typically served right around room temperature so it’s not like that cool, thirst-quenching kind of feeling that you would get from a white wine which would be served cooler. So for red wines, I tend to think of them as more evening wines. You would pair them with bigger food items. So if you’re out for dinner and you’re going to have steak or if you’re grilling BBQ or having stuff like that, your bigger profiles will go best with red wine.”
So there you go. Look at you, big guy. You’re ready to order the appropriate wine for the right occasion. But does this mean you gotta get all crazy about food and wine pairings? Nah, bro. Just do want you want!
There Are No Rules: Wine Pairing
“I think the most important thing to remember about pairing is there are no rules. You don’t have to follow any specific strategy like you can only drink white wine with fish or you can only drink cabernet with steak. All those rules are, in my opinion, silly. People need to find what they like. It’s all about experimentation, it’s all about discovery and it’s all about how they meet social experiences with wine. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another person because everybody is different and wine overall is just such a subjective type of a topic so keep in mind, there are no rules. It’s all about experimentation, discovery and finding what works for you.”
So if you wanna pair your Sloppy Joe with a Sauvignon Blanc, just do your thing! Don’t let some punk wine snob tell you what’s what.
Facing Your Fears: Navigating a Wine Shop
“First of all, it’s totally overwhelming. You walk into BevMo and you’re thinking, ‘OK, where do I even start? There’s like 15 aisles here. There’s wines that range in price from $2.99 to $2,000, where do I even start?’ It’s good to have your price point in mind. Are you looking for a bottle that’s $15 to $20? Are you looking to splurge and spend a lot or are you looking for a Wednesday night $10 bottle. Having a good kind of price point in mind is always a good way to start because that cuts the store probably into a fifth and you can really pinpoint the section that you’re looking for.”
Think about the occasion and don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s still manly to ask for help in a wine shop. It’s not like you’re asking for map directions or anything.
“The guys that are walking in those aisles are paid to be there and help you. So if you can tell them ‘Hey, I’m looking to spend $20. I’m having a bunch of friends over on Friday and we’re going to do burgers after work on the grill. What do you recommend? Point me in the right direction. Give me three options.’ It’s always a good thing to use your resources.
Intimidation Be Damned: How to Dominate a Wine List
“Opening a wine list in a restaurant, especially if you’re out on a date or you’re with people that you work with or whatever, it can be a really scary experience. You’re handed the list and all of a sudden you have this giant list of things that are probably written in multiple languages sitting in front of you and the only thing you can probably relate to is the dollar amount.”
So what’s a guy supposed to do?
“My recommendation when you’re in a situation like that is to figure out how the wine list is set. Is it set by country or by label? Once you know how this particular wine list works, try to find some options in there that might fit what the group is looking for.”
Think safe red blends. Chill whites. You know the drill. But what if you can’t even say the name of the wine you want to order?
“Half the time, I feel like people pick the wine because they can say it. I mean I’ve done this. When I first started out with wine I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m ordering this wine because I can’t say it and I don’t want to sound like an idiot, so I’ll take this wine even though I have no idea what it is but I can say it and at least I’ll feel like I’m halfway intelligent.’ So this is just a little trick – there’s usually a number, or a bin number is what it’s called, written next to the wine and the reason why the bin number is there is because it tells the server or the wait staff person where to find that precise wine. So when they go into the wine area, the wine cellar, whatever they have in that restaurant, each wine has a slot. So rather than saying ‘I’ll take the 2002 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Chateau le Nerf’ or some tough-twister name, you can just look for the number and say ‘Bin 312’ and they’ll know exactly what you mean and you don’t have to say it. If there’s not a bin number listed, you can also just look for one word that you know how to say. So maybe you don’t know any of those words but you know the vintage so you kind of point to it and say, ‘We’ll try this 2002, it should be pretty good.’ Just try to find any kind of common ground.”
Bam, there you have it gents. Act like you been there before with bin numbers, pointing gestures and vintage/year dropping.
Getting Started: The Stark Raving Collection and Sterling Vineyards
Lauren represents Diageo, and they have quite a few wine selections under their belt. The Stark Collection is a good place to start.
