#i dont own any of the tvs on vinyl yet
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i really want to preorder speak now tv because that feels like a Tradition and Supporting Her but i also know i'll have to wait who knows how long for them to arrive and pay extra for shipping on top of that soooo i think i'll just be going to a store the day of release
#maaaaybe might order the cassette#the tapes themselves are SO cute#but double pack cases always look kinda awkward#i wonder when we'll see images of the side#gotta know how it's gonna look on the shelf#anyway this cover kicks ASS and i couldn't be happier#but i also know now i don't need multiple copies of the cd if there's only one version of the cover#i dont own any of the tvs on vinyl yet#my collection is still sprouting but also they're sooo expensive and heavy#and sorry unpopular opinion but i haven't looooved the covers#fearless tv cover has grown on me a lot especially for its significance 😭#but still don't love red tv's cover so don't want to invest that much in it as Art#this got rambly and no one caresssss but that's what the tags are for ! <3#speak now tv#merch
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whats a good starting point for a guy who wants to get into led zeppelin!!
HEHEHEHEEHEHE… hello anon, come in come in….. sit on this nice cozy chair dont mind the leather straps on the armrests heheeh……..
ok in all seriousness. And ill try to keep this as short as i can. theeee lz experience is hearing them play live, rather than the studio recordings. This may sound weird to hear from a guy born 20 years after lz stopped doing shows lol but theres a LOT of material out there that u can watch/listen to if u wanna get (what i assume is a fraction of) the experience. Probably the easiest thing to find and in best quality (though in my exp the quality of online streams is still atrocious, maybe theres some hq torrents though?) is “the song remains the same”, a concert film of three dates they played at MSG in 1973. but theres also videos floating around of their concerts at Royal Albert Hall 1970 and Earls court 1975 (you can check yt for these) plus a few odds and ends here and there (im a big fan of this tv appearance in france 1969, though this was super early on so their performance “style” isnt yet well defined, esp wrt plant, but the actual playing is still peak imo)
as far of audio-only live recordings go, theres of course the album version of TSRTS, the BBC sessions album (of various radio appearances they did through the years), and the album called “how the west was won” with live versions of many of their more popular songs taken from a couple dates in california in i believe 1972. These are all on spotify or yt or wherever else u listento music. Theyre also really well mastered (and remastered, and re remastered…) bc Jimmy Page is anal like that. So even if theyre live theyre great quality and u can hear every instrument distinctly.
ALSO theres like a million lz bootlegs out there, which is like its own niche subfandom(?). A bootleg is an illegal recording that fans made back in the 70s and then spread around and/or sold for money. the digital versions of many of these are available on yt and archive.org but theres also a huge marked of selling them, the og 70s vinyls are especially prized. idk much about lz bootlegs bc i never could listen to a single one all the way through as all the noise bothers my brain lol so if anyone reading this does and has tips please share<3
I spoke about live stuff bc in my opinion, and also according to members of lz, fans, various music critic type people, basically everyone agrees lol lz studio songs were just kind of the first iteration of what would then mutate and stretch into a more loose, longer, live experience. Imo lz, studio or live, is some of the best music ever made point blank period, but its definitely not for everyone, in that you have to be able to get in that classic rock/prog rock* type of mood of songs lasting anywhere from 6 minutes studio to 35 minutes live, and taking you on this weird journey with ebbs and flows, rather than having a tight structure that is easier to follow and listen to like all pop music ever. i mean this in an entirely value neutral way: a pop song, whether from 1965 or 2015, is easy to listen to bc IT carries YOU through the listening experience, whether you want to or not, whereas for instance a 20 min version of dazed and confused live requires you to willingly be there. Its not work or effort, exactly (at least not to me) but it definitely requires a different type of attention.
and btw maybe you knew all this already lol but i said it incase you or anyone else who ends up reading this doesn’t know a lot about rock
ANYWAY, of course theres also the actual studio albums. i dont think theres any specific way you should listen To them, like my friend has been going thru them chronologically but back in the day when i was just getting into lz i just jumped from one song or album to another as the mood struck me (which is how hoth ended up being the first lz album i ever heard… i think itd finished torrenting first and i liked the cover and took it on my ipod on holiday with me, and now its my favorite album of all time & engraved on my very soul lol). If you want MY recs of the stuff i like best, i have this recruitment playlist where i put a mix of my fave lz songs and the ones i think are must-listen for any new fan.
Ok so i ended up writing a bunch anyway LMAO. ty for the ask lmk if u have any specific questions ❤️
#asks#lz#*i could get drawn and quartered if the wrong person sees me associate lz to prog rock lol listen im not calling them prog but theyre def a#little proggy in some ways. mainly the thing i was talking about of long drawn out meandering performances. also they do some other#prog-ish stuff in some specific select places think like the weird times in some songs (kashmir#black dog prob others i cant think of rn) but i DEF dk enough about prog rock OR music theory to state that definitively.
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A LITTLE TOWN CALLED HAWKINS.
Word count 1,800
You were dreading the day you had to move in with your aunt Claudia and cousin Dustin. You hadn't actually seen Dustin since he was about 4 years old, now he was a freshman in high school. You had to pack up your life and move to a whole other state since your mother and father decided that they were moving to Europe and you didn't want to go with them and you couldn't afford a place of your own just yet, then came the brilliant idea of moving in with your aunt until you get enough funds to pay your own way.
You packed up the last of your things in your dodge charger, you mainly only took your clothes and your vinyls. You hugged your parents goodbye and set off to do the 9 hour journey.
Meanwhile in Hawkins, Dustin has not shut up about you coming to live with them, everyone has been hearing about you for about a week now. The whole gang are sat in the Henderson's basement watching a movie to pass the time. Dustin turns towards Steve and smiles "she should be on the road now!" Steve slowly looks towards Dustin "I know, you told me about 20 minutes ago." Steve replies with a sarcastic smile. Dustin rolls his eyes and turns back to the TV and continues watching the movie. By the time you arrive in Hawkins it was 9pm, Dustin greets you at the door.
"Hi Y/N!" Dustin says slightly too loudly for 9pm.
You smile and set you bag down on the front porch "Hey Dusty, long time no see" you hold your arms out for a hug which Dustin jumps at. You give him an extra squeeze and look over his shoulder were Claudia has moved into the hallway "Hi Aunt Claudia" you smile and wave.
"Hi darling" she says with a smile "Dustin why don't you show Y/N her room?"
Dustin turns and starts making his way to your new room with you following him. As you walk in, Dustin stays stood at the doorway "I'll let you get settled in Y/N" he smiles and closes the door. You set your suitcase on the bed and let out a really deep breath and tilt your head back with your eyes closed. You slowly start to unpack some of your essential clothes, and pick out the teddy bear that your mom got you when you were a toddler and place it on your new pillow.
The weeks pass by and you end up getting a job in a small bakery in town. You have met the rest of the gang, but haven't spent much time with them. One afternoon, you are stood behind the counter at your job, it has been a very slow day, you don't remember a time that you have felt this bored. You have also been flicking a piece of scrunched up napkin about on the counter top when you hear the bell above the door chime. You glance up and notice the curly mop of hair under the baseball cap of your younger cousin.
"Hey Dusty," you straighten up and smile "what can I get for you today?" You look over to the glass display case. Dustin follows you gaze and puts a finger on his chin as he hums in thought. As he is about to answer, the bell chimes again and you look over to the door to see most of the gang walking in "Dustin, did you leave everyone behind to get in here first?" You laugh.
Dustin glances at you and smirks "well I wanted first pick and they were taking too long" You laugh and lean over the counter and knock his cap down a little.
"Such a little shit" you mumble to Dustin. "Hi everyone" you address everyone else. Mike, Lucas and Max lift their hands in greeting. Eddie smiles and salutes you. Steve smiles a little "Hi Y/N" he is stood at the back of the group so you barely hear him.
Everyone asked for a pastry or cake of some kind and you place each one on a plate for them. You punch the price into the cash register "so that will be..... 7.75" you look at Dustin and hold your hand out and smile.
"So Y/N, I dont actually have any money" Dustin says as he takes a massive bite out of the brownie he ordered. Eddie reaches his hand over Dustin's head and holds out two 5 dollar notes. You reach up and smile at him "Thank you" you then pop open the cash register and get the change out. You hand it back to eddie who automatically puts it in your tip jar, you catch his eye and he sends you a small wink with a smile. You smile and look down at your hands briefly. "Enjoy your treats guys" you look at Dustin "see you at home Dusty" you knock his cap off and giggle.
"Yeah yeah see you at home" Dustin rolls his eyes and picks his cap up and puts it back on, while he holds his brownie in his mouth. As they are leaving, Dustin leans back through the open door "Y/N, we are having our movie night at our house tonight. You can join if you want."
"Sorry Dust, I can't tonight. I have a date" you say with a frown "maybe I can come to the next one?"
Dustin looks down at his feet "oh, yeah sure!" He then leaves and runs to catch up with the group. You let out a sigh and grab the cloth to start wiping down the counters.
Later that evening, you are in your bedroom getting ready for your date. You can hear everyone starting to arrive. You swipe the last layer of gloss over your lips and smack them together. You pick up your bag and head downstairs. You make your way over to the door and pick up your keys “okay Dustin. I'm going now. I'll be back later” you shout into the living room where everyone was getting ready to watch the first movie. Dustin looks up and furrows his brows when he notices your keys in your hand.
“You're driving yourself there?” He questions.
You look down at your keys and then back up in confusion “yeah… why?” You drag out.
Dustin rolls his eyes “because that's a shitty date. He should have picked you up to take you to wherever you are going.” Once he says this, Steve, Eddie and Robin turn their heads to you. They take notice of the short dress you are wearing and how it hugs you in all the right places and the plunging neckline. Steve's eyes widen ever so slightly and he averts his gaze to the door behind you. Eddie swallows harshly and sneakily looks you up and down. Robin waves at you and smiles “he is right Y/N. Your date should have picked you up at least” Robin says with a pointed look in her eyes.
You roll your eyes and take a deep breath “I didn't want him to pick me up, okay? I just wanted to drive myself because I just have a feeling that this date is going to be a shitty one.” You slightly mumble and look at Dustin “so I'm going now. If you make a mess, clean it up. Bye” you lift your hand in a semi wave and open the front door.
Your date goes relatively well, he was some guy that came into the bakery most mornings. His name was Brandon and he works in the office buildings. You tried your hardest to stay interested in his conversations all evening but after a while talking about his love of golf and how his dad owns 2 boats gets a bit boring. You take a sip of your water and smile at him “I'm really sorry to do this, but I have to go because my little cousin is at home and I need to get back to him” you lie a little. You get your purse out and offer him your half of the bill. He looks at the money and then at you “Don't offend me like that. I have to pay.” He takes out his credit card and places it on the table.
You look down at your bag and roll your eyes. Men and their old fashioned ways. You think to yourself. You finish your water and place your napkin on the table. “Thanks again for the nice evening.” You smile at him and stand up.
He looks up at you “I'll call you?” He says it in almost a questioning way and you just nod at him. As you walk out of the restaurant you make a mental note to tell Dustin to tell him that you aren't in if he answers that phone call.
You drive back to your house, you have your music loud and just trying to cheer yourself up after your shitty date. You pull into your driveway and can see the light from the TV still on in the living room. You walk up to the front door and unlock it. When you step inside, that everyone is completely paying attention to the horror movie that is playing and didn't even notice you coming in. You instantly recognise it as one of your favourite movies: Halloween. You sneak up behind Dustin and lean over the sofa and say in his ear at the same time the character on screen does “But you can't kill the boogeyman!”. Dustin screams and jumps up onto his feet and turns to face you. You laugh and grip onto the sofa. Dustin has a hand on his chest and is breathing heavily.
“I hate you. I hate you.” He chants breathily. You keep giggling to yourself as you make your way into the kitchen. As you are getting yourself a glass of water, Eddie walks in and smiles “didn't take you for a horror fan”. You turn around and smile at him “I'm a person of many surprises” you say with a smirk. Eddie steps towards you and you have to tilt your head back a little to keep eye contact. When he gets almost toe to toe with you he leans down slightly. “Maybe I could see some of those surprises?” He whispers and places a hand on your waist. Your smile grows wider and you slowly nod. Eddie is about to place his lips on yours as you hear “Eddie, come on man. How long does it take to get some water?” You sigh lightly and Eddie squeezes your side.
“Maybe later sweetheart” he says and then kisses your cheek. You watch him go into the living room again and then make your way upstairs to have a shower and get ready for bed.
Maybe you will grow to really like Hawkins after all..
TAGS:-
@capitanostella
Please let me know if you enjoyed this. :)
#fluff#eddie munson x reader#joseph quinn x reader#stranger things fic#steve harrington x reader#stranger things#new fic
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Looking at your score for the "have you done antiquated things" thing made me understand that not everyone born 95-00 was indeed born 95-00 (if that makes any sense?) Your score of 9 surprised me because I'm only 23 and I got 4.
Lol yea I mean like ive seen/been exposed to most of those things. I just haven't necessarily used them
Watched my grandparents make calls on the rotary phone. Liked to stim with the dial while watching TV in their room. But i wasn't really old enough to be making phone calls.
Didn't really use the computer much on my own until I was 7 or 8 and my mom had a laptop and I mostly just played educational games on CD-ROM before that so while I'd seen floppy disks we weren't really using them in my house
Im not sure id seen a vinyl record in person til I was maybe 10. I knew what they were from movies and stuff but nobody I spent any amount of time with had any (tho apparently my moms cousin who's only about 10 years older than me collects them but I never really went to his house so I didn't know that til a few years ago lol)
Ive listened to cassette. My grandparents had a radio in their home office that played cassettes and I used to listen to Rudolph the red nosed reindeer on repeat for hours on it when I was little (and yet no one wondered if I may be autistic lol.) But ive never recorded anything on cassette.
I am very glad we never had dial up in my house. My noise sensitive ass could not have handled that lol. I know what it sounds like. I know it made an awful noise. I would not have been a fan.
I dont know if I would have sent postcards even before 2000.....every time I've bought a postcard its because I wanted it for me lol. With the exception of the wooden one I got as a souvenir for my friend when I went to Colorado (tho I do wish id gotten one for myself)
My dictionary was a childrens dictionary i got at school. Dictionaries and encyclopedias just aren't something my family would have...we read a lot but those would just take up shelf space lol
Ive never personally paid with a paper check but I have received paper checks as payment at work and i know how to fill out a check.
#ive used a black and white video camera from the 80s/early 90s#it recorded onto tapes#my grandparents let me use it to play news anchor when i was a kid#i have a film camera#....i have TWO film cameras actually#i fucking love my minolta#i wish film was cheaper#i wanna have a dark room some day#i love using my film camera over my dslr#my first camera was an instant camera i got when i was 5 (the pictures were tiny stickers)#and i used to carry around those little disposable cameras long after they ran out of film to pretend to take pictures of things#when i was 3-4#i used to type things out on the typewriter at my moms office when i was little#ive had to send faxes at work
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i took a walk with my fame down memory lane (i never did find my way back) - chapter eight
[ao3]
this is the latest i’ve ever posted a chapter...but technically it still counts. as long as i havent slept its still monday and you dont know whether i live in california or not
@tirednotflirting thank u for entertaining my insane little ideas and improving them this fic is truly nothing without you and @kaleidoscopeminds thank you for making my entire fucking week with that helpful little encouragement although i have to say its only monday so don’t get too gassed about that compliment.
i said on ao3 that half of this was written to a specific song so here i’m going to reveal the other half was written to just be good to green by professor green which honestly? fucking slaps i can’t be lying to you on this fine monday evening/tuesday morning
They have a few dates in the UK at the end of December, and Calum finds that his week or so away from his band has actually been a week too long. It almost made him forget the warmth that fizzles through his veins with the laughter that comes from Noel making contemptuous comments about Liam and Bonehead and Liam and Tony and Liam again, from Bonehead cheering loudly as Calum and the brothers groan and wince when they hear -and City have conceded yet another goal, this really is poor form- on the radio, from Liam slinging an arm around Calum in a bar in Glasgow and grinning madly at him, eyes lit up from the high of the show and the booze and the drugs, and shouting I fucking love you, Cal, over the sound of the shitty music. It makes Calum grin back, makes him press a sloppy kiss to Liam’s cheek, makes him giddy with the thoughts of how could I ever give this up? that rattle around what little of his mind the coke in his veins has left him.
It’s good, though, because the week-and-a-half apart is all the breathing space they needed, so once they’ve all recovered from their frankly alarming post-New-Year’s hangovers, the first few weeks of January, which are precious weeks off, are spent cooped up in a rehearsal space, or down the pub, or lying on the floor of Noel’s flat, stoned out of his mind, or wrapped up in a bunch of sky-blue scarves screaming abuse at the away stand at Maine Road.
Or, looking at houses in London.
Calum had mentioned it to Liam in a carefully-casual way, biting the inside of his cheek to contain a smile as Liam’s bright blue eyes had lit up and he’d said, a little too enthusiastically, eeyar, y’know Kentish Town’s a right nice area? Bet you could find a place there, too.
“Have you got a place, then?” Calum had asked, and Liam had shaken his head.
“Not yet,” he’d said. “Got some more viewings next week, though, if you fancy tagging along.” Calum had hummed, and nodded.
“Might do,” he’d said. “What’re you looking at?”
“Houses,” Liam had said immediately. “Big fuck-off houses. Mansions." Calum had snorted, and rolled his eyes. Typical.
“Give us the number of your estate agent,” he’d said. “I’ll ring and see if they’ve got anything for me.”
So Liam had called Noel and asked for the estate agent’s number, because he’d lost his address book again, and then Calum had rung the estate agent and told them vaguely what he was looking for - a place somewhere around Kentish Town, not too far from a pub if possible - asked to be put on the books, and been posted a few particulars. There had been a few places he’d been interested in, two houses and one flat, and with a little bit of wrangling he’d managed to get himself viewings on the same day that Liam had said he’d be going down, which is how they’ve ended up here.
