Don't get me wrong - magazines like Outside, Sports Illustrated, Men's Fitness, Motor Trend, Field & Stream, Fine Woodworking, GQ, Money, Rolling Stone and Maxim offer a wealth of great information, articles, and interviews about (respectively) the outdoors, sports, fitness, cars, hunting, woodworking, fashion, money and wine, women & song. In short, just about all the important stuff in a man's life.
But unless you have more money than you know what to do with (to buy all the gadgets and clothes) and all the time in the world (to travel to remote places so you can harvest exotic lumber to then craft a piece of custom furniture - all while looking damn good, meeting exotic beauties and beating the locals at their own sport), I personally find they can be almost frustrating to read (not to mention taking way too much time to read through all of them).
I don't know about you but I'm no longer single and 25 with ample discretionary income and free time. Instead, I'm 42, married to a wonderful woman and we have three boys - ergo I have no spare time or money (each of which seems to grow smaller all the time). But I'm not dead and I still like to know about sports, travel, cool gadgets and tools, keeping fit and eye candy.
At the same time, my time is short and my wallet is light. I want to do fun things with my kids, hopefully teach them a thing or two along the way, keep my bills low and my sense of personal pride high by fixing things around my house myself, be up-to-speed on the most recent sports scores and news, all while maintaining a great relationship with my better half. So that's what this blog is going to be about - being the Balanced Guy. Don't look for in-depth analysis of stuff here; that's what the links will be for - so you can drill down to the details. But when you've only got 20 min or less, hopefully you'll find the basics you need so that you don't look like a total dufus at the water cooler.
I'm going to try to provide information and links in a number of broad categories I've ever-so-cleverly named that most guys should find interesting, useful, humorous or they'll think are complete crap...but one man's trash is another man's treasure.
- The Competitor - Sports
- Mr. Muscle - Fitness
- Your Ride- Cars
- Greenbacks - Career/Money/Finance
- Toys - Gadgets (i.e. boys toys)
- Tasty Licks- Music
- Arguing - Politics
- The Great Outdoors - hunting, camping, extreme sports
- WWWD? (What Would Ward Do?...think about it, it'll come to you) - Family
- Black Socks - Personal Appearance
- Honeydew - Home Improvement/Tools
- The Wide World - Travel/Vacation
- Eye Candy (self-explanatory. What blog for guys would be complete without talking about attractive women?
And awaaaayyyy we go!
The Competitor - OK so unless you grew up under a rock or in East Ja'bhip you know there's this small thing going on this week called the World Series. As I write this the Yankees are up 3 games to 2 over the Phillies, the defending World Champions. The boys in pinstripes have a chance tomorrow to bring home their 27th title. Being that I live in Central NJ about halfway between NYC and Philly it seems as though a virtual civil war is happening around me. Interesting in that Sunday, the Eagles beat the snot out of the Giants 40-17. Phillies fans can only hope their team can do the same to the Yankees. While there is a Wide World of Sports going on out there, this time of year when the Boys of Summer bring it to a close, the US stops and all else seems to fade away. Oh yeah, the Florida Gators maintained their #1 ranking in college football by beating the Georgia Bulldogs 41-17 on Halloween.
Mr. Muscle - I swear to God I woke up sore this morning after raking leaves yesterday! Look, I'm not claiming to be in the same shape I was in when I was varsity athlete in college but I try to maintain a decent level of fitness. All that twisting and a sore mid-section reminded me I need to do more to improve my core strength. Men's Fitness has a number of core workouts designed to do just that.
Your Ride - I was really surprised (pleasantly) to read about Ford making a surprisingly good showing in a recent Consumer Reports reliability rating. Not only that, but they also posted a billion dollar qua
rterly profit (yes, that's billion with a "b"). Hot damn! I'm glad to see an American auto company doing so well especially after they turned down bailout money last year. And speaking of Ford and AWESOME cars, I saw a Ford GT roar past me down the highway last week. My kids asked me "Dad, WHAT was THAT??!!" That was the first time I'd ever seen one in person and it was an impressive sight.Greenbacks - What a disaster the past couple of years have been. And I know from personal experience having worked for a luxury homebuilding company in Florida for most of the past decade. As a starting point, it'd be hard to recommend a much better economic/financial newsletter than John Mauldin's "Thoughts from the Frontline". I've been reading it for a couple of years now and find his insights and sharing of other experts thoughts to be very helpful and informative. His viewpoint is very matter-of-fact, well-informed and doesn't blow sunshine up your rear but at the same time he sees the silver lining. On other fronts, the economy appears to be making its way towards recovery in jerks and fits but it seems it's two steps forward, one step back most of the time. No small consolation if you're out of work or struggling to make ends meet. I've been there myself having found myself in and out of work after several layoffs between 2006 and 2008.
