Lifestyle
AXE Hair Sundance Survival Packs Giveaway
The 2012 Sundance Festival kicks off in Park City, Utah today and we’re teaming up with AXE Hair to give away two AXE Hair Sundance Survival Packs. What does AXE Hair have to do with film festivals you ask? Well AXE Hair is sponsoring the AXE Hair Media Lounge & Groom Room at Sundance, a place where celebs can stop by and get some hair styling love before doing press interviews. Each celebrity will receive AXE Hair Sundance Survival Packs that include the following:
- “Touchscreen” Gloves (gloves that allow you to use your touchscreen phone while wearing them)
- Hand warmers
- Full set of AXE Hair styling products
- AXE Hair Branded Lip Balm
- AXE Hair Branded Mints
But you don’t have to star in a film that’s screening at Sundance to get your hands on an AXE Hair Sundance Survival Pack. We’re giving away two packs to two lucky readers. To enter, just follow us on Twitter and send us an email below. We’ll select two winners at random next Thursday. Good luck!
Jan 19th
Belkin Wireless Dual-Band Travel Router Review
It blows my mind that Wi-Fi isn’t available everywhere. When I traveled to Australia a few weeks back, I stayed at places that offered free Wi-Fi, places that charged you an arm and a leg for Wi-Fi, and places that didn’t even offer Wi-Fi, just hardwire Ethernet web access. And don’t get me started on multiple devices. There’s nothing worse than paying for Internet while you’re traveling, only to find that the iPhone connection that you paid $50 for doesn’t cover an additional connections for your laptop or iPad. It’s the 21st Century, man. People don’t leave the house without packing multiple, web ready devices. If you have to pay per connection to get online with all your different gadgets, your Internet access bill will get to be unreasonable real quick.
The Belkin Wireless Dual-Band Travel Router can help. It’s a small, easy to carry device that uses a Ethernet cable to create a wireless network in spots like airports and hotels. Because it’s dual-band, you basically get to beef up your connectivity and enhance your ability to stream music, videos or just power-surf the web.
The best thing about the Belkin Travel Router is that it’ll save you tons of money on multiple device web access charges. If you pay for an Ethernet connection at hotel, all you need to do is hook up a cable to this little box and then browse on as many devices as you want. So if you want to look up a restaurant option on your phone, while streaming Netflix on your iPad as you answer emails on your laptop, that’s not a problem at all.
The Belkin Wireless Dual-Band Travel Router is priced at $79.99. It comes with a carrying case and everything you need to hookup to an available Ethernet port. It’s a tiny case that’s easy to throw into any carryon bag. If you travel frequently, hate paying web access fees for multiple devices and want the power and convenience of a dual band wireless router on the go, this thing is worth the investment.
Jan 17th
Get Some iTunes Love for Shaving with Schick
No one likes shaving. It’s a tedious chore that has to get done and often gets postponed. If you’re a baby-faced cherub like myself, then shaving is a once a week task that isn’t too taxing. But most American men don’t have that luxury. Most dudes need to shave at least two to three times a week.
If you’re going to shave anyway, might as well get some kind of bonus for it right? Well Schick is currently running a promo where you can score some iTunes cash just for doing something that’s part of your normal routine. If you purchased any two specially-marked Schick iTunes Xtreme3 razor packs, (for him or her), you can redeem the included iTunes codes at schicktunes.com and claim a $10 iTunes download card.
That’s right, two razors gets you $10 to spend on some cheap apps for your iPad, a bunch of songs that you’ve got stuck in your head or whatever else you pay for when you log in to your iTunes account.
Here are few of the Schick products that you can pick up to redeem your iTunes credit:
- Xtreme3 Refresh
- Xtreme3 Hawaiian Tropic
- Hydro Blast
Once you have your iTunes card download card ready to go, you can also download Schick’s Ultimate Morning Playlist, which will be featured on SPIN Magazine. If you prefer choosing your own tunes, then create your own wake-up mix to enjoy during your morning cleanup routine.
