Serious Post FAIL.

No, this is not FAIL BLOG. However, the term FAIL definitely applies here. Life has gotten so busy that there has been some serious neglect on my behalf regarding this blog. It is as if I had an digital vasectomy, rendering my e-juice useless and not allowing me to be manly in this online medium. Well guess what, neglect is in the past for good and more magazine-related manliness starts today. Fear not, all is well with the world again.

Manliness: 1,000 Hits and Counting

A happy Thursday to all of the Y-chromosome eyes that are feasting on this blog post.  Yes, you read correctly…IaMW celebrates its 1,000th hit today!  Thank all of you loyal readers for somehow finding my page by googling things like “manly office plants,” “what to wear to not look like a girl,” and even “topless.”  Not sure why some of these search queries brought you here, but I am glad that they have.  I have gotten some positive response to this blog and will gladly continue it in the name of all that is man.  I am happy to have received comments from literally all over the world.   For your viewing pleasure, I googled “Manliness” and below are the best of the best.  Enjoy!

Winter Break is Over – Back to Posting

Well, it was fun while it lasted.  But, we won’t be able to make our way through 2010 without working.  Well we could, but we would have to sell all of our stuff and we like our life how it is.  So, new manly posts will begin tomorrow – stay tuned, strapping young lads.  Stay tuned…

New at IaMW – Blog Subscription

You made it.  Congratulations…and welcome.  Like the manliness that you feasted your eyes on today?  Wish you had more Y-chromosome in your life, and in your inbox?  Well we here at IaMW are excited to tell you that you can sign up for email subscriptions to our blog.  Just enter your email into the “subscription” box on the right sidebar and go at it.  We promise, you won’t regret it.

Get the latest information on fashion, culture, style, design, food, drink, helth, wellness and everything else manly in your inbox.  Or, use your man-hands to sign up any other testosterone junkie for Christmas, Chanuka, Kwanza…or any other holiday.  Hell, it would even make their Monday.  Happy blogging.  Live long, and prosper…dude.

Is it true if you don’t use it, you lose it?

All 40 Year Old Virgin jokes aside, research shows that you need to keep your brain active and stimulated in order for it to function at its optimal performance.  In the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports magazine there is an article on how various things can keep your brain active, which can lead to a longer lifespan and reduce your risk of dementia.  While it may be fun to be a crazy old person (I mean, what have you got to lose?), I would prefer to live a long life.  Personal preference?  I don’t think so.  Follow these rules throughout life and you may be living longer:

• Develop a new skill or refresh an old one. Learn a new language, plan an instrument or get a hobby studying art – and get out of the house to do it.  Intellectual stimulation can be very fun and it is a good way to keep your brain healthy.
• Eat less meat, more fish. Several magazines have published reports on how healthy fish is for your brain (yay, Omega 3′s!), and this adds yet another.  A couple years ago the world’s two oldest women, both 114, each were asked what they think was the biggest contributing factor in their longevity.  One said “eating a lot of herring.”  The other said “minding my own business.”  There you go.
• Stay Productive. This combines the first one with getting out of the house in a sense.  Make to-do lists, even if they are not “musts,” and start checking them off the list. Stay productive!
• Stay physically active. This will help your mind by increasing  oxygen and blood flow to your brain.  It will also keep you in better shape, which could help you live longer as well.
• Feed your head. Studies suggest that social engagement and lifelong learning may continue to improve cognition well into your life, and loneliness could trigger dementia. To preserve a healthy brain: go for a walk with a friend or a pet 5 days a week, travel with family or friends, join a gym, sign up for a reading club, or start a new hobby. Just some ideas.

Diet Tricks for Holiday Treats

If you are like us, you love candy…and constantly fight with your waistline.  In the October 2009 issue of Men’s Health magazin (the one woth Obama on the cover) has and article on how to get your candy fix but not gain weight.  You can indulge, and like everything…moderation is key.  The article states that candy sales spiked in the recession, because it is a cheap pleasure, but that you can enjoy candy without the guilt that typically comes with it.  The tip?  Keep it to 400 calories or under.  Here are 3 ways to stretch your halloween pleasure:

The small but sinful: rich chocolate with richer fillings.

