tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350203352012-02-01T15:57:29.376-05:00He's no better than I am; he's just got a suit!Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.comBlogger11481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-34636820632461999472012-02-01T15:55:00.000-05:002012-02-01T15:57:29.383-05:00

It was such a nice day I decided to take a walk and get some ice cream after lunch. TREAT. YO. SELF. (Parks And Recreation reference; I'll try to find it later...)

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-82430836519191793202012-01-31T16:15:00.000-05:002012-01-31T16:21:21.978-05:00

The train was pretty crowded this morning, and there had been an earlier delay, so when it pulled into North Station the platform was pretty packed. As I squeezed out I had one of those moments where you try to maneuver around someone who moves in the same direction as you, and your brain tries to correct and move you back in the other direction but it's too late and the momentum keeps you moving

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-41084442524775308552012-01-30T14:45:00.002-05:002012-01-30T14:45:10.178-05:00

I've talked in the past about how my preferences in outerwear have evolved over the years. If you accept the notion that the range of what I see men wearing on the T on a typical day is a representative sample, then I would say about 80% of it is disagreeable to me for one reason or another. About half of those people are wearing some sort of black North Face jacket, with that big, ugly logo on

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-20471043809663325112012-01-29T12:35:00.001-05:002012-01-29T12:35:07.935-05:00

Time to start thinking about the Super Bowl menu... Related: really well-done re-imaginings of NFL team logos. (This Fits) A crowdsourced approach to concert videos. (UrbanDaddy) Cultural anthropology of sorts: in the early 1970s the EPA sent photographers out across the country to document how people's lives were being affected by various environmental conditions. This fascinating photo set

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-46642757219784429282012-01-28T11:35:00.000-05:002012-01-28T11:37:26.703-05:00

Wow, it's already been two weeks since the last one of these? Too quick. I took a day off yesterday and was fairly busy, so I forgot I was supposed to do this... Going back to about the same time as the XTC song from back in December, The Boomtown Rats came out of London by way of Dublin with a sound that, initially at least, owed as much to Bruce Springsteen as to punk. Most people are familiar

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-64110780813976327632012-01-26T19:05:00.000-05:002012-01-26T19:09:39.243-05:00

Just after my previously described encounter, I passed the Così sandwich shop on Milk Street and was greeted by outside speakers playing "This House Is Not For Sale" by Ryan Adams. Who knew anyone at Cosi had such good taste in music? For that matter, who knew Così was even open for dinner? When I worked upstairs in that building several years ago, they closed at 3 pm.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-59139834414979937842012-01-26T17:55:00.000-05:002012-01-26T17:58:46.145-05:00

Guy standing in an alley off Milk Street, talking on his phone: "Nah, I can't work with George. That's what happened at Quizno's."

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-82699779335754591972012-01-25T16:50:00.000-05:002012-01-25T16:52:27.880-05:00

I'd planned to quickly post this morning about how the three meetings I had to attend yesterday got in the way of blogging. Then I got to work and found that we were having serious internet issues—no email, no web access, no file server. That lasted until early this afternoon, which meant I was unable to get any work done for the first half of my day, and I've spent most of the second half

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-39785395356780373702012-01-23T22:40:00.000-05:002012-01-23T22:40:26.040-05:00

Residing on my list of perpetual annoyances is people who don't pay attention to what's happening around them, resulting in the inconveniencing of other people (mostly me, but sometimes others). As I was leaving work today, there was a guy standing at the top of the stairway down to the first floor and the exit. He was in the process of putting on a trench coat, and he was standing in such a way

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-17263045208654741752012-01-22T12:20:00.001-05:002012-01-28T10:36:54.431-05:00

Those around me know that I had predicted this would be a relatively mild winter, and I'd say that having the first real snow fall three weeks into January fulfills my prediction. Now, it was pretty cold (around 20 degrees) when I went out to shovel yesterday, but the snow was the light and fluffy kind, and we got only about three inches, so I kind of enjoyed it. And we're supposed to approach 50

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-92023906798708729492012-01-20T23:55:00.002-05:002012-01-21T10:38:16.697-05:00

A couple of months ago, I compiled a list of penny loafers at various price points. At the time, I mentioned that I didn't know where the Brooks Brothers loafers were made. I happened to be in the store recently, and got a good look at the shoes. They're made in El Salvador. Know who else has penny loafers manufactured in El Salvador? Bass. Coincidence? Probably not. If you think about it, it

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-48552977943003566682012-01-20T07:55:00.000-05:002012-01-20T07:57:15.437-05:00

Oh, by the way: Mad Men. March 25th. TWO HOUR EPISODE.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-2477359567663102702012-01-18T12:25:00.002-05:002012-01-22T12:25:19.176-05:00

On my way home from work yesterday, the guy sitting next to me said, "Excuse me, are you a Giants fan?" He was an older gentleman wearing a Celtics jacket. Trying to determine whether he was a typical T weirdo or a somewhat more normal person, I raised an eyebrow and said, with as little affect as I could, "No." He answered that since he could see that I was reading the sports section of the New

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-88351929073441740352012-01-17T22:50:00.003-05:002012-01-17T22:51:58.241-05:00

