Guest Blog: Just Your Average Modern Bearded Man

Just Your Average Modern Bearded Man

A Rant On Cue

In our present time in society, we have finally given away our ability to think. We have finally turned our backs on how our products are produced.

Who gives a fuck who makes my clothes or who built my 3G Phone?

Our only concern is in the final details; how it looks, how it will make us appear to others, and what feelings and emotions will it evoke in us. This appears no stronger than in the food industry, with the bullshit hype surrounding eating fresh natural grown foods, free of pesticides and additives. Why does no one ask the question: “Why isn't all food grown naturally and with health as its main concern?” Well Mr. American Citizen, it’s a little thing you might heard of called “Big Business.”

With the goal of fucking you over by increasing production and lowering overhead costs. In 2008 alone the food industry, the food industry, spent 52 billion dollars on advertising. Just to give you an idea of how crazy this number is: in 2008, political advertisements were estimated at 2.8 billion dollars and the auto industry spent 25 billion dollars.

Obviously food should be of higher concern than automobiles, but do we really need to be told what to eat?

It’s unfortunate that the "Modern Man" can tell you what new television to buy and which one to avoid, but couldn't tell you the difference between enriched white bread and whole wheat. Next time you find yourself at the local grocery store, take a second and ask yourself:

“Am I buying this for the nutrition, or just because it has Justin Beiber on the cover?”

Inspiring Find.

Jamie Livingston: Photo-Blogger and Triumph


http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com/

Today, I found the story of man that, if solely in writing, might just be considered another tragedy...but, through his efforts in photography, gives the breath of life and hope to his short story. Jamie Livingston was a screenwriter and editor who, in 1979, decided to start chronicling his life in daily Polaroids. He started with pictures of his friends and family, as well as odd daily acquaintances, photographing his love for the Mets, his writing career, and later, his terminal battle with cancer. The story of a man, from 1979-1997, day-after-day, photo-after-photo, is something that is rarely ever seen. And even when he became struck with terminal illness, his mission never stopped. Here is the life of Jamie Livingston, seen not in stories, but in images... http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com/

The First Picture

Screenwriting Career Starts

Music Career

For The Love of The Mets

His Polaroid Collection So Far

The Beginning of Cancer

The Battle

The Love of His Life

Best Decision He Ever Made

The Best Day of His Life

His Last Day

Grooming: Try Something New!

 Pole Position Cologne

David Coulthard, a former British Formula One Racer, endorses his cologne called Pole Position. With the ultimate representation of man's confidence, frangranced by top notes of cardamon, lemon and orange with a middle of basil, juniper berry and lavender. Finished by the base of patchouli, vanilla and birch leaf, Pole Position is the perfect transitional summer-fall scent. Though not available in the US, you can find it on Ebay UK, as well as http://www.thefragranceshop.co.uk/p1807/pole-position-edt-100ml-spray.html . Be sure to check this scent out, and you'll never need look for that transition scent again.

Style: Affliction...Tap-Out...Worst Brands Ever? Pretty Much

How To Not Dress Like You've Been Inhaling Creatine Powder and Energy Drinks All Day

Whoa...Look How Tough THIS Guy Is...

Affliction…Tap-Out…Worst Brands Ever? Pretty Much

We all know “that guy.” He shows up to parties reeling about the latest UFC fight, and talks about the “super-hot blonde babe” he saw at the grappling gym the other day. Gel-spiked hair, ear piercings, arm tattoos with no significance what-so-ever…sounding familiar? Well, these are the guys that are keeping the overly-stylistic Affliction and Tap-Out brands alive.

I have nothing against UFC…It’s a physical sport just like any other. The problem is the type of mentality that it breeds. Guys that do nothing but work out 4 hours a day, use self-bronzer and teeth whitening, and are so bent-up on steroids that any reason is a good reason to start “brawling.” And, somehow, this machismo has spilled over into fashion. With characters like the dude-bras from Jersey Shore, and now the meatheads of UFC, Affliction and Tap-Out are being seen more and more, paired with their dark denim, flared out jeans and leather bracelets…and, to tell you the truth…it’s a terrible sight.

