An essay originally posted on my personal site.
I am what you might refer to as a gym rat.
I enjoy weight lifting the same way Bob Ross loved painting. He had his happy trees. I have my happy dumbbells.
Author: TJ Martinell
Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse
Over the years there’s been a strong interest and fascination with the “zombie apocalypse” genre. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent with buddies playing Call of Duty: Nazi Zombies. Even though you’re doomed from the start, it never gets old for me. There’s plenty of reasons why people love the subculture, which I won’t dig into here.
As many of you hear me say on the podcast, I’ll be brief.
Admire Your Heroes, But Kill Your Idols
One of my first heroes growing up was Davy Crocket. Like many of you I’m sure, I developed that admiration after watching Fess Parker in the Disney TV series. I got the coonskin cap, plastic toy Alamo set, and a leather bag that I still use to this day to carry stuff for my muzzle loading rifle.
Over time, I’ve acquired a list of other men I look up to and want to emulate – one of the more recent ones include Dick Winters of Band of Brothers fame and William Marshal, “champion” of the Magna Cart and the first earl of Pembroke. Some of my heroes are living and some of them like Marshall and Winters have passed on.
However, they all have something in common.
A Farewell to Bond
A while ago I finally got around to watching Cowboy Bebop, a great 1990s Japanese anime tv show about a group of intergalactic mercenaries. What prompted me was an essay Aaron Clarey wrote celebrating its 20th anniversary. In it he laments that the show ended too soon, something I also felt when the final episode concluded. While some tv shows like the Simpsons have gone on for 30 years, Cowboy Bebop had just one season and a film.
However, Cappy added that this was perhaps for the best.
Your Mission Is To Live, Not Exist
If you ever want to get anywhere, you better do (or not do) this.
Did you ever hear that growing up? Did your parents ever say that? A teacher in high school? A college professor? A close friend?
I was thinking about this while reading a blog post by fellow MG cohost Rob about how the internet never forgets. One of the takeaways is watch what you say or do online, lest you lose your job or have trouble finding one in the future.
A Man Without Idealism Is Broken
Once I was touring an old church with a young boy who had never entered a place of worship before. It was evident early on that his curiosity had been sparked as he walked through the chapel. Looking to add some adventure to the tour, I confided with him there was a secret catacomb beneath the church only accessible through a specific side room.
Don’t Confuse A Cad For A Brother
If you’re a masculine geek, chances are you’ve read or know something about the Red Pill and “game,” which concerns what men and women actually find attractive in each other compared to what we’re taught they do.
Why Emotional Maturity Is Everything
Emotional immaturity is one of the most understated problems in modern society today. Everywhere around me I look and see groups, associations, movements and friendships ruined or destroyed due to severely dysfunctional behavior.
Your Band of Brothers Must Go Offline
One of the things you have probably noticed watching social media is how quickly movements or groups that publicize their existence there are altered, changed or destroyed. It’s why if you’re trying to gather a group of fellow adventurers and masculine geeks, you need to understand why this phenomenon occurs, and how to prevent it from happening to you.
Inclusivity is a modern secular god. It demands everyone and anyone must be included into any space. You see worship of this god everywhere. See every single corporate mission statement or an organization’s “about us” page. The god must be appeased.
Authenticity Is the Future Coin Of The Realm
Our good pal and occasional cohost of Masculine Geek Aaron Clarey wrote an essay titled “Sanity is the New Wealth” that is now behind a paywall.
His argument: being sane and acknowledging reality will give a person the same benefits as traditional wealth does.
Recently I’ve come to realize that a similar truth can be said about authenticity. Not too long ago I watched the 2018 film Ready Player One that takes place in 2045. The movie is an homage to the 1970s/80s, but it does briefly touch on an issue that modern people already grapple with. The protagonist is a young man who spends much of his time in an online world known as the Oasis and has fallen in love with a cute girl possessing that mixture of flirtation and spunk commonly lacking today.