After I wrote about the Ahwahnee dropping its requirement for a coat and tie on men at dinner, I got this from Kent Peterman:
Ships used to be a bastion of proper dress but I just read on a blog that a CD and his assistant counted the number of tuxes on a formal night and counted 10 (out of 3,000 passengers).
Brooksie and I recently stayed at the Clift Hotel. I was thrown out of the Redwood Room there in the 70's not because of what I was wearing (a suit and tie) but because my hair was a tad over my collar. It would not have been a problem on the last visit.
It's too bad that casualness has become so pervasive. I used to dress up to fly. Actually I still wear a blazer. When I first sailed on ships formal was a tux, informal was a suit, and casual was a sportcoat or blazer with slacks, tie, and shirt.
I personally blame the profusion of baseball caps and fanny packs but that's just my theory. The thing of it is that if no one dresses up for things that are special then they cease to be special.
I responded: "Wow Kent! I could not agree more. In 1985, we were thrown out of London's pricey Connaught hotel at BREAKFAST because I was not wearing a coat and tie. I think the LA Country Club still maintains standards, but it may be among the last places on earth. That and television. When we turn on the TV and an anchor in the studio or a late-night talk show host is not wearing a coat and tie, that will be a sign of the apocalypse."
Kent also sent me an email showing a visualization of the national debt. I found it on a web site, although just from the name of it, I am sure I don't agree with ANY commentary or analysis on this site. Still, the simple facts are staggering, regardless of your take on it.
My tale of computer woe brought commiseration from Joe Edwards, along with the fact that he uses "a service called Mozy that automatically sweeps my entire system every few hours and stores it centrally."
Cbuck Carroll was tickled by the invisible Mercedes. Now you can be too.
Dan Grobstein File
Just one item in the file this week:
- Jesse Lee (@jesseclee44) 105 million Americans (1/3 of total population) no longer face lifetime limits on their insurance.
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