Monday, June 2, 2014

The 3 P’s of Manhood: A Review

men
Are men everywhere alike in their concern (and desire) for being manly?
Is the concept of manliness meaningless and entirely culturally relative?
For the last several weeks we have been exploring the answers to these questions by discussing the findings contained in Dr. David D. Gilmore’s Manhood in the Making.
Twenty years ago, Gilmore set out to conduct an exhaustive cross-cultural analysis of how masculinity is perceived and lived around the world.
What he discovered was that far from being exceptional and widely divergent, conceptions of what constitutes a “real man” have been common and consistent through time and around the world. A distinct code of manhood has not only been part of nearly every society on earth — whether agricultural or urban, premodern or advanced, patriarchal or relatively egalitarian — these codes invariably contain the same three imperatives; a male who aspires to be a manmust protectprocreate, and provide.
As the subject is a fascinating and vital one, we have given each of these “3 P’s of Manhood” a thorough treatment. It was definitely a lot to take in; it’s really turned into a kind of Manhood 101 course! So today, for those who didn’t make it through the beastly posts, and for those who did but could use a quick re-orientation, today we’re providing a crib sheet that distills what we have covered thus far down to the basic fundamentals.

The 3 P’s of Manhood in Review

Protect

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The essence of protection is the “need to establish and defend boundaries.” Boundaries create a sense of identity and trust. Should that line be crossed, men will spring into action. Men are called on to guard the perimeter between danger and safety, protecting tribe and family from predators, human enemies, and natural disasters.
A man adds to his individual honor by developing and demonstrating prowess in the protector role. At the same time, he bolsters his community’s reputation for strength as well, as the tribe’s overall reputation serves as a form of protection in and of itself — functioning as a deterrent to attack.
The protector role requires:

Friday, May 30, 2014

How to Make a Drinking Glass From a Bottle

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I’ve often admired the artwork on beer bottles, liquor bottles, even craft soda bottles. And I’ve often wondered how to capture some of this artwork in a way that doesn’t involve simply collecting the bottles. When I stumbled across a shop in Vegas that sold beer and wine bottle drinking glasses, I knew I found my answer. With a little bit of research, I found out how easy it can be to make the same glasses without the hefty retail price tag. What’s great about this project is how versatile it is. It could take the shape of wine bottles turned into vases for Mother’s Day, manly wedding gifts for a groom using his favorite beverage, or you can use smaller bottles and create a set of tasting glasses.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

How to Make a Torch: An Illustrated Guide

1. Find a green branch/stick. You’ll need a tree branch at least 2’ long and a few inches thick. The greener the better, as you don’t want your handle to burn along with your flame.  2. For fuel, you can use natural (tree pitch/resin, bark) or manmade (kerosene, gas, lighter fluid) materials. If using manmade fuels, cut a strip of cotton cloth about 1’ wide, and 2-3’ long. The longer you need your torch to burn, the bigger to cut the cloth. If using natural fuels, forgo the cloth, coat the end of the stick with the bark/pitch, and skip to Step 5.  3. Wrap the cloth around the end of the stick. Wrap it so that it creates a bulge in the cloth. When finished, simply tuck in the end of the cloth.  4. If using a manmade accelerant, soak the cloth for a few minutes before lighting. You want to make sure it’s fully soaked through so it burns for a long time. Pieces of dry cloth will simply char and burn away.  5. Light your torch! If using natural fuels, it may take 30-60 seconds to get lit. Be especially cautious in dry, wooded areas. Your new torch should last anywhere from 20-60 minutes.
Whether navigating the woods in a survival situation or hunting for treasure deep in the tunnels of an ancient temple, knowing how to make a torch with just a few common supplies is a valuable skill. Need fire and don’t have matches on hand? Read up on how to start a fire.

Monday, May 26, 2014

How to Survive Falling Through the Ice: An Illustrated Guide

1. Do not breathe in the water. Your body’s shock response will cause you to gasp and hyperventilate. Resist this force. The shock will wear off in 1-3 minutes and you have 15-45 minutes to get out before you lose consciousness, so try to stay calm.  2. Orient yourself and get back to where you fell through – this ice held you before, so it should be sturdy enough to crawl back onto.  3. Don’t try to pull yourself straight up. Get horizontal, and in a coordinated motion, kick your feet while using your elbows for traction to get up out of the water and onto the ice. Pull and kick until you’re out.  4. Lie flat on ice and ROLL away. This helps prevent further cracking in the ice. Find warm, dry shelter immediately.  5. If you can’t get out, stop trashing to conserve heat and avoid exhaustion. Put arms on ice and don’t move them – they may freeze to the ice, keeping you from slipping into the water when you lose consciousness and giving rescuers more time to get to you. Get as much of your body onto ice as you can – water draws heat away from the body 25x faster than air. Your beard can also freeze on the ice and save you.  6. If your friend falls through, call 911 and then coach them through this process rather than going out to them the hazardous ice. Two victims are worse than one. If they can’t get out on their own, extend a looped rope they can put around their arms, or a tree branch or ladder to hold onto.
If you live in a place where snowy and icy winters are the norm, you know the dangers of falling through the ice. And this guide is especially pertinent for those areas of the country where freezing weather only visits sporadically. When frigid temps descend for a short time upon a location that’s not used to seeing them, people, especially children, are apt to go out exploring their neighborhood ponds and reservoirs. As you can imagine, this creates a danger because the cold weather hasn’t been around long enough to create ice strong enough to walk on. That very scenario has happened here in Tulsa this winter, where two young men, in separate accidents, both drowned when venturing out onto a thinly-frozen creek and pond. So be sure to share this guide with your kids after you study the info yourself.
While no ice is guaranteed to be safe to walk on, the general rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t venture out onto clear ice that is less than 2 inches thick. An even safer bet is 4 inches. And if it’s “snow ice” or white ice, it’ll need to be double that to support you.
If you know you’ll be on ice, it’s also a good idea to carry rescue ice picks with you. They’re cheap, and could make the difference between life and death. You can also make your own with a couple nails and dowels.
Big thanks to Lieutenant Harold Osborn of Denver’s North Metro Fire Rescue District for consulting on this piece.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

