For some reason the people I canvas for questions really seemed to like asking me about style. Why? I am not too sure. Anyway, today’s installment of 20 Questions Tuesday is brought to you by: Belsum, Toadman, Atmikha, and Dr B-Dawg
On to the questions!
1. "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" with Robin Leach: good memories or 80s dreck?
Why does this have to be an “either/or?” I submit to you, fair readers, that these 2 categories of “good memories” and “80’s drek” (nice frelling use of the word “drek” by the way) are not mutually exclusive categories. Something can be both a good memory and 80’s drek at the same time. For your consideration I give you “The A-Team.” So to answer Question 1, I say “Both!”
2. What are your feelings on the newest Bravo show to use the Project Runway format: Top Designer?
I have not watched it, so I can’t really give much of an educated opinion about it… but that has never stopped me before. Therefore, I say that I am tired of these shoestring budget reality TV shows. I understand that production budgets are not terribly huge, but I would rather the mega conglomerate media corporations reduce the sheer number of stations that they won and make better overall programming. Instead of weak crap 90% of the time on 140 channels, I would much rather deal with weak crap 60% of the time on 80 channels.
3. On “trend” versus “stylish:” can you successfully explain the difference?
I think it is easiest to distinguish between the 2 by defining how the 2 intersect. Stylish typically has some trendy elements to it, but has a more timeless quality to it. If something/someone is truly stylish, they transcend the trend at the moment. Trends tend to be more ephemeral and cheap. Style can be made from trends, but tend to have more of a timeless quality about it.
4. Do you pay any attention to clothing/grooming styles and if so, what are your sources?
Sadly, I do not pay that much attention to clothing/grooming styles, but I am always happy when cargo pants come back into style.
5. Space leather or clingy pajamas: which future clothing style do you prefer?
Space leather. The pajamas really did not seem all that utilitarian. Even in the future, people still need pockets
6. What's with the giant sunglasses already!?
I have no idea! I don’t get it, I just don’t get it. I would understand more if this was not a fashion trend that hadn’t already been thoroughly explored. This is not new territory people.
7. Would you rather wear a dress made of condoms, or cardboard?
Cardboard
8. What does it mean to be "cool" nowadays anyway?
You are asking the wrong guy. I guess “cool” for me is more of a state of mind than anything else.
9. Why do so many people use the word "random" these days? Is that a new style?
Random is the new eclectic. Both, in my opinion, are crap (or drek, if you prefer). What it says to me is that the person who defines their sense of style as “Random” or “Eclectic” has not thought much about what their sense of style actually is.
10. Why can't we bring back the 70s?
People are too fat now. 70’s style only really seems to work with skinny skinny folk
11. What is the difference between style and affectation?
Style is an ascot (not really), affectation is holding you pinky out whilst taking a drink
12. If you were asked to represent your state at a national conference, how would you communicate "Ohio style?"
Well, that varies from region to region in Ohio itself. Ohio is kind of a crossroads. In the northeast (Cleveland area) you are dealing with the Western edges of the rustbelt. Southeast Ohio is in Appalachia. Southwest Ohio is pretty much an extension of Kentucky. Northwest Ohio is basically Michigan. Sadly, all that leaves is Central Ohio, but Central Ohio is only one area. But I will give it a go, today’s style is basically bundled up for warmth.
13. Whose style do you admire and aspire to?
This is a very interesting question. I do not really have a style icon that I follow. There are people out there that I think are quite stylish, but I do not look to them for my style direction. I guess I am a style maverick. I do my own thang!
14. In engineering, the term "Elegance" to describe a process with the least possible number of steps. How are you elegant?
I have 2 steps. Tres elegant, n'est pas?
15. What are the key elements of the SRH style?
A wink and a nod
16. What has been you're all time favorite fad - and did you wear it?Z Cavaricci’s. The narrow high waist with the flaring pant that you had to peg. You had to wear a super skinny braided leather belt with them that was 4 sizes too long. Oh, that was one of the best fads ever. Sadly, I succumbed to this fad, but luckily the picture references from the time seem to have gone missing.
17. Although this doesn't deter me, but it has been pointed out a few times to me: why does black, gray and brown clothing clash?
I think a bunch of this has to do with the flavors of black, gray, and brown. First of all there is no true black in clothing, so black is always tinted with some other hue. Grays can be cool grays (blue tinted) or warm grays (brown tinted). Browns are also tint towards a cooler and warmer set. The problem with mixing these colors is that very often you end up wearing a yellow tinted brown with a blue tinted gray and a red tinted black. Very very rarely will yellow, blue and red go together in a fashionable combination.
18. Why is the waist of men's clothes measured in single inches, yet the length of the pants are measured in even increments of inches?
That’s easy. You only have one waist while you have 2 legs, duh!
19. What do you think is the reason for the obtuse system used for the sizes of women's clothes?
I have no idea what the hell that Machiavellian system of numbers is based on, or how to navigate through it. It is illogical, irrational, and completely arbitrary.
20. Do the Scots make wool so itchy just to demonstrate how tough they are?
Scots don’t make the wool itchy, sheep make the wool itchy. I can only guess that the sheep make the wool itchy for the Scots past, present, and future, shalle we say, "transgressions."
To recap:
Looks like I will be making Orange Rice for Little Man tonight
It has been an entire week since we last made it
By “we” I do mean the royal plural
It has been an entire week since the realm and I last made the Rice of Orange
Yes, yes that sounds more regal
Somebody gets root beer for pooping on the potty -
It’s not me
No pre-school for Little Man today
It is too cold for the pre-schoolers
Little Man looks mighty cute in his cold weather gear
Heck, Little Man would look mighty cute in a burlap sack
I need a haircut
Unfortunately, my selfish hairstylist went and had a baby
Diet Mt. Dew makes me feel less guiltyThat’s why I got fully leaded all sugar filled Mt Dew
I like the guilt
On to the questions!