They’ve seen both the houses that Calum had been considering, neither of which were quite right - one had a deceptively large garden, which Calum simply can’t be bothered to deal with, and the kitchen of the other one needed far too much work doing - and they’re in the second of Liam’s now, ambling around an airy, spacious living room. It’s a nice house, Calum thinks as he runs a finger over the mantelpiece above the fireplace, if a little big for his own taste. Liam, though, seems to be fucking loving it, craning his neck to look at the high ceilings and the sash windows, whatever the fuck those are. Calum had tuned out of whatever the fuck the estate agent’s droning on about approximately ten minutes ago, electing to simply wander around on the other side of the room, lost in his own thoughts.
It’s going to be fucking weird, he thinks, living in London. Manchester’s home. It’s where he’s been for almost six years, where his life had gone from bland and mundane to the fucking rollercoaster it is now, where he'd settled in and grown into himself. It’s going to be fucking weird being away from it, not going to Maine Road on a Saturday afternoon or a Tuesday evening, not heading down to the pub round the corner from his house for a pint with Liam, not hopping on a bus to cross town to Noel’s flat. Somehow it feels even stranger than when he’d first found out he’d be going on tour, leaving Manchester and sleeping in a different city every night, because he’d still always known where his home was. Sydney hadn’t ever really felt like home, not in the way Manchester does, and it makes Calum’s skin prickle with a tiny bit of fear to think that he’s choosing to uproot himself again, choosing to displace himself entirely this time, on a strange leap of faith chasing his best friends down to London.
Well, he thinks, glancing over at Liam again, and a warm wave of comfort washes over the prickling under his skin. At least he’ll have a little bit of home here with him.
Almost like he knows he’s being watched, Liam turns on his heel and catches Calum’s eye.
“What d’you think?” he says, like they’re a couple, or something. Calum shrugs. He likes it well enough, but it’s not his money, is it?
“‘S your money,” he says.
“Yeah, but what d’you think?” Calum shrugs again, casting his eyes back up at the huge bay windows opening out onto the street. He can imagine Liam here, sprawled out across a big sofa with ten empty bottles in front of him, TV blaring in the background, phone hanging off the hook. He’d probably have those NME covers of himself blown up and hung on the wall over there, maybe above the fireplace, might even get a vinyl of their album and stick that up on the wall behind the sofa- yeah, Calum can imagine Liam here.
“I like it,” he says. “Think it suits you.” Liam beams at him.
“Yeah?” he says, and turns back to the estate agent, who’s been hovering a little nervously in the doorway as Liam prodded around the brilliant white living room. “How much was this one, again?”
“Five hundred and forty six thousand,” the estate agent says politely, and Liam nods thoughtfully, like that isn’t the most enormous sum of money Calum’s ever heard of.
“D’you want to ring our accountant, maybe?” Calum says pointedly, and Liam shakes his head.
“Seeing Noel tomorrow,” he says, and Calum hums. Fair enough. Noel’ll probably know the state of Liam’s finances better than their accountant, anyway. "Right, let's have a look at your little bedsit, then, eh?" Calum rolls his eyes, and shoots Liam a playful glare.
"Get to fuck," he says, and Liam grins, following the estate agent out of the house.
The flat Calum had liked the look of is literally around the corner from the house Liam’s keen on, and there’s a pub halfway between the two of them that Liam points out and stops outside of, peering in and asking the estate agent how much a pint costs there.
“Two pound fifty?” he echoes in shock, when the estate agent informs him. “Who the fuck do they think they are?”
“You’re literally a fucking millionaire,” Calum reminds him, and Liam tears his gaze away from the window to glower at him.
“It’s the fucking principle,” he says, but he slouches away from the pub, albeit not without throwing it one final glare.
The flat’s on the ground floor of a huge house, one that looks like something Calum might expect Brett Anderson to live in, and he has half a mind to ask whether any other potential rival band members are living in the area before letting Liam loose in it, but decides he’s not going to play the role of Liam’s minder if he doesn’t have to. He, at least, isn’t bound to him by blood and double-helixes like some people, and he’s going to take full advantage of that.
The estate agent’s saying something about excellent schools in the area as they walk in, and Calum just stares at her back, thinking do I fucking look like I’m about to have kids? I don’t even know how to boil an egg or change a lightbulb - or anything beyond playing bass and taking drugs, really. Liam doesn’t hold back his snort, and Calum throws him a glare over his shoulder but can’t hide the amused smile playing at his lips, which just encourages Liam, makes him say eeyar, Cal, could tuck your little kids Mary and Jane into bed right here, couldn't you? when they get into the smaller bedroom.
The flat’s not too big, but it’s definitely not small, either - two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom and a toilet, and a kitchen, with a little patio at the back over the shared garden which, the estate agent assures him, is taken care of by the building managers. It’s exactly the right size, really - big enough that Calum feels like he’d have breathing space, even with the four noisy Mancunians that are inevitably going to be spreading themselves out across his new place like they’d been the ones to spend a few hundred thousand on it, but small enough that it wouldn’t feel empty, wouldn’t make him feel lonely if he were there on his own, and, more importantly, wouldn’t be a fucking ballache to clean.
He looks down at the particulars he’d had the foresight to bring with him - or rather, that his mum had shoved in his hand before he’d left the house - and scans it for the price again. A hundred and ten thousand, alright. That’s still fucking extortionate, but after hearing the price of the place Liam’s thinking of it feels like a bargain, and he’s already got his mortgage in place thanks to the chivvying from his parents, so he turns to the estate agent when they get to the kitchen and says: “I’d like to make an offer at the asking price.” She brightens, and nods.
“We have one more viewing on this property this afternoon, but I’ll get in touch with the seller as soon as I get back to the office and let him know,” she says, and Calum smiles politely at her, feeling incredibly out of his depth. Fucking hell, maybe he’s not ready for this. Maybe it’s too early to be living on his own; maybe he should have a transition period, move in with Liam, or something, rent something in Manchester.
But, like he can sense it, Liam turns to him, and nods decisively.
"This is your fucking place," he says, like it's obvious. "And I'll be right 'round the corner."
So it's decided.
Buying a flat, it turns out, though, is a right fucking hassle.
It involves lawyers, which Calum hadn’t expected, and it involves a surveyor, which he’d never even heard of, and it involves his parents insisting on coming down to London to look at the property he’s chosen, like they can’t trust him to make an adult decision.
(Well, Calum thinks, when Liam casually offers him a bump of coke in the pub the evening before they're due to go down to London. Maybe they’re right.)
His mum thinks the kitchen is too small for entertaining, and Calum doesn’t have the heart to tell her that the kitchen probably won’t be used for anything other than storing alcohol for a good few years, and his dad thinks the shower could do with replacing, which Calum just nods at - he’s not sure how he’d go about doing that; call a plumber? A builder? He’ll figure something out - but they both nod, satisfied, when Calum’s finished the full tour and turns back to them expectantly.
“How close did you say Liam would be, again?” his mum asks, too casually, and Calum can’t help but laugh as he leads them out.
There’s no way it’ll all be done before they have to head back out on tour again, so Calum has to sign a bunch of documents authorising his parents to be informed about what stage of the buying process he's in, but the lawyer Noel had found for him assures him that everything will be done by the end of January when they’re back for a few days for the NME awards and Calum’s birthday.
About a week and a half before the NME awards, Michael calls.
“A little birdy tells me you’re buying a place in London,” is how he greets Calum when Calum picks up the phone after hearing the Calum, it’s Michael yelled up at him from the kitchen, and Calum can’t help but huff out a surprised laugh.
“How the fuck d'you know that?” he says.
“I’ve got my sources,” Michael says, and Calum can hear that he’s grinning.
“You’re not spying on me, are you?” Calum says, a little suspiciously.
"'Course not," Michael says breezily. "Can't speak for Damon, though. Y'know, this whole Blur-Oasis thing is really stepping up a notch with the NME awards around the corner." Calum can’t help but smile himself, grinning down at his lap.
“Fuck off,” he says, and he feels comfortable saying it, and Michael laughs, and it all makes a strange warmth curl up and make a home for itself in the pit of his stomach.
“Dave’s looking to move to Kentish Town,” Michael explains. “Went to an estate agent, who said it was surprising to see three members of Oasis and one member of Blur there in the space of a week.”
“Those bastards,” Calum says evenly. “Thought we were paying for exclusive rights to their services. Pretty sure Liam would've made sure we had a verbal contract, or something; none of those Blur cunts allowed." Michael laughs again, and the sound goes straight to something deep in Calum, something that he reckons might be either his heart or soul but chooses to ignore because he can feel the threat of panic rising in his chest at the very thought of entertaining that idea.
“What made you decide to move down, then?” Michael says, and Calum shrugs, even though Michael can’t see him.
“Thought it was about time I moved out,” he says. “And- y’know. London’s sort of the place to be, if you’re in the music scene.” Michael hums.
“Y’know Kentish Town’s right around the corner from Camden?” he says, a little too nonchalantly. “‘S where that fish and chip shop I took you to was.” Calum swallows.
“Yeah, I know,” he says. He hesitates, and then adds, in an equally too-casual voice: “You’ll have to show me around the area.”
“Might do,” Michael says lightly. “For a fee.”
“I’m going to be skint after buying this place,” Calum tells him. "It'd be an act of charity."
“Who said the fee was monetary?” Michael says, and Calum’s heart skips a beat. He clears his throat, and goes to say something, but can't. It doesn't matter, though, because Michael’s carrying on, a little hastily, like he’s picked up on Calum’s silence. “You could nick me a few of Noel’s songs. Damon’s really struggling for lyrics. Came into the rehearsal room yesterday after being stuck in traffic with a song that goes who maddest one on the M1?” He pauses, and then says: “It’s pretty good, though.” Calum can’t help but snort at that, heart beating a little too fast, even though Michael’s glossed over the awkward moment. Or maybe papered over it; Calum's never been great at telling the difference.
“I’m not looking to get murdered,” he says, and Michael sighs dramatically. “Plus, it’s not like Noel’s lyrics are any better.”
“True,” Michael muses. “What’s that one about, fucking, Mr Soft?” Calum huffs out a laugh at that, leaning back on his bed.
“Don’t remember a song about fucking Mr Soft,” he says, and Michael tuts, but Calum can hear the note of amusement in it.
“Should’ve been that instead,” Michael says flippantly. “I reckon it would’ve been an improvement.”
“Bit rich, coming from someone who’s got a song that half-consists of the word ‘parklife’,” Calum retorts, and Michael makes a noise of indignance.
“That’s a fucking brilliant tune,” he says, and Calum can hear the smile in his voice.
“Damon barely even sings on it,” Calum says.
“Shouldn’t do, either, for what we had to pay Phil Daniels,” Michael remarks. “Damon’s obsessed with getting these fucking features on. D’you know we’ve got Ken Livingstone lined up for our next album?” Calum can’t help but laugh out loud at that, bright and surprised.
“Ken Livingstone?” he echoes. “Like, Ken Livingstone?”
“Yeah,” Michael says, and he sounds exasperated, but fond. “I don’t know what the fuck is going through Damon’s head most of the time, but it’s easier to just give him a pat on the head and go aww, Damon, that's a lovely idea, what a clever boy you are than to try and understand him. Don’t have the energy for that. And I’m still making money, aren’t I?”
“If your house is anything to go by,” Calum says.
“Hey,” Michael says, mock-serious. “Let’s not talk about my house. Nice flat you’re buying.” Calum has to concede there, with a grin. He’s got a point.
“Does Damon call all the shots, then?” he asks, a little curious. He doesn’t actually know much about Blur’s dynamic - they’re nowhere near as transparent as Oasis are, and all he really knows is what he’s heard from Michael, which seems to be that they’re decent blokes and good friends, and what he’s picked up from the Oasis camp, which seems to be that they’re all Tories and that the jury’s still out on whether they’re the antichrist or whether that’s Liam.
“What’s this, trying to infiltrate us?” Michael asks, but Calum can hear that he’s smiling. “He tries, but Graham won’t let him. We sort of step back and let their do their thing most of the time. Alex gets involved, sometimes, but I think Graham and Damon like the fighting.” Calum hums, not really sure what to say to that, besides sounds like Noel and Liam.
“You’d like Damon, I think,” Michael says, after a moment of silence.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Well, y’know. If your insane bandmates would let you.”
“Yeah, well.” Calum shrugs, a little awkwardly, and casts his eyes back down at his lap, picking at his pyjama bottoms. Michael doesn’t say anything to that for a minute, just breathes down the phone line and lets the two of them simmer in a slightly-uncomfortable silence, and then he sighs.
“I should go,” he says. Don’t, Calum wants to say, but he doesn’t have a good enough reason to keep Michael on the line. Michael pauses, like maybe he’d been waiting for Calum to ask him not to go, and then sighs again. “Alright, well. I’ll see you at the NME awards, I guess.” Calum’s stomach twists. Shit. He’d forgotten Blur were going to be there.
“Yeah,” Calum says. “Yeah, we’ll be there. Don’t think you’ll be able to miss us, the number of awards we’ve been nominated for.” Michael laughs at that, and it’s soft, but it’s a little wistful. Maybe Calum should have asked him to stay. Maybe he didn’t need a good enough reason. Maybe just wanting him to would have been reason enough. It’s too late now, though, because Michael’s saying I don’t think anyone within a six mile radius of Liam can miss him, and Calum huffs out another laugh, but the smile accompanying it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I’ll see you then,” he says, and then hesitates, and adds: “I mean-”
“I know,” Michael says quickly, and Calum’s grateful for it. “I promise not to even look in your direction all night.” Calum snorts.
“What’re you going to do when we’re up on stage collecting all the awards we’ve beaten you to?"
“Go to the loo,” Michael says immediately, and this time, the smile does reach Calum’s eyes.
“You’ll be up and down like a fucking yo-yo,” Calum says.
“I wouldn’t be so sure, given the number of awards we’re up for,” Michael says, and it’s smooth and cocky, confident without being arrogant, and it sends something electric charging through Calum, knocking the breath out of his lungs and making his vision blur a little around the edges for a moment. What the fuck is that?
“Guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Calum manages to get out, proud of and relieved at how light and even his voice sounds.
“Guess we will.” Michael’s voice is light and amused, but that searing edge of confidence is still there, and Calum has to swallow, mouth suddenly dry. “I’ll see you there.”
“You will.” He hears Michael breathing for a moment longer, and then there’s a click, and he’s gone, leaving Calum sitting in bed, staring at the wall opposite him, mind finally kicking into gear and helpfully offering him an explanation for the way his heart’s racing in his chest and his breath coming out a little shorter and shallower than before.
Arousal.
-------
They have a show in Hollywood on the twenty-second, which means Noel ramps up rehearsals for the week before they go, probably mostly because he just loves to wield power over them all. Calum doesn’t really mind, though, enjoys the way that Liam and Noel snipe at each other, the way Bonehead grumbles about needing to re-tune his guitar again because he can’t be bothered to restring it, the way that they all roll their eyes at Tony when he fucks up the rhythm for Supersonic again in the first few bars.
Well, actually, he’s not enjoying that so much.
See, he knows Tony’s not the best drummer, the same way he knows that Noel’s far from the best guitarist and he’s not the best bassist. They’re all getting there, though - Calum can hear how much better he sounds than even half a year ago - except for Tony. Tony’s not got any better, doesn’t even seem to care enough to try, content to get by with what he’s got away with doing so far and then go down to the pub for a pint or two and ring his missus when he gets back to the hotel, but it’s not good enough anymore. It might have worked when they were fighting tooth and nail to get on a bill, but now, when they’re selling out bigger and bigger venues, when they’re on a six-album contract and they’re in the running to be the biggest fucking band in Britain, it’s not enough.
The tension’s been mounting for a while, the exasperated looks Noel throws in Tony’s direction turning to scornful, to ugly, twisted lips and dark, furrowed brows, but so far, no one’s said anything. Liam might snipe at him a little more, might seek him out to get out his pent-up anger when Noel’s tired of fighting with him, and Noel might snap at him faster, might say Jesus, you’re fucking incompetent with absolutely no shred of fond exasperation, but no one’s said anything. It’s only a matter of time, though, Calum thinks, as he watches Tony falter on the beat again and Noel turn around, fingers stilling on the strings, shoot him a furious look and say d’you feel up to doing your fucking job today, or what? Should I do it myself? They’re going to have to address it at some point.
Not now, though. Now, they’re flying to America again, and Calum’s trying to get Liam to go to sleep on the flight instead of demanding peanuts from the poor air hostesses every two minutes, and Noel’s turning around in his seat and saying stop kicking me, you dick to Bonehead, who just shrugs and kicks harder, and Tony’s pretending to nap across the aisle. Everything’s in its strange, fragile balance, and none of them want to be the first to upset it.
The show in Hollywood goes well enough - which is measured by the fact that Noel only had ten minutes of criticisms to hand out, rather than the usual twenty - and then they’re flying back to the UK, drugged-up and exhausted from jumping back and forth across timezones, being ushered into a hotel in London and told you’ve got a day off, and the NME awards in the evening. That’s a human evening, Bonehead, not fucking midnight. Calum’s sharing with Liam that day - or is it night, he can’t fucking tell anymore - and they just fall right into bed and sleep for sixteen hours, only waking up at five in the afternoon when someone hammers on their door and shouts Noel says to wake you up, and to tell you that you’re lazy cunts. Liam rolls over, and blinks blearily at Calum.
“Time’s it?” he mumbles, and Calum squints at the bright red numbers on the alarm clock balanced precariously on the edge of his bedside table.
“Five,” he says. Liam groans, and rolls onto his back, staring at the ceiling.
“Fucking Noel,” he says. “Don’t even have to leave for another hour. Prick just wants to torture me.”
“Probably,” Calum agrees, because that sounds like Noel. Liam groans again, rubs at his eyes, and then pushes himself up on his elbows, looking back over at Calum.
“Did we raid the minibar last night?” he asks, and Calum thinks for a moment, and then shakes his head. Liam smiles, satisfied, and swings his legs out of bed, stretching and yawning as he gets to his feet.
“Perfect,” he says, heading straight for the little fridge under the desk. “Noel can pay for these, then.” Calum just rolls his eyes, but he’s grinning when Liam winks at him over his shoulder and tosses him a little bottle of vodka.
