Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Elegance

Europe 2011: Part 6, Shopping in Paris

2012-01-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Time to return to my Europe series... I think this is going to be a long and recurring theme at this point. I did so much, it's going to take a while to finish blogging about it!

For this installment, we take a visit to the Au Printemps department store, beginning with the observation deck on the top of their tallest building. The department store consists of 3 entire buildings for Women, Men, and Children/Home/etc. It has numerous restaurants and sub-boutiques for more luxury brands than I even was aware existed! My friend Estelle clued me into the awesomeness of this place, and I'm very thankful to her!

The architecture of these buildings is fabulous.

Tour Eiffel in the background

Yours truly enjoying the sunshine and traveling :)

It's a long way down! Oh look... that's the metro entrance!

See... here's a closer look... Paris Metro

At the other end of the patio, here is the view

Closer up!

One thing I noticed about Paris is that they really managed to do a good job with integrating buildings, trees, traffic, and people.

The spires you see at the other end of this picture are where I was originally standing

There was even an AstroTurf lawn with deck chairs up here on top of the building! An outdoor patio seriously called for ice cream, which I had while being blinded by the sun, lol.

In case there was any doubt as to the scale of this... check out the floor plan! Those are three entire buildings!

This is the plan and list of departments for one floor in context!

Some of the buildings seen from one of the bridges

Yet another angle showing the buildings

What is a shopping trip though, without shopping? I wish I could have taken pictures of everything... it was amazing what they had. However, I did find something that I liked enough to buy on the spot. I found a bow tie from Alain Figaret. The real kind, that you actually tie yourself (not the childish clip-ons that are so often sold)! Plus, as an added benefit it was handmade in France!

Wearing the Alain Figaret bow tie recently (January 2012)

Close up of the bow tie... it has a woven pattern of dots within circles, here I have paired it with a navy blazer and ecru shirt.

In Defense of Formality in Attire

2012-01-28T16:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers,

Allow me today to ramble upon a topic which I feel is either misunderstood or undeservedly maligned in today's society. This my friends, is the role of attire in promoting the respect and social position of the wearer.

In 2012, clothing is often considered to be an object of practicality and utilitarian importance, primarily. The suggestion that clothing should be rigid or represent a particular form would appear archaic to many. In fact, dressing for work has become considered an insurmountable chore and encumbrance by numerous contemporaries. The result has been the sloppiest and most ill-dressed generations the world has ever known.

While clothing that is comfortable is obviously a benefit from a practical perspective, it must be remembered that much of the clothing today goes beyond this and is designed as a form of rebellion against the most ancient traditions our culture has had and against the class system that has to some extent given our society meaning and place.

Why is a rebellion against the classes bad? The classes have enforced cultural norms and promoted social decency. Without classes (and perhaps religion), anything might be permissible. In fact, once there is no structure for society, we lose all rules and common values. In effect, we become meaningless as a people.

What good is a society that has no meaning, no traditions, and no respect? Would you be willing to defend such a society with your life if it were attacked? My view is that such a society is indefensible and the only people who would willingly die for it are guilty of stupidity and perhaps falling into the trap of the insipid propaganda enforced through military brainwashing.

This brings me to why we need to bring back clothing that has meaning. When our clothes help form our actions, they work together with the doctrines of a well-ordered society. A society with rules and customs, one where dressing up to show respect isn't a periodic fantasy, but rather a daily practice.

But it goes both ways... the clothes are only the outward portion. When our minds choose to embrace beauty, we wish to show it outwardly. We must not be tricked into believing that clothing is only external or that beliefs are only internal. We must create a gorgeous fusion of loveliness and glory that is reflected in everything.

The idea the the universe is chaotic and unpredictable is irrational. In fact, all of modern science and most of the western tradition fight against this. Order is present in every facet of nature. I believe that when our society embraces this, we will find our bearing again.

When we find respect, value, and navigate ourselves forward, we will have discovered a true society worth fighting for. A society where there are rules and obligations, but also where merit has value and recognition. Where inequality isn't a blind measure of fairness, but where actions are rewarded with social standing and respect, regardless of race and prejudice. (Please note that this does not suggest that I support the oppression of anyone in society or the undeserved rise of individuals who trespass on the good of their fellow man)

This my friends, is the new aristocracy of taste and merit. It is calling all of us to show respect to our fellow men and to claim the respect that we are all due by not being lazy in our choice of attire. It is choosing not what is easy, but that which is invariably deserving of honor and praise.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
(Philippians 4:8 ESV)

My Daily Style Choices

2012-01-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

Dear readers,

I've decided to document what I wear on a daily basis by using the DailyBooth website. The whole point is to upload at least one picture per day. I thought it would be cool to see the progression of what I wear, as well as keeping track of trends and ways I can vary my look more. I also find that it would be better than blogging about everything daily, as you all would tire of reading it. (I may do an end of the week style post, based on the best pictures I've uploaded, though) Additionally, the latest image I post automatically becomes my profile picture here on blogger!

Feel free to visit my page on DailyBooth and offer comments and whatnot. Click here to head on over!

Spin Dryer / Essoreuse / Laundry Centrifuge

2012-01-21T15:08:00.000-05:00

Dear readers, I recently ordered a spin dryer, alternatively known in France as an Essoreuse, or in English as a Laundry Centrifuge. What is a spin dryer? Simply put it is a centrifuge that spins at around 3,000 rpm (3.000 trs/mn) and which due to the forces created, naturally causes water to be expelled from the clothing, without the use of heat. What does it not do? It does not completely dry the clothing, it only gets most clothing partially dry.

If the spin dryer doesn't actually fully dry the laundry, why bother? There are a couple reasons. First it is incredibly energy-efficient. By using the spin dryer for a couple minutes with a load of cottons, I cut my tumble drying time in half (after spin drying, it took under 35 minutes in the tumble dryer, as opposed to 50-65). Clearly, you can see there are green environmental reasons for the use of this dryer in addition to electric bill savings. By using less resources, we conserve energy and money. Additionally, less heat means that the clothing may last longer; also, when the water is expressed it takes some remaining detergent with it. This means the clothes are healthier, as the residue isn't baked into the clothing, but rather removed.

