A Fireplace

There are few things in this world that are as manly as a fireplace. A fireplace really allows a man to show the world what he's made of and is, in essence, a microcosm of his manliness. There are several angles to this theory, so I'll explore a few.

The basis of my fireplace hypothesis revolves around the fact that a fireplace, like a man, has many different facets (that are involved in it's use). The first: firewood. Firewood involves a number of manly exercises that allow a man to illustrate his muscular prowess. First, he must fell a tree. Now, to fell a tree you can use a variety of ways, but I personally prefer the chainsaw. Once felled the tree must be cut to length, then split using any variety of splitting implements. My brother-in-law and I can attest to the value of a heavy maul, a double-bladed ax, and a wedge with sledge hammer. This is certainly my favorite step in the firewood-getting process, and probably the step that brings us closest to our Braveheart/ninja/caveman (ding ding ding) roots.

The next facet in the fireplace theorum is the fire itself. Nothing says "Manly" like a roaring fire. 'Nuff said.

Lastly, nothing is more manly than a stately fireplace surrounded by brick or stone. What better backdrop in front of which to read philosophy, watch football, sleep, or do any other variety of things. I truly believe that every man worth his salt will have, at some point in his life, a fireplace.

Oh, and I have two.