Monday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Dornob)
European style house overlooking Italian countryside
Mako House in New York by Bates Masi Home
Harvard Avenue Home Supplies Stunning Seattle Vistas
Contemporary Modern Home & Garden Revisits Modernism

Watches.
Review: Vacheron Constantin Quai de l’Ile
TimeZone: New arrival, Rolex Datejust
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain With Constant Force Escapement And Dead Seconds

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Letters & Journals

Cars.
BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept
Confederate P120 Fighter Combat super motorcycle

Healthcare.
Massachusetts' Obama-like reforms increase health costs, wait times - Detroit News
The Health Care Math Everyone Avoids
The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare by Paul Hsieh, MD

Style.
A Suitable Wardrobe: The Blazer Shoe

Animals.
The Presurfer: Lucky The Turtle Gets New Legs

Computers.
Five Best Disk Defragmenters - Lifehacker
Twitcaps - Real-Time Images From Twitter
TidBITS Macs & Mac OS X: What's New in Snow Leopard (more)

Misc.
mental_floss Blog - 5 Quirky Things You Can Insure

Liberty & Your Govt. At Work

You really can't please some people.
"Keep your self-righteous fingers off my processed food"

GREAT comments on the tears over Ted Kennedy.
Ted Kennedy’s Appetities
Truly Productive People
Sen. Compassion?
A Letter of Hope But Not Courage by Vedran Vuk

We'll keep doing this, until you get it "right."
Voting until they get it right in the European Union

You are right to be concerned.
Bill would give president emergency control of Internet - CNET News

Who Can? Why, The Government Can!

This guy has some good moves, like a poor man's Napoleon Dynamite. ;-)

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture.
V-Houses / Heinz Legler
The Garren Residence by PIQUE

Watches.
New from Casio: G-Shock Frogman GWF-1000 & GWF-1000B (more)

Travel.
Top 10 Tactics for Productive Travel
Domaine De Luxe, Luxury Rentals In Europe
120 Exceptionally Beautiful HDR Pictures of Airports Around the World

Style.
Mens Business Shirts - Best Dress Shirt for Men

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
Lots of Inkophile Ink Reviews

Education & SATs.
Marginal Revolution: The Inheritance of Education

Animals.
British Wildlife Centre Baby Otter Update - Cute Otters

Misc.
Brunton Flip-N-Drip - Acquire
Still Not So Crowded…

Tortoise Saved By Dremel Tool

Amazing story, and cute little tortoise.

Tortoise saved by B&Q drill - Telegraph: "The three-year-old spur-thighed tortoise called Twinnie who is the size of a 50p coin would have died if the half inch wide stone blocking her bladder had not been removed. But her owner Lorna Parker, 46, from Norwich, spent £400 on surgery to remove the stone. Veterinary surgeon Louise Rayment-Dyble operated on Twinnie with a Dremel drill and cutting blade bought from the B&Q store in Hellessdon, Norwich. She cut an inch wide square in the underside shell and sliced open the tortoise's bladder to remove the stone in an hour long operation. Twinnie who weighs just one ounce was then stitched up and had the piece of shell stuck back in place with a special glue and a resin to make a watertight barrier. It was allowed home two days later and is now recovering by slowly getting used again to her diet of dandelions, thistles and lettuce treats. "

Native Americans and the "Public Option"

Maybe it'll be different this time, right?

Terry Anderson: Native Americans and the Public Option - WSJ.com: "Montana Sen. Max Baucus, a leading architect of national health-care reform, visited the Flathead Indian Reservation near Pablo, Mont., in May, and he was confronted with a surprising critique. 'I hope any [new health-care] plan does not forget the nation's first people,' Dr. LeAnne Muzquiz told the senator. Another person in the audience, according to the newspaper the Missoulian, followed up by telling the senator that the legislation pending in Congress would in fact do just that. Native Americans have received federally funded health care for decades. A series of treaties, court cases and acts passed by Congress requires that the government provide low-cost and, in many cases, free care to American Indians. The Indian Health Service (IHS) is charged with delivering that care..
...
Unfortunately, Indians are not getting healthier under the federal system. In 2007, rates of infant mortality among Native Americans across the country were 1.4 times higher than non-Hispanic whites and rates of heart disease were 1.2 times higher. HIV/AIDS rates were 30% higher, and rates of liver cancer and inflammatory bowel disease were two times higher. Diabetes-related death rates were four times higher. On average, life expectancy is four years shorter for Native Americans than the population as a whole. Rural Indians fare even worse, as data from Sen. Baucus's home state show. According to IHS statistics, in Montana and Wyoming, Indians suffer diabetes at rates 20% higher, heart disease 12% higher, and lung cancer rates 67% higher than the average across all IHS regions in the country. A recent Harvard University study found that life expectancy on a reservation in neighboring South Dakota was 58 years. The national average is 77."

Related links:
Suffering from Maine-iac Arrest - The Unbroken Window

Saturday Architecture Round-Up

I can't get enough of this stuff. Some real-estate links, too. (pic via AD)

Tiny House Design - Tiny Adobe Casita: "Three months out of the year this is the home of Samuel Gray. This adobe casita located near Abiquiu, NM and in just a few years will be Sam’s full-time residence. It measures 12′ by 10′ on the exterior but due to the thick adobe walls has only about 86 interior square feet. He built it for less than $3000 and it’s powered by a simple low cost photovoltaic solar system."

