Maybe-Maybe Not

Are we so evolved that swimwear detergent has become deriguer?

From the wonderful folks at Roux Maison

Toad

vita sackville west

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the birth of British writer, wife, lover, mother and gardener Vita Sackville West. May her memory be preserved forever.



Toad

hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

On this date in 1978, at 1030 GMT, BBC4 radio aired the first episode of Douglas Adams' A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Each anniversary day is treated like Bloomsday in our household with readings and airings of the broadcasts. Having had enough, my long suffering bride usually leaves home for the afternoon around 2. Many thanks Mr. Adams.

Toad

More spring things

There is a wonderful book of men's clothing, Anderson and Sheppard-A Style is Born edited by Graydon Carter and Cullen Murphy which highlights the 100 year history of the venerable Savile Row tailors, Anderson and Sheppard and their illustrious clients. It has become one of my style favorites.

I stole several ideas, (not including the horizontal striped suit) from them during my recent trip to the alchemist including the Ghurka pants worn by Mr. Fiennes in the photo above. I hate wearing braces in the summer and Ghurka pants seemed just the thing for a lightweight casual suit. This Spring I've noticed that Gurkha's are back!

They never really went completely away, What Price Glory have long carried Ghurka shorts and pants in stock. I've tried the shorts, and liked them, but you must follow their instructions and buy them a size larger than normal.

J. Peterman is showing Ghurka pants and shorts in its Spring catalog (#94)

The best value may be on EBAY. J L Powell is offering their linen, flat front or pleated Ghurka shorts for $69 (US) Buy it Now.

With Daylight Saving Time coming this weekend I'm trying to get a jump on Spring.

Toad

First fitting-White on White

"After our tete a tete, I believe I've figured out why so many men are disappointed with the clothes they have tailored. They simply don't put enough work on the front side to be able to articulate what they truly hope to receive on their backsides." Feb 13, 2012

Today was first fitting for the White on White seersucker suit day. I left the alchemist's not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Either would have helped.

"I spent a week prior to our meeting, stealing ideas from sources far and wide, measuring my favorite clothes, then making, bringing and leaving a copy behind, with photos, of my list of wants, to ensure that nothing significant was left to chance. I have little expectation that it will work, but I'm learning as I go along. I hope I'm not disappointed if all goes as well as planned." Feb 13,2012

"Significant" is the operative word here, it is a pliable word. What is significant to you may not be to me. What's significant to me may not be to the alchemist. I left out a biggie.

After exchanging fulsome greetings I said to the alchemist, "Dazzle me", and he did. I won't make excuses for him. I blame only myself. He isn't from here, he arrived on our shores from some distant post in communist Eastern Europe. His English language skills are better than my eastern European, and he cuts and sews like a madman, but occasionally nuance skips right on by.

I was dazzled. I slipped on the best fitting suit I have ever worn. I felt like Jeremy Irons looks, but it was 100%, entirely, positively unwearably, wrong. He saw my disappointment and was hurt. "What's d'matta?" he asked.

Fat men do not wear horizontally striped seersucker, even when it's white on white. Imagine a suit that looks like a Martha Washington blanket.

I've reordered the fabric and we shall begin again. May all my problems be so easily solved.

Toad

top on, top off?

According to the marketing geeks at Nabisco, 40% of Oreo eaters remove the tops of their cookies before eating. Whichever your preference (I'm in the minority, and prefer Hydrox) join in wishing Oreo's a happy and prosperous happy 100th. birthday

Toad

Maybe-Maybe Not

In the US most television game shows, and "reality" series began life somewhere else, probably Britain. To mix the market up a bit, Chinese television is importing one of its more popular educational Saturday night programs to the UK, The Execution Factor. BBC2 will present it as part of a documentary soon. When it eventually arrives in the US, it's bound to be the greatest hit since Deal or No Deal.

In the Chinese version, Ms. Ding Yu (shown above) shows up at a prison to interview a death row inmate about his crime. She begins slowly, with a few innocuous questions, steadily building until she gets her guests to talk about their crimes, after which the perp sometimes apologizes to their victims or victims families and on a good day may even ask the forgiveness of their own family. You're thinking Connie Chung does this every week, what's the big deal.

Naturally, there's a catch, custom made for the law and order crowd. After Ms. Ding finishes the interview, her guest is taken out back and shot.

Dead Man Talking

And you said there was nothing on Saturday night. Bah

Toad

spring things

There are fewer pontificators of men's fashion than women's but this season They, whomever they are, have deemed that the well dressed male this spring and summer will be wearing a blue, unlined sport coat with open patch pockets. All others are pretenders.



For a change, more than a few of the suggested jackets are double breasted, which is problematic depending upon where you live. Nothing is as elegant as a DB jacket in the spring and nothing speaks of a personal hell quite like DB on a hot, humid, summer afternoon.


I'll likely give this trend a pass this year. I like the look, but am long on options in my closet. Come next spring I'll think blue, unlined jackets are a really great idea, search long and hard until being told you should have been here last year, we had lots.



Looking closely though you'll find some really great trim ideas to bring along to your next visit to your tailor.


