Wondering what to buy your wife or girlfriend for Christmas this Holiday Season?

No, not Tila Tequila, but made you look!!  Anyway, I know what you’re thinking – “is he nuts, talking about Christmas gifts already?”

However, for most of us men out there, we usually wait until the last minute to buy our wife or girlfriend a Christmas gift.  Well, the BLOG has a great gift giving idea that is not only thoughtful AND romantic, but it also saves you on an abundance of stress, and best of all, it saves th hassle of long line-ups on Christmas Eve, OR for you MANLY MEN out there, Christmas Day morning.

What’s this great gift idea you’re asking …?  Alphabet Photography.  What is Alphabet Photography you ask?  First off, when it comes to buying your girlfriend or wife a gift, it’s GOLDEN.  It’s the brainchild of entrepreneur Jennifer Blakeley and is the creative process of photographing images that resemble letters of the English alphabet, then arranging the photographs together to create a name or word. Inspired by the children’s book “Alphabet City,” Blakely traveled across Canada taking photos of objects and scenery that resemble letters of the English alphabet and has now turned those photos into a thriving online business, Alphabet Photography Inc.

Check out the website and create your own word right away.  You can spell out your wife/girlfriend’s name or even simply the word LOVE to express how much you do love her!!!  From now until Christmas, use the promo code ‘facebook’ to receive $10 off your order.  Check out the website at:  www.alphabetphotography.com

You’re welcome in advance J Thank us later!

Hockey, Eh’!

“Oh! The good old hockey game, is the best game you can name; and the best game you can name, is the good old Hockey game!

With Canadian Thanksgiving around the corner, we thought we would pay homage to and be thankful for being home to the best sport ever created – HOCKEY!

Rather than go through a series of timelines and history about how and where the game originated, we thought you would be interested in learning about (or being reminded) of some statistics that showcase the best players to ever play the game – or the biggest goons.  And, wouldn’t you know, a majority of the records outlined below are held by Canadian hockey players; mainly, by good ole’ number 99, born and raised in the small town of Brantford, Ontario, the Great One, Wayne Gretzky.

Most games played: Gordie Howe – 1767

Most games played, including playoffs: Mark Messier – 1992

Oldest player to play a game: Gordie Howe – 52 years, 11 days

Most Stanley Cups, as a player: Henri Richard, Montreal Canadiens –11

Now, we take a quick look at some of the records held by 99 …

Most goals: Wayne Gretzky – 894

Most goals, including playoffs: Wayne Gretzky – 1016

Most goals, one season: Wayne Gretzky – 92 (1981–1982)

Most goals, one season, including playoffs: Wayne Gretzky – 100 (1983–84)

Most goals, 50 games from start of season: Wayne Gretzky – 61

Most goals, one period: Wayne Gretzky – 4 (shared record with seven other players)

Most assists: Wayne Gretzky – 1963

Most assists, including playoffs: Wayne Gretzky – 2223

Most assists, one season: Wayne Gretzky – 163 (1985–86)

Okay, before we give Wayne a big head, let’s take a look at some more records held by other players…

Most points by a European born player: Jaromir Jagr – 1599

Most points, one game: Daryl Sittler – 10 (Feb. 7, 1976)

Most points, one period: Bryan Trottier, 6 (Dec. 23, 1978, second period)

Best ± rating, career: Larry Robinson – +730

Best ± rating, season: Bobby Orr – +124 (1970–71)

Most power-play goals, career: Dave Andreychuk – 270

Most shorthanded goals, one season: Mario Lemieux – 13, 1988–89

Most playoff overtime goals, career: Joe Sakic – 8

Most goals by a rookie, one season: Teemu Selanne – 76 (1992–93)

Fastest goal from start of game: Doug Smail (Dec. 20, 1981), Bryan Trottier (Mar. 22, 1984), Alexander Mogilny (Dec. 21, 1991) all at 5 seconds.

