Paying to Shop?

So Gilt is having one of their periodic warehouse sales in Boston tomorrow, but they want me to pay $10 to get in? The only things I've ever bought from them are undershirts that I ended up returning because the website had misstated the fabric content, and a casual shirt that I only wore for a couple of years.

Maybe if the admission fee was going to a charitable organization like the Jimmy Fund it would feel worth it, but even then I feel like I would be unlikely to find anything good enough, at a good enough deal, to make me feel like it was time and money well spent. I suspect that fashion-loving ladies probably get the better end of the deal.

Suit Drive

Do you have unused men's dress clothing taking up space? You could donate it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, but wouldn't it be better if you knew your donation would directly benefit people in need?

Men's Wearhouse has an annual suit drive for usable business-attire clothing that they donate to various organizations that help men get outfitted for job interviews. It's going on this month: you can drop off suits, dress shirts, dress shoes, and outerwear at Men's Wearhouse locations. I just donated three suits, three dress shirts, and a trench coat. You get a tax-deduction receipt and a coupon good for 50% off regular-price merchandise for one month.

I should have mentioned this a while ago, but there's still time for donations this year. And I suspect that if you missed it and went into a store in August, they would still accept your donations.

Watch Wednesday Follow-Up: The Departed

Over the years I've been writing this blog, I have posted around three dozen watches in my Watch Wednesday series, and that's only counting ones that I own, or owned. (I didn't know the exact number, so I had to go back and count the posts.) Over time I decided to sell a few of them, and there were a couple of others that I never posted because they were already in line to be sold for one reason or another.

Writing yesterday's post reminded me that there are a few watches that I'd posted that I no longer own, and that led me to the idea of doing a quick review of the ones I no longer have. Going back to look through the posts from the beginning, I posted a Seiko 5 automatic in May 2010 that I had purchased just a couple of weeks prior. It was a case of liking the look of it more than I ended up liking the actual watch. I didn't care for the hands, and it wore a little small on my wrist. I sold it not long after I posted it.

Then there was a quartz chronograph that I bought in 2008 and featured in June 2010. I wore it off and on for about four years, and it always ran perfectly, but by this past winter I was looking to sell some stuff on eBay and decided I didn't need to hang onto it any longer. It found a good home.

There was another Seiko automatic that I didn't like as much after I'd had it for a while, and that ended up selling this winter as well. Yesterday's watch is more or less replacing it, and I'm much happier with it overall and plan on keeping it a long time.

There are a few others that I still have, but have stopped working or are problematic in some other way. This Casio chronograph receives time setting signals every day via a radio frequency, but after I had to get the battery replaced it would not set properly. It's now running about four hours ahead of where it should be, and the only way to get it to the correct time is to set it to a different time zone (there is no crown to set the time manually).

A couple of my many old Timex watches are also no longer working properly. I like this automatic a lot, but it was never in especially good condition and I'm probably lucky it kept acceptable time for as long as it did. It's not worth spending whatever it would cost to get it running properly again. Then there was an old Timex Carriage quartz that looked just like the ones J. Crew was selling for $150 (they recently dropped the price to $98, which is still too high). For a watch that cost no more than $20 new it lasted a long time, but even with a battery replacement it just stopped running one day, so that's that.

I'll be putting a couple of my other watches up for sale soon, and will post a link when I do so.

Watch Wednesday (7/24/13)

What's this? Someone in my financial situation shouldn't be buying a watch. Well, I got this one back during the winter, with the money the landlord pays me to clear the snow. You may recall that we had a lot of snow this winter, so it was kind of like getting a bonus. I only just realized that I had never posted it here.

I'd had my eye on this Seiko chronograph for some time, since I first saw it back in the October issue of Esquire. Right after that, Dappered did a comparison between it and a Citizen chronograph, with the Seiko coming out slightly ahead in their opinion. I started watching it online, and over the next few months the price drifted downward another $25 or so, which worked in my favor. During that time it also went in and out of stock a lot on various websites, suggesting to me that it was popular.

This watch isn't as large as the picture makes it look; the case is 41 mm across not counting either crown. 42 mm is about the largest watch I can wear that doesn't make my wrist look like that of a nine-year-old, so a watch like this looks substantial without being excessive.

It has the sort of large-numeral dial that I've mentioned my fondness for, plus a rotating compass bezel inside the crystal. It's also solar powered, but that had no bearing on my purchase, nor did the compass. In fact the compass is a superfluous feature to me, and the crown that rotates it (the one adjacent to the 10 o'clock marker) gets moved at the slightest brush, so I end up adjusting it constantly. It would have been better if Seiko had made this one screw-down, or at least made it so the mechanism required a little more force to turn.

I also didn't care for the tan strap that came with it (shown at the above link). I was hoping it would look better in person than in pictures, but it's just too light and orangey for my taste. This is mainly why I tend to stick with black straps for my watches—it's really difficult to find attractive shades of tan or brown. In addition, this watch takes a 21 mm strap, which is one of the hardest sizes to find.

I ended up doing something I don't like to do: I bought a 22 mm strap and squeezed the edges in a little before putting it on the watch. It fits fine and I don't think anyone could tell if I didn't mention it, but as someone who likes to customize his watches with specific straps, the odd sizes are another barrier to getting it just right. (Ask anyone who owns a Rolex or Tudor that takes 19 mm straps.)

Birds at Play?

The Mrs. did a window display for our local coffee shop, Mystic Coffee Roaster in Medford Square:

It's just an informal arrangement, she enjoys doing it and it helps the shop fill its window space.

This Week in Awesome (7/20/13)

The heat wave may be over, but it doesn't feel any less humid here, at least not yet...

Jimmy Kimmel and his writers are obviously fans of Schoolhouse Rock. (TV Tattle)

Coming soon: more stupid reality shows. Tastefully Offensive)

Great illustrations of classic unibody Mac models. (Cult of Mac)

Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the release of Die Hard. Read a critical appreciation of the movie (Unlikely Words), and see a list of the 25 best action movies that have followed it (Vulture). (Be prepared to dispute some of the choices on that list and/or their placement.)

And finally this week, if you have an hour or so to spare and like Talking Heads, you'll want to check out this concert program from the BBC that was broadcast in 1984. (Laughing Squid)

How's the Weather?

This week, miserable. All week. I don't enjoy summer the way most people do. Even when the weather is more tolerable, I'd rather be inside. I've just never been an outdoors person, and I consider the sun to be an enemy in roughly the same way a vampire does. Growing up we had a pool in our yard, but if I wasn't swimming I was indoors, either reading or building model cars in the basement, where it was cooler.

So when it's this hot and humid, we leave the house only when necessary. We also have to manage our dog's time outside; she's almost 12 and has always been sensitive to heat, but she isn't smart enough to realize that she shouldn't be outside on days like today. The poor thing is wiped out after only a couple of minutes of walking, even in the shade.

We've had another issue this week: flies. Since Sunday we've had nearly a dozen of them in the house. We don't know where they are coming from or what's attracting them, but we have a suspicion that it may have something to do with the folks upstairs, who disposed of some truly vile-smelling garbage last weekend. When we take the dog out there are flies in the back hall, which suggests that they may be making their way downstairs from above.

I've Been Waiting

Good news, finally: a new Arcade Fire album will be released on October 29th.

False Alarms

Our upstairs neighbors (three single adults share the apartment) have had a couple of incidents lately setting off the smoke alarm while making food. This wouldn't necessarily be a big deal, except that any such occurrence triggers the alarms in the whole dwelling, including the ones in our apartment, the basement, and the front and back stairways leading to the upstairs unit.

