Every Swell Man Should Learn…

I read a blog post recently on The Art of Manliness called “What the Young Man Should Know” from Harper’s weekly. It was a great article from the 30s that was a list of skills or tasks that the author believed every young man should learn. It included a few A few items that are still important today, and a few that are no longer necessary (keeping a horse), practical (chopping wood), or advisable (hitch hiking), but it is a great list none the less. I thought for all of you swell readers I would update it for the modern man. I have compiled a list of skills that every swell guy should learn in their lifetime.

I think that this post may spawn a loose series of small posts about how to carry out these tasks; after all I can hardly give you a list without telling you how to accomplish it. So look for some of these items coming up in the category ESMSL, so on that note let’s begin.

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Frederick Douglass on Being Swell

Frederick Douglass portraitFrederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. He had a lot to say about the world around him, as well as the people occupying it. Drastic changes were happening in society and culture in his day which helped to thrust him into the role of a great leader. After escaping from slavery, he became a driving force of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and anti-slavery writing. I am going to share with you some of Frederick Douglass’ wit and wisdom on being a man and ultimately being swell. Continue reading

The Swell Guide to Getting Tattooed

Body ink and adornment has always been a part of culture, every culture. Around the world people tattoo their bodies in various ways with a myriad of images. Sometimes it is for mere adornment; sometimes it has a deep spiritual meaning, or a mark of class or status. In popular culture the draw of inking oneself has ebbed and flowed over time, but in the last several years has experienced a renaissance. There are so many resources for tattooing, every city of size has hundreds of tattoo parlors, there are huge tattoo conventions, and at least 20 television shows, including a half a dozen spin-offs of Miami ink.

With the huge popularity of tattoos thought it was fine time for a guide on how to do it swell. I am a fan of tattoos of nearly all types, and when done well by an artist with an important meaning, they can be very cool. That being said here are some guidelines for you, if you’re getting a tattoo, to be sure that it looks swell.

My Sun representing my Sons

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