Affliction now works as more of a warning sign than a fashion statement. Just as you would avoid someone in a straight-jacket for fear of insanity, it’s known to now avoid those sporting Affliction and Tap-Out for fear of thick-skulled douchery. With Affliction’s strange and almost feminish designs on the backs and shoulders of their 70’s collar pin-striped dress shirts, you just know that shirt has been on the floor of a grappling gym while their bro was injecting steroids into their cheek. And while Tap-Out shirts are seen riding in suped-up Toyota Celicas and Lifted Trucks, blaring Godsmack and raging about Spike’s latest “exposé” on Anderson Silva, more and more bros are getting into this type of lifestyle.

It’s said that “every time someone buys an Affliction shirt, one young girl bleaches her hair and gets a pair of breast implants...and her soul dies.”

UFC is a physically demanding sport, just like boxing and football, etc. But, because the stigma around UFC is so laden with Keystone-Ice guzzling, shirtless homies, it’s losing respect as a formidable sport. So, what’s the solution?

Lose the Affliction shirt. Stop paying $30 for a Tap-Out T-Shirt. Stop with all of the leather bracelets and the gold necklaces and the tattoos with barbed-wire. Leave the tanning salons and highlighted hair to the fairer sex and please, just put down the can of Monster and that dumbbell.

Respect begets respect. And self-respect in the form of non-silvered dress shirts and correctly-fitting t-shirts will go a long way into re-branding a sport like UFC. And, hey, maybe this way, every blond haired bombshell won’t regret her Friday night at the local bar…which wouldn’t be so bad.

Food Essentials: The Perfect Sunny-Side Up Eggs

How To Fry The Perfect Egg

Learning how to fry that "best-thing-in-the-morning", yolk-oozing egg over-easy is one of the toughest things to get down in the kitchen. It seems easy enough, right? Throw a few eggs in a pan, and then, fry. Well, for those of you who have follied through making the sunny-side up egg...it's not so easy. The egg-white sticks, the yolk gets overcooked, the yolk pops, it's too runny...Much can go wrong with the Perfect Start to Any and Every Morning, so here's the fail-safe plan for cooking morning eggs:


Garlic Sunny-Side Up Eggs with Chives

Ingredients:

- 3 eggs
- Butter + Truffle Oil (if available)
- Garlic (Fresh or Powder)
- Chives (Fresh)
- Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper
- 3 tbsp water
- Toast

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Crack the egg into the pan and season with garlic powder and salt and pepper. Once the white of the egg is no longer transparent, add the water to the pan, sprinkle the chives on top, and cover with a lid. Cook for about 1 minute or until the yolk is clouded over. Don't over cook the yolk. Place the eggs on top of toast, sprinkle some more chives on top, and serve.

Always a great way to start the day...

Style - Rugged Rags

How to Embrace Your Rugged

Marlon Brando. Paul Newman. James Dean. All of these legends sported the rugged look. And why? Because that’s what a man should look like. Leather Jackets, Aviator shades, High Boots, and a motorcycle…That defines Man. So, when I think of the “New Rugged Look”, there is four brands that come to mind:

AVIATOR –Aviator is a trip back in time. Back to a time where a Pilot’s style was unmatched. Find everything from Selvage Denim to Washed Shirts. http://shop.aviatorusa.com/

SALT VALLEY – Salt Valley is more than well-known for their Chambray Work Shirts. They live and die by them. Carried almost exclusively through Urban Outfitters, Salt Valley is bringing the class and rugged back to the Western Look. http://urbanoutfitters.com/

TIMEX with J.CREW– As far as watches go, Timex is synonymous with finely crafted timepieces. Their collaboration with J.Crew has created the Timex Military Watch. Nothing dainty about this watch. Just a new take on a vintage classic. http://www.jcrew.com/

THE BROTHER’S BAY & CO. – American-Made Leather Goods Company Billykirk has produced an exclusive line for Urban Outfitters that brings the ruggedness and refuge of the 1940’s back in style. Their DockWorker’s Boot is sure to class up any outfit. http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/






Find Your Rugged, And Live It.

