Tuesday Grab Bag

Architecture / Design. (pic via Trendir)
Nature-Inspired New York Nook
Contemporary German House Design by Meixner Schlüter
The Surreal Appeal of the Falkirk Wheel
A Steel Prefab Treads Lightly on a Desert Floor

NASA.
Space Suits Past and Future
We Choose the Moon: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11

Fountain Pens / Journals.
Moleskinerie: Webfind: Andrey Shch
The Revolver Bound Journal
Equology: same quality, better for the environment
“Grass Stain Green” Preorder
Ciak Squared Journal is Now Available in the US

Cars.
1972 Pinzgauer 710 M for $18,950!
MotoAraba - Tasarım
Chrysler to build 4 versions of Fiat 500 for U.S. market
English Russia - New Trains
Red light cameras now check for insurance, too

Watches.
My Grand Seiko, 18 months later
TimeZone - Pope Benedict XVI Presented with an Erhard Junghans
Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie, Thoughts On The Most Complicated Watch In The World

Computers.
Carnivorous Electronics Power Themselves With Digested Insects
7 Secret Double-Click Tricks for Excel Users
BOTS!! - Awesome Robot Battle Online Multiplayer Game

Misc.
There, I Fixed It.
Meanwhile, at Bear Automotive…
Faux Photoshop: 15 More Images that Seem Too Amazing to be Real
BBC NEWS - Giving up my iPod for a Walkman

Everything Michael Jackson

I grew up w/ Michael Jackson and his music. He was a brilliant and amazingly talented artist, with plenty of personal demons. Sadly, he seems to have been surrounded by people that were more interested in keeping their gravy-train going than in his welfare. Rest in peace, Michael Jackson. It's sad to think that he's gone.

I would prefer to see Michael Jackson remember like this.


'I'm better off dead. I'm done': How Michael Jackson predicted his death six months ago - Mail Online: "Whatever the final autopsy results reveal, it was greed that killed Michael Jackson. Had he not been driven – by a cabal of bankers, agents, doctors and advisers – to commit to the gruelling 50 concerts in London’s O2 Arena, I believe he would still be alive today."

A few links:
Best Michael Jackson Moments - Esquire
Ticket Refunds on a Massive Scale - WSJ.com
Michael Jackson Takes Over Amazon and iTunes
Michael Jackson's patented "Smooth Criminal" leaning shoes (more)

Misc. Links:
New pictures show Michael Jackson hard at work rehearsing just two days before he died
Doctor: I saved Jackson from morphine overdose after TV interview
24hr 'sober coach' was hired for Michael Jackson as desperate family brought in controversial 'Doc Hollywood' to save star
Michael Jackson's mother bids to become legal guardian of his children - Telegraph

Is Opposition To Global Warming Hysteria "Treason Against The planet?

Paul Krugman believes it is. IMHO, this is just one more clear example of why Krugman should not be viewed as a credible economist, but rather a leftist sounding-board. It scares me that so many people look to Krugman as a legitimate source of information. I see that John Stossel and I share some of the same concerns. Nice to know I'm in good company. ;-)

Op-Ed Columnist - Betraying the Planet - NYTimes.com: "So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill. In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement. But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases. And as I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn’t help thinking that I was watching a form of treason — treason against the planet."

Additional links:
Global Warming Is a Fraud by David Deming
Lack of Insulation: A Crime Against The Planet?!
Global Cooling?Environment and Global Warming Updates
Environment and Global Warming Updates
All Global Warming Posts

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Wooden Wonderland: Massive Lofted Treehouse Design
Horizontal House in Switzerland with Interior Courtyard
Coco Hut: An Outdoor Shed Made of Scrap Wood
Modern Industrial Landscape House by Hoogte Twee
10 Unusual and Creative Fountains

Computers.
Lifehacker - Five Best Free System Restore Tools
Jackson dies, almost takes Internet with him

Farrah Fawcett & Ayn Rand.
Farrah's Brainy Side - The Daily Beast: "A recent email exchange with the late Farrah Fawcett reveals the unlikely friendship between the Charlie's Angels star and the novelist Ayn Rand, who helped the actress understand her place in culture—and longed to cast her in a TV version of Atlas Shrugged."

A new mechanical (automatic) movt. Citizen / Miyota.
MIYOTA MOVEMENT cal.9015

Cars.
Honda C70 Passport - Bike EXIF

Style.
Factory Visit: Pendleton Woolen Mills

Watches.
TimeZone: Public Forum: Interview with Ludovic Ballouard
Franc Vila Unique Piece for Only Watch
Be a Better Man in 30 Days - Day 24: Upgrade Your Watch Knowledge
Three watches from Mühle on double circumnavigation of the world
Tapestry of Time: on my travels i have seen most interesting things...
Independent Horology: The Ox goes into the wild... It starts in Paul Gerber's Atelier in Zurich...

Misc.
Has NASA Found the Lost Moon Tapes?
Michael Jackson Takes Over Amazon and iTunes
Text-Message Service Fields Flood of Jackson Queries
Central Planning of Cancer Research, David Henderson

Peak Oil Got You Down?

There is help.

Peak Oil Therapy - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com: "Worried that peak oil is about to put a sudden end to cheap kiwis and civilization as we know it? Kathy McMahon is a clinical psychiatrist who wants to help. She runs a website for people with peak-oil panic, which pledges to help you separate “what’s ‘mental preparation’ from what’s just ‘acting mental.’””"

