Discovering what it means to be a dad. Building Camelot
Twitter: @buildingcamelot

Helping men become better dads & husbands. The Nordquist Blog
Twitter: @akula

Brett is one of the most underrated Daddy bloggers on the planet.  Sincere and eloquent, he chronicles fatherhood in a way that few can. Dad Labs
Twitter: @dadlabs

Funny, irreverent, and always helpful.  Videos, podcasts, and blog articles about being a dad. Dadomatic
Twitter: @dadomaticblog

Another blog collective started by Chris Brogan. Busy Dad

The only guy I know who is more involved with BlogHer than most women. Frugal Dad
Twitter: @frugaldad

One of the most widely read dad blogs out there, he really knows financial matters. Dad Gone Mad
Twitter: @dadgonemad

A little big intimidating? To be sure.  Cares about his kids?  You bet. The Father Life
Twitter: @thefatherlife

A magazine containing a mix of original content and some of the best from different father related websites.  I should know, you might find some of my work there if you look hard enough! Rebel Dad

Stay at home dad expert, convention organizer, and all around good guy. Mommy Daddy Blog
Twitter: @mommydaddyblog

An eclectic mix of parenting advice, personal accounts, and reviews of interesting products.

Dadcentric
Twitter: @dadcentric

Cheeky, irreverent, and a little crass, Dadcentric tells it how it is with no fear. Digital Dad

Raise your hand if you’re a tech geek.  DigitalDad satisfies the need for gadgets in all of us. DC Urban Dad
Twitter: @dcurbandad

There is a need for more men in the world like this guy.  Good, solid men who care for their kids and share their thoughts and opinions. Dadthing
Twitter: @dadthing

Another great dad blog by another great dad! Daddy Brain
Twitter: @daddybrain11

Fathering advocate, radio host, and speaker. Evolution of Dad Project

An ongoing film project detailing how the role of Dads has changed in our modern society.  Donate to his project! D is for Dad
Twitter:@disfordad Fatherhood.org

The single most complete resource on the web, and an advocacy group for making sure kids grow up with involved fathers in the home.  You won’t find a lot of opinions on this site, but well researched information on social problems and how men can help. Dads.org

An advocacy group for Dads centered on Catholic principles.  Read articles, find local help, and listen to their radio show. Alltop Dads Page

Alltop is a brilliant website that aggregates the best the web has to offer all over the internet.  The dads section has real time updates from the top Dad blogs around the internet. HHS.gov

The US Government’s website promoting the health, social and economic benefits of having fathers fully engaged in their children’s lives. Fathers.com

The National Center for Fathering’s website.  They inspire & equip men to be better fathers & grandfathers.
]]> http://www.sparkplugging.com/the-man-page/24-great-sites-fathers/feed/ 12 http://www.sparkplugging.com/the-man-page/top-10-posts-of-2008-the-man-page/ http://www.sparkplugging.com/the-man-page/top-10-posts-of-2008-the-man-page/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:13:14 +0000 Derek Semmler http://www.sparkplugging.com/the-man-page/?p=696

It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating New Year’s Eve – in 2007!

The last year flashed by in the proverbial blink of an eye and there are quite a few new faces around now that were not here earlier in the year.

Therefore I thought that it would be fun to provide a look back at the top posts of 2008.

As you try to cope with the shock to your system caused by being back to work, hopefully you can find a few moments to give these posts a read.

1. My Boobs Are Not Squeeze Toys :: 8 Tips For More Action In The Bedroom

This was by far the most visited post – and had the most spirited discussion – of the year. Many of the guys that didn’t get it, and most likely don’t get it either, were bashing this post while the guys that understood (and the women that appreciate that) were sharing their support.

2. How To Deal With A School Bully

Turn the other cheek…be the better person…walk away. That is all good advice for dealing with a school bully, but one can only take so much – and on this day my son reached his tipping point (it turns out that I might have encouraged that) and took matters into his own hands. But guess who hasn’t bothered him once since that day.

3. 10 Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer

School has ended and the kids are bursting with excitement. Now is the time to sit down and think about the activities that you want to do with your kids this summer. In the event that you get stuck, here are 10 things that you can do with your kids this summer.

4. 10 Ways To Make Time For Your Children

There is no question that you work hard and have a lot on your plate – but that is no reason not to spend time with your children. Stop finding excuses and examine these 10 ways that you can make more time for your children. The last thing that you want to do is have regrets about the little amount of time you spent with your kids when they were young.

5. Clean Your Room Right Now!

The battle between parents and kids over a clean bedroom has been raging since before the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series – yeah, I am a White Sox fan – and there are numerous approaches on how to handle this situation. This approach is certainly not for everyone, including my wife as it turns out, but it has the potential to stop your arguments once and for all.

6. Top 5 Reasons To Watch The Super Bowl Alone

Do you watch for the game or for the commercials? Regardless of your reason, take a look at these five reasons that you should be watching the next Super Bowl alone. In case that is not enough, a friend of mine recently shared this gem: Etiquette Rule: I may skip your Super Bowl party without explanation if your TV is significantly worse than mine. – thanks Ryan!

7. If Women Find Bald Guys Sexy, Why Do Men Fear Going Bald?

It seems that as men age, one of their greatest fears is losing their hair. Personally, I cannot wait for the day it all falls out so I can stop shaving my head. You might embrace the baldness as well once you realize how many women find it sexy!

8. The Unofficial Guide To Buying Your Wife A Gift

Okay fellas, we all know that there are going to be a handful of occasions each and every year where we are going to be buying our lovely wives a gift – birthdays, anniversaries, holidays. Now I know that on more than one of these occasions, the hours have been ticking by, your pulse quickens, your palms become sweaty – you forgot to get a gift your wife will actually enjoy. Follow this unbelievably easy guide and you will avoid this situation forever.

9. The Ultimate Twit List :: Dads & Husbands On Twitter

Are you using twitter? Do you want to connect with other guys that share some of the same interests as yourself? Of course you do! That is why you need to digest this ultimate list of dads/husbands on twitter and connect with other guys that understand the importance of their family.

10. Spanking :: Child Discipline or Child Abuse?

Wooden ruler? Slotted spoon? Yeah, I was threatened with those – and more – as a kid if I didn’t behave. For the most part, it was nothing more than a threat although there were a few times that I did get a swat. Is that still acceptable today? Is spanking your child a form of discipline or is it child abuse? Share your opinions on this controversial topic.

Photo courtesy of BlueFur

Not many parents will tell you that they hope their child is having intercourse before the age of 16, or that they become pregnant before reaching the age of majority. Likewise, few parents envision their child turning into a physically aggressive adult that lead a life of violence.

