Deals, Movies

Deal: TROY / GLADIATOR or THE GREEN MILE / FORREST GUMP Blu-ray Double Feature

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“Look, brother Paris. A great deal lies ahead.”

Good deal on Amazon right now for a couple of double feature Blu-ray sets: TROY and GLADIATOR or THE GREEN MILE and FORREST GUMP for $6.99.

Wolfgang Petersen’s TROY is one of those “guilty pleasure” movies for me and I watch it pretty frequently when I want to see big-budget sword-and-sandal carnage and Eric Bana kicking ass. GLADIATOR is of course a modern day classic in the same genre.

If you like Tom Hanks (and who doesn’t???), you can’t pass up on either FORREST GUMP or THE GREEN MILE if you don’t have them already. GUMP harks back to an age of filmmaking when stories had humor, heartbreak, colorful characters, great acting, seamless visual effects, and memorable music. They don’t make many movies like that anymore.

Link: TROY / GLADIATOR Blu-ray Double Feature on Amazon

Link: THE GREEN MILE / FORREST GUMP Blu-ray Double Feature on Amazon.

Which of these movies is your favorite?? Let us know in the comments below!

Photography, Style

Review: Edox Les Vauberts Swiss Automatic Watch 83007-3-AIN

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The Edox Les Vauberts Swiss Automatic Watch is currently making its way through my regular watch rotation. While it is a little too nice to be my everyday timepiece (for that I use my Seiko 5 Sports Auto), it is my go-to piece for dressing an outfit up for a meeting, presentation, or interview.

Continue reading Review: Edox Les Vauberts Swiss Automatic Watch 83007-3-AIN →

Movies, Video

New Trailer for HAIL, CAESAR!

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There’s a hilarious new trailer for the new film by the Coen Brothers, HAIL, CAESAR!

It’s always great to see a new movie by Joel and Ethan Coen. FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, and TRUE GRIT are on regular replay at my house, and many of their other films are also personal favorites of mine.

See the new HAIL, CAESAR! trailer below:

HAIL, CAESAR! is directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and will be released on February 5, 2016. The film stars Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Channing Tatum.

Outdoors, Photography, Style

Boat Shoe Showdown: Sperry Top-siders vs. Sebago Docksides

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Remember those Ralph Lauren boat shoes I wrote about a while back? They are cool and all, but as I said back then, fashion denim doesn’t exactly cut it if you need footwear sturdy enough for, you know, an actual boat.

The two most well-known examples of legitimate boat shoes are Sperry Top-siders and Sebago Docksides. Need help deciding which is best for you? Read our comparison here!

UPDATE (05/17/16): Just got some cool new Cooper boat shoes from Jack Erwin! Read the review here!

Continue reading Boat Shoe Showdown: Sperry Top-siders vs. Sebago Docksides →

Money, Photography, Thoughts, Travel

PRAKTICALA’s Recommended New Year’s Resolutions!

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PRAKTICALA has had an exciting year –  we’ve experienced a lot of growth and exposure, and had the opportunity to shoot all over the world.

#LaRecoleta #cemetery #BuenosAires #Argentina #Nikon #D90 #photography #travel #business #UCI #MBA #prakticala

A photo posted by PrakticaLA (@prakticala) on

With 2016 upon us, I’ve put together a few simple and practical suggestions for how to be fitter, happier, and more productive in the new year. Please enjoy PRAKTICALA’s Recommended New Year’s Resolutions!

Continue reading PRAKTICALA’s Recommended New Year’s Resolutions! →

Food, Photography, Travel

Taipei, Taiwan: Din Tai Fung and Glamour Photos

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Continuing our honeymoon adventures:

The fourth and final leg of our honeymoon was to the great island of Taiwan. In many ways, Taiwan was everything that Yoselin from 6 Mono Media had been waiting for the entire trip – the bustling city, the swanky (and cheap) loft with a great view, courtesy of Airbnb – the culture, the incredible cuisine, NIGHT MARKETS, affordable shopping, etc.

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Movies, Video

New Trailer for THE BFG!

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Disney (sigh) just released the new trailer for THE BFG, a film based on the popular children’s novel by Roald Dahl about a girl name Sophie and her adventures with a Big Friendly Giant.

The film has a powerhouse crew, with Steven Spielberg directing and bringing along his usual team of stone-cold pros: Janusz Kaminiski (cinematography), Michael Kahn (editing), and John Williams (original score). Weta Digital (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) is doing the visual effects. Additionally, the screenplay is written by Melissa Mathison (E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL), so we can’t help but expect great things from this movie.

