Teva Reforge Ion-Mask Review
It’s summertime, and the living is easy. We’re officially hitting the seasonal sweet spot of 2012. That means blue skies, high temperatures and conditions that make you feel bad for not getting out and enjoying the great outdoors. It’s time to hit the beach. Go camping. Water ski. Fish. If you ride bikes, get out there and peddle. If you like to run, go jog it out with the nice scenery. And if you enjoy hiking, go out and conquer some tough terrain. Just make sure you have the proper shoes with you.
A pair of Teva Reforge Ion-Mask shoes should do the trick. The ion-mask technology used to coat the shoe actually repels water on a molecular level. Every fiber is protected from moisture on a nano scale. So if you’re about to jump a creek and you’re worried about getting a case of the wet-socks, fear not. These shoes will keep you dry.
They’ll also make sure you don’t slip and break your neck, which is especially good for clumsy fellas like me. The Spider365 sole has got the special grip action you need to conquer any terrain and the extra ridges on the side of the sole and heel stabilizer will help you stay connected to whatever surface area you’re trying to conquer.
If you’re hike is a long one, it’s a good thing that these kicks are comfortable, too. The Reforge Ion-Mask shoes use the same Mush-infused top sole that comes standard on the Teva flip flops and the Mush Frio Slip-ons.
So all around, not a bad bit of shoe. It is a bit on the pricey side, but that’s what you pay if you want high-tech footwear. They retail for $130, but you can find ‘em priced a lot less if you look around online.
Jun 27th
Philips Norelco PowerTouch with Aquatec AT830 Review
So a few weeks back we accepted the Philips Norelco Go With a Real Pro Challenge. We made MANjr’s resident hairy guy Danny Dabiri grow out a hockey playoff beard, and according to team sources, this may have directly contributed to the Los Angeles Kings winning their first Stanley Cup. We followed Danny’s beard progress and even gave him a trim using the Philips Norelco Vacuum Stubble and Beard Trimmer Pro so his scraggily hockey playoff beard wouldn’t get too out of control.
After the hockey playoffs ended, it was time for Danny to say goodbye to his Persian face rug. He enjoyed his time among the bearded ranks, but the playoff beard had run its course and achieved its desired effect. It was just time to move on. So Danny shaved the thing off using the Philips Norelco PowerTouch with Aquatec AT830. Here was the result:
The PowerTouch with Aquatec is a dual purpose shaver that can be used wet or dry. So for dudes with the sensitive skin, you can use foam or shave gel in combo with the shaver. For more rugged faces, or just to maximize speed and convenience, you can just go with a dry shave. The heads of the shaver pivot and flex to follow the contours of your face. The DualPrecision heads also target short stubble and longer facial hairs simultaneously and they use the patented “lift and cut” system to lift up your face whiskers and cut them as close as possible to the surface. You’ve seen the commercials, so you know what I’m talking about here.
So Danny used this thing to tackle his playoff beard, and that was no small task. Even with the trim, Danny had still developed a pretty thick coat of chin fur. But the PowerTouch performed well under pressure. It really helps to use shaving gel with the thing. Otherwise, with a beard like Danny had, you’re just asking for too much.
Danny ditched the blade and went with the shaver for the last couple of weeks. Once the full beard was hacked through, the dry setting was way better for quick maintenance. Now the guy doesn’t have to spend a girl amount of time in the bathroom while getting ready every day. Just a couple quick minutes with the PowerTouch and he’s good to go. If you let your beard go a few days without any maintenance, then it’s probably best to go back to the wet shaver approach.
There may be a time when Danny reaches for a razor again, but probably not in the short term. It’s just too easy to maintain his scruff with the thing. As long as you keep your facial hair situation in check, you can reach for the PowerTouch for quick maintenance and a pretty close shave.
Jun 27th
Ted Loves AXE Messy Look (NSFW)
Here’s a quick, inappropriate AXE promo for Ted, which comes out this Friday. If you’re watching this in the office, make sure you have your headphones on!