That stuff I was saying a couple of weeks ago about my work? Yeah, maybe not so much.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-45602553160597966292012-01-16T16:50:00.000-05:002012-01-16T16:52:48.915-05:00

Not sure how I forgot to do this... the weekend ate my brain, I guess. Did you know you can still find classic men's colognes like Brut in drugstores? I'm not sure how they smell, but if you are dissuaded by the overly perfumey nature of many of today's purportedly men's fragrances, this intrepid gent sampled six drugstore scents. (The Art of Manliness via Kempt) The font Comic Sans has taken

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-26904847576311922262012-01-13T16:45:00.002-05:002012-01-13T16:49:02.599-05:00

I decided to toss out another one of these today, to get back on my original schedule. The Church, one of my longtime favorite bands, made a bunch of videos to accompany tracks from their early albums, and they were all complied on a collection called Goldfish: Jokes, Magic, and Souvenirs. I had a copy of it, but it was on VHS, which may explain why I can't find the videos for early songs like "

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-24767976312503061102012-01-12T12:00:00.000-05:002012-01-12T12:01:05.593-05:00

I'm always (still?) a bit surprised when I see people struggling and flailing with umbrellas on really windy days like today. Believe me, I hate getting rained on, but an umbrella is essentially useless when the wind is blowing at 30 miles an hour. I brought mine with me today in case the wind subsides later, but I didn't open it on the way to the bus stop. I managed by covering my head with a

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-90961516271439626072012-01-11T23:05:00.001-05:002012-01-11T23:10:01.418-05:00

You'd think I would know better by now... I picked up a pair of vintage American-made Levi's on eBay, but never bothered to confirm the measurements. Of course they were too small. Just because the tag says "size xx" doesn't mean the garment is actually that size. Things shrink. Luckily, this seller accepts returns, so they are going back.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-48933530181555245912012-01-10T15:15:00.001-05:002012-01-10T15:22:07.286-05:00

DVR alert for this weekend: Arcade Fire will be making their second appearance on PBS's Austin City Limits. In the Boston area the show airs on channel 44; the first broadcast is Saturday night/Sunday morning at midnight. There's also another showing 24 hours later on the same channel. Their first performance on the show, a few years back, was excellent. I imagine this time they'll be playing

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-48409895477520140672012-01-09T15:15:00.000-05:002012-01-09T15:16:33.368-05:00

After reading this lovely entry earlier today on Universal Hub (warning: don't click if you are eating or are generally sensitive to gross stuff), it reminded me (what does that say about me, btw?) of one of the most embarrassing things that's ever happened to me. (Come to think of it, the above warning more or less applies to the following as well...) Way back more than 20 years ago, I lived

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-59189253468777636292012-01-07T17:35:00.000-05:002012-01-07T17:37:00.637-05:00

I skipped TWiA last weekend, because it was a holiday and there wasn't much going on the web anyway. But it's back, with numerous diversions for you... There's more than one way to wash a car. This one may not give the optimum result, but it's certainly the most efficient. (YouTube via Autoblog) Weekend craft/DIY project: make your own Whitey Bulger paper dolls. (South End Textiles via

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-21401710388958341462012-01-06T17:05:00.006-05:002012-01-06T17:10:05.416-05:00

(I missed a week of this feature due to the holidays; I'll probably do one next Friday to make up for it.) Even as a teenager, it was quite obvious to me why Blondie included "Heart Of Glass" on their 1978 album Parallel Lines: to get radio airplay at the height of disco mania. As original written, the song was very different, a slow, country-tinged lope; had it been released that way, it's

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-37736239955005464412012-01-05T23:15:00.000-05:002012-01-05T23:15:58.367-05:00

A couple of years back, web sites selling high-end merchandise at deeply discounted prices for short periods of time, like Gilt and Rue La La, were the hot retailing trend. Everyone wanted a piece of the action. Amazon started MyHabit, Nordstrom bought HauteLook, and now even Bluefly is jumping in with Belle + Clive (which is kind of interesting because you could argue that all the other sites

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-63650614493543284732012-01-04T11:05:00.000-05:002012-01-04T11:07:42.207-05:00

I have a peacoat I got about a year ago. Whenever I wear it, I find little bits of what seem like wood shavings on it, along with other assorted lint and fuzz. (I should have known better than to choose black, because the wool attracts everything and the black shows everything.) Recently, I was putting on the coat and mentioned the wood bits to the Mrs. She figured out that they are coming from

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-23491630393488473452012-01-02T17:50:00.000-05:002012-01-02T17:51:28.178-05:00

The tree is being undecked (slowly), the last of the egg nog has been consumed for another year (I realize that I could stockpile it in the freezer, but that just seems sort of desperate, and I prefer the idea of a treat that's only available for a small portion of the year), and it's back to work tomorrow (boo, hiss). The winter break always slides by so quickly, I feel like I barely get the

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-27695115406106846002011-12-30T23:40:00.000-05:002011-12-30T23:42:42.524-05:00

The Mrs. was at her internship today, so I went into Back Bay this afternoon to do a few things. The Orange Line was fairly empty, but I was joined in the car at the next stop by a group of three young people, one of whom was showing off his Pandora mobile app, which meant I was once again subjected to someone else's terrible music through a tiny, tinny speaker. In this instance, the night before

