The Chum Bucket

Grado SR60i

2009-11-26T20:47:00.005-05:00

In my last blog post, I told you about my Sennheiser buds. I have been enjoying the heck out of them, especially on the go. With extended listening at home, though, I began to notice some things. Sounds are easily transmitted when the wire rubs on something, like clothes, when I move, or by the earpiece when I chew, the latter often leading to the buds getting dislodged from my ear canal. Lastly, after a few hours of continuous listening, I start to feel some pressure in my ears. Don't get me wrong, I still really love these buds, and I my ipod never leaves home without them.

Without the need for the utmost in portability, I started looking around for larger, over-the-ear headphones (or "cans," as they are referred to) to use at home. Last time I used those was back in the early 80's, and I really was not impressed. In fact, when the sony walkman came along, the bundled thin plastic headphones (and later, buds) were comparatively astounding.

In my search, I came across quite a number of favorable reviews of the Grado line of headphones in the audiophile sites and web publications. In particular, the entry level SR-60i is popularly touted as the best buy in sub-$100 headphones, and is most often recommended as an introduction to audiophile headphones. Even this kid likes 'em.

It is currently retailing for $79 shipped in many places including Amazon. I found the best deal at Headphones.com, for the old price of $69 including 2-day shipping, and with a 30-day, no questions asked return policy! What the heck, I said. Not much to lose if I didn't like it except the cost of shipping.

When it arrived, I hooked the Grado up to my ipod, and my jaw dropped. And that was just with an MP3. I pulled my 15 year-old Sony portable CD player out of the drawer, popped in a CD, and it was pure bliss. Before long, I was digging up old CD's and hearing things in the tracks that I never new were there!

The sound from the SR-60i is fast and engaging. The highs are crisp and detailed. The mids are clear. The bass is a little laid back, but it is there and is tight. It has a nice soundstage and is quite 3d, unlike the usual buds. Build quality is very good, especially at this price point. The cable is thick, hefty, and long (7ft). It comes with a gold mini jack for ipods, and a gold 1/4" adapter to plug in to your stereo. It is also made in the USA.

If you scour the reviews on the net, there are typically two complaints about the SR-60 (the "i" stands for "improved," I think in terms of the headband and foam pads, but acoustically the same):

First, many complain that it clamps down tightly on the head and the ears begin to hurt after some time. BS. I have a big head and it is just fine. I have even fallen asleep wearing these.

Second, some say it does not have enough bass. Well, it depends. On what you type of music you listen to, and on your personal preference.

When there is bass in the recording, you hear it, and it is tight. It just seems laid back a bit, probably because the mids and highs are more forward. Plugged into an amp, it is even less of an issue. An into a receiver, one "+" notch on the bass knob takes care of that.

The latter is even more important. The folks that comment on a lack of bass are mostly headphone fanatic audiophiles and they are comparing it to other headphones, many costing much more than this Grado. Off an ipod, well let's just say that if you are happy with the bass from the apple buds, this is not even an issue.

If it is a concern, you can step up one level to the $99 SR-80. Problem is, from there, there will be yet another reason to justify the $150 SR-125's or the $200 SR-225's or the $295 SR-325's. Of course, at that price point, the playing field gets larger, with offerings from Sennheiser, AKG, Denon, etc. Yes, you can go over the $1k mark for the top-end headphones. It becomes a matter of minimal incremental gain for a LOT of additional cost.

One thing the lower end Grado has going for it is that, compared to its larger brothers, and to most of the higher end audiophile phones, it was designed to have enough sensitivity to be easily driven by portable music players like ipods and personal CD players, and even laptops, without the need for headphone amplifiers. Sure an amp will improve the sound, but not by too much. Most of the higher end headphones won't even sound right without one.

Bottom line is, for $69, you will be taking the pleasure you derive from your music to a whole new level. Not a bad deal at all.

My New Best Bud

2009-11-14T00:59:00.005-05:00

My ipod buds finally started to crackle and die. After some research, I picked up a pair of Sennheiser CX-300's from Amazon. At $19 shipped, it cost 25% less than getting replacement buds from Apple. For once, the reviews were spot on - the CX-300 plain blew the stock ipod buds out of the water!

