Author: John Bliss

Fantasy author Chelsea Banning expressed disappointment on Twitter for a pretty understandable reason. Only two people, out of several who RSVP’d in the affirmative, attended the in-person signing for her debut book. Banning published her first book, a twist on Arthurian legend titled “Of Crowns and Legends.” To celebrate, she scheduled an author signing at a local book store, with 37 people digitally RSVP-ing to the event. Despite these humble but promising numbers, only two people showed up to the event. Banning, disheartened, expressed her frustration, noting that she was “kind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed.” That’s when…

We all know that one person who wears shorts through even the bitterest winter cold. The person whose shins have never known the darkness of a pant leg or the claustrophobia of an insulated legging. Well, Hot Pockets has decided to tap into this market in a bizarrely specific sandwich-based fashion. In collaboration with Columbus Fashion Alliance, Hot Pockets will produce exclusive cargo shorts (because of course they’re cargo shorts) that feature an insulated cargo pocket that keeps your HOT POCKETS sandwiches warm and toasty as you traipse through winter in defiance of Mother Nature’s harshest warnings. HOT POCKETS Shorts…

In 2020, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was announced to be replacing Disneyland’s iconic Splash Mountain attraction. Imagineers have been hard at work designing an immersive experience inspired by “The Princess and the Frog,” and the heart and culture of New Orleans. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take riders on a journey inspired by the story and characters, picking up where that story left off in the film.  We’ve gotten some sneak peeks during ESSENCE Fest and D23 Expo 2022. In the experience, you’ll join Princess Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis during Mardi Gras season as they prepare to host a one-of-a-kind celebration…

California-based regional fast food restaurant In-N-Out has debuted a line of ugly Christmas sweaters and we honestly love them so much. Cashing in on the perennial ugly Christmas sweater trend, In-N-Out has debuted three sweater designs for that person on your holiday gifting list that loves burgers, irony, or coziness come in a variety of designs. The first, creatively named “Ugly Christmas Sweater,” features the burger chain’s iconic Double-Double and crossed palms design interspersed with poinsettias to set a festive mood. The second is Yeti-themed and shows the ape-like creature downing the restaurant’s famous strawberry milkshake and Double-Double with a…

In what must be some kind of sick joke, Pepsi is encouraging its customers to put milk in their soda. The soda giant has launched a campaign encouraging customers to try the horrifying combination, and use the hashtag #PilkandCookies (as in Pepsi plus milk) to showcase the concoctions a toddler would mix together and insist you drink. Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s chief marketing officer claims “combining Pepsi and milk has long been a secret hack among Pepsi fans,” in a statement that we sincerely hope is not true. “With the rise of the ‘dirty soda’ trend on TikTok and throughout the country, we thought Pilk…

In celebration of The Game Awards, Steam Deck now being in stock, and gaming in general, producer Valve has announce that they will be giving away one 512GB Steam Deck every minute during the live airing of the The Game Awards on December 8th. The rules of the giveaway are pretty simple. You must register to enter the drawing and be watching The Game Awards on Steam to be eligible to win. To register, you must be in the US, Canada, UK, or the EU and have made purchase on Steam between November 14th, 2021 and November 14th, 2022. This…

The highly anticipated live-action adaptation of “The Last of Us” is set to premiere in only a few weeks. To build anticipation, HBO Max has released 11 character posters, putting the cast of the upcoming post-apocalypse on full display. Each of the new posters focuses on an individual character, including series leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, respectively. We’ve already seen the pair of “Game of Thrones” alum in official photos, but these posters are more moody. Other cast members that got their own posters include Anna Torv as Tess, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Nico Parker…

Everyone knows the excitement of the Academy Awards, aka the Oscars. The lead up as a pair of celebrities read corny jokes off a teleprompter before announcing the nominees, the tension as they open the envelope containing the winner’s name, and the explosive celebration that arrives a moment later when the name is read out. But as we saw in 2022, it didn’t happen for every major category. Best Actor and Best Actress, sure, definitely Best Screenplay and Director as well. Last year, eight different Oscars categories — original score, makeup and hairstyling, documentary short, film editing, production design, animated…

The 2022 Gotham Awards, a celebration of independent film, were held on November 28th. Among the spectacular talent honored was former child star and absolute treasure Ke Huy Quan. Quan, who most film aficionados would know as Short Round in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and Data in “The Goonies,” has been at the forefront of the zeitgeist following his appearance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” The Gotham Awards honored Quan with the award for Outstanding Supporting Performance for the A24 film, which also won for Best Feature Film. In an emotional acceptance speech, Quan noted that…

If you’re up to date on UFO lore, you might be familiar with Dreamland Resort, a blog dedicated revealing the “secrets of Area 51” since its inception in 1999 by Nevada resident Joerg Arnu. Earlier this month, multiple homes associated with Arnu were raided by agents from both the FBI and the U.S. Air Force. According Arnu’s blog, the raids involved “15-20 agents in full riot gear” who broke down the doors of both houses and caused “further damage in both homes besides the broken front doors.” He continues, noting despite his “repeated requests for an explanation, I was only…