“In terms of recommendations from the Diageo portfolio, the Stark Raving lineup, to me is such an amazing lineup of wines because the wines are, first of all they’re just freakin’ delicious. The quality is really high, the packaging looks beautiful, so it’s definitely a wine that you could bring to a party or rollup to a BBQ with and not have any qualms about how the wine looks. The red blend from Stark Raving is a killer wine, as well as the Malbec. The Malbec is from Argentina, from the Malbec region. That’s also a really fantastic wine. In terms of white, the Sterling Vineyards Collection which is part of the Sterling Vineyards portfolio, has a wine called the Aromatic White which is fairly new out there and it’s a blend. It’s a white blend and as the name suggests. It’s got really strong aromas and it’s really a lovely kind of sipping wine on the palate that a lot of people tend to love so that’s a really great wine. Also from that portfolio, the Sauvignon Blanc is a really nice wine too. It’s light and clean and fresh and completely inoffensive in every single way but just really delicious.
So look at you, newly minted wine expert. You even have some specific selections to fall back on.
What’s in an Age: Understanding Vintages
Have you ever wondered if there’s a good rule of thumb about wine age?
“So here’s the good news on that question. Over 90% of all wines produced are not meant to be aged. It’s only the top tier of wine that we encounter that are either meant to be aged or can withstand aging, because there’s a couple of components when you look at aging a wine. Does it have the necessary structural elements to age? So then you get into all those geeky things like does it have enough tannin? Does it have enough acid? Is the concentration there? Does it have enough stuffing to be able to age? But then the other question is, is it worth aging? If I put this wine in my cellar or in my coat closet in a dark corner (which is a really great place to keep wine if you don’t have a cellar), if I keep this wine for five years and I open it five years later, is it going to be better? Is it actually worth aging it? So that’s the question, but like I said, the good news is that most wines are meant to be drunk upon release.”
So you’re new to this wine thing, man. Don’t worry too much about buying something that’s old enough or aging something to make it better. Just pick a wine that you like and enjoy it.
Open This Baby Up: Understanding Decanting
If you know wine connoisseurs, you’ve probably seen them decant wine before. Do all wines need to be decanted before being consumed?
“White wine, no. Sparkling wines, no. Red wines, sure. It’s not really necessary by any stretch again for the great majority of wine. The reason why you would want to decant a wine is that it’s super, super young. This could mean that the wine was just released, so it’s got like really high tannin, it’s really concentrated and you kind of want to open it up, so that’s why you would decant. The other reason why you would decant is if a wine is really old and it’s got lots of sediment and all kinds of things floating around in it. You’d want to decant to separate the particles from your glass because obviously nobody wants to drink a glass of wine that’s got tons of things floating around. Those are the two reasons but sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s about the show. It doesn’t really have to be just for quality. It can be just for the fun of it and just for the look of it. There’s no doubt that when you do extra things like this, it starts to make it feel more special.”
So if you want to show off and make it an experience, break out the decanter. Otherwise, just grab some glasses and get right to it.
Know Your Ingredients: What the Hell Is Tannin?
“Tannin is not just present in wine. It’s present in a lot of different foods. Basically tannin is responsible for a dry sensation on the gums and the mouth. The best way to encounter tannin, if you’re not sure exactly what it is, is to eat an unripe banana and you will get a full dose of tannin. You will never, ever, ever have to ask again what tannin means. And you’ll probably never, ever want to try that experiment again.”
In other words, it’s “an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.” So there you go.
Know Your Ingredients: What the Hell Is Grenache?
When I went wine tasting, the only thing I took away from it (other than mo wine, mo cheese, please) is that I really liked Grenache. I wonder why that is?
“Grenache is a low tannin varietal that’s very intense and really fruity so we’re back to one of my very first comments which is people love wines that are soft, intense and fruity, that is Grenache to a tee, so that’s the reason why you like that wine and that’s the reason why Grenache is typically found in most Californian red blends because it adds that element of fruitiness and it’s just a really loveable, easy to appreciate grape and it translates in the wine. It’s just plain delicious!”
We talked about the friendly approachability of the red blends. Based on my extra-limited wine tasting experience, you can’t go wrong with a Grenache blend. Do it.
Going Green: The Fuss About Organic Wines
Wait, isn’t all wine organic? What’s all the fuss about?