PORTLAND - Too Many Hipsters...Too Few Organic Coffeehouses

Problem in Portland: "It Totes Blows Brah"

Portland is a gorgeous city that is has been listed as the #1 city in practically every list for its food, music, recreation, and social scenes. It seems that people are just now catching on to Portland’s buzz, with its beautiful scenery and hip-to-green social lifestyle. Now, every kid fresh out of college looks to the northwest oasis to start their new lives, helping to create the migratory fad that I call:

“The ‘30-Some’-‘Scene Bag’-‘ Acapulco Gold’-Rush”

Dreaming of a land where coffeehouses and record-shops reign supreme, those migrating to Portland are looking for a new lifestyle, fleeing the persecution of “less-like…spiritually progressive and stuff” towns, where “everyone is just, like, so jaded from ‘Faceless Corporate America’.” And so the hipster packs up his $3,000 road bike, his Chuck Palahnuik novel, a sixer of PBR, and hits the road, sporting Thick Black Fake Glasses, an ironic moustache and his infamous straw fedora. With a “new band from Seattle that no one’s heard of yet but me” album on their IPhone 4, the road ahead is lined with broken dreams…those brave souls who were but two Venti Carmel Macchiatos away from the land of plenty, yet fell short to settle somewhere in the vast nothingness of Eugene, doomed to live out their meaningless lives in an “office dungeon full of bad vibes and top-buttoned shirts. Brutal....”

But for those who survive the storied journey, outlasting countless music festival and “awesomely real” scenery stops to arrive in the land where Sparks flows like water and sports are played ironically, just as a reason to drink Sparks…what is their ultimate gift? An Eden where they can name their first-born after a Jazz Great? A paradise born right out of Vice Magazine? Hardly.

What hipsters are finding upon arriving in Portland is to everyone’s dismay. An “all-too-real-world” where unemployment is 3% above the national average, and the average 8,000-large group of newly-arrived college graduates are settling for menial $12/hour jobs that aren’t part of ANY type of subculture… It’s the Hipsterati Depression.

And even worse? Parliaments are 6 bucks a pack.

As new residents have come to accept the lack of employment as “just another part of the world, man”, most are finding that the terms of their once plentiful trust funds are conditional. So, with spending and social production down in Portland, many city services are suffering and restaurants are closing down almost monthly. And, without a solution, Portland will suffer the same fate as so many other hipster-copia towns…and all that will be left is $7 PBR empties and shreds of iconic 80’s clothing…

While Seattle and Austin had suffered the same fates, it’s time to look elsewhere to spread the seed of $40 organic V-Necks, and rolled up pants…The Portland well has dried up, and it’s time to return the city it’s once held anonymity and glory. While the best option might be to stop the importing of Spin Magazine and striped tank tops…the option that would prevent the most public uproar, would be to find a new city to migrate to….

So, if you start to hear the sounds of Blu Mar Ten or the rustle of paradoxical beards in the wind…Bar the doors, close your coffee shops and thrift stores, remove all bike racks, and button the top button of your shirts. It’s the only way to make sure they steer clear.

As for all barbershops or grooming stores? Don’t worry about ‘em…That’s the last thing they’re interested in.

Thursday - Style

How to Survive the Fashion Graveyard of the Mid-West


Being from the mid-west, you get acclimated to a few things: freezing temperatures, long-open spaces, more trucks and Subarus than people, and of course…no source of fashion.

While just about every great city in the world has an H&M, and Uniqlo is finally starting to bring stores to the US, the Midwest is still dead. In the world of fashion, the Midwest is seen almost as a lost cause. Far too rural for high style, and far too desolate for trendy wear. It’s almost as if style shops see the marketing potential of the Midwest as lucrative as that of the Polar Ice Caps.
But, truth be told, the Midwest is not as un-marketable as it may seem. There are residents here that long for an outlet into the rest of the fashionable world, by and large…people who scour the web looking for any and all apparel that cannot, and probably will not, be found here any time soon.

So, what is a Midwestern guy on the up-and-up of fashion to do?

