Wednesday, December 30

Leonard Fournette Is Just Having Fun Out There




LSU's Leonard Fournette is quite the beast in the backfield. And in the Tigers' 56-27 victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Texas Bowl, the sophomore running back looked like a kid in a candy store. He set an LSU bowl record with five touchdowns, and finished with 212 yards on the day.

Above and below are a couple of Fournette's touchdowns. Can't wait to see what he does next year for an encore.


Sunday, December 27

Dan Uggla Falls Off Hoverboard While Listening To Justin Bieber





Washington Nationals infielder got three PhunkeeDuck hoverboards for his family for Christmas. One of those was for himself, and whilst listening to some Justin Bieber, Uggla took the board for a spin. Unfortunately, he fell right on his keester. Luckily, the camera phone was running, and we got a nice blooper out of it. Good job, y'all.

Friday, December 25

10 Types Of First Dates




'Tis the season for dating, right? Well, if this video I recorded two years ago and finally got around to editing and posting is any indication, yes. Yes it is. Check out the various types of people you may encounter on a first date, from those who can't get off their phone to those who can't stop living in the past. Amazing. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 23

Dude Perfect Pairs With Chris Paul And Aaron Rodgers For Massive Trick Shot Video




The fellas at Dude Perfect are back with another trick shot video. This time they get a little help from professional State Farm pitchmen Aaron Rodgers and Chris Paul. Cliff Paul is nowhere to be seen, but there are still some terrific shots in here. Who will ultimately win the prize of game ball? You'll just have to tune in to find out!

Monday, December 21

Abby Wambach's Gatorade Commercial Asks You To Forget Her




Abby Wambach played her final career match the other day, and there was massive fanfare on social media, just before she deleted her account. My buddy and much bigger fan of soccer Ryan wrote a solid piece on Abby's legacy, which I highly recommend reading.

The Gatorade spot is chilling, though. It's tough to imagine asking everyone to forget you–after all, nearly every human wants to be remembered for something. But sometimes letting others have the spotlight is the best gift you can give.

Sunday, December 20

Yes, There's Another Mean Tweets, And It's Still Funny




Celebrity Mean Tweets is back for its ninth installment on Jimmy Kimmel Live, which I believe makes it the 14th or 15th overall. And surprisingly, it is still funny. The creativity of some of these tweets is top notch. Keep it up, trolls. Keep it up.

Saturday, December 19

Mom Hits Halfcourt Shot To Win Scholarship For Her Daughter




Minnesota seems to get the craziest basketball stories. There was the high-school kid who made a game-winning shot while lying on his back, and now there's the tale of Angela Ramey and her daughter Grace.

Grace, 9, attends Bethany Academy in Bloomington, and raised the most donations in the school's Kids Against Hunger campaign, which serves local food shelves. Her prize was a few cracks at a halfcourt shot–if she made it, she'd win half a year of tuition. After a couple of attempts fell short, Angela tried the ol' granny-style heave ho. She missed badly, but the ball had enough momentum that it bounced on the floor and ended up going in. The reaction is priceless. Check it out above. Way to go, Rameys.

Thursday, December 17

Bad Lip Reading Returns With Star Wars




You may have heard that the new Star Wars movie comes out tomorrow. Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been taking social media by storm, with people donning lightsabers in their profile pictures, and others freaking out over the idea of spoilers.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), it looks like there's already been one spoiler released, in the form of a Bad Lip Reading video. We'll see if the actual film ends up like this, but for all of our sakes, I sure hope it does.

Wednesday, December 16

Carly Rae Jepsen's Interactive Music Video Is Emojitastic


Carly Rae Jepsen has a new song out called "Run Away With Me." And fittingly enough, the music video allows you to...well, run away with her.

But that's not all. It's interactive, so throughout the video you're asked questions, and must respond via emoji. That sets the stage for the next scene. Pick a wheelbarrow emoji, for example, and take a ride on a pedicab. It's a pretty cool feature that is sure to entertain Carly fans, and maybe make her some new ones. And honestly, it's not too surprising, since her music videos are almost always on point.


Tuesday, December 15

A Hot Cup Of Joey's Ultimate Gift Guide

The holidays are upon us. You're probably already sick of Christmas songs, Channukah has just ended, and it's getting cold. Everywhere. The best way to combat the cold? Besides curling up with hot cocoa, the best remedy is to give great gifts. Because when you make other people feel good, you feel good. And when you feel good, it's the warmest, fuzziest feeling around.