The silicone ear adapters are soft and snug, comfortable even after several hours of continuous use. They also block ambient noise effectively. I haven't tried it in a really noisy environment yet, though. Maybe at next weekend's swim meet.

The sound quality is excellent, especially in this price range. The highs are crisp, the midrange is clear. Not tinny like the JLabs J2's that I tried (and returned). And the booming bass - that is what the CX-300 is best known for.

If you prefer over-the-ear portable headphones, the PX-100, also by Sennheiser, is supposed to be really good and is currently less than $40. But as far as earbuds go, I think this is the best ipod upgrade for the money. Had I known, I would not have waited for the stock buds to go.

Fall Colors... and True Colors

2009-10-29T15:49:00.009-04:00

Puddle Colors
(Leica M6, Hexanon 90/2, Fuji Velvia)

The weather has been quite fickle lately, but it seems the foliage has finally caught up, and figured out that it was time to explode in color.

These days, too, there is a second scare wave in Connecticut surrounding the swine flu pandemic. For what it is worth, I got the vaccine close to two weeks ago. These past three days, however, I have been feeling a bit under the weather.

Believe me, there is nowhere I would rather be than curled up in my bed. But that is not a luxury I can take. Not with sick folks who had to be seen, and patients already prepped for their procedures.

Long story short, I took some Tylenol and showed up for work in the office two days ago, and this morning at the hospital, to attend to matters that could not be rescheduled. I wore a mask and did all I could in terms of infectious disease precautions.

The experience, for me, was an eye opener. There were co-workers who were concerned... "how are you feeling?" "You really should go home and rest as soon as you can."

Then there were the majority that shunned me like I was carrying the plague. Not jokingly... dead serious.

Interesting, at the very least, to see the two polar opposite attitudes among a group of people I have been working with collectively for about 10 years. A lot of people that were part of my "work family" turned up to be actually no more than just people who happened to be working in the same place as me.

Human nature... adversity really brings out a oerson's true colors. Now I guess I know who will kill me for bottled water the day after a nuclear holocaust.

One anecdote from today was so ridiculous that it was quite funny. The nurses had brought in some pot luck for someone leaving the department. Despite the mask, I was emphatically told to stay out of the break room. I was chuckling a little as I left the hospital, thinking to myself, "Too much aggravation for what, a plate of free potluck deli food?" On the way to my car, I thought, "What is the most expensive restaurant in New Haven?" and drove there for lunch. Really now...

"Death in the Afternoon"

2009-10-14T23:06:00.009-04:00

Ernest Hemingway, in his book of the same title, talks about the tradition of bullfighting in Spain. We were fortunate enough to have been able to attend a bullfight, or corrida de toros, at the bullring Hemingway was referring to in his book, the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, in Madrid, a few days ago. Our longstanding plans were foiled when the day's bullfight was cancelled due to some local city event, but we were able to secure some tickets for the corrida the next day, October 3rd. These were scalper tickets, and were not great seats, though.

I know that there is a lot of controversy around bullfighting, even among Spaniards. Barcelona is now formally an "anti-taurine" city. Far from me to judge other cultures, as a traveler, I think it is important to see with unbiased eyes, to fully appreciate what is out there, rather than try to judge other races with my, and my country's standards. Even worse is the person who already has strong opinions about something he has not seen or experienced firsthand. Within the realm of common sense, of course. The world is just too small a place for that. These little differences make the world an interesting place. While there are these differences, in the end, there are more things that unify us. Well, that is just my opinion and this is, my blog.

Bullfighting is dangerous. Sebastian Castella, the matador pictured above, and who, as you will see, was honored for his performance that day, was gored during last year's San Fermin festival, and also back in 2004. His bravery was even more impressive for this reason, as most matadors, once injured, tend to take less chance in the ring, if they ever fight again.

The bull is quite the opposite, however. Once the bull has been in the ring, it becomes too dangerous to use again. It will, almost always, attack and likely kill the matador. As Hemingway tells the story, this was true a few hundred years ago in a small town too poor to afford a new bull for each bullfight. The used the same bull repeatedly, and over a course of two years, it had wounded or killed more than 50 people. This led to bullfighting being banned altogether in Spain, until it was resolved to let the bull fight only once. Thus, the bullfight is meant to be "the first meeting between man and beast."