Jun 27th
2012 LA Beard & Mustache Competition
The fine bewhiskered gentleman of the Los Angeles Beard and Mustache Club hosted the second annual LA Beard and Mustache Competition on June 24 at the Belasco Theater in Downtown LA. I attended the inaugural competition in 2011, and I have to say, this year’s event was bigger and better by any measure. There were more competitors, more spectators, more vendors, more food trucks – you name it. I think the secret is officially out. Bearding, as a legit and extra-enjoyable sport, has arrived in LA. The way these competitions are expanding, next year might be invite only. Let’s hope not though, cause man I love me some cutthroat facial hair battles.
You just feel manlier being there. Maybe it’s the crowd, with babes and beards (and babes-with-beards) as far as the eye can see. Maybe it’s the layers of one-upmanship and camaraderie between the competitors. Whatever it is, I like it. You got good people, a friendly vibe, cute chicks and some friggin’ amazing displays of whisker wizardry. What’s there not to like?
If you didn’t get to attend the 2012 LA Beard and Mustache Competition, fear not. I put together some video highlights for you, set to some up-tempo beats for your viewing pleasure. I didn’t capture all the greatness, but I hope I did this sweet event some justice. Enjoy:
Some photos from Sunday:
If you’re curious who won, here are the complete results of the competition:
Natural Mustache
1. Alfred Nash
2. Javier Quintanilla
3. Brenden Kenney
Business Beard
1. Mark Hurlston
2. Patrick Daniel
3. Karl Dunn
Goatee
1. Kevin Riordan
2. Chris Noel
3. Stephen Scarpa
Sideburns / Muttonchops
1. Nate Johnson
2. Aaron Abravaya
3. Jan-Michael Losada
Groomed Beard
1. Jeffrey Moustache
2. Joshua Davis
3. Shawn Hasson
Whiskerina
1. Killo Kitty
2. Emily Abravaya
3. Lindsay Stinner
Styled Mustache
1. Sean Raiger
2. Robert “Cowboy Bob” Richardson
3. Richard Schipper
Full Beard Natural
1. Ryan Dreyer
2. Scott Lehr
3. Riqo Sanders
Freestyle
1. Aarne Bielefeldt
2. Justin Vorhauer
3. Jack Tannatt
Photo Credits: Ranil Wiratunga, Cathy Zandueta
Jun 26th
Pat Melikian Interview – The Turn
Getting a film made isn’t easy, especially when you look at what gets produced these days. Inferior remakes, plot-thin action flicks, this is the kind of stuff that production companies focus on. And it sucks. Tired stories get repackaged and retold. Interesting, legitimate projects get shelved on the regular. The result is that moviegoers are left with few choices, and independent filmmakers – people who actually care about putting out fresh ideas and original stories – face insurmountable obstacles when trying to get their film out to a wider audience.
The main issue is funding. You can’t distribute a film if you don’t have the proper resources. But independent filmmakers are finding ways to get their projects funded. One such filmmaker is Pat Melikian, who wrote a poker suspense-thriller called The Turn with Tom Novak and Scott F. Evans. Novak and Melikian serve as producers for the film as well. You can view a trailer of The Turn on www.indiegogo.com/theturnfilm.
I had a chance to interview Pat Melikian to discuss The Turn and the challenges that independent filmmakers face when trying to secure funding for a quality project.
DD: What kind of movie would you say The Turn is?
PM: It’s definitely a suspense thriller. Think of it like Reservoir Dogs on a poker table.
DD: Talk a little about the cast you’ve assembled.
PM: We believe the talented cast will be enough in itself to warrant distribution of the film. They were amazing, and too easy to work with.
DD: Would I recognize any of these actors? What kind of other projects have they done?