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-47656050167421705332011-12-29T17:15:00.000-05:002011-12-29T17:19:24.553-05:00

You folks all use OxiClean, right? Amazing stuff. I've found the spray and gel stick to be more useful than the powder, but that's good for certain things too. For the past couple of months I've been using the spray on my shirt collars before putting them in the washing machine. It's quicker and easier than pre-treating them with detergent, and just as effective if not more so.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-11201619929503769662011-12-28T16:25:00.000-05:002011-12-28T16:26:10.196-05:00

I managed to get over to the UPS customer center in Watertown yesterday to retrieve my package from Lands' End. I had ordered wool flannel suit separates, but the fabric is not flannel. It's wool, and it's decently put together (in Mexico), but the fabric does not have the heft, thickness, or nap that you would expect of wool flannel. Flannel is a fall/winter fabric; this might even be light

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-58831831520777141192011-12-26T15:45:00.006-05:002011-12-28T16:08:29.165-05:00

This being the day after Christmas, there are a lot of great sales happening. This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive listing, more like suggestions for some places to look. Nordstrom's semi-annual men's sale started today, and it's one of the best times to stock up on basic items like dress shirts (their house brand is a good choice). Brooks Brothers also has a pretty wide-ranging sale,

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-55630975187979954442011-12-24T18:25:00.002-05:002011-12-24T18:25:21.320-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of you who are celebrating. I've left some gifts for you under the internet tree... As far as I can tell, this is a real commercial for a real product. But you have to wonder... (Videogum) The Village Voice's Maura Johnston is back with her list of the most irritating songs of 2011. See the characters from Parks and Recreation as cartoon illustrations. (Jon Defreest via

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-80344442349014607202011-12-24T08:25:00.000-05:002011-12-24T08:25:47.853-05:00

What does it say about me that the only Christmas music I own (bought from iTunes) is "Fairytale of New York"? (...and just as I was about to sit at the computer and post this, I saw on the Mrs.' facebook that Lisa had posted about the same song. Have a merry one, Lisa...)

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-29243249506762892702011-12-23T23:25:00.000-05:002011-12-23T23:26:17.681-05:00

Today was the first day of my holiday break. When a holiday falls on a weekend, it's "observed" on the nearest weekday. Each year, when the calendar of work holidays comes out, Christmas Eve is listed as a half-day, and each year, the dean announces that everyone gets the whole day off, which I guess is supposed to make us like him more, or something. During last weekend Lands' End was having a

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-35055654720225435492011-12-22T19:20:00.000-05:002011-12-22T19:23:44.063-05:00

There, I fixed it... For some context, this "woven" style of strap was fairly common on sport and diving watches in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Back then they were made of rubber or vinyl, and they usually had flat edges without any sort of stitching, and especially not with contrasting-color stitching like this strap. So it's kind of bridge between past and present, as well as a visual

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-54078670617043145892011-12-21T23:15:00.001-05:002011-12-21T23:15:50.593-05:00

Notice I didn't say "holiday bonus watch"; it isn't, because I didn't receive one... So, the one-watch-per-quarter rule got a little bent, but I have a long history of buying myself presents at this time of year anyway. I first became aware of this Timex watch almost nine months ago when it was shown at the big watch trade show in Switzerland. At the time the word was that the watch would be

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-86966826657495275782011-12-20T19:55:00.000-05:002011-12-20T19:55:54.317-05:00

I was just talking with a couple of my coworkers at our holiday party about this: the next couple of weeks are kind of a wasteland for TV, but it's an excellent time to get into a show you've heard about but have not gotten around to watching. Of course it helps if, like us, you have ten or twelve days off. I'm lending one person my Dexter DVDs, someone else is checking out Louie on Netflix, and

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-59430370700124286112011-12-19T14:00:00.000-05:002011-12-19T14:04:17.255-05:00

—I got a package delivery from the postal service yesterday. Sunday. Huh? Not complaining, mind you; in fact I was pleasantly surprised. It had been sent via Priority Mail in Oregon on Friday, which makes it that much more impressive that it crossed the continent so quickly. I guess the USPS is trying to make customers happy this holiday season, and paying some overtime to have people drive

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-11198232898569933762011-12-18T21:15:00.001-05:002011-12-18T21:18:48.716-05:00

Wow, the last few months have absolutely flown by. It feels like it was just Labor Day, but there's only two weeks left in the year, and the Mrs. finishes up her first semester of grad school in a couple of days. Meanwhile, the internet brought us some early Christmas gifts... This week's time-lapse is of Ho Chi Minh City, and it's pretty cool. (Rob Whitworth via Jalopnik) Bored? Try this cat

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-63563329487748496902011-12-18T19:50:00.000-05:002011-12-18T19:54:39.992-05:00

Ravioli with bolognese sauce, inexpensive chianti from Trader Joe's, and the football highlights show is a nice way to wrap up the weekend. TWiA will be up later this evening...

