I swear I've been good and I'll be good all next year too. No more road rage or anything!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Dear Santa, part 1
Dear Santa, I found this really cool vehicle while Stumbling one night and was wondering if there's still time to ask for one.
I swear I've been good and I'll be good all next year too. No more road rage or anything!
I swear I've been good and I'll be good all next year too. No more road rage or anything!
Monday, November 19, 2007
10 Things Every Man Should Be Able To Do
There are certain things that every Man should be able to do. I'm not saying that Modern Man should be able to build a house from scratch, shoe a horse or survive in the Wild indefinitely, but he should be able to do a wide variety of things that are minimum requirements for being "Manly."
I know there are things on this list that many Men don't do because they just don't have the time, but that's OK. Ability is what matters here, not opportunity.
The following list is made up of what I consider to be things that define a Man as such, in no particular order:
1- Drive a stick shift. I know, I know, an automatic is easier, more convenient, and blah blah blah... It doesn't mean you're not a Man if you don't drive a stick, just if you can't drive a stick. So many people my age never learned to drive in anything but a slushbox, seeing as how most people my age learned to drive in family sedans. I took my first driver's test in a little car with an automatic and failed, but when I took the test in a full-size truck with a stick, I passed easily. It also enables you to operate a motorcycle, and what could be more Manly than that?
2- Speaking of cars,Men should be able to do simple routine maintenance on them. Changing oil, spark plugs, filters and belts are still relatively easy and don't usually require any special tools or equipment. Again, I'm not saying you're less than a Man if you don't service your own vehicle, just that you should possess rudimentary knowledge of its care. This has the dual purpose of being able to save money while still using top quality parts and keeping you from getting ripped off when you bring it in for service. Plus you should be able to change out a flat tire just on general principles.
3- Read a map. If you're not going to stop & ask directions (and what Man would?), you'd better be able to read a map, find your present location and plot your own course. With the advent of very accurate GPS systems, this is becoming less of an issue, but it's still a very useful skill. Learning how to refold your map is optional, though, as a matter of aesthetics.
4-Read, write and speak articulately. Nothing is more pathetic than a conversation with a supposedly grown Man who uses big words and has no grasp of their actual meaning. Non-existent words, like irregardless, or mispronunciation that adds to or ignores existing letters in a word are particularly irritating. Ask people to pronounce "voluptuous," I'll bet good money at least a third will give you "volumptuous." What does that do to their credibility? Contrary to today's MTV generation's opinion, there's nothing cooler than being intelligent and articulate.
5-Defend himself from an attack. I'm not saying every man needs to be Jet Li, but you should be able to protect yourself and any women or children in your company. Even if it's just a verbal attack, refer to #4 above. Some Police departments in America actually train their officers in "verbal Judo" so they can defuse a bad situation with words, instead of making it worse with a weapon. Learn to stop an attacker, but also use common sense, because you're just not going to thwart an armed robbery. That's horrible Hollywood BS, and it will get you and others killed.
6- A man should be able to shoot a gun. Once again, I'm not saying you should transform yourself into Dirty Harry, but familiarizing yourself with firearms will dispel a lot of the mystery and fear so many people associate with them. The Founding Fathers thought it was important enough to include it in the Constitution, right after Free Speech. If you can shoot a gun, you should be able to safely load & unload it, disassemble & clean it and safely store it in your home. If you don't care for guns, that's fine too, a man who stands by his principles is still worthy of respect, as long as your dislike is not fueled by ignorance or fear. This does not exempt you from #5 above.
7- Basic household maintenance. Beyond changing light bulbs and cutting grass (which I personally despise), you should be able to manage the next step up. Installing a ceiling fan, light fixture, or other items should be part of a Man's skill set. Learn how to do simple plumbing, electrical and carpentry jobs and you will appreciate the people who do these things for a living a lot more. It will also save you money and put more intangible value on your home.
8- Cook a meal. Hello, it's not 1955 any more! Yes, a Man should be able to cook more than microwave meals, spaghetti and omelettes. If you can cook, you demonstrate your prowess as a provider and appeal to the primitive side of a potential romantic interest. Along with a sense of humor, this is one of the primary things women will appreciate for a very long time. Besides, fast food will kill you faster than cigarettes.
