Review: ShirtsMyWay MTM Shirt Arrives!

Last week I posted about a a shirt order with ShirtsMyWay.com. A couple days ago I received the postcard from the post office asking me to come down and sign for the package and pick it up. After the usual hassle and chit-chat at the post office with our own local Cliff Claven the package was in my hands.

For a one-off MTM shirt the stitching looks surprisingly good. I assume that once the measured pieces are cut they are still sewn by machine. Everything looks even, too. I've seen other MTM shirts from elsewhere that have a bit of "charm" in that sometimes one sleeve or shoulder is slightly different from the other.

My only gripe (and it's minor) is that I wish the collar was a touch taller, would probably make it easier to keep a tie hidden underneath it. And yes, I realize that I didn't press the shirt or pop in cuff-links yet, just looking for basic fit. ;-)

I like the slim fit around the chest and biceps. It's also nice to have a shirt that fits everywhere else and still has sleeves that aren't too short on me, ones that won't properly poke out from under my jacket's sleeve. Here are the pics.

Here's how it arrived.



The two labels. Maybe change "mother" to "wife?" ;-)



Nice even stitching, no unpleasant surprises or loose threads.




Buttons are solid, nothing too over the top. About 2mm thick.




The collar. Nice and firm, but not unreasonable stiff. My only wish is that it was a touch taller. Check out the collar backing material. Nice touch! ;-)




French cuffs.



A few looks at the fit.






A nice shirt and I'm very happy with it so far. Not bad at all for around $75 shipped! You choose a fabric up-front and the prices are clearly marked. After that all of the MANY customization options are included in the base price.

Be sure to stop by ShirtsMyWay and check out the site. At least walk through the wizard and give it a try.

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture.
W Hotel New York by BBG-BBGM
Stair Porn

Cars.
It’s a Car! It’s a Boat! at eternallycool.net

Style.
Hamilton Shirts (more)
A Suitable Wardrobe: A Formal Shirt Project

Design.
Painted Manhole Covers from Japan
Retro Kitchen Appliance Designs: Cool, Cliche or Kitsch?

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Post-it Flag Plus Highlighter Review
Aurora Optima Demonstrator
The Ghost Writer reviews his Nakaya...

Watches.
Hello ... I'm a new member of URWERK ...
Romain Jerome Photos with Sea Urchins, Gorilla, Lizard
Tapestry of Time: a short take on the patek nautilus 5712R
Pita Barcelona Oceana Diver's Watch
Finishing School Watches - Forbes.com
Luxury Watches: 10 Of The World's Most Expensive Watches
BBC - Paris jewel thief takes $8m haul

Misc.
How Pixar’s Up House Could Really Fly
Your morning adorable: Alaska family saves moose calf

What Hunger Insurance Could Teach Us About Health Insurance

This is a must-read column. From back in 1993 and at least as relevant today. The only thing I would add is that what we generally refer to as 'health insurance' would better be described as 'pre-paid healthcare.' In important distinction. Also check out this brief complimentary piece from Dr. Russ Roberts of George Mason Univ.


What Hunger Insurance Could Teach Us About Health Insurance - Ideas On Liberty: "To understand what lies at the heart of the failure of our current health-care financing system, imagine, if you can, what the world would be like if we tried to buy food the same way we buy health-care services. You could go to work tomorrow morning and hear your boss tell you the following: The company has decided to offer a new benefit: hunger insurance. The company will purchase a hunger insurance policy for you that covers about 95 percent of your food costs whenever you enter a grocery store or restaurant, and a smaller share of the miscellaneous snacks and condiments you purchase from street vendors and the corner drugstore. To pay for the new benefit, the company will withhold some of your pay—about $100 a week or so."

Saturday Grab Bag

Style. (pic: Borrelli shirt via WSJ)
Sonogram Cufflinks - Uncrate
A Quest for the Perfect White Shirt - WSJ.com
Elements of a Well-Made Shirt - WSJ.com

Architecture.
Hastings Parade Home
Wicklow Hills House by ODOS
Playa La Isla Beach Home By Juan Carlos Doblado

Watches.
Rolex Commando: Not An Explorer, Not A Space-Dweller
Omega Sale: Speedmasters, Seamasters & Everything In Between

Cars.
Lexus LF-A exclusive new details
Subaru Impreza WRX STI Concept
1969 Benelli 250 - SwipeLife
Jeremy Clarkson Audi Q7 V12 TDI quattro review
Malcolm Bricklin: hydrogen for displaced dealerships

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
Unposted: Pelikan Pelikano Junior
Review: Pelikan Pelikano Junior Fountain Pen

Computers.
Google Wave: A Complete Guide (more)
Google Showcases New Communication and Collaboration Tool
Uninstall Applications Efficiently And Remove Obsolete Files

NASA.
Apollo 11 Moon Landing 40th Anniversary - Popular Mechanics

Misc.
Fighting for control of Somalia - The Big Picture
NPR: Starbucks Says No Checks

Milton Friedman on Canals and Spoons

From a nice piece in yesterday's WSJ. Vindicating Milton Friedman ... (pic via Getty Images)

Missing Milton: Who Will Speak For Free Markets? - WSJ.com: "At one of our dinners, Milton recalled traveling to an Asian country in the 1960s and visiting a worksite where a new canal was being built. He was shocked to see that, instead of modern tractors and earth movers, the workers had shovels. He asked why there were so few machines. The government bureaucrat explained: 'You don't understand. This is a jobs program.' To which Milton replied: 'Oh, I thought you were trying to build a canal. If it's jobs you want, then you should give these workers spoons, not shovels.'"