They drink the entire minibar between them, and by the time they’re heading out for the car that’s waiting to pick them up, Calum’s laughing at everything Liam’s saying, skin pleasantly warm and tingling, which is just encouraging Liam to say stupider and stupider things and gesticulate more and more wildly. Usually, Noel would nip that right in the bud, but he’s a little pink-cheeked himself, just laughs along at Liam’s antics and the weird little stories he tells on the journey to the venue.
It’s fucking packed when they get there, and Calum’s almost blinded when a few cameras go off in his face, and he barely has time to think brilliant, bet I look fucking great in those before someone’s tugging on his sleeve and pulling him up the steps and inside. He’s still blinking away the blue-green-purple behind his eyes as he stumbles into the room, gets ushered to a table with the rest of them, and twists around in his chair, trying to drink in the rest of the room.
It’s fucking packed, and it’s full of people Calum recognises from festivals and from magazines and newspapers - Elastica, Radiohead, Suede, Pulp - but he’s only really looking for one band. He’s trying to do it as subtly as possible, though, knows he doesn’t have a lot of time to look before Noel notices and gets shirty about it, but can’t find them anywhere in the crowd of people as people get up and sit down and lean around their table to talk to someone at another table. He turns back to his own band, tuning into the conversation that’s going on about whether or not they’d actually been nominated for Best Single; he'll just look for Michael the next time the Gallaghers have gone to take whatever it is they're on tonight.
There’s drink on the table, and there’s drugs in Noel and Liam’s pockets, and by the time the ceremony’s begun they’re all looking very fucking merry and pleased with themselves. The brothers actually manage to behave themselves, though, sitting back quietly as the first award - Best LP - is introduced.
Of fucking course, it’s Blur.
They watch as Blur traipse to the stage to a round of polite applause, looking very relaxed and pleased with themselves, coming from somewhere against the wall to the far left of the Oasis table, and Calum feels his heart start to speed up as he spots Michael at the back of the group, saying something to Graham with a smile on his face that makes Graham laugh too as they follow in Damon, Dave and Alex’s wake.
Damon leans into the microphone, saying something about thank you to the fans, blah blah blah, but Calum’s just staring at Michael, willing him to catch his eye. Michael’s scanning the crowd in a way that Calum could mistake for idle if he didn’t see the slight narrowing of his eyes, the slight downturn of his lips. He’s looking at the back, then at the left, then somewhere around the middle, and then finally his eyes fall on Calum’s table, and his lips curve upwards ever-so-slightly.
And then, like Noel and Liam aren’t sat right fucking there, he winks.
Calum knows what he’s saying. First award goes to me, eh? Fucking cocky little shit, he thinks, through the haze of alcohol, but it makes his next intake of breath a little sharper all the same.
“Pricks,” Liam says derisively, reaching for another beer. Calum hums his agreement, but his eyes don’t leave Michael, who’s now trying to suppress a fully-fledged smile. Calum shakes his head, almost imperceptibly, and reaches for his own beer, just for something to put between himself and Michael.
Damon finishes his speech, thank you to their management, blah blah blah, and then they’re heading back off the stage, and Michael breaks his eye contact with Calum easily, like it’s nothing, tossing another nonchalant comment that Calum can’t make out in Damon’s direction. It sort of stings, seeing how easily Michael can act like it's nothing, but it’s also an odd relief, because Calum’s all too aware of the two fuckers he’s sat between.
He’s downed another beer by the time the next award’s being announced - Best Single - and it looks like they have indeed been nominated for it, because they win it.
“Fucking get in,” Liam crows, getting to his feet, and Noel doesn’t even have it in him to do anything but cuff him upside the head fondly as they head for the stage.
“None of you cunts deserve this,” he says, as they jog up the steps. “Least of all you.” He directs the last part at Tony, but unlike the first half of his sentence, it’s got an edge of venom to it, a bit of Noel’s cruel streak leaking through. Calum shoots Noel a sharp look as they head for the podium, because tonight is not the fucking night, and shakes his head.
“Don’t be a cunt,” he says, and Noel just shrugs, turning away from him to accept their award and then stepping over to lean into the microphone. Liam’s there too, quick as a fucking flash, not willing to let Noel have any more than about forty percent of the limelight, and Calum just rolls his eyes and steps back, deciding to just let the fucking shitshow happen. He’s got other things to think about, anyway - Blur had come from his left when he’d been sat down, so they should be sat somewhere on what’s now his right, and he frowns as he scans the room, squinting into the bright stage lights as he tries to make out the all-too familiar shape of Michael sat at a table.
He actually spots Damon before he spots Michael, and he feels an odd stab of excited anticipation make his heart lurch as his eyes slide around the table, like he’s a fucking fifteen year old with a crush again. There’s Graham, Dave, some woman he doesn’t know, Alex-
Luke.
Fucking hell.
He’d completely forgotten, somehow, that Luke - and Ashton, who’s sat right next to him - were going to be here. It makes his stomach tighten, seeing the two of them again in this unfamiliar context, makes him blink like they’re going to fucking disappear if he tries hard enough. Luke’s hair is long, now, curly like it always used to be after they’d been swimming at Bondi Beach, and he’s broad as fuck, fills out the shirt he’s wearing in a way that would probably make Calum’s mouth water if it were anyone other than Luke. Ashton looks older, too, has his sleeves rolled up far enough to expose very muscled arms, hair dyed black and one slightly-curled strand falling into his eyes. He’s got his hands in front of him, clasped together and elbows on the table, and Luke’s leaning back in his seat, one arm around the back of Ashton’s chair, leaning into him a little. They look the same, and they look so different.
Calum doesn’t even realise Liam and Noel are done with their antics until Bonehead shoves at him with his shoulder and inclines his head with a frown, signalling get off the fucking stage, you prat. It only just occurs to his alcohol-addled mind to flick a quick glance over at Michael, who’s grinning up at him easily, even looking a little proud, and it makes Calum’s already-leaden stomach flip somehow, in a way that he thinks might be pleasant but isn’t entirely sure about.
He follows the rest of his band off the stage in a daze, almost trips over his own feet at least four times on his way back to the table, drawing enough attention to himself that Liam throws him a frown as they sit down, concern for Calum cutting through all the drink and drugs in his veins.
“What’s up with you?” he asks, managing to make it sound hostile somehow. Calum blinks at him.
He can say it, can’t he? It’s not like they’ve got any shit with Luke and Ashton. Well, Noel probably will on principle, but anyone who isn’t the most vindictive person on the planet shouldn’t have.
“I, uh,” he says, and clears his throat as he realises Noel’s tuned into the conversation too, even though he’s still facing the stage, sitting far too still as he listens to what Calum has to say. “I saw the Blur table. Michael’s brought two of my best mates from Sydney.”
“Oh,” Liam says, sounding a little disappointed, like he’d been expecting something juicier than that. “D’you wanna go and say hi?” That gets Noel to turn around, to shoot Liam a furious glare.
“Are you insane?” he demands.
“What?” Liam says defensively. “They’re his mates.”
“They’re with Michael.”
“So? They’re still Calum’s mates.”
“They’re with Blur.” Liam scoffs.
“Don’t be so fucking unreasonable,” he says, raising his voice a little to be heard over the applause as the next award is announced - Calum has no idea what it is, but Blur are receiving it again. Noel laughs incredulously, and his eyes are narrowed and cold, and Calum thinks for fuck’s sake, not again.
“I’m being fucking unreasonable?” Noel says.
“Yeah, you fucking are,” Liam says stubbornly. “What the fuck have they done? They’re not in Blur, are they?”
“They’re-” Noel cuts himself off, throwing his hands up in the air, like the fact that Liam’s not on his side on this is beyond him. Liam throws him one last look, and then turns back to Calum.
“D’you want to say hi?” he asks again, and Calum hesitates. He’s not really sure.
“Jesus, why don’t you ask him if he wants to fuck Mike again too, while he’s at it?” Noel says scornfully, which makes Liam’s eyes flash with anger for a moment, and he rounds on Noel again.
“Shut the fuck up,” he says. “Just fucking leave it.”
“Leave it?” Noel echoes. “Leave-”
“Stop it," Liam says, something uncharacteristically firm and serious to his tone. "You’re making yourself too obvious.” That makes Noel’s mouth snap shut, but his jaw muscles continue to work furiously as he glowers at Liam, something so irate in his expression that Calum can’t even read it. He doesn’t want to, anyway, not when he sees the defiant set of Liam’s jaw and realises they’re having one of those brotherly we know something you don’t know moments, sees the silent conversation occurring between the two of them and just waits it out, waits for one of them to snap. It’s Noel this time, folding his arms and sitting back in his chair, still glaring at Liam, but Liam seems to know what he means by that, because he throws Noel one final look that looks almost like those I’m disappointed in you looks that Noel so often sends Liam, and turns back to Calum again.
“Let’s go over,” he says.
“Not now,” Noel says sternly. Nothing to do with Blur, though; this is Noel’s business voice. “We’re in the middle of a fucking awards ceremony.”
“So?” Liam says, with a carefree shrug.
“No.” Liam looks like he wants to argue for a moment, but Noel holds his gaze, and eventually Liam sighs and slumps back in his seat.
“Fine,” he says sullenly, but before Noel has time to say something cutting in response, everyone around them is jumping to their feet and cheering.
“What?” Calum says to Bonehead, who throws him a funny look.
“Best new band,” he says, and Calum’s heart clenches, but in a way that he definitely likes.
Fucking hell, he thinks, as he gets to his feet and grins broadly at Noel, who grins back, the previous conversation completely forgotten. Well, that makes him two-for-two with Michael, doesn't it?
-------
Oasis end up winning three awards, eclipsed only by Blur, who take home five. Liam claims that they win four, though, because Alan wins the Godlike Genius award, and he’s basically Oasis, innit? Oh, fuck off, Noel, you’re not Oasis. If anything, right, I’m Oasis, ‘cause- and then Calum tunes out.
Someone mentions something about an afterparty, because of course they do, and everyone agrees enthusiastically. They’re all getting to their feet when Liam turns to Calum with a look of surprise on his face, like he’s just remembered something.
“Your mates,” he says, and Calum swallows. His mates.
“Yeah,” he says. “Uh- yeah. I might-” he cuts himself off, but Liam gets it, and nods.
“Want me to come over with you?” he says, and Calum hesitates. No, because I’m not sure I can handle the guilt of being around you and Michael at the same time is thrown up at him by his mind, but his heart says yes, please. I’m scared. I need you there.
“Can you refrain from calling them all cunts for five minutes?” Calum says, because he can’t say please, and Liam grins, a sparkle in his eyes.
“Guess we’ll find out,” he says cheerily, and skirts around the edge of the table, making a beeline for the table Blur are gathered around on the other side of the room, lingering and laughing at something Michael’s saying with big, grand hand gestures. He can feel Noel’s eyes on the two of them as he jogs to catch up with Liam, who strides like a fucking maniac despite the fact Calum’s got a good three or four inches on him, but he doesn’t say or do anything. That’s almost more dangerous, though, Calum thinks, because Noel never forgets, just files the information away to act upon later. He doesn’t have time to worry about it, though, because the speed with which Liam’s powering towards the table means they’re there before Calum’s really realised they’ve crossed the room, the band and the other assorted people that Calum doesn’t know blinking at them curiously. Well, blinking at Liam curiously, Calum thinks, stomach bottoming out. They all know about him and Michael talking again, don’t they? Do they know that Liam doesn’t know? Do Calum’s fucking rivals know how Calum’s betraying his own best friend?
“Who’re you?” Liam says to Luke and Ashton, ever the fucking diplomat. “Cal says you’re his mates from Sydney.” The two of them blink at Liam, clearly not entirely sure what to make of him or the situation, until Ashton clears his throat.
“Uh, yeah,” he says, and Calum’s next exhale comes out a little shaky at the sound of his voice. It’s so fucking familiar, has the same intonation and confidence it’s always had, and the same thick Australian accent that both he and Michael have lost along the way.
“I’m Liam,” Liam says, completely oblivious to the entire group of people staring at him like he’s absolutely insane. Well, Calum supposes, he must be used to that. Pretty much everyone stares at Liam like he’s insane, most of the time.
“Oh,” Ashton says, and shoots Michael a look, like he’s not sure what to do. “I mean. We know.” He hesitates, and then adds: “We really like your album.” Liam grins.
“‘Course you do,” he says breezily. “It’s fucking brilliant.”
“We’ll see you at the party, Mike, yeah?” Damon says, and throws Michael a pointed look. Michael just shrugs, and Damon looks at the rest of the table, who all kick themselves into gear and start slowly ambling away from the table as they shrug their coats on, mumbling to each other too quietly for Calum to hear. Damon’s the last to go, tossing Liam an easy smile, a glint in his eyes.
“Nice to see you again,” he says.
“Fuck off,” Liam says, not even bothering to look away from Ashton, and Damon’s lips just twitch in an amused smile as he catches Michael’s eye, who rolls his eyes at him and shoos him away. He goes, though, turns on his heel and jogs to catch up with Graham, who’s been loitering a few tables away, seemingly waiting for him, and Liam leans forwards, rests his elbows on the vacant seat in front of him and puts his chin in his hands.
“Who’re you, then?” he asks again.
“I’m Ashton,” Ashton says.
“I’m Luke,” Luke says, and his voice is deeper than Calum remembers.
“Right,” Liam says, and then glances at Michael. “Are you gonna fuck off, or what?”
“Me?” Michael says. “No, I’m alright.” Liam narrows his eyes at him, and Calum watches a flash of amusement cross Michael’s face before he schools his features into something convincingly solemn again.
“Hey, Cal,” Ashton says, before Liam has the chance to tell Michael to get to fuck, or whatever, and Calum tears his gaze away from Michael to meet Ashton’s eyes.
“Hi,” Calum says, throat suddenly dry. He clears his throat, and tries again. ��How’re you?” Ashton blinks at him.
“Good,” he says, “we’re good, yeah.” He glances at Luke, as if to anchor himself, and it makes Calum’s heart ache, makes memories of Luke doing the same to Ashton five, six, seven years ago bubble up in his mind.
“Michael says you’re a teacher now,” Calum says, just for something to say, wanting to cry at the awkwardness of the atmosphere. It seems to be the right thing to say, though, because it makes Ashton’s lips hitch up in a smile, something warm reaching his eyes.
“Yeah,” Ashton says. “Yeah, I teach RE.” Calum smiles at that, and he can’t help but glance over at Michael, thinking about their conversation a few weeks ago. Michael’s looking at him too, and their eyes lock for a split second, held together by a private memory, before Calum breaks it to look over at Ashton again.
“Could’ve guessed that,” he says, and Ashton’s smile turns into a grin, something like relief tingeing it, like he hadn’t been quite sure how Calum was going to react to him. It emboldens Calum to add: “You and your fucking philosophy.”
“Hey,” Ashton protests, but he’s still smiling. “Not all of us are cut out to be rockstars.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Michael says, and Calum remembers.
“Oh, hey, d’you still play drums?” he asks, and Ashton wrinkles his nose.
“‘Course he does,” Michael says.
“Well, y’know-” Ashton starts cagily, but Michael interrupts him with a scoff.
“Oh, shut up,” he says in exasperation, rolling his eyes, but it’s utterly fond. “He’s the fucking man of the scene in Sydney.”
“You’re in a band?” Trust Liam to be suddenly interested.
“I- well, I’m in a few-”
“You’re in a few?” Liam frowns, and pauses, before asking: “Are you really fucking good, or really fucking shite?”
“Really fucking good,” Michael puts in, and Liam shoots him a glare.
“Did I ask you?” He doesn’t bother waiting for a response, though, just rounds on Luke, and asks, blunt as fucking anything: “D’you talk?” Luke’s eyes widen, and he looks so much like that seventeen-year-old that Calum had left behind that it makes Calum’s head spin for a moment.
“Don’t be a cunt,” Calum tells Liam sharply, who turns enough to throw Calum a look over his shoulder.
“Just asking a fucking question,” he says, but it’s grumpy, which means he’s going to relent.
“Michael says you’re a pilot,” Calum says, to try and ease the tension, and Luke’s eyes flit to him.
“Yeah,” he says.
“That’s pretty cool,” Calum says, and Luke hesitates, and then smiles.
“Coming from you,” he says, and Calum grins back.
“International rockstar’s a pretty good job,” he agrees, and Luke’s smile turns into a full-blown grin too.
“Is that what you write down on visas?” he says, and Calum snorts.
“I don’t, but this prick does,” he says, nodding at Liam, who just smiles inanely.
“Not gonna lie to the authorities, am I?” he says, and Luke, Ashton and Michael all laugh, and it’s real. It’s not forced, it’s not polite, it’s real and amused and warm, and Calum thinks he might have ascended to another fucking plane of existence, seeing his two best friends from Sydney, his best friend now, and his- well, whatever the fuck Michael is, all getting on, if only for a moment.
It hurts, though, because he thinks this is what it could be. This is what I could have, if Noel and Liam weren’t such fucking cunts.
“Right, are you done?” Liam says, straightening up again. “We’ve got drugs to take.” Michael rolls his eyes, and Luke and Ashton look a little startled, and Calum thinks oh, fucking hell, but he sighs, and steps back.
“We’re in the UK ‘til Saturday,” Ashton says. “We, uh. It’d be nice to see you. If you have time?” Calum blinks at him. Fucking hell, he doesn’t know his own schedule; he just jumps when Noel tells him to.
“I, uh,” he says, but Liam speaks for him.
“Could do Friday,” he says. “If you can come to Manchester.” Ashton glances at Luke, who shrugs.
“I mean- yeah, sure,” he says, and Liam nods, satisfied.
“Seven at the Vic on Burnage Road,” he says.
“Is this an open invitation?” Michael asks mildly, and Liam glares at him.
“Not to you,” he snaps, and puts his hands in his pockets. “Right, well. Nice to meet you. Me and Calum’ve got toilet lids to be getting to know. See you Friday.” Calum just blinks, not entirely sure what’s just happened, watching as Liam slopes away.
“Uh,” he says intelligently. “Sorry about him.”
“He’s…” Luke trails off, and Calum can’t help but huff out a laugh.
“Yeah, he is,” he says, but he can’t hide the fondness and pride in his voice. “I- sorry, I really should- Noel’s-”
“No, no, don’t worry,” Ashton says. “We’ll see you on Friday.” Luke’s still watching Liam, who’s now hovering in the door and throwing Calum an impatient glance, apprehension etched on his features.