Mark Rylance plays the BFG; we saw him recently in Spielberg’s BRIDGE OF SPIES and he gave a fantastic performance. We look forward to seeing him next year in the role of a giant!

See the trailer below:

THE BFG comes to theatres on July 1, 2016. It also stars Penelope Wilton, Bill Hader, Rebecca Hall, Jemaine Clement, and Ruby Barnhill.

Outdoors, Photography

Carolina Portraits at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park

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We just recently realized that we never got around to posting these portraits we took of our good friend Carolina!Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park is a beautiful backdrop for some unique headshots. Carolina had no problem looking great even after two days of camping and roughing it in the woods!

If you live anywhere in California and haven’t visited this incredible park, you owe it to yourself to pay Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park a visit. There are plenty of amazing sights to see – including Moro Rock and of course the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on Earth by volume.

Again, if you live in California, chances are you only live less then a few short hours’ drive from the park. For a refreshing outdoor getaway over the weekend, it’s hard to beat Sequoia. Make sure you bring your camera!

Deals, Movies, Photography, Style, Technology

Happy Thanksgiving + Black Friday Deals

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Happy Thanksgiving from PRAKTICALA!

We hope you spend the holiday with friends and family. On the other hand, we acknowledge the rush one gets from Black Friday shopping. So why not compromise a little and do your shopping at from home, in your pajamas?

We’ll compile some of our favorite Black Friday deals here, so come back often for updates!

TECH:

Need a tablet? You can get the Kindle Fire from Amazon for a measly 35 bucks!! WHAT?!

If you’re into streaming TV, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is on sale for just $25!  You can steam Netflix, Amazon Video, and much more to your TV.

Low on hard drive space? Get a blazing fast solid state drive from Sandisk – 240GB for only 60 bucks! No spinning disks or other moving parts to wear out!

MOVIES:

My favorite movie from 2015, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD for $16.81 at Amazon! Read our review here!

JURASSIC WORLD Limited Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD is only $10 on Amazon! Free shipping with Prime!

Or if you need the whole series (all four movies), the JURASSIC PARK Collection on Blu-ray  is only $25!

Need more sci-fi? EX MACHINA on Blu-ray + Digital HD is only $5, also shipped free with Prime!

Also, the STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy is also only $5!

MORE sci-fi! The ALIEN QUADRILOGY Blu-ray, including all four ALIEN films, is just $15 on Amazon! Awesome deal on one of the greatest film series ever!

One of our favorite comedies from the last few years, BRIDESMAIDS, is on Blu-ray + DVD for $5 from Amazon!

BOOKS:

One of my favorite books ever – The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes – only $4 for the hardcover on Amazon with promo code HOLIDAY30! If you have that one already, you can also get the great The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes (hardcover) for $4, or The Essential Calvin and Hobbes for $5!

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Photographers – Adorama has the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 lens starting at $249. This is a great price on a fast wide angle lens! Available for Canon, Nikon, and more.

STYLE:

Looking for a pair of shoes or some AWESOME dress shirts (review coming soon)? Get 20%  off your order at Charles Tyrwhitt by clicking here and entering the code CYBER20 at checkout! Or, get 15% off plus free shipping by clicking here and entering the code CYBER15! (expires 11/30)! Read my review of their Clarence Cap-toe Semi-Brogue shoes here!

Great watches don’t all need to be expensive. Take 50% off the Timex Weekender watch with promo code TIMEXGIFT to make it a cool $11 (multiple colors available!

OUTDOORS:

Amazon has a folding knife with Speedsafe from Kershaw for $10! A great name in knives if you are into camping and the outdoors. Might need to refresh a few times to see the price!

Stay tuned for more Black Friday deals throughout the weekend! Have a tip on a hot deal? Leave a note in the comments!

Have a safe and fun Thanksgiving!

Photography, Style

Review: Double Monk Strap Dress Shoes by Meermin Mallorca

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Now that you know about the James Bond test, it’s time to talk about monk straps. I have these double monks from Meermin Mallorca.

Be honest – sometimes you don’t want to hassle with shoelaces. What do you do? One option is to wear loafers, like these from Beckett Simonon. OR… put on a pair of monk straps!

Continue reading Review: Double Monk Strap Dress Shoes by Meermin Mallorca →

Business, photography, style, and storytelling for the budget-conscious layperson