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How to Spot a Serial Killer

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With  ice water in their veins, and ever so charming smiles, psychopaths comprise anywhere from 0.6% to 4% of the total population. This personality disorder affects males more often than females.  It’s well documented in societies around the globe.

The psychopaths brain is wired a little different to yours or mine. It has a smaller prefrontal cortex—the section that regulates behavior, impulse control, and planning—and a deformed amygdala, the home of negative emotions such as fear, guilt, and sadness.
You cannot tell externally who is a psychopath.  So here are some tell tale signs.

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Psychopathic Trait #1: Fearless Dominance

Try to imagine complete freedom from fear, anxiety, or guilt.  You can act however you wish without the annoying controls of conscience, legal consequences, authority figures, or worrying about the happiness of others.  You understand the rules of society; you just could not care less about them.

You’re also a master at hiding your cold-hearted self-confidence.  Externally you’re charming, outgoing, charismatic, and convincing—people like you.   You’re not a loner. You love control and power, which you get from these sheep that take this thing called responsibility seriously.  But they’re far beneath you.  These suckers should lose—they had it coming.  You look out for yourself – and that’s it.

You also have absolutely no empathy and you’re free from emotionally dealing with the pain you inflict on people. You understand emotion intellectually, and you study it to learn how to act normally and what to say to get your way; you are a master manipulator. You ‘re like a color-blind person viewing the traffic lights. You know the upper light is “red,” and you know what to do about it, but you have no comprehension of what red really is.

Psychopathic Trait #2: Self-Centered Impulsivity

You act how you want, whenver you wish.  You require stimulation and get bored very quickly. Sometimes you’ll drive intoxicated, steal from stores, start bar fights, humiliate fellow workers, roofie that chicks drink, or torture small animals just for the hell of it.

You’re also completely irresponsible.  You don’t need to pay money back.  You don’t go to work if you don’t want to.  You may have a dishonorable discharge from the army.

Finally, you are very impulsive.  You’ll quit a job, break relationships, drop out of study and have sex with many partners as you want, even if you’re in a relationship.  Why?  Because you want to.  But this impulsivity also means you’re more likely to die in a violent accident, commit suicide, or get killed.

Psychopathic Trait #3: Low Autonomic Arousal

Your physiology is quite different from non-psychopathic people.  Your resting heart-rate is lower, your skin temperature is lower, and the beat-to-beat changes in your heart-rate are not the same as the rest of the sheeplike population.

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You’re cool as can be, even when others panic.  When your girl is freaking out, this is when you are at your best. Your heart rate decreases when arguing with and beating up your partners.  The pinacle of this was Hannibal Lechter – who’s heart rate never broke 85 even as he attacked a girl.
So here is the best example of psychopathy I’ve seen.

Eric Cartman from South Park.  Cartman is a true psychopath.

 

Real World Strength Training

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What you need to know.

  • The term “functional training” has been abused. Training with a purpose is what we are after;
  • Trap bar deadlifts give all of the benefit of the deadlift plus add the ability to alter levers and improve form to generally be safer for the lower back;
  • Bear crawls recruit motor patterns we use when sprinting plus  also challenging our  core, shoulders, plus hips;
  • Single-leg training gives greater muscle development and better muscle strength as it works more muscle; and
  • The farmer’s walk is now a staple exercise for core training to deal with real force in motion.

realworldstrength
Purposeful Training, Not Functional

1. Trap Bar Deadlifts

The basic deadlift is a common favorite, but often  physical restrictions stop people from carrying it out effectively.

The trap bar deadlift provides all of the benefits of the deadlift along with the ability to change levers and alter form to utilize the lift effectively, without the associated risks and issued of the regular deadlift.

The trap bar deadlift is a key part of training with purpose, permitting us the maximum benefit of the deadlift without the risk.

This isn’t weak and doesn’t slow you down. It extends your training ability and longevity.
2. Bear Crawls

Bear crawls permit us to practice motor patterns we use while sprinting plus also challenging the core, shoulders and hips to stabilize our body.

Try doing 3 x 20 yards. Try them with dumbbells in both hands. it goes without saying – increase the weight as you can.

3. Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat

Single-leg training fosters more muscle-growth and greater muscle strength as it works more muscles. It doesn’t just work prime movers, but stabilizers and neutralizers, as well.
Regardless of all that, if you run, play sports, or move recreationally, then it’s important that you jump on one leg and start getting improving.