The drawing below is from J Peterman's spring catalog. For those who prefer their clothing to come with a backstory this is the "it" jacket of the season.






Happy shopping.

Toad

I've been saving these photos from Tumblr for a while. If they are yours let me know so I can credit the source, which I did not keep at the time. My apologies.

The future is here, now

The Raspberry Pi computer was released yesterday. About the size of a credit card, it's a fully programmable computer on a Linux platform, which connects to any television (for a monitor), yet is strong enough to power 3D graphics and Blu-tooth video playback. 256 MB Ram, with ethernet and 2 USB ports and an SDI slot. Of course it's has WIFI connectivity.

Specs and pre-order form are here.


This little wonder will set you back Thirty Five dollars. Pick up an $8 4 gig thumb drive from Target and you're set. Initially available in the UK only, first day orders brought the retailers web sites to their knees. I've ordered mine, with delivery scheduled for early May.

Created by The Raspberry foundation, those wonderful folks working on the one laptop per child project. May eventually give the XBOX a run for its money

Toad

Happy birthday Dr. Seuss

On Ebay Saturday

Gents: Just in time for spring. One pair Kenneth Cole brown and linen weave men's spectators, marked size 10.5 (US) medium, although I would be happier if you thought of them as a US size 10 D. I've worn a 10.5 D most of my life and the width is comfortable, but these are a tad short. Pre-owned, made in Italy, with many years of wear left in them.

I offer them here first, on Saturday morning they'll be posted on EBAY.

$100 USD includes shipping within the US.

Inquiries to Toadoftoadhall.pat@gmail.com please.

Toad

back up your phone

Today is "do as I say, not as I do" day. Specifically, back up your cellphone.

Since the dawn of the home computer users have been reminded to back up their computer. Only the most virtuous do it, while the rest have had their computers crash, with occasionally horrifying results and have lived to tell the tale, yet are so stricken by the loss that they pinky swear to begin saving our stuff tomorrow. It never happens.

Since we are amongst friends let me ask a personal question. When is the last time you actually dialed a telephone number on your cellphone? You use the stored directory don't you. Do you know every name in that directory? Could you recover every number if you lost your directory?

The SIM card of Mrs. T's ancient phone recently committed suicide, erasing all directories, messages, photos and important life management tools to the ether. She had an easily transferable backup phone, but it sat like a brick until she rekeyed what names and numbers she knew, emailed those people who's names she knew but didn't know how to call, and sat quietly hoping those she had forgotten about would call some day.

Obviously, I don't know how to back your phone up. Some are stored in the clouds of heaven, some can be saved to your unbacked up PC, sometime paper and pencils work. Whatever you need to do, do it, and do your partner's too, if only to spare yourself the grief I've had to deal with.

End of lesson.

Toad

Today only

Do you know the prescription for your eyeglass? Can you get it?

Supposedly, today only Coastal.com is offering a free pair of glasses inc. frames and lenses for first time customers.

I haven't read the details in full, so don't blame me if there is a catch. May be worth a look though.

If you have questions ask them. I don't know the answers.

Toad

Happy Leap Day

It's rare when not watching the Super Bowl means that you actually missed something important. But I did and I did. I missed this ad.

At incalculable personal cost, with full knowledge, as the father of a daughter, just how offensive this advertisement may at first appear, I'm letting my inner Leap Day out in public. Just this once.

The ad is for a Fiat 500 Abarth automobile, the souped up version. It's actually more a powered skateboard, but why nitpick, on this of all days. For a ms. I seriously considered buying one. It will set you back about as much as a Cadillac Suburban Assault Vehicle.

Forgive me.

Toad

Threads of Feeling

While I won't pretend to any knowledge of the London Foundling Hospital, other than what history is easily located online, I do know however that when parents left their infant children at the hospital they often left some identifying article, a coin, a locket, a length of ribbon or piece of cloth, in case their circumstances changed, the parents would use this to identify their children. In true British attention to detail, all information was dutifully transcribed, recorded and kept for the ages.

The Foundling Hospital Archive has created an online exhibition of some of the fabric pieces left behind, Threads of Feeling. Very little of each individual story is available but not shown, however the many image of a scraps of ribbon or cloth meant to identify abandoned newborns is heart breaking. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Toad

How did we survive?

Childhood bliss

These are not the forced nostalgia pages, but I got on a roll while assisting the fashionista with several car repairs yesterday. We began to share stories. She led by telling of a girlfriend's auto accident and how she just barely saved her flying dog from a trip through the windshield.

I countered with a story of the not so distant past. Younger readers are free to disbelieve this story. Those of us of a certain age know the tale to be true. If I'm lying, I'm dying.

Ancient child car seat

In the not too distant past, automobiles were not equipped with safety features we now expect, yet no longer think about. Minor things like seat belts, or seat back locks to secure front seat backs from flopping over when you stop.

The 2 photos above are of child car seats. Observe the second photo and notice how the kiddie seat is only secured by the 2 hooks that go over the FRONT seat back, a seat back which is unlocked and will likely flop down, projecting the innocent rider head first towards the dash or wind screen, should the car stop suddenly. Save for the plastic belt which must be a much later addition, all that's missing is the car seat's play steering wheel, a common option of the day.

