Song of the Day

Today's song is My Kinda Party by Jason Aldean.

Happy Friday

Well, it is now after 5 on Friday afternoon, which means most of you have started your weekend. Unfortunately, I am stuck in the architecture studio until 6. While I have no exciting plans over the weekend (swamped with work and getting some repairs to the car done), I hope that you all are able to do something fun. I'll let you head into the weekend with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon's parody of Rebecca Black's Friday. Enjoy!

Featured Brand: Southern Proper

Today's featured brand is Southern Proper. Southern Proper, although specializing in attire for the southern gentlemen, was founded by Emilie Henderson Howard Emmie and Reagan Hardy Howell. From the Southern Proper website, "Men of the south have always been noted for their distinguishable décor and dress. Their honey-soaked accents and captivating manners charm women from all parts of the world. However, it's the tradition of sophisticated and influential attire that completes their status as gentlemen; for field or fancy, men of the South are always well-dressed. Furthermore, southern men with their modest but strong sense of style have admittedly been dressed by the daintiest of hands."

Emmie and Reagan wanted to take their love of fashion to the next level, "combining elements of southern heritage and southern hospitality," with their Southern Proper line. The "belles" also wanted to "compliment the southern gentleman's courteous manners and sweet humility."

While the company's most-known for their bow ties, they also carry men's shorts, pants, sport shirts, hats and t-shirts, as well as headbands, belts, and t-shirts for ladies. Be sure to check out Southern Proper online.

The brand is also known for their adorable black lab, Beau.

Song of the Day

Again, I have to apologize for not posting today. I had a lot of schoolwork to do. And, sadly, I will be up for a few more hours completing it. However, today's song is Midd Kidd by The Allen Jokers.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins.

Are These the Preppiest Lax Uniforms Ever?

Pabst Blue Ribbon Lacrosse is a premier post-college club team based in Houston, TX. These are their uniforms for the summer 2011 season and tournaments. The pinnie features a white cable-knit sweater sublimation on one side, and a blue argyle sweater on the other. The shorts look like khaki shorts with a PBR logo motif. If you love them as much as I do, you can purchase apparel here. Sadly, the reversible pinnie is out of stock.

Manssentials #1: Manners--Please and Thank You

Continuing from the post yesterday about lack of real men in today's society, I am writing my first article on manssentials. I also want to clarify something from yesterday's post: I was not trying to say that a woman's place in society is the kitchen and laundry room. I believe that women can, and should, have a successful career and the men in their lives should be supportive of it. I was simply trying to illustrate the point that today, women are the primary care-givers to children growing up. Obviously, this isn't always the case, as my uncle stays at home with the kids and his wife works. I was just speaking generally.

On to this post: manners. It seems that many people today, especially men, lack them. After all, what do the first three letters of manners spell? M-A-N. Starting off, let's address the issue of "please" and "thank you." It used to be that others would notice if you didn't use those two phrases. Now, everyone notices if you do. It's not hard to add a "please" after you order food, or a "thank you" when it arrives. Same thing if someone holds a door for you. You should always say "thank you." The other day, Allison and I were leaving Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I held the door for her, which she took, and held open for the guy behind her. He quickly walked out, turned the corner and didn't say a word. The issue of opening and holding doors will be more thoroughly addressed in a later post.

I've also noticed that people seem to really lack manners at restaurants. Yes, the wait staff's job is to serve you your food and drink, but they are not slaves or servants for your personal use. My mom used to always say that you can tell a lot about a person's character based on how they treat their servers, and she's right. It shows how they treat a complete stranger that they don't really have to be nice to--but there is always that fear that if you're too rude they will spit in your food. It's important to keep in mind that servers are real people with real lives. They have bad days, just like the rest of us. Guess what? They also make mistakes. They might mess something up with your order, or your drink might be empty for a minute or two before they have a chance to refill it. If they make a mistake, and they sincerely apologize, accept the apology. One mistake, with an appropriate acknowledgement and apology, shouldn't cut into his or her tip. Also, when eating out, remember that the appropriate amount for good service is 20%.

It's not hard to add a simple "please" and "thank you" to everyday speech. Sure, it may take some practice at first, but before long it will be habit enough that you won't even think about using them anymore. It will just happen. Also remember, "thanks," is not the same as "thank you."

Gotta Have It: Water Soaked Knee Hockey Rink

Move over Slip-and-Slide, you've been replaced. This is the Slip-and-Slide on steroids and turned into a game--nay, a sport. It is marketed to kids, but the real target audience here should be college kids. Most likely, this will be turned into a drinking game and score will need to be kept with a scorzie or two. This game puts two players squaring off on a 9'x5' rink, that shoots fountains 2' high on both sides. This rink can be purchased at Hammacher Schlemmer for $49.95 (I believe that price is Canadian). Just think of the hours of fun that can be had by having a Slipe-and-Slide upgraded into a hockey rink.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show.

Where Have All the Men Gone?

I know that a lot of other sources have brought up this topic, but I wanted to address my thoughts on it as well. I'm not an anti-feminist, nor am I trying to convey that message, but really, where have all the men gone?

I believe that gender roles do, and should, still exist. It goes back to prehistoric and Biblical times of men being the hunter-gatherer. Men had to possess skill to hunt for food, shelter, and be able to make clothing to keep warm from the animals they were able to kill. As time went on, other manly skills and professions developed: carpentry, farming, welding, fishing, hunting. The list goes on and on. What happened?