9-Hook up your own electronics. A Man should be proud of his entertainment system, but wouldn't that pride be underscored by knowing you put it together and made it work? I learned by a lot of trial-and-error, but I now have a totally rocking system in my home. The more ancillary devices you have, the better, even if some of your devices are last-gen, like a cassette deck or turntable.You should also be able to put a desktop PC together and have it running in little or no time.
10- Manage your finances. If you can't balance your checkbook or if you carry a balance on credit cards, get used to being broke. Knowing how credit works will serve you well throughout your life, and I was fortunate enough to learn this before I got buried in debt. Someone told me a long time ago that "you'll never get rich working for someone else, so pay yourself first." I started doing that right away and realized how true it was fairly quickly. Don't spend money you don't have on things you don't really need. Do I need a 60" TV? No, but I paid for it with money that was set aside for just that reason, so no real sacrifice was made to buy it. Did I need it? No. Did I work out a way to get it anyway? Yes. Hell yes.
I know there are more than these items, so feel free to amend this list any way you like.
I know there are things on this list that many Men don't do because they just don't have the time, but that's OK. Ability is what matters here, not opportunity.
The following list is made up of what I consider to be things that define a Man as such, in no particular order:
1- Drive a stick shift. I know, I know, an automatic is easier, more convenient, and blah blah blah... It doesn't mean you're not a Man if you don't drive a stick, just if you can't drive a stick. So many people my age never learned to drive in anything but a slushbox, seeing as how most people my age learned to drive in family sedans. I took my first driver's test in a little car with an automatic and failed, but when I took the test in a full-size truck with a stick, I passed easily. It also enables you to operate a motorcycle, and what could be more Manly than that?
2- Speaking of cars,Men should be able to do simple routine maintenance on them. Changing oil, spark plugs, filters and belts are still relatively easy and don't usually require any special tools or equipment. Again, I'm not saying you're less than a Man if you don't service your own vehicle, just that you should possess rudimentary knowledge of its care. This has the dual purpose of being able to save money while still using top quality parts and keeping you from getting ripped off when you bring it in for service. Plus you should be able to change out a flat tire just on general principles.
3- Read a map. If you're not going to stop & ask directions (and what Man would?), you'd better be able to read a map, find your present location and plot your own course. With the advent of very accurate GPS systems, this is becoming less of an issue, but it's still a very useful skill. Learning how to refold your map is optional, though, as a matter of aesthetics.
4-Read, write and speak articulately. Nothing is more pathetic than a conversation with a supposedly grown Man who uses big words and has no grasp of their actual meaning. Non-existent words, like irregardless, or mispronunciation that adds to or ignores existing letters in a word are particularly irritating. Ask people to pronounce "voluptuous," I'll bet good money at least a third will give you "volumptuous." What does that do to their credibility? Contrary to today's MTV generation's opinion, there's nothing cooler than being intelligent and articulate.
5-Defend himself from an attack. I'm not saying every man needs to be Jet Li, but you should be able to protect yourself and any women or children in your company. Even if it's just a verbal attack, refer to #4 above. Some Police departments in America actually train their officers in "verbal Judo" so they can defuse a bad situation with words, instead of making it worse with a weapon. Learn to stop an attacker, but also use common sense, because you're just not going to thwart an armed robbery. That's horrible Hollywood BS, and it will get you and others killed.
6- A man should be able to shoot a gun. Once again, I'm not saying you should transform yourself into Dirty Harry, but familiarizing yourself with firearms will dispel a lot of the mystery and fear so many people associate with them. The Founding Fathers thought it was important enough to include it in the Constitution, right after Free Speech. If you can shoot a gun, you should be able to safely load & unload it, disassemble & clean it and safely store it in your home. If you don't care for guns, that's fine too, a man who stands by his principles is still worthy of respect, as long as your dislike is not fueled by ignorance or fear. This does not exempt you from #5 above.
7- Basic household maintenance. Beyond changing light bulbs and cutting grass (which I personally despise), you should be able to manage the next step up. Installing a ceiling fan, light fixture, or other items should be part of a Man's skill set. Learn how to do simple plumbing, electrical and carpentry jobs and you will appreciate the people who do these things for a living a lot more. It will also save you money and put more intangible value on your home.
8- Cook a meal. Hello, it's not 1955 any more! Yes, a Man should be able to cook more than microwave meals, spaghetti and omelettes. If you can cook, you demonstrate your prowess as a provider and appeal to the primitive side of a potential romantic interest. Along with a sense of humor, this is one of the primary things women will appreciate for a very long time. Besides, fast food will kill you faster than cigarettes.