These are the LOUDEST smoke alarms I have ever heard. They are piercingly loud, obviously meant to awaken sleeping residents immediately, and in addition to the beeping there's an electronic voice that repeats "FIRE!" Fortunately they haven't gone off while we are asleep, but when we're awake they just startle the crap out of us, and they are so loud we are forced to cover our ears. There's one about six feet from the desk where my computer is, so if I'm sitting here it's essentially right above my head, which is what happened the last two times.

They have gone off twice in the past week or two, and in both cases it seems one of the upstairs folks put something in the toaster oven and then returned to his bedroom, forgetting about the food until it was too late. (I was able to figure this out because, mixed in with the alarm sounds, I could detect his footsteps as he hurried from his room at the front of the house to the kitchen at the back.)

More Vintage Wheels

I have more pictures from the car show I attended on Sunday. Yesterday's batch ended up being roughly chronological, so let's continue that way.

By the end of the 1950s, the American car companies realized that they needed to offer smaller vehicles to compete with the growing threat from companies like Volkswagen. The result was the first generation of American compacts like the Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant. These were simple, practical cars that usually resembled scaled-down versions of their full-size siblings, and they can still serve as economical daily transportation today (if one is willing to overlook the absence of a few modern safety features).

As you can see from the front plate, this is another Pontiac, a 1962 Tempest coupe. This is another of my favorite old cars, though I prefer the station wagon version. The Tempest was more technologically advanced than most other American cars of the time, offering a four-cylinder engine, a flexible drive shaft, and a rear-mounted transmission that resulted in perfect front-rear weight distribution (which theoretically improved handling).

Ah, this is the shot where I cut off the front of the car. I had just taken a shot from a few steps further back, and immediately realized that a person passing by was blocking a good chunk of the car, so I hurriedly moved forward and snapped another shot without checking to see if I'd framed it properly.

Anyway, this is a 1968 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, once upon a time the pinnacle of the Cadillac lineup and still an impressive-looking ride. This one is a bit unusual in that by '68 they were more commonly seen with a vinyl roof covering, and this one is also missing its badges and bright trim along the bottom of the body sides, but it may be a restoration in progress. The color does seem to match up with the choices available that year, so the owners could have had it repainted recently.

Paging Don Draper... oh wait, no, he dumped the Jaguar account. Regardless, it's always a pleasure and a thrill to see an XKE, and I couldn't resist three of them parked together. I have a relative who owned one of these, a white over red convertible, and I was fortunate enough to get a ride in it once—I think I may have been ten or eleven at the time.

Okay, now we're onto something good: a 1969 Dodge Polara two-door hardtop. The big Dodges, Plymouths, and Chryslers were all redesigned for '69, and the absence of vent windows on this car indicates it was equipped with air conditioning. It also has the rarely-seen Super-Lite option, a single high-intensity driving light mounted in the grille. Those road wheels are pretty sweet, too. (Behind the Polara is what I believe is a 1968 Plymouth Belvedere.)

I knew someone in high school who had a car similar to this, a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible, except it was maroon with a black interior. It's nice to see one that's been preserved, and not turned into a hot rod or a 442 "tribute."

I took this picture mainly because I recall A Proper Bostonian telling me that someone in her family had one. It's a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, one of the first-generation cars (1970-72). I didn't even bother to look at the grille to determine exactly which year it was, but I'm going with '71 or '72 based on the color, which I think is Placer Gold.

The Plymouth Satellite had gotten rather bloated by 1973 (this could also be a '74; they looked exactly the same). I took this shot because I liked the color (definitely not an original factory choice) and because my brother had one of these for a while, that he'd acquired from a family friend.

And finally here's a Triumph TR6, probably a 1974-'76 based on the big rubber bumper guards and the Union Jack decal on the rear fender. I always liked these and hoped I might have one someday.

I was also surprised by the cars I didn't see at this show: not a single 1960s Lincoln Continental with suicide doors; no Thunderbirds newer than 1966; and hardly any station wagons (besides the Nomad). We didn't get to the show until around 1, and I think some of the cars had already started to leave. It opens to the public at 8 am, and if I go back next year I'll definitely try to get there before noon, if not earlier.

And there was one car I meant to go back and get a picture of but forgot, a 1958 Edsel with the retractable hardtop from a Ford Skyliner. It must have taken a fair amount of work to create that car, and it was quite well-done.

Vintage Wheels

I enjoy going to classic car shows, but I haven't been to one in a long time. I happened to remember that a local club holds a big show each year in July, one that I'd been to once, decades ago. I looked online and quickly found the info; this year's show was yesterday.

Like much of this summer, it was uncomfortably hot and humid yesterday, but I'd gotten the idea of going into my head and decided to brave the heat. We drove to the Endicott Estate in Dedham, which is the home of the Bay State Antique Auto Club and the site of the annual show.

A lot of the motivation for going to car shows is the presence of less common vehicles that I'm unlikely to see in any other context. Muscle cars like GTOs and Road Runners are common enough sights; I'm always more interested in seeing more of what people used as everyday transportation 40 or 50 years ago. The best thing about old cars, to me, is seeing them cared for and enjoyed.

I remembered my camera, which is more versatile than my phone's camera. I am not an especially good photographer, but I can handle aiming at a car and pushing the shutter, and in most cases I was able to fit the whole car in the frame and avoid shots with people walking in front of my chosen subjects.

I took this shot for a couple of reasons: it's a 1957 Pontiac, and Pontiac no longer exists. It's also one of the earliest four-door hardtops, a body style that no longer exists (except rarely in Japan) and that has always been of my favorites. The color is really nice, too.

A 1966 Pontiac (also a four-door hardtop) happened to be parked next to it, which makes for a nice look at how far styling evolved over just nine model years.

The Nomad was a sporty two-door wagon offered by Chevrolet from 1955 to '57. (Pontiac had its own version, called the Safari, that's even rarer.) It's probably the most interesting to me of the '55-57 Chevys, which are among the most commonly seen classic cars. (I had the Hot Wheels version of this, in red.) I was also drawn to take this photo by the coral color, which was popular for cars in the Fifties. It's often seen in a two-tone combination with black, gray, or ivory.

That's a 1959 Chrysler 300E, a lavishly-appointed (for the time), expensive, high-performance "banker's hot rod" built in very small numbers. The 300's design managed to stay relatively clean and restrained while Chrysler (and all the other American manufacturers) got weirder and weirder in the late '50s. The 1960 version of this car is one of my all-time favorite vintage cars (so much so that I have a die-cast scale model of one), and I was hoping there might be an example of that year at this show, but this was the only 300 in attendance.

This 1959 Oldsmobile Super 88 shows what I meant above about weird, and this is its good side. Still, there's something about the batshit exuberance of cars like this one that I can't help but love.

Just three model years later, this Pontiac Bonneville (a corporate cousin of Olds) looks much more restrained and dignified. I didn't realize I'd taken pics of so many Pontiacs, but they had some of the best designs of the '50s and '60s, until GM bloat set in.)

But not everyone got that memo... this is a 1963 Imperial Crown, which was Chrysler's answer to Cadillac and Lincoln. The following year the Imperial would get a very tasteful redesign, though one heavily influenced by the 1961 Lincoln Continental (in fact, the same man was responsible for both designs).