Open Auditions: William Wickwire - Big Bear, California: "Places we come to know as children often resonate well into adulthood. For William Wickwire, that treasured spot was Big Bear Lake, 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Not as flashy as other high-altitude locations in Southern California but well known as a fine fishing and skiing destination, it has grown over the years to embrace residences of all shapes and sizes. But none are as coveted as a house right on the seven-mile-long lake."

Designer Choice - Designer Choice Architecture: "Like a zeppelin airship crash-landed in the Australian forest, Bellemo & Cat's 'Cocoon' is nestled artfully on a steeply sloping site."

Adirondack Idyll: AD 100 Designers: architecturaldigest.com: "Stephen Shadley was a Disney kid, and there’s a lot of Disney going on up there at his place,” says his old friend New York designer Robert Bray. “It’s an Adirondack dream,” he adds, describing Shadley’s ongoing transformation of six modest cabins, including an old pump house, on his property in Leeds, New York, into guest pavilions that look like a perfect 1950s movie set."

Irish Country House - 'origami' design in North Ireland | Modern House Designs: "Among the rolling hills of Northern Ireland in Kells, the 'Origami' country house by UK-based architect Jane D Burnside is an ultra-modern home with traditional ideals. Despite its contemporary and unconventional shape, this unusual Irish house was made to grow old in. A single-level layout makes a functional and comfortable design for living, composed of eight pavilions including a garage, all at ground level."

Additional links:
The Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World
Mid-century Makeover With Modern Materials
St. Charles Remodel Brings New To Old Orleans
America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes - Forbes.com
WrightWay Travel - Once-in-a-Lifetime Architectural Travel Experiences

Saturday Grab Bag

Photography. (pic via Hongkiat)
The Frame: Tomatina
70 Outstanding Out of Bounds Photos
Ballots, bullets and bombs in Afghanistan - The Big Picture

Advertising.
Clever Uses of Handles in Advertising

Style.
Leffot Blog - Edward Green Top Drawer
Oxford Shirts & Ties - A Continuous Lean
A Suitable Wardrobe: Patched Shoes
Best Mens Clothing Stores - Esquire

Food.
Japanese Green Tea
How Lifehacker Readers Find Value at Fancy Eateries

Cars.
Drives of a Lifetime
Gorgeous 1964 Lincoln Continental has a 723-hp secret

Watches.
F.P. Journe:New acquisition - Octa RdM
JLC MUT: Not fashionable these days, but still beautiful

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Refilling a Pilot Fountain Pen
Parker Duofold DNA Limited Edition Fountain Pen

Travel.
Top 5 Sites To Search For Cheap Online Car Rentals
U.S. Hotels: Architects & Designers

Computers.
Data Deluge Swamps Science Historians - WSJ.com

Gadgets.
3M MPro120 Pocket Projector
Japanese Bladesmiths
Leatherman Super Tool 300

Healthcare.
A Strategy to Save Obamacare, But at What Cost?
Obama's Road to Healthcare Serfdom

Misc.
Great Barrier Reef? No... Norfolk. Beautiful creatures that live under the sea off our coasts
10 Secrets your dentist doesn't want you to know
Why teams in red win more - Telegraph
Starbucks memo says the next Seattle "stealth" store will be called Roy Street Coffee & Tea

Liberty & Your Govt. At Work

Geithner is a real piece of work.

Tough - John Stossel's Take: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner stunned many people when he blamed TurboTax for failing to pay taxes he owed. Geithner used the excuse that when doing his own taxes, the tax return preparation software failed to flag some money he owed. Bloomberg.com reports:
(Geithner) told the Senate Finance Committee he accepted responsibility for failing to pay almost $50,000 in taxes, saying his errors were “careless.” Geithner paid some of the money after being audited by the IRS and the rest shortly before he was nominated to the Treasury post."

Bill would give president emergency control of Internet - CNET News: "The new version would allow the president to 'declare a cybersecurity emergency' relating to 'non-governmental' computer networks and do what's necessary to respond to the threat. Other sections of the proposal include a federal certification program for 'cybersecurity professionals,' and a requirement that certain computer systems and networks in the private sector be managed by people who have been awarded that license."

In Massachusetts, the Rule of Law Dies: "That was then; now is now. With Democrats in Washington wanting to maintain their 60-vote caucus in the Senate, a five-month delay to let the people of Massachusetts actually vote on who will replace Kennedy has become an intolerable roadblock to progress. According to a report from Bloomberg News this morning, the Democratically-dominated legislature in Massachusetts is about to change the law back to allow the now-Democratic governor to appoint a successor within a month."

Additional links:
American Thinker: Obama and the Thugs
No Texting, No Tweeting While Driving, and Other New Rules

Weather Supercomputer Used To Predict Climate Change Is One of Britain's Worst Polluters

Climate Change horror! (pic via DailyMail)

And the kicker? Sounds like the model doesn't even work that well. ;-)

"The supercomputer predicted a BBQ summer, which didn't materialise."

Weather supercomputer used to predict climate change is one of Britain's worst polluters - Mail Online: "The Met Office has caused a storm of controversy after it was revealed their £30million supercomputer designed to predict climate change is one of Britain's worst polluters. The massive machine - the UK's most powerful computer with a whopping 15 million megabytes of memory - was installed in the Met Office's headquarters in Exeter, Devon. It is capable of 1,000 billion calculations every second to feed data to 400 scientists and uses 1.2 megawatts of energy to run - enough to power more than 1,000 homes. The machine was hailed as the 'future of weather prediction' with the ability to produce more accurate forecasts and produce climate change modelling. However the Met Office's HQ has now been named as one of the worst buildings in Britain for pollution - responsible for more than 12,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. It says 75 per cent of its carbon footprint is produced by the super computer meaning the machine is officially one of the country's least green machines."

