our favorite non-wedding links from this week

The 5 Best Baseball Brawls – coed magazine

The 6 Manliest Drinks of All-Time – holy taco

Fan Removed from Indians Game for Wearing LeBron Heat Jersey – deadspin

The Best Tailgating Gifts – the man registry

How to Tell if She’s Faking Orgasms – asylum

How to Grill Tasty Fish Tacos – ask men

The 7 Most Badass Women in History – guyism

The Best Gadgets for the Stylish Guy – made man

10 Reasons Office Jobs Suck – ego tv

Shotgunning a Beer Fail – fail blog

It’s true. I can barely contain my excitement boredom over Chelsea Clinton’s upcoming nuptials. Here are five things that I find much more interesting than Chelsea’s surprise Vera Wang Trip or who’s on (or not on) the guest list:

The Politics of Mali

The Republic of Mali is a small African nation that borders Nigeria, Algeria and The Ivory Coast. Mali is divided into eight regions with each region having its own governor. The country has become pro-west in the years since they instituted a democratic system in 2002. This transition followed many years of political upheaval that had long threatened the stability of the country (on a side-note – Mali is landlocked and I ALWAYS find landlocked countries extremely interesting).

My Neighbors’ Work Schedule

I’ve been spying on my neighbors for about six months. I don’t suspect them of anything strange, I’m just bored. They both leave every morning at 7:15am. She returns for lunch around noon everyday except Thursday. He only comes home for lunch on Mondays.  They both arrive back home around 5:45pm except on Tuesdays when he gets home at 7:00pm. WHERE IS HE UNTIL 7 ON TUESDAYS?

The Whereabouts of my Peter Venkman Action Figure

From what I can recollect, I lost my Peter Venkman Ghostbusters toy around the time of my 9th birthday. I search for it every time I’m back at my parents’ house, but it’s nowhere to be found! I have a theory that my friend Jim Dibble stole it, but I can’t prove it. It’s depressing because I know exactly where my Egon, Ray, Winston and Stay-Puft figures are, but the set is not complete without Peter.

Pocket Lint

Where does it come from? And why?

David Morris, World Champion Whistler

David Morris is the world’s top whistler. He competes in whistling competitions around the world and has recorded three full length albums chock full of nothing but whistles. Don’t believe me? Take a listen here.

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What about you? How much do you care (or not care) about Chelsea Clinton’s wedding? Tell us in the comments section below.

the best groom-approved links on the web this week

Wedding Photographer Shot After Bride and Groom Pose with Rifles – asylum uk

Henrik Zetterberg’s Weird Wedding – yahoo sports

In Sickness, Health & Jurassic Park – wedinator

Top 10 Activities for the Groom at Disney World – disney

Koozie Cups for Groomsmen – the man registry

Is Technology Ruining the Wedding Proposal? – cnn

Pre-Wedding Grooming for the Groom – onewed

The Best Man for the Job – pwllem blog

A Wedding at Ozzfest – ew

Are You Feeling Those Pre-Wedding Jitters? – elegance & simplicity

I was talking with my buddy Dave from Temple of Groom the other day about his upcoming wedding. He seemed exhausted and mentioned how stressful the last few months of wedding planning had been for him and his fiance. This is not a huge surprise as most of you know how much of a drain the last few months before the wedding can be. He made the comment that the stress was going to drive him to alcoholism or worse. I thought he was kidding and then I saw that crazy look in his eye. This dude was serious!

The conversation got me to thinking. Can you rank wedding planning stress levels through which vice the stress is driving you to? In national security terms, what would a code red be?

Here’s my attempt along with a few tips on coping with stress:

Code Can I get a Light?

Sample stress – The venue we want for the reception was just booked yesterday.

Stress can cause former smokers to pick up the habit again. And once you pick that up it’s quite hard to drop it. If you feel like this could be you, do yourself a favor and pick up one of those fancy electronic cigarettes.

Code Man v. Food

Sample stress – You’ve found the one date that works for you, your bride and your families when you discover that your best friend has scheduled his wedding for the same day.

Food is comforting. Hence the phrase ‘comfort food.’ However, high stress levels can often drive you to binge on unhealthy foods – and we don’t need Morgan Spurlock here to remind us that fast food is killing us one Value Meal at a time. One suggestion is to schedule a once-per-week date night with your fiance where you cook a homemade, healthy meal that’s not going to pile on the pounds before the big day.

Code Scotch

Sample stress – Three months out from the wedding, your honeymoon resort informs you that due to a computer error, your reservation has been canceled and you’re now on a “waiting list” for a room.

I love scotch. Scotchy Scotch. Scotch. Here it goes, down into my belly. Whether it’s scotch, or the liquor of your choice, a nice, stiff drink can taste so good after a hard day at work. But I don’t have to be a rocket scientist to tell you that one of the leading causes of alcoholism is stress. I actually do recommend drinking in moderation while planning the wedding (it’ll help you be more creative), just don’t let booze be a crutch that gets you through the process.

Code Double Down

Sample stress – The Best Man hasn’t been measured for his tux yet and the cut-off date just passed yesterday. It’s 50/50 whether he’ll be able to find an alternate tux elsewhere.