Now here's something you are unlikely to see many more of, a 1964 Studebaker Avanti. Studebaker was one of the second-tier car companies struggling to hang on in the face of the product onslaught from bigger car companies, and the Avanti was an attempt to build something like a four-passenger Corvette, a gutsy move for a company on the verge of collapse (Studebaker would cease building cars in 1966). I'm pretty sure those wheels are not original to the car (they look like Buick road wheels, even if the center caps say Avanti), but they look pretty good on this car.

I'll have more car show pix tomorrow...

This Week in Awesome (7/13/13)

I let this slip by last weekend, because it was a holiday week and I'd found only a couple of things I wanted to post. So I've carried those over into this week and added a few more...

This was supposed to tie in with Independence Day, but it's still worth a look. (McSweeney's via The Hairpin)

Also from last week: one man's ranking of cheap beers. Let the arguments begin. (Deadspin)

I haven't quite finished watching the new episodes of Arrested Development yet, but you only have to have seen the first couple to get this visual joke. (Vulture)

I imagine everyone has seen this by now, but if you haven't... it's pretty weird. I'm still trying to decide if she's aware of that or not. Of added note, this is from a TV station in my hometown. (Gawker, Tastefully Offensive, Guyism, etc.)

And finally this week, a slice of New York City life in 1969. (Life magazine via BuzzFeed)

Retro Video Unit (7/12/13)

I thought of this band for no particular reason. A lot of their videos were kind of boring, at least this one has some camera movement, and this is arguably the song that put them on the map anyway, several years before the John Hughes movie borrowed the title and featured a reworked, inferior version of this song on its soundtrack.

So, here's "Pretty in Pink" by The Psychedelic Furs:

Caught in a Downpour

Near the end of last summer, I got a pair of Vans that I really like. The Era 59 style is trimmed a little differently than the regular Era, with a leather heel tab, round laces instead of the usual flat ones, and better cushioning inside (at least my feet think so).

A couple of weeks ago I got caught in a thunderstorm while walking the dog. I was wearing my Vans because we'd been out and it was well past the dog's normal afternoon walk time, so as soon as we got home I rushed back outside with her, forgetting that it was about to rain and that I should change my shoes to the junky ones I wear to walk the dog.

The Vans got quite dirty, and since they're off-white it's very obvious. Because the insoles are not removable, they can't go in the washing machine, so I'm at a loss for how to clean them, or if it's even possible. It's unlikely that I could get another pair, as the 59 styles tend to be issued in a certain color combinations for only a few months each.

I applied some Oxy-Clean stain-removal gel and worked it into the uppers with a wet toothbrush, but I didn't get any noticeable results. I welcome any suggestions. If I can't clean them up, they may have to be relegated to permanent dog-walking shoe status.

Screamy

You wouldn't necessarily expect that a coffee counter in a supermarket would be a place that you'd find really good soft-serve ice cream, especially when the coffee sold there is downright mediocre (I'm sorry, New England Coffee; I know your roasting plant is less than a mile from my house and I can smell it sometimes when I'm out walking the dog at night, but your coffee just isn't good).

We were shopping at the big ol' Market Basket in Chelsea today, we had just checked out and I was waiting for the Mrs. I rolled the cart over by the coffee counter and a sign for soft-serve caught my eye. I've always loved soft-serve ice cream and I try to have it at least a couple of times a summer, but I hadn't had any yet this year and there it was right in front of me and it was so muggy outside, so I gave it a try and it was excellent, way better than most of it that I've had.

I don't know what makes theirs so good, but it's worth getting if you are in the market and maybe worth going there to get if you aren't. A generously sized cone is a mere $2 plus tax.

Spoiled

We've spent years avoiding the trap that many dog owners fall into. We've never allowed our dog to beg for human-food treats. We've even refrained from giving her affection in the kitchen, and she is not allowed to hover when we are in there preparing food. She gets yogurt with her food, but other delicacies like cheese and chicken are given rarely and as a surprise, so she doesn't get used to the idea of having them.

But now that she has aged into a senior-citizen couch princess, we're getting soft. Some time ago the Mrs. started giving the dog the milk left in her bowl after eating cereal, and you probably remember the picture I posted back in December when I let the dog lick the inside of the empty ice cream container. Predictably, the dog is now starting to expect these treats as her dog-given right, and it's our own fault.

Last week I was enjoying some ice cream, while confronted with this visage staring at me the whole time:

"Let me know when you're finished with that, okay?"

Just Browsing

I've never had a job where I had to wear dress clothing. Well, I did some office work back in the '80s where I did the tie-but-no-jacket thing that I now realize is a terrible look, and in the mid-'90s I spent a couple of years working a part-time second job on the house staff of a theater company, but that was a sportcoat-and-khakis kind of thing.

So why have I spent so much time over the past several months looking for dress shirts and ties on eBay? I have plenty of outfits that are suitable for job interviews, and bolder shirt and tie choices that would easily take me to a wedding or other semi-formal event. Do I on some level want a job where I have to dress up every day?

I don't think that's it. I do enjoy getting dressed up, but I'm sure if I had to do it daily it would cease to be enjoyable. I think it's just that I like clothes, and my interest in various items of clothing tends to run in cycles. While I've been looking for these items, I've barely looked for shoes, which I need none of at the moment.

Summer Activities, Indoor Version

We had a quiet day yesterday. It's just too hot and humid to spend any significant amount of time outside, something the dog still doesn't seem to grasp. Her desire to be outside, sniffing around the neighborhood, outweighs almost any weather conditions.

I've never been an outdoor person. When I was growing up my family had a pool, which made summer fun as close as the backyard. But if I wasn't swimming, I was hiding out in the basement (where it was cooler) building model cars.

With the big trial going on here this summer, I remembered that several years back I had acquired a copy of Black Mass, about the relationship between the FBI and Whitey Bulger, at a used book sale. It seemed like an appropriate time to finally get around to reading it, so I've been spending time on that. I have plenty of other books lined up too.

Kitchen Tools

I have a bit of a thing for OXO kitchen utensils. Not everything we use is from that brand, but when something needs replacement I tend to look for an OXO version.

I think it started with replacing an old, poorly made ice cream scoop with a spade, which has a wider, flat blade that makes it easier to shave off a portion from the top surface of the ice cream. After that it was a cheese grater and a pizza cutter, and I was hooked. The thick, rubberized handles are just much easier to grip and use.

When OXO expanded to other product lines, I followed. I have a couple of canisters with locking lids for storing things like coffee beans. A quick look in the kitchen drawers reveals that we also have a vegetable peeler (OXO's first product), a garlic press, and a potato masher (I don't remember purchasing that one). I also just replaced a junky old spreader that I'd found somewhere (probably a dollar store) with an OXO counterpart that has a longer, sturdier blade that is much more effective.

Recently I added a couple of small knives. I prefer working with shorter-bladed knives for things like chopping and slicing, as long as the food being cut is small enough. OXO makes a nice little mini santoku that's great for chopping veggies like carrots and cucumbers. I also got another knife with a thin, straight, serrated blade that is good for cutting tomatoes. And this measuring cup is so easy to use because of its clever design: you can see the markings while looking down on it from above.

As a side note, I read that the man who started the company passed away recently. The idea for the distinctive handles came about because of his wife's arthritis. He had been in the kitchenware business previously, running the company Copco for a couple of decades; he also had an uncle who was the founder of Farberware.

Don't Let It Happen to You

Nothing says "I've given up," style-wise, quite like a middle-aged guy wearing Crocs.

This Week in Awesome (6/29/13)

I feel some sort of Netflix binge-watching marathon coming on...

