Vinnie Jones, known for playing tough guy roles such roles as Big Chris in” Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels”, Sphinx in “Gone in 60 Seconds, has recently starred in a commercial for “The British Heart Foundation“, where he is promoting “Hands-Only CPR” And in today’s society, I believe people would prefer Hands-Only CPR to what is usually taught.

Tags: 911, ambulance, British Heart Foundation, cardiac arrest, CPR, emergency, fast, Hands only, hard, Heart, heart attack, Snatch, Vinnie Jones

Although decorating the tree for Christmas is festive, I believe making it look like a monster would scar the kids for life…especially in Japan. In 2000, at the Aqua City Odaiba shopping mall, located in Japan, the holiday decorative committee decided to construct a christmas tree in the shape of Godzilla. Not only did they shape it to look like him, but red lights were put in the eyes, and the tree even breathed smoke. I think the only thing that doesn’t make him scary is the little Santa hat on his head.

 

Tags: Christmas, Godzilla, Gojira, horror, Japan, lights, mall, monster, movie, Santa Claus, scary, Shopping, smoke, tree

As each year goes by, all the gadgets and gizmos get smaller and smaller. And more and more start to become obsolete. You would never think that the cable box could disappear. Well, think again.

The wonderful folks over at Microsoft has showed us that the process of elimination has begun. With the most recent update, the Xbox 360 will now be able to do more than just play video games, watching movies using Netflix. Besides Hulu Plus, there will be more selections of what you can watch now on your system. MSNBC’s The Today Show and Epix, cable movie channel, are a couple of the first channels to be added. More are expected to join, such as Youtube, DailyMotion, and HBO GO (coming sometime in 2012) are just some the the channels coming.

Of course, not all are free. You need an Xbox Live Gold membership to be able to use the new features, which is understandable. That is the easy part. There are, and will be some channels that you will need separate service accounts to use, such as Netflix and HBO GO. Now if you think you can get rid of you cable provider, hold on for now.Verizon FIOS and Comcast Xfinity will be bringing their services to Xbox, but not until later. Verizon will be using the gaming system as a limited set top box, which will start later this month. Comcast is hoping to have their system ready by early 2012. They will be offering ther “On-Demand” services, but not live television.

The other part of this update is for the Kinect. With advanced terchnology now at hand, you will now have the ability to search through your xbox using voice activation. The system uses Bing search engine to find what you are looking for. With everything squeezing into our Xbox 360, certain products like Boxee and Google TV might have some good competition.

Tags: boxee, comcast, Epix, ESPN, Fios, Google TV, HBO, hulu, kinect, Microsoft, movies, Netflix, sony, TV, verizon, Xbox 360, Xfinity

There are few things in life more pleasurable than learning how to play an instrument. what would happen if that instrument was also awesome in its own right? Why the sheer force of awesomeness would flow forth from your apartment or garage and George Carlin would show up in a time traveling phone booth…

 

wait…

different  movie.

But learning how to play a tune on an instrument is usually its own reward but this right here would make any ukulele solo epic.

This handcrafted Autobot themed Uke is not only sold out but there is a waiting list… At $550.00 each that is awesome. Now we just need to learn how to play 80′s power ballads on a ukulele. My Hats off to the fine folks at Celentano Woodworks

Autobot Transformer ukulele by celentanowoodworks on Etsy.

Tags: autobot ukulele, Transformers, ukulele, you've got the touch!

Who hasn’t felt the pangs of loss when an old scanner goes to that great digital divide in the sky? Who hasn’t had a moment of heartbreak as a digital denizen passes on? Well imagine if all your old tech could sing.

That is what you get when Stepper Motors and other bits and bobs of technology harmonize into this beautifully done song. its pitch perfect and on time as far as my ear can tell. Enjoy!

Tags: House of the rising sun, nostolgia, retro tech, stepper motors

The sweet sound of Nintendo. A trio of accordion players from Bulgaria have brought the sweet sound of Super Mario to our ears. And it has got to be the best rendition I have heard yet.

Tags: Accordion, Bulgaria, folk, nes, nintendo, Super Mario Bros

Since the beginning of the Super Mario Bros. franchise, which began in 1983, there hasn’t been any kind of complaints about any of the game content in the series. Personally, I wouldn’t think there would be. Well, I guess I was wrong. PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has decided to finally show there concern about a certain aspect of the game. They do not like the fact that Mario wears the Tanooki Suit.

