Parisian Gentleman – Hugo’s Recommendations Part 1: Shirts

English: TM Lewin in Fish Street Hill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Parisian Gentleman – Hugo’s Recommendations Part 1: Shirts

"Competitive online sales policies (Lewin almost always has promotions, e.g. 4 shirts for 100 £) are serious assets to attract those who refuse to fall between the hands of low-quality makers. Nevertheless, I fell that only one label is acceptable in this price range, despite faltering quality due to massive production outsourcing (“English shirt makers since 1850” no means anything: all these products are made very far from the City).

MY RECOMMENDATION: TM LEWIN (30£ regular priced shirt)
- Very wide choice of colour and fabric
- Collars range from full Windsor to Duke of York and Prince of Wales (one for everyone) with removable collar stays
- Impeccable and swift delivery service
- Constant promotions (now: 19£ each!!)
TM LEWIN is a good compromise if you do not want to invest too much in a shirt. Despite strictly acceptable quality and debatable durability (the shirt won’t be as crisp after ten washes or so), prices defeat all competition.

NO: PINK and CHARLES TYRWHITT
Price and selection offered by these famous British shirt makers compare to TM LEWIN, but I think their cuts are MUCH too wide (almost parachutes at CT) and therefore not a good choice for an elegant gent mindful of shirt fit. Other than that, these labels remain respectable.

NOT TRIED: Hawes and Curtis (same price range)

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Reaches the Sky: Men's Dress Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Fit Review

Charles Tyrwhitt, established by Nick Wheeler in 1986. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Brooks Brothers logo, ca. 1969 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reaches the Sky: Men's Dress Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim Fit Review

"Sizing: Both Brooks Brothers and Charles Tyrwhitt has a slim fit as well as a extra slim fit line.  H wears BB Slim Fit.  He has one CT slim fit which is too baggy and he says he is constantly tucking his shirt in.  I couldn't really compare the two websites' measurements as CT has a 'to fit' chest measurements and BB doesn't even have waist measurements for their slim fits on the sizing guide (as far as I can search on their websites. There are other sites that compare for you if you google them).  So I did the old 'lay it flat and put it on top of each other' comparison.

Waist Comparison: Charles Tyrwhitt Slim Fit > Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim fit >= Brooks Brothers Slim Fit.  

Chest Comparison: Charles Tyrwhitt Slim Fit > Brooks Brothers Slim Fit  > Charles Tyrwhitt Extra Slim fit   

(This is for 14 1/2" collar size shirts)"

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The Best Sites to Raise Money and Get Your Ideas Off the Ground

The Best Sites to Raise Money and Get Your Ideas Off the Ground:

"If you have a brilliant new idea for an mobile app, a handy gadget, a smartphone case that does something cool, an album you want to produce, or even a comic book you want to publish, it's never been easier to get your idea in front of a lot of people and raise money to make it a reality. "

Includes:

• Kickstarter
• IndieGoGo
• Quirky

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San Francisco - Snapshot Trip Review (May 2012)

English: Aerial view of Fisherman's Wharf on San Francisco Bay on the north side of San Francisco, California, USA. View is to the southeast. Coordinates: 37°48′35.83″N 122°25′11.27″W  /  °S °W  / ; latd>90 (dms format) in latd latm lats longm longs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We visited San Francisco in May of 2012; while we did not quite leave our heart there, we did find some unique highlights that we will keep in our hearts forever:

• The Westin Hotel in Union Square has a glass elevator, and if you successfully infiltrate pass the concierge desk without being asked anything, jump in and go all the way up- the views are spectacular (and free)!
• Restaurants we went to: 
• a small, Cassis-like restaurant serving local food called Fish & Farm (in the Mark Twain hotel). Great food and very intimate- just be careful about roaming around the area at night as it's close to the Tenderloin district, which gets sketchy, especially at night.
• The restaurant and highlight of Fisherman's Wharf Otherwise a tourist trap) was called Scoma's, which is locally owned and the owner has not sold out to big chain restaurants. 
• In China Town: R&G Lounge (reservations recommended)
• The Golden Gate bridge was something to behold - the walk there from Fisherman's Wharf through Chrissy fields was a highlight, passing many dog walkers - the dogs we the happiest of all creatures!
• Dress and bring many layers! During our 5 days the pattern was the same: fog in the morning and very cool, lifted in the early afternoon with sunny periods warming up, with fog returning by early evening and cooling off again. I found I was constantly adding and removing layers of clothes in what seemed to be pockets of warm and cool air. 
• We walked to Lombard street (one of the most crookedest streets in the world) after walking up Telegraph Hill and visiting Coit Tower.  
• The evening tour of Alcatraz was a good choice in terms of when to do it.
• We stayed at Parc 55 Hotel in Union Square which was comfortable and a great location. 

