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How has the week been, team? Flat out? Easy-breezy? Whatever the case, the weekend has arrived and we couldn’t be more thankful. With the work shackles off, we’re settling into another 48 responsibility-less hours of bliss, kicking off with an old favourite. From personal development videos to books you can’t put down, here is our Man of Many Staff Favourites round-up for this week.
No Country For Old Men – Cormac McCarthy
Nick Hall – Editor-in-Chief
As anyone who asks me about books will know, I love Cormac McCarthy. I’ll spruik the late American wordsmith’s talents to anyone who will listen, but despite being one of my favourite authors, I’ve actually never read arguably his most famous work. No Country For Old Men, the neo-western epic that became a pop-culture phenomenon when the Coen brothers’ film adaptation was released, has always been on my radar, but for some unknown reason, I never bothered to pick it up. This week, I did precisely that, and it was just as good as I had hoped.
I devoured each and every page at a rather disgusting pace, completely engulfed in McCarthy’s brutal and bloody world. The storyline, while minimal, pulses at a thunderous beat and you really get a sense of the three main characters’ contrasting plights. McCarthy’s writing style is clearly Hemingway-inspired and he manages to draw a unique sense of cruelty and brutality out of the brevity. Anton Chigurh is one of the most powerful and remarkable villains in modern literature and someone who will undoubtedly stay with me for many years to come. If you are after a book that you won’t be able to put down, No Country For Old Men is a sure-fire fit.
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Amazon Lockbox
Scott Purcell – Co-Founder
I do really try to have my life together, but nothing makes you feel more hopeless than locking yourself out of your apartment. It’s been probably four or five occasions that I’ve had to call a locksmith at an outrageous fee of $200+ to rescue me. Up that to $400 when they had to drill out my lock and completely replace it. Leave a key with a neighbour or friend, you say? I’ve already done that and had to borrow it, but forgot to return it. Or what if they aren’t home?
To save on this absolute waste of money, and something I should’ve done years ago, I’ve finally bought a lockbox (and bike chain to attach it to my back fence behind a bush) where I can keep a spare set of keys if I lock myself out again. The only thing I need to remember is to always return the spare key to the box!
In other news, those of you in Australia might have heard the sad reality many content publishers are facing in Australia with the closure of many beloved titles over at Pedestrian Group like Lifehacker Australia and Gizmodo Australia. It’s a pretty tough time for media lately so we really appreciate all of your support with Man of Many. If you want to help us out, you can read and subscribe to this article I wrote. It’s a bit of a longer one, but hopefully, it’s still interesting for those of you involved in the industry! I’m off on holiday to Vanuatu with my nieces and nephew, and then Queenstown skiing with some mates over the next two weeks, so until next time!
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Outlast: Season 1
Frank Arthur – Co-Founder
If you’re a fan of survival shows, then Outlast on Netflix should be at the top of your watchlist. Released in 2023, the first season drops contestants into the rugged wilderness of Alaska, where they split into groups and must outlast each other to win a $1 million prize pool.
Outlast shares similarities with the show Alone, which is not surprising given the expertise of executive producer Grant Kahler, who worked on the early seasons of that show. Contestants must build shelter, hunt, forage, and survive the harsh environment. However, unlike Alone‘s guerrilla-style, contestant-filmed production, Outlast benefits from a dedicated camera crew capturing the action.
The introduction of team play adds a new layer of excitement, as contestants can switch teams, form and dissolve alliances, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics. Additionally, the producers keep the competition unpredictable with prize challenges that shake things up throughout the season. Adding extra gravitas to the credits, Jason Bateman is also an executive producer of the show.
With season two announced, now is the perfect time to catch up on the debut instalment. If you’re intrigued by survival instincts, strategic gameplay, raw human emotion, apex predators, and the occasional unhinged act of human behaviour, this is the show for you.
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Tokyo Head Spa w/ Monat Products
Harry Parsons – Senior Branded Content Manager
I’ve reached a stage in my life where I prefer self-care treatments over going out to the pub, and to be honest, I’m not mad about it. My obsession began with saunas and cold plunges, progressed into regular remedial massages and peaked during my recent visit to Tokyo Head Spa in Bondi Junction. Believe me when I say this is the epitome of self-care. After experiencing their Orihime treatment, aptly named “Invitation to Dream,” I was about 2 milliseconds away from falling asleep in the chair. Let me take you through this dreamy 1.5-hour journey.