Well, enoough of that. Here is an excellent, concise wiki article on the subject. Isn't there anything that has not been wikified?

Here are some photos from that day, on my flickr. You may want to click on the "show info" tab on the upper right hand of the slideshow to see the comments.

Lastly, this is not meant to be a social commentary on bullfighting. So please refrain from making any political or activist comments as there are more appropriate forums for that. They will be deleted. Thanks.

DIY Lightbox Project

2009-03-14T14:49:00.003-04:00

I had been meaning to do this for sometime, but this morning, I finally got off my duff, gathered the stuff I needed and built my lightbox.

Time spent: 30 minutes
Cost of materials: zero (for me, and likely for most)

I used a 14" x 14" cardboard box
Cut two of the top flaps, leaving only the right and left flaps (when lying on it's side)
Cut out three of the four sides, leaving about 1" borders
Taped thin white translucent paper over the holes. I used table paper from the exam tables at my office. Be sure the paper is taught, to minimize funky reflections.
Got two discarded lamps from the basement with 75 w bulbs
Raided my son's school art supplies and cut up some white poster board, just enough to snug in the box with a nice smooth bend (not crease) in the bottom back side. Again, make sure you keep this clean.

Here's the temporary set up (in my kitchen, where I did this):

Here are some test shots:

I just used a 50mm F/1.8 Nikon lens. Really, any camera will work, including point and shoots.

Here are a couple of macro shots of Mikey's toys:

You can move the lights around to your desired effect, and maybe try a colored (or black) poster board, too.

The one thing I would invest in, if you don't have one, is an inexpensive tripod, especially if you will do this a lot (for selling razors or selling on ebay).

One thing I will probably change is add a third light on top of the box, and switch out the bulbs for 100w ones.

Looking Back

2009-01-04T13:32:00.004-05:00

Two thousand and eight was an interesting year.

For myself, last year began with major changes and challenges at work. The practice decided to close the doors of our Middletown satellite, where I had spent most of my time during the previous three years. While I missed the slower small town practice, I did relish the intellectual stimulation of going back to the larger teaching hospitals. My return to New Haven was also accompanied by a promotion to the level of Assistant Clinical Professor of the Yale University School of Medicine.

My photography took somewhat of a backseat to a new hobby, that of restoring, honing, and of course, using straight razors. I remember coming across an old straight (labaha) with Daddy when I was maybe 18, at the Manilabank Arcade. Little did I know that the razor was useless for shaving, with a large chip in the blade. I did give it one try, after lathering some palmolive hand soap using Daddy's boar hair brush (which saw more use cleaning LP's). Luckily, more than twenty years later, information is widely available on the web, and I was able to take up this shelved pursuit successfully.

Talking about hobbies, Luisa had been fully immered in her sewing, and this year had quite a few home improvement projects. With her busy schedule shuttling the kids around, it is amazing how she has found the time to make our home so much more enjoyable to live in.

In April we all took a weeklong break in Punta Cana. This was our first trip to the Dominican Republic, and I think we unanimous in voting this as the best Carribean vacation we have taken. One highlight was the traditional lechon at the Dominican restaurant at the all-inclusive resort. When we return, we will make sure to pack the Mang Tomas sauce!

Our second major trip this year was our Alaskan cruise on the MS Amsterdam last August. Luisa and I were taken aback when the kids chose this trip in leiu of a Disney vacation. Truly beautiful country that everyone should see, at least once in this lifetime.

This year was Rica's first full year with CAT (Cougar Aquatic Team), having transferred from the Valley Shore YMCA. She has taken to the water so naturally, and with her new team, has continued to realize her potential. She has garnered a total of 28 medals, ribbons and trophies from her events this year, including an award from CT Swimming for being in the Top 16 swimmers in the state for her age group.

Mikey has remained enthusiastic with his Tae Kwon Do, and has advance 5 ranks now to blue belt. More importantly, it has instilled discipline and self-control in him. This whole year, we are proud to say, we have not received any letters from his 4th grade teacher, nor a single summons to the principal's office!

