ThruDark SF Recce Beanie

Giggle Bush Hat

Scroll Factory Hats

No Sweat Liner

Sales

Related:

The Hat in the West

The New Cal Cap from Brand 47

With a generic look, the capital C for Cal. Much like the capital S for Stanfurd? (The Brand 47 cap for Stanfurd, for comparison.) And an ugly C, at that! The original Cal logo, with "Cal" written in cursive, was more distinctive.

Compare with the old Brand 47 model here.

Being a Bandwagon Fan This Year

Why not? They made it to the World Series after all, and I enjoyed watching some of the games with the guys. I remember going to a Giants game with the MD; tickets were given away for honor rolls students or as some other academic recognition. The seats weren't that great, but we had fun, and we went by ourselves -- no parents to watch over us, so our first taste of freedom. (And we didn't get into trouble.) I may get a Giants hat; but not one of the "authentic" ones. One of the replicas instead; the fitted hats made by '47 look good.

I'll have to brave the holiday-shopping crowds at Valley Fair and check out the Dugout store there.

Resistol's John Wayne Collection

Cowboys & Indians: Open Range: A Nod To An Icon
A new line of John Wayne cowboy toppers is hitting store shelves.

Resistol

Another Baseball Cap-Wearing Barbarian?

Catholic Church Conservation: First pictures after abdication show pope ....wearing a baseball cap.

How It's Made Stetson Hats

Items of Interest, 28 February 2012

The Great War: The Untold War Story - Then and Now by Adam Hochschild (TomDispatch)

Engelhardt and Turse, The End in Afghanistan?

Fabius Maximus: The end nears for our expedition to Afghanistan. Time to reflect on what went wrong.

Mark T. Mitchell, Living Alone

Interview with Russell Hittinger on Jacques Maritain: Scholasticism and Political Freedom (mp3)

The Politics of Health Reform from a Medieval Perspective

Book Review: The Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer

Thomas Fleming on the Cleveland school shooting: Cleveland - An Anthem for Doomed Youth

Stones of Medieval Italy

David Lindsay on Margaret Thatcher: Any Old Iron

Right Minds By Samuel Goldman
What sets conservatives apart from authoritarians and fascists?

America's Founding and Limited Government
PJB: What is it that we wish to conserve?
Did the Great Society Ruin Society?

Learn French Not Chinese

Fukushima:
NYT: Japan Considered Tokyo Evacuation During the Nuclear Crisis Report Says
NPR

Economics:
The Uneconomics guide to money creation (EB)

Farming:
The Agabus Project podcast: ep2 Joel Salatin: “Building Forgiveness”
Lowell talks with Joel Salatin, farmer at Polyface Farms and author of “Folks, This Ain’t Normal.” Salatin speaks of his Christian faith, of building forgiveness into the soil, of sharing Christ freely, and choosing grace over survivalism. (photo: Rachel Salatin)
(mp3)

Sowing Seeds in the Desert by Masanobu Fukuoka

Relocalization:
Zurich Adventures in Urban Relocalization

Energy Bulletin: A food system that needs citizen Occupation (and farmers!) - Feb 28

Move Our Money: New state bank bills address credit and housing crises by Ellen Brown (EB)

Pocket Neighborhoods: Small-scale living in a large-scale world by Kelly McCartney (EB)

Peak Oil and Energy:
A Dynamic Function for EROI
Rebuttal to the director of the US Geological Survey on peak oil by Gary Charbonneau and Dave Rollo(EB)

Catholic:
NLM: Details on the Fifth Fota International Liturgy Conference
Fr. Z: REVIEW: New 3-volume (Extraordinary Form) Roman Breviary in Latin and English from Baronius Press

Music:
SFEMS: Meet Archetti (They will be performing this coming weekend - MS and FB. An article from a few years ago.)

Alamire will be coming to the west coast in... 2014. Let's see what happens before then.


TV:

Videos 1, 2, and 3

The new cast for Dancing with the Stars.

Something from US Cavalry:

Branding

It has been rather cold these past few days; winter is upon us. Maybe I should get this beanie?


I gave into my craving for In and Out yesterday after work. While I was at the restaurant I saw two elderly Asian gentlemen wearing Nike hats. Who would want to wear In and Out apparel, other than people who work there (and only while at work or commuting to or from the workplace or at company functions)? I don't think the Uhmerican desire to be branded would go to such an extreme, would it?

