Wristwatch Round-Up! ...

Some real beauties in here. The Omega Genève is outstanding.

TimeZone: Omega: Living, learning, and collecting...: "The watch that Bill kindly agreed to sell to me that day is a rare, rose gold, 36mm Genève. The movement dates to 1956, and the watch was probably sold a couple of years later. It is a ref. 2748, and is powered by a cal. 266 movement. The Genève line, as I learned first from Bill, can be divided into two basic categories, based on production dates. The early versions, first manufactured in the late 1950’s, were an important part of Omega’s top-level of production."

Moon over Monaco: Ulysse Nardin Presents the Magical "Moonstruck" Part 1: "The presentation of an astronomical complication is a rare event and its true practitioners are few. Improvements on complications such as repeaters, perpetual calendars, and chronographs generally come in incremental steps, which while offering in many cases real improvements also are variations on a theme, albeit honorable ones."

Ulysse Nardin:Another expression of UN's Genius: The Perpetual Calendar: "In 1996, for the 150th Anniversary of the brand, U.N, under the imagination and the genius of a man, Mr Oeschlin, introduced the Perpetual Calendar. You will tell me that we didn't have to wait till 1996 to see a perpetual calendar in a watch, even in a wristwatch, and you're true. BUT, the revolution was that with this perpetual calendar, you had some big and really interesting improvements, as it allows the owner to set the date backward and forward by only using the crown."

Additional links:
A.Lange & Söhne:To celebrate Lange's win at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie Asia 2009
Jaeger-LeCoultre Introduces Atmos Birthday Clock
Aeromatic Worldtime Chrono 1328 Military Watch
Graham - London : Speed Odyssey
An F.P. Journe For Junior? Sacré Bleu! No – CHRONOMÈTRE BLEU!

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Dornob)
Steel Bridge Cantilever Home
Eco Wooden House brings sustainability and luxury
Colonia Miramonte Modern - PV Luxury Architecture
Qual Hill / Bates Masi Architects
Freshly Remodeled, $1.59 Million Modern Desert Home

Computers.
Microsoft lifts Windows 7 netbook restrictions
Microsoft Security Essentials – Free Anti-Virus Software is Now Available for Download

Watches.
TimeZone: Omega: Ploprof on Rubber... some pics
New Model – Seiko Premier Direct Drive Moon Phase
Omega: A short honeymoon to the beach with the Ploprof
Casio Pathfinder PAW1500GB-1V - Acquire
Seiko 6138-0030… - The Watch Spot
‘Insider’ Session at Thong Sia S’pore – Part I

Photography.
Hasselblad H4D - Acquire

Style.
LVMH in the recession: The substance of style
In the News - Alden 125th Anniversary Lineup
Valet - John Lobb Online
Limited Edition Range Rover Holland & Holland By Overfinch (more)

Economics.
Two Classics by Bastiat
Basic Economics Is Intuitive, Bryan Caplan

Travel.
oobject - 12 luxury airlines
MotoArt Ejection Chairs - Uncrate
Retro Thing: $4.98 Jet "Rocket" Space Ship

Cars.
The Truth About Barry Zekelman’s Bugatti Veyron
American Classic: Ford Mustang - Photo Gallery
Motorcycles at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show
IIHS Crashes A Classic To Celebrate Highway Safety

Gadgets.
Super Tool 300 Multi-Tool - Leatherman
Swiss Army Spirit Multitool

Misc.
Me 262 Project: Resurrecting The First Jet Fighter
Inside Michael Jackson's Private Kingdom
S. African mine discovers 507-carat white diamond

Quote Of The Day, From Dr. Thomas Sowell

"There is usually only a limited amount of damage that can be done by dull or stupid people. For creating a truly monumental disaster, you need people with high IQs."
-- Dr. Thomas Sowell

Thomas Sowell: The Brainy Bunch: "Many people, including some conservatives, have been very impressed with how brainy the president and his advisers are. But that is not quite as reassuring as it might seem. It was, after all, Franklin D. Roosevelt's brilliant 'brains trust' advisers whose policies are now increasingly recognized as having prolonged the Great Depression of the 1930s, while claiming credit for ending it. The Great Depression ended only when the Second World War put an end to many New Deal policies."