Ralph Nader on The GM & Chrysler Fiasco

Nader is one odd character. In a lengthy opinion piece in yesterday's WSJ he expresses his displeasure with the way that the Obama administration is handling the GM and Chrysler problems. But here's the kicker, he's not upset that the feds are involved, he's upset that they aren't involved more. And amazingly, he seems to believe that Congress has both the Constitutional authority and obligation to be more involved. I'm not sure what Constitution he's reading, but it's not the same one I have.

Let's have a look at a few items from the column.

The subtitle, inexplicably, is:
"Congress, not a secret task force, should decide the company's fate."

Does Nader just invent these 'Constitutional duties' out of whole cloth? I am unable to find them.
"... it is imperative that Congress honor its constitutional duties and demand that the GM restructuring deal be sent to it for deliberative review -- before any irreversible measures, such as a voluntary bankruptcy declaration, are taken."

Umm, what?! Makes me wonder if he has actually read the Constitution.
"The case for congressional involvement would be solid enough on constitutional and procedural grounds alone."

I'm not convinced that the wage 'structures' used by GM are the business of anyone but GM's shareholders and employees. And I didn't realize that GM existed as a conduit to Nader's definition of the middle-class.
"Why is the task force supporting GM's efforts to devise a two-tier wage structure, whereby new auto jobs no longer provide a ticket to the middle class?"

Hopefully, no guarantees. Let customers drive the market towards the proper level of vehicle safety and efficiency, rather than government/czar dictat, driven by ignorance and politics.
"What guarantees are the task force, supposedly representing the taxpayers' investment, obtaining to ensure that the GM of the future invests in safer and more fuel-efficient vehicles?"

Whom gets to determine what the 'environmentally appropriate technologies' are? And using what criteria?
"Why aren't we leveraging the public investment to protect jobs and manufacturing capacity, as well as facilitate investments in environmentally appropriate technologies?"

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via SwipeLife)
Lofted Forest Home
oobject - 12 inhabited bridges
Locanda Verde - YourStudio’s Blog
Modern Cedar House in Vermont Mountains
The Hind House by John Pardey Architects

Cars.
2010 Triumph Thunderbird 1600 Launched
Rolls Royce 200EX Auto-adjusting Purse Holder

Watches.
DualTow by Cristophe Claret (more here)
Suunto - Elementum (more here)
Omega Aqua Terra Review - Picture Intensive!

Style.
Why your Gucci Suit doesn't fit
Brown and Gray, Yes Way! - From The Waist Up

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Quo Vadis Blog - New Habana colors

Computers.
Topsy - Search Twitter
Lenovo IdeaPad U350 and G550
Palm Pre First Hands On!
Microsoft's Bing Unveiled, with Sound Effects
3 Easy Ways To Restart Your Computer Over The Internet

Misc.
mental_floss Blog - How to Sleeveface
One More Drink - Do I Need a Drink? - Esquire
How Marriage Helps You Get Your Drinks Faster
BBC NEWS - Ocean monster shows hidden depths
Stasi spy 'fired shot that changed Germany'
Buying vs. renting a home
Why a Plastic Camera Pioneer Reinvented Lo-Fi Film Shooters
Stimulus projects bypass hard-hit states

Swedish teen tackles centuries-old numbers challenge

This story reminds me of some of Julian Simon's work. We really can not know where the next great mind or breakthrough will come from.

Swedish teen tackles centuries-old numbers challenge - The Local: "A 16-year-old Iraqi immigrant in central Sweden has single-handedly figured out a formula with Bernoulli numbers that is normally reserved for much more seasoned mathematicians, earning him praise from professors at prestigious Uppsala University. Mohamed Altoumaimi, who moved with his family to Sweden six years ago, is a first year student at the Falu Frigymnasium high school in Falun in central Sweden. Long interested in mathematics, Altoumaimi has spent the last four months toiling over his notebook in an attempt to write a formula to explain a number of complex relationships dealing with Bernoulli numbers. The numbers are named for the 17th century Swiss mathematician Jacob Bernoulli and consist of a sequence of rational numbers which are important for number theory. Needless to say, Altoumaimi’s teachers were more than sceptical when he showed up to school recently claiming he had come up with a formula all on his own."

Liberty Under Attack: This Time In San Diego

I honestly can not understand how anyone, regardless of political ideology, could defend this attack liberty. I wonder what kind of a person would drop a dime on them?

Couple: County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies - San Diego News Story - KGTV San Diego: "SAN DIEGO -- A local pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, who then threatened them with escalating fines if they continued to hold Bible studies in their home, 10News reported. Attorney Dean Broyles of The Western Center For Law & Policy was shocked with what happened to the pastor and his wife. Broyles said, 'The county asked, 'Do you have a regular meeting in your home?' She said, 'Yes.' 'Do you say amen?' 'Yes.' 'Do you pray?' 'Yes.' 'Do you say praise the Lord?' 'Yes.'' The county employee notified the couple that the small Bible study, with an average of 15 people attending, was in violation of County regulations, according to Broyles. Broyles said a few days later the couple received a written warning that listed "unlawful use of land" and told them to 'stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit' -- a process that could cost tens of thousands of dollars."

Chrysler Dealers Being Closed Based On Politics?

Perish the thought, I'm sure everything going on is completely above board.

A look at the protected Chrysler dealerships: "The interesting part is who the three main owners of the company are. The owners are Steve Landers (long-time car dealer, 4th-generation dealer), Thomas “Mack” McLarty (former Chief of Staff for President Clinton), and Robert Johnson (founder of Black Entertainment Television and co-owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats)."

