The Good Life

Life is too short to put up
with people who slow you down
or bring you down.
We all need to put more things into
our life which not only
brings us joy but new challenges as well.
I love what I do and the company I keep.
Everyone who knows me, knows that
I enjoy a good laugh,
whether with friends over a glass of wine
or catching up with Seinfeld.
Most everyone knows that I dabble
in the challenge which the game of golf
presents and of course, everyone knows
that I enjoy a good meal. I am surrounded at home
with people who have a passion for cooking
and I too have taken a dip into the pond.
Recently it was Japanese, then homemade pasta...
don't even ask how good are my burgers...
an academic approach-perhaps
but adventurous none the less.

The outdoor season at our house is fast approaching,
and while on my days off, I will still be found mowing
and blowing around the yard or
hitting balls on the greens
I may at the same time,
have a pot of something brewing on the stove
or readying something for the grill
and always, relaxing under the sun.
No matter how you choose to do it,
just make sure ...you to do it and enjoy it.

Charles In Charge

His on may be taking a bit of the limelight 

away for now, but Prince Charles is the epitome

of polish when decked out in a double breasted suit.

He always gets this right.

 A gray double-breasted suit with a sky blue dress shirt (a backbone of the Prince of Wales’s wardrobe, ), is timeless. Ratchet things up by matching your tie to your eyes and you’re approaching style icon status. 

Now, it's not for me and frankly, most would have 

a difficult time pulling it off, but if 

you're into salads,  nothing wrong with a fresh picked

pocket square.  via Gilt

Platinum Dirt

Seriously, this is one of the cleverest, 'new to you' lines

 I've seen in a long time.

 Oakland fashion designer Dustin Page and special events entrepreneur Aaron Parrish found yet another source for recyclable clothing materials: vintage auto upholstery. Their company Platinum Dirt makes one-of-a-kind VIN (vehicle identification number) jackets out of leather salvaged from junked luxury cars. "One car makes one jacket," says Parrish. Hood ornaments are made into zipper pulls, and each jacket comes with a facsimile pink slip with the car's history. The biker-tough aesthetic of VIN jackets appeals to green-design celebrities Jamie Foxx, Jeremy Piven and Adrian Grenier, who each own one. VIN jackets start around $1,300 each. Handbags are about $350 each. For more information: platinumdirt.com.

via SFGate

Green Day

Happy St Patrick's Day 2011

So many ways to celebrate, so little time.

It might not stop raining in time for us to find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but it is St. Patrick's Day  and this year we may need any excuse to knock back a few pints of Guinness. Time to dig up that old "Kiss me I'm Irish" tee and channel your inner Irishman or woman. Here are a few good picks for celebrating:San Francisco Style:

Buena Vista Cafe: If you're not up for downing Guinness, head over to Russian Hill for Buena Vista's famed Irish coffees (they come in more varieties than you knew possible). 2765 Hyde St, (415) 474-5044. Website
Durty Nelly's: Nestled among the Asian restaurants of the Sunset District, this little outpost is the real deal. True Irish ex-pats frequent Nelly's; if you're not Irish already, you will feel like you are after spending some quality time here. 2328 Irving St, (415) 664-2555.
Irish Bank: There's a full day of activities planned for St. Patty's, doors will be open at 9 am for the truly Irish among us. Their annual Block Party always promises a good time, so bring your dancing shoes in addition to your drinking hat. 10 Mark Lane, (415) 788-7152. Website
The Plough and the Stars: If live music and traditional jigs are what you're after, Quinn, Autumn Rhodes & friends will be performing here starting at 7pm. 116 Clement St, (415) 751-1122. Website
Phoenix: Since it's The Mission's hippest Irish Bar, it must be the city's as well. Avoid the Financial District's block party and make friends with hipsters over a Harp or Smithwick's. 811 Valencia St, (415) 695-1811. Website

And if you choose to stay in, you can't  do much better than 

this Irish import...

The Commitments

Play it  safe.

Iron Man

It never ceases to amaze he that on any given day,

I see so many many whose shirts have clearly not

been properly ironed -even when done professionally..

With practice the benefits, far out weigh the effort

of a hand pressed shirt.

After all, if you're going to invest and wear 

good shirts, it's the least you can do.

