What Are Bluchers and Balmorals?

Types of men's dress shoes. Something I learned this week.

Thanks to Francisco at AskAndy who points us to the Virtual Valet at the Tom James web site. [pic from Tom James]

A Derby is sometimes called a Blucher and has open lacing. [less formal]

An Oxford is sometimes known as a Balmoral and has closed lacing. [more formal]

Oxford shoe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "An Oxford shoe is a style of leather shoe with enclosed lacing. Oxford shoes are traditionally constructed of leather and were historically rather plain. The shoes originally appeared in Scotland and Ireland, where they are occasionally called Balmorals. The design of the shoe is often plain, but may include some small ornamentation or perforations."

Derby shoe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "A Derby shoe (or Blücher in America) is a style of leather shoe with open lacing. The tongue of the shoe is made with the same piece of leather as the vamp, and the facings with the lacing holes meet together over the tongue, and are not stitched to the tongue at the bottom."

More info:
What is a balmoral shoe? ...
Tom James - Virtual Valet
Tom James - What's The Best Shoe?
SF - What is a balmoral shoe? ...
Brogues - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Does The New Administration Support Choice?

Apparently not for everyone. Another nail in the coffin for freedom of association?

Obama Set to Undo ‘Conscience’ Rule for Health Workers - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — The Obama administration moved on Friday to undo a last-minute Bush administration rule granting broad protections to health workers who refuse to take part in abortions or provide other health care that goes against their consciences."

Two Looks at The Messiah ...

My only concern here is that Krauthammer uses the term 'Obamaism.' I thought we had settled on the term, 'Obamunism,' with its practitioners known as 'Obamunists,' or perhaps 'Obamatrons?'

Note the halo around the Messiah in the pic. ;-) (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Charles Krauthammer: The Obamaist Manifesto: "WASHINGTON -- Not a great speech, but extremely consequential. If Barack Obama succeeds, his joint address to Congress will be seen as historic -- indeed as the foundational document of Obamaism. As it stands, it constitutes the boldest social democratic manifesto ever issued by a U.S. president."

David Harsanyi: The Messiah Complex: "This week, the archbishop of Denver, Charles Chaput, told a Canadian audience, 'A spirit of adulation bordering on servility' had sprouted up around Barack Obama. 'In democracies,' he went on, 'we elect public servants, not messiahs.'"

More worship.
Japanese toy company unveils Obama action-figure

Economics and Stimulus Round-Up ...

Oops.
The Club For Growth - Obama Should Listen to Obama: "Candidate Barack Obama talked some economic common sense when he debated Hillary Clinton last year. She called for legislation to rip up mortgage contracts and an interest rate freeze on adjustable mortgages. He replied ..."

Dr. Boudreaux is chairman of the economics department at George Mason University and a former president of FEE.
Thoughts on Freedom ~ So You Want Government-Supplied Health Care? - Ideas On Liberty: "As I waited with increasing irritation in that line, I wondered why so many people want government to supply health care. Do these advocates of government-supplied health care never fly internationally during the summer? When these people wait in long lines just to clear passport control and, in the process, notice the many empty desks that could be (but aren’t) occupied by additional agents, do these people not think that similar poor service might, perhaps, also characterize government-run health care? Do these champions of state-run health care never visit the post office?" (ht: Cafe Hayek)

More efficient financing?
Cafe Hayek: Private vs. public: "No one else will take on this risk? GM has put $2 billion into the Chevy Volt. Toyota is working on a battery powered car. The Tesla is out there. There are all kinds of other efforts going on, all financed privately and all actually doing something."

1984, Newspeak
Cafe Hayek: I guess it depends on what you mean by "responsibility": "Obama, in announcing his budget with a projected deficit of $1.75 trillion, champions responsibility ..."

Indeed.
Obama's Gall, David Henderson - Library of Economics and Liberty: "Does this guy think that words are just words? In this era in which he wants us all to be accountable, is he accountable for his language, let alone his actions? How can he talk about fiscal responsibility when he has just signed a bill proposing a huge increase in the deficit and now is pushing another bill to increase the deficit even more? And how long will it be before the main stream media start talking about the fact that he is proposing the biggest expansion of the federal government since FDR?"

Saturday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Gerry Shaw's Epu
Urban Farmhouse in Slovenia Countryside
Tiny House Homeless Shelters
Bubble Up For Safety

Cars.
Wrenchmonkees Honda CB750
Study Finds Chevy Volt Too Expensive

A glimmer of Hope (and maybe change)! (ht: Dr. Newmark)
Sales of "Atlas Shrugged" Soar in the Face of Economic Crisis
Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom is #393 at Amazon

Style.
Edward Green - The Finest Shoes in England
Mezlan 'Lorenzo' Oxford

Fountain Pens.
Waterman’s Serenite Fountain Pain

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Rochester-area schools teach a form that emphasizes leverage over strength

Big Oil.
Shhh...Secret U.S. Oil Discovery - Largest Reserve in the World!

Computers.
Prevent Firefox from Hogging Memory When Minimized

Misc.
Portraits from the Congo - The Big Picture - Boston.com
Octopus floods Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (AP Photo/Heal the Bay, Tara Crow)
Liberty Maniacs: I Blame the Keynesians
Suspect took $13m worth of watches
Medieval Steel Gauntlets

Today's Quotes

If Big Brother (of Orwell's 1984) comes to America, he will not be a fearsome, foreboding figure with a heart-chilling, omnipresent glare as in 1984. He will come with a smile on his face, a quip on his lips, a wave to the crowd, and a press that (a) dutifully reports the suppressive measures he is taking to save the nation from internal chaos and foreign threat; and (b) gingerly questions whether he will be able to succeed.
-- Michael Parenti (1933- )
Source: "Inventing Reality" (1986)

Force always attracts men of low morality.
-- Albert Einstein

Since when have we Americans been expected to bow submissively to authority
and speak with awe and reverence to those who represent us?
-- Justice William O. Douglas
(1898-1980), U. S. Supreme Court Justice

Favre-Leuba: Getting Ready For Basel

Some great stuff. I love the new Favre-Leuba watches. (pic via Jorge/TZ)

TimeZone: Pre-BASEL 2009 – Favre-Leuba A.Schild Limited Edition: "e stainless steel case measures 41mm and has an AR-coated sapphire crystal. It is water resistant to 100 meters. The dial features multilayer construction, semi-transparent with metal finishing for UV protection. The hands and indeces are applied in 18kt gold with Superluminova coating."

