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Celebrating the Preppy Lifestyle and it's sensibilities

Who's to blame for the oil spill? Dick Cheney - War Room

If you're like me, you are sick and tired of this whole BP (for lack of a better word) crap!!!!  I'm  personally tired of not only the lies, deceit but the overall pass the buck mentality.  Not to mention the constant bad news presented by the media.  I mean this IS a crisis.  The Eco system is hurting and people's livelihoods are at stake.  There is major money being lost and rest assured, the average American will be footing the bill somehow. 
I know this is all like beating a dead horse but what do you think?  Who's reponsible?

Who's to blame for the oil spill? Dick Cheney - War Room



Posted By O. Cavanaugh

CLAM BAKE


Now that we're in the midst of summer and fast approaching our country's independence day, my thoughts are tunneled into that most wonderful of summer feasts; the clam bake.  Nothing signals summer better.  You have good food, family, friends and possibly a beach....or not.  It really doesn't matter.  What matters most is the great seafood one is about to consume.  Can't you just picture it.  A gingham tablecloth with mounds of lobster, mussels, sweet corn on the cob, oysters, a bisque, chowder and sometimes sausage.
A typical clam bake (or clambake) begins with gathering seaweed (traditionally rockweed -Ascophyllum nodosum) at the shoreline; seaweed is an important adjunct to cooking the food. To keep the seaweed fresh, it is necessary to have a container large enough to hold both the seaweed and a fair amount of sea water.

Also important are several round medium-sized stones, or sometimes cannon balls, which are heated in the fire and used to re-radiate heat during the cooking process.  Lastly, like most other methods of steaming, a cover is necessary to allow the trapped heat and steam to thoroughly cook the food. Canvas tarps or potato sacks soaked in sea water are often used for this purpose.
Once the stones and seaweed have been collected, a fire pit is prepared. Some prefer to simply start a fire within the pit, while others line the edges with flat stones to provide support for a metal grill on which the stones may be placed.  The stones used for cooking are then placed in the center of the pit and a wood fire is started, although the exact method of heating the stones varies. The fire must burn until the stones are glowing hot. Care must be taken to ensure that the fire will burn out shortly after this optimal cooking temperature is achieved. The ashes are then swept off the stones and raked between them to form an insulating "bed". A layer of wet seaweed is placed over the stones, followed by traditional regional foods such as steamer clams, mussels, quahogs, and lobsters. Side dishes usually include potatoes, corn on the cob, linguiƧa sausages, carrots, and onions. Alternating layers of seaweed and food are piled on top and the entire mound is covered with canvas that has been drenched in sea water to seal in the heat and prevent the canvas from burning. (Some may prefer to use beer to soak the canvas, but it is unlikely to have any effect whatever on the cooked food.) The food is allowed to steam for several hours.
For every two persons attending, the bake consists of:  two and a half pound of live lobsters.  Two pouonds of wild clams, one pound of Prince Edward Island blue mussels.  One half dozen Bay Oyster and one quart of fresh clam chowder.  Everything else is icing on the cake.
The New England Lobster Bakes are now 15% of at Lobster.com
Do yourself and your family and friends and get on over to Lobster.com and share in this time honored tradition. 


















Share with us your favorite clambake story.  Happy Baking.



Posted By O. Cavanaugh

BMW 1965 3200 CS BERTONE COUPE




O.K. I must admit.  I'm just not into the muscle cars, never was.  The cars built for speed, you know, the Ferrari, the Porsche, Mustang GTs, Lamborghini.  Of course if given one of these makes, I certainly would not turn it down.  Yet I'd probably sell it, take the money and invest in a nice classic model.  Enter  the Bayerische Motoren Werke's 1965 CS Bertone Coupe.  This car is a classic among classics.  I mean a sheer beauty.











