Esquire articles from June 2004

Esquire archives from June 2004

Lacoste pour homme Father's Day gift with purchase.(Style agenda: a special promotion for Esquire readers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Spoil him this Father's Day with the "Accent On Style" special offer, featuring limited edition products: 2.5 oz. Facial Moisturizing Lotion 1.6 oz. Shaving Smoother .06 oz. Eau de Toilette 1.6 oz. Facial Scrub 1.6 oz....

Concord Saratoga[R] SR.(Style agenda: a special promotion for Esquire readers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A precision sport luxury watch like no other, the Concord Saratoga[R] SR is bold and daring. This intricately crafted timepiece is distinguished by a unique eight-sided PVD bezel punctuated by stainless steel accents. A black rubber strap, with...

Esquire eats.(Style agenda: a special promotion for Esquire readers)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... What does a man-about-town need to know about getting around a kitchen? Esquire spells it out in 192 pages of great recipes, essential cooking tips, and smooth entertaining advice. Esquire Eats takes you step-by-step through everything you...

South by Southwest Music Festival.(By invitation only: a special promotion for Esquire readers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... On March 20th, Esquire and XM Satellite Radio hosted a concert at the South By Southwest Music Festival. The concert was broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio and featured an incredible line-up of music including: Los Lobos, The Old 97's, Patty...

The ride to summer.(Editor's Letter)
June 1, 2004... YESTERDAY, ON A COLD APRIL SUNDAY, I took a borrowed Chevy SSR and made a pilgrimage to the Red Rooster up in Brewster, New York. I will (uncharacteristically) refrain from saying anything overwrought along the lines that the Red Rooster is the...

John Sack: (1930-2004): Esquire's legendary war correspondent, a founder of New Journalism, covered every conflict from Korea to the war on terrorism.(Contributors)(Obituary)
June 1, 2004... ONE DAY A FEW YEARS AGO, John Sack came by the office and we went to lunch at a fish place a few blocks away. It was a spectacular late-summer day in New York. John had just recently had back surgery and was a little hobbled, but, still, he...

Fresh from eden.(The Sound and the Fury)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... FRESH FROM EDEN, the lovely Brit Rachel Weisz graced our annual All About Women issue. Also, writer Tom Chiarella conducted a social experiment and found that the world regards you differently when you include some muscle in your entourage ("My...

The importance of Remembering.(The Sound and the Fury)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... In the March issue, writer at large Mike Sager offered a riveting account from the ruins of Wildcat Canyon, California, a community devastated by the wildfires of 2003. America has forgotten how to appreciate tragedy. Maybe the heightened...

Taxing bad taste.(The Sound and the Fury)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... In April, music columnist Andy Langer suggested a controversial means of encouraging record companies to produce CDs worth listening to: charge more. I applaud you for having the balls to run Langer's "What Is Music Worth?" (Man at His...

Rock this town.(The Sound and the Fury)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... In recognizing a few oft overlooked music towns, we found that music fans can be a tough bunch to please. It has come to my attention that Esquire recently compiled a list of "Cities That Rock" (Things a Man Should Know About Music...

The Sound of Muzak.(The Sound and the Fury)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Answer Fella's recent appraisal of elevator music and Muzak as "crap" (Man at His Best, February) elicited a protest from the makers of Muzak, who responded with a collection of music tailored specifically for Esquire, and the challenge to us...

Act 6 speakers.(Style Agenda: a special promotion for Esquire readers)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... How do you improve on perfection from the industry leading sub-satellite series from Energy TAKE 5? An encore of course. And now, an even smaller flatter solution designed by award winning engineer John Tchilinguirian, the latest in flat screen...

Anthology.(Style Agenda: a special promotion for Esquire readers)(knitwear technology )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Anthology has been at the forefront of the fine gauge knitwear boom for the past six years, offering cutting-edge knitwear technology coupled with beautiful colors and textures. Anthology has recently branched out into wovens with the same...

Claiborne for men.(Style Agenda: a special promotion for Esquire readers)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... NOW GET IT ONLINE @ www.Claiborne.com. You love the look, now you'll love the ease of shopping for Claiborne right on line. Business and pleasure, build up your wardrobe for spring and summer. From casual tees to classic suits and every...

King of the grill sweepstakes.(Style Agenda: a special promotion for Esquire readers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A summer BBQ without juicy, delicious burgers? Unthinkable. Esquire invites you to kick off the summer social season of grilling, friends, and food with our "Tastes Like Summer" recipe contest sponsored by America's Beef Producers. Summer...