Once the spin dryer has run for 2-4 minutes, it is then possible to load the laundry into a tumble dyer or hang it up to air dry. Either way, it makes the process faster. The catch is that loading the spin dryer does take a few minutes, because it is essential to balance it properly. Make sure heavy/large items are at the bottom, and you will want to wrap the items around the sides. I did it wrong the first time and it really didn't go terribly fast. I'm looking to use the spin dryer to allow me to do more line drying and cut on my tumble dryer costs by doing more than one load within a timed dry at my apartment.

One last note: for those of you who think this is a new invention, it's not. My French grandmother has had one for at least 20 years, if I'm not mistaken. It's just harder to find them in North America than anywhere else. In Europe there are numerous competing brands. You can even get them from La Redoute, lol! I got mine from The Laundry Alternative, you can find the product page, here! There are a couple of competitors here in North America, but they charge 2-4x as much.

Here are my unboxing and initial testing pictures, enjoy!

For size reference, the unit reaches slightly above my knee when unboxed and standing on the floor.

Opening the box at home

It tomes with a sheet describing the unboxing procedure

Took the machine out of the box, it's shrinkwrapped

Once I got it unwrapped, I had to remove the Styrofoam and instructions/cardboard in the drum

Inside of drum without debris, you can see Styrofoam I broke off the base on the floor. I also had to clean the inside, because there was some manufacturing ickyness left, including some sort of grease potentially.

To protect the motor, they attached it to a piece of wood, here I am unscrewing it

And it's ready!

Here is what the machine looks like, filled with laundry and the clothes protector sheet placed on top

To start the machine, close the lid, and pull the sliding lock switch over it

And we're off! :)

You will want to place a bowl under the spout, as the water literally just runs out

This is a bit of an exaggeration, as I placed laundry I wet in the sink and barely wrung out for a first test. It does do this for laundry coming out of a top loader, but only briefly... it's mostly a long trickle

Spin in progress!

My Black-Tie Birthday Party! :)

2012-01-11T01:36:00.000-05:00

Dear readers, I'm still playing catch up! My birthday was at the end of November! I thought it would be great fun to do the sort of party I've never had before.

"[I invited a couple of my friends to] an elegant party where we can all get together and enjoy some good conversation and desserts."

As you might have guessed, it was black-tie optional. I like to bring back classic style as many of my readers know; having events like this is a way to add a glamorous side to life. My friends, colleagues, and family really made the time a success! Special thanks goes to my friend Barbara who helped make many of the treats and reminded me what I needed to shop for! I was especially pleased that as my first ever party, everything turned out rather well too! If I didn't invite you and we're friends, it was probably just because I was too busy to remember everyone; I plan to have other parties and to invite people I may have forgotten unintentionally this time around!

From the original email I sent out about the party:

"I'm tempted to have a black-tie (optional) dessert party... to celebrate my birthday. Think of this as kind of an old-fashioned elegant style event in the era of Mad Men, James Bond, or even Downton Abbey (great excuse to break out your tux, or even LBD glamour)."

Cheese and breads... special appearance by my steamer!

Desserts, with drinks in the background! A great place to relax as the party unfolds...

The scene was quite busy with much interesting conversation! All ages were represented!

And rather interesting stories!

...some of which took on a life of their own...

... as you can see, we were having some sort of intense discussion! (I'm not actually angry!)

Candid blooper/prep pics:

It's true, I know how to operate an iron

I'm not sure what I was doing here... but at least my face is sparkly, lol!

I also lit up my bookcase with LED lighting to add to the mood, unfortunately the rest of my mood lighting wasn't ready for installation prior to the party! I must have another event to make use of it... :)

Photos for this post were sent to me by family, colleagues, or taken by myself at my party.

Happy New Year!!!! 2012!!!

2012-01-01T04:00:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Let's hope that 2012 is better than 2011! I just got home from a lovely gala, met some new people and was very pleased to see a lovely friend again. I hope everyone else had fun ringing in the new year! Black-tie events with real dancing are a part of our culture that we need to keep alive!

(Also, I did basically slip and fall while swing dancing on a slippery floor covered in balloons! lol)

Politics!

2011-12-27T00:14:00.000-05:00

I know that my blog is focused on style and design... however, the life/liberty parts dictate a small amount of irrelevant happenings be featured as well. Additionally, this will explain what has taken most of my time in the last two months:

First, I was present to celebrate both the re-election victory and swearing in of my friends to Gaithersburg's City Council.

The unofficial results of the election are being read

Taking a closer look at results

Coucilman Jud Ashman and myself right after the results were announced

Secondly, I'm currently running to be on the board of a local political organization. My goal is to become Director/VP of Communications. Unfortunately, the deadline to register as a member if you wanted to help has passed by a few days! However, needless to say, the campaign has definitely put a strain on my available time. Despite this, it's been a rewarding experience so far, and I'm hoping both myself and the friends who have joined our slate will win in January. For those on both the left and the right who have questions about what is going on with my political projects, please message me directly, so I can explain anything you have questions about! :)

Also, we would love if you joined our facebook page... www.facebook.com/ydreboot

This is me at one of our meetings, photo by mariostylianou.com

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-26T01:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Christmas to all my friends, family, and blogger universe!

I will have substantive posts coming up soon. I've been really busy with life, work, politics, etc. and rather tired from trying to do too many things at once! I apologize for disappearing for over a month here; I'm going to try and see if I can get back on my schedule of at least one post every week or two. Due to the delay, there are a number of catch-up posts which have been sitting in the back of my head for some time.

--Justin

Europe 2011: Part 5, Panoramic Louvre

2011-11-10T16:45:00.000-05:00

This post is fairly self-explanatory: these are mostly all panoramic photo experiences that you can drag around and look at to feel as though you were with me on my travels. This first installation is obviously the museum of the Louvre. I have additional ones from both France and England to come soon.

Additionally, I have plenty of other posts that will be coming up as I have been quite behind on my blog writing! Please enjoy these in the meantime as I collect everything and get back in gear!