Fastest three goals: Bill Mosienko, 21 seconds (Mar. 23, 1952)

Most penalty minutes, career: Tiger Williams – 3966

Most penalty minutes, one game: Randy Holt – 67 (Mar. 11, 1979)

Most points by a goaltender, career: Tom Barrasso – 48

Most points by a goaltender, one season: Grant Fuhr – 14 (1983–84)

Stay tuned as we look to dig deeper into NHL records held by teams!  Believe it or not, the now defunct Quebec Nordiques hold an NHL record – guess what it is

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EH’!

Let the Lime Battle Begin

Come on.  Really?  I mean, cutting up a lime and adding it to our beer isn’t THAT hard, but then again… remembering to buy the limes is mainly the problem.  So, I guess I can see why there is an uproar with the whole fad of lime flavoured beers.  What I don’t get is … why  is Bud Light getting their panties in a ruffle when a little bit of friendly competition gets in the way.

If you haven’t yet heard, Brick Brewing Co. Ltd. says it is being taken to court by the world’s largest beer maker, which claims the Ontario company has violated the trademarks and copyrights for Bud Light Lime.

Brick says Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and Labatt Brewing Co., both subsidiaries of the world’s largest beer company, are seeking an injunction from the Federal Court of Canada.

The beer giants also want compensation from the Waterloo, Ont.-based company or an accounting of profits from Brick’s sales of Red Baron Lime beer.

Brick says it has had the Red Baron trademark for more than 20 years and did its research before launching the lime version of its beer this month.

The Ontario beer maker says a suit by the subsidiaries of Anheuser-Busch InBev wasn’t a surprise and described it as a standard tactic to eliminate competition.

Brick says it will defend itself from the legal challenge.

Earlier this year, Brick agreed to change the label used for its Red Baron beer as part of a copyright and trademark settlement with Labatt.

Labatt had sued Brick and alleged the label and secondary packaging for Brick’s Red Baron created confusion with Labatt’s Brava brand.

Labatt acquired the Brava brand during its 2007 purchase of Lakeport Brewing Income Fund.

By the way, Red Baron Lime Beer is about 25% cheaper than Bud Light Lime…  Give it a try!

Did Michael Jackson Fake his Death?

I know what you’re saying; here we go again – another Elvis conspiracy theory – but wait, let’s put this into perspective for a moment.

Putting aside child molestation “accusations” and his barrage of plastic surgery, oh, and let us not forget MJ hanging his child over a balcony, Michael Jackson has literally been away from media attention for the past ten years.

Following the hay-day of smash pop hits like Thriller and Beat it, Michael Jackson has done a pretty good job of staying out of the media, when it came to positive news to say the least.

It wasn’t until his ‘supposed’ death that any mass news coverage on the press conference held regarding his London concert dates was broadcast.  The company in charge of promoting the show obviously had done their job of selling tickets; however, North Americans and many people alike hadn’t even heard there was a news conference, and media didn’t really pick up the story on a need-to-know basis.

Sure, we were all aware he was about to tour, with the possibility of a North American leg, but this news was mostly learned through word of mouth, and ‘in passing’.  It wasn’t until the day after MJ allegedly died that word he had held a press conference announcing these London dates was available.  This was probably the last time Michael Jackson was featured in the media; many weeks after his alleged death. A long time for a major superstar living in Los Angeles not to be noticed by paparazzi or the media, wouldn’t you say?

Now you see him, now you don’t.  Where has Michael Jackson been since then?

MJ also supposedly moved out to the Middle East.  Really?  When’s the last time you came across a paparazzi photo of Jackson living out there?  Oh wait; there are the few of him wearing an Abaya – a traditional woman’s veil (covering most of his face, with the addition of sunglasses) and a black robe.  Oh ya’ that’s him, I swear.  Can’t you tell?

Now you see him, now you don’t.

Michael Jackson is smart.  A performer who has worked with some of the best producers, life coaches, choreographers, psychiatrists and doctors over the past 20 years picks up on a few things.  Conversations take place.  Ideas are thrown across the table.  One of the many questions Michael Jackson MUST have asked these mentors was “how do I get out of this mess… how do I walk away from it all and still keep my dignity?”  Answer – Fake your own death.