And as we enter the last year of this decade, we wish you all a joyous, blessed and properous New Year!

Baby Alice

2008-11-03T19:52:00.003-05:00

Monday morning. The inevitable question - "What did you do for Halloween?"

"Ummm. I won a Halloween photo contest." :)

Baby Alice

So here's the story: Halloween was a close second to Christmas as my favorite holiday when I was a kid. Halloween IS for children - costumes, candy, trick or treating.

It's a fun holiday, but I guess it can also be quite sad, if you have lost a child.

I was walking around taking photos in New Haven's oldest cemetery (what can I say?) and came upon this striking, and very sad, image. I don't know who had placed that scruffy, muddy teddy bear on that grave, since that child died more than a hundred years ago.

Thanks to TSD and the contest sponsor, Connaught Shaving.

2008-10-26T22:19:00.004-04:00

Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need - a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing.

- Jerome Klapka Jerome

My Little Bozo

2008-10-19T14:42:00.002-04:00

Gearing up for Halloween. The costume's homemade!!

Hamming it up for the camera

Happy Halloween!!!

Wostenholm Frameback

2008-10-11T18:30:00.006-04:00

These razors don't come up for sale very often. After looking around for a good 6 months, I finally snagged one on ebay last week. It was in pretty good shape for a razor that's around 150 years old. I am not sure if the ebony scales were repinned, but the blade was nicely centered and tight. There was some patina and pitting - at first I was planning to just polish it with some maas, but there was a stain on the back of the blade that required some light sanding. I did not sand it too much or polish it to a mirror finish. I wanted to keep some of its "character."

Here is the ebay photo:

After:

Antique Shaving Mugs

2008-10-11T01:45:00.000-04:00

T&V Limoges, France

I happened upon this mug at an antique dealer's last week. No, I don't collect these. I just wanted a nice old shaving mug to keep my Old Spice mug company. I have some triple milled french shaving soaps that just feel too "dainty" to throw into the Old Spice mug (which nowadays holds, what else, HBS Old Spice shave soap).

I read about it and read about it, and came across a couple of pretty interesting articles by HGTV antique hunters, the Kovels. I have excerpted them below.

Not surprisingly, there seems to be quite a few vintage shave mugs floating around on ebay. The replicas, however, outnumber the antiques in the order of several thousands to one. Tell-tale signs of a reproduction include having no signs of wear. On close inspection, the dot pattern of silk screening is also clearly evident.

This mug has worn gilding, which I actually like. It gives the mug character, and yes, it is not a fake. It was well-used by someone named "Morrison," who liked pastoral scenes. The beautiful pink and gold enamel pattern is also very eye-catching.

Personalized Shave Mug was a Barbershop Necessity

By Ralph and Terry Kovel
King Features Syndicate
Originally published 12:00 a.m., March 21, 2008
Updated 05:08 p.m., March 20, 2008

This occupational shaving mug with the picture of a horse-drawn ambulance and driver sold at a Cowan auction in Cincinnati for $22,425.

Every Victorian barbershop had a rack filled with shaving mugs that belonged to regular customers. And most customers had a personalized mug with a name and often a special picture showing the owner's job.

Shaving was different in those days. No electric razors -- just shaving soap, a brush and a safety razor. Because shaving was difficult and small cuts often got infected, men went to the barber several times a week for a shave.

First the barber softened the skin and hair with a hot, wet towel on the face. Then the barber would get the customer's special shaving mug, rub the soap with a wet brush and lather the customer's face. Then the barber carefully shaved off the softened beard and soap foam with a straight razor.

The occupations pictured on mugs ranged from policeman or mail-truck driver to dentist, house painter, gymnast, plumber, undertaker or even ambulance driver. Most of the mugs were made in Germany from the 1860s to the 1920s. Unusual examples sell for thousands of dollars.

A Red Cross ambulance driver named McNultie would have been surprised to see his mug picturing a horse-drawn ambulance sell for more than $22,000.

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTING RALPH AND TERRY KOVEL
Mugs for shaving have appreciated at fast clip

January 9, 2005

Old-time barbershops featured an elaborate, adjustable barber's chair, bottles of shampoo or dandruff cure, bowls for powder, razors and decorated shaving mugs.

