Stormbringer's Thunder

"Don't get too high on a bottle, "Get right with the Man, son. "Fight your fights, find a grace, "And all the things that you can change, "And help somebody if you can. "And get right with the Man." — Van Zant, from Get Right with the Man Buona sera. No, I'm not going to go on about the passing of my father and my oldest brother again. Yes, I'm going to go on about how we're remembered. Some of the things I've been reading and hearing lately have been coming together. Naturally, because of my experiences in recent months, I've been thinking about how I hope I'm remembered. My crew will remember me as a strict disciplinarian, but I hope they know that I'm that way because I want them to survive. Also, I hope they've learned a few things from me that they can apply to their lives. And I hope they remember the jokes and fun times. With this thinking going on, my old buddy Neil has had some bad times lately. His father-...

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Why the long face?" Jokes are over. OK, Gang, Uncle Bob is feeling a bit philosophical. Not the "meaning of life" kind of stuff. These questions are more immediate and, dare I say, relevant. This post is mainly for men. I'm sure women will read it and chime in with the comments button, too, and that's fine. Over at The Art of Manliness , questions have been raised about, "Is (activity) manly?" The problem is, the term "manly" means different things to different people. Does an activity make you a better man? Maybe, and maybe not. I'm hoping that the guys at TAOM read this and give some input. An assumption that can be made is that, if something is not "manly", it is somehow "un-manly". What does that mean, then? That it diminishes your manhood? Careful with that six-gun, Tex, you can shoot yourself in the foot with that assumption. Worse yet, there's the assumption...