Don’t worry, no needles are involved; it’s the kind of shot that got you into this mess to begin with.

Luckily, I received my sample the morning of New Year’s Eve. As a result,  I wanted to push this Recovery Shot to the limit, so I drank a box of Franzia with a friend until roughly 5:30 AM the next day. The peanut butter chicken at 4:00 AM sounded good at the time, but by 8:00 AM, it was clearly a bad choice.

The Hangover Joe Recovery Shot looked conspicuously similar to a 5-Hour Energy shot except for one noticeable difference — there was a picture of Stu from the movie “The Hangover” on the bottle, smiling at me toothlessly. At least I didn’t feel that bad.

Since it looked similar to 5-Hour Energy, I compared the ingredients and there were several similar ones like caffeine (Hangover Joe’s has the rough equivalent of one cup of coffee), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Taurine, Phenylalanine and Niacin. But Hangover Joe’s contained a slew of natural ingredients that 5-Hour didn’t have, including tea leaf extract, black pepper extract, acai fruit extract and goji berry concentrate.

Having taken 5-Hour Energy before, I wasn’t crazy about it. It worked, yes, but it also made my mind feel like it was running a million miles an hour. It gave me so much energy I felt like I was on some kind of extreme synthetic stimulant and generated more nervous energy than anything else.

The Hangover Joe product was much smoother. Prior to taking it, I was yawning and run down, my head was loopy and achy. About 20 minutes after I took it, I could feel a noticeable difference in energy level. I had actually laid down on the couch about five minutes prior to consuming it because I thought sleep was the only thing that could make me feel better. But as I laid there under a blanky, watching Texans QB Matt Flynn put together what will doubtlessly be the best game of his pro career, I lost the feeling of tiredness — it was a big surprise how fast and smooth it was. I felt better and energized, but I didn’t feel accelerated or loopy. It actually made my entire body feel better, not just my head or stomach. Dare I say it: I felt normal.

And it didn’t just last for a couple hours before the inevitable crash where you become more tired than you were initially; I made it through the entire day without a nap and even watched the Sunday night game featuring the Cowboys and Giants in its entirety.

I’m no scientist, but I think the natural ingredients, in addition to the more speedy synthetic substances, is what makes Hangover Joe’s superior to 5-Hour Energy. At no point did I feel the inevitable lag that you get from consuming excessive coffee either. Put simply, Hangover Joe’s “The Hangover” Recovery Shot works and I would recommend trying it for yourself.

If you’re looking for a premium laptop, you should check out the HP ENVY line of personal computers. The first thing you’ll notice is these are beautiful machines as the design is truly impressive. The laptops also have aggressive styling with a brushed aluminum cover, soft-touch surfaces, and a red backlit keyboard. The metal construction gives these laptops a high-end feel you won’t find from most PC laptops.

We checked out the HP ENVY 14 Beats Edition. This notebook is built to deliver great sound with Beats Audio™. HP partnered with Dr. Dre to create a superior audio system featuring a redesigned headphone jack to reduce ground noise, a discrete amplifier for more power, a dedicated audio Island to minimize fan noise interference and a Function + B to engage Beats Audio. The difference in sound quality is noticeable with premium headphones and speakers, and the aluminum analog volume dial is a unique touch.

I liked the dark design of the ENVY 14 Beats Edition, but you can also check out the lighter aluminum color of the ENVY 15 and 17, both of which also feature more rounded edges as the design evolves.

I also liked the HP Radiance Backlit keyboard which features individual LEDs dedicated to each keycap. The keyboard also works with an advanced proximity sensor to illuminate when it detects a user approaching the notebook and deactivate after the user leaves. It’s these small details that make this machine impressive.

Other features include HP CoolSense technology, which automatically adjusts performance and internal fan settings for a noticeably cooler PC. I was impressed with the large HP ImagePad which provides precise multifinger touch navigation. You can use swiping gestures with two or four fingers for easy navigation and control.

The ENVYs are powered with the Intel® Core™ i5 processor2 with Turbo Boost Technology6. Check out the site for all the tech specs and you can find the machine that works best for your needs.

In a crowded PC world, it’s important to see manufacturers produce computers with some style and soul. The new ENVYs from HP definitely fit the bill and should be on your test list if you’re looking for something more than the standard laptops in the market today.

Adidas recently unveiled the new adizero 5-Star Mid, the lightest mid cut cleat in football. At 7.9 ounces, the adizero 5-Star Mid is more than two ounces lighter than the nearest competitor and is designed to help make football players at every position faster.