Stairway by the Winged Victory of Samothrace

Staircase near various galleries and cafe

View of the outside from second story in museum

The following ones are from the Carousel of the Louvre (the shopping area underground):

Ground level

Atop the staircase in the pyramid

This is the view from the staircase

Lastly, I have standard photo panorama shots... you may wish to click on these to open them larger. Hopefully they run off the side of the page a bit so you can see them larger, as they do contain a good deal of surface area.

Ceiling in carousel by ticket offices

Carousel after hours as seen from escalators

Carousel after hours as seen from floor level

Additional area in the Carousel near a set of function rooms that can be rented out

My International Week in DC!

2011-10-23T15:47:00.000-04:00

So... this is a brief interruption in my Europe travel series... but interestingly enough, still involves Europe! As it turns out, this week has been filled with internationally-themed events starting with the French Expat Meetup on Tuesday:

Click here for more pictures!

Then it was on to the Waltz lesson practice for the Eigth Anniversary Gala and Masquerade Ball on Thursday:

The room for the ball is beautiful! (National Museum of Women in the Arts)

Look at all the details in the woodwork! (And the chandeliers were awesome)

Another item of note, is that half of what you see is made of faux-finishes

Dance lesson, after which my feet ended up hurting so much that I could still feel it when I went to the ball on Saturday! (Stone floors with simple loafers on are not a good combination for dance! Thankfully, I wore different shoes for the ball)

And back to France on Friday with a visit to French soil at the Embassy of France to hear a presentation on the financial crisis and investment strategies (Conférence: CRISE FINANCIÈRE: Vos finances au sein de la crise). My friend Ivan from the French meetup was one of the panelists, and it was quite enjoyable! Presentation was entirely in French and was organized by Union des Français de l'Etranger and Chambre de Commerce Franco-Américaine de Washington:

Seated panelists, from left to right:
YANN COATANLEM, CITIGROUP, Directeur, Think Tank Club Praxis
IVAN ZABALOIEFF, MS, Conseiller en Gestion de Patrimoine, AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL INC.

French Embassy consulate where the presentation was held

And Finally, yesterday (Saturday) I had the Eigth Anniversary Gala and Masquerade Ball at the Grand Ballroom of the National Museum of Women in the Arts:

Choreographed dance, it was really beautiful

Live waltz band on the right background of picture... chairs on left background for latin band that played second half of the evening.

Only picture of me from the evening, with new friend Q from the ball!

The ball was great fun and I met lots of new and interesting people in the process. Also, I braved the dance floor a few times and didn't screw up as badly as I worried I was going to. lol. Now for more lessons and more practice!

I even took some panoramic shots of the event! Remember to use a real computer equipped with silverlight to view these, you'll have to click on them to start the viewing experience:

During the dance

After the dance was over

Europe 2011: Part 4, Musée du Louvre

2011-10-16T19:27:00.000-04:00

Next stop in Paris was visiting the Louvre.... but on the way I needed to take care of some stuff at the Apple Store. Yes, it's true... I can actually locate one anywhere I travel! I think this time I mostly just bought a battery charger.

Now, I must say using these rechargeables in the the emergency battery charger I got off of Amazon works amazingly. Instead of getting 30% extra charge, I was finding myself reaching 60% or greater.

Inside the Apple Store

Charging my phone outside of the Apple store

Anyhow, enough about batteries! On to the fun stuff...

They had this really impressive model of what the Louvre looked like during the medieval period

Foundations for the Medieval Louvre

Notice the scale compared to people... it must have really been huge!

And of course, the Winged Victory of Samothrace

Stairs leading up to Winged Victory... lower level has sculptures, upper paintings

This time I paid special attention to the Regency/Empire paintings and I have a selection of them for you now...

I think this picture is in every book about men's fashion from the regency/empire period!

I love this painting... I may get a print of it for my home!

Again, Coronation of the Empress by Jacques-Louis David. Notice how large it is compared to the people. There is another copy of this painting at Versailles. I think this one here is the original.

This year I'm a huge fan of sheer materials... look at the sleeves!

I believe this is the last painting of the Empress Josephine before she passed away

Look at the exquisite detail of the material!

I'm also really impressed at this neckline's construction... whoever came up with that had to be a genius, because it doesn't look easy for it to work right.

Note the fashion of hand placements... there is a famous painting of Napoleon much like this

Nice regency style with cravat, etc.

I love the sheer again here... the construction of this is dress is so simple and delightfully elegant

This is a great musical portrait

I believe this is the dauphin, King Louis-Phillipe's son.

This man's outfit is intense... the amount of cravat and shirt frills is impressive!

I think this was for Napoleon III, but could be mistaken... what's interesting is that instead of carving the designs, they painted them in apparent 3 dimensions.

The Louvre Pyramid as seen from inside the museum

The usual republican piece... :P

I love this staircase! I will have a better view of it in the next post, which will have panoramic views of the Louvre

They have a little cafe up here... isn't this lovely?

Throne chair... I think for a temple, but I do not exactly remember

I love how they hid the outlets!

The fountains are surrounded by a bench and are a lovely place to sit and have conversations (particularly if you had someone to talk to)

And what it all looks like at night:

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go back again and reshoot some things I saw two years ago, but I plan to return in the near future! My next blog post will have panoramic shots of the Louvre that you can navigate on your computer. Stay tuned!

Europe 2011: Part 3 Driving in France and Politics!

2011-10-10T12:57:00.001-04:00

In case you're wondering: Part 2 was the wedding post. :)

In this latest installment of my travel adventures, we follow my path from visiting with my family to going to the political conference 'Universités de rentrée' for Debout La République. Finally we end up in Paris! :)

I rented a really nice mini cooper, with the disadvantage that I didn't really drive stick... so I learned how to work the car in the middle of Lille, which isn't a small city!

I finally left the car in Lille for a couple minutes so I could buy a bluetooth headset at the FNAC. My phone got messed up at my grandmother's and I figured that even if the unit couldn't produce sound, it would likely still work with a bluetooth headset if it was only the DAC on the motherboard that was bad. Thankfully, I was right!

My sister took this picture of me driving in my mother's home town in France :)

To get to the political conference, I had to wake up extremely early and sneak my way out of my grandmother's home, without waking up anyone! This is the sunrise on the highway to Paris.

