Grinding Your Way to Mrs. Right
May 31, 2007 by Greg · 2 Comments

It’s Thursday and in most big cities, it’s dance club night. If you’re like me and suffer from acute employment, you are going out. While out, you may find yourself grinding away at the pelvis of strange, yet attractive, women. The good news is, according to a recent survey, this is an acceptable way to introduce yourself. Read more
urban lifestyle quiz
May 31, 2007 by Cash · 3 Comments

61% of readers who voted in our ideal home poll chose “Downtown/Urban Loft”. But what loft based lifestyle is most suitable for you?
Take the urban lifestyle quiz and find out.
Online Vocal Training
May 31, 2007 by Greg · 3 Comments

Happy Brainstorming has an introductory tutorial on vocal training. Starting out with an example about the impact speech plays on social interaction, it continues exploring various techniques. The article includes exercises as well as demonstrations of engaging speech. Read more
gandhi’s got game
May 30, 2007 by Cash · 2 Comments

“Congruence” defined:
If You’re an Ass Then Change
May 30, 2007 by Greg · 3 Comments

An article published last week by Live Science argues that not only can your personality change, but it probably should. As an advocate of personal growth I subscribe to this belief whole heartedly. However, researcher Carol Dweck goes further by illustrating cases in which personality changes display isolated performance advancements. Read more
best of google
May 30, 2007 by Cash · 3 Comments

There are a lot of crazy ’spontaneous comedy’ tools out on the web. The Tashian translator gave me hours of enjoyment when I first discovered it (still does, actually). Now, the mad geniuses over at the Outer Court Google blog have come up with a simple recipe for internet induced laughs.
Renting a Mortgage
May 29, 2007 by Greg · 3 Comments

I am currently sifting through real estate ads and scrutinizing lenders as I evaluate whether home ownership is the best move for me. While many factors come into play when making a decision as big as this, I am looking for factual, concrete answers to persuade me which direction to go. In the middle of my research, Yahoo Finance has released an alternative view to the common advice that home ownership is the best investment to make. Read more
how to ditch your car for good: part 2 - how?
May 29, 2007 by Cash · 8 Comments
Giving up your car is easier than you think, but a bit of planning will help make the transition a lot smoother.
Getting Clean with Urban Monarch
May 29, 2007 by Greg · 3 Comments

We recently received the full line of fragrances from Tommy Bahama and while we’ve been out field testing the seductive power of the scents, we did push forward a review of their St Barts soap on a rope. Well, the Tommy Bahama folks want to return the favor to Urban Monarch readers. They are graciously offering the first 6 readers a complimentary bar in the mail.
To all those fans of Tommy Bahama Set Sail St Barts Soap On A Rope who read this blog, for the first six who share 5 clean reasons why they need this tropical getaway in the shower, we’ll send you a bar to enjoy the next time you get wet.
To get clean, be one of the first to e-mail Lori Zelenko. For more info on the product, check out the soap on a rope review.
happy memorial day
Hopefully by the time this post drops all of you will be sipping your first cocktail (myself included), so I’ll keep this short.
Enjoy your holiday weekend. We’re glad to have you as readers.
To all the fallen servicemen and women who’ve helped keep America free for this long, thank you; our gratitude is great.
Hip Hop Violin
May 25, 2007 by Greg · 6 Comments
This is a clip of a 20 year old girl playing electric violin on top of the blackeyed peas while dancing. While I think there are a lot better songs to be chosen than BEP, I can’t help but be awed by this clip.
how to: easily clean your george foreman grill
May 25, 2007 by Cash · 6 Comments

Several years ago my sister surprised me at Christmas with a George Foreman Grill. At the time I was both living in an apartment with a TINY, almost unusable kitchen, as well as beginning to get into healthier eating habits. The grill turned out to be the the perfect gift for both these reasons. It cooked my two staples at the time, chicken and salmon, quickly, evenly and most important -easily.
Cleaning up afterwards however was anything but.
Vegan Pumas
May 24, 2007 by Greg · 10 Comments

