Our friends at A.W.O.L. (Another Way of Life) have their next party weekend planned this weekend in Las Vegas – A.W.O.L. STRIP, presented by Adconion Direct. A.W.O.L. throws incredible parties all over the world, and the Vegas bash should be one to remember. The Cosmopolitan is the host hotel, and the party venues include Marquee nightclub, TAO Beach, TAO nightclub, Lavo Nightclub and Drai’s Afterhours. Tickets are available for the three-day party package at their website and you can follow the leadup and the festivities on Facebook and Twitter.
As you can see from the photos above and the video below, the gang at A.W.O.L. knows how to party, and you know how we feel about Las Vegas. It’s the ultimate party spot regardless of your particular ideas of a good time, but this lets you enjoy it on another level.
Described by host Amy Poehler as “a celebration of real friendship, real fellowship, and a kind of community with other girls,” the web series “Smart Girls at the Party” is a kind-hearted, fun and educational program for kids and their parents alike, but especially for young girls. Often specifically focusing on girls who enjoy activities traditionally thought of as being more for boys, the series enjoyed a significant viewership boost in its first season when it introduced its youngest interviewee, seven-year-old Ruby, who speaks precociously about feminism. Its most-viewed episode to date features a 14-year-old boxer named Precela, and another highlight features a young robotics engineer named Rachel.
These are the “girls who are changing the world by being themselves,” in the words of Poehler, who hosts the show with the tongue-in-cheek seriousness of a news anchor before ending each episode with a dance party. Along with producer Meredith Walker and musical director Amy Miles, Poehler explores the special talents and interests of each girl – or in a few episodes, groups of girls – and interviews them, always ending on a “very serious question,” such as “pizza or cotton candy?” or “which is cuter, a baby panda or a baby monkey?” However, despite poking fun at self-serious interview questions, the series never makes fun of the girls or treats them or their interests with cynicism or irony. Instead, it clearly aims to imbue its young audience with a sense of self-worth and individuality, without being boring or preachy.
Now in its second season, the series has markedly improved from its first few episodes, adding a “World Famous 20 Second Song” segment for Miles and boasting higher production values. There are also some familiar faces in the dance parties that parents will enjoy spotting, including Poehler’s husband Will Arnett (who returns from the first season), as well as her “Parks and Recreation” co-stars Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Rashida Jones and Aubrey Plaza. Look closely and you’ll also spot folks like Jon Hamm, David Cross and Jack McBrayer in later episodes. With its own new channel on YouTube, “Smart Girls at the Party” is slicker and more fun than ever, and is highly recommended for viewing with children, especially daughters, between the ages of five and fifteen.
Regardless of your wardrobe needs, we’ve reached the mid-point of the summer season, and this is a great time to head out (or boot up) to look for deals on clothes. You’ll find sales everywhere, regardless of whether you’re a college kid looking for casual styles or a professional looking for suits and other business attire. If you hit the malls you’ll see sales everywhere, but of course that applies online as well. One of the fastest growing segments of online sales includes men’s wear, particularly in the luxury segment as retailers target men with disposable income. They’re used to buying online so this is a natural progression.
As usual, you need to do your research if you’re looking for deals, but pay attention to quality as well. Don’t just look for the cheapest items. If you’re looking for urban styles try these coupon codes for Drjays.com. If you look at the Drjays.com website you’ll see tons of great styles that will fit in on casual weekends or on college campuses.
If you’re looking for suits you have tons of options. Of course you can go with the big-name brands, but you can save a ton of money if you also consider other options. For example, Men’s Wearhouse has its annual suit drive. They’re looking for “gently used” professional attire like suits, shirts, pants, skirts, sports coats, dress shoes, and ties. So you can’t unload a dingy old suit, but you can bring in a suit with wider collars that’s now a little out of style, unless of course you work in a law firm or on Wall Street, where old-school suits never really go out of style. You get a coupon for 50 percent off if you donate so it’s a great deal and the stuff you donate goes to charity. Check out this store as you can get suits that track the newer, slimmer styles. If the suit fits well, few people where look for the brand label!
When the DVD screener arrived for TBS’s new sitcom “Sullivan & Son,” I couldn’t help but notice that the packaging for the disc featured five words placed prominently above the title: “From Executive Producer Vince Vaughn.” For some, this wouldn’t necessarily be that big a selling point. Hell, it’s not even that big a selling point for me, and I consider “Swingers” to be one of my favorite films from the ’90s. It’s not that I don’t think Vince Vaughn’s funny. It’s just that, in addition to the fact that his comedy track record is far from 100%, the simple fact of the matter is that you absolutely cannot tell how funny a sitcom is going to be by its executive producers…and, boy, is “Sullivan & Son” proof of that.
“Sullivan & Son” starts Steve Byrne as Steve Sullivan, an NYC attorney who returns home to Pittsburgh with his new girlfriend, Ashley (Brooke Lyons), in tow in order to help celebrate the 60th birthday of his Irish-American father, Jack (Dan Lauria). The birthday celebration takes place in the bar owned by Jack and his wife / Steve’s mother, Ok Cha (Jodi Long)…and in case the name didn’t give it away, yes, Steve’s mom is Korean. During the evening’s celebration, Steve’s parents reveal that they’ve decided to sell the bar, a newsflash which sends Steve into a tizzy of reflection as he tries to decide if his current path in life is more important than keeping the bar in the family. Unsurprisingly, he decides on the matter, talking his parents into selling the place to him, and although this utterly infuriates Ashley, who’d already worked out a 12-step program to have the perfect married life with Steve, it’s a decision which nicely sets up the premise of the series.
I love this new “Immigrants” ad for the Fiat 500 heralding “the next wave of Italians” coming to America, particularly since my own parents came from Italy.
