Top 10 TV Shows to Watch in 2015
With the New Year approaching, TV fanatics are getting their recliners ready as January marks the beginning of fresh television. I’ve compiled a list of new seasons of your favorite tv shows with their air times as well as some new shows that may surprise you. Give ‘em a whirl.
We Were Promised Hoverboards
As the New Year chimed in at a crappy bar in Los Angeles, an old colleague of mine and I yelled, “YEAH, HOVERBOARDS!” Since the late 1980’s, people everywhere have been asking, “When are we going to get hoverboards?” Folks, you heard it here first: 2015 is the year of the hoverboard. According to my research (which is honestly the most extensive digging I’ve done since trying to find the world’s best, deliverable pizza dough), hoverboards are coming to a store near you. Or whatever Kickstarter uses as their purchasing system. Maybe PayPal? Whatever, HOVERBOARDS.
Hendo, a company based out of Los Gatos, California, has built the world’s first hoverboard. With more than double their original goal being met in just a short 55 days, backers everywhere are glued to their email inbox to receive their invites to the Hendo hoverboard event on October 15, 2015. Why is the release party almost a year later since it’s invention, you ask? It’s the same date that Marty McFly arrived in the future (could this invention be any cooler?). For just a small lump sum of $10,000 the hoverboard could’ve been (or is) yours. While that’s pretty steep, at least it’s a start. Nerdy websites everywhere are calling it one of the top inventions of the year. What is, in fact in my eyes, the most influential invention since sliced bread, will be on the market in just a short ten months. I could sit here and write about all of the science behind the board and what it actually runs on, but you can do that here instead.
As the year is just getting into full swing, it’s still going to be a grueling 10 months until I am able to enviously watch videos of average Joe’s cruising on their hoverboards via YouTube. There is one more thing though: Hendo has been designing a place for hover-ers to glide, or hover, in. Yeah, A SKATE PARK FOR HOVERBOARDS. A HOVER PARK. THE FUTURE RULES.
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The Weekly Swarm: 12/29 - 1/4
As I've written plenty of times over the past year, 2014 was a year of growth and development here at Ruby Hornet. We toyed with ideas, tested others, and came upon a framework in which we could develop and focus on in 2015. It might be some time until the scope of what we're exploring is visible, but the wait will be well worth it.
Over the past couple of weeks, we've been sharing some of our year-end lists, which made up the majority of last week's content. In addition to those, we also have a recap from American Football's New Year's Day show, Paul Feig's plans for his Ghostbusters film, and more! Check everything out below.
What The Hell Just Happened? The Biggest Stories of 2014
[RH Recap] American Football at Lincoln Hall (1/1/2015)
The Uncanceled Interview: Obama Weighs In, Sony Backtracks, and Everything Gets Even Weirder
[Trailer] It Follows
Paul Feig Shares Ghostbusters Vision, Defends All-Female Cast
Geoff's Top 10 Trailers of 2014
Geoff's Top 10 Films of 2014
The Most Impactful Photos of 2014
The Most Impactful Photos of 2014
2014 was an all-around turbulent year for the world. Between powerful protests, countries in conflict, the FIFA World Cup, Ebola outbreaks, drought, renewed race conflicts in America, and so much more, there still managed to be moments of enlightenment, creativity and discovery. The year was a true roller coaster ride, and with this comes a wide assortment of photos.
As social media continues to stride, photos and news stories flooded our feeds on a daily basis. Whether from live first person accounts, or from media outlets and photojournalists, a lot of people had different stories to tell, and perspectives to share.
With such a crazy year, we thought to share some of the most impactful photos of 2014; Photos that sum up the year as we enter 2015 with many issues still unresolved. They say a picture is worth a thousands words, so I'll let the following photos speak for themselves.
(Warning: Some of the following images are graphic in content.)
The Weekly Swarm: 12/22 - 12/28
2014 was a great year of progress here at Ruby Hornet. 2015 will see even more progress and evolution, and while it might take some time for all of the moving parts to gel together, I can promise the final product will be well worth the wait. Thank you to everybody that's been along for the ride - you're awesome.
With the holiday last week, we had a bit of a half-week. I also imagine this week will be more of the same. However, we'll still be rocking some quality content. If you missed out on any of our stuff last week because of family get-togethers, The Weekly Swarm has you covered!
Pallbearer and the "Hipster Metal" Phenomenon
FDA Will Now Accept Blood Donations from Gay and Bisexual Men
Silicon Valley: Best Show on TV?
[Trailer] Focus
Netflix to Exclusively Release Pee-Wee Herman Film
Sony Authorizes Select Screenings of The Interview
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Happy Holidays
FDA Will Now Accept Blood Donations from Gay and Bisexual Men
Once upon a time, I used to be a superhero. My lifesaving career began sometime in high school and continued until my early 20s, when I was told I wasn't good enough to save lives anymore. The Food and Drug Administration, at the time, had a restriction in place that didn't allow potential donors to donate blood for 365 days following receiving a tattoo. As a regular blood donor, it was a downer to be restricted to how much I wanted to actually help others, but I could understand. After all, improper tattoo practices can lead to devastating diseases, and the last thing anybody wants is to be given tainted blood because of a faulty tattoo needle. Since then, the FDA eased restrictions on tattooed donors, allowing us to donate 24 hours after receiving a new tattoo.