TimeZone: Pre-BASEL 2009 – Favre-Leuba Angelus Chrono Datoluxe: "The case, in 18kt white gold, measures 41mm and has a sapphire crystal and display back. It is water resistant to 30 meters. Movement is the NOS hand-wound caliber 252, based on an Angelus ebauche manufactured in 1948. It beats at 18,000 bph and has a power reserve of 48 hours. The column-wheel chronograph features a moonphase complication."

More watch links:
New arrival. One of my fav Panerais
MB&F's Newest Horological Machines
Rolex: Ashes of Time

Obama's 2% Illusion on Taxes, and Creeping Socialism

Two from yesterday's and today's WSJ. Environmental taxes, and numerous others. (photo: AP)

Barack Obama's Expensive Domestic Agenda Will Cost America's Middle Class - WSJ.com: "Take everything they earn, and it still won't be enough. President Obama has laid out the most ambitious and expensive domestic agenda since LBJ, and now all he has to do is figure out how to pay for it. On Tuesday, he left the impression that we need merely end 'tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans,' and he promised that households earning less than $250,000 won't see their taxes increased by 'one single dime.'"

Barack Obama's Budget Proposal Will Expand Government Permanently - WSJ.com: "In the closing weeks of last year's election campaign, we wrote that Democrats had in mind the most sweeping expansion of government in decades. Liberals clucked, but it turns out even we've been outbid. With yesterday's fiscal 2010 budget proposal, President Obama is attempting not merely to expand the role of the federal government but to put it in such a dominant position that its power can never be rolled back."

Dems Choose Teachers' Unions Over Kids and Education

I know, it's a provocative title. I also believe it's absolutely true. Once again the Democrats (and Obama in particular) genuflect to the teachers' unions at the expense of education and poor children. Ironically, but certainly not surprisingly, Obama won't sentence his own children to these D.C. government schools. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Will Barack Obama Let Democrats Dismantle the Opportunity Scholarship Program? - WSJ.com: "Democrats want to kill vouchers for 1,700 poor kids. President Obama made education a big part of his speech Tuesday night, complete with a stirring call for reform. So we'll be curious to see how he handles the dismaying attempt by Democrats in Congress to crush education choice for 1,700 poor kids in the District of Columbia. The omnibus spending bill now moving through the House includes language designed to kill the Opportunity Scholarship Program offering vouchers for poor students to opt out of rotten public schools. The legislation says no federal funds can be used on the program beyond 2010 unless Congress and the D.C. City Council reauthorize it. Given that Democrats control both bodies -- and that their union backers hate school choice -- this amounts to a death sentence."

Related links:
CONGRESS' SNEAKY SLAP AT DC'S KIDS - New York Post
Today's Quotes - Education - I
Today's Quotes - Education - II
The Real Obama on Education
Sidwell Friends and School Choice
School Choice is for the Privileged Class Only

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Concrete Home Design in Switzerland
Villa Berkel by Paul de Ruiter (don't miss the hot tub)

Fountain Pens / Inks / Journals. (pic via Newsweek/Tibaldi)
Review: J. Herbin Rose Cyclamen Fountain Pen Ink
BBC NEWS - The slow death of handwriting
Style: Fountain Pens for Writing the Right Way - Newsweek

Style.
Berluti Demesures Collection - Luxury Insider
Power of Proportions for Short Men - WSJ.com (more here)
Getting a custom MTM shirt in Paris (part 2)
Perpetual Series Design #10 Cufflinks (more here)

Twitter.
A load of Twitter - Times Online
Five Tantalizing Twitter Tools

Computers.
Ultimate Malware Removal Guide -- Purge Your PC of Junk Files!
Browser Speed Tests: How Safari 4 Stacks Up
New Mobile Service ReadyPing Alerts Diners When Table is Ready

Watches.
Omega Speedmaster - Alaska Project - WatchingHorology

Misc.
10 of the best beers - Telegraph
The Internet's 99 Greatest Hits - TIME
Panoramic photos from the Sierra Nevada mountains of California (ht: Notcot)
Mr. Whipple Left It Out - Soft Is Rough on Forests

Today's Quotes

The direct use of physical force is so poor a solution to the problem of limited resources that it is commonly employed only by small children and great nations.
-- David Friedman

If for no other reason, personal pride should prompt every
governor and state legislator to take a secessionist attitude
they were not elected to be lackeys of the federal bureaucracy.
-- Frank Choderov, 1952

If liberty means anything at all,
it means the right to tell people
what they do not want to hear.
-- George Orwell

Stimulus / Bailout Updates ...

Dr. Boudreaux has a gift for explaining these things.
Cafe Hayek: Build that Dam Using Only Spoons!: "Here's a letter that I sent today to the Boston Globe. In it, I try (however feebly) to undermine the absurd notion that the economic worth of any project is measured by the number of jobs required to complete it."

He gets it. (pic via Dilbert)
Dilbert on Bailout Hearings

Always good to read what Dr. Roberts has to say.
Halve The Deficit? Good Luck, Obama : NPR: "NPR.org, February 25, 2009 - In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama pledged to cut the federal budget deficit in half in four years. Keeping that pledge won't be easy. The Congressional Budget Office is forecasting a deficit for this year of $1.2 trillion."