Funny * joke from a beautiful woman.(Man at His Best)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is smoking a cigarette with a very satisfied smile on his face. The egg is frowning and looking frustrated. The egg says, "Guess we answered that question." As told by Diane Kruger ...

The seven most remarkable things in culture this month.(The Awards)
June 1, 2004... 1 Least-Inviting Mattress--From Larry Sultan: The Valley, a collection of the photographer's shots of porn sets in the San Fernando Valley 2 Most Disturbing Historical Footnote "You may store the [nuclear launch] codes in your wallet, or,...

This month's object of desire: the Volkswagen R32.(Cars)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THERE'S SOMETHING naughty about this car. I could say it's the zip under her hood, all 240 horses of it, that makes me sweat. Or the fact that she comes only with a six-speed stick. But what really gets me worked up over this spry little German...

The indefensible position: car helmets are cool.(Cars)
June 1, 2004... I WEAR A CAR HELMET. You read right. A plastic-coated Styrofoam job with a little buckle beneath the chin. It's the same one I originally bought for mountain biking. Put it on in a car and-presto--you've got a car helmet. And you're a fucking...

Wet suits.(Style & Grooming)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... I DON'T OWN AN UMBRELLA, never have. I always thought this made me a bit of a freak. Turns out, there must be a lot of freaks out there. Why else would three separate companies have introduced water-resistant suits they claim wet keep you...

The endorsement: tucks wipes.(Style & Grooming)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... FIVE YEARS AGO, Sweetie (the wife) introduced me to Tucks hemorrhoid pads. She changed my life. Growing up, I watched the unfortunate commercial: a close-up of a flaming match being put out by a Tucks medicated pad, whatever that was. It made...

Q+A: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.(Books)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, RON CHERNOW... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? Yes, the begoggled skyhooker has a new gig: historian, Brothers in Arms (Broadway Books, $25), cowritten with Anthony Walton, is an account of the U. S. Army's first African-American...

Big important book of the month.(Books: The Frightening Thing About David)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... THE FRIGHTENING THING ABOUT DAVID Bezmozgis's Natasha and Other Stories (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $18) isn't how good it is or how young Bezmozgis is--although it is scary good, and D-Bez is barely 30. No, What's truly terrifying is how...

3 for your shelf.(Books)
June 1, 2004... THOMAS FRANK'S What's the Matter with Kansas? (Metropolitan Books, $24) offers a trenchant look at the political history of the increasingly conservative eponymous state.... In The Irresponsible Self (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $24), James Wood...

Saving Tom Hanks: is the Academy's favorite son regressing to his Splash-era silliness? Man, we hope so.(Movies)
June 1, 2004... ACTORS WHO ATTEND the Oscar ceremony, with few exceptions, are not having a good time. Of those nominated for an award, 80 percent will not win, which entails giving an impromptu performance as someone magnanimous enough to be happy for the...

Q+A: Jim Jarmusch.(Interview)
June 1, 2004... Coffee and Cigarettes, which first garnered attention at this year's Toronto Film Festival, is a collection of 11 shorts featuring director Jim Jarmusch's favorite actors meeting over America's two favorite vices: Cate Blanchett talks to her...

Rock radio wakes up: once a haven for adventurous music by Nirvana and the Cure, alternative-rock radio is finally an alternative again.(Movies)
June 1, 2004... HE FCC MAY BE CLAMPING DOWN on dick jokes, but something else is funny about alternative-rock radio: The same format that delivered us Nirvana is suddenly listenable again. For most of us, when alternative radio was ruined by rap metal, we went...

The resident rock star monthly musings from our cultural advisor.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ESQUIRE HAS GIVEN ME a third of a page to write whatever I please. Evidently it's bad form to sell it for ad space (sorry, Jim Ellis Ford and Mercury Dealers). So this month, I thought I'd share with you a new musician whose music's got me...

Museums for men: they may not be high culture, but at least they're ours.(Travel)
June 1, 2004... * INTERNATIONAL BOWLING MUSEUM, St. Louis Explore 5,000 years of pin games, not to mention a serious collection of vintage bowling trophies, in this 50,000-square-foot space. You can also roll a few. 800-966-2695; bowlingmuseum.com. Key...