The top high school football players in the country will debut the adizero 5-Star Mid at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio on January 7th, and adidas NFL players like Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore and Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young will wear the new cleat throughout the playoffs.

“Whether you’re playing on Sundays or on Friday nights, speed is critical in today’s game,” said Mark Daniels, director of football for adidas. “Timing is everything in football and a split second cut or quick start off the line of scrimmage can be the difference between 4th and 1 and a touchdown. The adizero 5-Star Mid is built for players at every position who want maximum speed and support.”

Taking innovation cues from the adizero 5-Star low, which launched in 2011, the mid version features a single-layer synthetic upper called SPRINTSKIN and a SPRINTFRAME base, which significantly reduce the weight while providing the perfect balance between lightweight construction and increased support. Internal TPU support bands offer increased stability for quick cuts and changes of direction on the field and triangular-shaped cleats provide players with maximum acceleration and traction on both natural and artificial surfaces.

The adizero 5-Star Mid will be available in April for $115 in 17 colorways at Eastbay, Dick’s Sporting Goods, the official adidas online store and other adidas team dealers. Football players and fans can visit the company’s Facebook page for more information.

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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Ever since we first introduced Jessica Hall as a Featured Model on Bullz-Eye.com back in 2007, this blonde beauty has been one of our favorite models. She has an incredible smile and a great personality to match. You can also catch her on Playboy Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio on “The Morning After” show and see what we mean. The show is on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1 pm ET and it’s rebroadcast at 9 pm ET. She’s also appeared as herself on “Kendra” and had a cameo on “Dancing with the Stars.”

We followed up our first shoot with Jessica with an equally amazing shoot that we published in the Blast from the Past channel earlier this year. We saved one of the “looks” from that shoot to publish now as Jessica had some sexy Santa-themed lingerie. Check out the entire slideshow above as Jessica gets in the holiday spirit, and then loses most of the Santa stuff by the end of the set. You’ll love it!

Hopefully you’re all set for the holidays, but if you have last-minute shopping to do, check out our Holiday Gift Guide for ideas. Who knows – maybe this photo set will motivate you to buy some lingerie gifts for your girlfriend! Have a happy and safe holiday!

It’s as if they invited the dark, brooding 19-year-old versions of ourselves into the pitch room.

“So, we’re launching a new line of high-end earbuds. What should the design look like?”
“Like we have bullets in our head, ’cause death is cool.” (*puts on old, clunky headphones with broken foam covers, resumes listening to the Smiths’ Hatful of Hollow*)

The truth is, we would have loved Minutio’s Billets 9mm earphones regardless of how they sounded, because that bullet casing design is so damn cool. As it stands, these things are like listening to music in space. The noise cancellation, for starters, is uncanny. We didn’t hear the doorbell or the phone while listening to music – quietly, we might add – and each is only 15 feet away. The fullness of the sound is unlike any pair of earbuds we’ve ever tried, though to be honest nearly every pair of earbuds we’ve tried before these sounded like styrofoam. The entire package comes equipped with replacement buds as well, and in three different sizes in the event that the default size isn’t a perfect fit for your ears. There is a hard black vinyl case to store the earbuds when not in use, and they even included optional earhooks should you require them. Best of all, there is a built-in microphone, making these ideal for cell phones, web conferencing, and they are certainly killer for online gaming. (They have a sponsorship tie-in with Call of Duty, but these earphones are not made for console gaming.)

One thing to consider with these headphones is that the noise cancellation is really, really good, as in you might not hear the car horn, or the whistle, or whatever noise that would otherwise warn you that you’re about to get hit by a bus. In other words, wearing these while biking or rollerblading could be risky, and we’d definitely only use one bud when taking phone calls while behind the wheel (assuming that’s legal where you live, of course). If you have an audiophile in your life with a warped sense of humor (don’t they all?), these Billets 9mm headphones will speak to both their grown-up selves and the inner teen that still lurks beneath the surface.

Do you ever just pick something up because it looks cool? I couldn’t even tell you the last time I did, but when the cruZer products from Braun arrived in the mail, I had to play with them because they just looked cool.

The cruZer line is a series of shaving devices created to express the diverse personalities of the men who use them. Your facial hair and body style express your own personality and attitude, and the cruZer line was designed to “underline your personal style.” And how does Braun plan on doing that? Unparalleled versatility.

I received two electric shavers from Braun: the CruZer6 Face and the CruZer Beard & Head Trimmer.