You buy razors anyway, right? Might as well get something back for your troubles. The promo runs until the end of February, so get on it!
Jan 17th
Velodyne vPulse In-Ear Headphones Review
Earphone manufacturers tend to make big claims when they market their products, but it’s rare to find an actual set of earphones that lives up to the hype.
I own way too many headphone sets. I got cheap ones, pricey ones, too many Apple earphones to count, those fitness-y wraparound headphones, tiny in-ear buds, foldable DJ headsets, big ole Vietnam helicopter pilot head coconuts, useless two-prong airplane earphones, you name it. I got too many to count, but I’m always down to try a new pair.
So when the opportunity came up to review the new Velodyne vPulse in-ear headphones, I jumped at the chance. And trust me when I tell you, these things are sick.
I mean these earphones look like they’re from the future. As soon as you open up the protective, crush-proof carrying case, you know you’re dealing with a different level of earphone beast. The cord looks like some slim, lightweight blue CAT 5 cable. It doesn’t tangle, even when you wrap it up and stuff it back in the case. It’s cord memory-free. The flat cord structure feels sturdy but not too heavy. You don’t have to worry about the cord tearing, but it’s not like these things weigh you down either. The cable also features quick, intuitive controls for playback, volume and phone functionality.
The actual earbuds are just fantastic. They have a built-in elbow-type construction, so when you toss these thing in your ears, they fit super snug inside your ear canal, with the outside portion of the bud resting comfortable on the lowest ledge of your ear (the antitragus I think). The result is a give-free fit that keeps the buds stable and enhances noise cancellation. When you put these in, they function like earplugs. Even without playing any sound, the only thing you’ll hear when you put on a pair of vPulse earphones is the sound of your own heavy breathing. The unit comes with multiple earbud tips, so you can maximize that form-fitting comfort no matter what.
So the Velodyne vPulse in-ear headphones are built well, they fit well and they provide quality noise reduction without any of the crappy feedback/static sound you get from other headsets. But these things also produce fantastic sound, straight to your external auditory canal. The frequency response is 20Hz -20kHz. The highs are crisp without crackling and the lows are smooth and hit you to the core. It also seems like you can pump the volume up on these headphones way past 11, which is just awesome.
So yea, these in-ear headpones aren’t exactly cheap (they sell for $89), but if you’re tired of noise cancellation headphones that don’t cancel any noise, or if you want snug, comfy in-ear headphones that produce clear sound even at extremely high volumes, you need to check these out.
Jan 11th
Newcastle Cooler Bag Giveaway
We’re teaming up with Newcastle again for another great giveaway! Loyal readers know that we’ve partnered up with Newcastle plenty of times in the past. We interviewed Charles van Es, the Brand Director for Newcastle Brown Ale, when we did our Geordie Schooner Giveaway. We gave away a bunch of cool Newkie stuff for a week straight in September leading up to the first ever Walk the Dog Day event that was held at Finn McCool’s in Santa Monica. Now we’re at it again.
Every time I post about Newcastle I like to mention that it’s my favorite beer. That’s been true long before MANjr starting hooking people up with free Newcastle items. There’s just something extra-super-enjoyable about a frosty pint of Newcastle Brown Ale. It’s really not hard for us to speak favorably about a beer we enjoy at least once or twice a week. It’s just too damn good.
So what’s up with the latest giveaway? It’s a Newcastle Cooler Bag that’s sexier than any Igloo you’ll see at your average tailgate party. This thing’s got rollers and an adjustable handle, man. It’s like a piece of functional luggage that keeps your beer cold and can still fit in an overhead compartment.
To win this posh beer transporter, just Like us on Facebook and send us an email below telling was why you enjoy Newcastle. We’ll pick a winne at random next Friday, January 6.
Also, if you like Pale Ales, don’t forget to try Newcastle’s Winter IPA. It’s available until the end of the month so try it out before it’s gone!
