Move Over Hallmark !!!!

Move over Hallmark !!! Netflix is moving in on your Holiday movies !!! With Lindsay Lohan no doubt !! 

"A newly engaged, spoiled hotel heiress (Lindsay Lohan) gets into a skiing accident, suffers from total amnesia and finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner (Chord Overstreet) and his precocious daughter in the days leading up to Christmas." [SOURCE NETFLIX, INC.]

Is that a joke ?? I am inclined to think they are making a purposeful mockery of Hallmark and Lifetime movies. Amnesia is always a doozy !! Are you going to watch ? Coming November 10 

UPDATE !!!! Netflix is squarley aiming at Hallmark !!!! 

"Arriving in time for the holiday season is the romantic-comedy Christmas With You. Starring Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr., Christmas With You is coming to Netflix in November 2022."

"“Feeling career burnout, pop star Angelina escapes to grant a young fan’s wish in small town New York, where she not only finds the inspiration to revitalize her career but also a shot at true love.”

 

Cinnamon Sugar Buddah !!!

Now this I can get behind!  Ever had that cinnamon butter at Texas Roadhouse with their bread rolls? YUM ! Look no further from home consumption.  Land O Lakes has released Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread. Per the website:"Cinnamon and sugar are blended with our creamy butter spread for the right balance of sweet and savory." How can you not ? 

Mountain Fruity

 

Mountain Dew is releasing yet another holiday themed soda this holiday season. Fruit Quake. A mashup of traditional holiday fruit cake flavors - or so they say.  Who likes fruit cakes anyway ? This is another in the line of Mountain dew holiday drinks.  First there was Merry Mashup  then Snap'd which was gingerbread flavor based. Personally Snap'd was awful.  Yuck ! I swore it was the worst soda this author ever tasted. On the heels of that is Fruit Quake. The reviews so far are not great. One said it's worse than Snap'd and tastes like how a Michael Stores smells. ZOINKS 

Arby's Bourbon

Welp, that didn't take long as in a couple of hours to sell out.  Arby's released a bourbon smoked with the same wood as their meats are smoked with. A contract distillery ,Brain Brew out of Cincinatti did the crafting. We were fair warned though that quantities were 'extremely limited' ( Arby's words) and sure enough...sold out pronto.  One thing to note it was only available on the internet to residents of CA, CO, DC, FL, KY, NH, and NY. Per the website, there will be another batch for sale at a later date. 

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po !!!

I didn't know Netflix Jr was a thing !!

Regardless, it's the TELETUBBIES!!!!!! 

Watch this Netflix original series, available on November 14.

Crumbl week ending October 22

 

This weeks line up:

- New Triple Berry Cobbler Cookie - An oatmeal cookie topped with a jam of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, a swirl of cinnamon cream cheese frosting, and a sprinkle of cinnamon streusel.

- Dulce De Leche Cookie - A spiced cinnamon cookie topped with dulce de leche caramel and a rosette of frosting.

- Chocolate Cupcake Cookie - A vanilla cookie topped with fudge frosting and chocolate sprinkles.

- S'mores Cookie - A graham cracker cookie with milk chocolate chips, topped with a toasted marshmallow, a drizzle of chocolate, and graham cracker crumbs.

- Classic Pink Sugar Cookie - A vanilla sugar cookie topped with pink-colored, almond frosting.

- Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie - A cookie with milk chocolate chips.

God Forbid

 I live for this stuff

Hulu's upcoming Original documentary, "God Forbid: The Sex Scandal that Brought Down a Dynasty," which premieres Tuesday, November 1.

" In this revealing documentary, Giancarlo Granda, former pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Hotel, shares the intimate details of his 7-year relationship with a charming older woman, Becki Falwell, and her husband, the Evangelical Trump stalwart Jerry Falwell Jr."

African American Squirrel

Goshen College located in of all places Goshen, Indiana has a new mascot and its a Black Squirrel . During Homecoming weekend the college introduced Dash as the official mascot the college has been lacking. The school sports teams are called the Maple Leafs since 1957 as Goshen is called the Maple City.  When one inquires as to why it is called that, you discover it is because the city has a lot of maple trees. But of course. Duh. I would have preferred to see a giant foam maple leaf as the mascot but I guess that is not to be. Boring. Even the Toronto Maple Leafs shy away from such a mascot as they have a bear called Carlton as their mascot. ( who was actually named the NHL's best mascot.)  Well, maybe George Washington University will tickle my fancy when the woke college drops the Colonials moniker ( because colonialists were savage, racist conquerors you know ) and hopefully go with hippopotamuses !  