Somewhere along the line, men started becoming less masculine. My (unscientifically proven, but probably somewhat correct) theory is that this generation became one raised by women. Men would go to work all day, leaving their sons at home with mom. Young boys would be at home seeing mom bake, clean, and other essential items that needed to be done to keep a home functioning properly. Gone are the days that it was acceptable for young men to accompany their fathers to the field to learn a trade that could be passed down from father to son. Now, more and more men are getting manicures, pedicures, fake tans, waxing, and some have even started carrying handbags. Come on!

I'll admit, I'm not the most handy man out there. My mom's father was a skilled carpenter, electrician, and draftsman. If it was broke, he knew how to fix it. Sadly, he died of cancer when I was less than three and I have no memory of him. My mom has said (half jokingly) that when she married my dad, she was unaware that not all men could fix everything in the house. Sure, my dad knows how to fix some things, but if any remodeling is going to be done, a contractor is going to be called. It's easy to see in my own family how the chain of manliness is being failed to be passed on. My grandfather knew a lot of manly skills, my dad knows quite a few, but not all of them are being passed down to me. I can remember one instance when I was 16 or 17, when I wanted my father to teach me a certain skill: changing the oil in my car.

"Dad," I asked, "can you teach me to change the oil in the car?"
"You have to pay for 4 quarts of motor oil to do it," he replied.
"Well, mechanics charge $20-25 to change the oil."
"It's a time consuming process."
"It takes time to take it to the mechanic, too."

He then went on to explain about recycling the old oil and wondering where I would take it. He also pointed out where the oil filter was in 2001 Chevy Cavalier, and how difficult it would be get to without the car on a lift. I never learned how to change the oil. It is something that still bothers me that I don't know how to do.

While car mechanics may not be my forte, I take some comfort in that fact that I do have other useful skills to have. Surprisingly to me, a large number of men don't know how to build a fire. I have some experience camping and know how to build a fire and set up a tent, which I feel are skills that every man should know.

It's time to take a stand on this new womanizing society. Gender roles exist for a reason, and society needs real men; real gentlemen. Chivalry should not be dead, and no one should question where it went. I've decided I will start writing new pieces about man essentials, or Manssentials. I'll leave you with an appropriate song for this post: I'm Still a Guy by Brad Paisley.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Every Teardrop is a Waterfall by Coldplay.

Prep Essentials: The Car

A while back, you got the Guide to Bumper Stickers. The vehicle your putting those stickers on makes a statement about you and your style as a prep, as well. Here is my list of the Five Most Preppy Vehicles. The list isn't really in an order. If you want to add something to the list, feel free to leave a comment. Here goes.

Jeep Grand Cherokee
Odds are, your adventures will take you across some rough terrain. Camping, beach outings, and other prep activities may require you to take it off-road for a while. The Grand Cherokee is an extremely capable off-road vehicle, but is very nice and luxurious on the inside.

Anything Volvo
Especially the station wagons. Volvo's are made to last, so it's a car that many families are willing to pass down to their newly licensed 16 year old. They will most likely replace their old Volvo with a new Volvo. Pictures is the Volvo XC60, which is their SUV.

Audio A4
Another manufacturer with a reputation of making cars that last. The A4 has classic styling, exceptional handling, and many luxurious features.

Lexus RX300
The official vehicle of prep moms everywhere. The SUV has room for a family of four, drives like a Lexus car, and has plenty of storage room for groceries, lacrosse equipment, and the dogs.

Range Rover
I'm a little iffy of putting the Range Rover on this list. Sure, it is an extremely nice car and many preps do desire it, which is why it ultimately made the list. The thing that made me hesitate about including it on the list is that it is more frequently driven by rich snobs. Deep down, this SUV wants to be driven by preps, though.

The Brocial Network

Okay, this video's kind of old, but I love it. A group of student's at the University of Texas at Austin made this preview for a movie that is a spoof of The Social Network. It's The Brocial Network.

Weekend Recap

My apologies to my loyal reader or two for not posting anything besides a song on Friday. There were some more pressing issues--school. I have two weeks of classes left, which means a week from Friday I have a big design project due so I will be rather busy in the next two weeks. Hopefully at the end of two weeks, the degree will lead to a job with income, and this blog has no income so I'd say school is the bigger priority.

Saturday was a pretty boring day, yet I'm still going to write about it. Since temperatures were in the 100's in Boston Saturday and I don't have A/C, I decided to go to the architecture studio and get some work done. I ended up working for almost 6 hours on a 3D computer model. That night I went to a bar, Tavern in the Square, in Allston with some of my buddies and had a couple of drinks. A 34-year-old woman started talking to me, but I decided she was a little old for me.

Sunday was more fun. Much more fun. I went up to Newburyport, MA with Allison and Laura. It was one of those trips that wasn't planned: we just set the GPS to downtown Newburyport and went. We walked along the waterfront, went to some of the local shops in town, and had lunch. Going to the shops was probably more fun for the girls--if I remember correctly, every store we went into except one, The Black Dog, was a little boutique type shop that only sold women's clothes. They did have an antique market there that was pretty cool to check out. You never know what vintage stuff you'll find at a market. Allison found a mink shawl for $55 that she was pretty happy about.

On the way home we stopped at a Christmas Tree Shop. This was Laura's first trip to a Christmas Tree Shop, and of course she loved it. All three of us found a couple of great bargains, as always--including a drinking game that involves fishing for fish with instructions to 'take a shot' on them. Back to the daily grind today.

Newburyport waterfront. Yes, another panorama.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Country Roads by John Denver.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Learn to Fly by The Foo Fighters. A bit of a throwback today.

