Brett & Kate McKay 285 posts 0 comments

Vero Smokey Bear Watch. I’ve been looking for a nice field watch and was stoked to come across this Smokey Bear edition watch from Vero. It’s very well-made and handsome (as is the box it comes in, which would make it great for gifting),…
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 Whether you’ve never stepped foot in a weight room or you’ve been lifting for years without seeing significant results, figuring out how to get big, strong, and jacked can feel overwhelming. There are endless programs, conflicting…
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The rugby shirt is an underrated menswear staple. Like denim or the leather boot, it started as tough, utilitarian gear and evolved into a style icon. Equal parts rugged and refined, rugby shirts straddle the line between athleticism and…
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An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire, to handle any situation you find yourself in. With that in mind, each Sunday we’ll be…
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Frank Sinatra had a word for tipping: duking.And no one duked like Sinatra.Tom Dreesen, his longtime opening act, said Frank would never make a show of it. Instead, folded bills were passed in an ordinary-seeming handshake. In fact, ol’…
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Winchester ’73. After years of knowing James Stewart primarily for It’s a Wonderful Life and Hitchcock thrillers, I finally dove into his Western work with this 1950 gem directed by Anthony Mann. Stewart trades his aw-shucks everyman…
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 For generations, the path to adulthood was straightforward: go to college, get a job, build a life. But many young men are beginning to question the college component of that path; tuition keeps rising, A.I. has made the professional…
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in: Health, Health & Fitness, Podcast Brett & Kate McKay • September 9, 2025 Modern medicine has given us incredible tools to peer inside the body and spot disease earlier than ever before. But with that power comes…
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When we think about affairs of honor in 19th-century America, our minds typically bring up images of well-dressed gentlemen facing each other at dawn, pistols gleaming in the morning light. The duel — with its elaborate codes, precise…
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Two Years After Cormac McCarthy’s Death, Rare Access to His Personal Library Reveals the Man Behind the Myth. If you’ve been following AoM long enough, you know that Cormac McCarthy is one of my favorite writers. So I was fascinated to…
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Several months ago, friends of ours hired movers for their family’s cross-country relocation.They got bids from three companies and chose the cheapest — International Van Lines — both because of the price and because the delivery date…
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 Most people think of anger as a problem — something to avoid or repress. It’s irrational, immature, and best left behind.But what if anger isn’t bad? What if it can actually be an incredibly positive, productive, energizing life…
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Laura Davidson SOHO II Office Chair. A few weeks back on Dying Breed, I gave readers a tour of our home office. I noted how we needed new office chairs and solicited recommendations. Reader Alex B. pointed us toward the Laura Davidson…
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There you are, captured behind enemy lines, locked in a makeshift POW camp. Your only chance of escape? The M60 Patton tank sitting unguarded just beyond the fence. If you’re able to get inside it, would you be able to start it up and…
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in: Character, Knowledge of Men, Podcast Brett & Kate McKay • August 26, 2025 When you picture a gunfighter, you probably think of a Hollywood cowboy — spurs jangling, six-shooter on his hip, squaring off at high noon in…
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I didn’t think about my blood pressure in my 20s and 30s. I only noted it when it got checked during urgent care visits. I always thought it was something I’d worry about when AARP sent me a welcome letter.While I’m not quite ready for…
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 Making big decisions can feel paralyzing. Whether it’s choosing a new job, moving to a different city, or deciding if you should break up with someone, these choices can keep you agonizingly stuck, forever cycling through pros and…
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The Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles. My 14-year-old son Gus just finished this Homeric epic, and he really enjoyed it. We’ve had some great conversations about it. Fagles’ translation is my go-to for Homer because it’s…
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When you think of water workouts, your mind probably goes to lap swimming, water aerobics, or maybe some high-octane Navy SEAL pool drill. What probably doesn’t come to mind is treading water — something you learned in swim class as a…
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The Oxford cloth button-down — OCBD, for short — is a classic men’s style staple.Born on Ivy League campuses, it’s got a preppy pedigree that’s been adapted and refined by musicians and artists, students and professors, craftsmen and…
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