So what does that have to do with television and video games?

Well, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics, there is an increased chance of teen pregnancy among children that watch television programs with risky sexual behavior by teens.

According to the study, researchers recruited adolescents aged 12 to 17 and surveyed them three times between 2001 and 2004, asking about television viewing habits, sexual behavior and pregnancy. Among 718 teenagers, there were 91 pregnancies. The adolescents who watched the most sexy television were at double the risk of becoming, or causing, a pregnancy compared to the adolescents watching the fewest such programs.

With regard to video games, another study in the journal indicates that children that play violent video games show an increase in physically aggressive behavior.

Aggressiveness in children is often associated with violence later on in life, meaning violent video games may pose a significant risk to our children. How many violent games do you think the school bully is playing?

Considering the above information, let me ask you a question.

How closely are you monitoring what your children watch and play?

Obviously there is a line that must be drawn, as there is only so much that parents can realistically do to prevent their children from playing violent video games or watching racy television programs.

Are your children permitted to have televisions in their room?

Is access to the Interweb allowed behind closed doors?

What type of video games are they playing?

Do you know what they are doing when over at a friends house?

That last one is a tricky situation, and is part of my motivation in writing this post. Like it or not, different parents have different rules when it comes to what their children can and cannot do. As a parent, it is your job to become acquainted with the parents of your child’s friends and get a feeling for where those boundaries exist in their house.

For instance, we know that one of our oldest son’s friends has very little parental supervision when it comes to the video games that are permitted. This other boy is permitted to play games that have an “M” rating.

Sorry, that doesn’t fly in our house.

Since we cannot control what takes place at a friends house, we have learned that there are some friends that are welcome to come to our house and play, but our kids will not be permitted to play at the friends house due to rules that we are not comfortable with.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not one that believes that video games or sexual television programs are to blame for the problematic behavior of children.

Actually, I believe that the children playing these games and watching these programs have a larger problem – parents that are not involved in their lives.

Talk to your children.

Explain things to them when they have questions.

Be involved in their lives; set rules and boundaries with regard to what is acceptable.

These are the things that I believe will have a far greater impact on your child, as they will then have a better understanding of the consequences surrounding things like violent video games or television programs that push the envelope.

Vanessa Van Petten, the woman that started Teens Today, recently contacted me to share the news that her staff of teen writers selected The Man Page as one of the 50 Best Dad Blogs!

It is quite an honor to not only be included among this list of outstanding dad bloggers, but to have been selected by a group of teenagers that have noticed and appreciated the information being shared here is truly special.

For those that may not be familiar with Teens Today, I encourage you to check it out as it is a parenting blog written from the teen’s perspective. So many times we as parents scratch our heads wondering what our kids are thinking; with Teens Today, you have the chance to learn valuable insights directly from the teens themselves.

Vanessa and everyone at Teens Today, thank you for the honor!

One of those top five health concerns is prostate cancer, with one in six American men developing the disease and more than 28,000 men dying of the disease every year. That is why I did not hesitate to pledge my involvement in Movember.

What is Movember you ask?

Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men’s health issues. During Movember, I will be growing a Mo, much to the chagrin of my wife who is not a fan of facial hair.

As a Mo Bro, I will be spending the month growing and grooming my Mo while also helping to raise money and awareness to the fight against prostate cancer. Every time someone looks at me funny and questions the Mo, I can talk to them about prostate cancer and ask for their support.

How can you help?

Guys, you can lend your support by joining The Man Page Mo Brigade and growing your own Mo this month. Ladies, become a Mo Sista and help the guys raise awareness and money to support the fight against prostate cancer.

To join my Movember team, register online and follow the steps provided. You will need these details to complete your online registration:

• Captain’s Registration Number: 1890151
• Captain’s Email Address: me[@]dereksemmler.com

What to do if the Mo is not for you?

If you do not care to join the team and grow a Mo, you can still lend your support by making a donation to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

To donate to my Mo you can either:

• Donate online using your credit card or PayPal account, or
• Write a check payable to the ‘Prostate Cancer Foundation’, referencing my Registration Number 1890151 and mailing it to:
  

  Prostate Cancer Foundation
  Attn: Movember
  1250 Fourth St
  Santa Monica, CA, 90401

All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

During Movember, I will have an opportunity to thank you for your support of my Mo as there will be a prize giveaway coming up that you will not want to miss. In the meantime, please provide your support by either joining my team, making a donation, or spreading the word to your family and friends.

Thanks for your support!

For more information, please visit the official Movember website.

What is it about getting in the car that makes many kids talk incessantly? From the moment their rear end hits the seat, their lips don’t stop moving.

Maybe you have endured a long day of work and just want to enjoy some peace and quiet. Or maybe traffic is a nightmare of cars inching along and you feel distracted. Whatever the reason, too many times we as parents lose our patience with the endless conversation and ask our kids to be quiet.

We really should embrace the “car conversation”, as I like to call it.

When driving along down the road, I have found that my kids will initiate some extremely interesting conversations. Interesting in the sense that they often bounce around from one thing to another, with some bizarre topics usually thrown in for good measure.

The thing that I love about the “car conversation” is how my kids feel so free to talk about whatever is on their mind. They will ask questions that leave me scratching my head trying to figure out what they mean. Sometimes they will make comments that make me laugh and cry all at the same time, like when we were passing a cemetery and my youngest said, “Dad, I want to get you a stone in a place like that.”

As you are driving along, be sure to pay attention when they aren’t talking to you but talking to a friend or sibling next to them. Do your best to stifle any laughs though, as once they realize that you are listening they will stop that conversation and start peppering you with questions again.

The next time you find yourself in the car with your kids, take a moment to embrace the “car conversation” and cherish the time while you have it. To help kick-start a conversation, here are a few questions that you can use to get your kids talking:

• What is the silliest thing you could ever do?
• If you could be an animal, what would you be and why?
• What would it be like to live on the moon?
• If 7-11 is open 24 hours, why do they have locks on the doors?

Shortly after you read this post, I will be putting this into practice as we drive home from Disney World and have hour after hour of car conversations. While there are certainly times that I would prefer some peace and quiet, I have learned to embrace the car conversation as I know it won’t be long and the back seat will be empty.

Photo courtesy of Alex Barth

That is how I often feel about business travel – I am always ready and willing to take a business trip, although I have yet to redeem any rewards for personal travel.

5 Things I Love About Business Travel

As we discussed the other day, there are certainly things to dislike about business travel but there are also plenty of things to love.

