Man Made DIY

Some anthropologists argue that just one dominant feature separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom: we use fire and heat to cook our food. Like salt, smoking has long been a means of preserving food, and over time, we've learned that it also tastes pretty awesome as well. Those flavors are why we're still willing to use the grill and light fires when we have access to electric heating elements: the taste just can't be matched.

Many drinks and spirits come with smoky qualities - lots of teas, coffee, beer, and whiskeys. But you can also smoke entire cocktails or mixed drinks to add a whole other level of flavor and complexity. As my friend Mike remarked after trying one of my smoked Old Fashioneds, "I don't know if I can ever drink a regular one… read more

The Konkret lamp by Danish designer Jonas Edvard has some serious potential to add that missing cool/Scandinavian factor to your… read more

Attention, ManMakers! For your fun fact of the day: beards are good for you! A recent scientific study from the University of… read more

I love spring as much as the next guy, but I'm trying to write this post without sneezing my brains out. Are you too popping antihistamines as we speak? Don't worry - I feel ya. Spring might be your friends' favorite season to stop and smell the roses, but for some of us, spring means a whole lotta pain. And… read more

Last summer, I shared this cool photo from Sonoma winery Medlock Ames, which featured an old picnic table, into which a recess had been cut to accept a cooler to keep drinks cold. A great idea, but know what's even cooler? 

Building the table from scratch without a bunch of fancy woodworking tools, and incorporating the built-in cooler from the… read more

Several years ago, a fascinating, and perhaps compelling, post appeared on San Francisco's Craigslist titled, "Advice to Young Men from an Old… read more

I have a new goal on my life list: visit every U.S. National Park. As of now...I've been to exactly: two. I don't really live near too many, and as a kid, my family tended to travel to the same few places every year. But, I'm legit serious about this one, and I'ma get started this year on my next vacation: a trip to all five National Parks in Utah in late summer/early fall 2013.… read more

The concept of nestling some tasty filling inside a few pieces of breads is nearly universal, present among cultures found all over the globe. So, to pay homage to those indigenous, unique portable edibles and the cultures that love… read more

Each Wednesday, I post some of my favorite can't-miss links, images, and otherwise mindblowing goodies from across the web. This

Michelle Newman created this amazing moving portrait of her 89-year-old landlady lip-synching to her favorite song. It is the best video you'll see all day, I… read more

There's a new blog by Ben Uyeda called "Homemade Modern," that's making quite a stir in the DIY-o-sphere. Ben and company are setting out to create modern and contemporary style furniture by hand,… read more

Antartica has seen its share of exploration, research, and commerce: whaling stations, fishing villages, home bases for mapping and exploring, and scientific… read more

Designer Ross Moody of 55 Hi's, who last year brought us the birthday card that turns into a shot glass, now shares this cool typographic coaster set dubbed "Pick Your… read more

These days, there are a multitude of screw and driver styles lining the hardware stores: torx and square, and Supadriv and star-bit and the like. But less than a century ago, there was but one - the single slot. So begins the surprisingly interesting story of Henry F. Phillips, the Portland, Oregon-based inventor of the Phillips screw… read more

Recently, I was invited by DIY and creative lifestyle site Brit + Co to create an introduction post for those who were interested in learning more about tasting and enjoying whiskey, but never quite knew where to start. Since Brit + Co has a largely female readership, I wrote it in the style of "a woman's introduction to whiskey" (hence the lipstick), but it works equally well for any novice who'd like to have a little more… read more

In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin outlines a "Precept of Order," a single page in his journal and memoirs that outlines how he should spend his day, "the following scheme of employment for the twenty-four hours of a natural… read more

Hey, hey! If you're a blogger yourself, or you're thinking about starting one and wanna do it right from the get go, you should check out this online course I'm teaching on growing your readership and staying… read more

Sarah Rae calls this the "one appetizer to rule them all." Is it the ultimate snack? Don't know yet, but it's worth finding… read more

There are about 960 usable minutes in everyday, provided you get enough sleep, and a new study suggests there's a much better way to spend it. And the number one item on the list? If you wanna be happier, you should be having more… read more

The notion of making real music with record players isn't new: DJs and turntablists have been creating everything from original scores to jazz-like improvisations for nearly three decades. But musician and artist Diego Stocco has created a new twist: he doesn't use the turntable to play and manipulate records, but to play with tree… read more

Each Wednesday, I post some of my favorite can't-miss links, images, and otherwise mindblowing goodies from across the web. 

 If the world only had 100 people, it would look something like… read more