How Feminism Destroyed Real Men
November 2, 2006 by Glenn · 6 Comments
The Daily Mail has a controversial editorial arguing that the feminist movement destroyed “real men.”
Suddenly, women wanted to drive home their newfound equality by moulding men to be more like them.
This velvet revolution was reflected in a series of broader cultural changes. After decades of uncompromising movie heroes like Marlon Brando and Clint Eastwood, we were asked to fall for stuttering, floppy-haired fops like Hugh Grant; touchy-feely and hopelessly embarrassed around women.
How to Take Better Photographs
October 31, 2006 by Glenn · 2 Comments
I’ve always thought my photography skills could use some improvement. Too often the pictures end up boring and run-of-the-mill. So, how to get better?
Enlightened Seduction - The Way of Men & Women Product Review
October 30, 2006 by Glenn · 9 Comments
Following on the 10 traits of natural seducers, Zan’s second DVD is about the situation modern-day men and women find themselves in. Specifically, men are confused about how women want them to act. And women have been let down time and again in their relationships with men… because the men are confused.
YouTube: Bill Maher Rap Translation
October 27, 2006 by Glenn · 2 Comments
Biscuit. Catch the vapors. Ice. Deciphering rap lyrics isn’t the easiest thing to do. But Bill Maher has translated some classic rap verses into “white-speak,” with hilarious results.
The 25 Most Stylish Films of All Time
October 26, 2006 by Glenn · 2 Comments
If you’re looking for a bit of fashion inspiration, check out GQ’s feature of the 25 most stylish films of all time. I’m partial to classic looks like Steve McQueen in Bullitt or Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor.
Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange… well, I’ll leave that look for others to try and pull off.
Are there any films missing from the list? The Matrix and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet come to mind.
How To Be Punctual
October 24, 2006 by Glenn · 2 Comments
Some people are always on time, but I’d hazard a guess that most of us have occasional punctuality problems. WikiHow’s article on how to be punctual has some good tips.
- Don’t be an optimist. Things usually take significantly longer than you’d expect, even without major delays.
- Wake up when you’re supposed to wake up. Acquire the habit of sitting up, stretching, and getting out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off.
- Commit yourself to being 15 minutes early for everything, and bring something you can read in short segments everywhere you go.
Read the full article for all 11 tips.
Flame On: The Beginning of the End of America
October 24, 2006 by Glenn · 4 Comments
Welcome to the first installment of Urban Monarch’s new “Flame On” series. The purpose of Flame On is to let Urbman Monarch contributors post ideas and articles that we feel should be known about, but are likely to be controversial (or downright crazy).
The topics for Flame On are chosen by the individual poster, not by an Urban Monarch consensus. Consequently, the posts don’t represent Urban Monarch’s opinions as a whole (and not even necessarily the opinions of the individual poster).
Enlightened Seduction - The Way of the Natural Product Review
October 23, 2006 by Glenn · 6 Comments
I want to start off by saying you’ll need an open mind if you’re going to read this review. The product is definitely outside what mainstream society finds “acceptable,” and will likely offend some of you. With that said… Read more
How to Start a Fire
October 20, 2006 by Glenn · 4 Comments
Cash’s post on basic survival skills was a good introduction. Then I read, “Always have two ways of starting a fire with you.” Huh?
If some calamity happens (or in Cash’s words, if China’s invading mainland USA), I doubt I’ll have two ways of starting a fire readily available.
How to Beat a Speeding Ticket
October 19, 2006 by Glenn · 2 Comments
Since my car is on the verge of exploding into a firey ball of death, I usually drive like my dearly departed 94-year-old grandfather. However, this post may still be of use to the speeders out there (sisters and girlfriends included ;)).
Zirh Rejuvenate Product Review
Today I’m reviewing Zirh’s Rejuvenate anti-aging moisturizer. The product claims to
reduce the apprearance of fine lines, even and brighten skin tone, restore skin’s lipid balance and elasticity with repeated use.
Application is easy — apply to face and neck twice daily (ideally after using Clean). My skin is very strange in that sometimes it’s dry and sometimes it’s oily. So I restrict use to once a day and don’t put it on acne-prone “problem” areas. And you don’t need much — a little goes a long way.
Preventing Identity Theft
October 17, 2006 by Glenn · 2 Comments
You hear a lot about identify theft these days, and the horror stories of people who fall victim to it.
If you’re looking for some basic guidelines on preventing identity theft, check out Your Credit Advisor’s ultimate guide to identify theft. One of the problems is how often our social security number is used by companies, yet so much damage can be done when it falls into the wrong hands. How do you deal with that? Read more
Soulful Relationships
October 16, 2006 by Glenn · 3 Comments
Most of us believe relationships work a certain way: approaching a stranger takes courage, you risk being rejected, trust and bonding take time, and you have fear of loss once you’re invested in a relationship. This is one view of relationships, but there are others to consider as well.
Steve Pavlina has an article on soulful relationships, where you assume a connection with everyone around you. I’m sure it sounds a bit “new-agey,” but don’t be too quick to judge before you’ve tested the model yourself. Steve was resistant to it at first, but the results from the new mindset blew away what he was getting from the old one.
One quote of his stuck out to me:
Usually the best way to break the ice with someone is to assume there never was any ice to begin with.
Have you ever noticed someone like this in your life? They easily express themselves and their personality to complete strangers (the sub-communication is that they’re not afraid of rejection). It’s as if they assume you’ve always been friends — why wouldn’t you like them?
And most of us are drawn and attracted to these people. This exactly parallels the example of closed-off IT workers in the post on becoming more likeable.