Here are a few reasons why MJ probably isn’t dead:

1. CNN, the most reputable news source in the world, reported his death many hours following TMZ’s alleged death notification.  Why is that?  TMZ is a celebrity hotbed for gossip – you heard right, gossip.  Are we really supposed to believe TMZ learned of Michael Jackson’s death before CNN?

We can only wonder that Michael Jackson’s publicist (who hasn’t even come to the forefront – does he have one? – Michael Levine, his previous agent, seems to know nothing) had sent out an anonymous text or phone call to the TMZ newsroom to announce this… Let us not forget the doctor on-site was nowhere to be found, even though he was in the room with Michael when the 911 call was placed.  Bizarre.

What’s even more bizarre is that the doctor’s vehicle was towed sometime after MJ’s death.  Who was there when it happened?  Who can state facts about timelines?  There doesn’t seem to be anyone in sight that can provide, well, some insight into what really happened.

2. Let’s face it, Joe Jackson may be weird, but he sure as hell wouldn’t be promoting a recording company when he’s given a chance to mourn about his son’s death.  Maybe he would; however, when one feels guilt about a certain topic, one changes subjects.  Probably explains why he is changing the subject from his son’s death, to his new business dealings – field questions about your son’s death… or, would you rather not talk about it?

3. With Internet technology these days, there wasn’t a phone call made via a cell phone from within the house seconds after MJ was found unresponsive?  The doctor didn’t know where he was on-call?  Not even a street name?  He had to direct someone to a land-line to make the call?  Let’s be realistic.  I’m sure you would not wait (or take) 30 minutes trying to find a landline to call 911 when a cell phone was within arms reach.  This time lapse, or alibi, proves to me that there is a certain amount of time when Michael was not available, or when he was trying to flee.

Cell phones are more than likely monitored by various sources, and when a call to 911 is received, it takes only minutes to locate the origin.   Again, we’re in 2009.  If your loved one, co-worker, or friend had collapsed in front of you, or if you found someone non-responsive, instincts take over.  No matter where you are, a cell phone that is within arms reach is a form for quick communication.  One is sure to pick up a cell phone and dial 911, even if all is available is a Styrofoam cup and string as a method of communication.

4. The photo – the infamous photo of Michael lying in the stretcher dead.  Really?  Who took the photo – where is the source?  Again, paparazzi are usually screaming around Michael Jackson, and for the only photo to come out of the whole rigmarole is a zoomed in photo of MJ’s supposed face in a stretcher?  We’re able to see photos of Brittney Spears’ private parts, but we can’t get one of a troop of ambulances fleeing to a major scene from a MAJOR celebrities home to a hospital in Los Angeles with a clear shot of a live person under cardiac arrest?

5. Finally, the whole story doesn’t make sense, and when a story doesn’t make sense, it’s usually a lie.  Michael Jackson “in a coma”, reported by CNN.  Michael Jackson “has died’, reported by TMZ.  Michael Jackson “suffers cardiac arrest”, reported by CNN … who is the source of all of this?  TMZ?  MJ’s publicist?  Twitter?  We know there wasn’t a phone call made via a cell phone, which WAS available.  We know it was at least 30 minutes from when he was found until 911 was contacted.

——

Although TMZ clearly received the ‘inside scoop’, there is not a straight fact that shows or proves he was dead.  The first mountain of evidence by TMZ should have showcased was the ambulance leaving the home Michael Jackson was renting.  Instead, the whole saga began within the world wide web of social media, and it wasn’t until AFTER CNN reported MJ was dead that the infamous video of the ambulance leaving his rented home was available.  How so?   TMZ had the video, but wasn’t showing it… CNN was reporting he was in a coma, but didn’t have a source.  Where did the lines get crossed?

Michael Jackson is not dead … By the way, where is Osama Bin Laden?