Prep Essentials: Nautical Flags

Since sailing is an extremely prep sport/hobby/past-time; whichever it is to you, it is important to know the flags on the sailboat. Whether or not you actually know how to sail or own your own boat, odds are you will be asked aboard someone's at some point. So, study up these flags if you want to blend in better. There will be a quiz later. And, I'll be honest, I don't have all these flags memorized, either.

At least learn to spell your name for your needlepoint belt.

By the looks of it, they want to sell me a Brooks Brothers Franchise

The Winklevoss twins as played by Armie Hammer in The Social Network.

Okay, if you've ever seen The Social Network (2010), you know it's the story of two twin brothers who row for Harvard and have this great idea to set up an elite online social network called Connect U. When the brothers, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, enlist the help of a dorky computer major to write the HTML codes to make their idea an actual website, he betrays them, and launches his own socialist social network, The Facebook. Throughout the movie, the Winklevoss twins seek justice for what rightfully belongs to them.

So, that may not be the summary that IMDB.com gives you, but I still feel the Winklevoss twins are the heroes in The Social Network. What preppy wouldn't? It's only natural. Now, the reason I tell that story is to tell this story, which I am reposting from TFM. The former president of Harvard is calling the Winklevoss twins 'assholes.' You can read TFM's column on the issue here. Additionally, I thought I would add my thoughts to their column.

Larry Summers, who was the president of Harvard at the time of the Zuckerberg/Winklevoss scandal, admitted that he did not approve of the twins. He is quoted as saying, "One of the things you learn as a college president is that if an undergraduate is wearing a tie and jacket on Thursday afternoon at three o'clock, there are two possibilities. One is that they're looking for a job and have an interview; the other is that they are an asshole. This was the latter case."

Well, excuse them for being professional, Mr. President. Did you ever think that perhaps the reason that they were dressed in suits is because they know the importance of having a meeting with the president of Harvard? I don't think Mr. Summers thought that Cameron and Tyler were actually assholes, I think he was just annoyed that he was having to have a meeting with mere students. Which, in my opinion, makes him the asshole.

Instead, I think we can all take a lesson on dressing, and professional demeanor in general, from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Love and Memories by O.A.R.

Prep Essentials: Needlepoint Belt

Preps have long been using their belts as an accessory that also allows them to express their style even more. The canvas belt is a popular item for the more casual occasion, but when it's time to go more formal, it has to be the needlepoint belt.

There are many companies that have custom needlepoint belts; popular styles include having your name written in nautical flags, or the monogram. These belts can be quite pricey, and costs can be a couple hundred dollars per belt.

Thankfully, Taylor Llewellyn set out to solve the problem of expensive needlepoint belts. After graduating from Colgate, the corporate grind got old fast for Taylor, and he kept wishing to be on Cape Cod with a beer in hand. The quintessential prep attitude, right there. From his website, Mr. Llewellyn says, "I set out in 2007 to create a line of needlepoint products that would be second to none in quality, while not breaking the bank." He went to Asia to find a manufacturer for his own needlepoint belts, which would later be the brand Tucker Blair.

So, where did the name Tucker Blair come from? Mr. Llewellyn says that Tucker and Blair are both family names, which sounded good to him. He had the name of his company. Today, Tucker Blair follows a business model that gives the customer the best deal: a 100% needlepoint belt from Tucker Blair costs $95. And that's when they aren't on sale. The belts are only for sale online, which helps to keep the price down. So, if you want to get your hands on one these great needlepoint belts, be sure to check out the selection at Tucker Blair. Oh yeah, they also have free shipping.

Gotta Have It: The Scorzie

A few things go hand in hand with summer: drinking, and backyard games. Unfortunately, most of us don't have that sweet scoreboard set up in the backyard to keep score of our cornhole game. Odds are that the people watching the game aren't willing, or aren't sober enough, to keep score of the game for you. What do you do? Enter the scorzie. The scorzie is a coozie with bands at that the top that keep score of two teams. Not only only does the scorzie keep score, but it keeps your drink cold at the same time. How many people can even multi-task that much in the summer? Well, I guess you'll have to in order to hold your drink and change the dial on the scorzie to the correct score. Just think of all the backyard game arguments this will end! Well, until people start trying to cheat and turning the dial to a higher score than they actually have. You can purchase your very own scorzie here!

Song of the Day

Today's song is One Love by Bob Marley.

Thoughts on Leisure Diving

Have you heard of this new craze called leisure diving? Supposedly it's the next big thing. People say that it's supposed to replace planking. Wait, what is planking you ask? Actually, that's a really good question. My answer is, I don't exactly know. I've heard of it, but I don't quite get it. According to urbandictionary.com, planking is to "lay horizontally in a strange or unusual place. To plank you must lay horizontally straighten your body and point your fingers and toes down (towards your feet), then you must name your "plank" and post a picture of the creator (of the plank) performing the pose on Facebook." Call me crazy, but I don't get it.

The leisure dive. What this image doesn't show is the ruined blazer at the end.

 

So now, this new website called leisuredive.com has sprung up. Their website defines leisure diving as, "striking a ‘leisure pose’ in mid-air. Ideally, a photographer captures the moment when the diver has reached peak height above water, when his or her hips are parallel to the waterline. If successful, the result is an airborne Corona commercial you can post to your preferred social networking platform, or mantle, if you’re old school. Oh, and Leisure Dives are actual dives, not superimposed images. That would just be stupid."

