How To Become A Favorite In The Club Scene

Ever wondered how to get super popular in the club scene? Fear no more, for these tips will get you friends, discounts, and more!

1. Always tip the bartender. The bartender is your FRIEND, got it? Without a bartending friend, you are much more likely to get kicked out, overcharged, or even just snubbed at the door. 
2. Bring friends if you can. Bring a sexy female or two with you to the club if you're a guy. Girls, just go out there with friends of any gender - the more the merrier. 
3. Don't sleep with the regulars until you really are sure you want to do that. A common misconception in any scene is that sleeping with the right people will get you the props and respect that  you want. Don't be a starfucker. Don't be that person. You'll end up getting a reputation that you can't really repair if you do so.
4. Feeling down? Don't go to the club, and don't let anyone know. This is simple. Misery loves company, but no one wants to be misery's company. 
5. Know your limits. Drinking? Don't black out. Doing pills? Don't black out or get so wasted that you get 86'd or arrested. You will end up having people avoid you if you make an ass out of yourself in public. 
6. Learn and remember a couple of anecdotes for your partying needs. Learn some interesting news statistics and use them as icebreakers. Or, better yet, entertain people with your own crazy stories about life. 
7. Dance! Wallflowers always seem a bit out of place in a club, don't you think? Don't be afraid of looking dumb - just bust a move. 
8. Learn the 5 time rule. The 5 time rule is what I call the rule of regulars. If you visit a club five times or more, you are going to be viewed as a regular. If people are treating you poorly after 4 or 5 visits, drop that scene like a hot potato. 

You Know You Party Too Hard When...

....your daily life can be found on Texts from Last Night
....people don't ask whether or not you are home - just what party you are at tonight
....Ke$ha is concerned about your partying habits
....Neil Patrick Harris stole your car
....the local police know you by your first name
........but won't tell anyone that they party with you too
....you are not the least bit concerned about the fact that you just woke up next to a hooker from Vegas
........even though you're in Wisconsin
....your toilet left your house with a note saying, "After that last bender, I had to resign."
....you have become a legend on Facebook
....your license has been suspended before you even got it
....Tucker Max ain't got ish on you
....fraternities around the world have a shrine to your drinking habits

Drinking Lore And Legends, Part 1

This is going to be a multipart project where the staff at Inky Glow uncovers old school myths, legends, and lore about booze. Think of it as education for the party-minded.

The History Of "Cheers!"

"I don't want to kill you!"

Normally, when people think of clinking glasses together, it's a sign of celebration. We normally think along the lines of, "Yay! I'm gonna make clinky noises to celebrate!" Believe it or not, this wasn't always the case...

Way back when, people used to be a lot more violent. (This has actually been proven since an increase in exposure to lead has been linked with violent tendencies. Many, if not most, plates and drinking utensils were made of lead in these times.) So, since violence was de rigeur, it became pretty normal to want to kill people. If you were part of the royal class, or even just not part of the randomly psychotic class, you didn't want people to know that you needed/wanted to kill your fellow man. Since CSI didn't really exist in those days, the easiest way to dispose of an adversary was to slip something in their drinks and let them get poisoned to death. 

Of course, there was a way to prevent death from poisoned drinks, and that was to make sure that whoever is drinking with you would have a little sip of your beer as well. The way this was accomplished was hitting the mugs together hard enough to make the beer slosh from one cup to another. If the guy wouldn't drink after he gave you a big "Cheers!", you knew he was trying to kill you. So, that means that every time you clink your drinks, you aren't actually congratulating your friend. 

You're just saying you don't want him dead.

Is Absinthe Really A Hallucinogen?

"It's Green!"

Absinthe is the stuff of legend, simply because of its reputation. This light green liquid has been the stuff of rumors and myth for a number of reasons. Artist Vincent Van Gogh was known for partaking in it, people mention that it may cause hallucinations, and others even say that it was the absinthe that caused some of the world's most talented artists to kill themselves. With the reintroduction of Absinthe on the shelves of US stores, many rumors have abated, but some still stay strong. One of the most common debates is over the hallucinogenic qualities of absinthe (also known as "Seeing the Green Fairy"), and this is what Inky Glow will be covering today. 

There is not a single person who would not say that absinthe is a strong liquor. Modern absinthe typically is 45% to 75% alcohol by volume, meaning that it can definitely get you drunk. However, the alcohol itself is not what is supposedly psychoactive. In the 1910's and 1920's, thujone, a compound found in absinthe, was being fingered as the ingredient that made so many people behave strangely on the subject. This caused a huge uproar, and the trace amounts of thujone ended up causing absinthe to be banned in the United States from 1915 until 2007.

A double-blind study was conducted and it proved (once again) that Prohibitionists will do and say anything to stop people from having fun with the Green Fairy. Thujone was found to be non-hallucinogenic, which means that the only reason people were seeing things while drinking absinthe was because they were blitzed out of their minds. 

It should be noted that the absinthe that you see on store shelves does NOT contain thujone/wormwood, so it really isn't the absinthe of Oscar Wilde's days. However, you can rest assured it will still taste good and get people talking. 

Be An Investor In Inky Glow

Inky Glow is currently looking for investors to get the ball rolling on our new online store and services section. Email us in order to get in contact with us!

In Honor Of Hurricane Sandy...

Hurricanes are not fun. They destroy plans for nights out, and also can cause serious harm to people and property. But ya know what? Sometimes you just need to relax. Here's a link to a delicious drink that will put your mind at ease as your house washes away.

