1980’s Retro Candy Gift Box

Get ready to go back to the Eighties with the 1980’s Retro Candy Gift Box ($33). This red-checked box is full of 2 pounds of your favorite nostalgic candies from the Eighties, like Apple Heads, Bazooka, Bottle Caps, Fruit Stripe Gum, Fun Dip, Gobstoppers, Jawbreakers, Jolly Rancher Sticks, Nerds, Pixy Stix, Pop Rocks, Runts, Saf-T-Pops, Wax Fangs, Zotz, and more.

Each box has 55+ pieces of small, medium and full size candies. A great gift for anyone who loves the Eighties and candy!

The company that created this box, Candy Crate also has gift boxes of candy from the 1940’s to the 1990’s.

Buckyballs

It’s a toy. It’s a stress reliever. It’s a super-strong magnet. Snap, pull, mold, squeeze and construct an endless variety of shapes with the 216 included BuckyBalls. Each spherical BuckyBall is made from a rare-earth, super-strong magnetic metal known as neodymium.

With BuckyBalls, you can create cool shapes like cubes, cylinders, and pyramids. You can even play “darts” on your refrigerator. Or just use them as small, but strong magnets for displaying photos or holding papers.

Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup

Underneath the whimsical and memorable label within the handsome 11 oz. glass jar resides some of the tastiest burger and french fry condiment that I have ever had the pleasure to sample.

Sir Kensington’s Gourmet Scooping Ketchup ($7) is an all-natural deliciously different thick ketchup that fills the void for a healthier upscale gourmet ketchup.

The Southern California company currently offers two distinctive flavors of ketchup, Classic and Spiced (chipotle-infused), both of which are sweetened only with honey, agave nectar, and raw brown sugar, with a base of whole pear tomatoes and apple cider vinegar.

Indulge yourself and order a jar or better yet a case of Sir Kensington’s for your next book club meeting, polo match or backyard barbeque. Your peers will be impressed with your exceptional good taste. Cheers!

21 Year Old British Designer Creates The Bendy Bike

More than 2 bikes are stolen every hour in London.  This young designer, Kevin Scott, hopes to change that. This ‘bendable’ bike can literally wrap around a light pole thanks to the ratchet system built into the frame. By winding the crank the bike’s inner frame tenses, while unwinding it loosens the frame making it bend.

While a lock isn’t built into the frame, the intention is to enable riders to lock both wheels and frame with a single lock. Kevin’s design is on display at the New Designers show at the Business Design Centre in Islington, north London.

Read more HERE.

Arrow Magnetic Bookends

If you want to showcase your favorite books and have a unique conversation piece, these Arrow Magnetic Bookends are a great choice.

You simply place the metal bookends in your favorite book and place it last on the shelf. Then the magnetic arrow sticks to the metal bookends, thus creating a gravity-defying floating illusion.

The arrows come with metal bookends. You can buy them HERE for $30. Your book shelf will certainly look more fascinating now. (Thanks for the tip D.T.)

Free eBooks From Bestselling Authors At Borders.com

There are over a million Borders eBooks at Borders.com, including a generous selection of free eBooks, to read on your Mac or PC desktop and on popular mobile devices. Just download any of the FREE Borders eReader apps HERE.

Through Wednesday, July 14th, Borders is offering FREE eBooks from bestselling authors like Dean Koontz, Julia Child, Jillian Michaels  and Lee Child. Download them HERE.

Machete Official Movie Trailer

Robert Rodriguez’s highly-anticipated Grindhouse spin-off premieres with this new official trailer.

Machete is an upcoming action film, directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The film will star Danny Trejo in his first lead role as the title character. The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Robert De Niro, Jeff Fahey, and Cheryl Chin. The film is an expansion of a fake trailer Rodriguez directed for the 2007 film Grindhouse and centers around the character of Machete Cortez, who previously appeared as the uncle of the protagonists in the more lighthearted Spy Kids films. Filmed in autumn of 2009, the movie will be released on September 3, 2010 by 20th Century Fox.

Wonder Woman Issue 600 Sells Out!

Wonder Woman #600 was all the buzz last week, and with good reason. The issue unveiled a new costume designed by Co-Publisher Jim Lee timed to the launch of writer J. Michael Straczynski’s run on the series.