My attempted route... from Nord-Pas de Calais to Dourdan in Ile-de-France, and finally arriving in Paris.... it was supposed to take about 3.5 hrs to get to destination 'B' and then about an hour or so to get to 'C'... the reality is I probably took at least 4 hours to get to Dourdan and then at least 2-3 to get to Paris, because I misread the signs and ended up in horrible traffic jams caused by 5-7 car pileups!

Oh... I nearly forgot... the speed limit on French highways is 130kph... aka 80mph! Pretty epic!

Finally made it, they're introducing our main candidate right here

Waving the flags, waiting for Dupont-Aignan to arrive!

And he's here!

Let's zoom in!

And a bit more!

Everyone had their cameras out and people were making tons of noise!

After welcoming Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, we all sat down and he gave an epic speech, tearing in to the current French political establishment and European Union policies that hurt everyone in France and Europe. It was a very good speech and well delivered!

Afterward, Dupont-Aignan (who happens to also be running for French President) was mobbed by reporters in the lobby

Sadly there wasn't really time this year to take a real picture at the event, so I took a self-pic in the parking lot before leaving. Everyone was parked everywhere... this place really needs to add a garage or something for when this conference occurs!

And after sitting in bumper traffic for 2-3 hours, I found a restroom and the car rental agency! This is me before returning the vehicle. I took the wrong highway direction somehow, had to turn around, and then got stuck on the peripherique and then couldn't fin the entrance to the right garage at the station! It was a mess!

[Update] Here is the route I actually drove from Dourdan back to Paris... notice the complete detour I took to the south-east for no obvious reason!

The mini also has a really great storage area... I was able to fit everything nicely :)

The inside of the vehicle was cozy and comfortable

Gare de Lyon from the outside... the right corner is the Mercure hotel (which I did NOT stay in, lol!)

Going to One Wedding Brings on Another

2011-10-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

In Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, John Thorpe attempts to sneak his way into marrying Catherine Morland and a snippet of the conversation goes as follows:

[John Thorpe] "A famous good thing this marrying scheme, upon my soul! A clever fancy of Morland's and Belle's. What do you think of it, Miss Morland? I say it is no bad notion."
[Miss Morland] "I am sure I think it a very good one."
[John Thorpe] "Do you? --that's honest, by heavens! I am glad you are no enemy to matrimony, however. Did you ever hear the old song 'Going to One Wedding Brings on Another?'

During the course of this last month I have had the honor of being invited to two weddings, which while they were no more connected one to the other than John Thorpe's fantasies were to reality... did at least in my life happen to occur one after the other. I was therefore reminded of the reference. :)

As a result, I send my official congratulations to my cousin, Ismail and his lovely bride Capucine, whose wedding I was able to attend during my Europe trip. My cousins are all rather cool people and I was really happy to be there for the special day. Living on different continents means we only all see each other sporadically, but thankfully my family and I have been able to visit periodically since I was an infant. This wedding was also really good for bringing most of the French family together in one place, which hasn't happened in a long time. I also met much of my uncle's family for the first time, and they appear to be a good and enjoyable group of people!

French civil wedding

My sister and I with Capucine... brilliantly my sister and I both wore seersucker!

The first dance at evening reception :)

Secondly, this last Saturday I was at the wedding of a wonderful friend of mine, Peter and his delightful bride Erin. I've been friends with Peter and his family for some time now, and they are really amazing, solid people. If everyone were more like them, the world would be a better place! :) Again, blessings and congratulations on the happy couple!

Lovely Episcopal service in Virginia

The conclusion to their first dance :)

I should throw in that Peter's brother Kevin is now in the National Philharmonic Orchestra's choir... and I went to see his first performance with the orchestra, in which he sang Ode to Joy in Beethoven's 9th symphony! Yet another great reason to go listen to good music!

At Strathmore with Hannah, Kevin, and Eric!

One last passing note... not only were both weddings very fun and enjoyable--with regard to style, I thought they were really well done... both brides picked dresses that were flattering and lovely! It really does give me hope when I see good taste in dress. The future may not be completely lost! lol :)

Jane Austen Spoofs!

2011-10-02T17:15:00.001-04:00

I generally am a purist and don't like twisted up versions of the Austen stories... however, some of these are classic or infamous in their own right, or simply worth a laugh. As a result I am sharing them with you now for my more daring readers. Some of them may be slightly offensive and for that I do apologize in advance. I obviously didn't design them myself, or else they would have been a bit different, undoubtedly.

Enjoy!

Jane Austen Fight Club (viral video):

That Mitchell And Webb Look: Posh Dancing (wherein, Darcy shows of his sweet moves)
(note: there is one offensive word in the middle, fyi)

I just ran into this series: 'Jane 08'... which parodies the films in the style of an American political advertisement to promote a fan-fiction novel. (The best part has to be the one about the environment)

But wait... there's more! 'Truth'...

And it continues! 'Leadership'...

This last one counts as explosive... and advertises beer... be ready for gratuitous gunfighting...

Europe 2011: Part 1

2011-09-30T18:31:00.000-04:00

This is going to be an ongoing series of pictures, anecdotes, and stories from my recent vacation in Europe. I visited family, friends, places, and participated in many fun and exciting events during my time. I hope you enjoy the ride! :)

Riding to airport in shuttle

Flying to Chicago O'Hare from Reagan National

View out the window prior to take off at DCA

Panorama while in the air

Chicago O'Hare inside and outside the terminal

Me again, now on the flight from Chicago to Brussels

We even had a bit a of food... and the obligatory apple juice :)

The movies and tv were about as bad as usual, but we made it to our destination nonetheless!


And then it was on to the train!

And I make an appearance on the train

Those items on the wall are actually mirrors... some girls got on and used them to do their makeup, lol

Riding through the city...

...and the countryside


And I reached my family in France...! :) (Can you tell I look tired? I pulled an all-nighter before getting on the flight to Chicago, so I was up for something like 2-3 days straight)

New blog design coming soon!

