Posts Written by Vic Arkoff

No shirt, no shoes, no service – it’s the rule at any burger joint, so dress your feet to eat. The online company store for California’s beloved In-N-Out Burgers offers classic, unisex slip-ons decorated with the iconic red palm trees from the drive-thru’s to-go bags and drink cups. Made with a poly-canvas upper and rubber sole.

Iggy Pop’s timeless tune “The Passenger” is a highlight from 1977’s Lust For Life – Pop’s most successful solo album. Finally, 43 years later, it has an official video. Directed by Simon Taylor, the cinematic black-and-white montage is inspired by the nocturnal rides Iggy took with David Bowie during their memorable collaborations.

After animating for Rick and Morty, Uncle Grandpa, and The Animated Tales of GWAR, Myke Chilian helms this weirdly wacky series about an eccentric boy and his cat. MacGyver-style, they seek out items for the Department of Lost and Found. Chaos ensues. Jemaine Clement and Wanda Sykes co-star. Debuts 7.23.20 on HBO Max.

In a bold leaf of faith, Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house staged its first concert since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown… to a full house of houseplants. The UceLi Quartet performed Giacomo Puccini’s “I Crisantemi” for 2,292 plants, one in every red velvet seat. Conceived by Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia.

Boxer and MMA fighter Conor McGregor stepped into the whiskey-making ring in 2018, near his hometown of Dublin. He and an ex-Bushmills manager crafted nearly 100 blends before debuting this KO formula. Proper No. Twelve is a proper Irish spirit made with the traditional triple-distillation method in copper pot stills.

Japan has distilled shōchū for 500 years, with iichiko setting the gold standard, but iichiko Saiten is a new kind of higher proof shōchū made specifically for mixology. Co-created with U.S. bartenders, the clear, pot-distilled spirit is rich in citrus, melon, and pepper notes, derived from two-row barley and fermented koji.

Form and function rule with the Good Design Award-winning Packable Rubber Rain Boots by Japan’s Pokeboo. Made from flexible natural rubber, the boots are thin and lightweight with a durable synthetic rubber sole and drawstring top to keep out rain and bugs. They neatly fit into/onto a backpack with its carabiner pouch.

The designers at Braun have long delivered chic minimalism in its gadgets. Their Men’s Analog/Digital Watch is the first in their collection to combine a traditional analog dial with the practicality of a digital time, date, and alarm display. The modern matte stainless-steel case and rubber strap make it a smart staple.

Gold-medal winning Woodford Reserve straight bourbon whisky is full of flavor, with hints of sweet aromatics, spice, fruit, flowers, grains and wood. Just the ticket for refreshing bourbon cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Mint Julep, and the summery Porch Swing cocktail, characterized by its use of lemon, honey and peach tea.

Working from home in PJs is the comfy new normal, giving us the best reason yet to spiff up our loungewear. Ettitude’s silky smooth and luxuriously soft waffle bathrobe is sustainably made from “CleanBamboo” lyocell fabric. Organic, vegan, hypoallergenic, and eco-friendly for a clear conscience.

Link up your tunes on the golf links with the Bushnell Wingman GPS Bluetooth Speaker. More than a mobile sound device, the Wingman relays audible distance info when synched with the Bushnell Golf App. A remote button enables tips on the course, and the main unit conveniently mounts magnetically to metal golf cart bars.

Designed for action in warmer weather, the K5 Modus Jacket by Beyond Clothing is a lightweight hooded zip-up to combat wind and rain with comfortable four-way stretch. The double-faced nylon polyester shell protects while the bamboo charcoal inner-facing is naturally antibacterial and moisture wicking to defunk odors.

One of the world’s favorite cocktails is the classic Dark ‘n Stormy, created in 1920s Bermuda when British Navy officers used Goslings Black Seal Rum to spike their seasickness cure: ginger beer. A century later, the drink gets its own holiday; June 9, 2020 is the first official Dark ‘n’ Stormy Day. Celebrate with the official recipe.

Get ready for your close-up with this mini selfie light. Just clip the rechargeable Moon UltraLight onto your mobile phone, laptop or tablet to expertly illuminate your photos, videos, and Zoom calls. With intuitive touch controls to customize color and brightness from 5 to 200 lumens, you’ll always put your best face forward.

Hey Dewy is a small and silent portable humidifier that conveniently plugs into a laptop, car, or airplane USB port. Its cool mist improves stale indoor air, hydrates your skin, and nurses nasal passages, defending against allergy triggers like dust, dander, mold and pollutants. 10% of sales go to The Water Project.

Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs star in the TNT series Snowpiercer, a post-apocalyptic thriller based on the film by Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho (Parasite). Set seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the politics of survival play out on a perpetually moving train circling the globe. Debuts 5.17.20.

Leave it to the crafters at Subversive Cross Stitch to create this timely DIY “Isolation Update” kit for tracking the number of days since you’ve last worn pants (or days without makeup, a bra, or crying) during the COVID-19 lockdown. Ideal for stress relief when you feel like stabbing something hundreds of times.

Cinco de Mayo is one of America’s favorite holidays, but contrary to common belief, it is not Mexican Independence Day. That treaty was signed August 24, 1821, a date commemorated by Tequila Corralejo. Their Extra Añejo 1821 honors valiant heroes with 100% blue agave, double-distilled in copper, and matured in oak for 36 months.

Small but mighty, the petite, portable MiniMax edition of the Big Green Egg charcoal BBQ cooker is just as versatile as its big daddy. At 76 pounds and 19.5″ tall, it’s a heavy-duty workhorse: a grill, smoker and convection oven in one, cooking everything from pizza to smoked brisket to baked goodies in a minimum of space.

Before Snoop Dogg cooked on Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, nobody would have guessed the perennially-baked Doggfather could, well, bake. According to this book, he’s a crook-turned-cook with his recipes for 50 munchie-satisfying foods like baked mac & cheese, fried bologna sandwiches, and chicken ‘n’ waffles.

In 2016, Everclear bandleader Art Alexakis was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, a degenerative disease that requires medication, injections and positive support to mitigate. In an act of solidarity with other MS sufferers, Art dropped a powerful music video, “Hot Water Test,” from his solo album Sun Songs.

Keep inspired and entertained with this anytime game. Haikubes is a set of 63 word cubes from Chronicle Books and the creators of Cranium. Just roll the dice and pick from the upright words to create a three-line haiku poem using the classic 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Includes two cubes with cues to nurture your poetic genius.

Golden-throated, big-hearted Josh Groban raised his voice and spirits with a free bedroom performance. He also raised $15,000+ for Meals on Wheels America, on the front lines of the pandemic, so thanked fans by singing “You Raise Me Up” in his shower. (Fully clothed, though he has said the song should be used for Viagra ads.)