I love Puma. Almost as much as I love Onitsuka Tiger. Actually I had a dream about Onitsukas last night, but my dreams are none of your business. When searching for vegan shoes, there are two options. Hit the stores and trust that they have merchandised their products correctly, or hit the manufacturer and ask questions. I do a little of both. Read more
quick quiz: what are the differences between men and women?
May 24, 2007 by Cash · 5 Comments
Test your knowledge with 8 simple, true / false questions. No cheating, unlike 46% of you do on your girlfriends :-).
More Sex in Greece
May 24, 2007 by Greg · 5 Comments

A recent survey compared sexual frequency and nationality. The Greeks came out on top with Brazilians tagging in at a close second. The frequency however is not representative of birth rate. While the Greeks engaged in weekly sex, the Brazilians had almost twice the babies. Read more
reading for retention: twice is better than once
I’ve always been a good reader. By ‘good’ I mean quick and efficent. When interested in the material (aka motivated by it) I finish books fast and typically remember key points, characters and plot lines for years.
This is fine for fiction, but over the last year and a half I’ve been doing massive amounts of research, primarily into the “science” of socializing. There is so much information I wish to internalize and retain, that I can’t take chances forgetting something important.
Avoiding the Office
May 23, 2007 by Greg · 5 Comments

I am on the cusp of another 3 month vacation and with a mere 3 days separating me and a life that must resemble heaven, I am clawing at my mouse. Amongst other more ambitious activities, I plan on embarking on such noble tasks as late morning breakfasts, afternoons in the park, and general idling. I plan on being one of those people who aren’t at work during the day.
A question I have pondered, despite the experience I have enjoyed myself, is “Who are these people and why aren’t they at work?”
Apparently I am not the only one. Read more
passive agressive notes
May 23, 2007 by Cash · 4 Comments
When not snapping pulitzer prize caliber photos in the back alleys of Denver or matching wits against chess supercomputers, UM friend Brian spends his time discovering sites like Passive Agressive Notes.
Thankfully, he shares the goods.
3 Words That Mean Little
May 22, 2007 by Greg · 3 Comments

Often I find myself scrambling for words to mean nothing. Not being satisfied with terms such as ‘dull’ or ‘flat’, I’ve turned to my friends for advice on more colorful language. From which I’ve collected three new adjectives: Vacuous, Vapid, and Insipid. Read more
how to ditch your car for good: part 1 - why?
May 22, 2007 by Cash · 16 Comments
I haven’t driven a car in over 6 months. I could not be happier. As any regular Urban Monarch reader knows; I don’t live in some massive metropolis where public transportation is a natural alternative to the automobile either. I live in Denver. In Colorado, public transportation has been somewhat of an after thought, and only recently, with the arrival of the new Southeast Light Rail line has the decision to ditch my trusty Honda been feasible.
Since Greg and I both have reaped the benefits of selling our cars and going down the bus / light rail route, I’ve decided to share the details of the switch in a three part series:
Part 1 - Why?: Here I’ll discuss the benefits of a car free existence
Part 2 - How?: This will focus on the nuts and bolts of taking advantage of your town’s bus and train system.
Part 3 - Lessons learned and general advice: This is where Greg and my ‘experiences’ (aka pains in the ass) will help save you time and trouble as you make the move.
Ready to give your local gas station the one finger salute?
The Secret vs Never Saw It Coming
May 22, 2007 by Greg · 3 Comments

I am a little more than tired of hearing about The Secret. Looking up Amazon’s best seller list the other day to see how ol’ Timothy Ferris’ recent info-project-product is doing, there it is still, The Secret, peddling possibilities to the masses. Thankfully, I’m not the only one bored by this. Slate Magazine has published an open letter to Oprah to stop promoting intention manifestation. Read more

