32 Things That'll Help You Have A Cool Backyard
A rolling cooler cart to provide you with the cool beverages you need on a warm, sunny day. It's got a built-in bottle opener and a drain plug for melted ice. Now you don't need to keep going back inside to grab drinks for you and your guests!
Sunflower seed mix — watch nine types of sunflowers blossom in your garden this spring! If you've been missing that much-needed curb appeal, these low-maintenance flowers are just the ticket.
An electric bug zapper so being outside is actually fun instead of an epic movie called Battle Against the Bloodsuckers.
An outdoor projector that can connect with multiple multimedia devices, including a Fire TV Stick. Movie nights in the backyard just won you the Coolest Kids On The Block award.
Outdoor string lights for creating a cozy and warm atmosphere. Plus, they were built to withstand all kinds of weather, so no need to worry about them being damaged by Mother Nature.
Two packs of solar-powered garden lights that'll sway in the wind, making your garden look like it's home to a bunch of flitting fireflies.
A giant stacking game to take building blocks to the next level. This game stacks to almost 4 feet, so take cover when they come tumbling down!
And a jumbo 4-in-a-row game you can set up in your backyard because we've moved beyond tabletop games this summer. Not to mention, it's easy to assemble and comes with its own carrying bag for easy travel and storage.
AND! A set of five giant dice that also comes with five big, laminated score cards if your Yahtzee skills deserve a stage as big as your backyard. Hate Yahtzee? No worries! This also comes with over 20 different games you can play.
A darling clementine-shaped hanging bird feeder so you can offer any orioles in your neighborhood fruits and jams!
A reversible and waterproof outdoor rug if you love being barefoot outside but hate getting dirt on your feet. This tightly woven rug is stain-resistant, UV-resistant and is made out of recycled plastic!
A three-piece wicker chair and table set for the outdoor living room of your dreams.
Or a three-piece wicker rocking chair and table set with comfy cushions to turn your backyard into the perfect lounging area. All you need now is a cold lemonade on that table and a good book in your hands.
A double hammock that comes with a stand because the sun has been begging you to take a nap outside since it started peeking out of those spring clouds.
Outdoor sconces so you can enjoy your backyard at night. These weatherproof and rust-resistant sconces provide the perfect amount of mood lighting.
A lovely sail canopy for creating a shaded area in your backyard or on your patio. Just because the sun is out doesn't mean you have to suffer!
A classic adjustable folding umbrella to protect you from the sun's rays while you enjoy a nice breeze and maybe even a cocktail if you should feel so bold.
A five-tier vertical garden bed because you can use it to display your growing flowers, vegetables, and herbs!
An outdoor misting system that can be attached to an awning, patio table umbrella, pergola, and whatever else you've got in your backyard! Just screw one end onto your hose and clip the rest of the cord around your outdoor lounge area.
Or a flexible adjustable mister so you can bend it in the perfect direction and shape to make sure you and your guests get some targeted lovin'.
A patio table mosquito net enclosure if those pesky pests are the only reason you haven't been able to enjoy your coveted outdoor space.
An outdoor inflatable ottoman because you deserve to literally kick your feet up and relax. Especially in your backyard. These ottomans are water- and fade-resistant!
A cute lil' rusty hen cut from steel to bring a little country livin' to your outdoor space.
A durable, oversized inflatable lounge pool you'll find a way to take all your Zoom meetings in. And with this floating drink holder, that just got so much easier.
A set of extendable marshmallow roasting forks because who has time to go hunting for the perfect stick when there's perfectly good chocolate to devour?!
A puffy outdoor blanket made using the same materials you'd find in an insulated sleeping bag so you know you'll stay warm and dry as you picnic in your backyard.
An oversized Adirondack chair with a cup holder that'll allow you to truly sit back and chill out.
A rooster weathervane so you always know which way the wind is blowing. Made of steel, this weathervane was built to last!
A weatherproof water garden fountain to help you turn your yard into a meditative oasis.
Easy-to-install interlocking teak tiles perfect for elevating any outdoor space to the level of tropical resort spa.