4. Press-Ups

If you want to maintain your shoulder health in the long term, it makes no sense to focus only on the barbell. A barbell is harsher on the joints than press-ups, regardless of the weight.

Like chin-ups, press-ups done with weight permit for normal movement of your shoulder joint and scapula while still challenging your chest. As an added extra you’re working your core to get stronger at the same time.

Prior to barbells there were press-ups. It’s the exercise that has stood the test of time. Stick it into the routine and reap the benefits.
Do 3 sets of 12, using a weighted vest, weights on your back or resitance bands.

5. Farmer’s Walk

The farmer’s walk is now a staple exercise for core training to deal with real force in motion

An  exercise with huge bang for buck, farmer’s walks give an overload to the traps, core, hips, and grip strength, as well as the cardio system.

See how much you can carry for max distance… x2.

Why Men Exist – The Scientific Reason

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The existence of men has long baffled some scientists. Sexual reproduction is not efficient but the vast majority of species use this method of reproduction. So why do men exist? Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UAE) believe they may have cracked it, postulating that the force known as ‘sexual selection’ carries out a primary role in improving health and protecting a species against extinction.sperm

The study was published in the journal Nature and focussed on Tribolium flour beetles to determine why multicellular organisms rely on physical sex to reproduce. Using controlled conditions, researchers looked at generations of beetles and studied the impact of sexual selection. Sexual selection is the process where males compete to reproduce and females choose which male to reproduce with.

Almost all multicellular species on earth reproduce using sex, but its existence isn’t easy to explain because sex carries big burdens, the most obvious of which is that only half of your offspring—daughters—will actually produce offspring. Why should any species waste all that effort on sons? We wanted to understand how Darwinian selection can allow this widespread and seemingly wasteful reproductive system to persist, when a system where all individuals produce offspring without sex—as in all-female asexual populations—would be a far more effective route to reproduce greater numbers of offspring.

The research found when sexual selection was taken away and beetles were paired up without choice into couples, the population’s health declined quickly and the beetles were gone out by the 10th generation. Wheras beetles that had influence on sexual selection, where intense competition were more resilient to extinction.

“To be good at out-competing rivals and attracting partners in the struggle to reproduce, an individual has to be good at most things, so sexual selection provides an important and effective filter to maintain and improve population genetic health,” said Gage. “Our findings provide direct support for the idea that sex persists as a dominant mode of reproduction because it allows sexual selection to provide these important genetic benefits.”

This study indicates that sexual selection plays a primary role in weeding out dangerous genetic mutations, as the competition means females are unlikely to choose a genetically inferior mate. Even following 20 generations of in-breeding, this study found that the beetles that were strongly focussed towards sexual selection had a higher fitness.

Can You Drink Too Much Water?

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waterWe know the guidelines of hydration. Drink until your pee is clear, drink before you get thirsty. What if those rules aren’t right? A new statement released suggests that some of these rules may put you at risk of overhydration.

Hyponatremia is what happens when the blood becomes very diluted,” says Dr. James Winger, a sports medicine doctor in Chicago. “In the setting of athletics, people take in more fluid than the body can get rid of, usually in the name of preserving hydration.

By drinking excessive water, the salt in the body becomes diluted, leading to swelling in the bodies cells.
Even though it can happen to any one, hyponatremia is more common with endurance athletes. According to Dr Winger, a study of ultra-marathoners revealed that half of the finishers displayed signs of hyponatremia. Plus – another study of Boston Marathon participants revealed that 13 percent had the condition by the time they finished.
Hyponatremia can be difficult to diagnose.

Symptoms can be very vague and not unlike symptoms one might experience after running a race or performing any athletic event [including] fatigue, even confusion or exhaustion,

Winger says. But he indicates that it’s completely preventable, as long as you don’t follow some common myths regarding hydration.

Some Old School Myths About Hydration

Myth #1: If you feel thirsty then you’re already dehydrated.
Thirst is a good thing. In fact, the panel’s report, published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, suggests that athletes only drink when thirsty to stop overhydration.
If you feel thirsty, your body has already begun to start its own water saving measures. “People think it’s too late; you’re already dehydrated” Winger says, noting that running into serious dehydration problems is tougher than people believe. Drinking only when you feel you need to, instead of making yourself drink at every water station on the course , will keep you hydrated.

Myth #2: Athletic performance will suffer if you’re not totally hydrated.
It’s natural to get a little dehydrated during athletic events.