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via AP)
NYC's 'skinniest' house has fat price tag: $2.7M
Living Large in our Little House
Picture Show: Waiting for the End of the World
Most Expensive Brooklyn Property Proves Time Is Money

Food.
Chomp Lobster at Instant French Restaurant-To-Go
Restaurants - A Critic’s Opinions - You Ask, He Answers
Adventures in North Jersey - White Mana Diner

Cars.
The CargoBee

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Pelikan M205 Blue Demonstrator Fountain Pen
Desirable But Not Indispensable
Retro Thing: Stainless Steel Sharpie
Review Lamy Safari White (limited edition)

Style.
Ducker and Son - Bespoke Shoes
The Lands' End Varsity Collar Oxford

Computers.
Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard Macintosh review
Five Features We Want to See in Firefox

Google Caffeine.
Caffeine: It’s Google On Red Bull, Or Something
Google Caffeine: A Detailed Test of the New Google
http://www.comparegoogle.com

Signs of The Times.
Pens and Notebooks Put On Layaway
Baseball Cap Maker Adjusts to Fit the Times

Gadgets.
Gerber Crucial Multitool
Meiosis Turtle Shell Backpack is Totally Radical
LG GD910 watchphone unboxed, adored, smudged
HTC Hero review - SlashGear

Watches.
That’s not a Seiko Collection, that’s an Obsession!
Our Love For The Omega Ranchero Explained (Video)
GREUBEL FORSEY- Tourbillon 24 Secondes Incliné
WorldWide Seiko Watch Contest - SwipeLife
My very first Citizen - New Promaster Eco-Drive Aqualand Diver

Misc.
How Chad Ochocinco Plans to Tweet During NFL Games
Surviving the dreaded tarmac delay

Liberty & Your Govt. At Work

Keep an eye on these.

Didn't see this one coming, did you?
Tough - John Stossel's Take: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner stunned many people when he blamed TurboTax for failing to pay taxes he owed. Geithner used the excuse that when doing his own taxes, the tax return preparation software failed to flag some money he owed. Bloomberg.com reports: (Geithner) told the Senate Finance Committee he accepted responsibility for failing to pay almost $50,000 in taxes, saying his errors were “careless.” Geithner paid some of the money after being audited by the IRS and the rest shortly before he was nominated to the Treasury post. Not a big deal, apparently, because as Treasury Secretary, Geithner runs the IRS. But when Kenneth and Linda Hopson tried the same defense, the government said, tough."

What next?
Police Also Plan to Stab People and Take Their Wallets to Highlight the Risk of Mugging - Reason Magazine: "To teach motorists who leave their cars unlocked a lesson, police in Richmond upon Thames, a borough of London, have begun taking their stuff. The victims beneficiaries of these thefts educational efforts return to their cars and find that expensive items such as cameras, laptops, and leather jackets have been replaced by notes instructing them to retrieve their valuables at the police station. Not to worry, though: 'If items are needed urgently,' the London Times reports, 'police will return the goods immediately.'"

You can't be too careful.
FTC to Protect Us from Multi-Colored Beer Cans - Cato @ Liberty: "Recently Anheuser-Busch hit upon the marketing idea of selling Bud Light beer in cans decorated with the college-team colors. As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) doesn’t have much else to do - it’s not like there’s been say fraud going on in the mortgage market – it quickly turned its attention to the issue, expressing “grave concern” that these team-colored cans would encourage underage and binge drinking."

And a few healthcare-related items:
Democratic Health Care Bill Divulges IRS Tax Data
'Cruel and neglectful' care of one million NHS patients exposed
John Stossel: Why Obama's Health Plan Gets It Wrong
Obama Keeps Lying About His Health-Care Plan, Even After Being Caught by Fact-Checkers

They Said It: Rep. Carol Shea-Porter on The Constitution

Scary. And I bet her "viewpoint" is fairly common today.

Shea-Porter on Health Bill: “The Constitution did not Cover Everything” : Now! Hampshire: "'I would point out to you that in the Constitution it also does not say the government can build roads or should build roads,' Shea-Porter replied. 'It also doesn’t say the government should make sure the drugs are safe. It doesn’t say the government should look at airplanes to make sure they are safe to get on. It doesn’t say we should have a police force in Manchester.' 'So, the Constitution did not cover everything,' Shea-Porter concluded."

Thursday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Courtyard Architecture In Innovative Toronto
Rahimoana Villa by Crosson Clarke Carnachan
PicoCool - Taliesin Mod.Fab
Hufft Projects - Tree House
130 Dore Street in California by Stanley Saitowitz

Style.
Film Noir Buff: Icons Of Classic American Style II
Interview with David Hamilton, Owner of Hamilton Shirts
“Well Worn” Horween Leather Co.
House of Carrington - Blacksheep

Cars.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: 1956 Ariel Square 4 with Garrard Sidecar
Driven: 2010 Mazdaspeed3
Third Look: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO
Benchrace 8.35
Honda 600 too small for North America?

Watches.
Lightbulb-shaped clock tells watt time it is
Seiko Spring Drive-Tri-Synchro Regulator
Seiko SpaceWalk to be Auctioned Off!
Who has ever heard of BNB Concept?

