Blogroll

One of the first things we learn about Abby (Kristen Stewart) in Happiest Season is that she's largely indifferent to Christmas — which means it doesn't take a genius to figure out she'll be at least somewhat on board with the holiday by the end of this holiday dramedy. 

But the road that Happiest Season takes to get there is spiked with just enough melancholy and hardness to acknowledge the holidays aren't all soft and cozy good times, no matter what Hallmark might try to tell you. It is, in other words, a holiday movie that even a holiday skeptic like Abby might appreciate. 

To be fair to Abby, she has her reasons for not loving the holiday, rooted in a tragic past. (Because as in basically all Christmas movies, a tragic past is the only reason anyone might not care for Christmas.) To be even fairer, she does try. It's in a burst of Yuletide joy that she accepts her girlfriend's spontaneous invitation to accompany her to her family's home for the holidays, Abby secretly figuring it'll be the perfect opportunity to pop the question.  Read more...

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, has penned a powerful op-ed for The New York Times about experiencing pregnancy loss. 

In a piece entitled "The Losses We Share," published Wednesday, Markle wrote about her own experience of going through a miscarriage, considered the power of asking someone the simple question, "Are you OK?" and drew on the collective grief many of us are experiencing in 2020.

"After changing his [Archie's] diaper, I felt a sharp cramp," Markle wrote. "I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right." Read more...

It's not every day your TikTok video attracts enough attention to inspire a miniature Thanksgiving-themed musical, packed full of Broadway stars and broadcast on late night television.

That's exactly what happened to creator Dan Mertzluft, though, after his musical TikTok antics caught the attention of James Corden and The Late Late Show.

The result? A brilliantly-performed broadway song that tells the story of a Thanksgiving dinner from seven different perspectives, all written by Mertzluft and layered on top of each other to create one glorious number.

What he didn't know, however, was that the likes of Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Gad, Josh Groban, and Audra McDonald would be the ones starring in it. Read more...

Welcome to No Shame November! This week we're diving into the pop culture we love that society tells us we shouldn't.

This No Shame November, I would like to drop my hottest of hot takes: X-Men: The Last Stand deserves a second chance. I can quite literally hear your "Oh god"s from thousands of miles away. I can sense some of you Googling "can a movie cause Stockholm Syndrome" and rest assured, I have already done my own research into the matter. This take was so sizzling, so scorching, so scalding, that I have pitched it multiple times before and editors have passed, perhaps in the hopes of sparing me total online evisceration. Read more...

As we learned on Joe Biden's campaign trail, former president Barack Obama can sink an impressive basket. But how does he fare in a simple game of wastepaper basketball against a pumped-up Stephen Colbert?

In the clip above, following an interview about the current administration, Obama's own time in office, and his page-turning new memoir A Promised Land, the two turn their attention to a very important finale: throwing 10 balled-up pieces of paper at a distant trash container. The stakes? "If I win, you have to mention me in your next book," says Colbert, before agreeing that if he loses he'll donate to Obama's library. Read more...

BEST BLACK FRIDAY SPEAKER DEALS:

• Bose SoundLink II — $79 (save $50)

• JBL Flip 5 — $69.99 (save $50)

• Sonos Move — $299 (save $100)

• Echo Dot (4th Gen) — $28.99 (save $21)

2020 has been a bad year for a lot of things (most things, really), but it has been a good year for music, at least. Seriously, check out those Grammy nominations. If you've got some catching up to do when it comes to 2020's best tunes, you should make sure that you have something good to listen to them on. Laptop speakers are fine, and so is a nice pair of headphones, but a great Bluetooth speaker is better. 

And now is the perfect time to get one — it's Black Friday weekend, and speakers are going on sale frequently. We suspect more will get discounted as well, and we'll of course let you know as soon as they do. For now, we've put together a list of all the best Black Friday speaker deals you can get right now. Take a look, and be sure to check back every once in a while for new additions. Read more...

Here are the best Black Friday deals on home gym and fitness equipment as of Nov. 27:

• OUR TOP PICK: The Mirror — save $500 with code BLACKFRIDAY20

• BEST BUDGET PICK: NordicTrack GX 2.7 U Exercise Bike — save $450

• BEST MASSAGE GUN DEAL: NordicTrack Percussion Recovery Gun — save $30.99

• BEST FITNESS TRACKER DEAL: Fitbit Charge 4 — save $50 and get $30 in Kohl's Cash

Yes, some gyms around the country are still open. No, you definitely shouldn't be going.