Here are some survival tips:


1. GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCALE – Wherever in the Midwest you may be, you should get to know what stores you have near you. Although they aren’t going to have everything you need, you might as well exhaust every local possibility. Possible local stores: Forever21 (Heritage 1981), Gap, Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, Express…

2. UTILIZE ARMY SURPLUS STORES – Army Surplus stores are known to have great looking military peacoats, sweaters, jackets, wool pants, etc. And, the best part is, they are all affordable. Find your local Army Surplus Store and usher yourself into a new style.

3. MAKE EBAY YOUR BEST FRIEND – Although you cannot order directly from places such as H&M or Uniqlo, many sellers on Ebay continuously post select items from the stores. Also, be sure to check out Ebay UK, as well as other English-speaking countries.

4. FIND A CHEAP SHOPPER – Find a friend or family member that lives in the vicinity of a shop you like. Also, you can search the web and find professional shoppers that will purchase an item and mail it to you.

5. SHOP ONLINE-SALE DISTRIBUTOR SITES – Websites like www.gilt.com and www.80spurple.com have online super-sales (up to 70% off) where you can order designer clothes at a fraction of the price. Become a member of these sites, and you’ll be alerted before a big sale.

6. UPCOMING VACATIONS – Most vacation spots in the US have an array of H&M like stores (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando). So, plan accordingly.

7. USE YOUR TAILOR – Finding a certain print of a shirt or material of pants in the stores is the easy part. Finding a modern fit? Not so easy. Make your tailor your best man. Find the cheap styles and fabrics of shirts, and take them to your tailor to see what he can do for you. 9 times out of 10, you’ll end up happy.

Some of the Best On-Line Stores

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

http://www.forever21.com/

http://www.jcrew.com/

http://www.bananarepublic.com/

http://www.gap.com/

http://www.express.com/

http://www.gilt.com/

http://www.80spurple.com/

Good Luck…

Wednesday - Best Deals on the Web

The D.I.Y Modern Suit

When searching for that perfect suit, whether it be for a wedding, a big job interview, or anything in between, sometimes a $300 suit-in-a-box just isn’t going to cut it. Here’s the Do It Yourself Suit + Accessories, all for less than $300:

The Suit. CB UNITED – Until H&M decides to open their online retail to the States, the best suit for your cash is at CB United. Their slim-fit suits come in a variety of lapel cuts, as well as colors. Simply put, it’s the best suit under $100. http://cbunitedstyle.com/

The Shirt. TOPMAN – Topman is one of the best stores that any man     could become acquainted with. They offer shirts, tees, suits, ties, etc. and all at H&M prices. Plus, they always have pages and pages of sale items. You can find the perfectly cut shirt for under $40. http://www.topman.com/

The Shoes. ROCKPORT - Rockport is synonymous with finely made, classic looking shoes. Look no further than the best pair of Oxford's for around $100. http://www.rockport.com/

The Tie. THE TIE BAR – Featured in practically every GQ issue for the last 6 months, The Tie Bar is a store on a quick rise. All of their ties, bowties, and tie bars are $15 each. And their quality and variety has been noted by just about every user. Find your perfect tie: http://www.thetiebar.com/

The Watch. WATCHSIR – Regardless of what you think about Chinese Knock-Offs, Watchsir is well and above the usual knock-off brand. With thousands of watches, each in the $50 to $80 range, you can find the right watch for the right occasion, no matter what, no matter where. With fast shipping and hundreds of brands, this should be your first stop for watches: http://www.watchsir.org/

The Shades. 80’S PURPLE – 80’s Purple, while widely known as a discount high-end fashion distributor, their line of sunglasses is one of the best finds on the web. For $15 or less, you can find just about any style you are looking for, and in an array of colors. Check out their timeless 80’s Purple Tortoise Wayfarers: http://www.80spurple.com/

Tuesday - Ghost Post

Your New Job: Social Media Marketing Specialist

The Creed of the Successful: “Find a need, and fill it.”

Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Blogger, Tumblr…All of these social media outlets. Anyone could tell you that by sitting glued to a computer posting new feeds, tweets, and groups is just a big waste of time. Here you are, a college graduate, student, or neither, spending your days scrolling through profile after profile, commenting, posting, and following, because you just can’t seem to find a job that you have the experience for…a job where you can just show up and work. Well, maybe you are just wasting your time...or, maybe, you’re really doing some training for your new job.

