#502 The title of this entry pretty much sums up my feelings on this chilly Thursday evening, as I look back on a week full of blog-foolishness, too many of the people I work for cancelling and weird technical problems. But, here's a necktie that is restful, with its orderly pattern.  This tie is from UNICEF (Salant Menswear Group, US, silk) not an organization that I have many neckties from.  It has an imprint on the back, "Medieval Tile | Circular pavement from Clarendon Palace, England."  That links to an article that associates Clarendon Palace with the Constitutions of Clarendon of 1164. 

     According to the constitutions of this blog, I shall continue the festive mood until February 5th, Ash Wednesday this year.  From then until the Saturday before Easter (not that I often wear a necktie on Saturday), I shall wear ties appropriate to Lent.  It is an opportunity for me to descend into the dustiest vaults for ties that I pass over during the rest of te year.  Until then, the good times are rolling on and on.  One of the best things about this blog is that it is very green, since my ties are all recycled, so to speak.  When I purchase them, I do not line the pockets of big business, but since they are purchased in thrift shops (there are six such stores within an easy lunchtime walk of my office), they all represent acts of charity. 

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved

     #501 Yes, after 500 ties I can come up with something completely different!  This is a Giorgo Armani tie (and I don't believe I've ever blogged one of his), but best of all, it is a brand new fabric.  Not silk, not cotton, not polyester, not wool, not any of the odd synthetics that the old ties are made of.  This one is - just the flax, ma'am - made in Italy of linen.  There is a link with yesterday's Egyptian theme, because linen two or three thousand years old has been found, intact, in the tombs of the Pharaohs.  I've mentioned before that I wish I could post the textures.  This one really needs to be touched to be appreciated.  And, that's enough for tonight.   

      Not really.  I just checked in on one of the coziest spots on the Internet, Gentle Breeze in the United States.  It is crammed full of good friends, bright artwork, and jokes that are worth sharing.  Somehow, whenever I visit Ms. Breeze's neighborhood, I believe I can smell the coffee brewing, so friends can sit a spell and chat.  Well, to my surprise tonight, I found that she had made me a present.  Thanks, Ms. Breeze.  Next time, I'll bring doughnuts.

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved

     #500 at last, and it's an Egyptian-themed tie from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Silk, Canada).  These Museum ties have appeared in this blog with some frequency, most recently, at the end of 2007.  I've even blogged another Metropolitan Museum of Art tie with an Egyptian theme, which is appropriate, because when I used to visit the Museum, I always headed for the Egyptian wing first.

     Most Metropolitan Museum of Art ties are rather simple, based on repetitive decorative designs.  Not this beauty, however.  Besides my fondness for Egyptian art, it could not have been more appropriate for me if I had designed it myself, with its bird and cat images, reflecting the presence in my home and heart of a parrot and two cats.  Best of all, up there in the corner, is the Eye of Horus, and eyes and their functions or disfunctions are an important part of this blog.

     Finally, it was given to me by my friend who appears here under the nom de blog of the Designated Shopper.  He finds great neckties for me, and I maintain a website for him.

     And now, it's time to present that beautiful blonde who is walking in the footsteps of another blonde, Marlene Dietrich, who has been recognized often in these postings for her fondness for wearing ties.  (Scroll down to the January 15th entry for a video of Dietrich wearing a bowtie.)

     It is my pleasure to present Cara Bell Crowder.  I've known her and worked in the same office with her for three years.  But, I want to share with you what Eva,  my colleague and Cara's best human buddy, has to say about her:

Cara Bell Crowder, a female Goldador (Yellow Labrador/Golden Retriever mix) arrived on my doorstep February 2002.  She has been the most affectionate, want-to-please canine of my three guide dogs.  She rarely needs a leash correction because a simple firm verbal correction sets her into a pouting mood.  When Cara is in harness, she is all about business.  When she is out of harness, she wants to play and snuggle.  Cara, like my previous dogs, received an education as well.  She accompanied me to Florida State University, to work, and abroad. 

Cara despises anything that has to do with water, aside from drinking.  To her the pool is just a huge bathtub and she wants nothing to do with it!  Her favorite treat is dog biscuits and a tug-of-war with her rope toy.  Cara required a refresher course in January 2007 but just turned seven in May and is back in shape and going strong.

     I would like to add that Cara received an education even before she met Eva.  She is a proud alumna of Southeastern Guidedogs.  Think of it as a sort of Ivy League school, where very intelligent students hang out, wearing politically incorrect fur and walking on four legs.  (Those crazy college kids!)

     An education at Southeastern is not cheap, and yet neither the four-legged students nor the people they serve pay anything.  So, Cara's modelling fee - $200 - was a donation to her alma mater.

     Whenever I am around guide dogs (follow that link to a great article), I am thankful that the people who need their help have such intelligent, well-educated assistants.  Yet, I am also thankful that I do not need their services.