Some people would not consider this car a luxury model.  I totally disagree.  A car like this if well cared for can run you a nice little penny.
The BMW 3200 CS is a sports touring car first presented by BMW at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show, and assembled at Munich in collaboration with Bertone between February 1962 and September 1965. It was BMW’s top range model and a final variation on the big BMW models first introduced in 1951. The 3200 CS was also the last V8 engined automobile developed by BMW until the introduction of the BMW 740i in 1992.The car was a natural successor to the elegant BMW 503. However, its arrival coincided with the launch of the BMW 1500. Before this, BMW’s postwar offerings had been restricted to large cars that sold in low volumes and very small cars which also tended to sell only in modest numbers. The new 1500 marked a successful entry into an aspirational niche within the middle market segment that would enable BMW to combine reasonable margins with reasonable volumes, thereby giving the business a robust financial footing for the first time in two decades. The introduction of the 3200 CS was a relatively low profile affair, therefore. Both during and after its period in production, attention has tended to focus on other aspects of BMW’s progress. Sources differ concerning numbers produced, but the early 1960s were years of strong economic growth: with approximately 600 produced, the car appears moderately to have outperformed its predecessor in the market place.


Here are the stats for this model:
Manufacturer:  BMW
Production:  1962-1965, 600 built
Predecessor:  BMW 503
Successor:  Glas V-8
BodyStyle:  2 door coupe
Layout:  FR layout
Transmission:  4 speed manual
Wheelbase:  112 inches
Length:  191 inches
Width:  69 inches
Height:  58 inches
Weight:  3,300 lbs.
Designer:  Bertone

For those of you who are really into classic cars and this model in particular, can read a good article over on http://www.automotivetraveler.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=368&Itemid=131.

That's all for now.  I hope to see you guys on the road.  If you have some classic models on your mind, please share the wealth.  Until next time..............

Posted by O. Cavanaugh



BRIMFIELD ANTIQUE SHOW



During the allotted days in May, July and September the little town of Brimfield boils over from 3500 to 130,000 visitors. Each person looking for that special something that you just can't find all in one place. It is a collectors mecca, having.....well....whatever your heart desires. If you are looking for antiques, tools, memorabilia, furniture that's one of a kind or any little artifact for your home, car, shed or whatever. You'll find it here.
It is a resting place for many an artisans, collectors or buyers. This place is for the serious buyer though. The place is overwhelming to say the least. And if you're a person like myself who fancies a flea market or antique shop, you will think that you've died and Saint Peters is calling you from behind that 1929 rod iron gate going for the price of $250.00. Good God man I've got to have that gate.






























"I've done this show for 20 years," says Wayne Howell, from Unionville, New York, he of the $4,000 mirror frame at May's field. "If you're buying, it's the best one to buy at. If you're selling, it's the best one to sell at. Everyone has an equal shot at finding a treasure. If you're looking for a meteorite, this is the place to find it."
Buyers, sellers, it's all the same at Brimfield. Ultimately, it's the love of the rare and the odd, that is the common factor for everyone.
I plan to go there when my schedule allows, especially for the experience. My advice to you the reader.......Bring lots of cash.
You can get the what's what by going to the site http://www.brimfieldshow.com/
Happy hunting.
excerpt taken by Annie Graves for Yankee Magazine.
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MEN ESSENTIALS: SUMMER 2010

Yes we're just about entering the summer months and it's time to update our looks men. Although it's nice to know that as classic men, our look never goes out of style; when the weather turns a bit warmer, we could all use this time to turn up the heat on our wardrobe to look our very best.








What can be said about the above ensemble? Nothing, it is properly worn for spring or summer. It's basic and in my opinion very manly.
Let's take a look at shirts.

No summer wardrobe in my opinion can be complete without iconic polo. As for myself, nothing beats a Ralph Lauren or Vineyard Vines Polo. The quality is exceptional. In fact with Vineyard Vines I've noticed that after each washing, the polo never shrinks and stays true to form. In terms of versatility, Ralph has it. There are just too many Polo's, styles and colors with him. You could choose regular pony, big pony, big pony with flag or even monogrammed. And in terms of colors and flavors, let's face it the guy is like the Starbucks of the polo world.




















































Let's face it, Polo's are nice but for God's sake please limit it to just one. Or else you end up looking like an idiot, enter this bozo!!!