1. "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" with Robin Leach: good memories or 80s dreck?
Why does this have to be an “either/or?” I submit to you, fair readers, that these 2 categories of “good memories” and “80’s drek” (nice frelling use of the word “drek” by the way) are not mutually exclusive categories. Something can be both a good memory and 80’s drek at the same time. For your consideration I give you “The A-Team.” So to answer Question 1, I say “Both!”
2. What are your feelings on the newest Bravo show to use the Project Runway format: Top Designer?
I have not watched it, so I can’t really give much of an educated opinion about it… but that has never stopped me before. Therefore, I say that I am tired of these shoestring budget reality TV shows. I understand that production budgets are not terribly huge, but I would rather the mega conglomerate media corporations reduce the sheer number of stations that they won and make better overall programming. Instead of weak crap 90% of the time on 140 channels, I would much rather deal with weak crap 60% of the time on 80 channels.
3. On “trend” versus “stylish:” can you successfully explain the difference?
I think it is easiest to distinguish between the 2 by defining how the 2 intersect. Stylish typically has some trendy elements to it, but has a more timeless quality to it. If something/someone is truly stylish, they transcend the trend at the moment. Trends tend to be more ephemeral and cheap. Style can be made from trends, but tend to have more of a timeless quality about it.
4. Do you pay any attention to clothing/grooming styles and if so, what are your sources?
Sadly, I do not pay that much attention to clothing/grooming styles, but I am always happy when cargo pants come back into style.
5. Space leather or clingy pajamas: which future clothing style do you prefer?
Space leather. The pajamas really did not seem all that utilitarian. Even in the future, people still need pockets
6. What's with the giant sunglasses already!?
I have no idea! I don’t get it, I just don’t get it. I would understand more if this was not a fashion trend that hadn’t already been thoroughly explored. This is not new territory people.
7. Would you rather wear a dress made of condoms, or cardboard?
Cardboard
8. What does it mean to be "cool" nowadays anyway?
You are asking the wrong guy. I guess “cool” for me is more of a state of mind than anything else.
9. Why do so many people use the word "random" these days? Is that a new style?
Random is the new eclectic. Both, in my opinion, are crap (or drek, if you prefer). What it says to me is that the person who defines their sense of style as “Random” or “Eclectic” has not thought much about what their sense of style actually is.
10. Why can't we bring back the 70s?
People are too fat now. 70’s style only really seems to work with skinny skinny folk
11. What is the difference between style and affectation?
Style is an ascot (not really), affectation is holding you pinky out whilst taking a drink
12. If you were asked to represent your state at a national conference, how would you communicate "Ohio style?"
Well, that varies from region to region in Ohio itself. Ohio is kind of a crossroads. In the northeast (Cleveland area) you are dealing with the Western edges of the rustbelt. Southeast Ohio is in Appalachia. Southwest Ohio is pretty much an extension of Kentucky. Northwest Ohio is basically Michigan. Sadly, all that leaves is Central Ohio, but Central Ohio is only one area. But I will give it a go, today’s style is basically bundled up for warmth.
13. Whose style do you admire and aspire to?
This is a very interesting question. I do not really have a style icon that I follow. There are people out there that I think are quite stylish, but I do not look to them for my style direction. I guess I am a style maverick. I do my own thang!
14. In engineering, the term "Elegance" to describe a process with the least possible number of steps. How are you elegant?
I have 2 steps. Tres elegant, n'est pas?
15. What are the key elements of the SRH style?
A wink and a nod
16. What has been you're all time favorite fad - and did you wear it?Z Cavaricci’s. The narrow high waist with the flaring pant that you had to peg. You had to wear a super skinny braided leather belt with them that was 4 sizes too long. Oh, that was one of the best fads ever. Sadly, I succumbed to this fad, but luckily the picture references from the time seem to have gone missing.
17. Although this doesn't deter me, but it has been pointed out a few times to me: why does black, gray and brown clothing clash?
I think a bunch of this has to do with the flavors of black, gray, and brown. First of all there is no true black in clothing, so black is always tinted with some other hue. Grays can be cool grays (blue tinted) or warm grays (brown tinted). Browns are also tint towards a cooler and warmer set. The problem with mixing these colors is that very often you end up wearing a yellow tinted brown with a blue tinted gray and a red tinted black. Very very rarely will yellow, blue and red go together in a fashionable combination.
18. Why is the waist of men's clothes measured in single inches, yet the length of the pants are measured in even increments of inches?
That’s easy. You only have one waist while you have 2 legs, duh!
19. What do you think is the reason for the obtuse system used for the sizes of women's clothes?
I have no idea what the hell that Machiavellian system of numbers is based on, or how to navigate through it. It is illogical, irrational, and completely arbitrary.
20. Do the Scots make wool so itchy just to demonstrate how tough they are?
Scots don’t make the wool itchy, sheep make the wool itchy. I can only guess that the sheep make the wool itchy for the Scots past, present, and future, shalle we say, "transgressions."
To recap:
Looks like I will be making Orange Rice for Little Man tonight
It has been an entire week since we last made it
By “we” I do mean the royal plural
It has been an entire week since the realm and I last made the Rice of Orange
Yes, yes that sounds more regal
Somebody gets root beer for pooping on the potty -
It’s not me
No pre-school for Little Man today
It is too cold for the pre-schoolers
Little Man looks mighty cute in his cold weather gear
Heck, Little Man would look mighty cute in a burlap sack
I need a haircut
Unfortunately, my selfish hairstylist went and had a baby
Diet Mt. Dew makes me feel less guiltyThat’s why I got fully leaded all sugar filled Mt Dew
I like the guilt