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture / Design. (pic via ArchDaily)
Big Dig House / Single Speed Design
House N by 3LHD Architects
14 Modern Teapots and Kettle Designs
Glass Jodlowa House Near Krakow, Poland
1970s Clive Feather-designed Frith Hill modernist house in Godalming, Surrey

Fountain Pens / Journals.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
Compare and Contrast: Canteo and Moleskine Journals

Watches.
Carbon Watches: 10 Sexy Carbonized Wrist Watches
Tapestry of Time: the watch as art...
Rolex Daytona With A Floating Face: Perhaps The Most Subtle of the Unique Cosmographs
Citizen Promaster SST JW0010-52E and comparison shots to Seiko Sportura SNA749

Style.
Simon Crompton - Menswear journalist
Michael Jackson: Style Icon 1958-2009

Computers.
Winning Teams Join to Qualify for $1 Million Netflix Prize (more)
NASA Wants Your Ideas for Digitizing Rocket Scientist’s Notes
Lovely Charts - generate fantastic charts in a snap

Photography.
Recent scenes from the ISS - The Big Picture
World reaction to Michael Jackson's sudden death

Cars.
KALEX engineering - BIKES
Lazareth 1000 FZR Compressor - Bike EXIF

Misc.
10 Best Prison Breaks
Tired of Fast Food? — Cute Overload
Michael Jackson's patented "Smooth Criminal" leaning shoes

Hitler's Stealth Fighter: Re-Created

Amazing bit of history. Sometimes you wonder how close the Nazis were to winning on the European/Western front, especially considering the massive battles of attrition with the Russians in the East prior to D-Day. This show looks like one to set the DVR for. (pic via Nat. Geo.)

Many aren't aware the Allied fighters and bombers faced a small number of German jets in the air over Europe in the war's final months. [Hitler's Stealth Fighter Facts]

"Hitler's Stealth Fighter" Re-created: "Top stealth-plane experts have re-created a radical, nearly forgotten Nazi aircraft: the Horten 2-29, a retro-futuristic fighter that arrived too late in World War II to make it into mass production. (See Hitler's stealth fighter in pictures.) The engineers' goal was to determine whether the so-called stealth fighter was truly radar resistant. In the process, they've uncovered new clues to just how close Nazi engineers were to unleashing a jet that some say could have changed the course of the war. To replicate the Ho 2-29 late last year for a documentary premiering Sunday, a team from the Northrop Grumman defense-contracting corporation used original Nazi blueprints (see re-created blueprints of Hitler's stealth fighter) and the only surviving Ho 2-29, which has been stored in a U.S. government facility for more than 50 years."

Related stories:
Britain came close to dropping poisoned darts on German troops
WWII and the POW Rolex

Markets In Everything: Pirate Hunting Cruises

A twist on Letters of Marque and Reprisal?
(part of a continuing homage to CH, pic via Ananova)

Ananova - Luxury yachts offer pirate hunting cruises: "Luxury ocean liners in Russia are offering pirate hunting cruises aboard armed private yachts off the Somali coast. Wealthy punters pay £3,500 per day to patrol the most dangerous waters in the world hoping to be attacked by raiders. When attacked, they retaliate with grenade launchers, machine guns and rocket launchers, reports Austrian business paper Wirtschaftsblatt. Passengers, who can pay an extra £5 a day for an AK-47 machine gun and £7 for 100 rounds of ammo, are also protected by a squad of ex special forces troops. ... The ships deliberately cruise close to the coast at a speed of just five nautical miles in an attempt to attract the interest of pirates."

Healthcare Updates, Again ...

Three good ones. ;-)

The Dangers of Fannie Mae Health Care - WSJ.com: "The first argument, that we need a public plan to spur competition, just isn't plausible. Hundreds of health insurance plans already exist, and employer benefit managers can choose among numerous alternatives. There is no lack of firms willing to compete to provide health insurance."

Government Medicine by Bob Murphy: "Let’s take the issue of rising costs. Is there a single government program in U.S. history that achieved falling costs? Look at higher education, for example. Has college tuition become more affordable over the years, given the huge sums poured in by the politicians? The Pentagon is a 'single payer' when it comes to military hardware. Is that why fighter jets are so cheap?"

Why apples, avocados and a glass of red wine could ease your arthritis - Mail Online: "Research shows a definite link between the food you eat and the severity of your symptoms. Like your heart, your joints thrive best on plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Try to eat at least five (and preferably eight or more) servings a day." (ht: LRC)

Saturday Grab Bag

Architecture / Design.
Desert House By LLoyd Russell
Modern Remake of a Vintage Desk Design
80-Foot-Tall Tower House & Office Has Amazing Views

Computers.
Tested: HP 15C Classic Calculator Reborn on the iPhone
How Silicon Chips Are Made (ht: Dr. Newmark)
Is the New Macbook Air Actually Slower Than the Last One?
Intel CPU Temperature Monitor Real Temp

Cars.
2010 BMW 7 Series M Sport
$32 Million Mercer Island Home
Mustang Shelby GT500 Super Snake, when 540hp just isn’t enough

Environment.
Toyota Hybrid Hearse, Popular Prius' New Killer Model
Strassel: The Climate Change Climate Change - WSJ.com