DC Comics is happy to announce that the issue has sold out and the second printing will feature a new cover by regular series artist Don Kramer featured below.

Best Buy Wants You To Use Your Cell Phone During Despicable Me

Turn on Best Buy Movie Mode at the beginning of the movie to translate every hilarious word the Minions are saying during the 3D end credits of Despicable Me, and unlock even more exclusive content after the show. It’s the exciting new mobile app that syncs with the movie screen to give you a one-of-a-kind experience. (Thanks for the tip Don!)

Emmy Awards: And The Nominees Are…

Nominations for the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards were announced today for the telecast airing live on August 29th on NBC. Five of the 12 nominated drama and comedies are first-timers and newcomers make up a major portion of the performing categories.

HERE are the nominees.

Paul Really Likes Rainbows

Meet YouTube’s latest viral overnight sensation, Paul Vasquez, otherwise known as on his account as Hungrybear9562.

Since January his video – “Yosemitebear Mountain Giant”, featuring him “freaking out” over of a double rainbow outside his home in Yosemite, Calif. – had been posted online, getting a few views here and there.

But a tweet from Jimmy Kimmel on July 3rd lit the spark for Hungryman9562 and the video has exploded to over a million views and counting in just over a week.

Now that the video has spread like wildfire, the parodies are already rolling in. (Thanks for the tip George)

World’s Largest Skateboard Disaster

This summer, California Skateparks brought The World’s Largest Skateboard to Camp Woodward PA. One afternoon, campers and staff took the enormous skateboard out for a ride. Late in the day, California Skateparks owner, Joe Ciaglia decided to take his creation for a solo ride.

Two Minute Video: Wireless E-book Reader Showdown

The e-book wars are in full swing, with Barnes & Noble firing the first shot by dumping the price of its 3G-enabled Nook to $199 and introducing a Wi-Fi only Nook at $149. Amazon swiftly responded by cutting the price of the Kindle to $189 and eventually dropped the price of the Kindle DX to $379. Sony took its time but finally responded this week by dropping the price of its Reader Daily Edition to $299.99.

So now that there are all these relatively affordable options, which one’s the best choice? TIME Magazine’s Techland helps you decide.

All Star Game Mickey Mouse Ears Available At Disneyland

The 2010 Major League All Star Game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA is just around the corner.

Baseball and Disney enthusiasts will be thrilled with these new special All Star Game Mickey Mouse Ears.

The ears went on sale today at various Disneyland locations and limited quantities were available, but you’ll probably see more in stores next week. Please note that these hats are not available for purchase online.

Hottest Gadgets of The 60′s, 70’s & 80′s

Double click images to make larger. Source Link.

First Look At Alex Ross’ Assemble Print Featuring Marvel’s Avengers

Alex Ross is a true superstar in the comics world, and his new signed “Assemble” prints featuring Marvel’s Avengers should be one of the hot items at Comic-Con International in San Diego at the end of the month.

The prints are big measuring 45 3/4 inches wide and 20 inches tall. There will be 100 canvas prints of piece for sale and 250 paper prints. (The first 100 buyers of the paper prints will also get a bonus print of a Ross sketch.)

Pricing is not yet available and the prints will be sold by Every Picture Tells a Story, the Santa Monica gallery that has exclusive license to commission and create the Marvel ArtWorks series. Every Picture will be at Booth 4713 at Comic-Con.

If there are any “Avengers Assemble” prints left after Comic-Con (doubtful), they’ll be on sale at the Marvel ArtWorks’ website and at the Montana Avenue gallery.

Rumor: J.J. Abrams And Joss Whedon, Together At Comic-Con 2010?

This Thursday, the first-day schedule for Comic-Con International will be announced, but already all over Los Angeles, studio insiders are sharing their programming plans for film and television.

One of the interesting rumors floating around is that Entertainment Weekly is hosting a two-man panel that must come close to the elusive state known as Nerdvana: J. J. Abrams and Joss Whedon together on one stage. We will post more details as soon as we get confirmation.

Ridley Scott Turns To YouTube For ‘Life In A Day,’ A Feature-Length Documentary Co-Directed By You!

Producer Ridley Scott and director Kevin Macdonald (State of Play, Touching the Void, The Last King of Scotland) are joining forces with YouTube to create what is being called “the first user-generated feature-length documentary.”