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Concert Review: David Leisner - Calgary Society of Classical Guitar

SE Guitar Congress, David Leisner 03 (Photo credit: Larry Miller)

April 20, 2013 - Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB

We attended the concert of classical guitarist David Leisner as a last minute thing to do on a Saturday night. And what an event to attend!

Amazingly, David treated and rehabilitated himself and others from a focal dystonia, which is normally devastating to the abilities of a musician, especially a guitarist or pianist. 

David lives up to the bill of some of the descriptions of his exceptional talent:

"DAVID LEISNER is an extraordinarily versatile musician with a multi-faceted career as an electrifying performing artist, a distinguished composer, and a master teacher."

 ***

“Among the finest guitarists of all time”, according to American Record Guide"

***

"Mr. Leisner has also become a highly respected composer noted for the emotional and dramatic power of his music. Fanfare magazine described it as “rich in invention and melody, emotionally direct, and beautiful”. Guitar Review wrote, “Not many composers manage to be equally satisfying to the hands, the ear and the mind as Leisner has.”

***

David plays a John Gilbert guitar and uses D'Addario Strings exclusively.

***

David Leisner Performs Bach 

The Playlist:

1. Lute Suite in a minor, BVW 997 - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) arr. D. Leisner

• Preluse
• Fugue
• Sarabande (my wife's favourite)
• Gigue
• Double (my favourite in this suite)

2. Labyrinths (2007) - D. Leisner (b. 1953)

- Leisner described his inspiration as the quiet and stillness in nature, but the intricacies that you see the longer you observe this stillness.

- I could see this as a theme in a Quintin Tarantino movie.  

• Shimmer
• Shadow
• Shiver
• Shatter
• Shelter

3. Felicidade - Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994) arr. Roland Dyens; ed. D. Leisner

- lively Spanish flamenco style

4. Nocturnal, op. 70 (1963) - Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

• Musingly
• Very agitated
• Restless
• UneasyMarch-like
• Dreaming
• Gently rocking
• Passsacaglia
• Slow and quiet (Theme)

5. Three Etudes (1928) - Heitor Villa-Lobos

• No. 7 in E major
• No. 8 in c# minor
• No. 12 in a minor

Encore performance

6. Tarantella - Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856)

"He (Leisner) was also a pioneer in the rediscovery of Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856), whose music he recorded on The Viennese Guitar (Titanic) and edited for publication by the Theodore Presser Company, as well as Wenzeslaus Matiegka (1773-1830), whose music he recorded on an Azica CD to be released in the early fall of 2008."

*What a way to end of this night. A beautifully played, emotionally charged rendition of a lesser revered classical guitarist - JK Mertz. 

Brilliant performance!

His website: http://www.davidleisner.com/ 

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Beans and Legumes with the Most Protein

Velvet bean - hunger crop (Photo credit: tonrulkens)

Beans and Legumes with the Most Protein:

"Beans and legumes are inexpensive and a common food all over the world. Typically high in fiber, calcium, and iron, beans and legumes are also a great source of protein. Combined with whole grains like buckwheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and teff, beans and legumes not only make a delcious meal, but often also provide the full compliment of essential amino acids needed by humans. Here is a list of beans and legumes which provide the most protein. The list is ranked in order of which bean and legume has the highest percentage of protein. In general, the more mature a bean or legume, the more rich in protein it will be."

Link: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/beans-legumes-highest-protein.php 

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What kind of beans should I eat? The Great Slow Carb Bean Index | The Slow Carb Foodie

White Cannellini beans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What kind of beans should I eat? The Great Slow Carb Bean Index | The Slow Carb Foodie:

"Bean Quality – what gives the most bang for your buck?

I decided to do a little research on the macro-nutrient counts of various legumes to see how they stack up.  For this chart, I’ve compared 1 cup, cooked of each type of legume.

Bean  Type Calories Carbs Protein Fiber Fat
Black Beans 227 40.8g 15.2g 15g 0.4g
Red Beans 225 40.36 15.35 13.1g .88g
Pinto Beans 245 44.8g 15.4g 15.4g 1.2g
Great Northern Beans 209 37.3g 14.7g 12.4g 0.9g
Cannellini Beans 282 46g 20g 12g 2g
Lima Beans 216 39.3g 14.7g 13.2g 0.8g
Navy Beans 255 47.5g 15g 19.1g 1.1g
Fava Beans 187 33.5g 12.9g 9.2g 0.7g
Mung Beans 212 38.8g 14.2g 15.4g 0.8g
Adzuki Beans 294 57g 17.3g 16.8g 0.2g
Black-eyed Peas 220 32g 16g 8g 1g
ChickPeas (Garbanzo Beans) 269 44.9g 14.5g 12.5g 4.3g
Lentils 230 40g 18g 16g 1g
Soy Beans (edamame) 254 20g 22.2g 7.6g 11.5g"

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