Rising UK media entity The Guardian has a very clever blog highlighting the differences between the King's English and American English. (The Hairpin)

Salon responded to the conclusion of Mad Men's season by speculating about possible elements of the show's (presumably) final season, but I'm not sure how seriously you should consider any of these predictions. (TV Tattle)

This week's time-lapse: Hawaiian volcanoes. (Vimeo)

An artist imagines what our night sky would look like if the other planets in our solar system were as close as the moon. (The Atlantic via The Hairpin)

Of interest to only a very small number of people: photos of cars shown during the Bulger trial. (Clunker Nation via Universal Hub)

And finally this week, imaginary children's books based on characters from one of my favorite TV shows, Parks and Recreation. (Flavorwire)

Retro Video Unit (6/28/13)

Sometimes a really good song got stuck with a mediocre video, like this one, "Let Me Go" by Heaven 17:

Grooming Garage: Other Blades to Try

I haven't done one of these in a while, but a couple of months ago I became aware of two new companies offering razor products, and I'm always happy to see people willing to fight the hegemony of Gillette, so I ordered both of them for test-shaving purposes.

When I try something new like this I can't offer a legitimate opinion after only one use, so I try to use a new razor for a number of shaves, at least four or five. That gives me an idea of what sort of performance I might expect with regular use, and lets me see how long the blades remain sharp.

I heard about 800Razors from the blog United Style. They offer both 3-blade and 5-blade models, and their products are made in the USA. I preferred the styling and color scheme of their 5-blade razor, but I've found that 4- or 5-blade razors don't give me any benefit beyond a 3-blade, so I ordered their 3-blade model, which came with 5 cartridges for $10. (You get more cartridges for your money with the 3-blade model, too.)

The handle has nice contours and rubberized grip points, so it's easy to hold and feels comfortable in the hand. I didn't expect the shaves to be as good as the Schick Xtreme3 razor I've been using for several years, but I have found the 800Razors model to give an equivalent shave. I'm very satisfied and probably will continue to use it. I don't know if the 5-blade model is as good, but I would be inclined to think so. (They have also just introduced a women's 5-blade razor.)

Shipping is free, and if for any reason you aren't satisfied they will give you a refund. One other nice thing: the more replacement cartridges you buy at one time, the better the per-cartridge price.

The other company, Harry's, was all over the men's style websites when they launched their products a few months back. (I guess they have a better PR person than 800Razors.) I was immediately drawn to the design of the handle with its smooth, clean lines—just the sort of razor I might design myself, I thought.

The Harry's razor comes with one 5-blade cartridge (the only option) for $10, or for $15 (all orders ship free) you get 3 cartridges and a tube of their shaving cream, so I ordered that combo. The handle is available in a choice of four colors: deep blue, ivory, olive, or orange, which is the one I chose. There's also an aluminum version for $10 more. As with 800Razors, Harry's offers better pricing for buying larger quantities of replacement cartridges.

The set arrived in a dark blue box with the various items set into cutouts inside. It was very impressive looking, and the razor is truly a pleasure to hold. I thought I was really onto something... and then I shaved. It was one of the worst shaves I'd had in years. The shaving cream stung my face, so I decided next time I'd use the razor with my regular shaving cream. It didn't matter; I had to switch razors after a couple of minutes. The blades just wouldn't glide over my skin the way other razor blades do.

I really wanted to like the Harry's products, because it's obvious a great deal of thought has gone into their design and construction, and I feel bad saying somewhat unflattering things about them here, but my experience with them was very disappointing. It's entirely possible that my skin is to blame and that others are perfectly happy using their Harry's shaving cream and razors. As they say, your mileage may vary.

Pastel Puzzlement

I'm constantly fascinated by the things people choose to wear. I don't usually take pictures of them, but I saw this guy while waiting for the T recently, and I was so confused that I surreptitiously snapped this quick shot (I did, however, make the effort to crop his face from the image):

Maybe he just really likes sherbet?

Steamy Ride

Hands up if you were unaware that the T still has buses without air conditioning.

This Week in Awesome (6/22/13)

We're just about at overflow capacity this week; strange how some weeks I find almost nothing of interest, and other times it's like this...

Jimmy Kimmel wraps up The Baby Bachelor.

The resting place for Manhattan's no-longer-needed pay phones has been located. (BuzzFeed)

Here's another exercise in applying the periodic table framework to completely unrelated material. (Laughing Squid)

This week's time-lapse: construction of a new skyscraper in London. (Vimeo)

Somewhat related: I have a thing for infrastructure—roads, bridges and tunnels, buildings, anything that comprises the built environment. You may have heard that New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is constructing a new subway line under Manhattan's east side, the first such work to take place in eight decades. Regardless of the location, new subway construction is fairly rare in any city, so the opportunity to see these amazing pictures of the progress is rare and special. (MTA via Jalopnik; if you liked this, the MTA's flickr page has much more.)

NBC's Hannibal turned out to be the best new show of this year (I had previously labeled FX's The Americans as such, but Hannibal hadn't premiered yet), partly by subverting expectations of just what sort of show it was going to be (sorry, Mom). This excellent article by Todd VanDerWerff explores how this was accomplished, and why it matters. (The A.V. Club)

And finally this week, to mark the end of Mad Men's sixth season, a couple of related bits: first, a silly tumblr (HitFix); second, many viewers probably recognized the song used over last week's closing credits as "Porpoise Song" by The Monkees, from their 1968 movie Head. But take a look at the opening of the movie where the song is used, and see if it reminds you of anything. (Thanks to Aaron at Unlikely Words for pointing this out in his weekly MM recap)

Fingertip Tip

I don't have many helpful tips, but when I do I like to share them...

When I am getting dressed up and I need to tie a tie, I tend to have trouble with the fabric catching on the skin around my cuticles and fingernails, especially in cold weather. This is probably because I have a tendency to gnaw on them, so the edges are typically uneven.

Somehow it occurred to me to put a little moisturizer on my fingers. I only need a small amount, and if you have a pump-top bottle it's more convenient. Also, this works better if it's not super-thick. Just rub it into your fingertips, and around the cuticles if necessary. Wait a minute or so for the moisturizer to be absorbed, so your fingers aren't slick or greasy, then tie the tie.

All Kinds of Fans

Nice to see the Museum of Fine Arts has been having some fun with the Stanley Cup finals.

An Open Approach

I've been following Everlane, a small clothing company based in California, since they started up a couple of years ago. They set out to make quality items at fair prices, and to be as transparent about their manufacturing as possible, meaning they disclose information about the factories used by their suppliers, they visit and maintain relationships, monitor working conditions, etc. They also reveal the cost structures of the items they sell, which is pretty much unheard of in the fashion industry.

I decided it was time to sample the product, and they recently added several new color choices to their T-shirt line, so I ordered three from them. Their Ts are manufactured in Los Angeles, just like American Apparel. The fabric is just as nice, and Everlane's T-shirts sell for $3 less, in part because they only sell direct so they don't have AA's cost burden of a worldwide chain of retail stores.

The fabric is as soft as you could ask for and the construction is first-rate. I have one minor quibble with the Everlane Ts: the neck isn't cut quite as high as I prefer, and since its fabrication is softer it tends to droop a tiny bit. I might try going one size smaller to see if that helps.

So, an Everlane T-shirt that's made in the USA costs $15, and if you buy two or more items the shipping is free. How does that compare to what other stores sell? Target sells solid Ts for $8, Old Navy's are $10 (currently on sale for $6), and Gap's are $17 (currently $12.50 each if you buy two or more). J. Crew's men's Ts are regularly $25, and women's are $25-30 depending on style and fabric (they do go on sale, but typically only "select colors"). None of those are made in the USA. Wouldn't you like to buy a garment that you know supports American workers, and is also a top-quality product?

