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Bruno Mars is giving back to his hometown of Hawaii on Thanksgiving. After wrapping up his record-breaking “24 K Magic World Tour” he announced that he will be providing 24,000 meals to families in need on that special holiday.
There are few things in this world quite as wonderful as a piece of delicious cheese. But why settle for one piece, when you could have an entire advent calendar full of cheese?
British food blogger Annem Hobson — the voice behind the awesome So Wrong It’s Nom — has teamed up with the Ilchester Cheese Company to create the world’s first Cheese Advent Calendar.
Seriously, is there any better way to count down time until Christmas than with 24 pieces of cheese?
The calendar — which first appeared last year as a UK-exclusive — will this year feature seven cheeses, including the seasonally-appropriate Wensleydale with cranberry and a limited-edition Wensleydale with gingerbread, as well as old favorites Cheddar, Red Leicester, Edam, Jarlsberg, and the smoky Applewood. All seven cheeses are vegetarian.
2018 also marks the first year the Cheese Advent Calendar will be available outside of the UK. In the United States, it will be available at Super Target stores starting later this month, where it will sell for $20. (Sorry, Canada: no Cheese Advent Calendar for you.)
Since the primary ingredient of the Cheese Advent Calendar is, well, cheese, it does need to be refrigerated. Fortunately, it was designed with storage in mind, so not only does the Calendar fold in half like a book, you can also tear off one side after the first twelve days to minimize the space it takes up in the fridge.
You can even check out how the Cheese Advent Calendar is made, from field to final package:
There are SO many people involved in the making of The Cheese Advent Calendar, and it’s come a long way since the handmade prototype. Here’s a little behind the scenes to bring you on the journey. Full video on IGTV and Facebook.com/SoWrongItsNom.If you share my fondness for cheese, you’re probably going to want like seven of these just for yourself. But these also make fabulous presents for folks in your life who might enjoy a change from the classic chocolate advent calendar, but aren’t quite geeky enough for a LEGO advent calendar. Just, you know, be sure to get them early so they can start counting down to Christmas on December 1. Wouldn’t want to miss out on any days of cheese, would we?
Have you seen any other fabulous non-chocolatey advent calendars? Let us know in comments below!
Images: So Wrong It’s Nom, Ilchester Cheese Company
As much of the media is struggling to find a motive for this week’s mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California, much has been made of Ian David Long’s possible PTSD having served as a Marine. PTSD is very real and we’re not going to diminish the potential effects of that disorder, but according to Dominique Colell, Long’s high school track coach, his scary, violent behavior was evident long before he entered the Marine Corps.
According to Colell, Long attacked her during his senior year, when she when a cell phone and was trying to figure out whose it was.
“Ian came up and started screaming at me that was his phone,” she told CBS Los Angeles. “He just started grabbing me. He groped my stomach. He groped my butt. I pushed him off me and said after that — ‘you’re off the team.’”
“He attacked me,” she says. “He attacked his high school track coach. Who does that?”
While it is both distressing and unsurprising that a mass shooter had a history of violence towards women, it is equally upsetting (and, yes, unsurprising) to hear that Colell was convinced not to file a formal complaint so as not to ruin the boy’s future in the Marine Corps. She says she was encouraged by both other coaches and the school–meaning the administration knew about the incident–to keep quiet.
We must stop ignoring these men’s dangerous behavior so as “protect their future.” It cannot be women’s responsibility to save violent men from themselves, or to then save others from those men. (via CBS LA)
- The fires in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas are terrifying and devastating homes; the city’s zoo is preparing to evacuate; and the Paramount Ranch, featured in so many projects, from Dr. Quinn to Westoworld, has burned down. (via THR)
- A New York Times correspondent posted on Twitter yesterday that he doesn’t know what gaslighting means and he wants people to use “actual English words.” The sexist was obvious, since the word has come back (yes, back) into popularity largely because women are talking about their experiences with it. He got promptly dragged by Twitter, including one of my favorite subtly snarky sub-tweeters: the dictionary.
’Gaslighting’ comes from the title and plot of a 1938 play in which a man tries to drive his wife mad by causing her to doubt her grip on reality. https://t.co/AqtwkxaEcr— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) November 8, 2018
- John Boyega and Leticia Wright are set to star opposite each other in Hold Back the Stars, a film that’s being described as “Romeo & Juliet meets Gravity.” TAKEMYMONEY.GIF! (via Vulture)
- Emily Blunt is always a joy. (Especially with bonus Stanley Tucci cameo.) (via YouTube)
(image: David McNew/Getty Images)
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Lexus is expanding the idea of luxury to attract a younger demographic of drivers. The new 2019 UX is a compact crossover SUV built for motorists in their late 30’s to early 40’s who don’t want to trade in their urbane lifestyles for the suburbs or pay premium gas prices to drive a big, costly car.