Oops – Top 10 Hockey Bloopers

#10 and # 1 are neck and neck in terms of most embarrassing moments of all-time…

Doing the Computer Nasty without Getting Caught

All of us men have been there, right?  Well, I hope so… or not, which is it?  Regardless, I think we can all agree that at some point in our lives,  surfing a website that is designed to provide excitement and/or a change of pace (hell, we’ll say it… PORN) has been visited.  And, just when you thought you were in the privacy of your own home (or room), you hear the garage or front door open, the doorbell rings, and all of sudden, you find yourself frantically attempting to close all of the open windows, hitting keyboard short cut keys, and sometimes going as far as unplugging the power chord when all else fails and the computer locks up.  Alternatively, you have peace and quiet for an extended period of time, but when the deed is done you walk away from the computer not realizing that all of the cookies and history on the browser is still available for everyone to see, including your mom or dad, in-laws, siblings, or hek, even your grandparents if they’re tech savvy.  Scary isn’t it?

Here are three tips to help you avoid embarrassment when making love to your computer:

1. Download Firefox and use this religiously as your Internet Browser.  For the life of the blog, we couldn’t figure out how to clean out all of the cookies and history off of Internet Explorer.  Information seemed to always find a way of re-appearing on the address bar and in the history folder, even though we went to Internet Options and cleared all of the history, deleted all cookies and inputted “zero” days to keep content on file.  Regardless, Firefox has a neat little function that will clear your browser’s cookies and history every time you close your browser.  Or, a simple CTRL+SHIFT+DEL brings up a menu that allows you to clear the history/cookies.

2.  Windows Key + D – this is a handy shortcut and minimizes/hides all windows.  However, this method is only effective in last minute dire situations.  If you continue to shut down your computer without closing the windows down properly, all of your cookies and history will be saved onto the computer, unless you restart and clear them manually through Firefox.  If you’re ever in the situation, DON’T FORGET to turn the computer back on and clear the history.

3.  Don’t download. Popular video sites like Red Tube have alleviated the need to download movies onto your computer from Torrent Sites.  We recommend streaming video which doesn’t require any downloads, and will be cleared from your computers memory once you’ve deleted your history and cookies (see above).  If you must download a movie, we recommend burning a copy to a DVD and deleting the evidence immediately following the file transfer.  And, make sure you don’t place the DVD in a family video or attempt to hide it among the Disney collection.   ALSO, when using this method, please empty your recycle bin on your desktop after deleting the evidence.

These tips should keep you clean and out of the doghouse.  Happy sex surfing and good luck at not getting caught with your pants around your ankles.

FREE BEER!!!

We knew that would get your attention!

In all seriousness though, Porter Airlines is offering up Steam Whistle Beer as part of their complimentary on-board menu.  Kudos to Porter for actually caring about their customers, and doing what what no other airline is currently doing in the tough times; offering something for free!

The partnership makes total sense, as Porter and Steam Whistle are both entrepreneurial and innovative businesses.  At the heart of Porter’s philosophy is a desire to reintroduce convenience and service back to flying. This approach includes complimentary premium in-flight snack and beverage service.

If you haven’t had a chance to down a Steam Whistle Pilsner, next time you’re at the Beer Store, pick up a 12-pack.  It’s a golden, refreshing brew with a distinctive hop aroma, tasty malt flavor, and a clean, crisp finish.

The company’s motto is to “do one thing really, really well,” and in our opinion they hit the ball out of the park when it comes to beer!  Especially FREE BEER!  GO PORTER AND STEAM WHISTLE!

Economic Downturn effects Bullfights

I guess Canada and the U.S. aren’t the only countries experiencing difficult times in an economic downturn.

Spain’s steep recession has led dozens of cash-strapped local councils to scrap their annual bullfighting fiestas to save public money.

As of the beginning of August the Madrid regional government had granted authorizations for 401 bullfighting festivals in 57 towns, a 20 percent drop over the same time last year.

The cancellation of bullfights, which are often the highlight of a summer fiesta, has in some cases met with anger by the public.

Dozens of people threw eggs, tomatoes and beer at the town hall of Pinto located southeast of Madrid on Sunday as its mayor Juan Jose Martin stood on the balcony to officially open the town’s annual festival which this year does not feature bulls due to cost-cutting measures.