1. Milk Chocolate M&M’s – one fun-size bag is 90 calories.
2. Milky Way – 1 fun-size milky way is 75 calories.
3. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – 2 cups = 210 calories.
4. TOTAL = 375 calories

The balanced approach: A medium sized mix of rich & fruity candies

1. Snickers – one fun-sized bar is 80 calories
2. Skittles – one fun size bag is 60 calories
3. Butterfinger – one fun-sized bag is 100 calories
4. Jawbreaker – 2 jawbreakers are 70 calories
5. Starbursts – 4 Starbursts equal 80 calories
6. TOTAL = 390 calories

The big pig-out – lots of low-cal items

1. Nerds – one small box is 50 calories
2. Jolly rancher – 3 hard candy pieces are 50 calories
3. Bubble gum – 2 pieces equals 30 calories
4. Smarties – 1 roll is 25 calories
5. 3 musketeers – 1 fun-sized bar is 63 calories
6. Tootsie pop – One sucker is 60 calories
7. Brach’s Candy Corn – 10 pieces is 75 calories
8. Hershey’s Sticks smooth & Creamy – 1 stick is 60 calories
9. TOTAL – 413 Calories

Work Advice: Avoid the Afternoon Crash

A nutritionists advice on staying alert all day without any caffeine, pills or 73-hour energy.  This post is brought to you by the September 2009 issue of Men’s Journal Magazine.

7 AM: Start with Breakfast – if you eat sugary cereals your sugar could spike, only to crash later and cause you to become lethargic. Oatmeal typically provides the right carb/protein ratio to get you going without the crash.  The more natural, the better.

9 Am: Snack Intelligently – when you start to get hungry reach for natural peanut butter and whole wheat crackers.  These metabolize slower and maintain blood sugar levels.

11 Am: Take a Speed Walk – Japanese researchers found that a 3-minute speed walk every half hour increases oxygen to the brain and keeps you more alert.

12 PM: Hydrate often – Thirst can be mistaken for hunger.  Keep a reusable water bottle handy…a good rule of thumb is an ounce of water for every 2 pounds of body weight per day.

2 PM: Eat a Smart Lunch – Heavy food makes you tired.  Instead, go for grilled chicken & avacado on whole wheat to carry you through the day.

New This Month: UFL

In the October 2009 issue of Esquire magazine (the one with Matt Damon on the cover), there exists their monthly “what’s new” section, as to be expected.  In the “What’s New” section, there is a tiny little snippet about the United Football League, or the UFL.  This is news to me that there is another American national football league that is claiming to be a professional league.  It will kick off its first season when the Las Vegas Locomotives take on the california Redwoods on October 8th. Some on the internet speculate that this league is more of a minor league of sorts to prepare players for the NFL, but that really ruffles the UFL stafff’s feathers (or so we have heard)…tune in to see if this is really legitimate.  OR you could watch good college football instead, which we may or may not be doing…

Approved Design: Ejection Seat Chair

This is one of the cooler chairs I have seen.  The design that is featured here at “It’s a Man’s World” is masculine by nature.  We have featured bolts and screw tables and industrial-inspired lamps…but nothing compares to this.  found in Men’s Journal’s October 2009 “Wish List,” the item that has us clammoring is the MotoArt F-4 Ejection Seat chair.  This thing is awesome.  Unfortunately it will not eject you from boring meetings or bad television, but you will look cool no matter where you put it.  This chair’s frame is taken from one of the Vietnam-era sky fighters.  Awesome. The only negative is the $3,500 price tag, but we say it is well worth it!

Commandments for Man (And His Best Friend)

Dogs are great.  Every man should have a dog…but not a poodle or one of those rats that can fit in a purse.  A DOG. There is a reason why they call a dog “man’s best friend,” but even friends can be bitchy if you don’t treat them right.  In the September 2009 issue of Men’s Journal magazine, there is a segment that features Cesar Millan – also known as the dog whisperer.  The magazine tells us that he doesn’t want to train our dogs…but would rather train us.  Therefore he has entrusted us with his 5 commandments for dog owners, that should make our lives easier and our pets feel closer to us:

1. Walk Your Dog Every Day.  This is easy enough on paper (or computer screen), but it is one of the first things that doesn’t make the cut on a tight scedule.  Cesar says that this will wear them out and help with their temerament, but also make their bond to their master stronger.
2. Reward the Good, Ignore the Bad. If your dog barks, whines, etc…ignore it.  Most of this bad behavior will go away on its own if it doesn’t get a reaction.
3. It’s Not all About You. “My male clients get upset really easily,” says Millan.  “You should never touch a dog out of frustration or anger; too much fear can harm the relationship.”
4. Say it Like You Mean It. “Dogs read your body language before they hear what you say.To make yourself heard, lean forward and keep your weight on the balls of your feet; this communicates confidence and leadership – consider it practive for your next big boardroom pitch.”
5. Be Here Now. “Dogs don’t dwell on the past or hold grudges, so neither should you. ‘They’re fantastic teachers in terms of living in the now,’ Millan says. ‘A dog doesn’t care about what happened 3 years ago.’  Forget yesterday’s bad behavior; teach and reward today’s good behavior. Even if your dog was mistreated in a former life, don’t dwell on it.”