9-Hook up your own electronics. A Man should be proud of his entertainment system, but wouldn't that pride be underscored by knowing you put it together and made it work? I learned by a lot of trial-and-error, but I now have a totally rocking system in my home. The more ancillary devices you have, the better, even if some of your devices are last-gen, like a cassette deck or turntable.You should also be able to put a desktop PC together and have it running in little or no time.
10- Manage your finances. If you can't balance your checkbook or if you carry a balance on credit cards, get used to being broke. Knowing how credit works will serve you well throughout your life, and I was fortunate enough to learn this before I got buried in debt. Someone told me a long time ago that "you'll never get rich working for someone else, so pay yourself first." I started doing that right away and realized how true it was fairly quickly. Don't spend money you don't have on things you don't really need. Do I need a 60" TV? No, but I paid for it with money that was set aside for just that reason, so no real sacrifice was made to buy it. Did I need it? No. Did I work out a way to get it anyway? Yes. Hell yes.
I know there are more than these items, so feel free to amend this list any way you like.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Not everyone's cup of tea
There's an activity that can create some ill feelings among certain parties. That activity is hunting. I know there are people who just abhor hunting and everything about it, but I think it's because they don't want to acknowledge the positive aspects of it.
Ask any Wildlife Officer and they'll tell you that an unchecked population of deer is a very bad thing. If deer overpopulate their food supply, many more will die of starvation than would be harvested during hunting season.
Anyway, I'm not here to debate the pros and cons of hunting. As adventures go, an African Safari still ranks high on many people's list. For those of us who can't take off for a month for parts unknown, there are still plenty of hunting adventures available here in the U.S.
I have a friend who goes to Wyoming every year just to spend a week hunting. A lot of guide services will take you into the deep boonies for a hunt, and many also guarantee a trophy-size of whatever you want to hunt.
If you really want to experience hunting in all its glorious frustration, there are game animals everywhere in North America, so you may be looking at less than an hour drive to get there.
There are deer that wander right through my yard, and this seems to be a very common experience around here. Anyway, since you don't want to be anywhere around homes or businesses, you need to get out into the woods. For the full experience, practice with a bow until you can hit a playing card at 30 yards and go out during bow season. Just you, your bow, arrows, and your skill. Since deer are mainly nocturnal, if you get to the woods after the sun's already up, you may as well go right back home. We used to get up around 4 A.M., depending on how far we had to go and whether or not we already had our gear packed. And the weather was rarely ideal. So if you are willing to go out into the elements and pit your skills against nature, then you are ready for a classic fall adventure.
Hunting is an activity that can be as expensive as you want it to be. I have hunted with a surplus WW1 rifle I bought for $60.00, as well as a semi-custom rifle that was worth more than I made in 2 months. There is a whole pantheon of specialty items you might want as well. I would recommend waterproof boots that keep your feet warm, and get the best you can afford, because nothing will put a damper on a hunt like coming home empty-handed and miserably cold. If you are uncomfortable and cold, it will start to affect other things as well, making you move around making unnecessary noise, paying less attention to your surroundings and more to your discomfort, and so on.
I personally don't hunt any more, I just don't have the time or inclination, and there are too many ATVs bashing around the woods (sorry, but I don't look at that as hunting in it's purest form) for my liking. Although, to be honest, since I ride a motorcycle and enjoy the backroads, I see a lot of deer moseying across the road quite often. If that sight would alarm you in a car, just think about being on a bike! So I may just start hunting again out of spite!
Ask any Wildlife Officer and they'll tell you that an unchecked population of deer is a very bad thing. If deer overpopulate their food supply, many more will die of starvation than would be harvested during hunting season.
Anyway, I'm not here to debate the pros and cons of hunting. As adventures go, an African Safari still ranks high on many people's list. For those of us who can't take off for a month for parts unknown, there are still plenty of hunting adventures available here in the U.S.
I have a friend who goes to Wyoming every year just to spend a week hunting. A lot of guide services will take you into the deep boonies for a hunt, and many also guarantee a trophy-size of whatever you want to hunt.
If you really want to experience hunting in all its glorious frustration, there are game animals everywhere in North America, so you may be looking at less than an hour drive to get there.