Did The Obamessiah Lie On Healthcare?

Perish the thought! ;-)

You Mislead! by Michael F. Cannon and Ramesh Ponnuru: "It is a good thing that other congressmen did not follow Rep. Joe Wilson’s lead. If they yelled out every time President Obama said something untrue about health care, they would quickly find themselves growing hoarse. By our count, the president made more than 20 inaccurate claims in his speech to Congress. We have excluded several comments that are deeply misleading but not outright false. (For example: Obama pledged not to tap the Medicare trust fund to pay for reform. But there is no money in that “trust fund,” anyway, so the pledge is meaningless.) Even so, we may have missed one or more false statements by the president. Our failure to include one of his comments in the following list should not be taken to constitute an endorsement of its accuracy, let alone wisdom."

Did The Free Market Cause Our Healthcare Woes?

A brief and dead-on point column.

The Health-Insurance Market Is Not Free - Anton Batey - Mises Institute: "... anyone who claims that the high costs of health insurance originated in the 'free market' is either severely mistaken or lying."

Liberty & Your Govt. At Work: PATRIOT Act, Sound Cannon, and Czars

Unsettling business.

The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.
-- Thomas Jefferson

PATRIOT Act Provision Used for Drug Cases - Cato @ Liberty: "The PATRIOT Act contained a number of tools that expanded the power of federal law enforcement officials. One of these, the “sneak and peak” warrant, allows investigators to break into the home or business of the warrant’s target and delay notification of the intrusion until 30 days after the warrant’s expiration. This capability was sold to the American people as a necessary tool to fight terrorism. In Fiscal Year 2008, federal courts issued 763 “sneak and peak” warrants. Only three were for terrorism cases. Sixty-five percent were drug cases."

First Use of LRAD Sound Canon In U.S. Used on Pittsburgh G20 Protesters - Fast Company: "I guess military tech always finds its way home. Pittsburgh city officials believe their police department's use of a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) at last week's G20 protests was 'the first time the sound cannon had been used publicly.' Police used the device to emit a painful shrill that forced demonstrators to cover their ears and withdraw while police threw tear gas and stun grenades. 'Other law enforcement agencies will be watching to see how it was used,' Pittsburgh's police bureau chief told the NY Times. 'It served its purpose well.'"
[more on this story]

Obama’s Population Control Czar: "Back in 1977 a man by the name of John Holdren co-authored a book entitled Ecoscience along with Paul and Anne Ehrlich. In the book several assertions are made with regard to the dangers of over population and the potential solutions. Forced abortions, mass sterilization, and a “Planetary Regime” with the power of life and death over American citizens are in the forefront of Holdren’s preferred methods. Holdren has been appointed Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology by Barack Obama."

Wabash Valley Grandmother didn’t realize second cold medicine purchase violated drug laws: "CLINTON — When Sally Harpold bought cold medicine for her family back in March, she never dreamed that four months later she would end up in handcuffs."

Tuesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via DesignCrave)
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater: an Intimate Experience for $1,195
Circular Concrete Home Plan - Modern House Designs
Picture (Window) This: Bay Windows Meet Modern Design

Style.
BBC NEWS - The sartorial row on Savile Row
New John Lobb Online Boutique
Mainland Boots (more)
Oliver Spencer Fishtail Trousers - Selectism

Computers.
Try Out a Fan-Made "Chrome OS" Linux Build
10 easy ways to play with Linux without leaving Windows

Apple.
Send Photos from Your iPhone: MMS is Now Available
Apple's App Store Blasts Past Two Billion Downloads

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Bill from the FPN compares the Webbie to several similar journals - Rhodia Drive

Gadgets & Gear.
Marmot Den 4P Tent - Gear Patrol
SteriPEN JourneyLCD Handheld Water Purifier - Gear Patrol
High-Tech Minimalism: Mechanical Ring Hides a Jewel Inside

Photography.
The Frame: September weather
How I Converted My Mercedes-Benz To Run On Veggie Oil
DSLR Camera Reviews - Nikon, Panasonic, Cannon DSLR Review - Esquire

Misc.
YouTube - 28 Days Later, in One Minute, in One Take
“Chunder” and 15 Other Beautiful Ways To Say “Lose Your Lunch”
Top 50 Real-Time Web Companies

Wristwatch Round-Up! ...