3 Ways to Escape Zip Ties: An Illustrated Guide

Slipping Out. 1. Present your hands to your captor with fists clenched and palms facing down. Doing this makes your wrists bigger and creates room to slip out. 2. After the tie is tightened, unclench, turn your wrists so they’re facing inward, and work your way out. It may be tight, but the key is to just get your thumb out first. This method can be used from a variety of hand positions, and should be tried frist.  Breaking the Ties. 1. Tighten zip ties as much as you can with your teeth and try to make sure the locking mechanism is between your hands. The tighter the zip tie, the easier it is to break. 2. Lift hands above head and bring them down quickly into your stomach. Your elbows should flare out like chicken wings, and you should simulate trying to touch your shoulder blades together. With that, the ties should break at their weakest point – the locking mechanism.  Shimming Out. 1. Defeat the mechanism of the zip tie with some kind of shim. If you look closely at a zip tie, you’ll see it has a small locking bar that does all the work. If that bar is lifted from the tracks of the zip tie, it can be easily removed. 2. You can use a variety of objects to lift that locking bar: a fingernail, a pin, even a credit card. Once the bar is lifted, simply pull the tie out of the locking mechanism. This method is easier with multiple people held captive to help each other, but can be done on one’s own as well.
Zip ties are increasingly being used to restrain innocent folks in home invasion and kidnapping scenarios. With a quick Google search, you’ll see a number of situations where suspects used standard zip ties from the local hardware store to restrain their victims.
We tried out all of these methods, and they all work. We even did it with the heavy duty variety, rated at 175 lbs. With a little bit of practice, it’s actually fairly easy to escape from zip ties, and you should be well-prepared should you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being illegally restrained by a home invader or other criminal with zip ties.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

How to Survive a Lightning Strike: An Illustrated Guide

The best way to survive a lightning strike is to avoid being outdoors in the first place. Use the 30/30 Rule: If, after seeing lightning, you can’t count to 30 before hearing thunder, get inside a building or car. Don’t go outside until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.
If you’re caught outdoors and can’t take cover during a lightning storm, seek shelter in a low area under a dense growth of small trees (don’t stand too close to them, though). Avoid tall, isolated objects like tall trees and flagpoles, since lightning often (but not always) tends to strike the tallest object in an area.
If you’re in an open area, go to a low area, like a valley or a ravine (but be alert for flash floods). In all cases, avoid any size body of water, as water is a conductor of electricity.
If you’re caught outdoors and see signs that a lightning strike is imminent (your hair stands on end, your skin tingles, you hear a buzzing, clicking, hissing, or cracking sound, or see metal objects emitting a soft, blue-white glow) or you simply think you’re in danger, immediately assume the position above to increase your chances of surviving, should the lightning strike you directly, or close to you.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

5 ab exercises

Reaching Crunch On Ball


Instructions: Sit on a Swiss ball with your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor. Lean back, so that your back is almost parallel to the floor. Straighten your arms and point them toward the ceiling. Contract your abs, as you would for a crunch, while you reach for the ceiling with your fingertips. Hold the contracted position for three seconds. Slowly raise yourself back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.


Twist And Crunch


Instructions: Place a mat on the floor and lie down on your back, with your hands by your ears and your legs perpendicular to the floor. Twist your hips slightly by contracting your left oblique muscles; hold that position. Using your abs, bring your right elbow across your body to the outside of your left knee. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the movement on your right side. Do 10 reps.


Russian Twist


Instructions: Sit on a decline bench, with your legs firmly under the pads. Lean back slightly, so that your thighs and torso form a 90-degree angle. Extend your arms in front of you, so that they form a 90-degree with your torso, and clasp your hands together. Keeping your back straight, your chest out and your arms straight, make a semi-circle with your arms. With your abs flexed, move as far as you can from right to left and left to right, and do the motion as quickly as you can without sacrificing proper form or range of motion. Work your way up to 60 seconds of continuous movement.


Hip Raise/Leg Raise


Instructions: Lie down on a flat bench with your legs up and perpendicular to the bench (hold the bench behind your head for stability). Lift your hips slightly off the bench by contracting your lower abs, hold for three seconds, and lower your hips. Keep your back flat on the bench, your legs straight and lower your legs until they almost form a straight line with the rest of your body. Hold for a count of three and bring them back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.


Woodchop


Instructions: Add some weight (try 25 pounds) to a multipurpose pulley machine and grasp the handle attachment at shoulder height with your left hand. Square yourself to the machine and take a few steps to the right (away from the machine) until there is sufficient tension. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bring your right arm across your body, and clasp your hands together while holding the handle. Keeping your arms straight and at shoulder height, use your abs to bring your arms across your body, as though you were making a wood-chopping motion. Bring them back to the starting position. Do 10 reps on each side for the excellent core workout.