1. Traveling to new destinations.

Having an opportunity to visit new parts of the country, or world, without having to pay out of your own pocket is hard to beat. While most business travel will not allow for much time to truly explore your destination, you should be able to experience some of the attractions.

Depending on your company policies, you may even be able to extend your stay by a day or two beyond the purpose of trip. Demonstrate how much money the company can save on airfare by arriving a day or two early and you might just find yourself with some time to explore.

Lately my travel has been focused on business conferences, which means that most of my trips have been to either Orlando or Las Vegas. While those are certainly fun destinations, I’d enjoy a bit more variety – which is why I am really hoping that the need to visit my colleagues in Japan comes sooner rather than later.

2. Indulging in fine seafood.

When talking about the things that I hate about business travel, I mentioned that eating out can become a nuisance. However, I can usually get by a few days simply by indulging in some of the foods that I don’t often eat at home.

My wife and kids are quite the picky eaters, which means I rarely find myself at a nice seafood restaurant and we never have seafood at home. Therefore one of the first things that I typically do when traveling for business is seek out recommendations for a great seafood restaurant.

Hopefully your company has a generous allowance for meals as eating at some of the nicer restaurants can be quite expensive.

3. Escape from the monotony of the office.

Whether you are traveling for a conference, meeting with a client, or simply meeting with colleagues in another office, getting away from the office can do wonders for your attitude.

The day to day happenings at the office can become quite monotonous, leaving you feeling drained at the end of the day as you deal with office politics. When you are out of the office for a few days, you will come back feeling fresh and recharged. It is amazing how even a small break from the routine can leave you energized.

Even though I might not be traveling, I firmly believe that my flexible work arrangement with one day off per week has helped me in that regard.

4. Getting a break from the demands at home.

As much as I love spending time with the family, sometimes you need a break from everything. It is hard to come home from a day at work, crack open a cold beer, and plop down on the couch for awhile when the kids need help with their homework or want to play with you outside.

When you are away on business, there is nobody to answer to when the day is over. If you want to head back to the hotel and have a beer while lounging around in your underwear, there is nobody to stop you (unless you are doing that in the hotel bar). Feel like vegging out in front of the TV for awhile, no problem. Feel like going down to the pub to shoot pool, no problem.

Enjoy your time away from home, as once you get back you will need to jump right back in and give your spouse a break as well.

5. Peace and quiet.

Some people do not enjoy being alone. Personally, I love it and look forward to time when I can simply sit and enjoy the peace and quiet. No distractions, nothing but my thoughts. With two growing boys at home, there are not many opportunities for this type of peace and quiet.

When I am away on business, I like to begin and end each day by simply sitting somewhere and letting my mind wander. While visiting Miami last month, I had an amazing view of the ocean from my balcony and enjoyed the time just sitting outside, watching the waves crash in on the beach. The following week when I was in Vegas, I would wake each morning and just sit for awhile as I looked out over the mountains.

What about you?

You have learned about the things that I love about business travel as well as the things that I hate about business travel. Do any of the items above make your list of reasons that you enjoy traveling? I’d like to hear what things you love the most about business travel.

In the very near future, I will be traveling again although this time it will be with my family as we head off for a much needed vacation to Disney World. As we prepare for that adventure, I had to pause and think about the differences between traveling with my family and traveling solo for business.

5 Things I Hate About Business Travel

Initially, many people think a solo trip for business is nothing but good times. While I will admit that there are things that I love about business travel, there are also things that are not very enjoyable.

1. Missing out on family time.

One of the most important things in my life is spending time with my family. Whether it be spending an afternoon at the ballpark or something as simple as reading bedtime stories, family time is something that I truly cherish.

When there are hundreds, if not thousands, of miles between you and your family, spending time together is clearly a challenge. As noted in these 5 tips to stay in touch while traveling, there are things you can do to ease the physical separation and still share some special time. However, there really is no substitute for being with your family and doing things together.

2. Sleeping alone.

Don’t get me wrong, sleeping alone isn’t all bad as it can be nice to stretch out in a comfortable king size bed without someone elbowing you in the back or stealing all of the blankets. The first night or two might seem like complete bliss.

But then you start to miss the warmth of your spouse lying next to you in bed, rolling over and wrapping your arms around one another. Waking up in the morning and not seeing your special someone curled up in the bed leaves you feeling a little lonely.

After an extended business trip, having an arm smack you in the head or waking in the middle of the night shivering without any covers never felt so good.

3. Packing the suitcase.

Part of this is likely a result of infrequent travel, as I know that there are people out there that can pack a month of clothing into a toiletry bag, but I think that packing a suitcase is one of the most difficult things to do.

First, I always try to fit my things in one of those small, trendy suitcases that you can easily tuck away in the carry-on compartments on the airplane. Yeah, that never works. Being a big guy, I put one pair of pants, socks, and underwear in one of those suitcases and I am lucky to get the thing closed!

Resigned to using my gigantic suitcase, I am then faced with the realization that no matter how I pack my items in the suitcase, everything will be a wrinkled mess once I arrive at my destination. Packing the suitcase is something that I despise about travel, so much that I have given serious consideration to packing nothing and buying all new clothes upon arrival.

4. Flying.

Generally speaking, I really enjoy flying. However, there are a few things that turn me off about flying and one of my biggest complaints is being stuck in the middle seat on the airplane.

On some airlines you have a good shot of securing an aisle or window seat, although my preferred airline, Southwest Airlines, using an open seating policy. Unless you check-in as early as possible, chances are you might get stuck in the middle seat. If you’re lucky, the person in the window seat will only ask you to let them out a half dozen times over the course of the flight.

In addition to my aversion for the middle seat, I find that the flight always leaves me congested and miserable. My ears are plugged, I cannot breathe through my nose at all. Ugh! Now this might be a symptom of not traveling very often, as I found my recent trips were not so bad, but it is something that I do not look forward to when flying.

5. Eating out.

Neither my wife or I are gourmet cooks by any means, but we can both prepare a pretty good home-cooked meal. When traveling for business, you will be eating out at restaurants (or the hotel) for every meal. Just like sleeping alone, initially this sounds enticing but it can quickly become old as you long for burnt meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Also, depending on the nature of your travel, you may find yourself eating your meals alone. While this isn’t really a big deal, it can feel somewhat awkward if you are not accustomed to it.

What about you?

Whether you are a regular at the local airport or only travel a couple of times per year, I’d love to hear what things you dislike the most about business travel.

Turn the other cheek.

Walk away.

Don’t stoop to their level.

