TJ Carter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Author/Co-Author of 120 articles
TJ Carter wears many hats, both figuratively and literally. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2011 with a degree in English and a Creative Writing minor. TJ has written and edited thousands of blog articles for businesses of all sizes, and has dabbled in podcasting, poetry, fiction, cartooning, and news satire. TJ is a native to the Portland area and it shows
— he loves biking, drinking craft beer, and growing facial hair.
How to cook lobster the right way — boiling, grilling, and roasting
You don't have to go out to a fancy restaurant and shell out for lobster. With a little know-how, anyone can learn to make lobster at home.
Get Your Indoor Grill On With the Revolution Grill Giveaway
Kenyon and The Manual are partnering for a Revolution Grill giveaway. How would you like to do a little indoor grilling this holiday season?
The Gentleman’s Guide to Being Single on Valentine’s Day
Are you going to be single on Valentine's Day? Big deal. Pour yourself a dram and check out this guide. We've got everything you need to feel like a god all on your own.
Tecovas Western Boots: Stylish, Handmade, and Affordable to Boot
If you’re curious about how well you fill a pair of cowboy boots, then allow us to recommend a classic western pair from Tecovas.
Drink Your Beer and Eat it Too: An Introduction to Cooking With Beer
We love beer so much that it’s not enough to simply drink it; we have to eat it, too. That’s why we’ve put together this guide on how to cook with beer.
The Pen Is Merrier: Gifts for Writers and Creative Types
Though your broke-ass writer friend will probably just write you a poem for the holidays, you might consider getting one of the following items anyway.
What to Order at a Bar this Summer: a Beer and a Shot
Let Jim Palumbo, bartender at NYC’s Up & Up bar, and The Manual help you answer that burning question: what to order at a bar?
Pup Your Ride: Benefit Pet Shelters By Instagramming Your Dog in a Car
TrueCar has launched an Instagram campaign to support homeless dog shelters. How can you help? Just post a picture of your pup riding in a car!
The earth-loving man’s guide to reducing waste
Betty and John Shelley were able to fit a year's worth of garbage into a single trash bin. If you want to know how to reduce waste, heed their words.
Let There Be Grillight: Grilling Tools With Built-In LED Flashlights
No more grilling in the dark: Grillight has developed a series of grilling tools with built-in flashlights.
Feel Good Friday: Rhone Apparel Gets the Balls Rolling for Testicular Cancer Research
This month, Rhone Apparel is donating 20% of shorts purchases to the Testicular Cancer Foundation.
Feel Good Friday: Gandys flip flops and the ‘Orphans for Orphans’ initiative
Gandys founders Rob and Paul Forkan were orphaned in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Today, they're using their success to give back to impoverished orphans.
Treat Yourself and the Planet With These Eco-Friendly Products
Here are a few eco-friendly items to consider this Earth Day.
Feel Good Friday: Designer Footballs for Charity
The NFL Foundation and the Council of Fashion Designers of America have collaborated on a collection of 50 unique designer footballs, the proceeds of which will go toward supporting young athletes.
5 Outstanding Holiday Pop-Up Shops from Around the Country
For help finding gifts, we thought we’d present five excellent pop-ups shops. Gentlemen, feel free to share with your friends and family.
Feel Good Friday: Dine Out for No Kid Hungry
This September, participate in the Dine Out for No Kid Hungry initiative, through which you can help end hunger by eating out at your favorite restaurants.
Forget Tailgating – Throw a Quailgate Party with These Quail Recipes
If you’re interested in switching up your tailgating cuisine, allow us to recommend quail -- the key ingredient of a bona fide quailgate party.
3 of Our Favorite Sunglasses for Summer 2015
If you’re having trouble finding your old, scratched shades at the back of the junk drawer, consider investing in a new pair of sunglasses for summer 2015
Vector Puts the Art in Smartwatch
Vector has introduced two handsome smartwatches that are designed to simplify your life. We can’t wait to try them out.
The Manual’s Best Fall Bags 2015
Whether you’re an outdoorsy type or a desk jockey, a daytripper or a world traveler, at least one of these bags should hold your attention (and your stuff).
SF Giants Fans: Make a Statement With Dockers’ Orange Dugout Pants
Dockers and the San Francisco Giants have joined forces to create slick, orange pants that they’re calling “Dugout Pants.”
Nike Auctions Air Jordans to Benefit Children’s Health
Nike will auction 12 Nike Air Jordan XIIs on eBay. 100% of the proceeds will go to child health care at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
G’Night: Slick Men’s Pajamas from Down Under
Two Australian clothing companies -- Elk and ALAS -- are reinventing pajamas for grown men. If you're thinking of switching up your sleep style, you might give men's pajamas another shot.
McMacular Pants: Smooth as Silk (Because They’re Lined With Silk)
Instead of suffering the unsexiness of long johns or the puffiness of flannel-lined pants, you can enjoy the sleek comfort and style of silk-lined McMacular pants.
