This guest post is from Rob Giebel, one of our Manlihood friends in Potter County, PA.
With four hours of sleep under my belt, I headed to town to meet up with my hunting buddy Justin for a coyote and crow hunt. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining and it was a fairly comfortable twenty degrees. This is warm compared to the cold temperatures we have been enduring throughout this brutal winter.
As we reached our chosen hunting spot, we could see a flock of crows fly overhead as we pulled in. We both felt that we were in for a good day. As we set out across the snowy field, I had a flash back to my childhood and the days when I was light enough to walk on top of the snow. I haven’t been able to do that in many years, until today. The crust on the top layer of snow was enough to hold my weight, most of the time. The first time I broke through that top layer I was up to my knees in snow and it snapped me back to the present. Once we reached the wood line that we planned to take cover in, we quickly found a perfect spot to setup. There was a cluster of branches that seemed almost as if they were placed there by someone as a sort of natural blind. It even came equipped with a horizontal branch that was perfect as a shooting rest.
Once we got settled in, I turned on the cottontail in distress call and it’s eery sound filled the air. We were ready for action. We waited, listened, and scanned the field for movement. We saw nothing. We continued to be patient as we hoped for a coyote or some crows to be attracted to our call, but they didn’t show up. I enjoyed watching some chickadees chirping and fluttering throughout the branches just above my head as we continued to wait. Still, there was no sign of any of the game we had come looking for. Finally, as we we were just about to give up, we heard some crows off in the distance. We decided to sit a bit longer in hopes that they would hear the call and come to investigate. Another half an hour passed, and the crows sounded no closer to our location. We decided to bail out and try another spot.
From past experiences in archery, I had a bad feeling about this because we have left our stands early before and walked up on deer that were heading our way as we are leaving the woods. Despite my concerns, I didn’t speak up and we headed to the truck. Just as we were loading our gear into the truck, the flock of crows flew out over the field, directly over the spot where the call had just been removed. Foiled again by our aggressive attempt to get on some quarry. A lesson learned, once again. Next time I’ll be sure to go with my gut feeling and stick it out a bit longer.
The day wasn’t a total loss by any means though. I got to spend the day with my best friend, in the outdoors, doing what I love. There is no substitute for time spent in the outdoors. It was a good day.
Rob Giebel is an avid Outdoorsman who spends his free time hunting and fishing the PA Wilds.
When learning self-defense it’s important to understand the three types of weapons – natural, environmental, and manmade. Keep in mind that just about anything can be used as a weapon. Also, it’s important to note that your entire body is a target, and your entire body is a weapon. Let’s briefly touch upon each category of weapons:
Natural:
Natural weapons are any part of your body that you can use as a weapon: fist, palm, fingers, elbows, knees, head, shin, foot, etc. Some natural weapons are meant for soft tissue strikes (such as eyes, throat, neck and groin), while others are better for hard tissue (such as any part of the head, kidneys and ribs). For instance, let’s talk about the fingers. They are meant for soft tissue striking, such as poking, whipping, slicing, or hooking someone in the eye, or clawing any part of the skin (preferably on the attackers face), and grabbing/squeezing the groin. Although some natural weapons, such as the fingers, are meant for soft tissue striking only, any weapon that can be used on hard tissue can also be used on soft tissue – such as the fist. You can punch someone in the jaw (hard tissue) or you could punch the groin (soft tissue). Keep in mind, however, that I don’t advise punching someone in the head or jaw, because you can easily injure your hand. It’s best to use this rule – open hand to face (jaw, ear, nose, eyes), punch to the body (ribs, kidneys, solar plexus), and kick the legs (knees, side of leg). Keep in mind you can obviously kick the body or the groin. I don’t advise head kicks – too risky and not that practical.
Environmental:
Environmental weapons are anything in your natural environment you could use as a weapon. This could include a car door, rock, brick, rake, picture frame, telephone, fork, shoe, chair, pool stick, hot coffee (throw it in the attacker’s face), book, belt, pencil, screw driver, tire iron, crow bar, keys, stick, pile of dirt (thrown at the attacker’s eyes), etc. You must also understand environmental awareness, and you must exercise this at every moment. Environmental awareness means knowing what’s in you, on you, and around you at all times. What is IN you means your mood. How are you feeling? If you are upset, angry, depressed, or sick, it will affect they way you respond. What is ON you means what you are wearing. Do you have rings on? Earrings? Flip flops? Cockroach killers? Tight jeans? A neck tie? Knowing what is around you is just that – the people who are present (knowing exactly where all people in your immediate surroundings are), the things that are around you (buildings, vehicles, trees, etc.), the terrain (pavement, grass, ice, etc.), the weather (sunny and hot, rainy, snowy, etc.), the time of day (night, dark – day, light), etc. The more aware you are, the better you will be and the easier it will be to spot a threat before it escalates.