The above statements are often offered as advice on how a child should deal with a bully at school.

Unfortunately, many school bullies are not thwarted by any of these actions and sometimes will continue to escalate their behavior to illicit a response from the child being bullied.

Over the last few weeks, my wife and I have experienced this first-hand as our oldest son has been dealing with a bully at school.

Our son was being pushed.

Our son was being called names and teased.

Our son was being punched in the back.

Our son was being pinched to the point that he came home with bruises.

Now our son is not a small boy. He is a pretty big kid and has learned to handle himself fairly well. Not too long ago, he achieved his purple belt in Kajukenbo and had been progressing towards his blue belt when the instructor changed and he lost interest in the program.

Basically, he can take care of himself but has an easy-going demeanor and tries to be friendly with everyone.

All along, he was being respectful of the bully and turning the other cheek while my wife and I communicated our concerns to the school. First the teacher and then the principal. Initially, we asked our son to do his best in avoiding the bully but that proved difficult since they are in the same class.

We had a meeting with the principal after our initial communications appeared to fall on deaf ears.

The school responded by preventing the bully from participating in outside recess, instead having to sit in the office.

For one day.

As you might imagine, that did nothing to curb his actions towards our son.

The school informed us that our son should write a letter to his teacher whenever the bully was bothering him. Last Wednesday he wrote his teacher a detailed letter about what the bully was doing to him.

On Thursday, our son had reached his tipping point.

He walked up to the bully and punched him in the face.

Now I have to admit that my actions and comments likely had an influence on this course of action. When my son had told me that the bully was pinching him and calling him a “bitch”, I too had had enough and informed my son that he had our blessing to defend himself.

I told him that he would not be in trouble at home and that my wife and I would deal with the school if he were to get in trouble. The point where I probably crossed the line was when I told my son that if he did have to defend himself, he should lay the bully out and say “Who is the bitch now?”

After releasing his frustration on the bully’s now bloody face, our son was sent to the principal and we received a phone call informing us that our son was going to be suspended.

As noted over at Tip Dad, our son’s school opted to punish our son for self defense while the bully that has been pinching, pushing, and punching him has received no such punishment.

The school initially told my wife and me that they would simply have our son serve the suspension in the principal’s office until it was time for him to leave school. In our eyes, he was being punished for something that we did not feel was wrong. Therefore we informed the school that he would serve his one day suspension at home and we would pick him up.

Normally, I would not condone fighting for the sake of fighting.

But our son was standing up for himself and at that moment, I could not have been more proud of him. There was no punishment awaiting him at home, as a matter of fact my wife and I took him out for lunch; although we did communicate to him that fighting is not the way to deal with problems.

After the incident at school, the principal informed us that she was disappointed that we did not trust the school to handle the matter. The point that the principal was missing was that we did trust the school to handle the matter, yet they failed that trust when they did nothing to curb the bully’s behavior.

To make matters worse, we were given a few documents by the school regarding how to deal with a bully. One of the documents indicated that sometimes kids will be bullied if they act different, dress different, or talk different and that they should try to change their behavior to fit in.

Excuse me!

Whatever happened to accepting people for who they are and not judging someone because they are different. It is absurd to see that a school system is trying to make the child being bullied feel it is their fault that they are the target of a bully.

The following day at school, my son was not sure what to expect and I told him to be cautious as the bully might want to try and punch him back. Quite the opposite occurred, as the bully now wants to be friends with my son.

When faced with a bully at school, you can do your best to avoid the situation and turn the other cheek.

However, as my son found out, sometimes you need to stand up for yourself and punch the bully square in the face.

Photo credit: Greencolander

First, I have to comment about the middle seat.

When I booked my flight, there were no window seats available – my preference given that I never get up during a flight. Hoping that something would open up by the time the online check-in became available, I jumped online 24 hours before my departure and realized that I was doomed to endure the middle seat. Unfortunately, my trip has not lived up to the Penthouse forum stories you read about being between two gorgeous ladies; instead I am sitting between two guys.

Smells like someone just farted…not pleasant at all. I’m thinking it was the guy that has already made three trips to the bathroom, although it could just as easily be the elderly woman in the next aisle who is sound asleep.

Now the guy to my left – he has been gone for over an hour. It seems his headphone case, Bose headphones as everyone within three aisles learned, slid back a few aisles during the take off. He was dead set on retrieving that case and when the people behind us did not act quickly enough, he decided to get up and get the case himself. Surely he has found it by now but I don’t know where he went after that; not that I really care as I am enjoying the extra leg room with the empty seat.

The guy to my right has been involved in a spirited game of bowling on his Nintendo DS. Every now and then I catch the occasional fist pump – undoubtedly after a strike or a difficult spare.

The smell of fart has dissipated, that or it burned my sense of smell so badly that I can no longer smell anything.

To the front, there is a family that must have had a long day; when I approached the ticket counter at the gate I heard the agent indicating that she was calling security due to their behavior. I later learned that they had been at the airport for over 6 hours and had numerous flights canceled, so I can imagine their frustration. Other than the fact that the woman has her seat reclined into my lap, they all seem nice enough.

Oh yeah, and why is it that the person in the window seat gets to decide whether I can look out the window or not. That just seems wrong to me, but what can you do.

The stream of people heading to the restroom is picking up now that the drink cart has passed by. You know, I’ve never used the restroom on an airplane and I don’t plan to change that anytime soon.

Another thing I don’t do – at least not often – is sleep on the airplane. As a courtesy to my fellow travelers, I only sleep when I am accompanied by someone that can elbow me in the ribs when I inevitably begin to snore. Instead, I just like to sit back and observe everyone else on the flight – much like I am doing right now.

We have entered into Florida and it won’t be too long until we touch down in Miami. The guy in 34A is still nowhere to be seen, not that I am complaining, and 34C just missed a crucial shot – or so I assume based on the fist slam to the tray table.

Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts as the observations from seat 34B, the middle seat, have come to an end.

Up until a couple of days ago, I had not.

Sure, there had been issues with friends in the past but nothing that was quite like what unfolded recently.

To set the stage, I will remind you that my youngest son could be labeled as being a bit unique – he moves to the beat of his own drum. He is not one to follow what other people do, preferring to set his own path. He has his own unique style. While he loves to play sports and run around with his friends, he has a passion for dancing. He has long, skater hair and pierced ears.

At a recent dance practice, my son was informed that he would be a focal point of the group dance as he would start the dance on stage by himself, lip-syncing the words to the song G-Slide by Lil Mama. Then all of the girls would come out on stage and join the dance.