Jan 6th
Jim Beam Bold Choice Recap
Jim Beam recently gave us the opportunity to make a Bold Choice, and with your help, we selected a mission to dive the Great Barrier Reef. It was an amazing, fantastic, extra-superlative experience that’s hard to put into words. Here’s my attempt to some up this once-in-a-lifetime slice of awesomeness.
When Captain Cook first smashed his ship on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1700s, he probably didn’t realize that he was hitting an underwater structure the size of California. I mean this is the largest thing ever created by living beings on this planet. It’s over 130,000 sq. miles of non-stop life blooming in every direction.
The whole thing is just one big submarine playground of fractal aliveness. Soft coral, hard coral, schools of neon fish, stingers, sea turtles, giant clams, sea snakes, sharks… the Great Barrier Reef is like the largest, most elaborate/expensive fish tank you’ve ever seen. And you can see the thing from outer space, man.
During my SCUBA and snorkel dives, it’s like everywhere you turn there’s some sort of otherworldly creature occupying the same space as you. You’ll see fish that resemble small dogs. There are spectacular tree branches of purple coral and underwater formations that look like tiny human brains. You’ll see jumbo versions of cellular structures like mitochondria the size of your kitchen table, ribosomes bigger than a Smart Car or a person-sized Golgi Apparatus just chillin’ out. It’s really a trip.
So reefs have been around for 100s of millions of years, but the Great Barrier Reef is only about 500,000 years old. The dive guides claimed that the Great Barrier Reef is responsible for producing 25 percent of the world’s oxygen. I’m not sure where that figure comes from, but when you see the saturation of life that exists just a few feet below the surface, you’ll believe just about any stat they throw at you. I mean, just look at this stuff:
The Great Barrier Reef is a system of about 3,000 distinct reefs that hugs the northeast coast of Australia. We used Port Douglas, which is about an hour north of Cairns, as our base of operations for the dive trips. We took a trip on the Calypso tour which was not-overbooked and included three great dive spots full of colorful coral. We also took a trip on Aristocat, which was borderline-overbooked, but still amazing. I saw more sea life at the Agincourt reef spots we visited with Aristocrat, but the coral visibility was better with Calypso.
This spot is truly one of the great wonders of the world. If you have the opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef in person, I highly recommend it. I chatted up a sea captain who had last visited the Great Barrier Reef in 1986, and he said that the reef you see today is nothing compared to the scenes you could witness back in the day. I tend to believe him. I’m not sure what’s going to happen once the source of 25 percent of the world’s oxygen population becomes endangered, but either way, go visit the Great Barrier Reef while you still can. If you take a long time to schedule your trip out here, it might not look the same when you arrive.
Anyone who I’ve talked to who’s been to Australia has sold me hard on the idea that it’s an amazing place. I was able to visit Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland in the north during my trip, and I was impressed with everything. The cities are fun, the women are gorgeous, the beer is tasty and everything just appears brighter, bigger and more vibrant.
When I was first approached about the Bold Choice opportunity, I was definitely excited, but I didn’t know what to expect. After experiencing my Bold Choice, I have to say that I feel more fired up about life and I have an extra layer of happy memories that I’m going to carry with me for awhile. I want to thank Jim Beam for making this great experience possible.
Dec 23rd
Guest Post: How to Beat the Casino by Avery Cardoza
Fresh off the heels of finishing my novel, Lost in Las Vegas, about two hapless visitors who get into a world of trouble in Sin City (www.lostinlasvegas.com), the editors at MANjr asked me help their readers avoid getting lost at the Vegas tables.
Okay, you’re getting ready to win your fortune in Las Vegas. But not so fast! Let’s get you prepared with a quick primer on how to beat the casino. My goal is to give you the best chances of walking away with money in your pocket!
First tip is to play the games you enjoy the most. Why play a game where the house has a slightly lesser edge if you don’t have fun playing it? At the same time, winning is more fun than losing, right? You can give yourself the best chance of winning by playing the casino tough. Here’s a quick rundown on how to do that.
