Every spring, out of shape men like me, get together for 2 hours of beer drinking and trash talking in an event better known as softball and I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening. The softball field lets men relive the glory days–clutch hits, diving catches base-clearing homers–all while consuming large amounts of crappy beer and swinging at 20 MPH underhand pitches.

If Manroom were to sponsor a sport, softball would be right behind women’s beach volleyball. That’s why we thought it would be a good idea to link to some great softball resources to get you ready for the 2006 beer drinking softball season.

Softball 360
The name says it all. Softball, 360 days a year, including television shows, softball radio and a store to buy everything you need to play.
http://www.softball360.com

Big League Dreams
Sprinkled around the west coast, these softball mega-facilities are usually multi-field arenas and feature scaled versions of some of Americas greatest ballparks including Fenway, Wrigley and Yankee Stadium. Can they please move to the east?!
http://www.bigleaguedreams.com

ASA Softball
The National Governing Body of Softball… if it ain’t ASA, it ain’t softball.
http://www.softball.org/adult/index.asp

Feel free to post your softball related link in the comments below. Play Ball!

(photo courtesy of TKE)

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m a penny-pincher. So much so that I refuse to use Coinstar automated coin-counting machines, because of their 8.9% rake on your cash. I would rather painstakingly count, sort and sleeve my change than to give up a measly 8.9% of my hard-earned money to anyone.

Now, with the help of Apple’s iTunes music store, Amazon.com and others (oddly enough, grocery stores are not included even though the majority of machines are located there), Coinstar is dropping the surcharge IF you elect to convert your change into gift certificates. Not all Coinstar machines are offering this service, so make sure you check it out before dumping in your change.

For those of us that still think of change as cash, you’re out of luck as Coinstar will still be taking their cut if you get real money back.

Manroom bars are notoriously difficult to build and far too heavy to move once in place. Just in case’s Portable Bar System, solves both issues. You can set it up in any room in your house, take it outdoors or even to your next tailgating event. Convenience comes at a price however as this portable bar will run you between $3000-$5000, depending on the number of add-ons (bar taps, lights, sinks, etc…) you chose.

A $10 folding table is sufficient for most people, but if you’re in the market for a cool, portable bar, this is a great option.

Have you ever dreamed of having a bigger beer gut? Yah, me neither, but if you’ve ever dreamt of sneaking beer into a sporting event or concert then the Beerbelly may be just the device to help you skirt $7, watered-down beers at Shea.

Starting at about $40, the Beerbelly features an insulated “bladder” (couldn’t they have thought of a better name? Like sack… maybe not) that can hold 80ozs of liquid. Add a sling to hold the belly in place for an additional $15.

I’m not sure I’m sold on this product and its ability to actually keep beer cold for 2+ innings (seriously, 6 beers… you’ll be lucky if you make it into the stadium before the thing is empty), but this is at least a great example of American ingenuity.

$200 may sound like a lot for a grille that can only cook hot dogs (and the occasional sausage), but think about your next all-day BBQ for one second. Imagine if, rather than standing over the grille all day cooking, you could be playing Wiffle-ball, horseshoes or bochi, all while this wonderful device keeps your dogs warm and your guests fed.

The Hot Dog Griller will be a perfect companion when you win the Wiffle-ball game with David Ortiz auction from Good Sports:

“David Ortiz will join you and your friends for a backyard Wiffle Ball game. And with the Sausage Guy cooking hot dogs and sausages on his cart, you’ll feel like you are at the ballpark… In case you thought it couldn’t get any better, NESN will be providing coverage of the game!”

Is there anything a woman in a French maid outfit doesn’t know? The creators of the “How-to podcast by French Maids” don’t think so. To date, beautifully proportioned French Maids can teach you how to create a video podcast and how to give CPR.

If you don’t have an iPod you can always watch the episodes on the web here. The videos are technically safe for work (SFW), but I’m not sure your boss would appreciate you watching a French Maid pillow fight during office hours.

With summer right around the corner, many Manrooms are heading outdoors to warmer and bikini-clad climates. Everyone’s heard of pool bars, but have you ever seen a table quite like this?

The Aquapub floating table has 6 attached chairs, 6 cup holders, 2 removable containers and an umbrella. Untippable, unsinkable and able to hold up to 1500 pounds, the Aquapub is a must have for anyone with a pool and a need to sit at a table in it.

All this pool-time fun doesn’t come cheap. The Aquapub will set you back at least $1500 plus shipping.

I remember a time when being the beer-bitch was the worst thing imaginable, but with the Cooler Cruiser (or motorized cooler), everyone will be doing stupid things to become one.

Strapping a cooler to a go-cart is inventive. Having said cooler double as a seat is puring genius. If they could get a lawn mower on this thing a man would never leave his yard. The $2000 price tag is a bit steep, but the cool factor alone will muffle the sounds of your wife’s bitching.

Holidays are a dime-a-dozen so when a new one comes around that isn’t owned by Hallmark, a guy can get excited. National High Five Day (NH5D), celebrated on the third Thursday of April each year (aka today) has all the makings of an amazing holiday. Started 5 years ago by a pair of college kids at UVA, NH5D is a day when, “without inhibition, people can freely exchange high fives between all different genders, races, heights, and social classes.”

Imagine a world where everyone happily exchanged high fives instead of hatred and war. Where quarrels could be settled by a flying high five and marriages were sealed with two hands colliding mid-air instead of sloppy kisses.

Manroom has fully embraced this wonderful holiday and even commissioned our developers to create a simple tool for you to spread the word of National High Five Day. Simply choose a greeting, fill in the form and send it off to all of your high-fiving friends!

I doubt this device is legal in the States and if you’re in the market for one, you might want to give AA a call, nonetheless it still could inspire some nifty party games.

The handy Alcohawk retails for about $50 and ironically comes attached to a key chain. Blow into the device and get your result back within 5 seconds. It only registers up to 0.12% BAC (the legal limit in most states is around 0.08%) so serious drinkers may want to shop elsewhere.