Grilling the Perfect Steak

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Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from AoM reader and friend Cameron Ming. Cameron is an award winning barbequer and griller here in Oklahoma.

One of the closest links between man and beast is our love for meat. But what should separate us from mere animals is the manner in which that meat is cooked. Sadly, just because you’re human doesn’t mean you’re eating your meat any better than a beast.

Grilling a steak truly is like art: lots of people can draw, but not everyone is Michelangelo. Most of us will never make masterpieces at home, but getting close is much more simple than you think. Properly grilling a steak will separate you from the majority of the guys on the block and might even impress the ladies. But more important than showing up the fellas, you owe it to yourself to prepare the meat in the best way possible. It’s a matter of respect, I’d say.

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The Mechanics of the Man Hug

A firm, hearty handshake is always an appropriate way for men to greet each other. But when men achieve a greater familiarity, a man hug becomes appropriate. Some men fear male on male hugging of any kind. But done in an appropriate way, men can still hug while remaining secure in their manhood. Here’s how:

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Talk Like Frank Sinatra

Old Blue Eyes. The Chairman of the Board. Frank Sinatra was the epitome of American male coolness. When he walked into any room, his confident swagger created an electric charge. Women wanted to be with him and men wanted to be him.

Part of Sinatra’s manly and cool presence came from the way he talked. See, Frank had a way of livening up every part of life, even the English language. He peppered casual conversations with phrases and words that to the uninitiated sounded like a bunch of gibberish. Yet it left people intrigued, and wanting to be part of the seemingly exclusive fraternity that used this secret lingo. It not only created a magnetic attraction, but simply sounded damn cool.

Below is a dictionary of the secret man language of Frank Sinatra. Throw a few of these words into your conversations among friends. You’ll probably get a few raised eyebrows but like Frank, you’ll add spark to even the most mundane interactions.

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How To Survive a Bear Attack

According to Stephen Colbert, bears are the number one threat to America today. Sure, bears look cute when they’re rummaging through a garbage can looking for food, but don’t let their cuteness lull you into carnal security. Bears are “godless killing machines.”

While bear attacks are rare, a man should always be prepared for a bear attack. You never know when you’ll need this information.

How you handle a bear attack depends on the type of bear you encounter- grizzly or black bear. So the first step in surviving a bear attack is to know what kind you’re up against.

Grizzly Bear Dossier

Color: Medium to dark brown
Body Shape: The Grizzly bears has distinct shoulder hump. This is a muscle used for digging roots and slashing prey with their massive bear paw.
Height: The grizzly bear average around 6.5 ft in height
Claws: Grizzly claws are long. They can usually be seen from a distance
Location: Grizzlies are mostly found in Canada. However, populations exist from Alaska and into portions of the northwest United States including Washington, Idaho, the Dakotas, and Montana.

How to Survive A Grizzly Attack

1. Carry bear pepper spray. Experts recommend that hikers in bear country carry with them bear pepper spray. UDAP bear pepper spray is a highly concentrated capsaicin spray that creates a large cloud. This stuff will usually stop a bear in it’s tracks.
2. Don’t run. When you run, the bear thinks you’re prey and will continue chasing you, so stand your ground. And don’t think you can out run a bear. Bears are fast. They can reach speeds of 30 mph. Unless you’re an Olympic sprinter, don’t bother running.
3. Drop to the ground in the fetal position and cover the back of your neck with your hands. If you don’t have pepper spray or the bear continues to charge even after the spray, this is your next best defense. Hit the ground immediately and curl into the fetal position.
4. Play dead. Grizzlies will stop attacking when they feel there’s no longer a threat. If they think you’re dead, they won’t think you’re threatening. Once the bear is done tossing you around and leaves, continue to play dead. Grizzlies are known for waiting around to see if their victim will get back up.

Black Bear Dossier

Color: Black bears exhibit a variety of colors ranging from black to light blond.
Body shape: Black bears don’t have the hump that Grizzlies have
Height: Black bears are slightly smaller than Grizzlies
Claws: Black bear claws are shorter than Grizzly claws.
Location: Black bears are the most common bear in North America. They live in all the providences of Canada and 41 and of the 50 American states.

How to Survive a Black Bear Attack

1. Carry bear pepper spray. As with the grizzly bear, bear pepper spray should be your first line of defense in a bear attack.
2. Stand your ground and make lots of noise. Black bears often bluff when attacking. If you show them you mean business, they may just lose interest.
3. Don’t climb a tree. Black bears are excellent climbers. Climbing up a tree won’t help you out here.
4. Fight back. If the black bear actually attacks, fight back. Use anything and everything as a weapon- rocks, sticks, fists, and your teeth. Aim your blows on the bears face- particularly the eyes and snout. When a black bear sees that their victim is willing to fight to the death, they’ll usually just give up.