A cozy cotton hammock chair you'll sink into and never wanna leave. And why should you? It's even got a built-in side pocket to hold your phone while you're busy finding animals in the clouds.
A stainless-steel fire pit to keep you warm on chilly spring nights as you make s'mores and share ghost stories. This smokeless fire pit even comes with a weather-resistant cover and a removable ash pan to make post-fire clean-up a breeze!
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2 days ago
- Yahoo
Best VPN for Firestick (2025): Top Streaming Device VPN Named by Expert Consumers
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Consumers often report a range of issues, from sluggish streaming speeds and inconsistent app support to limited server options and poor UI navigation using remote controls. One of the most pressing issues for Firestick users is the inability to access content libraries from other countries. Major platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+ often implement geo-restrictions that limit available content based on the user's IP address. A reliable VPN should have the ability to reliably bypass these restrictions by routing user traffic through high-speed servers in multiple regions. Another widespread problem is ISP throttling, where internet providers deliberately slow down streaming traffic during peak hours or high usage periods. This can significantly degrade the streaming experience on Firestick, especially for users consuming high-definition content. By encrypting user data and masking streaming activity, a good VPN prevents ISPs from detecting and throttling streaming sessions. This ensures smoother playback and more consistent speeds across all connected devices, even during peak usage windows. Privacy and security are also significant concerns for users accessing streaming services over public or shared networks. Without protection, browsing habits and personal data can be exposed to advertisers, network administrators, or malicious third parties. Employing AES-256 encryption, an industry-standard for securing data transmission, is the best practice. Combined with a strict no-logs policy and independently operated infrastructure, user activity remains confidential at all times, both from external surveillance and the service itself. Firestick compatibility is another critical benchmark that distinguishes the top performer from other options in the marketplace. Many VPNs lack direct support for Amazon's operating system or fail to offer apps optimized for use with a remote control. It's best if a VPN is available directly from the Amazon Appstore, enabling quick installation and intuitive operation. recommends the 2020 third-generation Firestick for users with 1080p TVs, and the Fire TV Stick 4K or 4K Max for those using UHD displays. These devices offer dual-band WiFi, Dolby Atmos sound support, and improved processors that enhance streaming and app performance when used in combination with a VPN. Beyond the core capabilities, additional features such as split tunneling and automatic server selection are valuable tools for Firestick users. Split tunneling allows certain apps or services to bypass the VPN tunnel, which can be useful for streaming platforms that block encrypted traffic or for local network services that require a direct connection. Automatic server selection removes guesswork for less technical users by identifying the fastest and most stable server available based on location and usage metrics. A built-in kill switch also prevents data leaks by cutting internet access if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, preserving user privacy at all times. The 2025 ranking from reflects the changing expectations of streaming audiences and the growing complexity of online privacy needs. In an environment where digital borders and data vulnerabilities intersect, VPN providers must deliver more than just encrypted tunnels. They must offer speed, transparency, compatibility, and ease of use - especially on smart devices like Firestick, where the user experience must be seamless. The top-ranked VPN succeeded in all of these areas, providing an effective and well-rounded solution for consumers seeking private, unrestricted, and uninterrupted access to streaming media. Its recognition by offers Firestick users a trustworthy recommendation grounded in independent testing and real-world performance metrics. For further information, the complete review is available at About Expert Consumers: Expert Consumers provides news and reviews of consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided. CONTACT: Drew Thomas (press@ 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Mark Hamill starred in the ultimate battle of good and evil. Now he just wants to make America normal again
