The kitchen.

Sheer possession of a Y chromosome means you are probably a grilling master and we women have come to expect that, so if you really want to dazzle us, know your way around the kitchen.

Do you need to be the next Emeril? No, but every guy should have a go-to meal he can whip up when he really wants to impress a lady. It doesn’t have to be complicated or fancy, but with the right embellishments, you can make her think it is. Then, trust me, she will be eating out of the palm of your hand and if you’re lucky, dessert will consist of more than your planned menu.

Appetizers

Think of appetizers as foreplay. The point is to entice her, to get her excited for the meal. Just like in the bedroom, if you’re really trying to impress and please a woman, you don’t skip this all-important element of kitchen seduction. It can be as simple as crackers and cheese (note:  you can buy cheese pre-cut, perfect for crackers), but focus on presentation. Actually take the cheese and crackers out of their wrappers and place them on a plate to have waiting when she arrives.

Time the main course so it isn’t ready until she has been at your place for awhile. Why? This creates opportunity for you. First, it provides a litmus test. Any girl worth your time will offer to help. When she does, you get to be the hero when you insist you “have it under control” and she should just “relax and enjoy (herself).”

Second, you get to show off a little.  Letting her see you in action, especially while she’s feeling pampered, makes the main course all the more tantalizing. (Yes, that goes for either room).

The Main Course

Men are always eager to dig right into the main course, in both rooms. Women do like the main course, but we want to savor it, relish in its sensations. As such, while you’re wooing her in the kitchen, three things become almost more important than the food:

Setting: You may be more than happy eating on the couch using paper plates, but your efforts will all be wasted if you do that. Set the table, make it look pretty. Use candles, a tablecloth. You don’t have to go crazy, but be creative. Just make sure it is different than the nights when you order pizza while watching a movie.

Atmosphere: Don’t turn on the TV, don’t take your phone to the table. Plan to talk. Striving to create a romantic atmosphere, one conducive to talking, makes her realize you’re going to an awful lot of effort, which means you like her. Music can help to set the mood (in fact, have music playing when she arrives).

Confidence: Don’t rush. Linger. Let her compliment you. Accept it in a humble, but knowing way.  You’re a confident man who knows his way around several rooms in the house, remember?

Dessert

In the kitchen, dessert is like cuddling; it completes the perfect experience. When you’re trying to impress, you never want to skimp there. Men tend to keep the focus on the main course, eating too much to even want dessert, whereas women look forward to dessert, save room for it and see something sweet as the perfect conclusion.

The best part for you? A little sweetness goes a long way, but don’t think that means you don’t have to do anything. You’re not the average guy who cuddles and falls asleep, right? You’re the guy who is tenderly stroking her arm, smiling contently, all the while making her pinch herself to be sure this is really happening. In other words, you dial it up just a notch.

Tell her to get comfortable on the couch while you get dessert ready. Then, slice up some strawberries or bananas to throw in the bowl with vanilla ice cream, then drizzle with chocolate sauce. Voila! With minimal effort, you’ve just become the champion at dessert and no one is going to question your manliness.

While the old adage is “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” it could easily be flipped to reflect women. We’re all suckers for a man who knows how to cook – in the kitchen or the bedroom, but preferably both.

For easy recipe suggestions, stay tuned this Friday for “The Go-To Meal to Impress Your Lady.”

The Kitchen: The New Room Every Man Needs to Know His Way Around is a post from: TheRugged

The big thing here is saving money. Taking some, or all of these steps can really simplify your life and your budget. I’m certainly not suggesting everyone turn into hermits or (even worse) Luddites - what kind of tech writer would I be? But they are some things to consider.

So, here are three “guy” things I’ve dropped out of my life. Let me know what you think.

1. Cable TV

This one’s actually pretty easy to accomplish, especially for me. As a kid, I loved television. In fact, my sense of humor wouldn’t be what it is today if I hadn’t had access to cable TV and thus, had access to Comedy Central in its early days. Back in the early ’90s, it was pretty much non-stop stand-up comedy clips and Mystery Science Theater 3000 (a show I still consider the greatest TV show of all time). But, as I got older, TV became less and less an influence in my life. Plus, with the popularity of TV shows on the Internet, I felt less and less like I needed TV, much less cable, in my day-to-day existence.

So, I’ve dropped cable TV altogether. I save at least $50 a month (the cable company still gets my cash for internet, but that’s it) and I don’t feel like I have to schedule my life around certain TV shows. If I want to watch some of my favorite programs, such as The Daily Show, or if there’s a show I think is particularly interesting, I can watch it on Hulu or get it off Netflix. It gives me time to do important things, like write or pick up women at bars (OK, maybe just write).

2. A Car

Granted, this can be a little more difficult depending on where you live. Luckily, I live in Austin now, a city that has a pretty decent public transportation system compared to some of the other cities I’ve lived in. Yeah, having a car can make things more convenient and the ladies, of course, love a flashy automobile (OK, ladies, not all of you are that shallow). But you know what’s even better? Not having to make car payments, insurance payments, paying for parking or the general maintenance on a vehicle – not to mention having to deal with parking tickets or getting your car towed.

Unless you have a job you love that you simply can’t get to any other way than driving, I suggest getting rid of the damn car.

