VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

Build A Better Team…On Paper

One of my readers was wondering what “Fantasy Football” was. In a nutshell, you pick players for your team that consist of real NFL players. You can choose anyone you want regardless of team. Then, you use their stats to determine how your “team” collectively does. There is more to it then that, but that is how I would explain it at the basic level. WaiverWire right now has a Stimulus Package if you are a fantasy football coach or manager, or aspire to be. With the service, you can go online and pick the brains of the experts, as well as receive news and stats on individual players right in one place.  Old fashioned people, who would be more like me, probably would rely on the little columns in the newspaper, but for you, this provides a whole efficient world.

To some, this is Dungeons and Dragons for jocks.  Not really, as it is not about the luck of the draw, but in choosing the right players and trading them and changing your roster efficiently.   It involves constant strategy. Does it prepare someone for running a real team? I am not entirely sure.  Just like there are not too many openings for Wizards in the workplace, it is really a very small and elite group of people who move into the position of trading and recruiting real players.

If you have always been curious, the regularly $19.99 stimulus package is free for the 2009 season.  There is an upgraded package that can be had for $9.99 more that includes real time email news alerts and a few additional features.  I suppose it depends on how involved you want to get, whether you wish to check in and do all your fantasizing at a particular time during the week, or you want to adjust your team to stack up against those of your friends throughout the day.

Send In Your Head Shot…I Mean, Video

I first became interested in vintage fashion and fashion history through sitting on my dad’s knee watching old movies on Saturday afternoons. No, not from watching The Blob, or films that were about the Return of or the Son of something or other. Later on, when I was immersed in technical theater as an avocation, I again became interested in historical garments and different periods of 20th century history. That being so, it does not surprise me that many of my readers got their start in the professions of preserving clothing from being exposed to it in the theater, or were similarly inspired by classic films.

There is a romanticism about beating the street, reading the call boards, and showing up at auditions. Now, just like social media and YouTube has taken some industries by storm, some of the typical “show up with a head shot” has replaced by sites like ActorCast – are you on it?.  It started as a way for a casting director to organize audition videos and liists. Soon, it took on a life of its own and actors began to submit their material. Now, it is not just a system with a logical work flow for casting directors and producers, but it is a way for actors to be seen.   If you are interested in being considered for Independent films, television, and more, and have a polished presentation, definitely put this on your list of things to do to further your career.

Body Painters Can Stay In The Closet Thanks to Directv

It’s that time of year again. Direct TV is starting to advertise the NFL Sunday Ticket package. For the uninitiated, it gives you unlimited access to watching every single NFL game that ever was, even if it is blacked out in your market. If you live far away from your home team, or just have to see it all (200 games!), then that is the antidote for what ails you.

Something disturbing always happens during football season, and that is usually both a major lapse of fashion sense, as well as a lapse in one’s general well being. It involves standing outside in freezing weather, and if you are a male of the species, being shirtless and painting yourself with absurd numbers and logos. It seems like that would be the surefire way to deter any of the ladyfolk from coming anywhere near you. Ever. Even so, the trend still rages on. I is not everyone doing it, but just those few groups that make everyone else stand and point.

If you want to be “that guy” without the fashion police bearing down upon you, I suppose that the NFL Sunday Ticket is going to help you paint and display in the privacy of your own home. Then, of course, it will make you a closet painter and some unsuspecting gal will have the shock of her life once she starts her life with a guy. She will have had no inkling about the mild mannered gent, and then one day, she is home from work or exercise class unexpected and walks in to the shock of her life.

Don’t be a closet painter. If you must, then please tell the lady in your life before you get serious, lest she consider it a deal breaker. Perhaps, as an alternative, maybe that could just be your private thing, and you do it in the “Man Cave.” In other words, it is an unspoken rule that the den or tv room is your private sanctuary during games where none shall pass.

I like to plan ahead, but am not thinking about what I will be watching on television in the fall. However, for those of you that are in mourning over the demise of the Red Wings, you may want to rush the seasons a little bit and just get on to the next sport. There is no better time than the present, I suppose, to think about it.

Summer Memories at Morey’s

My brother and I were going through old family photos, and it really brought back a lot of memories. One such memory was recalling that, as a child, one of my loves was going down a giant fiberglass slide at the park. They gave you a mat, and you would make your journey up the staircase again and again. It was interesting for me to discover that there is a whole amusement park that based itself around an initial slide like the one I liked so much as a child.

Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey started out with two brothers, a giant fiberglass slide and a dream. In the 50s and 60s, Bill Morey operated a boardwalk concession stand, while Will was a developer. They spotted a giant fiberglass slide languishing in Fort Lauderdale, and thought it was the perfect thing to attract more business to the boardwalk. But where do you put a giant fiberglass slide?

The brothers bought a mini golf course as well as a languishing restaurant to complement the slide, and Surf Side Park was born. The photo, at left, shows the slide circa 1969, and after 1976. The ape you see had been a part of a Planet of Apes Themed attraction/ride at Morey’s Piers, and the Ape is seen here at its new spot in the park. Way back when, the park was two piers separated by some municipal land, but it has grown by leaps and bounds since, hence the plural “Piers” in the name. It was the start of many great New Jersey attractions, all on one property!

Fast forward to today, and Morey’s Piers is a crown jewel among New Jersey amusement parks, roller coasters and other great attractions. As an added attraction, the Radio Disney Concert Series will be offered free to the public this summer. It begins next month and runs through August. Check out the Morey’s Piers website for details and links to accomodations as well.

The Piers are not just a place for having a great time eating more cotton candy than you can eat and riding the rides, but it is also a great spot for a Jersey Shore beach Vacation just like it was in decades past. Below, a beach scene from the 1970s, contemporary to the time of Morey’s Piers’ beginnings.  Make your own memories this summer. Who knows, maybe the photos you take will give your family plenty of laughs in the future of what you all wore for bathing suits in 2009! The seventies can’t be the only decade of interesting fashion choices.

Trek On Down. Yes, Another One.

Yes, another Star Trek movie is waiting in the wings. In fact, it is being released exactly one month from now.  Bones is dead and Scotty is dead, so what could they possibly do? Kirk and Spock: Retirement Home Adventurers? Instead, they are doing a “reboot” much like they did with various Superheroes, featuring an all new, and much younger cast. Either stand in line with your tent and flashlight now, or read reviews from people who have actually not seen the movie yet, and snag yourself some tickets here:

I think the sentiments from Dark_Chameleon sum it up:

“This is ridiculous..If we’re going to a restaurant and want a review we dont listen to someone whos never eaten there or even looked at the menu, this is supposed to be a place that we gain knowledge rather then read what someone writes without any information other then a trailer and their own deep rooted political/sexual/entertainment views.

Listen to someone who has been to the movie…and if theyre giving a review a while before the movie comes out treat their review with Skepticism as there are only a few out there who have been to a preview and others are actual employees from the studio that have seen it and have a reason for it to do well.

PEOPLE…if your unsure about going to see this or any other movie wait till after the first day and then come to Fandango, read the reviews and make an informed judgement, after all if we want to be the first to see a movie we’re not going to read any reviews before going and if we need a review then we need info not bias, Thankyou”

After you do read through the rest of the scholarly film reviews  HERE, toddle on back here and tell me what you thought of all that, or better yet, what you think of the movie when it ACTUALLY comes out.  Better yet, it would be a lot of fun to comment with our own reviews of this film, or other films that have yet to debut.  How ’bout it?  Are you game?

Be a Part-Part-Part-Time Detective

When I was a child, I sat with my dad watching the cases of Perry Mason unfold. Of course, Paul was also usually sneaking around in the bushes looking for a missing clue, and Della Street was taking notes when she would suddenly say, “Perry….” and then reveal her deduction of the facts. When my dad was the age I was, he in fact watched the very same show with HIS dad.

When I was a teen, I absorbed every Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple adventure practically by osmosis as well. As an adult, I have moved on to seeking the pulp detective story with the most rediculous titles.

You can imagine that when I discovered 5 Minute Mysteries, I was positive that it played directly to my demographic. How does it work? You read the mystery of the day, and then you select the clues and name your suspect. You are awarded points based on the difficulty of the case and your accuracy. You can join or create your own League of detectives as well, where you can check out how others are ranked.

One of the best things, as if it wasn’t truly awesome to begin with, is that charities and schools can partner with 5 Minute Mysteries for Fundraising Efforts. I think that it is one of the neatest fundraising ideas I have seen in awhile.