Disclaimer

The Art of Manliness does not encourage people to go out and find a bear to practice these skills with. Practicing on your significant other will not do either.

Sources:

MountainNature

Run The Planet

National Parks Service

How To Give an Impressive Handshake

I’m in law school right now and as a future attorney, I’ll be shaking lots of hands: clients, potential clients, other attorneys, and judges. During that brief contact with that person, they’re going to form opinions of me. My handshake could give them the impression that I’m warm person or cold and aloof.

Maybe my handshake indicates that I’m an overbearing jerk or a wimpy McWimpsalot. We want a handshake that creates a favorable impression. We’re going to talk about how to do that.

There are three keys to a successful handshake

1. How you do it
2. When you do it
3. Where you do it

How you do it

• Make sure your handshake is firm, not a dead fish grip. However, you don’t want to crush the other person’s hand.
• Make sure you don’t have food or grease on your hands. You want the person to remember you, not what you ate.
• If your hands are sweaty, give them a quick nonchalant wipe on your pants.
• When you offer your hand, look the person in the eye and smile.

When you do it

Handshakes involve timing. Many people avoid offering handshakes because they’re afraid of being left hanging. If you’re not sure if someone will notice your offer, extend the handshake anyways. Most of the time people will notice your handshake offer and quickly grasp your hand.

Be aware of different social customs. Most cultures have different customs for shaking hands. Some find it inappropriate for a man to shake a woman’s hand and some cultures find shaking hands completely unacceptable. Be sensitive to these situations.

What if you’re left hanging?

I hate when this happens. I always feel dumb, especially when everyone but the person with whom you were trying to shake hands saw the rejection. Don’t feel embarrassed. The problem isn’t that the other person doesn’t think you’re important, you’re timing was just off.

• Don’t offer a handshake if the other person is engrossed in conversation with someone else.
• Don’t approach someone from the side with your extended hand. It’s hard to see.
• Do audibly greet the person first to get their attention and then offer your hand.

Where to do it

Handshakes are good every where. Make sure to shake plenty of hands when you go to a social gathering. Make sure to shake the hosts’ hand when arriving and leaving the gathering.

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How to Open a Stuck Jar Lid

It’s Sunday afternoon and you are sitting in your man chair, in your man robe, reading your man newspaper. It’s your wife’s turn to cook today. (That’s right. You share in the cooking duties at your house. Manly men know how to cook. Especially meat.) To keep things simple, she’s whipping up some spaghetti and a nice side salad to go with it. And then you hear it: “Dear, I can’t get the lid to the spaghetti sauce jar to open. It’s stuck. Can you open it for me?”

Are you ready for moments like these? Here are five techniques to show off your man skills and open a stuck jar lid every time.

1. Brute force. This technique simply requires you to use your manly strength to twist open the jar lid. You get extra points if you do it without the assistance of a rag.

2. Wrap the lid in a dish towel or rubber glove. If brute force doesn’t work, give your self some extra traction by wrapping the lid in dish rag, or better yet, a rubber glove.

3. Break the vacuum seal. If the bottle is new and still vacuumed sealed, breaking the seal makes the lid easier to open. You can do this by using a bottle opener and pulling the lid away from the jar.

4. Run the lid under hot water. Running the lid under hot water for a minute will cause the metal to expand so the lid comes off more easily.

5. Tap the lid with a spoon. Sometimes food gets stuck in the lid which in turn causes the lid to get stuck. Give the lid a few quick taps on the side with a spoon in order to dislodge any food.

Image by How Can I Recycle This?

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How To Throw a Dynamite Overhand Punch

Every man will find themselves in a situation during their life where hand-to-hand combat may be necessary. As a result, every man needs to have an arsenal of tools to work with when fighting an attacker. There’s no better tool than the classic overhand or power punch. In the hands of a highly trained individual, this punch can be deadly. Below are 3 simple steps that can help you throw a punch that can knock an opponent on their butt.

The setup. You’ll have to do some work to open up your opponent so you can land your punch. Try some some high jabs to the head and a few fakes. When your opponent drops his gaurd, you’re ready to throw your power punch. End with a jab with your no-dominant hand so your dominant hand is ready to throw the overhand punch.

The punch. Bring your jab back while simultaneously throwing your overhand punch. Increase the power of your punch by pushing off your back foot and twisting your hips much like you would swing a baseball bat. Don’t aim at his face, but rather a couple of inches behind his face. That way you’ll have maximum power when your fist lands on your opponent’s face.

The defense. Overhead punches leave you vulnerable after you throw them. Keep your jab hand up by your face to protect against any counters. Spinning away from your opponent after you throw the punch can also help create distance between you and him.

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