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-79079024961962869012011-12-16T16:15:00.000-05:002011-12-16T16:19:47.115-05:00

Just dug up this old nugget from XTC, "Making Plans For Nigel." I'm quite sure I've never seen this video before, which is kind of surprising, though XTC were never exactly a high-profile band. Anyway, it does a nice job of adding a visual element to the song's lyrics while maintaining their innate British specificity, and acts as a reminder that the England of 30-some years ago seemed much more

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-65155187788896410672011-12-15T23:25:00.001-05:002011-12-15T23:25:57.314-05:00

I've been a fan of chambray shirts for a long time. Back in the mid-1990s I even had a tab-collared dress shirt version. These days you're more likely to find them over in the heritage-Americana wing of menswear, but that doesn't mean you can't wear a workshirt with a tie and jacket—it'll just look better if you choose the right ones. I tend to confine mine to weekend wear, but I haven't had a "

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-4576840851738624092011-12-14T16:45:00.002-05:002011-12-14T16:49:29.699-05:00

There's an interesting article in the business section of today's New York Times about people who don't use facebook. By the numbers, roughly one-third of Americans decline to participate in the social network, for various reasons. Here are a few of mine: I don't care for the way they've conducted themselves as a corporate entity, with all the bullshit about privacy settings, and if you step back

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-75306076339197431032011-12-14T12:10:00.001-05:002011-12-14T13:25:54.617-05:00

Well, it's been quite some time since I experienced a good old MBTA clusterfuck, so I suppose I was due. Today we were having a monthly staff meeting at work, so I wanted to make an effort to be on time. The bus was more or less on time, and I got to Wellington just before 8:20, only to find a full inbound platform and announcements that a "power problem" had knocked out service on the southern

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-54565600467418159422011-12-12T15:30:00.002-05:002011-12-12T15:30:33.894-05:00

After I wrote about some of favorite holiday candy treats the other day, I realized that, while deserving, all the attention didn't need to be focused on See's. Each year I eagerly anticipate the arrival (and subsequent discounting) of dark chocolate sea-salt caramels, nestled in their metal tins at Crate & Barrel. The price has climbed a couple of dollars since last year, but if you can score a

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-81713044182941476472011-12-11T22:30:00.000-05:002011-12-11T22:30:55.307-05:00

With the Mrs. a full-time student, it's been tougher for me to get computer time on the weekends, but I'm doing my best for you guys... Crazy-ass clip from a Bollywood cop movie. (Jalopnik) Language nerds: this one's for us. (Chronicle of Higher Education) The story of this viral video, and how it led to a music video, is pretty interesting. (Gawker) And finally this week, a brief drawing

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-36465745264261429192011-12-09T15:30:00.000-05:002011-12-09T15:34:16.456-05:00

Leave it to the British to come up with this one: the annual Bad Sex in Fiction award was bestowed earlier this week, chosen from among a dozen nominees.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-1618426300825050482011-12-08T10:35:00.000-05:002011-12-08T10:38:39.666-05:00

Speaking of imminent holidays and sweet treats, the seasonal See's Candies pop-up stores are back. See's is a California-based chain beloved by the Mrs. since childhood. There are no permanent See's stores in our corner of the world, but for the better part of the past decade they have been operating temporary stores during the holiday season, and a (very) small selection of their offerings is

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-39355676060089423012011-12-06T14:35:00.000-05:002011-12-06T14:35:25.489-05:00

I do love that time each year when the egg nog finally shows up in the supermarket (though it seems like it gets earlier each year). I try to restrain myself, buying a quart and stretching it out for a couple of weeks. My current favorite is anything with vanilla flavor added; it's less eggy than the regular kind, and is more or less like drinking a vanilla milk shake. The folks at Huffington

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-52522171398689369932011-12-05T23:00:00.000-05:002011-12-05T23:04:41.853-05:00

Right around the time I ordered my iPhone, I saw a picture on a style blog of one that had its glass back swapped out for a metal one. I liked it, thought about it for a bit, and decided to order one for myself. It looks like this: The back is held on by two extremely tiny screws in the bottom edge. They require a special star-pointed screwdriver, which you can get for a couple of bucks on eBay (

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-45609952974601601332011-12-04T22:25:00.000-05:002011-12-04T22:28:40.246-05:00

Okay, I sort of stalled on this week's installment because I don't have as much as usual, but we'll just press on regardless. This will remind you of any time you've had to deal with an obnoxious salesperson in a store. (Vimeo via Racked) An imaginative (and rather downer) exploration of what happens to the people in catalog photos when no one's looking at them. (The Hairpin) A collection of

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-17261378151676185182011-12-04T13:50:00.003-05:002011-12-04T13:52:34.086-05:00

This was supposed to be Friday's post...things have been busier than usual. TWiA will be up later today. I wasn't looking for this particular video, but it's a nice artifact from early in the New Wave era:

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-12860729429244302772011-12-01T22:35:00.001-05:002011-12-01T22:36:57.851-05:00

I wasn't intending to talk about shoes two days in a row, but things happen... Over a year ago, I found suede bucks on Nordstrom's web site in an array of colors, including gray. I ordered a pair, and when they arrived I was dismayed to find that the toes were "burnished," which is apparently something that's fashionable to do to shoes to make them look lived-in. I exchanged them for dark khaki