If you’re wondering how some people seem so secure in displaying their personality to others, perhaps they’ve adopted the mindset that Steve Pavlina describes.
Avoid Cell Phone Overage Charges
October 13, 2006 by Glenn · 2 Comments
Those pesky cell phone companies — it seems like they’re always trying to screw you one way or another. The latest one I came across was from an article about avoiding cell phone overage charges. After reading that many companies use a backwards way of tracking the minutes you use (that doesn’t work in your favor), I could only think to myself, “Typical.”
Basically, any minutes you use are always deducted from your “anytime” minutes, even if you’re calling during the unlimited night and weekend times. Only once you’ve exhausted the anytime minutes do the unlimited minutes take effect.
Looking over my latest Sprint bill, I was pleasantly surprised to find out they don’t use this non-intuitive accounting scheme. My night and weekend minutes are tallied together, and all other minutes are tallied under the anytime minutes. The total minutes used were over my anytime minutes quota, and there was no overage charge. Sweet.
Does anyone out there with a different provider know which method they use?
What Happens When You Stop Smoking Now
I gave smoking the old college try, but it didn’t catch (fortunately). Some of my friends were or still are smokers — I know it can be really hard to quit.
Part of what makes quitting hard is that the dangers and benefits are far off in the future. You think to yourself, “Lung cancer is 30 years away, so why stop today,” or “It will take forever for my lungs to heal anyway, one more day won’t matter.”
To help turn this mindset around, Healthbolt has an article on the immediate short-term benefits of quitting.
- In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
- In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
- In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
Read the article for the all benefits you gain over the months and years — including your risk of lung cancer dropping to that of a non-smoker in 10 years (not forever).
Free International Calls
October 11, 2006 by Glenn · 3 Comments
When SkypeOut was released, international calls became dramatically cheaper. But you were tied to your PC, and you still had to pay. No more!
Future Phone is offering completely free international calls. Simply dial the gateway access number, 712-858-8883, and an automated prompt asks you for the international number.
I thought there must be some catch, like a commercial you have to listen to before the call connects. Nope. I called my parents who recently moved to China, and it worked flawlessly. No commercial. No time limits. No registration to gather personal info. Nothing. The only catch is a tiny one: Future Phone might end the service in three years.
Free international calls until 2010? I can’t complain!
The Dilbert Guide to Personal Finance
You’re probably thinking this must be a joke, just like I did. Actually, Scott Adams has a solid framework for handling your finances and investing. He claims it’s “everything you need to know about personal investing.” While I’m not so sure of that, you’d be hard-pressed to go wrong using these nine guidelines:
- Make a will
- Pay off your credit cards
- Get term life insurance if you have a family to support
- Fund your 401k to the maximum
- Fund your IRA to the maximum
- Buy a house if you want to live in a house and can afford it
- Put six months worth of expenses in a money-market account
- Take whatever money is left over and invest 70% in a stock index fund and 30% in a bond fund through any discount broker and never touch it until retirement
- If any of this confuses you, or you have something special going on (retirement, college planning, tax issues), hire a fee-based financial planner, not one who charges a percentage of your portfolio
[via MarketWatch.com]
Becoming More Likeable
October 9, 2006 by Glenn · 4 Comments
The Prometheus Institute has an article by Justin Hartfield on increasing your likeability (in the office and the world). The five tips may seem simple, but there’s real truth to them.
The example of closed-off IT workers who don’t show any personality is perfect. At best they come off as boring, making you indifferent to them. At worst they come off as elitist and snobby.
But the guy who takes a risk and shows who he really is (because he’s secure enough in himself to do it) — people like and respect him for it.
Of course, if you’re looking for more influence with others, it never hurts to give the old classic another reading.
Calling in Sick (From Your Hangover)
Had one too many shots of dill-infused vodka at the Sunday outing to Red Square? With a little planning, you don’t even have to worry about the Monday-morning call to work to explain your sudden case of “stomach flu.”
Call-in-Sick.com has you covered. From the website:
Picture the scenario: You stay out too late on a workday night and decide to call in sick the next day. The next day you drag yourself out of bed at 5am because you know your boss won’t be there to answer the phone.
With Call-in-Sick you can record your sick message the night before then schedule it to be sent directly to your boss’s phone early in the morning without you even getting out of bed!
And because we’re such great guys, here’s a little “call-in-sick” script as well (via soyouwanna.com):
Hello, _____ ? (insert boss’s or even better, boss’s secretary’s name) Yeah, hi, it’s ____. (insert your name) Listen, I think I might vomit, so I’m going to stay in bed for a while. Yeah, thanks. Bye.
Extreme Pumpkin Carving
October 5, 2006 by Glenn · 8 Comments
Continuing my halloween kick, I came across a great site that’s taken pumpkin carving to a whole new level: ExtremePumpkins.com. My favorite so far is definitely “Gunshot Wound to the Head Pumpkin.”
They even have a free pattern — make your own and let the neighbors wonder, “Where is the point when someone takes Halloween too far?” 
Be sure to check out the annual contest photos — it’s amazing what people have done with the simple idea of a jack-o-latern.
Zirh Shave Gel and Shave Cream Product Review
October 4, 2006 by Glenn · 3 Comments
Today I’m reviewing Zirh’s Shave Gel and Shave Cream products.
SHAVE GEL
Zirh offers the Shave Gel as an option for men who have facial hair. The gel is clear, letting you see where sideburns and other facial hair are, so you can be more precise in shaving the correct areas of your face and neck.
The consistency of the gel is as expected — a thin gel that spreads easily over your face (much like the hair gel you used for that awesome “wave” hair you were rocking in the late 80s). Note that the gel is non-foaming, unlike many shaving gels you find at the supermarket.