Watches.
On-Time Clock Always Runs Fast
Seiko: 1st post here,Seiko moving design discusburger
New Model – Nivrel Replique II Chronograph
New Model – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Forged Carbon

Fountain Pens / Journals.
Rhodia Web Notebook with 90g Paper
Paperblanks Smythe Sewn Journal Filligree Floral Ebony Midi Wrap
WRITE AWAY: Moleskine: An affair to remembe
moleskinerie: Mark Dwight's Moleskine Clear Window Hack
Carolina Pad Sasquatch Recycled Notebook Reviews

Style.
Blackstone R390 Brouge - SwipeLife
Difference Between Blazer, Sport Coat and Suit Jacket
A Suitable Wardrobe: In George Hamilton's Footsteps

Unions.
Unions To Get Dues from ObamaCare
UAW seeks another bailout - The Detroit News

Misc.
English Russia - Soviet Radio Telescopes
Cool Currency: 12 Beautiful Bills
10 Things Rental Car Companies Won't Say
BBC NEWS - India plans hot chilli grenades
Hitler's Stealth Fighter - National Geographic Channel
Fantastical Capybara: An Interview with Melanie Typaldos About Her Caplin Rous

Today's Quotes - Liberty

"..the Bill of Rights does not come from the people
and is not subject to change by majorities.
It comes from the nature of things.
It declares the inalienable rights of man
not only against all government
but also against the people collectively."
-- Walter Lippmann

"Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most
important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution and
the one which, united with that of personal liberty, has contributed
more to the growth of civilization than any other institution
established by the human race."
-- William Howard Taft
(1857-1930) 27th US President

The Patek Philippe Seal, Roger Dubuis, and Cartier

We've known for a few months (at least) that Patek was going to drop its use of the Geneva Seal and introduce its own competing seal. Some have claimed the move to be purely marketing, some are less jaded and see it as a principled stand by Patek.

This month's WatchTime magazine (June 2009) had a great editorial on the back page covering the topic. The column claims that the Geneva Seal is almost purely dedicated to finishing and assembly, not concerned with accuracy at all. Furthermore, the claim is made that Roger Dubuis's recent quality problems tarnished the reputation of the seal and that Cartier was gaming the system in order to use it. [Offical Patek Philippe Seal Info]

Basel 2009 Novelty: The Patek Philippe Seal: "A new era begins for Patek Philippe in the spring of 2009: All of the manufacture’s mechanical movements will henceforth be embossed with the exclusive Patek Philippe Seal. This is the evolution of a philosophy of quality and independence that the workshops in Geneva have been systematically pursuing since the company was founded in 1839. The new label clearly expresses the very essence and distinctiveness of Patek Philippe: a level of perfection that far transcends what external statutes and official standards prescribe. After all, true passion can only come from within."

Montres/Watches: Patek Phillipe abandons the Geneva Seal: "After about a year of rumors, on February 16, 2009, Business Montres reported that a decision was made by Patek Philippe to abandon the Geneva Seal. Business Montres reported that the decision was supported, at least in part, by Patek Philippe's belief that its own standards of watchmaking are higher than the antiquated specifications for the Geneva Seal."

Patek Philippe creates its own Seal - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie: "Rumour was rife since the SIHH in January and it’s now official. Acclaimed the world over for the outstanding aesthetics and technicality of its watches, Patek Philippe has announced the creation of its own quality seal. This new hallmark, says the Genevan Fine Watch brand, goes even further than the Geneva Seal, implemented in 1886 by a cantonal law and whose criteria are, for the most part, aesthetic. 'Our objective is to reinforce quality standards. We wish to provide our customers with a complete guarantee of the end product,' declared Philippe Stern, CEO of Patek Philippe, at Baselworld."

Related Links:
Offical Patek Philippe Seal Info
Patek Philippe Press Release - March 2009
Cartier Earns Geneva Seal
Montres/Watches: A Brief History of the Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal)
Here's an article on the Geneva and Patek Seals

Misc. Seal Links.
A Plethora Of Watchmaking Seals: Geneva Seal, Patek Philippe Seal, Fleurier Seal, And More
Wyler Tourbillon WT3: The First Poinçon du Jura Watch

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via StyleCrave)
Tampa Mansion for Sale for $25 Million
FlatPak Prefab for the San Francisco Bay
Eco Friendly House in Stockholm

Cars.
Deus Ex Machina: Aussie Bikes
TimeZone: Eyes on Design 2009, Edsel Ford Estate
Ford Fiesta: fun can come in small packages

Fountain Pens / Journals.
Unposted: Webnotebooks From Rhodia
What should I do with this tiny Rhodia pad?

Style.
S/DOUBLE Stadium Shoe - Acquire
I Feel the Need ... The Need For Tweed

Animals.
8 Mysterious Tales of Traveling Dogs
ZooBorns: Tulsa Zoo Debuts Tiny Cubs
Opium-eating wallabies get high, make crop circles

Computers.
Coding Horror: The iPhone Software Revolution
75% of iPhone Users Upgraded in First Five Days
Walt Mossberg Reviews Laptops With Sealed-in Batteries
Totally Free Unlimited Internet Access Almost Anywhere
Jon and Kate (Plus 8) Can’t Sell Their Home Either

Ron Paul.
Ron Paul: The World's Most Popular U.S. Congressman
Exclusive Conversation With Ron Paul: The Future Of The Federal Reserve (usnews.com)

History.
The Non-Orwellian View of American History
Smithsonian to open Earl Shaffer exhibition (more)