PM: I’m positive you would recognize most of them. An all around superb group of guys. We have Joshua Fredric Smith who will be starring in the upcoming Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger film Black November. There’s long time soap star Matt Borlenghi, from Days of Our Lives and many other TV shows and movies. The very talented Jason Gedrick from the hit film Backdraft and the short-lived Dustin Hoffman HBO horse drama Luck. David Barry Gray just starred as Todd Palin in the HBO political film Game Change. There’s also my long-time friend Dale Wade Davis, who has a recurring role in one of my favorite shows of all time, the Showtime hit Shameless.
DD: What was the inspiration for the film? How did the concept originate?
PM: Tom and I are avid poker fans. We’ve have played local tournaments, charity events and frequent home games. When we ran the idea past Scott, we all came to the conclusion that none of us have ever seen a good poker movie with the exception of Rounders. The three of us are certain that poker will be around for a long time, and it can only get more popular.
DD: How long is the film?
PM: It’s a feature length film with a running time of over 90 minutes. We are very excited about it.
DD: Who directed The Turn?
PM: Fellow writer Scott F. Evans, who also directed Big Bag of $, is the director.
DD: So all that’s holding you guys back is funding. What kind of things are you doing to get the word out?
PM: We posted the trailer for The Turn at www.indiegogo.com/theturnfilm. We also set up a Facebook page for the film. We’re proud of the work that we’ve done on the project and we hope that more people can check it out. It’s not easy being an independent filmmaker, but when you have a great story, an amazing cast and partners who believe in what they do, it makes the whole process more enjoyable. If you’d like to support us, check out the trailer and help us spread the word.
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Say no to stale filmmaking, folks. Check out the trailer and the Facebook page and assist these promising filmmakers in bringing The Turn to a theater near you.
Jun 26th
2012 Los Angeles Beard and Mustache Competition
It’s that time of the year, folks. That’s right, the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Beard and Mustache Competition is taking place this Sunday. There’s still time to score tickets, too.
It all goes down this Sunday from 2-9pm at The Belasco Theater. Tickets are $15 for spectators or $25 for a competitors spot. Visit LABeardComp.com for tickets and registration. If you want to know what to expect, check out this video from last year’s competition:
Jun 19th
Remember How Hot Valeria Golino Was?
I got home late the other night, flipped on the TV and started watching Big Top Pee Wee on Cinemax 5. What can I say? It was late, it was on and it seemed like a good idea at the time. While watching the romance unfold between Pee Wee Herman and Gina Piccolapupula, I realized that I haven’t seen Valeria Golino, the actress who played Gina Piccolapupula, in a really long time. Remember when Valeria Golino was absolutely on fire? Join me as I reminisce over that sick five-year run she had from 1988 to 1993.
Big Top Pee Wee was Golino’s big break (it was also the film debut of Benicio Del Toro, who Golino was engaged to for five years). Her next film was Rain Man, where she played Tom Cruise’s hot girlfriend and gave autistic Dustin Hoffman his first kiss. In 1991, she starred in Hot Shots! and followed that up two years later with Hot Shots! Part Deux.
Who could forget that steamy love scene in Hot Shots! where Charlie Sheen uses Golino’s sexy belly button as a springboard for olive sports and then fries up bacon, eggs and hash browns on her sizzling stomach? Classic!
So watching Big Top Pee Wee I kept wondering what happened to this sultry Italian bird who could sexy up two Hot Shot! films just by breathing the word “Topper.” After the Hot Shot! movies, she starred in Clean Slate with Dana Carvey and appeared in Immortal Beloved (1994), Leaving Las Vegas (1995) and Escape from LA (1996).
It seems like Golino shifted her focus to Italian cinema after that, which is kind of weird considering that her sexy voice was actually overdubbed in some of the films in her native land. She resurfaced a couple of times in US films like Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her and Frida, but that was like 10 years ago. From the looks of her IMDB page, she’s still making movies in France and Italy.
Anyway, I hadn’t seen her in awhile so I thought it’d be nice to revisit her high profile hotness that peaked in the US around the mid-90s. After a quick Google search, it looks like this 45 year old actress from Naples has still got it.