For those of you who like to “wait and see” how something is received before you dive in, I won’t go without mentioning 5 Minute Mysteries has already appeared on ABC news.  In otherwords, there will be plenty of other people out there on the site to join up with, rather than hearing the sound of only your own echo in the library with Colonel Mustard.

Jenny’s Back and More Expensive Than Ever

This morning, I recalled the auction a few years back, where someone was auctioning off their phone number.  The winning bidder would own the cell phone number and it would be ported over when they paid.   Who would bid a bajillion dollars for a phone number.  Well, since California 654 doesn’t mean anything anymore, of course it is 867-5309.  If you have this number, than you probably have been pranked by people singing to you or finding out if “Jenny Jenny is there.   Of course, this Jenny was wailed about by Tommy Tutone in some serious 80s perms.

Of course is Jenny Jenny, performed by Tommy Tutone in their 80s perms, ties, and t-shirts.

Ironically, there is yet another auction for the phone number.  The one that I recall (which was for the 212 New York area code) was shut down because it was determined the number was actually owned by the phone company and could not legally be sold.  However, this auctioner had that base covered by also including the DJ business that the number belongs to in the (201) area code.    In fact, it just ended here at a price that is ludicrous for a phone number but may not be all that bad for a successful business, perhaps.

Don’t remember the song, well here are the lyrics and the song and if you are not carefully will be drilled into your head sometime today. Of course, this performance was a few years after “Jenny” took the world by storm, and the world moved on from matching shirts and socks to matching shirts and shoes. Oh yeah! Though if you were the white T-shirt type and followed this, everyone would point and say you were wearing “grandpa shoes,” as wearing sneakers was cheating. You would have to do loafers or wings.

Hey…
Jenny, Jenny who can I turn to
You give me something I can hold on to
I know you’ll think I’m like the others before
Who saw your name and number on the wall
Jenny I’ve got your number
I need to make you mine
Jenny don’t change your number
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)

Jenny, Jenny you’re the girl for me
You don’t know me but you make me so happy
I tried to call you before
But I lost my nerve
I tried my imagination
But I was disturbed

Jenny I’ve got your number
I need to make you mine
Jenny don’t change your number
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)

I got it (I got it), I got it
I got your number on the wall
I got it (I got it), I got it
For a good time call

Jenny don’t change your number
I need to make you mine
Jenny I’ve got your number
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)

Hey…
Jenny don’t change your number
I need to make you mine
Jenny I call your number
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)

Jenny, Jenny who can I turn to
For the price of a dime
I can always turn to you
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)
8 6 7-5 3 0 9 (8 6 7-5 3 0 9)

As you see, not too much happens. But isn’t that the case of many 80s songs. One may argue that it is not true, that Duran Duran became somehow involved in the French Revolution except with more leather jackets per capita than what existed back then and that John Mellencamp toured the whole US of A, but that is false because it only appeared that way in the MUSIC VIDEO.  If you actually sit and listen to the song with no images of the MTV videos in your head, you will agree with me.   The counterrevoltionary situations only are merely are open for wide interpretation and the man formerly known as Cougar just said that America is “Something to See, Baby,” and should have been hired for a time share company that enticed people to sign up for a tour rather than actually saying that he danced across the country with his guitar.

High Culture in Orlando. Take the Kids.

The blockbuster King Tut exhibit brought an Egyptian craze to the US shores, where women were men where it wasn’t unusual to see Anubis show up on a man’s tie or for anyone to sing about their “Condo Made of Stone-a.” Since, there has not been the same guaranteed cash in the bank in the museum world. Well, that is about to change. While the Tut exhibit was about history and class (the kitsch showed up later), the exhibit I am about to discuss has the same feel…if you are a nine year old.

Grossology will hit the world by storm and undoubtably be one of 2009’s most overused words when it makes its way to Orlando.  Not since the book Everybody Poops has been translated form the Japanese, has the worlds of science and literature collided so to teach children through sights and sounds about natural bodily functions. Silvia Branzei, author of Grossology, and Science World have teamed up and are responsible for all of this.