     Just for a minute, follow Cara, at least her example, by visiting the website of Southeastern Guide Dogs, and sending a donation so that people who need a guide to find their potential can have one.  You can mail a donation directly to 4210 77th Street E., Palmetto, FL 34221.  Specify that it is for the "cookie bunch," an alumni group that Cara is involved with.

     Guide dogs may not all be beautiful blondes with such a flair for fashion, but they all have a beauty that only their teammates can truly perceive and appreciate. 

     Sorry about the cat on the tie, Cara, but it is for a good cause!

     Next: Just the flax, ma'am!  (Or, yes, after 500 ties I can come up with something completely different!)

 Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved

      #499 Here's another sad necktie - another Boxelder (silk, Italy), I might add - that was in the running to be number 500.  That may be surprising, because it looks rather... well... simple?  Tasteful?  Why would it appeal to me? 

     This tie has all the Wright stuff.  It is, in fact, a design by Frank Lloyd Wright (and Boxelder has a special collection of ties based on his designs): "Autobiography: Book Three End Papers, 1943."  That is important to me, because I live in Lakeland, Florida, which is home Florida Southern College, the largest single site collection of his buildings in the world.  There are few things I enjoy more than strolling through these old-fashionedly modern buildings, wondering at the textures and colors, the placement of the buildings such as the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, seen here in a vintage postcard view, complete with "God's bicycle rack" on the top. 

      I have just one little story to tell before the announcement of tie #500 and the identity of the model wearing it.  Today (Dr. King's birthday), fearing that I was running low on necktie, I hit my boutiques of choice and found another Boxelder necktie.  Hmm, #1000 already?

     Next: #500!  

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved

     #498  This necktie has a certain sadness about it, because it was originally going to be #500.  It is made of very nice silk by The Boxelder Company, in Milwaukee, and it features a work of art - not the first that has been displayed this week.  Imprinted on the back is "The Art of M. C. Escher | © M. C. Escher Foundation | c/o Cordon Art, Baarn, Holland."  According to the company's website, it "was established in 1989 to make and sell M.C. Escher licensed silk neckties."  Good for them.

     This is a great tie (wish I could post the silk for you to feel), but what put it in the running for the special spot on the blog and around the neck of a mysterious blonde next week is that the tie that originally motivated me to do this blog was - of all things - another Boxelder creation, which got featured in my listing of "More Fundamental Ties" as well as in my first entry for neckties worn on a specific day.

     And so, I come full circle with only my second Boxelder tie.  That's enough of a story for today.

     Next: The Wright Stuff

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved

     #497 So, just take that in for a moment.  (You can, by the way, find a photo of the whole tie here.)  To get the basics out of the way, the label reads "Gallery Collection by Christina Désirée (silk, US).  Printed on the back is "Gustav Klimt - Fulfillment 1905." 

     If you click on the title, you will see something different from this necktie.  Maybe it is inspired by...?  Whatever the story, it is inspired.  By the way, Klimt's  Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is currently (as far as I can tell) the most expensive painting in the world, reportedly selling for $135 million in 2006.  And, one of the most sophisticated, downright elegant websites I have ever see is iKlimt.  So pop open one of those bottles of Dom Pérignon you have around the house, put some Vivaldi on (although they lean toward Erik Satie), and have yourself a cyber-blast.

     Today, I got a call from one of the people I work for, a former New York City policeman who uses his computer and adaptive software to read the crime reports in The New York Daily News.  Some people who are blind used to fight crime.  Some people who are blind, by the way, have rap sheets.  In fact, some got rap sheets after they lost their vision; you don't have to be able to see to break the law.

     This gentleman, who last Thanksgiving cooked dinner for sixty (and, fortunately for me, needed some help with his computer just before the holiday, so I got a plate), was calling for some help.  Of course, these poor blind people need a lot of help don't they?  

     He wanted to use me as a reference because he is volunteering to work on a neighborhood patrol!  I just thought that since this entry is about a classy tie, artist, and website, I'd include a person with real class.

    Next: Circle of Ties.

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved

  Color, vitality, excitement, not to mention a gold chain across the back.  Of course, don't color, vitality, and excitement just scream Rush Limbaugh?  The gold chain on the back clinches the deal.  I don't know how or why, but Rush Limbaugh has his name on the back (along with the gold chain) some of the wildest silk neckties I have ever worn.  I just found a page about his "Carousel" tie - which I blogged back before this blog site made some change that messed up the appearance of my pages.  According to this page, these "No Boundaries" ties (the ironic name of the Limbaugh label) have not been made since 1998.  They are some of the most outstanding ties (and they literally stand out) I own.  I have to repeat that I buy my ties at thrift shops (there are six within an easy lunchtime walk of my office), so I have not supported anyone, even Countess Mara, whose name appears on any of my neckties.