2011-09-28T17:05:00.013-04:00

Malfunctioning ad window in London Underground Escalator

Dear readers:

I am getting ready to change the look of this blog so that it is cleaner and better organized... please pardon the dust as I work on changes. I'll let you all know in a future post when I've finished with the work. In the meantime, you may notice random changes to the design occur as I change things.

On the roof of Printemps in Paris

Additionally, I just got home from Europe last night... so once I've sorted through the pictures and had time to settle in a bit, I will begin writing about my trip! :)

--Justin

Travel!

2011-09-17T13:36:00.000-04:00

Some of you may be wondering why I haven't written anything lately... The answer is simple. I'm currently traveling in Europe and have been really busy and subsequently really tired, such that I haven't really done much in the way of writing.

However, I'm doing and seeing so many interesting and fun things that you can be certain that there will be more posts in the near future!

Hulu Plus for iOS TV Output (workaround)

2011-08-30T15:29:00.000-04:00

Note: This is for those of you who are somewhat technically-savvy and have a clue as to what I'm referring to here. If you don't, I wouldn't attempt these instructions as they are somewhat involved and I don't have time to explain the details that are not in this post.

I just thought I'd share a workaround I found for playing Hulu Plus through the tv-out adapter on iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad with Apple's HDMI connector... should work on any iDevice, honestly. Those of you with jail-broken iPhones and the right software can probably even make this work on older devices/unsupported output cables.

Why am I posting this? Because when Hulu updated to 2.3 they removed a feature that already existed: tv-out. This is probably related to some backwards licensing agreement that helps pay lawyers while being unhelpful for everyone else. Either way, the fact is that you can already output from your computer to your television... so theoretically, this isn't much different

Now, for getting around this restriction (when you hook up a tv-adapter while playing Hulu a message pops up on screen instead of your video letting you know it's not supported), just follow these instructions:

1. Launch Hulu and select a video... leave Hulu and perform following steps...

2. Get filesystem access to your device... this is outside the scope of these instructions. There are numerous different ways to accomplish this. You don't need to write to disk either, all you need is to be able to read the file in step #4.

3. Browse to the /var/mobile/Applications/[some unique identifier for your hulu app]/tmp/MediaCache/ folder.

4. Open diskcacherepository.plist using a text editor, or optionally a plist editor and copy/paste the last URL (as you click on additional videos, they are added below the previous ones, if my observation is correct) in the middle of the XML/plist code from the file into Safari. You'll need the entire string between the <key> and </key> tags.

5. After pasting into mobile Safari, hit enter and Quicktime will launch to play the file normally. You can click to expand the video if you have it connected to a tv and it will switch to TV-output mode.

Silk Burgundy Ascot / Cravat Project

2011-08-27T16:32:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I made myself a linen cravat for the summer, but at the same time as I bought the material for that, I also got a piece of silk to make one in silk. This here is all about making and wearing the new silk one. I chose a lovely color of burgundy to contrast nicely against my wardrobe. I think it works pretty well and is really comfortable. I also found that it didn't really get nearly as badly wrinkled at the end of the day like my linen one did. In this regard it is much ore like my original silk cravat / ascot from Brooks Brothers.

Enjoy!

As with the linen cravat, I used my original Brooks Brothers' cravat/ascot as a model. This time I folded the material in four to be more efficient in table space. Once along the eventual permanent fold and then in half so the length wouldn't go over the end of the counter. Correspondingly, I folded the Brooks Brothers' one in half as shown in this picture.

I used one pin on the end as a guide to keep the hem in place, I used my fingers for the rest

Here's how I was working the hem with one pin... after I shot this, I took the pin out and finished the hem

Second end hem... there are only two visible hems on this item and they are on the short ends

Time to add the long seam on the inside

Finished with seam stitching

After this, I decided to add a zigzag stitch on the end to keep the silk from unravelling. I'll let you know if this faux-serging technique works long-term.

Both ends completed after zig-zag addition

Next, I turned it right-side out

Almost the whole thing, as you can tell it's not flat... this is because I hadn't yet ironed it.

Next I pressed it with the iron

I was careful to use the silk setting on the iron and to place an old white shirt in between to protect the silk

Project completed!

Alternate view of completed project, notice how pressing helps give it the right flatness

I then wore it to the office... the lighting here is terrible, though

And then we had a meeting with Congressman Chris Van Hollen... :)

Discussing trade policy and foreign assistance with Congressman Chris Van Hollen, D-MD 8
(btw, thank you Annie for the pictures!)

Around 1:30am after wearing the cravat / ascot all day, still looks great! (Although I was about ready to collapse!)

And same as before around 1:30am... trying to smile without falling asleep and posing with blazer back on :)

Linen Bow Tie

2011-08-25T23:55:00.001-04:00

I had just enough linen left over from the cravat/ascot project that I thought I'd create a bow tie from it. For this project I used a Brooks Brothers' bow tie as a model, but otherwise used no pattern or instructions. (For full disclosure, I did make a bow tie 4 years ago from a pattern and I remember some of the instructions... I may later post pictures of my first one to show what that looked like)

I'm too tired to write much of anything, so please enjoy the pictures and explanations along the way!

Cutting out fabric (4x identical halves, 2x identical non-fusible interfacing)

I started by sewing the end so that I would have a solid point from which to continue... I didn't pin this project very much, so this was essential

Completed first side of stitching, after this I flipped it over, which allowed me to make sure I was getting the fabric tension right on the other side as well

The hard part: turning it all right side out

Previewing finished product midway en route

Turned half vs. unturned half

Before turning, I trimmed the excess material

Also, I clipped the corners to allow them to be crisper

Part way through I realized that rolling the material appears to make it slide better in to the tube

Mostly done turning the second half

both sides turned, pre-flattening and ironing

I then compared it with the commercial bow tie

The mistake was assuming identical or longer length was necessary... as a result I built an extension...

Hemming unnecessary extension

Constructing extension

Finishing extension

Testing the bow tie (I pinned the back tighter)

As you can see, I've pinned the material back to the pre-extension size... as a result, I cut the material, overlapped them and did a zig-zag to cover the rough edges... not terribly pretty, but it's not visible, so that's fine.

