This is great stuff. 2011 wasn’t a great year for everyone, but these local news bloopers should put a smile on your face heading into 2012.

After a terribly disappointing fourth installment in the popular teen death series, New Line does the unthinkable by not only making a fifth “Final Destination” but, horrors (see what we did there?), casting old people as the leads. You know, people who are, like, 30, and even some born in the ’70s, ewww. Who wants to see old people die?

As it turns out, it was a very savvy move. “The Final Destination” was in a tough position in that its predecessor ramped up the death scenes’ difficulty factor (Rube Goldberg would have been proud, then probably ashamed) while maintaining self-awareness. “FD4” tried to maintain the planned chaos, but it was undone by bad dialogue, poor acting, and too much foreshadowing. From the very beginning, “Final Destination 5” does two things to separate itself from the previous movie: it casts grown-ups in the lead roles (David Koechner and Courtney B. Vance, holler) and gets serious in a hurry after a premonition on a suspension bridge leads a group of white collar drones to hop off the bus, Gus. Also, there are no bad last lines like “I’ve got my eye on you” (poor, poor Krista Allen), and while a death may be triggered by a chain reaction, the cause of death itself is often something normal (fall, fire). Don’t think they didn’t get creative, though; one of the women suffers a particularly gruesome accident that is impossible not to react to.

This, as you might imagine, does not end well.

They’ve also changed the rules – which is ironic, but for reasons we cannot divulge – when coroner William Blodworth (Tony “Candyman” Todd, returning for a third tour of duty, fourth if you include his voice work in “FD3”) suggests that the survivors can cheat death by killing someone else, a la “The Ring.” It adds an interesting wrinkle, since you get a glimpse of what people are willing to do in order to stay alive. Do not under any circumstances watch the bonus features if you haven’t yet seen the movie, otherwise the big surprise, which is a good one, will be spoiled. Definitely check them out afterwards, though, as you’ll get a glimpse of Koechner adding some of his natural comic flair. A welcome return to form for what was presumed to be a, um, dead franchise.

Click to buy “Final Destination 5” from Amazon

What do you get when combine organic and bio-tech ingredients with the skin pH and chemistry of the modern man? RAW Skin Care! This isn’t just a white bottle with the word “lotion” on it that you can mindlessly pick up at Wal-Mart — this is a complete facial cleansing system, specifically designed for men who know the difference.

First, I washed my face with the Blue Agave Wash. The cream itself was thick; I used a minimal amount but that wasn’t enough. Some products will foam up and expand, but the RAW did not — it had more of a balm-type texture and quality. Even when I added some water and worked it into my skin, it didn’t lather up too much; it was like a coating which reminded me of the deep cleanse that you get during a facial. After a few minutes of rubbing it in, I could feel my skin begin to open up. The scent was brisk and mentholated, and my skin felt open. I have never used a product with blue agave previously, but in addition to feeling the refreshing burn that menthol provides, this was more soothing and subtle than simple menthol.

When I rinsed it off, it didn’t come streaming off of my face, which is how I knew it was high quality. I had to use a significant amount of water to get it off, and in this regard it felt like a facial peel. Exfoliate is a popular term that gets thrown around pretty loosely, but it really did exfoliate my skin based on the feeling that began to settle in after I rinsed my face off. Initially, I didn’t feel any major difference. But about two minutes later, my skin felt tight and smooth. Not to sound redundant, but it was the feeling you get after a facial where you feel refreshed and wide open.

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I have a confession to make.  Despite my enormous love of all things sweet and milk fatty, I was fully prepared to bale on what has to be the ultimate seasonal drink. I have to admit there were concerns for my waistline — you guys have no idea how much weight I gained as a child knocking back the carton based non-alcoholic stuff. Also, as I grew older, I usually was disappointed by the spiked nog I’d had at parties. Somehow, the booze always seemed to destroy the cheap and creamy charm of the store bought nog. It was like putting vodka in chocolate milk. (I’d rather have a shot and choco-moo chaser, thank you.)

Still, the real reason I was going to go AWOL on eggnog was that I was simply intimidated. I imagined fresh eggnog to be a very complicated drink to make; a drink that might even force me to break my no-blenders rule, classic drink though it be. The online recipes telling me that I had to start with a 6 or more eggs, separate the yolks from the whites and perform various operations on them only reinforced that assumption.

Then, however, I started Googling “eggnog for one” and a great revelation came to me. Really, all this drink is a raw egg — provisos and disclaimers to come — milk, sugar, vanilla flavor, and booze. I have to say that, even if I have a sentimental attachment for the gooey store bought stuff, this shockingly easy, if slightly messy, home made version beats that all to heck.

So, here goes, the drink recipe I never thought I’d post.

Eggnog

1.5 ounces of your choice of cognac/brandy, bourbon, Canadian whiskey, or rum
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 ounce heavy cream (optional)
2 ounces full fat milk if not using heavy cream; with cream use 1.5 ounces
4-5 teaspoons superfine or powdered sugar
Ground nutmeg (garnish)
1 cinnamon stick (optional garnish)

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Click here to listen to Kate Crash’s My Zombie Nation EP on Spotify

We couldn’t have picked a better label boss for glam princess Kate Crash if we had tried (and we are using the word ‘princess’ very liberally here) – she’s signed to Joan Jett’s label, Blackheart Records. Two seconds into “Walk My Own Way,” and the comparisons are crystal clear. Crunchy guitars, giant dance-friendly drum riffs, and attitude by the truckload. Heck, just look at her.

We would totally hit that. The catch, of course, is that she’d probably hit us back, hard.

This clip is a fun old school-type guerilla video. We’d let Kate walk any way she wants, as long as it was in our direction. Happy holidays, everyone.