The Magnificent Seven, #1

Each week (that's the plan) I will be featuring seven works of blogging, writing, and otherwise Internet art from the fatherhood, parenting, manhood realm. I decided to go with the name "Magnificent Seven" because, given the subject matter, "Dirty Dozen" doesn't quite work.


Steve McQueen and Yul Brenner from "The Magnificent Seven."

It isn't an exhaustive list, there were several others that could have easily made the grade, but each of these struck a chord that resonated with me in some fashion.

They're in no particular order, other than the place they fell on my reader.

Read them. Enjoy.

From Dadcentric, 30 Days of Dads: Daniel Pelfrey of "Post Post Modern Dad - I continually fall victim to the thought/feeling that my kids are gifted and special when they are, as Pelfrey would put it, just my kids.

The post reminds me that keeping the proper perspective is imperative to giving my kids what they deserve. By that I mean, the thought that my kids are exceptional, and the accompanying actions, can lead to bigger problems as they grow older. Thanks for the reality check and a great post.

From Dad of Divas, Dads in the Limelight (#limelightdads) - Matt Ashworth (@ashmatty) #dadchat - Ashworth had the same thought I - most of us, I imagine - had upon holding our child for the first time, "clueless" and knowing our lives had taken a different direction. He's a very insightful and honest guy in this great fatherhood blog post.

From Digital Dads, Coleman Outdoor Portable Oven/Stove - I have the same great memories of camping from my youth, though we didn't do enough of it. Plus, we just purchased our first family tent with plans to go camping, if the temperature ever falls below 100-degrees again. So, this post was very timely for me. It features one of the mainstays of family camping from years past, the Coleman stove. It's come a long, long way, as you will see.

From Founding a Father, Beware of the Ash Men - Everyone has those moments that will never be forgotten. There's the birth of your children, wedding day, graduations, etc. There are also moments that will provide you with inspiration forever. This post describes one of those moments.

From How to Be a Dad, You Ain't Smarter, Dudes - I want my children to be the best they can be, but I may be their biggest hindrance. Or, maybe not.

From Art of Manliness, Leadership Lessons from Dwight D. Eisenhower #3: How to Make an Important Decision - Few have had such a tremendously weighty decision to make than Eisenhower with the launching of Operation Overlord. This post is a great study in his decision making process, which, I believe, we can apply to our daily decisions. Plus, there's some fantastic Ike quotes within.

From OWTK (Out with the Kids), Occupy Children (On A Road Trip) - Guest Post from the Mrs. - Some fantastic, and by that I mean, tremendously great, ideas for keeping the kids active and occupied (and not simply with iPods and electronics) during a road trip, even during the red-alert, end-of-rope times.

Great stuff from great people. Follow them on Twitter at the following Twitter handles:

@DadCentric
@DadofDivas

@DigitalDads

@Jetts31 (Founding a Father)

@HowToBeADad

@ArtofManliness

@OWTK

If you'd like to highlight some of your own picks, feel free to do so in the comments!

Fantastic image of Yul Brenner and Steve McQueen from The Magnificent Seven courtesy dragotter.

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