Click to see the many benefits of giving a charitable gift from Gifts In Action

Maybe you’ve been racking your brain trying to come up with the ideal gift from someone who seems to have it all. Well, now you can give a unique gift that will help someone who doesn’t have that much — and simultaneously warm the heart and even inspire that person who doesn’t really need much in the way of material possessions. A charitable gift from Gifts In Action changes lives and spreads a message of hope, empowerment, and greater community.

And — perfect for you, the procrastinator — you can still get it to your recipient in time for Christmas!

=> Click here to get details about how Gifts In Action works and choose the charity gift that appeals to you (and your recipient) and fits your budget <=

Gifts In Action is a charity gift-giving organization based in the UK.  The Gifts In Action program is the brainchild of ActionAid, a non-profit organization that has been working since 1972 to end poverty and injustice in the world.  Now with programs in 40 countries, ActionAid — and Gifts In Action — attack the problem of poverty at the root, providing programs that help people become self-sustaining and financially independent.  It’s not just charity — it’s creative assistance that makes a long-term difference to endemic problems and changes the lives of those it helps.

How Gifts In Action Works

You give the gift of supporting a project somewhere in the world in the name of someone else.  The person in whose name you give the gift receives a personalized card from you — either a paper card that you can have sent to them (or have it sent to you to give to them personally), or an e-Card that Gifts In Action will email directly to your gift recipient.  They will receive the details of how the gift you’ve given in their name is helping someone in the world address problems experienced by their family, their community, or their country.

Do you know someone who is passionate about education?  Give a gift in their name that helps ActionAid train volunteer teachers to teach rural students in Cambodia — thus spreading the benefits of education and economic advancement.  Similarly, a gift to Gifts In Action of £20 will provide school books for a child in Haiti for an entire year.

You simply choose which gift program appeals to you and match it to the donation amount that fits your budget

Do you know an environmentalist?  Maybe they would like a gift of helping rural Vietnamese children plant 400 trees — teaching the kids about the value of preserving the environment, while simultaneously helping them rid themselves of disease problems caused by mosquitoes and flies.

Do you know someone who extols the virtues of entrepreneurship and financial independence?  Maybe that person would appreciate the gift of helping to support a chicken-breeding program in Malawi.  A donation of only £10 helps rural women buy broods of chicks.  The eggs the chickens produce helps feed their families and can be sold at local markets to support themselves financially.

There are many categories of gifts from Gifts In Action — projects and initiatives that should interest just about any gift recipient you have — from energy-saving stoves for women in Uganda to river ambulances for people without access to good roads in Bangladesh.  All of the charity gifts from Gifts In Action are reasonably priced and are used efficiently on long-term projects that can help entire communities.

And right now, you can get £1 off when you buy two or more Gifts In Action and use voucher code GIAAFF on the checkout page.  When you use this voucher, Bluefrog Ltd. (the corporate partner of Gifts In Action), will pay £1 (one British pound) of your gift for you.  Just choose two or more gifts and enter code GIAAFF on the checkout page.

If you use the e-Card option on the Gifts In Action site, you can still get the gift to your recipient in time for Christmas (sorry, but the deadline for paper cards to arrive by Christmas has passed).  Do something good for your fellow human beings around the world, please and inspire your gift recipient, feel better that you’re making a difference, and meet the Christmas deadline…  What could be better?  It’s a win-win-win-win.

I imagine your gift recipient will never have received a gift quite like the one you give them from Gifts In Action.  See the video below to get up close and personal about what they do:

Related posts:

1. What Easier Place to Find Gifts for Guys than at “Presents For Men”?
2. Kaskey Kids Football Guys and Other Sports Action Figures are Fun Toys That Encourage Your Kids to Play Imaginatively

Click here to get an authentic signed Tim Tebow Denver Broncos Jersey from Sports Memorabilia

Whether you enjoy the way Tim Tebow plays football, appreciate his clean-cut image, or even admire his devotion to his faith, one thing is for sure:  if you’re a Tim Tebow fan, there could be nothing more fun to get than a signed Tim Tebow Denver Broncos jersey.  And if you’re shopping for a Tim Tebow fan, what better gift to give him or her?

A signed Tim Tebow jersey might be the hottest sports memorabilia item in the world right now.  And you can get a Denver Broncos Tim Tebow jersey autographed by Tim from Sports Memorabilia by clicking here.

If you want a jersey signed by Tim Tebow, don’t wait, because these mementos of the Tim Tebow saga are going fast.  As you might imagine.

Tim Tebow and the Broncos versus the Patriots tomorrow

Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos are slated to play the New England Patriots tomorrow in a game that has implications not only for the upcoming NFL playoffs, but for the ever-expanding scope of “Tebowmania.”  (And if you want to attend, there are still tickets for this game available from TicketNetwork.)

Since taking over as the starting quarterback for the Broncos, Tebow has played a big part in engineering a 7-1 record, which has enabled the Broncos to climb atop the AFC West standings.  This winning record has included miraculous comeback wins against the Chargers and Bears, due in no small part to Tebow’s uncanny knack for raising his performance in the fourth quarter.

It must be added, though, that it’s been far from a Tebow-only show.  The team has come together in a big way, and stand-out performers such as kicker Matt Prater and pass-rushers Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil are also driving the winning momentum.  But many of Tebow’s teammates credit his will to win and ability to lead for helping keep the Broncos’ confidence high — an attitude that leads to resilience and a will to work together even as the team falls behind (which they’ve done a lot).  The Broncos are almost making a Russian-roulette-style habit of  fourth-quarter comebacks.

Even if the Broncos lose to New England, they are very likely to make the playoffs, since they face only Kansas City and Buffalo in the remaining two games of the season.  How will Tim Tebow add to his legend when the Broncos appear in the playoffs for the first time since 2005?

It remains to be seen, obviously, and it should be entertaining.  But first there’s a significant game tomorrow that may be the most anticipated game of this NFL season — and all because Tebow’s fame has become a world-wide phenomenon.  People like a winner.  They like unusual characters.  They like athletes who defy the odds to win.  And for those reasons and more, they like Tim Tebow. (All except certain former NFL quarterbacks who just can’t seem to stop criticizing his play — and, you know, they might think about easing up on him; he’s getting better every week).

If you want a signed Tim Tebow Jersey for yourself, or to give as a gift, no time like the present…

You can get an authentic signed jersey with Tim Tebow’s autograph now and become a driver aboard the Tim Tebow bandwagon — or you can lose out on the opportunity because these pieces of sports lore are going fast.  Get the jersey and either keep it to enjoy one of your favorite players, hope that it appreciates as an investment as Tebow’s career unfolds, or give it as an amazing gift to a Tim Tebow fan.

This hand-signed, blue custom Denver Broncos number 15 Tim Tebow jersey is available right now from Sports Memorabilia — a trusted online purveyor of sports memorabilia and collectibles for 10 years, with a track record of reliable customer service in supplying the merchandise that rabid sports fans crave.  Click here to see Sports Memorabilia’s 100% guarantee of authenticity that applies to every piece of sports memorabilia they sell — a guarantee that means you can be confident that the signed Tim Tebow jersey you’re getting is authentic.

In other words, it’s guaranteed to carry the signature of the “Mile High Messiah” himself.

So, enjoy either getting or giving the Tim Tebow autographed Denver Broncos jersey this holiday season.

PS: If you want a piece of sports memorabilia from earlier in Tim Tebow’s career, you can also get a signed jersey from his Heisman-winning days as a player at the University of Florida — a college career than saw him lead the Gators to two national championships.

Also, Super Bowl XLVI deal at Sports Memorabilia…

Right now you can get $4.99 flat rate shipping on all Super Bowl XLVI orders over $50 at Sports Memorabilia (shop now; offer ends soon). 

In addition, get 10% off orders over $75 at SportsMemorabilia.com by using code AFFX10 (ends March 31).  Get the Tim Tebow jersey or any other piece of sports memorabilia you want and get it for less!  Enter code AFFX10 at checkout.

Related posts:

1. Hey Now! New Orleans Saints Win Super Bowl 44
2. A More Inspiring Gift — a Charitable Gift from Gifts In Action

Most Christmas decorations are intended for children.  Candy canes, nutcracker Christmas tree ornaments, inflatable snowmen…  These spark the imagination of kids, but what about more manly decorations?  Can you express your masculine side with some DIY Christmas decorations that celebrate the holiday spirit in ways that reflect your grown-up self?

Yes — and here you can find out how to decorate for Christmas in a more duded-up way.  Kids getting excited about jingle bells and elves is fine, but you’re a man now.  Maybe you’re living on your own for the first time in a house or apartment.  Or maybe you have a wife and kids but would like to decorate your man cave in a way that evokes some caveman Yuletide spirit.

Most men seem to think they’re somewhat apart from the holiday atmosphere; most men don’t think about decorating for Christmas, how to decorate a Christmas tree, etc.  But where’s the fun in that?  Why leave it to the kids?