The FP Journe repeater is the stuff dreams are made of. ;-) (VC pic courtesy of Jorge/TZ)

FP Journe strikes a Grand Coup with his ultra slim Minute Repeater: "To quote FP Journe's last press release: 'François-Paul Journe is continually searching to invent and craft timepieces which are both innovative and practical. He has managed both with his first ultra-slim Minute Repeater.' it hits the eye that this is the bare truth. The movement measures 31.6 mm in diameter and when including the hands presents a height of 4.64 mm. The whole construction fits in a case of 40 mm in diameter and 8.65 total height. This will be though to beat."

New Model – Vacheron Constantin Collection Excellence Platine: "Movement is the hand-wind Vacheron in-house caliber 4400 with 21 jewels, beating at 28,800 bph and with a power reserve of 65 hours. It is stamped with the Hallmark of Geneva symbol. The case, in platinum, measures 43mm and is water resistant to 30 meters. The crystal is sapphire. The dial, also in platinum, comes in a “sand-blasted” finish. The “chain” is an alligator leather cord, and a platinum chain is also available on order."

F.P. Journe: A discussion with François-Paul Journe: "Today I had a very interesting discussion with François-Paul Journe about the Vagabondage II at the Boutique in Paris. First of all, you will notice that the Vagabondage II is now presented in the website. The idea of the Vagabondage II came in 2005 in NY during a discussion with collectors. This Vagagondage is the second chapter of the triptych François-Paul Journe wishes to create. But we don't know when the third chapter will be released..."

Additional links:
1 Watch, 4 Homes: Parmigiani Gives Us A Sneak Peek At The New Bugatti
Rolex: 200% Passion !-Rolex
A visit at the Flagship Store Rue de la Paix-Montblanc
Omega:A visit to the Omega Museum in Bienne
A Designare Richard Mille Closed Door Event...
Seiko: wanted to share some sweet pics of my GS spring drive

Gold and Indian Culture

Interesting. (pic: Namas Bhojani for The New York Times)

Out From India’s Alleys, Gold Loans Gain Respect - NYTimes.com: "KOCHI, India — Indians own more gold than the citizens of any other country. They use the glittering metal as ornaments to flaunt family wealth, as a source of retirement savings and as insurance against calamities. But lately, gold has become something else: collateral, and the basis of one of the country’s fastest-growing businesses, gold loans. While pawning the family jewels would be a sign of distress in the West, trading gold for cash increasingly is viewed in India as the equivalent of taking out a home equity loan to expand a business or simply to buy things. “This is the rural credit card,” said V. P. Nandakumar, chairman of the Manappuram Group, one of the country’s biggest gold loan companies. “This is the only way really that someone gets an instant loan within three minutes.” For decades, pawnbrokers and money lenders have operated in India’s back alleys, making loans against jewelry to families in distress, at interest rates of 30 percent or more. But gold loans made by banks and finance companies are different. Rates are lower — 14 to 30 percent — and their businesses are regulated."

A Look At Pierre Corthay Shoes

A look at the shoes from Pierre Corthay of France. Is Pierre Corthay to shoes what F.P. Journe is to watches? (shoe pics from a good friend)

Leffot Blog - 10 Questions for Pierre Corthay: "Men’s shoemaker Pierre Corthay is the master. So says the French government, which gave Corthay the lifetime title of maître d’art, or master of art, at the end of 2008. Each year, the award is given to honor native artisans for their expertise and talent in their fields. “The government pays attention to the craftsmen, people who have special know-how. I was very proud,” said Corthay. The designer started almost 30 years ago at the age of 16 through a program in France where students spend six years traveling and learning their trade. From there, he worked for John Lobb and Berluti, before starting his own men’s bespoke label in 1990. In 2003, Corthay set up his own workshop near Paris to create a ready-to-wear line of men’s shoes. “The philosophy was to introduce part of our handcrafted spirit into the manufacturing,” Corthay said. “Every detail is made as it is in the bespoke.” These days, Corthay sells about 2,500 ready-to-wear pairs each year and 130 bespoke pairs. Ready-to-wear is priced between 850 euros and 1,000 euros, or $1,155 to $1,360, while bespoke shoes cost 3,000 euros to 6,000 euros, or $4,080 to $8,165. The wait time for bespoke is about three months, compared with four weeks for ready-to-wear."