The best hotel for sex.(Travel)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... KEITH ROGAL KNOWS what couples like in a hotel room, and it's not just high-speed Internet access. His Carneros Inn--the first new resort in California's Napa Valley in 20 years--is well equipped for more physical pursuits. The upscale cottages...

Old loves, new Leicas.(The Digital Man)
June 1, 2004... GROWING UP, I WANTED TO BE a still photographer. I wanted to be Elliott Erwitt, Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, or Garry Winogrand. In high school, I built a darkroom in my bedroom in New York City that forced me to sleep in the one-foot space...

What's in your Netflix queue?(The Digital Man)
June 1, 2004... 1] The 400 Blows 2] This Is Spinal Tap 3] Roman Holiday 4] The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 5] The Wizard of Oz 6] Rushmore 7] Being There 8] The Third Man 9] Singin 'in the Rain 10] Gigi

Propecia, cell phones, wine etiquette & monkey-human hybrids.(Answer Fella)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Esquire's Answer Fella believes that there are no stupid questions, just stupid people who don't ask questions, fearing they'll took stupid. So ask Answer Fella anything. If he doesn't know the answer, he'll. find out who does, or who has a...

The ultimate tie manual.(the Esquire Guide)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE SEVEN-FOLD TIE It's the gold standard of ties--one large piece of silk folded into itself and then folded again and again until what is left is the sturdiest, most sumptuous piece of neckwear in existence. It needs no inner lining, which...

Knots: a how to.(the Esquire Guide)(Cotton shirt )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Cotton shirt ($225), Best of Class by Robert Talbott; silk tie ($155) by Brioni. Half Windsor: >> Adding a couple of extra moves widens the knot, which works with most collars. It should be wide enough to fill the center space of your...

Toast in the machine: the robots are coming! (For real.) The robots are coming! (And they mean business.) The robots are coming! (Are you ready?).(Chuck Klosterman's America)
June 1, 2004... LIKE MOST MIDDLE-CLASS white people who will never be shot at, I'm fascinated by the hyperdesperate, darkly realistic, paper-chasing world of postmodern hip-hop. I've learned a lot about life from watching MTV Jams; my understanding of the...

Q+A: K. Eric Drexler, the father of nanotechnology.(Interview)
June 1, 2004... ARE YOU LIKE ME? Do you sometimes worry that tiny machines will consume the earth in a sinister attempt to destroy our society? If so, the scenario you fear hinges on the idea of "gray goo," a theory proposed by a futurist named K. Eric...

Ten things you don't know about women.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... 1. We willingly admit to being creatures of at least two minds--the rational, intellectual side and the female side. And though our rational, intellectual side recognizes that buying us some silly stuffed animal for Valentine's Day is a...

The outsider: the most famous American athlete not playing in America is ungainly, unorthodox, and takes no medication for his Tourette's. He may also become the best goalkeeper in the world.(The Game)
June 1, 2004... HE KNOWS HE'S WEAKEST just before he puts out the lights. So the night before a big game--and here in Manchester, they're all big games--Tim Howard checks into some posh hotel and reads himself into a dreamless sleep, alone. Now it's To Kill a...

Q+A: Eric Gagne.(Interview)
June 1, 2004... * Growing up in the suburbs of Montreal, Eric Gagne was an unlikely candidate to become the most dominant relief pitcher in baseball The L. A. Dodgers' closer who didn't speak any English until he was nineteen, started playing only so he had...

The 30-second sermon.(Getting Better)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... I WAS AT A SILENT AUCTION not tong ago to raise money for a cancer treatment center. A poster of Muhammad Ali was one of the items offered; it was by the artist LeRoy Neiman. Now, Muhammad was a guy who'd bothered me for years--from the moment...

Yogurt for men.(Getting Better)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Yogurt has become the sensible baby food of adult culture. In its popular form--the too--small single-serving container, the chintzy tinfoil lid, the stagnant slurry of inexplicable liquid on top, the scant puree of bland fruit on bottom--each...

Ask Dr. Oz free advice from a medical professional!(Getting Better)
June 1, 2004... I know my anger's no good for my soul, but what about my body? Depends on how you vent that anger. According to a recent study, it's overt hostility--as opposed to simmering rage--that represents the greater health risk. The study...

The restless man.(Real Adventures for Regular Guys)
June 1, 2004... THIS MONTH: Trekking to a forgotten paradise WHERE: Deep in Mexico's Sierra Madres DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Can you handle a couple of days of rigorous hiking? A few cactus scratches? COST OF EIGHT-DAY ADVENTURE: $550 (plus airfare)...