Misc.
Monticello's clever windvane - Boing Boing
14 Cool Vending Machines from Japan
Victorian-era photographs...of the moon?
The blue and the green - Discover Magazine

Today's Quotes - Bastiat

The state is the great fiction by which everybody seeks
to live at the expense of everybody else.
-- Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850)

Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They
forget that the state lives at the expense of everyone.
-- Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850)

Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Thus
the beneficiaries are spared the shame and danger that their acts
would otherwise involve... But how is this legal plunder to be
identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons
what belongs to them and gives it to the other persons to whom
it doesn't belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the
expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do
without committing a crime. Then abolish that law without delay ...
No legal plunder; this is the principle of justice, peace,
order, stability, harmony and logic.
-- Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850)

When goods do not cross borders, soldiers will.
-- Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850)

Now, legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways.
Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing it: tariffs,
protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, progressive
taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed profits,
minimum wages, a right to relief, a right to the tools of labor,
free credit, and so on, and so on. All these plans as a whole—with
their common aim of legal plunder—constitute socialism.
-- Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850)

Tiger Woods, Spanish Windmills, and Global Warming

Now we can even blame Tiger's loss on climate change, yeah! ;-)

Climate Progress's Romm Blames Tiger's US Open Loss on Global Warming - NewsBusters.org: "Climate Progress's Joe Romm believes global warming caused all the rain at last week's U.S. Open golf tournament, and because favorite Tiger Woods was in the first draw of players most impacted by the inclement weather, it cost him the victory. In his latest exhibition of Global Warming Derangement Syndrome, Romm conveniently ignored how New York is currently experiencing one of its coldest Junes on record."

George F. Will - A Quixotic Pursuit: Green Energy Jobs - washingtonpost.com: "The Spanish professor is puzzled. Why, Gabriel Calzada wonders, is the U.S. president recommending that America emulate the Spanish model for creating 'green jobs' in 'alternative energy' even though Spain's unemployment rate is 18.1 percent -- more than double the European Union average -- partly because of spending on such jobs?"

Wristwatch Round-Up! ...

More fun stuff. (pic via OneSound)

Orient Diver Automatic Saturation Diver CFD0C001B Watch Review: "I recall first learning about the Orient Diver Automatic Ref. CFD0C001B watch a while ago on a Japanese watch website. I didn't know anything about the brand, but was impressed by the solid looking diver watch that seemed to have a lot of what people like in a diver."

TimeZone: Better picture of the Longines Legend Diver: "Oh, and about the strap - it turns out that the strap I got the watch on was the long strap and not the regular length. So I made a trip down to the AD where I got my watch and swapped it for the regular length."

TimeZone: Public Forum: NOT a Royal Oak . . .: "Yesterday, I took delivery of an AP Jules Audemars Tourbillon Chronograph. Remarkably, I purchased the watch having never seen one in the metal. However, I was so captivated by the photos that I proceeded on faith, knowing that, if it was an AP, it would incorporate the highest standards of workmanship and finish. I am pleased to report that I was not disappointed. To the contrary, my new AP exceeds my expectations by a considerable margin."

1953 Omega Fat Arrow For The British Royal Services: A Perfectly Affordable Watch - Hodinkee: "When looking for a vintage watch, many people are immediately intrigued by a military piece. The idea of a battle-tested beater with real (albeit hard to define) provenance is a great way to start off a collection or to add to one as a character piece."

Omega Basel 2009 Novelties Preview in Bangkok: "The event took place nearly a month ago but I never quite found the time to post these pics properly so here we go. It all began with a simple phone call from Omega Thailand. They said they were bringing some of the pieces launched at Basel this year to Bangkok. Being as enthuastic about Omega as ever, I required no encouragement to say yes."

Misc. Watch Links.
Table clocks by Itay Noy
Nooka x UNDRCRWN ZenV Watch
Tapestry of Time: lusting after a hot american ;)

Why America Is Addicted to Olive Garden

This is a great article. Long, but good. They have taken the WalMart approach to management and supply-chain. I like Olive Garden, and love Macaroni Grill. ;-)

Why America Is Addicted to Olive Garden - Fast Company: ""In every area where technology can be applied, Darden has a considerable lead on other businesses," says Muller, who has followed the industry for 20 years. Darden was computerizing its guest surveys in the 1990s, he says, when other restaurants were relying on comment boxes. On a Thursday night in April, Erin Harvell, the culinary manager at the Olive Garden in Wayne, New Jersey, reviews the week's forecasts in a tiny office off the kitchen. They're within 1% to 4% of the actual turnout. The biggest gap -- 630 guests instead of 660 -- was on a rainy night. Guest Forecasting spells out the appropriate staffing and food preparation -- how many fettuccine Alfredo orders to expect, how much sauce to make in the morning. Over the past two years, Darden has reduced unplanned hours by more than 40% and trimmed excess food costs by 10%. "We don't want zero waste," says White, "because we don't want to run out of anything on the menu." The goal is no more than 9% waste, and the system tells each restaurant how it's doing."

Thursday Grab Bag

Animals. (pic: Justin Sorensen, Watertown Daily News)
The NY State Zoo at Thompson Park Gets Two Otters!