23 years after the first appearance of the Tanooki Suit, PETA thinks it is wrong of Mario to wear fur. PETA stated, “Tanooki may be just a “suit” in Mario games, but by wearing the skin of an animal, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.” Even though Mario achieves the ability of the suit by grabbing a leaf, PETA feels that wearing it encourages animal abuse.

Tracy Reiman, PETA Executive Vice President, ”Tanukis are real-life raccoon dogs who are beaten and, as PETA’s undercover exposés show, often skinned alive for their fur. “This winter, everyone can give raccoon dogs and other fabulous animals a 1-UP by keeping our wardrobes fur-free.”To show much they really don’t appreciate the Tanooki suit, they have created a game called Super Tanooki Skin 2D, where you are a tanuki chasing after Mario to get your skin back. I have tried the game, and find that it is quite distasteful. So wearing the the Tanooki Suit is bad, but what about the frog suit?

Tags: Gaming, Mario, nes, nintendo, PETA, Super Mario Bros, Tanooki, Tanuki

Everybody has played Rock’ Em Sock’ Em at least once in there life time. Personally, I prefer the red guy, also known as the Red Rocker. Now as an adult, you wouldn’t mind playing the game, but you need to have it a little more exciting. Well, the people over at Hammacher Schlemmer has given us the opportunity to enjoy such a treat, with what is called “The Bionic Bopper Cars.”

Powered by a 12-volt battery, a Honda engine, and controlled by 2 joysticks, and bumpers surrounding the bottom, these Bopper cars can last up to 5 hours worth of battle. To see these things driving down the street, although funny, would be impossible to achieve. These cars only move about 3 mph. These bouts take place in a 16′ sq. steel frame. For a price of $17,000, you could own a set of these. 

Tags: battle, blue, boppers, boxing, bumper cars, Cars, Christmas, gift, Hammacher, real steel, red, Robots, Rockem sockem

The air has a chill to it. The leaves have almost all fallen. And the days feel right. Coffee means a lot of things to a lot of people, to me it means Comfort.

Comfort
A smooth deep brew
slowly wafting sultry
scents your way

A promise of comfort,
A premiss of decadence

---

Coffee this good is always just a little bit close to being too good to be true. Coffee isn’t just the beverage, its the experiences surrounding it too. Drink up my friends.

Tags: Coffee, poetry, sketch

On episode 507,  we talked a bit about the Pumpkin Pie Brownies from Foodbeast. Well I also sent Mrs CaffiNation the same story. And since I’m all laid up after shoulder surgery she made a couple chnges and whipped up some sinfully tasty goodies.

Thick fudge Pumpkin pie goodness. Rather than use the Brownie mix as a basis for a cake she made the brownies as they were listed on the box, throwing the pumpkin pie chunks into the mix, and baking the whole shebang at 325 for around 75 minutes. Holy hot damn are they good, and gone…

Tags: brownies, pumpkin pie

With the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 due out Tuesday, November 8, many are waiting patiently. However, some gamers in France were so excited, they just couldn’t wait. Saturday was a disaster for Activision, with the hijacking of not one, but two trucks, both containing copies of the next installment of Call of Duty. The estimated total cost was €780,000, or $1 Million.

When the first attack happened, the delivery truck was hit by another vehicle. When the drivers went to inspect the damage, they were met by two men in ski masks wielding knives. After throwing tear gas, the masked men made off with the truck.

The second attack happened about an hour later, when another truck carrying the same cargo was stopped by a vehicle in the middle of the road. This time, three men jumped out, with one pointing a handgun at the driver.

At this time, no arrests have been made in either robberies.

Tags: Activision, Call of Duty, cargo, delivery, France, Gaming, heist, hijack, Modern, robbery, war, warfare

What would happen if you were able to enjoy your favorite breakfast food and have the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, without the spill hazard? Well the folks at Wired Waffles have the answer. They recently sent us a sample of their wares to run through its paces. We have previously covered these culinary oddities on the site, but up until now we hadn’t had the chance to taste them.

The claims made by this Waffle Company are that each cake, which is done in the style of an Authentic Belgian Liège waffle, contains 200 mg of caffeine. A Liège waffle is a small cake, about the size of the palm of your hand with pearled sugar baked right into the dough. These are not intended to be like the american waffles, covered in syrup. But rather similar to a cake or cake based pastry.

Without beating around the bush, I loved this waffle, it was sweet and tasted like pound cake, just a bit. Without being nearly as dense. The pearled sugar were sweet explosions as I bit through the waffle. I started to eat it during one of our episodes, but quickly had to stop, because lets be honest talking with your mouth full is just rude.

