Men--It's in Their Nature

The American Enterprise ^ | Sept 2003 | Christina Hoff Sommers

[Melas]

One of my wife's best friends is married to one of those "sensitive" guys. He didn't know the difference between a linebacker and a strong safety...

Now I'm really confused. I was just convinced that I'm a pansy because I don't don't like football and don't know the positions, and now you have to throw scooters into the mix.

Can I still be a pansy and still be inked scooter trash? How does this work?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

We used to have a variation of hide and go seek where the caught kid would wear an old navy pea coat, and the rest of us would take turns beating him with a broken fishing rod until he yelled "stop"!

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks for getting us out of school those days!

Heehee, no problemo!

[RonF]

In those days it was far more of a disgrace to pull a weapon than to lose the fight.

I have related this very concept myself to kids, and met with the same skepticism.

One of the great values of the BSA is that it teaches young men and women what the concepts of Honor and Duty mean. They're not learning it otherwise. In fact, the Marines a number of years ago had to institute a "Values" component into Boot Camp because not enough of their incoming recruits understood these concepts anymore.

[ffusco]

"Oh yeah, the old goat across the street is a police informant"

Reminds me of the nice old hippie lady at the holistic center that had my motorcycle towed away since I had the nerve to park it on her street overnight.Broken brake lines, bent bars and a torn seat.

I'm still debating getting even maybe using some deer urine.

[Darksheare]

Great to hear that some things haven't changed. :-)

[TheSpottedOwl]

Reminds me of the nice old hippie lady at the holistic center that had my motorcycle towed away since I had the nerve to park it on her street overnight.Broken brake lines, bent bars and a torn seat. Oh let me guess. It's HER street, and your motorcycle is ruining her view? Sounds like that old harpy across the street. Ha, before she got fired from the school district, she used to pull up the school records of every kid on the street. She told me so!

I'm still debating getting even maybe using some deer urine.

Hahahaa! May I suggest Criscoing her front steps?

[Old Professer]

A straight guy who wants a better look in the closet.

[asformeandformyhouse]

any outdoor camping activity will eventually have a session where the kids beat each other with sticks.

Amen to the boys and sticks thing. I have two sons, 9 and 5, and I am always finding sticks stashed in the garage. I remember that I used to have more fun with sticks I found than most of the toys I was bought. Recieving a bundle of sticks on Christmas is supposed to be a bad thing. Not for my boys.

[FLAMING DEATH]

I know what you mean. The only sports I watch are the local university's games on TV about 6 or 7 times a year. Baseball is a yawner, basketball is monotonous, and pro football just isn't the same for me as college.

So, outside of that, I follow no sports.

[Melas]

This bugs me when "sports awareness" is included as a necessary characteristic of real men. I don't watch or keep up with any team sports and I couldn't tell you their positions, although I used to be able to quote all the world record times for middle and long distance running, because I used to run a lot. I also am a watercolor artist. I like reading some poetry and classic literature. I am happily married with two boys and I am a pretty good handyman around the house. I am thinking of starting a club called "real men who don't keep up with team sports".

I'm there brother. I'll bring the beer to the meetings.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I remember that I used to have more fun with sticks I found than most of the toys I was bought.

My former mother in law(rest her soul) gave me sound advice: buy them expensive toys and they'll still prefer wooden spoons and pots and pans. Sticks are good too.

[asformeandformyhouse]

buy them expensive toys and they'll still prefer wooden spoons and pots and pans. Sticks are good too

And don't forget the boxes the toys came in.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Sounds like these folks were running a fairy factory.

[RipSawyer]

Posted by Technocrat to RipSawyer
On News/Activism 07/31/2003 12:29 PM EDT #110 of 151

"Rock fights are cooler - you get a metal trash can lid for a shield, and a tennis racket for a launcher."

Rocks were reserved for killing snakes, for long distance warfare we had plenty of green persimmons, you simply cut a small branch about three feet long, sharpen the end to a fine point and push it into the persimmon, once you learn the throwing technique you can launch one about two hundred yards. If you leave the base on the green persimmon it will whistle like artillery coming in. Ah, we poverty stricken children were so rich in imagination. Parents in those days didn't waste their time organizing our activities for us.

[ffusco]

I couldn't live with myself if she broke her hip- though I did have to ride my bike home from the impound lot without front brakes. Hmmm....

[TheSpottedOwl]

And don't forget the boxes the toys came in.

How about empty 12 pack boxes? My ex and his brother would get drunk and walk around wearing them on their heads. They called themselves the "Schaffer Bros"...you know, after that crappy 2.98 per 12 pack beer? I came across a pic of my son wearing a Budweiser 18 pack box sitting next to his uncle, who of course was lit like a Christmas tree, laughing his ass off.

The boxes take more imagination that the toys that come in them. My dad was a mailman. He also loved to scavenge. One day he brought home these huge pieces of styrofoam, and I built a fort out of them :)

[TheSpottedOwl]

Hmmm, go with the deer scent then. How about rock salting her lawn? She can't break her hip looking at dead grass with a message engraved on it :)

[ffusco]

How about rock salting her lawn? She can't break her hip looking at dead grass with a message engraved on it :)


I am humbled by your genius!