On the way home from practice, he had the following conversation with my wife.

YS: The kids will make fun of me for my part in the dance.

Wife: What kids?

YS: All the kids at school.

Wife: Why will they make fun of you?

YS: I like to talk about my dance but everyone makes fun of me for dancing.

Wife: Do you want to quit dancing?

YS: No, dancing is my favorite thing to do. I love it.

Wife: Good, should we worry about what other people think?

YS: No, but they make fun of me for my long hair and earrings too.

Wife: Do you want to cut your hair or take out your earrings?

YS: No.

Wife: You have your own style and I love that about you. Lets not worry about what other people think about and focus on the things that we enjoy.

YS: I know, I am going to sit down with my friends and tell them I love to dance and to talk about it and please don’t make fun of me.

Wife: That sounds like a great idea.

YS: Mom, if I become famous and am on TV, does that make Scott famous too cause he’s my friend?

Wife: Sure, I guess.

Here was a situation where my son was faced with a dilemma – he has an activity that he loves more than anything, but his friends make fun of him about it. While he doesn’t want to stop dancing, he wasn’t sure what to do about the situation with his friends. He wants to talk about it without being teased about being a girl since he dances.

To be honest, I’ve seen a few raised eyebrows myself when I explain to adults that my son is extremely interested in dancing. One woman asked me how I felt about my son dancing, as I come across as a sports-minded, man’s man kind of guy and she thought I would not accept him dancing. She was surprised when I told her how much I love that he is dancing and how I encourage him to follow his passions regardless of what other people think.

That is the lesson here.

When you find something that you truly love doing, don’t allow the opinions of others to deter you from pursuing that passion. The easy thing for my son to do would be to quit dancing and play baseball or football like all of his friends. While he enjoys playing those sports casually, he would rather focus his time on dancing and will be competing for the first time this year.

As a parent, we need to encourage our children to follow their dreams as well, even if we might not fully understand it at the time. When my son first expressed an interest in dancing, I’ll admit that I had questions about it but I kept them quiet. When I saw how much he loves to dance, I knew that I would be right there with him offering my encouragement every step of the way.

Encourage your children. Support your children. Love your children.

Being another year older brings many great fortunes, although it can also bring many things that we don’t want to accept. For many men, one of those things is the prospect of going bald.

Personally, I am not one that worries about losing my hair. As a matter of fact, I am to the opposite extreme in that I would actually welcome the loss of my hair.

The last 15 years have seen me chopping of my locks, moving from the clean razor shave through my college years to the closely shaved buzz that I fashion now. My years are catching up to me and my hair is thinning in a few of the common spots, such as the traditional area known as “the island” – you know, kind of like David Letterman.

Am I alone in embracing, if not encouraging, the loss of my hair?

Given the number of commercials and advertisements that I see for hair restoration products for men, I have to believe that I am in the minority. Spend an afternoon at a crowded public venue and you are bound to see more comb-overs than one should ever see.

Why do so many men fear being bald?

That is a great question; unfortunately I don’t think I have an answer for you. The question is even more perplexing when you consider the number of women that are attracted to a bald man. When I was in college, much to the chagrin of my girlfriend (who is now my wife), I can tell you that there was never a shortage of women that were attracted to my bald head.

In an effort to get a pulse on why men had a fear of losing their hair, I turned to a few people on twitter to get their thoughts. It should come as no surprise that the first bit of feedback came from a couple of women that had the following to say:

“Bald guys are sexy! Especially if they are confident. It’s the insecurity that sucks.”

– Michelle from Divine Purpose Unleashed

“I find bald guys to be attractive. It makes them stand out in a crowd, its like I see them first then everyone else.”

– Andrea from According to Andrea

See guys, I told you that women find bald guys attractive.

But what about the guys?

Unfortunately the feedback from guys has been rather minimal. Either that means everyone is too busy to respond, or they don’t care to discuss their thoughts about going bald. One guy that did respond, FrugalDad, had the following to say:

“No fear. If mine starts receding I’m buzzing it close and moving on. A little troubling for men to worry so much over hair.”

– FrugalDad

For whatever reason, men have a fear of going bald. There are a variety of reasons that play into this fear: perception that they are not as manly if their hair is falling out, fear of being viewed as old, or even just the unknown.

“Probably the initial realization that it was starting to happen. Uncertainty about what would happen. Whether I had options.”

– JiMpiSh

Guys, as we often tell our young children, it is important to face your fears head-on. Often times we find that the thing that we feared the most really isn’t all that bad.

What I can tell you is that as I have aged another year, there is a little less hair falling to the floor when I shave my head – and I couldn’t be happier about that!

Embrace your baldness and look around, you might just find a few more women giving you the eye!

What is one food that can make a woman’s sex drive disappear?

Wedding cake.

That joke might be funny if I hadn’t heard it from so many married men that complain about the lack of sexual activity taking place in their marriage.

As much as guys might want to think that any reduction in the quantity of time between the sheets (or on the dining room table) is an evil plan concocted by their wives, often times the real answer is staring at them in the mirror.

Now I am not going to get all Cosmopolitan on you and start bashing my fellow man and placing all of the blame on you for any lack of spice in the bedroom, as your partner certainly plays a role in that as well.

But when you take a step back and look at how you have changed over the years, you might just find that there are some small changes that you can make that will have your partner crawling all over you.

The following eight tips are things that you can do right now to avoid being one of those guys that breaks out that joke about the wedding cake.

1. Stop thinking of her as your personal squeeze toy.

Guys, I know it is extremely tempting to constantly be giving your wife a squeeze here and a squeeze there; however, she will most likely not appreciate it as much as you would if she were the one squeezing you.

The path to romance rarely begins with a “drive-by” boob squeeze as you pass your wife in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the boob squeeze as much (actually more) than the next guy but if you think it is going to lead to some hot and steamy action in the bedroom, guess again.

2. Pay attention to her turn-ons.

No, I am not referring to the type of turn-on such as how she likes it when you kiss the small of her back. What I am talking about here are the every day things that might be a turn-on for your wife or partner. Often times it is things that seem so ordinary that you might not pay attention.

If you get home before your wife, rather than plop down in front of the TV, clean up the house and vacuum the carpets. When she walks in and sees you vacuuming, she may have a hard time not jumping on you right then and there.

3. Cook her dinner.

Sure, some of you guys are outstanding chefs and thrive when putting together a meal. However, many of us defer to our wives far too often when it comes to the cooking.