Mark Hamill was at a point in his life where he felt ready to trade the Force for a pool float and a quiet crossword in the shade. After five decades as the face of one of pop culture's most enduring myths — Luke Skywalker, the wide-eyed Tatooine farm boy-turned-Jedi knight in 'Star Wars' — Hamill had found a comfortable corner of the galaxy to call his own. He had a home he cherished, a family that kept him grounded and no pressing need to be in front of a camera again. 'I said, 'This is perfect — they killed me off,'' Hamill, 73, says with a shrug on a warm May afternoon in Los Angeles, referring to Skywalker's death in 2017's 'The Last Jedi.' 'I didn't have the drive or the motivation anymore. If you lose the fire in your belly, it's easy to just hang around the pool all day, playing Yahtzee or whatever. I don't want to be on camera at my age anymore. The only ones who complain are my agent and my wife. He wants the commission and she wants me out of the house.' That was the plan, anyway — until the world caught fire. The actor sits on a couch in a rented house in Los Feliz, his shoes kicked off to reveal socks patterned with the gloomy face of Edgar Allan Poe. His Malibu home — the one he bought with his 'Star Wars' money in 1978, where he married his wife, Marilou, in the backyard and raised their three kids — remains uninhabitable after the January fires that tore through large swaths of the city, destroying most of his neighborhood. Hamill and his wife evacuated the Palisades fire as flames rose on either side of the road. 'Every house that touches our property, except for one, burnt to the ground,' he says. 'Two hundred and seventy houses — 60 survived.' Four months later, the hills around his home are still blackened and toxic. And it's not just his neighborhood that feels scorched. To Hamill — one of Hollywood's most outspoken and sharp-tongued Trump critics — the country itself feels battered, just months into a second term he sees as a dangerous backslide. For a man who embodied the triumph of good over evil nearly half a century ago, it's not always easy to find a new hope. 'I mean what a world — you had the pandemic and then you have what happened in politics, then you have this ghastly event,' he says. 'It's hard to say, 'Oh, yay. I'm so happy our house survived' when you realize all your friends lost everything.' That sense of quiet disorientation — of a world slowly unraveling — pulses through 'The Life of Chuck,' director Mike Flanagan's strange and tender adaptation of a 2020 Stephen King novella. Following a warmly received premiere at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People's Choice award, the Neon film hits theaters Friday as an unexpected — and somewhat risky — piece of summer counterprogramming: a hushed, reflective character study that begins with the end of the world and moves backward into a life-affirming meditation on memory, mortality and legacy. Starring opposite Tom Hiddleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hamill plays Albie, a widowed, math-loving Jewish grandfather facing the end of his life with quiet grace and stubborn decency — a role that, in an earlier era, might have gone to the likes of Richard Dreyfuss, Peter Falk or Judd Hirsch. It's hardly the kind of part most people associate with Hamill, who has spent much of his post-'Star Wars' career behind the mic as a versatile and in-demand voice actor, most famously as the Joker in 'Batman: The Animated Series' and numerous other TV and video game projects. But when Flanagan, who had previously cast him as a ruthless lawyer in the Netflix horror miniseries 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' offered him the role, Hamill didn't hesitate, at least not outwardly. 'Mark said something no actor has ever said to me: 'I don't know if I can do this, but you think I can do this, so I should,' ' Flanagan says by phone. 'That knocked me out. I felt like I had to rise to that level of trust.' On set, Hamill fully inhabited the role. Albie doesn't show up until more than an hour into the film and appears in only a few scenes, but he anchors the movie as a quiet, steady presence who finds comfort in routine, ritual and his lifelong love of numbers. To build his character's look, Hamill asked the hair and makeup team to bleach out all the color from his hair and mustache, then tried on a few pairs of glasses. When he saw the result in the mirror, he cracked up: 'Oh my God, I'm Geppetto. I look just like the Disney version.' Hamill was drawn to how understated the role was — a far cry from the larger-than-life or eccentric characters he has often played in animation and genre fare. 'He's just sort of an amiable grandpa,' Hamill says. 'You know, loves his wife, loves his grandchild, but you tell him you think math is boring, boy, it sets him off. You found his sore spot. I love the fact that he just loves being an accountant, loves math, which, for me, is a character part, believe me.' The film's emotional centerpiece is a long monologue Albie delivers alone at a desk: a quiet meditation on the hidden beauty of math and, by extension, life. Hamill, who hasn't often had the chance to deliver this kind of grounded, dramatic work on screen, approached it with some trepidation. 