Furor grows over partisan car dealer closings | Washington Examiner: "Excellent post up by Nate Silver on Huffpo making the argument that nobody should be surprised that lots of the Chrysler dealers getting the axe are GOP contributors because car dealers as a group are overwhelmingly Republican. Says Silver: 'It shouldn't be any surprise, by the way, that car dealers tend to vote -- and donate -- Republican. They are usually male, they are usually older (you don't own an auto dealership in your 20s), and they have obvious reasons to be pro-business, pro-tax cut, anti-green energy and anti-labor. Car dealerships need quite a bit of space and will tend to be located in suburban or rural areas. I can't think of too many other occupations that are more natural fits for the Republican Party. Unfortunately, while we are still a nation of drivers, we are not a nation of dealers.'"

Dealergate and the MSM: "I talked about Dealergate on Fox and Friends this morning. Will try and get the video clip up later today. I made sure to credit bloggers Doug Ross and Joey Smith, who took the lead in probing the relationship between political considerations and Chrysler dealerships targeted for closure, also Hot Air, which is where the F&F producer saw the story."

In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble

It would be nice to see this get sorted out. I'm a big proponent of nuclear power. I wonder how much of the trouble can be put on a government operation and union labor? (pic via Henna Aaltonen for The International Herald Tribune)

In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble - NYTimes.com: "OLKILUOTO, FINLAND — The massive power plant under construction on muddy terrain here was to be the showpiece for a coming nuclear renaissance. The most powerful reactor ever built, its modular design was supposed to allow it to be built quickly and with greater certainty about costs, just in time to meet the clamor for cleaner sources of energy to combat global warming. The plant was to be the first in a wave of simpler and safer nuclear plants. But things are not working out as planned. After four years of construction and thousands of recorded defects and deficiencies, the original €3 billion, or $4.2 billion, price tag on the Olkiluoto reactor has climbed at least 50 percent. The reactor was supposed to be completed this summer, but work is so far behind schedule that Areva, the French company building the facility, and Teollisuuden Voima, the utility that ordered it, no longer are willing to predict with certainty when it will go online."

Intel's USB Rock Star - Ajay Bhatt

This is absolutely hilarious. ;-)



Intel ad campaign remakes researchers into rock stars - OregonLive.com: "Ajay Bhatt is about to be famous. Sort of. Intel picked the Beaverton researcher as one focus of a national ad campaign that launches Monday, highlighting the people behind the chip maker's technology and making light of the obscurity in which they labor. The concept is simple: What if Bhatt, and Intel's other scientists, were treated like rock stars?"

Intel Ad Says Tech Geeks are Rock Stars - Tom's Hardware: "The campaign carries with it a tagline under the Intel logo, which labels the company as “Sponsors of Tomorrow.” While Intel has advertised with commercials before (remember the dancing bunny men and the Intel Inside chime?), this time around the chipmaker wants to boost its image so that consumers will prefer Intel-made chips over the competition."

Intel Fellow – Ajay V. Bhatt: "Bhatt is an industry-recognized expert in the area of I/O technologies. At Intel, Bhatt has been instrumental in driving definition and development of broadly adopted technologies such as USB, Accelerated Graphics Port, PCI Express, Platform Power management architecture and various chipset enhancements. Bhatt joined Intel in 1990 as a senior staff architect on the chipset architecture team in Folsom."

Thursday Grab Bag

Watches. (pic via WatchPaper/Breguet)
Tweed & Velvet: Twenty - Four - Seven
Breguet Exhibition at the Louvre Museum (more)
Tapestry of Time: Audemars Piguet You ...
Short review of a truly great watch...the Omega Speedmaster Professional

Architecture.
Modern Art in Aspen, Estate of the Day
Ocean Front Residence by Grant Sinclair
Historic Salt Barn Re-seasoned For Ad Agency Office

Style.
AskMen.com - Men's Sandals Dos & Don'ts

Computers.
Apple quietly updates $999 MacBook, again

Signs of The Times.
Hawaii hotels offer great (and bizarre) deals

Cars.
Aston Martin V2 Vantage
T – Ural Sidecar Motorcycle T (more)

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Moleskine Folio Sketchbook Review
Review: Diamine Maroon Fountain Pen Ink
Good Pens: Pilot Petit 1 Fountain Pen and what is it?

Misc.
Caught on Video: Whales Steal Fish - Yahoo! News
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling - The Big Picture
Dive Into a Roundup of Whacky Pools

Markets In ... Everything?

No comment. ;-)

Free boob jobs offered to nurses at Prague clinic - News.com.au: "AN understaffed Prague clinic has signed up nurses by offering boob jobs, liposuction and tummy tucks as a bonus. Nurses, doctors and secretaries who sign up with the small private clinic for three years can choose their free plastic surgery. 'It has been a success,' Jiri Schweitzer, a manager at the Iscare clinic, said, adding the establishment was now fully staffed and had to reject dozens of beauty-hunting job applicants. Petra Kalivodova, a 31-year-old nurse who has been working at the clinic for four years, has had a breast implants - the most popular choice among nurses - so she underwent liposuction for her signing on perk."

F.A. Hayek & The Use of Knowledge in Society

I am certain that nothing has done so much
to destroy the juridical safeguards of individual freedom
as the striving after this mirage of social justice.
-- Fredrich August von Hayek
(1899-1992), Nobel Laureate of Economic Sciences 1974

A classic and enlightening piece from a brilliant economist and Nobel laureate.

Hayek, The Use of Knowledge in Society - Library of Economics and Liberty: "What is the problem we wish to solve when we try to construct a rational economic order? On certain familiar assumptions the answer is simple enough. If we possess all the relevant information, if we can start out from a given system of preferences, and if we command complete knowledge of available means, the problem which remains is purely one of logic. That is, the answer to the question of what is the best use of the available means is implicit in our assumptions. The conditions which the solution of this optimum problem must satisfy have been fully worked out and can be stated best in mathematical form: put at their briefest, they are that the marginal rates of substitution between any two commodities or factors must be the same in all their different uses."