There’s mounting evidence that mild to moderate dehydration has no effect on performance in many sporting endeavors,” Winger notes. “We need to look at dehydration as a natural part of exercise, not necessarily something to prevent.

Most athletes can safely lose up to three percent of their bodyweight via dehydration before it negatively impacts on performance, Winger says. Drinking when you’re thirsty will stop you from entering danger.

Myth #3: You should drink until your urine is clear.

In general, urine color is a pretty poor marker of specific or exact urine concentration,” Winger says. “If you’re trying to dilute your urine, you’re probably putting yourself into an overhydrated state.

Myth #4: Muscle cramps are a sign of dehydration.
If you cramp up you may think to drink to ease the pain. But recent research indicates that muscle cramps don’t have much to do with hydration, or lack of it.

What’s been demonstrated is that it has a lot more to do with the fatigued state of the muscle, and muscles that are more fatigued are more likely to cramp,” Winger says. “Fatigued states do occur when you’re dehydrated as well, so there’s a definite overlap that leads down this path. Our advice has been to drink when you’re thirsty — that can be a plan, and it’s the easiest plan there could be,” he says. “When you’re done feeling thirsty, stop drinking. It sounds silly, but that’s the simplicity of it and the beauty behind it. We don’t need any sorts of numbers and measurements and weights to tell us how to stay healthy during exercise.

The Assertive Man – How to

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When the majority of people hear that a person is “assertive,” their first thought is to equate this with being ‘bossy’ or ‘pushy’. But assertive behavior is a fine way to not only get what you want, but determine mutually-beneficial solutions.

The Story:

So I’m am a regular around my college rec center basketball courts as a way to work out. In the area I usually play, there are 3 basketball courts dedicated to full-court play. Often, I walk in to find a game on a court, and about 20 other guys just waiting to play with their team of 5, despite the fact that there are 2  open courts to play on. This is mostly because most guys are not assertive enough to start a game on one of the other courts. As I’m attempting to live assertively, I often organize a game by locating 9 other people who are also waiting to play. Not only does this benefit me, it benefits the others as soon after there’s a waiting line to play on my court.

This story suggests a number of few pieces of advice for how to become more assertive:

1. Start small

If you’re not used to being assertive, you probably won’t find much profit from taking on your bank to eliminate your monthly service charges for your account alone. Start with individuals before institutions. Learn to deal with individual, free-thinking people, before you start trying to change the bureaucracies of institutions. This approach will also start you on the right foot because you will learn how your position appeals to the individual interests of the person, which leads to the second point.

2. How will getting what you want benefit the other person.

Humans often act in their own interest. If you can determine how to tell a person that what you want is also what they want, you will find success. In the previous example, I want a game of basketball, and my starting a game will stop the other 9 men from waiting for the current game to end. This is mutually-beneficial and is often accomplished as I explain that what I want is in the interest of the others. This can be extrapolated further -“If you drop the price for this item, I’ll get something else as well.” Use human nature in your advantage, and figure out a way to explain how what you want is what the other person(s) want.

3. Consistency

The first time you try to carry this out, you might fail, that’s OK. But, if you aren’t consistent in your attempts, you probably are unlikely to find success in abandoning your passivity. Figure out why your assertive approach did not succeed, and next time alter your approach. After a time, your assertive qualities will become routine, making you a better leader and overall more successful man.

Shop Supplies

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I’ve been prepping the fishing cabin that I own in the north west for winter. The place was a mess and needed a lot of work. A major issue was storage – shelving and some cabinets.

fishing-cabing

Here are the good deals for those in the same boat:

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The ‘Dad Bod’ Trend Is Giving Normal Men Some Hope

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A short time ago I had no absolutely idea what a  ‘dad bod’ was.  The ‘dad bod’ is a new infatuation with bodies that state, “I workout in the gym fromtime to time, but I also drink a lot and like to eat ten pieces of pizza at a time.”

It all began with Clemson University’s The Odyssey, via Mackenzie Pearson‘s piece “Why Girls Love The Dad Bod.” The basic premise is a “physique characterized by undefined muscles beneath a light layer of flab, usually topped off with a beer belly.” That effectively means anyone who played sport in school then started eating pizzas for lunch  – within reason – and has some chance with girls who like this kind of thing.

dadbod

The reasons Pearson provided for her attraction to the dad bod were:

It doesn’t intimidate us.
This is always positive, and we’ll take what we can get .

We like being the pretty one.
I  haven’t been called pretty…ever. And we’re OK if that don’t change.

“Better cuddling.”