Architecture.
Arizona Desert Homes – Modern Architecture
J. Mark Ash Modern Farmhouse
Architect Visit: Birdseye Design in Vermont
Glass Roof House to Love the Earth, and You
Convertible Kids Bedroom Furniture
Buffalo House to Weather Rainstorms in Kansas
Renovated Church Home in Kyloe, Northumberland

Cars.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport: World’s Fastest Convertible

Style.
Film Noir Buff: Cuff Your Enthusiasm
The trustworthy pindot - From The Waist Up
Never Button Down and Never Button Up

Watches.
Wristwatch pictures: JLC Triptyque
Wristwatch pictures: JLC Gyrotourbillon II
Tantalum/Palladium Vacheron Constantin
Patek Philippe: Not your typical Patek movement
Vacheron Constantin Mansion in Shanghai
New Model – Patek Philippe Celestial for Only Watch 2009

Travel.
12 Real-Life Locations Behind Out-of-this-World Films
Swiss offer millionaires a haven away from the poor

Coffee.
Frappuccinos Work for Mom and Pop: Why local stores need chains in a downturn
Coffee wars: Taste test of Starbucks, McDonald's, 7-Eleven and Dunkin' Donuts

Misc.
LED Goggles Should Be Our Gang Sign
The 8 Best Book Review Sites
Don’t Blink: 392 MPH Glider Tears Through the Air
What Your Facial Hair Really Says About You
12 Things You THOUGHT Were Bad for You...
Soccer in South Africa - The Big Picture

Today's Quotes

Since the general civilization of mankind,
I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedoms
of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power
than by violent and sudden usurpations.
-- James Madison
(1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President

The Framers of the Bill of Rights did not purport to "create" rights.
Rather they designed the Bill of Rights to prohibit our Government
from infringing rights and liberties presumed to be preexisting.
-- Justice William J. Brennan
(1906-1997) U. S. Supreme Court Justice
Source: 1982

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule,
where fifty-one percent of the people may
take away the rights of the other forty-nine.
-- Thomas Jefferson

Cretin or Crook?: Barney Frank On Condo Loans

I'm tempted to lean towards crook w/ this cretin. ;-) (pic via AP)

Perhaps even more perplexing ... who in the name of God keeps voting for this guy?!

Barney the Underwriter - WSJ.com: "Back when the housing mania was taking off, Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank famously said he wanted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to 'roll the dice' in the name of affordable housing. That didn't turn out so well, but Mr. Frank has since only accumulated more power. And now he is returning to the scene of the calamity -- with your money. He and New York Representative Anthony Weiner have sent a letter to the heads of Fannie and Freddie exhorting them to lower lending standards for condo buyers. You read that right. After two years of telling us how lax lending standards drove up the market and led to loans that should never have been made, Mr. Frank wants Fannie and Freddie to take more risk in condo developments with high percentages of unsold units, high delinquency rates or high concentrations of ownership within the development."

Related links:
Fannie, Freddie asked to relax condo loan rules: report - Reuters

700 NYC Teachers Are Paid To Do Nothing

Thanks, unions and government schools! (pic via AP/Yahoo! News)

700 NYC teachers are paid to do nothing - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK – Hundreds of New York City public school teachers accused of offenses ranging from insubordination to sexual misconduct are being paid their full salaries to sit around all day playing Scrabble, surfing the Internet or just staring at the wall, if that's what they want to do. Because their union contract makes it extremely difficult to fire them, the teachers have been banished by the school system to its 'rubber rooms' — off-campus office space where they wait months, even years, for their disciplinary hearings. The 700 or so teachers can practice yoga, work on their novels, paint portraits of their colleagues — pretty much anything but school work. They have summer vacation just like their classroom colleagues and enjoy weekends and holidays through the school year. 'You just basically sit there for eight hours,' said Orlando Ramos, who spent seven months in a rubber room, officially known as a temporary reassignment center, in 2004-05. 'I saw several near-fights. `This is my seat.' `I've been sitting here for six months.' That sort of thing.'"

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Contemporist)
The Wolfback Ridge FlatPak House
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House
7 Great Castles That Are Not in Europe
10 Brilliant, Boxy and Sustainable Shipping Container Homes

Fountain Pens.
Quo Vadis Blog - A disposable fountain pen?

Animals.
Great white sharks hunt just like Hannibal Lecter
Baby Fennec Foxes Debut at Tokyo Zoo
Dis Just In, Yah: Red Panda Triplets

Signs of The Times. (ht:LRC)
Abandoned storage locker contents up for sale. What can you get?

Photography.
Ten WW2 Photos in Color
The Disposable Memory Project
Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine

Cars.
GM Announces New 2.4L Engine for 2010 Buick LaCrosse
Tesla CEO Says Prius 'Not A True Hybrid'

Computers.
Commodore 64 vs. the iPhone 3G S: The Ultimate Showdown
5 things I wish some people wouldn't install on their PCs
Computer failure may have caused D.C. train crash
Microsoft Security Essentials (aka Morro) Available for Limited Download

Health.
'Cigarettes, whisky, and wild, wild women' (ht:LRC)
What Your Body Is Telling You - WSJ.com

Travel.
10 Things Moving Companies Won't Say
Unusual Hotels of the World

Misc.
oobject - 12 primitive b movie style robots
15 Manly Smells - The Art of Manliness

Wristwatch Round-Up! ...