More on the Sonia Sotomayor Selection

Earlier post here. All rather troubling.

Thomas Sowell: Sotomayor: "Barack Obama's repeated claim that a Supreme Court justice should have 'empathy' with various groups has raised red flags that we ignore at our peril-- and at the peril of our children and grandchildren. 'Empathy' for particular groups can be reconciled with 'equal justice under law'-- the motto over the entrance to the Supreme Court-- only with smooth words. But not in reality. President Obama used those smooth words in introducing Judge Sotomayor but words do not change realities."

The 'Empathy' Nominee - WSJ.com: "In a speech published in the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal in 2002, Judge Sotomayor offered her own interpretation of this jurisprudence. 'Justice [Sandra Day] O'Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases,' she declared. 'I am . . . not so sure that I agree with the statement. First, . . . there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.'"

Daily Kos: Would Sotomayor really be the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice? What about Cardozo?: "All over the news and punditsphere, Sonia Sotomayor has been touted as a highly likely choice to replace Justice Souter on the Supreme Court. One of her selling points, outside being a highly accomplished and intelligent jurist, is that she would be the first Hispanic Surpeme Court Justice. However, this claim ignores Benjamin N. Cardozo, a Sephardic Jew of Hispanic ancestry."

Questions for Sotomayor - WSJ.com: "- What matters most, the law or the result? Or put another way, when the law requires a result that you don't like, what do you do? This might seem like an easy question. Judges interpret the law, they don't make it. That was the view of President George W. Bush and his nominees to the high court. Mr. Obama has made it clear, however, that he thinks the law should often be about results -- that the Constitution evolves to reflect modern times and statutes may be twisted to achieve justice. Any judge worth the name recognizes that the law will sometimes lead to a result of which she personally disapproves. When this happens, the judge must implement the law, not her personal preferences."

A National Sales Tax - Is It Coming?

It wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Once Considered Unthinkable, U.S. Sales Tax Gets Fresh Look - washingtonpost.com: "With budget deficits soaring and President Obama pushing a trillion-dollar-plus expansion of health coverage, some Washington policymakers are taking a fresh look at a money-making idea long considered politically taboo: a national sales tax."

The Goode Family Debuts Tonight on ABC

This has a lot of potential, looking forward to it. ;-)

TV review - 'Goode Family' makes fun of the world's do-gooders - Glenn Garvin: On TV - MiamiHerald.com: "Life's not easy if you're an organic-eating, tree-hugging, SUV-eschewing, carbon-footprintless, gender-identity-indifferent, diversity-celebrating, nonjudgmental (well, except for those damn U.S. flag pins) vegan pacifist. Just ask Gerald and Helen Goode, the First Couple of PC America. They forget to check a box when adopting an African baby, and when little Ubuntu arrives, he's a white South African. They cart home free elephant dung from Barnum & Bailey for their organic garden, then remember that the circus exploits animals. They've raised their dog Che to be a vegan, but the neighborhood sure has a lot of missing squirrels. Even their hybrid car's bumper sticker is a blend of uneasy compromises: SUPPORT OUR TROOPS . . . AND THEIR OPPONENTS."

Creator of Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill Has a New Target: Environmentalists - WSJ.com: "Director Mike Judge’s new animated television series “The Goode Family” is a send-up of a clan of environmentalists who live by the words “What would Al Gore do?” Gerald and Helen Goode want nothing more than to minimize their carbon footprint. They feed their dog, Che, only veggies (much to the pet’s dismay) and Mr. Goode dutifully separates sheets of toilet paper when his wife accidentally buys two-ply. And, of course, the family drives a hybrid."

Related links:
The Goode Family - ABC.com

Thomas Sowell on Sonia Sotomayor

Well, these columns were actually written when Souter announced his retirement, but before the Sotomayor pick was announced. However Dr. Sowell's points are relevant regardless of whom is chosen.

This "empathy" for certain groups business concerns me a great deal. I think that justice is suppsoed to be blind. Here's a simply litmus test for a judicial nominee in 3 steps: Can you read the Constitution? Do you understand it? Can you apply it? It's really that simple.

Thomas Sowell: "Empathy" Versus Law: "That we are discussing the next Supreme Court justice in terms of group 'representation' is a sign of how far we have already strayed from the purpose of law and the weighty responsibility of appointing someone to sit for life on the highest court in the land. ... Appoint enough Supreme Court justices with 'empathy' for particular groups and you would have, for all practical purposes, repealed the 14th Amendment, which guarantees 'equal protection of the laws' for all Americans."

Thomas Sowell: "Empathy" Versus Law: Part III: "There is a reason why the statue of Justice wears a blindfold. There are things that courts are not supposed to see or recognize when making their decisions-- the race you belong to, whether you are rich or poor, and other personal things that could bias decisions by judges and juries."

Thomas Sowell : "Empathy" Versus Law: Part IV: "While President Barack Obama has, in one sense, tipped his hand by saying that he wants judges with 'empathy' for certain groups, he has in a more fundamental sense concealed the real goal -- getting judges who will ratify an ever-expanding scope of the power of the federal government and an ever-declining restraint by the Constitution of the United States."

Related links:
Forbes.com - Richard Epstein on the Sotomayor Nomination

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Medina Turgul Office by Erginoglu & Calislar Architects
Design Inspires at Berlin's Free University
Modern Home in Austin, Texas by Cottam Hargrave

Cars.
Meals On Wheels: Ten Great Mobile Eateries

Computers.
ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell review
Colossus: The Computer No One Knew Existed
Fight Conficker, Other Security Threats with OpenDNS

Signs of The Times.
Realtors are abandoning a listing ship
Culture of Bling Clangs to Earth as the Recession Melts Rappers' Ice

Watches.
Perpetuelle.com Interview with Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver

Style.
Brown: Why so confusing?