Banking.
'Nokia Money' Will Turn Mobile Devices Into Banks, Nokia Into World's Largest ATM

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Montblanc Writers Edition 2009 - Thoman Mann
Caran d'Ache Honors Supreme Shiva
Review: Uni-Ball Vision Needle 0.5mm Black

Style.
50 Photos From Air Travel’s Glory Years

Computers.
Mac OS X Snow Leopard (more)
6 Reasons Why Mozilla Firefox Is Safe Compared To Internet Explorer
6 Things You Need to Know About Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Photography.
Ramadan 2009 - The Big Picture
The Frame: The Hospice of St. John

Misc.
mental_floss Blog - 11 Famous Illeists
English Russia - The Northern Fleet Submarines
oobject - wonderful altoids hacks
High mileage trikes and more

Bontoni Three Buckle Monk Strap Shoes

I saw these Bontoni shoes over at the Style Forum yesterday, posted by a gentleman (Gus W.) who was also kind enough to share additional pics with me!

Take a look at these Bontoni Triple Monk Strap shoes! I think they're the Excelsior model. I don't normally get too excited over monk strap shoes, but these are absolute beauties. I also like a couple of the John Lobb models.




Related/Additional links:
Alden Shoes - Plain Toe Flex Boot II
Bontoni.com – Fine Hand Made Italian Shoes
John Lobb Bootmaker (Monk Strap models)
Leffot Blog - In the Window
Thorogood for Epaulet Horsehide Work Boot

Govt. In Action ...

A round-up of the latest on the govt. that serves you.

Tariffs steal from consumers.
Sugar Shock: "Why does Mr. Vilsack control the flow of imports to the U.S. sugar market in the first place? Answer: Since 1982, domestic sugar producers have lobbied for, and gotten, a government-guaranteed share of the market. Today, their guaranteed share is up to 85 percent; the rest gets divided up among some 40 countries lucky enough to hold quotas of varying sizes. The advent of free Mexican imports upset this scheme somewhat, which is why the 2008 farm bill promised that the government would offset them by purchasing excess U.S. sugar and shipping it to ethanol factories. In addition, the federal government guarantees minimum prices for both raw cane sugar and refined beet sugar. Pretty sweet."

Yup.
What is Squeezing the Wintercow Farmers? - The Unbroken Window: "I sometimes feel like the world wishes to live in a “Goldie-Locks Economy.” For example, I often hear complaints about interest rates that are too high (discrimination) AND also about interest rates that are too low (predatory lending); about gas prices that are too high (gouging) and about gas prices that are too low (luring). Is there a “right” price for anything? What do economists mean by the “right” price as opposed to what a Goldie-Locks thinks about it?"

They "need" your money more than you do.
An "Insatiable Need" - John Stossel's Take: "Don’t let anyone persuade you that the $787 billion in President Obama’s stimulus bill is being wasted simply because it’s being used to cut $250 checks to prison inmates."

Always under-funded, always.
Is $19,000 Per Student Enough to Run a School? - Cato @ Liberty: "The largest-ever infusion of federal cash is flowing into public school classrooms this year in the form of new programs and thousands of restored jobs. The stimulus package — $100 billion over two years — comes with similarly sized expectations ... Even with the extra cash, the survey found, many schools are focused on survival . . . In Fairfax County, stimulus funding saved about 274 positions, but class size ratios still increased by half a student ..."

Dissent Will NOT be tolerated.
EPA Whistleblower’s Office May Get Shut Down - GlobalWarming.org: "Following a whistleblower report that criticized a global warming rule, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reportedly considering shutting down the agency office in which the critical report originated."

Markets in Everything: Office Offspring

Brilliant! ;-)

The Office Kid - When You Need An Excuse

Architecture and Pre-Fab Updates

Lots of fun stuff. (pic via StyleCrave)

Power Couple Moves Upward Into New $3.1 Million Home: "As a producer pair and up-and-coming Hollywood power couple, Noreen Halpern and Kevin Murphy are clearly on the move upward. Halpern, the executive producter of HBO’s “Hung” and Murphy, the Emmy-winning writer and producer of “Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical,” recently listed their English country-styled Hollywood Hills home for $1,195,000. The L.A. Times reports that the couple is moving “minutes away” into a 4,557-square-foot Spanish-style estate ..."

The RM House by Andrés Remy Architects - CONTEMPORIST: "Andrés Remy Architects have sent us photos of the RM House they’ve designed. The home is located on the outskirts or Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was designed for a young couple and their two kids."

Isleview Place, Estate of the Day: "Luxist reader Ben directed me to Jason Soprovich's realty website to show off one West Vancouver home but I ended up falling for another one, this waterfront palace. This home is located on a private bluff in the Whytecliff area. The dramatic glass windows facing the water form a stellar view. This four-bedroom home was used in the movie 'Two for the Money' to represent a tycoon's house in Puerto Rico."

Additional links:
English Russia - Hobbit Huts in Latvia
Ventolera Winery / Francisco Izquierdo
A Colorado 'Star' - WSJ.com

Wednesday Grab Bag

I gotta get these shoes! ;-)

Style. (pic credit: h(y)r collective)
Hawaiian Return - Alden Longwing
Off the Cuff: There Are No Short Sleeved Dress Shirts
Ducker and Son - Bespoke Shoes

ObamaCare:
U.K. Babies born in hospital corridors: Bed shortage forces 4,000 mothers to give birth in lifts, offices and hospital toilets
Man collapses with ruptured appendix... three weeks after NHS doctors 'took it out'

Cars.
Papa John's founder finds his beloved 1971 Camaro
Which of today's clunkers will become tomorrow's classic cars?
Steam-Powered Supercar Shatters World Land Speed Record!