Click for a Scotch Pine Christmas Tree from Cabela's

Express your masculine side with a Christmas tree and other holiday decorations that celebrate the season your way.  It’s a time to enjoy, after all.  Just because guys light their farts on fire and snort beer out their noses when they laugh doesn’t automatically mean they don’t want to decorate for Christmas.  When you do your own Christmas thing, at the very least you’ll impress your friends. You might even help free their inner bad elf.

As far as how to decorate a Christmas tree, one way to start is with a Christmas Tree from Cabela’s.  They have several different kinds (bet you didn’t know you could buy Christmas trees on the Internet).  And a tree skirt from Bass Pro Shops that features wild game.  (And you can personalize it with up to 10 letters — choose your holiday message carefully.)

Guys are just as susceptible to the Christmas spirit as anyone (see Darren McGavin in A Christmas Story).  But they don’t necessarily want to hang plush heart ornaments on the fir tree they chopped down in the woods with their Fiskars axe, or place votive candles on the mantelpiece surrounded by porcelain angels holding a banner.

But hey, you got the spirit:  you like the idea of Kris Kringle traversing the world with his bag of Krispy Kremes for all the good boys and girls (including you — because aren’t you good, mostly?).  You enjoy the taste of spiked eggnog and the idea of a Christmas Star that was probably a supernova that occurred around 4 BC.   You think snow is sorta cool.  And you like those oil-drum-sized cans of flavored popcorn.

So, how do you decorate for the holidays, guy?  Without going all Marth-Stew?  Yet still managing to express your DIY Christmas decorating creativity?  Below are festive suggestions for decking your halls with a tree, ornaments, lights, mood-enhancers, food, and more…

Christmas Tree Decorating Solutions

Click to get the C-3PO Holiday Ornament from Entertainment Earth

Nothing wrong with having a conifer in your living room that you killed yourself or bought at a tree lot from a grizzled guy wearing a stained beanie (or got from Cabela’s above).  But with regard to decorating a Christmas tree, what kind of ornaments should you hang on it?

Star Wars ornaments.  At right, you can see a C-3PO holiday ornament that’s also a snowglobe.  Shake it and it’ll remind you of school closure days on Hoth.  You can get the Star Wars C-3PO Ornament from Entertainment Earth.  And click here to get a Chewbacca Snowglobe Christmas Ornament to match.

And that’s not all Entertainment Earth offers for decorating a Christmas Tree with masculine style.  You can’t get any more manly than John Wayne, so check out a pair of John Wayne Western Christmas Tree Ornaments — two 4.5-inch tall, beautifully-detailed resin ornaments of John Wayne in all his gun-totin’ glory.  Try those on for size.

Betty Boop Biker Ornament

Or how about Betty Boop on a motorcycle?  In her regular guise, Betty Boop is known for her saucy sexiness.  But a biker Boop in an abbreviated elf outfit is definitely a girl you would not take home to your mom.  Celebrate that cheeky spirit and deck your halls at the same time.  (Any ornament that depicts a scantily-clad female who is not an angel is in your Christmas-decorating ballpark.)

But Christmas tree decorating ideas don’t have to be limited to science fiction, gun-slingin’, and sex.  There’s also guy-centric tech, hardware, and food — subjects that bold, smart, hungry men have pursued for centuries.

Recycled Motherboard Ornaments from ThinkGeek

In that vein, check out what ThinkGeek, that bastion of products celebrating intellectual prowess, has for Christmas:  Recycled Motherboard Christmas Tree Ornaments.  These are cleverly-carved ornaments made out of printed circuit boards.  Who says electronics can’t be green?  Evergreen, that is, so hang this set of 3 electrical-engineer-approved ornaments on your pine.  They come in a handsome gift box, just in case you want to get several sets to enlighten your more traditional-decoration type buddies.

Another Appropriate Guy Technology: Airplanes

Tin Airplane Ornament

Besides computers, motorcycles, and women, guys also like airplanes.  And so to continue your virile Christmas decorating theme, you’ll want flying machines represented on your holiday tree.  Here’s the perfect aviation element:  a tin airplane ornament from Alexander Taron, maker of traditional tin toys.  You can find this airplane ornament at Wayfair, and Wayfair also offers an Alexander Taron tin car ornament — also appropriate to hang from your branches.  They’re both retro and hip.

Nothing Says “Holiday Spirit” Like Bacon

Sparkling Bacon Christmas Ornament from ThinkGeek

Even more than high-tech gadgets, food is an appropriate idea for decorating a Christmas tree.  But what kind of food?  There’s one clear choice:  bacon.  Of course you’ve got to include bacon on your list of Christmas tree decorating ideas.  Nothing says “Have a manly Christmas” more than hanging a rasher of cured pork slices from the branches of your holiday conifer.

But actual bacon is messy to string and will spoil in a few days (trust me).  Not to worry, ThinkGeek has you covered there, too, with their Sparkling Bacon Ornament.  Get several.  Don’t eat them, though, they’re made of space-age plastic.  Who needs candy canes?  You’ve got bacon!

There’s more to this idea of DIY Christmas decorations, though, than just buying pre-made ornaments that are already purposed for the Yuletide season.  No, you also want to venture outside the box a bit when it comes to exploring holiday decor ideas in an XY-chromosome sorta way.

DIY Ornaments

For example, Christmas ornaments imitate icicles hanging from evergreen trees in the wild (or growing in rows on Christmas tree farms in northern Vermont), and they also copy the brightness of candles that used to be placed on trees in the days of yore before OSHA and Underwriters Laboratories took all the uncertainty out of life.  In other words, ornaments need to be bright and shiny.  So, what else besides glass ornaments is bright and shiny but also masculine enough to adorn your tree?  Hex nuts.

But not just any hex nuts.  Marine-grade hex nuts.  The kind you use on sailboats.  Why?  Because it’s cool.  And, after Christmas, you can use them on your boat, or wherever.  West Marine is a good place to get bulk hex nuts.  Half-inch diameter nuts would be a good size.  Click here to go to West Marine and order a bulk pack of hex nuts — a pack of 50, ½-inch diameter nuts in gleaming 18-8 stainless steel goes for about $20.

Bronze hex nuts for your tree

But you want a combination of colors on your tree (silver hex nuts alone would be boring), so get some bronze nuts to go with them.  Bronze hex nuts are also cool.  West Marine has a pack of 50 ½-inch bronze galvanized hex nuts for $10.

Now you’ve got your hex nuts.  You’ll need a way to hang them from the branches.  Use twine, not string.  String is wimpy, twine is manly.  (Alternatively, you could use wire twist-ties).  Twine is also kind of rough and natural-looking.  It’ll look masculine holding the nuts on your tree.  Get a couple of rolls of jute twine from Gardener’s Supply Company.  (Twine will come in handy around the house, too.)  Tying the loops on your nuts will give you something to do while you’re watching football.

Your tree will look great with your Star Wars, John Wayne, and motherboard ornaments, and hex nuts in two colors.  For a star on top — well, just use a regular Christmas star.  You can find a nice plain silver star tree topper here.

Yoda Tree Topper

Or you can continue your Star Wars theme with a Yoda tree topper from ThinkGeek (pictured at right).  That will get you some comments, I guarantee.  May Noel be with you.

I won’t go into how the Force ties into the energy of life that we celebrate at Christmas (which actually used to be the ancient pagan Winter Solstice holiday) but I will note that this Yoda tree topper will plug into your tree lights and glows green.  A good color for a manly Christmas.  Heck, it might even be bright enough to illuminate your whole apartment or man cave.

Light up Christmas with Non-Cutesy Lights

Click for manly light choices at Cabela's

Which brings us to lights.  You’ll probably want some.  Guys like electricity.  From touching a 9-volt battery with one’s tongue to running the Large Hadron Collider, guys appreciate what electromagnetism can do.  It can certainly make your Christmas tree look more festive.  Are there male-oriented Christmas tree lights that will fit your Christmas decoration theme?  Of course.  Where else would you get them but Cabela’s?

Cabela’s has guy-themed light strings that consist of coach lanterns, utility lights, Coleman-Lantern-style lights, and wire birdhouses.  To the left is the Cabela’s Lantern light, which looks festive but not foofy.  Each strand of lights includes 10 lights.  Get several strings of one style or blend 3 or more styles to cover your whole tree.  These are Christmas lights you’ll want to pass down to your kids.  Click here to see several choices of Christmas tree light sets at Cabela’s.

Actual Tree Too Fussy for You?  Try Iron

Some guys don’t want to mess with a live Christmas tree.  Especially when it comes to apartment decorating ideas, a tree with needles, branches, and stuff might be a lot of trouble to schlep inside and set up.  Or maybe space is at a premium in your man cave.  Or maybe you just don’t want to fool around with ornaments.  So what’s the alternative?  Get a a Christmas tree made of iron.

