On Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 10:27:48 AM UTC-8, ExMKP wrote:   
   > I went to a Mankind Project 'New Warrior Training' weekend, I was made   
   > to go by my boss who went and returned exclaiming "for once, I'm   
   > making decisions with my heart, not my head!" After crying to me that   
   > I had to go, I relented... this was my boss after all, and I felt that   
   > to not go would seriously jeopardize my job. He demanded that several   
   > of us from the office attend. One of the fellow attendees was a good   
   > friend/co-worker of mine and thank goodness for both of us that we had   
   > each other to rely upon during this BIZARRE weekend.   
   >    
   > It started on Friday night, we were told to show up between 6 and 7   
   > pm. As we arrived at the ranch it was being held, a man was guarding   
   > the road, when we pulled up he stared at us for a few seconds as if he   
   > was going to kick our ass (puh-leeze..) then asked in gruff yelling   
   > voice, "Who are you? What are you here for?!" We had to answer him one   
   > at a time as he repeated his yelling question to each of us... "okay",   
   > we thought- "getting weird already..."   
   >    
   > We drove up the road to the lodge where we were instructed to get in   
   > line and wait until called into the main building. One at a time we   
   > were called towards the building. Once there, two of the 'elders'   
   > greeted me at the door, they were pleasant, asking if I was willing to   
   > "push my boundaries this weekend" and "experience new things, etc..."   
   > I told them, "yeah, sure..." "Great" they replied, "And do we have   
   > permission to remind you of your agreement to push your boundaries,   
   > etc...?" "Sure" I replied... whatever. "Welcome to MPK and see the man   
   > inside the door" They then instructed me.   
   >    
   > I walked through the door, and was greeted by a guy dressed from head   
   > to toe in black, with black face paint and black bandanna, as I   
   > glanced around the room, all of the guys were wearing similar   
   > 'commando' type attire.... He glared at me not saying a word.   
   > Obviously trying to intimidate me - I was anticipating some sort of   
   > "breaking down" technique, but COME ON! These guys looked SILLY!   
   > Anyway, he just stared at me for around a minute- I jokingly tried to   
   > make small talk with him, but obviously to no avail- he wanted to   
   > INTIMIDATE me! Of Note: I'm a pretty big guy, in excellent athletic   
   > shape, and I'm not easily intimidated... especially by some goof   
   > trying to act tough... so I just started chuckling to myself... Like I   
   > said, Silliness!   
   >    
   > After the silent period he finally yelled at me to "SEE THE NEXT   
   > MAN!'   
   >    
   > The next man was only 2 feet away so I side-stepped to in front of him   
   > and asked him how he was doing etc.. once again to no avail- he gave   
   > me the silent treatment too..... until he finally told me to, "SEE THE   
   > NEXT MAN"   
   >    
   > The next man then asked for my personal effects, watch, phone, car-   
   > keys, rings, etc--- He put these in a bag for safe keeping during the   
   > weekend and then I was instructed to "SEE THE NEXT MAN"   
   >    
   > The next man was actually men, in the next room- the room was dark and   
   > empty except for a couple of tables with a spotlight over each one- at   
   > each table were the guys who where in front of me in the original   
   > line. The commando goof-balls were busy pouring out and searching   
   > everything in everyone's overnight bags.. After each of us was   
   > searched, frisked, etc we were screamed at (all communication at this   
   > point was screaming- as I said, this was the beginning of the breaking   
   > down process...) to go down this hall...   
   >    
   > At the end of the hall, was one of the 'elders' again- he was calm and   
   > peaceful again, asked a few questions and then instructed me to go to   
   > the next room...   
   >    
   > The next room was full of the other guys who were in line before me,   
   > this was the 'holding-pen' for everyone until everyone showed up. We   
   > had to sit on the floor while another 'elder', a fat old guy wearing   
   > only a loin-cloth was beating a drum and doing these rhythmic   
   > breathing exercises... once again, puh-leeze.....   
   >    
   > After 45 min or so, when everyone was there, we were summoned up to   
   > the main hall. All the instructors and elders were there, all still in   
   > commando garb.... (you think that between 15 guys, one of them would   
   > realize that they looked silly.... oh well...) We were welcomed and   
   > then warned that this would be a weekend that will be difficult, but   
   > one we'll never forget... boy, was he right!! He then broke into this   
   > shpeal about, "how you could resist, but that's not why you came....   
   > yes... you could resist, but that's not while you came." repeating   
   > over and over, all dramatic like.... extreme silliness!   
   >    
   > After the initial speech/orientation we were instructed to divide into   
   > groups for our instruction/training. The first one was an attempt to   
   > make us recognize that we are men. So we had to go around the group   
   > and finish the sentence, "I am a man because _________." Some of the   
   > instructors when first to demonstrate.. the first one: "I am a man   
   > because I can pee standing up!" WHAT! Did I just somehow revert to 2nd   
   > grade again?? The next instructor to demonstrate announced, "I am a   
   > man because I've GOT A COCK!" I did somehow revert to 2nd grade....   
   > "Geez, could these guys please be a little more infantile??" I thought   
   > to myself. My buddy who was there and I were rolling our eyes at each   
   > other from across the room at this point.... It was going to be a   
   > loooooong weekend.   
   >    
   > Next exercise: "Repeat after me, "I wimp out with women by _________."   
   > The instructors demonstrated to begin. The first, "I wimp out with   
   > women by putting the seat back down after peeing!" The next, "I wimp   
   > out with women by letting HER choose the movie!". "Holy Shit! These   
   > guys are ridiculous!" I was thinking!!   
   >    
   > We went through a few more exercises like this, all equally silly,   
   > until they called us all together again. I'm guessing it was probably   
   > around 1:00 to 1:30 am at this point- they took our watches away so   
   > nobody really knew. They announced that the night was over and we were   
   > to retire to the cabins to sleep. They told us that we would be woken   
   > in the morning and that when we were awoken, we would each have to get   
   > naked and take a one-minute cold shower. And to make sure that nobody   
   > cheated, each man would go one at time while the rest of the cabin   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)