What's the deal with pinching nipples? All these how-to books say it's something women enjoy, but whenever I've done it, the only sound I've elicited is a yelp. There must be something I'm missing.(Sex)
June 1, 2004... First, I need you to return the how-to books to Mr. Gest. Then I need you to think about timing. "When you're getting very close to orgasm, things that would normally feel painful suddenly feet pleasurable," says sex therapist Sandor Gardos....

Lucas strikes back: everyone seemed rarin' to make another Indiana Jones sequel this summer. (Go figure.) The studio was salivating for it. Steven Spielberg was ready with a script. But then the only man who really mattered blinked.(The Industry)
June 1, 2004... MAYBE IT WAS that giant boulder. But one evening in February 2000, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas went to an American Film Institute dinner honoring Harrison Ford, and soon after they watched that image of rolling doom on the screen, they...

The funniest DVD commentaries.
June 1, 2004... Whether it details the hubris of a producer, the paranoid fantasies of a director, or a star's struggle with the English language, a killer DVD commentary track is that unstoppable condiment that can kick a subpar flick up a notch. Especially...

The day I watched my brother drown: last summer I looked on as my brother and three of his best friends slipped into a churning river, one after another, and disappeared. In a split second, I had to decide whether to go in after them.(Tragedy)
June 1, 2004... IT'S STILL VERY HARD FOR ME to picture certain parts of that day. But one thing I'll always remember is the look on their faces. Panic. It was horrifying. They were so close to me, and there was nothing I could do to help them. It would have...

The misunderestimation of John Kerry: beware of this man, He's won every race that he was supposed to lose.
June 1, 2004... This is how the story will begin for me, when I tell it in another saloon some day, maybe ten years from now, as the ocean darkens outside the windows. It begins with the sun falling over Falmouth Harbor on Cape Cod, falling literally over a...

Ventura Boulevard.(Summer * Drivin' & Eatin')
June 1, 2004... VENTURA CUTS A SIXTEEN-MILE east-west swath through the heart of the vast suburb ca[led the San Fernando Valley--which, unlike the rest of the city of Los Angeles, actually has a heart. El Lay's haute and riche don't come here--speak the digits...

Alex Rocco, actor.(Local Knowledge * What To Do Between Meals)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... FOR THREE DECADES, Alex Rocco has lived and loved along Ventura, raised a family, and even become semifamous. You can still find him there, holding court at the Sportsmen's Lodge Hotel (slhotel.com), For every Long-legged beauty from Nebraska...

Oregon's Route 101.(Summer * Drivin' & Eatin')
June 1, 2004... HERE'S ALL YOU NEED to know about Oregon: Even its plants eat meat. So you've been warned, Francis. This is not California's Route 101. It's not about cherry-red convertibles and big glass houses on the cliffs. It's not about wearing cashmere...

Gracie Strom, proprietor, Gracie's Sea Hag Inn.(Local Knowledge * What To Do Between Meals)
June 1, 2004... DOWN IN DEPOE BAY, everybody's loved of Gracie for forty years now. Once, while campaigning for a seat on the local sewer board, she drove around in a Lincoln Continental and offered to trade chowder for votes. She won by a landslide. When...

A fling with Carmen Electra.(Interview)
June 1, 2004... CARMEN SAYS... "I love Popsicles. I can remember as a kid it would be so hot that I could never get enough of them. But a snow cone, well, I think they're overrated. They always look better than they really are. They just don't deliver like a...

The skills of summer (Part 1).
June 1, 2004... * HOW TO BEGIN A BARBECUE Cut two Hebrew National, salamis into half-inch-thick slabs. Throw slabs on hot grill, five minutes a side. Skewer with toothpicks, dip in dell mustard. Bon appetit! * HOW TO REPEL MOSQUITOES OUR EXPERT:...

The Great River Road.
June 1, 2004... WHY IS IT that everyone accepts Mississippi as quirky and full of Deep South flavor--cue the Jew's harps, cut to the crossroads, throw down a huge plate of crawfish--but no one appreciates the distinct funkiness of Wisconsin, a river state in...

Kenny Salwey, swamp creature.(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... FOR THREE DECADES, Kenny Salwey lived alone in wooden shacks in Whitman Swamp, a six-thousand-acre floodplain forest just off the Great River Road, eking out a riving by trapping muskrats, digging ginseng, and setting catfish and carp to the...