'First of all, speeches are notorious — they go on for like three pages,' he says. 'Luckily, I had it five or six weeks before we were going to shoot and I worked on it every single day.' The grandfatherly on-screen role is a far cry from the one Hamill has played off-screen in recent years, where he's become one of Hollywood's most vocal and scathing critics of Trump. On X, where he has 4.7 million followers, he has channeled his pop-culture savvy and political outrage into a satirical sideshow, firing off punchlines like proton torpedoes. On May 4, Star Wars Day, he mocked a White House post featuring an AI-generated image of Trump holding a red lightsaber, the canonical weapon of the franchise's villains. 'Proof this guy is full of SITH,' Hamill wrote on Bluesky, triggering a meme storm of Sith-Trump mashups. Hamill is well aware his political outspokenness can easily steal the spotlight, but he can't help himself, even during this interview. 'I didn't want to talk about politics — I know when I talk about it, that's the headline,' he says right before launching into a full-throated excoriation of Trump. 'I don't think of myself as an activist,' he says. 'But when they started using that phrase, 'the Resistance,' I thought, Jesus, I did that in a fictional way all those years ago. Now it's the real thing.' The impulse, he says, is both emotional and tactical. 'I read a book that had, like, 37 psychiatrists talking about Trump's malignant narcissism and they said people like that, their kryptonite is being laughed at,' says Hamill, a lifelong comic-book fan who often speaks in superhero metaphors. 'So that informs my position. He's so manipulative, I know if I tweeted something in praise of him, I'd have an invite to Mar-a-Lago. But no, thank you.' (Hamill has visited the White House three times, under Carter, Obama and Biden.) Hamill knows his online habits aren't always healthy. He tracks his follower count obsessively, noting it dropped by about 70,000 after Elon Musk took over Twitter, and now spends most of his time on Bluesky. 'I never block people because I don't want to give them the satisfaction,' he says. 'But I mute like a mofo — mute, mute, mute. One time I looked at the clock and thought, 'Oh, my God, I've been muting people for 45 minutes.'' He sighs, then laughs dryly. 'Harrison Ford is smart — he's not on social media.' Hamill, who has described his own father as a 'Nixon Republican,' knows 'Star Wars' was meant to be universal, a mythic tale of good and evil that fans across the political spectrum could embrace. Now, with many viewing him as a real-world member of the Resistance, he finds himself in a delicate spot. 'I'm sure I meet MAGA people all the time,' says Hamill, who jokes that he supports 'MANA: Make America Normal Again.' 'Even if they had a MAGA button, I wouldn't be in conflict. A fan's a fan. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be where I am.' Politics may dominate his social media feed but 'The Life of Chuck' helped remind Hamill that acting still feeds something deeper. Now he is carrying that momentum into a handful of new projects. In September, he co-stars in another King adaptation, 'The Long Walk,' a dystopian thriller set in a near-future America, where 100 teenage boys are forced into a harrowing nationally televised endurance contest: keep walking without rest, or be shot on sight — until only one remains. 'When I read the premise, I told [director] Francis [Lawrence], it's like a thinking man's snuff film,' he said. 'It's so horrific, I didn't know if I could even see it, forget about being in it.' But Hamill has always relished a juicy villain and, with its authoritarian themes, the role of the Major fit the bill: 'The State is the heavy and I represent the State.' In December, returning to his beloved voice work, he will bring the Flying Dutchman to life in the animated sequel 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.' Flanagan, for one, hopes 'The Life of Chuck' marks the beginning of a new chapter in Hamill's on-screen career. 'I'm glad I got to be in the front row for this one — not just as the director but also as a kid who grew up with my lightsaber,' he says. 'Mark is a happy guy. He's perfectly comfortable with his legacy. But I wonder, if he'd had more opportunities to really plumb those depths, what would we have seen? He's not done. I can't wait to see what he's going to do next.' Still, Hamill can imagine stepping away on his own terms. 'As much as I appreciate a good entrance, a good exit is also something — something with dignity. Something where you're not in the latest 'Human Centipede' sequel.' (Yes, he claims, that was a real offer.) 'I wouldn't announce it,' he continues. 