Blackjack
Blackjack is the best game to play—if you know what you’re doing. Playing correct “Basic Strategy” will give you about an even game against the house. And using a professional-level counting or non-counting strategy will actually give you an edge!
Best Chance to Win: Play Basic Strategy perfectly and don’t get rattled by losses when good strategy fails. Stick to the correct plays and make all the correct doubling and splitting plays. Always draw to a hard 12 through 16 when the dealer shows a stiff card, a 7 through Ace.
Avoid games that pay only 6 to 5 on blackjacks—you want a 2 to 1 payoff. Don’t play unprepared and never follow your hunches.
Craps
Craps is the fastest of the casino games and offers you a chance to win (or lose) a lot of money quickly. It’s a great game that gives the casino only a 0.6% edge if you make the line bets and back them with double odds. But if you choose the lousy bets, craps can be one of the worst casino games.
Best Chance to Win: Stick to only the pass, don’t pass, come, don’t come and free odds bets.
Avoid all the proposition bets in the middle. They give the casino as much as a 16.67% edge. Ouch!
Slots
You can find machines that are loose (99+% payback!) or tight ones that seem to hold all your money (only 90% payback or worse). How can you distinguish between the two? You can’t, but there are strategies to find better paying machines. If you hit a massive jackpot, well okay!
Best Chance to Win: Ask slot attendants which machines are paying frequently, and play at casinos that cater to slots players. Play at slot banks packed with players (an indication that they’re paying good), and join slot clubs so you can reap benefits from your action.
Avoid playing near buffet and show lines, and at other locations where impulse coins are donated—and stay clear of morgue-like slot settings.
Roulette
In Europe single-zero roulette tables are hugely popular and offer en prison (a rule that lets you redo your bet or lose only half of it) if the 0 lands. End result being only a 1.35% house edge. In the short run, you can take the casino. But in the U.S., the wheels have a double zero added to them, giving casinos a massive 5.26% edge. Your chips will bleed dry trying to overcome that edge.
Best Chance to Win: Try to find a single-zero wheel. If only double zero games are available, play small stakes, knowing you’re bucking a big house edge.
Avoid the 5-number bet, an even worse play that costs you 7.89%.
Video Poker
Video poker payout schedules can vary as often as a woman changes her hairdo, but the key on a non-progressive draw poker machine is to look for a jacks-or-better game with a 9-6 payout, meaning that you win 9 times your bet when you hit a full house, and 6 times your bet if you make a flush. (Expect progressives to be 8-5 machines.) With perfect play on a good paytable, the house has only about a 0.5% edge, that’s it!
Best Chance to Win: Shop around to find the best paying machines. You must play the full 5 coins to qualify for the royal jackpot. Find a 25¢ progressive with a $2,200 jackpot or higher—and you have the edge!
Avoid machines with lousy paytables, and never throw away a deuce on deuces-wild machines!
Keno and Video Keno
While the machine version of this age-old game offers much better odds than its slow-moving counterpart, it’s at a price—ironically, you’ll lose more money with the better odds due to the speed of the game. Traditional keno has terrible odds, as high as 35% or so against you.
Best Chance to Win: In the video version, play slowly to avoid having all your money quickly sucked into the machines. In standard keno, play 3-spot to 8-spot tickets for the best odds.
Avoid 1-spot and 2-spot tickets, plus 9-spot and higher tickets on traditional keno. You face big odds at keno, so whatever the variation, play for fun only. On video keno, bad odds and fast play lead to quick losses. So how do you get around this? Play sparingly and make having fun your goal, not profit.
Sports Betting
The line is set by the oddsmakers to divide the betting evenly, not by a team’s chances of winning. The skill you bring to the table determines your long-term results. Short term, anything can happen. Pros win money with hard work and smart decision-making. Amateurs tend to take it on the chin. You’re bucking a 4.54% vig on straight bets (you pay $11 to win $10), so you’ve got to win 52.38% of the time just to break even.
