Shaving Like A Man

Last night I started shaving like a man.

Starting this week, I was on my last cartidge of the Schick shaving stuff I've been using for years, and just got tired of each 'blade' only lasting a couple shaves, then having to fork over tons of cash to buy more cheap blades that just don't give a close enough shave. I had been thinking about switching to a safety razor for quite a while now, and decided I wasn't going to keep throwing money away on the cheap stuff any longer. So yesterday I stopped by The Art of Shaving store to pick out a new razor and gain a little education on the matter.

There was a young barber in the back who had just finished up some shaving services on someone else and he came out and took the time to explain and recommend some stuff to me. I got set up with a Merkur safety razor [which has some real weight to it, which I love], and then also picked up one of their starter kits that includes the pre-shave oil, shaving cream, badger hair brush, and after shave lotion. He showed me the proper technique for shaving using a safety razor, and said to take my time, but mentioned that I'd probably cut myself at least once till I got the hang of it.

After a hot shower last night I lathered up and proceeded to give myself about the damn near closest shave I've ever had. I did nick myself twice, but barely. Even so, I really enjoyed how much better my skin felt afterwards, and still feels this morning. That starter kit that cost $25 also comes with a $25 off coupon for one of their full size kits once you decide what you like, so it is essentially free if you get one of the larger kits at a later time, which I thought was a nice way to get the right tools without having to spend a fortune up front.

For any guys out there who've given some thought to ditiching their current shaving setup, I highly recommend making the investment in a safety razor [or straight razor if you're that hardcore], but safety razor pretty much anyone can do. Plus, it just looks cooler!

Merkur safety razor.

This little guy is wayyyy sharper than any cartidge blade!

The starter kit that I picked up with the razor.

This blog post sponsored by Ron Swanson.

Punkin Chunkin 2011: After

As I mentioned previously, this weekend was the annual Punkin Chunkin event up in Delaware. Every year, teams bring their various contraptions made for throwing pumpkins into a field, and square off in each category to see who will be the next champion. I had never been before, so I didn't quite know what to expect, and as with any first time event, you learn quite a bit about how to better prepare for next year.

The first lesson, is to either camp out at the grounds the night before, or get there verrrry early in the morning. My friends and I camped at a campsite about 30 min away, and by the time we everyone else was up and moving around, it was already noon. I was all for camping out at the grounds using tents, but I was outvoted and the cabins 30 min away won. The reason you want to get there so early is because there is one road heading into the site, and thousands of cars trying to get there and park. The event was only about a 30 min drive from our campgrounds, but it took us almost an hour once we were there to drive up the one remaining road and park.

Second lesson, make friends and get invited to join an AWESOME tailgate section! We totally lucked out with this one. Our group drove in two cars, but we got split up in the whole parking thing, and cell phone reception was really bad. Luckily for my half of the group, we had the cooler full of beer, and the folding chairs to bring into the grounds. My friend Pete has a friend named Ryan who lives up in the area, and Pete invited Ryan to join us for the chunk [both of whom rode in my car]. Ryan has some co-workers who found out he was finally going to attend after years of bailing out, and insisted he come and join their tailgate. So Pete and I [and our cooler full of beer] tagged along and got to join a great group of people, right near the front who had gotten up at "zero dark hours" to get out to the field and start cooking and setting everything up. They had an awesome spread of food and were begging us to eat everything so they didn't have to take anything home. [It didn't take much for me to agree with their wishes] I made friends fast and we ended up having a fantastic day watching all the events, and people, all while enjoying hot chili!

Below is a brief photo recap of the day, and a quick video compilation of some of the shots. The video is really short though, because by the time we got there in the afternoon all the trebuchet, and catapult machines had already fired once, and they were onto the air cannons. Now the air cannons were very impressive and fun to watch, but half the time you couldn't even see the pumpkin coming out, or you had no warning that they were about to fire, so I missed a lot of video opportunity because of that. We waited around until dusk for the 'free fire' when the whole range opens up and teams just start launching pumpkins left and right, that was the highlight by far. So here's some pictures and video, and be ready for more punkin chunkin adventure next year!

At the site of our new friends and tailgate section.

Pete and I enjoying our new spot!

The buffet table.

Check out this awesome plate of food!

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was a real

battlefield there in the distance!

Spitfire!

Man your battle stations!

There was some excellent people watching available as well.

In this shot you can see the guy [who I called Lance] powering

up their human-powered machine with his bike.

The fun machines.

View from the distant parking lot.

[Punkin Chunkin 2011]

Punkin Chunkin 2011

This coming weekend I'm headed up to Delaware for the annual Punkin Chunkin event. And yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. Competitors will launch pumpkins as far as they can into a field, using the machines they've built. There are a bunch of different categories too, like catapult, or air cannons [which I hear can launch a pumpkin over a mile!] I've seen the specials on TV before [like the one video below] but I've never made it up for the actual event, so I'm really looking forward to it. Stay tuned for updates early next week and check out the preview below of what's in store! Enjoy!