Permanent style: The Allure of Corthay Shoes: "Pierre Corthay is one of the best shoemakers around, but is not well-known outside France. Trained at both John Lobb and Berluti, he has a pedigree from possibly the two most respected shoemakers in the world, for quality and design respectively."

If The Shoe Fits: Bespoke Footwear by Pierre Corthay - Luxury Insider: "French novelist Emile Zola once remarked, 'The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.' This turn of phrase seems a fitting testament in a business where creating a pair of made-to-measure shoes can take over 60 hours of intensive craftsmanship and up to five months in production. It is especially apt in the case of Pierre Corthay, whose bespoke shoes provide the inspiration for what has become one of the world's premier lines of luxury men's accessories, attracting customers as eminent as the Sultan of Brunei. The Parisian atelier has also drawn collaborations with major French fashion houses such as Christian Dior and Lanvin."

Additional links:
Leffot Blog - Pierre Corthay
Pierre Corthay: a tradition of excellence
LuxuryObsessed: Pierre Corthay at Leffot
Leffot Blog - New Arca Flavor
Sandra’s Sources - Leffot - The Moment Blog - NYTimes.com

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Contemporist)
Twin Houses by Predock_Frane Architects
Great Guadalajara Home By Agraz Arquitectos

Style.
Heavy Tweed Jacket: The Horween Leather Company
Too Much Information: Goodyear Welted Footwear

Watches.
Speake-Marin pre-series with caliber SM2
Horological Meandering:Sinn EZM-1
TimeZone: The lure & attraction of Military watches

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Rhodia Drive
pencil talk
PicoCool - Iphone Notepod
PicoCool - Vibrant Journals by Bareoff
A Handful of Handwriting Links - An Inkophile’s Blog
Spiritual Evolution of the Bean: Diamine Ink Review Index
The Montblanc British Racing Green Review
Review: Quick Look at Rhodia’s New Weekly Planner

Computers.
Five Best Twitter Clients - Lifehacker
Top 10 Sites to Watch TV Channels Online

Gadgets.
Custom Built Cameras by Leica – Leica à la Carte

Travel.
10 Interesting Places to Visit Before You Die. Part 1

Cars.
Speed Kills: The 20 Best Movie Car Chases
Of Heuers and Mustangs . . . the originals; the tragic period; and the rebirth

Misc.
Attending College for Free Overseas - CBS MoneyWatch.com
Real story of 250-year quest for the perfect pint

What's The Story With Vitamin D?

A few links to check out.

What's the Vitamin D "Buzz" About? - Rochester Health - Rochester New York: "The Vitamin D 'buzz' in the popular press and at the water cooler is warranted. Vitamin D3 may be the most important supplement in your health maintenance arsenal. Imagine a nutrient that strengthens your bones and reduces the risk of fractures. This nutrient improves your muscle strength and function, thus reducing your risk of falls as you age. Deficiency in this compound is associated with higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer death. Your immune system relies upon this nutrient, and infections may be more difficult to fight if it is lacking."

Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D: "Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis [1,2]. Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements is biologically inert and must undergo two hydroxylations in the body for activation. The first occurs in the liver and converts vitamin D to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], also known as calcidiol. The second occurs primarily in the kidney and forms the physiologically active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], also known as calcitriol [3]."

Additional links:
Vitamin D May Improve Melanoma Survival - ajc.com
Just how much sun is enough to meet vitamin D needs?
Phys Ed: Can Vitamin D Improve Your Athletic Performance?
Vitamin D 'can boost survival from cancer' - Telegraph

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via DesignMilk)
Goldstone Residence in Georgia by Dencity Design
No Lake Needed: Perfect ‘Floating Home’ Design
Compact House with Unusual Shape in Columbia

Cars.
Ford 021C by Marc Newson - Design Year Book
Motorcycle Sports Car Hybrid
Brabus Mercedes-Benz Viano Lounge, the Incredibly Rich Techie's Van of Choice

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
Seize the rewards of writing your own handwritten notes…before it’s too late
Rhodia’s Paul Smith, Limited Edition Notepads are Available

Gadgets.
Top 10 Ways to Get More From a Cameraphone

Watches.
TimeZone: Quick pics of a new friend ...
TimeZone: i'm speechless! vintage Longines chrono
TimeZone: Old Watch but New Shoes...
Vacheron Collection Excellence Platine Patrimony Contemporaine Pocket Watch

Computers.
The 10 Oddest Geek Products You’ll See Today
HOW TO: Visualize the Windows OS in your Browser

Style.
Permanent style: Anyone know a good cobbler?