Then  of course, once you get that down,

you can move on and  explore the sport (YES!)

of extreme ironing...

"Extreme Ironing is the *sport* (you decide) of taking an iron & ironing board to locations not conducive to ironing, and pressing a few items of clothing.

I first read about the Japanese Extreme Ironing Club when a Japanese man ironed on top of Mt Fuji, then discovered that it is truly an international phenomenon, with a website and international chapters. Clifftop Ironing… underwater ironing…bicycle ironing… car ironing – nothing is too extreme for these bad-boys ‘n’ girls of the domestic arts." via With Malice

His Ride His Story

From a recurring column in 

the San Francisco Chronicle...

Charles Ostrofe, 79, is a retired electrical engineer who owned a consulting firm specializing in public-safety communications. He was born and raised in San Francisco, educated at Santa Clara University and has lived in Oakland for 40 years.

I acquired my 1960 Mercedes 190 SL roadster in 1971 for $1,700. It was in moderately good - but far from pristine - condition, and had 97,000 miles on the odometer. I had been in the Army in Germany in 1955 when the model first came out. I liked it very much, but it was beyond my budget. So, much later (at the beginning of my middle-age fantasy years), I picked up an old 190 SL. I fully expected it to be unreliable, expensive to maintain, uncomfortable and impractical, and that I would get rid of it in short order. Obviously, that's not what happened over the years.
After a couple of years driving the car, my confidence in it improved, and I took my two children, camping, skiing and on many long trips. The Mercedes had a jump seat big enough for an eight-year old behind the two regular seats.



Statistics:
The 190 SL was produced from 1955 through 1963, with very few changes over those years. It was a "baby brother" to the iconic 300SL Gullwing, and was produced on the same assembly line. About 25,000 190s were made over those years, as compared to only 3,000 300 SLs. Many aspects of the design are very similar between the two cars.
The 190 SL was not designed to be a "sports car" - it has a 1.9-liter engine and is quite heavy at 2,600 pounds, so one cannot "toss it around" like an old Austin-Healy. My Mercedes is more of a high-speed touring car. It is quite comfortable, well-sealed, relatively quiet and has a good heater, power brakes, and other amenities. And - most importantly - it is a daily driver, not a trailer queen, and it is a pleasure to drive it everywhere.


Read more, See more: SF Gate

Hipster Bingo...

for all those times you'd rather not

get down to with the old folks.

Obsessive Compulsive Tendencies

Things Organized Neatly speaks to me on so many levels.

Yes, I am a neat freak. Yes, I am a creature of habit.

Yes, I believe a place for everything, everything in it's place.

This site, organized by Indianapolis designer

Austin Radcliffe shares everything from, organized collections of socks and household items

to disassembled (and re organized) parts and a personal favorite- desk tops.

A Class Act - Old School

 I will admit,

I have not seen all of Ernest Borgnine's  movies,

 but I did grow up watching 

McHales Navy, of which I do have very fond memories.

This year, when he was given the 

Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award,

he was the epitome of old school,

gentleman class. 

The February issue of Vanity Fair

featured Mr. Borgnine in The Proust Questionnaire-

and showcases a sharp wit, warmth and a honest look at life...

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Finally, a happy marriage, of now 39 years!

What is your greatest fear?
Having gone through the depression of ’29, I’d hate to see the U.S. hit bottom and not come back!

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Abraham Lincoln.

Which living person do you most admire?
My own doctor, Paul Rudnick.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Laziness.

What is your favorite journey?
Going home after any journey.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Perfectionism.

On what occasion do you lie?
Never lie—fib a little!

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Glad to be a Clark Gable!

Which living person do you most despise?
A politician.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Amazing.”

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My children and my wife, Tova.

When and where were you happiest?
When: I finish a good scene. Where: looking back, in the navy.

Which talent would you most like to have?
Being a better actor.

What is your current state of mind?
Tranquil, except for daily worries.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
At 93, I do everything I used to do, only slower.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Doing and receiving things in my profession I never thought possible.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
As a thing: a medicine to kill cancer once and for all.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
A country doctor, to help people.

What is your most treasured possession?
Most of all, my health.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Those poor homeless guys who have served their country and now live on the streets and the country has forgotten them.

Where would you like to live?
Right where I’m at—it’s heaven!