Iron Christmas Tree with Lights

What could be manlier than an iron Christmas tree?  And we’re not talking some lacy concoction of wires.  We’re talking wrought iron.  Such as the Medium Christmas Tree with Lights from Capitol Supply (pictured at left).  Even the source of this tree is manly — the US military buys hardware from Capitol Supply.  This tree is approximately 42 inches of metal Yuletide cheer with an integrated light system.  Nothing to fuss with.  Just set it up and plug it in.

Decorative Large Gold Tree

If you want something a little classier, a little more high-end, then check this handsome Gold Decorative Christmas Tree from Homelement (38 inches tall).  This tree is made of wrought-iron metal loops in a complex design.  This would be a good Christmas decor idea for a simple tree to put up in your man cave — looks cool, it’s made of metal, and harmonizes with your advanced entertainment technology and Jack Daniels neon clock.  It even comes with a star.  “Metal” does not imply “crude.”  That’s it pictured to the right.  Nothing could be simpler than this tree when it comes to holiday apartment decorating ideas, too.

If you want additional tree options, check Overstock.  They have a ton of Christmas trees available, both synthetic and live.  At their site, search for “Christmas trees” to see dozens of choices.  Plus, they carry hundreds of Xmas accessories for low prices that may further inspire your DIY Christmas decor ideas.

And right now, you can get $10 off $100+ orders with free shipping at Overstock.

Can You Put Lights on a Metal Tree?  Yes.  When You Shop at an Auto Parts Store

Risk Racing Magnetic Light Mine for your Christmas Tree

What could be a more dude thing to do than shopping for holiday decorations at an auto parts store?  Nothing.  So, explore JC Whitney, the premier automotive online store, when it comes to accessorizing your live or metal tree.  You actually can put lights on your wrought-iron tree.  All you need are a few Magnetic Light Mines from Risk Racing.  These little illumination units are about the size of a golf ball and have 12 rare-earth magnets that enable you to position the powerful LED light to point in any direction.  Get a few and simply stick them to your tree.  Rotate the lights to provide whatever illumination effects you like.  If you’re using them with a live tree, stick them down in the branches.  They’re a cool design.

And as long as we’re shopping at JC Whitney, here’s something else you can add to your Christmas decoration ideas:  floor mats.

Green Bay Packers floor mats to use as a tree skirt

Maybe you don’t want to use the tree skirt from Bass Pro Shops (described above) around the base of your tree, particularly your metal tree.  But you still want something down there besides bare floor.  So here’s the solution:  Green Bay Packers Floor Mats from JC Whitney.  Just get a couple of sets of these and circle them around the base your tree.  NFL logo floor mats are a pretty masculine Christmas decor idea.  Of course, if you want another team’s logo, get that.  You can specify the team on the JC Whitney NFL FANMAT page when you order.  I thought Green Bay’s “G” would be appropriate because, if your girlfriend or someone asks you what it means, you can tell them it stands for “Grinch.”  And when it’s not Christmas you can put the mats in your car.

Or, tree-wise, you could go in another direction entirely.  Maybe you want a bit more nostalgia in your Christmas decorating ambience, while maintaining a grown-up sensibility — some cuteness combined with humor.  If so, here’s another option that fits the bill perfectly:  the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

Click to get the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Remember the Peanuts Christmas TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas?  (How many times have you seen it?)  Remember the bedraggled tree Charlie Brown tries to decorate with a single ornament and it falls over and he says, “I’ve killed it!”  Now you can have that tree for yourself.  Those thoughtful folks at Sears made it a reality.  And you should get Vince Guaraldi’s classic Charlie Brown Christmas album and play it while sitting and sipping spiked eggnog and looking at your nostalgic, goofy Christmas tree.

A Christmas Tree is an Important Part of Your Christmas Decor Theme, but Not the Only Part

You’ll want to have some other Christmas decor items placed strategically around your place to help reinforce the holiday spirit.  But still in keeping with the theme of intrepid dude-ness.

Click here for the Sega Toys Homestar Pro star projector from Gizmine

First… when you want to set that “O Holy Night” vibe at some point (and trust me, you will), there is nothing like amazing technology to do it.  What you’ll want to do is turn your apartment or home into a stunning nighttime scene with the Sega Toys Homestar Pro.

Imagine it’s night.  You turn out the room lights, maybe leave your Christmas tree lights on, and then you illuminate the room with a projection of 10,000 stars.  Now that’s some holy juju.  And it will set just the right Christmasy mood to impress that special someone.  You can get the Sega Toys Homestar Pro from Gizmine (I like the black unit myself).  Worth every penny — this is not a toy but a pro-grade planetarium star projector.  This will amp up your magical holiday ambience a thousand-fold.

And if you can’t quite see going for the pro model (though I can’t see why you wouldn’t), not to worry, Gizmine has you covered there, too, because you can both enhance your Star Wars Christmas theme and put on a stunning starry-night display with the Homestar R2-D2 Home Planetarium (<– click to get it), which is under $100 at Gizmine.

See the video below to get an idea of what the Sega Toys Homestar Pro can do:

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

You might not have a chimney (most apartment-dwellers don’t — and no, a bong doesn’t count), but you should still put Christmas stockings up.  How else is Santa supposed to reward your ass?  And don’t limit yourself to just one.  You can put several stockings up and hope that your friends/family get the hint and stuff some items in there.  Or you can put one up for your girlfriend.  Or put up 5 or so for yourself and fill ‘em with things you like just to be diggin’ the bounty.  Whatever, hang that shit up.  But make sure you use gentlemanly stockings…

Camo Christmas Stocking from Cabela's

Like this camo stocking from Cabela’s.  Nothing says “manly Christmas” like a camouflage Christmas stocking.  It implies that you’re Mr. Outdoor Wilderness Guy (and maybe you are).  Just don’t hang it on your live Christmas tree or Santa might not see it.  You can get a Camo Personalized Christmas Stocking from Cabela’s and have it personalized with your name.  And it’s good quality — 100% of customer reviewers at Cabela’s would recommend a Camo Stocking to a friend.

Toronto Maple Leafs Christmas Stocking

When it comes to manly Christmas decoration items, you can’t go wrong with sports, any sports.  Of course, sports fans have many choices when it comes to Christmas stockings that celebrate their favorite team.  For example, how about this Toronto Maple Leafs Snowman Stocking.  Why the Maple Leafs?  Why not?  They could use a little love at this time of year because they’re not doing great and they’re the NHL team with the longest Stanley Cup drought.  Yet they are in Canada, where winter lives (and Christmas is all about celebrating winter), and they are hockey players, which automatically makes them tough, just like you.

San Francisco 49ers Fiber Optic Christmas Stocking

Of course, you can find many team stockings at FansEdge, from NFL to NBA to MLB to MLS.  Some  even have fiber optic lights!  (Any product that includes the words “fiber optic” in its description is cool.)  Such as the San Francisco 49ers Fiber Optic Mascot Christmas Stocking (pictured at left).

Maybe you’re not into pro sports that much, however — maybe you’re more into college teams.

Michigan Wolverines Christmas Stocking

Still a rabid supporter of your college Alma mater?  Then celebrate them during the Yuletide season.  For example, how about a Michigan Wolverines Christmas Stocking, from Overstock?  Why the Wolverines?  Because the wolverine is the most badass animal in North America (sort of the New World version of the honey badger).  If you didn’t graduate from Michigan, well, you can pick another team.  Search for college team stockings at both FansEdge and Overstock to find enough options to cover your entire room.  Add some holiday “cheering!”

Click here to go to the FansEdge Holiday Decor page and see hundreds of sports-related Christmas accessories for your home.

And from now until December 31, 2011, get 10% off any purchase of $100 or more at FansEdge using coupon code FEDECMBR.

Additional Dude-Appropriate Christmas Decor Ideas

You’ll want to set some additional things about your place to further evoke a cool, manly Christmas look.

Stained Glass Santa Head from Wind & Weather

Like what?  Like a rather serious-looking Santa portrait made out of stained glass.  You can set him on a table, shelf, or windowsill and the head is illuminated to emanate some business-like Christmas authority.  This stained glass Santa Head is from Wind & Weather.

19" Cowboy Santa from Overstock

On the other hand, a cowboy Santa isn’t bad either.  Especially one toting a Christmas-light lariat.  You can get the Western Cowboy Santa from Overstock.  The figure is 19 inches tall, so he’s not a shy, retiring Santa hombre — he’ll go well with your John Wayne ornaments.

Rotating Robot Santa Claus in his Rocket Ship

Or, instead of the frontier cowboy Kris Kringle, you could go with a more science-fictiony robot Santa.  In a space ship.  Playing music.  You can get the 10-inch Retro Santa Claus Robot Rotating Figure (in his red rocket ship) from Newegg.  Santa in a rocket, playing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” — who needs reindeer?