Manmade:
These are the kind of weapons everybody thinks about when somebody says “weapon” such as knives, guns, grenades, missile launchers, etc. They were manmade and their purpose was to be used as a weapon. People could argue that a hammer is manmade so it should be in the manmade category. It’s not in that category, because the intent of a hammer is to pound in a nail. The intent was not for it to be a weapon. That is why a hammer would be an environmental weapon. The most common manmade weapons one could be faced with in a self-defense situation are knives and guns, however. As for guns, primarily pistols are what you would be faced with. The reality is that you need to do anything and everything you can to escape without fighting. If you try to be a hero, you will be dead. It’s that simple. Don’t mess around. I strongly suggest getting some self-defense training from a qualified expert (I don’t mean any martial arts instructor – many of them couldn’t fight if their lives depended on it. I mean a real self-defense expert. Many martial arts instructors don’t have a clue about reality. They can teach you how to win a trophy and that is about it. There are those martial arts instructors out there who actually know how to teach you what’s real, so do your research and if you have any questions e-mail me at michael.miller@millersdojo.com).
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
This is a guest post from Jeremy Edmonds, who is one of our Manlihood.com friends!
At Manlihood.com, we love gadgets and tech, and we love being thrifty! (After all, it’s one of the boy scout laws, right)
Anyway, Jeremy, explains how he got his iPhone REALLY cheap!
How I Paid $37 For My iPhone 5s (Without Selling Out My Friends)
Step right up! Learn the secrets… the mysteries…. the mystique of…. smart money management? But seriously, I’m not here to hype you up or tell you how if you share this on Facebook and get 5,000 likes that you will win a free iPhone. This is my true story of how with a little bit of knowledge, planning, and cunning I paid $37 for my iPhone 5s. Yes, you read that right, do not adjust your internet browser. $37. Here, in short order, are 7 steps you can follow to see similar results.
*results may vary because well it’s up to you!
1. Become A Mini-Techie… Temporarily
First things first, get educated! Now listen, I’m not saying to go buy a pocket protecter, move into your mom’s basement, and learn about the special screwdrivers used to get an iPhone open. Geek certification not required.
Apple has become sadly very predictable because, well the press like it and so do customers. Every year since the inception of the iPhone Apple has released a new model. Until 2011 it was always in the summer (mostly June), and since then it’s always been in the fall (mostly September).
Simple logic dictates that in Late July or early August you better start paying attention. The best way to do that is to tune into Gizmodo. There are a lot of rumors that float around about the next thing concerning the iPhone and they do the best job of discerning the fallacious from the fo’ real and reporting on each with level headed perspective and insight.
As the date of release approaches pay attention to the signs like leaked photos and inventory issues for current models. When you are getting about a month out or less it’s time to start Step 2 (if applicable).
2. Sweet Talk Your Carrier
Not eligible for upgrade? Time to kiss your carrier’s butt. If you have any chance of getting that shiny new brick that lights up when it comes out and not paying $600+ for it you need to be eligible to upgrade. Work your magic. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish, especially if you have a been a customer for several years. A friend of mine miraculously got her upgrade status moved up a whole year, and my parents had their upgrade dates moved from January and March 2014 to September 2013 just mere days after the 5s and 5c release.
Unable to get them to comply or too far off to have any hope? Hang in there, there’s always next fall. Do whatever you can to find consistency. Even if that means going month to month for a while after your contract runs out until the next iPhone release. This will lock you into a sweet spot for upgrades.
Usually 2 weeks before the special press keynote Apple will send out invites confirming the date. You’ll know this of course by following Step 1 and at that moment you’ll need to execute Step 3…
3. Lock It Down
So you’re eligible for upgrade and it’s almost time for the new release? It’s time to lock down the value of your current phone (iPhone or not). iPhones have the highest resale value of all smart phones on the market so they give you a great edge but you can get some good coin for others too. Either way it’s going to help you out.