I then used the iron to flatten the bow tie

To protect the material I used an old shirt between the iron and the material

Comparison: Mine vs Brooks Brothers

Today wearing the bow tie in the office :)

My first Spotify playlist

2011-08-22T00:25:00.000-04:00

I recently joined Spotify, which is a great music-in-the-cloud subscription service and one of the features is the possibility of creating playlists and sharing them with others. I thought I'd share my first 'best of/favorites' of Instrumental (mostly modern) music with my readers (truly this is very incomplete!).

It's organized in the order that I remembered the tracks(or accidentally discovered new ones while searching for other pieces), which is to say that there is very little logic to how it's laid out.

That said, if you find something you like, I encourage you to add it to your playlist/buy it from your favorite music distributor. Unfortunately, not every song I put in my playlist is available on Spotify, so I've included the full list here as well. I may also add additional titles later when I locate/remember them. :)

Have any good pieces you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook!

Click here to Launch playlist in Spotify

Two Steps From Hell – Freedom Fighters
Two Steps From Hell – Heart of Courage
Two Steps From Hell – Enigmatic Soul
Two Steps From Hell – Infinite Legends
Two Steps From Hell – After The Fall

Ilan Eshkeri – The King's Birthday
Ilan Eshkeri – The First Waltz
Ilan Eshkeri – Marriage Proposal
Ilan Eshkeri – Victoria & Albert

Samuel Sim – Emma Main Titles
Samuel Sim – Walk of Shame
Samuel Sim – The Last Dance
Samuel Sim – Cliff Tops

David Arnold – High King and Queen of Narnia
David Arnold – Opening Titles

Alexandre Desplat – The Queen Drives
Alexandre Desplat – People's Princess II

Vincent Segal – The Painted Veil
Lang Lang – Colony Club
Lang Lang – Satie: Gnossiennes - Gnossiennes No. 1 - Lent

Original Soundtrack – A Game of Cricket

Jean-Yves Thibaudet – Marianelli: Liz on Top of the World

Melvyn Tan – Rosings
Melvyn Tan – Piano Summary [Episode 1]

Martin Phipps – Opening Ep 3

John Lunn – Downton Abbey

Twilight Orchestra – Bella's Lullaby (Twilight)

Vitamin String Quartet – Bittersweet Symphony (The String Quartet to The Verve)

James Horner – Rose
James Horner – The Portrait - Instrumental

Paul Cantelon – The Other Boleyn Girl - Finale
Paul Cantelon – The Other Boleyn Girl - Opening Titles

James Shearman;Nick Ingman – Theme from Mansfield Park

Trevor Rabin – Page 47
Trevor Rabin – Cibola
Trevor Rabin – Spirit of Paris
Trevor Rabin – Treasure
Trevor Rabin – So!

Jennie Muskett – Searching for Help
Jennie Muskett – Regrets

Piano Tribute Players – On The Floor

Silverlake String Quartet – I Gotta Feeling

John Lunn – Telegram

Piano Tribute Players – Born This Way

The Section – Clocks

Coldplay Piano Tribute Players – Clocks - Single

Rachel Portman – The Duchess
Rachel Portman – Mistake Of Your Life
Rachel Portman – End Titles

Rachel Portman – Main Titles
Rachel Portman – Celery Root
Rachel Portman – The Picnic
Rachel Portman – Proposal
Rachel Portman – End Titles

A.R. Rahman – Armstrong: Opening
A.R. Rahman – Armstrong: Storm
A.R. Rahman – Armstrong: Love Theme
A.R. Rahman – Armstrong: Immensities
A.R. Rahman – Armstrong: Horseriding
A.R. Rahman – Armstrong: Bess and Raleigh Dance
A.R. Rahman – Armstrong: Closing

Philip Glass – The Illusionist
Philip Glass – Chance Encounter
Philip Glass – The Orange Tree
Philip Glass – Meeting In the Carriage
Philip Glass – The Secret Plot
Philip Glass – The Accident
Philip Glass – The Chase
Philip Glass – Life In the Mountains

Moya Brennan – Tell Me Now (What You See) - Original Version
Hans Zimmer – Woad To Ruin - Score
Hans Zimmer – Budget Meeting - Score

Thomas Newman – Orchard House (Main Title) - Instrumental

John Debney – Main Titles - Princess Diaries Score - Score
John Debney – The Princess Diaries Waltz - Score
John Debney – The Princess Diaries Medley - Score

John Barry – The Old Woman - Somewhere In Time/Soundtrack Version
John Barry – A Day Together - Somewhere In Time/Soundtrack Version
John Barry – Return To The Present - Somewhere In Time/Soundtrack Version
John Barry – The Man Of My Dreams - Somewhere In Time/Soundtrack Version

Harry Gregson-Williams – Operation Dinner Out - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Harry Gregson-Williams – "My Name Is Tom" - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Harry Gregson-Williams – Spies (Ryebot Remix) - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Michael Giacchino – Star Trek
Michael Giacchino – Enterprising Young Men

Trevor Morris – The Tudors Main Title Theme
Trevor Morris – Anne Dreams Of Her Childhood
Trevor Morris – The Shape Of Things To Come
Trevor Morris – Anne's Coronation
Trevor Morris – Katherine Stripped Of Her Jewels
Trevor Morris – Thomas More Is Executed
Trevor Morris – Anne Made Marquess
Trevor Morris – Anne Begs Henry

Alexandre Desplat – New Moon [The Meadow] - Soundtrack Album Version

Slovak Chamber Orchestra – Concerto No. 4 In F Major For Organ And Orchestra, HWV 292, Op. 4: II. Andante

Munich Chamber Orchestra – Concerto No. 13 in F Major for Organ and Orchestra, HWV 295, "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale": IV. Allegro

Budapest Strings – Solomon, HWV 67: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba

The Sixteen – Coronation Anthem - Zadok The Priest, HWV258

Ilan Eshkeri – Childhood

Miscellaneous Handel Pieces...
George Frederic Handel – Water Music In F: Overture No. 1
George Frederic Handel – Water Music In D: Hornpipe No.12
Handel – Handel: Water Music Suite in D major (HWV 349) Ouverture (Allegro)
Roger Norrington – Music for the Royal Fireworks: IV. La Réjouissance
Ljubljana Symphony Orchestra – Handel: Water Music, Overture; Largo; Allegro