Multi-hued "Dripping Icicle" Tube from Newegg

Remaining in a somewhat high-tech mode, how about a multi-hued, 36-inch long, LED-lighted “Dripping Icicle” Christmas Decoration?  You could hang this tube from your ceiling, put it in a window — anywhere you want to add some glowing Christmas hues like a giant sparkling icicle.  The Lighted Dripping Icicle Tube Christmas Decoration comes from Newegg (one of the best places to shop for everything your high-tech Christmas heart desires).

The illustration at right shows an individual, multi-hued tube on the left, plus a suggestion of how to use them — hanging from the ceiling of a high-rise building.  You could do the same at home if your ceilings are high enough — the tubes come in a number of other colors, too.  You can search for them on Newegg.  Or hang just one of them in your man cave.

There are other accent pieces that will round out your Christmas vibe, particularly when you’re going to be entertaining friends at your place — or a special lady.  You can do a lot to create a festive air without being wussy.  For example, I mentioned above that you probably won’t want to put out votive candles.  But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use candles at all.  Candles are proven technology — they’ve been around for 2,000 years.  And candlelight can really set the mood on a cold, wintry evening.  You simply want to have a manly candle.  And that means BIG.

Tall Bamboo Candle from Homelement

Here’s a candle that is not only big, it’s interesting, because it’s made out of bamboo — the 17-inch high 100% Bamboo Wood Candle from Homelement .  It’s got a rough bark finish that will complement the rest of your robust Christmas decor.  Plus it’ll probably burn for a month… plenty of time for several Christmas parties and dates.  (You’ll enjoy your big candle and she’ll like it even more.)

Oliver Peppermint Stick Appetizer Plate for holiday serving

When you’re entertaining you’ll probably have some food, if only appetizers.  Why serve them on your everyday dinner dishes?  Pull out some holiday-themed serving plates.  I’ve got one to recommend for you that is a little edgy, definitely artistic, and amusing — the Oliver Peppermint Stick Appetizer Plate from CB2.  Oliver is apparently a little slow, or he just got done watching A Christmas Story and wanted to try that tongue-on-the-pole thing for himself.  Serve your Christmas party appetizers on these plates and your guests will know that you’re both hip and sophisticated (not that there’s any doubt).

Click to get the Montana Trees Cushion from Occa-Home

Everything I’ve recommended for your Christmas decorating theme to this point has been hard (except for the live Christmas tree, which is a little bushy).  Time to add contrast with something soft.  Something you can use as an accent on your sofa.  Something you can put your head on when you lie in front of the fire.  Something your girlfriend will want to cuddle up with.  Yet something masculine.  Something like the Montana Trees Cushion from Occa-Home.

This cushion is a high-quality, large (about 20″ x 20″) wool and cotton pillow with a bold yet warm alpine tree motif.  It’ll contribute to your festive winter mood.  And it’s named after Montana, which is rugged.  It comes from Occa-Home in the UK, one of the best online decorating stores.  It’s not cheap, but it should last you for the rest of your life.  (Endurance is a manly quality.)  Besides, Occa-Home has a no-questions-asked 30 day return policy.

How to Set the Christmas Vibe at the Entrance to Your Domain: a Wreath

All the foregoing “how to decorate” ideas were for your interior — decorating the inside of your apartment or your man cave retreat.  But how about setting the stage for Christmas cheer by visually greeting your visitors with an appropriate holiday symbol?  To wit:  a wreath. A Christmas wreath is a symbol of welcome and strength, two attributes you’d probably like to express.  (Why do you think the Greek and Roman champions wore laurel wreaths?)  In fact, a Christmas wreath is one of the oldest Christmas decorating traditions, dating back to the 1500s, well before the story of Santa Claus arrived on the scene.  Get a wreath and hang it on your door or wall.

3-Herb Wreath

I recommend the 3-Herb Wreath from Bambeco.  Bambeco is known for “green” products that combine sustainable design and modern technology, which means that they often have cool stuff that you won’t find in other stores.  Such as their 3-Herb Wreath — a Christmas wreath made from organic bay leaves (bay laurel is what laurel wreaths are traditionally made of), organic rosemary and thyme.  The herbs are woven in a circle and accented with red chili peppers.  Can’t get a more manly wreath than one with chili peppers!  Besides…red and green.  Get it?  This fragrant wreath is also practical — you can pluck the fresh herbs and peppers out of it and use them in cooking.

You can get a wrought-iron wreath hanger for your door from Art & Home — at their site, search for “wreath hanger” to see what’s currently available.

To Wrap Up Your Christmas Decorating Theme, Something Cool for the Kids:  A Train Set

Click for the North Pole Central Electric Train Set from Bass Pro Shops

Christmas being what it is — a time of celebration, when family and friends gather — it’s likely that sooner or later you’ll have some kids show up.  And when they do, you want to have something that will make their eyes light up.  (Hex nuts are fine for you, but 5-year-old Timmy might not grasp their significance.)

Christmas is a time of reverence for many, of course, but for kids it’s mostly fun and even magical.  And you can set that feeling alight with this final suggested decor item — the pièce de résistance of your holiday DIY decorating efforts:  a North Pole Central Electric Train Set from Bass Pro Shops.

Remember when you had a train set when you were a kid?  Did your parents set it up so it circled the Christmas tree?  That’s what you should do.  Set up the train to circle your live or metal tree.  The 5-car set (engine, tender, gondola car, boxcar, caboose) comes with a 40″ x 80″ oval track.  The boxcar plays 12 Christmas carols.  There’s more to it — click the text link above or the photo to check it out.  This is a cool electric train set.  Of course, it would have to be, coming from Bass Pro Shops.  They only sell stuff that works.

With this final touch to your manly Christmas decorating project, you might even make your own eyes light up.  And isn’t that what Christmas is ultimately all about?

Related posts:

1. Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Christmas Album — the Rocky Mountain Saxophone Quartet
2. An Unusual Confluence of Manly Movies

When you shop for a 2012 calendar, check CalendarClub.co.uk.  Not only do they offer distinctly English topics, from Banksy to Country Railways to Holly Peers to Harry Potter, they have calendars that are hard to find in the U.S., if not impossible.  Get something unique in a monthly calendar for 2012 and indulge or expand your interest in UK subjects.  And if you actually are a British subject, then it’s only natural to shop there.

You can explore a number of manly themes throughout the huge selection of 2012 English calendars at CalendarClub.uk.  This is my review of 12 of the more interesting, masculine-oriented calendars from their online British store.

Fortunately, the Internet makes this extensive calendar store available to all.  American readers who are fans of Great Britain can obtain unique 2012 UK calendars for not much more than they’d pay for a calendar at their local supermarket — but these are calendars that none of their friends or office-mates are likely to have.  (Shipping from CalendarClub to the US is not terribly expensive — a little over £10 to start.  Not bad to get a calendar from overseas that you’d probably find otherwise only if you traveled to England.)  And if you are located in the United Kingdom, you’ll get free shipping on orders over £15 using the coupon code below.

==> CLICK HERE to shop for thousands of monthly calendars in all categories at CalendarClub.co.uk.  Enter code AFD152 at checkout to get free delivery in the UK for orders over £15 <==

Banksy Calendar

Click to get the Banksy 2012 Wall Calendar from CalendarClub.co.uk

For your 2012 date and holiday-tracking pleasure, we’ll start with that quintessentially Bristol-bred artist, Banksy.  Banksy has become perhaps the best-known graffiti stencil-artist in the world, notorious for creating gritty, urban street-art that pokes subversive fun at western consumerism, culture, and institutions.  By turns whimsical and bitingly satirical, he creates his works in guerrilla fashion (and when he’s nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film, he doesn’t show up, as befits an anonymous artist).   His varied style and subject-matter are on thought-provoking and humorous display in the Banksy 2012 Wall Calendar (click here to see it). (On the CalendarClub.co.uk site, you can see the back of each calendar to check out the individual monthly images.)  If it’s sold out, check the Barnes & Noble link below.

Fortunately, unlike Angelina Jolie, you don’t have to pay $226,000 to enjoy a piece of art by Banksy, but just £9.99 for this calendar.  (To roughly convert pounds to US dollars, just multiply by 1.6.)  For your £9.99, you get 12 Banksy reproductions in a 12 x 24 wall calendar, which you can enjoy for a year.  Get an additional copy of this contemporary art calendar as a gift for a Banksy fan (along with Banksy’s book, Wall and Piece, which proves that he can write with a typically British wit, too).

Since there is worldwide interest in this calendar, it’s also easier to find at alternative outlets.  Its popularity also means that it’s selling fast and may soon sell out, so don’t wait to get it.  If CalendarClub.co.uk no longer has it in stock, try clicking here to get the Banksy 2012 Wall Calendar from Barnes & Noble.

“Uncoverage” of Holly Peers:  Holly Peers Calendar

Click here to get the Holly Peers 2012 Calendar

I did mention above that you can get English-themed calendars that have “uncoverage” of English subjects, and what better UK subject to uncover than Holly Peers?  To the delight of the lads (and certain lasses, too, I imagine), Holly has previously appeared wearing fewer clothes than one might usually wear in public on “Page 3″ of The Sun, as well as in Nuts and Loaded.  A Holly Peers gallery of photos is just the ticket when you want to inspire yourself to be your best.  And you can get 12 revealing photos of the girl from Manchester in the Holly Peers 2012 Wall Calendar from CalendarClub.uk.

