Every man needs a hobby. Who wants to be that guy at the party who only talks about work? That’s fine if you’re a champion skydiver or that dude in the Dos Equis commercials. If you’re like the rest of us, read on for a list of the top five men’s hobbies.

Boys and their balls…

1. Watching Sports

Seriously, is there any guy out there who doesn’t watch sports? It’s a great way to hang out with your friends and that cute tomboy next door. Whether it’s football, basketball, soccer, or Nascar, you probably already have a favorite. Add to your DVR schedule by picking some new ones to watch. Extreme sports and mixed martial arts are two that are gaining popularity. If you have no clue what all those Tapout logos you see around town mean, it’s a good time to find out.

2. Fantasy Sports

Now there’s something to do with all those stats floating in your head. Fantasy sports are essentially Dungeons and Dragons for the everyman. In order to play, you join an online league and either choose or get assigned a team from a list of athletes on the roster. How well the athletes do in real-life games determines the number of points you earn in fantasy sports. It’s cheap, too. All you need is a computer with Internet connection, although some sites charge a few bucks for a registration fee.

Just one thing to remember. Some players treat fantasy sports just like a real game. On the bright side, if your team loses, at least the hurt is only virtual.

3. Video Gaming

If the last time you held a joystick in your hands was when the original Super Mario Bros. came out, you’re in for a big surprise. Today’s video games have insane graphics, faster play, and offer more than the standard adventure quest or first-person shooter. This hobby is also relatively inexpensive, considering how a console costs less than a laptop and you can buy or trade in used games.

4. Home Brewing 

Love beer? Interested in what all goes into it to give different brews their tastes? You can make your own, thanks to home brewing kits. This hobby has been popular for some time now, with stores and online retailers selling supplies. Making your own beer is not just a great way to experiment with ale ingredients, but it’s also economical. For a couple hundred bucks, you can have your own microbrewery in your kitchen or basement instead of buying six-packs at the supermarket. If you get really good at crafting your own brew, you can enter competitions at local festivals to meet fellow beer buddies and win prizes.

5. Running 

Aside from the obvious health benefits, more guys (and gals) are turning to running as a social activity. Clubs are springing up all over the country to get people connected. Most of them have weekly events where members do a group run before meeting at a local restaurant to socialize over a meal. People have managed to make new friends or even meet their future spouse this way.

So if you’ve found yourself in a rut between work and watching the eleven o’ clock news, switch it up with these hobbies. The Dos Equis man won’t have the throne for much longer.

Article by Salvador Rodriguez
Los Angeles Times

The iPhone 5 is off to a fast start with great reviews, but that’s not to say it isn’t generating a bevy of consumer complaints.

As with every major Apple product launch, people are going online to point out issues. Some of the problems seem widespread and you may need to consider them, while others are affecting just a portion of new iPhone owners. Whatever the case, here they are.

Scratches

The iPhone 5′s screen appears to be more durable than any iPhone before it, but its back and edges seem less resistant to scratches. Unfortunately for some people, myself included, the iPhone 5 even came out of the box with scuff marks. Be careful about placing it next to keys or sharp objects.

Here’s a video showing how scratchable the back of the iPhone 5 is.

Screen issues

But some issues aren’t just external. Other people are reporting problems with their iPhone 5 screen, including a weird problem in which the screen appears to have an air bubble, which you can see in the video below. Others are saying their iPhone 5 screens flicker or that the light from the screen is leaking out of other parts, such as the gap between the phone and the power button.

Wi-Fi issues

Others on an Apple forum are reporting problems connecting to Wi-Fi networks. In this thread that goes on for more than 30 pages, a number of people complain how their iPhone 5′s won’t find Wi-Fi networks, can only connect for brief periods or run very slowly when they do connect.

Not heavy enough

This is just a silly complaint, not an actual issue, but a surprising number of people are actually complaining that the iPhone 5 is too light. Gizmodo collected a series of tweets from people saying this, and sure enough, if you search “iPhone 5 too light” on Twitter it doesn’t take long to find more people complaining.

“Verdict – I don’t like the way iPhone 5 feels! It’s too light and feels like a toy phone ” tweeted one user.

***

If you’re one of the people who is dealing with these issues, don’t be too alarmed.

I brought up the scuff that came on my iPhone 5 to an Apple Store employee the other day and he reminded me that customers can return or exchange their iPhone within 30 days as long as it’s brought back how they got it.

Return policies vary from retailer to retailer, but you should be able to return yours too if you’d like. Even if it’s just because it’s too light.

Make a memorable lamp for your friends or family by using a white IKEA lamp, some old film strips, and mod podge.  Cut the film strips, and glue them with the mod podge to the outer layer of the lamp.

Old pallets are used everywhere to transport items. What if you could get a couple of these pallets and use them to create items around your house? We’re going to do such a thing. Add some flare and make the environment a lot better by recycling old pallets.

Which side did you pick? Let us know your thought in the comment section.

Your phone rings and it’s Chuck Norris. What are you to do?

Life is not what it used to be as we didn’t have to deal with any world war. We should count our blessings and be ready for our bright future as youth.

Frozen Body Found

Investigators in Maine are working to determine if a body found in a storage unit freezer is that of a woman who went missing 28 years ago after a fight with her boyfriend, police said.

Image via Wikipedia

The storage unit was rented to 80 year old Frank Julian who died earlier in October, and was believed to be the last person to see his girlfriend Kitty Wardwell alive in the summer of 1983, said Maine state police spokesman Stephen McCausland.

When Julian’s family members began cleaning out  his storage unit in Lewiston last Friday, they found the body and notified police. On Monday, the medical examiner’s office began work to identify it, McCausland said. Examiners plan to use DNA to try to identify if the body is that of Wardwell. Wardwell was reported missing by a friend in July of 1983.

According to a missing persons report on the state police’s website, Julian was reported as saying that he left Wardwell at a New Hampshire motel after the couple had an argument, and went home alone. Wardwell was 29 years old at the time.

Police did not expect autopsy results to be returned immediately.

Wardwell’s sister, who also filed a missing persons report for Kitty, has been notified, as has other family. 

McCausland said the case has remained open, as foul play had been suspected.

Related articles

• Authorities Trying to Identify Body Found in Freezer (maboulette.wordpress.com)
• Kitty Wardwell Remains May Be Those Found In Freezer: Police (huffingtonpost.com)
• Maine cops seek clues after body found in storage (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Freezer body: Is it woman missing since ’83? (msnbc.msn.com)
• Body found in freezer might be missing Kitty Wardwell (100gf.wordpress.com)

A tech dinner that has the most powerful people in the tech industry all sitting at one table. Could it be, but of course at the White House with president Obama.