[Punkin Chunkin 2010]

General Lee vs. The Bandit

Two of the most iconic muscle cars [and arguably characaters] or all time square off in a little back roads racin' rally. If you don't know where these two cars come from, then I have to admit that I feel slightly sorry for you. There are really only two words that come to mind when watching this most awesome of videos: AMERICA, and YEEEEEHAWWWW! Watch it now, thank me later. Enjoy, and best of luck weathering out the tropical storm/hurricane this weekend!

[General Lee v. The Bandit]

Run For Your Lives!

First things first, watch this video. Now.

[Run For Your Lives]

Chilling huh? Who remembers this post from a year and a half back? Welp, move over Warrior Dash, I think I've found an even more awesome race! I'm already registered for this event being held up in Baltimore. It's called Run For Your Lives and it's on October 22nd. I believe I'm going to try and rig up a chest mount for my GoPro for this race too so everyone can experience what's it's like. Anyways, I'm really looking forward to it, and if you feel like signing up as well, let me know!!

Oh, and just for fun, here's an awesome article from the Art of Manliness about building a Zombie Apocalypse shotgun and survival kit. Enjoy!

Ricky The Drummer

Late last week, I discovered a bunch of really sweet drumming video's done by this kid named Ricky. He's talented, very talented, and quite the showman as well. On his youtube channel, he's put together a ton of videos of drum covers, which is pretty normal for the interwebz and musicians alike. What's not normal however, is the quality of the production of the videos, from both a visual and audio standpoint. Some serious time was spent recording and mixing the sounds, and it all ads up to some extremely entertaining drum videos. He covers a wide array of music types, and generally seems to be having the time of his life while playing, which is awesome. Drums are my escape and I miss my set terribly, but for the last week I've been playing them in my head through these videos. Below are a couple of my favorites, but I definitely recommend you spend a little time checking out the rest of them as well. Rock on Ricky, rock on. Enjoy!

[Ricky - All Time Low]

[Ricky - Taylor Swift]

[Ricky - Blink 182]

This one is probably my favorite, because I've played this song a lot myself, but also because he takes a relatively simple drum part and really spices it up. Who knew double bass could work so well with New Found Glory?

[Ricky - New Found Glory]

Space Shuttle: End Of An Era

In just over 2 hours from now, Atlantis STS-135: The Last Shuttle Mission will launch [hopefully, never do know what the weather is gonna do], marking the end of a revolutionary era. It has been said that the Space Shuttle is mankind's most technologically advanced system ever built, and really, who can argue that? Like most little kids/boys, I grew up in astonishment and with wonder about space, and flight, and all that awesome stuff. So with the launch today of the Space Shuttle a small sadness comes over me, that this age of exploration and dreams comes to and end. Admittedly, I'm also a bit upset with myself for not having ever witnessed a launch with my own eyes. I've seen plenty of videos and watched many launches live on TV, but I've never felt the ground shake beneath my feet as over 6 million pounds of thrust launch these beauties literally, out of our world.

Below I've compiled a couple of various clips [all worth watching in full!] all in tribute to the shuttle program, and a final video dedication at the bottom to the four astronauts launching today. The launch is scheduled for 11:26am EST, and God willing, the weather cooperates and everything goes off without a hitch. [You can follow the live coverage here] Thank you President Nixon for signing off on this project, thank you NASA for engineering and building the most complex machine on the planet, and to all the astronauts who've devoted so much time to the program. God speed, and for those about to rock launch, I salute you.

[Nasa: Launching Our Dreams]

[Space Shuttle: An Idea Born In Unsettling Times]

[For Those About To Rock]

Planes: Oh Hell Yea!!!

Goodness gracious, great balls of fire! I just came across the first trailer for Disney's newest animated film, Planes. Most likely drawing on the success of Cars, and children's dreams across the world, it looks like Disney will be making an airplane version of the movie Cars. And. I. Can't. Wait! ....Except that I'll have to, for another two years, due to the projected 2013 release date. Wah Wahh Wahhhhhh. At any rate, I can already see some fantastic references to other movies that involve planes/jets, and as a profound lover of the Cars movie, I think it's safe to say I'm going to love this one. Seriously, who doesn't feel the need for speed?! ENJOY!

[Planes: Trailer]

UPDATE: Damn you Disney, for not sharing the joy of animated, flight goodness. Hope those of you who saw the trailer liked it while it lasted.

Rope Swing Anyone?

Who doesn't love the summertime, and the water, and rope swings? How about a 99 foot rope swing? This video is insanely awesome, and I'd love to try something like that! I do wonder how far the actual vertical fall was though. The tallest cliff I've ever jumped off into water was about 65 feet....and that was a tad scary. I feel as though the swinging element of this would overcome that though. Who's with me?

