After a year and a half of research and countless numbers of hours calling overseas, I am finally leaving for my once-in-a-lifetime vacation - to Venice and various parts of Greece. I look forward to the week-long extravaganza of history and philosophy by day and wine and music by night. 

Despite the avid preparations to plan this trip, I only started packing my bags yesterday. After finishing very early this morning, I came across a small problem. My suitcase, like the others in our party, is plain and black with no real defining features. If I wasn't able to identify my own bag inside the house, how could I figure it out when I am jetlagged, staring blankly at a turnstile with hundreds of other suitcases that look similar.

The solution was rather simple. I remember bringing home with me a leftover custom imprinted Grip-It Luggage Identifier. It was a brilliant blue (sky blue) and by placing it on the top handle, I'll be able to identify the bag from the second it is dumped out of the turnstile. 

I'm not the only one who finds this item to be a great idea. This item alone has been ordered quite a few times in just the last year alone, making it an item you might want to consider at the next trade show. If you don't believe me, read the reviews found on the product page. 

It's been just under a month and I am still madly in love with my iPhone. The apps that I have on it help keep me organized and entertained throughout the day. What I love most about it is how much music I can keep stowed away. That number is further increased with my Spotify Premium account.

I noticed that the quality of the iPhone was unsurpassed - unlike my headphones. My headphones have seen better days - the wires are dirty and frayed and sound only comes out of one side of the headset. 

In the past month, I downloaded new albums from Passion Pit, Purity Ring, Aesop Rock, Bobby Womack, Metric and Liars - just to name a few. With less than desirable headphones, how could I take-in everything? I decided to purchase new headphones, very similar to Motivators' custom imprinted Leeds Noise Cancellation Headphones. They're large, cancel noise very well and include a standard 3.5mm jack. The Leeds pair is impressive because it also includes a two-prong jack for airplane seats - never again will you have to buy headphones on an airplane!

So whether you're a music shop or a musician, consider including some custom imprinted iPod accessories with your music to expand the listener's experience.

During my college years, I wrote a history thesis paper on how "Gin and Juice" became not only the cornerstone of modern hip-hop and mainstream hedonism but also how it single-handedly impacted inner-city youth in this generation. A powerful paper considering Snoop Dogg's only intention to was as a mere party anthem.

Snoop Dogg's lengthy discography gives you a pretty good idea of the man behind the voice - a gang banger (he was formally a member of the notorious Crips) who has three pleasures in life - sex, drugs and music. (maybe even in that order) It would be hard to say otherwise with singles like "Drop It Like It's Hot," "Gangsta Luv" and more recently "Young, Wild and Free" with Wiz Khalifa. 

But everyone grows up someday.

Snoop Dogg spent much of his winter in Jamaica, taking in the sites. He was totally encompassed in the physical beauty of the island as well as the peaceful Rastafarian way-of-life. On one occasion, he went to a Rastafarian temple. He came upon a high priest who asked for his name. 

"Snoop Dogg"

"No more. You are the light...you are the lion."

With that, Snoop Dogg was reborn as Snoop Lion.

The name change doesn't come subtly. With the name change comes a new reggae album, appropriately titled Reincarnation as well as a documentary and even a coffee book. 

Snoop Dogg isn't the only hip-hop artist who has converted to another religion. Ice Cube and Busta Rhymes converted to Islam, Kurtis Blow converted to Christianity and Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys) converted to Buddhism. Even Dante Smith dropped the name Mos Def for his Islamic name, Yasiin Bey.

Below is his first single, produced by Major Lazer. Diplo (1/2 of Major Lazer) will be producing Reincarnation.

Imagine the very iconic Bob Dylan gracing the stage with throngs of people anxiously awaiting his performance. The year is 1965. Bob Dylan is only 24 years old.

Now imagine Bob Dylan being booed off-stage.

It happened at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. Bob Dylan's first electric set ever was met with great animosity. Some fans believed he "abandoned" folk music altogether while others believed the sound quality was less-than-stellar. What was known was that the fusion of folk and rock was born that day.

Forty-seven years later, I will be attending the same festival and see the stages greats like Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash and George Wein among others. 

For months, I have been counting down to the Newport Folk Festival. It's my first time not only heading to the Folk Festival but actually staying in Rhode Island. (up until this point I merely used Rhode Island as a welcome mat to get to Massachusetts.) I'll be attending the festival on Saturday. The stellar line-up includes My Morning Jacket, Iron & Wine, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, First Aid Kit, City & Colour and even a group of young kids (aged 8-14) called the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys. 

Sadly, the weather in Newport is going to be far from ideal. I packed promotional umbrellas and custom imprinted rain jackets and ponchos. These jackets are great because they will keep the rain off while not overheating me from the already high temperatures predicted. 

Every year, my friend and I throw a house party unlike any other. We bring together our close, mutual friends from the metropolitan area and our respective college friends. (my friends' friends are all from the DC/Virginia area while mine are all over the place - some coming as far as Canada) We buy the food, drinks, decor and even splurge on activities. This year's festivities included movies on a large projector screen and a rented hot tub, among other things.

Our only concern was money. My friend and I split the cost of the party down the middle and only ask for $5-$20 - while it is not even close to covering the cost of the party, we do this so both of us end up not being entirely in the red at the end of the weekend. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of the people who attended last year's party ended up paying us back.

So how did we make sure to collect the money from everyone this time? We didn't hound them at the door or kick them out onto the street. Instead, we organized a raffle with some pretty cool prizes - everything from gift cards to t-shirts to movies. And to guarantee that everyone would not only contribute to the party but also remember the party for years to come, we gave away custom imprinted Beverage Wraps to everyone who contributed $5.