“Will he be there?” he asks.
“I- uh. Seems like it.” Which is fucking insane.
“Right.” Luke doesn’t sound too happy about that, but Ashton throws him a stern look, and he just sighs and then smiles at Calum. “See you on Friday, then.”
“See you,” Calum echoes, and then throws Michael a glance. “I’ll-”
“Yeah,” Michael says quickly, so Calum won’t have to say it. “Don’t worry. I know.” He smiles, and he means it, and Calum wants to cry. He doesn’t deserve Michael.
He turns on his heel and jogs to the door, still trying to process what the fuck’s just happened. It must be written all over his face, because Liam frowns at him when he gets to the door, and then squares himself, looking a little hostile.
“What?” Liam says defensively,. “They’re your mates, aren’t they?”
“Well, yeah, but-”
“And they’re not in Blur.” Calum hesitates.
“You don’t have to,” he says, and Liam shrugs.
“Yeah, I know,” he says easily, pushing open the door to the venue. There are no photographers outside, now, just a few wannabe groupies hanging around and a couple of cars still waiting to ferry people from the venue to their hotels or the afterparty. It’s one of those that Liam opens the door to, clambers into without holding the door open, meaning it almost shuts on Calum as he follows, just about managing to get his leg in without the door slamming on it. “But they were important to you, weren’t they?”
“Well- I mean, yeah, but-”
“That’s that, then.” He blinks steadfastly out of the window as Calum stares at him for a moment, drunk brain trying to understand what’s going on, what Liam's doing for him, and why he's doing it.
God, he thinks, as the familiar guilt settles deep in his veins again. He doesn’t deserve Michael, and he doesn’t deserve Liam, and neither of them deserve what Calum's doing to them.
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#malum#5sos fic#5sos fanfic#5sos fanfiction#5sos slash#i have to dip because i have unfortunately got important business to attend to hpefully before 3am#but i will be back tomrorow#im just all over the place at the moment#so many thigns are happening in my life but not to me#very stressful times all round#LUCKILY i have noels EXCELLENT music to get me through these trying times#and i also have sams burgeoning love for britpop#which gets me through pretty much everything#love u sam
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My Oblivious Boys!
Did you ever notice just how oblivious Sam and Dean are to what’s normal sometimes? Like, right here, we have our wonderful, Sam Mr Morals Winchester thinking nothing of breaking into the post office, even though its a felony. Im not complaining, I think its really kind of adorable. The boys live in this big, grand, beautiful, mysterous bunker, thats pretty damn close to a mansion, yet its “our house” and they dont seem to want to impress anyone when they come in. Like, “Hey come check out our gun range!” “Ever seen a real dungeon before?” “Hey, come see our classic cars and motorcycles!” But when asked “You live here?” Dean just answers “Yeah, when we’re not on the road” ya know... nbd. They could literally sell any one of those classic cars or ancient artifacts and have money for years so they dont have to run credit card scams are hustle pool. Yet, Dean acquires thrift store recliners for his and Sam’s man cave, because they just got a big TV that they could have purchased at any time before this LOL
How about not thinking its weird at all that 3 dudes adopted a kid? Sure it’s not official, like done through the courts or anything, but Sam just blurts out “He’s our kid!” to someone who doesnt know them very well, without hesitation like (ok that sounds weird that brothers share a kid). I love this stuff!
I noticed it earlier in the series, when Ash points out to them that they’re soulmates. The boys didnt flinch or even look at each other. I think anyone being told that would be at least “Really?? WOW!” and brothers, especially ones that arent getting along very well at the time would be “You’re kidding right?” but nah, you may as well just told Sam and Dean they have the same blood type “well yeah... obviously”
They have really no idea how gorgeous they are. Sam especially. Dean plays a lot that he thinks hes good looking, and he probably really does, but he doesnt flaunt it like most guys who think theyre hot. Sam just has NO clue how gorgeous he is, though I think he’s happy in his skin, as he does use fancy shampoos, buys nice colorful flannels with mother of pearl buttons, works out and watches his diet, yet, not obsessively, as he does eat burgers and pizza too.So I think he’s comfortable, but has no idea he’s stunningly handsome.
They appear to know they’re the best hunters ever, but I dont think it really sinks in. They have a huge arsonal (tool kit) yet, they think Asa Fox is “legit” because he killed 5 Wendigo in one night and has an Angel Blade. They now admit they’ve saved the world, a lot, yet they just seem to think its just a job. They’re not at all snobby about it, nor do they have an “Im better than you” attitude towards anyone. They’ve died and come back a zillion times but when Billie said they’re important, Sam said “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” and Dean’s like “I have no clue” Id think one need only come back from the dead once and theyd think “Damn, I must be important”
The boys had God in their kitchen making them pancakes, and Sam held him up as he was dying, and Dean saved his life, yet, they were both impressed that Father Luca met The Pope! Some might say this is bad wrting, but I dont think so, it keeps them humble. It keeps them human and allows for us to believe they fear for their lives, and their brother’s life, and not just “Yeah kill me, Ill be back by breakfast” Season 12 did a very good and important thing I think. Fans were complaining about S11 and having saved God’s life, “They have nowhere to go from here! How can you make a big bad thats bigger than God?” but S12 made everyone take a million steps back. Sam is kidnapped and chained to a chair, being threatened by a woman. Sam, all cocky and defiant, says “Ive been tortured by the Devil himself, and you, youre just an accent in a pant suit. What can you do to me?” Well we soon find out dont we? Seems like S12 tought us, as well as the brothers, that theyre not all powerful and invincible, they can get their bell rung by normal humans!
Along with that, even though theyve been brought back to life dozens of times, its still tragic for them when their brother dies. Every time its as though they have no hope of getting him back. It’s why it still breaks my heart every time one of them dies. My friend @small-scale-majestic told me recently, “Sam and Dean are larger than life... but not” And really they are. Their lives are extraorginary, things we will never go through, but they’re so human and down to Earth, we forget, and they forget, that they’ve been written about by Prophets of God. If we met them, and went to the Bunker, Dean would want to show us his vinyl collection, and Sam would make us coffee and listen to our story. Im glad they havent become as big as they could be in their own minds.
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get to know me!!!
1. Name - sylvia 2. Where are you from? - louisville ky (if you live anywhere near hmu cus im lookin for friends!) 3. How old are you? - 15 4. Do you have any siblings? - i have 3 siblings, two sisters and one brother 5. Pets? - i have 3 dogs! two beagles and one jack russell! 6. Describe yourself - not sure how to do so in a couple sentences! im a chaotic good sensitive but punkass goth bitch 7. What do you do for fun? - make lyric edits! i also am just really into photo editing and graphic design, i also love writing (poetry, songs, etc) and making music! 8. Do you have a job? What do you do? - im a musician, its not really technically a "job" yet but i'm in a band with my sister and im planning on that being my career! 9. What’s your favorite memory? - being eleven and sitting with my sister on her bed as the sun was setting blaring the first the 1975 album in springtime 10. One thing about yourself you wish you could change - how many grudges i hold! i'm kind of an insensitive asshole sometimes but also im too sensitive like all the time ?? i dont know if that answers this lmao 11. What do you love about yourself? - how i stand up for myself and do what makes me happy despite judgement from others 12. Who inspires you? - a lot of people, a lot of my favorite artists really inspire me as well as certain friends and my sister 13. Do you collect anything? - i have a journal full of little things i find random places like old reciepts and notes and stuff as well as little personal but significant things all taped in there lmao. i also have a weird habit of keeping cool bottles so i guess thats become a collection! 14. Do you have any fears? - im terrified of bees and abandonment! lmao 15. Favorite band? - coldplay all the way 16. What music are you currently listening to? - as im writing this im listening to florence and the machine but as far as the past month my playlists have been all over the place! a mix of songs i used to listen to a lot and new ones i keep finding and new releases from my favorite artists! 17. Do you have a favorite song? - lost it to trying by son lux for the win! 18. Do you have a favorite movie? - electrick children, its the best fucking movie in the world i love it with all of my dead heart 19. What’s your favorite color? - black cus im an edgy hoe 20. Do you have a favorite book? - the giver, a fucking classic 21. What’s your favorite school subject? - art or social studies 22. Least favorite school subject? - mATH 23. What’s your favorite Holiday? - halloween biiitcchh 24. What makes you happy? - music, sunny days, storms at night, thrift stores, and arizona iced tea!!!! 25. Do you have a favorite scent? - theres a few soaps and things that bring back really good memories that i absolutely love, but i think my favorite scent ever is Dragons Blood incense! absolutely amazing 26. Do you have a favorite TV show? - law and order: special victims unit ayyee 27. What do you look for in a person? - someone whos honest and loyal and has good intentions! 28. Are you currently in school? - not exactly, i'm "homeschooling" aka not doing shit and staying home all day 29. What is your goal in life? - to be happy and live out my dreams 30. Ever been to a concert? - ive been to a few actually! ive been to taylor swift, coldplay, melanie martinez, the neighbourhood, twenty one pilots, and fitz and the tantrums! 31. What was the last book you read? - im currently rereading divergent, but before that i was reading Mosquitoland! 32. What is your favorite season? - spring for sure 33. Do you prefer it to be hot or cold? - weather wise, hot. body temperature, cold 34. Do you prefer the sun, the rain, or snow? the sun all the way 35. If you could go anywhere, where would you go? - definitely california 36. Do you prefer day or night? - nighttime!!!!! 37. Are you an introvert or extrovert? - extrovert with social anxiety haha 38. What is something not many people know about you? - i used to write full length books and plays growing up! and my name isnt sylvia lmao 39. If you could meet one person, alive or dead, who would it be? - id have to say Chris Martin because hes like my favorite person in the world but theres also a ton of dead people id love to have a good chat with 40. Would you rather look into your future, or fix something from your past? - probably look into my future, if my past was any different i wouldnt be who i am today! 41. If you could sit down with anyone in the world, and talk to them for an hour, who would you like to speak with? - chris martin all the way 42. What was the first CD you ever purchased with your own money? - mylo xyloto by coldplay and torches by foster the people 43. If you own any Vinyls, which was your first? - born to die by lana del rey 44. How many CDs do you own? - oooooo i own a lot, probably 20+ 45. Do you have any talents? - i guess writing and producing music and editing! im also great at hoola hooping come @ me 46. Cats or Dogs? - dogs forever but cats are awesome too 47. What was the last thing that made you happy? - probably this new actor i found and a new tv show ive been watching! also the beatiful weather thats been going on lately and new songs im finding!
48. How would you describe your style? - 80s kid meets goth witch meets biker meets 70s punk
sorry this was so much i hope u guys got to know me a little bit better ! if u all have any other questions for me pls inbox me! id love to answer them
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Genius Gifts For Dads Who Say They Don’t Want Anything
On Valentines Day, you can always buy your partner chocolate. For Mothers Day, a spa gift certificate is asafe bet. But gifts for dads?The standard go-to Fathers Day gift is a tie, and its pretty lame. Then again, dads usually make gift giving even more challenging by insisting they want nothing this year. So, what can you do for the dad who doesnt want anything?
Thankfully, there are lots ofgenius products any dadwould lovethatgo way beyond Number 1 Dad mugs and novelty T-shirts. You can actually find Fathers Day presents that seem to do the impossible be something your dad would actually use.
Whether your dad is into unique grilling tools or having a robot clean his floors, get him something he actually wants so that when he opens up the Worlds Best Farter (I mean father) T-shirt you mistakenly thought would be funny, youre not the only one laughing. Better yet, you wont ever have to relive the day when you called his bluff and actually got him nothing. (Ive done that, and the look of disappointment is gut-wrenching.)
This year, really do Fathers Day right and get your dad one of these genius gifts he didnt even know he needed.
1. A Bottle Top That Gives YouInstantly Cold Beer
Amazon
Corkcicle Chillsner Beer Chiller, $20 (2 Pack), Amazon
For Fathers Day, give him the beautiful gift of an ice-cold beer. I dont mean pick up a six-pack and put a bow on it, but get your dad these instant beer coolers. Keepthe Corkcicles in the freezer, and when a warm beer emergency strikes, just pop the Corkcicle into the bottle, and boom, instantly chilled brew. Its perfect for barbecues, parties, or anytime your dad forgot to put his beer in the fridge.
2. An Expandable Stand For His Electronics
Amazon
PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets, $10, Amazon
Your dad might not be aware of the glory of watching Netflix on his phone or tablet, but with this stand, hell be converted. The stand can also be usedas a grip for easier texting and calling. Italso folds completely flat, so you can keep it on your phone and still fit yourcell in your pocket.
Plus, its way easier to hold onto your phone with this grip, so therell be way fewer instances of dropping the phone and cracking the screen. (And if youre asking if you should buy a second for yourself, the answer is.)
3. A New Card Game For The Political And Hilarious Dad
Amazon
Trumped Up Cards: A Multi-Player Card Game for Adults, $25, Amazon
If your dad loves Cards Against Humanity and also hates Donald Trump, this game will be perfect.
One Amazon user wrote: This board game prompted the first time Trump and fun appeared in a same sentence of mine. Playing it on a number of occasions, with different crowds, each time it delivered laughs, catharsis, and knowledge I grew up in New York and I didnt know Trump did all of those things, said one of our guests. Besides holding up as an enjoyably competitive board game (players take turns being all-powerful CEO), is full of fascinating, funny, and yes, sometimes frightening facts about the 45th president.
4. An External Battery So HisCell Stays Charged
Amazon
EC Technology Power Bank External Battery, $33, Amazon
No matter how technologically savvy your dad might be, hell sometimes get caught with a dead cell battery. This high-capacity external batteryfeatures three USB outlets to charge your electronics quickly. If thats not enough, it also features a strong LED flashlight, so if hes ever caught in a blackout, this battery will make him the most popular person in the room.
5. A Travel Mug Thats Insanely Popular
Amazon
Contigo Autoseal West Loop Travel Mug, $17, Amazon
OK, a coffee mug doesnt sound like a genius gift, but this is a pretty exceptional mug. This lid seals super tight, so youll never have a leak or spill. Plus,vacuum insulationkeeps drinks hot for seven hours (perfect for when he inevitably forgets he poured himself a cup.)
On Amazon, this mug hasalmost 14,000 reviews, and one user wrote: This is the best coffee mug I have ever owned. bottom line: lives up to its promise. I actually forgot this mug in my office before a meeting and when I came back for it six hours later the coffee was still STEAMING.
6. Claws. Yep,.
Amazon
Grillaholics Meat Claws (Set of 2), $13, Amazon
If your dad loves to grill, hell love it even more when he can tear it apart with these meat claws. You can use these to lift hot meal off the grill, shred it, or just pretend to be a grilling beast. The clawsare BPA-free, so you dont have to worry about melting or any kind of plastic contamination. Since theyre dishwasher safe, clean up is easy and wearing claws while you cook just makes everything more fun.
7. A Backpack Suitable For A Grown-Ass Man
Amazon
Mancro Business Laptop Backpack, $29, Amazon
The days of briefcases are over and your dad needs something thats comfortable and professional looking to carry his laptop. Thats where this backpack comes in. It can hold any laptop under 17 inches and has 15 pockets to keep all his things separate and organized. Fully waterproof, he can carry his laptop in the rain without worry. Plus, the bag is extra futuristic with its external USB port to keep his electronic charged.
8. A Travel Coffee Press
Amazon
Espro Coffee Travel Press, $32, Amazon
If your dad doesnt have a lot of time in the morning but needs his coffee, this travel press will make his day. Just throw in grounds and some boiling water and the travel press brews the coffee on the go. It has a double micro-filter so he wont end up drinking bits of grounds and the double-walled stainless steel cup keeps the coffee warm all day.
Plus, its BPA, BPS, and phthalate-free, so you dont have to worry about a side of chemicals with your morning brew.
9. A Book For The Scientific Dad With A Silly Side
Amazon
What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, $14, Amazon
If your dad loves to drill you with crazy hypothetical questions, he will love this book.Finally, we all get to know the answer to the question, How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? The book is full of very serious, scientifically accurate answer to insanely crazy questions.
Based on the questions from fans of the webcomic Randall Munroe compiled the most fascinating questions and gave incredibly thorough answers.
9. A Handheld Console For His Favorite RetroCartridges
Amazon
Retro-Bit RDP Portable Handheld Console, $90, Amazon
Whether your dad used to love his Gameboy or always resented Santa for never getting him one, give dad a taste of childhood with this handheld retro gaming console. This console plays almost any old cartridge (Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Genesis) and the player is light enough to take anywhere. You get about eight hours of playtime per charge, so itll get your dad (and lets be honest, )through any future road trips or train commutes.
10. A Super Strong Bottle Opener You Can Stick On Your Fridge
Amazon
SUCK UK Bottle Opener Fridge Magnet, $13, Amazon
Bottle openers have a magical way of disappearing every time you need one. Dont let your dad fish around the kitchen drawers for an hour, get him this bottle opener magnet. Stick in your fridge and youre done. The super strong magnet will stay put and youll never lose your opener again.
The magnet is non-scratch, so it wont mess up the high-tech fridge your dad spent a fortune on, and can easily take it on and of if you ever need the bottle opener elsewhere. Plus, its made of stainless steel, so itll hold up to years of steady bottle opening.
11. A TabletMount That Brings The Internet To Your Kitchen
Amazon
CTA Digital 2-in-1 Kitchen Mount Stand, $29, Amazon
Its surprising how often you need to use your tablet in the kitchen, but dont want to lay it on the counter to get immediately covered in hot spaghetti sauce. This kitchen stand solves the problem.It can hold any size tablet or even a Nintendo Switch, just in case your dad has a game going that he really cant put down. You can attach it to a wall or cabinet, or remove the mount completely and use it as a table stand.
With easy release buttons, you can get your tablet in and out of the stand quickly as dadlooks over recipes or gives Facebook a quick check to do some light spying on his kids.
12. A High-Tech TurntableFor Your Dads Record Collection
Amazon
Jensen 3 Speed Stereo Turntable, $51, Amazon
If your dads record collection is gathering dust, get him this new turntable. The turntable features three speeds and speakers, so you have everything you need to play all your vinyl plus, it comes with an input jack, so you can hook up a smartphone or MP3 player to its speaker.
