Hold My Beer and Watch This...

This segment is dedicated to any weird projects and stunts that the manroom partakes in. Currently we have a long term project that involves a lot of fire and noise. We like fire and noise. What could this project be? A jet engine. Specifically a gas turbine jet engine made out of an old turbocharger. We acquired the turbo off an old Toyota supra, the old goes without saying I guess. Its a CT 26 and its in rough shape. So we'll send it out speaking the King's in a proper, fiery death.

How is this possible?

Well, a turbocharger works by converting the energy found in exhaust gases into useful work. In this case, the exhaust passes through turbine blades on the way out of the combustion chamber. This spins the turbine which is connected to the compressor. The compressor sucks in air and compresses it. What's usually in between the two is the engine but in this case we don't have one. What we plan on doing is creating a combustion chamber that will allow us to burn propane with the compressed air, and keep the turbine spinning. For added effect, an afterburner will also be added to let us dump fuel into the exhaust and get a nice flame shooting out the back.

Our jet engine may not run for too long however. The turbo has significant play in the shaft and this means the blades will rub during operation. This translates into pieces of our fan blade coming out the exhaust. Pictures of what we have so far will be added soon, and updates will come in as we build this thing.

- James

The Rusty Crossbow

Here in the manroom we thoroughly enjoy a good war movie. From the Dirty Dozen to Inglorious basterds and everything in between. It is only fitting then that we have a segment dedicated to instruments of violence and pain. For the first edition of the Rusty Crossbow, we're going for a classic. The Lee-Enfield Rifle No. 4 Mk 1. This may not be known to some readers but it was a standard infantry weapon of the British Commonwealth soldiers and subsequently, Canada. A bolt-action, magazine fed weapon, it still used the .303 cartridge that the older versions used. Introduced in 1939 it served through WWII and beyond in one form or another. It could be fitted with a bayonet which was fondly called the pigsticker. This gun was even manufactured in Canada, in Long Branch Ontario. I've never fired one before as they aren't just lying around these days, but I'd really like to see what they can do. I'm sure if the manroom had possession of one of these classics, nothing safe could come of it, i.e. the risk is bad. All in all, if this gun was good enough for the boys at Juno beach, then it must have kicked serious Jerry ass.

- James
Arte et Marte

Whiskey Weekly

Well it's been quite a while since the last whiskey weekly but things have been fairly busy around the offices. This week we bring it back to Canadian shores with a classic. I'm talking, of course, about Crown Royal. This is one of my favourite types of rye whiskey out there and I always enjoy getting sauced with it. It was originally created in 1939 for the royal tour of Canada by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It is because of this reason that the bottle was made specially to look like a crown and comes in a royal purple bag. Today there is only one distillery that produces this brew of the gods, and it's located on the shores of lake Winnipeg. Down to business, this whiskey is good... damn good. It even had a song written about it..

Royal Canadian blended
The spicy aroma had mended me
Matured for years and imported
Into my glass you poured it
(guess the British band..)

It's definitely one of those whiskey's that you shouldn't mix, it really is that good. If you're one of those pussies who can't tolerate straight whiskey than don't waste money on good stuff. However, to those people who like to have a glass or three of whiskey on the rocks, than Crown is for you.

For every king, a crown.

- James

Shenanigans

Shenanigans has come about from rules 1 and 2 of the man room. DON'T BE A BITCH. If someone makes a claim that is usually beyond possibly or would be amusing to watch, it is responded to with shenanigans being called. The claimer is then required to prove his claim. Failure to attempt results in the claimers man card being revoked. A weak attempt to prove the claim results in ridicule and failure in general results in the claimer being less of a man and being called a liar and a cheat.

Example:
"What would you do if I punched a hole in your wall?" - Dicky Dee
"You couldn't punch a hole in the wall" - Kim Satchelor (Knowing the wall is plywood coated in plaster)
"I could easy!" - Dicky Dee
"Shenanigans" - Kim Satchelor - loud enough that anyone in the surrounding area would come hither to watch Dicky Dee make an ass of himself
Dicky Dee then proceeds to wreck his hand trying to prove himself, and it laughed at.

Work then resumes for another day in the manroom....