Valeria, we salute you!
Jun 12th
Crown Royal XR Review
If you’re going to buy your father a bottle of booze for his special day, why not go with something a bit classier than your standard whisky selection? Crown Royal is the top selling Canadian Whisky in the U.S., but if you’re going to pick up a bottle of Crown for your pops, why not go the extra mile and get him something finer, something smoother, something extra rare.
Crown Royal XR is limited-release blend of Crown Royal that’s sold in numbered bottled. It’s made out of the last batch of whiskies produced in the LaSalle distillery, located in Montreal. The distillery, which was built in 1924, had access to very fine water in the surrounding areas, and that smoothness is passed on to the bottle. This XR creation is the second Crown Royal XR release. The first came in 2006, and included whisky that was produced at the Waterloo distillery, another famous Canadian distillery that actually burned down in 1993.
So what does this XR stuff taste like? I think the most noticeable quality is the overwhelming smoothness of the whisky. It has some pretty strong flavors – there’s definitely some power behind the maple-nutty sweetness that starts things off, but the bite that you’d expect out of a bold, 80-proof beverage never really manifests. It’s the absence of a kick at the end that makes this whisky so nice. It just hits you with sweet, oaky flavor and follows through with a muted coating of friendliness. You expect a kick, but instead you’re served a pillow of dry, tranquil aroma.
As you’ve probably already guessed, Crown Royal XR isn’t cheap. It retails for $129.99. But if you’re looking to give the gift of extra-smooth whisky-love to your dad this Father’s Day, the price is worth it. You also get some sexy packaging – a clever bottle in a classy box with a gold silk lining that foreshadows the silky-smooth experience you’re about to enjoy. It’s better than presenting a liquor store bottle in a brown paper bag, that’s for damn sure. So this Father’s Day, get your dad something nice. Hook him up with some Extra Rare and he’ll thank you for it.
Jun 12th
Father’s Day Gift Alert – MOTOACTV Golf Edition Review
Do you love your dad? Of course you do. Have you been a cheapskate when comes to showing your Pops how much you care about him? You probably have, you thrifty spender, you. Do you have a game plan for a Father’s Day gift this year? Dude, it’s coming up quick. And seeing how you haven’t really done anything super nice for your dad in awhile, why not splurge on a sick Father’s Day gift this year? They guy’s earned it.
Well if your dad is like most dads, he probably likes golf. There’s just something about getting older that makes you appreciate man vs. well-kept nature situations, hanging out with other fellas in goofy looking clothes and so forth. If you want to support your father’s golf addiction, do it in style this year. Get him the MOTOACTV Golf Edition.
This device is kinda complicated, so your dad will love it. The MOTOACTV Golf Edition combines tons of interesting fitness functions with a sweet set of techy, golf-related insights. This thing wasn’t designed for the dad who enjoys the occasional round of putt-putt. This is a serious piece of technology with a bit of a learning curve that’s designed for true die-hard fitness and golf-types. Motorola even teamed up with Masters champ and all around good-guy PGA star Bubba Watson when they developed this thing. Here’s a video of Bubba breaking down the device:
The MOTOACTV wasn’t always designed with golfers in mind. The original MOTOACTV was a small, clip-on device that provided tons of data on your regular exercise routines. The fitness functions are still a core part of what the unit does. This mini Android device can help you track the number of steps you’ve taken, the distance you’ve traveled, the amount of calories you’ve burned and the type of music you like to listen to when you’re hitting your fitness stride (yea, built-in MP3 player). Users can also connect to MOTOACTV.com to upload stats and keep track of fitness progress.
Now in addition to all of these fitness features, the MOTOACTV Golf Edition adds in stuff like a GPS golf tracker, virtual caddy and an online clubhouse. You can visit 20,000 courses worldwide and this thing will pull up info on every single hole – distance to the front, center and back of the green, info about hazards, scorecards, club recommendations and a bunch of other stats. You can also sync up to the MOTACTV.com site and get visual representations of the rounds you’ve played.