But the best part is that this turntable comes with a USB port and audio software so you can transfer your records to MP3s. This gift is the best of old and new school and will suit all of your dads musical needs for years to come.
13. A Project That Turns Any Room Into A Home Theater
Amazon
DBPOWER 1500 Lumens LCD Mini Projector, $110, Amazon
For a movie-loving dad, this mini-projector will make his day. Its a compact size but 50 percentbrighter than a standard LED projector and only a portion of the price. You can connect your phone, tablet, computer, USB drive, or HD setup boxand see it projected on a screen or blank wall. Forget about a 75-inch TV, this can give you up to a 176-inch projection.
If your dad plays the Super Bowl this year at that size, hell be the most popular guy in the neighborhood. (And youll have more screen space to freak out over Beyonc.)
14. A Massager To Instantly Soothe HisAching Muscles
Amazon
1byone Shiatsu Deep-Kneading Massager, $47, Amazon
Dad might be a little shy about asking for a massage or a gift certificate to a spa, but hell definitely appreciate this deep-kneading massager. Use it at home, in the car, or at the office to reduce shoulder tension, neck aches, or back pain. The rotating nodes imitate a professional shiatsu massage, so those troublesome shoulder knots will be gone in no time.
Plus, it heats up for even better relaxation. The only downside of this gift is that you and everyone else in your family will immediately want one after they see how amazing it is.
15. A Family Board Game Your Dad Will Actually Love
Amazon
The Game of Things Board Game, $23, Amazon
The Game of Thingsis a great board game thats easy to play and helps you get to know all the players better. Everyone playing gets a topic on a card, each player writes down an answer, and you have to guess who said what. This isnt about trivia or getting an answer right, but trying to come up with a fun answer and seeing how well you know the players at hand.
The game is more innocent than Cards Against Humanity since you get topicslike Things you would do with a million dollars or Things you shouldnt do in an elevator. So, you can play it with the whole family without hearing anything too embarrassing, but its also really fun and you might find out how hilarious your dad really is.
16. The Acupressure Mat That Brings Immediate Relaxation
Amazon
ProSource Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set, $20, Amazon
Dads often like to pretend that theyre so strong that nothing gets to them. But everybody gets stressed sometimes, and dads are no different. This acupressure mat and pillow set is designed to trigger pressure points to relax the muscles and relieve tension and stress. The product claims that laying on the mat for 10minutes a day can help release endorphins that block pain and youll feel shoulder, back, and neck issues slowly melt away. Plus, the pressure points increase blood flow so muscles repair faster and you feel a little more energized.
17. A Tie Rack For All Your Previous Fathers Day Gifts
Amazon
Primode Motorized Tie Rack with LED Lights, $33, Amazon
Your dad needs something to contain the multitude of ties from previous Fathers Days. This motorized tie rack holds up to 72 ties and eight belts. It rotates with ease at the touch of a button, so your dad can look through his prodigious collection to pick out only the best tie for his day. To make it even cooler, the rack had LED lights, so he wont have to worry about selecting a tie from the back of a dark closet.
Yes, tie racks are lame Fathers Day gifts, but light-up, electric tie racks? Awesome.
18. Collar Stays That Keeps Your Dad Looking Classy
Amazon
CLEVERFIT the Adjustable Collar Stay, $30, Amazon
If your dads a man who rocks a suit and tie, keep him looking clean and classy with these collar stays. Though collar stays soundpretty old-timey and you probably dont know WTF they do, they actually make a huge difference. These stays are designed to fit all collared shirts with eight adjustable positions. In just a couple seconds, your dad can pop these on and never have to worry about having a floppy or sloppy collar ever again.
19. The All-In-One Face Wash
Amazon
Rugged and DapperDaily Power Scrub All-in-One Facial Cleanser for Men, $25, Amazon
A good face wash isnt just for women. Most dads might not be up for adopting a thorough skin regime, but they can definitely use this all-in-one cleanser. This does everything its a face wash, toner, and exfoliating scrub all in one bottle. It has natural ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin C, willow bark, and burdock root to cleanse and tone the skin.
No matter your dads skin type, this face wash works and works well.
20. A Beer Dispenser That Gives You Draft Quality Brews At Home
Amazon
Fizzics Waytap Beer Dispenser, $130, Amazon
If your dad is a true beer lover, hell be overjoyed with this beer dispenser. It was featured on, and it turns any old can or bottle of beer into a draft-quality brew. You can use any style of beer from stouts to IPAs and there no gas or chemicals used in the product. Just pop in four AA batteries and your canned beer is transformed into a full flavored draft.
Since its light, portable, and doesnt use any wires or tubes, your dad can take it to any backyardparties, tailgating events, or camping trip.
21. An Alarm Clock With A Million Uses
Amazon
Hale Dreamer Alarm Clock Speaker Dock, $20, Amazon
If your dads not a fan of getting up in the morning (guess we know where you get it from!), this alarm clock will make his life a lot easier. Its easy to set, and you can completely customize the sound, volume, and frequency of your morning alarm. Plus, it works as a smartphone dock and speaker, so you can play music at night or in the morning without leaving your bed. (And if it just so happens to find its way to your room instead of your parents, we wont tell.)
Dont worry that a phone call will come in a ruin your sleep, this alarm uses Smart Silence which automatically blocks all but emergency calls. Plus, you can use it as a white noise machine to help you drift off.
22. A Shampoo With A Morning Caffeine Boost
Amazon
ManCave Caffeine Shampoo, $12, Amazon
This caffeine shampoo isntmade to give dad extra energy in his morning shower, but to help withhair growth. The shampoo contains Vitamin E and shea butter to moisturize the scalp and hair, while the caffeine stimulates the roots of the hair to encourage growth.
If your dad isnt into fancy bath products, hell still love this. You use it every day, just like a normal shampoo, and there are no added scents, just natural cleaning power.
23. A Fascinating Book For The Adventurous Dad
Amazon
Atlas Obscura: An Explorers Guide to the Worlds Hidden Wonders, $21, Amazon
is an amazing website with tons of interestingfacts about bizarre places and stories from around the world. Thankfully, the site put their very best stories into thisbook. If your dad loves travel, adventure, or even weird history, hell absolutely love this book.
24. A Backup Cell Battery With A Delightful Design
Amazon
Lankoo Power BankUSB Charger, $18, Amazon
First of all, how many backup batteries come in fake sardine cans? Just this one. Inside the cool 3-D printedcase is a powerful USB charger that works with almost any smartphone or tablet.You get about two iPhone charges out of this battery, so you dont have to worry about constantly plugging it into a charger.
A backup battery is something everyone needs but most people forget to buy, so this is a great go-to for difficult-to-please dads.
25. A Cast Iron Pan For Perfect Pizza
Amazon
Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan, $41, Amazon
If your dad loves making pizza as much as he doeseating it, this cast iron pan will make a perfect gift. Cast iron is the best material forheating evenly and staying hot, which makes it a great choice when making pizza. The reason cast iron pans arent used more often is that they can be a pain to season, which is the process used to prepare the cast iron for cooking.
But this pan is pre-seasoned and ready to pop in the oven. Cast iron is incredibly sturdy and never bends out of shape or loses even-heating capacity, so itll last a lifetime. Plus, if you get this for your dad, you can guilt him into making you pizza every time you come home. A win-win if Ive ever seen one.
26. A Pen That Does Everything
Amazon
EdgeWorks Screwdriver Multitool, $11, Amazon
Your dad will feel like James Bond will this badass multitool. It looks like a simple pen, but it also works as a tablet stylus, ruler for metric and imperial measurement, a bubble level, and comes with a Phillipsand flathead screwdriver.
Since its bright yellow, theres no chance your dad will lose it (but hey, you never know) and hell probably want to show it off any time theres a screwdriver or bubble level emergency.
27. A Shaving Kit With VintageCharm
Amazon
Gentleman Jon Complete Wet Shave Kit, $55, Amazon
If your dad is more of a Ron Swanson type, hell appreciate this old-school shaving kit. This kit is made with all super high-quality, long-lasting material and gives your dad the experience of a class wet shave. You get an impeccable safety razor, badger hair brush, alum block, stainless steel shave bowl, shave soap, and five extra blades.
If, like me, youre about to google alum block, let me save you so time: its a stone that helps stop bleeding from small cuts and also works to fight razor burn. This stuff is all top of the line and super classy.
28. A Kit For Customizable Hot Sauce
Amazon
DIY Gift Kits Hot Sauce Kits, $40, Amazon
If your dad is hooked on hot sauce, give him the chance to make his own with this kit.You have everything you need to make up to seven bottles of custom hot sauce. With bags of spices, peppers, glass bottles, labels, and easy-to-read recipe cards, your dad will be making sauce like a pro in no time. It even includes a pack of the super hot Ghost Pepper, so your dad can finally get the spicy mix of his dreams.
29. A Super Slim Wallet With A Minimalist Look
Amazon
SimpacX Genuine Leather Slim Wallet, $20, Amazon
Is your dad hanging onto a George Constanza-style wallet? Get him this slim billfold to help keep him organized. Made of real leather, this wallet features a minimalist design. You can hold up to 10cards plus cash and the wallet still lays flat and slim. Plus, its equipped with RFID technology to protect your valuable information. Sleek, simple, this wallet is a definite dad pleaser.
30. A Gaming Console Thatll Take Your Dad Back To Childhood
Amazon
Pac-Man Connect and Play 12 Classic Games, $15, Amazon
No matter how advanced video games get, theres something about the classics that are just delightful. If your dads into video games, hell seriously love this throwback collection of games. First of all, the whole thing is shaped like Pac-Man, so its already awesome. Then, you just plug it into your TV and play Pac-Man or 10other games like Galaga, Dig Dug, New Rally X, or the extreme Super Pac-Man.
The controller also opens up to store its A/V wires, so itll stay clean and neat on dads gaming shelf.
31. A Book Light He Can Use Anywhere
Amazon
LuminoLite Rechargeable LED Book Light, $15, Amazon
If your dad cant put a book down at bedtime,get him this book lightand save your mom from another sleepless night. The four LED lights are incredibly strong for their size and the lamp can clip anywhere. Dont worry about finding weird little batteries, this light is fully USB rechargeable. Plus, its super light, so dad can take it on trips and keep up his midnight reading wherever he goes.
32. A Foldable Exercise Bike That Dad Can Take Anywhere
Amazon
Stamina InStride Folding Cycle, $25, Amazon
Its tough to stay active when you work at a desk, so if your dad is looking to add a little exercise to his work day, get him this foldable bike. This cycle fits under the desk and folds away for easy carrying or storage. Whether you want a light ride or some heavy tension, the bike offers different resistance levels.
With its sturdy rubber base, your dad wont have to worry about the cycle slipping around as hes riding. Plus, theres an electric monitor so dad can accurately brag about his long work time workouts.
33. A Magnetic Wristband For Dads Workshop
Amazon
Mag-Band Magnetic Wristband, $10, Amazon
If I bought my dad a bracelet, he wouldnt be thrilled. But, if I bought him a magnetic wristband that makes working with tools even easier, hed be cool with it. This wristband features powerful magnets that can hold screws, nails, nut, bolts, basically all the small things that typically fall on the floor when your dads trying to work. Now, he can keep all the bits at hand and not have to worry about searching the floor for the one tiny washer he desperately needs.
34. A Portable Green So Dad Can Putt Anywhere
Amazon
Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Putting Green, $33, Amazon
This isnt a scientific fact, but from my experience, pretty much every dad loves golf. My dad always hated the sport growing up, but now he picks vacation spots based on who has the best course. So, give your dad a chance to practice more often with this portable putting green.
With three practice cups and built in sand traps to keep your putts from going all over the place, your dad will get a chance to seriously up his skills. Plus, its made from lightweight foam, so its easy to carry and only takes seconds to install.
35. A Robot To Clean YourFloors
Amazon
ILIFE V3s Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Smart Auto Cleaning, $159, Amazon
Ive never met a dad wholoves cleaning the floors, butIve met a lot of dads who love robots. Finally, its all come together with this robot vacuum cleaner. It vacuums, sweeps, dry mops, and removes pet hair all while youre sitting on the couch. When the battery runs out, the robot automatically goes back to its charging station and uses smart sensors so it doesnt fall down the stairs or bump into everything.
Best of all, your dad will feel like hes living in the future with this robot helper automatically cleaning his floors.
Elite Daily may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Elite Dailys editorial and sales departments.
Source: http://allofbeer.com/2017/07/07/genius-gifts-for-dads-who-say-they-dont-want-anything/
from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2017/07/07/genius-gifts-for-dads-who-say-they-dont-want-anything/
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Genius Gifts For Dads Who Say They Don’t Want Anything
On Valentines Day, you can always buy your partner chocolate. For Mothers Day, a spa gift certificate is asafe bet. But gifts for dads?The standard go-to Fathers Day gift is a tie, and its pretty lame. Then again, dads usually make gift giving even more challenging by insisting they want nothing this year. So, what can you do for the dad who doesnt want anything?
Thankfully, there are lots ofgenius products any dadwould lovethatgo way beyond Number 1 Dad mugs and novelty T-shirts. You can actually find Fathers Day presents that seem to do the impossible be something your dad would actually use.
Whether your dad is into unique grilling tools or having a robot clean his floors, get him something he actually wants so that when he opens up the Worlds Best Farter (I mean father) T-shirt you mistakenly thought would be funny, youre not the only one laughing. Better yet, you wont ever have to relive the day when you called his bluff and actually got him nothing. (Ive done that, and the look of disappointment is gut-wrenching.)
This year, really do Fathers Day right and get your dad one of these genius gifts he didnt even know he needed.
1. A Bottle Top That Gives YouInstantly Cold Beer
Amazon
Corkcicle Chillsner Beer Chiller, $20 (2 Pack), Amazon
For Fathers Day, give him the beautiful gift of an ice-cold beer. I dont mean pick up a six-pack and put a bow on it, but get your dad these instant beer coolers. Keepthe Corkcicles in the freezer, and when a warm beer emergency strikes, just pop the Corkcicle into the bottle, and boom, instantly chilled brew. Its perfect for barbecues, parties, or anytime your dad forgot to put his beer in the fridge.
2. An Expandable Stand For His Electronics
Amazon
PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets, $10, Amazon
Your dad might not be aware of the glory of watching Netflix on his phone or tablet, but with this stand, hell be converted. The stand can also be usedas a grip for easier texting and calling. Italso folds completely flat, so you can keep it on your phone and still fit yourcell in your pocket.
Plus, its way easier to hold onto your phone with this grip, so therell be way fewer instances of dropping the phone and cracking the screen. (And if youre asking if you should buy a second for yourself, the answer is.)
3. A New Card Game For The Political And Hilarious Dad
Amazon
Trumped Up Cards: A Multi-Player Card Game for Adults, $25, Amazon
If your dad loves Cards Against Humanity and also hates Donald Trump, this game will be perfect.
One Amazon user wrote: This board game prompted the first time Trump and fun appeared in a same sentence of mine. Playing it on a number of occasions, with different crowds, each time it delivered laughs, catharsis, and knowledge I grew up in New York and I didnt know Trump did all of those things, said one of our guests. Besides holding up as an enjoyably competitive board game (players take turns being all-powerful CEO), is full of fascinating, funny, and yes, sometimes frightening facts about the 45th president.
4. An External Battery So HisCell Stays Charged
Amazon
EC Technology Power Bank External Battery, $33, Amazon
No matter how technologically savvy your dad might be, hell sometimes get caught with a dead cell battery. This high-capacity external batteryfeatures three USB outlets to charge your electronics quickly. If thats not enough, it also features a strong LED flashlight, so if hes ever caught in a blackout, this battery will make him the most popular person in the room.
5. A Travel Mug Thats Insanely Popular
Amazon
Contigo Autoseal West Loop Travel Mug, $17, Amazon
OK, a coffee mug doesnt sound like a genius gift, but this is a pretty exceptional mug. This lid seals super tight, so youll never have a leak or spill. Plus,vacuum insulationkeeps drinks hot for seven hours (perfect for when he inevitably forgets he poured himself a cup.)
On Amazon, this mug hasalmost 14,000 reviews, and one user wrote: This is the best coffee mug I have ever owned. bottom line: lives up to its promise. I actually forgot this mug in my office before a meeting and when I came back for it six hours later the coffee was still STEAMING.
6. Claws. Yep,.
Amazon
Grillaholics Meat Claws (Set of 2), $13, Amazon
If your dad loves to grill, hell love it even more when he can tear it apart with these meat claws. You can use these to lift hot meal off the grill, shred it, or just pretend to be a grilling beast. The clawsare BPA-free, so you dont have to worry about melting or any kind of plastic contamination. Since theyre dishwasher safe, clean up is easy and wearing claws while you cook just makes everything more fun.
7. A Backpack Suitable For A Grown-Ass Man
Amazon
Mancro Business Laptop Backpack, $29, Amazon
The days of briefcases are over and your dad needs something thats comfortable and professional looking to carry his laptop. Thats where this backpack comes in. It can hold any laptop under 17 inches and has 15 pockets to keep all his things separate and organized. Fully waterproof, he can carry his laptop in the rain without worry. Plus, the bag is extra futuristic with its external USB port to keep his electronic charged.
8. A Travel Coffee Press
Amazon
Espro Coffee Travel Press, $32, Amazon
If your dad doesnt have a lot of time in the morning but needs his coffee, this travel press will make his day. Just throw in grounds and some boiling water and the travel press brews the coffee on the go. It has a double micro-filter so he wont end up drinking bits of grounds and the double-walled stainless steel cup keeps the coffee warm all day.
Plus, its BPA, BPS, and phthalate-free, so you dont have to worry about a side of chemicals with your morning brew.
9. A Book For The Scientific Dad With A Silly Side
Amazon
What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, $14, Amazon
If your dad loves to drill you with crazy hypothetical questions, he will love this book.Finally, we all get to know the answer to the question, How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? The book is full of very serious, scientifically accurate answer to insanely crazy questions.
Based on the questions from fans of the webcomic Randall Munroe compiled the most fascinating questions and gave incredibly thorough answers.