Another town in the Madrid region, Manzanares el Real, scaled back its bullfighting this year — staging two days of bullfighting instead of three that used younger, less expensive bulls — after a referendum held in March on whether the fiesta should take place without bulls that produced mixed results.

The cost of a bullfight can vary between 12,000 euros (17,000 dollars) for a modest affair all the way up to 180,000 euros for an event staged at Madrid’s Las Ventas arena.

OLE!!

Women looking to slimdown can dine with Men

This is interesting.  And, to be honest, we’re not sure how to take it.  We imagine there to be a hidden meaning, which results in men being targeted as slobs or pigs.  Nevertheless, it seems a new study suggests dining with men is good for chic’s waistlines.

Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada observed 469 students in three large university cafeterias with a wide choice of food options and dining companions.

Researcher Meredith Young (go figure, a female) found that women who ate with a man chose food with significantly fewer calories than those observed dining with another woman – about 550 compared to 670 calories.

By the way, in my case, this is because I keep on looking at my wife’s plate asking, “are you going to finish that?”

Moving on, when women ate in groups with both men and women, their food choices were also at the lower end of the scale with respect to calories – about 450 compared to the average of 700 to 750 calories in an all-female group.

Researchers wrote the women “adjusted food selection not so as to match men, but perhaps in accordance with beliefs about what men find attractive.”  Huh?  Wait, I get it; men are pigs.

The research results appear in the online version of the international journal Appetite.

The 90s – Did you Know?

One of the many 90s business trends was “three nines” — businesses should strive for 99.9% accuracy, 99.9% customer satisfaction, 99.9% quality, etc.

Is 99.9% “good enough”? If so…

• Two million documents will be lost by the IRS this year.
• 811,000 faulty rolls of 35mm film will be loaded this year.
• 22,000 checks will be deducted from the wrong bank accounts in the next 60 minutes.
• 1,314 phone calls will be misplaced by telecommunication services every minute.
• 12 babies will be given to the wrong parents each day.
• 268,500 defective tires will be shipped this year. [Gee: with the Firestones on Explorers, it looks like this one came true!]
• 14,208 defective personal computers will be shipped this year. [Well, yeah....]
• 103,260 income tax returns will be processed incorrectly this year. [ditto!]
• 2,488,200 books will be shipped with the wrong cover in the next 12 months.
• 132,412,800 cans of soft drinks produced in the next 12 months will be flatter than one of the 268,500 defective tires.
• Two plane landings daily at O’Hare International Airport will be unsafe.
• 3,056 copies of tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal will be missing one of the three sections.
• 18,322 pieces of mail will be mishandled in the next hour.
• 291 pacemaker operations will be performed incorrectly this year.
• 880,000 credit cards in circulation will turn out to have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips.
• $9,690 will be spent every day on defective, often unsafe sporting equipment.
• 55 malfunctioning automatic teller machines will be installed in the next 12 months.
• 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written in the next 12 months.
• 114,500 mismatched pairs of shoes will be shipped this year.
• $761,900 will be spent on tapes and CDs that won’t play.
• 107 incorrect medical procedures will be performed each day.
• 315 entries in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of English Language will be misspelled.

And you thought 99.9% was good enough!!

The World’s Fastest

This is pretty cool.  It’s a compilation video featuring some of the world’s fastest video records.

Allow me Officer

It’s 2:00 a.m… the bars have stopped serving beer … and you’re wondering if you’re under the legal drinking limit while operating a motorized vehicle, a.k.a., your car.

Alternatively, your s@%!faced and want to play a drinking game with your friends after the bar closes, or while you’re in the middle of preparing for your next blackout.

Whatever the case may be, we think you’ll be interested in The Keychain Breathalyzer, the smallest personal Breathalyzer on the market.  It’s very simple and quick to use, and can attach to your key ring like any ordinary keychain.

This particular model goes for $35.95, which, believe it or not, is pretty cheap in comparison to the other similar-sized breathalyzers on the market.

