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Is this the best senior photo ever? Well done Jessica Lee, well done.

“(F) flourine (U) uranium (C) carbon (K) potassium (Bi) bismuth (Tc) technetium (He) helium (S) sulfur (Ge) germanium (Tm) thulium (O) oxygen (Ne) neon (Y) yttrium.”

Get it? Got it? Awesome.

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Whether you’re aiming to make it big and win actual money, like on Castle Jackpot, or you’re just trying to kill some time, like on Angry Birds, games are very much a part of our culture that make the online experience enjoyable. Below are 10 games we’ve been play a little too much of. Don’t worry, sometimes wasting time is a healthy thing to do, and in some cases you may actually win moolah. Enjoy:

 1. Words With Friends – Never has mankind’s vocabulary been smaller, but then again: never has mankind been so interested in words. Words with Friends in the ultimate Scrabble game, and if you’re living under a rock…you’d still know what it is. One of our faves! Download it on Zynga’s site.

2. Angry Birds – Yes, it’s annoying. Yes, it’s addicting. Angry Birds is a must for your iPhone/Online gaming enjoyment.

3. Doodle Jump - It’s one of the most downloaded games online, and for good reason. The simple game is a test of your hand-eye coordination and is ridiculously addicting. Tip: Buy the free version first, then if you find yourself uber-ly addicting, graduate to the paid version.

4. Real Racing GTI - If you love adventure like we do, this is your game. Real Racing GTI made the Top 10 of Tech Radar’s best games for iPhone and there’s no reason you shouldn’t play it. You’ll find yourself skipping meals to play the game.

5. Castle Jackpot – Gone are the days of online gaming in the U.S., but a site out of the UK is gaining popularity online, and we can’t stop ourselves from playing Ghost Busters slots. With so many games, including the traditionals ones as well (like Blackjack and Poker), this site has quickly charged to the top of our list. The site is relatively new, but that’s not stopping them (or us) from making a killing online. Keep your eyes on Castle Jackpot as we think it could be the next big thing in online gaming.

6. Crazy Arcade - Based in South Korea, Crazy Arcade isn’t really available in the U.S. for download, which makes us wonder WHY NOT?!? So, find a Korean-speaking friend, they can get you going. If you can’t, your life is kind of empty in our opinions! If this game is available and you know where, please comment below…

7. Free Ride - We don’t know why this graphic-light game is so enjoyable, but it just is. Good lord, play it!

8. World of War Craft- Duh. This isn’t your typical Dungeons and Dragons nerd-only game. Trust us, you’ll love it, but we warn you…25% of your life could disappear…at least. Go for it.

What are you favorite online games? Sound off in the comment section below?

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GIVE BACK TO WILDFIRE VICTIMS, CLICK HERE

Shieldmans.com to Debut Case Designs to Support Colorado Wildfire Firefighters and Victims

Boulder, CO – June 14, 2013 – Shieldmans Mobile Accessories is bringing social good to online shopping by designing and selling a limited-edition phone case to benefit first responders, non-profits and other agencies involved with Colorado wildfire disaster relief, through Pikes Peak Community Foundation.

Shieldmans calls this mission, “Charitable eCommerce to Keep Colorado Beautiful.”  The campaign  will hopefully encourage all of Shieldmans customers who buy a case to share their purchases on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or other social media. The goal is to create a word-of-mouth effect that take the designs viral in an effort to raise more money and awareness for the victims of the tragic Colorado wildfires.

James Wagner (VP of Marketing, Shieldmans) explains,

“As residents of Colorado, we understand the sudden and catastrophic impact that wildfires can have on the lives of people in this state.  In times of crisis, it is important for all of us to band together provide any support that we can.  As part of this local outreach, Shieldmans has created a number of custom cell phone cases to commemorate the bravery and dedication of the Colorado Firemen who are fighting these fires.  A portion of all sales go to support this effort, and we hope our fellow Coloradoans will join us to make a difference this summer by purchasing a case.”

The phone cases are available for both iPhone 4/4s, iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy S3, are being sold online at Shieldmans Online Store for $25.99. For every case purchased, Shieldmans plans to donate $10 to the Emergency Relief Fund for the Pikes Peak Region.

“With homes already burning in the Black Forest area and a hot, dry summer ahead of us, as well as flooding danger in the Waldo Canyon burn area, we want to be prepared to support the organizations that help our neighbors recover from disaster,” says Michael Hannigan, CEO of The Pikes Peak Community Foundation

The Pikes Peak Community Foundation launched the Emergency Relief Fund for the Pikes Peak Region, June 11, 2013, to benefit non-profits, first responders, and other agencies providing local disaster relief.

About: Shieldmans.com is an online Tech Protection & Accessory store, with physical locations in Boulder, CO and Broomfield, CO.    More information about the Emergency Relief Fund is available on the Pikes Peak Community Foundation website, www.ppcf.org.

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Former Adventurous 500 co-host and Adventured.com contributing editor, Wade Holland, is at it again with a new series shot over the course of a few months, called The Chain Game.

The Chain Game is a YouTube series where Wade goes into interviews with artists and asks them a series of questions, sometimes very personal off-putting questions, in order to catch a glimpse at what your favorite celebs are really like. The Chain Game crew researchers information about the artists and then interviews them about themselves in some cases. The interviews are often goofy and in good fun, but what adds a twist is that each interviewed is tied together–wherein artists asks questions for the next artist interview.