It was designed for Xennials — those who fall on the cusp of Generation X and the Millennial generation, typically born in the late 70s to the early 80s — with the understanding that, for many in this market, the UX will be their first-ever Lexus and their first luxury vehicle.
Derived from the words “urban” and “X-over” (crossover), the UX is customized for drivers living in densely populated metro areas like Los Angeles and Chicago. The power control unit of the UX is more powerful than similarly-sized Lexus hybrids, yet it’s 20% smaller and 10% lighter. With a 177-inch length and best-in-segment 34-ft curb-to-curb turning diameter, drivers in urban environments will have the ability to make tight U-turns, parallel park, and maneuver through narrow city streets.
Lexus UX Nori Green (Courtesy of Lexus)
The UX also comes complete with high-tech elements made to support customers’ digital lifestyles. This includes a 10.25-inch display screen that is controlled by a laptop-like touchpad, along with Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa integration. The Apple CarPlay feature gives drivers the ability to access Apple Music, Google maps, Waze, and Spotify once they connect their iPhone to the car through a USB cable. Drivers can also make phone calls and send and receive text messages through the multimedia display or with Siri. Plus, UX drivers will be able to lock and unlock their doors, start their engine, and check their fuel level, all from the convenience of using a smartwatch or Amazon Alexa-enabled or Google Assistant-enabled device.
“The Lexus UX is designed for the modern urban explorer seeking a fresh, contemporary and dynamic take on luxury driving,” said Chika Kako, the executive vice president of Lexus International and chief engineer of the UX, in a statement. “We designed the UX to appeal to young buyers who seek not only what is new and exciting, but what is also relevant to their lifestyles.”
Beginning in December, the UX 200 will be available for purchase with a starting suggested retail price of $32,000. In January, drivers will have the option to purchase the UX 250h, which will include all-wheel drive, increased power, and better fuel efficiency, for $2,000 more.
After giving the UX a test drive in downtown Seattle, Black Enterprise spoke with Michael Moore, the Lexus National Manager for Product Marketing, about the luxury SUV.
Lexus UX Silver Lining Metallic (Courtesy of Lexus)
BE: What makes the 2019 Lexus UX unique?
It has a very bold design that is unique and different than anything else in its segment. It stands out. It also has a collection of features that make it quite special. The standard LSS, a safety system that is basically best in its class, the LED headlights, and best in class fuel economy. On top of that, there’s also a very engaging driving experience that the UX delivers.
BE: What makes the vehicle appealing to young, urban drivers?
It’s purpose-built for an urban environment. It has a compact size. It has surprising interior space considering its size, but because of the platform its built on and its packaging, it has a turning radius that is ideal in congested environments. For younger buyers in an urban environment, that is going to be very appealing. Having great fuel economy and being able to maneuver in very tight spaces makes it very compatible for an urban environment.
While the UX will certainly appeal to this younger demographic, we also see some people that are a bit older that are moving back to an urban environment, that were maybe in the suburbs raising kids and now they want to come back to the city. They’re ready to come back an urban environment – the UX may appeal to them as well.
BE: As a millennial driver, I found three particular features in the UX to be very appealing: the technology, the pricing, and the fact that the engine takes regular fuel, a rare feature for a luxury vehicle. Can you elaborate about each?
Gas mileage
Lexus has been a leader in hybrid technology for years. We were the first manufacturer to offer a luxury vehicle that was a hybrid, so we have generations of experience with hybrid technology and we’ve built upon that. A lot of that technology and advancement has really proven itself with the UX; we can actually deliver a vehicle that has best in class fuel economy, not just in its segment, but it has better fuel economy than any SUV on the market.
Pricing
It has a really attractive price, starting at $32,000 for the gas model and $34,000 for the all-wheel-drive hybrid model. And then for the [Lexus] F SPORT, it’s just $2,000 on top of either the gas or the hybrid model. It has a really compelling value story relative to its competitive set.
Technology
The technology, we think, really speaks to this young consumer. CarPlay [and] Alexa are very seamless technologies that allow the owner to stay connected and perform tasks in a very easy simple way.
BE: While in Seattle, I had an opportunity to preview a UX video ad that underscores diversity. Why is it important for Lexus, as a brand, to celebrate diversity and inclusion?
For 23 years, I’ve been associated with the Lexus brand, either on the product development side, or on the advance planning side, or doing what I’m doing now on the marketing side. With my current role here in marketing, the work we do with Walter Isaacson, which is our diversity agency partner, and the way that we communicate to a multicultural audience is really important to us. It is our belief that you need to be a good partner in the communities where you do business. It’s more than just putting a TV ad on and selling a vehicle. It’s connecting with an audience and being part of that community. It’s something that I’ve been very proud of — not just on the work that I do, but being able to connect as a representative of the company to that audience. It’s not just important for me, it’s important to the company.
This interview was lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
The post Lexus Targets Younger, Urban Drivers with All-New 2019 UX appeared first on Black Enterprise.