Louisiana's Highway 90.(Summer * Drivin' & Eatin')
June 1, 2004... HIGHWAY 90 across southern Louisiana is a hardworking, blue-collar road with a tough job to do, which is to get everything up out of the swamp and on display. It's a Noah's Ark of commerce with the Piggly Wiggly and Bubba's Brakes and Boudoin's...

Warren Perrin, defender of the Cajuns.(Local Knowledge * What To Do Between Meals)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, Lafayette Lawyer Warren Perrin sued the British government for expelling thousands of his Cajun ancestors--French Acadians--from Nova Scotia in 1755. All he wants is an apology from the Queen (she's looking into it) and for...

The skills of summer (Part 2).(Summer * A User's Manual)
June 1, 2004... * HOW TO EAT FIFTY HOT DOGS IN TWELVE MINUTES BY TAKERU KOBAYASHI, HOT-DOG-EATING CHAMP First and foremost, stay in shape. I know that sounds strange, but the fact is no one over 160 pounds has ever eaten more than thirty and a half...

The low-country corridor.(Summer * Drivin' & Eatin')
June 1, 2004... NOW, THERE AIN'T no one backcountry road that goes direct from Charleston to Savannah, so just follow me. [paragraph] No matter how stiff and straight your opinion is on the state of South Carolina, it'll bend a little once you get out on the...

Alphonso Brown, Gullah guide.(Local Knowledge * What To Do Between Meals)
June 1, 2004... "YOU WAN' ME FUH' SHO' YOU CHAAS'TN?" Brown asks in Gullah, the West African-English patois that's still spoken around here. In 1985, Brown started his business (gullahtours. com) in his old Honda, filling it with savvy tourists who were...

Maine's Route 1.(Summer * Drivin' & Eatin')
June 1, 2004... IN WORCESTER, Massachusetts, I pretty much grew up amid diners, or "lunch carts," as they were called by the folks old enough to remember the horse-pulled carts. Early in life, my grandfather would take me to Ernest Ryan's place, where I would...

Jim Barstow, salty dog.(Local Knowledge * What To Do Between Meals)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS, Captain Jim Barstow and his Laura B (an old World War II patrol boat) have been making the ten-mile haul from Port Clyde to Monhegan Island. He's responsible for delivering just about everything that makes the island...

Summer time.(watches)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Bikinis, mai tais, and the joy of rubbing suntan lotion all over her back. With summer pleasures like these, it's easy to lose track of time. To keep you from missing your next poolside appointment, Esquire presents 10 of summer's coolest...

Brutally honest personals.(Service)
June 1, 2004... The singles be are real people with real issues. Some are overweight. Others are crippled by debt. Quite a few live with their parents. But they all have one thing in common: They are available. And they've put themselves out there with the...

The road to ensenada: with many hundreds of miles to go, Esquire heads off road at the Baja 1000 to show that summer's hottest clothes work perfectly when the dirt's about to fly.(esquire style)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Dude, where's my road? When the pavement disappears, a dune buggy provides the perfect perch. Her jacket by A/X Armani Exchange. OPPOSITE: One of our intrepid road warriors goes in search of Baja's sandy beaches. Bikini by Alberta Ferretti;...

Emmylou Harris: singer, 57, Nashville.(What I've Learned)
June 1, 2004... As soon as you start worrying about whether you're gonna come up with the goods or not, you might as well leave. God is the big question mark. Heaven is the even bigger question mark. Death is just another question mark. Patriotism can...

Mr. President, here's how to make sense of our Iraq strategy: one of the architects of the Pentagon's New Map of the world offers a most important guide to a) why the boys will never be coming home and b) why this is the first step toward a world without war.
June 1, 2004... Is this any way to run a global war on terrorism? The new conventional wisdom is that the warmongering neocons of the Bush administration have hijacked U. S. foreign policy and sent the world down the pathway of perpetual war. Instead of...

America's Beef Producers and Esquire Contest no purchase necessary.(Promotion)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Send your recipe along with name, address and daytime phone number to: America's Beef Producers/Esquire Contest 1790 Broadway, 14th floor New York, NY 10019. Mechanically reproduced entries not eligible. Sponsors are not responsible for any...

Missed connections.(This Way Out)
June 1, 2004... Saw you on the Crosstown D4, late afternoon, May 7. You were wearing a red dress, carrying a black purse. Departed at Twenty-fourth. Too shy to say hi. Respond here? D4 Am responding. Never done this before. Interests: movies, jogging,...