Once you are done with the cleaning (and any extra-curricular activities that might take place as a result) head into the kitchen and prepare a nice dinner. Throwing hot dogs on the grill with a side of potato chips doesn’t count either. Prepare a meal that includes a main entree along with one or two sides, maybe a nice salad beforehand. Bonus points if you plan ahead and bring home a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner.

4. Plan a date night and surprise her.

Between the demands of work schedules, driving the kids around to their activities, and taking care of things around the house, it is easy to forget that you and your wife need to spend some time alone together. Away from everyone and everything.

Plan a complete date night for you and your wife without letting her know about. Coordinate the baby sitter to take care of the kids and enjoy a night together. About an hour (you might want to make it two depending on your wife) before you need to leave, tell her to put on something nice as you have somewhere to go.

The activities that you plan for the date night aren’t nearly as important as simply making the effort to plan some special time just for the two of you.

5. Randomly let her know that she is on your mind.

Sometimes we get so busy in our day to day activities that we take it for granted that our loved ones know how important they are to us.

Take a few minutes out of your day, maybe before you run into your next meeting, to give her a call and let her know that you were thinking about her. Tell her that you cannot wait to see her tonight so you can kiss her beautiful lips. When you hang up, she’ll know that she was on your mind and now she will be thinking about the kiss, and maybe more.

6. Admit it when you are wrong.

Have you ever argued a point even when you know that you are wrong? It is silly when you think about it, as you know that you messed up, yet you continue to hold your ground and refuse to admit your wrong-doing.

This defensive behavior builds up a wall around you and casts a negative light on your actions. When you can admit when you are wrong, your wife will appreciate the fact that you are aware that you don’t know everything. You might think this is a sign of weakness on your part, she will likely think it is an extremely attractive sign of your confidence.

7. Tease her.

Not the name-calling, hair-pulling kind of teasing – that might be coming later if you’re lucky. What you want to do here is leave her wanting more.

Pull her in close and start to give her a nice, deep kiss – then stop and walk away. She’ll be left wanting more and will be looking for an opportunity to continue where you left off.

8. Cuddle, yes, I said cuddle, after sex.

The word cuddle makes most men cringe, as they usually have one of a few things on their mind after sex: going to sleep, having something to eat, or watching SportsCenter.

Resist the temptation to indulge in one of those activities and cuddle with your wife. You will be showing her that there is nothing more important than being there with her at that moment. Check the scores in the morning over a big breakfast and you might just be given the opportunity to cuddle more and more.

Spark The Romance

Throughout all of these tips, you will hopefully have noticed that most of them are focused on adding a little romance into your relationship rather than talking specifically about sex.

As part of Darren Rowse’s Group Writing Project on Killer Titles, hopefully this post has given you something to think about and captured your attention.

After having a few kids and being married for years, it is easy to lose sight of the importance that romance has in a relationship. Give these tips a try and you will hopefully find that the path to more action in the bedroom begins with romance, not a boob squeeze!

Photo credit: shutter.chick

They weren’t.

Those were tears of joy.

Joy that the parents will reclaim their quiet house for at least a few hours each day. Joy that the house can be cleaned without a couple of little monsters trailing right behind making a new mess. Joy that one can eat lunch without having to dodge a flying chicken nugget.

That’s right…today is the first day of school in our town and I swear that I saw a few parents dancing down the street as the bus pulled away.

For the last few years, we have had an annual tradition in our neighborhood where we host a breakfast for all of the kids on the first day of school. At 7:30am this morning, I was outside setting up the table and chairs for the big celebration. Oddly enough, most of the kids seemed just as ready to be going back to school as the parents were to have them out of the house.

There were bagels and donuts. Strawberries, grapes, and watermelon. Chocolate milk and orange juice. Sausage and pancakes, with more than one half-eaten sausage link placed back into the dish by one of the kids (yum…but I’ll pass, thanks).

The clock was ticking down and the bus would be arriving shortly. The kids were getting anxious and running around as more than a few parents cringed with the thought of the brand new gym shoes being destroyed before the first day of school had even started.

Then we saw it…the school bus was approaching.

All of the kids grabbed their back packs that were stuffed to the seams with school supplies and lunch bags. Gone are the days of the hug and kiss good-bye, as the kids are all a year older now and way too cool for that. Instead we received the nonchalant head bob indicating that all was good.

As the bus pulled away, all of the parents waved and then turned to one another with a big smile on their face. The other dad that was able to make the voyage with me this year had to head off to work. Thanks to my flexible schedule, I have the day off today and eased back into my chair with all of the moms as we talked about the upcoming school year.

After about an hour of conversation and more nibbling on the goodies, we all went off to start our day. As I began to take down the table and chairs, one of the moms suggested that I leave it all out so we can reconvene for a margarita this afternoon before the bus brings all of the kids home.

Not a bad idea at all, but first I need to go wipe away this tear in my eye.

Now it is time for us to take a look at another Man Cave.

Scott’s Man Cave

As we saw from Chris Gray, many guys create their Man Cave in part of their house, such as the garage or basement. Scott’s family was growing in size and he needed to find room to work, so he decided to go all out with a nice detached space that he can call his own.

Did you notice the two doors to Scott’s Man Cave?

While you might think that he did that to have a separate entrance for any visitors, it is actually because Scott has divided his space into two different manly areas. On one side there is an office/living space where Scott can get his work done or relax while watching a movie. The other side is dedicated to tools and storage, as you can see below.

While the tool and storage area is sure to come in handy, I am drawn to the touches that Scott has added to his office space. As you can see in the following picture, Scott has paid attention to the details with a nice overhead fan, couch, water cooler, and lighting.

To get a better overview of Scott’s project, be sure to check out all of the photos from his Office Project Gallery where you can follow along with the progression from the pre-construction phase through the completion as it stands today.

More Details On The Man Cave

Now that the pictures have you wiping the drool from your mouth, lets learn a little more about the Man Cave. Scott was kind enough to sit down for a brief Q&A about his Man Cave and shared more on why he built it, what he likes most about it, and what his wife thinks about it.

Derek: Tell us about your Man Cave.

Scott: It’s my sanctuary. Before I had a spare bedroom in the house to use as
an office. We had a new daughter on the way and my wife wanted a nursery for her. I work from home so I needed a quiet place to work. I looked into renting office space somewhere else. However, I realized that I’m too used to walking into my office each morning half dressed and I certainly didn’t want to have to dress nice and drive somewhere.

So I started building an office which I blog about at Acuminate. The blog is updated about as often as my office, hint: not very often. I love designing and building things, it’s a great outlet for creativity. I designed it to take advantage of southern sunlight in the Winter and no direct light in the Summer. So far this Summer it has been at least 10 degrees cooler than outside with no A/C.

