Meet our first New Year's Eve Girl...Jessie Yang

Not sure what to do to ring in 2013? Start by checking out our interview with our first-ever New Year's Eve Girl, Ms. Jessie Yang: A new year demands a fresh perspective. So why not a new talent to admire as well? Meet Jessie Yang, our first-ever New Year’s Eve Girl, and one of the sweetest,...

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The Problem (as I see it)

I've been putting off talking about last week's shooting because I wanted to give myself time to wrap my head around it. It's pretty clear, if you spend any time at all on social media, that things have been sharply divided yet again. However, since I have a background as a scholar (yup...one of those damned liberal intellectuals), I've devoted my time to presenting figures and fielding counter-figures. Here's...

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How many challenges can you face?

So, I've decided to take up salsa dancing. OK, let me explain: I'm not really comfortable on the dance floor. Everyone has this assumption that because I'm a musician, I should have a natural sense of rhythm when it comes to moving to music. On top of that, I've spent years (decades, really) accompanying dance classes on the piano. So I should be a great dancer, right? Wrong. I have no idea if...

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Getting Ready for the New You

Last week, The Man Sphere launched a wildly successful special edition called "The New You Issue." In it, we focused on a lot of subjects designed to lay the groundwork for the classic "New Year's Resolution" game people play every January 1st. The thing is, without some groundwork, there's really no chance of success. You can't resolve to lose weight if you don't do two things first: determine...

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Goal planning for 2013

Forget about makinig vague resolutions this year. Mitch Parker shares some tips on setting concrete goals for 2013, so you can actually get somewhere on your trek forward:http://themansphere.com/2013-goal-planni...

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Local or Global: Where's your comfort zone?

As I was reading this blog post from Derek Sivers, I realized two things: I'm not as alone as I sometimes think I should be, and I've been missing blog posts. Oops on the second...it was a big issue day on Monday over at The Man Sphere with preparing and editing for the "New You Issue," so I've been preoccupied with getting all of that together. Now, on the matter of the first, I should explain....

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Never, ever give up

Watch "Never, Ever Give Up. Arthur's Inspirational Transformation!" on YouTube There are always going to be times when you lose sight of your goals, or when the effort just seems futile. Often it's not "do or die" enough for us. But what would you do if you didn't allow for the option of quitting? Watch this video, and discover for yourself....

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Smoking vs. Exercise

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Fitness Goals: The Mudder

I have one fitness goal for 2013. 6-pack? Fitness competition? Catalog shoot? Look awesome at the beach? Nope...it's to run the Mudder in 2014. Everything else is superficial. This is life-changing. You want abs? Pick a challenge that will make you better, and the abs will be a side effect. Be. More. Awesome. I posted this status update on my Facebook earlier this week. The last part ties in...

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A Salute to Single Dads

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Holiday Time!! (well, almost)

Oooooohhhhhhh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the waaaaaay!Oh what fun is on a ride on tim hortons soap and sleigh! Hey! ~ (Mila's version) It's almost holiday season. That means two things: trying to come up with a Christmas list for the one or two people who might want to buy me something (love you, Mom), and binge cleaning my apartment to make room for the Christmas decorations. I love...

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Let me tell you about Peng...

Peng was my Taiji (T'ai Chi) teacher. This is a guy everybody should get to know. He's friendly, outgoing, and a brilliant businessman. He's also doggedly determined, and more disciplined than anyone else I know. Peng came to Canada looking to earn a living. He started out small, offering just a few classes at a local seniors' centre. As his reputation grew, he found he had enough money on hand to...

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Three Videos to Get You Pumped

Here are three incredibly motivational videos to get you revved up for your day (and your life). Take notes on them...especially the last one! Special thanks to Alex Cane, whose Facebook post of the first video led me to dig up the other two. Total rush. ...

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Funny Crap My Kid Says

I have a four-year-old daughter. If I could draw, she (especially in combination with my cat) would be my comic strip. The things that come out of most kids' mouths are usually pretty priceless. But when her cherubic little countenance spouts these things, there's just no way to stop from laughing. ...or cringing. [after taking a chunk out of her toe on a concrete step] "Shhhhhh! Aahhhhhh...Good...

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A Lesson from Hick Abbott

As you know, The Man Sphere is all about improvement. Over the weekend, we in Canada celebrated the observance of Remembrance Day (Veterans' Day in the US), which of course commemorates the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I in 1918. It's a time to give pause and reflect on the sacrifices of veterans from the Great Wars, and of those who continue to serve, in the advancement of the cause...