3. A Smartphone

I will be the first to admit, when I had my Blackberry, I was addicted. I couldn’t go anywhere without it. I was on it all the time surfing the web, checking out maps, chatting with friends, looking up porn (wait, what?). It got to the point that my girlfriend at the time considered getting through a night out without looking at it once to be one of the most romantic things I could possibly do. Then, I cancelled my phone service, got rid of my smartphone and got myself a cheap-o prepaid phone.

I actually feel a lot better.

I’m not knocking anyone with a Blackberry, or anyone else who has (or is planning to get) one of the cool kick-ass phones in our recent smartphone column. However, I find not being connected to an electronic leash and not paying $30 a month for data has certainly made my life a little easier and my wallet a little fatter.

3 Essential Guy Things (You May Be Able To Live Without) is a post from: TheRugged

Eructation [ih-ruhk-tay-shuhn] is a post from: TheRugged

Fact #9 – Just the Two of Us is a post from: TheRugged

Sigma Alpha Epsilon: was founded in the Johnston Mansion House on the University of Alabama.

1959

The Barbie doll debuts.

2006

Liquid water discovered on Enceladus, the sixth largest moon of Saturn.

March 9 is a post from: TheRugged

You were sixteen.

It was awesome.

Don’t fret.  We, here at The Rugged, will show you FIVE ways to complete your first 5k and not only do it in style, but with a slice of dignity and accomplishment.  Rock on [Your Name Here], because you are making a fine choice!

1. Buy a new pair of shoes

“But I just bought a pair!” Penny-loafers with the stupid tassels on the front don’t count. I am talking about running shoes. There is nothing better to motivate someone than going shopping and buying something. In this case it’s sneakers. Be sure to find a pair that fits correctly. There is nothing worse than running in a pair of running shoes that are too small. Not only can it cause blisters, it can affect everything from your ankles to your neck. Overpronator? (running on the outside of your feet) Buy shoes with mid-sole support. Got feet like a penguin? Do some research and find what works best for people with penguin-feet.

2. Find the Right Training Routine

Know what you are doing and what you are getting into. Don’t be lazy. Do the research. You can find everything from training regimes for first-time runners to techniques on how to run correctly right on the Internet. Once you have a routine in place, you can make sure it fits your other schedule – you know: LIFE.  Be sure to track your workouts, so that you can slowly progress. By keeping track of your data you will know how to pace yourself so that you don’t cough up a lung at mile two. It happens all the time (Not coughing up a lung, because I don’t even think that it is humanly possible). People come out of the gates like a “bat out of hell” and then hit a wall. Working with the right routine will only grant you success in your first 5K, so be sure to have one that works for you.

3. Get a Training Partner

Finding a training partner can help out a great deal, because you almost feel obligated to show up to train when you know someone else is making the sacrifice with you. Make sure you find the right training partner who will be equally, if not more, dedicated to accomplishing this goal. It is far too often that your training partner also happens to be your drinking partner…which is an equation for failure (and we all know you suck at math). Also, when you train by yourself, it can sometimes be hard to give that extra push. Having a training partner helps you subconsciously push yourself a little bit beyond your limits.

4. Run for a Cause

Raise some money and put it toward the charity of your choice. Maybe you want to run for a specific reason that is important to you. Whatever it is, it should inspire you to want to finish the race. Most 5Ks are for a specific foundation or cause, so pick one that suits your beliefs. Does someone near and dear to you have breast cancer? Lymphoma? Diabetes? There is probably a race that raises money for it. There are tons of websites that publish upcoming races in your area for you to look up. Even if you don’t finish (which you will), you will have still done something of which you can be proud – even more so than that time you ate a whole sleeve of Oreos without taking a sip of milk.

5. Have Balls

There is really no science or reasoning behind this one…just sack up and gut it out. Sometimes, as a man, you need to do things that remind you of just that: you are a man and men do shit like this to prove their friggin’ manliness. This is what makes us not women. Well, that and the fact they smell nicer, look way better in a bikini and wipe the toilet seat after we pee on it.

So what do ya think? Are you ready to run your first 5k? Yeah you are! Take these five steps and really think how you can apply this to your success. That way, when you cross the finish line, you can tell your friends at work, “It was because of my sweet new kicks!” or “My partner pushed me through and we had a great training regime,” or “I did it for a cause,” or “I have balls…that’s why I finished…because I-HAVE-BALLS!”

And, oh yeah, a 5K is 3.1 miles.

Mike Arone

5 Ways To Complete Your First 5K is a post from: TheRugged

“Sorry, I didn’t realize I was driving.”

“Wow, you must’ve been doing about 125 mph to keep up with me!”

“You look just like my girlfriend’s deadbeat ex-husband.”

“If you have to ask if I’ve been drinking, I’m not going to tell you, dude.”

“If I’d known I was getting a full body cavity search, I would have waxed!”

What Not to Say to a Policeman is a post from: TheRugged

Tip #7 – Painting is a post from: TheRugged

Fact #7 – Zoom! is a post from: TheRugged

Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion (he soon rejects the idea after some initial calculations were made but later on May 15 confirms the discovery).

1974

Charles de Gaulle Airport opens in Paris, France.

2004

A new constitution is signed by Iraq’s Governing Council.

March 8 is a post from: TheRugged