I guess diving into a pool in leisure pose, such as a raised elbow or pretending to line up a putt, is more fun than laying stiff as a board on top of an object. At least you get to fly through the air for a while before smacking the water (probably in an uncomfortable position, causing hitting the water to hurt a little). If you're looking for more information about leisure diving, including some apparel you can purchase, head over to Leisure Dive.

Kid's Herb Brooks Speech

So, after watching The Dilemma this weekend, I was reminded of the video of this kid reciting Herb Brooks' speech before the US beats the Russians in Miracle. I'll repost it here. The kid has a sweet outfit, too.

Featured Brand: Southern Tide

Here's an up-and-coming brand that preps should check out: Southern Tide. The brand was founded in 2006 by, then 23-year-old, Allen Stephenson. Growing up, Stephenson summered in South Carolina, but his inspiration for the clothing line came while vacationing in Italy. He found his inspiration in everything from sports cars to couture clothing to historical architecture. Allen noticed that each of these things featured "exceptional craftsmanship, clean lines, fine quality, and classic design." These are the same elements that Stephenson uses in his clothing line.

The company's first product was the Skipjack Polo, featuring the Southern Tide logo of the skipjack fish on the left chest. Today, the company has khaki pants and shorts for men and women, polos, and even some swim trunks. Accessories include coozies, croakies, hats, playing cards, and flags. Southern Tide clothing is a must for anyone looking to build on their southern frattire wardrobe. Be sure to visit them at Southern Tide.

A Preppy Life Summer Playlist

If you're heading to the beach, on a road trip, or just driving around this summer, but aren't sure what songs to load onto the iPod to listen to, here's a list of my suggestions that are sure to make a great summertime playlist, no matter where your adventures take you.

Kenny Chesney - Anything But Mine

Zac Brown Band (Ft. Jimmy Buffet) - Knee Deep

Brad Paisley - Water

Bryan Adams - Summer of '69

Jimmy Buffet - Margaritaville

Kenny Chesney - Summertime

Beach Boys - Surfin' U.S.A.

Sam Cooke - Summertime

Kid Rock - All Summer Long

Jimmy Buffet - Bama Breeze

Zac Brown Band - Toes 

Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved

Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl

The Ataris - Boys of Summer

Bananarama - Cruel Summer

  
I tried to post a link to the playlist for purchase in iTunes, but it didn't work. I guess you'll just have to search and download the songs individually. Sorry about that, folks.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.

Boston: Worst Dressed and Least Friendly City

Well, over the weekend I found out a little bit of interesting, although not entirely surprising news. Boston has been ranked the worst dressed city, and the least friendly city. Last night my dad even texted me saying, "Congratulations on living in the least friendly and worst dressed city in America."

GQ ranked the 40 worst dressed cities in America and Boston came out on top. Or on the bottom, depending on how you look at it. At first I was surprised by this ranking, thinking of the well-dressed in Cambridge, as well as the professionals in the Financial District. But then I started looking around, even in my own design studio, at some of the atrocious outfits people had on. I guess it comes down to Boston being a liberal city and people feeling the need to express themselves in the way dress. Whatever works for them, I suppose. According to the GQ article, not even the Boston preppies are dressing in a stylish way--boat shoes with socks: horrible! Here's the excerpt on the city of Boston's fashion sense:
 
"Boston is like America's Bad-Taste Storm Sewer: all the worst fashion ideas from across the country flow there, stagnate, and putrefy. To be fair, it's hard to be a fashion capital when half of your population is made up of undergraduate hoodie monsters, including those unfortunate coeds who don't realize that leggings-as-pants were supposed to be paired with tops large enough to conceal their cameltoes. Yet when they graduate, they can wear their Uggs and still fit in at the country's largest frat party on Lansdowne behind Fenway, where they can take breaks between body shots to admire just how long boot-cut jeans can stay in style in one place. And any classy lady from Beantown is bound to be impressed by formal sportswear. "But Boston is the epicenter of prep style!," you say? That's true, but it's with a little extra that ends up ruining everything: Khakis!-with pleats. Boat shoes!-with socks. Knit ties!-actually, no one in Boston seems to have ever seen one of these. For the more proletarian-minded, there are the modest little burgs of Cambridge and Somerville, where everyone dresses like the proprietor of his or her very own meth lab. If you wonder how a people can live like this, well, it's Jurassic Park for fashion troglodytes: life finds a way." -John B. Thompson

Not so surprising to me is that Boston got voted America's least friendly city. I know several people who have given opposing fans wrong directions to Fenway Park. I thought New York City would be the least friendly, but I guess not. Boston has a blue-collar feel to it so many of its residents grew up tough. They don't take crap from other people. The survey was done by two psychologists who had Americans rate "character traits." You can see an article on the survey, with Mayor Menino's reaction here.

The Toy I Never Had

My parents never got me this.

I remember a few years ago, my mom once asked me if there was any toy from my childhood that I remembered wanting, but never got. In my childhood, it felt like I heard "no" from my parents all the time (I didn't), but once I was older, apparently I had accumulated all the major stuff that I wanted. The only toy I could think of that I really wanted but never got, was one of those toy Jeeps that kids can drive around in. Today they make them in Escalades, Mustangs, and many other cars, but when I was five, they made them in Jeep Wranglers. Just look at the joy on that kid's face.

The two girls who lived next door to me, Becca and Missy, had one and I was insanely jealous. They could drive through the grass, through some parts of the sandbox, and up and down the street. All without exuding energy that riding a bike does. Sometimes they let me drive it. Well, they either let me, or I "borrowed it without asking."  Like most boys, I loved cars and couldn't wait until I got my driver's license. I wanted it so bad in fact, that sometimes when I went to visit my grandma, she would let me drive her riding mower around in the yard. Just to clarify, I never mowed the grass, I just drove it around the yard.