The Hurricane

A Warning On Eye Tattoos

At Inky Glow, we believe in partying and self expression as long as it is safe. This is why we need to warn our customers about ocular tattoos, and the recent damage that tattoo artists have been seeing. Eyes are very sensitive to any sort of chemical, including tattoo ink. Unfortunately, one of the newer trends in tattooing (eyeball tattoos) has been known to cause serious side effects, including blocked tear ducts and permanent black eyes in the long run. Don't do it!

Famous Writer's Hangover Cures

Writers love to drink. Then again, so does everyone, especially when you are a fan of some of the drinking games Inky Glow currently has on sale. With so many famous authors penning their finest works while intoxicated, you have to wonder how they managed to nurse those painful hangovers in the morning. Ask no more - we have the answers!

William Faulkner, author of some of the best works in the 20th century, actually used his hangover to fuel his work, and used his work to soothe his hangover. We at Inky Glow would like to applaud Faulkner's ability to soothe a hangover with work, and also wonder how that is physically possible.

Author of A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess, was known for choosing a very strong drink to avoid a hangover. This wicked cocktail is called Hangman's Blood, and it apparently never left him a hangover.

• 2 parts gin
• 2 parts whisky
• 2 parts rum
• 2 parts port
• 2 parts brandy
• 1 bottle of stout beer
• A dash of champagne

Just mix it all together in that order, and enjoy.

Hemingway was known to rely on tomato juice and beer as his hangover cure. He also was known for using absinthe as a way of soothing that aching head, too.

When asked for his hangover cure, Dean Martin simply said, "Stay drunk." (Well, that's one way of looking at the issue.)

No matter what your hangover cure is, make sure that you try out one of Inky Glow's drinking games to make the entire experience better. Or, better yet, pick up one of our Walk of Shame packs to help you out the morning after!

5 Myths About Glow Sticks

Glowsticks are a raver's best friend, and the fact is that Inky Glow can't seem to get enough of them. They are bright, colorful, shiny bastions of light! What's there not to love? Glowsticks are filled with glowy goo and myths about how to make the most of them. Before you decide to crack your next glowsticks, consider the following 5 myths about them. 

Myth #1 - Glowsticks won't make you feel sick if you eat them or swim in glowstick juice.

Fact: Yes, it does say non-toxic on the glowstick packages, we know. But, any smart toxicologist will tell you that the dose makes the toxin. This means that getting a little glowy glop on your tongue won't hurt, but eating a bunch of glowsticks will. (But really, you generally shouldn't eat glowing things, period.)

Photo Copyright Icanhascheezeburger.com

There was one incident at a rave where ravers with VIP tickets got the choice to play in a tub that was glowing green. The green glow was caused by...you guessed it, glowsticks! Two ravers lost their sight permanently, and the group which threw the party was sued. The moral of the story is don't break glowsticks open and swim in stuff that glows.Yikes.

Myth #2 - If you freeze glowsticks, they'll last longer. 

Fact: Okay, there is some truth to this. Freezing glowsticks will slow the chemical reaction in some kinds of glowsticks. But, from what we've seen, freezing glowsticks doesn't really make them last too much longer. Nor can you refreeze them and snap them again. These are old raver jokes that people would tell to newbies who are just learning to glowstick. If you want glowsticks that last for more than 8 hours, go for the LED glowsticks that Inky Glow has for sale. If you're looking for the old school "snap and glow" style, and want the glowsticks to last the whole night, steer clear of the ones that are being marketed as "Ultra Bright". Those have a tendency of lasting about an hour or so at most. 

Myth #3 - Going to a rave with only two glowsticks is a good idea.

Fact: Let's just face it. Glowsticks get lost, sometimes get borrowed (and not returned), and it's quite usual to end up sans glowsticks by the middle of the night. If you absolutely must enjoy glowsticking all night long, buy at least 4 glowsticks - 2 for you, and 2 for whoever want to stick with you.

Myth #4 - You can't make glowsticks brighter than they are made to be.

Fact: Believe it or not this is false. You CAN make your glowsticks super bright by popping them in the microwave for 10 seconds. (NOTE: DO NOT DO THIS FOR MORE THAN 10 SECONDS. THEY CAN POP!) You can also put them on a radiator or in hot water before you head to the party. See?

Fresh out the kitchen! (Image from instructables.com)

Myth #5 - You can't revive a dead glowstick. 

Fact: You can, but it won't stay glowing for too long. Just run the glowstick under hot water, and turn off the lights. ("It's aliiiiiiive!")

No matter whether you're waving them, freezing them, boiling them, or nuking them, make sure to get your glowsticks from Inky Glow!

Introducing The Inky Glow Manifesto

We have all heard stories about how regular Joe Schmoes realize their dreams of becoming real estate salesmen, or how the regular type of girl went to college to become a teacher and became a teacher, right? They live normal lives, they have kids, they go to work, and that's about it. But what about people who aren't your typical Joe?

For people who aren't quite the norm, and want to be who they really are without having to worry about what others think about them, there are places, people, styles and events that grip them. They live lifestyles beyond the normal reach of things, and they adore it. They go under many labels - raver, goth, GBTLQ, hipster, alternative - just to name a few. No matter what you call yourself, Inky Glow is a company that celebrates you.

You, the bizarre, the unique, the beautiful person that you are.

We celebrate people of all walks of life, and do our best to educate others on tolerance, safe sex, and responsible partying.
We host photoshoots and workshops for people who want to have a visual reminder of their uniqueness, as well as those who want to become models.
We provide the alternative clothes that are hard to come by, and always admired.
We provide the ink that makes you "pop" under UV light.
We provide the party supplies that make you the smash hit at your next get-together.
We help you be the you that you've always wanted to be, and help you come alive at night.