Kalish & Sons Echoes the Glory of American Manufacturing
Yesterday, Kalish & Sons launched a Kickstarter campaign featuring all-American handmade jackets, handmade bags, hand-thrown coffee mugs, and more.
Feel Good Friday: Zady and Friends Set a New Standard for the Fashion Industry
Zady has set out to prove that the fashion industry can thrive on natural fibers, fair labor practices, and high-quality craftsmanship.
Feel Good Friday: Bono and Revo Have a Vision
The $10 million Buy Vision, Give Sight campaign has set its sights on providing eye care to 5 million children and adults by 2020
How to Wash Jeans: A Beginner’s Guide
Sometimes that pair of raggedy old jeans just needs a good washing. Learn how to wash jeans the right way with this handy how-to guide.
Fall Style: Discount Shirt Jackets to Help You Stay Warm Yet Cool
To help you find some of the best shirt jackets out there, we thought we’d share several on-sale items from Huckberry’s Fall Shirt Shop.
BucketFeet Will Rock Your Socks Off (And Back On Again)
More than 20,000 artists from 100+ countries have submitted unique designs that have ended up on BucketFeet shoes, and now, socks.
Summer’s End: 10 Items to Soothe the Icy Sting of Reality
Summer's almost over. We thought we’d share this list of excellent products to help soothe the icy sting of reality and boost productivity.
Find New Roads: The 2016 Chevy Camaro’s Excellent Adventure
In celebration of the 2016 Camaro, Chevy has embarked on what will surely go down as one of the most epic American road trips of all time.
Find Your Inner Southern Gentleman on National Seersucker Day
Haspel -- the men’s clothing brand that invented the seersucker suit in 1909 -- has declared Thursday, June 11th to be National Seersucker Day.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint, Not Your Swagger
This Earth Day, we urge you to think about how your habits impact the Earth. This article offers a few simple tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint.
Urban BBQ: Embrace Indoor Grilling With Kenyon’s City Grill
For help putting together an indoor grilling guide, we reached out to Mike Williams, Grill Specialist for Kenyon and purveyor of the almighty City Grill.
Stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton Does All His Own Stunts (And Everyone Else’s)
We interview movie stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton, who has doubled for Batman, Thor, and 007, and appeared in dozens of other films.
Raise a Glass of Scotch to the Scots on National Tartan Day
April 6 is National Tartan Day in the United States, a holiday meant to honor the considerable contributions of Scots and Scottish-Americans to our society.
The Quest for the Perfect Grilled Cheese on National Grilled Cheese Day
On April 12, the nation will observe National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Learning how to make grilled cheese is a great way to honor this holiday.
Find Your Aloha Spirit with OluKai Footwear
If you’re going to own a pair of flip-flops, we think you might as well get a pair that’s a cut above average. OluKai holds themselves to a higher standard.
Waves for Water: Quenching the Thirst for Adventure
Waves for Water encourages surfers traveling to developing nations to pack water filters in their luggage, then distribute said water filters among people who really need it.
Shred the Gnar This Arbor Day with The Arbor Collective
The Arbor Collective -- an aptly named snowboard, skateboard, and clothing brand based in California -- has made planting trees an important part of their enterprise.
Feel Good Friday: Sunglasses Made of Discarded Fishnets?
In collaboration with the Chilean eyewear company Karün, Bureo has released The Ocean Collection: three handsome frames made from derelict fishnets.
Feel Good Friday: Beyond Type 1 and National Diabetes Month
November is National Diabetes Month, which makes now the perfect time to learn about the disease and the 371 million people affected by it worldwide.
Feel Good Friday: Vodka for Dog People
Tito’s is spreading awareness of Emancipet’s mission so they may increase the number of low-cost vet clinics in Texas and beyond.
Feel Good Friday: Thousands Go Barefoot for the Shoeless
In an effort to raise awareness of shoelessness, Soles4Souls has organized the #Barefoot4Them campaign.
Hey, I’m Surfing Here: New Yorkers Take to the Waves
This year, Matt Alberts is touring the nation and reaching out to LIFERS who are inspired by snow, sun, and water. Check out his videos to learn more.
Feel Good Friday: The Ambitious “More Than Just Parks” Film Project
To capture the majesty of our national parks, filmmaking brothers Will and Jim Pattiz of Sea Raven Media will make one short film for each national park.
Feel Good Friday: TOMS and National Geographic Lend a Paw to Big Cats
The TOMS and the Big Cats Initiative collaboration allows folks to funnel their outrage over Cecil the Lion's death into help for African big cats.
Blow Your Dinner Guests Away With Homemade Tortellini
Are you looking to get into the cooking game? Check out this brief guide on how to make tortellini, courtesy of Bluehour's Chef Kyo Koo.