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-90763280352397708452011-11-30T23:00:00.000-05:002011-11-30T23:03:28.177-05:00

I just received a comment on my post from a month or so ago from someone else who is dissatisfied with Bass's penny loafers (though for a different reason): Yah, man. Bass is dead! They have traded quality workmanship in favor of trademarks. I have gone through 2 pairs in less than a year; the soles wear down too easily and the stitching tends to give way around the front upper. Decided I'll

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-8517598569567117322011-11-29T20:00:00.000-05:002011-11-29T20:06:22.578-05:00

It's a little odd walking around outside without a jacket at the end of November, while looking at all the houses in my neighborhood decorated for the season. But I don't mind. Once we got beyond the days with highs in the mid-70s, I was able to enjoy the much warmer than average temperatures we've had for the past six weeks or so. I know colder weather is coming, but I'd like to think that

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-50728020283131221412011-11-28T22:00:00.000-05:002011-11-28T22:04:01.260-05:00

Yesterday I needed a couple of home hardware items, but I didn't feel like spending half an hour wandering around inside a Lowe's or Home Depot trying to find stuff, so I had the thought to go to an Ace Hardware store nearby. Even though I don't consider myself particularly handy, I've always enjoyed poking around in stores like this. Your local hardware store isn't going to be anywhere near the

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-60402017555561396482011-11-26T23:40:00.003-05:002011-11-26T23:40:10.888-05:00

I hope everyone had a good holiday. Now for the leftovers... It's like doodling with your mouse, only instead of drawing, you get... well, I don't want to spoil it; just try it for yourself. (Videogum) Huge, mind-blowing, amazingly comprehensive chart about money. There are plus and minus size controls in the upper-left corner; you'll need them. (xkcd via Consumerist) The folks at Vulture

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-80722144313199794962011-11-25T13:50:00.000-05:002011-11-25T13:51:18.974-05:00

I have a Black Friday deal that you can take advantage of right from home: these corduroy sportcoats are on sale today for $40 at JCPenney. It's a store brand, but I have seen them in person and they are decently made, nice plush 100% cotton with a full interior lining. There are six colors to choose from, and at this price you might want to get two. As a bonus, JCP is doing one of its frequent

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-32765627961870856052011-11-24T09:45:00.001-05:002011-12-08T23:10:45.751-05:00

I wasn't at work yesterday, but it was still kind of a busy day, with my stint at a Community Servings pie pick-up location. This was my third year, and I'm fortunate enough to have been at the same location with the same person each time. I look forward to being there again next year. Meanwhile, this quarter's watch has... a metal bracelet? What's going on? This is another Alpha, like the one I

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-36714877588667610182011-11-22T14:20:00.001-05:002011-12-08T23:12:13.225-05:00

I was thinking about getting one of those Timex Weekender watches that I mentioned a while back. They're cheap and nice-looking, and I guess I was buying into the idea of "low cost, but also fashionable." Over the weekend I got a close look at several different styles in a store, and I decided I'm not going to bother buying one. The main reason: there are three or four different case sizes, but

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-12019848980204760622011-11-21T22:40:00.000-05:002011-11-21T22:44:44.200-05:00

I'm playing Scrabble on my iPhone with an old friend who lives in Texas. It's a close game, and at the moment my rack holds six vowels, two each of three different letters. My word options are thus rather limited.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-32134477164399550942011-11-20T10:10:00.002-05:002011-11-20T14:41:08.676-05:00

Since I wasn't broadcasting at full strength last week, I thought I'd throw out a weekend bonus: here's the dog "helping" the Mrs. study.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-63587740584882745442011-11-19T23:55:00.000-05:002011-11-20T00:12:14.795-05:00

My deadline week is over; my reward is a short, easy week and a food-filled holiday. You don't want a boring computer voice giving you your GPS directions; you want a couple of characters like these. (Neatorama via Videogum) I stumbled across a site with lots of interesting info about the city. Canada's getting plastic money. Cool. Why can't we have that? (Consumerist) Ooh, time-lapse time:

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-6651520876969427432011-11-17T17:00:00.001-05:002011-11-17T17:28:10.411-05:00

I make an effort to avoid repeating myself in here, but I'm still in the midst of a deadline week, so it seemed like a good idea to revisit a few semi-connected, seasonally relevant thoughts from years past: Thanksgiving Comes First: credit to Jim Sullivan for starting this one. I offered my thoughts on it a few years back, and Lisa weighed in more recently. There are some houses in my

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-61357930787904644782011-11-15T16:00:00.000-05:002011-11-15T16:03:58.611-05:00

I'm in the midst of a busy week, so I'm going to suggest something to occupy your time: concert archive site Wolfgang's Vault has recently added several sets from the Heatwave Festival (sometimes described as the "New Wave Woodstock"), which took place in Ontario, Canada on August 23, 1980. (The easiest way to get to these shows is to go to the site and search for "heatwave.") Bands appearing at

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-33794841064856745012011-11-14T13:55:00.000-05:002011-11-14T13:58:04.962-05:00

It's a law of the universe, or something: new shirt, worn first time = splash-back from salad bar. A Tide To Go stick in the desk drawer is a necessity, and of course I'll blast it with OxiClean when I get home. (That stuff is seriously amazing; someday we'll find out it's given us all cancer, or it is cancer.)