Travel.
The Six Creepiest Abandoned Places

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Caran d'Ache Secret - Voltaire
Pentel Slicci .25 Gel Ink Pen Review
Review of pocket Moleskine-alike notebooks
Pelikan Pelikano Junior Fountain Pen for Kids
Fountain Pens: The Gentleman’s Writing Instrument

Misc.
BBC NEWS - Police foil prison phone delivery
The Chios Rocket War: Unorthodox Easter on a Greek Island (more)
Funniest Home Videos - Backyard BBQ Disaster Video - Esquire

Watch Links: Rolex, Dufour, Hanhart, A.Lange & Söhne, and More

Soooo many watch links for today. Several of them have phenomenal pics, too.

A look at the history of the Luftwaffe Flieger Chronograph.-general - general.watchprosite.com: "This chronograph was issued to Luftwaffe pilots, notably pilots of the Stuka diver bomber. Two companies, Hanhart and Tutima, which was then known as UROFA-UFAG (Uhren-Rohwerke-Fabrik Glashütte A.G-Uhrenfabrik Glashütte A.G, produced chronographs in this style. Hanhart began making these chronographs in 1939 while Tutima followed in 1941."

Dufour and Voutilainen - a comparison between the Simplicity and Observatoire-indepth: "Both watches are made by AHCI members; both are simple time-only watches; increasingly frequently, both are mentioned in the same dialogue."

A.Lange & Söhne: If looks could kill...: "With the help of a friend whose photography skills are a hundred times better than mine, here are some more pictures of my new love - the Lange 1 Timezone (Pink Gold Grey Dial)"

Independent in Time - Journal - Jean Dunand, Claret & Oulevay's Tour de Force!: "Well that is a challenge readily taken up by the likes of Christophe Claret. He is a genius watchmaker, who has been 'behind the scenes' for many years creating and executing many of the top complicated watches coming out of Switzerland. Initially happy to create in the background and allow all the glory to go to the watch brands he sub-contracted for, Christophe finally wanted some recognition of his artistry. Technologically on a plane at the very top of what horologically possible, this timepiece stands out as possibly his best feat yet!"

Additional links:
Bottom of the Harbour haven for Rolex
Basel 2009 Day 6-Maitres Du Temps
Musée International d‘Horlogerie (MIH)
Revue d’un Chronomètre de Marine Hamilton de la WW2
Tapestry of Time: small... medium... and XTRA LARGE!!!
Horological Meandering:Vintage Vertex - bringing it back to life

Does the Big Oil Cabal Rig Prices?

Good article from economist Robert P. Murphy.

Oil Prices Are Rigged? It Just Ain’t So! - The Freeman: "To repeat: Consumers still decide how many barrels they want to buy at a given price. If outside parties push up the price (and they can, if they are willing to risk enough money), then consumers will buy fewer barrels. Therefore, if the high price of oil were due to manipulation, we would observe either a restriction in output and/or accumulating inventories. We see neither."

H. L. Mencken on Gettysburg ...

Slam ... dunk!!

The Gettysburg speech was at once the shortest and the most famous oration in American history...
the highest emotion reduced to a few poetical phrases. Lincoln himself never even remotely
approached it. It is genuinely stupendous. But let us not forget that it is poetry, not logic;
beauty, not sense. Think of the argument in it. Put it into the cold words of everyday.
The doctrine is simply this: that the Union soldiers who died at Gettysburg sacrificed their
lives to the cause of self-determination -- that government of the people, by the people,
for the people, should not perish from the earth. It is difficult to imagine anything more
untrue. The Union soldiers in the battle actually fought against self-determination; it
was the Confederates who fought for the right of their people to govern themselves.
-- H. L. Mencken
(1880-1956) American Journalist, Editor, Essayist, Linguist, Lexicographer, and Critic

Custom Made Men's Dress Shirts - ShirtsMyWay.com

ShirtsMyWay.com is an online maker of custom men's dress shirts, all made to measure. They opened for business in February, 2009. In the last couple months I've seen several positive comments and mentions of ShirtsMyWay on various forums and sites.

Last week they contacted me to let me know that I won a contest. A couple of days later I measured an existing shirt and placed my order. Watch this very brief video to see how it works. The web site works like a simple wizard, easily guiding you through the process. Start designing yours here.

ShirtsMyWay gives you three options for choosing the proper size: Body Measurements (your own body measurements, of course), Shirt Measurements (get an already well fitting shirt and measure it), Standard Sizes (choose a standard size by finding your collar size).

I'm REALLY looking forward to receiving the shirt in a couple weeks. The customization options are huge, every possibility I could think of plus many more.

A small subset of the options I chose:
- Royal Blue
- French cuffs
- Removeable collar stays
- Classic collar
- Plain Yoke

I'll post again once the shirt arrives!

Misc. links:
ShirtsMyWay - faq
The Bachelor Guy - Shirts Your Way With ShirtsMyWay
Custom Made Dress Shirts: Interview with Peter Crawfurd
ShirtsMyWay: Over 7 Trillion Ways to Design Your Dress Shirt
Tailored Shirts - People Sent Their Stories
ShirtsMyWay - Men's Custom Shirts Online
Shirtsmyway.com - Acquire

Tuesday Grab Bag

Animals. (pic via AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Komodo dragon attacks terrorize Indonesia villages

Architecture.
Little Cob Cabin
Inhabitat: $75,000 Clayton “I-house”
Aaron Seltzer in Studio City, Estate of the Day
Caravans Are Cool Again (more pics)
High End House in Brazil with infinity pool and elevator

Computers.
Lenovo Offers New Netbook With 12-inch Display
The Awesomer - Leaked AT&T Phones
The Art of iPhone Photography

Style.
Breguet noble Cufflink Collection
Milus Kama Sutra Butterfly Watch Themed Cufflinks (NSFW!)