Orange You Glad

For the first time ever the Chicago Bears will have orange helmets and ever is a long time considering the team has been around since 1919. The Thursday Night Football game on October 13th versus Washington , the bears will have orange helmets, orange jerseys and white pants. Bears linebacker Roquan Smith said  in a press conference:" It’s pretty sweet, It's a helmet. It’s orange. It’s different. But I think it’s pretty cool just to go out looking like a highlighter or something.”   The team will wear the helmets two times this season.  The next time will be versus the Cowboys in Dallas Sunday, Oct. 30 per a team press release and team uniform schedule ( yes there is such a thing). It will definitely have a pre-Halloween vibe about it with the orange. Not sure how this uniform is going to play to the diehard fans that are purists but Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey said about the uniform tweak: "We believe we have the best uniforms in sport, certainly among the most iconic .So, we're not looking to overhaul it. We just want to make enhancements to the existing look from time to time and we think this is a great enhancement. I'm very excited for this modification. I like that it's staying within the traditional Bears look. " 

Tik Tok Warehouse

I know America is becoming one big warehouse moving stuff  made in China to consumers all across the US. What confounds me is Tik Tok  getting into the fulfillment game. I honestly don't get the link from what the Tik Tok site is now to e-commerce. Let's not forget Tik Tok is owned and controlled by a Chinese entity. In any event , they are building and staffing e-commerce fulfillment centers. Things that make you go hmmmm. 

Kanye What

Kanye West. I just wasted 30 minutes of my life on that guy . The dude is a nut. His track record  includes social media rampages , pulling out of Coachella at the last minute, threatening Pete Davidson, getting banned from the Grammy’s.  Shall I go on ?  Now he drops a  30-minute 'documentary' [his words]  on YouTube titled Last Week 

I have so many questions that in the end I don't.  What exactly are we watching?  Hashtag Kanye for Prez 2024 

Boorito is back !!!!

Boorito returns to Chipotle for the first time since COVID !!!! Customers who sign up for Chipotle Rewards and visit a Chipotle restaurant on Halloween Day ( October 31) from 3pm local time to close while dressed up in costume can receive a $6 entrée !!! I can't wait to see the Chipotle instgram and their twitter feed filled with  pictures of costumed customers ! Chipotle has also teamed up with artist and creative director Pablo Rochat to create a special trailer that celebrates the 22nd year of Boorito that I actually chuckled at HERE 

Adult Happy Meals Donezo

 

The McDonald's Adult Happy Meal AKA Cactus Plant Flea Market box was supposed to run from October 3rd to the 30th has hit the skids due to demand. I tried to snag one opening day only to be turned away.  I've seen Ebay lit with them though. I did get ONE the other day. Apparantly this cactus thing is a  fashion streetwear company. So popular with the adults that the whole shebang is over October 14. That was fast !!! 

L'eggo My Holiday Breakfast Drink

Who doesn't love Eggo Waffles ? Who doesn't love egg nog ? Who doesn't love breakfast drinking ?  Kelloggs has our back !  Called  Eggo Nog, Kellogg’s Eggo and Sugarlands Distilling Company have teamed up to create an alcoholic eggnog for the holidays! Yum ! It combines churned cream, rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavors that pairs PERFECTLY with fluffy Eggos. Sugarland's strong suit must be moonshine becuase perusing their website you are met with a host off recipies that include different moonshine flavors.  For exmple, one interesting swill called 'Christmas breakfast calls for Eggo Nog and maple bacon moonshine. The Rudolph made with strawberry moonshine. and there is more ! L'Eggo of the holiday stress this season !!! 

Buger King Halloween

 Burger King is at it again this Halloween.  The resturant is going with a 'ghost' theme it seems to compliment their Ghost Pepper Whopper which is a beef patty, spicy queso, crispy-fried jalapenos, bacon, and ghost pepper cheese, served on a toasted orange bun and black sesame seeds.  note ORANGE bun.  We all remember the last halloween bun. It was BLACK.  And we all remember what the consequences were !!!! Hint HERE.  Keeping with the theme , the fast food chain is "adding an electromagnetic field ghost detector within the BK App and inviting its Royal Perks Members to discover whether they have paranormal activity in their house. Guests who use the Home of the Ghosts feature in the app are in for a spooky surprise: a meal for two featuring the new limited time Ghost Pepper Whopper. " Essentially the deal is two Ghost Pepper Whoppers and two small orders of French fries for $10 from October 17 through October 31, 2022. Sounds like fun 

Crazy Cat Movie

Seriously? 