Now, this is one of those calendars that you’re not generally going to find available outside the Sceptered Isle.  Too bad, too, because, as you’ll surely agree, Holly Peers deserves greater exposure.  And the English just seem to know how to do pinup calendars right.  Especially when you have the right girl.  A Holly Peers calendar definitely has the right blend of cheeky sexiness to keep your spirits up in 2012.  And it’s not even expensive.

In fact, none of the UK calendars for 2012 from CalendarClub.co.uk mentioned here is expensive.

Travel Via Country Railway Scenes

Click here to see Country Railways 2012 Calendar at CalendarClub

Some might say that the best way to travel around England is to obtain one of the proper English cars — an Aston Martin, say, or one of the newer Jaguars — and drive.  For my money, though, taking in the English countryside from a railway car is the way to go.  That way, you’re free to absorb all the sights and sounds of the landscape on either side of the tracks, while enjoying the fact that you’re on a train.  You can appreciate this type of railway travel vicariously for a year when you get the Country Railways 2012 Wall Calendar.  This is a fairly large format calendar with charming photographs of the trains and their engines chugging through wild, green country, and along lakes and rivers.

As an example of the trains you’ll find in this calendar, one of the featured trains is the West Highland, pulled by engine No. 5407.  Below, I have a video taken from that very train.  This is the atmosphere I’m describing.  Watch this vignette, and then get the Country Railways 2012 Calendar to enjoy the rest of this picturesque series that evokes a more contemplative and stately way of travel.

Harry Potter Slim Calendar

Harry Potter Slim Calendar

England has produced some pretty good authors — Shakespeare, Milton, Tolkien, Rowling.  You may have heard of J. K. Rowling — she wrote a rather popular story about a kid named Harry Potter.  Became a billionaire (Rowling, not Potter).  Yes, that Jo Rowling, the one who’s sold 450 million books. (Milton sold about two ten-thousandths of a percent of that many books per year.)

Anyway, there’s this Harry Potter calendar for 2012 — the Harry Potter Slim Calendar – that Potter fans think is kind of cool.  Well, it is kind of cool.  But it’s sort of hard to find in stores now except at CalendarClub.co.uk.  Get yours before they sell out there, too.  Click the link above or the image at left and enjoy the Harry Potter 2012 Slim Wall Calendar, with images of Harry, Ron, Hermione, a few irksome Death Eaters, Gringott’s, and more, all from the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.  It’s called the “Slim” calendar because it’s slim and stylish, just like Emma Watson.  (Actually, it’s 16 x 6 inches, which is somewhat slimmer than Emma.)

Cheshire English Countryside and Estates

The scenic Cheshire 2012 Wall Calendar

Cheshire County, in England, looks the way you imagine the English countryside looks in your favorite children’s books — The Hobbit, for example, or The Wind in the Willows.  Certain areas of Cheshire look just the way you might picture the Shire would look.  You also come across estates in Cheshire that remind you of  Toad Hall.  Cheshire can’t help it, British authors are just that good at evoking landscapes and buildings with their descriptions.  And then, of course, there are cats — must remember the Cheshire cat.

But Cheshire is the reality, the actual place that you can go to, walk around in, and take pictures of.  So it only follows that you should have a calendar depicting this appealing and varied English region of the Welsh Marches — the Cheshire 2012 Wall Calendar.  Charming and scenic as all get-out.  The photography is superb.  Let it evoke some poignant and nostalgic feelings in you as you take a moment to daydream during 2012.  Nostalgic for what, you aren’t sure — maybe you should go there and see.  There, and, of course, back again.  (Look into Cheshire travel info at TripAdvisor.)

Ocean Liners Calendar

Click for the Ocean Liners 2012 Wall Calendar

The Ocean Liners 2012 Wall Calendar celebrates a golden age of global travel — when people could board a luxurious ship, sunbathe, dine, and sleep in comfort, get acquainted with their shipmates, and disembark after several days at sea in an exotic port.  What made this agreeable adventure possible was the ocean liner — a ship in which common folk could travel without having to join the Navy, be a pilgrim, or work.  Prior to the airplane, ocean liners were how the world became accessible to the general populace who could afford passage.

The Ocean Liners 2012 Wall Calendar harks back to this romantic age of transportation with 16 reproductions (yes, you get 4 extra images) of some of the most colorful travel posters put out by steamship companies  advertising their cruises — companies such as Union-Castle, which sailed from England to South Africa every Thursday, and the East Asiatic Company Ltd., which offered cruises to a variety of Atlantic ports via the West Indies.  Add a little adventurousness and “the call of the sea” to your life with the Ocean Liners Wall Calendar from CalendarClub.co.uk.

Classic English Motorcycles

Click to get the Classic Motorcycling Calendar

And now for something completely different…  Still in a transportation mode, but this mode is about as different from an ocean liner as a phone-box is from a bagpipe.  I’m talking motorcycles.  Did you know that English companies were some of the first successful mass producers of motorcycles?  There’s a reason UK motorcycle companies became staples of two-wheeled, motorized travel (and remain successful to this day).  They jumped into the fray early, at the turn of the 19th century.  By the 1930s, there were over 80 different makes of motorcycles available in Great Britain.  The Classic Motorcycling 2012 Deluxe Wall Calendar commemorates the innovative and adventurous early years of English motorcycles by showcasing vintage advertisements from several different makes.  On this 2012 motorcycle calendar (with holidays), you get ads for Ariel, Matchless, AJS, James, and, of course, Norton, Triumph, and BSA.  This would be an excellent calendar for your garage (where it can share wall space with the clutch diaphragm spring tool for your Norton Commando).  Or an inspiring monthly calendar for your office, where it can serve to remind you what you’ll want to be doing on the weekend.  Take a look at the following video review of the Classic Motorcycling 2012 Wall Calendar:

More Adventurous Machinery:  Land Rover Pictures

See Land Rovers in action in the Land Rover 2012 Calendar

Another iconic British machine you’ll find represented in the CalendarClub online calendar store is the Land Rover.  Decades of Land Rover models are covered — from the 1956 Series 1 SWB to the 2010 Range Rover Evoque — in the Land Rover 2012 Wall Calendar.

When the British get things right (lawn tennis, grail legends, suave spies, sub-four-minute miles, Kate Beckinsale), they get them very right — such that they become the best in the world.  The Land Rover is the off-road vehicle by which all other off-road vehicles are measured.  Sure, most Land Rover/Range Rover models are dressed up now like James Bond at an exclusive casino, but they can still kick the landscape’s butt when necessary.  In that sense, like Bond, they have no peer.  (Except for, you know, the members of the peerage who buy them.)  Refresh your knowledge of Land Rover’s tough-as-nails yet sumptuous vehicles with the Land Rover 2012 Wall Calendar (large size 12 x 24 inches). The different models are depicted doing Land-Rover-ish things in various environments — or just sitting there, ready to strike.  Just like you.

Formula One: McLaren Calendar

Click to see the 2012 McLaren Formula 1 Calendar, with free poster

While Land Rover distinguishes itself making vehicles that will crawl through mud and climb ridiculously steep hills, British racing company McLaren builds fast cars.  Period.  And the fastest cars they build are the McLaren MP4 series of Formula 1 cars — the ones that won the Driver’s World Championship in 2008 and 2009.  The McLaren Formula 1 Team, drivers, and high-velocity race cars are the subjects of the McLaren 2012 Wall Calendar.

Formula 1 is the most popular racing series in the world, but you don’t have to be a rabid fan of Formula 1 to appreciate the McLaren calendar.  You can be a fan of outstanding engineering, which McLaren has demonstrated in virtually every one of its race cars for decades (including dominating the original Can-Am series and achieving two Indianapolis 500 victories).

You can also be a fan of success.  Though it entered the Formula 1 ranks 16 years behind Ferrari, McLaren is now second only to Ferrari in almost every important category of Formula 1 success, including total wins, total podiums, and total manufacturer’s points.  And McLaren had what is arguably the greatest year any race team has ever had when it won all but one race in the 1988 season, scored a record 11 consecutive victories, and tallied a so-far untouchable 94% win percentage.

If you’re a race fan, stick the McLaren 2012 Wall Calendar up and whet your appetite for the 2012 Formula 1 season, which kicks off on March 18 at the Australian Grand Prix (and along with your calendar purchase, you’ll also receive a limited-edition McLaren poster).

By the way, the 2012 season will be notable for the return of Formula 1 to the United States.  On November 18, 2012, the United States Grand Prix will be held at the brand new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.  Mark it on your calendar.