This weekend, we’re going for a personal best – 0.25.  Seriously though, this device is a great wait to ensure you don’t hop behind the wheel over the legal drinking limit, and is also a good way to convince a friend that wants to get behind the wheel to call a cab instead.

Drink responsible.

Fast Food Icon Dead at 15

It’s a sad day here at the Manly Men Men Blog.

We’ve just learned that Gidget the Chihuahua, whose Taco Bell commercials made her a star, has died.  She was 15.

Gidget suffered a massive stroke late Tuesday at her trainer’s home in Santa Clarita and had to be euthanized.  Gidget was the sassy mascot in Taco Bell commercials from 1997 to 2000.

Gidget’s bug-eyed, big-eared face that is seen pronouncing “YO QUIERO TACO BELL”, Spanish for “I want Taco Bell” is what made her famous and a North American fast food icon.

The ads made the Taco Bell masket widly popular, although they provoked some criticism from activists who felt they used Mexican stereotypes.

Gidget also had a role in the movie Legally Blonde 2.

We will miss you Gidget… The next chili cheese burrito we swallow at 2am will be in memory of you.

R.I.P.

Win the Ultimate Coors Light Party Package!

Coors Light wants to be the beverage of choice to help cool you down this summer (their words, not ours). As part of their Cold Certified campaign they have launched a cool new contest to engage consumers by using various digital and social media tools. The “Colder than…” contest encourages beer drinkers to share their own slogans. The winning slogan might even be picked to use in Coors Light’s next advertising campaign across Canada in 2010.

The person who comes up with the winning slogan will win a customized Coors Light beer fridge with the winner’s LINE applied to the door; a Coors Light party for 10 friends; and a chance for the winner’s LINE to be included in the Coors Light advertising campaign in 2010.

“Cold is at the core of Coors Light’s DNA – we are doing everything we can to make sure that beer drinkers get an ice cold liquid every time,” said Jamie Sprules, Brand Manager, Coors Light. “Our Cold Certified ad campaign has extended the physical sensation of cold into emotional territory through the ‘Colder than…’ concept.”

The contest runs until August 16^th.  To enter visit www.coorslight.ca.

Entrants can also submit their best ideas via WAP (wireless application protocol) application page by texting 26677 (Coors) for English, or “Plus” and their line to 61224 for French.  No purchase necessary.

GOOD LUCK.  By the way, if you happen to win, remember where you learned about the contest and feel free to invite the guys over from the Manly Men Men Blog!

Beer doesn’t cause Beer Belly?

British scientists have revealed that it’s not the beer that causes that muffin top above your belt; it’s your genes.  No, not your Levi’s; your genetics.

In a study of thousands of beer drinkers, it was discovered that although regular drinkers had a tendency to put on weight, they did not necessarily store fat around the abdomen. For the study, the researchers examined over 20, 000 people – 7876 men and 12,749 women – over an average of eight-and-a-half years.

It was found that men, who were classed as the heaviest drinkers-regularly consuming two pints of beer a day- put on the most weight.

However, after measuring hip-to-waist ratios, in order to establish which drinkers developed a potbelly, the researchers found that the results were spread across all drinkers.

The scientists concluded that genetic factors had a larger role in controlling how people put on weight than drinking beer.

The results revealed that the men who were most likely to put on weight were those who drank the most and also those who drank no beer at all.

Light drinkers saw the least variation in their waist size.

For women, drinking more beer was more directly associated with piling on the pounds.

But for all the categories, drinking beer led to overall weight gain on both the waist and the hips, and did not necessarily lead to a beer belly.

The study by German and Swedish researchers has been published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

How to Make a Homemade Taser (Stun) Gun

So, you just separated from your wife or recently broke up with your girlfriend and you think she’s going to break into your house or apartment and slit your throat while you’re asleep.  Or, you’re the type of guy that just likes making cool s@#!.

Whatever the case may be, we think you’ll get a kick (or jolt) out of making your very own homemade Taser, otherwise known as a Stun Gun.  Now, we don’t recommend you go making one of these things and then parade around town zapping the crap out of people; however, if you are bored on a Sunday afternoon, feel free to give this a spin.