9. A Handheld Console For His Favorite RetroCartridges
Amazon
Retro-Bit RDP Portable Handheld Console, $90, Amazon
Whether your dad used to love his Gameboy or always resented Santa for never getting him one, give dad a taste of childhood with this handheld retro gaming console. This console plays almost any old cartridge (Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Genesis) and the player is light enough to take anywhere. You get about eight hours of playtime per charge, so itll get your dad (and lets be honest, )through any future road trips or train commutes.
10. A Super Strong Bottle Opener You Can Stick On Your Fridge
Amazon
SUCK UK Bottle Opener Fridge Magnet, $13, Amazon
Bottle openers have a magical way of disappearing every time you need one. Dont let your dad fish around the kitchen drawers for an hour, get him this bottle opener magnet. Stick in your fridge and youre done. The super strong magnet will stay put and youll never lose your opener again.
The magnet is non-scratch, so it wont mess up the high-tech fridge your dad spent a fortune on, and can easily take it on and of if you ever need the bottle opener elsewhere. Plus, its made of stainless steel, so itll hold up to years of steady bottle opening.
11. A TabletMount That Brings The Internet To Your Kitchen
Amazon
CTA Digital 2-in-1 Kitchen Mount Stand, $29, Amazon
Its surprising how often you need to use your tablet in the kitchen, but dont want to lay it on the counter to get immediately covered in hot spaghetti sauce. This kitchen stand solves the problem.It can hold any size tablet or even a Nintendo Switch, just in case your dad has a game going that he really cant put down. You can attach it to a wall or cabinet, or remove the mount completely and use it as a table stand.
With easy release buttons, you can get your tablet in and out of the stand quickly as dadlooks over recipes or gives Facebook a quick check to do some light spying on his kids.
12. A High-Tech TurntableFor Your Dads Record Collection
Amazon
Jensen 3 Speed Stereo Turntable, $51, Amazon
If your dads record collection is gathering dust, get him this new turntable. The turntable features three speeds and speakers, so you have everything you need to play all your vinyl plus, it comes with an input jack, so you can hook up a smartphone or MP3 player to its speaker.
But the best part is that this turntable comes with a USB port and audio software so you can transfer your records to MP3s. This gift is the best of old and new school and will suit all of your dads musical needs for years to come.
13. A Project That Turns Any Room Into A Home Theater
Amazon
DBPOWER 1500 Lumens LCD Mini Projector, $110, Amazon
For a movie-loving dad, this mini-projector will make his day. Its a compact size but 50 percentbrighter than a standard LED projector and only a portion of the price. You can connect your phone, tablet, computer, USB drive, or HD setup boxand see it projected on a screen or blank wall. Forget about a 75-inch TV, this can give you up to a 176-inch projection.
If your dad plays the Super Bowl this year at that size, hell be the most popular guy in the neighborhood. (And youll have more screen space to freak out over Beyonc.)
14. A Massager To Instantly Soothe HisAching Muscles
Amazon
1byone Shiatsu Deep-Kneading Massager, $47, Amazon
Dad might be a little shy about asking for a massage or a gift certificate to a spa, but hell definitely appreciate this deep-kneading massager. Use it at home, in the car, or at the office to reduce shoulder tension, neck aches, or back pain. The rotating nodes imitate a professional shiatsu massage, so those troublesome shoulder knots will be gone in no time.
Plus, it heats up for even better relaxation. The only downside of this gift is that you and everyone else in your family will immediately want one after they see how amazing it is.
15. A Family Board Game Your Dad Will Actually Love
Amazon
The Game of Things Board Game, $23, Amazon
The Game of Thingsis a great board game thats easy to play and helps you get to know all the players better. Everyone playing gets a topic on a card, each player writes down an answer, and you have to guess who said what. This isnt about trivia or getting an answer right, but trying to come up with a fun answer and seeing how well you know the players at hand.
The game is more innocent than Cards Against Humanity since you get topicslike Things you would do with a million dollars or Things you shouldnt do in an elevator. So, you can play it with the whole family without hearing anything too embarrassing, but its also really fun and you might find out how hilarious your dad really is.
16. The Acupressure Mat That Brings Immediate Relaxation
Amazon
ProSource Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set, $20, Amazon
Dads often like to pretend that theyre so strong that nothing gets to them. But everybody gets stressed sometimes, and dads are no different. This acupressure mat and pillow set is designed to trigger pressure points to relax the muscles and relieve tension and stress. The product claims that laying on the mat for 10minutes a day can help release endorphins that block pain and youll feel shoulder, back, and neck issues slowly melt away. Plus, the pressure points increase blood flow so muscles repair faster and you feel a little more energized.
17. A Tie Rack For All Your Previous Fathers Day Gifts
Amazon
Primode Motorized Tie Rack with LED Lights, $33, Amazon
Your dad needs something to contain the multitude of ties from previous Fathers Days. This motorized tie rack holds up to 72 ties and eight belts. It rotates with ease at the touch of a button, so your dad can look through his prodigious collection to pick out only the best tie for his day. To make it even cooler, the rack had LED lights, so he wont have to worry about selecting a tie from the back of a dark closet.
Yes, tie racks are lame Fathers Day gifts, but light-up, electric tie racks? Awesome.
18. Collar Stays That Keeps Your Dad Looking Classy
Amazon
CLEVERFIT the Adjustable Collar Stay, $30, Amazon
If your dads a man who rocks a suit and tie, keep him looking clean and classy with these collar stays. Though collar stays soundpretty old-timey and you probably dont know WTF they do, they actually make a huge difference. These stays are designed to fit all collared shirts with eight adjustable positions. In just a couple seconds, your dad can pop these on and never have to worry about having a floppy or sloppy collar ever again.
19. The All-In-One Face Wash
Amazon
Rugged and DapperDaily Power Scrub All-in-One Facial Cleanser for Men, $25, Amazon
A good face wash isnt just for women. Most dads might not be up for adopting a thorough skin regime, but they can definitely use this all-in-one cleanser. This does everything its a face wash, toner, and exfoliating scrub all in one bottle. It has natural ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin C, willow bark, and burdock root to cleanse and tone the skin.
No matter your dads skin type, this face wash works and works well.
20. A Beer Dispenser That Gives You Draft Quality Brews At Home
Amazon
Fizzics Waytap Beer Dispenser, $130, Amazon
If your dad is a true beer lover, hell be overjoyed with this beer dispenser. It was featured on, and it turns any old can or bottle of beer into a draft-quality brew. You can use any style of beer from stouts to IPAs and there no gas or chemicals used in the product. Just pop in four AA batteries and your canned beer is transformed into a full flavored draft.
Since its light, portable, and doesnt use any wires or tubes, your dad can take it to any backyardparties, tailgating events, or camping trip.
21. An Alarm Clock With A Million Uses
Amazon
Hale Dreamer Alarm Clock Speaker Dock, $20, Amazon
If your dads not a fan of getting up in the morning (guess we know where you get it from!), this alarm clock will make his life a lot easier. Its easy to set, and you can completely customize the sound, volume, and frequency of your morning alarm. Plus, it works as a smartphone dock and speaker, so you can play music at night or in the morning without leaving your bed. (And if it just so happens to find its way to your room instead of your parents, we wont tell.)
Dont worry that a phone call will come in a ruin your sleep, this alarm uses Smart Silence which automatically blocks all but emergency calls. Plus, you can use it as a white noise machine to help you drift off.
22. A Shampoo With A Morning Caffeine Boost
Amazon
ManCave Caffeine Shampoo, $12, Amazon
This caffeine shampoo isntmade to give dad extra energy in his morning shower, but to help withhair growth. The shampoo contains Vitamin E and shea butter to moisturize the scalp and hair, while the caffeine stimulates the roots of the hair to encourage growth.
If your dad isnt into fancy bath products, hell still love this. You use it every day, just like a normal shampoo, and there are no added scents, just natural cleaning power.
23. A Fascinating Book For The Adventurous Dad
Amazon
Atlas Obscura: An Explorers Guide to the Worlds Hidden Wonders, $21, Amazon
is an amazing website with tons of interestingfacts about bizarre places and stories from around the world. Thankfully, the site put their very best stories into thisbook. If your dad loves travel, adventure, or even weird history, hell absolutely love this book.
24. A Backup Cell Battery With A Delightful Design
Amazon
Lankoo Power BankUSB Charger, $18, Amazon
First of all, how many backup batteries come in fake sardine cans? Just this one. Inside the cool 3-D printedcase is a powerful USB charger that works with almost any smartphone or tablet.You get about two iPhone charges out of this battery, so you dont have to worry about constantly plugging it into a charger.
A backup battery is something everyone needs but most people forget to buy, so this is a great go-to for difficult-to-please dads.
25. A Cast Iron Pan For Perfect Pizza
Amazon
Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan, $41, Amazon
If your dad loves making pizza as much as he doeseating it, this cast iron pan will make a perfect gift. Cast iron is the best material forheating evenly and staying hot, which makes it a great choice when making pizza. The reason cast iron pans arent used more often is that they can be a pain to season, which is the process used to prepare the cast iron for cooking.
But this pan is pre-seasoned and ready to pop in the oven. Cast iron is incredibly sturdy and never bends out of shape or loses even-heating capacity, so itll last a lifetime. Plus, if you get this for your dad, you can guilt him into making you pizza every time you come home. A win-win if Ive ever seen one.
26. A Pen That Does Everything
Amazon
EdgeWorks Screwdriver Multitool, $11, Amazon
Your dad will feel like James Bond will this badass multitool. It looks like a simple pen, but it also works as a tablet stylus, ruler for metric and imperial measurement, a bubble level, and comes with a Phillipsand flathead screwdriver.
Since its bright yellow, theres no chance your dad will lose it (but hey, you never know) and hell probably want to show it off any time theres a screwdriver or bubble level emergency.
27. A Shaving Kit With VintageCharm
Amazon
Gentleman Jon Complete Wet Shave Kit, $55, Amazon
If your dad is more of a Ron Swanson type, hell appreciate this old-school shaving kit. This kit is made with all super high-quality, long-lasting material and gives your dad the experience of a class wet shave. You get an impeccable safety razor, badger hair brush, alum block, stainless steel shave bowl, shave soap, and five extra blades.
If, like me, youre about to google alum block, let me save you so time: its a stone that helps stop bleeding from small cuts and also works to fight razor burn. This stuff is all top of the line and super classy.
28. A Kit For Customizable Hot Sauce
Amazon
DIY Gift Kits Hot Sauce Kits, $40, Amazon
If your dad is hooked on hot sauce, give him the chance to make his own with this kit.You have everything you need to make up to seven bottles of custom hot sauce. With bags of spices, peppers, glass bottles, labels, and easy-to-read recipe cards, your dad will be making sauce like a pro in no time. It even includes a pack of the super hot Ghost Pepper, so your dad can finally get the spicy mix of his dreams.
29. A Super Slim Wallet With A Minimalist Look
Amazon
SimpacX Genuine Leather Slim Wallet, $20, Amazon
Is your dad hanging onto a George Constanza-style wallet? Get him this slim billfold to help keep him organized. Made of real leather, this wallet features a minimalist design. You can hold up to 10cards plus cash and the wallet still lays flat and slim. Plus, its equipped with RFID technology to protect your valuable information. Sleek, simple, this wallet is a definite dad pleaser.
30. A Gaming Console Thatll Take Your Dad Back To Childhood
Amazon
Pac-Man Connect and Play 12 Classic Games, $15, Amazon
No matter how advanced video games get, theres something about the classics that are just delightful. If your dads into video games, hell seriously love this throwback collection of games. First of all, the whole thing is shaped like Pac-Man, so its already awesome. Then, you just plug it into your TV and play Pac-Man or 10other games like Galaga, Dig Dug, New Rally X, or the extreme Super Pac-Man.
The controller also opens up to store its A/V wires, so itll stay clean and neat on dads gaming shelf.
31. A Book Light He Can Use Anywhere
Amazon
LuminoLite Rechargeable LED Book Light, $15, Amazon
If your dad cant put a book down at bedtime,get him this book lightand save your mom from another sleepless night. The four LED lights are incredibly strong for their size and the lamp can clip anywhere. Dont worry about finding weird little batteries, this light is fully USB rechargeable. Plus, its super light, so dad can take it on trips and keep up his midnight reading wherever he goes.
32. A Foldable Exercise Bike That Dad Can Take Anywhere
Amazon
Stamina InStride Folding Cycle, $25, Amazon
Its tough to stay active when you work at a desk, so if your dad is looking to add a little exercise to his work day, get him this foldable bike. This cycle fits under the desk and folds away for easy carrying or storage. Whether you want a light ride or some heavy tension, the bike offers different resistance levels.
With its sturdy rubber base, your dad wont have to worry about the cycle slipping around as hes riding. Plus, theres an electric monitor so dad can accurately brag about his long work time workouts.
33. A Magnetic Wristband For Dads Workshop
Amazon
Mag-Band Magnetic Wristband, $10, Amazon
If I bought my dad a bracelet, he wouldnt be thrilled. But, if I bought him a magnetic wristband that makes working with tools even easier, hed be cool with it. This wristband features powerful magnets that can hold screws, nails, nut, bolts, basically all the small things that typically fall on the floor when your dads trying to work. Now, he can keep all the bits at hand and not have to worry about searching the floor for the one tiny washer he desperately needs.
34. A Portable Green So Dad Can Putt Anywhere
Amazon
Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Putting Green, $33, Amazon
This isnt a scientific fact, but from my experience, pretty much every dad loves golf. My dad always hated the sport growing up, but now he picks vacation spots based on who has the best course. So, give your dad a chance to practice more often with this portable putting green.
With three practice cups and built in sand traps to keep your putts from going all over the place, your dad will get a chance to seriously up his skills. Plus, its made from lightweight foam, so its easy to carry and only takes seconds to install.
35. A Robot To Clean YourFloors
Amazon
ILIFE V3s Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Smart Auto Cleaning, $159, Amazon
Ive never met a dad wholoves cleaning the floors, butIve met a lot of dads who love robots. Finally, its all come together with this robot vacuum cleaner. It vacuums, sweeps, dry mops, and removes pet hair all while youre sitting on the couch. When the battery runs out, the robot automatically goes back to its charging station and uses smart sensors so it doesnt fall down the stairs or bump into everything.
Best of all, your dad will feel like hes living in the future with this robot helper automatically cleaning his floors.
Elite Daily may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Elite Dailys editorial and sales departments.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/07/07/genius-gifts-for-dads-who-say-they-dont-want-anything/ from All of Beer http://allofbeer.blogspot.com/2017/07/genius-gifts-for-dads-who-say-they-dont.html
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Genius Gifts For Dads Who Say They Don’t Want Anything
On Valentines Day, you can always buy your partner chocolate. For Mothers Day, a spa gift certificate is asafe bet. But gifts for dads?The standard go-to Fathers Day gift is a tie, and its pretty lame. Then again, dads usually make gift giving even more challenging by insisting they want nothing this year. So, what can you do for the dad who doesnt want anything?
Thankfully, there are lots ofgenius products any dadwould lovethatgo way beyond Number 1 Dad mugs and novelty T-shirts. You can actually find Fathers Day presents that seem to do the impossible be something your dad would actually use.
Whether your dad is into unique grilling tools or having a robot clean his floors, get him something he actually wants so that when he opens up the Worlds Best Farter (I mean father) T-shirt you mistakenly thought would be funny, youre not the only one laughing. Better yet, you wont ever have to relive the day when you called his bluff and actually got him nothing. (Ive done that, and the look of disappointment is gut-wrenching.)
This year, really do Fathers Day right and get your dad one of these genius gifts he didnt even know he needed.
1. A Bottle Top That Gives YouInstantly Cold Beer
Amazon
Corkcicle Chillsner Beer Chiller, $20 (2 Pack), Amazon
For Fathers Day, give him the beautiful gift of an ice-cold beer. I dont mean pick up a six-pack and put a bow on it, but get your dad these instant beer coolers. Keepthe Corkcicles in the freezer, and when a warm beer emergency strikes, just pop the Corkcicle into the bottle, and boom, instantly chilled brew. Its perfect for barbecues, parties, or anytime your dad forgot to put his beer in the fridge.
2. An Expandable Stand For His Electronics
Amazon
PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets, $10, Amazon
Your dad might not be aware of the glory of watching Netflix on his phone or tablet, but with this stand, hell be converted. The stand can also be usedas a grip for easier texting and calling. Italso folds completely flat, so you can keep it on your phone and still fit yourcell in your pocket.
Plus, its way easier to hold onto your phone with this grip, so therell be way fewer instances of dropping the phone and cracking the screen. (And if youre asking if you should buy a second for yourself, the answer is.)
3. A New Card Game For The Political And Hilarious Dad
Amazon
Trumped Up Cards: A Multi-Player Card Game for Adults, $25, Amazon
If your dad loves Cards Against Humanity and also hates Donald Trump, this game will be perfect.
One Amazon user wrote: This board game prompted the first time Trump and fun appeared in a same sentence of mine. Playing it on a number of occasions, with different crowds, each time it delivered laughs, catharsis, and knowledge I grew up in New York and I didnt know Trump did all of those things, said one of our guests. Besides holding up as an enjoyably competitive board game (players take turns being all-powerful CEO), is full of fascinating, funny, and yes, sometimes frightening facts about the 45th president.
4. An External Battery So HisCell Stays Charged
Amazon
EC Technology Power Bank External Battery, $33, Amazon
No matter how technologically savvy your dad might be, hell sometimes get caught with a dead cell battery. This high-capacity external batteryfeatures three USB outlets to charge your electronics quickly. If thats not enough, it also features a strong LED flashlight, so if hes ever caught in a blackout, this battery will make him the most popular person in the room.
5. A Travel Mug Thats Insanely Popular
Amazon
Contigo Autoseal West Loop Travel Mug, $17, Amazon
OK, a coffee mug doesnt sound like a genius gift, but this is a pretty exceptional mug. This lid seals super tight, so youll never have a leak or spill. Plus,vacuum insulationkeeps drinks hot for seven hours (perfect for when he inevitably forgets he poured himself a cup.)
On Amazon, this mug hasalmost 14,000 reviews, and one user wrote: This is the best coffee mug I have ever owned. bottom line: lives up to its promise. I actually forgot this mug in my office before a meeting and when I came back for it six hours later the coffee was still STEAMING.