Lost of fun stuff in here! ;-) (pic from Jorge/TZ)

Two new ones from Hamilton.
New Model – Hamilton Khaki King Chronograph
New Model – Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic

I love this new Longines, but the hands are too short, deal-breaker.
New Model – Longines Silver Arrow
The Longines Silver Arrow Then & Now: Vintage Is Back

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Forged Carbon: "The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Forged Carbon watch combines smart design with plenty of advanced tech details that will get you drooling. The movement is an Exclusive AP self-winding Calibre 3126/3840 with a power reserve of up to 60 hours and a 21,600 vibrations per hour cadence."

Two from Fratello Watches.
WorldTempus.com: CHRONICLE - Only one watch!: "I don’t consider myself a collector of watches, I just ‘collect’ what I will actually be wearing. I had a modest collection of new & vintage Omega watches in the past, but I traded most of them for watches that would actually see some daylight every now and then instead of the inside of a safe."

An Interview With Vintage Wristwatch Collector Jeff Hess: "I started with pocket watches as a child, watching old movies on television, watching the cowboys occasionally pull out an old pocket watch. I collected pocket watches until my grandfather gave me his old wristwatch when I was about 18. It was a real funny-looking, old thing, and I thought it was an interesting design, a little bit different. I wore it and was surprised at the amount of comments that I got from people. So that was my first bit of interest."

Seiko Sportura Kinetic Direct Drive - WatchTime.com: "For 2009 Seiko has re-engineered the Sportura collection. Familiar elements like black dials, anti-reflective sapphire crystals and red and orange accents remain, but the designs have been refined. The collection includes 9 new creations using quartz and Kinetic calibers."

Misc.
1940s Tissot Chronograph By Omega
Independent Horology: An unconventional timepiece CABESTAN
Frédérique Constant New Healey Chrono-Automatic: The passion continues…
NOMOS Glashütte simply unique Unified-Collection of 20 Grey Watch-Impressions

Tuesday Grab Bag

Cars. (pic via Jalopnik)
2010 Ford Taurus: First Drive - 2010 ford taurus
Esquire: first impressions of 2010 Ford Taurus SHO
2009 British Grand Prix: Mega-Gallery
A Weekend In The 2010 Lincoln MKS

Architecture.
The Interior of the Andel’s Hotel in Lodz
Elevated Home Literally Sits on the Water

Style.
The Find: Alden for Context
Why Men Are Scared Of Real Trousers

Fountain Pens / Journals.
The Awesomer - Sport Aluminum Pencil
Review: Exacompta Basics Journal
Review: Rhodia Webnotebook (Small US Version)

iPhone
Review: Palm Pre
Smart Phones as Modems - WSJ.com
Did Apple Sell a Million iPhone 3G S This Weekend? You Betcha
iPhone 3.0 Software: Poor Battery Life, Decreased Speed

Watches.
New Breguet Web Site
June 22, 1675: Greenwich Becomes Royal Pane on the Stars
Perrelet Turbine: A Study In Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 44mm Titanium
Word Clock -- Better Living Through Design

Photography.
Summer solstice
Kodachrome Goes to War: 1942
A troubled week in Iran - The Big Picture

Misc.
Go Plate - Uncrate
BBC NEWS - What a racket
Why Skinny Stays in the Picture
British dogs trained to sniff out diabetes
Hong Kong's Kwok Brothers Aim to Bring Hope Through Noah's Ark

Economic Updates ...

A few catalysts for thought.

Stimulus = Welfare Quotas Corruption - OpenMarket.org: "Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package is now being used to force states to adopt racial quotas in government contracts, even if their state constitution or civil-rights laws forbid such quotas."

No, not deflation?! ;-)
NPR: A Tasty Indicator

Stossel gets it, as usual.
Overhauling The Financial Regulatory System - John Stossel's Take: "As the president prepares to 'overhaul the financial regulatory system,' we can debate endlessly whether the Constitution really gives any president that power. A more important question is whether any president, with all his advisers and cabinet officials, is capable of overseeing something as complex as the financial system of a great economy. My answer is no, and it is ominous that a bright guy like Obama doesn't know this."

Yup.
Congressman Ron Paul - International Bailout Brings Us Closer to Economic Collapse : "As Americans struggle through the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, this emergency supplemental appropriations bill sends $660 million to Gaza, $555 million to Israel, $310 million to Egypt, $300 million to Jordan, and $420 million to Mexico. Some $889 million will be sent to the United Nations for so-called “peacekeeping” missions. Almost one billion dollars will be sent overseas to address the global financial crisis outside our borders. Nearly $8 billion will be spent to address a “potential pandemic flu” which could result in mandatory vaccination ..."

Today's Quotes

If the people let government decide
what foods they eat and what medicines they take,
their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state
as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.
-- Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President

Congress may not abdicate or transfer to others its legitimate functions.
-- U.S. Supreme Court
Source: Schechter Poultry v. U.S., 29 U.S. 495, 55 U.S. 837.842 (1935)

The rights enumerated in this Bill of Rights
shall not be construed to limit other rights
of the people not therein expressed.
-- Virginia Declaration of Rights
similar provisions can be found in more than 20 States' Bills of Rights
Source: http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/

Healthcare: Moral Equivalent of Slavery?

I can only hope that the statements made by Mr. Glenn Smith in the following column were done for the sake of hyperbole and attention-getting. That excuse wouldn't make it okay, but it would at least give us comfort that someone is not necessarily so morally warped. [see the two articles linked at the end of the post for examples of sound thinking]

Mr. Smith argues that "The gravity of America's health care crisis is the moral equivalent of the 19th Century's bloody conflict over slavery." Not only is this an absolutely ridiculous charge, it's an affront to victims of actual slavery.