Men of means would go to the barbershop for a shave each day. But they faced the problem of contracting "barber's itch," a skin disease properly called folliculitis in which the hair follicles become infected, red and painful.

Shaving, because it might cut the skin, makes the infection possible. So barbers kept a mug, brush and bar of soap for each customer. The mug was identified by a special symbol or picture and the client's name.

A personal shaving mug was often also used at home. Collectors have been interested in occupational mugs since the 1930s. Mugs can picture a train conductor, butcher, undertaker, banker or any other occupation suited to the client. The more unusual the occupation, the more valuable the shaving mug is today.

My RW's

2008-10-11T01:27:00.000-04:00

When I was starting out with wetshaving, famed custom razormaker Robert Williams was nice enough to invite me over to look at a razor. I was looking for a wide razor that would be an excellent shaver. That afternoon, I came home with Robert's own personal razor, a 7/8 full hollow high-carbon steel short (2 1/2") blade in a set of Chandler cocobolo scales, with the admonission "I am sure THIS is a fine shaver."

The razor was intimidatingly sharp. As a newbie, I was more comfortable with a smaller 5/8 roundtip razor, the most commonly recommended starter razor. It was not after several months of daily shaving did I become adroit and confident enough to use Robert's razor, and see what it is capable of. To this day, it is one of my top shavers.

Fast forward to the present. I contacted Robert and thought it was time to try out another RW special, this time in a stiffer grind. Yesterday, I visited Robert and his wife again. He had another beauty waiting for me. An 8/8 quarter grind barber's notch. The razor has a deep jimped thumb notch and a humpback, all set in maroon linen micarta scales. Robert uses excellent high-carbon steel (I am not a fan of stainless), and his razors take AND hold an excellent edge "moreso than any vintage razor," he finds. My limited experience agrees with his statement.

Anachronism

2008-07-04T20:45:00.004-04:00

Fountain pens and ink, not blackberry.
Vintage cameras and B&W film photography in the digital age.
Handwound mechanical watches in today's throwaway world.

The newest of my anachronistic hobbies is also the oldest. Try shaving with a one, or even two hundred year old straight razor. It will give you the closest shave you have ever had.

But not before giving you the worst shave of your life. Straight shaving has a long and steep learning curve. It took a couple of months before I started to get really good shaves. Now, this is all I use.

Why do I do it? Lots of reasons.

The obvious - it beats shaving any other way hands down it terms of closeness. Twelve hours later and still not a single stubble.

The relaxation - Thirty to forty minutes at the end of each day, I am focused 100% on the task at hand. Nothing else. No worries, no "to do's," no problems, no regrets. Nothing. There is something about dragging an implement sharp enough to slice just the tip off a single armhair across your face that lends itself to intense concentration.

The cool factor - Not many people can do it. That's why people had their shaves in the barbershop back in the day.

The romance - I shaved with a 200 year old John Barber english razor the other day. It has been completely restored to probably better than new. I couldn't help thinking of whose beards this razor has shaved over the last two centuries.

The tinkering - Buying a Boker Red Injun with excellent Solingen steel on ebay for $3. Then sanding the years of stains and light corrosion (no, don't go buying a rusty razor, that probably is a lost cause) and bringing the fresh steel to the surface. Polishing it to a mirror shine. Honing the steel on a succession of natural Belgian hones until it is sharp enough (now that has an even longer learning curve!) to split a standing hairstrand in two. Then giving it a light coat of oil before tucking it away, it's life renewed for another hundred years. Pretty cool.

The excitement - C'mon, how often is it that you can turn a boring daily routine into something you actually look forward to?

The danger - C'mon, how often is it that you can turn a boring daily routine into something where you can easily lop off a body part with the slightest mistake?

The fulfillment - of learning a craft. A long-lost skill. Mastery... that is another thing.

The list - well, it was on MY list of things to do in this lifetime.

The toys - a boy's gotta have them.