You can also save more of your greenbacks by learning to do a few more things around the house yourself. Most home repair is a combination of common sense, having a few basic tools and a willingness to screw it up and learn as you go along. We'll talk more about this in the Honeydew section. I was fortunate to have grown up with a father who was a pretty decent DIY guy and have been able to take what he taught me, combined with knowledge I've gained working in real estate development and construction to become a fairly competent handyman. Once you have a little knowledge and confidence you'll be more willing to try the next project.
Toys - Wow. Where to start? What's the difference between what I'll call toys and what others call tools. So for the purposes of this blog, "toys" are anything that AREN'T tools. Thus, toys include TV's, motorcycles, GPS, boats, fishing equipment, the ubiquitous "gear", electronic gadgets in general and all the other absolute necessities in a man's life your significant other hates you spending money on. I'll admit that I recently haven't bought any toys but the last time I did, I got a GREAT deal on a Sherwood tuner/amplifier at a pawn shop! If you haven't ever tried it, I highly recommend hopping in your Ford GT and taking a trip to your local pawn broker. When the going gets tough, one of the first things people do is sell their toys...which you can then pick up for a fraction of the retail price. The History Channel has a cool new show called Pawn Stars which follows the daily life of a pawn shop owner in Vegas....
Tasty Licks - I can't claim to be a musician by any stretch although I can kinda, sorta pick out a few songs on my Yamaha acoustic guitar. Just don't ask me to sing. Remember 4th grade choir that everyone makes? Guess who didn't make it. So what does Rolling Stone have happening this week? The annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions have been happening with Metallica, Run-DMC and Jeff Beck leading the charge this year. As far as new music goes, check out The Incident, the new CD from Porcupine Tree. To me, it sounds a like U2 meets Pink Floyd with a bit of industrial thrown in for good measure. Speaking of U2, a deluxe reissue of The Unforgettable Fire just came out. So if you haven't yet updated that old cassette version with a digital one, now is the time.
Arguing - I'm going to avoid taking a seat on either side of the aisle in this blog. Instead I'll just try and point you to interesting or important political developments. Today NJ and VA are voting for governor in tightly contested races. John Corzine (D) and Chris Christie (R) in Joisey and R. Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R) in Virginia. Many are considering the results either a reconfirmation of or revolt against Obama's win last year.
I don't know about you but whatever side of the aisle you reside, I'm getting more than tired of the constant bickering, finger-pointing, extremism, and general lack of anything happening except obstructing legitimate cooperation between the major parties. Here's an interesting article along those lines by John Avlon. If you have an interest in geopolitical issues, Stratfor is a great site. While most of it is only accessible via a subscription, there are some free features - just scroll down along the lefthand side. I particularly like George Friedman on Geopolitics. Really helps to understand a lot of the issues you hear about in the news like Iran, Russia, Afghanistan and the like.
The Great Outdoors - In this economic climate, for many of us, family vacations to exotic locations or even not-so-exotic are a thing of the past. If you have never taken your kids camping or have never even been yourself, now is a great time to start! Of all our family trips, our three boys probably love camping the most, which is fine by me since it's the cheapest option short of day trips. What young boy doesn't love sleeping in a tent, running around in the woods, fishing and sitting by a campfire?
There's not even a need to buy a bunch of gear. There's a good chance a family member or friend has camping gear you can borrow or REI also rents camping gear. The fall is a great time of year to camp now that the bugs are mostly gone, it's still warm enough up north and it's cooled down enough in the south. Most of your campgrounds run under $30 a night with federal, state and local gov't ones even cheaper. Reserve America is a great website where you can find campgrounds, reviews and even book a campsite online.
My main recommendation is that you practice setting up the tent at home prior to arriving at your campsite for two reasons: 1) despite your best planning, it might be dark when you arrive or even possibly raining and if you've never set up your tent before, doing it in the dark, in the rain is NOT something you want to do; and 2) you don't want to look like a complete camping neophyte when you get there. C'mon! We're guys and this stuff is supposed to be in our blood! Also make sure you have plenty of healthy food for your kids and yourself. Running around in the great outdoors definitely builds an appetite. Finally, a little research ahead of time regarding what activities, trails, etc are available in the area make for a happier adventure. Your kids will be a lot more excited about it if you let them know what to expect.
WWWD - What Would Ward Do? If you haven't puzzled it out by now, it's a reference to that iconic TV father, Ward Cleaver. This section cuts a pretty broad swath, encompassing kids, romance and family life in general. Everyone has their own parenting and relationship styles as well as family traditions and cultural influences, so I'm certainly not going to tell you that my way is the best way. It's just what works for me...and sometimes that doesn't work.