But actually finding those good gifts? The ones the recipient really gets excited about? That's a whole 'nother story. Fortunately, I've got some suggestions for you. Check 'em out:

Larry J. Dunlap – NIGHT PEOPLE, Book 1 - Things We Lost in the Night: A Memoir of Love and Music in the 60s with Stark Naked and the Car Thieves


























Don't let the lengthy title fool you, this book is terrific. It chronicles author Larry J. Dunlap's journey from small town Indiana man to California rocker as a member of a band that surpassed The Beatles on the charts, if only briefly. The writing is really engrossing, the memories vivid, and the ride, while bumpy, is incredible to be a part of. I'm a (much less successful) musician, but anyone can hop right in and appreciate this book–no formal music training required.

Fuel Clothing – Sock Karma



Remember how disappointing it was to get a pair of socks at Christmas when you were a kid? Well, flip that idea on its head, you silly goose! Fuel Clothing's subscription and delivery-based socks are pretty baller, not just because they're colorful and unique, but for each pair you buy, they'll donate a another pair to homeless shelters. So really, you're giving two gifts. And that's pretty darn fantastic.

Zero Friction Compression Fit Performance Golf Glove



















I am one of the worst golfers I know, so if there's any way I can step up my game, I'm all for it. The duffer in your life should also love this glove from Zero Friction. I don't know if it truly is one-size-fits-all, but it was able to fit my massive hand, so I'm sure most gift recipients will slip it on easily. My favorite part is that it's double-layered on the palm. That's where other gloves I've tried (of the golf, baseball and football varieties) tend to wear out the quickest, so I imagine this one will last for a longer time. No word yet on if it'll actually improve my golf game, but I'll at least be a lot more comfortable while I'm hacking balls into the trees.

Ryan Holiday – The Obstacle Is The Way

























Sometimes other people write words more eloquently than you do. That's the case in this Sports Illustrated piece about Ryan Holiday's book. Holiday's words are great, too, and really touch on the concept of stoicism. And for those looking to step up their mental game, this is something to check out. As Holiday explains it, "It’s not a set of ethics or principles. It’s a collection of spiritual exercises designed to help people through the difficulty of life. To focus on managing emotion; specifically, non-helpful emotion."

ThermaCELL PROFLEX Insoles














Picture this: your enthusiastic friend just CANNOT WAIT to go for a hike in the woods. They're so anxious to get going, they've seemed to neglect that it's the middle of winter and, you know, it's freezing outside. You can bundle up your upper body with a hat, scarf and overcoat, and if you toss on some snowpants, your legs might be in good shape. But your feet are going to either go numb or simply fall off from trudging through the cold, hard ground.

Fortunately, you have the ThermaCELL PROFLEX Insoles, which use advanced heat technology to provide remote controlled foot warming comfort as needed. The wireless remote gives fingertip control between medium heat (100°F), high heat (111°F) and no heat, all while feet remain comfortable in your shoe or boot through the use of a built-in thermostat. It's particularly nice because you can adjust the temperature without taking your shoes off. So if you get too toasty, you can remove the heat without any problems. Well, assuming your friend doesn't get you lost. That might be a bit of a problem, though at least you'll be warm.

Jonathan Kieran – Confessions from the Comments Section: The Secret Lives of Internet Commenters and Other Pop Culture Zombies



Back when I was briefly a YouTube celebrity, I certainly ran into a gamut of different comments. They ranged from quite complimentary to entirely rude, but hey, whatcha gonna do? You can either go my route and make a video on the types of YouTube comments, or you can write a book about it, as Jonathan did. His is a scathing satire on the terrible people that troll the comments section of any online platform. If you've ever read or watched something on the Internet and have wandered into the comments section, you'll get a kick out of this.

Matador – Droplet 


















There's few things I dislike more in life than when stuff that shouldn't be wet proceeds to get wet anyway. The Matador Droplet fits on your keychain (conveniently snazzy photo above), but it also holds up to three liters of your most precious items. Oh, and it's waterproof, so whether you want everything in there to be dry, or if you don't want water from the inside to escape, you'll get your wish.


The Top 12 Places To Visit In Texas


I recently received a copy of Jody Rookstool's book Top 12 Places to Visit in Texas. I've called myself a resident here for the past three and a half years, but it seems like every other day I visit or at least learn about a new place. Hey, this is a big state, after all.