Food.
Japanese finest - Suntory 12yo Hibiki

Signs of The Times.
Farms downsize with miniature cows - Los Angeles Times

Watches.
Glashütte Original Senator Sixties Square Chronograph
Jaeger LeCoultre Atmos Regulator for Alfred Dunhill
How To Kill a $11,000 Watch in Two Easy Steps

Misc.
Memorial Day, 2009 - The Big Picture
BONANZA Convention
More Than Packaging: The History of Beer Cans

Alaska Stops Bear Loving Outlaw

Thank God this outlaw has finally been stopped! I guess this makes the world safer? (pic via Alaska Department of Fish and Game)

The Associated Press: Alaska cracks down on man who feeds wild bears: "That's obvious in a documentary made last year by a British filmmaker at Vandergaw's remote Alaska cabin and featured in the recent Animal Planet series 'Stranger Among Bears.' The videos show him scratching the belly of one black bear as if it was the family dog, feeding a cookie to a large black bear sitting under a tree, and feeding dog kibble to a cub from his outstretched hand. Vandergaw has been coexisting with bears this way for the last 20 years, and he wants to be left alone. That is not likely to happen now that the state is using a beefed-up law to prosecute Vandergaw for feeding bears. Game officials consider feeding bears a danger to humans, especially if others duplicate the behavior. Not everyone thinks the state needs to be going after a 70-year-old retired teacher and wrestling coach."

Monday Grab Bag

I really want to try the Pilot Iroshizuku Inks! (pic via JetPens)
Pilot Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Bottle Ink (more)
Pilot Iroshizuku Inks - Fountain Pen Network
Pilot Bottle Ink Iroshizuku 50ml
Pilot M90 With Iroshizuku Photo Gallery by Kelvin Tan

Architecture.
Vail Grant Residence - Silverlake, California
Transportable Classrooms Of The Future

Style.
Leffot Blog - Church's New Grafton
Alden Shoes - Wing Tip w/Crepe Sole, Grant Last
How to buy a men's suit online
SF - Edward Green Resoling

Fountain Pens / Journals.
The Harmless Dilettante: My Digital Ink Sampler
The Laurel Tree: Pilot Iroshizuku Ito-Ya Inks

Design.
Portable Flat-Pack Pocket Light Fits Right in your Wallet

Watches.
TimeZone: Photos: Breguet Ref. 3337
Vianney Halter Trio (RG) - WatchingHorology
Q&A: An interview with MB&F CEO Maximilian Büsser
Debaufre redoes their fatty Aviator-8s, sells them cheap

Cars / Science.
The Next Source of Green Energy: Your Car Itself

Misc.
Meerkats Don’t Spoil Their Mind-Numbingly Cute Babies
A contest that your dad hopes you enter
"A Convenient Truth" Chronicles Curitiba's Urban Innovations
India's massive general election - The Big Picture

God Bless Boeing's Altruism ...

Yesterday's WSJ included a letter from Boeing CEO, Scott Carson. In the letter Mr. Carson mentions that the market has already done a fine job of pushing airlines and engine manufacturers to increase efficiency. (pic via Wiki)

"There's plenty of incentive to develop more efficient airplanes. Historically, fuel
has been the airlines' second-biggest operating expense next to labor. Last year,
with oil reaching $140 a barrel, fuel costs even outstripped labor costs, rising
to 40% of total airline operating expenses. So airlines have demanded increased
efficiency from airplane and engine manufacturers. And manufacturers have
responded big time. Over the past 50 years, the efficiency of commercial jets
has risen an astounding 70%. This means that carbon emissions per mile flown
have dropped 70% -- all without a regulatory requirement for greenhouse gas emissions."

Then, apparently inexplicably, Mr. Carson calls for increased government regulation?!

"That said, we believe properly structured regulations could be useful.
It's not often that an industry asks for additional regulation, but
Boeing, GE and other airplane and engine manufacturers are convinced
that a fuel-efficiency standard for new airplanes is an effective way
to drive the development of fuel-saving technologies. Specifically,
we're advocating for an efficiency standard for new airplane designs."

I wonder if Boeing's Mr. Carson could be calling for increased regulation for reasons other than pure altruism? I wonder if these proposed regulations would make business tougher on competitors, current or potential?

Related links:
How Boeing Fights Climate Change - WSJ.com

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Luxury House in Beverly Hills
Flake House by OLGGA Architects
The Jirsa Loft by Substance Architecture
15 Unusual and Creative Buildings
St. Henry's Ecumenical Art Chapel by Sanaksenaho Architects

Computers.
Rumor Round-Up: Everything We’ve Heard About the Next iPhone
How to Email Text Messages to Any Phone

Luxury.
Luxury Yachts: the 10 Most Expensive Yachts in the World

Fountain Pens / Journals.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links

Style.
John Lobb - Philip II: Leather Soul Hawaii

Watches.
Unique Patek Pilot's Watch Brings $1.7 Million

Cars.
1969 Benelli 250 - Bike EXIF
2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo Officially Unveiled
Honda CB500 Four - Bike EXIF

Saturday Grab Bag

Style. (pic via Daily Mail)
Prince Charles's 40 year-old Lobb Oxfords!
Feeling For … Carréducker Shoes (more)
My Adventure in DIY bespoke shoemaking

Computers.
Rumor: Speedier Next-Gen iPhone Is on Its Way

Google's Chrome.
Google Chrome 2.0 is faster, features full page zoom
Latest Google Chrome Release Is a Speed Demon