     We get mail. Someone asked why on Wednsday, January 23, 2008, tie #500 will be worn by a beautiful blonde.  Wouldn't it be more typical to have a guy model neckties?  Well, since the days of Marlene Dietrich, at least, there have been striking images of women wearing ties.  Dietrich wouldn't just stop with the tie, but go on to the full outfit.  Here, wearing a bow tie, she is in what is still one of the most sexually charged scenes of all time, still sexy after all these more than seventy years since Morocco was released (1930).  

     Now, that ought to take your mind off the subject of the earlier part of this entry and psyche you up for a beautiful blonde in a necktie.  But, to take another change, I am sad to report that I did not come to the right conclusions about my tie that featured llamas.  Please scroll down to learn the sad truth, and get the real poop on some unusual jewelry.

     Next: Fulfillment.

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved

     #493 I have mentioned that I do not travel much anymore, but my neckties have given me a sort of passport to travel to farflung places.  I've been surprised how often they have taken me to Australia.  In fact, I wore ties either made in Australia or with Australian imagery for a memorable week.  Somehow, I don't associate Aussies with cravats, but obviously, I am wrong.  Consider this bit of Australian finery (Bulurru, polyester). 

     Yes, polyester again.  I am amazed how many of these celebratory ties are coming up in that material.  By the way, a couple of days ago, I wore a skinny polyester tie.  I have since found (but did not purchase) that tie - same width, same design - in burgundy.  Those things happen, but I really do not want another skinny polyester tie.

     Again, there is some unexpected significance to the tie of the day.  I am late posting this entry tonight, because I just finished a two-hour telephone call from an exotic land.  When I say that the call involved tech support (or lack of support), you can imagine which country I am referring to. 

     Yesterday, a friend of mine died at the age of thirty-five.  Today, a friend's grandmother died at the age of a hundred and one.  And also today Sir Edmund Hillary died at the age of eighty-nine (and his death is already entered in Wikipedia).  I don't know why I include the ages.  A loss is a loss.  There are many kinds of good lives, but I don't think that there is ever a truly good death.  "Anyone's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind," if I may update that great text a bit. Every birth, I suppose, gives us all increase, and just today I learned that a friend just became an aunt.  I hope she is as lucky in her aunt-ing as I've been in my uncl-ing.

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved    

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved     

     #491 I have said that this is a month for superlatives, and this tie is the most exotic, at least if my exercise in forensic cravet-ology has yielded the truth.  The tie is made of a rather roughly woven wool, with a variety of textures and colors much more subtle than this scan shows.  (Actually, the tie is a dark red.)   There are no labels to guide me, no lining either, and the construction of the tie is simple. 

     And, it has those two llamas facing each other.  I have seen such figures before, in textiles from the Andes, specifically Peru and Bolivia.  (Check those links for illustrations.)  So, my opinion is that this is a tie made of llama wool in the Andes.  I'm sticking by it until I'm proven wrong.

     The llamas are, of course, the great service animals of the Andes.  Originally, they did not pull wheeled carts, because wheels were not used in the Americas until after the European invasion:  I can imagine somewhere a brightly colored wheel with the text: My home was invaded, I was marginalized while most of my family died of strange diseases... and all I got was this lousy wheel.

     In my job, I often meet some very special service animals, guide dogs trained to help people who are blind.  The ties that bind the two-legged member and the four-legged member of such a team are the most amazing ties of all.  It certainly is appropriate for me to mention them in this time of celebration... especially since the $200 that I paid for my necktie model's services has been donated to Southeastern Guide Dogs.  I mention the specific amount in hopes that it will challenge some of my readers to join in supporting this excellent organization.  You can click on the link, for further information, or you can send a donation to Southeastern Guide Dogs, 4210 77th Street E., Palmetto, FL 34221.  Please specify this has been raised by the "Cookie bunch," a group of guide-dog users including a co-worker of mine who are participating in a fundraiser for the organization.

     By the way, although people usually refer to such dogs as  Seeing Eye® dogs, that is actually a registered trademark, so "guide dog" is preferred.  Whatever you call them, just treat them with the respect that they deserve, as outlined in this guide dog etiquette (actually a guide to human etiquette when interacting with a guide dog).  I'll be writing more about this subject, I am sure.

     (1/15/2008)  I didn't expect to have more to write about this tie or about llama products.  Brian Pinkerton of Mount Lehman Llamas  (the website should be titled, "More than You Ever Imagined You Could Know About Llamas") set me straight about my common Peruvian necktie, which is not made of llama wool.  He also told me about llama pill jewelry.  Llama pills, shall we say, are not something you get at the veterinarian's office.  Rather, they are a llama product that I had never thought about... certainly not for jewelry.  

      Next: A floral offering.