The CruZer6 Face electric razor is marketed as a 3-in-1 shaver, styler and trimmer, and it really was each of those, not just slick marketing. Its primary function is to shave your face, but even if you rock a goatee or Fu Manchu, you could still use it to touch up existing facial hair. The Trimming Comb is a plastic sheath that fits over the head of the shaver that you can adjust to four different lengths, which makes it ideal to trim and maintain a beard or other type of facial hair.

Another feature that speaks to the versatility of the CruZer6 is the Twistable Trimmer on the back side. The trimmer has long been a staple of an electric shaver, but unfortunately, its lack of adjustability is also well known. Not only does the CruZer6 trimmer extend out from the base of the shaver to give you an additional couple inches to work with, it also has two different sizes of trimmer head — narrow and wide. Instead of adjusting your style to fit the function of the razor, the CruZer6 adjust to the needs of the user and provides additional flexibility that other electric razors don’t. In a pinch, you could even use the CruZer6 to shave and manscape or trim any other body hair because it is so versatile.

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We covered a wide range of categories in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, from Gadgets to Movie DVDs. Here we offer up some book ideas as well.

Steve Jobs
By Walter Isaacson

This isn’t just a great biography. Isaacson is a very talented writer, historian and storyteller who’s written about great men such as Ben Franklin and Albert Einstein. Jobs is also a fascinating figure, but the difference here is that Steve Jobs just passed away this year, and we’re able to read about a man whose accomplishments and impact on society are so fresh in our minds. Practically everyone who reads this book can relate to Jobs’ inventions and innovations, making the story that much more compelling.

This was made possible because Jobs gave Isaacson access during the final years of his life, and Jobs was willing to open up and let Isaacson see him for who he was, warts and all. We see a man who was both brilliant and petulant. He was extremely passionate but often rude and insulting. We see how Jobs’ obsessive attention to detail and passion for products led to his stunning successes, as well as some of his more spectacular failures.

One of the more fascinating story lines involves his rivalry with Bill Gates. Jobs was obsessed with total control over his products and insisted on closed systems so he could control the user experience. Job relied on his intuition and his maniacal attraction to beauty and simplicity. Gates believed in open systems and was eager to license his software to a wide variety of partners, even if that meant sacrificing the user experience and quality. Gates was the clear winner early as PCs dominated Macs and Apple almost went bankrupt, but Jobs had the last laugh as he pushed Apple to revolutionize consumer electronics with the iPod, iTunes, the iPhone and the iPad.

The book is a great read, and it’s a great gift for anyone who likes biographies or is interested in technology or business.

Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead: Journeys into Fame and Madness
By Neil Strauss

On the back of this book, which is a compilation of interviews and other wild stories from Neil Strauss’s career as a rock journalist, Strauss states, “You can tell a lot about somebody in a minute. If you pick the right minute. Here are 228 of them.” Strauss is a master storyteller, and we got our first introduction to his work years ago when he wrote “The Game,” which in our opinion is the best book you’ll on pick-up artists and dating advice for men. Strauss uses some of the same skills he learned as a pick-up artist to get celebrities to talk to him. His use of a mind-reading illusion to get Britney Spears to open up to him is a classic. Strauss recounts all sorts of bizarre encounters, from shooting guns with Ludacris, being kidnapped by Courtney Love and being told off by Prince. As a writer for Rolling Stone he had access to everybody. The book is very entertaining and makes for a great gift for fans of music and/or celebrities.

The Big Show: Charles M. Conlon’s Golden Age Baseball Photographs
By Neal and Constance McCabe

Is baseball starting to get its groove back? The American Pastime has had a rough go recently, particularly with the steroids scandal that upended many of the great records that helped define the game. Baseball’s glory days now seem so long ago. Yet Major league Baseball has been getting some good news, as they avoided the labor troubles we’ve seen in football and basketball, and we’ve just come off one of the most dramatic World Series comebacks in baseball history.

This book compiles golden age baseball photographs taken by Charles M. Conlon taken between 1902 and 1942. The book features over 200 portraits, and the authors include well-written profiles of the players featured on each page, including quotes from the players themselves. Photos include baseball great such as Babe Ruth, Connie Mack, Phil Rizzuto, Walter Johnson, Tris Speaker, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig. Many of the photos have never been published, and this makes a great coffee table book. Baseball fans will love it.

Booze is always an essential part of the holidays. People want to have fun this time of year, so naturally we love to enjoy some drinks and holiday cheer. Forbes recently did a survey on the subject and the results were pretty interesting.