'I mean, who cares? I'll be a 'Jeopardy!' answer: 'Who is Mark Hamill?'' For now, his focus is on something closer to home: rebuilding. His Malibu house was spared, thanks in large part to a retired firefighter friend who stayed in the guesthouse during the evacuation and managed to extinguish embers that had ignited the wooden floorboards. But the fire left the property uninhabitable. He and his wife — who have made their rented place feel a bit more like home with a few family photos — are hoping to return sometime next year, though he knows the recovery will be painfully slow and some neighbors may never come back. 'I went back the day before yesterday and I saw all the destruction,' he says. 'We didn't go on to the property because you have to have a hazmat suit. It forces you to consider your own mortality. Well, if I'm really lucky, I've got 10 years.' He shrugs. 'Maybe. I don't know. I used to smoke and I loved fast food until Marilou banned McDonald's in the '90s. That's all gone now. But, you know, priorities. As bad as it was, everybody was safe and that should be enough.' In the days since the fires, Hamill has tried to stay philosophical about what was lost and what still matters. He's not particularly sentimental about memorabilia. But when the fires came, he realized there were still things he wasn't ready to lose. 'I have the helmet I wore when I rescued Carrie,' he says, with a mix of wistfulness and a fan's genuine awe, referring to the Stormtrooper disguise Luke donned to free Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher, from the Death Star. 'It's taped up, the rubber's falling apart. I was lucky enough to be there at the very humble beginning of what George [Lucas] called 'the most expensive low-budget movie ever made.' But it has nostalgia value. Just this pitiful hunk of plastic that used to be something important.' For the record, it still is.
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Netflix is making a change longtime users won't like
Ever since it made its debut back in 2007, Netflix (NFLX) has made an impressive ascent from its origins as a DVD service that once mailed its product to subscribers. While it may not have been a part of its original plans, Netflix's moves helped contribute to the demise of the innovator that came before it - Blockbuster Video. The legacy movie rental chain wasn't able to adapt as streaming services took hold in the U.S., leading to its eventual shuttering in 2014. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter In the meantime, Netflix was perfectly poised to lead the charge. Its global subscribers catapulted past 200 million in 2020 as the pandemic created a perfect setting for it to thrive. Related: Netflix is making an unexpected move no one saw coming Today, Netflix boasts an impressive 300 million+ subscribers as of 2024. And with more original and diverse content than ever before, it's no surprise that the streaming giant is the top performer in the space. Now Netflix is making a change that, while well warranted, may upset its loyal users who aren't exactly fast to upgrade their hardware. Image source: Shutterstock If you are a subscriber and happen to enjoy Netflix using any of Amazon's first-generation Fire TV devices, including the Fire TV, the Fire TV Stick, and the Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice remote control, you may have gotten an email from the streaming company recently. The email sent explains Netflix will be ending support for this round of first-generation Fire TV devices as of June 3, 2025. After that date, people using the these devices will no longer to be able to access Netflix using them. Related: Netflix adds advertising tech that will enrage subscribers Netflix did not explain its reasons for the decision, but they're fairly obvious. The first-generation devices have been around since 2014, and a full 11 years later, most people have upgraded to newer devices with stronger hardware. The most current Amazon Fire TV Stick is called the 4K Max and retails for $39.99 at Amazon, so at least if you do have to upgrade, it won't set you back too much. If you're one of the folks affected by Netflix's decision to pull support for first-gen Fire TV products and you're grumpy about it, it may lift your spirits to hear about another pretty great move it made this week. Sesame Workshop announced via press release on May 19 that it had found a new home with Netflix for "Sesame Street," which had previously been with Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. Discovery announced in December 2024 that it would not renew for new episodes on HBO and Max, leaving "Sesame Street" up for grabs. The past episodes of "Sesame Street" will still be available in the streaming giant's library, which means viewers can watch them through 2027. Netflix will also have all the old episodes, plus the upcoming 56th season of the classic children's show, which "will feature fresh format changes and the return of fan-favorite segments like Elmo's World and Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck," according to a Netflix press release. Related: Netflix makes surprising move to attract new subscribers The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