However, one decades-long restriction is progressing towards being lifted slightly when the FDA announced they will lift the ban on gay donors. Set in place during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, men who have had sex with other men were given life-long bans from donating blood. At the time, it was a safety precaution to protect from AIDS and HIV at a time when the disease was still mysterious and essentially a death sentence. With advancements in both medical and scientific technology, the ban in recent years was seen as an outdated and unnecessary restriction.
The move echoes the country's growing acceptance of homosexuality, especially in the light of same-sex marriages being close to legal across the entire nation. However, while the move is a move in the right direction, a restriction is still put in place that disallows potential male donors from donating blood if they've had sex with another man in the previous 12-month period.
The Williams Institute at UCLA estimates the change will amount to an additional 317,000 pints of blood annually, which amounts to roughly 951,000 potential lives saved. If you haven't donated blood before, find a clinic or organization that does! Trust me, there's nothing better in the world than being able to tell people you're a superhero and actually mean it.
[via New York Times]
The Weekly Swarm: 12/15 - 12/21
The last full week of 2014 is here, so I hope you're all able to finish this New Year's Resolutions in time and get some good karma under your belt in time for Christmas. We'll probably have a shortened week due to the holiday, so re-visit some of last week's content to keep your minds going, including articles like Travis' review of Danny Brown's recent Chicago show, Obama's announcement that the US will resume diplomatic talks with Cuba, an analysis of the different philosophies found in Interstellar and 2001, exactly what's going on between North Korea and Sony, LA's initiative to equip its cops with body cameras, and more!
[RH Photos] Danny Brown at Thalia Hall (12/12/2014)
Bridjet’s Top 10 Live Performances of 2014
United States, Cuba to Renew Diplomatic Talks
Travis Marmon's Top 10 Albums of 2014
[The Friday Five] What to Know in Music This Week (12/15 - 12/19)
Bridjet's Top 10 Albums of 2014
[Trailer] Knight of Cups
Sony Hackers Threaten Attacks on Theaters that Screen The Interview
Romanticism vs Enlightenment in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Interstellar
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Mid-December Update
The Canceled Interview: Sony Bows to Hackers, North Korea Wins, and No One is Laughing
[Trailer] American Sniper
Danielle Tunstall's Horror-Themed Portrait Photography
UK Journalists Show Support for Professional Photographers
Los Angeles is Mandating Body Cameras for Its Police Force
Bridjet's Top 10 Albums of 2014
As 2014 comes to a close, I reminisce on all of the albums I've had the pleasure of almost blowing my speakers out to. These are my absolute favorite records of the year and a little memo of why they rule so god damn hard. Like a little league coach to his players, I wish they could all be #1.
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10. Grey Gordon - Forget I Brought It Up
I’ve had the extreme pleasure of seeing Grey perform in my friend’s living room multiple times and I’m glad I heard him when I did. Fusing together the deep rawness of his lyrics with the upbeat, yet soulful guitar, this record is nothing short of amazing.
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9. Mastodon - Once More ‘Round The Sun
Mastodon killed it when I saw them perform Once More ‘Round The Sun at Bonnaroo this year. I honestly felt my face being melted off by the world’s tastiest riffs. When I got home, I was so excited to get the album. I’ve been listening to it ever since.
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8. Against Me! - Gender Dysphoria Blues
When lead singer Tom became Laura Jane Grace in 2012, the scene exploded with praise and understanding, which was amazing to see. What’s even more amazing is this album packed full of heartfelt lyrics and that beautiful folk-punk guitar you can’t help but turn up to.
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7. Interpol - El Pintor
I’ve been an Interpol fan for years, but they haven’t had anything that has caught my attention in a while. When I saw them play El Pintor at Lollapalooza this summer, I felt like I shot myself in the foot for not giving the upcoming album a notion earlier. It’s crisp, clean and nostalgic of Antics.
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6. New Found Glory - Resurrection
Back with a vengeance, NFG released a banger this year after their bassist “left” the band in 2013. Energetic as well as revengeful at times, this album shows that the kings of pop-punk are more than ready to be back on top.
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5. Modern Baseball - You’re Gonna Miss It All
Holy cow, this album is the ultimate pop-punk fairytale of how every 20-something feels 99% of the time, but doesn’t want anyone to know unless they’re on Tumblr. Loaded with goofy and cheesy lyrics, YGMIA is something I’ve played at least once a day since its release.
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4. Angel Du$t - A.D.
Angel Du$t’s first album is 15 minutes of pure, thrashy punk rock at it’s finest. A definite scene favorite, A.D. doesn’t disappoint with this record.
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3. Candy Hearts - All The Ways You Let Me Down
I’m a sucker for cutesy, pop-punk; especially if there’s a female vocalist. Girl power.
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2. Katy Perry - Prism
If you know me at all, you know I’m a huge Katy Perry nerd. I was front row for her show on my birthday and it was the best day of my life. This album has a very 80’s pop feel to it as well as some uplifting tunes. In short, this album makes me feel like I’m Katy; fabulous and sassy.
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1. Every Time I Die - From Parts Unknown
The party kings of southern metal have graced the world with flawlessness that even Beyonce is jealous of. That, my friends, is the perfection From Parts Unknown holds. If you want to gain the wisdom of 100 wizards, go listen to this album.