Rookstool's book is certainly going to help me add a few pins on my Texas map. I don't actually have a Texas map, but I'm speaking metaphorically here, so let's roll with it. I had only heard of a couple of the locations in this book, so that's a good thing. Lots of hidden gems contained within, like Gorman Falls and Dinosaur Valley State Park.

However, there could be a bit more flair to this book–namely, with the inclusion of pictures. Rookstool herself says "Texas is so rife with locations worth seeing in person that it almost seems criminal to limit the contents of this book to just 12 in total." I'm sure the thinking is that a description and link to more information will cause people to search for more information, while a picture might give them the thought of "eh, I've seen it." But I don't think those kind of people are really the target audience for this book anyway.

The descriptions are solid, and there is a lot of good information on each place, but I do feel like this would be more suitable as a blog post or e-book. As it is, it's sort of like a pamphlet to some of Texas's cooler, lesser known locales, just without any maps or photographs.

Also, this is just a minor complaint, but the pages don't match up with the glossary. Everything is essentially three pages later than it says in the book. For example, Chapter 1 claims to begin on page three, but it doesn't actually begin until page six. Some people probably won't notice (especially since there are only about 30 pages in the whole thing), though my neurotic sense of noticing little details picked it up. Again, nothing major, but that seems like a bit of an oversight, and might cause readers to think the other information might not be as thorough or accurate as it could be.


Vanna White Has Most Graceful Blooper Ever




Vanna White has arguably the best job in the world. She gets to travel around the globe, and all she has to do during work is touch a screen to make a letter appear, walk, and look pretty. She added a fourth skill during a recent Wheel of Fortune episode: dragging a present.

As the set is Christmas-themed for the holidays, there's quite a bit of cheery decor around. That includes several gift boxes, one of which got caught on Vanna's dress. Pat Sajak got a kick out of it, and even got the producers to replay it twice during the closing part of the show. Such grace, Vanna!

Monday, December 14

Ken Jeong And Rob Riggle Parody Adele's "Hello"




Rob Riggle routinely comes on FOX to make picks for the upcoming football week. In this installment of "Riggle's Picks," he's joined by fellow comedian and actor Ken Jeong. They parody Adele's "Hello" video, all the way down to the sepia and way to over the top emotion. But hey, they're singing about the NFC East, which would make anybody cry.

Saturday, December 12

Jimmy Fallon Plays Catchphrase With Kirsten Dunst And Will Smith




Catchphrase is one of those games that everyone loves. Probably because it's so dang easy to play, and if you know your partners well, you can kick some serious butt.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon capitalized on the game's popularity with its own installment, featuring The Roots' Tariq and Will Smith taking on Fallon and Kirsten Dunst. Who will win? Well, you'll just have to click to find out. What a teaser!

Friday, December 11

Orangutan At Barcelona Zoo Laughs When Guest Shows Him A Magic Trick




This is super cute: an orangutan at the Barcelona Zoo is watching a visitor, who puts something in a cup. Using sleight of hand, he then removes the item and shows the orangutan the cup that is now missing said item.

The orangutan LOVES IT. He laughs and laughs, and falls on his back to laugh some more. If this doesn't make you smile, then I hope you have a microwave to warm up your cold, lifeless heart. Enjoy!

Thursday, December 10

Matt Barnes Hits Insane Halfcourt Shot To Win Game




In the ultimate "NO NO NO NO NO NO OKAY YES YES WAY TO GO!" shot, Matt Barnes heaved a bomb from half court with the Grizzlies down by two to the Pistons. Perhaps most confounding was that there was still about three seconds left on the clock when Barnes launched his shot–plenty of time for a few more dribbles, probably all the way to the three-point line.

NO MATTER. See what I did there? Because his name's Matt? Ah, I'm a riot. Anyway, Barnes double clutches and nails the half courter, giving the Grizz a 93-92 win. Simply amazing. After the Lions' Hail Mary loss last Thursday, it's been a tough week for Detroit fans.

Wednesday, December 9

Instagram Husbands Video Is Hilariously, Depressingly Accurate




"Behind every cute girl on Instagram is a guy like me, and a brick wall." So begins the "Instagram Husbands" video by The Mystery Hour. It's a dark, eerily accurate trip down the path of being in a relationship with someone obsessed with Instagram.

Everything about this video is well done. It's quite spot on, as well. I'd like to think, that, even though I'm posting a photo a day on my own Instagram, I'm usually taking those pictures myself. I don't want to bring other people down with me.