“Well, that’s a really interesting question. It’s very similar to other food products in the way that the vineyards are farmed. So just like you could have organic strawberries that were grown without chemicals or pesticides or anything like that, the same thing can happen with vineyards which are basically grapevines. So they can be farmed conventionally, which is when the farmer has the ability to use any kind of fertilizer or chemical compound that’s allowed by law. When you talk about organic, again it’s very similar to other foods and other farming techniques. Organic would be minimal use of sulfur and all of the fertilizers and all of the protectants would be of an organic natural. So they wouldn’t be using pesticides, they’d be using things that are natural.”
Why So Serious: Just Have Fun
“Don’t get bogged down on the details. Wine is, at its core, it’s a social beverage. It’s meant to be enjoyed. It’s meant to be fun. So don’t think you have to know everything about it. The most important thing is just ask questions. Ask questions to the waiter who brought you the wine list, to the salesman who’s walking around in BevMo, just ask questions. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.”
Educating yourself is one thing, but you don’t have to trip if you’re not a wine snob. Stick to being snobby and dickish about single malt Scotch. That shit matters. Wine is a playful beverage. Just have a good time, dude!
Jun 4th
C.J. Wilson is a “Mane Man”
Head & Shoulders has just made Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher C.J. Wilson a “Mane Man.” The two are challenging guys to take a whiff of what a double dose of confidence smells like through the launch of new Head & Shoulders with Old Spice, which is the official shampoo of Major League Baseball.
Marking the brand’s third year of partnership with MLB, Head & Shoulders has boldly declared it’s the “Season of the Whiff” and their money is on pitchers, literally. For every “whiff” across the league during the 2013 regular season, Head & Shoulders will make a $1 donation to the MLB Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program. 
This is where you come into play! Fans can get involved by tweeting whiffs throughout the season via the #Whiff hashtag along with their favorite team’s Twitter handle to rack up the donations for their teams’ local RBI leagues and also have the chance to win cool MLB prizes.
The RBI program is the MLB youth initiative designed to give young people from urban and underserved communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball, encourages academic success and achievement, and teaches important life lessons and values. So you get to talk smack about other teams as your favorite team’s pitchers has batters looking silly.
On working with Head & Shoulders Wilson said, “I’m excited to be working with Head & Shoulders this season promoting the ‘Season of the Whiff.’ My job is to strike people out, that’s why the Angels brought me in. So if any hitters out there want to help the kids, just go ahead and strike out.”
For more info on this great promotion check out the Head & Shoulders for Men Facebook page.
Jun 3rd
5 Gadgets to Upgrade Your Beer
Beer is great on its own. It follows the old adage, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Yet we are always looking to fix or tinker with things and beer is no exception. To keep up with that mentality we wanted to share five cool beer upgrades you can add to your bar or kitchen. Some are practical while others are there to keep you entertained.
Cap Zappa
Remember when we thought beer opener key chains were awesome? Well there is something bigger and better. How about a beer opener key chain that shoots the beer cap? The Cap Zappa not only opens your beer, but you can try and hit your friends with the cap. It can clip on to your key ring and doesn’t take up too much space in your pocket. It measures at 2.2 x 12.5 x 19 cm and it launches your cap straight up in the air. You can see how poor your aim gets as the night progresses while you keep on drinking. Just make sure you don’t shoot your friends eye out.
On-Ice Mixed Drink and Beer Dispenser
One thing that we all hate is warm beer. One way to combat this issue in the hot summer months is to use the On-Ice Beer Dispenser. This mini clear keg keeps 80 ounces or a little over 2 liters of your favorite brew or drink at a finger’s touch away and ice cold in its separate beer tower compartment without diluting the flavor! This dispenser is great for any occasion indoors or out. Whether you are serving ice-cold ales, liquors, white wine, mixed drinks, or shots this cooler keg will be a main staple for your bar. All you have to do is as the inner part with ice. Next add your drink of choice in the exterior and enjoy ice cold beverages wherever you go.
Pocket Beer Bong
Did you ever want to have the capability of bringing a beer bong with you no matter where you go? Well now you can with the pocket beer bong. This pint size gadget lets you use any regular beer bottle and turn into a makeshift beer bong. The Ultimate Bottle Bong has a small hose and a bottle cover to let you jug a beer like you did in college. This is perfect if you need to “catch up” when you come late to the party.
