Wisdom for the Wise...

"Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it." -Benjamin Franklin

Assuming this statement is true, and accepting the plausible argument that someone can only be one of the two, either wise or foolish, who then needs advice?

Now I’m sure that I could submit this question to any think-tank and they would most likely provide a probable answer. However, Benjamin Franklin is making a simple maxim, not a 300 page 'Idiot’s Guide to Not Needing Advice'. Our beloved Franklin is simply suggesting that we shouldn’t assume that everyone needs or welcomes our advice.


Let’s Take a Look

It is true that a fool will defy instruction, but what about the wise? Proverbs clearly explains that an attribute of a man of wisdom is that he accepts instruction, not that he is without need of it.

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. - Proverbs 1:5-7

If you are in your mid teen years, you are probably experiencing this transition from the foolishness of a child to the wisdom of an adult. If you are willing to accept that you have most likely not ‘arrived’ at maturity, that you still have a lot to learn, and that you are willing to receive instruction from your elders, you have already reached the first stage of wisdom. Congratulations, you are now officially wise! The rest of the wisdom road will be easy with this mentality of learning. Remember, wisdom is not to be thought of as some guy with his chin in his hand contemplating the universe. Webster’s Dictionary defines wisdom as having the culmination of knowledge, insight, and judgment.

Tips to be Wise
He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth. Prov. 10:17
Upon turning thirteen, I noticed a large shift in the subtle scrutinizing evaluations that I received from others. Everyone supposed that at the jinxed age of 13, I would automatically become obstinate, foolish, irresponsible, and ignorant of instruction. Once I realized this, I turned on the heat. Ironically, just prior to the popularization of the Rebelution movement by the Harris’ brothers, I rebelled against what the world negatively expected of me. I was determined to not be foolish, turn against my parents and elders, nor let myself think that I was above myself. This ideology and God’s grace successfully pulled me out of the ‘trouble years’ of teenagerhood.

Until you have proven yourself, most older people in your life will continue to underestimate your wisdom, respect, and maturity. Here are some avenues that you can take to distance yourself from the expected norm.

1. Receive Instruction- Learn to love other people. There is no hobby on earth that I enjoy more than being with people. At first, your elders may seem preachy, but if you look deep into their eyes, especially in those of the elderly, you’ll find a well of love. This deep love comes from them wanting to help you achieve success in life. They want to include you in their life’s legacy. Keep in mind that unless you’ve broken Mr. Smith’s window for the 3rd time this week or accidentally shot Mr. Smith’s wife with a paintball gun, he probably isn’t instructing you for his own good. Mr. Smith wants to help you.

2. Act Upon Instruction-  If someone shows you a better method for fixing a problem, act upon what they say. Try it their way, and if it works, let them know that you appreciate their valuable time and their help. They will admire you for the wise decision to be open minded toward their suggestion. If it doesn’t work, you can simply resort back to plan A; no harm done. Remember, they are older and have already experienced similar situations in years past, so it will most likely be more profitable and expedient for you to do it their way.

3. Think Older-  Think of a mature person that you admire most. What actions does he perform that you find admirable, wise, and mature? Does he treat all women as ladies? Does he smile at others, even if his smile is not reciprocated? Does he have a firm handshake? Does he volunteer to help others with tasks that aren't beneficial to him? Take these things into consideration.

4. Stay Open-  There are many guys that I know today who do not know how to open up to other people or cope with out-of-peer situations. They resort to acting uninterested or bored, which conveniently lets them find a quiet corner, lonely table, or well known group to hide within and not have to face their fears. They often forget that biting a minor is illegal in modern American law, therefore they aren’t able to face the fear of meeting other people or joining in new group activities! Common nervous issues to overcome include constantly putting your hands in your pockets (something I still find hard to not do), fidgeting with something in your hand or on your person, averting your eyes from others’, etc.

We will be discussing more practical tips on achieving wisdom in the future, for as Benjamin Franklin also said, "The doors of wisdom are never shut."