From the marketing martials:

"A heartwarming collective portrait of eight unique men whose lives have been changed by their love for cats. Some of these men will navigate the unprecedented challenges of 2020 with the help of these feline friends."

A cat documentary ?  

Netflix and Chill October 10th to 16th, 2022

 

Mark down the 13th Thursday. The Watcher a new limited series based on a true story. The series follows a couple that’s moving into their dream home, but not all is as it seems, as they soon find out a haunting figure is watching them. Trailer HERE

Coming to Netflix on October 10th

LEGO Ninjago (Season 4 Crystallized- Part 2)

Spirit Rangers (2022) Netflix Original Series

Coming to Netflix on October 11th

DEAW#13 Udom Taephanich Stand Up Comedy Show (2022) Netflix Original Special

Iliza Shlesinger: Hot Forever (2022) Netflix Original Stand-up Special

Island of the Sea Wolves (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Someone Borrowed (2022) Netflix Original Film

The Cage (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Coming to Netflix on October 12th

Belascoarán, PI (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Blackout (2022)

Easy-Bake Battle: The Home Cooking Competition (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Missing: The Other Side (Season 1)

The Nutty Boy (2022) Netflix Original Film

Wild Croc Territory (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Coming to Netflix on October 13th

Dead End: Paranormal Park (Season 2) Netflix Original Kids Series

exception (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Sue Perkins: Perfectly Legal (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

The Playlist (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

The Sinner (Season 4 – Percy)

The Watcher (Limited Series) Netflix Original Series

Coming to Netflix on October 14th

Black Butterflies (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Dobaaraa (2022)

Everything Calls for Salvation (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Holy Family (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

Mismatched (Season 2) Netflix Original Series

Nyara: The Kidnapping (2020)

Raaiselkind / Riddle Child (2017)

Soole (2021)

Take 1 (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022) Netflix Original Film

Coming to Netflix on October 15th

Blippi’s Spooky Spell Halloween (2021)

LiSA LiVE is Smile Always, Eve&Birth: The Birth at Nippon Budokan (2022)

Three Widows Against the World / Tiga Janda Melawan Dunia (2022)

Under the Queen’s Umbrella (Season 1) Netflix Original Series

What’s Coming to Netflix on October 16th

Dracula Untold (2014)

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019)

What will you be watching on Netflix this week? 

Winnie The Pooh Goes Slasher

Now we have it all. 'Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey'  dropping somewhere around October 20th although the actual release date has yet to be released. According to the director/ writer of the flick , Christopher Robins goes off to college leaving the 100 Acre Woods and the lovable crew to fend for themselves. They become feral, eat Eyeore and go one murderous rampages.  Trailer HERE. 

Wait, isn't Pooh a Disney property ? Why yes he is AND was.  The 1926 book "Winnie-the-Pooh," entered the public domain in 2022.  U.S. copyright law is usually limited to the life of the author, plus 70 years. The Copyright Term Extension Act, implemented in 1998, protects corporate authorship rights for 95 years from the first publication or 120 years after its creation, whichever ends sooner. Time is up Disney ! Now Disney does have some protection over 'their' Pooh. This can be seen in the trailer as the bear has swapped his famed red shirt for a lumberjack shirt and Piglet wears all black.

You think the Walt Disney Company is happy ? Disney acquired the rights to the Winnie-the-Pooh books and their characters from the writer and creator Alexander Alan Milne's estate back in 1961 and has spun them into a multibillion-dollar industry. Investors might be surprised to find that Winnie the Pooh and friends are among the most lucrative in Disney's catalog. Winnie the Pooh is, in fact, among the most valuable media franchises in the world, having accumulated revenues of more than $80 billion over the years, putting it neck-and-neck with Mickey Mouse. While estimates vary, some believe that Disney currently generates annual revenue of between $3 billion and $6 billion from Pooh and friends. And now he's a gory killer.  

Crumbl Cookies Week Ending October 15

 - Pink Donut Cookie - A soft vanilla cookie, with a hole like a donut, topped with pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles.