I wish I could've had that toy Jeep, but life goes on. Actually, up until about a month ago I did own a Jeep. I had a Grand Cherokee, but unfortunately, the engine fried and I had to donate it. Sometimes I wonder if my extensive love for Jeep (still my favorite vehicle), doesn't stem back to my childhood and wanting that toy.

Don't worry, the story of my childhood dream toy has a happy ending. After I told my mom that I wanted that toy Jeep, she promised that when I had kids she would buy one for them. Do you think a full grown adult would fit in it? I still want one.

What a Weekend

So, I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was great. Ever notice, though, that the more fun you have during the weekend, the harder it is to get back to the grind on Monday morning? My morning wasn't even that hard, I simply had a class visit to Georges Island, which one of Boston's harbor islands. Yet it was still nearly impossible to get out of bed at 7:40 this morning.

So let's start off my weekend recap with Friday night; it was pretty quiet. I don't even remember what I had for dinner, but I know I capped the night off with getting The Dilemma at the Redbox. Pretty funny movie.

Saturday is when the fun started. I went with Allison to her friend's lake house in Natick, celebrating his 21st birthday. We got there and had some lunch, followed by going out on the boat and doing some tubing. After an hour or so, being tired from holding on to the tube, sitting on the boat and watching others tube became more fun than actually tubing. After a short break, we went back out on the boat, but this time we brought a wake board along. The wake boarding was fun, but there was like 10 or so people, none of us had actually wake boarded before, so each person only got like 5 or 6 tries at it before moving on to the next turn. It took me a while to stand up on the board. "Knees to your chest, arms straight, butt down," was the only coaching anyone got. I stood up for a little bit on the 4th or so try, but was quickly down in the water. The next attempt I got up, and stayed up for quite a while. Before long, I was trying to get fancy and ended up going down on that before passing the board on to the next person. The thing that really surprised me about wake boarding is how hard it is to hold on to the tow rope. I kept thinking that any time my momentum would catch up to the boat and holding on would be easy. No such luck. As of today, my chest and arms are quite sore from holding on to that rope. That night we rented Hall Pass from Redbox, which was funny too.

Sunday I went down to Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA with Allison and her roommate Laura. We got lucky and sneaked into one of the last spots in the $7 parking lot and avoided paying $20 to park. Hard to not be pumped about that. The water was freezing cold, of course, but on a 92 degree day, it felt really good to jump in and cool off every hour or so.

 

 

Panorama of Nantasket Beach

That night we got a slice of pizza at Sal's and then went to the theater to see Bad Teacher. Funny how when you have no air conditioner in the summer, going to the movie theater to sit in the cool air for a couple of hours sounds really good.

This morning my water weekend continued. My Boston: the City and the Sea class, which I talked about in my first post, took the ferry to Georges Island for a site visit. It was cool to see the city skyline from the east, which is pretty hard to do for Boston. The day was cloudy, but thankfully it didn't rain. It was probably better that the clouds were out, since I got plenty sunburned on Saturday and Sunday; plus sunshine would've made it too hot. The island has a fort from the Revolutionary War period, so it was fun to explore some of the extremely dark and creepy tunnels. My friend Casey kept me company on the exploration. If it weren't for her, I probably would've chickened out on going down some of the fort's corridors. Here's another panoramic shot I took. If you can't tell, I recently downloaded a panorama app for my iPhone.

View from the Georges Island Pier

Song of the Day

Happy Friday y'all. Today's song is The General by Dispatch.

The Dreaded Hover Hand

Notice the hover hand.

We've all seen it. A guy asks an attractive girl--usually a professional cheerleader, or model, or something along those lines--for a picture. Of course, she agrees because it would make whatever organization she's supporting look bad if she declined (and let's be honest, she probably loves the attention), but one simple move makes it obvious that the guy is terrified of her: the dreaded hover hand.

The hover hand is when a guy poses with his arm around a girl, but he doesn't wrap his hand around her. It simply hovers in the air showing that he is afraid to actually touch her. What I don't get is this: you obviously had the guts to ask her for a picture, so why not touch her with the palm of your hand? It's not that hard.

Grow up, grow a pair, whatever analogy you prefer, and just rest your hand on the girl. She'll respect you more for it. If you want to see more hilarious hover hand photos, check them out here. That site is where I got the hover hand image above from. Below are some examples of how to properly take a photo with an attractive girl. Step up and be in her league. At least act like it anyway.

Age 15. No hover hand. But I bet the
kid in the back right is a hoverer.

Age 19. Still no hover.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Bama Breeze by Jimmy Buffet.

The Prep Guide to Bumper Stickers

An inappropriate amount of bumper stickers.

Something that I've been noticing for quite a while that needs to be addressed is the number of cars that I see on the road with an absurd amount of bumper stickers. The funny thing is, that while the Californian whose car is pictured here doesn't even have that many stickers compared to some cars I've seen. Let's be real though, if other drivers (I mean passengers, for safety's sake) can't quickly read the stickers on the back of your car as they pass you, you have too many damn stickers on your car!

An acceptable amount of bumper stickers.

That being said, here's a quick guide to bumper sticker appropriateness. The rule is easy: no more than four. The car pictured left (my old Jeep), actually has four stickers, but you can't see the fourth, which is a window cling, due to the tinted glass. Another guideline to follow that it's only acceptable to have one political sticker on your car. Anything more than that is just plain superfluous. Also, if your candidate loses the election, you should take their sticker off of your vehicle within six months of the election. No one else brags about losing.