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-19661004845229941922011-11-13T13:15:00.000-05:002011-11-13T13:16:41.848-05:00

Nice weekend... hope you're enjoying it. Ever wish you were agile enough to do parkour? This guy found his inner... parkourer? (The Daily What) My wish for a collection of old Boston photos has been answered, by the city itself. (Flickr via Old Boston) Chevrolet is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Here's a great story of two brothers who spent years tracking down their father's beloved 1965

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-24098982918504136612011-11-11T18:20:00.001-05:002011-11-11T18:28:46.756-05:00

All right, let's move back to what I tend to think of as the beginning of the music video era: 1981. The Tubes were always an odd band, but when they gave in to their poppier instincts they got some great results. Their 1981 album The Completion Backward Principle was their first for a new label, and they were matched up with David Foster, a producer who understood how to make the most of their

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-40913248003727031392011-11-11T12:20:00.000-05:002011-11-11T12:23:33.463-05:00

Denim is a touchy subject for a lot of people. Women work out and starve themselves in order to fit into their "skinny jeans." Guys who care about style and clothes often favor pricey selvedge denim jeans from obscure labels. People get mocked for wearing "mom" or "dad" jeans. I've had my own ups and down with jeans over the years. I realized that I was wearing jeans with legs that were too

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-78033364322244026432011-11-09T22:15:00.000-05:002011-11-09T22:18:13.306-05:00

The grinder in my coffee maker really doesn't like oily beans, but unless you buy beans from a bulk container, you have no idea whether they're oily or not.

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-87335959734897784062011-11-08T21:20:00.003-05:002011-11-08T21:20:22.337-05:00

After some deliberation, I've chosen a case for my iPhone. As much as I liked the idea of the book-like case from Twelve South, I didn't need the wallet part of it, and the brown exterior of the "book cover" turned me off somewhat. I'd love to see this company offer more options down the road, though. After I saw the Moleskine case, I contacted them to see if I could get an explanation about why

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-79197185215590386412011-11-07T22:00:00.000-05:002011-11-07T22:03:15.747-05:00

Last week I ordered some stuff from Drugstore. I've found that their prices on a lot of everyday items like toothpaste are about the same as Target or CVS; sometimes that's true only if you buy two and average the price, but I'm fine with that. They also lowered their free-shipping threshold to $25, and I've never had an order from them take longer than two days to arrive, plus they give you a

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-50740351423568810832011-11-06T13:20:00.003-05:002011-11-06T13:20:35.915-05:00

I thought about posting these last night before going to sleep, but I was just worn out. Did you watch the annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode of The Simpsons? I though this year's vignettes were just okay. If you're feeling obsessive about it, Splitsider has gone and ranked all of them. Do you remember Robert De Niro's crazy '70s outfits in Casino? Would you like to see them collected in the

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-22213835661280682382011-11-04T16:40:00.000-04:002011-11-04T16:43:24.968-04:00

I have a tendency to get lodged in my brain the idea that I want or need a particular item (usually an item of clothing), and then spend weeks or months trying to find it. Recently I was noticing and thinking about how popular Western-style shirts have been for the past several years, and how I've never felt comfortable with the idea of wearing one, mostly because of the association with cowboys

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-20183854821631734222011-11-03T22:25:00.000-04:002011-11-03T22:26:52.935-04:00

My morning commutes have been horrendous since Labor Day. In years past there has been a definite change when people come back from summer vacations and kids go back to school, but this year it has been noticeably worse. It typically takes a few cycles of the traffic lights for the bus to get through Wellington Circle, but on many days the traffic is snarled across route 28 and onward toward the

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-7558984775796042742011-11-02T22:45:00.010-04:002011-11-02T22:49:01.306-04:00

Perhaps by now you've seen/read/heard the news that Filene's Basement is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, for the third time in a decade or so. But this time it's permanent; all stores will close by January 2012, and parent company Syms will be shutting down along with the Basement. This is sad to hear for anyone who has spent time searching for treasure in the Basement (and by that I of course

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-46063848450859928002011-11-01T18:45:00.004-04:002011-11-01T18:45:18.537-04:00

My lack of foresight has come back on me. Earlier this year, I was looking over the account info for my cell phone plan. I was paying $30 a month for data service for my smartphone, but I wasn't using all that much data. In the time since I'd gotten the phone, Verizon had added the option of paying $15 a month for a smaller data allowance. I thought about it and, even though paying the cell

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-32924490451968912742011-10-31T13:55:00.001-04:002011-11-01T07:11:06.187-04:00

My reaction to this weekend's freak snowstorm, on getting up Sunday morning and going out to get the paper, was, "That's it?" But this was highly variable depending on where you happened to be. When I saw on the news that an area around the Massachusetts/Vermont border got 30" of snow, and a wider area around that got 20", I realized how much it must suck to live out in the boonies. Even

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-30061205618867049932011-10-29T23:50:00.002-04:002011-10-29T23:50:55.917-04:00