Spitfires Wall Calendar

Click for Spitfires Calendar 2012

We may as well continue the momentum of this theme of planes, trains, and automobiles — and conclude with a plane:  probably the most famous British airplane ever:  the Spitfire.  The Spitfires 2012 Wall Calendar features 12 well-composed photographs of 12 different variants of the World War II fighter plane, including the iconic Mk I, which in great measure saved England during the Battle of Britain.  (During the months-long battle, towns and clubs throughout Great Britain raised money to buy individual Spitfires for the Royal Air Force.)

The Spitfire went on to be manufactured in greater numbers than any other single-seat Allied fighter plane.  The Spitfire’s graceful lines are on varied display in the Spitfires Wall Calendar, which includes photographs over both land and sea.  The photos showcase the form, function, and character that has made this classic World War II fighter legendary.  To give you some idea of the impressiveness of this airplane, check the video below.  Though, if you’re at all a fan of classic aircraft — or even a resident of the unconquered UK — you don’t need any extra incentive to appreciate it.  You can do that for an entire year with this calendar.

More Uncoverage:  India Reynolds Calendar

India Reynolds is uncovered in her 2012 Calendar

To transition from Spitfires to a different kind of spitfire, the thing that used to be said during the war was that pinup pictures helped soldiers, sailors, and airmen remember what they were fighting for…   And if they’d had a chance to observe India Reynolds, their motivation would have remained unshakably firm.  So let’s conclude this review of English calendars with another lovely English lass.

India, the brunette spitfire who is the subject of the India Reynolds 2012 Wall Calendar, is a girl known for her ability to display a saucy combination of sass and girl-next-door appeal.   Along with Holly Peers, she will help keep you on your toes in 2012.

Whether you’re in the military or not, you can use the India Reynolds calendar to hone whatever motivation you wish to enhance — or simply be captivated by the sight of an unquestionably feminine girl displaying her physical charms.  A 12-image India Reynolds gallery is presented in the 2012 India Reynolds calendar — another monthly calendar you can only get from the UK calendar store online.  This cute gal (or fit bird) from Reading is another reason to be a devoted anglophile.

Here’s a bonus picture of India, just for fun. –> 

Even More of Holly and India:  the Hot Shots 2012 Calendar

Holly Peers in the 2012 Hot Shots Calendar

Okay, so maybe you’re having trouble deciding which pinup calendar you like better — Holly Peers or India Reynolds.  Perfectly understandable.  Of course, you could go for both.  But there’s another solution:  the Hot Shots Girls and Weapons 2012 Calendar, which not only features Holly Peers and India Reynolds, it includes models Rosie Jones, Stacey Noblett, and Charlotte McKenna, too.  With automatic weapons.  In camouflage.  Topless.

That’s Holly to the left in a shot from the calendar.

And if you need any further incentive besides naked girls wielding large-caliber firearms to get this calendar, 50% of proceeds from sales of the Hot Shots 2012 Calendar are donated to Help for Heroes, a UK-based organization that helps wounded servicemen and servicewomen returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Can’t beat that combination:  scantily-clad beauties and aid for wounded veterans.  Both sides of your brain can be happy with this calendar.

I can’t top that last offering, so we’ll wrap it up…

All the best to you in 2012!  Keep track of the year’s highlights with a wall calendar with holidays from the excellent online calendar store, CalendarClub.co.uk.  Explore more choices by clicking the banner below:

Related posts:

1. Some Worthwhile, Interesting Calendars for 2010
2. Cheap 2011 Calendars

As a basketball fan, I’m concerned about how many players will be left behind to complete the NBA Eastern Conference Finals after the Rapture occurs tomorrow.

As many of you have heard, Harold Camping, founder of a Christian radio station and an engineer, has predicted that the Rapture will occur on May 21, 2011  — an event in which Christians who believe in Harold Camping and Family Radio and who are non-evil, humble, and God-fearing will be levitated into the clouds.  These Raptured folks will never return.  Since Harold Camping has a degree in civil engineering, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s right about that.  So what does that mean for the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, their fans, and the outcome of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals?

After the Rapture, how many players will be left behind on earth to experience the tribulation and play the remaining 5 games*?  And, more importantly, who is likely to win the Series?   (It is currently tied 1-1.)

Well, as to that first question, I’m pretty sure there will be some players left.  I don’t know who specifically of the players on the Heat or the Bulls believe in Harold Camping’s prediction, which makes predicting who will be around for Game 3 on Sunday tricky — about as hard as predicting the winner of this series — but, while not many NBA players can be considered totally non-evil, humble, and God-fearing, there must be at least some who are.  Or who are at least self-professed Christians.

Will Lebron remain and Rose rise?

Lebron will definitely still be around.  His religious affiliation appears to be Roman Catholic, so he should be left behind based on that criterion alone, according to Rapture experts (who take a dim view of Catholics).  Additionally, he is not humble, since he speaks of himself in the third person.  So that’s a relief, eh, Heat fans?  And also a blessing for the Heat’s owner, Micky Arison, who is paying Lebron $110 million.  (Micky will be also be at AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday, too, so Lebron can count on a continuing paycheck.)  Also, apparently Lebron James is a member of the Illuminati, so that lets him right out.

With Lebron available for Miami, one’s mind immediately jumps to the fate of Chicago’s Derrick Rose.  Will the Bulls still have their lone superstar?  It’s hard to tell what religion Derrick is.  The youngest-ever MVP worships basketball, obviously.  However, the first tattoo he ever got was a cross with the words “Only God Can Judge Me.”  This may put him on shaky ground, Rapture-wise, because it would have been better for him if the tattoo stated, “Only Harold Camping Can Judge Me.”  But I think the real deal-breaker, Rapture-wise, is his “Poohdini” tattoo, which shows an image of a wizard holding a staff and a basketball.  We know from their many pronouncements on the subject that Christians think wizards are in league with the Devil — after all, Christians are the ones who tried to have Harry Potter books banned from school libraries.  So, I think the wizard inked on the shoulder should disqualify Derrick Rose from being Raptured.  Sorry, Derrick, no clouds for you.  Whew… close one, Bulls fans!

Okay, so we’ve got at least two guys staying on earth.  What about Dwyane Wade?  We know he’s Christian.  We know he wears number 3 because of the Holy Trinity.  And he tithes 10% of his salary to his Chicago church.  If that weren’t bad enough (from a basketball fan’s point of view), his mother is an ordained Baptist minister.  So, Dwyane is gone.  Dwyane might as well already be walking through the pearly gates.  He will not be available to start on Sunday.  Or ever again.  In other words, he’ll be a first-round draft pick by God.

The remainder of Miami’s roster

What about Chris Bosh?  Well, he’s an intelligent guy — good student, went to Georgia Tech — so we can infer from that that he’s not one of Harold Camping’s followers.  On the other hand, he was dumb enough to get involved with his “Basketball Wife” ex-girlfriend, so maybe, you know, he could have some religious tendencies.  But not enough, I’d guess.  Bosh should be around.

So now we’ve got Lebron James and Chris Bosh against Derrick Rose.  Will Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer still be on Rose’s team?  Well, when he commented on religion for an interview once, Joakim said, “I believe in God, but I don’t have a particular God…  I definitely want to learn about different religions. The more people know about religion and other people’s culture, the less ignorance and conflict there will be.”  That pretty much excuses Noah from Rapture-hood.  Christians do have a particular God and they do not want to learn about other peoples’ religions and they are not opposed to ignorance and conflict (I mean, look at Galileo, and the Crusades, and evolution, and that whole witch-burning episode, and the Inquisition), so yeah, the Bulls’ premier defensive stopper will be available for Game 3.  And Carlos Boozer?  He once commented that Mormons are “not bad at all.”  That statement right there ensures that he’ll be missing the Rapture express.  Sorry, Carlos.  Plus, he has his own shoe with Nike, who, as we know, is a Greek goddess.  That should put the kabosh on any remaining doubts about his post-Rapture status.  In other words, Boozer will still be around to post up the non-righteous Chris Bosh.

Unfortunately, Mike Bibby won’t be shooting any more 3′s for Miami.  He states that he’s a Christian on his MySpace page and he has said that he’s a religious person.  And who are we to doubt Mike?  MySpace is almost certainly good enough for God, so it’s floaty-uppy for Mike.

