Lindsay McCormack
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Lindsay McCormack is a contributing writer to TheManual.com. Previously, Lindsay studied book and magazine publishing at the Columbia University Publishing Course. She has worked as an Editorial Assistant at Teen Voices Magazine, and was a contributing writer for Notes From the Edge, a student-run magazine at Harvard University. Lindsay currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where she can be found writing, gallivanting, and trying to master a handstand.
The Manual’s Guide to the Tough Mudder
Our favorite adult ‘what the hell am I doing getting electrocuted in mud’ obstacle course, Tough Mudder, is army crawling it’s way into New Hampshire this June. We spoke with Director of Marketing Operations, Ashley Pinakiewicz, about the upcoming course and what every Mudder should know. It’s not a race Recommended Videos Tough Mudder is […]
It’s Spring, Get Your Garmin On
The Garmin Forerunner 10 is a new running watch designed to track your miles, pace, and calories. We love the convenience that treadmills provide for monitoring mileage and calories (and there is nothing wrong with wanting to watch the miles as they pass). But treadmills can feel monotonous, and running is a great excuse to […]
Barcelona Brookline: Pass the Paella
Steven Brand is Head Chef at Barcelona, a new tapas restaurant and wine bar in Brookline, Massachusetts. He sat down with us recently to talk house-cured meats and brandy bone marrow shots. Brand talks quickly with one ear perked toward the kitchen in case he is needed. “I think I give off this vibe that […]
Cigar Masters: Five Things To Know About Your Stogies
In the humidor room at Cigar Masters in Boston’s Back Bay, Jack Dakermanji is the man you want to see. As Cigar Aficionado – or in his words, “I don’t know, head cigar guy?” – he knows a thing or two about how to enjoy a hand-crafted, carefully selected stogy. He gave us the run […]
Listen Up, St. Patty’s Day Haters (And Lovers)
Do you find yourself feeling somewhat Grinch-eqsue around St. Patrick’s Day? Berating your shamrock-clad, toothy-grinned roommate for not knowing who Saint Patrick was, and for “not even being Irish?” Not to worry, we’ve got the cure to your green-day blues. Actually, we’ve got ten of them. Here are our favorite places around the nation to […]
Trident Booksellers and Café
We realize that you may or may not choose to spend your Friday nights browsing bookshelves for a good read. But what if you could have a beer, chat with friends, and check out your favorite authors at the same time? Not your typical brick and mortar store, Boston’s Trident Booksellers is also a café […]
The Right Way to Salt
There’s been a lot of talk about salt lately. We know that too much can be harmful to our bodies, especially when we have no idea how much is actually going into the food we eat. But maybe the problem isn’t the salt itself, but rather how we’ve been using it for so many years. […]
Jake Armerding Live at…Damn it, Nemo!
Last weekend, Jake Armerding was scheduled to perform songs from his new album, Cosmos in the Chaos, at Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tickets sold out before the show, but storm Nemo had other plans (chaos, namely). Even though the concert was canceled, we didn’t let it stop us from getting to know Armerding a […]
Gimme 3 Little Figs
In 2010, Katie Rooney, was sure of two things: she needed a career change and she really liked baking. She started slowly, selling her “bacon corn” and “dirty chai” muffins to farmers’ markets and cafés around Boston. Eventually, demand for her products was so high that she needed her own kitchen. And so, 3 Little […]
Telemark Skiing Carves Fresh Tracks
Let’s face it. Despite the bone-chilling temperatures and lack of sun-sustaining vitamin D, winter sports can make Northeastern temperatures bearable. Even, dare I say, fun? Downhill skiing and snowboarding are all well and good, but lately many snow-bound adventurers have been trying their hand at Telemark, a hybrid of downhill and cross-country skiing. Not only […]
Oahu’s Shrimp Haven
On the North Shore of Oahu, beyond the famed Pipeline beach, is a strip of road dotted with rundown trucks. People crowd the benches beside them, waiting in line for one thing: shrimp. The first truck we come across announces itself miles before its actual location. “SHRIMP! FIVE MILES!” a neon-yellow sign reads as we […]
Five Questions for Bob Kramer
Legendary Master Bladesmith Bob Kramer spends his days forging top-of-the-line kitchen knives in his Washington-based shop. His work has been featured in Saveur, Bon Appetit, The New Yorker, GQ, and Vogue, as well as on Bravo’s Top Chef. He is one of 120 master bladesmiths in the United States. To get their hands on one […]
Central Bottle: A Taste of Venice in Boston
Hey. Let’s go to Italy and drink a lot of wine, and then come home and open a wine shop. Maybe substitute the wine for pizza, but this is probably every twenty-something, (or thirty or forty-something) American’s fantasy. But for longtime friends Dave and Maureen Rubino, Nick Zappia, and Liz Vilardi, this fantasy became a […]
A Wood-Fire Experiment at Area Four
During a recent phone chat, restaurant owner Michael Krupp suddenly stops mid-conversation: “I’m sorry, hold on. There’s something very strange happening in my restaurant.” After a brief moment of muffled voices, Krupp returns to the line. “I just had a bunch of college kids walk in here carrying instruments. They were measuring the air quality.” […]
Yin is In
It’s Friday evening in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside of Harvard Square. Inside of Karma, a small yoga studio, thirty people hold themselves in a yoga pose called Shoelace, feeling the muscle tendons and fascia deep within their hip joints. The only person standing is Joshua Summers, an acupuncturist and mindfulness expert. Summers […]
Benoit Rolland: Bow Maker, Artist
In October of 2012, the MacArthur Foundation awarded $500,000 to Benoit Rolland, one of history’s most skilled violin bow makers. Rolland was one of twenty-three fellows chosen for the prestigious five-year grant, joining the ranks of what the foundation deems “individuals across all ages and fields who show exceptional merit and promise of continued creative […]
Ode to Butter
Julia Child deemed it one of her favorite ingredients. Joël Robuchon couldn’t make his signature mashed potatoes without it. Yes, we are talking about the miracle that is butter. While savoring one of man’s greatest creations, one might wonder, what makes some butter so much better than others? It seems like a fairly simple product, […]
Mario Testino: In Your Face
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is currently holding an exhibit titled Mario Testino: In Your Face. Testino, a photography legend, discovered his passion for documenting people at a very young age. In the span of his iconic career, his work has been featured in Vogue, V, Vanity Fair, Allure, among many other publications. […]
Ben Howard: The Burgh Island EP
Ben Howard, a 25-yeard old West London native has been writing music since he was a child. And while he has been repeatedly compared to Mumford & Sons, he also resonates with Bob Dylan and Ray LaMontagne, gaining him a rapid rise in popularity in today’s music scene. Ben leaped onto the music scene in […]
Rick Dale: American Restorer
Rick Dale epitomizes the modern craftsman. As owner of Rick’s Restoration and star of the History Channel’s American Restoration, Dale spends his days finding new life in beat up pieces of junk. Every day, people bring antiques to his Las Vegas shop, where he and his crew restore them to perfect condition. In today’s throwaway […]
‘Tis the Season for Game Meat
Apples, cranberries, butternut squash…most of us are familiar with the idea that some of our favorite produce is harvested during the fall and winter. But this time of year is also a prime time for meat lovers. Like carrots and Brussel sprouts, the flavors and textures of game meat are at their finest during this […]
So You’re a Mammal…
Ah, male grooming. So much hair, so little time. Where and how much to trim seems to change faster than you can say “back wax.” But do women really care? It is one of those weird conversations that guys might not discuss with one another, but most men do wonder: Bush, bare or somewhere in […]