In my opinion one can't enjoy spring/summer without a trusted gingham shirt. J Crew has a few nice ones.



                                                            











LL Bean also has the Easy Care Old Port Gingham in three colors; Arctic Blue, Fiery Red and Leaf Green.













Another good bet for summer is of course linen.  Jos. A. Banks has a nice Irish linen shirt and Ralph Lauren has a particular pair of linen pants that I fancy.  They're the Preston Pants.

























You know when I think of summer, visions of beach life, sailing, lazy days and that all time classic wear......the Nantucket Reds.  The fabric was started after the forties and was originally an adapted form of the uniforms worn by the New York Yacht Club.  The reds have a unique way of fading from a red to the so-called salmon color, but in my opinion the color is more pink.  Over the years many designers have tried to duplicate the reds but you can only get them at Murray's Toggery in Nantucket amongst a few other locations.  They are truly classics.






















































All photos of Nantucket Reds courtesy of Murray's Toggery Shop.
Here is a cool little video on the history of the Nantucket Reds.






What could be more preppy than that all time colorful material, which can only be found in our beloved madras.  Madras can be made into almost anything.  Jackets, hats, belts, pants, you name it.  I personally love it in shorts.  Like these Jos. A. Banks models.  In fact I have this exact pair of blue.  Trust me, these shorts scream summer and they're soooooo soft and cool.  After a few washes and you'll question how you ever got on in life without them.














Nantucket Brand also has some in blue.














Another one of my favorite items for madras is a bow tie.  You can find this one on over at www.xoelle.com






















It used to be that one would find seersucker only in the southern part of the USA.  Not true anymore.  This versatile fabric like many other summer fabrics originated in India.  Once a fabric of the working class in the summer months.  It was prized for it's cooling properties.  I feel it's a classic that needs to be in every man's closet.  Just be careful how you were it.  Or you'll look like Matlock or Pee Wee Herman.  It's best to stick to an understated approach to wearing this fabric and remember it's summer and you should be relaxed in it.
You could wear it as pants like this Polo example, or as a suit as in the J Crew model.  It's not etched in stone but the proper footwear would be a white buck oxford.  A good example of this would be Johnston and Murphy.







































Who's to say that you have to limit it to bucks.  I sometimes pair it up with driving moccasins.  LL Bean's Grand Lake Mocs work very well.  As do flip flops like these Vineyard Vines Whale Flip Flops or the Sailor Flips. 





































Speaking of footwear,  these are three examples of must haves this year.  To me they are very versatile and add just a little spin on pants and suits.  Let's say for example a nice cotton twill suit like this one from LL Bean's Signature line.




You could pair up the Jack Purcell tennis shoe at www.jackpurcell.com 













Or an updated version of the bit loafer with this Calvin Klein suede bit loafer.














Or your already broken in pair of original topsider boat shoes www.sperrytopsiders.com.  Hell treat yourself and get another pair why don't ya?











Now in no special order, here are some accessories that are must haves for summer 2010.

LL Beans embroidered anchor chinos.












Ralph Lauren's grosgrain belt.















Motif belts at www.leathermanltd.com  These are all handmade and the best there are.










A pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers http://www.ray-ban.com/














And to tie it all together, a nice nylon watch band like the ones over on www.centralwatch.com.  I've many watch bands from this company that's located in Grand Central Station, NY.  They have so many colors to choose, and go with any outfit, all year long.



















And finally, at www.jcrew.com.  We have the canvas strap tote.  Yes I know, I know but real men do carry totes........OK?














Well guys, that's all for now.  I hope I've given you a few ideas to maximize your wardrobe.  Clothing can be fun.  And now that it's summer, we can use this time play around and just enjoy our vacations knowing that we'll be looking good.  You can find these products either in this post or the links section.
See you soon..........










- Posted by O. Cavanaugh Jr.