How to Be a Real Man

Character, duty, standards and the things nobody sat you down and explained.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Nobody has improved on the hand plane

Roman carpenters had one. Your grandfather did too. Why a good used hand plane still beats most of what's sold as an upgrade.

GuidePreparednessWes DunbarOct 11, 20265 min

Down for wind, up for gas: how to shelter in place

Shelter in place means different rooms for different dangers. Here's the order of moves, the room to pick, and what to keep in it before you need it.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Nobody has improved the claw hammer, and plenty have tried

It drives nails and pulls them with one lump of steel and a stick. Inducting the claw hammer into the Garage Hall of Fame.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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Gear6 min read

Buy him the better version of what he's nursing along

Gifts for him in three budgets, plus one to save for and one that's free. Every one of them gets used.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuidePreparednessSam OrtizOct 11, 20266 min

Two ways out of every room, and a drill the kids will ask for

A fire escape plan takes one evening to build and ten minutes twice a year to practice. Turn it into a race and your kids will want to run it.

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Housewarming Gifts a New Homeowner Will Use the First Week

Skip the candle. Gifts by budget that get used before the boxes are unpacked, and a few that last long after the mortgage is paid.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideGearDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Gifts for Dad he'll still be using in twenty years

Four budgets, one test: will he reach for it on an ordinary Tuesday? Gifts that last, get used, and bring the family around the same table.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuidePreparednessCal BrennanOct 11, 20266 min

A fan won't save you in 98 degrees. A neighbor might.

When fans stop working, where to go when the house gets dangerous, and how to check on the people on your street without being a nuisance.

GuideGadgetsDean ShawOct 9, 20266 min

Skip the smart home gadgets that rent you your own house

A camera that goes blind when you stop paying isn't a purchase. It's a lease on your own front porch. Here's what to skip, and what to buy.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideStyleTobias ReedOct 9, 20266 min

Seven kinds of clothes that quit before the season does

Thin tees, bagging stretch denim, collars that bubble. How to spot a garment built to die young, and what to buy in its place.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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GuidePreparednessWes DunbarOct 11, 20266 min

Get under the table, then bolt the bookcase to the wall

Drop, Cover, Hold On takes ten seconds to learn. The bookcase behind you takes one Saturday to fix, and it's the part most people skip.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

Miracle sprays and magic tapes fix the demo, not your house

The as-seen-on-TV repair aisle sells speed. Six gimmicks to leave on the shelf, what to do instead, and the one case where each earns its keep.

GuideGearDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

You work in an office. Nothing you own needs to be tactical.

Combat pens and MOLLE backpacks do nothing for a man with a cubicle. Plain gear does more, and some of it is worth real money.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 9, 20266 min

The 200-piece tool set is a number, not a toolbox

Most of that count is bits and keys you'll never touch. Skip the big box and build a kit around the tools that actually do the work.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

The kitchen drawer you can't close is full of these

Seven single-job gadgets that take up space and do worse work than a knife, a pan, or a fork you already own.

GuideGadgetsDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

Gold-plated cables and the other things you can leave on the shelf

The pitch comes right after you've spent real money, when a small add-on feels like nothing. Six to pass on, what to do instead, and the one case where each is fair.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideCarsDean ShawOct 9, 20267 min

Seven car upsells to turn down before you sign

The finance office and the service lane run on extras you didn't ask for. Here's what each one promises, what to do instead, and the rare case it pays.