Science.
mental_floss Blog - 7 Space Missions to Remember

Watches.
One week with the JLC Duometre Monopusher Chronographe
Rolex Sub ads in National Geographic - new and old
Pita Oceana - 5000m water resistant dive watch
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Watches Get Omega 8500 Movt & Design Update
Vintage Antiquorum: A Newman Before It Was A Newman and $132,000
MoCo Loco: Home Away Clock by Kit Men
Casio x LRG G-Shock in Highlighter Yellow
Grand Seiko 40th anniversary watch, SBGR011

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Missive Maven: Homemade airmail envelope
Quo Vadis Blog - Carebox

Gadgets.
Royal Master Sealight - Stilsucht
Neuhaus Labs T-2 Tube Amplifier - Gear Patrol

Food.
A Flavorful Mid-Autumn at Park Palace
Save Dollars and Calories with DIY Microwave Popcorn

Computers.
Use Twitter Anonymously: This Will Not End Well
oobject - 12 awful GUIs
Google Maps Gets Smarter: Crowdsources Live Traffic Data (more)
Top 5 Free OCR Software Tools To Convert Images Into Text

Economics.
Capitalism & slavery - By Donald J. Boudreaux
Dear Wash. Post: 'Antigovernment ideologues' and Stimulus
Competition - John Stossel's Take

Union Updates ...

Things to keep an eye on.

Unseemly.
LaborPains.org - Health care bill bails out union health funds to tune of $10 billion: "Buried deep within the 1,000 page health care bill pending on Congress is a provision giving retirement health funds, many of which are union-run, a $10 billion to bailout their ailing funds. The Detroit News reports:"

Move along, nothing unseemly to see here.
Labor Leader Named Head of New York Fed - WSJ.com: "The Federal Reserve chose a labor leader to succeed a former Goldman Sachs executive as the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of New York's private-sector board of directors. Denis Hughes, president of the New York state branch of the AFL-CIO, had been serving as acting chairman of the New York Fed board since May, when Stephen Friedman stepped down from the position."

Indeed!
Newmark's Door: If you've heard about how all those rich Republican fat cats . . .: ". . . are corrupting our national politics, you might want to look at 'Top All-Time Donors 1989-2008 Summary'. The Democrats have some resources, too."

Once Again, Peak Oil

Good column. Thanks to Dr. Boudreaux for the link.

Op-Ed Contributor - ‘Peak Oil’ Is a Waste of Energy - NYTimes.com: "REMEMBER “peak oil”? It’s the theory that geological scarcity will at some point make it impossible for global petroleum production to avoid falling, heralding the end of the oil age and, potentially, economic catastrophe. Well, just when we thought that the collapse in oil prices since last summer had put an end to such talk, along comes Fatih Birol, the top economist at the International Energy Agency, to insist that we’ll reach the peak moment in 10 years, a decade sooner than most previous predictions (although a few ardent pessimists believe the moment of no return has already come and gone). Like many Malthusian beliefs, peak oil theory has been promoted by a motivated group of scientists and laymen who base their conclusions on poor analyses of data and misinterpretations of technical material. But because the news media and prominent figures like James Schlesinger, a former secretary of energy, and the oilman T. Boone Pickens have taken peak oil seriously, the public is understandably alarmed."

Tuesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via dornob)
Built Despite Tiny Site: Small Stone Hillside Home Design
Mews House by TAKA Architects
Now Booking - The Happa Hotel, Tokyo
55 Blair Road / Ong & Ong

Cars.
Worst of Show: stone-driven 1980 KV Mini 1
Mercedes-Benz W212 E63 AMG; test-drive

Style.
Asked & Answered - Levi Strauss & Co.
2 new and one older - From The Waist Up
Nepenthes Norwegian Welt Lined Boot

Watches.
Omega Speedmaster Professional MoonPhase 3689.30.31
Unworn 1960s Rolex With A Linen Dial: Meet Your New Summer Love
New De Bethune Horological Achievements
The LANGE 31: The Long Path to Perfect Form

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Notebook Look #1 - The Reporters Notebook
Pens, paper, handkerchiefs, and panache
Sterling Moves Into Stationery
Move over Moleskine

Economics.
Raising taxes now is a crazy idea
BBC NEWS - Africa seeks climate change cash

Photography.
In flight - The Big Picture
The Frame: Daily Life

Signs of The Times.
Frugal shoppers thinking twice in checkout line about their purchases

Computers.
iSuck: Apple’s Five Worst Products, Ever
Samsung Exclaim SPH-M550 Review
Offices of the Top 6 Most Popular Social Websites (PICS)
Nokia to Launch Netbook Computer - WSJ.com

Politics.
Sucker! - John Stossel's Take
Ron Paul - We Need Sunlight to Disinfect the Legislative Process!

Misc.
Scientists reveal the real reason why we walk in circles when lost
Golf course groundskeeper finds mammoth tooth

London Cash Machines Offer Cockney Slang Option

This is great! ;-)

London cash machines offer Cockney slang option: "LONDON — Would you Adam and Eve it? Cash machines in east London are offering customers the option of using the local Cockney rhyming slang to get their hands on their sausage, so to speak. Five automated teller machines (ATMs) in the East End are going Cockney for three months from Monday. While cash machines with several language options are commonplace in some countries, the chance to use rhyming slang could leave those unfamiliar with the east London lingo in a right load of Barney Rubble. Anyone opting for Cockney rhyming slang will be asked to enter their Huckleberry Finn (PIN) before choosing how much sausage and mash (cash) they want. Those wanting to withdraw 10 pounds will have to ask for a speckled hen, while the machine may inform users that it is contacting their rattle and tank, rather than bank."