John Jerry has some audacity to say this after voting for the '$1 Trillion Spendulous Package.' (ht: Joe P.) Kerry should see the Dilbert cartoon above.
John Kerry Proposes to Penalize TARP Recipients Who Spend on Conferences, Parties and Entertainment - WSJ.com: "As if Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner didn't have enough to worry about. Now Senator John Kerry wants to make him national arbiter of the corporate golf junket."

Anderson-Little Is Back With a Blue Blazer

I remember going to the mall in 8th grade circa 1983, wandering into Anderson-Little and buying two sport coats for school. I hadn't seen the company anywhere in years and assumed they were gone. Now it looks like the family is resurrecting the brand, starting w/ a simple blue blazer. [Anderson-Little Blue Blazer]

Anderson-Little is back in fashion - Fall River, MA - The Herald News: "Fall River — Anderson-Little, the classic clothing store familiar to generations of New Englanders, is coming back. There won’t be any new red-and-white signs or racks of slacks and jackets, though. Anderson-Little is reborn, but in a new retail age — it will be online. Anderson-Little grew from a southern New England retailer to a chain of more than 100 locations along the East Coast before it closed in 1998. Now, the founder’s grandson and great-grandson are bringing Anderson-Little back." [more here]

Today's Quotes

Occupants of public offices love power and are prone to abuse it.
-- George Washington
(1732-1799) Founding Father, 1st US President, 'Father of the Country'
Source: Farewell Address

The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad
governments. The state can be and has often been in the course of history the
main source of mischief and disaster.
-- Ludwig von Mises
(1881-1973) Economist and social philosopher

When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed.
-- Ayn Rand
(1905-1982) Author
Source: Atlas Shrugged, Francisco's "Money Speech"

The more one considers the matter,
the clearer it becomes that redistribution
is in effect far less a redistribution of free income
from the richer to the poorer, as we imagined,
than a redistribution of power from the individual to the State.
-- Bertrand de Jouvenel
(1903-1987)
Source: The Ethics of Redistribution [1952] (Indianapolis: Liberty Press, 1990), p. 72.

Thursday Grab Bag

Architecture.
A Tiny, Beloved Home That Was Built for Spite

Computers.
First impressions: Apple Safari 4 beta (more here)
How to Buy a Bluetooth Headset by PC Magazine
Ballmer Confirms Skinny Version of Windows 7 for Netbooks

Style.
Charlie Rose - An interview with Alan J. Flusser (more here)
Timberland Boot Company

Even more cobblers!
Fix-It Nation: In Tough Times, Tailors and Cobblers Thrive
BBC NEWS - US cobblers cash in on recession

Watches.
TZ: Glashütte Original - new photos of the Senator Perpetual Calendar...
TZ: The new AERODYNE RM 021!

Misc.
Dokdo or Takeshima - The Big Picture - Boston.com
Scots drink the equivalent of 125 bottles of wine each per year?!
BBC NEWS - Thefts puncture Paris bike scheme (more here)

Erroll Tyler Wants To Start An Honest Business ...

Politicians and bureaucrats won't let him. I see no economic or moral justification for requiring these permits, or limit them if they must exist. (ht: MR) The story reminds me of the cab medallions in NYC.

Entrepreneur Files Federal Constitutional Lawsuit against Boston: "The aspiring entrepreneur’s dream is to launch Nautical Tours, a cutting-edge amphibious vehicle tour service based in Cambridge, Mass. But, like countless cities across the country, Boston appears to be using its licensing power to protect existing businesses from honest competition by denying others their basic right to earn a living."

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Wheelchair Accessible Home in Spain
Kuhlhaus 02 by Lean Arch

Style.
$50,000 Suits Cut From World's Most Expensive Cloth
Church's repair service
Edward Green shoes: True heart, true friend to the dandy…

More Shoes.
A Tale of Two Shoes: Fixing a pair of Bruno Maglis Photo Essay
Recession-savvy footwear: Recrafting/resoling shoes

Watches.
TZ: Independent watch pic thread
The Atmos Clock by JLC - WatchingHorology

What Does $1 of Stimulation Get You? (more here)
The Amazing Stimulation of a $1 Check

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Namiki Falcon Fountain Pen
Piccadilly Wire-O Notebooks

Misc.
10 Chairs Fit For A Man
Slash Your Property Tax at SmartMoney.com

Today's Quotes

If you think of yourselves as helpless and ineffectual, it is certain that you
will create a despotic government to be your master. The wise despot,
therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless
and ineffectual.
-- Frank Herbert
(1920-1986)
Source: "The Dosadi Experiment"

The greatest danger to liberty today comes from the men who are most needed
and most powerful in modern government, namely, the efficient expert
administrators exclusively concerned with what they regard as the public good.
-- Fredrich August von Hayek
(1899-1992), Nobel Laureate of Economic Sciences 1974

Can Republicans Honestly Cry 'Socialism' Now?

Hardly. If they had any shame they'd be embarrassed. They're right of course, but it's over-the-top hypocritical coming from them. Good column below. (pic from GOP.com)

Socialism, Republican-Style by Michael Tennant: "'Socialism!': the rallying cry of Republicans opposing the 'stimulus' bill just signed by President Barack Obama. It was also, late in the game, the rallying cry of John McCain and his supporters last fall, especially after the Joe the Plumber incident. They are undoubtedly correct that this law, and Obama’s plans in general, are leading us ever further down the road to serfdom, although from an economic standpoint it’s at least as much fascist as socialist – not that the distinction matters greatly for the two are the same in principle. While it’s good to see some actual GOP opposition to government growth again, it’s very difficult to take it seriously. Here, for example, is just a sampling of the socialist programs and policies instituted and/or supported by a significant number of Republicans, with Ron Paul frequently being the lone exception ..."