If there was ever a time to work on building out your personal gym, it would be right now. After being mostly sold out for months, home fitness equipment is not only back in stock at many retailers, but *also* on sale — just in time for winter and whatever it might bring. Read more...

If you’ve been on TikTok in the last couple weeks, you may have glimpsed a Shrek-like figure face down, ass up with a candle wick between his cheeks. Great news: That is a real candle. And yes, you can actually buy one.

The entrepreneurs responsible are Abby and Nuvia Zepeda, two sisters in El Paso, Texas, who run a small company called Oddball Candles. (Abby is 21 and Nuvia is 24.) Their philosophy is that candles with smooth, flat surfaces are boring. Instead, they want to create objects that show off their "weirdo" personalities.

The candle, which is aptly named "Swamp Ass," started as a joke, the sisters explained in an interview. The two saw a meme featuring the same design on a cake (a mild Reddit phenomenon) and thought it was funny, so Abby Photoshopped the design onto a candle. Then, the sisters sent it to their family and some friends, who "gently bullied" them into making a few prototypes. Read more...

TL;DR: Learn a language while you have the time with a Mondly lifetime subscription, on sale for $59.99 as of Nov. 25. Just use the code BFSAVE40.

What's better than traveling? Well, nothing. But being able to speak and understand another language will always come in handy.

For a limited time, you can get a lifetime subscription to the language learning app Mondly on sale in honor of Black Friday. You can even score an extra 40% off by entering the coupon code BFSAVE40 at checkout.

Mondly lets you select from 33 different languages, then learn completely at your own pace. Lessons are short and manageable, and focus on terms and phrases you're likely to encounter in real life. It also includes speech recognition, so it can deliver feedback based on your actual pronunciation. You can also listen to conversations between native speakers to help you along the way. Read more...

TL;DR: Get a clearer view with this high definition monocular telescope for $34.97, a $19 savings as of Nov. 25. 

Whether you’re bird watching, spectating, or just exploring the world around you, few things are cooler than bringing distant objects into incredibly clear focus with a set of binoculars. That guy on third base? Yeah, he totally just picked his nose. 

But binoculars, while cool, are also pretty bulky. This small yet powerful monocular telescope, on the other hand, is not. It's basically like a set of binoculars made for one eye , and it’s so small — measuring just 6.69 inches by 2.56 inches by 3.54 inches and weighing less than a pound — that you can take it anywhere to bring far away stuff up close and personal.   Read more...

TL;DR: Get a head start on all the creative media education you'll need, with the All-in-One Adobe Creative Cloud Suite Certification Course Bundle, on sale for $10.20 as of Nov. 25 with the code BFSAVE70.

While you're buying a bunch of stuff on Black Friday just because it's on sale, why not spring for something that’ll make you a better version of yourself? One thing you don't have yet (maybe) is an Adobe Creative Cloud skillset that rivals the pros.

This early Black Friday deal on Adobe Creative Cloud training gives you lifetime access to eight courses and over 60 hours of content covering Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe XD, Premiere Pro, Lightroom, After Effects, and Spark. You can work completely on your own terms and squeeze in your training whenever you have an extra hour or so to spare. There’s no strict schedule or deadlines to worry about. Read more...

TL;DR: Make your floors sparkle with a Jashen V18 cordless vacuum, on sale for $169.97 as of Nov. 25. 

Lugging around a heavy corded vacuum is extremely unpleasant — plus, they can be quite difficult to store. Cordless vacuums are often much lighter and easier to stow away.

One option (that's on sale!) is the Jashen V18. Not only is the V18 super lightweight at just six pounds, but it also boasts powerful suction, useful smart features, and a long 40-minute battery life to boot.

The V18 can tackle both carpet and hard floors, thanks to its two-in-one dust brush. And with its 350-watt digital brushless motor and efficient filtration system, it can suck up a ton of fine dust. The sensor will even detect which areas are in need of deeper cleaning and automatically adjust its suction to compensate.  Read more...

TL;DR: Get a lifetime membership to JumpStory™ Authentic Stock Photography LITE plan for $49.99, a 95% savings as of Nov. 25. 

No one likes looking at a website that’s poorly designed. Or a Facebook post with a dull image. Or a blog that's all text and no pictures. While words definitely matter, it’s those visuals that keep customers and followers coming back again and again. That’s where JumpStory comes in.

