what is it to be a man?

I've been asking this question a lot recently, particularly since a really important friend of mine C.T. challenged me on a few ideas I had on feminism/gender. Having done a bit of reading around that as an undergraduate I thought myself at least better read and certainly more open to those ideas than many 26 year old men. My slightly regretful feeling is in part feminism ate itself by playing semantics and perhaps more significantly was swiftly marginalised alongside other non-conservative and therefore non-plausible politics. The fact is we probably need it more now than ever in the "west" and outside of that - take one look at a little girl's prospects in Afghanistan and tell me it's all OK.

Anyway, that's not the point of this. If I find it weird and slightly ghastly that a woman would take her boyfriend to a lap-dancing club "because that's cool nowadays" and get a dance herself "for banter" is there not also a problem with the guy?

I started reading Akerlof's Men without Children which, though slightly antiquated reaffirms something I've been thinking a while. Men need to harden the f* up. There is nothing in Nuts magazine be it football, women or photos of various victims of accidents/chainsaws/genetics that has anything to do with being a man. The straight-down-the-line balls to do something, and then stand up for what it is you've done is increasingly rare. I also increasingly see it more in the women I know. We're going to become redundant.

stair porn

i just found this blog - i hope work's it don't hunt me down... it is loosely work related.

shoes: sanders get cool

often overlooked english shoemaker Sanders have long outfitted city gents, cavalry officers and other propper types for some time. they may have the quality right but their standard range has some clangers that have always put me off, tan country brogues, black commando soles = unhappy bjfo.

but i'd be smiling ear to ear with a pair of these

staple: covert coat

this is not a crombie coat - although Crombie do indeed make covert coats. So to do Bladen, Cordings, and competent tailors and the likes of Roderick Charles, Charles Thyrwytt, Magee etc.

and covert coat does not automatic mean velvet collar. in fact i prefer the plain collar styles. what it did originally mean was covert cloth. to that end i can't believe that the likes of ted baker make covert coats, they make reasonable high-st coats with a few lifted style coats. don't expect to had one of those to your kids.

music: j. j. grey & mofro

I came across this band today which is handy, they're the perfect smoother for a sunday afternoon in the office working on some BS that I should be doing right now. Have a listen on their website but be extra sure to check out their cooking tab with a picture of J J Grey with his granny and a trout, why not?