6. Claws. Yep,.
Amazon
Grillaholics Meat Claws (Set of 2), $13, Amazon
If your dad loves to grill, hell love it even more when he can tear it apart with these meat claws. You can use these to lift hot meal off the grill, shred it, or just pretend to be a grilling beast. The clawsare BPA-free, so you dont have to worry about melting or any kind of plastic contamination. Since theyre dishwasher safe, clean up is easy and wearing claws while you cook just makes everything more fun.
7. A Backpack Suitable For A Grown-Ass Man
Amazon
Mancro Business Laptop Backpack, $29, Amazon
The days of briefcases are over and your dad needs something thats comfortable and professional looking to carry his laptop. Thats where this backpack comes in. It can hold any laptop under 17 inches and has 15 pockets to keep all his things separate and organized. Fully waterproof, he can carry his laptop in the rain without worry. Plus, the bag is extra futuristic with its external USB port to keep his electronic charged.
8. A Travel Coffee Press
Amazon
Espro Coffee Travel Press, $32, Amazon
If your dad doesnt have a lot of time in the morning but needs his coffee, this travel press will make his day. Just throw in grounds and some boiling water and the travel press brews the coffee on the go. It has a double micro-filter so he wont end up drinking bits of grounds and the double-walled stainless steel cup keeps the coffee warm all day.
Plus, its BPA, BPS, and phthalate-free, so you dont have to worry about a side of chemicals with your morning brew.
9. A Book For The Scientific Dad With A Silly Side
Amazon
What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, $14, Amazon
If your dad loves to drill you with crazy hypothetical questions, he will love this book.Finally, we all get to know the answer to the question, How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? The book is full of very serious, scientifically accurate answer to insanely crazy questions.
Based on the questions from fans of the webcomic Randall Munroe compiled the most fascinating questions and gave incredibly thorough answers.
9. A Handheld Console For His Favorite RetroCartridges
Amazon
Retro-Bit RDP Portable Handheld Console, $90, Amazon
Whether your dad used to love his Gameboy or always resented Santa for never getting him one, give dad a taste of childhood with this handheld retro gaming console. This console plays almost any old cartridge (Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Genesis) and the player is light enough to take anywhere. You get about eight hours of playtime per charge, so itll get your dad (and lets be honest, )through any future road trips or train commutes.
10. A Super Strong Bottle Opener You Can Stick On Your Fridge
Amazon
SUCK UK Bottle Opener Fridge Magnet, $13, Amazon
Bottle openers have a magical way of disappearing every time you need one. Dont let your dad fish around the kitchen drawers for an hour, get him this bottle opener magnet. Stick in your fridge and youre done. The super strong magnet will stay put and youll never lose your opener again.
The magnet is non-scratch, so it wont mess up the high-tech fridge your dad spent a fortune on, and can easily take it on and of if you ever need the bottle opener elsewhere. Plus, its made of stainless steel, so itll hold up to years of steady bottle opening.
11. A TabletMount That Brings The Internet To Your Kitchen
Amazon
CTA Digital 2-in-1 Kitchen Mount Stand, $29, Amazon
Its surprising how often you need to use your tablet in the kitchen, but dont want to lay it on the counter to get immediately covered in hot spaghetti sauce. This kitchen stand solves the problem.It can hold any size tablet or even a Nintendo Switch, just in case your dad has a game going that he really cant put down. You can attach it to a wall or cabinet, or remove the mount completely and use it as a table stand.
With easy release buttons, you can get your tablet in and out of the stand quickly as dadlooks over recipes or gives Facebook a quick check to do some light spying on his kids.
12. A High-Tech TurntableFor Your Dads Record Collection
Amazon
Jensen 3 Speed Stereo Turntable, $51, Amazon
If your dads record collection is gathering dust, get him this new turntable. The turntable features three speeds and speakers, so you have everything you need to play all your vinyl plus, it comes with an input jack, so you can hook up a smartphone or MP3 player to its speaker.
But the best part is that this turntable comes with a USB port and audio software so you can transfer your records to MP3s. This gift is the best of old and new school and will suit all of your dads musical needs for years to come.
13. A Project That Turns Any Room Into A Home Theater
Amazon
DBPOWER 1500 Lumens LCD Mini Projector, $110, Amazon
For a movie-loving dad, this mini-projector will make his day. Its a compact size but 50 percentbrighter than a standard LED projector and only a portion of the price. You can connect your phone, tablet, computer, USB drive, or HD setup boxand see it projected on a screen or blank wall. Forget about a 75-inch TV, this can give you up to a 176-inch projection.
If your dad plays the Super Bowl this year at that size, hell be the most popular guy in the neighborhood. (And youll have more screen space to freak out over Beyonc.)
14. A Massager To Instantly Soothe HisAching Muscles
Amazon
1byone Shiatsu Deep-Kneading Massager, $47, Amazon
Dad might be a little shy about asking for a massage or a gift certificate to a spa, but hell definitely appreciate this deep-kneading massager. Use it at home, in the car, or at the office to reduce shoulder tension, neck aches, or back pain. The rotating nodes imitate a professional shiatsu massage, so those troublesome shoulder knots will be gone in no time.
Plus, it heats up for even better relaxation. The only downside of this gift is that you and everyone else in your family will immediately want one after they see how amazing it is.
15. A Family Board Game Your Dad Will Actually Love
Amazon
The Game of Things Board Game, $23, Amazon
The Game of Thingsis a great board game thats easy to play and helps you get to know all the players better. Everyone playing gets a topic on a card, each player writes down an answer, and you have to guess who said what. This isnt about trivia or getting an answer right, but trying to come up with a fun answer and seeing how well you know the players at hand.
The game is more innocent than Cards Against Humanity since you get topicslike Things you would do with a million dollars or Things you shouldnt do in an elevator. So, you can play it with the whole family without hearing anything too embarrassing, but its also really fun and you might find out how hilarious your dad really is.
16. The Acupressure Mat That Brings Immediate Relaxation
Amazon
ProSource Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set, $20, Amazon
Dads often like to pretend that theyre so strong that nothing gets to them. But everybody gets stressed sometimes, and dads are no different. This acupressure mat and pillow set is designed to trigger pressure points to relax the muscles and relieve tension and stress. The product claims that laying on the mat for 10minutes a day can help release endorphins that block pain and youll feel shoulder, back, and neck issues slowly melt away. Plus, the pressure points increase blood flow so muscles repair faster and you feel a little more energized.
17. A Tie Rack For All Your Previous Fathers Day Gifts
Amazon
Primode Motorized Tie Rack with LED Lights, $33, Amazon
Your dad needs something to contain the multitude of ties from previous Fathers Days. This motorized tie rack holds up to 72 ties and eight belts. It rotates with ease at the touch of a button, so your dad can look through his prodigious collection to pick out only the best tie for his day. To make it even cooler, the rack had LED lights, so he wont have to worry about selecting a tie from the back of a dark closet.
Yes, tie racks are lame Fathers Day gifts, but light-up, electric tie racks? Awesome.
18. Collar Stays That Keeps Your Dad Looking Classy
Amazon
CLEVERFIT the Adjustable Collar Stay, $30, Amazon
If your dads a man who rocks a suit and tie, keep him looking clean and classy with these collar stays. Though collar stays soundpretty old-timey and you probably dont know WTF they do, they actually make a huge difference. These stays are designed to fit all collared shirts with eight adjustable positions. In just a couple seconds, your dad can pop these on and never have to worry about having a floppy or sloppy collar ever again.
19. The All-In-One Face Wash
Amazon
Rugged and DapperDaily Power Scrub All-in-One Facial Cleanser for Men, $25, Amazon
A good face wash isnt just for women. Most dads might not be up for adopting a thorough skin regime, but they can definitely use this all-in-one cleanser. This does everything its a face wash, toner, and exfoliating scrub all in one bottle. It has natural ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin C, willow bark, and burdock root to cleanse and tone the skin.
No matter your dads skin type, this face wash works and works well.
20. A Beer Dispenser That Gives You Draft Quality Brews At Home
Amazon
Fizzics Waytap Beer Dispenser, $130, Amazon
If your dad is a true beer lover, hell be overjoyed with this beer dispenser. It was featured on, and it turns any old can or bottle of beer into a draft-quality brew. You can use any style of beer from stouts to IPAs and there no gas or chemicals used in the product. Just pop in four AA batteries and your canned beer is transformed into a full flavored draft.
Since its light, portable, and doesnt use any wires or tubes, your dad can take it to any backyardparties, tailgating events, or camping trip.
21. An Alarm Clock With A Million Uses
Amazon
Hale Dreamer Alarm Clock Speaker Dock, $20, Amazon
If your dads not a fan of getting up in the morning (guess we know where you get it from!), this alarm clock will make his life a lot easier. Its easy to set, and you can completely customize the sound, volume, and frequency of your morning alarm. Plus, it works as a smartphone dock and speaker, so you can play music at night or in the morning without leaving your bed. (And if it just so happens to find its way to your room instead of your parents, we wont tell.)
Dont worry that a phone call will come in a ruin your sleep, this alarm uses Smart Silence which automatically blocks all but emergency calls. Plus, you can use it as a white noise machine to help you drift off.
22. A Shampoo With A Morning Caffeine Boost
Amazon
ManCave Caffeine Shampoo, $12, Amazon
This caffeine shampoo isntmade to give dad extra energy in his morning shower, but to help withhair growth. The shampoo contains Vitamin E and shea butter to moisturize the scalp and hair, while the caffeine stimulates the roots of the hair to encourage growth.
If your dad isnt into fancy bath products, hell still love this. You use it every day, just like a normal shampoo, and there are no added scents, just natural cleaning power.
23. A Fascinating Book For The Adventurous Dad
Amazon
Atlas Obscura: An Explorers Guide to the Worlds Hidden Wonders, $21, Amazon
is an amazing website with tons of interestingfacts about bizarre places and stories from around the world. Thankfully, the site put their very best stories into thisbook. If your dad loves travel, adventure, or even weird history, hell absolutely love this book.
24. A Backup Cell Battery With A Delightful Design
Amazon
Lankoo Power BankUSB Charger, $18, Amazon
First of all, how many backup batteries come in fake sardine cans? Just this one. Inside the cool 3-D printedcase is a powerful USB charger that works with almost any smartphone or tablet.You get about two iPhone charges out of this battery, so you dont have to worry about constantly plugging it into a charger.
A backup battery is something everyone needs but most people forget to buy, so this is a great go-to for difficult-to-please dads.
25. A Cast Iron Pan For Perfect Pizza
Amazon
Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan, $41, Amazon
If your dad loves making pizza as much as he doeseating it, this cast iron pan will make a perfect gift. Cast iron is the best material forheating evenly and staying hot, which makes it a great choice when making pizza. The reason cast iron pans arent used more often is that they can be a pain to season, which is the process used to prepare the cast iron for cooking.
But this pan is pre-seasoned and ready to pop in the oven. Cast iron is incredibly sturdy and never bends out of shape or loses even-heating capacity, so itll last a lifetime. Plus, if you get this for your dad, you can guilt him into making you pizza every time you come home. A win-win if Ive ever seen one.
26. A Pen That Does Everything
Amazon
EdgeWorks Screwdriver Multitool, $11, Amazon
Your dad will feel like James Bond will this badass multitool. It looks like a simple pen, but it also works as a tablet stylus, ruler for metric and imperial measurement, a bubble level, and comes with a Phillipsand flathead screwdriver.
Since its bright yellow, theres no chance your dad will lose it (but hey, you never know) and hell probably want to show it off any time theres a screwdriver or bubble level emergency.
27. A Shaving Kit With VintageCharm
Amazon
Gentleman Jon Complete Wet Shave Kit, $55, Amazon
If your dad is more of a Ron Swanson type, hell appreciate this old-school shaving kit. This kit is made with all super high-quality, long-lasting material and gives your dad the experience of a class wet shave. You get an impeccable safety razor, badger hair brush, alum block, stainless steel shave bowl, shave soap, and five extra blades.
If, like me, youre about to google alum block, let me save you so time: its a stone that helps stop bleeding from small cuts and also works to fight razor burn. This stuff is all top of the line and super classy.
28. A Kit For Customizable Hot Sauce
Amazon
DIY Gift Kits Hot Sauce Kits, $40, Amazon
If your dad is hooked on hot sauce, give him the chance to make his own with this kit.You have everything you need to make up to seven bottles of custom hot sauce. With bags of spices, peppers, glass bottles, labels, and easy-to-read recipe cards, your dad will be making sauce like a pro in no time. It even includes a pack of the super hot Ghost Pepper, so your dad can finally get the spicy mix of his dreams.
29. A Super Slim Wallet With A Minimalist Look
Amazon
SimpacX Genuine Leather Slim Wallet, $20, Amazon
Is your dad hanging onto a George Constanza-style wallet? Get him this slim billfold to help keep him organized. Made of real leather, this wallet features a minimalist design. You can hold up to 10cards plus cash and the wallet still lays flat and slim. Plus, its equipped with RFID technology to protect your valuable information. Sleek, simple, this wallet is a definite dad pleaser.
30. A Gaming Console Thatll Take Your Dad Back To Childhood
Amazon
Pac-Man Connect and Play 12 Classic Games, $15, Amazon
No matter how advanced video games get, theres something about the classics that are just delightful. If your dads into video games, hell seriously love this throwback collection of games. First of all, the whole thing is shaped like Pac-Man, so its already awesome. Then, you just plug it into your TV and play Pac-Man or 10other games like Galaga, Dig Dug, New Rally X, or the extreme Super Pac-Man.
The controller also opens up to store its A/V wires, so itll stay clean and neat on dads gaming shelf.
31. A Book Light He Can Use Anywhere
Amazon
LuminoLite Rechargeable LED Book Light, $15, Amazon
If your dad cant put a book down at bedtime,get him this book lightand save your mom from another sleepless night. The four LED lights are incredibly strong for their size and the lamp can clip anywhere. Dont worry about finding weird little batteries, this light is fully USB rechargeable. Plus, its super light, so dad can take it on trips and keep up his midnight reading wherever he goes.
32. A Foldable Exercise Bike That Dad Can Take Anywhere
Amazon
Stamina InStride Folding Cycle, $25, Amazon
Its tough to stay active when you work at a desk, so if your dad is looking to add a little exercise to his work day, get him this foldable bike. This cycle fits under the desk and folds away for easy carrying or storage. Whether you want a light ride or some heavy tension, the bike offers different resistance levels.
With its sturdy rubber base, your dad wont have to worry about the cycle slipping around as hes riding. Plus, theres an electric monitor so dad can accurately brag about his long work time workouts.
33. A Magnetic Wristband For Dads Workshop
Amazon
Mag-Band Magnetic Wristband, $10, Amazon
If I bought my dad a bracelet, he wouldnt be thrilled. But, if I bought him a magnetic wristband that makes working with tools even easier, hed be cool with it. This wristband features powerful magnets that can hold screws, nails, nut, bolts, basically all the small things that typically fall on the floor when your dads trying to work. Now, he can keep all the bits at hand and not have to worry about searching the floor for the one tiny washer he desperately needs.
34. A Portable Green So Dad Can Putt Anywhere
Amazon
Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Putting Green, $33, Amazon
This isnt a scientific fact, but from my experience, pretty much every dad loves golf. My dad always hated the sport growing up, but now he picks vacation spots based on who has the best course. So, give your dad a chance to practice more often with this portable putting green.
With three practice cups and built in sand traps to keep your putts from going all over the place, your dad will get a chance to seriously up his skills. Plus, its made from lightweight foam, so its easy to carry and only takes seconds to install.
35. A Robot To Clean YourFloors
Amazon
ILIFE V3s Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Smart Auto Cleaning, $159, Amazon
Ive never met a dad wholoves cleaning the floors, butIve met a lot of dads who love robots. Finally, its all come together with this robot vacuum cleaner. It vacuums, sweeps, dry mops, and removes pet hair all while youre sitting on the couch. When the battery runs out, the robot automatically goes back to its charging station and uses smart sensors so it doesnt fall down the stairs or bump into everything.
Best of all, your dad will feel like hes living in the future with this robot helper automatically cleaning his floors.
Elite Daily may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Elite Dailys editorial and sales departments.
from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/2017/07/07/genius-gifts-for-dads-who-say-they-dont-want-anything/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/162688933712
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Genius Gifts For Dads Who Say They Don’t Want Anything
On Valentines Day, you can always buy your partner chocolate. For Mothers Day, a spa gift certificate is asafe bet. But gifts for dads?The standard go-to Fathers Day gift is a tie, and its pretty lame. Then again, dads usually make gift giving even more challenging by insisting they want nothing this year. So, what can you do for the dad who doesnt want anything?
Thankfully, there are lots ofgenius products any dadwould lovethatgo way beyond Number 1 Dad mugs and novelty T-shirts. You can actually find Fathers Day presents that seem to do the impossible be something your dad would actually use.
Whether your dad is into unique grilling tools or having a robot clean his floors, get him something he actually wants so that when he opens up the Worlds Best Farter (I mean father) T-shirt you mistakenly thought would be funny, youre not the only one laughing. Better yet, you wont ever have to relive the day when you called his bluff and actually got him nothing. (Ive done that, and the look of disappointment is gut-wrenching.)
This year, really do Fathers Day right and get your dad one of these genius gifts he didnt even know he needed.
1. A Bottle Top That Gives YouInstantly Cold Beer
Amazon
Corkcicle Chillsner Beer Chiller, $20 (2 Pack), Amazon
For Fathers Day, give him the beautiful gift of an ice-cold beer. I dont mean pick up a six-pack and put a bow on it, but get your dad these instant beer coolers. Keepthe Corkcicles in the freezer, and when a warm beer emergency strikes, just pop the Corkcicle into the bottle, and boom, instantly chilled brew. Its perfect for barbecues, parties, or anytime your dad forgot to put his beer in the fridge.
2. An Expandable Stand For His Electronics
Amazon
PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets, $10, Amazon
Your dad might not be aware of the glory of watching Netflix on his phone or tablet, but with this stand, hell be converted. The stand can also be usedas a grip for easier texting and calling. Italso folds completely flat, so you can keep it on your phone and still fit yourcell in your pocket.