Fridge Monkey
The Fridge Monkey is a flexible rubber mat designed to maximize storage space in your fridge by stacking bottles and cans and stopping them from rolling around. Ideal storage for 10 beer cans, 10 beer bottles or 5 wine bottles or any combination. The Fridge Monkey is made from a flexible rubber material, measuring 9.75 x 4 inches (l x w). The bottles are able to stay still through the use of ridges built into the mat, giving those rounded sides a base to gain their footing on.
Randall Jr. Personal Beer Infuser
If you ever wanted to make your own brew, but never had the patience, well the Randall Jr. from Dogfish Head is something you might want to pick up. All you have to do is take off the top and add hops, spices, and fruit and then fill it up with off-centered ale and savor the fruits of your creativity. The Randall Jr. holds up to 16 ounces of beer. No doubt you will have loads of fun trying new combinations of hops and other ingredients to personalize your beer. So get creative and drink up!
Jun 2nd
The Internship – Review
Last night, our good friends at AXE Hair sent us out to Westwood for the premiere of The Internship, a new comedy with a familiar funny formula – lots of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. The Wedding Crashers duo reunites under less raunchy circumstances this time (the film is rated PG-13 after all), but the results are the same. These two guys can carry a film.
But they almost don’t have to. The story is solid. The dialogue is witty. The supporting characters shine. And the overall positive sentiment that wraps itself around the entire film is infectious and welcome. It’s like a warm blanket that may be a bit worn, but it’s familiar, comfortable and effective. There’s a lot of feel good in this film.
Vaughn and Wilson play two down on their luck sales guys who find themselves out of work and looking for their next big career opportunity. After discovering that Google was voted the best place to work in America, the two buddies set their sights on a competitive internship program that pits them against some of the brightest young minds in the country. The prize is a full-time position with the search engine giant.
The film can feel like a two-hour infomercial for Google at times, but the heavy-handed product/corporate philosophy placement is tolerable. Google’s playfully progressive Mountain View headquarters serves as the backdrop for a story that takes some time to unfold, but stays well-paced and punchy throughout.
The Internship is sweet to the point of sappy, but never saccharine. It all plays out like some throwback 80s flick, with solid one-liners, lots of life lessons, a killer montage and plenty of Flashdance references.
This is a job well done by Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy and the script is way funnier than the previous Vince Vaughn and Jared Stern effort, The Watch. If you accept the light ride, embrace the teaching moments, get over the product placement and just sit back and enjoy the laughs, this is two hours well spent.
The Internship hits theaters on June 7.
May 30th
Daft Punk ‘Random Access Memories’
They didn’t choose the easy path. Here we have one the most anticipated albums in recent history, produced by the futuristic godfathers of Electronic Dance Music. Without warning, Daft Punk has snapped the rubber band of social trends back onto the giant beats and cold shrieks of the Dubstep generation. Their 4th studio album, “Random Access Memories” offers a smooth rebuke to the jarring and the intense. The album is a slow burn, assembled with love by the French duo and an assortment of live musicians and musical legends. Aside from the instant summer anthem “Get Lucky” one does not simply listen to single tracks off of this album. This collection has been thoughtfully produced to be ingested from beginning to end. Each track benefits by the context of the ones that precede and follow it.
Is it the artist’s responsibility to make their art quick and easy to digest? This responsibility has certainly been mandated upon popular music. The monetization of art and media demands increasingly easier and easier singles and snippets for the masses. Micro transactions and commercial sampling rights rule the day. Popular musicians must wait for the captive audiences of a concert to express more than their most popular riff. It is their last stand against shuffle and our collective short attention span.
Daft Punk’s creators, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, are no longer bound by such creative restrictions. They’re rich, they’re almost 40, they’re largely anonymous. They spent a ludicrous amount of their own money on “Random Access Memories” and they don’t seem to care if you like it very much. Very few of the tracks are radio friendly. Some of them, like “Lose Yourself to Dance” (featuring Pharrel Williams) just never seem to get going, a song with no real beginning or end, just a rolling chorus over and over again. But when you listen to it fade into the schmaltzy, over the top broadway inspired anthem “Touch” (featuring Paul Williams) it starts to make sense. “Touch” by the way, thanks to Paul Williams’ wildly expressive voice, is one of the more transporting songs on an album that easily carries you away. The transition from “Touch” to “Get Lucky” takes you from the bright lights of Broadway to the smoky corners of a 70’s dance hall effortlessly and begins the best parts of the track list.