Let us know how you make out!  Also, please, don’t kill yourself – we are not responsible for any bodily harm you cause yourself in making this effective weapon.

What you’ll need:

• Disposable Camera (Dollar stores sell these for pretty cheap)
• Soldering Gun
• Sixteen gauge wire
• Philips head screwdriver (the ‘star’ one for you dolts out there)

Steps:

1. Remove the cardboard covering of your disposable camera.
2. Pop open the plastic body housing of the camera by using a Phillips head screwdriver.
3. Take the circuit board out of the camera. Be careful while removing and handling the circuit board.   IMPORTANT: If you touch the capacitors wires or connection points on the board you will “tase” yourself.  We warned you.
4. Solder two 16-gauge wires, several inches long, to each of the two connection points connecting the flashbulb to the circuit board. Then remove the flashbulb from the circuit board.
5. Place the circuit board back into the camera housing and close it up leaving the two added wires hanging out.
6. Charge up your taser by pressing the flash charge button. If you wait for the flash to be fully charged the blast will be more powerful.
7. Discharge the taser by placing the two wires on your target and pressing the button to take a picture.

Tips & Warnings

• This only works with a disposable camera with a flash, so be sure to purchase the right type.
• Making a disposable camera taser may be illegal in your area. Be sure to check with local laws before building such a device or you could be arrested.
• The power a disposable camera taser puts out may seem innocent but could kill someone with a weak heart, a pacemaker or really bad luck. Be careful what you use this device for or you could end up in a lot of trouble.

HAVE FUN!

Barbecue Health & Safety Tips

First off, we recommend that YOU DO NOT take advice from dodo-head on the right.

We’re confident you’ve hit the backyard and have grilled up a delicious meal on more than one occasion thus far this summer.  What we should have done earlier in the year is given you some advice on healthy and safety issues related to grilling.  Hopefully you’re still with us and reading this…

Being safe around the barbeque isn’t just about shutting off the gas and lighting the grill properly, it’s also about the cleanliness of the barbeque and the amount of heat it produces.  If these kinds of things aren’t considered, you and your family could get very sick.

Here are a few tips to ensure you a continued safe barbequing season:

• Grill…Clean! – Keeping your barbeque grill clean makes it a healthier and hotter grill. Make sure to keep utensils like a grill brush washed or replaced as needed. The excess grease and carbon build-up that accumulates on grill brushes can make you sick.  You should never clean your grill by turning it on high and closing the lid to allow the carbon, grit and food particles to burn off. This is a waste of fuel and puts excessive wear and tear on your grill. Think green!

• Beware of Wear and Tear – Be sure that all grill parts of your barbeque or smoker are firmly in place and that the leggings are secure and stable. Check your grill regularly for wear and tear that could become bigger safety issues.

• Keep it Outside – Use your barbecue grill or smoker only outdoors. Position your grill in an open area away from any enclosures and overhangs. NEVER bring your grill indoors. Grills and smokers produce carbon monoxide and the accumulation could be fatal.

• Check the Heat – You should never cut into your meat to check if it is finished as the natural juices will escape. Make sure your meat is cooked by using a meat or instant read thermometer. Poultry should be fully cooked at 180 degrees F, Burgers at a minimum of 160 degrees F and Beef, Veal, Lamb, Roasts, and Steaks can vary from 140 degrees F to 160 degrees F.

• Watch your back – Pay attention to the direction of the wind when you are grilling. You should be grilling with the wind to your back.

• Accidents Happen – If a grease fire does occur, turn off your burners and fuel source, close the lid and allow the fire to burn out on its own. You will know it’s a grease fire if you see billowing black smoke and large orange flames. Baking soda is also a good option for controlling a grease fire.

HAPPY GRILLING!

French are world’s worst tourists

The Menly Men Men Blog is housed in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and with millions of tourists visiting the majestic Falls each year, we’re familiar with foreigners visiting from all over the globe each summer.  What we didn’t know, is that the French are the world’s worst tourists.  And, according to a recent study, the Japanese are the best.