JumpStory Lite gives creators access to millions of stunning images, illustrations, vector icons, and videos to use on websites, blogs, emails, social media, YouTube, or pretty much any other digital purpose. Read more...

Apple's recently launched M1 MacBooks are a big boost in terms of performance and battery life, but they're pretty much the same as the previous generation in terms of design and form factor. 

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, this will change next year. According to his latest report (via 9to5Mac), Apple will launch MacBooks with a new form factor, as well as a redesigned Apple Watch, in the second half of 2021. 

Kuo shared no other details about the upcoming products. We can speculate that one of the MacBooks he's referring to could be the long-rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro. 

SEE ALSO: iFixit teardown confirms Apple's M1 MacBooks are basically the same as their predecessors Read more...

Many of us try to avoid conversations with those who have a sharply different point of view, or we try to convince them that they’re wrong. Neither approach is very productive. It’s possible to have healthy disagreements by employing a few tactics. Start by acknowledging the other person’s perspective, whether you agree with it or not. Say something like, “I understand where you’re coming from,” or, “Thank you for sharing your position,” before you state your point of view. Also, demonstrate humility. While confidence is important in making persuasive arguments, too much of it can be abrasive and even offensive. And be sure to phrase your argument in positive terms. For instance, you could say something like, “Let’s consider the possible benefits of having fewer people working on the marketing initiative,” rather than “We shouldn’t have any more people working on the marketing initiative.” Finally, if things start to get heated, reiterate areas of agreement — even if they’re small and obvious. Something simple, such as “We both want this pandemic to end,” or “We agree that social distancing is presenting unprecedented challenges,” can reestablish common ground. These strategies can help loosen gridlock, animosity, and resentment and open the door for connection.

This tip is adapted from "Disagreement Doesn’t Have to Be Divisive," by Francesca Gino

SAVE UP TO 50%: Beats headphones are on offer in Amazon's Black Friday Week sale, saving you up to 50% on list price.

Amazon has really delivered with its Black Friday Week sale, with impressive deals on everything from laptops to robot vacuum cleaners. Something we haven't seen a lot of yet are Apple deals, but they are still out there. You just need to know where to look.

We have tracked down the best deals on Beats headphones, with up to 50% off popular wired and wireless models. You can pick up Beats EP, Beats Solo3, Beats Studio3, and more sets at heavily discounted rates.

SEE ALSO: All the best Black Friday VPN deals: ExpressVPN, NordVPN, PureVPN, and more in 2020 Read more...

SAVE UP TO 44%: Fitbit fitness trackers, smartwatches, and smart scales are on sale in Amazon's Black Friday Week sale, saving you up to 44% on list price.

We know that it's cold and miserable outside at this time of year, and getting fit is probably way down on your list of priorities. But you know what could provide the impetus for that to change? Investing in a cool new fitness device from Fitbit.

Amazon has put a wide range of fitness devices from Fitbit on sale for Black Friday, including fitness trackers, smartwatches, and smart scales. You can save up to 44% in Amazon's Black Friday Week sale, with plenty of colours and styles on offer. Read more...

SAVE £40: The Echo Show 5 is on sale for £39.99 in Amazon's Black Friday Week sale, saving you 50% on list price.

Amazon has dropped deals on pretty much all of its products for Black Friday, with discounted smart speakers, tablets, and subscription services on offer.

You can also save on the Echo Show 5 in Amazon's Black Friday Week sale. It's on sale for £39.99 as of Nov. 25, saving you 50% on list price. That's an impressive deal on a device that could help you stay connected at Christmas.

SEE ALSO: Unlock American Netflix from anywhere in the world with PureVPN

The Echo Show 5 has a compact 5.5-inch smart display with Alexa. You can voice or video call friends and family with compatible Echo devices or the Alexa app, as well as manage your calendar, make to-do lists, get weather and traffic updates, and cook with step-by-step recipes. You can even watch films, news and TV programmes. Listen to songs, radio stations, and audiobooks. Read more...

SAVE £70: The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is on sale for £129 in Amazon's Black Friday Week sale, saving you 35% on list price.

We're halfway through Amazon's Black Friday Week sale, and have already been treated to a bunch of deals on 4K TVs, speakers, headphones, and much more. It's also been a good year for smartwatch deals, with discounted Apple Watches and Samsung Galaxy Watches on offer.

We have already highlighted the best Apple Watch deals, and now it's the turn of Samsung's stylish model. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is on sale for £129 in Amazon's Black Friday Week sale, saving you 35% on list price. Read more...