As guys we're often called upon to do things that require a lot of hand strength: Shake hands with a prospective boss, work the throttle on a Harley, hit a 250 yard drive, twist the lid off a pickle jar... the ability to do these things makes us the manly men we are.

Guys who shake hands like wet fish, or need a set of tools to pry the lids off jars... well, they end up singing Broadway show tunes, decorating interiors, and raising champion Pomeranians. (That was a JOKE. I am kidding. Please don't send me hate emails. Some of my best friends shake hands like wet fish, sing show tunes and decorate interiors. And they all have a great sense of humor, and live normal, happy, fulfilling lives. Raising show Pomeranians? Not so much. You guys have permission to send me hate emails.)

So how do you get that iron grip? Traditional workouts help. But to build real strength in your hands, wrists and forearms you need something specifically designed to target those areas. That's where DynaFlex comes in.

A few years ago I started developing Carpal Tunnel in my wrists from hours spent on my keyboard writing. Someone suggested the DynaFlex Powerball to work the muscles in my wrists. It helped. A lot. I've kept one on my desk ever since.

It's simple to use (once you get the hang of it), and when you get the internal gyroscope going at a good clip it'll spin at over 8,000 RPM generating 38 lbs of torque force. (Which is more than your first car had.) Fighting against that force builds muscle and stamina in your hands, wrists, forearms and shoulders. Quickly.

Recently the folks over at DynaFlex sent me one of their new Sports Gyro Exercisers, which has a built in handle grip, developed for those of you who play baseball, softball, tennis, golf, hockey, motocross, ski, etc. Anything where strong grip gives you an advantage. There's even a military strength version called the DynaMax, engineered with aircraft aluminum, that pushes an incredible 200 lbs. of dynamic resistance.

So put down the Pomeranian. Pick up a DynaFlex. And grip it and rip it.

www.dynaflexpro.com

Let's say you're a suit guy. Monday through Friday you wear the Capitalist Uniform. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Suits serve a purpose. They project professionalism. And sophistication. And authority. And all the other things you need to project while you reign over your 6 x 6 cubicle kingdom. (8 x 8 if you're on the management fast track.)

Your suit wearing pays the rent. Your suit wearing allows you to buy drinks for strange women at bars. Your suit wearing allows you to eat meals that don't include instant Ramen. But your suit wearing doesn't reflect the real you. The you that, on the weekends, is very much not part of the Machine.

Come Saturday you want to be casual. But not worn-down-stain-covered t-shirt casual. No. That was fine in college. But you're an adult now. (Physically anyway.) And you want your casual clothes to have style. And make a positive statement about who you are as well.

Here's one way to do that. California Rising is a new sportswear line for men that mixes casual fashion with what they call "the embracing of the progressive, inventive, and laid back energy that is what people love about California." Like, totally, dude.

What does that mean? Let me translate: the clothes are fashion-forward, so you'll look great whether you're hanging at the park, or out for dinner with a girl (without that painful "wanna-be skaterboy" look that seems to be so popular right now), but they are also eco-friendly - using high quality organic fabrics and dying processes that don't smack Mother Nature in the mouth.

Think of it as the Yin to your workweek Yang.

www.californiarising.com

I live in jeans. I’m lucky enough to have a career where wearing jeans is part of the uniform. (Trust me, it's by design. Nothing against dressing up now and then, but I got tired of the daily suit and tie routine 15 years ago.)

Remember when jeans were easy? Grab a pair of medium blues and head out. That was back in the day. Back before they became a fashion item. Before the price ballooned to over $100 a pair. Before anyone heard the cringe-inducing words "acid wash". And before some genius had the bright idea to add pleats. (Believe it or not I still see guys out there wearing pleated jeans. Stop it. I'm begging you.)

Personally, I like jeans with a little more sophistication. Jeans that are cut to make me look good. But I also don’t want to have to worry about picking a pair that’s not “in style”. Not dyed the right shade of blue. (What's in now? Dark wash? Faded blues? I have no idea.) Jeans that don't have enough holes, too many holes, or whatever the fashionistas are currently whining about on celeb TV.

Take a look at PPD Jeans for men. An entire line created by a former jeans model especially for us guys. Every pair is designed to ensure you look good - without resorting to all the embellishments that were starting to slide dangerously close to the feminine side. (Embroidery? Rhinestones? Please.)

