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in: Advice, Character, Podcast Brett & Kate McKay • October 14, 2025 There’s been a lot of talk about morning routines in the last few years. But the idea is hardly new; famous men from Thomas Aquinas to Benjamin…
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“Woodrow,” Gus McCrae says, lying in a bed dying, “quite a party.”It’s one of my favorite lines from my favorite novel, Lonesome Dove.Why?Because it perfectly captures one of the richest portrayals of male friendship in literature: the…
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in: Character, Knowledge of Men, Podcast Brett & Kate McKay • October 7, 2025 What does it mean to be a man? It’s a timeless question that’s been answered in different ways across the ages. For the ancient Romans, the…
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A garage is supposed to be for cars. A workbench. A bike or two. Maybe a garage gym. But most of us end up using it like the junk drawer for the entire house. Big stuff you don’t know what to do with, or you think you might use…
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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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Bellroy Hanging Toiletry Kit. My old dopp kit finally gave up the ghost after years of faithful service, so I’ve been in the market for a replacement. I’ve carried a Bellroy wallet for years (here’s why it’s the best wallet I’ve ever…
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Over its long history, the whip has been tool for a variety of men.Cowboys in the American West, South American gauchos, and herders around the world carried whips to move cattle and sheep. The crack wasn’t meant to strike the animals…
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 You may have heard of hormesis — the idea that intentionally embracing small stressors activates the body’s repair and defense systems, building resilience, improving how the body and even the microbiome function, and ultimately…
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If you’ve been following AoM for a while, you know that strength training is a central part of my daily life — the thing, other than my faith and family, that brings me the most joy and satisfaction.Back in my 30s, I trained to hoist as…
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in: Featured, How To, Skills, Visual Guides Brett & Kate McKay • September 28, 2025An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the…
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You’ll find them lurking in the lobbies of grocery stores, bowling alleys, movie theaters, and arcades: the claw machine, that glass box of childhood excitement and elusive dreams. Whether your kids beg you to win them a stuffed narwhal,…
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Land’s End Striped Rugby Shirt. While researching the rugby shirt guide we published earlier this week, I purchased one from Land’s End. At around $50, it’s reasonably priced and well-made. It’s 100% cotton that’s been garment-washed so…
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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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