Although I’ve moved into it, it’s still not finished. I mainly have to do finish work such as trim, sheetrock mud, and paint. I plan to add a really nice deck to the front of it, hopefully before my son’s birthday in October.

Derek: How long has your Man Cave been in existence?

Scott: It’s been in existence since November of last year but I didn’t move into it till May this year. This was quite a bit off schedule since the baby was born in February and I planned to have it done before then.

Derek: What do you like most about your Man Cave?

Scott: It’s peaceful. Usually I’m the only one in it and I can relax and focus on my work. This is one of the main reasons I built it. Even if I found room in my house to work, it would have been hard to get anything done with two young children running around and an endless honeydo list that always seems to take priority over what I’m doing right now.

Derek: How much time do you spend in your Man Cave?

Scott:At least 8 hours a work day since I do 90% of my work from there. Occasionally I spend more time there if I need to catch up on work, sleep, or the occasional movie.

Derek: What does your wife think about your Man Cave?

Scott:I’m not sure really, she’s only been in it a couple times. She really pushed me to get it built because she wanted to have a nursery for our daughter and I had to go somewhere to work.

Thanks for sharing your Man Cave Scott!

Remember that if you would like to see your Man Cave featured here, shoot me an email or send me a tweet and we will get everything coordinated.

You arrive home from work after a grueling commute; hot and sweaty from the summer heat, stomach growling with hunger. You walk in the door and your wife says, “We need to talk.”

Those are four words that any man dreads hearing from his wife.

Either it means you have committed a colossal screw-up or she is about to tell you that she is running away with the buff 21-year-old pool boy.

Well, we don’t have a pool so that meant I had committed a colossal screw-up…or at least my wife thought that I had.

As my palms began to sweat and my mind raced to try and determine what I might have done, my wife asked me if I had been using her computer and if not, we needed to talk to our children about their use of the computer.

While my lips muttered that I had not used her computer since last updating her firewall and anti-virus software, I could not help but wonder why she was asking me and my mind quickly settled on a likely answer.

Porn.

My wife was using the computer and noticed that the Internet Explorer address bar had two URLs that immediately caught her eye and gave her a reason to be concerned. She then opened up the browser to show me the URLs that she had noticed:

Kitty dot Cannon dot com
Naked dot Girls dot com

While I was relieved that the “we need to talk” statement was not related to a colossal screw-up on my part, I realized that we had a bigger problem – one of our kids was trying to surf porn.

At first glance, one might think we have a little porn fiend on our hands although I suspected only one of the two URLs was an attempt to actually view naked women. Recognizing “Kitty Cannon” as the name of a Flash-based online game, I realized that the culprit was likely our oldest son as he tried to find the game by typing in the name of the game as a domain.

Seeing that both URLs were entered with the same syntax, using a dot in between words, we suspected that he was also the one that entered the other URL. Unfortunately, that one leaves little to the imagination as to what he was trying to find.

What do you do when you catch your child looking at porn?

While my wife was ready to sell the computer and banish our son to his room until he turns 18, I could not help but think back to my childhood.

When I was about the same age as my son, I remember being over at a friend’s house when we discovered a Playboy that his dad had hidden away. As we unfolded the pages and gasped in awe at what we were seeing, my friend’s mom walked in and saw what we were doing. She immediately confiscated the magazine, yelled at both of us, and sent me home; however, I don’t remember being punished myself.

Did looking at that magazine make me a bad kid?

I don’t think so.

Does the fact that my son attempted to view porn on the computer make him a bad kid?

I don’t think so.

Keeping that in mind, my wife and I sat down with him to ask him about his use of the computer. As we began to discuss this with him, he quickly became embarrassed. Embarrassed by the fact that he had been caught, as well as embarrassed to be discussing naked women with his parents.

We explained to him that using the computer to look at naked women was not acceptable, although we did not punish him for his actions.

Should he have been punished?

That is a tough question.

While he needs to understand that what he did was not appropriate, we also do not want to make him think that sex is a taboo topic that cannot be discussed. While sitting with him, we explained to him that it is natural for him to have questions and to want to explore for answers, but looking at porn on the Interweb was not the way to find the answers.

When he has questions, we want him to be comfortable with coming to us to talk about whatever is on his mind. Had we yelled at him and punished him for trying to look at porn, I believe that we would have closed that door to him.

Do you agree or disagree?

Failure is unacceptable.

Parents that engage in the sport of competitive child rearing (coming soon to the X-Games) often expect perfection from their child. When the child fails, which will happen eventually, the parent is there to berate them rather than pat them on the back and offer words of encouragement.

Consider the following scenarios, which you likely have seen or heard about within your circle of friends:

• A child comes home with their report card containing three As, two Bs, and one C (it hasn’t been that long but I don’t even remember how many grades you normally have on a report card). Rather than congratulate the child on their good work, the CCR (Competitive Child Rearing) parent dwells on the lowest grade, likely grounding the child for their “poor” grades.

• It is a sunny Saturday afternoon out at the Little League baseball field. After driving in two runs and making a couple of quality plays in the field, a child drops a fly ball that allows the winning run to score. As the child leaves the field, you can see the parent expressing their displeasure in the failure to make the play with no mention of the success that the child achieved earlier in the game.

Unfortunately, scenarios like these seem to be more the norm lately.

It isn’t that CCR parents are trying to belittle their children either, at least one would hope that is not the case. Instead, many parents want the best for their children and the common thought is that the only way to be the best is to never fail.

You and I know differently.

To be the best, you will fail.

You will fail again and again. It is the man, woman, or child that does not let these failures stop them that will become the best.

Even when a parent understands that failure breeds success in their own life, somehow that doesn’t always translate to their children.

Seeing your child fail hurts.

It tugs at the old heartstrings.

When a child fails, we as parents need to be there for them. Support them. Encourage them. Love them.

Focusing on a child’s failure will teach them to have a fear of failing. The fear of failing can be crippling, preventing people from trying new things or stepping outside of their comfort zone.

While that doesn’t mean we should necessarily embrace failure, as success is much more fun, we as parents need to remember that failure offers a learning opportunity. Failure has a knack for teaching us what doesn’t work, as well as what we need to work harder on and do differently the next time.

Unfortunately, the CCR parent often ignores the fact that failure is an essential ingredient to success; instead teaching their children that failure is unacceptable.

You and I know differently.

Parenting has become the most competitive adult sport.

You might think this sounds like a ridiculous statement, although one only needs to visit a local youth sporting event to see this in action.