If you're wondering what some good, acceptable stickers are to have on your car, here's a good place to start.

1. School Sticker: let everyone know which college or prep school you attended by having the name of your school on your back window. The most prep are the stickers that simply say the school name in one line. There is no need to remove these stickers within six months of graduation.

2. Oval Abbrv. Sticker: these stickers have really gotten popular lately. Every vacation destination, such as the MV sticker on the Jeep, is getting a 2-4 letter abbreviation and putting it on an oval sticker. If you have a vacation home somewhere, or frequently visit a certain place, let everyone know where you like to hang out with one of these stickers.

3. Sports: show support by putting your favorite team's logo on your car, or show everyone what sport you play with one of those newly popular silhouette sticker.

4. Brand: here's a chance to tell everyone about your style. I have a Vineyard Vines sticker on my car, but there are many others. The most prep choices are a favorite clothing company, or your favorite brand of boat, or fishing company.

5. Beach Permits: this is perhaps the most prep choice of bumper sticker of all. It shows everyone that you love the beach, a very preppy place, and it shows them where you like to go based on the location of the beach you're going to. Again, no need to remove these after they expire, but the back of your car also shouldn't like a history of what beach permits look like for the past twenty years.

The main thing with bumper stickers is too simply not overdue it. It's okay to let your car be an expression of its driver, but it should never be a distraction to other drivers on the road.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Memorial Day by the Dropkick Murphy's.

Man's Best Friend

Abby & Me in 2006

It's long been said that dogs are man's best friend. And why not? Dogs are great. Whenever you come home, they're there to greet you and are always more than excited to see you. Dogs do whatever they can to protect you when they feel you are in danger, and whatever they can to help you in you've been physically or emotionally hurt. There's that old joke, as well: Why do men love dogs more than women? If you lock a woman and a dog in the trunk of a car for a few hours, which one is excited to see you?

My family adopted Abby from the Humain Society in the summer of 2006, when she was just eight weeks old. She instantly became part of the family, and it really has been a blessing having her around. Now, at age five, she is still a bundle of energy and a crazy dog. Crazy in a good way.

Dogs make great companions. They are an added member to the family and I believe that they can even help sustain a marriage. Every night, weather permitting, my parents walk our yellow lab/vizsla mix, Abby, around the block. Not only are they walking the dog, but they are walking with each other. Our subdivision has a loop that is a little over a mile long, so that's 25 minutes every night that my parents spend with each other outside of the house.

Here's why I really think that dogs are man's best friend: dogs epitomize what a man wants to be. This may sound silly at first, but think about it. A dog is full of energy and can be truly happy. After a long day at work, men just want to sit down on the couch and unwind from a stressful day. During this time, things like salary, bills, and family issues are probably running through his mind. A dog can be fully happy and contempt with a full stomach and chasing a ball in the backyard. To a dog, that's as good as it gets, and as good as it can be.

Dogs also have the ability to love unconditionally. They hold no records of wrong for more than a few minutes, and are excited to meet anyone new. As men, and as humans, it's only natural to withhold entire forgiveness and not to be able to forget wrong-doings. I believe that men really wish they could love someone to the level that a dog can and be bonded for life. Just like Dug (from Disney's Up) says, "Hi, my name is Dug. I have just met you and I love you!"

What guy doesn't want to be a hero? Movies have always portrayed the knight in shining armor, and it is something that men aspire to be. A dog has the ability to scare of criminals, or pull their owner from a river just by following their instincts. Human intuition would cause us to hesitate or assess the risk involved. None of that ever even occurs to a dog.

The bottom line is, dogs are great. Even petting them helps relieve stress. Some of my favorite breeds are: labs, golden retrievers, huskies, basset hounds, and Burmese mountain dogs. If you don't have a dog at home, I feel bad for you.

"No home is complete with the the pitter-patter of dog feet."

Also, I do have three cats at home, and they're great, too.

Book Review: The Fifth Witness

Last night I finished reading The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly. This book may sound familiar to you because it's the sequel to The Lincoln Lawyer, which you've probably heard of because it was turned into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey.  The Fifth Witness is the story of a murder trial involving Lisa Trammel. Her home is in foreclosure and Mitchell Bondurant, who is the CEO of the bank foreclosing on her home is found dead. Trammel is accused of the murder and it is defense attorney Michael Haller's job to get the 'not guilty' verdict.

The book was enjoyable, although not as enjoyable as The Lincoln Lawyer. It is suspenseful, but everything that the reader expects to happen for the first 403 pages does. There are some minor twists and turns, but the story doesn't really pick up until the last ten pages. That's when everything the reader thought he or she knew comes undone and the really unexpected events take place. If you enjoy reading courtroom dramas, I would recommend picking up this book, but it would be fine to wait until it comes out in paperback. The one thing that probably adds to this book's appeal right now is that it is easy to draw parallels from this and the recent Casey Anthony case in Florida. This book is currently $16.24 on Amazon.com.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Roll Away Your Stone by Mumford and Sons.

HR Derby Catch

Look at this guy. Unbelievable. Jumps into a pool filled with girls in bikinis, catches Adrian Gonzalez's home run ball, and doesn't spill his beer! Legend--wait for it....dary!

After thought...why does any baseball park even need a pool in it?

