Author: Jeremy Andenberg

Men are almost universally drawn to goods made with leather. Wallets, boots, bags, jackets, gloves — all are lent a certain extra attraction when they’re crafted from an animal’s sturdy hide. The reasons for leather’s appeal aren’t hard to understand. It’s a material our ancestors used for clothes, pouches, and a variety of other useful wares. And leather is so durable that many of those heirloom items are still around today (in fact, a pair of shockingly well-preserved 5,500-year-old leather shoes were discovered a few years back). Adding to this literal toughness is an aura of it, borne from the … Continue reading →

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The number of productivity strategies out there are innumerable. Every day, dozens and perhaps hundreds of articles are published online about how to get more done, both in work and in life generally. It can be downright overwhelming. If I were to spend the time reading all those new articles and books, I’d have no time to get done what’s actually valuable and important. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed — like you don’t have enough time or like you should be getting more done — where’s the best place to start? Well, why not at the foundation? To know how … Continue reading →

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For most folks in the developed world, getting a drink of safe, clean, palatable drinking water is as easy as turning on the tap. Outside of the comfortable amenities of home, however, attaining potable water can get more complicated and require more effort. Maybe you went backpacking with all the proper gear and simply didn’t allot the correct amount of water for the trip. Or you’re traveling in an undeveloped country and have been warned not to drink from the tap. Perhaps the SHTF and you’re trapped in a city without a clean water source (or less apocalyptically, you’re simply … Continue reading →

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You’ve reached the end of a delicious meal shared with a group of close companions. The waiter glides by and drops the bill for dinner right in the middle of the table. At that moment, everyone glances around and makes gestures towards reaching for the check. Who should pay? You? Is someone else responsible? Going out to eat, whether for simple socializing or to celebrate a special occasion, can be an enjoyable experience and tradition. But there’s often a tad of anxiety built in when people in a party aren’t sure who should be paying for what. In truth, there … Continue reading →

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About a month ago, our household lost power in the middle of the night for a few hours. We could tell because we woke up extremely warm – the A/C had shut off, as had the ceiling fans. When it came back on, it came in surges, causing appliances to beep and jolt a few times, waking our 1-year-old son. A couple weeks ago, after a storm in Northern Minnesota, some friends of ours were without power for 3 days and lost about 40 freshly cut fish fillets they had stocked in their freezer, along with a trash-sackful of other food. … Continue reading →

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About a month ago, our household lost power in the middle of the night for a few hours. We could tell because we woke up extremely warm – the A/C had shut off, as had the ceiling fans. When it came back on, it came in surges, causing appliances to beep and jolt a few times, waking our 1-year-old son. A couple weeks ago, after a storm in Northern Minnesota, some friends of ours were without power for 3 days and lost about 40 freshly cut fish fillets they had stocked in their freezer, along with a trash-sackful of other food. … Continue reading →

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In any survival scenario, water is by far your most important resource. You can easily go a day without food, and usually don’t need shelter right away, unless you’re in freezing conditions. Not having any water for 24 hours, however, while survivable, depletes both your physical and mental strength, making it more difficult to perform the tasks necessary to making it out the other side. And after just three days without hydration, your body will shut down, and it’ll be lights out for you. With about two liters per day (technically you only need two quarts, but with the exertion … Continue reading →

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As a homeowner, there are certain maintenance tasks, safety features, and basic pieces of knowledge about your property which you should know like the back of your hand. When your washer springs a leak, do you know where the water shut-off is? When your teenage daughters have overloaded a bathroom outlet, do you know where your electrical panel is to flip the breaker switch? When you’re thinking of building a new fence, do you know your property line so you don’t get into a kerfuffle with a neighbor? With some basic knowledge of your home, you’ll be confident in answering … Continue reading →

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Looking for a new house can be a fun and exciting experience. Less fun and exciting is selling your existing home. It’s a series of the show and tell, and while your realtor will take care of the telling part, it’s largely on you to make sure your home is going to show well to potential buyers. You want the people who come tromping through your open house to be duly impressed and enchanted, and for someone to make an offer as soon as possible. For this reason, getting your house ready to sell is a lesson in perfectionism. Every … Continue reading →

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Welcome back to our series on the libraries of great men. The eminent men of history were often voracious readers and their own philosophy represents a distillation of all the great works they fed into their minds. This series seeks to trace the stream of their thinking back to the source. For, as David Leach, a now retired business executive put it: “Don’t follow your mentors; follow your mentors’ mentors.” Ernest Hemingway is well known as one of the best and most virile writers of his era, and perhaps of all time. He wrote 10 novels, 9 non-fiction works, and … Continue reading →

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A couple years ago, we compiled a list of the 17 best Western films ever made. As with all such lists, readers were quick to chime in with those omissions they strongly felt ought to have been included. And indeed, there were many worthy suggestions made. So we compiled this follow-up of the best Westerns, as recommended by you, the readers. 3:10 To Yuma (1957) Small-time, down-on-his-luck rancher Dan Evans needs to do something to keep food on the table for his family. So when a stagecoach company offers $200 to transport the outlaw Ben Wade to Contention City in order … Continue reading →

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A few years ago, I started seeing little birdhouse-like structures popping up in front lawns around Denver. When I looked closer, though, I realized that these structures held books rather than stoops for birds. Adorned with signs that read “Little Free Library: Take a Book, Return a Book,” I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about this movement of community libraries. It all started back in 2009 when a gentleman in Wisconsin put up a little library as a tribute to his late mother, who was a teacher and book lover. The idea quickly spread, and Todd Bol soon … Continue reading →

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Few rituals in my life are as consistent or as enjoyable as slowly and meticulously brewing my wife and I fresh coffee every morning. While most people roll out of bed, throw some grounds in a filter, and hit a button on a machine, I’ve found that a few simple tricks can transform your bitter, flavorless cup into a mug of rich, flavorful, nearly-life-changing java. If you want to enhance your morning coffee game, follow the 7 tips below. 1. Use a Meaningful Vessel My collection of hefty coffee mugs, each containing the strands of a powerful experience or meaningful … Continue reading →

Cleaning your gutters is one of the un-sexiest home maintenance chores you can do. It’s usually dirty, you’re moving the ladder a lot, you’ll likely get wet from flushing the gutters, and it’s not exactly something you can show off once you’re done (like you can with a clean and organized garage). Not doing it regularly, though, can spell trouble for your home. If the gutters are too full, water can actually damage the roofing and the fascia (the boards behind the gutters, rather than the tough tissue in the human body). Overfull gutters can spell trouble below deck as … Continue reading →

Few summer pastimes are as satisfying as fishing — it’s a great activity to do with your kids, makes for an excellent microadventure, and harkens to our manly imperative to be providers. What makes it even more satisfying is being able to fillet and cook your catch for a real water-to-table experience. This illustrated guide is a useful starting point that will be accurate for most fish; some varieties have unique methods, but in those instances you’ll likely have someone with more expertise with you. Get out there and bring some dinner home! Hat tip to AoM food guy Matt … Continue reading →