By the way, Everlane sells more than just T-shirts. They have oxford-cloth button-front shirts; cashmere sweaters for men and women; a collection of bags including weekenders, totes, and backpacks; a woman's sandal; and other accessories like bags and scarves. Some of these items are made in the USA and others are not, but Everlane provides full information about where and how each item is made. This is a company you'll want to keep an eye on.

Burrito Sandwich? YES.

The Mrs. and I have been faithful patrons of Anna's Taqueria for as long as they've been open (or at least open on the north side of the Charles). To our taste buds they make the best burritos around.

When we want them, we usually drive to Davis Square, which takes about 15-20 minutes each way from our house, depending on traffic. It wasn't so bad when we lived in Somerville, but after moving to Medford seven years ago it became more of a pain. For years Anna's seemed to be opening new locations all over greater Boston, and I kept hoping they would come to Medford Square.

Last spring we saw signs for a Mexican place opening in the Square, just a couple of doors down from our favorite coffee shop. Not Anna's, but we figured it would be worth a try when it opened. They make a nice burrito, but it's just not the same.

However, I hadn't paid much attention to the rest of the menu, and while having a conversation with the proprietor of the coffee shop, the subject of Tenoch (the neighboring Mexican place) came up. "You've had a torta there, right?" she asked. In fact, I had not tried a torta. I hadn't even noticed that they served it, and I didn't know what a torta was.

Turns out, a torta is like a burrito sandwich, served on a soft, fluffy, oval roll called telera bread. And they're freakin' fantastic. Other ingredients that are torta-specific (at least at Tenoch) are chipotle mayonnaise and Oaxaca cheese. Other fillings include beans, onions, avocado, lettuce, and tomatoes. These are added to various meat choices; I have tried the Campechana, which combines chorizo and carnitas, and the Pollo Empanizado, which features flattened chicken pieces which are breaded and baked. You can also get either the carnitas or the chorizo solo with the other goodies, or roasted vegetables for the non-meat eaters.

Because all that stuff is on a roll instead of rolled snugly inside a tortilla, tortas are somewhat messier to eat, but they are so delicious no one would care about needing a few extra napkins. Tenoch also serves enchiladas, tacos, and other typical Mexican food, but if you go you really have to try the tortas. If you're staying there to eat, you can get beer or wine if you like.

Tenoch is at 24 Riverside Avenue in Medford Square (exit 32 off route 93). They're open Monday to Saturday until 9 pm (closed Sundays). They also have a trailer that has been showing up at various food-truck spots around Boston (they're at the SoWa market on Sundays, according to one of the staffers) and I've heard that they are going to open a second location in the North End, which will be an interesting counterpoint to that neighborhood's Italian fare.

This Week in Awesome (6/15/13)

Better late than not at all...

Vulture offers its choices for the 10 best sketches from this past season of Saturday Night Live; I only disagreed with one of them.

This week's time-lapse: Dubai. (Vimeo)

Jimmy Kimmel continues The Baby Bachelor.

A music mashup of the Beatles and the Beastie Boys? Controversial, to say the least, but points for effort. (Laughing Squid)

And finally this week, I've mentioned comedian Patton Oswalt a couple of times. He's posted a long and very thoughtful essay on his personal website that touches on a number of topics that are pertinent to his particular line of work, but reflect back on the rest of us as well. And not surprisingly, he's as adept with the written word as he is onstage. Not everyone will be interested in reading this sort of thing, but I promise it's worth your time. (The A.V. Club)

Retro Video Unit (6/14/13)

I've been looking at old Matthew Sweet videos for a while for this feature, and as good a song as "Girlfriend" is, I've decided to go with a different song, "Sick of Myself" from the 1995 album 100% Fun, because I think it's a near-perfect example of marrying bitter, self-loathing lyrics to a catchy melody. Sweet was by no means the first person to do that in a song, but he sure did it well. (And thanks to the blog Anthony Is Right for providing the idea.)



Also, those of us of a certain age will recognize and remember the "credits" that used to appear at the beginning and end of MTV videos like this one.

It Ain't So

So the New York Times reporter doing an overview of the Bulger trial decided that South Boston is now referred to as SoBo. Not only is this absolutely not true, but if I hear someone refer to it that way, I may not be responsible for my actions. (Hat tip to Universal Hub)

Follow-up: Boston magazine decided to have some fun with this and tagged all of Boston's neighborhoods with trendy namelets. These are for entertainment purposes only, got it? (Also via UH)

A Customer Service Dialogue

A couple of days after my home try-on frames arrived from Steven Alan Optical, I got an email from one of their customer service people asking me for my opinions and feedback. I wasn't expecting any sort of communication from them, so I took advantage of the opportunity and responded, sharing my thoughts on the frames and the try-on process.

I also mentioned my futile attempt to get sunglasses from Warby Parker a couple of months back, and subsequently learned that Steven Alan Optical would be able to make lenses for my prescription. I wasn't really planning to buy new glasses just yet, but since not all of their frames are available as sunglasses, I decided to ask if they could accommodate a special order.

Unfortunately that wasn't possible, at least not yet, and I also learned that, while they can make me sunglasses, they would not be able to make them with polarized lenses, which is another disappointment. But things change, and they will likely be coming out with additional styles in the fall, which might include offering more frame styles as sunglasses.

The opportunity to have a direct conversation with a rep was extremely helpful in my situation. I'm sure that I would have gotten satisfactory answers to my questions had I initiated a conversation via email, but the fact that they made the effort to contact me and say, "hey, how's it going?" elevated them in my estimation.

Dads and Non-Dads

This is an excellent week to shop for clothes. Because of Father's Day, stores have lots of sales going on men's stuff. If you are a father who expects to be receiving gifts come Sunday, and you want something specific, if may be in your interest to give some detailed hints. Or you could suggest going shopping with your loved ones so you can pick out some things.

The dog does not get me presents (ungrateful creature), but I can still benefit by going shopping and picking up a few things on my own.

This Week in Awesome (6/8/13)

I guess I really need to get a Bruins T-shirt now, huh?

This series of movie and TV vehicles illustrated in cartoonish style would make a great poster, or something. (Scott Park via Jalopnik)

If you're traveling to New Orleans, this looks like a fun place to stay. (Thrillist via Autoblog)

Did you hear the new Nine Inch Nails song? Pretty decent. I'm looking forward to hearing the whole album, which comes out in early September, and I might even consider going to see them when they tour in the fall.

Jimmy Kimmel debuted episode 3 of "The Baby Bachelor."

And finally this week, you may remember that back in the fall I posted "Under Pressure" as my Friday retro video song. Over here you'll find not only the isolated vocal tracks of David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, but also recollections by band members and studio personnel about the creation of the song itself. (OpenCulture via Laughing Squid)

Utility Work

Our utility provider has had a contractor working in our area for several weeks, replacing and rerouting the gas main that runs under our street. So far the inconvenience has been limited to occasional road closings, and when that happens there is always a detour available.

Last week we got a notice in our mailbox that the contractor would need access to our basement in order to connect the house to the new line, and after that the utility company would have to come into the basement and both units to relight all the pilots. We were instructed to call the foreman to arrange a time for this work. I set up our appointment for today.