Well Yep…

You know what you’re getting.

Well ok – BUT – guy with dad bods will pack weight on down the line and maybe hit the morbidly obese benchmark. It’s all relative.
It’s interesting to see this online and  see a bunch of females (and a large percentage of the net) appreciating this reality of life.

The Not So Humble Crotch Rocket

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motorcycleWe all know them: those guys on the Japanese motorcycles, usually garishly-colored, and usually speeding down the road. They are lovingly-referred to as crotch rockets. These motorcycles elicit a wide range of reactions, ranging from “Damn, what a schmuck” to “Seriously nice ride.” So here are a couple of arguments for the opposing sides following.

The case for manly: Cars are the epitome of masculinity. Big engines, ignition, rubber and metal…it’s all present. Men have worked on making their vehicles quicker, sleeker, and basically, cooler, since the invention of the car. The crotch rocket is continuation of this never ending pursuit for speed, and it’s one of the manliest around.

Crotch rockets are the Lamborghini of motorcycles–sleek and fast. There’s nothing unmanly about the Lamborghini  so why would this not transfer over to crotch rockets?

The case for not manly: Riding a motorcycle, in and of itself, is definitely manly, if not safe. When a guy chooses to ride something other than some classic bike, like for example a Triumph or Indian is where the issue lies for some. Now, not everyone can pay for or locate such awesome pieces of machinery. The focus is that if you’re embracing your masculine wish to work on a machine that will go fast and get you oily, try to focus it on something less fast and more poppy. There are a large number of affordable motorcycles out there that fit this category.

Crotch rockets are the Jägermeister to a Harley Davidson’s 12 year old scotch. They have the same end, but the former is for your indulgence, the latter is for real passion.

Improve Your Gin and Tonic

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A Simple, Easy (but not necessarily cheap) Trick to Improve the humble Gin and Tonic

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For many years, I didn’t think I liked the humble gin and tonic. For quite a while, I thought it was the gin that I detested, but some smarter friends helped me with some really amazing gin-focused cocktails, and I very quickly moved away from the staple of vodka in favor of gin’s truly special aromatic qualities. At that point I figured I just didn’t care for standard tonic water.

The results of this investigation? One, I really like gin. Two, I like tonic. And three, I do like them together. So what was the issue with all those early drinks that sent me into disgust?

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It wasn’t the brand of gin, but actually…the type of tonic water. The syrup-sweetened (and commonly available) Schweppe’s  just doesn’t hit it for me. It’s far too sweet, almost like lemonade.

So, if you wish to instantly improve the gin and tonics, invest in superior tonic water. Or at the very least, try a few brands to determine which you prefer, rather than just go with what you can find at the store. Some tonics to look for: Q Tonic and Fever Tree. Or, if you’re feeling specially ambitious, you could make your own tonic syrup and mix it with plain soda. There are recipes online.

Make Your Own Tonic Water

The point being, a gin and tonic is a truly basic drink with two distinctive elements, So, don’t skimp on the tonic.

 

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To finish the article….I do still find most tonics overly sweet, even the better brands. Try my trick of cutting the tonic with soda water. I like to do equal club soda and tonic and bulk up the aromatics with two dashes of orange or lemon bitters.

Favorite Summertime Gin and Tonic:

  • 2 oz. London dry gin
  • 2 oz. Fever Tree Mediterranean-style tonic water
  • 2 oz. club soda
  • 2 dashes Fee Brothers orange bitters
  • Garnish: lime wedge or cucumber slice

New Wave Barbershops

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I found this video covering the “new wave” of barbershops that are growing across America at a pretty steady rate. Modern day men are increasingly becoming tired of going to the sterile salons. Sometimes men just want a place to get away from neutrality and get immersed with the scent of warm lather and the sensation of the straight razor on the back of their neck–things that would be tough to find in the sterile unisex salon.

This is precisely where the new barbershop revival comes into it’s own. Some barber shops, supply awesome beer, shuffleboard , and vintage chairs, all designed specifically to make men feel comfortable. Of course some women may enjoy it as well, and it’s unlikely that they would refuse women service, but these barbershops target men. In most ways, the unisex salon targets women, and men just go along. In this case, men decided to target men, but would let women attend. It’s essentially an identical business model, but approached from the opposite direction.

Men are increasingly appreciating a good shave and cut, and it’s great to see these new barbershops appearing. As a man who feels confident and happy right after a shave and haircut, I salute the efforts of these men and hope to see this trend go on.