Animals.
Tex the Australian Cattle Dog - Daily Puppy

Misc.
LIFE is Good! - Technologizer
A Simpsons Guest Star Quiz

Breguet's Marie Antoinette Watch Is Coming To America

Coming to LA and NYC.
(ht: Samster777) (pic via WatchTime)

Breguet Marie-Antoinette No. 1160 On Display in LA and NYC - WatchTime.com: "Breguet No. 160 generated two of the greatest mysteries in watchmaking: who ordered it, and who stole it? Commissioned by an unknown admirer of Marie-Antoinette in 1783 as a gift for the queen, it was not completed until 1827, 34 years after her death. In 1983 it was stolen from a Jerusalem museum in a daring heist. In 2005, Nicolas G. Hayek, President and CEO of Montres Breguet, commissioned the manufacture to exactly recreate No. 160. The result was No. 1160 – a treasure in its own right, and it’s coming to the USA."

Earlier posts on the Breguet Marie Antoinette Watch:
Updates on Solving the Breguet Marie Antoinette Watch Heist
Marie-Antoinette watch unveiled in Basel -- just 200 years late
Updates on the Breguet Marie Antoinette Watch
Breguet Marie Antoinette Watch Found!

Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss

The Hope and Change we were promised? (Pic from our friends at The People's Cube)

Obama Keeps Bush Rules On Indefinite Detention - NPR: "The Obama administration has decided not to ask Congress for a new law that would allow terrorism detainees to be held indefinitely — in other words, it'll stay with the rules set up right after the Sept. 11 attacks by the Bush administration. What does this decision say about Obama as president?"

Best Quote I Read Today, Liberty vs. Collectivism

This from David Boaz.

"I wrote in Libertarianism: A Primer, 'One difference between libertarianism and socialism is that a socialist society can’t tolerate groups of people practicing freedom, but a libertarian society can comfortably allow people to choose voluntary socialism.'"

Excellent point. While I have no use for forced collectivism and prefer a free society, I have no problem with a group of people going off on their own to live in a voluntary commune. I guess I'm not against collectivism per se, I'm against forced collectivism.

Saturday Grab Bag

Architecture / Design. (pic via Materialicious)
Stairs that fit in one square meter
Spectacular Swiss Villa By Attilio Panzeri For Sale
$17.9 Million Maurice Fatio Remodel In Palm Beach
Norwich Residence by Clive Wilkinson
Brazilian Architecture: 10 Breathtaking Modern Monuments

Photography.
The Frame: Millions visit Oktoberfest
Flooding in the Southeast - The Big Picture

Style.
Leffot Blog - Fortunate Son
Too Much Information: Goodyear Welted Footwear
Kirby Allison’s Hanger Project

Cars.
Bugatti 16 C Galibier - Classic Driver
Should Electric Cars Make More Noise?

Computers.
Ads Coming to Google Maps - Fast Company
Top 2 Sites For Nintendo Wii Game Cheats
Video: Phoenix Instant Boot BIOS starts loading Windows in under a second

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Handwritten: Waterman’s Commando review
Ink made from wine? How perfect for an Inkophile!
Lifehacker’s Favorite Notebooks - Notebook Stories

Watches.
SwipeLife - Oris BC4 Der Meisterflieger
Industry News - Breguet - the Tourbillon Collection in Tokyo
Tag Heuer Monaco V4 Limited Edition Watch
Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk Commemorative Edition Watch Announced
Hot off the drawing board:A brand new Tantalum/Palladium Quai de l'Ile

Education.
Best Colleges: The Real Rankings - CBS MoneyWatch.com

Fed.
Audit the Fed by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

Misc.
Rescued McMonkersons — Cute Overload
Cabbies ask for fare hike, $50 clean-up fee for vomit
Newmark's Door: A dozen more of my favorites from "Overheard in New York"
Sept. 25, 2002: Mysterious Meteorite Dazzles Siberia
More banks dropping overdraft fees
How to make an airship from a simple egg (28 photos)

Did Jackson Pollock Camouflage His Name In Mural?