Social media has it’s hand in everything, everywhere. A more-or-less free network of both consumers and producers all over the world are able to view any idea or string-of-words that you want to put up, regardless. You can post products, groups, music, movies, anything… You hold the power and influence to reach millions of people, and all you had to do was sign up for a free account.

Social media is being implemented more and more in today’s Marketing Strategies. Being able to meet a high percentage of consumers at a fraction of the normal cost is highly desirable. And, with the new generation having such a high aptitude for social media and software, your “social mapping skills” are more in need than ever.

Jupiter Research found that “social network users are 3 times more likely to trust peer opinions over advertising when making purchase decisions.” Because a word-of-mouth conversation is estimated to have the same effect as over 200 TV ads, social media is growing exponentially, doubling in traffic from last year. Social media has tested the highest in media retention, as well as momentum. The social outlet advertising boom has done for marketing what TV ads and radio spots once had, but in even larger numbers.

So, even though you may be in the target age group and be more than adept at social media, the question is: How do I distinguish myself?

Well, that’s the easy part. Pick any industry that you’re interested in. Sound like a dream job, yet? It goes on… Find distinct keywords to name your group, page, twitter, blog, etc. You want something that’s easily searchable, but will stand out from the other related groups. Next, just start writing. Write and post about everything you know on the subject, information you find elsewhere, and start a following by posting on other blogs and media sites. Find your voice, target your audience, and once you have created a good following, get out there and find your new job!

Every marketing job right now is looking for a profile of your blog and/or twitter account, along with an application. So, devote yourself to making your blog stand out and getting as many followers as you can. Firms want to see flat-out consumer influence. If your blog or twitter has any sort of pull in a certain marketable area, you’re doing your job.

So, avoid the naysayers and the people that say “social media and it’s unyielding power is just a fad.” Obviously, they are just out of touch…

Monday - Grooming

Do Your Face Some Justice...

Face Shape: Oblong

The All-Over 5 O’Clock Shadow


Let it grow out to appear that your face is shorter, and more oval. Great for men like Tom Ford with a slight receding hairline and a sharp, angular face.

Face Shape: Square

Light Covering Beard

Grow your beard out a few weeks, and use beard clippers to keep short. Gives your face a softer look, rather than hard edges. Ryan Seacrest is a big fan.

Face Shape: Round

Sharp Circle-Beard

Gives your face a more oval shape, while adding definition, as Kanye West shows. Grow your beard out, then head to the barber to style it for you. Maintain by a close razor-shave and clippers.

Face Shape: Triangular

Shaggy Beard

With a pointed chin and longer face, you can go for a scruffy, less-maintained beard with a modern, longer haircut, like Ryan Gosling. This will add more roundness and masculinity to your face. Grow your beard out, and use a razor to define.

Face Shape: Pear

Thick, Long Sideburns with Light All-Over Beard

With a large, prominent chin, it’s best to minimize the hard edges and soften your face up with a light beard like Dane Cook. The long sideburns with round out your face more and take away from your chin. Grow it out (sideburns thicker than facial hair) and shape it with a razor.





There you have it, the best facial hair for your face shapes...
Now, give your face the presentation it deserves.

~ advice from http://www.askmen.com/ ~

Sunday - The Day to Celebrate, well, Yourself

Every guy knows that there is nothing better than finding that perfect night when it's just you celebrating you. No one else matters that night.... Just your music, your food, your needs. Now, whether you decide to just veg out with your favorite movie and the best chinese take-out in town, or grab that page-turner that lets you free yourself from the oppressive misanthropic boss at work, or just take care of yourself, in other words...Regardless of all else, it's your night to be a man, your own man. So, take a day, maybe once a week, once a month, take a day to reaffirm all the things that make you who you are. One day to recharge and take stock of what the week and coming week holds. And while you're at it, go out on a limb. Try something you never have before, because hey, it's just going to be yourself that you face in the morning.

Here's just a few things that can make just another old lonely day in the house one of those days to start looking forward to in the week:

 The Harmony: Coltrane's Sound by John Coltrane.