The crew started digging around 8 am, for both our house and the one next door. As of 4 pm they are still at it. I had no idea this would be an all-day process; when I was told the contractor needed access to our basement, I assumed it was to do something that would take only a short amount of time. But there's a trench from the middle of the street right up to our front steps, where the gas line connects to the building.

It's not like I need to be anywhere, but it does mean that we don't have any gas service at the moment, and I don't know if we'll be able to get it restored today after the workers are finished—if they do finish today. And as an incidental consequence of the work being done, we're unable to get out of our driveway.

Update: We got our gas service back, but we had to call to get someone to come out. The regular National Grid customer service line operates only from 7 am to 5 pm weekdays, so I pushed the button for "gas emergency" and explained what was going on to the phone rep, which got the results I needed. The tech who showed up told me that the contractors are notoriously unreliable about remembering to call for service to be renewed after they've finished their work, which is good to know for future reference.

Watch Wednesday Wrist Want (6/5/13)

I haven't done one of these in a long time, mainly because daydreaming about expensive watches, while fun, is also somewhat of a built-in letdown. But who knows, I could win the lottery tomorrow, and there are at least a couple of pieces I'd want to get.

One of them is this watch from Bell & Ross, a Swiss company with a heritage of making pilot's watches. They have a few core designs and keep releasing variations on them with different colored cases, dials, and straps. This latest version, which isn't on sale yet, has numerals, hands, and dial markings that are meant to have an aged appearance.

This watch is about as simple as it gets, but I'm drawn to it because its design is so clean and readable. I have a thing for watch faces with large numerals, and this looks like it came right out of the 1960's. I love the circular date window, as well as its position between the four and five markers. The strap is rubber and its cross-hatch appearance is also a nod to 1960's dive watches.

In case you're wondering, when this hits the market in a few months it will retail for $3,100. There will also be a chronograph version, which will certainly cost more (similar models currently available run $4,500).

(I borrowed this image from the watch site Hodinkee; I hope they're okay with that.)

Steven Alan Eyewear Follow-Up

As it happened, my trial frames from Steven Alan Optical arrived today, just a day after I'd ordered them. They shipped from Brooklyn, so it's not so much of a surprise that it took only one day for the package to get to me.

The quality of the frames is excellent, and all four of my choices happen to fit my face and head well. (Years of trying on frames and paying attention to sizing have given me a strong sense of what sizes fit me well and what won't, as long as I know the measurements.) The rivets that hold the hinges to the frames have various decorative patterns or shaped covers, and the hinges themselves (five-barrel, stronger than most) are rose-gold plated, which I think was done to be visually distinctive. There was also a hand-written note thanking me for trying their frames, a nice touch.

The color SA calls "red havana" looks closer to amber in person, but it's quite attractive. They also offer many frames in a classic shade of tortoise. Other frame color options include matte and gloss blacks, and clear crystal along with tinted variations like gray and green.

Overall, I would be quite confident choosing these glasses. I'm not ready to buy new sunglasses yet, but it's good to know this option exists.

Another Eyewear Option

After striking out with Warby Parker and Classic Specs, I had more or less given up on finding suitable sunglasses through a company that offers try-at-home service like those two. (I know about Lookmatic, but nothing they have appeals to me or is the right size.)

Then I learned that New York-based men's clothing store Steven Alan has started offering prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses with frames of its own design. Each frame style is offered in multiple color choices, which I see as an advantage over their competitors (most of Warby Parker's frames are offered in only two color choices, sometimes three).

The pricing is not as wallet-friendly as Warby Parker either, but that's not unexpected because Steven Alan's clothing tends to be higher priced. (Their men's shirts range from about $150-200, in large part because almost all their house-label clothing is manufactured in the United States.) Prescription eyeglasses are $195 and sunglasses are $245, which puts them about $100 above Warby Parker's prices. There is also a $40 upcharge for the high-index lenses that I require, compared to $30 exta at WP. Overall this is still reasonable pricing for a prescription of my strength, but it's certainly not an eyewear bargain. (Non-prescription sunglasses are available for $145.)

The eyewear website says the acetate used for their frames comes from Italy, but makes no mention of where the frames themselves are manufactured, so I would assume they are made in China. I'll know the answer to that question soon enough, because I've ordered four frames to try on. Not all their frame designs are available as sunglasses, so I chose two that are and two that aren't, just to get a sense of how their frames fit and look.

This Week in Awesome (6/1/13)

I let this slip last weekend while I was on a mental vacation, so let's see what I've collected...

As Bill Hader was taking his Stefon character out the door at Saturday Night Live, Entertainment Weekly compiled a "directory" of all of his club recommendations. (EW PopWatch)

Jimmy Kimmel has been skewering reality dating shows with a hilariously inappropriate take on the genre (episode 1; episode 2).

This list of rules of behavior is the sort of thing that shouldn't need to be spelled out; it used to be called "manners," and it was a given that people had them. (BuzzFeed)

And finally this week, movie directors share their favorite unappreciated and overlooked movies. (Flavorwire via Kempt)

Retro Video Unit (5/31/13)

I've been trying to mix some memorable Boston bands into this feature, so this week we'll look at one that popped into my head recently: The Del Fuegos. Their single "Don't Run Wild" was very popular at the time of its release in 1985, and I saw the band play several times over the years.



The video is perhaps most memorable for the shots of the band playing on the Mass. Ave. bridge. The night shots are cool too; those appear to be in a parking lot on the waterfront, possibly on the Fan Pier?

Sun Clips

After my failed attempt to get new sunglasses from Warby Parker, I've been considering alternatives. I found clip-on sunglasses specifically made to fit my eyeglass frames at Ben Silver, a rather fancy men's store in Charleston, SC. Unfortunately the clip-ons alone cost $125, and for that much I might as well just go ahead and get new sunglasses made somewhere.

Some idle googling led me to a site called Western Ophthalmics in Lynwood, WA. They seem to be primarily a wholesale distributor to eye doctors and optometrists, but they do have clip-ons on their website in a shape that roughly corresponds to my eyeglass frames. The width matched my frames and they are available in different colors and cost only $12, but there was no other size information given on the site, so I sent an email with some questions.

I never received a response, so after maybe three weeks I decided to call them. The person who answered the phone, Jean, was very pleasant and helpful. She needed to find the product and measure it, but offered to call me back. It turned out that their clip-ons are not tall enough to fit my frames, which is what I was hoping to find out in order to avoid ordering them and having to return them.

As usual with my product quests, I'll have to keep searching.

Drugstore in a Box

I get a lot of my personal care items from Target, because they tend to have lower prices than the local drugstores. What I don't get from Target I tend to order from drugstore.com, which doesn't usually have the best prices but is often the easiest option.

My orders are typically packed and shipped within two hours of being placed, and they frequently arrive the next day. The minimum for free shipping is $25, which is easy enough if I order several items at once. They accept PayPal, which is a huge convenience when I want to make a purchase but don't need to add another charge to my credit card.

They also operate beauty.com, where I sometimes buy shaving and hair products, which tend to get me to $25 more quickly. And if your order something from that site, you get free samples of other products.

The Reentry

Oh, hi there. Yeah, my brain took a few days off. I guess that's what long weekends are for, right? I got my stitches out this morning, but I'm still healing.

I'm also in the midst of rewatching the three seasons of Arrested Development that aired on Fox (since I haven't seen them since they were first shown), to get ready for the new episodes on Netflix.

I'll be back soon with more fun stuff.

Retro Video Unit (5/24/13)

With everything going on last week I forgot this again...

This is one of those obscure bands from the New Wave era that were really good and deserved to be more popular. They're called The Brains, they were from Atlanta, and the song is called "Money Changes Everything."