Intriguing. (pic: University of Iowa Museum of Art, Gift of Peggy Guggenheim 1959.6 / © 2009 Pollock-Krasner Foundation / ARS, NY)

Try it for yourself here.

See this earlier book review: The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art

Decoding Jackson Pollock - Arts & Culture - Smithsonian Magazine: "Did the Abstract Expressionist hide his name amid the swirls and torrents of a legendary 1943 mural? An art historian makes the case for a signature gesture ... It was my wife, Marianne Berardi, who first saw the letters. We were looking at a reproduction of Jackson Pollock's breakthrough work, Mural, an 8-by 20-foot canvas bursting with physical energy that, in 1943, was unlike anything seen before. ... I was researching a book about Pollock's lifelong relationship with his mentor, Thomas Hart Benton, the famed regionalist and muralist, when I sat puzzling over a reproduction of Mural after breakfast one morning with Marianne, herself an art historian. She suddenly said she could make out the letters S-O-N in blackish paint in the upper right area of the mural. Then she realized JACKSON ran across the entire top. And finally she saw POLLOCK below that."

Still Worried About Peak Oil? Really?!

Even after continuing to read stories like this? (pic via Ken Childress/Transocean)

The Oil Industry Is on a Roll This Year With New Discoveries - NYTimes.com: "The oil industry has been on a hot streak this year, thanks to a series of major discoveries that have rekindled a sense of excitement across the petroleum sector, despite falling prices and a tough economy. These discoveries, spanning five continents, are the result of hefty investments that began earlier in the decade when oil prices rose, and of new technologies that allow explorers to drill at greater depths and break tougher rocks. “That’s the wonderful thing about price signals in a free market — it puts people in a better position to take more exploration risk,” said James T. Hackett, chairman and chief executive of Anadarko Petroleum. More than 200 discoveries have been reported so far this year in dozens of countries, including northern Iraq’s Kurdish region, Australia, Israel, Iran, Brazil, Norway, Ghana and Russia. They have been made by international giants, like Exxon Mobil, but also by industry minnows, like Tullow Oil. Just this month, BP said that it found a giant deepwater field that might turn out to be the biggest oil discovery ever in the Gulf of Mexico, while Anadarko announced a large find in an “exciting and highly prospective” region off Sierra Leone."

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via dornob)
Wooden House By Wim Goes
Radical Winter Retreat: Private Ski-In Mountain Home - Dornob
Sag Harbor House / Jendretzki

Cars.
TimeZone: Frankfurt Auto Show '09
Introducing the New 2010 Ducati Hypermotard 796

Sports.
The Sports Hall of Gall - WSJ.com

Computers.
Cool Websites and Tools
ReadWriteWeb's List of Kid-Friendly Online Resources
Details on Twitter’s Imminent Geolocation Launch

Style.
Church Footwear (U.K.) (new site)
Blogger Beat: Off the Cuff - Capital Comment Blog
Omaha's Oracle of Style Sings the Praises of a Chinese Suit

Signs of The Times.
Cypress Gardens closes: Polk County park shutters doors

Watches.
New Model – Ulysse Nardin Monaco YS Maxi Marine Diver
Richard Mille RM011 Felipe Massa Ti Black Grand Prix Brazil Special Edition
For those of you who don't make it over to the Omega forum...
INDUSTRY NEWS - Exceptional Timepieces to be Auctioned in Antiquorum's October Sale

Feeding The Leviathan.
Stimulus funds boost number of federal jobs - USATODAY.com

Travel.
Your Kind of Town - Smithsonian Magazine

Misc.
Infographic of the Day: McDonald's Heat Wave

Do Charter Schools Skim The Cream of The Student Crop?

Apparently not, though that is a frequent charge of statists, teachers' unions, and government education supporters alike. [Also don't miss the commentary from this UoR econ professor.]