Heavy Holiday Spender: More than three quarters of male respondents estimated that they spend more than $1,000 on alcohol during the holiday season!

Food or Booze? Holiday Indulgence Priorities: More than 70% of respondents revealed that if they had to cut down on either their holiday food or alcohol consumption, food would be the first to go.

Get the picture? People take their booze seriously this time of year, especially guys. That’s why we always include some liquor suggestions in our holiday gift guide in the “Guy Stuff” section.

If you’re throwing a party, the booze is critical. If you’re going to a party, you better not arrive empty handed. There’s nothing like a nice bottle of good stuff to make everyone happy. Also keep in mind that it’s always a great idea to have some special cocktails ready for a party, and you can get some great ideas, including holiday drinks, from our Drink of the Week series.

Here we’ve added some more suggestions for gift ideas and to stock a holiday party bar.

Smirnoff Whipped Cream and Fluffed Marshmallow

The first thing to consider is DON’T FORGET THE LADIES! Women like to drink as well, so make sure you have some special drinks available for them, particularly if you’re throwing your own party. One thing to consider is flavored vodka. Women love this stuff and you can make all sorts of cool cocktails. Smirnoff has come out with two very sweet options with their Whipped Cream and Fluffed Marshmallow flavors (see image to the right). This stuff tastes so good that you can easily drink it straight on the rocks. Pair them up with orange juice or orange pop and you’ll have a creamsicle for adults.

The key to your booze selection for a party is to have something for everyone, and these flavored vodkas are a great addition to any party.

Ron Abuelo’s Aged Rums

Everyone appreciates a good rum. It makes the setting even nicer when you’re partying in the tropics, and it makes a cold winter night a little warmer when you’re partying up north. Ron Abuelo rum produced entirely from estate-grown sugar cane in Panama by the family-owned Varela Hermanos. The company dates back to 1908 when Don José Varela established the first sugar mill in the recently-formed Republic of Panama, the San Isidro Sugar Mill. Almost 30 years later, Varela began the distillation of alcohol from their sugar cane crop in 1936. Currently run by the third generation, Varela Hermanos has approximately 1000 hectares of land devoted exclusively to the cultivation of sugar cane. Today, the range is composed of four authentic dark oak-aged rums: Añejo, 7 Años, 12 Años and the limited edition Ron Abuelo Centuria.

We tried the 7 Años rum with a nice cigar and loved it. Sip it straight or make up some killer cocktails. Either way this stuff is a great addition to you holiday bar.

Van Gogh BLUE

Everyone loves a good Martini, especially the ladies. So check out our article on Classic Drinks Every Guy Should Know How to Make and then pick up some Van Gogh BLUE vodka.

This is the world’s first vodka made from three international wheat sources (central France, southern Germany and Zeeland in Holland). Hand-crafted in Holland, this triple distilled, triple wheat vodka has an exceptionally smooth, polished taste with a neutral flavor full of subtle nuances from the three European grains. It’s a great gift idea for vodka lovers and it’s naturally a great addition to your holiday bar. The bottle also looks very cool and everyone will wan to try it! You’ll find vodka at every party, but it’s always cool to bring something new and interesting, so people will appreciate trying a new and interesting alternative.

So drink up, be safe and enjoy the holidays!

We’ve talked about gadget gifts and stocking stuffers, and here we have two items that are great for the tech-savvy people on your list who like to create music.

GuitarConnect Pro

This cool device from Griffin Technology (pictured above) is designed to work with any instrument that has a ¼ inch jack (including guitars, bass guitars, electric violins, keyboards, etc.), GuitarConnect Pro was created to turn iPad or iPhone into a compact performance or practice rig. A built-in gain control wheel allows the user to adjust the strength of the instrument’s input signal. Users gain a high-quality, all-digital connection from guitars and other instruments directly into GarageBand and other audio apps. It’s a simple yet very powerful device and music lovers will really appreciate it. And, it fits nicely into a holiday stocking!

Korg nanoKEY2

Here we switch to keyboards, which is a very popular way to create music. The nanoKEY2 is built with 25 keys and allows full control of pitch. It’s one of the devices in the NanoSERIES2 which are all compatible with GarageBand. Imagine how much fun music-lovers can have playing around with this device.

Even if someone hasn’t tried to create their own music in the past, devices like these two above offer an easy way to get started. They spur the creative process, and for that reason alone they make great gifts.