Enter a dimly lit room with soothing music, sit comfortably in a chair, and start sipping on herbal tea. Your scalp health will be assessed, and based on this assessment, they will select the best Monat products to suit your needs and apply their famous Rejuvenique Hair Oil. Next, at the chair and basin, my scalp was treated with Monat’s Smoothing Anti-Frizz Deep Intensive Treatment, followed by their Purifying Deep Vinegar Shampoo and Smoothing Anti-Frizz Deep Conditioner. Can you tell I have frizzy hair?
After utilising all of Monat’s hair products, you are invited to experience a fine mist process to lock in all the moisture in your hair, finishing off with an upper body massage!
Leaving the spa, I felt like I was floating on a cloud, and my hair was probably the cleanest and shiniest it had ever been. I still dream of this treatment to this day, so much so that I continue to use Monat’s Deep Vinegar Shampoo, Conditioner, and various scalp and hair masks to keep the dream alive. I strongly recommend a visit to Tokyo Head Spa in Bondi Junction and stocking up your bathroom cabinet with Monat’s products because they are “simply the best”.
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Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date
Rob Edwards – Branded Content Editor
A recent visit to the Vacheron Constantin boutique in Sydney introduced me to the Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date and what a stunning piece of watchmaking it is. Its 42.5 mm platinum case contains an impressive self-winding movement that powers a retrograde hand-type day-of-the-week function (among others), but it’s that gorgeous salmon-coloured dial with sunburst satin-finishing that really mesmerises.
The subtle blue shade used across the steel day/date hands, numbers, and days of the week beautifully contrasts with the colour of the dial beneath and is further echoed in the dark blue of the alligator leather strap. While the 42.5 mm sizing would normally cause me concern that it’s a little too large for my slender wrists, here, the elegance of the watch’s construction acted as a counterbalance, making for a perfect fit. Vacheron Constantin celebrates its 270th anniversary next year, and it should come as no surprise that it took that long to attain this elite level of mastery.
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The ButcherCrowd Box
Dayna Aspite – Branded Content Associate
As someone who can’t live without garlic bread- or just bread in general… I’ve decided to make a huge shift in what I eat, which so far seems like it’s for the best. In the quest for ultimate bragging rights with my family, I’ve jumped onto the Carnivore Diet bandwagon. It’s a straightforward plan: eat only animal foods and products. Nothing else. It’s kind of a reverse vegan diet. How hard could it actually be, right?
It’s been just over a week now, and while it initially felt like running nose-first into a glass door, I’m finally getting the hang of it and reaping the benefits. While this has been exciting to see develop, my fussiness in what kind of groceries I buy has begun to increase. With all seasoning other than salt off the table, relying on good quality is lowkey a must. I wanted to focus on sustainability and stop supporting the unethical farming practices often seen in supermarket meats and seafood. In comes the ButcherCrowd.
ButcherCrowd is an Australian-owned subscription service that sources its meats and wild-caught seafood from Australian farmers and fishing families, ensuring sustainability and high quality. You can build your own box of frozen goods and decide how often it’s delivered. With a wide range of products to choose from each week, you’ll never get bored with your meals. You can seriously taste the difference. With free shipping and reasonable prices for AAA quality, you can’t go wrong!
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Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, The Heart Release
Jacob Osborn – Staff Writer
Maker’s Mark occupies a space of their own in that even their flagship bourbon retains a small batch spirit in spite of its massive popularity and general availability. As such, the distillery has done a fairly incredible job at keeping pace with the craft whiskey scene at large, namely by offering limited edition releases and stronger expressions. That brings us to the Wood Finishing Series, a collection of unique bourbons that finds the whiskey maker experimenting with 10 specially selected oak staves.
The Heart Release represents the second chapter of the aforementioned Wood Finishing Series and it shines a light on both the bourbon itself and the team that created it. Behind the scenes, passionate whiskey makers shared a vision of quality as they brought this statement to life, utilising two custom French oak staves to yield a singular flavour profile.
Bottled at full proof, the bourbon follows aromas of toasted oak, sweet vanilla, stone fruit, honeyed citrus, and light cocoa with the rich taste of caramel, maple, brown sugar, oak spice, subtle orange, and rich chocolate. A silky and mildly spicy finish rounds out the experience. If you love Maker’s Mark Cask Strength or 101, then you’ll definitely love this.
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