Typically with articles I post on The Trunk, I like to do a little description and post some noteworthy excerpts, but I don’t know how to do that with this piece, because it is so shot through with manliness from start to finish that anything I say or choose will do it a disservice. Basically, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever read on what it really means to be a man. And I would urge you to block off some uninterrupted time this weekend to gives it a read.

Read the article: “Man In Full” (@SportsIllustrated)

Hat tip to James R. for this link.

6-year-old Rivers Hobbs was walking with his family at Big Bend National Park in West Texas, when a mountain lion pounced on him. Rivers’ mother tried to hold on to him, but the cat pulled the boy to the ground, clamping its jaws onto his head. That’s when his father, Jason, pulled out his pocket knife and stabbed the mountain lion in the chest, causing the cat to let go and run away. Nice going, dad.

Just another reason every man should carry a pocket knife.

Read the story (myFOXaustin.com)

Hat tip to Steve A. for the link.

I thought this NYT article from awhile back was a good tie-in with yesterday’s article on roughhousing.

The article details the way in which “dangerous” playground equipment–high monkey bars, tall jungle gyms, seesaws, merry-go-rounds, tire swings, etc have been removed from many of America’s playgrounds. They have disappeared because of parental fears of injury, and most of all, cities’ fear of litigation. But without this kind of equipment, kids miss out on risk-taking opportunities that help their cognitive and behavioral development:

“Children need to encounter risks and overcome fears on the playground,” said Ellen Sandseter, a professor of psychology at Queen Maud University in Norway. “I think monkey bars and tall slides are great. As playgrounds become more and more boring, these are some of the few features that still can give children thrilling experiences with heights and high speed.”

After observing children on playgrounds in Norway, England and Australia, Dr. Sandseter identified six categories of risky play: exploring heights, experiencing high speed, handling dangerous tools, being near dangerous elements (like water or fire), rough-and-tumble play (like wrestling), and wandering alone away from adult supervision. The most common is climbing heights.

“Climbing equipment needs to be high enough, or else it will be too boring in the long run,” Dr. Sandseter said. “Children approach thrills and risks in a progressive manner, and very few children would try to climb to the highest point for the first time they climb. The best thing is to let children encounter these challenges from an early age, and they will then progressively learn to master them through their play over the years.”

Sometimes, of course, their mastery fails, and falls are the common form of playground injury. But these rarely cause permanent damage, either physically or emotionally. While some psychologists — and many parents — have worried that a child who suffered a bad fall would develop a fear of heights, studies have shown the opposite pattern: A child who’s hurt in a fall before the age of 9 is less likely as a teenager to have a fear of heights.

By gradually exposing themselves to more and more dangers on the playground, children are using the same habituation techniques developed by therapists to help adults conquer phobias, according to Dr. Sandseter and a fellow psychologist, Leif Kennair, of the Norwegian University for Science and Technology.

“Risky play mirrors effective cognitive behavioral therapy of anxiety,” they write in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, concluding that this “anti-phobic effect” helps explain the evolution of children’s fondness for thrill-seeking. While a youthful zest for exploring heights might not seem adaptive — why would natural selection favor children who risk death before they have a chance to reproduce? — the dangers seemed to be outweighed by the benefits of conquering fear and developing a sense of mastery.

“Paradoxically,” the psychologists write, “we posit that our fear of children being harmed by mostly harmless injuries may result in more fearful children and increased levels of psychopathology.”

Read the whole article: “Can a Playground Be Too Safe?” (NYT)

Last week we ran a couple of giveaways–and we’ve drawn the winners for them.

For the Frame the Date giveaway which ran on the main site, the winner is:

Ryan Fischer from Fairborn, OH

Everyone who entered the Frame the Date giveaway should have been emailed a discount code for 10% off.

For the Criquet Shirts giveaway which ran here on The Trunk, two winners were drawn, and they are:

Andrew Garceau from Waco, Texas
Mike Wedick from Saint Louis, Missouri

The guys at Criquet Shirts have decided to offer a discount to AoM readers good for 20% off anything in their store.

The code is “Manup” and it is good through the end of February. So if you were thinking about getting one of their great polos, now’s the time to do it!

“You remember the delight of throwing aside the boy’s clothes, and putting on the manly toga. Expect yet more joy from putting off a childish mind, and being enrolled by philosophy as a man.”

-Seneca, Epistles, XLV, Sec. 1

In a world where thousands of graphic tee companies print up doofy and forgettable designs on their shirts, Declaration Clothing really stands out. Inspired by the American Revolution and the Spirit of ’76, their knits and handmade goods feature some of the coolest and most unique designs around. Their tees give homage to the virtues of simplicity, liberty, and patriotism, and incorporate unique historical symbols like the U.S.A. monogram that was engraved on the buttons of the Continental Army’s officers during the Revolutionary War and Benjamin Franklin’s famous “Join or die” woodcut.

Declaration Clothing is giving away two items from its shop to two lucky AoM Trunk readers. To enter to win, simply browse through Declaration Clothing’s offerings, and leave a comment telling us which item you’d like if your name is drawn as the winner (except for the wallet–they only have one left unfortunately). Don’t leave a link, as this can get your comment marked as spam–just the name of the item will work.

Giveaway ends Feb. 12, 2012 at 10:00 pm CST.

Just in case you were wondering.

From The Land of the Lion, 1874

By William Stephen Rainsford

Always carry a whistle, and teach your men to come immediately to its call…I have a whistle pocket in all my jackets, high up on the left side.

Submit your best Chuck Norris Action Jeans Fact in the comments below.

Here’s an idea for mixing up the old wings and pizza routine for the Super Bowl. And don’t forget that Wrigley’s helps reduce tension–pop a piece in if the game goes into overtime.

A great video about Alexander Conley the III, a man who’s been making custom hats the old fashioned way for 64 years. Mr. Conley reflects on how he became a hatter and his love for his craft.

Hat tip to Rich M. for this link.