Although not widely considered Coltrane's most popular record, Coltrane's Sound showcases Coltrane and his quartet in their most infant of recordings. Tracks such as "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" and "Central Park West" will bring you into another world, and spark the "cool" deep in your soul, setting the tone for a man's perfect night.

The Lyrics: The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac represents a part of every man. The need for adventure      and a whimsical, but well-worked "pick up and leave" lifestyle is something that every man desires one time or another. While reading Kerouac's sharp, scrolling lyrics (to the beat of Coltrane's Sound), a man can truly put himself in Ray Smith's shoes, thanks to Kerouac's intense and vibrant imagery. The extreme duality represented by Ray Smith in The Dharma Bums will always be an internal struggle of man, and there is nothing better than reading a book that you feel was written for you.

The Finale: Chimay Red Ale with Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp and Scallops from Rachael Ray

This one's easy. The perfect beer with the perfect meal. For that night when you just don't feel right busting out another cold $8 a pack brew, Chimay's Red Ale will add a whole other level of sophistication to that sharp night. The sweet fruity aroma of Chimay Rouge Premiere will make the main course taste even better...

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp and Scallops: What more can you want?

Just add bacon, and throw it in the oven...The meal fit for a man.

 Ingredients

• 12 jumbo raw peeled deveined shrimp, 16 to 20 count per pound
• 12 large sea scallops, trimmed and well drained
• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning or coarse salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 12 slices center cut or applewood smoked bacon, cut in 1/2
• Toothpicks
• 3 scallions, very thinly sliced on an angle

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place shrimp and scallops in a shallow dish or bowl. Dress seafood with lime juice and zest, a generous drizzle of sesame oil, grill seasoning and hot pepper flakes. Wrap each shrimp and scallop with a half slice of bacon. Wrap each shrimp working from head to tail, pulling bacon snuggly around the shrimp. Wrap the bacon around the outside of each scallop. Fasten bacon in place as necessary with picks.
Arrange the shrimp and scallops on a slotted baking pan, such as a broiler pan, to allow draining while bacon crisps. Bake shrimp and scallops 10 to 14 minutes, until shrimp is pink and curled, scallops are opaque and bacon is crisp. Shrimps may finish before the scallops.
Arrange cooked seafood on platter and sprinkle with chopped scallions.


So there you have it...A Man's Night in Paradise. All without the slightest bit of effort...because, hey, that's what it's really about.

~ Enjoy ~ 

Saturday - Then. and. Now. Music.

Band on the Rise: The Naked and Famous


Streaking Their Way To The States

Auckland’s The Naked and Famous are already on their way. Having their first single “Serenade” debut at #1 on the Radioscope Alternative National Charts and stay there for 3 weeks, expectations were high from the start. But this 4-piece was not going to be another Sophomore Slump of a band. With the uber-talented composer Thom Powers powering the melodies and the lovely Alisa Xayalith singing her own surprisingly sweet, honest lyrics, The Naked and Famous is something to be excited about. With likenesses to Passion Pit and Temper Trap, The Naked and Famous compliment heart-pounding, foot-stomping beats with serenading lyrics that lift their songs to new, untouchable heights. And if their new single “Young Blood” is any indication of what’s in store for this power-duo, The Naked and Famous are sure to make a big splash here in the states.

The Naked and Famous’ “Passive Me, Aggressive You” is to be out in New Zealand September 6, 2010.

Check out: “Serenade”, “Young Blood”, “The Sun”
http://thenakedandfamous.bandcamp.com/album/this-machine

New "Young Blood" Video:

The Naked And Famous - Young Blood from The Naked And Famous on Vimeo.


Throwback Artist of the Day - Ten Years After

Still Great...Even 40 Years After

With 8 Top 40 Albums on the UK Albums Charts, Ten Years After dominated the rock and roll scene of the late 60's with hit singles like "I'm Going Home", "Hear Me Calling", "Love Like a Man", and my personal favorite, A Space in Time's (1971) "I'd Love To Change The World." Ten Years After rocked the late 60's into the righteous 70's, proving themselves as one of the UK's most formidable rock bands.

Check out "I'd Love To Change The World"


Ten Years After - I'd Love to Change the World from Queenie Darleen on Vimeo.