Best Chance to Win: Bet against fan favorites and shop around for the best odds. Make bets sparingly and bet only on your best picks.
Avoid parlays, where the odds get progressively worse. Bet with your head, not your heart.
Three Card Poker
Three card poker offers two games in one, the ante/play game and the pair plus game. The house edge is pretty reasonable if you play correctly—2.02% on the ante/play bet and 2.32% on the pair plus.
Best Chance to Win: Learn the proper strategies and play only games that offer the best paytables. Play only Q-6-4 or better, folding weaker hands.
Avoid games with bad pair plus payouts (you might fight a 7.28% edge as opposed to 2.32%). Skip progressive bets if the jackpots are small.
Five quick winning tips:
- Never bet money you cannot afford to lose, either financially or emotionally.
- Once you’re a big winner, always walk away a big winner.
- Set loss limits before you play and never dig in deeper.
- Don’t chase losses with big bets that can turn a session into a disaster.
- Use smart money management to ensure that gambling remains fun.
About the Author
Avery Cardoza has written twenty-one books on beating the casino and is the world’s largest publisher of gaming and gambling titles (www.cardozabooks.com). Cardoza is also the owner of the legendary Gambler’s Book Club (www.gamblersbookclub.com), home to the world’s largest selection of gaming books. He has just released his exciting novel, Lost in Las Vegas (www.lostinlasvegas.com), an offbeat, dark comedy that follows two hapless vacationers in Las Vegas through a series of misadventures as their world collapses around them and their lives spiral downward into the seedy and treacherous underbelly of Sin City.
Dec 21st
Stocking Stuffer: Canadian Club Classic
This holiday season, if you’re looking to purchase booze for a buddy, there are tons of options open to you. You can take the high-end route and spend a bunch of cash, or you can take a different, more throwback approach.
I’m talking about Canadian Club Whisky. This is the kinda whisky you’d purchase for your Grandpa. And I totally mean that in a good way.
Your Grandpa isn’t gonna give an eff about the latest, trendiest, priciest single-malt whisky. You old man’s old man would likely prefer a comfortable, more familiar gift selection. One that says, “Hey remember me? We used to be really good friends.” That’s the message that Canadian Club Whisky sends.
It’s not an entry-level whisky purchase, that’s for damn sure. When you give the gift of Canadian Club, you’re basically saying, “Look, I know you started drinking the good stuff way before I was born, but here’s a reminder of how things used to be. I wasn’t there, but as I understand it, things we’re pretty cool back then. Anyway, here’s a small token of my appreciation for you being there, back in the day, and me understanding — even a little bit — what your tastes were like back then when I wasn’t around.”
Still, this isn’t a gift that’s strictly limited to old timers who love whisky, but all I’m saying is if you want to score points with your dad, uncle, gramps, etc., then you can’t really go wrong with Canadian Club. And if you want to introduce a new generation to a throwback spirit that was universally enjoyed as a quality, whisky-lover’s choice, then Canadian Club is a solid option.
Either way, if you know someone who’d be happy to open up a classic whisky this Christmas, you can’t go wrong with Canadian Club. It’s a no-frills, classic-tasting, put-hair-on-your-chest kind of whisky. Any purist, young or old, will certainly enjoy it. It’s a semi-affordable way to say you still value a time when masculine drinks we’re appreciated.
Dec 7th
It’s Our Turn to Pass the Crown
We’ve been selected by Crown Royal to participate in an online gift receiving/stealing contest with a bunch of other cool sites. Other sites have received cool stuff like iPads and Kindle Fires and Crown parties with friends.
We are up next and we need to decide if we should open our gift or steal someone else’s.
Our hint: Thought 2011 went fast? You ain’t seen nothing yet
That’s the message that appears on our custom embroidered purple Crown Royal bag. Whatever gift we end up with will also go to a lucky reader!
