Hemingway and the F.B.I.

Interesting piece in the New York Times about F.B.I. surveillance on Hemingway and the last year of his life.

"Adventures in France, Italy, Cuba and Spain, where, as a pretend matador with Ernest as my manager, I participated in a Ciudad Real bullfight. Ernest’s zest for life was infectious."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/02/opinion/02hotchner.html

Neck Tie Guide

Sean Connery keeping things simple and classy

Few things make a man look sharper than a well tailored suit.  But what should be worn around the neck?  There is often confusion about when to wear a necktie versus a bowtie, and which knot to use.  We'll keep things simple with two suggestions.

Rule #1:  There are 3 times you should wear a bowtie
1) Weddings.  Nothing is classier than a sharp tuxedo with a black bowtie.  Take a tip from Mr. Connery and leave the brightly colored vests for the prom -- black tie means black tie.  Yes, neckties have become increasingly popular for tuxedos.  While in the right setting they can look sharp, err on the side of caution here and stick with what is tried and true.  We suggest investing in a quality tuxedo early.  For the combined price of rentals over time, you could find yourself a quality tailor to fit a worthy tux.
2) A day at the races or the college football stadium.  Traditions are traditions, and we at Hemingway Today are all for maintaining raceday and gameday classics.  Subtly patterned bowties are encouraged.
3) The wise and experienced physician, or educator.  For the rare breed of doctor practicing into their finer years: don't change a thing.  Nothing speaks more to medical expertise than the rare bowtie walking around the wards.  Bowties for the distinguished professor are also encouraged.   For young academicians and physicians however, we suggest laying off the goods until you've written some Pulitzers or saved a few lives.

Mustache Files: Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck, as "Magnum P.I."

Name: Tom Selleck
Fame: Lifetime achievement role as Magnum P.I., whose life consisted of free water swims, driving Ferraris, and fighting crime throughout Hawaii.  Also well received as Mr. Baseball.
Unique Facts: Passed on the offer to become Indiana Jones.  Bought minority ownership of the Detroit Tigers in 1987, bringing legitimacy to a struggling franchise.  Winner of 1993 MLB Celebrity Home Run Derby. 
Style: Often imitated and rarely duplicated form: textbook 1980s bushy style.  Thick, full, yet never out of control.

Code Hero: Dave Scott

Dave Scott, left, and Mark Allen, right, in the 1989 Ironman Triathlon

2.4 mile swim. 112 mile bike. 26.2 mile run.  The Ironman Triathlon is the world's finest test of physical endurance and mental strength.  The sheer distance and harsh environment can cause athletes to burn through the body's entire reserve of stored energy, glycogen.  It's called "hitting the wall" or "bonking", and the result looks like this:

To most athletes becoming an Ironman means finishing the race.  It is a lifetime achievement to make it through the open water swim, the uphill bike, and the marathon across lava fields, crossing the finish line in one piece.  For Dave Scott, it was about punishing himself, and his rivals, to greatness.
 

Code Hero Series Preview: Dave Scott

A preview for our first Code Hero, Dave Scott.

Full post tomorrow.

Boston Wins Stanley Cup

Congratulations to the Boston Bruins and their fans on their first Stanley Cup victory since 1972.  The Bruins won a trio of seven game series against talented Vancouver, Tampa Bay and Montreal clubs, in addition to sweeping a tough Philadelphia Flyers team.  The Bruins and Canucks played an outstanding and entertaining series for the fans.

The NBA Finals

 
The quality of athleticism was high.  Three of the top players in the league, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwayne Wade, and Lebron James were featured.  Role players piqued interest too, from Dallas' Jason Terry tattooing an image of a championship trophy on his bicep before the season started to Miami's Mario Chalmers, of fame from his NCAA heroics, making a name for himself on the sport's biggest stage.  The series featured a set of games that were some of the closest ever in an NBA Finals series.  Yet the 2011 NBA Finals will be remembered more as a morality play than a sporting event

Hemingway said, "there is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."  Lebron failed in this series because he could not be noble; he remained stagnant in his accomplishments on the court and in his continued lack of character off of it.  As the confetti in Dallas begins to settle, it becomes clear the driving force behind public interest was whether James would win not on the court, but off of it.