If you remember how our mother's saved us from annihilation, an act she instinctively continued all her life, long after all her chicks were out of car seats, long after seat belts arrived, raise your hand.

Leave your answer as a comment. Those too young to remember wouldn't believe me anyway.

It's a wonder we lived to see 5.

Toad

milestone birthdays

Talking with yesterday's birthday girl reminded me of when I was her age.

Once upon a time, was an era known as "the good old days", life was simpler, even though we didn't know it then or even have personal computers, and televisions had only 3 channels.

Part of the simplicity of life was enforced by the "mom network". When I was growing up rarely, did mothers work outside the home, and to keep from going bonkers they got involved with church and their kid's schools. They knew their kid's teachers, friends and their friend's parents. Since the parents knew each other, parental peer pressure created a semi-mythical timeline of what privileges kids were allowed when. Only the bravest mother deviated from her "community standard"

I don't remember the girl birthday milestone's, but birthday presents for boys were set in stone:

7 YO's got a new bike.
8 yo's a new baseball mitt and bat
10's upgraded to a 3 speed bike
somewhere around 12 a record player or a transistor radio
until at 15 (remember these nailed to the wall) you might get a phone extension for your room.
Any 16 yo in my neighborhood imagining they would receive their own car was smoking crack.

Asking Liz about her 12th birthday yesterday, set me on this reminiscence. All she wanted to talk about was her new cell phone, while here I sit, the last American adult without his own cell phone, wondering how the world changed so much, so quickly.

Toad

Liz Day

Today is an international day of celebration, feasting and thanksgiving because we are each invited to share with in the festivities surrounding the natal day of my granddaughter Liz, formerly known as Paige. Where once we had Paige Day, now that she is older and has created her own stage persona, we celebrate "Liz Day formerly known as Paige Day."


Liz is an aspiring actor. The acting bug has bit her hard. I've never seen anyone so happy as she is on stage. Last fall she was Annie in her school production of Annie Jr. Annie was soon followed by the second lead in Harriet and Walt.

Each summer Paige spends a week at our house. She getting to that middling age where spending a summer week at grandpa's is beat. I understand, that this is a phase, but I'm not taking it sitting down. A local theater company offers week long acting/dancing/singing classes for aspiring superstars, so for her birthday present I've signed her up. Hopefully, summer at grandpa's this year will be remembered as not so boring this year.

She the love of my life, I'm very proud of her, and looking forward to making most merry on this fine day.

Happy Birthday angel.

game changers

It takes two to tango, and at least that many to start a revolution, but today's birthday boys played a significant part in changing the world they lived in. Sometimes alone, sometimes with others.

gave peace a chance

Created or significantly changed half a dozen industries

Each died too young.

Toad

You're old when....

While straightening the deck chairs on my personal Titanic, I received a letter from my MD, which I'll paraphrase. "Toad, it says, bad news dude. I've been your personal physician for 37 years, but I'm hanging up my sign. At the end of April I begin my semi-retirement by transferring 7/8's of my patients to other doctors in the community. (A smarter guy might have sold the practice, just sayin'.) The remainder I will continue to serve on a concierge basis. The first to mail in their retainer stay, the rest go. In the mean time I hope to minimize your inconvenience. So long and thanks for all the fish." (I suspect he's been watching too much Royal Pains.)

Bummer. In my 20's, 30's and 40's stopping by once a decade or so worked OK for each of us. In my 50's it's been two times more per year than I'd like, and I'm soon be ramping up towards the age when people see their doctor every few weeks, just to get out of the house. When I planned on needing him most, I'll be abandoned, lost in the wilderness.

Paying up prolongs the inevitable. He wants to quit, selfishly I want him to stay. To leave now, while in good health or in several years feels like the same option. Fortunately, I live in a community where MD's are thick on the ground, so here's what I've made up my mind to do.

I want to find an MD finishing his/her residency this spring, and become their first patient. The likelihood of them knowing anything useful now is slim, but I don't ask for much now. Down the road, when they are smarter, and I'm sicker, they'll be so grateful for my being their first patient and sticking with them, they'll work extra hard to keep me alive.

If you have a better plan, let me know. I'm all ears.

Toad

Let the good times roll

Many are called but fewer chose to go, to paraphrase the good book. The rest of us are unable to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year, and must celebrate closer to home. Should you be one of we unfortunates, I recommend you seek out a copy of Doctors, Professors, Kings and Queens the Big Ol' Box of New Orleans a 4 disc CD set compiled by one time New Orleans radio station WWOZ radio host Chuck Taggart. At least you'll be set for next year.

The liner notes says, "It's like taking a walk through the length and breadth of the New Orleans Music scene." Perfect for your own Mardi Gras celebrations, Sunday brunch or for just listening on the hammock on a hot summer evening.

I didn't find it at the Itunes store but Amazon has several used copies. Occasionally, copies turn up on EBAY too.



If you are fortunate enough to find yourself in NOLA today have a Hurricane for me. I need one verily.

Toad