ObamaCare Updates: Soviet Medicine, Cartels, and Competition

More good reading.

This first one should not be missed.
What Soviet Medicine Teaches Us - Yuri N. Maltsev - Mises Institute: "In 1918, the Soviet Union became the first country to promise universal 'cradle-to-grave' healthcare coverage, to be accomplished through the complete socialization of medicine. The 'right to health' became a 'constitutional right' of Soviet citizens. The proclaimed advantages of this system were that it would 'reduce costs' and eliminate the 'waste' that stemmed from 'unnecessary duplication and parallelism' — i.e., competition. These goals were similar to the ones declared by Mr. Obama and Ms. Pelosi — attractive and humane goals of universal coverage and low costs. What's not to like?"

What are they up to?
ObamaCare's Bait & Switch - Michael D. Tanner - Cato Institute: Commentary: "President Obama has stopped talking about 'health-care reform.' The new poll-tested phrase of the day is 'health-insurance reform. Specifically the president says he wants to protect people with 'pre-existing conditions.' He would require insurance companies to accept anyone who applies for coverage, regardless of their current health (a rule known as 'guaranteed issue') and prohibit them from charging higher premiums to people who are sick (called 'community rating'). But if that's what the president wants, he could already have a bill through Congress, with significant Republican support. In fact, even the insurance companies have agreed to it. But the 1,017-page bill making its way through the House devotes all of six pages to insurance reform — 30 pages, if you count all the definitions and supporting provisions, still less than 3 percent of the bill."

"Change" isn't always for the better.
Obama’s Health-Insurance Cartel | Foundation for Economic Education: "President Obama and other advocates of nationalized health insurance have tried a variety of sales pitches, which indicates their difficulty in getting traction with the public. The latest is “competition and choice.” Who could be against those things? Well, Obama for one, followed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House member Barney Frank, and everyone else who favors what is question-beggingly called reform. The word reform suggests not just change but improvement. Therefore, to call the proposals to nationalize the medical-insurance industry reform is to assume precisely what is in dispute and must be proved. The argument is — or should be — over whether the proposed changes indeed are reform. To call them reform before the debate has even begun is to rig the discussion. It’s an old — and sadly effective — bit of sophistry."

Related links:
Do Profits Diminish Medical Care?
Insurance Companies Should Be Allowed to Sell Policies Across State Lines
"Community Rating" Distorts Health Care - John Stossel's Take
The Top 10 Indicators Your Employer Has Switched To The “Public Option”
Infant Mortality and Government-Run Health Care - The Club For Growth

Scientists draw squid using its 150 million-year-old fossilised ink

How cool is this?! ;-)

Scientists draw squid using its 150 million-year-old fossilised ink - Telegraph: "Scientists unearthed a fossilised squid which was so well preserved that they were able to draw a picture of it using its own 150 million-year-old ink: Paleontologists discovered the remains of the creature, called a Belemnotheutis antiquus, during a dig at a Victorian excavation in Trowbridge, Wilts. They cracked open what appeared to be an ordinary looking rock only to find the one-inch-long black ink sac inside. After realising what they had stumbled across, they took out a small sample of the black substance and ground it up with an ammonia solution. Remarkably, the ink they created was good enough to allow them to draw the squid-like animal and write its Latin name."

Related links:
How to Harvest Squid Ink
Squid Ink 17.5 oz. buy on sale online
BBC NEWS - Ink found in Jurassic-era squid

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture.
T House in Japan by Sou Fujimoto
Hillside House Design in a Precarious Position
Stone Home Design Showcases Contemporary Canadian Architecture
The Y House by SousaSantos Architects
12 Offbeat Office Interiors & Innovative Desk Designs
Four Walls and a Screw-Top - Homes - Dwell

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
Review: Diamine Golden Brown Fountain Pen Ink

Computers.
Five Best Video-Sharing Sites - video sharing - Lifehacker

Travel.
World's Weirdest Hotels
Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives

Watches.
answering a fun poser... imagine u were new to watches and had a S$100k to buy some

Cars.
oobject - interesting soapbox derby racers
Ural T sidecar - Bike EXIF (more)
Grand Sport packs some Z06 performance into base Chevrolet Corvette
Metisse Motorcycles - Steve McQueen Desert Racer (more here & here)

Signs of The Times.
Indicator: More Hot Dogs - Planet Money Blog : NPR

Animals.
Kingston the Vizsla - Daily Puppy
More Emmett Otter Pictures - Cute Otters

Misc.
The 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time - IFC.com (ht: ND)
How Sam Adams Helped Save Craft Brewing

Thomas Sowell on Medical Decisions and ObamaCare

It's always good to read what Dr. Thomas Sowell has to say.

Thomas Sowell : Whose Medical Decisions? Part IV: "The serious, and sometimes chilling, provisions of the medical care legislation that President Obama has been trying to rush through Congress are important enough for all of us to stop and think, even though his political strategy from the outset has been to prevent us from having time to stop and think about it. What we also should stop to think about is the mindset behind this legislation, which is very consistent with the mindset behind other policies of this administration, whether the particular issue is bailing out General Motors, telling banks who to lend to or appointing 'czars' to tell all sorts of people in many walks of life what they can and cannot do. The idea that government officials can play God from Washington is not a new idea, but it is an idea that is being pushed with new audacity."