[99 Foot Rope Swing]

How To: Ordering Pants Like A Man

"It's like riding a wire fence"

The following audio clip is from a phone from President Lyndon B. Johnson made in 1964 to the Haggar clothing company. [The accompanying animation was done by Poly Morph Productions] It appears as though the former President needed some new pants and had some very specific needs concerning their fit. I think my favorite part was when the gentleman on the other end of the phone asked where he wanted them sent and LBJ's response was simply "the White House." There are a couple other good lines in there as well, so I definitley encourage listening to the whole conversation.

Put This On: LBJ Buys Pants from Put This On on Vimeo.

Brilliant.

Cafe Cowboy

Here's a fantastic video about a guy named Dustin Kott, a California based bike builder who makes custom British style cafe racers out of older Japanese bikes. It's beautifully shot, and just listening to Dustin talk about his passion for the bikes and building them is quite poetic. Enjoy folks, enjoy.

Cafe cowboy from benedict campbell on Vimeo.

Wing Suits: Part Deux

So, who remembers this post from quite a while ago about jumping off cliffs with wing suits and parachutes? Well, the advancement of the sport and technology of the suits themselves have advanced a decent amount since that time [as most things tend to do] and I found a new wing suit video that is absolutely incredible. Talk about gauging some of those lines correctly so you don't run out of altitude to fall with! Nuts. It still looks awesome though, and you can't beat that scenery. Sit back and check out this video on "human flight". Enjoy!

[The Need For Speed: The Art Of Flying]

Urban Mountain Biking

This is nuts, yet insanely awesome at the same time. What do you think was the craziest part of the video?!

[Urban Mountain Bike Race]

Burger Making Weaponry

I saw this delightful little tool yesterday, and it immediately caught my attention. It's a tool to be used when making fresh burgers at home, and you want to put your cheese, or bacon, or salsa, or guacamole, or bbq sauce, or diced jalapeno, or whatever else you can think of inside your burger! Now, I've made these types of burgers at home before, but it was rather difficult to make the two patties really stick together well after you had thrown in some special ingredients on the inside. This stuffed hamburger press from Williams-Sonoma will make it incredibly easy to create stuffed burger masterpieces. Next time I stop by the mall, I'm definitely picking one of these babies up! Ahh, I cannot wait for the warmer weather, clear, clean roads, and BBQ's!! Enjoy these pics and start dreaming up all the wonderful stuffed burger concoctions you can think of!

Place your fresh ground meet in the press.

Add your favorite burger stuffings!

Press together again to create a perfectly shaped burger ready for grilling.

STUFF YOUR FACE!

Mmmmmmmmm nom nom nom nom nom. So what are some ideas that come to mind? What about shredded pepperjack cheese and jalepeno, or maybe fresh mango salsa inside with guac on top? The possibilities are endless!! 

Some Old Ford

I found this great little video/story today about a man, and his car. He had it parked outside for 10 or so years, then brought into his warehouse, and finally decided to fire it up and take it for a spin. The man in the video mentions how some turbo charged modern daily driver car would "blow it to the weeds" but that doesn't mean that old ford doesn't have more character.

I don't ever plan on letting my Challenger end up a rust bucket like that Galaxy, but I do imagine that in another 30-40 years, I'll probably have some 'ol hoopty in my possession from 'back when engines ran on gasoline' and I'll get to fire it up in the driveway and have to explain to a bunch of the neighborhood kids what the heck the car actually is. That'll be a fun day. Enjoy the video!

Some Old Ford from Ben Pender-Cudlip on Vimeo.

The Ride: No Opportunity Wasted

This morning I was listening to a radio interview with the host of 'The Amazing Race', Phil Keoghan. Phil was talking about the upcoming season of 'The Amazing Race' and all things involved with that, but that isn't what this post is about. It's about something far more awesome. Riding a bike across the country, and for a worthy cause. 

Phil organized and rode in a ride across America raising money for MS. In all, they raised over $500,000 on the way. I love stories like this, because this summer I'll be taking part in my 3rd Tour de Cure for diabetes. It's a great cause and I'm really looking forward to riding farther and challenging myself more than I did last year, but more on that event later on. 

The other reason I love this story is that he got to ride his bike across the country, which is something that I would love to do someday. Now Phil has slightly different circumstances than I do, being a TV personality and all, no desk job commitment, and a support crew and trucks along for the ride [at least it appears that was the case], at any rate though, it's an incredible feat and one that I hope to complete one day myself. 