The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields – Handel: Water Music Suite - Water Music Suite in D Major - Hornpipe
Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields – Music for the Royal Fireworks: II. BourÃ©e - Music for the Royal Fireworks: II. BourÃ©e
Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields – Water Music Suite No. 1 in F Major: IX. BourÃ©e - Water Music Suite No. 1 in F Major: IX. BourÃ©e
Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields – Water Music Suite No. 1 in F Major: X. Hornpipe - Water Music Suite No. 1 in F Major: X. Hornpipe
Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields – Water Music Suite No. 1 in F Major: XI. Allegro - Water Music Suite No. 1 in F Major: XI. Allegro
Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields – Water Music Suite No. 3 in G Major: III. Menuet - Water Music Suite No. 3 in G Major: III. Menuet
Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields – Water Music Suite No. 3 in G Major: IV. BourrÃ©e - Water Music Suite No. 3 in G Major: IV. BourrÃ©e

Robert Ziegler;Tony Hymas;Patrick Doyle – Willoughby - Instrumental
Robert Ziegler;Tony Hymas;Patrick Doyle – Not A Beau For Miles - Instrumental

Jo Barnikel – Sense Or Sensibility?

John Debney – I Am Iron Man

Harry Gregson-Williams – The King and His Sons
Harry Gregson-Williams – "So, You're Going to Help Me?"
Harry Gregson-Williams – Destiny

Hollywood Studio Symphony – Syriana
Hollywood Studio Symphony – Driving in Geneva
Hollywood Studio Symphony – Syriana (Piano Solo)
Hollywood Studio Symphony – Falcons
Hollywood Studio Symphony – Tortured
Hollywood Studio Symphony – Fathers and Sons

Hans Zimmer – Maestro
Hans Zimmer, Atli Örvarsson – Zero
Hans Zimmer, Henry Jackman – Dream Kitchen
Hans Zimmer, Heitor Pereira – Light My Fire
Hans Zimmer, Henry Jackman – For Nancy
Hans Zimmer, Imogen Heap – Kiss Goodbye
Hans Zimmer, Atli Örvarsson, Henry Jackman – Gumption
Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe, Heitor Pereira – Cry

Craig Armstrong – PM's Love theme

Trevor Rabin – Smart Dreams
Trevor Rabin – Max Takes A Bow
Trevor Rabin – Laser Hallway
Trevor Rabin – Entering Moscow
Trevor Rabin – Wish We Had More Time

Relationships and Growing More Sensible

2011-08-10T19:13:00.000-04:00

Over the last couple years I've had the opportunity to have a number of non-relationships and maybe one serious sanctioned one. What I've learned is that in the conservative ideology of courtship and letting your parents make your decisions... some things don't exactly work out according to the expectations of various celebrity authors who write books that are quoted more frequently than scripture in religious circles in reference to dating and relationships.

And why not? Isn't a method and a system easier than letting God work out the details over time? Obviously the fact that God might work differently in various people's lives is not evidence that a one-size-fits-all model is wrong!

I've been learning a number of things... often painfully. Firstly, patience. This quality may seem obvious, but in their rush towards marriage, many books overlook the idea that this could be reckless and dangerous. Some parents even oblige prospective mates to promise to marry their children before they can possibly have time to know the person. My readers may easily see the problem with this... marriage is important and inseparable and should be entered into with conviction and hopefully not too many lingering doubts.

Clearly marriage is a source of many a trepidation. The fear of commitment is often said to be the source of endless hesitation on the brink of going from dating to marriage, often turning into many years (some turn this into lifetimes). The fear of the future should not impede marriage, but it is essential that a couple keep a healthy view of their relationship without allowing this to become clouded by the rosy ideas that come with the excitement caused simply by being in a relationship.

The emotions and hormones that are wedded to the happiness of having someone to love and enjoy, to be your friend, and to share life with may easily hide their faults and incompatibilities. This is an important reason why it is imperative not to set any arbitrary timetable for the relationship. It is quite possible that God may allow problems to become apparent or for the relationship to change course over time. Rushing through the details may cause a couple to lose sight of these insights/revelations and to become locked into a marriage that may have been ill-advised to begin with. In hindsight they may regret their decisions only to realize that their best opportunities to have chosen a different path have already been taken away from them.

In the end, patience is not only a virtue, it is indispensable. Making promises later, after getting to know your partner, rather than before will save you many heartaches. I only hope now that I don't make the mistake of making a girl wait too long before driving her in circles about what my thoughts are for the future!

I suppose it is possible to wait too long to show interest or to move between stages in a relationship... however, as I feel that I've never done it too slowly before, I can't imagine slowing down for me will result in a total destruction of the drive-train!

Another thing that's important is becoming one's own person... an individual capable of managing one's own affairs. Having moved out, I find my life much more peaceful and the ability and necessity to make my own decisions is good. Don't worry, I haven't done anything too crazy! Unlike what some parents may think of their children, if you have raised them properly, they probably won't crash and burn! If you really think they will, either they are completely stubborn/stupid or you may have failed to cover some important topics at some point in their childhood.

This brings me to the parenting part of this. Too many parents anticipate that they will make all their children's important major life decisions for them. Mature relationships should be between equals (more or less) helping each other live through life and enjoying the results in an intimate friendship of understanding, etc. If your children are not capable of mature decision-making, managing their life for them isn't going to fix it. Telling your child that he/she will fail at life does little to increase their confidence or chances of success. Allow your children to make their own decisions--at times one must make mistakes to learn. This is life and there is nothing wrong with reality. To protect children from all sin and suffering is to attempt to provide an existence for them that is neither humanly possible nor conducive to their well-being in adult life.

However, it is up to us young people to make the right choices... if we fail, there cannot be the expectation that our parents will come in and fix our mistakes every time. Part of growing up is learning to handle life. Honestly, both through the advice of others and my own life experience, the only way this learning can be accomplished is through experience. As much as I've hated it, the fact that my parents have forced me to earn my own money and cover my own expenses has been vital to my financial stability thus far. They also taught me to stay away from debt and spend within my means. Now, whether or not my budgets and diets are completely sane may be debatable--but I'm not yet drowning and I've been living on my own for almost a year now.