While the waffle had a definite kick, it wasn’t too noticeable to me, I’m a bit of a hard sell when it comes to coffee / caffeine products. If you get my heart racing you’re probably over the line. However this was enough to push me through the taping and keep my motor running for a bit that night. For the normal person it would probably replace a nice tall glass of iced tea or a large coffee.

They cost $3.50 a pop, which considering they are pastries, and coffee all rolled into one isn’t that bad. The only complaint I had about them was that I did need a drink to go along with them as they are mighty tasty, but a tad dry. Of course if I slowed down while eating that may have helped too.

There are a great many Caffeinated products in mix right now. Everything from pills to water, soap to bacon. The idea of throwing an extra kick into a culinary device isn’t a new one. but making the food tasty is the trick. Far too often the folks who put together the zippy products do so without really understanding that caffeine has a bitter taste, and without proper attention being paid to the Caffeine. The folks at Wired Waffles did their job spot on and this is a tasty treat for anyone.

My only regret is that I didn’t take any pictures f the waffles before I had eaten them. And at that point there isn’t much one can do to fix things.

One fun fact I learned while researching what a Liège waffle was supposed to look like, was that in the late 1800′s here in america we used to have Waffle Frolics, or Waffle Parties, since a Waffle was a relativity new pastry to the Americas… Why on earth did this tradition stop? I could go for a good waffle frolic.

*Full Disclosure: We were sent a sample of Wired Waffles at no cost for the sole purpose of reviewing their product. Our conclusion was not influenced by this 

Tags: caffeinated waffles, Waffle Frolic, Waffle Party, what does a wired waffle taste like?, wired waffle review, wired waffles

The following recipes have been shared with me by the fine folks at Lipton, so I pass them along to you as they look mighty tasty. I love when brands share out recipes for any event, and as per usual you can substitute your favorite brand of tea or brew your own into the recipes as you see fit. But I do say they all look mighty fine.

Cinnamon, Spice and Iced Tea

This recipe offers a tasty twist on a long-standing holiday drink tradition: grog. Spice up each cup by bringing together sweet-scented cinnamon and crisp apple cider.

TEA-SPICED GROG

6 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes     Stand time: 20 minutes

• 2 bottles 100% Natural Lipton® Iced Tea with Lemon
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick

Bring all ingredients to a boil over high heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. Strain out spices and serve warm. If desired, garnish with sliced apples.

TIP: For spiked grog, add 1/4 cup light rum or brandy.

 

A Sangria Recipe for All Seasons

This sangria recipe is a great go-to for get-togethers because you can mix it hours in advance, leaving you more time to mix with what matters-your guests.

BLACK TEA SANGRIA

6 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes     Chill time: 2 hours

• 2 bottles 100% Natural Lipton® Iced Tea with Lemon
• 1 cup unsweetened grape juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 small orange, sliced
• 1 Gala apple, cored and sliced
• 1 lime, sliced

Combine all ingredients in large pitcher. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

TIP: For an adult version of this Sangria, use dry red wine instead of grape juice.

 

Also a huge plus to Lipton for realizing a good spiked drink is always welcome at Holiday celebrations. Let me know what you think of these tasty treats.

 

Tags: Adult beverages, alcohol, grog, holiday treats, Lipton Recipes, Lipton Tea, Recipes, sangria, toddy

After being commisioned to cover an entire train station consisting of  8-bit artwork, Finnish artist Lars Arrhenius went to work. The Thorildsplan Tunnelbana station, a train station in Stockholm, Sweden, was redecoratred in 2008.

 

The entire station is covered in artwork inspired by early 1980′s Nintendo games. The artowrk consists of Dig Dug, Pacman, Super Mario Bros, and Legend of Zelda.

It is a quite the popular piece of artwork. It has even been used in a video. MadCraft, a punkpop band from Finland, used the creation as a backdrop for the music video for the song NeverAgain.

Tags: 8-Bit, Design, Finland, ghost, Madcraft, Music, nintendo, Pacman, punk pop, Stockholm, Sweden, Tiles, train station, video game

This year we are rocking out the traditional pumpkin shapes. With time being limited I would rather have two clean looking pumpkin ghouls. Not too shabby for 25 minutes per pumpkin. How do you throw down for all hallows eve?

I personally love making a tall steaming cup of coffee, chatting with the neighbors and dispensing sugary treats, how about you?

Tags: carving, Halloween, pumpkin carving, Pumpkins