As an aside, my reaction to In and Out has not changed since the last couple of times I was there. The first hamburger I ate yesterday was satisfying, but the second not so much. The fountain drinks taste disgusting--there is nothing natural about the flavor, and the HFCS isn't pleasing. $6.30 plus tax for the double double combo is just too much, and a burger done protein style may be healthier but it makes you realize that $3.30 for a burger is a bit crazy, especially if you could make a better one at home.

By the way, the latest episode of Kitchen Nightmares, the first two-parter, is set at a burger restaurant down in SoCal. How did Gordon Ramsay really feel about the family? Does he regret putting such dysfunction on display in front of a camera, for the sake of a television show? Even if footage is edited to exaggerated, the family does seem to have problems, and one can't help but feel pity for the son. A certain letter of the Greek alphabet comes to mind. And who is maintaining the website -- currently the url opens up to a pdf file of the menu. It is also interesting to note who else is working in the restaurants featured in the show.

In general, the burgers I have been making with the ground beef from WF have been decent, but I should really season them more. I doubt I'll ever be that good of a cook, but my kitchen abilities do make a useful standard for judging restaurants. I am looking forward to cooking at least one turkey in the next couple of weeks. I should get a cheap Dutch oven, maybe at the Red store, as opposed to the Blue store (or Sears or JCPenney) - but are these large enough for a turkey? Forget Macy's  or Pottery Barn.

Will I go to an In and Out again? If I am hungry and don't have many options. But it's just not good enough to be a treat for a cheat meal. Maybe I'll get a milkshake next time. It's been a while since I've bought any Hansen's. Not since the end of last year? At least the chip craving has temporarily subsided.

Someone on FB recommended Roam Burgers in SF; are there a ny good burger places in or near Pleasanton? The April Verch concert is this weekend. True Burger is a bit far; same with Crepevine. I've been to the Nations in Brentwood, when I was there for a ride-along, no? The burger at the restaurant I visited, whatever it was, was not that good - it tasted burnt. I see Crepevine has other restaurants in Burlingame and Palo Alto - something to keep in mind next time I'm in those areas trying to think of a restaurant.


Anyway, back to the topic of branding.I picked up a Cal beanie at the campus student store earlier this year; something I hadn't really done before for myself. Was it out of school pride or nostalgia, or just to mark myself as someone connected to the school? Not that branded clothing would make one less of a loser. Besides there are plenty of people who wear attire for schools with which they have no actual association except their like of the school (or the school's sports team); how is anyone going to know for sure you went to the school unless they see your transcript? How much does the university make from CAL products? Browsing through the selection of hats, I see that much of the headwear is made by Nike. Nike apparently is a popular company for the production of college branded gear?

If I were to get another beanie, i'd be nice to get one with a crest or shield. There is something appealing about emblems, coat of arms and the like - men want to be a part of a group and be identified as such, though it may not be so necessary that they all wear the same clothing or identifying markers. A flag which they follow or around which they rally would be sufficient. Group identity is necessary for the formation of an esprit de corps.

The TAD beanie doesn't have the company logo, as far as I can see. Poseur-wear with the American flag is fine, since I don't see that often here in California, and I don't think other people know that this is the stuff marketed to operators, contractors, ex-military and the like. Does anyone make a cap with the Bonnie Blue Flag on it? Reggie Matthews might do a special order. A symbol for a natural or civic association is so much better than one for a company. (Is Behemoth U. more of a company than a cultural institution?)


April Verch:
I hope her newest CD will be available for sale on Saturday.





More videos after the jump...

Items of Interest, 28 October 2011

Rorate Caeli: Editorial note: Assisi Ignored

Politics:
John C.Calhoun: Nullification, Secession, and the Constitution by Marco Bassani

Lee Trepanier, If Music Be Food For Citizenship
"One of purposes of education, perhaps its primary one, is the cultivation of intellectual and moral excellence of citizens who, in turn, will promote an improved political regime. In other words, the regime exists for the education of its citizens instead of education existing for the sake of the regime."

The regime is the ordering of the members of a community to the common good. So in that sense it is for the sake of those members, but the end of the regime should not be understood as the many private goods of the individuals.