Let me make one thing clear: I said I wanted fall, not winter. This is not at all what I had in mind... Regardless of the weather, Monday is still Halloween. But if you live in certain parts of Brooklyn, you might be more used to seeing people playing dress-up year-round. (The Awl) Time compiled a list of their choices for the top 100 pop songs since they began publishing in 1923. (Gilt MANual)

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-31027316190535530562011-10-28T23:55:00.003-04:002011-10-29T00:08:26.788-04:00

I'm jumping ahead of the usual time frame for these selections, to 1991. As Nirvana roared to prominence and Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and others followed, there were people like me who weren't all that interested in that particular sound. And there were bands like Chicago's Material Issue who understood, and offered a power-pop antidote to grunge. This video, for the song "Diane," is not anything

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-10531661232843878372011-10-27T12:10:00.000-04:002011-10-27T12:12:11.730-04:00

On Sunday I visited the fourth installment of the semiannual Top Shelf Flea Market. At around 1 pm the VFW was absolutely teeming with people, which hopefully translated into big sales for the vendors. I've been to all of them, and this was the busiest I've seen it. There was even a greyhound tied up outside the entrance, waiting patiently for its people to finish shopping. I got a vintage

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-39369365511835372202011-10-25T18:45:00.003-04:002011-12-08T23:16:51.255-05:00

I've never gone in for any of the "what I'm wearing today" stuff, because it just isn't my thing, but today things came together nicely, so why not? Don't expect it to become a regular thing, though; for one thing, I'd have to manage better pictures... Jacket: olive green herringbone with red and mustard windowpanes. I got this from Lord & Taylor maybe five or six years ago; it's from their old

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-59202572622648353982011-10-24T22:35:00.001-04:002011-10-24T22:43:34.867-04:00

Consider this an addendum to the weekend's TWiA if you like: back in the 1980s, before it was acquired by Gap, Banana Republic was a small, quirky company that sold "travel and safari clothing" from a catalog that featured illustrations rather than photos. Most of it was pretty interesting, and some of it was quite cool. There's a fairly robust secondary market for vintage BR stuff, and sites

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-73927719812057453302011-10-23T18:25:00.000-04:002011-10-23T18:27:36.149-04:00

This week ended up having a nostalgia theme, quite coincidentally: There are many places to spot older cars on the street, and you can get a good daily dose of them at Curbside Classic. But New York City is not a place you'd expect to see old iron in use, so this blog is documenting such instances. (Hemmings Auto Blog) The first ten minutes of the first ever broadcast of Monday Night Football

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-547530296774988932011-10-22T12:05:00.000-04:002011-10-22T12:08:30.603-04:00

Not sure where yesterday got to... it's not like I was exactly maxed out at work. Anyway, I just wanted to briefly mention that the universe stepped in and helped me solve the black-loafer problem. The same day I sent back those Bass loafers that weren't wide enough, I found an eBay auction for a pair of black Allen Edmonds Walden penny loafers in 10.5 wide. I've been checking the AE listings on

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-14302937684275297652011-10-20T22:00:00.001-04:002011-10-20T22:03:05.813-04:00

Now that I have an iPhone, I think I need a case for it. But I can't stand those neoprene "bumper" things, which do nothing to protect the glass anyway. I'm having a tough time figuring out what to do, because I have not seen much out there that isn't crap. The iPhone is thinner than my Palm Pre, but it's also about half an inch taller. The Pre also had rounded edges on every side, making

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-68780411802015550552011-10-19T14:55:00.001-04:002011-10-19T19:25:59.264-04:00

Today's my monthly deadline, thus my absence yesterday. In order to meet the deadline, I have to ensure certain things are complete the day before and are uploaded into one particular database, which then syncs with another database overnight, so I can do some other stuff and then make a bunch of content live on our web site on the 19th of each month. So I guess you could say my deadline has a

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-19977530107126903382011-10-17T16:30:00.001-04:002011-10-17T16:30:15.645-04:00

Until I went looking for those penny loafers last week, I hadn't thought about shoes that much, because I had been more focused on sneakers for the summer months, and also because I had been trying to stay away from buying "regular" shoes since they tend to cost more than sneakers. In the interim, I had kind of forgotten about the problems I often have when trying to buy shoes. Those Bass

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-19073246733381556822011-10-16T11:00:00.000-04:002011-10-16T11:00:04.882-04:00

So yes, my iPhone did arrive on Friday, before noon in fact (standard UPS deliveries typically arrive at my office around 1:30 pm, so I think the iPhone was sent via overnight). I figured out how to copy the photos off my outgoing phone into my computer, but (somewhat mind-blowingly for 2011) I still had to re-enter my contacts into the new phone manually, because Verizon's "backup assistant"

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-23768705157661287662011-10-14T16:40:00.000-04:002011-10-14T16:42:34.102-04:00

As I mentioned in an earlier edition of this feature, Saturday Night Live was the gateway to my exposure to alternative music in the 1970s, but Talking Heads were not the first instance. Shortly before I saw their performances, my true musical awakening occurred in the person of Elvis Costello, when he appeared on the show and performed "Radio Radio" from his second album, This Year's Model. And

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-18409568891776949322011-10-13T22:50:00.001-04:002011-10-13T22:52:43.957-04:00