A Cobbler Resurgence ...

Fun story. (pic of AE Strand)

Shoe repair shops bring new life and style to classic bags, heels - Los Angeles Times: "Serene Cicora craved a new black bag last fall, but couldn't come to terms with the $1,000-plus price tags on the styles she liked. So Cicora, an L.A. publicist, took her brown Mulberry Bayswater bag from several seasons ago and spent $120 to have it dyed black. The makeover gave her a key 'new' piece -- and moved her $1,800 bag back to the front of the closet. ... We've found four local cobblers who don't just fix shoes and bags, but also rework, reconstruct and update them. They can restyle a pump, turn a gladiator sandal into a T-bar and give a trendy clutch new life as a classic evening bag."

Related links:
In a Sole Revival, the Recession Gives Beleaguered Cobblers New Traction
Heeling Broken Soles - WSJ.com

Would You Pay USD $13 For A Chocolate Bar?

Would you pay USD $13 for A Chocolate Bar? What if I told you it was 'green' & sustainable? ;-) (pic via Wikipedia)

For comparison, I think a Hershey bar is 1.55 oz (43g), the Original Beans bar is much bigger at 3.5 oz. I guess it's a good racket if you can get it.

What Is The True Cost of Chocolate?: TreeHugger: "Pioneering chocolate company Original Beans has based their business model on true cost pricing, including often overlooked ecological and social costs. 'The mental inspiration comes from the challenge of building a business that results in more than zero sum, and actually gives back more to the Earth than it takes,' says company co-founder Philipp Kauffmann. With a marketplace used to cheap food, pricing a product based on what it actually costs to maintain a sustainable industry can seem outrageous. A 3.5oz bar from Original Beans costs the consumer $13. I'll admit sticker shock when I first heard that price as well, but once Kauffmann explained what goes on behind the scenes at Original Beans I was sold on paying the true environmental and social cost for my chocolate."

Fat Tuesday Grab Bag

Carnival! (pic via MAURICIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images)
Carnival - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Architecture.
Laurel Creek Park Models
Brighton House by Nic Bochsler

Style.
Loake Shoemakers (U.K.)
Shoe repair shops bring new life and style to classic bags, heels

Send a free postcard.
K . U . K . U . X . U . M . U . S . U

Journals / Fountain Pens.
How to get a better line from your fountain pen's nib
Girard-Perregaux Debuts New Writing Instruments
Moleskin Folio Collection
NPR: Penmanship in the Digital Age

I've got to get this book.
Meltdown: It's the Federal Reserve, stupid

Watches.
Quick view: an original Black Memovox

Signs of the Times.
American Express Offers $300 to Some Customers to Cancel
Campbell Net Declines as Retailers Cut Soup Inventory

Misc.
Swiss Air’s New First Class Suite [more here]
Is anything made in the U.S.A. anymore? You'd be surprised
New Da Vinci Portrait Reveals Artist in Middle Age

When Is Heath Insurance Not Insurance?

When it's really just pre-paid consumption and does not cover catastrophic medical costs. Thanks, TennCare.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen's Candidacy for Secretary of Health and Human Services Dashed by MoveOn.org - WSJ.com: "The plan includes a cap on benefits of $25,000 a year. That's not enough to cover catastrophic medical events, but it does cover the health-care needs of most in the program."

Today's Quotes

American voters should understand that Congress will always find a way to spend every last dollar sent to Washington. Remember, politicians get votes by promising everything to everyone, always at the expense of some other invisible taxpayers. …The federal government cannot maintain a budget surplus any more than an alcoholic can leave a fresh bottle of whiskey untouched in the cupboard.
-- Ron Paul

Three groups spend other people's money:
children, thieves, politicians.
All three need supervision."
-- Dick Armey
(1940- ) U.S. Congressman, TX-R

A welfare state is frightened of every poor person who tries
to get in and every rich person who tries to get out.
-- Harry Browne
(1933-2006) American libertarian writer, politician, and free-market investment analyst. Libertarian candidate for US President 1996 & 2000

Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state.
They forget that the state lives at the expense of everyone.
-- Frederic Bastiat
(1801-1850) French economist, statesman, and author. He did most of his writing during the years just before -- and immediately following -- the French Revolution of February 1848
Source: "The Law" by Frederic Bastiat (1850)

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture.
The Vader House by Andrew Maynard
Tiny Simple House and it’s Inspiration

Motorcycles.
1976 Bimota HDB1
1934 BMW R7
Konig 500 GP
Gulf-Ducati 1098R

Watches.
IWC Mark XI From The British Royal Air Force

Misc.
BBC NEWS - The science of selling out
"Extinct" Bird Seen, Eaten
Scientists Close To Universal Vaccine For Flu - NPR
How To: Save Bundles of Cash by Buying Eyeglasses Online

Do Politicians Have Crystal Balls?

Do Politicians Have Crystal Balls? I doubt it, but at times it sure seems as though they have brass ones ... making claims such as these. ;-) [pic via Wiki]

See the Recovergy.gov "Estimated Job Effect" page to see the specific numbers of jobs that will be saved and/or created by the 'stimulus' bill(s), according to the Obama administration. Bastiat must be rolling in his grave.

ABC News: Obama: People Should See Tax Cut Help by April 1: "Obama points to April 1 as when people should see benefits of tax cuts in big stimulus plan. It took only weeks for the notoriously slow Congress to pass the $787 billion economic stimulus package. President Barack Obama signed it into law less than one month into his presidency. So when should most people hope to start seeing the benefits of tax cuts in it? By April 1, according to the president."

More official cheer leading here.