What is your favorite occupation?
There’s something besides acting?

What is your most marked characteristic?
My laughter.

Who are your favorite writers?
Mark Twain.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Huckleberry Finn.

Who are your heroes in real life?
Certainly not politicians—surely police, firemen, doctors, and the military.

What are your favorite names?
What’s wrong with Ernest!

How would you like to die?
Softly, in a nice bed, no suffering, with God on my lips!

What is your motto?

“I don’t want to set the world on fire; I just want to keep my nuts warm.”.

Like A Champ

Always come out fighting-

and ready for a win.

Anarchy And Jackets

via a time to get 

It's the weekend,

do what you want.

Straight Edge In Hand

1512 Barber Shop San Francisco

Run by third generation Master Barber, Sal

Men's grooming has been evolving lately,

in a retrograde direction- and that's a good thing.

Yes, of course you can still feel comfortable booking 

and lingering over 'salon' appointments, but frankly,,

with the rebirth of the neighborhood barber,

why would you? Many of the barbershops around today,

 never really left- they had just taken a backseat to 

overpriced and over~serviced salons. 

But now, there is a wave of new -traditional

style barber shops building a following in 

almost every area of the country.  The best part,

is the familiarity that the surroundings offer-

from the old school chairs and cloth drapes,

to the hot towels and straight edge razors.

Persons of Interest - Brooklyn

Run by a young Steve Marks

                     

F.S.C. Barber, 5 Horatio St. and 8 Rivington St., New York, NY. 

Joey Tasca( Freemans Sporting Club above)

offers up a few good rules 

on how to behave, lest we forget.

And The Winner Is...

Super Bowl Sunday-it's the day we all get to 

pretend we're sports enthusiasts.

Let's face it, the best part of the game is 

almost always the ads. And now with DVRs we 

have the ability to rewind and immediately rewatch a favorite.

Most of us gather not to watch the game, but to hang with friends,

do some drinking and eat the foods we've been 

avoiding since January resolutions took effect.

It's all good though, there's always 

'Back To The Gym' Monday'.

It's the weekend, do what you want.

60's Style Redux

Sixties influences flow in and out of our everyday lives-

fashion, TV, film and of course music.

In this music video, Beyonce brings it ALL to the game

with an Ozzie and Harriet meets...

 The Housewives of Atlanta spin.

and trust me,  it's winner takes all.

For nine more videos playing the sixties game,

check out Flavorwire.

A Highly Polished Garage

"You can talk all you want about martini shakers and perfect country houses, but it was classic automobiles that Ralph Lauren pined for when he was growing up, and it’s classic automobiles that he now collects and stores at D.A.D., which is a short Ferrari hop from his weekend home."

Thanks to the photographs by Todd Eberle and article by Paul Golderberger 

at Vanity Fair we can all  salivate and pretend.

 (The initials, by the way, stand for Lauren’s three children, David, Andrew, and Dylan. )

1 Interior of a 1954 Ferrari 375

2 A 1965 Ferrari 

3 Rear of a 1938 Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia Spyder.

Back ~ Strokes

via Promostyl Americas

After taking a 5 year hiatus to work on solo projects, The Strokes are back together and ready to release their 4th LP… well, kind of. The band is taking their time with this one pushing back the date every so often but as of now RCA has no official release date although rumors are it'll be out by March 22nd. Looking forward to  this release and wonder if they've kept their garage rock flavor or moved on.  Me? I'm hoping they don’t stray too far from their roots.

It's The Weekend...

Ahh the weekend.

Sometimes the best kind are the simplest...

a movie or two, a little cooking,

some R & R. and maybe a road trip.

Of course, when I say road trip I mean one that includes 

an exceptional  Bloody Mary.

One of the best I've ever had is from 

Dick's Place in Mendocino. Known locally as

'the salad', it is made with their own secret mix and enough 

vegetables to qualify as a meal.

Spicy? Hell yeah.

Dick's is one of those old- fashion saloons with 

plenty of local characters, sometimes gritty, sometimes friendly.

Road trip or not, the time has arrived

to sit back and watch the weekend unfold.
It's the weekend...do what you want.