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Live How You Want To Live

I read an interesting meme on Facebook this week that got me thinking. The quote is from Doctor Who, and it reads: Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters, it's the person. This struck me as poignant, because I, like many other modern males, have recently discovered that I haven't "lived." Not by this definition at any rate. I'm a big fan of Tim...

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A Much Easier Way To Live

Grandmaster Wong Jianhua (to me, translated by Master Peng): "Don't attack. When you attack, you always have to plan. Where to hit. Where to look for weakness. Where to block. What can he do if you do this or this, and what can you do for each response? And you do this all before you make a move, and if your opponent doesn't do what you've planned for, your attack is finished. Instead, defend. Then...

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Women We Love: Mandy Monroe

Mandy Monroe (no, not that one) is one of the spectacular stars of modelling’s social media circuit. Web savvy and out to conquer, this bombshell takes work and play very seriously, nailing down gig after gig with some of the top content blogs on the web. On top of all that, she’s making her...

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Men We Admire: Steve Foster

Singer/Songwriter Steve Foster has recently released his first album Sad Love Songs available on iTunes andAmazon. This 11 track CD produces captivating lyrics and a mix of various genres that can relate to all listeners. Sad Love Songs (see the video...

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Threats to Male Sexual Health

Male sexual health is threatened by penile and testicular disorders which can damage a man's fertility and capability for sexual activity. These disorders include priapism, balanitis, balanoposthitis, phimosis, and penile cancer. This article discusses these disorders, their causes, and treatment methods. Some of the most common threats to male sexual health manifest themselves as penile and testicular...

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9 Stupid Mistakes to Avoid While Dating Online

Internet online dating takes patience and practice. Just because you are seated at your own computer doesn’t mean that people will come to chat with you for no reason. Even in this medium of Internet dating, you must take the initiative and actively seek to contact those you like. But even if you contact some people or they contact you, there are some incredibly stupid things guys are doing on...

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9 Stupid Mistakes to Avoid While Dating Online

Internet online dating takes patience and practice. Just because you are seated at your own computer doesn’t mean that people will come to chat with you for no reason. Even in this medium of Internet dating, you must take the initiative and actively seek to contact those you like. But even if...

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Lana Tailor Returns to TV

THE EPISODE CONFIRMS NEW CAST MEMBER/PRODUCER FOR SECOND SEASON SUDBURY, ON-- So, let's take a little bit of comedy, mix that with hilarious challenges, sprinkle some skits and add a dash of on-location reporting. Toss all of those ingredients into the minds of several attention starved creative...

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A Different Perspective on Age

I was having an interesting conversation with someone the other day about our perceptions of aging and how we view the stereotypical "old person" in our lives. It's a curious phenomenon, but I'm sure I felt when I was younger that the closer you get to the age of the people you consider "old" -- your grandparents, for example -- the more you understand and relate to them and their way of thinking. What...

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Wrong line of work?

So, I took my cat to the emergency vet last night. True story...in one of those bizarrely unromantic moments of pet ownership, it turns out she had a ruptured anal gland. Remind me to tell you about that sometime. Anyway, I walked in the clinic and was advised that there's an up-front $130 fee for emergency vet services. My first thought: $130 just for walking in the door?! Man...I'm in the...

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Men We Admire: Mitch Parker

Toronto-based Realtor and Active Investor Mitch Parker understands a home is a lot more than just an address; it’s a lifestyle. As an expert on buying, selling and investing in Real Estate, he helps both End Users and Investors, whether new or seasoned, realize their ultimate goals. ...

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Who's pushing you to succeed?

So, Monday at 6 a.m. I started the T30 program from Prograde (featuring BJ Gaddour), and this is what I get from my 4-year-old daughter:"But Daddy, you can't sit down yet! The guy on your exercise movie is still exercising and there's thr ee more bars left!" (referring to the on-screen timer)Everybody needs someone to be accountable to in order to keep them motivated and working toward their goals....

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Women We Love: Christina Schimmel

Canadian actress and producer Christina Schimmel is constantly reinventing herself. Whether it’s slipping gracefully from one role to another, or from one side of the camera to the other, her passion for her craft keeps her in a constant state of forward momentum. With as many as four of five projects...

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Making the Bed

…a guy’s playbook to the bedding deptartment. Every so often someone contacts us with a question that we think is worth noting, if only because we know, as guys, that there are a lot of guys who have the same question but don’t want to risk asking it. What’s the risk? Just ask! Anyway, here’s the question: Hey Man Sphere, I was out shopping with my mom the other day. I just graduated college...

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