Latest MVPA Military Vehicle Preservation Assn "Supply Line" magazine just arrived. The Editor, John Varner, writes that a radio host in Minnesota, Joe Soucheray, reports that the social status of real men in his state is now measured by their "CI", or "Cylinder Index."

Tippytoe city-dwelling lefties might have a CI of 4, while a man on a farm could easily have a CI of 50, or 100, or more.

Here's how you calculate your CI:

You carefully count the total number of cylinders of all of your vehicles, motorcycles, power equipment, and other assorted toys. Cylinders that do not fire and run cannot be counted. Lawnmowers, generators, outboard motors, leafblowers, ice augers, model airplane motors, etc are all fair game. He says, "If you can fire it up and make blue smaoke, count it." Hydraulic cylinders are eligible also, but only as a tiebreaker.

Best I can determine, I'm a 62-1/3. (Unusual number due to a one third share of a 4-cylinder outboard motor.)

Other "real men" indexes under development are:

FLI, or FlashLight Index, and FAI, or FireArms Index. Weenies always cry "foul" when you start with the FAI, but Varner says why would you be talking with a weenie about an FAI in the first place?

We'll talk about CITP, "Cylinder Index Tasking Priority," later.

So, uh, what's your CI?

(We may need to disqualify Mark; I think he probably should be classified as a "Professional.")