Relocalization:
Bay Area Equity & Resilience Convening Promo - November 11

Bay Localize

The Economics of Happiness Conference
Berkeley, California, March 23rd, 24th & 25th, 2012

Thomas Storck, Decentralism and Subsidiarity: Applications to Society and Culture

A new book: Local Dollars, Local Sense

Ten Ways to Turn From Consumer to Producer

Farming:
Groundbreaking Opportunity: The Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act

Quail Hollow Farm
Farm-to-Fork Dinner Fiasco By Laura Bledsoe
Southern Nevada Health Inspector Mary Oakes under orders from Supervisor Susan LeBay a pool inspector in 2005 visits Quail Hollow Farm on night of Farm To Fork Dinner October 21, 2011.

ARiver of Waste


Environmentalism:
Chip Ward, Occupy Earth

Energy:
Are we reaching “Limits to Growth”? by Gail Tverberg (EB)

Amory Lovins On Creating A Prosperous Economy Without Oil, Coal, Or Nuclear by Ariel Schwartz

Counterpunch:
Ralph Nader, Quo Vaids, OWS?
Paul Craig Roberts, Living in a Delusional World
Linh Dinh, A Gathering of Tribes

Diet:
WAPF: Experts to Challenge Dietary Myths about Fats, Salt, Plant-Based Diets
MDA: The Doctor Told Me He Could Not Believe It

Clothing:
TAD - Shag Master Hoodie
Gear Junkie: Softshell Jackets Buyers Guide 2011
Early This Morning in Colonial Williamsburg: Hats
Friday Video: Silent Screen Actresses Model Flapper Fashions, 1928

Music:
Peter Phillips - A new Credo...by Josquin
Miranda Lambert: Breaking the Country Music Mold

Hat etiquette

Lewis McCrary, Hats Off!

In East Asian cultures, wearing headgear indoors was mandatory -- one had to keep one's head covered for formal occasions (especially religious ceremonies) and day-to-day business. It was only removed before one went to sleep (or when one was relaxing in the bedroom?). In the East Asian liturgical rites, headgear was permitted for the men because of this custom.


(source)

How long can traditionalists in the West hold out? There are plenty of websites that provide information on traditional hat etiquette, which has mostly been forgotten since hats went out of fashion. The baseball cap has become ubiquitous, but other hats are starting to come back into fashion. (The influence of Mad Men?) I suspect that the traditional etiquette will not be recovered, as young men have no reason or incentive to observe it?

Discussion at The Fedora Lounge (link via Art of Manliness).

WikiHow
GQ: The Style Guy
Ask Andy
eHow
Jonathon Delacour
Lisa Plancich
Syndi Seid
GA
William M. Briggs
MySuitShop

R. J. Stove mentions trilbys, so I had to look it up.

Related:
eHow: Picking and Taking Care of Cowboy Hats
CrazyHorseWest
Art of Manliness: Old-School Fashion and Choosing Your Hat

The Latest Hat Craze: Thin brims, straw trilbies and the ins-and-outs of wearing one (via LRC)

Plus, Token male: the best way to shave your head.

The latest additions to my hat collection.

I asked my friend LRY to help me get some hats in Australia before she came to the U.S. She gave me one as a present. The hats are identical, except for the color, and they're from one of my favorite Australian hat manufacturers, Barmah. I have yet to get a hat from Akubra, as Akubra hats are rather expensive. What you see are Squashy Suede hats, in mocca and chocolate colors. I have two other hats from Barmah, both from the canvas line. The Squash Suede hats are rather inexpensive, I think -- they're only US$40-something. Now I need an occasion to put one of them on, instead of the canvas hat.

American men really should start wearing something other than the baseball cap (and the fedora). Now Aussie and cowboy hats probably do not match the modern Western suit, but that's all the more reason to get rid of the modern Western suit. Who's with me?

LRY told me that there is a public service campaign in Australia, warning people about overexposure to the sun and skin cancer. (See, for example, the website for the Cancer Council South Australia and SunSmart Victoria.) Australians are encouraged to put on more clothes and cover up, and to use skinscreen and umbrellas even. Here in the United States, you generally see only Asians using an umbrella on a sunny day, though I believe I saw an African-American woman do it once. Never a Caucasian. Has the fine parasol industry been brought back to life in Australia? If one is going to make use of an umbrella on a sunny day, why not have a fashionable one?


(Pink Frosting Store sells some.)