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Tidal Style: Raumati Beach House
Villa Storingavika by Todd Saunders
Modern Spanish House - designed to appreciate the views
The Coolest Little House in the City (pic via NBC Bay Area)

Style.
Paul Stuart - Sport Shirts
BBC NEWS - How not to design a work uniform

Fountain Pens/Journals.
Keeping a diary - the key to happiness?
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
Moleskines go large
Fountain Pens for Writing the Right Way - Newsweek

Watches.
Azimuth SP-1, a review after 10 days on the wrist
TimeZone: 2 special Speedmasters
Wilhelm Rieber, tourbillon maker from the Black Forest
Stowa FO LE 57/80 Macro

Misc.
South Korean woman fails driver's test 775 times
Instant coffee throughout the years
The New Yorker Finds Out the Real Features of the President's Blackberry

Michelle Muccio - Rebel Economist

Libertarian, GMU economist, and karate green belt. Michelle Muccio. I'm in love. ;-) [Is she the Giada of economics?]

I love the way Schieffer calls allowing people to keep their own pay, "getting something for nothing." The comment shows his lack of understanding and true colors.


Here's the full original video.
The People's Stimulus: Get Your Money Back

Related links:
Cafe Hayek: Michelle's Plan Goes Prime Time
A 'Rebel' With A Cause Video - CBSNews.com

Hillary: Climate Change Over Human Rights

Kind of scary.

Activists 'shocked' at Clinton stance on China rights: "WASHINGTON (AFP) – Amnesty International and a pro-Tibet group voiced shock Friday after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed not to let human rights concerns hinder cooperation with China. Paying her first visit to Asia as the top US diplomat, Clinton said the United States would continue to press China on long-standing US concerns over human rights such as its rule over Tibet. 'But our pressing on those issues can't interfere on the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis,' Clinton told reporters in Seoul just before leaving for Beijing."

Signs Of The Times: Pre-Paid Cell Phones More Popular

My sister has had two Cricket phones. Both an absolute POS. (pic is the Pre, via Palm)

More Customers Give Up the Cellphone Contract - NYTimes.com: "But now these pay-as-you-go phones are winning over fans for different reasons — recession-battered consumers are buying them as a way to cut costs and avoid the lengthy contracts and occasional billing surprises that come with traditional cellphone plans. 'Frugal is the new chic,' said Joy Miller, 33, a piano teacher in Aubrey, Tex. After almost a decade on contract plans with Verizon Wireless, Mrs. Miller and her husband decided this month to test-drive a few prepaid plans, including MetroPCS. 'In today’s economy, it’s not cool to pay $120 a month for a phone. It’s a waste of money.'"

Misc links:
Early Phone In Car
Ultra-Retro Cell Phone
ThinkGeek - Retro Phone Handset

Obama's Stimuli, Markets, and Reactions

There are some brights spots out there, in spite of the Dow dropping 6.2% in the last week, on the heels of the Obama/Geithner work.

Can anyone confirm if this New Hampshire story is legit? Secession?
Is New Hampshire talking secession?

A new Tea Party, this one in Chicago?
Would You Join the Chicago Tea Party?
I Plan on Going to the Chicago Tea Party

This story is DRIPPING w/ irony.
Obama warns mayors not to waste stimulus money

Well-stated.
Tooth Fairy Economics - by Tom Woods

Walter Williams interviewed recently.
Walter Williams Interview #2

Is FDR a guy to emulate?
FDR's Executive Order 9066: Relocation/Imprisonment of Japanese

Misc.
RealClearMarkets - The Market Is Shorting Obama's 'Stimulus'
Gold tops $1,000
Roger Schlesinger: What is a Trillion Dollars?

ACORN and Obama: Reunited In Theft

How someone can break into and steal another's property and then claim the moral high ground is a mystery to me. See video of of ACORN's antics here.

Let's hope this tea party movement picks up steam.

Michelle Malki: ACORN and Obama: Together Again: "Trumpets ACORN: 'On Feb. 19, ACORN members will launch a new tactic in fighting foreclosures: civil disobedience. Participants in the ACORN Home Savers campaign nationwide will simply refuse to move out of foreclosed homes, or in some cases, will move back in. ACORN homesteaders intend to squat in their homes until a comprehensive, federal solution for people facing foreclosure is put in place.' ACORN's foot soldiers, funded with your tax dollars, will scream, pound their fists, chain themselves to buildings, padlock the doors and engage in illegal behavior until they get what they want. It's a recipe for anarchy. Threatens Baltimore ACORN's Louis Beverly, who calls himself a 'Foreclosure Fighter' ..."

Acorn Breaks into Home - Baltimore News, Weather, Channel 2 - WMAR-TV: "Some community activists could face criminal charges after breaking into a home in Southeast Baltimore. Police were at the home Thursday night looking for fingerprints and other evidence. The activists who staged the break-in belong to the Association of Community Organizations For Reform Now or ACORN. After snapping a lock with bolt cutters, ACORN member Louis Beverly told supporters 'this is our house now.'"

Related links:
ACORN Trains Citizens To Protest Home Foreclosures - wjz.com
‘This Is Our House Now’: ACORN Breaks Homeowners Back Into Foreclosed Homes
Hot Air - ACORN “reclaims” foreclosed home for evicted owner: “This is our house now”

Harsanyi on Obamunism and Mortgages

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
-- Attributed to Samuel Johnson, 1775

David Harsanyi - Be a Patriot: Pay Up!: "Given that most of you will be paying your neighbors' mortgages soon, it only seems prudent that we start thinking in bolder terms. And by 'thinking in bolder terms,' I mean thinking about me. Why, for instance, should I be on the hook to pay those grating high-interest credit cards I signed up for? Or those detestable car payments? My cable bill's sorta steep, too. For you folks who are less than ecstatic about straightening out my fiscal affairs, well, I have two things to say: 1) Don't be selfish. 2) Forget everything you ever have heard about the American Revolution. Taxes, extreme government spending and wealth redistribution are patriotic. And you're going to see so much patriotism your kids will be pigtailed uber-nationalists by the time they hit kindergarten."