When a child performs a superb play on the field, it isn’t too hard to pick the parents out of the crowd as they are likely grinning from ear to ear and commenting to anyone within earshot that that is their child. The shocking thing is that often times this sense of pride in their child is more about them than it is about the child.

Likewise, when a child fails to make a play, more often than not there is a parent waiting on the sideline with words of criticism rather than encouragement.

This behavior isn’t unique to sports either.

You will find parents competing with one another when it comes to their child’s athletic accomplishments, academic accomplishments, and social accomplishments.

To be honest, I am not even sure that many parents realize what they are doing. This behavior is grown from good intentions, as we all want to be the best parents we can and help guide our children down the path of success. However, conversations about our children quickly become a game of oneupmanship with other parents.

Parent Smith: “Johnny had a great year, he received straight A’s again!”

Parent Jones: “That’s great, Jane had straight A’s in all of her advanced placement classes for the third straight year.”

Not wanting to be outdone by another parent’s boasting, the following response is not uncommon:

Parent Smith: “Right, Johnny would have taken the advanced placement classes too but between being the star quarterback and his volunteer work he just didn’t have the time.”

By now you probably think I am joking.

I wish that I were.

While not verbatim, these are scenarios that I have witnessed and conversations that I have overheard in my community.

Parents are competing with one another and the game is their children’s lives.

Children are being forced into competitive sports, signed up for extracurricular activities, and enrolled in additional educational courses. The fear is that if your child is not excelling in all of these areas that they will be a failure, which means that you have lost the parenting game.

There are preschools near my home that charge an annual tuition that exceeds many colleges and universities. Would you believe that there is a waiting list for enrollment in these preschools?

Watching the parents that were watching their children compete on the baseball field really made me recognize this twisted sense of competition between the parents. There were parents chastising their kids for missing a ball. There were parents screaming at their child to try harder. There were even parents making a point to recognize the failures of other children, as that means their child has a better chance of making the team.

It was a rather sickening experience, one which I wish that I could tell you that I have never been guilty of but I am certain that I have done it as well.

Why are we, as parents, competing so heartily with one another?

On one side, you have people that believe pride in oneself should be avoided as it comes across as being over-confident and bragging. As an extension of this belief, displaying praise for your children is a means of taking responsibility for their success and there should be a better alternative.

Contrary to this belief, there are those that say taking pride in our own accomplishments or those of our children is a healthy thing. It helps children grow into confident, successful adults.

Who is right?

It is hard to say, as I believe there are very valid points from both sides of the coin.

Showering your child with praise will certainly boost their self-esteem and confidence. However, too much praise and your child will become self-centered and arrogant, thinking everything is about them and their accomplishments. Not enough praise and your child may begin to lack the motivation to push themselves to achieve great things.

Speaking of motivation, often times it is best to praise the effort displayed by your child as opposed to the outcome. By telling your child that you are proud of how hard they worked regardless of the outcome, you are teaching them that failure is acceptable. When a child can learn that failure is not something to be feared, they will begin to push themselves and not fall apart in the face of fear.

In recent months, I have had a few experiences that made me proud of my children – or I should say made me proud of how hard they worked for something that they wanted.

Most recently, my youngest son wanted to expand on his experience with hip-hop dancing and audition for the dance company, which is the competitive dance team. When we received word that he made the team, I sat down with him and expressed to him that I was very proud of how hard he worked and the challenge that he took on to make the team before telling him that he had made the team.

A few months back, my oldest son attended the tryouts for the local baseball team that would compete in the PONY National Tournament. With players that were one to two years older than him, he faced his fears and jumped right out there and did his best. When the team was announced and he had not made the roster, I told him that I was extremely proud of the fact that he challenged himself to compete with older boys and did not back down from a difficult situation.

As you can see, I do tell my children when I am proud of them but I am careful not to go too far. Rather than telling them they are the best, I try to tell them that their effort is the best.

If you’re concerned about your child becoming one of those arrogant brats that thinks (and tells everyone within a 50-mile radius) they are the best, focus more on praising them for their level of effort rather than the accomplishments themselves.

What are your thoughts on being proud of your children?

After discussing the concept of the Man Cave, I opened the floor for all of you to send me a few pictures and a description of your Man Cave.

Chris Gray’s Man Cave

The first person to contact me about their Man Cave was Chris Gray. Chis and I met through blogging (you can find Chris over at SEO Ladder) and have followed one another for some time now.

As you can see above, Chris has sectioned off part of his basement and built his own Man Cave that serves as a recording studio. He has been into music for quite some time and the Man Cave provides a great place where he can go and record music for his band, Sepia, or just zone out and listen to music.

While it might not be the Man Cave that everyone desires, I am sure anyone interested in music would love to have a place like this where they can go and relax.

It is difficult to see in these pictures but in addition to the selection of recording equipment at Chris’ disposal, he added a nice touch with the acoustic treatment hanging on the walls.

More Details On The Man Cave

While pictures are always nice to drool over look at, I thought it would be fun to include a little Q&A with the Man Cave owner as well to provide some additional insight.

Derek: Tell us about your Man Cave.

Chris: Shortly after moving into our first home back in 2001 our sump pump failed. The basement flooded after a freak winter storm and we ended up having to pretty much gut the basement. I have always been into music and computers so when it came time to rebuild, I took the opportunity and sectioned off part of the basement to build my “Man Cave” — a home recording studio.

It didn’t happen over night, but in time, has evolved into a nice space where I am able to away to work on song ideas or just zone out and listen to music. I am currently running a ProTools LE setup on an older Dell Precision 530 machine (dual P4 1.5 GHz with 2GB RAM). My father-in-law was kind enough to build the mixing desk you see pictured.

Derek: How long has your Man Cave been in existence?

Chris: About seven years now.

Derek: What do you like most about your Man Cave?

Chris: My children have all taken an interest in music in one way or another. Lately, we have all been going down to the studio to mess around on the drums or play the keyboard. My youngest asks to go down and “jam”…I love it!

Derek: How much time do you spend in your Man Cave?

Chris: With three children keeping my wife and I pretty busy these days I don’t spend too much time down there in isolation but I do have the band over once a week to practice. We usually track song ideas and work on our demo when we can.

Derek: What does your wife think about your Man Cave?

Chris: My wife has been very supportive…especially given the amount of money I have plunked away on equipment. She and I have also recently started working on our own music down there. I guess it’s not 100% Man Cave anymore…is it?

Thanks for sharing your Man Cave Chris!

Remember that if you would like to see your Man Cave featured here, shoot me an email or send me a tweet and we will get everything coordinated.