Polite young men and young ladies will learn all about crusty noses, body odor, and many more exciting topics. There is a “Burp Machine” that simulates how acid and gas builds up in the stomach, and I am sure kids will want to play a pinball game about gas. Not surprisngly, Branzei’s book has sold over 350,000 copies so far, and will surely sell more.

Now after the exhibit, and they got it all out of their system, and they know that evil elves in their stomach don’t cause all these embarrassments, perhaps the kiddies will all settle down and voraciously inhaling everyting Emily Post (at left) ever had to say about handling such functions. I am sure she devoted many chapters about avoiding such things in polite company. (I always wondered what “polite company” was. It is either mixed male/female company or when you are in the company of delicate people who either have recovered from wearing an iron lung and are too frail to be curt or pushy with you,)

At any rate, check out the Grossology Exhibit – Orlando Science Center – which debuts January 31st.   I still talk about the “Cleopatra’s Egypt” exhibit my Dad took me too when I was in school.  I shudder to imagine that for my cousin’s children, this may be their “Egypt” that they relate to their children.  I can hardly wait or imagine to see.    Of course, I was a kid who liked to get their hands dirty, but that was in mud, dirt, or helping an injured frog, not by putting it up my nose!

The Bride Wore Laser Beams

A couple, who met while gaming, are going to have a gaming themed, Halo-style wedding at Otronicon this year. I wonder, if a couple met through online gaming, I imagine if one was glued to the game system or the computer, the other one wouldn’t complain because they would be doing the same thing. Also, is the outfit at left what the groom would be wearing? If so, would the bride be really sure about who was slipping the ring on her finger. It could be anyone in there, though maybe she would know him from the way he held his weapon?

So, if you are into attending unusual weddings, don’t miss Otronicon @ Orlando Science Center. It is coming up very quickly.

The dates are January 16th through the 20th at the Orlando Science Center, with school and group tours beginning on the 21st. What is Ortonicon? It is a video game tournament where gamers can test their skill and win honor and prizes. You can compete in a variety of games that everyone will recognize, such as Ms. PacMan, as well as some that would be obscure but all but gamers. There will also be workshops, and displays of virtual items the military has used as well.

Admission is $17.00 per day for adults, $12.00 for 12 and under. There are many interactive features aside from the main competition, so there will be something for everyone to see. I, of course, would be most interested in the old school 1982 retro games the most.

Worst Dressed of 2008

I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing as this year winds up.  Then it struck me…Mr. Blackwell’s Worst Dress List!  Sadly, we bid adieu to Mr. Blackwell earlier this year.  Read more details on the passing of Mr. Blackwell in October HERE.  His end of year tradition will certainly be missed. Undoubtably, he would have put Brittney Spears on the list as he has done practically ever year.  He was probably already thinking about it.

In honor of Mr. Blackwell, I would like to weigh in with a personal opinion.  Maybe Karl Lagerfeld, at left, doesn’t merit a spot for the entire year, but he certainly made an interesting statement a few months ago.  White on white on white can look extremely elegant. However, I don’t quite get the fingerless silver gloves.  Fingerless gloves are “in,” but on men it can only be usually pulled off if you have a motorcycle, if you are going for the Steam Punk look, or if you adopt one of Johnny Depp’s prior styles that evoke the image of an elegant vagabond.

The “my outfit matches my hair” also makes Mr. Lagerfeld look like one of the characters from “This Island Earth.”   Is that a cumberund over the table cloth- patterned shirt? Also, I am noticing a “double belt” look.  I don’t usually make fun of people, but for someone who has designed things for the rest of us to wear, it is constructive criticism, or in other words, he can take it.

I am wondering if it his personal statement, or is it a sign of things to come for a future line of clothing?  I can only imagine…

In honor of Mr. Blackwell, who stands out this year for their misses, rather than their hits?

Have Your Cake, But the Musician Eats Too!

Just like payola is something that went down in the history books regarding the history of 20th century rock and roll, the Napster court case was a precedent for the future of the way music is distributed. Kerchoonz, now in Beta, is a new website I just discovered that features free downloadable music. Instead of the artist not being paid royalties and the site acting like your childhood boombox you made mix tapes with, the artists are actually getting paid. In my observation, I would guess site advertising pays for that, though the website doesn’t state.