Plus, its way easier to hold onto your phone with this grip, so therell be way fewer instances of dropping the phone and cracking the screen. (And if youre asking if you should buy a second for yourself, the answer is.)
3. A New Card Game For The Political And Hilarious Dad
Amazon
Trumped Up Cards: A Multi-Player Card Game for Adults, $25, Amazon
If your dad loves Cards Against Humanity and also hates Donald Trump, this game will be perfect.
One Amazon user wrote: This board game prompted the first time Trump and fun appeared in a same sentence of mine. Playing it on a number of occasions, with different crowds, each time it delivered laughs, catharsis, and knowledge I grew up in New York and I didnt know Trump did all of those things, said one of our guests. Besides holding up as an enjoyably competitive board game (players take turns being all-powerful CEO), is full of fascinating, funny, and yes, sometimes frightening facts about the 45th president.
4. An External Battery So HisCell Stays Charged
Amazon
EC Technology Power Bank External Battery, $33, Amazon
No matter how technologically savvy your dad might be, hell sometimes get caught with a dead cell battery. This high-capacity external batteryfeatures three USB outlets to charge your electronics quickly. If thats not enough, it also features a strong LED flashlight, so if hes ever caught in a blackout, this battery will make him the most popular person in the room.
5. A Travel Mug Thats Insanely Popular
Amazon
Contigo Autoseal West Loop Travel Mug, $17, Amazon
OK, a coffee mug doesnt sound like a genius gift, but this is a pretty exceptional mug. This lid seals super tight, so youll never have a leak or spill. Plus,vacuum insulationkeeps drinks hot for seven hours (perfect for when he inevitably forgets he poured himself a cup.)
On Amazon, this mug hasalmost 14,000 reviews, and one user wrote: This is the best coffee mug I have ever owned. bottom line: lives up to its promise. I actually forgot this mug in my office before a meeting and when I came back for it six hours later the coffee was still STEAMING.
6. Claws. Yep,.
Amazon
Grillaholics Meat Claws (Set of 2), $13, Amazon
If your dad loves to grill, hell love it even more when he can tear it apart with these meat claws. You can use these to lift hot meal off the grill, shred it, or just pretend to be a grilling beast. The clawsare BPA-free, so you dont have to worry about melting or any kind of plastic contamination. Since theyre dishwasher safe, clean up is easy and wearing claws while you cook just makes everything more fun.
7. A Backpack Suitable For A Grown-Ass Man
Amazon
Mancro Business Laptop Backpack, $29, Amazon
The days of briefcases are over and your dad needs something thats comfortable and professional looking to carry his laptop. Thats where this backpack comes in. It can hold any laptop under 17 inches and has 15 pockets to keep all his things separate and organized. Fully waterproof, he can carry his laptop in the rain without worry. Plus, the bag is extra futuristic with its external USB port to keep his electronic charged.
8. A Travel Coffee Press
Amazon
Espro Coffee Travel Press, $32, Amazon
If your dad doesnt have a lot of time in the morning but needs his coffee, this travel press will make his day. Just throw in grounds and some boiling water and the travel press brews the coffee on the go. It has a double micro-filter so he wont end up drinking bits of grounds and the double-walled stainless steel cup keeps the coffee warm all day.
Plus, its BPA, BPS, and phthalate-free, so you dont have to worry about a side of chemicals with your morning brew.
9. A Book For The Scientific Dad With A Silly Side
Amazon
What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, $14, Amazon
If your dad loves to drill you with crazy hypothetical questions, he will love this book.Finally, we all get to know the answer to the question, How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? The book is full of very serious, scientifically accurate answer to insanely crazy questions.
Based on the questions from fans of the webcomic Randall Munroe compiled the most fascinating questions and gave incredibly thorough answers.
9. A Handheld Console For His Favorite RetroCartridges
Amazon
Retro-Bit RDP Portable Handheld Console, $90, Amazon
Whether your dad used to love his Gameboy or always resented Santa for never getting him one, give dad a taste of childhood with this handheld retro gaming console. This console plays almost any old cartridge (Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Genesis) and the player is light enough to take anywhere. You get about eight hours of playtime per charge, so itll get your dad (and lets be honest, )through any future road trips or train commutes.
10. A Super Strong Bottle Opener You Can Stick On Your Fridge
Amazon
SUCK UK Bottle Opener Fridge Magnet, $13, Amazon
Bottle openers have a magical way of disappearing every time you need one. Dont let your dad fish around the kitchen drawers for an hour, get him this bottle opener magnet. Stick in your fridge and youre done. The super strong magnet will stay put and youll never lose your opener again.
The magnet is non-scratch, so it wont mess up the high-tech fridge your dad spent a fortune on, and can easily take it on and of if you ever need the bottle opener elsewhere. Plus, its made of stainless steel, so itll hold up to years of steady bottle opening.
11. A TabletMount That Brings The Internet To Your Kitchen
Amazon
CTA Digital 2-in-1 Kitchen Mount Stand, $29, Amazon
Its surprising how often you need to use your tablet in the kitchen, but dont want to lay it on the counter to get immediately covered in hot spaghetti sauce. This kitchen stand solves the problem.It can hold any size tablet or even a Nintendo Switch, just in case your dad has a game going that he really cant put down. You can attach it to a wall or cabinet, or remove the mount completely and use it as a table stand.
With easy release buttons, you can get your tablet in and out of the stand quickly as dadlooks over recipes or gives Facebook a quick check to do some light spying on his kids.
12. A High-Tech TurntableFor Your Dads Record Collection
Amazon
Jensen 3 Speed Stereo Turntable, $51, Amazon
If your dads record collection is gathering dust, get him this new turntable. The turntable features three speeds and speakers, so you have everything you need to play all your vinyl plus, it comes with an input jack, so you can hook up a smartphone or MP3 player to its speaker.
But the best part is that this turntable comes with a USB port and audio software so you can transfer your records to MP3s. This gift is the best of old and new school and will suit all of your dads musical needs for years to come.
13. A Project That Turns Any Room Into A Home Theater
Amazon
DBPOWER 1500 Lumens LCD Mini Projector, $110, Amazon
For a movie-loving dad, this mini-projector will make his day. Its a compact size but 50 percentbrighter than a standard LED projector and only a portion of the price. You can connect your phone, tablet, computer, USB drive, or HD setup boxand see it projected on a screen or blank wall. Forget about a 75-inch TV, this can give you up to a 176-inch projection.
If your dad plays the Super Bowl this year at that size, hell be the most popular guy in the neighborhood. (And youll have more screen space to freak out over Beyonc.)
14. A Massager To Instantly Soothe HisAching Muscles
Amazon
1byone Shiatsu Deep-Kneading Massager, $47, Amazon
Dad might be a little shy about asking for a massage or a gift certificate to a spa, but hell definitely appreciate this deep-kneading massager. Use it at home, in the car, or at the office to reduce shoulder tension, neck aches, or back pain. The rotating nodes imitate a professional shiatsu massage, so those troublesome shoulder knots will be gone in no time.
Plus, it heats up for even better relaxation. The only downside of this gift is that you and everyone else in your family will immediately want one after they see how amazing it is.
15. A Family Board Game Your Dad Will Actually Love
Amazon
The Game of Things Board Game, $23, Amazon
The Game of Thingsis a great board game thats easy to play and helps you get to know all the players better. Everyone playing gets a topic on a card, each player writes down an answer, and you have to guess who said what. This isnt about trivia or getting an answer right, but trying to come up with a fun answer and seeing how well you know the players at hand.
The game is more innocent than Cards Against Humanity since you get topicslike Things you would do with a million dollars or Things you shouldnt do in an elevator. So, you can play it with the whole family without hearing anything too embarrassing, but its also really fun and you might find out how hilarious your dad really is.
16. The Acupressure Mat That Brings Immediate Relaxation
Amazon
ProSource Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set, $20, Amazon
Dads often like to pretend that theyre so strong that nothing gets to them. But everybody gets stressed sometimes, and dads are no different. This acupressure mat and pillow set is designed to trigger pressure points to relax the muscles and relieve tension and stress. The product claims that laying on the mat for 10minutes a day can help release endorphins that block pain and youll feel shoulder, back, and neck issues slowly melt away. Plus, the pressure points increase blood flow so muscles repair faster and you feel a little more energized.
17. A Tie Rack For All Your Previous Fathers Day Gifts
Amazon
Primode Motorized Tie Rack with LED Lights, $33, Amazon
Your dad needs something to contain the multitude of ties from previous Fathers Days. This motorized tie rack holds up to 72 ties and eight belts. It rotates with ease at the touch of a button, so your dad can look through his prodigious collection to pick out only the best tie for his day. To make it even cooler, the rack had LED lights, so he wont have to worry about selecting a tie from the back of a dark closet.
Yes, tie racks are lame Fathers Day gifts, but light-up, electric tie racks? Awesome.
18. Collar Stays That Keeps Your Dad Looking Classy
Amazon
CLEVERFIT the Adjustable Collar Stay, $30, Amazon
If your dads a man who rocks a suit and tie, keep him looking clean and classy with these collar stays. Though collar stays soundpretty old-timey and you probably dont know WTF they do, they actually make a huge difference. These stays are designed to fit all collared shirts with eight adjustable positions. In just a couple seconds, your dad can pop these on and never have to worry about having a floppy or sloppy collar ever again.
19. The All-In-One Face Wash
Amazon
Rugged and DapperDaily Power Scrub All-in-One Facial Cleanser for Men, $25, Amazon
A good face wash isnt just for women. Most dads might not be up for adopting a thorough skin regime, but they can definitely use this all-in-one cleanser. This does everything its a face wash, toner, and exfoliating scrub all in one bottle. It has natural ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin C, willow bark, and burdock root to cleanse and tone the skin.
No matter your dads skin type, this face wash works and works well.
20. A Beer Dispenser That Gives You Draft Quality Brews At Home
Amazon
Fizzics Waytap Beer Dispenser, $130, Amazon
If your dad is a true beer lover, hell be overjoyed with this beer dispenser. It was featured on, and it turns any old can or bottle of beer into a draft-quality brew. You can use any style of beer from stouts to IPAs and there no gas or chemicals used in the product. Just pop in four AA batteries and your canned beer is transformed into a full flavored draft.
Since its light, portable, and doesnt use any wires or tubes, your dad can take it to any backyardparties, tailgating events, or camping trip.
21. An Alarm Clock With A Million Uses
Amazon
Hale Dreamer Alarm Clock Speaker Dock, $20, Amazon
If your dads not a fan of getting up in the morning (guess we know where you get it from!), this alarm clock will make his life a lot easier. Its easy to set, and you can completely customize the sound, volume, and frequency of your morning alarm. Plus, it works as a smartphone dock and speaker, so you can play music at night or in the morning without leaving your bed. (And if it just so happens to find its way to your room instead of your parents, we wont tell.)
Dont worry that a phone call will come in a ruin your sleep, this alarm uses Smart Silence which automatically blocks all but emergency calls. Plus, you can use it as a white noise machine to help you drift off.
22. A Shampoo With A Morning Caffeine Boost
Amazon
ManCave Caffeine Shampoo, $12, Amazon
This caffeine shampoo isntmade to give dad extra energy in his morning shower, but to help withhair growth. The shampoo contains Vitamin E and shea butter to moisturize the scalp and hair, while the caffeine stimulates the roots of the hair to encourage growth.
If your dad isnt into fancy bath products, hell still love this. You use it every day, just like a normal shampoo, and there are no added scents, just natural cleaning power.
23. A Fascinating Book For The Adventurous Dad
Amazon
Atlas Obscura: An Explorers Guide to the Worlds Hidden Wonders, $21, Amazon
is an amazing website with tons of interestingfacts about bizarre places and stories from around the world. Thankfully, the site put their very best stories into thisbook. If your dad loves travel, adventure, or even weird history, hell absolutely love this book.
24. A Backup Cell Battery With A Delightful Design
Amazon
Lankoo Power BankUSB Charger, $18, Amazon
First of all, how many backup batteries come in fake sardine cans? Just this one. Inside the cool 3-D printedcase is a powerful USB charger that works with almost any smartphone or tablet.You get about two iPhone charges out of this battery, so you dont have to worry about constantly plugging it into a charger.
A backup battery is something everyone needs but most people forget to buy, so this is a great go-to for difficult-to-please dads.
25. A Cast Iron Pan For Perfect Pizza
Amazon
Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan, $41, Amazon
If your dad loves making pizza as much as he doeseating it, this cast iron pan will make a perfect gift. Cast iron is the best material forheating evenly and staying hot, which makes it a great choice when making pizza. The reason cast iron pans arent used more often is that they can be a pain to season, which is the process used to prepare the cast iron for cooking.
But this pan is pre-seasoned and ready to pop in the oven. Cast iron is incredibly sturdy and never bends out of shape or loses even-heating capacity, so itll last a lifetime. Plus, if you get this for your dad, you can guilt him into making you pizza every time you come home. A win-win if Ive ever seen one.
26. A Pen That Does Everything
Amazon
EdgeWorks Screwdriver Multitool, $11, Amazon
Your dad will feel like James Bond will this badass multitool. It looks like a simple pen, but it also works as a tablet stylus, ruler for metric and imperial measurement, a bubble level, and comes with a Phillipsand flathead screwdriver.
Since its bright yellow, theres no chance your dad will lose it (but hey, you never know) and hell probably want to show it off any time theres a screwdriver or bubble level emergency.
27. A Shaving Kit With VintageCharm
Amazon
Gentleman Jon Complete Wet Shave Kit, $55, Amazon
If your dad is more of a Ron Swanson type, hell appreciate this old-school shaving kit. This kit is made with all super high-quality, long-lasting material and gives your dad the experience of a class wet shave. You get an impeccable safety razor, badger hair brush, alum block, stainless steel shave bowl, shave soap, and five extra blades.
If, like me, youre about to google alum block, let me save you so time: its a stone that helps stop bleeding from small cuts and also works to fight razor burn. This stuff is all top of the line and super classy.
28. A Kit For Customizable Hot Sauce
Amazon
DIY Gift Kits Hot Sauce Kits, $40, Amazon
If your dad is hooked on hot sauce, give him the chance to make his own with this kit.You have everything you need to make up to seven bottles of custom hot sauce. With bags of spices, peppers, glass bottles, labels, and easy-to-read recipe cards, your dad will be making sauce like a pro in no time. It even includes a pack of the super hot Ghost Pepper, so your dad can finally get the spicy mix of his dreams.
29. A Super Slim Wallet With A Minimalist Look
Amazon
SimpacX Genuine Leather Slim Wallet, $20, Amazon
Is your dad hanging onto a George Constanza-style wallet? Get him this slim billfold to help keep him organized. Made of real leather, this wallet features a minimalist design. You can hold up to 10cards plus cash and the wallet still lays flat and slim. Plus, its equipped with RFID technology to protect your valuable information. Sleek, simple, this wallet is a definite dad pleaser.
30. A Gaming Console Thatll Take Your Dad Back To Childhood
Amazon
Pac-Man Connect and Play 12 Classic Games, $15, Amazon
No matter how advanced video games get, theres something about the classics that are just delightful. If your dads into video games, hell seriously love this throwback collection of games. First of all, the whole thing is shaped like Pac-Man, so its already awesome. Then, you just plug it into your TV and play Pac-Man or 10other games like Galaga, Dig Dug, New Rally X, or the extreme Super Pac-Man.
The controller also opens up to store its A/V wires, so itll stay clean and neat on dads gaming shelf.
31. A Book Light He Can Use Anywhere
Amazon
LuminoLite Rechargeable LED Book Light, $15, Amazon
If your dad cant put a book down at bedtime,get him this book lightand save your mom from another sleepless night. The four LED lights are incredibly strong for their size and the lamp can clip anywhere. Dont worry about finding weird little batteries, this light is fully USB rechargeable. Plus, its super light, so dad can take it on trips and keep up his midnight reading wherever he goes.
32. A Foldable Exercise Bike That Dad Can Take Anywhere
Amazon
Stamina InStride Folding Cycle, $25, Amazon
Its tough to stay active when you work at a desk, so if your dad is looking to add a little exercise to his work day, get him this foldable bike. This cycle fits under the desk and folds away for easy carrying or storage. Whether you want a light ride or some heavy tension, the bike offers different resistance levels.
With its sturdy rubber base, your dad wont have to worry about the cycle slipping around as hes riding. Plus, theres an electric monitor so dad can accurately brag about his long work time workouts.
33. A Magnetic Wristband For Dads Workshop
Amazon
Mag-Band Magnetic Wristband, $10, Amazon
If I bought my dad a bracelet, he wouldnt be thrilled. But, if I bought him a magnetic wristband that makes working with tools even easier, hed be cool with it. This wristband features powerful magnets that can hold screws, nails, nut, bolts, basically all the small things that typically fall on the floor when your dads trying to work. Now, he can keep all the bits at hand and not have to worry about searching the floor for the one tiny washer he desperately needs.
34. A Portable Green So Dad Can Putt Anywhere
Amazon
Putt-A-Bout Grassroots Putting Green, $33, Amazon
This isnt a scientific fact, but from my experience, pretty much every dad loves golf. My dad always hated the sport growing up, but now he picks vacation spots based on who has the best course. So, give your dad a chance to practice more often with this portable putting green.
With three practice cups and built in sand traps to keep your putts from going all over the place, your dad will get a chance to seriously up his skills. Plus, its made from lightweight foam, so its easy to carry and only takes seconds to install.
35. A Robot To Clean YourFloors
Amazon
ILIFE V3s Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Smart Auto Cleaning, $159, Amazon
Ive never met a dad wholoves cleaning the floors, butIve met a lot of dads who love robots. Finally, its all come together with this robot vacuum cleaner. It vacuums, sweeps, dry mops, and removes pet hair all while youre sitting on the couch. When the battery runs out, the robot automatically goes back to its charging station and uses smart sensors so it doesnt fall down the stairs or bump into everything.
Best of all, your dad will feel like hes living in the future with this robot helper automatically cleaning his floors.
Elite Daily may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Elite Dailys editorial and sales departments.
from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/2017/07/07/genius-gifts-for-dads-who-say-they-dont-want-anything/
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