Relationships are not evil. Children growing up and getting married is not dangerous--it's the natural pattern of life. In fact, it's a wonderful thing. The thought of many of my friends being married right now gladdens my heart. At the same time, while I wish for the same, I must continue to live somewhat sensibly for the meantime. Additionally, I must not lose my mind completely and throw patience/common sense out the window when I decide to pursue a woman who catches my attention!

In closing, let me simply say that all of us make mistakes. In fact, I probably make a fair quota of the world's mistakes. In writing this article, my reasons are multifaceted. I wanted to reflect on poor decisions and/or advice that I've taken in the past and seen fail--yet at the same time, I also desired to show how learning from the past will hopefully guide me in a better direction. It's this constant learning and course-adjustment that not only complicates life, but if we let it, pushes us on in a straighter and clearer path ahead.

P.S.: Maybe I'll write another post about the fears of dating. lol. ;) Even with being young, I'm realizing there are so many thoughts and ideas to write about on these topics. I do not claim to be an expert, just a traveler sharing the wisdom and ideas I have learned along the way.

Also, picture at the top of the article is from Northanger Abbey (iTV) and is here simply for illustrative purposes. I claim no rights to the screen capture.

Red Dinner Jacket in The Pink Panther

2011-08-04T17:12:00.002-04:00

I know it's not considered 'purist' formalwear, but for some reason I really like the red dinner jacket worn by David Niven as Sir Charles Lytton in The Pink Panther. I like to think that in a time when formalwear was more common, people really could buy a couple of different dinner jackets to keep their style interesting. Today, unfortunately we often have so little occasions to wear black-tie attire in the first place that having extra jackets would easily be seen as useless.

I think a return to a more formal style would be great fun as well as obviously being more elegant. The idea that one must wear mismatched clothing to fit fads is as equally ridiculous as the idea that formalwear should be boring. A proper balance between the two can allow some variety while still keeping the essential elements to stay in harmony. It's the difference between good taste and silly gimmicks simply designed to sell products to unsuspecting consumers.

Because the only part of the outfit to depart from the black/white color scheme is the body of the jacket, the distinctness of the outfit is retained. Had the bow tie also been changed or additional elements such as red trousers been added, I would think it would throw the outfit out of good taste and easily into excess. Again, balance and crispness is the beauty of formalwear and must always be preserved however the outfit is constructed.

This is a good example of the black sleeve cuff that matches the jacket lapel

Brilliantly, the overcoat has a matching red lining

Notice the monogrammed slippers

Another touch I rather like is that the red jacket has been paired with monogrammed prince albert velvet slippers... much like the ones I reviewed in an earlier post!

Again, visiting the chalet the monogram can be seen on the slippers

Lastly, returning to his room, monogram is again visible on the velvet slippers

Please note that all captured images belong to the authors of the movie and are provided here for informational purposes only.

My Tan Seersucker Suit!

2011-08-03T17:00:00.000-04:00

Today's post is about my new seersucker suit... it took me at least a month or two to get it because the store managed to lose my order and then I procrastinated on getting it altered. In the end, I'm fairly pleased with the results and have been getting many compliments about it!

The whole reason for seersucker is that I live in a climate that is annoyingly hot/humid in the summer, but still want ways to look classy in the heat. I chose the tan/white stripe, because I felt it was a more subtle summer look than the traditional blue/white stripe. It does make it look pretty white, but it seems to work. My fears about it being overly white appear to be unfounded as almost everyone has had very positive comments about the suit! I may eventually also consider other cotton/linen suits too, but this is definitely a good step in the right direction.

Pictures are compliments of my friend Annie who was so good as to take them for me... :) Click on the pictures to enlarge!

Yes, this is me being a bit silly

I like this smile :)

This is after wearing it a couple days... being a cotton it has gotten a bit wrinkled... I'm going to test the steamer on it to see how it does with taking the wrinkles out

Another thought was whether or not the tie color should contrast sharply or not... the first time I wore the suit I paired it with a navy bowtie with yellow dots... it was suggested that I try it with a softer color, so I tried the following...

Interior of Historic Silver Spring, Maryland Station

2011-07-25T01:15:00.000-04:00

Today's post is about the historic train station not too far from where I live and work. Part of the history of Silver Spring, Maryland is that the area wasn't originally known as Silver Spring. This was the name of the country estate/farm owned by my cousins (the Blair family... we're related via Eliza Violet Gist Blair) in the 1800's. The history of how they ended up in the area is a story for another post, though! As they were influential in the area, the station was placed near their property and named accordingly... and the name has stuck until this day.

Enjoy the tour!

As you can see, the platform (northbound) for the station was never dismantled, although it has fallen in to disrepair. I believe that when the metro got put in, the third rail was removed and two additional metro rails put in with a new second heavy rail track placed beyond the original southbound one... which is probably partly why the other part of the station is no longer on the southbound side.

Close up of the overhang from the station, next to the tracks.

Silver Spring Station as seen from Georgia Avenue

On the left side is the new station, including pedestrian overpass... and on the right we have the historic station.

Click on the box above to pan around an immersive panoramic image in almost all directions... the pictures below show individual elements, but the photosynth panorama above allows you to see how all the pieces fit together.

My understanding is that they restored the station after it falling into some amount of disuse and not being maintained. If I read correctly, the whole place was actually boarded up for a while before they fixed it up.

This door leads on to the rail platform and on the right you have lockers which date back to at least the 50's or 60's.

Nowadays you can reserve the room for meetings and private functions. In fact, I was actually there because of a local political club that I belong to. It's kind of an odd place to meet because of the arrangement of the waiting room furniture... however, I can't say that it was uncomfortable. :)

Ticket counter... I should have taken a picture of the typewriter they had... it was really classic with all the exposed machinery and the round keys!

That's not a joke... it's a telephone closet!

And it's a rotary dial phone

There's even a light that turns on when you close the door... the vent to cool the phone booth on the other hand, unfortunately no longer works.

They even had period announcements!