This attack on contemporary music began in the studio. Rather than sample many of the beats and tracks that construct each song, musicians, many of them the actual session musicians from the original recordings, were brought in to record the selections live. Legends like Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers and Pharrel Williams team up with full orchestras to recreate a time when entire arrangements were not available at the touch of a button. It produces a sound that remains distinctly analog despite the near omnipresent Daft Punk vocoder.
It’s an impressive result if listened to in full. The third track “Giorgio by Moroder” begins with a spoken word interview with the man whose early use of the synthesizer helped shape the transition of music through the disco era. His stories lay the foundation for the rest of the music on the album. They warn you with his words that they will be going backwards and looking forward, that their aim is to make the music they want without fear of judgement. There is a richness and inspiration to this album that really starts to gain steam in it’s second half. In headphones you can truly hear the care and effort that went into each moment of every song. The high end stereo systems that came into fashion in the 70’s would benefit greatly from the mixing and engineering behind this effort. The sound is very cinematic, it’s themes carry you forward and tell you a story of music and what they think it can be. In the final track, “Contact” a sample from Astronaut Eugene Cernan aboard Apollo 17 implores us to look further, “There’s something out there”, his crackling voice tells us. The imagery of space implies the future, yet fittingly it is described to us by an astronaut of the past. Their message is clear.
In this time of Taylor Swift, Skrillex and Justin Bieber, I can’t help but enjoy the idea of an open minded teenager pressing play on track one of “Random Access Memories”. I imagine this future musician at their computer with headphones on, allowing them to hear each nuance and fluctuation of beat, pitch and tone. I picture this child without a deep musical context, just discovering what music shapes them and feeling as though Daft Punk has produced something breathtaking and new. It’s the same space I reflect back to before I began to realize how much of the rap and popular music I grew up with were really just sampling the power of the beats that came before them. In “Random Access Memories” Daft Punk takes a personal stand against the machines that they so effectively helped to bring to prominence. They strike back against the beats of tomorrow and stake their claim in music as something more than just DJ’s or producers. At this level, when directing musicians with sheet music and created beats, are they not elevated to composers? This collection of songs will live on past it’s time at the top of the charts. Much like “Homework” inspired a generation of DJ’s and musicians, “Random Access Memories” will tell it’s own story by the music and themes it inspires others to create.
Daft Punk
May 29th
Salute These Shorts
As the weather gets warmer we start hanging outdoors. When we venture out we never leave the house without our wallet and cell phone. If your destination is the beach or a campground there is the danger of getting your phone or wallet completely soaked. No matter if a friend is pushing you in the ocean or you fall into a river while hiking chances are this has happened to you at least once.
After drying off and getting your ego back in check you realize that your phone that you didn’t buy insurance for is damaged beyond repair. Now you either pay 700 bucks to get a new phone or dig out the old flip phone from three contracts ago. The plus side is that your credit cards and cash will dry out after a while so you can use them to get a new phone. (Not really a plus….just trying to look on the bright side.)
Another option is getting a pair of waterproof shorts from Stash Incorporated. These guys came up with a way you can bring your gear with you and keep them safe from the elements. Stash is known for making waterproof gear like life vests, backpacks, and jackets. Now they have created shorts with their “stash pocket” design that allows you to safely take your cell phone, wallet and keys with you wherever you want to take them. 
The Stash pocket is built into the interior of the shorts by a lock-down fitment, and it’s sewn into the material as well for extra security. There is a soft layer of fabric that surrounds the Stash pocket bag for comfort and a cap is placed over the pocket opening and users simply place their items in the pocket, snap on the cap, and slightly twist until you hear a clicking sound which indicates that it’s securely closed.
These guys are doing a kickstarter project for these shorts and if you want to learn more check out their website. One pair of shorts looks to sell for $79 and is way cheaper than shelling out more dough for a new smartphone.
May 28th
