photo of a girl whose man does not have body odor
We at Urban Monarch are definitely fans of proper grooming, and with the blazing summer sun just around the corner it’s a good time to think about that most crucial of grooming essentials; not stinking.
Body odor is the smell of bacteria growing on your body. […]

At what temperature does a can of soda freeze?  I found myself pondering this question Friday afternoon as I sat at my desk, heavily sedated from lunch and trying to perk up with a caffienated can of sugar water.  The pop machine I bought the can from boasted a blistery temperature of 30 F.  As […]

Yesterday I found myself on a mission at the mall with a sexy vixen whose company I quite enjoy.   As we were leaving, she insisted upon stopping for a chai @ Starbucks.  This gave her mischevious delight as she’s quite aware of how I feel about the place.  Undaunted, and with her chai and my […]

Last night Greg and I met up with long time UM friend, easy on the eyes model and queen of comments Raquel.  She was joined by two lovely out of town guests who were visiting from Los Angeles.  We were talking about their favorite LA experiences and one thing kept coming up: “Saddle Ranch”.  I […]

I spent my college years spinning vinyl in empty warehouses in the abandoned industrial areas of Michigan. Now every time I see a turntable or hear a techno beat a little of piece of me longs for the life I long ago traded in for a corporate job.
This short clip features a DJ controlling […]

In his best selling book “The Game”, Neil Strauss unveils a lot of intriguing tools intended to make meeting women easier.  One piece that can easily be overlooked as readers race through the book seeking out the “perfect pickup line ” (hint: it doesn’t exist) was his constant club companion, a trusty ‘man purse’.

According to […]

Three months after I hired a personal chef to do my dinner preparations I am now back in the grocery store.  There are a few reasons for this, but mainly it has to do with my lifestyle.  I am always on the go, with days that I only return home for a shower in the […]

Greg may not know it yet, but we’re going to begin offering occasional ‘quick tips’ for improving your social skills (and therefore life in general).  The series will be known as ‘The 30 Second Socializer’.
In the field of NLP there is a concept known as ‘reframing’.  It’s basically a tool to help you change the […]

Perusing my favorite blogs this week I ran across an interview with Tim Ferris, author of the new book “The 4 Hour Work Week.” Seeing that I am a man of little inclination towards a 40 hour work week, I was immediately intrigued. Digging deeper it appears the book is all about automating […]

Three words; I love it.  Of course, with my upgrading from the now antique-store ready Sony Ericsson t610, it didn’t have to do much. Still, I’ve been amazed thus far and with only a few minor complaints would definitely rank it as the best phone I’ve ever owned.

OVERVIEW
Being with T-Mobile for close to a decade […]

With weather warming up and summer time approaching, it’s time to break out the pinks.  Rosés are often overlooked wines, greatly in part due to our americanized, popularized, and often chastised, white zinfandel.  However, after pulling the cork on some tastier options, you will quickly learn there is much more to life than Sutter Home.
Wines […]

Continuing in the theme of this week’s poll regarding unacceptable traits in a potential girlfriend, here’s a short list of warning signs to look out for.
Sure, the descriptions are pretty simplistic, but with each ‘type’ being illustrated with increasingly psychotic looking dolls well, I just had to share.

A random selection;
9. The woman who is always […]

Em & Lo, the sex columnists over at at NY Mag, have looked for answers to a question I’ve never thought to ask… Why are MILFs hot?
As two sex writers on the brink of breeding, we sometimes foresee a gloomy future—will people really take sex advice from two moms? But then we comfort ourselves with […]

If there’s one thing I hate (besides roller backpacks), it’s mySpace.  From the seizure inducing madness that comprises 99% of people’s profiles to the guaranteed drama-enhancing effects of your current girlfriend seeing a ‘what’s up’ from some *other* girl in your comments (oh SNAP indeed), it’s just ridiculous to me.  (note: yes, Urban Monarch has […]

Since the last biphasic sleep update we’ve been talking to a few companies who make rem sleep monitors. These devices monitor your motion as you sleep to determine which stages of sleep you enter and for what durations.
[Updated: Axbo Alarm Clock]

The SleepTracker watch should be here within a week […]

Although we typically steer clear of overly-techie topics here @ UM, I wanted to cover two free downloads that have come in handy for solving a specific problem recently.
I had purchased access to several, ahem ‘galleries’ online and recently, the site featuring them has decided to close its doors.  Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue […]

Last week on my biphasic sleep update, Steve Laz left a comment that peaked my interest.
People who meditate typically need much less sleep than those who don’t. Chew on that for a while…
Well Steve, not only will I chew on that, but I’ll google it to see if you’re right.  After a little digging, I […]

I have a strict policy against dating someone who has a kid.  There is so much baggage and complications that seem to go with it that I’ve chosen to avoid this in potential mates.
How about you?  Feel free to add your own choice to the poll if it’s not there.

One thing I won’t deal with in […]

At Urban Monarch headquarters, there is no shortage of hipster propaganda and media lurking about.  Whether it be the Death Cab for Cutie tracks taking up plenty of space in my party shuffle, or the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Garden State DVDs littering Greg’s bedroom , there’s far worse things we could be called […]

SNL’s new digital short mocks the OC with gun play and imogen heap.  NBC, who usually uploads new videos on their own youtube account, has omitted this one.  Sympathy for current events can only be assumed.

I’m like a super model really.  Aside from my mean runway stomp learned from tireless hours spent studying Victoria’s Secret models, I have similar behaviors as well.  I realized this with my current biphasic sleep problems.  I want to sleep less and be awake more.  So I starve myself of sleep for days at a […]