Saturday Grab Bag

Those eyes! (pic from DailyPuppy)
Gus the Dachshund

Architecture.
Airstream Bambi 422 - cool retro caravan

When is voluntary, not really voluntary?
It Isn't Voluntary When Threats are Involved

Fountain Pens / Writing.
PenAndCo, le site des stylos plumes anciens

They're right, and an expensive one, too.
Latin American Panel Calls U.S. Drug War a Failure - WSJ.com

Computers.
32 Totally Essential (and Free) Apps for Every New PC

Brilliant.
Interesting Way To Add Intrigue... Especially To A Tiny Apt

Photography.
NASA - Friendship 7 (great picture)
Giz Explains: Why More Megapixels Isn't Always More Better
At work - The Big Picture

Travel.
Travel's Secret Societies - Business Travel

Misc.
Booby traps of the Vietnam War
Google Ocean: Has Atlantis been found off Africa?
Reebok Pump is Back on the Scene! Well, Sort Of

Seiko Engineer: Dream Job?

Thanks to Roba of TZ for the link.

IEEE Spectrum: Kunio Koike: Real Time: "When video-game entrepreneur Richard Garriott blasted off on his US $30 million space ride last October, he carried into orbit a remarkable piece of advanced technology: his wristwatch. Not any wristwatch, mind you, but a Seiko Spring Drive electromechanical timepiece, specially modified to be lightweight and work in zero gravity and fitted with an extralong Velcro strap to circle Garriott’s padded space suit. Kunio Koike knows that watch better than just about anyone, because he helped design its ultralow-power, battery-less, motorless mechanism. As head of the watch-products development department at Seiko, he engineers the exquisite electronics that go into the company’s highest-end watches."

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture.
The Taliesin Mod.FabTM
Modern Cottage in Martha’s Vineyard
watch the house grow
Body House by Monolab Architects

Computers.
Steampunk Frankenstein casemod
Samsung OMNIA HD

Style.
BBC NEWS - Replica clothes pass Everest test
Oberon Socks - Wool

Watches.
Omega: My other holy grail is finally in.... The CK 2913 first Generation Seamaster 300

Cars.
Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition30.Pur (pic via Uncrate)
GM disbands unit that creates high-performance vehicles

Misc.
Sully’s Tale - Air & Space Magazine
Military Airplanes and UFOs -- U-2, B-2 Spirit and Nighthawk
America's Most Popular Stores - Forbes.com

U.S. Labor Law and Its Effects

Well-worth the time to read. Both are excellent, not much I could say that would add to either.

The Authoritarianism of American Labor Law by George C. Leef: "American labor law is a dank miasma of special-interest legislation that tramples on the rights of some citizens in order to advance the interests of others. The main beneficiaries are labor-union officials who lobbied for and received extraordinary and unique powers from compliant politicians. The victims are business owners and workers who prefer to have nothing to do with unions."

Gilt-Edged Pensions - Forbes.com: "Your 401(k) isn't doing too well, is it? But you're footing the bill for some lucky stiffs who don't have to worry about market crashes, medical costs or inflation."

Former astronaut speaks out on global warming

That sounds about right.

Former astronaut speaks out on global warming - BostonHerald.com: "Schmitt contends that scientists 'are being intimidated' if they disagree with the idea that burning fossil fuels has increased carbon dioxide levels, temperatures and sea levels. "They’ve seen too many of their colleagues lose grant funding when they haven’t gone along with the so-called political consensus that we’re in a human-caused global warming," Schmitt said."

Is it selfish to have more than two children?

Is it selfish to have more than two children? The implication of even asking the question in this context of course is that it is selfish and irresponsible. I would argue the complete opposite. Once one realizes that humans are not a burden but our ultimate resource, it becomes clear that 3+ children per family are not a problem. See the links below re: Julian Simon's work in this area. The fears appears to be little more than unfounded Malthusian nonsense.

And the name 'Sustainable Development Commission' scares me more than a little, very Orwellian.

BBC NEWS - Is it selfish to have more than two children?: "Is having more than two children selfish? The future of the planet rarely plays a part when planning a family, but that's got to change, say environmental campaigners. Parents who have more than two children are "irresponsible" for placing an intolerable burden on resources and increasing damage to eco-systems, says a leading green campaigner. Curbing population growth through contraception must play a role in fighting global warming, argues Jonathon Porritt. This week, the Optimum Population Trust (OPT), of which Mr Porrit is a patron, launched its "Stop at Two" online pledge to encourage couples to limit their family's size. "Every additional human being is increasing the burden on this planet which is becoming increasingly intolerable," says Mr Porritt, who runs the government's Sustainable Development Commission."

Related links:
Book Review: Hoodwinking the Nation by Julian Simon
All previous Julian Simon related posts
Julian Simon - The Doomslayer (Wired) (or PDF here)
Julian Simon Remembered: It's A Wonderful Life
Book Review: It's Getting Better All the Time: 100 Greatest Trends of the Last 100 Years
Cafe Hayek: The Ultimate Resource

Thursday Grab Bag

Is the Swigert statue wearing a gold Speedmaster?
NASA - Mission Apollo 13

Architecture.
Modern House Tour in Portland, Oregon
Hut-on-a-Roof
Indiana man renovating old house finds hidden room

Style.
A blessing for discerning Men - Hermès bespoke Ties

Watches.
When One Tourbillon is Not Enough: Greubel Forsey’s Four Tourbillon Wonder
Ok, now wait a minute...before we get too carried away (stunning VS pics!)
Daniel Craig / James Bond Rolex Daytona 6263

Computers.
Anonymous Caller? New Service Says, Not Any More

Photography.
Canon PowerShot D10
Scenes from Pakistan - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Misc.
The Definitive Guide To Steampunk Gadgets
Revealed: The bizarre creatures living at the bottom of the Arctic and Antarctic seas

Sowell, Williams, and Stossel: Economics and Bailouts

Great columns from yesterday. (pic credit: PPC and Hayek Center)

Thomas Sowell : The Rush to Wait: "The big story last week was the incredible Congressional rush to pass a bill that was more than a thousand pages long in just two days-- after which it sat on the President's desk for three days while the Obamas were away on a holiday."