The independence - from overpriced cartridge razors and big business. Look at it this way... if I were alone in a post-apocalyptic New York overrun by zombies (or LA with vampires, if you read the book) with no electricity, I'd be clean shaven. You know I just had to tie this in to today right - have a safe and happy 4th!

Of Secrets and Rituals

2008-01-19T21:02:00.000-05:00

Almost 30 years ago, I learned how to shave with my father's old Gillette safety razor. One of those cool things that open like a butterfly when you twisted the handle. It used those sharp, paper-thin double edge razor blades, like you still find at the local Walmart. That thing was not very forgiving of poor technique, and I quickly learned how to shave well. Everyday I shaved my almost non-existent facial hair. I couldn't wait to have a full, thick beard. Balbas sarado, it was called.

Fast forward a couple of decades... shaving has become a dreadful chore. My youthful enthusiasm had paid off - by 5pm, my face is dark and scratchy with stubble. Still, I find every excuse to shave only every other day unless I absolutely have to.

My instrument of choice went along with the times. Cheap plastic disposable razors that invariably chewed up my neck. A brief foray with electric shavers that left unsatisfying patches of stubble on my face. Cartridge razors with umpteen blades. Many, many cans of Barbasol later, dragging a Mach 3 or Fusion across my face had become as enjoyable as taking out the garbage.

And it was expensive. An 8-pack of the five bladed Gillette Fusion costs $25 and change. Gillette has become all about hype. I would change the cartridge after several weeks, even months (if I shaved every other day) just because it was too f***ing expensive.

Some time back, I was googling for online sources of razor blades, and stumbled upon this article. Wetshaving? Heck, that's the only shaving I know. So I read some more, and even watched some (excellent) YouTube videos. I explored the forums linked on the articles, like Badger & Blade. Lo and behold, I never realized there actually existed an entire subculture on "wetshaving." Not to mention literally hundreds of products beyond what you see on the local drugstore's shelves.

So now, here I am, shaving with a vintage Gillette Superspeed razor made in 1948. I have a hundred incredibly sharp Israeli blades bought for $10. Changing my blades twice a week, that should last me for a year! I'm slathering my face with relaxing, warm, pretty smelling English shaving cream lather with a soft best badger brush. Mmmm... what should I try tomorrow?

Preshave cream. Aftershave milks and balms. Moisturizers, shea butter, and hydrosols. I find myself in unfamiliar surroundings - Crabtree & Evelyn, Bath & Body Works. The women look at me like I had uncovered a well kept feminine secret. My wife likes how my face feels and smells.

The chore has become one of the highlights of my day. It has become a peaceful 30 minutes of personal time. You forget everything and think only of the job at hand (let your focus lapse and you WILL get a bloody awakening). Quiet alone time. Warmth. Relaxing aromatherapy. Ever wonder why many men who (still) get a barbershop shave fall asleep on the barber's chair (I do!)?

Finding joy in something mundane and routine: the definition of "Stop and smell the roses."

One day, a few years from now, I will let my son in on the secret... of one of the last remaining rituals of men.

Dante's Inferno

2008-01-06T12:45:00.001-05:00

Cloudy, smelly smoking lounge at Dulles International, like a scene from Dante's Inferno

2007-12-26T10:15:00.000-05:00

December 28, 1933 - December 24, 2007

After more than nine years, now you can sing this again, Ma...

Huwag mong sabihing ikaw'y hamak

Kahit na isang mahirap
Pagkat ang tangi kong pag-ibig
Ganyan ang hinahanap

Aanhin ko ang kayamanan
Kung ang puso'y salawahan
Nais ko'y pag-ibig na tunay
At walang kamatayan

Maala-ala mo kaya
Ang sumpa mo sa akin
Na ang pag-ibig mo ay
Sadyang di magmamaliw
Kung nais mong matanto
Buksan ang aking puso
At tanging larawan mo
Ang doo'y nakatago.

Di ka kaya magbago
Sa 'yong pagmamahal
Hinding-hindi giliw ko
Hanggang sa libingan

O kay sarap mabuhay
Lalo na't may lambingan
Ligaya sa puso ko
Ay di na mapaparam

Online Memorial

Why do we buy the things we do?