While I see charter schools as a clear improvement over the status quo of the government school debacle, I still don't care for them. I would much prefer to see the govt. out of the business entirely.

Charter School Students Outperform Public School Students - WSJ.com: "According to the study, the most comprehensive of its kind to date, New York charter applicants are more likely than the average New York family to be black, poor and living in homes with adults who possess fewer education credentials. But positive results already begin to emerge by the third grade: The average charter student is scoring 5.8 points higher than his lotteried-out peers in math and 5.3 points higher in English. In grades four through eight, the charter student jumps ahead by 5 more points each year in math and 3.6 points each year in English. Charter students are also shrinking the learning gap between low-income minorities and more affluent whites. 'On average,' the report concludes, 'a student who attended a charter school for all of the grades kindergarten through eight would close about 86% of the 'Scarsdale-Harlem achievement gap' in math and 66% of the achievement gap in English.' The New York results are not unique. In a separate study, Ms. Hoxby found Chicago's charters performing even better than the Big Apple's. Using the same methodology, other researchers have seen similar results in Boston."

'Last Ottoman' Dies in Istanbul, End of An Era

Check out this book for much more: Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto ...

BBC NEWS - Europe - 'Last Ottoman' dies in Istanbul: "Ertugrul Osman - the would-be sultan known in Turkey as the 'last Ottoman' - has died in Istanbul at the age of 97. Osman would have been sultan of the Ottoman Empire had Turkey's modern republic not been created in the 1920s. As the last surviving grandson of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II, he would have been known as his Imperial Highness Prince Shehzade Ertugrul Osman Effendi. Born in Istanbul in 1912, Osman spent most of his years living modestly in New York."

Al Franken Reads 4th Amendment to Justice Department Official

Now, I really applaud Franken's efforts here, I honestly do. IMHO, he is absolutely correct on this issue. But the glaring problem is that he needs someone to read him (and the vast majority of Congress) some of the other amendments. In particular, we could start with the 2nd, 9th, and 10th. And maybe even Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Mr. Franken, the Constitution is not an à la carte menu!

Al Franken Reads the 4th Amendment to Justice Department Official: "Just in case he wasn’t familiar with it, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) decided to read the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution to David Kris, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, who was testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee today to urge reauthorization of expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act. Franken, who opened by acknowledging that unlike most of his colleagues in the Senate, he’s not a lawyer, but according to his research “most Americans aren’t lawyers” either, said he’d also done research on the Patriot Act and in particular, the “roving wiretap” provision that allows the FBI to get a warrant to wiretap a an unnamed target and his or her various and changing cell phones, computers and other communication devices."

Walter Williams on Capitalism ...

Michael Moore's attack on what he calls capitalism may be the biggest straw man of all time.

Walter E. Williams on Lying Propaganda: "Michael Moore's new film, 'Capitalism: A Love Story' will be released next month. I've neither seen nor read reviews of the film, except for a short piece in the London Telegraph (9/6/09) titled 'Michael Moore film calls capitalism evil.' Aware of Michael Moore's previous films, I know that it will be at best a misleading story about capitalism. So let's do some defensive mental preparation, not about the film but what is and what is not capitalism ..."

George Will Explains The Chinese Tire Tariff

Fantastic column, be sure to click through and read.

George F. Will - Obama's Tire Tariff May Protect Unions but Harms the Nation - washingtonpost.com: "Notice that China need not be guilty of wrongdoing: It can be punished even if it is not 'dumping' -- not selling goods below the cost of manufacturing and distributing them. (That we consider it wrongdoing for a nation to sell us things we want at very low prices is a superstition to be marveled at another day.) And China need not be punished: Presidential action is entirely discretionary. So Barack Obama was using the sort of slippery language that increasingly defines his loquacity when he said he was simply 'enforcing' a trade agreement. ... Obama was silent when Congress, pleasing the Teamsters union, violated the North American Free Trade Agreement by stopping Mexican trucks from delivering goods north of the border."