If you've read my accounts of our trips to New York, you know how I feel about Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo and its Soho store. Uniqlo's presence in Manhattan is about to get much more significant: tomorrow they open a colossal new store (89,000 square feet) on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street. (It's approximately 2.5 times the space of the Soho store.) A week from tomorrow they're

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-11185069198276739262011-10-13T14:25:00.001-04:002011-10-13T14:25:53.513-04:00

I want to believe Verizon (naturally) when they tell me my iPhone has shipped and I will definitely receive it tomorrow, but the tracking number gives me only an error message, so it's making me a tiny bit nervous. But I choose to remain optimistic. Then again, the address got mutated again. More and more lately, shippers are taking it upon themselves to alter the address I provide for shipments

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-45788343937306731752011-10-12T17:24:00.000-04:002011-10-12T17:24:18.336-04:00

I had another look at the cotton suit last night, and it isn't going to work, because I'd forgotten that the sleeves are too long and need to be altered. I wasn't 100% certain when I bought it whether I was going to keep it or not, so I never took it to the tailor. And anyway, I imagine it's going to cool down as soon as the sun sets Friday, and it's supposed to be raining, which just adds to the

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-82415183371534815222011-10-11T20:40:00.001-04:002011-10-11T22:52:51.781-04:00

I've realized that those of you who stop by to see what I have to say about clothes and stuff have quite possibly been a little bored lately, what with all my going on about my impending iPhone, griping about nice weather, etc. Fair enough... I have days when I just can't decide which shoes to wear. This happens at least once a week, and it usually coincides with being in a hurry to finish

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-48116952067563861082011-10-10T23:15:00.000-04:002011-10-10T23:18:41.064-04:00

I want to feel happy about this weather. I really do. I understand why people dread winter; as I get older, it gets more challenging to deal with. But sitting in the living room this evening, we had to turn on the AC to be comfortable watching TV. It's mainly the TV's fault; it's plasma, and they throw a lot of heat. I didn't know this when I was shopping for a TV four years ago; I never saw it

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-50927417043504170812011-10-08T22:05:00.001-04:002011-10-08T22:08:19.384-04:00

Got busy at work again yesterday afternoon (what's up with these busy Fridays; that's when I'm supposed to be able to slip out early), guess I didn't have anything useful to say anyway. I did preorder my iPhone yesterday morning (through Verizon, so I could get my upgrade discount) and if everything goes according to plan I will receive it next Friday, the same day they go on sale. Here's a

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-21318425172027441872011-10-06T23:05:00.000-04:002011-10-06T23:05:22.740-04:00

Well, I guess I really have to get an iPhone now... I always thought Steve would be around, fostering innovation at Apple for decades to come. Even when he resigned in August, I didn't want to believe he could really be so gravely ill. Personally, Apple's products have meant a lot to me. Macs are the only computers I've owned. I bought my first, a Mac Plus, in 1992 from someone I worked with,

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-54851285680636133482011-10-05T17:00:00.002-04:002011-10-05T17:02:53.937-04:00

Like many other people, I spent my lunch yesterday refreshing my browser page on a tech blog as the information about the latest iPhone unspooled across the web. We knew what to expect, and yet we didn't, because so much (sometimes conflicting) information had been swirling around in recent weeks. As I've mentioned before, I like my Palm Pre, but the lack of app development has made it a

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-27129753375496649892011-10-04T15:50:00.006-04:002011-10-06T23:13:05.014-04:00

So it's a couple of weeks into the new TV season, and I have sampled a few new shows. Even with the aid of a DVR, there's only so much time a person can spend watching TV, and I already have a roster of shows I watch regularly, so I tend to be picky about adding new shows. There are a bunch of new comedies this fall, and comedy seems to be having something of a resurgence in general. It's easier

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-39989966395361703532011-10-03T22:20:00.003-04:002011-10-03T22:20:29.714-04:00

My favorite month has finally arrived, though it sure seems like it took its time getting here. October in New England is just beautiful, and if you have not had the opportunity to experience it, I hope you get to at some point. The weather doesn't quite seem to know yet what month it's supposed to be. Just before I took the dog out this morning it started raining, and by the time we were

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-37537449055314576792011-10-02T22:45:00.005-04:002011-10-02T22:46:06.609-04:00

Okay, here's a video to make up for me forgetting on Friday. It's just a lip-synch performance clip on a soundstage (thus cheaper to make), so it's not as interesting as the "Brass In Pocket" video, but this has always been one of my favorite Pretenders songs. I don't remember ever seeing this video, so I have to assume it did not get shown much. Pretenders, "Talk of the Town"

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35020335.post-47869515647398033802011-10-02T13:55:00.000-04:002011-10-02T13:58:33.584-04:00

Sorry for the unexpected lapse in posting... there was supposed to be a retro music video on Friday afternoon, and for once I was so absorbed in my work that I lost track of time. At home, I now have to share the computer more with the Mrs., who has a fair amount of school work these days. Watch these people build a full-size model of a car out of LEGO blocks. (Jalopnik) Borders employees get a

Some Assembly Requiredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04591764462882988675noreply@blogger.com1