NASA.
An Apollo Anthology - Air & Space Magazine

Fountain Pens / Journals.
Doane Paper - Gear Patrol
Index of J. Herbin Ink Reviews
Unposted: J. Herbin Orange Indien

Watches.
Watchmaker: The Number One Watch Enemy - Water
A Vintage Vulcain Chronograph For Under $1000
Luxury Watch Made With Coal From The Titanic

Cars.
2010 Brabus Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe

Signs of The Times.
S&K Menswear Closing All 105 Stores
$15 Million Membership at World's Most Expensive Club
How Marketers Can Cope With Consumers' Newfound Frugality (ht: LRC)
At Estates of the Fabulously Rich, Gilded Era Is Going, Going, Gone
Cash is still king: Those looking to remodel get a deal

Tortoises.
Pet tortoise grows up to 40kg in S China
Giant African Tortoise Found in Bronx Backyard Reunites with Owner

History.
Finding One’s Way Through War-Torn Waters

Misc.
15 Super Expensive Secondary Schools
10 Things Gas Stations Won't Tell You
Zombies or Robots: Which Will Be First to Destroy Humanity?
Five Amazing ’80’s Geek Toys and Their Modern Equivalents
Dog-O-Matic Washing Machine is Canine Carwash

Saturday Architecture Round-Up

Enough links for it's own post today. ;-)

The Stone Ridge Lane Residence - SwipeLife: "The Stone Ridge Lane Residence is a 9300 square foot residence tucked onto a generous lot along a coveted private road in Bel Air, CA. The home is a luxurious modern domicile that enjoys impressive views from its hillside perch."

Modern Eco Architecture - sustainable home in CA is off the grid - Modern House Designs: "This modern eco architecture designed by eco architect Mickey Muennig stands out at Copper Point, Big Sur – but barely."

Okoboji House by Min-Day Architects - CONTEMPORIST: "For a lake residence on a diminutive lot in rural Iowa, we conceived of a house as a series of spatial frames that offer a focused and private experience on an otherwise densely populated shore."

Real Estate Photo Gallery - Unique Homes for Sale - House of the Day Pictures

Unusual House in Brazil - Modern House Designs: "Architects Alan Chu and Cristiano Kato designed this simple yet unusual house near Sao Paulo, Brazil."

Contemporary Coastal Homes on a rocky shore of Punta Pite, Chile - Modern House Designs: "Based in Santiago, the exotic styling of Izquierdo Lehmann Architects is quite at home in a luxurious spot in Punta Pite, Chile, where stone meets the sea."

Belsize Architects Update London City Home From Ground Up: "A renovation of a three-flat property near London’s Hampstead Village, architects at Belsize worked to transform the space into a modern home stunning from ground floor up."

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via WSJ & Biff Henrich)
IJburg House by Gabriëls Webb - SwipeLife
Buffalo's Wright Stuff - WSJ.com
Productora’s Chihuahua Home
Unique Homes for Sale - House of the Day Pictures
Modern Fold-Out Mobile Home Design

Tortoises.
Timmy the tortoise fitted with fibre-glass 'crash helmet'

Computers.
How to Automate Mundane Tasks with AutoIt
Retro Thing: Oddball Micros: Timex Sinclair 2068

Style.
Left Field Preppy Shorts - SwipeLife
Pricing Designer Shorts? Think Deep Pockets

Travel.
Victorinox Special Edition Airstream
8 Virtual Tours You Can Take at Your Desk
Recycled Airstream RV is Now Earthy and Green
Third time lucky: Sir Ranulph Fiennes conquers Everest

Cars.
Mr Martini M-Tripp - Bike EXIF
“Darth Maul” BMW M3 Coupe by MWDesign
If it's a Smart Car, why does it look so stupid?
Rare Ferrari 250 TR Fetches Record-Breaking $12 million

Watches.
Panerai Luminor SlyTech: Before Vendome & Richemont
Suspended in Time - Storm Synth Watch

Misc.
Sherpa scales Everest for 19th time
Wind turbine noise suspected of killing 400 goats

Why Must Medical Residents Work LONG Hours?

I've long wondered this, and I'm still not sure I know the answer. But I do know that I'm not comfortable with the idea of being treated by a Dr. who has been awake for 46 of the last 48 hours.

I think that by law truck drivers and pilots have severe restrictions on their work hours, why don't doctors? My gut instinct tells me that someone/something is manipulating the free market and putting artificial restrictions on the supply of doctors or potential doctors.

Moves to Allow Medical Residents More Shut-Eye Rouse Opposition - WSJ.com: "Should hospital residents be required to work shorter hours and take naps to avoid exhaustion that can bring harm to their patients? The question has created a surprising divide in the medical community, even though no one disputes the fact that people are more prone to make mistakes when they are tired. That is why industries in which employees are responsible for the lives of others -- such as airlines and railroads -- have limits on how many hours of continuous work their employees are allowed to do."

RAND - News Release - Limiting Work Hours For Medical Residents Could Cost $1.6 Billion Annually: "Graduate medical education programs traditionally have required residents to work long hours, often more than 100 hours per week. Such training programs generally run three to seven years following medical school."

Judge Napolitano Is Doing Great Work

Judge Napolitano is doing fantastic work on his Freedom Watch show. HIGHLY recommended!

Watch the videos or download and listen to the podcasts.

Related links:
Freedom Watch With The Judge: “Stay Free” - Judge Napolitano
the Motorhome Diaries
Jones County, MS Sheriff versus Motorhome Diaries
Liberty Stickers – Bumper Stickers

Earlier posts:
Quick Book Review: A Nation of Sheep
Book Review: The Constitution in Exile
Quick Book Review: Who Killed the Constitution?
Judge Napolitano Blasts Politicians on the Constitution
DiLorenzo on Napolitano and Lincoln

Forced Vacations, To 'Stimulate' The Economy ...