Earlier related columns:
Thomas Sowell : Whose Medical Decisions?: Part III
Thomas Sowell : Whose Medical Decisions? Part II
Thomas Sowell : Whose Medical Decisions? Part I

Cherries: Feds Force Food To Go To Waste

And in massive quantities. Chasing the fetish of "stable prices." Disgraceful.

Tons of Unharvested Fruit Rots Under Government Program to Keep Prices Stable
Bumper Cherry Crop Turns Sour - WSJ.com:
"Farmers in Michigan and six other states are harvesting a bumper crop of tart cherries. But the bounty is turning out to be the pits for farmers whose fruit is rotting in orchards instead of bubbling in cherry pies. Under a Depression-era federal program designed to keep prices from plummeting, tart-cherry farmers are being told by fruit processors to leave up to 40% of their crop unharvested. 'It's kind of heartbreaking,' said Rob Manigold, a tart-cherry farmer near Traverse City, Mich. Michigan grows about 75% of all the tart cherries in the U.S."

Sunday Grab Bag

Watches.
SEIKO Launches Global Fan Video Contest
The New SEIKO Ananta (more here & here)
Independent Horology: My day with Jean, Daniel & Nicolas
TimeZone: New Omega DeVille Chronoscope GMT
WATCH JOURNAL Gears Up for Launch

Architecture.
Blairgowrie Court Residence by Frank Macchia
Lenny Kravitz In New York City, Estate of the Day
The Y House by SousaSantos Architects
The Royal Norwegian Embassy - Kristin Jarmund

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Pineider Leather clad Travel Desk
Move over moleskine ...

Photography.
Diana Mini - Acquire
Canon PowerShot G11 - Uncrate
The Frame: Afghanistan's national election

Style.
Polish on the go - Gentleman’s Corner
And So It Begins - From The Waist Up

Sports.
Punt Hits World's Largest HD Video Screen in Cowboys Stadium

Computers.
How to fix Flash video performance in Firefox

Misc.
Top 6 Sites To Watch Horror Movies Online for Free
Hello from Earth: Send a Message to a Nearby Planet
10 Horrifying Foods That People Eat Every Day [W/ Pics]

Unintended Consequences and SMS: Texting While Driving

I think most people would agree that texting while driving is far more dangerous than talking on the phone while driving. But while talking on a cell phone (sans hands-free option) is illegal in many places now, texting is not (yet).

I wonder how many people have sent a text message while driving instead of calling someone simply because they did not want to take the chance of getting a ticket? Any how many accidents and fatalities might have been caused as an unintended consequence of the law?

Note, the video below is apparently an "anti-texting" PSA from Britain. It's not for the faint-of-heart.



Send This to Your Kids: Horrifying PSA About Texting While Driving - Fast Company: "Remember when you were a teenager, and you were forced to sit through those gruesome films of road accidents, in the hopes that you'd wise up and drive safe? Things have changed, and so have the dangers. The scare tactics are changing as well: To combat the problem of texting-while-driving, a British high school and a local police department teamed up to create a 30-minute movie. You can check out the fatal crash in the clip above."

Boston Globe on Alden Shoes

Thanks to the Leffot blog for the tip! I REALLY want a pair of Alden longwings in Cordovan. ;-)


Leffot Blog -Sole Survivor - Alden Tour: "After having posted the Horween video on the tanning of shell cordovan I had several comments to the effect that it was an excellent video “but”, it would have been even “better” if it had featured Alden. In the interest of all the “Aldenistas” out there, of which there are many, I present a behind the scenes video of the Alden Shoe Co. by Emily Sweeney of The Boston Globe. This is good stuff…"

Only original shoe and boot maker left in region, Alden thrives - The Boston Globe: "John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Indiana Jones, and Bruce Willis - as well as your local Massachusetts state troopers - have something in common. Each made his mark on the world while wearing footwear crafted by the Alden Shoe Co. of Middleborough."

Additional links:
Leffot Blog - The Classic
Alden Shoes for Summer - the wingtip bluchers
Enduring Classic: The Alden Wing Tip
Alden Shoes of New England
Alden Shoes of Carmel
Leffot Blog - Alden 9901
Alden Shoes - Aging of Color #8 Shell Cordovan
Alden Shoes - Shell Cordovan Aberdeen NST
Alden Shoes - The Ultimate Indy Back in Stock: Leather Soul Hawaii
Review: Alden Norwegian Split-Toe Bluchers

Saturday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
$15.8 Million Mansion In Paradise Valley, Arizona
Copper house summer kitchen by Muru & Pere
Luxury Glass Home in Los Angeles with valley views
The Xeros Residence / Blank Studio

Cars / Bikes.
BMW Planet Power: The S1000RR Superbike
Ananova - Man stole motorbike - part by part
Best of 2009 - Motorcycles of the Year - Motorcycle.com

Watches.
TimeZone: Public Forum: New arrival...
JLC: More Small is Beautiful-Jaeger LeCoultre
Zenith El Primero - the king of watch movements
JLC: Blown away: JLC Duomètre Chronograph arrived today!

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Pen Addict: Guest Review: J. Herbin Bleu Nuit Ink
JetPens - Japanese Pens and Stationery

Style.
Two chic New York guys are vying to be Esquire magazine's 'Best Dressed Real Man'

Computers.
Why Did Sony Take So Long to Revamp the PS3?
Now Twitter Knows Where You Are, so What Happens Next?

