It is through our failures that we find who we really are

The Lancer
Off the Cuff
Trial By Fire
April 29th 2014 (20 minutes)


So I've been trying for some time to come up with a good article to
start off my foray in this blog. Everything seemed all wrong or to go
amiss, and etc. Currently I am sitting in a laboratory where many of
my experiments are not running properly, and I have a rather fiery
boss to contend with, along with a now rather unhelpful co-worker.

But last night I was reminded of one of my favorite musicals, and
easily one of my favorite reads in high school: Don Quixote (in
musical form: Man of La Mancha). The reason why Don Quixote is so
charming is because he doesn’t really care about his chances. He does
what he does, and yes he looks rather silly tilting at windmills. However
the raw passion Don Quixote has dominates over
any cowering nature Alonso Quijana may have had; a mindset that plagued
men of Cervantes time, and plagues many men of the present day.

This is not to say there are not great examples set by men like
Eisenhower, Zhuge Liang (Chinese Strategist), Ataturk and etc. but
more often than not we only see the highlight reels.

The first thing about a gentleman is he knows how to fall. He knows
how to fall with grace, and to rise again above it to become even
finer than ever. Not just to fall either, but teach others how to
avoid the fall, or how to rise above it again like he. In our day and
age social media has made it so falling is a damning sign of
inferiority, when previously errors were far more tolerated. I have
realized that in the past few years I have shown signs of extreme
intolerance against errors. In such a world Don Quixote is no longer a
hero but a fool. But it is men like Don Quixote who really live. Sure
better planning may be advisable to him, and this may be his fault.
However if I have noticed one thing is that modern “men” are not
remotely quixotic enough. Instead pessimism dominates and shrouds
itself in intelligence.

Thus I write this rant to point out that we are far too cautious. Do I
dare disturb the universe? Yes, because a gentleman would. And a
gentleman would be more than happy to land on his backside than to
simply sit on it pondering.


All for now,
Best Wishes,
Lancer


PS: Yes I am about to go tilt at a wind turbine. Wish me luck.

Articles of Engagement

The Rochestarian

Cuff-linked

Rules of the house

April 18, 2014

Alright.  Let’s begin.

This project is not intended to be a one man operation.  The opinion of one person is, simply put, singular.  Under the proper circumstances, the confluent views of many foster true novelty and realization.  My goal is to find interesting, motivated, and considerate people to contribute to the haberdashery and let them write about the topics they care about.  Then we see what transpires.

How do we guarantee an iota of consistency without stifling the process? That is simple.  We have a header on the top of each entry.  Its purpose is to give the reader a few details so they know how to approach what lies ahead.

The basic format is as follows:

Author

Off-the-cuff or Cuff-linked

Succinct purpose of the entry

Date(s) written

Let’s look at a brief description of each line.

Author: Identify who you are. 

The Cuff: There are two possibilities here.  The first is ‘off-the-cuff.’  These entries are exactly as described.  They are written on the fly, without preparation or research, and only very generally preconceived.  The true gentleman excels at spontaneous conversation.  We can foster this attitude with off-the-cuff remarks.  ‘Cuff-linked’ is the opposite.  It is studied, researched, carefully considered, and properly referenced when appropriate.  When an entry is marked this way, expect careful attention to details, well-constructed arguments, and accurate information.

Purpose:  In very few words, describe why the entry exists.  It can be indicated as a part of a series or a standalone record of ideas.   It is a statement of intentions, so to speak.  If it cannot be described succinctly, consider why the entry lacks focus before proceeding.

Dates: Conception, writing, editing, and posting may occur at different times.  Provide the history of your words.  Generally, list the date you began the entry and the date you completed it.  A single date generally indicates a single-sitting writing event.

All I ask is that each entry posted provide this header.  The rest is up to you.

Cheers and happy writing!

Motivations

The Rochestarian

Off-the-cuff

First Impressions

February 12, 2014           

There is truth in the idea that ‘you only get one chance at a first impression.’  That being said, I hope there’s enough depth to your person that it would be impossible to gauge a fair impression on an initial read.  If you are to be a complex individual, how do you best represent yourself?  How do you make your first impression a representative one?  It’s all about how you present and carry yourself.  This, more than anything else, is the driving idea behind what you are reading.

It occurred to me that the gentlemen’s world is somewhat more nebulous than it appears to have been in the past.  If not nebulous, perhaps simply more complicated.  I have traveled my own road long enough to wish to share my findings with others, and, furthermore, I’m not beyond accepting help on my continuing journey.  I want for this to be a place for sharing among like-minded individuals.  I make no promise of grand revelations and earth-shattering ideas, but I hope for good conversation, interesting topics, and solid advice.

I intend to write about literature, fashion, etiquette, music, food, drink, travel, and whatever else crosses my mind.  Personally, I think it’s worth considering what it means to be a gentleman in the contemporary world, so expect a lot about that as well.  My experience is singular, and thus, definitively one sided, so this will only work if other self-professed upstanding gentlemen contribute.  Let the search begin.  May they find their way to these conversations. 

Next time, let’s discuss how we shall proceed.  Our rules of engagement, so to speak.

Until then, cheers!  It was good chatting with you.