A Sunday Tae Kwon Do Gala Event. . .

While The Young Master needs to retest for his board breaks in two weeks before he can advance officially to Black Belt Recommended status (testing was midday Saturday), we are still attending the special late Sunday afternoon Tae Kwon Do gala event in a little less than two hours at a hotel in East Lansing near campus.

I finally decided to save the evening wear for a little closer to Christmas and New Year's Eve, opting instead for a festive version of blazer and tartan trousers along with a recently acquired Robert Talbott self-tie bow tie, which I managed to nail on the second attempt after almost a year since the last time I wore a similar piece of neck wear.

And I've gotta say that I kind of like it! A nice change from the usual long necktie. Now, don't worry. I'm not about to go all George F. Will, or Irving R. Levine on you, but I might just shake things up in 2023 with the occasional bow tie. They aren't that hard to tie, and the slight asymmetry adds visual interest to any ensemble.

-- Heinz Ulrich

Sunday Evening P.S.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the incredible positivity during this evening's gala dinner and recognition of various Tae Kwon Do students of various ages and abilities. And I preface the following as a confirmed pessimist and cynic. But it really and truly brings a smile to one's face cheering for all of these adults, teenagers, and children about to attain their black belts, or who have moved on to a first, second, third, or fourth degree black belt.

Often in the face of various physical, emotional, or other "life" challenges.

The Young Master and a few others, who must retest on their board breaks in a couple of weeks, still received their special black, gold, and red belts, signifying their Black Belt Recommended status, because, as their lead instructor, Master Fayette, told the room, "In their hearts, they are already black belts. They just have to demonstrate that they can do what they already know." Once they do so, they have the honor of wearing their new belts, the most attractive one yet.

It was a very special evening all around, and our son mentioned how much he enjoyed it as he climbed into bed a short while ago. Clearly, there is still plenty of good in the world. We just have to find it beneath all of the unpleasant stuff clouding our vision.

And as a sartorial aside, there were even a few men and boys in suits, or sports jackets and odd pants combos, and neckties sprinkled around the room, including a few bow ties, among them a family sharing our table. And one man, bless him, in full black tie.

H-U

The Problem of "Business Casual" Attire. . .

This is how it's done. Business Casual the RIGHT way, ladies and gentlemen. Even during the summer months. A photograph (taken by Studio B Portraits ) which appeared in 425 Business Magazine in May 2017. T his post on the problem of business casual dress began as a quick postscript to a previous blog entry last week but quickly grew and grew as additional thoughts occurred, were developed in more detail, and revisions made. So much so, that it seemed, eventually, like a better idea to make the initial P.S. afterthought into its own entry . Are ya ready, Freddy? Then, here we go. . . ------------ U nless you actually plan to sell beach snacks and trinkets on Cozumel, become a serial barista, or greet customers at a fancy nightclub after taking out huge student loans to attend university somewhere for four or five years, plus an MBA afterward, it's really a better idea to err on the side of (somewhat) more formal work at...

Friday on Campus Style. . .

S omewhat atypically, I was on campus for several hours today helping with an interview that is part of a larger documentary project on which a colleague and I are working. Although I am behind the camera (I'm the audio guy in fact), what better reason does one need to dress presentably? Exactly. Everything worn, barring the recently purchased University of Wisconsin socks, a gift from the Grand Duchess, has been in the rotation for a while now. And, of course, there was the Panama hat, which I'll wear until we pass October 1st when the felt fedoras reappear. -- Heinz-Ulrich

The Power of Ideas. . .

T he end is nigh! The autumn semester/term approaches. And while we still have almost two months of summer left according to the calendar, "Summer is over and gone," as the crickets sang in Charlotte's Web . At least for those of us who head back to the classroom in less than a month. In advance of a meeting with my program director late Monday morning, I spent about 40 minutes total during the weekend to jot down several ideas about planned workshops and related activities for the coming 2024-2025 academic year. At an opportune moment, I mentioned "I have a few ideas," and opened my leather portfolio. My director was highly receptive to almost everything I suggested, and we had a very productive planning session for just over 90 minutes. Just about everything I sketched out on Sunday aligns with his own ideas. It's nice when meetings go that well, and two related things occur to me in hindsight. One, it pays to exercise...

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