As of right now, the documentary film that was produced isn't scheduled to play in this area, but in the event that it does, I'll more than likely make it out to watch. Stories and films about sports, and the human willpower are some of my favorites, and very inspirational. They tend to bring you back to reality and help you realize that no matter how bad you think your life may be going, there are always others out there living under far more difficult circumstances. Here's the trailer for the film, hopefully it'll be available on netflix or something if it doesn't make it to a theater near here. Enjoy.

[The Ride: No Opportunity Wasted]

Hear It Now: Social Distortion, Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes

A couple months back I mentioned in this post that my favorite band of all time, Social Distortion was getting ready to release a new album in January. Well guess what my friends, IT'S JANUARY!! The official release date of the album is next Tuesday the 18th [I've already had my copy pre-ordered for a while now], but just today the band released the whole thing for streaming online. Which means you get to listen to it in it's entirety a week before you can officially own it! Awesome, I know!

Anyway, I've listened to it about 3 or 4 times now, and it's realllllly good. Like, reallllly good. The wait was well worth it for this one. I can just picture myself cruising in the summer sun, windows down in the Challenger with this album just blasting! Yea, thoughts like those will help me make it through these dark and dreary days of winter. So the streaming service hosting the album also let's you embed the songs, so I'm going to put them up here for everyone to listen to. My favorite songs so far are [in no particular order] 'California [Hustle And Flow]'; 'Still Alive'; and 'Can't Take It With You'. I hope you like this album as much as I do! Enjoy!

Social Distortion - Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes by Epitaph Records

2011 HGTV Dream Home: Stowe, VT

Last night on HGTV, they unveiled the 2011 dream home. It's appropriately named, because it is in fact a dream home of mine (for the east coast at least.) It's up in the heart of the only place on the east coast with decent snow conditions, Vermont. I actually had the opportunity to head up to Killington 2 years ago, and would love to get back to visit some of the other mountains [cough]Stratton[cough] at some point. I feel like living in the HGTV dream home, would more than likely provide me (and 13 of my friends, the home sleeps 14 you know) that opportunity. I'm entering twice daily until the registration closes on winning this house. Assuming I win, who wants to move there with me? To apply, I'll need you to help pay taxes, and also earn your keep by providing the house with some service. Please respond in the comments on why I should pick you, when I win this house. In return, you'll be granted a living space, and lifetime of amazing memories. Pretty good deal if you ask me. Here's a couple pictures of some of my favorite spots of the house.

Front of House. Massive windows and right next to the slopes

Massive two car garage, the Challenger will hibernate in peace with it's own protected parking spot.

'Gathering Room' - again, massive windows reminding you just how close you are to the slopes. Oh, and the gas fireplace, that's nice too.

Huge Kitchen. I hope one or more of my roommate applicants will be able to put this to good use!

Deck. Perfect spot for some after dinner beer pong, we may need to buy a space heater or two though.

Master Bedroom. Not really crazy about that black dresser over there, but I suppose I'll let it slide....this time.

I have a feeling my hot water bill may be a tad on the high side with a bathroom like this.

Ski Vermont? Okay.

TV/Movie/Game Room. Yep, that'll do.

First Roommate Room. Think you can live with that? Yea, you better be able to!

Guest/Secondary Roommate Room, pick a bunk and stick with it.

Outdoor Grill. I'm much for suited for this type of culinary art.

Outdoor Hot Tub/Fireplace. The best for last. After a long day on the slopes, who wouldn't want to unwind with a cold beer and hot tub session?!

You may have noticed that "a couple favorite spots" included the entire house. Trust me, I planned it that way. So, if all goes as planned, I'll be moving in sometime this spring, and will be accepting roommate applications from now until then. Of course, if you win this home instead of me, I get dibs on the room of my choice. You can enter twice daily, here, and here. Good luck folks! :)

Living Room-Mini Fridge-Beer Cannon

Soooo, this is amazing and awesome, and I may need one. That is all. 

[Mini Fridge Beer Cannon]

Slow Motion Space Shuttle

Throughout the past 10-15 years or so, I've always loved watching the space shuttle launches and landings. I just think it's really cool stuff, especially when on TV they have former astronauts commenting on the launch and they let you know how fast the shuttle is traveling at certain times after take off. When landing, I've always loved the live onboard shots that the shuttle gives as it enters the earth's atmosphere and then glides all the way to the landing runway. When it touches down and finally comes to a stop, it's like "that thing just flew in from outer space!" Crazy, but cool stuff.

What even crazier is that most of today's smart phones have more computing power than a lot of the capsules and computers that sent man to the moon. Now THAT'S pretty crazy to think about. Anyways, this afternoon I found this really cool video of a couple guys from NASA taking you through a series of super slo-mo clips of shuttle launches from various angles. Really cool and mesmerizing to see this stuff so close and in such detail. If you've got an extra 45 minutes [or even 20] I highly recommend giving this video a watch. Enjoy, and never stop exploring!

[Space Shuttle Launches]