Miami center Joel Anthony will also not be around.  He went to a Christian school.  Plus, he’s Canadian, which almost automatically makes him humble.  But Mario Chalmers should still be on Miami’s roster.  It’s not clear what his religion is, but he lost a stare-down to Blake Griffin once, so there’s some evidence that he’s more intimidated by Blake Griffin than he is by God.  Rapture is for the God-fearing, not the Blake-fearing.  We’ll assume Mario will not be joining the faithful in the firmament.  What about Erick Dampier and Zydrunas Ilgauskas?  Will Miami have any height remaining at center?  Doesn’t look good regarding Dampier.  Erick attended church every Sunday as a kid and now he does things like work with the Boys and Girls Club of Mississippi every off-season.  I’m pretty sure Erick will be hoovered up.  Regarding Ilgauskas, prospects appear a little better.  79% of Lithuanians profess to be Roman Catholic and, according to many Christian Fundamentalists, Catholics just don’t make the grade with God.  Moreover, in a 2005 poll, only 49% of Lithuanians believe there is a God (though that doesn’t quite square with the preceding stat on Roman Catholicism).  In any event, if Zydrunas has a religion, it’s most likely Roman Catholic, and if he doesn’t, he probably doesn’t believe in God.  Either way, it’s ixnay on the apture-Ray for ydrunas-Zay.  Finally — and this is probably the most significant — Zydrunas Ilgauskas professes to enjoy reading books. So, though Ilgauskas hasn’t exactly been a force of biblical proportions in the playoffs up until now, he’ll at least look intimidating sitting on the bench.  Jamaal Magloire?  Another Canadian.  He’ll be gone…  He operates several charitable foundations and runs clinics for underprivileged children.  If that isn’t enough, in high school he played for the Saints.

How about Udonis Haslem, who has made important contributions to the Heat since the Conference Finals began?  I think he’ll be around.  He wants to be the mayor of Miami when he’s done playing.  No politician is genuinely humble, non-evil, and God-fearing.  Juwan Howard?  In the first two games, he’s 0-1.  Who cares?

What remaining heathen will Chicago have?

Chicago-wise, we have to take a look at Luol Deng.  He grew up in a Christian family in Sudan but, after moving to Egypt, he respectfully helped his Muslim friends celebrate Ramadan.  Whoa, Bulls fans — you dodged a Rapture-bullet there, and should be able to count on some continued scoring punch from Deng, with his Muslim-respecting feet remaining firmly on the ground.  Except, of course, when he’s dunking on Lebron.

Solid Chicago sub Taj Gibson is a bit more of an unsure thing.  Though he attended Calvary Christian School in San Fernando, CA, where he received a “Christ-centered education,” he states that his favorite basketball players are Jamaal Tinsley and Lamar Odom.  See, I’m pretty sure that’s the kind of humor God doesn’t appreciate.  Even worse, Taj posterized Dwyane Wade with a dunk in Game 1 of the series.  We already know how much God likes Dwyane Wade.  I think heaven won’t be able to use Taj.  Fortunately, Chicago will be able to use his defense and rebounding.

How about Kyle Korver?  Kyle is like, what, -2 for 18 so far in this series?  But soon his shooting slump will not matter, one way or another, because Kyle has been described as a “great young Christian man,” and his father is an evangelical pastor with his own church.  Tomorrow, Kyle will be going to that big gym in the sky, along with his father and Harold Camping.

And what of the rest of the bench-sitters on both teams?  Brian Scalabrine and Kurt Thomas for the Bulls?  Eddie House and Dexter Pittman for the Heat?  Well, let’s look at it statistically.  According to Harold Camping, about 200 million people will be Raptured up on May 21.  That’s 200 million out of a population of 6 billion.  So that means that each of the remaining players has a 1 in 30 chance of being sucked into the sky.  The thing is, each of those players has shown himself to be capable of beating the odds — first by becoming NBA players, which only a few hundred people get to be, and second by still being in the playoffs while 26 other NBA teams are sitting at home on their butts on their Elite home theater loungers.  Just by those very facts, we must assume that these exceptional men will once again defy the odds and be taken into God’s bosom tomorrow, along with the other lucky 200 million humble, non-evil, God-fearing,  Harold Camping-believing Christians.

Which is fine, because, even though they’re NBA scrubs, they’re still scrubs.

So where does that leave things with regard to the Eastern Conference Finals?  It’ll be Lebron, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Ilgauskas, and Haslem versus Rose, Joakim Noah, Boozer, Deng, and Taj Gibson.  A permanently elevated Wade will be too much of a liability for Miami to overcome.  I pick Chicago in 6.

* If necessary

Related posts:

1. A Little Limb Action: Denver Nuggets Will Win the Western Conference Finals
2. The Most Entertaining Potential Match-up for the 2011 NBA Finals

CafePress has about 4 billion T-shirts to choose from.  (Okay, I’m exaggerating, but they do have millions of T-shirts.)  They carry over 330 million unique products and at least 10 million are T-shirts.  Which means you could spend 8 hours a day, every day, combing through the funny, unique, cool, creative, vintage, rude, sporty, and artistic T-shirt designs at CafePress and never explore them all (particularly since 45,000 new designs are added each day).

The bottom line is that CafePress has something for everybody.  And everybody, in this case, is you.  And a T-shirt I think you’ll like is this pistol-packing panda.

I looked through every T-shirt CafePress offers (okay, another slight exaggeration) and found one you could not help but appreciate:  the Panda Armed and Dangerous T-shirt.  (Yes, the actual title of this shirt at CafePress is “Panda Arm and Dangerous” but I figured I’d help them out with their grammar some.)  The picture at left shows the shirt in black but you can get it in 9 different colors.  The black and white panda design should work well with any color. The shirt is made of 5.6-ounce, 100% cotton (of course) and retails for $25 (for now, before cotton clothes go up in price).  

This T-shirt is a bit edgy, a bit humorous, sort of aggressive without being obnoxious.  Where could you wear this shirt?  The question should actually be:  where couldn’t you wear this shirt?  You could wear it to church (depending on what church you go to) or you could wear it to a pub.  You could wear it to work (depending on where you work) or you could wear it to a lacrosse game.  About the only place you wouldn’t want to wear it would be on a hay ride.

You could definitely wear it to yoga class and impress the cute girl stretching herself supplely on the mat next to yours.

CafePress bills itself as “The world’s favorite place to find or make unique T-shirts and gifts.”  I suppose Zazzle might dispute that somewhat (Zazzle bills itself as “the world’s leading platform for quality custom products”), but the bottom line is that CafePress has 2 million unique shops where people just like you (well, not just like you) can offer their personal designs to the world.

Of course, if you don’t quite cotton to the Panda T-shirt, you could design your own at CafePress, taking advantage of dozens of clothing and customizing options.

In fact, you can also create many kinds of customized gifts at CafePress:  click here to explore T-shirts and more.  The Panda T-shirt is just a starting point — check out jewelry, iPhone cases, water bottles, greeting cards, and more.

Another nice thing about CafePress is that they unconditionally guarantee their products.  If you don’t like it, you can return it, no questions asked.  Not many businesses stand behind their products as firmly these days, nor treat their customers as well as CafePress.  So, whether you acquire a design that someone else has made, or you creatively create your own, you really can’t go wrong with any merchandise from CafePress.  See the video below to hear Allison give an overview of their approach to T-shirts:

T-Shirt – CafePress Product Info from CafePress on Vimeo.

Chicago Cubs Vintage Tee from CafePress

Now, maybe the Panda Armed and Dangerous T-shirt isn’t quite your cup of tea.  In that case, I’ve selected another T-shirt from CafePress for your sartorial consideration:  the Chicago Cubs Vintage Tee.  Not only is this design kind of a charming throwback (harking back to a time when Cubs fans were simply hopeful, rather than desperately hopeful), this T-shirt is made of organic cotton, enzyme-washed to be super soft, and mixed with a little spandex to keep its shape.  Of course, the character on the shirt is still a bear, but a different species of bear, and he’s carrying a baseball bat instead of two semi-automatics.  Take your choice of weapons.

Or get one of each.

Or, if you’ve been inspired by this post, design your own shirt or other product at CafePress.

Okay, so I put in 10 hours today working in a warehouse, so I’m going to go have dinner.  Not that you necessarily care about that.  I’m just sayin’, you work up a powerful appetite searching for good T-shirts at CafePress plus working in a warehouse.

Related posts:

1. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 4 – Vox Logo T-Shirt from Musician’s Friend
2. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 8 – Orange Lantern Avarice T-Shirt from Entertainment Earth

Everybody covets something.  You could do worse than to commit yourself to avarice, that strong feeling of desire for material gain.  After all, aren’t we all material?  Don’t we all want to touch, be touched, and possess that which we most deeply desire?  Just like the wielders of the orange light…

Achieve harmony with your devotion to avarice by wearing this Avarice T-shirt based on the Orange Lantern character from Blackest Night.

If you’re not up to speed on the big picture behind the Orange Lantern, it’s part of the Blackest Night series of comics that greatly expanded the story of the Green Lantern.  If you want a good overview, try reading the collection Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis.  From there, you can branch out into a whole universe of “Lantern” tales.

But it’s not necessary to know the story of the Orange Lantern Corps to appreciate both the subversive and assertive nature of an “Avarice” T-shirt.  After all, don’t irony and rule-breaking propel our modern cultural aesthetic?  Sometimes you want to push the envelope — in fact, sometimes you don’t even want there to be an envelope.  But you want to do it subtly, cannily, without having to wear a tiredly obvious T-shirt that says “Subvert the Dominant Paradigm.”