Brilliant! Why didn't I think of this?! ;-)

[UPDATE: Dr. Boudreaux comments on the story.]

Alan Grayson to introduce Paid Vacation Act - Erika Lovley - POLITICO.com: "Rep. Alan Grayson was standing in the middle of Disney World when it hit him: What Americans really need is a week of paid vacation. So on Thursday, the Florida Democrat will introduce the Paid Vacation Act — legislation that would be the first to make paid vacation time a requirement under federal law. ... The idea: More vacation will stimulate the economy through fewer sick days, better productivity and happier employees."

The End of Bomb-Sniffing "Puffers" At The Airport?

Your tax dollars at work. (pic of the Playmobil TSA checkpoint)

It's the last gasp for bomb-sensing 'puffers' at airports - USATODAY.com: "WASHINGTON — A $36 million anti-terrorism program designed to detect bombs on airline passengers by shooting air blasts to dislodge explosive particles is being scuttled because the machines proved unreliable at airports. The 'puffer' machines — glass portals that passengers enter for checkpoint screening — are being removed after the Transportation Security Administration spent $6.2 million on maintenance since 2005. Removing them will cost nearly $1 million, TSA spokeswoman Sterling Payne said. Problems emerged after the TSA bought 207 puffers for $30 million starting in 2004. Ninety-four were installed in 37 airports. The other 113 machines stayed in storage. Dirt and humidity in airports led to frequent breakdowns, Payne said. The TSA has removed 60 puffers and will pull the rest but has no deadline. The puffers, costing $160,000 each, attempted to identify bomb residue on clothing."

Rotten CA Voters Ruin It All For Politicians?

Am I reading this column correctly? The writer makes it sound as though voters are nothing more than impediments to our all-knowing and all-good overlords, the political class. They clearly know what's best for us, even better than we do. (pic via our friends at Soviet Poster a Day)

California voters exercise their power -- and that's the problem - Los Angeles Times: "Californians are well known for periodic voter revolts, but on Tuesday they did more than just lash out at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature over the state's fiscal debacle. By rejecting five budget measures, Californians also brought into stark relief the fact that they, too, share blame for the political dysfunction that has brought California to the brink of insolvency. ... Clogged freeways, the decline of public schools, an outdated water system and a battered economy are just a few of the challenges demanding action by state leaders. Instead, they are consumed by yet another budget crisis, one that voters worsened Tuesday."

Thursday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Millie Hill Floating Getaway
PrairieMod: Frank Lloyd Wright LEGO Sets

Style.
Valet - The Summer Oxford
Preppy Resurgence - Evil Monito
The Eminence of Austrian Shoes - in the name of Scheer
Factory Visit: Crescent Down Works & The Red Wing Shoe Co.

Watches.
WatchBlog.dk
Citizen unveils i:Virt M Bluetooth watches
Casio G-Shock GW9200-1 “Riseman” Review (more)
Atmos Regulator Jaeger-LeCoultre for Alfred Dunhill

Cars.
Steve McQueen's Jaguar XKSS Le Mans Racer

Computers.
Install Windows 7 on a Netbook -- Without a DVD Drive

Travel.
Best Airline Food - Esquire
Stay at Ritz-Carltons for up to 43% Less
Four Trips to Take with Your Kids Before They're 18 - Esquire

Misc.
Russia observes Victory Day - The Big Picture
May 20, 1747: A Limey Ship, and Proud of It
The Most Shocking "Healthy" Foods! (And What You Should Eat Instead!)

Updates: Obama, UAW, GM, and Chrysler

Several good pieces from yesterday.

Cafe Hayek: How Will You Spend Your $2,800?: "And we can admire not only Mr. Obama's industrial and commercial genius, but also his magnanimity in offering to the public, free of charge, his money-saving idea. He could have earned billions of dollars in profit by putting his idea to the test in the market. But no: by simply forcing us to use his idea and charging us nothing for it, he'll forego this profit. We Americans are lucky indeed."

Obama at the Auto Buffet - WSJ.com: "They miss the point. Anyone can always imagine an outcome more 'fair' than the outcome provided by people duly exercising -- and the legal process duly upholding -- their rights. Fairness in a law-abiding society is due process. In the Chrysler bankruptcy, the administration hijacked the legal forms for a political end that it could have delivered honestly by the government buying Chrysler out of liquidation and handing it to the UAW."

Car Crazy - WSJ.com: "Mr. Obama's fleet-mileage partners yesterday included the two auto companies that have fallen into his arms, Chrysler and GM, still-independent Ford, the major foreign manufacturers, United Auto Workers chief Ron Gettelfinger, and beaming representatives from the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund and the Union of Concerned Scientists."

We'll All Be Driving Obamamobiles by Brent Peterson: "While in Europe, large vehicles can still exist; the buyers simply have a huge tax bill. This is not a good arrangement, but it at least allows automakers to decide what they will build and control the mix of their vehicle lineup. CAFE is different. Should an automaker’s lineup not produce the result that the government has mandated, they are penalized across their entire lineup. That is they are taxed for every vehicle they sell. Even if the automaker meets these targets, a vehicle that has a fuel economy that is too low requires the buyer to pay a gas-guzzler tax. This tax was impressive in 1976 dollars, $1000 to $7000. Thanks to inflation, it’s now usually less than the sales tax on the vehicles it applies to. (And since it’s considered part of the sales price of the vehicle, there is a tax on the tax.)"

Misc.:
Electric Connection: Tesla, Daimler - BusinessWeek
Steve McQueen's Jaguar XKSS Le Mans Racer