Life in a Day will incorporate footage shot on July 24th 2010, submitted by YouTube users from around the world. Macdonald will compile the “most compelling and distinctive footage” into the final film.

They are calling the movie a “historic global experiment to create the world’s largest user-generated feature film: a documentary, shot in a single day, by you.”

Everyone who has footage included in the finished film will earn a credit as co-directors, and 20 of the co-directors will be flown and put up in Park City for the grand premiere at Sundance.

Click HERE for more information. (Thanks for the tip Don Thompson)

The Hunt Is On For Disney Fans This September With D23’s Great Disney Scavenger Hunt

From Downtown Disney to the Disneyland Hotel, from the Matterhorn to Midway Mania, Disney fans will embark on an all-day search that will take them throughout the Disneyland Resort on September 26 in the very first Great Disney Scavenger Hunt from D23, the official Disney fan club.

It’s the ultimate Disney test, with teams of up to four people racing against the clock to gather as many points as possible.  The top 10 teams will win Disney prizes.  Any Disney fan can register for the Great Disney Scavenger Hunt by visiting www.disney.com/D23.  Registration opens on July 12th and is $50 for a team (up to four people) of D23 Members and $75 for a team of non-members.

The Great Disney Scavenger Hunt will begin at 8:45 a.m. at the Disneyland Hotel, and teams will need to scour the entire Disneyland Resort for clues.  (Note that theme park admission is not included in the registration fee, but special convention-rate admission will be available during the weekend’s Destination D: Disneyland ’55 event.) Teams will have five hours to search everywhere from Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Resort Hotels to Disney’s California Adventure and, of course, Disneyland.

For the top 10 teams, D23 has assembled an amazing array of prizes from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, the Walt Disney Collectors’ Society, Disney Publishing, Walt Disney Records and more.

The Clever Hook

The Clever Hook ($10) designed by sculptor Stefan Bennedahl lives up to its brainy name. Neatly packed into a translucent acrylic housing, the wall-mounted Clever Hook has a self-grabbing mechanism that holds up to 40 lbs. When you hang a towel or jacket on the lower “arm” of the mechanism, the weight of the item automatically causes the top “arm” to come down and pinch the item in place; the heavier the item, the tighter the grab. To remove, slightly lift up the item, and the top arm will retract.

The Clever Hook makes it easy to hang things like towels that tend to fall off hooks, as well as items like jackets and coats.

Stephen King’s 6 Must Reads For Summer

Horror novelist Stephen King recommends Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy and five more standout books to read this summer.

The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander is one of the great female characters in fiction, dangerous as hell in spite of her waiflike appearance; she karate-kicks as well as she computer-hacks. The best thing about the late Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy is that the three books form one long, interconnected tale. And like Jo Rowling’s Harry Potter series, it’s a relentless, unputdownable narrative.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

You’ve heard about this ripping (literally) yarn; summer’s the perfect time to read it. Zombie vampires called ”virals” overwhelm the world, and mankind’s only hope rests with an immortal little girl from Iowa. The book’s white-hot center is a rousing chase set on a train racing balls-to-the-wall through the Nevada desert. If it doesn’t raise your pulse, you’re probably a viral yourself.

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

In this melancholy follow-up to Then We Came to the End, a lawyer named Tim suffers from a disease so rare it’s never been classified: He can’t stop walking. The novel is sometimes funny and often grim, but what makes it shine is the love story of Tim and his wife, Jane. That love is strained when Tim descends into an ambulatory hell, but it never quite breaks. This is a heart wrencher.

Strip by Thomas Perry

Manco Kapak is a small-time bad guy who owns strip clubs where bigger bad guys launder their dope money. After Kapak is robbed while making a night deposit, he decides L.A. newcomer Joe Carver was the culprit. He’s wrong about Carver in all sorts of ways, and soon Kapak is in a fight for not only his business life but his life life. Alternately hilarious and creepy — you’ll meet a sexy thrill-robber named Carrie who’ll make your hair stand on end — Strip is notable for how, in Perry’s hands, the aging Kapak transforms from a flesh-peddling sleazebag to a guy you care about. And root for.