The result? The raffle made a profit of $140, after paying for the can coolers and the 6 other prizes we used. The can coolers were a huge hit, fit snuggly over cans, bottles and cups and it helped remind people who didn't contribute to the party to throw a few dollars our way.

So whether you're throwing a party and need help from contributions or have plenty to go around, be sure to include the Beverage Wraps. They are available in hundreds of different combinations, thanks to the number of color items available and the number of imprint colors available. 

One of my responsibilities at Motivators is to add brand new products and edit existing products. I hand-pick these items and I love adding variety to the Motivators website.

Our new website is not only meant to help customers but helps to make my job easier. On any given category, there are filters that can narrow your search, sometimes significantly. When I play with each category, I find out what filters are strong and what filters are lacking. I take note of these filters and make sure we add items that could make these categories stronger.

A quick glance at our New for 2012 page shows new stocks in promotional personal thermometers, golf bags and even napkins. We're adding new items to this page everyday and it is sure to give you great ideas with what to get for your next party or next tradeshow. 

Between now and October, I'll be going on five different trips. Yes, five. My plans to stay primarily local last year backfired - now I feel the need to be away as often as I can. Just thinking about it all has me rather giddy with delight.  

Although most of these trips are only during the weekend, each trip requires detailed organization. "What do I pack?" "How do I get there?" and "How much money should I bring?" are just some of the questions on a lengthy list I'll be asking myself - five times over.  

As much as I use my iPhone the Siri program to keep up-to-date with my agendas and to-do lists, nothing beats a classic promotional calendar and custom imprinted adhesive pads. My wall calendar (featuring artwork from the late Norman Rockwell) is adorned with reminders to refill prescriptions, pack suitcases, complete bank transfers and to follow currency transfer rates. 

So if you want to help ease your employees during the planning phase of their vacation(s) definitely give them an adhesive pad and a promotional calendar. A cell phone with all of the bells and whistles will not be seen as much as a promotional calendar at work. 

It's hard to believe that it was almost one year ago that Watch The Throne, the collaborative album between hip-hop heavy-hitters Jay-Z and Kanye West. Some people are still heavily playing "...in Paris" on repeat and trying to memorize the fast-paced lyricism of "Otis"

What made this album a great success wasn't just the producers (Kanye West, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz) or the household names that were part of the musical project. What gave the album staying power on the charts was the fact that it was released digitally - before its physical release and before the album could even leak. 

It's no surprise that with the invention of the torrents, Youtube, P2P filesharing sites and closed filesharing services it is hard for an artist's albums to not get into the wrong hands before its official release date. So when it came to Watch The Throne Jay-Z and Kanye did something a tad unorthodox by releasing the album themselves about a week beforehand.

The result? An array of praise and a flurry of first week sales. (436,000 to be exact) It would become platinum one month later. 

So one year later, it is Watch The Throne guest vocalist/OFWGKTA member Frank Ocean that would follow in their footsteps - releasing his first full length album Channel Orange (not to be confused with his mixtape) a week before its official release. As a result, the album is already getting praise from the likes of Pitchfork, Huffington Post and Telegraph. Despite not being sold in some retailers, this album is expected to push over 100k copies.

Like the singles "Thinkin' Bout You" or "Pyramids"? Chances are you may be able to grab as a gift on a custom imprinted Digital Media Card - Music Download Card. 

Are you more likely to buy an album if released or leaked early? Have an opinion on Frank Ocean or his new album? 

After seeing The Amazing Spiderman and being one of the (very) few that was actually disappointed by the movie, I only look forward to The Dark Knight Rises (and one day finally seeing Moonrise Kingdom) in theatres. I look forward to seeing the aerial acrobatics, fighting style and deep character development of the Caped Crusader. 

But according to four students from the University of Leicester, Batman would not last a single day as a superhero - unless he used mass transportation to get around. Using physics and a promotional calculator, students found out that Batman's cape would indeed allow him to fly but would hit speeds of close to 50 mph upon landing - making a clean, safe landing next to impossible. Entitled "Trajectory of a Falling Batman" the paper continues to say that "He would likely end up getting a bit splattered." but would be able to successfully fly and land safely if the cape was much larger than his armspan. The conclusion was made using the 15.4' wingspan of the Batman Begins cape and a 150 meter building. 

Perhaps he need a cape more like this one to make the landing? Or do you prefer a more sleek, stylish costume found in the last films?

You may know Donald Glover as Troy from Community or as Tracy Morgan's son/younger Tracy Morgan/random cameos in 30 Rock. You may have also seen his hour long stand-up comedy on Comedy Central.

But Donald Glover also performs as a hip-hop artists, under the moniker Childish Gambino. His LP debut Camp has done really well since being released last year, reaching as low as #11 on the Billboard 200. 

On Fourth of July, Childish Gambino released a mixtape Royalty that features the likes of Danny Brown, ScHoolboy Q, RZA, Ghostface Killah and even Beck. But the most surprising collaboration isn't between Childish Gambino and Beck...it's with 30 Rock co-star Tina Fey.

Yes. The incredibly funny and talented Tina Fey (who played Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live and a burrito in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie) raps the final lines of "Real Estate" - the final track on the mixtape. Almost as a salute to fans of his eclectic career or an insult to those who say "choose one or the other", he uses Tina Fey to show that the transition from TV to music and vice-versa is an easy one.

Interested in hearing her spit hot rhymes? Listen to the end of the imbedded video and download the mixtape. Then be sure to get a Childish Gambino ringtone using the custom imprinted Digital Media Card - Ringtone.