Carried out last month by TNS Infratest for the Expedia online travel agency, the study asked 40,000 hotels worldwide to rank tourists from 27 countries based on nine criteria, from their politeness to their willingness to tip.

Clean and tidy, polite, quiet and uncomplaining, Japanese tourists came top of the crop for the third year running.

At the other end of the spectrum, French holidaymakers and business travellers were the least generous or ready to tip, and ranked next-to-last for their overall behaviour and politeness.

Pushy French travellers made amends on elegance — classed third — as well as for their discretion and cleanliness.

But the French were the least ready to try a new language, unlike US tourists who were most likely to swallow their pride and order a pizza, baguette or a paella in the local lingo.

US tourists also got top marks for generosity — as the biggest spenders and tippers — but fell short on other counts as the least tidy, the loudest, the worst complainers, and the most badly dressed.

Despite cliches about beer-guzzling hordes descending on Mediterranean resorts each summer, Britons came a surprise second for their overall behaviour, politeness, quietness and even elegance — second for dress sense only to the Italians.

But the model Japanese were followed by Canadians as the least likely to whinge when a trip goes wrong, eh’.

France’s rivals for the “worst tourist” tag, Spaniards and Greeks came near the bottom of the pack in almost every category.

Light Beer Gaining Momentum

With men looking to cut calories, shave pounds off their love handles and generally lead a healthier lifestyle, it seems as though beer companies are listening.  Wives and girlfriends, please make note of this skill.

Light beers aren’t new to the market, they’ve been around since the 1970s, but sales of beer with fewer fattening calories and lower alcohol content have been strong thus far this summer.

For light beer drinkers like us here at the Manly Men Men blog, you’ll be happy to know that there are a host of new light beers on the market.  The attraction of a lighter taste and fewer love-handle-loving calories is a trend that is seeing more people choose a light beer over a premium.

Moosehead Breweries recently introduced Cracked Canoe.  Aside from its cool name, Moosehead’s new light suds weigh-in at only 99 calories and 3.5 percent alcohol content.  Although we’re not overly excited about the low alcohol content, the 99-calorie count is definitely a reason to go with a Cracked Canoe.

A standard regular full-bodied beer has about 150 to 180 calories with a five per cent alcohol content, compared to light beers with 100 to 110 calories with a 3.5 to four per cent alcohol content.

Other breweries that joined the trend for light beers include the Dutch-made beers Grolsch Premium Light and Grolsch Premium Blond Lager, which came on the market in Ontario in April.

Ontario’s Robert Simpson Brewing showcases its Antigravity Light Ale and Ontario’s Neustadt Springs Brewery has the Bruce County Premium Lager for sale. Alberta’s Big Rock Brewery also brews a lighter lager called Jack Rabbitt.

The Mexican beer Corona has two light tasting beers — Corona Extra and Corona Light, and Miller offers Miller Lite.

Another trend that we’re experiencing this summer is the move to flavoured beer.

Although Canadian sales in this department have remained relatively flat over the past five years, they seem to have picked up since when on May 22 Bud Light Lime entered the market.  Bud Light Lime has 103 calories with a four percent alcohol content.  It’s brother, Bud Light, has 110 calories with a four percent alcohol content.

Consumers have lined up in droves to buy some of the new lime-flavoured beers that have hit the market.  Many Beer Stores across Canada have turned away customers as the product has been flying off the shelf.

Stand By Me?

It’s a long weekend, and neverminding the bullcrap teen cult movies that have come out in the past 10 years, we figured we’d reminisce about a cool scene from a flick that is SURE to please those young and old.

If you’re thinking about visiting, OR going camping in a cool nostalgic location, check out lake Britton Bridge along with the picturesque area located in California.  This Stand By Me scene definitely attracted some folks out to this location over the years.  Unfortunately, earlier this year, they began dismantling the track.  Sad, it should be a national landmark… If you can, check it out… and send pics our way!