There are deer that wander right through my yard, and this seems to be a very common experience around here. Anyway, since you don't want to be anywhere around homes or businesses, you need to get out into the woods. For the full experience, practice with a bow until you can hit a playing card at 30 yards and go out during bow season. Just you, your bow, arrows, and your skill. Since deer are mainly nocturnal, if you get to the woods after the sun's already up, you may as well go right back home. We used to get up around 4 A.M., depending on how far we had to go and whether or not we already had our gear packed. And the weather was rarely ideal. So if you are willing to go out into the elements and pit your skills against nature, then you are ready for a classic fall adventure.
Hunting is an activity that can be as expensive as you want it to be. I have hunted with a surplus WW1 rifle I bought for $60.00, as well as a semi-custom rifle that was worth more than I made in 2 months. There is a whole pantheon of specialty items you might want as well. I would recommend waterproof boots that keep your feet warm, and get the best you can afford, because nothing will put a damper on a hunt like coming home empty-handed and miserably cold. If you are uncomfortable and cold, it will start to affect other things as well, making you move around making unnecessary noise, paying less attention to your surroundings and more to your discomfort, and so on.
I personally don't hunt any more, I just don't have the time or inclination, and there are too many ATVs bashing around the woods (sorry, but I don't look at that as hunting in it's purest form) for my liking. Although, to be honest, since I ride a motorcycle and enjoy the backroads, I see a lot of deer moseying across the road quite often. If that sight would alarm you in a car, just think about being on a bike! So I may just start hunting again out of spite!
Friday, November 9, 2007
Winter is almost here and that means all-new fun!
That means a whole new set of parameters to gauge adventure with. Certainly you can go camping in cold weather, it's a completely different experience that way. Just a bit more hardcore, and the "need" list is a bit longer, and the gear is a little different. When I was in Scouts we went on a winter camping trip every January, and we hiked through snow most times to get to our site. I can tell you one thing for sure: you better be able to build a fire!
With the advent of extreme sports, there are a few more options now than there were 25 years ago. You've got freestyle skiing, snowboarding, scary-fast snowmobiles and ATVs. When we were kids, we would go down a snow-covered hill on anything we could find: sleds, inner tubes, pieces of wood paneling. I had a friend who found a refrigerator door and rode it down one of the steepest hills within walking distance of his neighborhood, and it was amazingly fast. He almost launched into someone's house! I thought he broke his arm, but he didn't and all's well that ends well. Besides, if the possibility of stitches or broken bones doesn't loom over your fun, what's the point?
With the advent of extreme sports, there are a few more options now than there were 25 years ago. You've got freestyle skiing, snowboarding, scary-fast snowmobiles and ATVs. When we were kids, we would go down a snow-covered hill on anything we could find: sleds, inner tubes, pieces of wood paneling. I had a friend who found a refrigerator door and rode it down one of the steepest hills within walking distance of his neighborhood, and it was amazingly fast. He almost launched into someone's house! I thought he broke his arm, but he didn't and all's well that ends well. Besides, if the possibility of stitches or broken bones doesn't loom over your fun, what's the point?
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Speaking of Speed...
... here's a post I wrote with my lovely and tolerant wife.
I have friends who love Nascar racing. I personally do not share their enthusiasm. I used to really enjoy watching Nascar, back when they ran real stock cars. I like high tech racing, where the cars, and the drivers are pushed to their limits. In my opinion, Nascar is the lowest tech racing out there. They don’t even use overhead camshafts, which Alfa Romeo was using before WWII. I understand the reason behind a lot of it is to keep costs from skyrocketing, but to race with what is almost 100-year-old technology, especially with the engines, is totally unappealing to me. I have always loved almost all kinds of racing, and can appreciate what goes into each type of race. When I was a kid, drivers would compete in the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, and Formula One races, and they were giants among men.