- Pink Velvet Cake Cookie - A soft pink sugar cookie topped with cream cheese frosting and pink velvet cookie crumbs.

- Raspberry Lemonade Cookie - A lemon cookie topped with a swirl of raspberry and lemon frostings and house-made raspberry jam.

- Cake Batter Blondie Cookie -  A cake batter blondie cookie with white confectionary drops topped with a mix of pink and white sprinkles.

- Classic Pink Sugar Cookie - A vanilla sugar cookie topped with pink-colored, almond frosting. 

- Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie - A cookie with milk chocolate chips.

This week's cookies are dedicated to Sawyer Hemsley, Crumbl Co-Founder's late grandmother who recently passed away after a 25-year battle with breast cancer.

Cool Elf

"[T]hanks to a special, slow-release flavor ingredient that awakens the senses, enjoy a unique experience like you just took a bite out of a fresh made snowball"

WHAT ???

It's the new Elf on the Shelf North Pole Snow Creme Cereal.

I personally do not want my cereal to taste like a breath mint. 

Sadie Garcia, director of brand marketing at Kellogg Company: "With this new cooling cereal, we've dreamt up one more way families can bring the wonder of the season home, this time with a cereal that's just as delicious as it is magical."

SERIOUSLY ?? 

McDonald's PAILS !!!!!!

Halloween Pails return to McDonald's for a limited time this spooky season starting October 18, 2022 !!  The best part is these are re-puposed not just for Trick-Or-Treat pails for the kiddies but all sorts of other creative iterations 

Ketchup For A Bloody Good Time

Heinz brings back their Halloween-themed bottles of Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup for a limited time to grocery stores nationwide.

The bottles contain the same original Heinz Ketchup but in a "tomato-gore-filled" limited-edition bottle for Halloween. The concept they're going with is that Heinz Tomato Blood is a condiment for "vegetarian vampires." It also might look nice as part of a Halloween party spread.

You can find Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup at retailers nationwide through Halloween, while supplies last.

Friday Night Lights

 

I do enjoy supporting high school football but as the weather wanes and taking into account away games I am really enjoying watching these games streaming. I first got into it with a first mover in the industry called The Cube. They were acquired by Play On Sports who eventually worked a deal with the National Federation of State High School Associations and formed the NFHS Network.  Here is the kicker. They were giving out free camera units to high schools to broadcast games ( football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball etc). The cool thing is these camera units operate without a human. There is AI technology that follows the game. So you can broadcast effortlessly. In fact some schools set it to broadcast automatically on a timer. The whole broadcast unit conects to the scoreboard and renders graphics automatically. These units arent cheap. The finished product is streamed live on the NFHS network live via app on device or units like Roku. For a price of course. $11.99 a month. Compared to other services like Netflix pretty steep if you aske me.

The reason why I subscribed is to watch my daughter's cheer and watch their high school games as they are 1 1/2 hours away from me. But the problem was the school didnt broadcast home games on the netwrok because they didn't have the equiptment I asked the school's athletic director why they didn't partake in the FREE camera units and I was told you must be a member of the NFHS for starters and the revenue sharing was a tad wonky. I am not sure, but NFHS membership would have run that very small school ( enrollment 300) more than their budget allotted. I found out that they went on to broadcast via YouTube for free !! 

I have since noticed more and more schools dropping out of NFHS streaming and going their own route on YouTube.  My pocketbook likes this.

Lockport, which was on the network, now broadcasts their games via YouTube. Link HERE. 

It seems they are using the automated technology. You can see the camera making decisions and moving. The use of the scoreboard sucks though. 

Halloween Decorations

 

It is that time!!!  Time to go look at Halloween decorations.  Chicago Haunt Builders have their 2022 list of halloween decorated homes out HERE.  Kidslist has done a nice job with pictures from last year and if you scroll down has incorprated the list into regional driving maps. LINK HERE. Good stuff. 

Dear Jeff Bezos Maybe I Was Wrong

Sooo, Amazon's first Thursday Night Football game garnered 13 million viewers according to Nielsen. By Amazon's figures there were 15 million viewers.  Tough to say as we have the Twitch stream in the mix too. The average Thursday Night game runs about 12.84 million. Amazon has PROMISED contractually advertisers of at least 12.5 million viewers. Meaning if there are fewer then they get money back. This is all good news for Amazon.