Smith goes on: "The health insurance industry earns its profits from the denial of coverage and benefits. It's not so different from the Southern plantation owners who earned their profit from slave labor. The latter had their economic justifications for their immorality. So do the insurance companies." I shudder at the thought of how many fall for this wretched excuse for logic and morality.

And in a form of sick irony, what makes it worse is that Mr. Smith seems to be (I'm reading between the lines here, but not much) calling for a universal healthcare system, which forces people to surrender their income at the muzzle of a gun so that it may be given to others to whom it does not belong. The difference between this scenario and actual slavery is one of degree rather than kind.

Firedoglake - Slavery and the Health Care Crisis: "The gravity of America's health care crisis is the moral equivalent of the 19th Century's bloody conflict over slavery. This is not hyperbole, though the truth of it is often lost in abstract talk of insurance company profits, treatment costs, and other cold, inhuman analyses. Today's health system condemns 50 million Americans to ill health and death while guaranteeing health care to the economic privileged. It cannot stand. About 18,000 Americans die each year because they lack health insurance. That's more than a third the number of lives lost in battle during each year of the four-year Civil War. Members of Congress without the moral clarity to recognize this equivalence will be condemned by history."

Two must-read classics.
Rights vs. Wishes by Walter Williams
So You Want to be a Masonomist - Arnold Kling

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture. (Image Credit)
Spectacular Dams Around the World
Stunning Staircase Spirals Out from a Single Spine
Concrete Holiday Home In Switzerland
Contemporary Japanese House
For sale: 1970s-designed Eagle House in Uckfield

Flashlights.
4Sevens Quark AA Comparison Review
Review: 4Sevens Quark Series (unboxing, comparison shots, beamshots)

Photography.
Animals in captivity
Penguin release
Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan
Images from the prison at Guantanamo Bay

iPhone.
Gizmodo - 10 Things To Check Out In iPhone OS 3.0
iPhone OS 3.0 walkthrough
Phone 3G S: The Technologizer Review

Computers.
Lifehacker - Top 10 Firefox 3.5 Features
Saved by my iPod: Girl survives lightning strike

Style.
MISTER MORT: Some khakis

Watches.
Quick thoughts on the Lange Zeitwerk (must-see!)
Relaxing Afternoon with Don Corson and Friends - A photo essay (must-see!)
IWC Yacht Club II: Was the 1970s The Golden Era of Luxury Sport Watches?
TimeZone: Public Forum: Father's Day Suprise Breguet
Phosphor E-Ink Watch
June 22, 1675: Greenwich Becomes Royal Pane on the Stars

Cars.
Obsession - Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Transit Connect hauls Ford back into U.S. small-van market

Misc.
10 Unusual and Creative Restaurants
The Chappe Optical Telegraph - Boing Boing
Maryland: Pilots fly by remote
TimeZone: Rome in eight days (MANY photos)

Greenland Heads Toward Independance

Interesting. Only ~57,000 people in Greenland?! (pic via Wiki)

BBC NEWS - Europe - Self-rule introduced in Greenland: "The Arctic island of Greenland is assuming self-rule, in the latest step towards independence from Denmark. The move follows a referendum on greater autonomy in November. It will see Greenland take a greater share of revenues from its natural resources. The local government is taking control of the police and the courts. Greenlandic - or Kalaallisut - becomes the official language. Denmark has the final say in defence and foreign-policy matters. Copenhagen has ruled Greenland for three centuries. It granted the territory limited sovereignty in 1979."

Today's Quotes

"Society is composed of men, and every man is a FREE agent. Since man is free, he can choose; since he can choose, he can err; since he can err, he can suffer. I go further: He must err and he must suffer; for his starting point is ignorance, and in his ignorance he sees before him an infinite number of unknown roads, all of which save one lead to error."
-- 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: Harmonies, XXX

"The guarantee of equal protection cannot mean one thing when applied to one
individual and something else when applied to a person of another color. If
both are not accorded the same protection, then it is not equal."
-- Lewis F. Powell
U. S. Supreme Court Justice
Source: Regents of the University of California v Bakke, 1978

"The truth is, that, even with the most secure tenure of office, during good behavior, the danger is not, that the judges will be too firm in resisting public opinion, and in defence of private rights or public liberties; but, that they will be ready to yield themselves to the passions, and politics, and prejudices of the day."
-- Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833

The Supreme Court is steadily eroding the protections against police
excess promised by the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth
Amendments to the Constitution.
-- Dan Baum
American author, columnist
June 29, 1992
Source: his book, The Nation

Healthcare Updates, Again ...

Some stuff to keep your eye on.

Cafe Hayek: Lying Hypocrites: "Last September Sen. Barack Obama promised that under his health-care proposal 'you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.' On Monday, President Obama repeated that promise in a speech to the American Medical Association. It's not true."

Michelle Malkin : The Obamacare Horror Story You Won't Hear: "The White House, Democrats and MoveOn liberals are spreading health care sob stories to sell a government takeover. But there's one health care policy nightmare you won't hear the Obamas hyping. It's a tale of poor minority patient-dumping in Chicago -- with first lady Michelle Obama's fingerprints all over it."