We really need something similar in the United States to raise awareness about skin cancer. (And it doesn't have to be a Federal program, if the states would wisen up and get their act together.) White Americans are used to the tan as a sign of beauty. (Or at least a sign of leisure.) Why is this so? Is the lack of pigmentation really that bad? Conan O'Brien makes fun of his paleness all of the time. The absence of color in the skin can be a sign of ill health, but I don't think normally pale people are unattractive.

It's funny, women don't want wrinkles because they think it is unattractive (at the very least it can be a sign of age), but do they do all they can to avoid them? Americans can be so preoccupied with beauty and short-term results, without looking at the consequences of their beauty practices. How about preserving their beauty (and health) in the long run? With respect to tanning (or overexposure to the sun) and skin health, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Even Southern women seem to have forgotten this truth. I don't remember seeing any women wearing hats in Virginia, Kentucky, or Tennessee. (Maybe they put on sunscreen instead. I doubt it.) While I was at Opry Mills in Nashville, there were a lot of fit mothers, which surprised me since I had read that obesity is growing the fastest in the South. But they weren't covering up. (And the women there had the same fashion taste as American women everywhere else.) Now, perhaps the incidence of skin cancer in the United States will not be as high as that of Australia because of the relative locations of each, but wouldn't it be better to be safe than sorry?

A woman who protects her skin from sun damage and pre-mature aging has at least fashion sense, if not a different sense, i.e. common sense. If we cannot appeal to women's concern for health, then let us appeal to their desire for beauty and its maintenance. Generally, men are drawn to a youthful appearance, if not the reality, and women know this. (Though men may not notice the freckles as much as the wrinkles.) 30-something y.o. women with wrinkles and freckles on their body, those spots that do not go away, and some skin discoloration, look much older than they are. So why not act to keep the youthfulness and vibrancy of one's skin as long as possible?

The sun-beaten, weathered skin look is only attractive on cowboys. Or captains in the Royal Navy?

(source)

Or just brawny men who work outdoors in general...

I note too that East Asian women are no longer trying to preserve their light skin, especially with celebrities who have too much time on their hands and spend their free time on the same sort of outdoor activities that Westerners first popularized. Can Asians avoid getting freckles? I think so... but they just don't seem to care these days.

On Tuesday evening, when I was driving to Barnes and Noble at Stevens Creek and San Tomas, I passed by a store (which replaced... what was there before? a liquor store? or an auto parts store), Australian Products Co. In their front window large umbrellas were displayed for sale.


Parasols:
Check out Pamela's Parasols, Lace Parasols, and Ladies Victorian Parasols.
Hi-tech parasols at Deveta.
Parasols
Austen Regency Accessories
Jane Austen Regency Gifts and Books
Costume Classroom: 19th Century Parasols

Sun Protection Clothing
Sun Protection Clothing Shop for the family
C Wear
Solartex Sun Gear
Coolibar
Radicoolaustralia
Equator Sun
Sun Emproium

Related Links:
Skin & Cancer Foundation Australia

Indiana Jones does have a nice fedora, but it has a wider brim than most fedoras, doesn't it?

Yahoo! Movies

A post at The Art of Manliness from last year: Bringing Back the Hat

Stills of Australia @ IGN. If I watch the movie, it will be for the hats...

Appaloosa trailer!

Appaloosa trailer @ Yahoo! Movies

Nice hats! Jeremy Irons! How is the original novel, and will the movie be as good or better? I hope it is a better western than 3:10 to Yuma. (Steven Greydanus has reviews of the 2007 movie and the 1957 one.) I don't know anything about the story--is it more like a real Western of yesteryear, or is it a postmodern one? Renee Zellweger looked all right, but when I rewatched the trailer, I heard her talk, and that caused me to have doubts about her.

Edit: Official website. Larger version of the poster. "Feelings get you killed." What could this possibly mean?

Some stills here, via Oscar and the City.





Sam Elliot should do another Western... Cowboys and Indians article on Mr. Elliot. (There should be a more recent article, but the archives are unavailable.) Hmm... just found this news/rumor that he is doing another Western.

Fr. Berger loved Westerns. Has he seen any since he left the US?

I finally saw the Babylon A.D. trailer--are there enough Vin Diesel fans out there to watch this? It will probably have more action than Children of Men. Not quite as futuristic as The Fifth Element.