Happy Father's Day!

-Daddy leading our cow up to be milked.

It is Father's Day once again! In this post, I want to pay homage to my loving dad and then share a few tips for making June 20th an enjoyable holiday.

My Dad-

Being that it is the week before Father’s Day, and that my dad is the best example of a Godly man that I know of, I think it only fair to give a brief description of my dad as I‘ve known him, James B. Riggs.

My dad was the one that taught me to hit my first baseball, throw my first basketball, shoot my first gun, take me on my first hunt, take me on my first camping and canoe trip, and drive my first car and first heavy machinery. He taught me to overcome my fears, a trait that I strongly carry to this day. My dad is slow to anger, objective during a discussion, wise, understanding, sympathetic, an amazingly professional business man, a loyal husband, and a dependable Father. This website would not exist if it wasn't for my dad. Love you, Daddy!

Some Tips for Father’s Day-

Remember, Dad may not need another ink pen, watch, or gift card.  Especially if the “gift” from you comes out of HIS pocket.

>  Think about organizing your dad’s tool shed or keys/junk/money drop area. No, this is not cheap; it’s practical. Many dads are frustrated when the lawnmower won’t crank and the tools are in disarray. What better way for dad to remember your love when he walks in and opens a pristine chest of organized wrenches or opens his used-to-be-junk drawer and finds labeled bins for change, keys, business cards, odd finds, etc?

> “Borrow” the car and return it like new. Most males enjoy a clean vehicle, inside and out. Spend a maximum of $15 and buy wax (for the rims) and rubber luster (for the rubber). Hint: waxing the body of the vehicle is not too important due to the better technologies of cheap wax jobs at the car wash. 

>  Find his to-do list and see if there are any tasks that you can complete.

>  Magazine subscriptions are very good ways to spread $19.99 throughout a whole year! There are hunting, fishing, Consumer Report, and many other morally suitable magazines that your mother or sister can help you find.

>  As uncommunicative homosapiens, we tend to just stick a signature on a prewritten card and tuck it in the gift to our fathers. Even if your dad is not the communicative type either, he can still read. With cards, it truly is the thought that counts. If you hit writer’s block, don’t worry about an introduction. Just write down what you feel on a scrap sheet of paper, see if there are any easy modifications to make, and then copy it down to the official card. Men are wired in a way that they psychologically feel forever criticized, degraded, and unimportant, therefore, build them up in your card. A relationship doesn’t build on what is torn down, so don’t point out his faults. Find what you would miss about him if he wasn’t there and tell him so.

(Luke 12:6-7)

For Those Who Don’t Have Dads-

Studies show that 1 out of 3 children will return to a fatherless home tonight. There are three reasons, possibly more, for a fatherless home: death, divorce, and work related deprivation. Under these three circumstances, Father’s Day can heavily bereave the fatherless. Here are some ways to avoid loneliness on the 20th of June.

>  Pray to “Our Father which art in Heaven”. I believe the subject most taught in modern day Christianity is God’s love for them. However, we tend to perpetually forget this concept. If you will love the Lord and keep His commandments, you will be loved of God (John 14: 21- 23). He is always there for you, and cares for you. Luke 12:6-7 says, “Are not five sparrows bought for two farthings, and yet not one of them is forgotten before God? Yeah, and all the hairs of your head are numbered: fear not therefore: ye are more of value than many sparrows.”

>Your family will most likely be grieving along with you over the loss or lack of a father. Do not try to replace your father, but do try to take on a few fathering attributes such as consoling your family, helping with more than your share of the work and chores, and being a role model and older playmate for the youngest siblings.

>  If there is a man that has positively affected your life, whether presently or in the past, be sure to let him know. As hard as it may be, at least send him a card and thank him for being the closest substitute. Other people to look to as substitutions or role models are grandfathers, godfathers, uncles, or church elders. Remember that most biological and faith-based relations would find it an honor to help during tough times, such as Father's Day.  All you have to do is ask.