2007-12-23T12:39:00.001-05:00

My wife and her friend just bought state-of-the-art mega-crockpots from the Williams Sonoma catalog. "The recipes in the catalog just looked so good!" She made Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner last night. Yes, it WAS good.

Rachel Ray now has her line of cookware. I tried one of her 30 minute meal recipes. No, that was NOT good.

I hate watching QVC or HSN. I end up buying something I really didn't need in the first place. I think that if you watch the program long enough, you will end up convincing yourself that you do. Especially if Wolfgang Puck uses it, right?

The Omega Planet Ocean that Daniel Craig wore in the movie Casino Royale recently sold at auction for $206,250. Can you name at least 5 other Daniel Craig movies?

Omega's bestselling watch is the Seamaster Bond, first worn by Pierce Brosnan in Goldenye. They even have a limited edition commemorative model. I hear that's selling well.

This guy actually calls himself J. Bond. Someone hand be a red-hot iron. I'd like to poke my mind's eye now.

On TimeZone, a poster asked about celebrities that appeared in the movies wearing a Rolex. Rolex sells every one of the more than 1,000,000 watches that it makes each year.

Every yuppie wants one (or a Breitling, that is). Along with a 3-series BMW and a Montblanc Meisterstuck. Even if chances are, he is not aware of what caliber movement is in his Submariner, does not know how to heel-toe, and has the penmanship of a third grader.

Of course, in the end it's your hard-earned cash, but in this season of gift-giving, when you also inevitably buy "something special for myself," you may want to ask yourself this question before you do. You might be pleasantly surprised.

* No, the watch pictured is not mine!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

2007-12-16T17:13:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick and easy meal. Warning: this is not a "low fat" recipe. I make this once or twice a year, and as long as you don't "supersize" your portions, you should not clog your arteries. Feel free to substitute, but this is the original:

*serves 5-6

1 pack of spaghetti noodles
1 pack of bacon
2 tbsp butter
1 small carton heavy cream
3 cloves garlic (optional)
3/4 cup grated cheese
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper

Boil the spaghetti for 10-11 minutes. Drain.

Fry bacon till crisp. Set aside, then cut up to bits.

In a large pan, mix bacon fat, butter, cheese and cream (and garlic, optional) on low heat. Add salt and pepper. When cheese is melted, turn off the heat. Add the drained noodles and egg. Toss. Sprinkle bacon bits.

Serve while hot.

First Snowfall

2007-12-09T17:21:00.001-05:00

this winter

It's About Time

2007-12-02T14:19:00.000-05:00

It's snowing outside. The first snowfall in New England this winter. It's Sunday, I have a log in the fireplace, and what the heck... I want to write a post about my watches.

A few weeks ago, I was deciding whether it would be worth to send my watch in for repair. I guess, that is where this story begins.

This was back in the mid-70's, and I was probably in 4th grade. I had no watch, never had, and we couldn't afford one. A family friend, a young priest, was visiting with us that day. Apparently, he had just gotten a new watch - one of those digital calculator watches that were the vogue in those days. Yes, the ones you weren't allowed to wear during math exams. Anyway, since he had a brand spanking new digital wonder, he took his old watch off his wrist and handed it to me. My first watch.

It was an 1966 SS gray-blue faced Omega Constellation with caliber 564, given to him on his ordination into the priesthood. This was my one and only watch for the next twelve years. All through grade school, high school, and the first few years of college. It is in rough shape, with quite a few scratches on the acrylic (hesalite?) crystal, probably from hours in the school playground. That watch saw me through my childhood and teenage years. Quite a few memories. It finally gave up when I got caught in a rainstorm during my college ROTC bivouac (all my watches since then have been divers, hmmm). I had it repaired after that, but still, it would quit every now and then.

Fast forward to few weeks ago. The Constellation is 41 years old, and the young priest is a bishop. I took the watch out of the drawer and decided to do some research about it, to see if it was worth fixing. That opened the door to the heretofore unknown world of watch idiot savants. Here's an article that started my readings about the Omega Constellation.

Long story short, the Omega is now with the watchmaker. I hope he can bring my old friend back to life. I'll take some photos then.

On with the story...