So what should we do? Hijack someone else’s gift or see what’s inside our bag?
You can follow all the action on Twitter by checking out #PassTheCrown.
Dec 1st
9 Ways to Make Airplane Travel Suck Less
Nobody likes flying. We all love the excitement of traveling, but most sane people hate the actual flight. And for good reason. The airline industry sucks balls. Most planes are outdated, low-tech germ cans that were built to accommodate people the size of Willow. If you like cleanliness, modern technology, edible food or leg room, flying is a big pain in the ass. But with the right attitude and a few helpful tips, you can make your next plane ride less painful. Here are nine ways to make airplane travel suck less:
Drink Before, During and Potentially After Your Flight
Scotch makes airplanes better. It really does. Beer works for some people, but if you have the bladder of a small child, it’s just not a good idea. Liquor is quicker and it’ll keep you in your seat. Pay the outrageous fee for an in-flight head change.
Buy the WiFi
Why the hell isn’t WiFi free in every airport and airplane in the country? If coffee shops can provide you with free Internet access, shouldn’t the airline industry do the same? Sadly, like everything else these days, airlines charge you extra for web access. Splurge for this expense. It’s totally worth it. Don’t get stuck squinting to see the shitty in-flight movie. Forget about the Skymall mag, too. Pay whatever king’s ransom they’re charging for WiFi and boost your ability to stay sane during a long flight.
Own the Armrest
No matter where you sit on an airplane, stake your claim to the armrest early. Establish your elbow dominance as soon as you take your seat. Get big, box out your neighbor and own it for the whole flight. If you snooze, wait for the right opportunity and pounce that elbow back in there. Never give up. Never surrender. Hold the line like your life depended on it.
Spring for a Bottle of Water at the Gate
Nothing’s worse than having cotton mouth on a plane. Sure, the sky waitress will bring you a beverage when you hit the right altitude. But you need some liquids to get you through that first half hour or so of non-service.
Be Nice to Airline Employees
You think flying is a big inconvenience for you? Imagine if that shit was your job. Folks who work in the airline industry have to deal with stressed, uncomfortable and annoyed people every single day. They see people at their worst, so be nice to them. You’d be surprised how far a couple of extra smiles and thank yous can take you. I once got two free mini bottles of Johnny Walker from a flight attendant just for being the least douchiest person in my row.
Wear Shorts
It’s rare to find yourself on a plane and think, man, it’s freezing in here. It can happen, yea, but the more likely scenario is you sitting in a cramped seat with a bad case of the schweaty balls. Do yourself a favor and wear shorts on your next flight. If it get’s cold, you can always reach for a jacket or blanket. It’s not like you can air out your junk when things get extra toasty. Leave the air on, too. A little air circulation never hurt anybody.
Bring Snacks
Gone are the days of endless peanuts and complimentary in-flight snacks. Airlines make you pay for everything, and nine times out of ten, the soggy sandwich or questionable cheese & cracker combo or whatever overpriced snack option their pushing just isn’t worth it. If your famished, you’ll pay any price for airplane food, but you’re going to feel dirty about it afterward. You’re going to feel used. So stash some granola bars in your bag and schedule some time to snack it up before you board.
Don’t Smell
Sounds simple, right? And yet so many people insist on traveling extra ripe all the time. Don’t be one of those people. If you can’t figure out where the stank is coming from, it’s probably coming from you. Do the whole bathing/deodorizing/clean hair/clean socks thing. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Zen Out
Whatever it is you do to get to your happy place, make sure you can reach that state of mind on a plane. Get into breathing exercises, put some Enya on your iPod, pack a photo of a loved one or a favorite location. However you get there, the ability to zen out hard is a critical carry-on. With the right preparation, you can block out anything – chair kickers, coughers, aggressive screaming babies, loud white girls – you name it. Learn how to transform yourself into a zen master at will and nothing will get under your skin.
Nov 17th