ObamaCare Sticker Shock - WSJ.com: "Finance Chairman Max Baucus postponed the health timeline, probably until after Congress's July 4 vacation. His team will try to scale down the middle-class insurance subsidies and make other cuts to hold the sticker shock under $1 trillion. (Oh, is that all?) Mr. Baucus also claims he's committed to a bipartisan consensus, yet most Republicans have been closed out of the negotiations, and industry lobbyists have been pre-emptively warned that even meeting with the GOP will invite retribution."

CARPE DIEM: Almost 4 Of 10 Uninsured Households Make > $50k Per Year. What's Wrong With Being Self-Insured?: "According to this Census Bureau report 'Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007' (most recent data available), there were 45.6 million uninsured Americans in 2007. The chart above shows the household income levels of those 45.6 million uninsured Americans."

Union Updates ...

Up to their old tricks.

When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children.
-- Albert Shanker, Former President of the American Federation of Teachers

The NEA's Latest Trick - WSJ.com: "Public school teachers are supposed to teach kids to read, so it would be nice if their unions could master the same skill. In a recent letter to Senators, the National Education Association claims Washington, D.C.'s Opportunity Scholarships aren't working, ignoring a recent evaluation showing the opposite. 'The DC voucher pilot program, which is set to expire this year, has been a failure,' the NEA's letter fibs. 'Over its five year span, the pilot program has yielded no evidence of positive impact on student achievement.' That must be news to the voucher students who are reading almost a half-grade level ahead of their peers. Or to the study's earliest participants, who are 19 months ahead after three years."

At they're honest in this clip.
Caught on tape: SEIU thuggery

LaborPains.org - SEIU In Trouble…Again.: "When the SEIU is not busy fighting its protracted war with UNITE HERE, it finds time to duel with the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). It recently spent nearly $10 million to organize 10,000 health care workers in Fresno, CA. The SEIU also - not surprisingly - allegedly committed acts of vandalism and intimidation against workers in its organization campaign against NUHW., Now the NUHW is retaliating, filing an official complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging prohibited ties between the SEIU and Bank of America."

Sunday Grab Bag

Watches. (pic via Jorge/TZ)
New OMEGA: Seamaster Aqua Terra Co-Axial GMT Chronograph

Architecture.
Curved Roof House Plan makes a Stylish Eco Statement
oobject -15 images of not so secret secret service buildings
Harbour Isle Apartments by Lundgaard & Tranberg

Cars.
Mercedes C-Class Gets Appearance, Performance Upgrade
Tables Turn in Transaction of 2 Auto Giants
Jalopnik - 48-Cylinder Kawasaki Pushes Boundaries Of Sanity

Computers.
Best Sites to Download Very High Resolution Wallpapers

Misc.
GM Retirees Rush To Get Dentures, Glasses And Viagra
Hands-On With the Smart, Retro Olympus E-P1

Che, PETA, and Vegetarianism

This story is a gem. ;-)

Here's an interesting moral calculus: Murdering humans that don't want to be part of forced collectivism? No problem. Eating meat? Now that's a crime! (pic via AP)

Che Guevara's grand-daughter poses semi-nude for animal rights... with just a string of carrots to preserve her dignity - Mail Online: "Her grandfather fought for his idea of freedom, equality and a better world. Lydia Guevara is simply fighting for attention. The granddaughter of the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara has posed semi-naked with bandoliers of baby carrots slung across her shoulders in an advertisement promoting vegetarianism. And she made sure to wear the iconic beret so associated with the famous grandfather she never knew. Miss Guevara, 24, has been recruited by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals."

I think he's got this backwards.
"'We say the best way to save animals is not to eat them,' Mr McGraw said."

We've also seen this week the outrage from PETA over Obama's killing of a fly. I would be willing to bet that most of PETA considers itself pro-choice. That seems like a logical if not a moral problem.
Obama Actually Can Hurt a Fly, and PETA Isn’t Happy About It - John Stossel's Take: "The next day a spokesman for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) spoke out against Obama’s cruel slaughter of an innocent bug, saying “We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals.”"

Saturday Grab Bag

Cars. (pic from BikeEXIF)
Deubel/Horner BMW sidecar - Bike EXIF
Edo Competition Ferrari California
Ridley Motorcycles: The Flyer Motorbike Kit

Architecture.
Bridge Friggebod – Little Houses on the Black River
The i-house is out! | Small House Style
Innovative Casa on Adriatic Coast
Eco-Pod Home

Computers.
Top 40 best free iPod Touch Apps
How to Enable iPhone Tethering Right Now
iPhone 3G S Arrives Today: Here Are the Details

Watches.
TimeZone: Citizen Eco-Drive Marinaut
A chat with Mr. Alexander Schmiedt-Montblanc
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Gstaad Classic

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
New Lamy Safaris: Charcoal & Black
Rhodia Writing Pads - Official U.S. Distributor (new site)
Review: Rhodia Webnotebook (Small US Version)
Omas Edición Limitada Moon 1969 - “Un pequeño paso”
moleskinerie: myDetour Istanbul - Beste Miray Doğan

Style.
Horween Genuine Shell Cordovan on Vimeo
Stripes Galore - From The Waist Up

Misc.
BBC NEWS - Eat less while eating more?
10 Things Your Airline Won't Tell You
Spunky Sputnik LED Lamp
Read this over coffee - Los Angeles Times
Gallery: Antique Windmills Go About Their Daily Snuff Grind