Walter E. Williams : Economic Miracle: "The idea that even the brightest person or group of bright people, much less the U.S. Congress, can wisely manage an economy has to be the height of arrogance and conceit. Why? It is impossible for anyone to possess the knowledge that would be necessary for such an undertaking. At the risk of boring you, let's go through a small example that proves such knowledge is impossible."

Thomas Sowell : Upside Down Economics: "From television specials to newspaper editorials, the media are pushing the idea that current economic problems were caused by the market and that only the government can rescue us."

John Stossel : Real Jobs Create Wealth: "So President Obama got his stimulus bill. For a mere $787 billion, he has pledged to 'save or create' 3.5 million jobs. That's only $224,857 and change per job! (If I still have my job next year, will he take credit for saving it?)"

Related links:
Iron Laws of Liberalism: 50 Years of Bad Weather
road to serfdom: Signs of the Times
Raising Taxes Won't Solve California's Budget Deficit - WSJ.com
Tooth Fairy Economics - by Tom Woods

These People Rule You: Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi

Thanks very much to The Unbroken Window for these links. Brilliant interviews!

Pelosi on the mandatory minimum-wage.



Harry Reid on so-called voluntary taxes.

Today's Quotes

"I cannot undertake to lay my finger
on that article of the Constitution
which granted a right to Congress of expending,
on the objects of benevolence,
the money of their constituents."
-- James Madison
(1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President
Source: 1792, in disapproval of Congress appropriating $15,000 to assist some French refugees

"I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground that 'all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.' To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power, not longer susceptible of any definition."
-- Thomas Jefferson (Opinion on the Constitutionality of a National Bank, 15 February 1791)

"If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare,
and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare,
they may take the care of religion into their own hands;
they may appoint teachers in every State, county and parish
and pay them out of their public treasury;
they may take into their own hands the education of children,
establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union;
they may assume the provision of the poor;
they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads;
in short, every thing, from the highest object of state legislation
down to the most minute object of police,
would be thrown under the power of Congress.... Were the power
of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for,
it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature
of the limited Government established by the people of America."
-- James Madison
(1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President
Source: referring to a bill to subsidize cod fisherman introduced in the first year of the new Congress

A connection between Obama and Paul Ehrlich?

Kind of unsettling. You'll remember Ehrlich from his wager with the great Julian Simon.

George F. Will - Dark Green Doomsayers - washingtonpost.com: "Speaking of experts, in 1980 Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford scientist and environmental Cassandra who predicted calamitous food shortages by 1990, accepted a bet with economist Julian Simon. When Ehrlich predicted the imminent exhaustion of many nonrenewable natural resources, Simon challenged him: Pick a 'basket' of any five such commodities, and I will wager that in a decade the price of the basket will decline, indicating decreased scarcity. Ehrlich picked five metals -- chrome, copper, nickel, tin and tungsten -- that he predicted would become more expensive. Not only did the price of the basket decline, the price of all five declined. An expert Ehrlich consulted in picking the five was John Holdren, who today is President Obama's science adviser. Credentialed intellectuals, too -- actually, especially -- illustrate Montaigne's axiom: 'Nothing is so firmly believed as what we least know.'"

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture.
ChiaroScuro House by Studio Ectypos
20 stunning mountain huts

Economics. [great learning resources]
Economics for the Citizen
7 Fallacies of Economics

Probably better to charge for actual usage.
Householders to be charged for each flush of toilet

Watches. (pic via Jorge/TZ)
TZ: Pre-BASEL 2009 – Breitling Caliber B01
A. Lange & Sohne With Tourbillon And Fusee Chain
A White Gold "Collection" grows to three

Misc.
6 Reasons Why a Little Glass of Wine Each Day May Do You Good
BBC NEWS - Why are we so scared of dentists?
Awesome Aerial Tramways of the World
KUKUXUMUSU T-Shirts and drawings

Is the Claro 888 an ETA 2824 Clone?

A few days ago the ChronoShark web site offered a nice deal on a Jacques Lemans automatic diver's watch. The description claimed it contained a "Precise Swiss Claro 888 Automatic Movement." I wondered what the heck that was? (JL pic via ChronoShark)

I guess we can rule out a Chinese clone (wait, can we?) as Jacques Lemans appears to be a legitimate brand and the ad claims that the movement is Swiss. So I wonder if this company Claro is making clones of ETA movements that are no longer under IP protection (as I think Selitta does)? At least one post I saw claims that it is a Swiss company cloning Chinese movement, but that seems odd. One post claims that 'Claro-Semag' is owned by Fossil, allowing it to claim Swiss origin, even if by the narrowest of definitions.

Ahhh ... this site claims that the Chinese company Sea-Gull manufactures the movements and supplies them to Swiss company Claro, which is then able to claim them to be Swiss by legal definition? More info here.

Here's what appears to be an official PDF of the CL-888 specs. I wonder if it's a perfect fit for aan ETA 2824 in all dimensions? That would certainly make it more marketable.

A little Googling turned up these threads.
BDWF.net - Claro Discussion
EOT: What is the 'Swiss Claro 888 Automatic Movement?'
Claro-Semag - Chinese Watch Industry Wiki
Claro-Semang - National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors
Official PDF of the CL-888 specs (1.4MB PDF)
Tianjin Seagull - Chinese Watch Industry Wiki
TZ Classics: The Elusive Claro-Semag CL888 Movement
TZ-UK - New Movement manufacturer, Claro Semang?
Seiko: Patent Date for Magic Lever?