What surprises me is the number of people who watch Formula One and still enjoy Nascar. But hardly any Nascar fans will even consider watching Formula One. They say it’s boring because there isn’t enough passing. Here is a small list that I’ve compiled to do a side-by-side comparison of the two series. This is not meant as a slam against Nascar. If you love Nascar, I can appreciate the fact that you like racing. Maybe this list will fire up your curiosity and you will tune into a Formula One race and decide for yourself.
| Nascar | Formula One |
| Rolling start | Standing start |
| Lots of passing on every lap. | Passing requires setup and execution, could take several laps. |
| Ford, GM, Dodge and Toyota (only American makes were permitted to race until 2004) | Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Renault, Toyota, Honda and Privateers: Williams, Red Bull, Scuderia Torro Rosso, Super Aguri and Force India |
| 2 road courses and 34 ovals | Up to 19 races per season: all world class road courses |
| 5.8 liter V8 produces 750-800 hp and revs to 8,000 rpm | 2.4 liter V8 produces 750-800 hp and revs are restricted to 19,000 rpm |
| Car must weigh 3,400 lbs (1542 kg) | Car and driver must weigh at least 600kg (1323 lbs) |
| 43 cars start the race | A maximum of 24 cars can start the race (12 two-car teams) |
| Single car qualifying- each car has 2 laps to try to qualify as high as possible on the starting grid. | 3 ten-minute qualifying sessions. Slowest 6 cars are regulated to last 6 available positions. All cars must make a qualifying run in every session until eliminated. |
| Races are postponed or canceled due to rain | Race rain or shine. The only time a race will be postponed is if the medical helicopter cannot fly. |
| Tracks are all in the United States with most in the South | For 2008, there are 18 races in 17 countries (2 races in Spain) |
| Very few technological advances: carburetors, push rods, cast iron engine block, 2 valves per cylinder, etc. Cars can be reused for multiple seasons. | Super high tech: every team hires the best engineers they can find in multiple fields, including the aerospace field. The cars are advanced and updated from race to race. Cars are designed from the ground up every year. |
| Banked corners to help the cars steer | Cars experience up to 4 g’s under acceleration, up to 5 g’s under braking and through turns |
| All cars are required to match the same silhouette template | Teams are given design restrictions but other than that, they are free to run any design within the rules |
| 30-35 seconds is considered a good pit stop (4 tires & fuel) | 7-8 seconds is considered a good pit stop (4 tires & fuel) |
| Point system is unnecessarily complex | Top 8 finishers receive points for both driver and constructor |
| Intentional contact is tolerated, expected and sometimes encouraged | Intentional contact is prohibited- driver could be disqualified, driver and team could be penalized. |
| Average audience per race is about 30 million in 150 countries | Audience estimated at anywhere from 200-500 million per race in over 200 countries |
| Minimal downforce on cars to enhance drafting and passing | Aerodynamics produce enough downforce at 100 mph to hold the car to the road if the road turned upside down |
| Drivers race for money and points | Drivers race for points only |
| Top drivers can make over $7 million a year | Top drivers’ salaries can exceed $20 million a year |
| You can see the whole track if your seat is high enough up, at some of the tracks | Track layout limits most spectators’ view of the entire course |
Defining Adventure
How does one define adventure? For a lot of people, it means many different things, mostly involving some pulse-quickening activity. Running, cycling, white-water rafting or kayaking, skydiving, you get the picture.
Speed is my kick, I guess. I have always loved to go fast. I personally enjoy my motorcycle immensely, especially on the two-lane twisties in northern West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania. As a rule, I don't normally ride on the freeway, to me it kind of defeats the purpose of riding a bike, but there are enough idiots and apparently suicidal deer out there to qualify it as an adventure.
I also used to go hiking and camping a lot when I was younger, and I can't recommend the Boy Scouts enough for kids who are that age. I also rode a ten-speed everywhere when I was in high school, and like almost everything else I've owned with wheels on it, I had to see how fast I could go on it. I think I got it up to 30-35 mph pedaling downhill on my street. I can't tell you how many cars I almost hit (there were at least 4 side streets and I always ran the stop sign right by my house) but it was definitely a rush.
Speed is my kick, I guess. I have always loved to go fast. I personally enjoy my motorcycle immensely, especially on the two-lane twisties in northern West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania. As a rule, I don't normally ride on the freeway, to me it kind of defeats the purpose of riding a bike, but there are enough idiots and apparently suicidal deer out there to qualify it as an adventure.
I also used to go hiking and camping a lot when I was younger, and I can't recommend the Boy Scouts enough for kids who are that age. I also rode a ten-speed everywhere when I was in high school, and like almost everything else I've owned with wheels on it, I had to see how fast I could go on it. I think I got it up to 30-35 mph pedaling downhill on my street. I can't tell you how many cars I almost hit (there were at least 4 side streets and I always ran the stop sign right by my house) but it was definitely a rush.
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