Prep Essentials: Sperry Top-Sider

One of my pairs of Sperry's at the beach

Every prep loves boat shoes. Naturally, this comes from the prep's love of boats. Sperry Top-Sider is the original brand, and still the favorite among preps. Paul Sperry first invented the boat shoe in 1935. His motivation came from his cocker spaniel, Prince. Sperry noticed that the dog kept its traction on the wet boat because of all the cracks going in different directions on the bottom of Prince's paws. This design became known as Razor-Siping and are still used on the soles of Sperry's today.

These shoes are some of the most comfortable shoes available on the market. Sure, at first you may get blisters trying to break in a new pair, but those rough first couple of days are well worth the results after. The best way to break in a new pair of Sperry's, besides wearing them a lot, is to get them wet. The water will soften the leather and help them to better conform to your foot. Just remember, wearing a pair of Sperry's with socks is like wearing a pair of sandals with socks; you just don't do it. There is one exception to the no socks and Sperry's rule, though: if you are wearing your Sperry's with pants, it is acceptable to wear dress socks with them.

While many preps still prefer the authentic original shoe, Sperry has hundreds of different colors and styles so matter what your style is, you're sure to find a pair of Sperry Top-Siders that you'll love. Depending on the style, Sperry's can be worn for super casual events all the way up to semi-formal events. The classic brown leather Authentic Original boat shoes go great with a pair of chinos and another prep essential, the blazer.

Sperry is also a strong advocate for ocean and wildlife preservation so it's a great company to support. Check them out online.

Mila Kunis Accepts YouTube Invite to Military Ball

As I've said before, this blog supports the troops. Apparently so does Mila Kunis. Sgt. Scott Moore of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines, stationed in Musa Qala, Afghanistan, asked Mila Kunis to the Marine Corp Ball in Greenville, NC on November 18th. Here's the video of Sgt. Moore asking her to the Ball:

Fox reports that Kunis saw the video and agreed to accompany Sgt. Moore to the ball. But, get this, the Marine had one of heck a wingman. Justin Timberlake helped convince Mila that she should go to the ball with Sgt. Moore. And here's a picture of Mila Kunis just for the fun of it:

To read Fox's full report of Kunis accepting the invitation, check it out here: foxnews.com

Business Cards

I hope everyone had a fun weekend. Mine was a little stressful Sunday when trying to fly back from Chicago to Boston. It's a little under a two hour drive to get from my parents' house to Midway Airport in Chicago. My mom dropped me off at Midway at 5 for 5:35 flight, which wouldn't be horrible, except the security line at Midway was brutal. I got in the "expert traveler" lane, thinking it would be faster, but they had that line merging with a priority line for the TSA agent to check IDs. It ended up taking 20 minutes of waiting in line just to show TSA my ID. If you're horrible at math, it's now 5:20, 15 minutes before my flight is scheduled to leave. After going through the line to get my x-ray picture taken, it was almost 5:30 so I shoved my belongings back into my pockets, grabbed my bags, and took off running. I didn't think I had time to put my belt and shoes back on, so I was running down Terminal A at Midway barefoot, with my belt and my shoes in my hand. Thankfully, they let me on the plane and I put my shoes and belt back on in the jet bridge. I hope it was at least comical to the other travelers.

Anyway, on to the point of this post. Over the break, I received 250 business cards in the mail that I had ordered. The cards just have my name, phone number, e-mail address, school, and degree/degree year on them. I ordered them because they were free and it seemed like something good to have; you know, just in case. Now my question is, what do I actually do with them? I suppose I could leave them with the interviewer on job interviews, but that will get rid of what, 2 or 3 cards? I guess you never know. What I'm really curious about is just handing them out for day-to-day things. Ladies, would it impress you more if a guy gave you his number by means of handing you a business card instead of having it scribbled on a napkin? Would you even notice the difference? These days most people ask for a phone number and then whip out their cell phone to program it in to their contacts instantly. Maybe a business card would be more convenient if you're worried about rejection or don't have time to put the number in your phone contacts at that moment. Perhaps it's simply a way to show someone that you're different. Like why Barney Stinson always suits up. To show that you're professional, classy, a cut above the rest. I guess you'll have to check back later to see if there's any continuing stories of the adventures of my business cards. If anyone cares.

Song of the Day

Today's song is American Saturday Night by Brad Paisley.

Song of the Day

This is Savior by Rise Against.

Product Review: Shep Shirt

Photo from the Vineyard Vines website

Manufacturer: Vineyard Vines (www.vineyardvines.com)
Retail Price: $98.50

This weekend, I tested out this shirt on Long Beach Island, New Jersey--at night temperatures dropped to the low 70's with a cool breeze coming in off of the ocean. I wore it around town and on the beach that night, and the shirt was great.

The Shep Shirt is extremely comfortable--much like that of the softest crew neck sweatshirt available. It fit great and was extremely comfortable all over. I'm 6'1" with a 34" waist, and a medium fit me perfectly. The small zipper lets air get to your body so it is great for summer nights--especially if you are going to be out on a boat. My only complaint was that I kept wanting to put my hands in the pockets of the Shep Shirt, which don't exist. If the retail price of $98.50 seems a bit steep for you, be patient; Vineyard Vines frequently has sales, so be sure sign up for their mailing list.

Also, if you're going to buy this shirt, be particularly careful of your girlfriend stealing it. I was constantly making note of where I had taken the shirt off so it didn't "accidentally" wind up in her luggage. However, ladies, Vineyard Vines now makes a female Shep Shirt so you won't have to keep trying to steal it from the man in your life. I would recommend this shirt to anyone.

Song of the Day

Today's song is Live a Little by Kenny Chesney.