Father's Day History-
I looked up the history of Father’s Day.  The story behind this great holiday was so intriguing that I had to share it.

Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. It is also celebrated to honor and commemorate our forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities.

The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on June 13, 1910 through the efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington. After listening to a church sermon at Spokane's Central Methodist Episcopal Church in 1909 about the newly recognized Mother's Day, Dodd felt strongly that fatherhood needed recognition, as well. She wanted a celebration that honored fathers like her own father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran who was left to raise his family alone when his wife died giving birth to their sixth child.

A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father's Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized. US President Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the day be observed by the nation, but stopped short of issuing a national proclamation. Two earlier attempts to formally recognize the holiday had been defeated by Congress. In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus "[singling] out just one of our two parents" In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.

In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 for men and boys who are not fathers. - Wikipedia

Have an enjoyable Father's Day, everyone!

Manly vs. Male Femininity

In the past week, I’ve been contemplating an article concerning the root nature of masculinity. Forgive me if I’m 20 or 30 years late in bringing up this subject, but particularly in the past couple of years, I’ve noticed a rapid escalation of male feminization. Everywhere you look, there are many men, who like it or not, take on a feminine appearance.

The Problem

Look at America’s fatherless statistics right now. From two separate and reputable websites, I found that over one-third of all children in America will grow up in a fatherless home. In an efficient home where both parents abide, you’ll find that on average the boys will eventually take after the father while the daughters will take after the mother. In a home where the father is not present, a young boy’s only obtainable hero to revere, idolize, and copy is his mother.

Clothing models do not provide the right message.  Call me opinionated, but I abhore the modern male supermodels that have girlish hair, feminine glasses, wearing a pink shirt and girly flip-flops.  Those of the muscular variety have no chest hair; they've literally removed their masculinity. (Side note: younger readers or those of differing nationalities may not have chest hair.  This is not evil or weird as long as it is naturally non-existant.)

Television is worse. Those celebrities who vaguely resemble men tend to talk like sailors, degrade women, and strive for manliness through punishing their own bodies with tattoos, excessive alcohol, cigarettes, and tobacco chaws.

On the flipside of the coin for example, you have the televised children’s shows such as the Teletubbies. Besides there being no real difference between the females and males, making a clear uni-sexual statement, allegations were made by popular conservative Jerry Falwell in 1999 that Tinky-winkie was a children’s homosexual role model. Some of the basis for this accusation are the gay pride symbol of the triangle over his head, the purple coloring, and the carrying of a purse.

As I was searching for resources for this article, I ran across an article from which I will be quoting from. It is an interview by Steven Waldman from Belief.net.

[Modern] Christianity has basically communicated to men that the reason God put you on this earth is to be a good boy. Mind your manners, be a nice guy. That's soul killing! It's not true, and for a man to hear the message that the greatest achievement of his life is simply not rocking the boat, not offending anyone, not taking any risks but just being a genuinely swell guy--that kills him.

His nature is made for something much more dramatic. Here's how you can tell: look at the…films men love. Boys want risk, adventure, danger, exploration. Why do men love maps? Women don't love maps.

[The movies men watch] involve a challenge, a great battle, something to be won, some deep hardship to be faced and overcome. That's the soul of a man.

Good grief, look at the images we've been given of Jesus Christ, particularly from our Sunday school years. The pictures of Jesus we were given--in fact, the only pictures of Jesus I have ever seen of Jesus in any church--are 'gentle Jesus, meek and mild.' He's got a lamb on his shoulders. Or he's sitting in a field with children on his knees, looking for all the world like Mr. Rogers with a beard! He's the sweetest guy you could possibly meet. And men can't relate to that, frankly.

It's a very inaccurate reading of Jesus. He's called the Lion of Judah, for heaven's sake. When he comes back, the scriptures describe him as riding a white horse with his robe dipped in blood! He is not sweet. He's loving, but he is also fierce and immensely brave.
Men are just desperate to hear a message of freedom, passion, validation. Even better, women are writing and calling, saying, "I don't know what you did to my husband, but I'll take him and you can keep the other one."