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved      

      #490 So that you can orient yourself, that is a necktie there, but, this time out, I'm showing the blade (front) and the tail (back) because this is such a skinny little tie.  I debated with myself about including this tie in this festive occasion - it seems more appropriate for Lent - but, since I am trying to include an educational dimension, I decided it has its place.  Yes, Virginia, there are skinny ties.  Enough said, except that the labels read "City Streets, US, polyester." 

     But, this tie has something else to teach us, since it is made of polyester. Although I do not wear or blog many polyester ties, that material has an important role in my history of necktie-wearing.  When I began my job for which I wear neckties, I hated having to wear them.  Most mornings, I would wait until I had parked my car at the office to tie the tie, and every afternoon, I untied the tie as soon as I reached my car.

     The reason for this, I soon realized, was that most of my ties were polyester.  I'm not being a snob.  It's just that most polyester ties are neither easy to tie nor fun to wear.  Instead of gradually going though my holdings, I pretty much dumped them all at once at thrift shops, where I turned around and bought other ties.  No, they do not offer trades (as second-hand bookstores sometimes do).  Now, I find my collection seriously lacking in the kind of garish polyester ties I used to own.  I do have some polyester ties, and some of them are no problem.  But, I also have ties made of wool (a very special wool tomorrow), cotton, and linen.  None of duct tape, I must say, nor wood either.

     The real skinny on my job is that I mainly work with three programs to help people with visual impairnments access a computer, and you can download demos of them for free from their websites.  JAWS (Job Access With Speech), an amazing screen-reader for people who are totally blind, and MAGic, a magnification program with speech, are products of FreedomScientific, while ZoomText, a magnification program with speech, is provided by AI Squared, which also has a program called BigShot, which is a limited magnification program without speech for people who just need a little help. 

     Next: Service animals.

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved      

     It's time to go sailing away with a very special necktie.  I realize that I am going to be wearing out my vocabulary of words such as special, amazing, unique, and distinctive across this month as I wear, blog, and celebrate my most special, amazing, and distinctive ties.  As a sometime English teacher, I won't be wearing any "most unique" ties, since unique does not allow comparison.  (A four-headed chicken is no more unique than a three-headed chicken.)
     But, this tie is very special to me.  It has appeared previously in this blog, when I began with twelve "fundamental ties," as I called them, ties that I commented on to show the range of neckties, without getting them into the daily routine of wearing and blogging them.
     This is one of my older ties, my vintage ties, as I call them, borrowing the terminology of Will Stuivenga's tie blog.  People think of older ties as being wider than contemporary ties. This tie, like some other older ties I have, has suffered surgery, to make it about an inch narrower than it originally was, I guess when fashion dictated a narrower tie.
     Actually, for me, there is more difference in the length.  These older ties are several inches shorter than contemporary ties. I've noticed, watching older films, that men rarely showed the tips of their ties.  They wore ties with buttoned jackets or with buttoned vests.  So, the shorter tie was not as awkward looking as it is today, when I usually wear a necktie without a jacket.  I tie these ties with very short tails behind, so that they look contemporary on the front.
      But, that causes another problem.  If you'll look at the picture, you'll see that there is a dark, solid color above the image on the tie.  This, as Will Stuivenga points out discussing his ties, assured that the knot would be a pleasant solid color.  The way I tie these ties, the knots are solid color, but there is an unwanted solid zone above the image.
      I suppose what I am trying to say is that I am not much of a fan of these older ties, but some of them do amaze me.  This one, for instance, is - according to a label - hand painted, and I have no reason to doubt that. This tie also has a richly complex (or complexly rich) brocade. 
      Many older ties have no surviving labels.  A store label is more likely to last than a manufacturer's label.  This one has a label reading "Boynton-Richards Co. | 107 First Street | Dixon, Ill."  I have found a reference to Boynton Richards in Dixon in 1960.
     My work at the Lighthouse with its requisite neckties has opened many adventures for me.  Since I've previously referred to my fellow necktie blogger, Will Stuivenga, in this entry, this might be a good time to mention other necktie bloggers.  I thought I had a unique idea for a blog (not very unique, just unique) for a blog, but to my surprise, Burl Veneer had already staked his claim to being - as far as I know - the first blogger of neckties.  For about five months last year, there was an intriguing blog of necktie, shirt, and jacket, which has been in a long hiatus.
     Most recently, a new website devoted to ties, "2 Tie a Tie" - not a blog but an impressive acculumation of everything you ever wanted to know about neckties... and probably a few that you did not even know that you could know. Some good background information, not on the site but about it, can be found here.

     Happy Epiphany to those for whom that day has meaning.  Since I have never heard of an "Epiphany War," I'll join in the fun with an unusual observance.  Tonight, after a holiday pause, my distance-learning Dharma study with its weekly conference call is starting up again. 

     Next: The real skinny.

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Segers, all rights reserved