Tuesday, December 8

SNL's Santa Baby Sketch Is Delightfully Weird




Ryan Gosling hosted the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live, and starred in a delightfully strange digital short with Vanessa Bayer called "Santa Baby." 

In the sketch, the two play a couple who really, REALLY, like Santa Clause. They won't let anyone leave the party until they get to meet him. And when they do...well, it's quite special. Enjoy!

The Tea To Soothe Your Soul (And Throat)



After an office holiday party where the karaoke was in full effect, I'd be lying if I said my throat wasn't a little bit sore. But luckily, the good folks at Midori Spring sent me a tin of matcha tea. Which, if you follow the instructions, makes a really delicious, soothing cup of goodness. 

Feel free to add a little extra flavoring, like honey, almonds or cashews, but really, this tastes pretty darn good on its own. Better than other matcha I've tried, for sure.

And lo and behold, the next day, my throat is as good as new. Or it was, until I got a slight touch of the flu from being outside for a lengthy amount of time (it's a long story, but basically, fog is the worst). Anyway, I fortunately had some more tea to indulge on, and it helped the sinuses clear up a bit. Best of all, you don't have to throw this in a tea pot to then pour in your nostrils, as the old wives' tale goes. You can just drink it like a normal person. 

Don't be alarmed by the size of the tin, either. Each serving only requires 1/2-3/4 teaspoon of the powder, so unless you're drinking several cups a day, this will last you quite a while. Which is good, because I don't plan to stop singing anytime soon. Cheers!

Monday, December 7

Antonio Brown Touchdown Celebration Re-Imagined As Mario Game



Antonio Brown had himself a game Sunday night. 118 receiving yards and two scores, plus another on a 71-yard punt return. Of course, the man with "one of the great smiles in the NFL" did have one hiccup: his touchdown celebration, in which he attempted to climb the goal post and ended up falling on his back. He also drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the celebration.

Luckily, the good folks at Sports Illustrated's The Cauldron know how to turn an embarrassing moment into a fun one. They recreated Brown's celebration, only now he's a character in an 8-bit Super Mario game, and he sticks the landing this time around. Check it out below.



Sunday, December 6

Scott Stapp Reviews "Creed" And Is Very Confused About It




The movie Creed starring Michael B. Jordan has been killin' it at the box office, but not everyone is entirely sure what they're in store for. Former Creed singer Scott Stapp gave the movie a preview before it came out, and while he was dismayed at the amount of boxing, he thought the cinematography was good enough to warrant four arms wide open. Check out his review above.

Saturday, December 5

Dave Grohl And Animal From The Muppets Engage In Delightful Drum Battle




Dave Grohl recently announced that the Foo Fighters are taking a break, but that doesn't mean he's going to stop rocking. In a recent episode of The Muppets, Grohl takes on Animal, everyone's favorite puppet drummer, in a drum battle for the ages. Who ends up the victor? Well, you'll just have to watch and find out.

Friday, December 4

Craig Sager Interviews Gregg Popovich For First Time In Months, Gets Warm Embrace





Gregg Popovich is one of the finest coaching minds the NBA has ever seen. And one of the most entertaining antics he pulls is ragging on sideline reporters, most notably Craig Sager.

Sager missed some time with leukemia, and triumphantly returned tonight, just in time for the Spurs/Grizzlies game on TV. That means he got to offer Pop a pair of "inane questions" that he has to answer. Wonderful. Really hard not to smile at this.

Thursday, December 3

Monmouth Hawks Bench Celebrations Are Just Fantastic



The Monmouth Hawks are a tiny school based out of West Long Beach, NJ (yes, that's a real place). And while the members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (or the MAAC for short) may only get one bid into this year's NCAA Tournament, the Hawks have already found a way to keep things memorable. Their bench celebrations really are a thing of beauty.

After finishing third in the AdvoCare Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, FL, the Hawks made several appearances on national television. They even pulled off an upset over then-No. 17 Notre Dame, 70-68 in the first round. And the bench celebrated accordingly, with style and panache. Gotta love these kids just having fun out there.


Tuesday, December 1

This Ad Will Either Make You Very Sad or Very Angry




German supermarket Edeka released a Christmas advertisement that is just perhaps one of the most cruel advertisements ever. But it's very well done, even if it'll leave you angry or sad at the end. And besides, don't the commercials giving us all the feels end up being the most memorable? Take a look for yourself and see how you react.