Ultimately, where this message comes out is, God made men in the image of his strength. Not just big muscles--I mean soulful strength, courage, daring, and a fierceness.

It was men who stopped slavery. It was men who ran up the stairs in the Twin Towers to rescue people. It was men who gave up their seats on the lifeboats of the Titanic. Men are made to take risks and live passionately on behalf of others. Ultimately, I'm not encouraging selfishness. I'm saying, go get your heart back so you can offer it to those you love.

I was rock climbing with my three sons. They love to climb. They're going to climb anything anyway--the fence, the refrigerator, the neighbors. So we sanctify it and do it up right with ropes at some rocks near our house. Sam is a typical first born, somewhat cautious, hesitant and fearful.

He was climbing up the rock. He's perfectly safe; he couldn't fall more than four inches because of the rope. But when you get up there you feel the height and it's a little hairy.

He hits this one spot where he gets scared. "I think I ought to back down." I said, "If you want to come back down, come on down." He was beginning to get teary. I said, "There's no pressure. You've got nothing to prove. Let's try something else."

He says, "No, I want to do this."

You know that shop talk sometimes men do with sons? "Hey, great move!" I was doing that, and said, "Hey, you are a wild man!"

He makes it to the top. Maybe 15 minutes later he sort of sidles up to me and says, "Dad, did you really think I was a wild man up there?"
That is the question that every boy is asking, in some way, of his father. The boy wants to know, "Am I real man? Do I have what it takes?"

Every man needs a battle to fight, an adventure to live and a beauty to rescue.

The Solution

1. Eat Healthy.  Eat healthy, whole foods. Studies show that many chemicals in our everyday use and consumption can contain gene and DNA feminine altering chemicals. As a rule of thumb, try to eat straight from the source instead of ‘Twinkie’ preserved and packaged foods. Buy soaps and shampoos that do not contain petroleum and other chemicals. These can easily be found at health stores.

2. Get Outside. If you don’t have much acreage to just get outside and go for a walk, visit www.Parks.com and consider taking an adventure trip at a local park. Go caving, mountain biking, camping, hiking, canoeing, tubing, or fishing.

3. Get a project. During the intermittent, hard hormonal changes of the teenage years, having an ongoing, masculine project is a good way to escape for 30 minutes or an hour a day and just unwind. Here are a few ideas:

>  Restoration. There can be a lot of money made in vehicle restoration. Jeeps prior to the mid-late 1980’s are particularly easy and fun to work on. Boats can also be restored and resold at profitable amounts.

>  Save. Men are goal oriented. Give yourself a goal, whether it be to take lessons for something such as obtaining your scuba diving permit, obtain your pilots’ license, or saving up for your first vehicle.

>  Gardening. Gardening is not a girl thing. Remember, Adam was the first farmer in history.

>  Get a Pet. It’s possible to raise chickens to sell either their meat or eggs. There is a large market for organic cow milk, beef, lamb, goat, or rabbits. If you’re just not cut out to be a farmer, consider at least getting a dog. There have been many times that my dog would just sit with me and help me think out my situations. Dogs are understanding, protective of you and your family, and they will serve as a good learning curve on how to raise your future children and treat your friends.

+ Special regards to Joshua Sherurcij for the use of the figherfighter photo.

You & Your Ride

We all know that in today’s world, a woman’s social standing is mistakenly assigned according to her physical appearance. Although a guy’s looks are important to him, his social standings are often misgauged by the things he can afford, more directly, his vehicle.

Hey! Look at me!
First of all, we all know within our moral consciousness that one’s social worth is based upon his character, not his possessions, looks, or popularity. Secondly, if we judge someone by their wealth, we become a respecter of persons, admiring Elijah's candy apple flame job and disdaining Noah and his cumbersome Ark!