Reflections on Crabbing

I learned a new skill over the weekend: crabbing. Now, I'd been fishing a couple of times before in my life. Each time consisted of waking up at 5:30 am (not a morning person), and standing on the bank of a lake with a stick in my hand. On the end of that stick was a worm. And guess what: I didn't catch anything. Ever.

Allison and I ready to go catch some crabs.

So, on Sunday, when I was asked to go crabbing with Allison and her dad, I was a little unsure. The plan was to leave at 8:30 am, when the tide was low--low tide is helpful for catching crabs. Thankfully, an early morning thunderstorm pushed our expedition back until 10. Even when we got on the boat, I had no idea how to actually catch a crab.

We went out to the bay, to the marshes that surround it,  and up and down the creeks in it--or "cricks" as the Tuckerton-ites would call them. The best water depth for catching a crab is about 4'. To measure the depth of the water, a very scientific device was used--the "depth-o-meter" as Allison's dad called it. What it actually was, was an old oar about 4' long that we would use to find spots in the water with a depth of close to the top of the depth-o-meter.

Our catch--after we boiled them

Allison's dad knew to read tides and use that to figure out where the crabs would actually be. Once we found a good location, we'd drop the anchor and set up shop. The bait was used was raw chicken/chicken fat. The chicken was tied to the end of a string with a weight, and the other end of the string, about 4-5' long, was tied to the boat. We threw off 8 pieces of bait at one time. The crabs would eventually come along and grab hold of the chicken. When checking one of the lines, it was apparent that a crab was attached at the other end by the weight. While one person slowly and steadily pulling the crab to the surface, another person would scoop on the crab in the net, and you've caught yourself a crab. When all was said and done, we caught 22 blue claw crabs.

Cleaning the crabs

Before we got started, I was pretty nervous that we'd catch nothing. Everyone in the boat was a bit pessimistic that the tide was too high for us to catch much of anything. It took a few minutes for the crabs to start biting, which I'm told is a while in terms of crabbing. The first crab I caught was the first fish I'd ever count in my life and it felt pretty good. By the end of the day, I was even pulling the line in and netting the crab on my own. It's a pretty nice sense of accomplishment. After almost 4 hours and 5 or  6 locations, we brought in 22 crabs for dinner--plus about 10 or 12 that we threw back for either being female or too small. When we got home, we boiled and cleaned our catch, and put them in the refrigerator. Six hours after catching, we were having some of the freshest seafood anyone can possibly have.

Song of the Day

I'm back! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. Today's song is Cornbread by Dave Matthews Band.

Songs of America Taking You into the Weekend

At about 3:30 today, I will begin my trip down to Tuckerton, New Jersey, where I will be spending my 4th of July weekend. While I'm there, I don't plan on updating my blog at all. Tuesday afternoon, I will be flying home to Indiana, and will continue to update from there. Since I won't be posting any new songs between now and Tuesday, I'm leaving y'all with my 5 favorite songs about America. Enjoy. Also, in the midst of all your festivities this weekend, remember that freedom isn't free. Many men and women gave their lives for this country, for its values, and for you. To them, I say thank you. This blog supports our troops in all of their efforts to keep us safe and free. God bless.

5. Arlington by Trace Adkins

4. Fortunate Son by Credence Clearwater Revival

3. Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American) by Toby Keith

2. God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood

1. The Star Spangled Banner performed by Jim Cornelison of the Chicago Blackhawks

Okay, so I really like this song, too, so I'm adding it as a bonus. It's American Soldier by Toby Keith.

Pausing to Remember

July 1, 2004: Two young boys lost their lives in a tragic accident. Seven years ago, I was 16, and was looking forward to starting my junior year of high school. This is the story of how Clark Goerke and Ryan Morris lost their lives. Well, at least what I remember of it. I could look up the facts and details, but I feel the story would be better told going straight from memory.

I come from a pretty small town in Indiana--a town where most people know most people. I knew Clark, had had a few conversations with him, and most of my friends were friends with him. I think I had only met Ryan once in passing, but I knew who he was; and his girlfriend went to my church. If I remember correctly, they had gone to a party on the night of June 30, and had been drinking a little. Both guys were younger than me. I think Clark was going into 10th grade, and Ryan into 9th. They left the party, on a moped, very early in the morning of July 1. They drove down the road on the moped, reportedly without the lights on, and other cars reported that the driver, Clark, was playing chicken with them.

Eventually, the moped hit a truck, driven by Brian Feely, head on. I knew Brian to; I played hockey against him. He was either going into his senior year, or had just graduated from the public school that Clark and Ryan went to. Brian was high and/or drunk while he was driving his truck. The sound of the collision woke a neighbor who called the police.

I even know the man who called the police. He was the dad of someone I had been friends with in elementary school. When the police got to the scene, Brian said he didn't even know what he hit (the lights on the moped weren't on). The police found Clark's body first. For a while, they thought he was the only victim. A bloody shoe on the ground was their first indication that Clark wasn't the only one on the moped. After some more searching, they found Ryan in a tree.

It's one of those stories that is just a chain reaction of the wrong circumstances. If only one event had happened differently, maybe this tragedy never would've happened. If the lights on the moped had been on, maybe Brian would've seen the boys and avoided hitting them. If Brian had been sober, maybe he would've been alert enough to avoid the moped. Unfortunately, life doesn't give us what-ifs. The impact of this tragedy is still evident through messages that people pass along on Facebook, and other sources.

This holiday weekend, I hope everyone has fun and enjoys celebrating with their friends and family. Remember, though, there are no second chances in life--stay safe and make responsible decisions. The fire department will be busy enough responding to other people who have injured themselves with fireworks.