You may actually know this song, because Cyndi Lauper covered it on her 1983 album She's So Unusual, but this is the original. It's not much of a video, but it's slightly better than the ones people make with just a static picture of the band or the cover of their album.

I have a lot of bands like this filed away in my head. In many cases I have the music on vinyl. Once in a while songs like this show up on compilation albums. I found this one on an album called Gold: New Wave (but the cover says New Wave Gold) that has several other excellent obscure songs on it and is worth owning if you ever come across it.

Tie Do-Over

After the tie incident a couple of weeks back, I continued browsing eBay for a suitable replacement. It didn't take long, which was a little surprising.

This tie is very different from the other one, but it's also from Liberty and made of cotton in the USA. The background is a coral pink, which my camera represents as more red than it really is.

We don't have any summer weddings or other dress-up events on our schedule, but if we did this would be a likely candidate to wear, probably paired with my cotton suit and the chambray dress shirt I acquired back in December:

(Blame the poor lighting in this shot on my basement's fluorescents.)

Meanwhile I'll still be checking eBay to try to find another tie in the same pattern as the one that got mangled.

Progressing

My recovery is proceeding; yesterday I was able to remove the bandage covering my stitches for cleaning. The area was rather swollen, but is improving.

I'm supposed to avoid physical exertion, which is never a problem for me, but I have to be careful even about things like carrying laundry down to the basement, so I'm doing smaller loads.

It has also prevented me from being able to switch my seasonal clothing, but fortunately it hasn't gotten that warm yet around here. It's a good thing, because I have no idea when we'll be able to install our air conditioners. The past two years they have gone in right around this weekend.

An eBay Story

Last month I mentioned my experience with a fraudulent eBay bidder who "purchased" one of the items I had for sale but neglected to pay for it. Since then I've been more wary of the offers that buyers have submitted, and have looked at their feedback information before responding.

A couple of weekends back I got an offer on a suit that I have for sale. It was for only 40% of my asking price so I rejected it, but I also noticed that the bidder had zero feedback and his eBay user account had just been created a week or so earlier.

A couple of days later he made another offer, higher but still lower than what I was hoping for. I contacted him through eBay and told him that as a seller I was looking to protect myself, and that to be blunt, I was suspicious of him. I said that I would feel somewhat more reassured if he could confirm to me that he had a vaild Paypal account with a confirmed address.

His response was more or less "oh yes I have a paypal account," which was not at all what I had meant; I was looking for him to provide information that I could use to confirm the existence of an account. So I came up with an idea: I asked him to send me $1 via Paypal, so that I would have a transaction connected to him, with the associated verifiable details. I would then deduct the dollar from the amount I wanted for the suit, which was still higher than his second offer.

Imagine my lack of surprise when I heard nothing from him, which served to confirm my suspicions. Interestingly, he tried again this past weekend, making another offer for the same amount as his second offer. Buyers get three offers per item per auction, and as a seller I can reject any offer without having to provide an explanation, so I was able to deal with that nuisance with a click of my mouse.

eBay does protect sellers from fraud, as happened with my earlier experience, but heading off a fraud before being victimized is certainly preferable.

Feeling It

Today I had a follow-up to my medical procedure from last week. I received stitches, and as soon as the local anesthetic wore off, it started to hurt quite a bit. So I'm going to rest up and I'll be back tomorrow.

In the Audience

The Mrs.' graduation went just fine, though of course it had to be 80 degrees yesterday. The ceremony was indoors, in a building that is used as a hockey arena, which would lead one to think that it should be easy to keep it cool inside, but that wasn't the case.

It was just barely comfortable enough, but sitting on a flimsy plastic chair for two hours is less than ideal. To our right we had a guy who sneezed raucously through the entire ceremony, and immediately behind us we had a fussing baby that I suspect was the child of someone receiving a degree, as the people caring for it were substantially older and were probably its grandparents.

The actual issuing of diplomas took only about 35 minutes, and the enthusiasm of the graduates kept things buoyant after I almost nodded off a few times during the speeches.

Under the Weather

Yesterday I had a medical thing. Nothing serious, but it needed to be done. Meanwhile I was enduring another cold (very unusual for me to be sick twice in such a short span of time), but now it seems it may in fact be a sinus infection. Yay.

It was kind of careless of me to schedule my procedure for this week, and it's an inconvenient time to be sick, because we're pretty busy otherwise: the Mrs. has completed her graduate school program and is getting her diploma on Thursday. We have family coming in to attend who are staying with us, which means we need to clean our apartment. I don't have a ton of energy right now, and I'm not exactly thrilled about cleaning even when I'm feeling 100%, plus I'm supposed to be taking it easy for a few days, so today will be challenging.

I'm not sure how much I'll be posting this week, but there will probably be something.

This Week in Awesome (5/11/13)

Back where it belongs, and full of internet-y goodness...

Everyone's probably seen this by now, since it's from last week, but local commercials really are the best. (Rhett and Link)

Remember a couple of episodes ago on Mad Men when the realtor told Peggy that when the Second Avenue subway was finished, the apartment she was considering buying would quadruple in value? That was 1968. 45 years later, they're still digging the tunnel. (TechGraffiti via The Nanigans)

One good thing about getting older: the benefit of hindsight. (Esquire via Put This On)

Don Draper somehow time-warped into the 1980s. (Videogum)

This tumblr attempts to distill movies to just nine frames each. (Laughing Squid)

And finally this week, another TV ad, though this one's not local. Why can't all commercials be this good? (Jalopnik)

Postal Perils

I have a bunch of ongoing searches for items on eBay, some of which I pursue more intently than others. I have very casually been looking for a Liberty of London floral-pattern tie in cotton, in the event that I have to go to a wedding or other dress-up event during warmer weather. Liberty ties are colorful and fun, yet still dignified enough for adults.

I didn't have any particular colors in mind; I'd just take a spin through the listings here and there to see if anything struck me. A couple of weeks ago I found something interesting. The print had the look of a watercolor painting, the tie was a standard width, the condition was excellent, the colors were bright but not overpowering, and it had a low starting bid.

I ended up being the only bidder and got it for something like $7 plus $2 shipping. I figured the seller was going to send it by first class mail, which meant it wouldn't be trackable. That's how these things go sometimes.

It didn't get lost, which is how these stories typically go. It arrived a couple of days ago, in one of those apology-festooned plastic sleeves the postal service uses when a piece of your mail gets devoured by one of their machines. I took pictures to document its condition:

It was sent in only a plain business envelope (addresses blurred, because duh). I contacted the seller right away and explained what had happened, and he issued a refund immediately, which was great. But I wasn't even concerned about the money, since the tie had been so cheap. I was more disappointed that the tie was ruined, because as you can see it was a really pretty tie. Here's a closer look at the damage:

It really got crunched and munched. And who knows how long it will be before I find another that I like as much.

As someone who's sold plenty of items on eBay, I know the importance of protective packaging. When I ship shoes I use bubble wrap and pack the box with wadded tissue paper, to prevent the shoes from banging around inside the box. Sure, a lot of the stuff that gets bought and sold on eBay is used and not necessarily of high value, but nobody wants to receive a purchase in this condition.

Watch Wednesday: Summer Straps

I bought my first one-piece nylon watch strap a few summers back, but last year I finally went all-in and got several different colors and wore them regularly, changing among them based on my mood on a given day and what I was wearing.