Just before I turned 16, I bought a completely tricked out, hardly used Jeep for a whopping sum I don‘t care to mention. Although I had saved enough money to buy a nice, used vehicle, greed got the best of me, and I sank myself into an extra 2.5 thousand dollar debt. At the age of 16, I didn’t have a steady income, so this venture was already a mistake in my ever thinning billfold.

Another thing I realized was that I wanted everyone to like me for my Jeep, not for who I was as a person. I coveted this false image so much that I was willing to put myself under a financial burden that I knew I couldn’t responsibly repay.

So what is a good happy medium?
After reselling my Jeep, I started looking at my options. I wanted something masculine, with a good acceleration for playtime (I told you I was a normal guy!), and with enough seating for my friends. I finally settled on an eight year old Chevy Silverado 4x4. Due to high miles and God’s grace, the price of the truck was low enough for me to dig myself out of debt, and still be satisfied with my purchase. I put a couple of extras on it, but I made sure that my motives were correct and that God would be satisfied with my ‘improvements’.

Simply remember this: When you’re looking at buying your vehicle or adding accessories to it, pretend that God is standing right beside you. If God was standing behind you, would you pay that much money? Would you really buy something that draws a ’look-at-me’ image to yourself? We are to glorify God, not our vehicles or self image. Use discretion and your good conscience, and I’m sure we’ll all keep our hearing aids at normal volume as you rumble through town!

Making Sure Your Foundation

Down the hill at the beginning of our driveway, we have a bench swing hanging from a large tree, with a flower bed at its base, bordered by a foot tall brick wall.

A farmer’s work is never done, especially when his job description encompasses the occupation of a handy man. Needless to say, I found myself in the masonry class today, rebuilding the decorative brick wall, armed with a shovel, ten fingers, and accompanied by five lizards, one spider, two centipedes, and hundreds of roly-poly’s.

As I removed the brick and used my shovel to level the base of the wall, I was reminded of the importance of having our character and spiritual foundations sure. When we do not take on the painstaking work and care to create a good foundation, we will become susceptible to the devil, and like I found out today, we’ll be rebuilding our foundation from brick one.

Here are four steps for a successful foundation.

1. Look at your wall.

Are there any foundational bricks missing?  If you see that your wall is leaning in the outward direction, even ever so slightly, you must be willing to look at that wall objectively and find the root of the problem. If you ignore or remain obstinate about your mistakes, ten or twenty years down the road from now, the wall is going to crumble. By this time you will have added another brick called ’Marriage’, plus many others to the top, and you don’t want to wait until then for your foundation to come out from under those special and hard earned bricks.

Proverbs 9:8- “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.”

2. Tear it down.

Don’t be afraid to regroup. If the spirituality brick is loose for example, tear down the wall, and search scriptures and Godly resources to find that which is true.

3. Rebuild your foundation.
Once you have found the right brick, e.g. ’sprituality’, carefully put it into place. For analogy, putting it in too hastily will only result in the brick falling out again. You must study out your foundation and make sure that the stones you are using are genuine brick.

1st John 4:1 - “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

4. Completing your wall.

Now build on from here with these simple steps.                                    

>Keep open communication among your parents and the elders of your church, for,

“Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.”- Prov. 20:18.

>Study the word of God.

Ecclesiastes 12: 13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

>Fast and Pray for Guidance

2 Chronicles 20:3 “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.”

>Open your life to God’s direction

Acts 20: 24 “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

- D. Barley Riggs

Real Man...

Whether married or not, I think that all guys will admit to having said this before, “I can’t figure women out! C’mon! I put that glass pack on my vehicle, I wore my best shirt, and I even tried the banana peel joke… what is it that impresses a girl?!”  Not that we men are supposed to be grabbing the attention of every girl we meet, but it is nice to know what a Godly woman likes and dislikes in preparation for a relationship.

