(OR, WHY ARE URINALS DESIGNED TO SPRAY PISS ALL OVER MEN? [or, How to Properly Piss in a Urinal])
Today, we will examine and contemplate modern urinal design. Perhaps not the first topic to come to mind as something you’d like to explore in depth, but, as I hope this article will show you, it is one worthy of investigation. This topic admittedly caters largely to men, although the occasional woman may find some amusement or insight in the discussion. Without further ado, I give you a diatribe on the virtues, …

I recently flew from Southern California to San Francisco. The flight itself is about an hour, but between the TSA, packing, check-in and the wonderful world of “additional screening,” the process of getting TO the plane can take longer than that. Especially when you have tattoos, piercings, and bad taste in clothing that generally includes back patches and 12 pounds of spikes and studs. I’ve been travelling more and more as I have gotten older and have picked up a few tips and tricks, especially for those of us who …

Mother’s Day got your girl’s biologic clock in a frenzy? Ready to knock her up? You gotta do that shit proper, man. Your future monster isn’t gonna want to hear how you knocked up his mom in the back seat of your Subaru outside Applebee’s, but you’re going to tell them about it anyways, aren’t you. You’re a bastard. If you gotta make a nice date out of the matter, we’re here to help. Here at Racket, we’re all about helping you get laid, and hopefully we’ll branch out to …

For those unfamiliar with the musical Mecca that is Coachella, let me enlighten you to a something: no one goes to Coachella to see their favorite bands. They go there for the campgrounds. Why, you ask? It’s hipster Spring Break. A bunch of 20-somethings with a laissez faire sexuality convene in the desert, pork in tents for a weekend to the sounds of Swedish DJs and Brooklyn noise rock bands and go back to their job as a barista. Fellas, wanna get in on that action? I’m here to help. …

Ah, Valentine’s Day, the day where you are contractually obliged to do SOMETHING with your significant other. Tired of year after year of awkward dinners (remember that year where you ended up sitting across from your ex at Benihana and snorted a little too loud when the chef launched a vegetable down her cleavage?) and looks of stifled disappointment (I said my favorite color was CRIMSON, not SCARLET!), well, throw out the old playbook altogether and show your girl (or guy) that you really care by taking her to see …

Racket’s own Armando Olivas not only chats with artists for Racket, but he, along with his pal Matt Baldwin, put out these badass podcasts.
Listen on as Matt and Mondo put on their big boy pants and talk to two of punk rock’s biggest heavyweights. First, the dynamic duo talk with Tony Weinbender, all-around Fest czar to discuss the upcoming Fest 10! Also joining the podcast is Less Than Jake drummer and Paper + Plastick owner Vinnie Fiorello. Vinnie talks about the upcoming Anthology release as well as the day to …

Ahh, it’s that time, isn’t it? Time for another collection of jams handpicked by The Emperor and mastered by Racket’s own Kateri Lirio. With tunes from diverse artists such as Edwarde Sharp and The Magnetic Zeros, Naughty By Nature (No, I’m not quite sure how it ended up at Racket, either.) and Stewart, Killer Sharks 5 has a lot to dish out.
This month’s cover art continues in the hand made parody art, though this masterpiece was painted by yours truly. That’s right, I was able to get my hands to …

Oh my, yet another Killer Sharks download compilation. While we continue to bring you some badass tunes, this time around we have a guest artist for the series, Karen Bardsley. When Karen’s not creating some rad designs for Racket, she is traversing the globe as both the goalkeeper for Sky Blue FC out of Jersey as well as for the English Women’s National soccer team. Baller, right?

Killer Sharks 4 brings you jams from artists from a wide range of genres and locations. 22 tracks, all free to you with a simple click of the mouse! We hope you enjoy and be sure to leave a comment here telling us what you’d like to see more of!

Make the mouse go click HERE -> Killer Sharks 4 to download your copy now. The set list can be found behind the jump!

Man, with all the excitement that’s been going around Racket lately (new site, Spring Issue, ummm, lunch), we’re a bit late in presenting you our third MP3 compilation in our Killer Sharks series.
Killer Sharks 3 has some insanely rad acts for you, including World’s Greatest Ghosts from Portland, Ivan Ives, a rapper originally from the USSR, some Florida punk in the form of The Tubers and Spanish Gamble, some SoCal hip hop from Late Bloomers and MC Prototype, and even some dance tracks courtesy of Veil Veil Vanish, Love Grenades …

The plight of the migrant farm worker seems to get caught up in controversy in the US. “Migrant” is often confused with “illegal immigrant,” and the issue becomes lost in politics.
What really lies beneath the politics and the issues is a problem- families struggling to support their way of life, moving from town to town, following whatever harvest or work they can find.
Harvest of Hope, created in 1997, is moving forward to becoming a solution to that problem.
“In 1995, I began work at the State University of New York at …

It’s winter. It’s cold. We get it. However, it doesn’t give anyone the excuse to confuse fab with frumpy. Some trends just need to be buried like an Egyptian. Do yourself a favor and ring in the New Year with a new sense of style and humor…because we at Racket dress to the nines all the time.

1. Costello Glasses – To the wearers of these spectacles, if your name isn’t Buddy Holly or Elvis Costello, beware. You might look like you’re pretending to be smart to no avail. Chances are: …

Ahhh, the obligatory “Best Of” lists. If anything, they get my blood pumping as I think of the injustice of none of my top ten even making the top 40 for Spin. Then again, I haven’t seen any of these bands listed as “indie darlings” and to my knowledge, none of the band members have appeared in anything resembling Juno or any given Wes Anderson flick.
These are the ten albums that have come out this year that I can’t stop listening to. I continually come back to these, whether it’s …

It is the final frontier.  93 billion light years of stars, asteroids and planets spread across a limitless expanse- a beautiful and dangerous world fraught with collisions and violence and spectacle that is almost infinite.  Ever since Aristotle gazed into the heavens and proposed his heliocentric theory of the universe, philosophers, scientists, artists and filmmakers have attempted to describe the twinkling objects and orbs they’ve seen in the night sky.  Writers as diverse as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells have explored the mysteries of the night sky and dared to …

They walk among us- accountants, nurses, lawyers, teachers- mild mannered individuals by all accounts, with spouses, children, families, and friends. Few recognize them in the crush of anonymous folks in the crowd. They are our neighbors, our sisters, our brothers, our fathers.  Everyman John and Jane Does, just doing the best they can.
By day they are just another nameless face. Come night, though, they take off their coats and jackets and blouses and skirts, and put on their capes and cowls, and become something else. Some call them misfits. Others …

The holidays are hard upon us and the final stretch mad-dash to shower those dear and socially necessary to us with lavish gifts is underway. To some, the experience can be harrowing and frustratingly exhausting as the idea list for presents quickly gets used up and inches ever nearer to body-wash and “sausages of the world” platter territory. Racket has you covered. Our list of can’t-fail gifts will have everyone squealing with delight.
miShare iPod File Transfer Dock- For when you want it right now, wherever, whenever. Make …

Okay, so you’ve stocked the fridge with your favorite egg-nog/Kalua/wine/beer/depressant of choice, and bought presents for your parents, ex-girlfriend, and family dog, and made extra sure to make Paypal donation to Network for Good. What else is there for you to do to make up for all the naughty, naughty things you did the other 11 months of the year? Answer: A lot. And if you’re not careful your bid to get your karma fixed could end quicker than My Name is Earl. But don’t worry, …