Smoky Bloody Mary

• 2 ounces vodka
• 4 ounces tomato juice
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh horseradish
• 3 dashes Worchestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon barbecue sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle en adobo
• Generous squeeze of lemon juice
• Pinch of celery seeds
• 1 English cucumber cut into 4-inch-long spears
• 1 large green olive
• Ice

See No Evil Hear No Evil....

WORD.

Take Your Time Do It your Way

 Esquire
Time and watches, lets face it- those are two things a man
rarely can have too much of.
Let's be clear, men don't  need a lot of
accessory options:  most importantly, we've got cufflinks, 
wedding/commitment rings and watches.
BTW, for the record, sunglasses have long been elevated
above accessory level.
My first 'real' watch was given to me by my girlfriend
now wife of 31 years, it was a Seiko, brown face and band-
and I wore it down until she gave me years later,
The Domino watch from Tiffany...which unfortunately
 fell off my wrist in Paris- which fortunately we had
insurance for and was replaced
with The Atlas- a true classic.
 One of my favorite watches of late,
has been one that I bought when we were in Milan,
I think I paid 60 Euros for it but, I have gotten more
compliments from it than you would expect.
 (sport-dress/ brown black) Whatever...
The point is, it isn't really necessary to pay thousands of dollars-
for a good looking and functioning watch-
you might be surprised at what there is at the 'mass' level...
two of my favorite (retail-Amazon doesn't count) sources are
Barney's and Diesel. (Ok and Macy's, you didn't hear it from me-
but seriously,what don't they buy?)
Yes, there are technicalities such as ...
Dress
Hybrid
Sport
Chronograph
Modern
but really, go with what you like
and don't be afraid to make a statement, bold or subtle-
and remember...it's just an accessory.

Start With Typewriters
 Hey, if you're
super flush by all means- make an investment,
the choices are incredible and visual eye candy.

Sitting With Class

The Story of Eames Furniture: Marilyn Neuhart with John Neuhart - Interview from Gestalten on Vimeo.

An interview with Marilyn Neuhart, author of "The Story of Eames Furniture", and her husband John. Both have worked with the Eames Office in various capacities from the 1950s. Having been in close proximity to Charles and Ray Eames as well as the members of the Eames Office and their patron manufacturers for almost 30 years, the Neuharts had the extraordinary opportunity to absorb their stories. At their Los Angeles home, they tell the tale of working with Charles Eames in Gestalten.tv's latest look behind the Eames.

—Gestalten.tv

The Story of Eames Furniture: Marilyn Neuhart with John Neuhart - Interview from Gestalten on Vimeo.

Dive Bars And Pointy Objects

The Game of Darts

You've got to love a game in which the every man

can gather at his favorite watering hole

(dive bar) and enjoy his favorite beverage, 

catch up with friends and indulge himself with 

a sportsman's  identification..

As simple as it seems, there is actually much to consider.

Equipment

Technique

Stance

Rules

Betting 

"As with any sport, people develop their own ways

 of adjusting technique to what feels comfortable for them."

via art of manliness and wikipedia

Throw in some confidence and know how

add a beer or two and  James Brown on the jukebox

and you've got the makings for a  respectable

winter weekend pastime.

It's The Details

So far the streets in Florence and Milan
have not disappointed.
Filled with color, patterns, textures, accessories...
and most importantly-
details.

via Tommy Ton for GQ

Punk: Attitude And So Much More

Shock value, thumbs up to the status quo,

embracing independence and of course...

anarchy.

Some of the best music to come out of 1980's (give or take)

was born from the Punk  movement.

And now, with the re-issue (DVD) of

Don Lett's feature length documentary

Punk:Atttude

Now, we can look back on the explosive movement

through the sounds and cameos from legends such as

Sex Pistols,Jello Biafra, Chryssie Hynde, Jim Jarmusch, 

David Johansen, Henry Rollins, and Siouxsie Sioux and more. 

Culled from interviews with dozens of performers---including Henry Rollins, members of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones (well, Tommy, at least), MC5, New York Dolls and more---Punk: Attitude does an excellent job of respecting its founders. 

A mountain of vintage concert footage and printed material helps to establish a real sense of history here, from classic album art to footage of rare performances.

Read a review of Punk: Attitude, listen to Don Letts’ BBC radio show, watch the film on Netflix, or buy it on DVD.  via Flavorwire