The following article from the Rebelution blog is written by two young women, Lori Hainline and Rebecca Chandler, aged 19 and 17. They describe who they regard as being a Real Man.

A real man . . .

…understands and lives according to the basic purposes for which he was created: to worship, honor, and serve God. (Romans 12:1-2)

…values and carefully handles the scriptures. (2 Timothy 2:15)

…doesn’t pride himself on being knowledgeable in the sinful ways of the world. (1 John 2:15-16, James 4:4, Philippians 4:8)

A real man . . .

…isn’t embarrassed to worship God and pray in a group setting. (Mark 8:38)

…is wise, yet humble. (Proverbs 2:1-10, 1 Peter 5:5, Romans 12:16)

A real man . . .

…takes leadership in a self-sacrificing way. (Ephesians 5:25-28)

…is kind because, “What is desirable in man is his kindness” (Proverbs 19:22)

…doesn’t try to prove himself but is simply confident as he walks in the fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 14:26-27)

…doesn’t put others down with his actions, attitude, words, or his strength. But on the contrary, he affirms and builds others up (Proverbs 15:4, Ephesians 4:29)

A real man . . .

…treats his sisters and mother with as much respect as he would treat a prospective wife. (Matthew 25:21)

…not only respects but appreciates a young lady’s purity and innocence. In our culture innocence isn’t retained by accident. (2 Corinthians 11:2-3)

…values his purity as much as he values a young lady’s purity. He is not ashamed to live and act differently from the world in order to guard himself. (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, Ecclesiastes 7:26)

…can look a girl straight in the eye without communicating any impurity. (Proverbs 20:11)

A real man . . .

…isn’t ashamed to identify himself with his family (Ephesians 6:2-3)

…is a gentleman. He is polite and shows women honor in everyday things such as opening doors, etc. (1 Peter 3:7)

…has no desire to be gross in order to impress other men. He doesn’t burp, swear, or tell disgusting stories. (Proverbs 13:5, Ephesians 5:4)

A real man . . .

…shows by his actions that he loves children. (Matthew 19:13-14)

…is pleasant and expresses joy rather than feeling that it’s masculine to be sullen. (Proverbs 21:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:16)

…doesn’t blame others for his own problems but embraces responsibility. (Proverbs 12:27)

…can accept correction (Proverbs 12:1, Proverbs 29:1)

A real man . . .

…is mature in his emotions and his expressions of them. He can deal with the trials of life logically, with wisdom, not on a basis of emotional instability. (Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 17:27, Proverbs 12:18)

…understands the value of work and is financially responsible. (Colossians 3:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, Luke 16:10-11)

…expresses himself with intelligent words rather than using “street talk”. (Proverbs 17:20, Titus 2:6-8, 1 Peter 4:11, Ephesians 4:29)

Changing America...

A question younger teens often ask is, "Why should I grow up?". If the query derives from a male, then it interprets as, "Why should I be a man?". Godly parents can be your #1 source, but while we're at it, let's check out source #2.

About a year ago, I talked with theological talk show host, Irvin Baxter. He's conservative, so I posed a question, "... What is the most effective way to change America for the good?" In his reply, he placed his sole attention on fighting gay and lesbian agendas, seeing that they are America's most demoralizing threat.

Three months ago, again, I seemingly found another answer to my search. In James Dobson's book, Straight Talk to Men, written 26 years ago, he said this:

Such was the case in response to my prayer for wisdom and insight... But this was God's reply, translated into my own words: "If America is going to survive the incredible stresses and dangers it now faces, it will be because husbands and fathers again place their families at the highest level on their system of priorities, reserving a portion of their time and energy for leadership within their homes.

Baxter and Dobson seem to both come to a common conclusion.  American society today is pulling the rug out from under real men; cheating them by ways of the feminism movements, stripped spiritual leadership, high divorce/fatherless rates, and the 'bumbling dad' Bernstein Bears typcaste. 

In our seminars, and in later blog posts, we will discuss how to fight off these invasions of our manhood.