I tried this thing out a couple times at a small par-3 course in West LA. Without connecting to the web, the GPS-function identified the course I was at and brought up info on each hole. If it can pull up a small par-3 course instantly, it’ll be easy to find the regular courses you frequent.
Like I said earlier, the device does come with a bit of a learning curve. This isn’t something that you whip out on the course without reading the manual first. It’s not that it’s counter-intuitive or anything. Navigating the buttons and screens is actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. But to understand and appreciate all of the device’s functions, you should certainly educate yourself on it before you put it to use.
Being a super novice on the golf course, I did find the thing useful. Knowing the distance to the tee before every shot will definitely help improve your game. The virtual scorecard is pretty cool too, but you may find the old fashioned pencil and paper routine to be an easier scoring option. Still, it’s nice having a digital reference for multiple golf rounds, so that you can track your progression over time and identify holes that give you trouble.
The clip-on device can be combined with a wristband accessory for convenient, sporty use on the links. It charges via USB and can be synced up to your Android smartphone or desktop. The MOTOACTV Golf Edition isn’t cheap – the MSRP for the device is $299.99 – but again, when was the last time you really splurged on your dad? If he enjoys working out and he loves to golf, you can’t do much better than this.
So show your dad some love this Father’s Day and get him a compacy, powerful piece of technology that’ll improve his golf game and motivate him to get exercise a bit more. He’ll certainly appreciate it.
Jun 12th
Taming the Hockey Playoff Beard
The Kings are just one win away from securing their first Stanley Cup championship. There are so many reasons why they’ve gotten this far. Quick has been outstanding in goal, Kopitar has a nose for the net and of course there’s LA’s dominant performance on the road. But I like to think that the team’s success is due to something more mysterious, something more magical. I’m speaking of course about the epic hockey playoff beard resting on the face of MANjr’s Danny Dabiri.
Considering that the Kings have done so well since Danny started growing his hockey playoff beard, you would think that this sacred Persian face-rug would be off limits, something not to be tampered with. But you would be wrong.
Sometimes you just need to clean up your face. So with a 3-1 Stanley Cup final lead secured, the MANjr team felt confident enough to suggest that it was time for a trim. Nothing drastic, mind you. Just enough of a trim so that Mr. Dabiri could go about his business while also respecting the contribution that his hockey playoff beard has clearly had on the 2012 NHL playoffs. It’s arguably been the deciding factor in the inevitable championship that the Los Angeles Kings are about to secure.
So trim Danny we did. As part of the Go With a Real Pro Challenge, Phillips Norelco hooked us up with a Vacuum Stubble and Beard Trimmer Pro (QT4070) that gave Dabee an edge when taking on this hockey playoff beard challenge. We put the trimmer to use and we were satisfied with the results.
The Vacuum Stubble and Beard Trimmer Pro has a ridiculous 18 settings, from 0.5mm to 18mm. Whether you’re going for minimalist stub or well-maintained business beard, this trimmer will clean up your face without making a big mess.
It works for even the toughest facial hair. This thing trimmed Danny’s think neck curtain there’s no tomorrow. He got full-on beard-definition, a clear neck-line and he straightened his cheek fur in just a few minutes. The stubble comb made an even pass all around. That’s pretty much all that you can ask for from a beard trimming device.
Here’s what Danny looked like before his Stanley Cup trim:
Here’s what Danny looked like after a few minutes of trimming:
As you can see, we didn’t want Danny to lose the full hockey playoff beard effect, but we did want the guy to have some more definition. After the trim, the man can now see his neck. He can also recognize his cheeks. The respect and trustworthiness that comes with beard growth is still there, but the guy doesn’t look half as scruffy as he did before.
If your hockey playoff beard is getting a little out of control, and you want to go from scruffy to professional, then this Phillips Norelco trimmer device is probably worth testing out.
Jun 8th