With attention to detail on fit, cut, placement of pockets, and rise, you can say goodbye to saggy jeans. (Which is a blessing for all of us out there working with flat, white-guy butt.) They are available in over 25 innovative washes including shades of navy, brown and even gray. So choosing a pair that's stylish is easy. And not a pleated pair in the bunch.

www.paigepremiumdenim.com for styles and store locations.

Staplers. They work on simple mechanics. You put a few pieces of paper in it, press down, and - bang - your paper is stapled.

Except that's not how it happens half the time. Put too many pages in and you get a mangled mess. Or a complete misfire. Or, as has happened at least once with me, it's, "Why is that staple sticking out of my thumb?"

Well, bleed no more. Accentra has come out with a series of PaperPro staplers designed to eliminate any frustration traditional staplers usually cause. Their patented spring-loaded mechanism makes using them nearly effortless. Typically, a stapler requires upwards of 30 lbs. of pressure to use; with the PaperPro desktop stapler, you need a single finger and a mere 7.2 lbs. of pressure. That's less effort than it takes to ring a doorbell. And the rounded nose means a lot less shuffling of papers to align them.

Yeah, excitement about a newfangled stapler is definitely a guy thing. Women will give you the same look they give you when you try to explain "fielder's choice" or why the Three Stooges are actually comedic geniuses.

www.paperpro.com

From www.jnd.org via Boing Boing

Let the ladies line their closets with frilly sachets and potpourri. That's not even remotely strong enough for the stuff we've got jammed in our closets. Sports gear. A pair of heavily stained Chuck Taylors. Our lucky sweatshirt from college. (Hey, it's got one more use in it before it hits the washer. At least.) No, if we're gonna mask that festival of odors from her when she comes over, we're gonna need something stronger. Much, much stronger. Like a big honking hunk of cedar.

Remember when you redid your floors with the tongue-and-groove wood flooring? It took you and a buddy about a weekend to do the whole thing? Take the same idea, and line your closets with it.

CedarSafe Closetliners are made from 100% natural aromatic Eastern cedar, come in convenient 15-square-foot packs, and are easy to install in your existing closet. For about $360 you can line a standard 180 square-foot closet, and, if you've handled a hammer and saw before, finish it in about a day.

The look is dark and rich (she'll be impressed), the aroma is manly (she won't think you sprayed flowery air freshener all over everything), and the cedar naturally absorbs odors, resists mildew, and repels pests like roaches, silverfish and moths. As opposed to attracting them, like your lucky sweatshirt.

Available at Lowes and Home Depot nationwide.

www.cedarsafeclosets.com

I once spent six months in college sleeping on a 6-foot by 2.5-foot cot. Surprisingly, this did not stop me from having a girlfriend. Nor did it stop us from doing a lot of “biology homework” on it.

For those playing along at home, the key word in that that last paragraph was "college."

Now that you're all grown up, there's no way you can get away with pulling something like that. (Or you'll definitely wind up pulling something.) Especially this Valentine's Day. Your female of choice wants to feel special. She wants to feel like a pampered princess. She wants to feel like she's not in danger of getting folded up in the bed like a calzone.

The fine folks at Tempur-Pedic™ have created a bed for you that will not only do all that to impress your girl, but it will also give you a heck of a night's sleep afterwards. And since you spend over a third of your life in bed (or more, you lucky devil) you should spend it as comfortably as possible. With two layers of Tempur material and their astonishing Dual AirFlow System™, this might just be the most comfortable mattress ever. Plus, the velour cover is removable and washable, in case you've double-booked the holiday. Just leave enough time for the drying cycle to finish.

Of course you're also going to provide her with a Tempur-Pedic™ pillow. Because that's the kind of guy you are (plus you've gotta sleep on them too). With a slew of styles to choose from, you can go with the Classic, the Side, the Body, or even the Symphony. Personally, you seem to me like a RhapsodyPillow™ kind of guy. Not only will she enjoy the best sleep ever, but the removable, washable and allergen-resistant outer cover is dual sided, with TEMPUR-Tex™ on top and micro suede on the bottom. You and I both know it really doesn't get much cooler than that.

So if you're sleeping one, two, three or more (more? Wow.), look to the Tempur-Pedic™. It's what I'd do if I were you.

www.tempurpedic.comfor pricing.