One strap I couldn't find was a suitably bright orange. Many were too pale, others were more than I wanted to pay. I saw one at Target, alongside the Timex Weekender watches that come with nylon straps, but it was too narrow, sized for a smaller woman's watch. For only $7 I figured it was worth waiting to find one.

Every time I went back to Target, I checked the watch section, but the orange strap in the correct width never appeared—until a few weeks ago. I was there on a weekday afternoon, picking up some household needs, and I went to check like I always do. There was only one, but it was what I'd been waiting for.

I decided to do a group shot of all the straps I have and the watches I wear them on. My camera tends to underexpose, leading to photos with incorrect color representation. From my recent batch of eBay sales I've learned that the photos come out looking more accurate if I photograph items outside, so I took the straps outside and took a couple of shots, but they looked wrong. Maybe the sun was too bright?

So I brought everything back inside and tried again, with better results:

All these straps are 20 mm wide except the two striped ones on the far left, which are 18 mm. I wear those two on the Timex watch on the left. I'm not feeling a strong urge to add any additional colors, but if something interesting presents itself I will consider it.

Mad Men Note

I'm not going to return to doing Mad Men writeups, but I did want to add an observation about this week's episode. (It will be spoiler-free, insofar as saying that the agency pitched for new business does not constitute a spoiler.)

So far, a lot of this season has felt like treading water, waiting for something significant to happen. Last week was devoted to a crucial historical event and its aftermath, and I sensed the beginning of a shift. "For Immediate Release" felt like the show finally hit a groove that had been missing so far this year.

The business SCDP goes after in May 1968, an upcoming Chevrolet product code-named XP-887, was a real car in development at the time. Some of the discussion in Don's office might have led you to believe that Chevy was preparing a product to compete with the Mustang, but in fact they had already introduced such a product, the Camaro, in the fall of 1966 (two and a half years after the Mustang's debut).

The car in question was to be the Chevrolet Vega, a subcompact launched with the intention of offering an American-made alternative to Japanese imports like Toyota and Datsun, and other brands like Volkswagen, all of which were starting to gain acceptance in the US (especially in California and the Northeast). Honda was just getting started selling cars here, but they would become a formidable force in the 1970s.

The introductory ad campaign for the Vega, which went on sale as a 1971 model, was enormous, and the car initially won praise including Motor Trend's Car of the Year award, but the car was rushed into production and was compromised by cost-saving demands imposed by GM management. The biggest issues were with faulty rustproofing and engine problems; there were three recalls in 1972 alone, covering hundreds of thousands of vehicles. By the time GM had sorted out the car's problems, it was too late; the Vega was a lemon.

I have no idea what this could mean for the agency, as the show is supposed to end with next season and I don't think it will move that far into the future. But I thought it was interesting to look at this plot development with the benefit of hindsight. (I used Wikipedia as a source and there's much more on that page, which I've linked to above.)

Today's Notes

Yes, TWiA is AWOL. We were gone most of the day yesterday, and I didn't really feel like dealing with it when we got home, so we'll just let things simmer until next weekend.

I just learned that Trader Joe's sells bacon cheddar ranch dip. Come on, TJ, you trying to kill me or something?

There's also news today that Davis Square barbecue institution Redbones will be opening a satellite location in Malden that happens to be stumbling distance (or perhaps more appropriately, waddling distance) from our house. Come on, Red, you trying to kill me too?

Retro Video Unit (5/3/13)

As I mentioned before, I've been digging around in YouTube's storerooms looking for stuff by old Boston bands. This song, "Lonelyhearts" by The Atlantics, is one in particular that I'd been hoping to find, but this video is a bit of an oddity because the music has been combined with a gritty chase through New York and into New Jersey from the 1973 movie The Seven-Ups.

Interestingly, it kind of works. The other option was a shorter edit of the song with only a static image of the cover of its original 45 release. So, here you go:

And Now for Something Completely Different...

This is vulgar and tasteless, and I can't stop laughing at it...  

"...that's why Senator Joe Manchin, who co-sponsored the original background-check bill, has vowed to reintroduce it, all on the flimsy excuse that over 90% of Americans want it, making it slightly more popular than nacho cheese and reacharounds... not to mention Nacho Reacharounds, which, incidentally, is the worst Doritos flavor ever."

A Look Back, Old Sport

You have probably seen an ad for, or at least heard about, the new movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby that's coming out next Friday. The publicity machine has been ramping up over the past month or so; next week Carey Mulligan (who plays Daisy) is scheduled to appear on The Daily Show, and the movie's director, Baz Luhrmann, is scheduled for The Colbert Report.

The movie was actually supposed to be released at Christmas but was postponed, probably due to production issues related to Mr. Luhrmann's decision to make it in 3-D. Yes that's right, a 3-D version of The Great Gatsby. Does that not make sense to everyone? (Don't worry, there will also be a 2-D version. There always is.) After all, this is the guy who made Moulin Rouge, and I'm sure he would have done that in 3-D if it was an option at the time.

Anyway, I'm very interested in seeing this movie, even if it's a complete disaster (which is a distinct possibility, and one which provides its own distinct sort of pleasure). It's one of my favorite books, and you may recall that I went to New York last year to see a six-and-a-half-hour play in which the entire text of the book is recited onstage.

With the release of the new adaptation, I thought it might be interesting to revisit the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. When it was released it was considered a flop; the director did not make another movie for almost a decade afterward. I saw it once, maybe 30 years ago, but I didn't really remember anything about it other than the cast, and that much of the filming was done in Newport, RI; as a child growing up in RI at the time, a movie production in the state was a big deal and it was covered pretty extensively in the media.

Conveniently, the movie is on Netflix streaming, so I sat down to watch it one afternoon last week. (Still one of the best things about being unemployed: you want to watch a movie at 2 pm? Go right ahead.) It's kind of long, about 2 hours and 20 minutes, and it kind of bogs down about an hour in, right around the point in the story that Gatsby and Daisy are getting reacquainted. This is probably because their relationship has zero chemistry, and because the Daisy of the book, a passionate and impulsive wild card, comes across onscreen as a vapid, vain airhead.

I think some of the blame for this has to be directed at Francis Ford Coppola, who adapted the book for this screen version. The story plods along, feeling much slower than the book, and the sense of this world, which is supposed to come across as a giant money-filled playground, ends up as tedious and antiquated.

On the positive side, Sam Waterston gives a nicely understated performance as Nick, the narrator and moral filter of the story. Karen Black goes in exactly the opposite direction in her portrayal of Myrtle Wilson, the doomed mistress of Daisy's husband Tom, and succeeds beautifully in her excess.

One other detail worth noting, especially for those interested in style: the production design is suitably sumptuous, and the clothes in the movie are uniformly fantastic. All the outfits for both women and men were designed by Ralph Lauren, and you can tell just by looking at them. (Whenever I watch a period movie like this, I can't help but wonder how men were able to stand wearing three-piece suits with stiff shirt collars in the middle of summer.)

I'm very ambivalent about the choice of Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby in the new movie. I've never been that big a fan of his work, and I was going to complain that he's too old for the role, but then I checked IMDB and Robert Redford was basically the same age, maybe a year younger, when he played Gatsby. But he comes across as younger onscreen, so we'll see if the same is true for Leo.

Although they are lesser characters, I am looking forward to Isla Fisher as Myrtle and Jason Clarke as her husband George, mainly based on the other work of theirs that I've seen. As for Tobey Maguire as Nick and Carey Mulligan, I'll have to reserve judgment until I've seen their performances.

Hi There

Still here, just preoccupied. Stuff coming real soon...