Go to Gazelle.com and get a quote. Once you get that quote it’s locked in and you have 30 days to ship it. The past two years Gazelle has actually extended this period for iPhones exclusively up to two additional weeks. Whatever phone you’re sending in they’ll send you a prepaid shipping label and even a box to put it in. I’ve successfully down this twice in a row.
So clean that sucker up with some iClean and a microfiber cloth after you’ve got the new one in your hands, and of course don’t forget to wipe your data clean too and restore it to default settings using the tips Gazelle gives you.
4. Stay Up Late (Or Get Up Early)
You’ve locked in your Gazelle quote, and now you know when the iPhone preorder will be as the announcement keynote has just finished. It’s a good thing too because now that the new ones have been announced the old models have now plummeted in value. That 30 day lock in is sweet.
iPhone announcements are usually on Tuesdays and usually go on preorder the Friday after at midnight… Pacific time… which is 3am Eastern. Maybe you already decided before the announcement that you’re going to live on locusts and honey and camp out at your local Apple store for a week or two. Congrats, you are certifiable.
Why? Because you can preorder it from the comfort of your home right on Apple’s website. Sure you may need to stay up late (lucky Californians) or you may need to set an alarm and get up at 2:45am (curses here on the East Coast) to be ready for the 3am shuffle, but it’s a very small price to pay. Stock goes fast and you could be waiting 2 more weeks or months to get the iPhone if you miss it. This would throw off the whole cycle we set up in Step 2.
It only took me 10 minutes to order mine this year. So suck it up!
5. Cover Your (Gl)ass
So you preordered and now it’s arrived. After backing up your old phone, restoring the new one from the backup, and sending the old one in to Gazelle you are now the owner of a lovely new very breakable iPhone. You need to protect that puppy if you want to retain its value.
Enter Otterbox. They have some of the best cases on the market. I owned my 4S for two years and dropped it somewhere around a couple hundred times. It never got scratched, dinged or broken. Even if you drop it in water they’ve got that covered too.
Otterbox has stupendous customer service (even Dave Ramsey likes them) and their warranty is awesome so even if it breaks you can follow their simple steps to get a quick replacement, even for the included screen protector!
6. Go The Distance
Discipline pays off. The tortoise always wins the race. Sound familiar? Listen, you can buy a new iPhone every year but it’snot worth it. You may have heard of AT&T Next, Verizon Edge and those other guys’ similar programs. But guess what? It doesn’t pay. Stick with your phone for the full contract. Maybe these programs will be better down the road, but right now they are a gimmick.
7. Rinse and Repeat
You’ve done it! It’s almost two years later and you are ramping up again for the next model. This is the time when you will reap the full fruits of your labor and it’s at this point both times that I paid so little for my new iPhones. Start at Step 1, continue through the steps, and reap the rewards of this saving cycle. Congratulations!
………………….
Who is Jeremy?
• Entrepreneur with 3 years of professional coaching experience.
• Helps coach individuals and couples from all backgrounds and financial situations.
• Member of Counselor Connections, an elite global mastermind group for financial coaches
• Member of My Money Wellness (www.mymoneywellness.com), an elite group of coaches serving communities and businesses
• Dave Ramsey approved locally referred coach for western CT
Jeremy’s Background:
Like many young married couples, Jeremy and his wife believed they were skilled in handling their personal finances. After 2 years of marriage, they realized their consumer debt had accumulated and too much each month was being sent out the door just to cover the minimum payments. Not happy with their situation, they started to be intentional with money and were able to eliminate all of their consumer debt in under a year. This newfound peace in finances affected all areas of their life and is what ignited Jeremy’s passion to help others begin their own journey to finding the peace of mind that comes with taking control of your money and living with a plan for the future.
In 2011, he launched his independent coaching business, Strength In Numbers, and has since partnered with hundreds of individuals to help them dump debt and build wealth. He continues today with new vision and mission to reach as many people possible with life changing education and a hope for a better future.
Men around the country are currently refraining from their normal shaving routine, either for ” Movember ” or ” No Shave November .” By now, some of those men may be itching to pick up that razor and go back to shaving. But we have some inspiration about the […]
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
Here’s a video blog for PART 4 of our MORE THAN A MUSTACHE series.
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
Here’s a video blog for PART 4 of our MORE THAN A MUSTACHE series.
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
Here’s a video blog for PART 3 of our MORE THAN A MUSTACHE series.
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
#wisdomwednesday
This guest post is from Rob Giebel, one of our Manlihood friends in Potter County, PA.