I just returned from a trip to Vegas and as always saw some sad characters at the blackjack table. I always ask myself what could be driving these people to gamble their life away. Is it that hard to turn and face your problems head on?  When planning a wedding, always keep in mind that this is the happiest time of your life. Stress is part of it, but you can’t let it beat you. Face it, accept it and move on. So what if your Best Man’s tux is going to be a shade darker than yours… it could be A LOT worse. You could be the guy at the blackjack table.

Code Green

Sample stress – Your caterer informs you three days before the wedding that they’re going out of business. You won’t be getting your deposit back.

Yes, I’ve actually heard of couples toking it up to cope with the stresses of wedding planning. I myself don’t partake in the giggle smoke, but from what I understand it can be quite relaxing. However, I just can’t quite wrap my mine around experimenting with it while planning your wedding – that’s what college was for.

Code Gibson

Sample stress – You wake up on the wedding day to discover a note from your bride telling you she’s run away with her ex.

I’m not going to comment much on what specifically comes after ‘Code Gibson.’ I’ll just say that I hope you’ve got a good lawyer.

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Disclosure – With two weeks before the wedding, Temple of Groom Dave is not an alcoholic or drug addict, nor is he broke from gambling away his life savings…. yet.

What code are you on? Have you turned from an occasional drinker into a binge drinker? Have you become a full fledged drug addict? Let us know in the comments section below.

Do you plan on wearing cologne on your wedding day? We’ve brought back men’s health and skin care blogger Sarah Nash to give a few suggestions on men’s wedding day fragrance. If you’re a cologne kind of guy, you’re bound to be able to find something amongst these ten that fits your style.

Oh, and be sure to scroll all the way down to see our special editor’s selection.

John Varvatos

10 – John Varvatos by: John Varvatos
Masculine, sensual, and classic-sophisticated scent.
More of a winter fragrance, the key notes are: Medjool Date Fruit, Tamarind Tree Leaves, Coriander Seed Templar, Clary Sage Flower, Indian Ajowan, Auramber, Leather essence.

'The One' by Dolce & Gabbana

9 – The One by: Dolce and Gabbana
Inviting, fresh, and soft-citrus scent.
This golden juice has hints of mandarin and peach, blooms with lily and jasmine, and ends with an inviting plum and vanilla base.

'Unforgivable' by Sean John

8- Unforgivable by: Sean John
Bold, long lasting, and masculine scent.
This fragrance is masculine and has a hint of fruit to it (according to Sean John its Sicilian lemon, champagne, Tuscan basil and rum).

Armani Code

7 – Armani Code  by: Giorgio Armani
Vibrant, sexy, and smooth.
A seductive fragrance for men, Armani Code is a sexy blend of fresh lemon and bergamot softened with hints of orange tree blossom, warmed with soothing guaiac wood, and tonka bean.

Burberry Touch

6- Burberry Touch by: Burberry
Warm, Manly-man, and rugged.
A woody, musky, aromatic fragrance that is fresh and invigorating yet spicy and warm. Top notes are Artemisia, mandarin tree leaves and violet leaves. Heart notes nutmeg, Virginia cedarwod and white pepper. Finished with dry down notes of skin musk, tonka beans and vetiver.

5- Black Orchid by: Tom Ford
Captivating, sexy-rich, and worn by some of the best!
Incredibly luxurious scent. While sultry woods and rich dark accords help to bring out the skin’s natural perfume, the jet black, art deco-inspired bottle adds to the fragrance’s overall glamour.

Prada Amber

4- Prada Amber by: Prada
Courageous, fresh, and lovely-warm scent.
Mellow and sophisticated cologne for men that would reprise the theme of their eponymous feminine fragrance, namely amber. This version highlights four stages: an amber accord predictably, a traditionally masculine fougère (ferny) accord, a fresh cologne accord, and a suede accord, by interweaving notes of citrus (bergamot, mandarin, neroli), spices & flowers (cardamom, saffron, geranium, orange blossom), balsams & warm notes (myrrh, musk, labdanum, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, patchouli) and ~la pièce de resistance~ soft, supple leather.

Gucci by Gucci

3- Gucci by: Gucci
Safe yet sexy, strong & spicy, and sensual scent.
Woody spicy fragrance. Top note, ginger, heart note, and papyrus. Base note olibanum. Good fall/ winter wonderland wedding

MEN by Marc Jacobs

2- MEN by: Marc Jacobs
Fresh, light, and full-bodied scent.
Lightweight figgy-musky scent best for daytime use and spring and summer. Its notes are: Italian Bergamot, Tuscan Cypress, Cumin, Cardamom, Ginger, Fig Leaves, Rose de Mai, Cyclamen, Tonka Bean, Cedarwood, Nirvanolide Musk, Provence Fig, Indonesian Patchouli, Musk

Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier

1- Le Male by: Jean Paul Gaultier
A must have, sexy-sexy-SEX, and very playful.
Super sexy and makes them want to attack any guy who wears it. Its notes are: Wormwood, Bergamot, Cardamom, Lavender, Orange Blossom, Cinnamon, Cumin, Wood, Musk, Amber, Vanilla, Tonka Bean.

Sex Panther

BONUS EDITOR’S CHOICE – SEX PANTHER

60% of the time, it works every time.

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Do you plan on wearing cologne on your wedding day? Which of these scents sound appealing to you? Tell us in the comments section below.

A special thanks to guest blogger Sarah Nash. Check out her website at SarahNash.com.