Third year college. I was joining the UP Divers - the university Scuba diving club. My friend, Chuck, had a nice black Seiko diver watch, and I decided to save up. I finally managed to scrape up enough money for one. This was in 1985. The watch was the Seiko 6309-7290. It saw me through college. I wore it facing a tank in the middle of the highway during the revolution, and checked it to see what time I would die. It took me through medical school. That sweeping second hand counted off thousands of pulse rates in the wee morning hours. It got me to my wedding on time.

Apparently, the 6309 is now a modern classic. The 7290 case is still being used in most seiko diver watches today. Back in 1985, I remember looking at one with an orange face, but ended up choosing the more classic black face. Big mistake. The orange-faced 6309 is now highly sought after by collectors. Here's a short history of the Seiko 6309 from the Seiko and Citizen Watch Forum.

I wore it as recently as yesterday, as my casual watch. I must have gone through three of those Seiko rubber straps. It is now on a black Zulu strap. It has some minor scrapes on the black bezel insert, but the 6309 is ticking as accurately as ever. The first watch I had ever bought with my own money. The caseback has never been opened. I probably will have it serviced someday, as long as I can be assured it would not lose its waterproofness (is that a word?).

1996. I was a medical resident. My wife gave me a watch for my 29th birthday. A Tag-Heuer 2000-series quartz (WK1111-BA0317). The classic white face is just timeless. I think it is one of the best Tag-Heuer designs. Simple and clean. A classic. Not the gaudy teenager watches they are putting out today.

It is still my daily watch to this day, eleven years later. Through residency and fellowship training, and now in practice. Timed my wife's labor contractions. It answered the question, "Shit, what time is it?" on those nights I got up to change diapers.

These are my watches. My "real" watches.

Over the past few years, I picked up a couple of "beaters." What are beaters? Watches to use when I am in Middle Eastern souks. When I am pounding with my hammer or changing tires. Nice watches, but not anything that I would cry about.

My first beater is a G-Shock (MTG-920DA) that I got some time ago. Amazing thing. Shockproof, waterproof, solar powered. Nice big black metal bracelet. The thing syncs with the atomic clock in Colorado everynight. I think Ethan Hunt wore a variation of this watch in MI3. Indestructible.

Yesterday, my second Seiko diver watch arrived. Twenty two years after I bought my first one. A monster of a watch. An Orange Monster to be precise. There are quite a few reviews of this watch on the net. It has attracted a cult following, it seems. This guy is a tank. With Seiko's robust 7S26 movement, this watch should be reliable for some time. If it lasts as long as my other Seiko diver, that could be a long, long time.

2007-11-22T11:06:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yale vs Harvard

2007-11-17T19:49:00.000-05:00

The photo of the boy would have worked... IF only we had won the championship instead of being clobbered 37-6 !!

Still, it was a nice crisp fall afternoon for football, and the Yale Bowl's a great historic place to watch it. The kids had a blast -- it was their first live football game!

Epson RD1, 90mm hexanon

World Travel Map

2007-11-15T23:33:00.000-05:00

34 countries to date.

create your own visited country map

My Crappiest Camera

2007-11-15T22:52:00.000-05:00

Yes, cellphone cameras are horrible. Crappy lens, low resolution, blown highlights, lots of noise in low light, blah blah blah. Why in the world would anyone want to use them?

Well, sometimes you don't have a camera on you when you need one. That's when.

For the past several years, I always, ALWAYS, carryon a camera or two, in some form of camera bag when I get on a plane. Always.

Not last weekend, when we left for a 3 day visit with family in California. It wasn't that kind of trip.

Murphy's law all over again. Mike peers into the open cockpit as we were boarding in line. The crew sees him, and next thing I know, the Captain's leading him to the pilot's seat. His sister's in the co-pilot's.

And the pilot turns to me: "Dad, you've got a camera, right?"

Duh. Lots of them. All of them at home.

The best camera's the one you have when you need it. So true.

And to AA 265, you guys are cool.

"Enter the... Mikey?"

2007-11-03T15:47:00.000-04:00

--- title by Mikey

Mikey had his graduation ceremony today at his Tae Kwon Do introductory class. He is now enrolled in Master Hwang's regular class.