Donnie Says Vacuum!

I was fascinated by these pneumatic systems when I was a kid. The title, 'Donnie Says Vacuum!' is an homage to my favorite episode [Slow Donnie] of the tv show 'Just Shoot Me!' ;-) (pic via Wiki)

You can even get a Swatch delivered via pneumatic tube!

oobject - 15 pneumatic message networks: "Ted Stevens was right, the Victorian Internet consisted, quite literally, of a ‘Network of Tubes’. Paris, London, Prague and Vienna had extensive networks of pneumatic tubes which delivered messages in capsules. In New York 5 million mail messages passed every day through an underground pneumatic system, and a network in Berlin delivered hot meals directly to people’s homes suggesting that kitchens would no longer be needed in the future. Today these systems can still be purchased where they are used in places like hospitals where samples are passed between departments."

Misc. links.
"Just Shoot Me!" Slow Donnie (1999) - Memorable quotes

Book Review: Free To Choose by Milton Friedman

Milton Friedman's Free to Choose: A Personal Statement
is another book I regret waiting so long to read. As I read it I felt that same way Mr. Jeffrey Tucker did when reading Against Intellectual Monopoly, "I've felt that sense of intellectual stimulation that comes along rarely in life — that sense that makes you want to grab anyone off the street and tell that person what this book says."

Free to Choose: A Personal Statement is in many ways an intellectual follow-up to the wonderful Capitalism and Freedom, and a wrap-up to the eponymous (and brilliant) TV serious of the late 1970s. Friedman himself describes the more recent Free To Choose as less abstract and more concrete than Capitalism and Freedom. Less theory, more practicality. While not necessary I would recommend reading them in the proper order. As an aside, can you believe that the TV series was originally broadcast on PBS?!?

Free to Choose: A Personal Statement by Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman: a little over 300 pages, originally published in 1980, reprinted in 1990. This is a classic book that should be in every family's library, imho. It's not a technical book and contain only a couple charts, easily understandable by nearly anyone, except maybe Naomi Klein. ;-) $15 in paperback.
Dr. Friedman's ideas may seem quaint, idealist, or even radical to some. However, his ideas are sensible, sound, and at least as relevant now as in decades prior. I can think of no bigger 20th century proponent of liberty and prosperity for all than the wonderful Dr. Milton Friedman. We are lucky to have lived during his time. I think that to be against Milton Friedman's ideals one must either be hostile to the ideals liberty and prosperity or (much) more likely, ignorant of them.

The chapters are titled:
Chapter 01 - The Power of the Market
Chapter 02 - The Tyranny of Controls
Chapter 03 - Anatomy of Crisis
Chapter 04 - Cradle to Grave
Chapter 05 - Created Equal
Chapter 06 - What's Wrong with Our Schools?
Chapter 07 - Who Protects the Consumer?
Chapter 08 - Who Protects the Worker
Chapter 09 - The Cure for Inflation
Chapter 10 - The Tide is Turning

Quote that starts the book:
"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficial. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greater dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
-- Justice Louis Brandeis, Olmstead v. United States, 277 U.S. 479 (1928)

Some specific notes and thoughts about the book.
1. Friedman explains/describes the power of markets, and uses Leanord Reid's 'I, Pencil' as an example.
2. The importance of prices and the three roles they play
3. Corporations aren't real, they are merely contractual constructs [note that this is the root of the problem, I think w/ the corporate income tax]
4. Discussion of 'market failures' and 3rd party effects

5. pp 65-66, Comparison of the market and political processes
6. The chapter 'Cradle to Grave' is phenomenal and the criticisms of Social Security and socialized medicine are sharp sharp.
7. Equality of opportunity vs. equality of outcome, pp. 134-136
8. p. 141, Exactly what equality is referred to?

9. p. 146, Be quite clear, capitalism does not 'exploit' the poor, it helps the poor more than anyone else.
10. Why don't we have vouchers for primary and secondary school similar to how the GI Bill has worked for college education since WWII? My guess? No NEA at the college level?
11. A wonderful description of the problems with government/public education and some ideas that if they wouldn't fix the problems, would improve them a great deal.
12. pp. 178-181 do a wonderful job of explaining the mistake of believing that education is a public good and must be paid for via taxes and provided by the government. THis is on of my fav. sections of the book.

13. p. 184 How about equity financing of higher education?
14. p. 191 A look at the costs of regulation, see the size of the Federal Register
15. p. 192. Govt. vs. markets; which products/services please us the most? Displease us the most?
16. p. 197 A brilliant dissection of the problems associated w/ the laws that give unions special privileges. Also note the myriad problems w/ the ICC, railroads, and trucking industries. Note that unions are exempt from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act!

17. The chapter on inflation gives a good historical treatment of the subject.
18. Should we strive to eradicate pollution, or merely reduce it?

Unions, education, healthcare, price controls (rent control, minimum wages, etc.), government, markets, inflation, the FDA, Social Security, auto safety, reducing pollution, Great Depression, human liberty. Dr. Friedman touches on these topics and many more.

In summary, Dr. Milton Friedman's Free To Choose is a classic and readable book that is a timeless classic. He describes the common (and seemingly always current) economic problems and provides clear, well thought-out solutions. Milton Friedman makes it clear that liberty, sound economics, and prosperity aren't at all mutually-exclusive. On the contrarary: they all work best when used together.

I think this book would be appropriate for readers 16 years and up. There's nothing in it objectionable to any age, provided one does not find prosperity and liberty objectionable. ;-)

Related links:
Free To Choose at Amazon.com
IdeaChannel.tv
Free to Choose: - Google Books
Free To Choose Network
Free to Choose - Wikipedia
Bio - Dr. Milton Friedman