Storm Prey by John Sandford

The latest Lucas Davenport thriller starts with a hospital drug heist in which an elderly pharmacist is killed, but the novel’s most absorbing passages deal with a surgical team’s fight to separate — and save — a set of infant twins joined at the head. A good thriller requires a good villain, and the latest Prey has one that would make a lovely mate for Strip’s Carrie: Caprice Marlon Garner, a motorcycle-riding killer. Sandford writes great, unapologetic guy fiction…but you guy-ettes will have a good time too.

Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd

Adam Kindred is an up-and-coming climatologist in London for a job interview. Then he picks up a forgotten briefcase in a restaurant and tries to return it to the owner. Before you can say ”Bad idea, dude,” he’s living on the streets, begging for spare change, and sleeping in an empty lot by the Thames. He’s been framed for murder and targeted by an unscrupulous Big Pharma company. Great suspense stuff here, told with flair, compassion, and a high sense of humor. Readers will cheer Adam’s survival techniques and never-say-die attitude; I guarantee that you’ll think of him every time you see a so-called ”street person” trolling for spare change or yelling about the end of days. All these books are good, but for me, Boyd’s deft combination of suspense and literature makes it the pick of the litter.

Reprinted from Entertainment Weekly

Magnetic Thinking Putty

The next generation of silly putty is called ‘Magnetic Thinking Putty’ ($12). This putty is deep black with subtle green sparkles and it contains millions of tiny micron sized magnets embedded into it.

Magnetic Thinking Putty can be stretched, bounced, molded, popped, and torn. However, when this putty is in the presence of a magnetic field, it exhibits fascinating properties.

Use the included super-strong neodymium iron boron cube magnet to control the putty like a snake charmer. Or “charge” this black, green-flecked blob of putty so it can become a magnet of its own and pick up small tacks and paperclips.

You’ll be mesmerized by the invisible forces at play.

Ages 9+

Comic Book Pick of The Week: X-Men # 1

“Mutants Versus Vampires,” Part 1 When a suicide bomber strikes in downtown San Francisco, it gets the immediate attention of the X-Men. But this is not your garden variety terrorist – and he’s not acting alone. Vampires from around the globe are descending en masse on the City by the Bay, staking a brutal claim for the patch of land the X-Men call their home. What is their agenda? Who is their mysterious leader? The X-Men are about to find out, as they brace themselves for a war of the species that will wrack the Marvel Universe.

X-Men # 1 ($3.99) is written by Victor Gischler and the pencils are by Paco Medina. The 40 page issue will be in stores today.

TASCHEN To Publish Massive 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking Book

DC Comics has joined forces with TASCHEN, the book publisher known for its eye for quality, modern design aesthetic and high-end art books spotlighting every aspect of culture: from art and movies to lifestyle and comics, to produce an ultra-comprehensive, extra large book so impressive, even super heroes may have trouble lifting it.

Clocking in at nearly 15 pounds and with over 650 pages, 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking ($200) features more than 1,500 images — including covers, interiors, original illustrations, photos, film stills and collectibles — using the latest digital reproduction technology to bring you the characters, stories and the creators that brought them to life as they’ve never been seen before.

And the man behind the story, telling the tales? None other than Paul Levitz, former DC Comics Publisher and upcoming Legion of Super-Heroes and Adventure Comicswriter. Paul’s in-depth essays trace the history of DC Comics, from its pulpy beginnings to the modern era.

The book also features massive fold-out timelines and an in-depth appendix that includes bios on artists, writers, editors, publishers and actors. Look for this gorgeous, comprehensive coffee table art book to be in stores in October 2010.

Free Chick-fil-A Meal On Friday July 9th, 2010

Chick-fil-A is issuing a cattle call! On Friday, July 9th from 6 am to 10 pm, Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide will celebrate the organization’s annual Cow Appreciation Day event by offering a FREE meal to any guest who visits the restaurant fully dressed as a cow!

Guests dressed “head-to-hoof” in cow attire will be rewarded with a free Chick-fil-A meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner). For those “too chicken” to wear full cow costumes, Chick-fil-A will award a complimentary entree to customers partially dressed in cow attire, such as a cow-spotted scarf, purse, hat or other accessory.

Check out www.CowAppreciationDay.com for further details about the event including cow costume ideas and tips, downloadable cow spots, masks and other bovine-themed accessories.