Catch The Chain Game Starting in a few weeks on TheChainGame.com

And watch the preview (above).

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Summer is here and that can mean only one thing…music festivals, music festivals, music festivals! What better place to check out a festival or show, than with one of the top ranked venues internationally…THE RED ROCKS! Here in Colorado, we realize how privileged we are to have this sanctuary right in our backyard, so we expect dam good music to match this venue’s quality. I think this one may just reach that high expectation level. If you havent heard of it yet, mark your calendars now! August 1st, 2013 its going down! The first annual Hard Red Rocks comes to Colorado.

Its important to note that the same people who put on HARD Summer, HARD Day of the Dead, and the three-day electronic music cruise Holy Ship are the ones putting on HARD RED ROCKS. If you know anything about the electronic music scene, these were all very successful turnouts, so I wouldn’t expect anything different from their version at the Red Rocks. The line up isn’t too shabby either. They already sold me with Diplo being apart of the lineup. Not only is he a legendary producer and Grammy-nominated, but his label, Mad Decent, is killing it at the moment. With signing on talent outside of the electronic wave, talents such as Riff Raff and Zebra Katz, he has tapped into even a greater audience. This guy is on top of his game!

It doesn’t hurt that the lineup also includes international sensations Knife Party, Disclosure, Destructo, and recent to the EDM scene, the trap focused duo Flosstradamus.

The August summer nights in Colorado are perfect at the Rocks. With great temperatures, positive vibes and overlooking the city of Denver, you’re guaranteed to enjoy this show. Also I really like the unique promo video they put out this year for the HARD festival. Take a peek and get excited!

Here is a quote from HARD Events founder, Gary Richards:
“Colorado has such amazing electronic music fans,” says Richards. “We have done a few shows here in the past, but nothing like HARD RED ROCKS. We are very excited about this event in Colorado on August 1 at Red Rocks. Colorado is such a big state with so many pockets of electronic heads; it’s great to be able to bring what HARD represents to them. Being able to dance and listen to quality electronic music outside in this setting truly is magical. We are going to make sure you get a taste of all different styles that HARD brings from trap to house to techno and everything in between.”

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Do you ever wish you could live outside of Colorado? If your answer is yes, you may want to reconsider. With Colorado coming in at #2 on Business Insider’s “Happiest States in America,” there are plenty of reasons to be living in this wonderful state.

http://www.businessinsider.com/happiest-states-2013-2?op=1

But many of us, including myself, tend to consistently take for granted the amenities that lie in our backyard. With the high elevation, and funky Colorado weather patterns, it is still possible to ski, river raft, and mountain bike all in the same day. A recent taste of warm weather has gotten everyone in the tank top/shorts mood, but don’t forget skiing in Colorado continues well into the summer months. You might be surprised…there is still plenty of snow up in the mountains!

We recently took a trip to cut some turns at Vail. With the sun shinning down in Denver and people wearing their flip flops, we were skeptical of snow conditions. But, we couldn’t have been more wrong. Heading up on the tail end of a spring-time blizzard, the snow was magical. The temperature was much colder than expected, but that meant less people on the hill and therefore, more untracked freshies for us! It also helped that the sheer size of Vail and its variety of terrain (5,289 acres, seven legendary Back Bowls, Blue Sky Basin, groomers, glades, and cliffs)  made this day unforgettable!

After we ripped through a few more trees and dropped a few more cliffs, it was time for a cold one down at the base at Garfinkels. If you are feeling adventurous after tackling the mountain, make sure to give a spin on the infamous wheel of fortune at the bar. You don’t know what concoction the bartender will stir up for you, but if you are lucky like we were, the bar buys (1 in 25 chance). A couple shots of fireball whiskey to warm us up and we were ready to spend the rest of the evening in the hot tub.

Vail did not disappoint. Living in the city, it’s easy to get distracted by the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But for me, it’s essential to take a step back and realize what a backyard paradise we are blessed with. The mountains of Colorado can be unpredictable, but that unpredictability can lead us to unforeseen adventures that are tough to find elsewhere. This trip to Vail mountain reminded me of that. So to all you who may question living in the box state, stop and smell the roses. You may just remember why this is one of the best places in the world to live.

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Pinky the albino chimpanzee is the first albino chimp ever seen, pictured here in her Sierra Leone sanctuary. She also has one blue eye and one brown. Is this not one of the most exotic animals you’ve ever seen? Not to mention, cute!

image source: HeraldSun

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images courtesy of Abigail Ratchford

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Launched recently, one of our favorite sites to shop on, designed and developed by our team at Arrae Creative, Shieldmans.com is a site that features eco-friendly products like The House of Marley headphones, Otterbox cases, Speck cases, and other mobile cases and accessories. The great part about the website launch is how many products that their site features from the get-go. With over 600 products, Shieldmans’ website is Colorado’s newest resource for the best products at lower prices than many big name brand sites.

If you are looking for an iPhone Cases (3, 4, or 5), Samsung or Android case, headphones or accessories, Shieldmans is the go to. You can feel great about supporting a local Colorado company with your purchase and save big on their products. Get a 5% discount on your order and use the code FRANKO5.

We’re proud to have shot a video with Shieldmans in the early days of Adventurous 500 (now Adventured), and are happy to see their business grow. Congratulations on the site launch, Shieldmans Mobile Accessories!

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Who’s up for a little hike? The abandoned Kalavantin Durg near Panvel, India is open for adventuring!

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