Secretly, that’s what you want.  Well, don’t be so secret about it anymore.

This high-quality, 100% cotton, pre-shrunk T-shirt is available from Entertainment Earth, the folks who bring you a whole multiverse of entertainment tie-ins.  Comics are just one piece of their pie.  You can find many other toys and collectibles — subversive, funny, and devotedly fan-oriented — at their site.

In the meantime, get the Avarice T-shirt.  Hone your desire and the means for achieving it.

Related posts:

1. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 4 – Vox Logo T-Shirt from Musician’s Friend
2. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 9 – Panda Armed and Dangerous T-Shirt from Cafe Press

Let’s talk about authority.  Every man wants it.  It comes in handy.  But few have as much as they’d prefer.  Chuck Norris has it.  You can start acquiring more by wearing this T-shirt from the folks at ThinkGeek:  the Chuck Norris Destroyed the Periodic Table T-shirt.

Let’s face it:  few situations could not be improved by having more authority.  Everything from ordering room service to a job interview is enhanced when you are authoritative.  But few men possess that quality to their satisfaction.  Except Chuck Norris.  Chuck Norris CAN get some satisfaction.  And you can get some yourself when you don this T-shirt. (Or, at any rate, a good laugh).  It’s white, 100% cotton, with black artwork.  It states:  “Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table because he only recognizes the element of surprise.”

Consider Chuck Norris.  When he started out as a martial artist, he could kick your ass.  Then he became a successful actor.  Now he is a successful actor who could kick your ass.  That is true authority.  And being an actor with authority is about as good as it gets.  So he authorized ThinkGeek to create this T-shirt.

Consider another guy, Sean Clements.  He can’t kick your ass.  But he does want to be an actor.  He’s working at it, but I think he needs more authority.  For example, in the “Sean Clements Acting Reel” video below, which he uses to promote his work, consider how in the opening scene the authority of the two guys would be enhanced if they were wearing shirts.  Even just T-shirts.  When it’s time to pitch your movie, it’s helpful to wear a shirt.

That’s where this Chuck Norris shirt comes in.  It will provide you the opportunity to wear a shirt when you need one.  And it will vicariously enhance your standing.  Always wear a Chuck Norris T-shirt when in doubt.  Or when not in doubt.  Clothes make the man, you know.  Especially T-shirts that you get for reasonable prices.

Voltron Giant Robot T-shirt

Of course, if Chuck Norris is a personal friend of yours, or if you are Chuck Norris, then you will probably not need this shirt.  In that case, the huge selection of other humorous and/or entertaining T-shirts from ThinkGeek will come in handy.  Yes, most are funny, but some are even cool, despite the fact that the company has “Geek” in the title.  Check out, for example, the Voltron T-shirt (at right), which is both bright and Japanese.

You're confident

And the FTW! T-shirt. (FTW = For the Win.  Which is what you want to do.)

Actually, getting back to Sean Clements, he’s got potential, he’s developing some funniness.  Case in point, a few of his recent tweets:

• “To Frat Dudes:  Being loud and being funny are the same thing.  Go tell the others.”
• “If someone brings up a movie I haven’t seen, I make sure to talk about one they haven’t seen right after.  I’m nobody’s fucking bitch.”
• “It’s Nationel Typo Day!”
• “One cool thing I do for my friends is I tell them when I think their life is boring.”

Dude, don’t be boring.  Or non-authoritative.  If you can laugh, you’ll be neither.  To be sure, cover your bases by trying the Chuck Norris Periodic Table T-shirt.  You have nothing to lose.  Except the general disrespect in which most people hold you.  (No, just kidding.  That’s what is known as “marketing.”)

Really, get the shirt, before the price goes up.  Shirts always come in handy.  ThinkGeek does not charge a lot, but when they catch on, they will.

Sean Clements Acting Reel from Sean Clements on Vimeo.

Related posts:

1. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 10 – Bamboo T-Shirts from ONNO
2. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 7 – The Most Inexpensive T-Shirts You Can Get Online

Sometimes you need to channel your inner rock musician.  Or be an actual outer musician.  In either case, you’ll want a T-shirt to fit the vibe.   Something cool, not highly unsubtle.  Here it is:  the Vox Logo T-shirt.  From Musician’s Friend.

Vox is the English company that helped pioneer electric guitar amps, adding technical power to the British Invasion (musically) of the US.  Their AC30 amp is legendary, having been used by rockers such as Keith Richards and Pete Townshend.  Plus a successful little group called The Beatles.

The Vox Logo T-shirt expresses the right blend of brand cachet, musical cool, and laid-back hipster detachment.  Those who know music will know Vox.  But even chicks who don’t know the difference between tube reverb and solid state sustain will dig the stylized Vox crown.  Like earlier T-shirts in this series, this shirt will handle diverse sartorial applications, from auditioning a new electronica group at an underground club to starring in your buddy’s skateboard movie.  Of course, if you’re a guitar player, you can wear it everywhere.

It’s black, heavyweight 100% cotton, and only 18 bucks.  Musician’s Friend carries this shirt and dozens of other musically-themed T-shirts — enough to strain a roadie’s back.  If the Vox Logo Tee doesn’t do it for you (or you already own one), check out their Paiste Alpha Thorn T-shirt, their Vic Firth Goth T-shirt, and Dean Wings Logo Custom T-shirt.  The prices are low, too.

Get the Vox shirt, wear it, and wash it, because it’s only going to get softer and better-looking with age.  Cotton was cheaper when they priced this shirt, so grab it now — or two or three — and save.  Put it on when you start feeling like head-banging.  Or finger-popping.  Whatever.  Bands from U2 to Radiohead have relied on Vox.  Not a bad legacy.

Jazz guitarist Vinny Valentino is one of those discerning guys who plays a Vox guitar.  In the video below, he performs with drummer Steve Smith and the group Vital Information.  A harmonically simple yet rhythmically-sophisticated fusion jam borrowing from Indian konnakol.  Let it remind you:  nothing is cooler than music.  And, by extension, musicians.  Capiche?

Get your shirt from Musician’s Friend.  And you can search for more musical essentials below using the Musician’s Friend search bar.

	Power Search!

Related posts:

1. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 9 – Panda Armed and Dangerous T-Shirt from Cafe Press
2. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 8 – Orange Lantern Avarice T-Shirt from Entertainment Earth

T-shirts have become an artistic medium.  Here’s an excellent example to add to your collection:  the Pat Perry Flower Face Tee, made by Chrome.

Pat Perry Tee "Flower Face" from Chrome

Pat Perry is first and foremost an artist — a wizard with brush and pencil.  He describes himself as a “Drawer and Painter.”  But he also takes pictures (good ones) and so I’d add “Photographer” to the mix.  In any medium, he has a knack for coming up with wholly original, visually-arresting images that are both fun and disturbing, accurate yet surreal.  Fortunately, Chrome, the legendary maker of messenger bags, got him to design some T-shirts.  So, rather than having to spend hundreds or thousands on one of Pat Perry’s paintings, you can get a T-shirt.  You’ll look savvy.  And faintly disturbed.  (A provocative combo.)  Here for your visual and performance entertainment is the Flower Face Tee by Pat Perry.  Wear it and roll.

Pat is a pretty cool dude, with varied interests, including backpacking, so he understands and appreciates function when it comes to clothing.  As a company, so does Chrome, which means that this very soft, durable, ring spun cotton tee will do the job, while looking cool.  It’s 100% cotton, made in the USA.  Only $25.

Click for Pat Perry Cyclops Tee from Chrome

While you’re getting the Flower Face Tee, check the other Pat Perry T-shirt designs at Chrome.  Plus the rest of their über-functional, attractive apparel.  Oh, and remember their bags.  There are messenger bags that are as good as the ones made by Chrome, but none that are better.

If you’ve read my preceding two T-shirt posts, you’ll be aware that I’ve been providing some 411 about cotton for your dressing edification.  So, what do we have today?

How about the question:  is cotton a flower?

No, Jimmy, cotton is actually the fiber that grows to protect and help disperse the seeds of the cotton plant after the flower has fallen off.  Cotton is the fibrous “boll” that surround the seeds.   The cotton plant is a member of the genus Gossypium, which includes about 50 species.  Only a few of these are cultivated commercially.  Some are genetically modified.  When you see cotton growing in the United States, it’s most likely Gossypium hirsutum, or Upland Cotton.  When you’re driving by a cotton field with your parents, point at the field and say, “Look, Mom and Dad, that’s probably Gossypium hirsutum.”

They will think you are smart.  Maybe they will buy you a cotton T-shirt.

Here is a time-lapse video of Pat Perry doing a painting.  This shows about 2 weeks of work with acrylic paint and ink:

Timelapse Painting Two from Pat Perry on Vimeo.

Related posts:

1. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 10 – Bamboo T-Shirts from ONNO
2. 10 Days of T-Shirts: Day 9 – Panda Armed and Dangerous T-Shirt from Cafe Press