Misc.
21 Oddly Named Places and the Stories Behind Them
Kool Skool: 15 Examples Of Awesome Bus Mod Art
The Frame: Afghanistan's national election

ObamaCare Updates: Maine, the USPS, and Le Illusion

Scary.
Public Option Express - John Stossel's Take: "Tuesday night, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) told CNN’s Larry King that a government-run health insurance option would run like the post office. Jackson thinks that’s a good thing. He told King:"

No surprises here.
Maine’s Dirigo Provides Caveat for ObamaCare - WSJ.com: "Want a preview of ObamaCare in action? Sneak a look at what has happened in Maine. In 2003, the state to great fanfare enacted its own version of universal health care. Democratic Governor John Baldacci signed the plan into law with a bevy of familiar promises. By 2009, it would cover all of Maine's approximately 128,000 uninsured citizens. System-wide controls on hospital and physician costs would hold down insurance premiums. There would be no tax increases. The program was going to provide insurance for everyone and save businesses and patients money at the same time. After five years, fiscal realities as brutal as the waves that crash along Maine's famous coastline have hit the insurance plan. The system that was supposed to save money has cost taxpayers $155 million and is still rising."

Additional links:
Le illusion

Ted Kennedy: A Special Kind of Politician

This guy just continues to amaze. From today's WSJ.

Kennedy wants to, again, change election law for purely politican (read "Democratic") purposes.

Senator Kennedy Wants the Rules to Replace Him Changed—Again - WSJ.com

"Senator Ted Kennedy, who is gravely ill with brain cancer, has sent a letter to Massachusetts lawmakers requesting a change in the state law that determines how his Senate seat would be filled if it became vacant before his eighth full term ends in 2012. Current law mandates that a special election be held at least 145 days after the seat becomes available. Mr. Kennedy is concerned that such a delay could leave his fellow Democrats in the Senate one vote short of a filibuster-proof majority for months while a special election takes place. ... What Mr. Kennedy doesn't volunteer is that he orchestrated the 2004 succession law revision that now requires a special election, and for similarly partisan reasons. John Kerry, the other Senator from the state, was running for President in 2004, and Mr. Kennedy wanted the law changed so the Republican Governor at the time, Mitt Romney, could not name Mr. Kerry's replacement. "Prodded by a personal appeal from Senator Edward M. Kennedy," reported the Boston Globe in 2004, "Democratic legislative leaders have agreed to take up a stalled bill creating a special election process to replace U.S. Senator John F. Kerry if he wins the presidency." Now that the state has a Democratic Governor, Mr. Kennedy wants to revert to gubernatorial appointments."

Bugatti Veyron Continues To Impress

Every time I read more about this car I continue to be amazed. The drive-train technology is old news at this point. (pic via Forbes)

This morning I was at the doctor's office reading an older issue of Forbes Life, an article about the Bugatti Veyron. One new tidbit I hadn't realized ... anywhere in the world, whenever the engine is on, every Veyron continually sends telemetry data back to the factory for analysis.

Selling the Bugatti Veyron - Forbes.com: "Those who actually drive their Veyron are never alone--that's part of the marketing pitch. The instant a Veyron engine fires, the car begins to transmit a torrent of data by satellite to an office in Molsheim, the Alsatian town where Bugattis have been built since 1909. There, a technician monitors a computer display and follows every parameter of the car's engine, systems, speed, and performance. You'll get a phone call if your left-front-tire pressure is low or the oil level is a quart down, though nobody will snitch if you're doing 150 on the PCH or the Paris-to-Nice autoroute. The telemetry continuously tracks your location. It can be disabled by request, but surprisingly, nobody has done so, according to Bugatti."

Additional links:
Top Down in the New Bugatti Veyron Sang Bleu
Driven: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, Part I
Bugatti Veyron - Wikipedia
Bugatti Configurator
bugatti.com - Veyron 16.4
Jeremy Clarkson Bugatti Veyron review - Driving - Times Online
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 - First Drive Review - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

Friday Grab Bag

Fountain Pens / Writing. (pic via Lamy USA)
Lamy Announces the Dialog 3
Review Visconti Burgundy (red)
Quick Review: Ciak Multicolor Notebook

Architecture.
Seeing Things - Pre’s Pop-Up Pre-fab
Amazing House Design in Japan - a garden inside the house
The Froschkönig Treehouse by Baumraum
Blairgowrie Court Residence by Frank Macchia

Luxury.
Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro by Philippe Starck
First Asia Superyacht Conference Announced

Style.
Leffot Blog - Sole Survivor - Alden Tour
Dandies Online: Esquire's Best Dressed Contest

Watches.
Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk Limited Edition Watch To be Auctioned (more)
Shipwreck pocket watch returned after 128 years
Rodolphe’s Paninaro Diver Chrono Watch to Lure the Fish
Review: Minerva triple date moon phase chronograph
An "On-The-Wrist" Review of the Omega Aqua Terra Teck Annual Calendar

Computers.
5 Reasons to Get Excited about Linux on the Netbook
Prezi - The zooming presentation editor
Sony PlayStation 3 Slim - 120GB Console reviews (more)
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's High-Speed Data Connection Beams 461 Gigabytes Per Day

Cars.
oobject - 10 incredibly tacky cars

Misc.
Distinctly Rare and Unique Lobsters (ht: MR)
Is Sapphire The New Black?
YouTube - Haunted Mansion Celebrates 40 Years of Happy Haunts!
America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up
The Megawoosh Waterslide Viral: How It Was Really Done