We've recently decided that while we are probably stricter than many parents in some regards with respect to manners, doing chores, screen time and the like, we might need to go a bit more old school in some ways. I'm a firm believer that we've come into an era where everyone expects safety, security and success in everything they encounter and do. Unfortunately life often has other plans for us. When we overly protect our children and ourselves from the realities of the world, the shock is even harder when it does hit...and it's not "if", it's "when". Interesting article about this perspective from Ruben Navarrette Jr. using the movie adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. It's gotten mixed reviews, especially from parents that it's too violent, sad, and otherwise not a kids movie. It's rare that a movie gets higher ratings from the critics than viewers. Disclaimer - I've not yet seen it.
Black Socks - Personal appearance. Well, admittedly after moving back to NJ after a number of years away, much of it spent in southwest Florida, I find my perspective a bit skewed in this area. Except for lawyers and bankers, pretty much no one in FL ever wore a suit to work, let alone a tie. In fact, I've got a great collection of Hawaii shirts looking for a new home. Back in the northeast, everyday is a suit-and-tie day. I'm seriously not a fashionista and tend to stick to classic styles that last until the article of clothing in question falls apart. Again, given today's economy I guess this isn't a bad way to go.
OK. Off the beaten style path and into the realm of "you're kidding me". I found this question hilarious and the reply to be pretty sensible in a funny way. Click through to read about this guy's, ahem, problem.
I'll be honest and say that I'm gonna have to dig a bit more into the appearance area before I can offer anything of substance.
Honeydew - Moving from the world of style into an area I feel pretty confident about. This is one place you can kill the proverbial two birds with one stone. You get to beat your chest with pride in having done it yourself (and having your significant other look at you with admiration) as well as keeping a few more George's in your wallet.
I recently listened in disbelief as a friend told me about having to hire a handyman to the tune of $1600 to remove her old kitchen countertops in her house while new ones were being measured, temporarily reinstalling the old ones, then having him come back to install the new ones and hook up the new sink. Mind you, this price doesn't include the countertops! All this because her husband is not handy....at all. By the way, ALWAYS pay to have the countertop company measure for new ones unless you are supremely confident in your ability to do so accurately. If they mess up the measurements, they pay to make it right. If you mess up the measurements, you get to pay for a second set of countertops. It usually costs $100 or so to have them do the measurements.
Installing countertops is not that difficult to do....everyone just thinks it is...and you can save yourself a wad of cash in the meantime even if you have to buy some of the tools needed.
If you are lacking in basic tools, you should make a trip to your local home center or hardware store. The author of the article states the list should cost about $200 but I would probably up that to $300 (less a cordless drill). I agree with him in saying that you should NEVER buy the cheapest tool available. Instead, buy the best you can afford. Tools are something you'll never throw away, so since you'll have them practically forever, buy quality. I've got tools handed down to me from my grandfather through my father that are just as good today as they were 60 years ago. I would disagree with the article (not sure when it was written) on one thing - an electric drill. He states that a plug-in is better than a cordless because it provides more power and that cordless batteries don't last very long. True...a few years back. Today's cordless drills will give you all the power you need for most home repairs and the batteries have a long life before you have to recharge them. Plus most come with two batteries so you can charge one while you use the other. I definitely recommend you buy nothing less than an 18-volt, variable speed drill as eventually you'd otherwise be stymied by a lack of power for some project at some point.
I highly recommend purchasing Home Depot's book Home Improvement 1-2-3 or Lowes Complete Home Improvement and Repair as they cover most home repair projects in easy-to-follow graphics. Even with years of DIY experience I still pull out my copy every once in a while for a project I'm not familiar with and learn a better way of doing it than I originally had thought.If you've got a leaking faucet like I recently had in the bathroom, the usual culprit is simply a worn washer. In my bathroom we have an older compression faucet (where the hot and cold are seperate handles). It's a pretty simple and cheap repair which took about 30 min total to gather tools, make the repair and put the tools away. Total cost? $1.98 for new washers. For more information on valves in general, this is a good article, especially since it explains how a beer tap works.
The Wide World - If you do have the inclination and wherewithal to travel this fall and are looking for a weekend getaway with the guys, check out the Beer Festival Calendar. Coming up in November there are festivals every weekend all over the US. The Winter Beer Festival in Philadelphia might have my name written on it.
Eye Candy - Finally we come to the part you've been waiting for. But honestly, if you're looking for cheap thrills, that kind of thing can be had all over the Net for free. This ain't that kind of place. Instead, I'm going to focus on women who are beautiful AND accomplished. OK. I'm guessing that most of you have at some point turned CNN on in the morning to watch the news. "Strictly for the news" you tell your significant other. Oh yeah, the fact that the anchor is Robin Meade has nothing to do with it, not to mention Jennifer Westhoven either. Robin currently has a NYT bestseller Morning Sunshine! How to Radiate Confidence and Feel It, Too.
I don't know about you, but there are a lot of very attractive women reporting the news these days. More of them next time around.
Until next time, I'll leave you here looking for suggestions or questions I might be able to dig up the answer to.
Instead of camping, maybe I'll start hitting pawn shops in my free time. Excellent read!
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