There are many Indie and unsigned artists on the site which make it very likely for you to be able to discover someone new. Also, since it is free to download the music, you are able to sample the music before running out and buying a CD, and the artists are getting an additional outlet for their music to be heard. The site uses a social networking platform as well, and it sure beats myspace for hunting for music.

The downside of the site is that there is no way to search by genre. With so many new artists, it is hard to navigate only being able to search by artist, album, or song. I just had to randomly guess a few times before I was able to find something. There are lists of the Hot 100 and Indie and Unsigned artists but it is hard to search if you have an idea of the type of music you would like to hear.  Go to the site to sample and explore, not to find something specific.

Man of a Thousand Dances

Several times I have received the video of Judson Laipply’s Evolution of Dance, which is the most popular video on the internet right now. Not only is it entertaining, but it is also a trip down memory lane. He recreates snippets of popular dance styles from the 1950s to present. Ever?ything is there form the Twist, to Disco, to the Hammer Dance he represents. Some bits and pieces are things that I have forgotten about. It made me smile to see Brady Bunch style dancing and Headbanging along with the more social dances.

There is now an interactive application on the internet that is Evolution Of Dance starring YOU!.   Self Improvement website PeopleJam.com and Saveology.com have teamed up to unleash it on to the internet. You can upload your picture and perform dances with Laipply. Not only is it hours of mindless entertainment, but it serves as a preview to a sequel to the Evolution of Dance 2, which will debut in the New Year.

As you can see, I decided to use the faces of Hayworth and Grant. You can choose the gender of the character that represents you and either have one or two dancers. You can replay yourself over and over again, or share with a friend. If you missed the original Evolution of Dance, the video that started it all, look no further than below!

Uncovered Gem: The Barretts of Wimpole Street

I love the movies of the 1930s.  There were some pretty psychological stories before the studio codes went into effect.  One of the more mainstream films that I had never seen was the Barretts of Wimpole Street.  The story of Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and Robert Browning didn’t immediately appeal to me in the first few scenes, as I thought it was going to be a maudlin love story (or a chick flick).  Norma Shearer is supposed to be deathly sick and looks beautiful and perfectly made up…that is one of the suspensions of disbelief one must have in watching older films.  As the film went on I became very enthralled.

The story is not just about Elizabeth and Robert but it is more about how a controlling person can crush someone, and even snuff the life out of someone one professes to love.   One really pulls for Elizabeth, Robert, and Henrietta.  In real life, Mr. Barrett forbid his twelve children to marry. In the film, he doesn’t quite get redeemed in the end.  That may have been a whole other movie and not the purpose of the tale. Here are two clips. The first features Norma Shearer as Elizabeth, Charles Laughton as Mr. Barrett, and Frederic March as Robert Browning. The second also feature Maureen O’Hara.

The movie also serves as a step back in time to fashons that suggest the 1840s in London as an added bonus.

A Music Library Must Have

Hey lady! do I look all blurry to you? ‘Cause you look blurry to me!’

- Dean Martin

Are you looking to treat yourself? Hop over to Amazon. There is a Dean Martin at the Sands long box set that is the perfect backdrop for any swanky party.  Maybe it is just a party for yourself as you tidy up the place.  What’s more is that it features some of Dino’s best and is under twenty bucks.

It was recorded on February 8, 1964.  It was before his big comeback, and just before “Everybody Loves Somebody” made him chart topping gold again.  The recordings give you a real good sense of what his stage presence and touring act was like back then.   In otherwords, go grab it.

Trivia time:   Did you know that during the Dean Martin show and his prior appearances with Jerry Lewis, most of the time, the glass of booze Dino seemed to always had in his hand was fake?   Yep.  Many people thought it was real, but he was just playing it up.

Harrison Ford would Definitely Be In the Movie Version

There have not been too many good espionage novels or games this side of the Cold War. I have recently stumbled across Hacker Evolution, something that will probably suck up a lot of my time. It is a computer game that involves YOU, a former intelligence agent. Critical services have all been disabled, causing worldwide troubles and only you can solve the world’s problems.  You have to hack in to make everything all right with the world.

In real life, it would be all about a team of thousands of experts, but in video game and movie land, it probably would just be Harrison Ford or Gene Hackman or a teenage Matthew Broderick, depending on the decade, taking it all on.  

Download Hacker Evolution – The most challenging PC game