Related posts:
Obama Throws U.S. Tire Consumers Under The Bus

Thursday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via ArchDaily)
Noyack Creek / Bates Masi Architects
Madrona Residence by Vandeventer Carlander Architects
Church converted into magnificent bookstore
Shedworking: Habitable Polyhedron

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Umberto Eco: The lost art of handwriting
Pen Addict: Top 5 Pens - Fall Update
Edison Pens: What Does “Iridium Point Germany” Really Mean?
Rhodia No. 8 :: Rhodia Drive

Watches.
Seiko & Citizen Forum: My new Arrival!!
JLC:1959 / 2009, from the Deep Sea Alarm to the Navy Seals Alarm
Richard Mille Beijing Flagship Opens
The Rolex President in Quartz: Who Says A Rolex Shouldn't Tick?

Computers.
4 Awesome Visual Search Engines To Transform Your Search

Photography.
Turn your $500 DSLR into a $95 point and shoot

Style.
Columbia Sportswear - Bugathermo Rechargeable Heated Boot
The Official Blog of Allen Edmonds CEO, Paul Grangaard
Leffot Blog - The Dr. Will See You Now

Food.
New York’s 10 Best Steakhouses - Debonair Magazine
Gatinois Champagne Corks

Misc.
Man Caves, A Photo Gallery
Wiggle Animation – 1908 Sphinx and Pyramid
Med Students on Twitter, Facebook: No Patient Privacy?
Steve McQueen’s Former Ranch On Market For $1.95 Million
George Costanza's Jobs, A Quiz

Markets in Everything: Underpants for Left-Handed Men

First electricity, then penicillin, and now this! ;-)

Store launches underpants for left-handed men - Yahoo! News: "LONDON (Reuters) – A British store is launching a range of underpants for left-handed men, an innovation it says will save them both time and embarrassment in front of the porcelain. The new range, by UK-based Hom, will have a horizontal opening instead of a vertical slit accessed from the right-hand side, breaking a tradition that has lasted for 75 years. 'In our view, this is a vital step toward equality for left-handed men,' said Rob Faucherand of Debenhams store. Almost 10 percent of British men are believed to be left handed but men's Y-fronted underpants have traditionally had a right-handed opening from the time they were invented in 1935."

When Is A Tax Not A Tax?

Question: When Is A Tax Not A Tax?
Answer: When Obama tells you so. (Orwellian Newspeak)

From Monday's WSJ. Scary.

Obama Denies that Individual Mandate is a Tax Increase - WSJ.com:

"President Obama didn't make much news on his round of five Sunday talk shows yesterday, with one notable exception. The President revealed a great deal about his philosophy of government and how he defines a tax increase. It turns out the President thinks a health-care tax is not a tax if he thinks the tax is for your own good.

Appearing on ABC's 'This Week,' Mr. Obama was asked by host George Stephanopoulos about the 'individual mandate.' Under Max Baucus's Senate bill that Mr. Obama supports, everyone would be required to buy health insurance or else pay a penalty as high as $3,800 a year. Mr. Stephanopoulos posed the obvious question about this kind of coercion when 'the government is forcing people to spend money, fining you if you don't [buy insurance]. . . . How is that not a tax?'

"Well, hold on a second, George," Mr. Obama replied. "Here's what's happening. You and I are both paying $900, on average—our families—in higher premiums because of uncompensated care. Now what I've said is that if you can't afford health insurance, you certainly shouldn't be punished for that. That's just piling on. If, on the other hand, we're giving tax credits, we've set up an exchange, you are now part of a big pool, we've driven down the costs, we've done everything we can and you actually can afford health insurance, but you've just decided, you know what, I want to take my chances. And then you get hit by a bus and you and I have to pay for the emergency room care, that's . . ."

"That may be," Mr. Stephanopoulos responded, "but it's still a tax increase." (In fact, uncompensated care accounts for about only 2.2% of national health spending today, but that's another subject.)

Mr. Obama: "No. That's not true, George. The—for us to say that you've got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase. What it's saying is, is that we're not going to have other people carrying your burdens for you anymore . . ." In other words, like parents talking to their children, this levy—don't call it a tax—is for your own good.

Mr. Stephanopoulos tried again: "But it may be fair, it may be good public policy—"

Mr. Obama: "No, but—but, George, you—you can't just make up that language and decide that that's called a tax increase."

"I don't think I'm making it up," Mr. Stephanopoulos said. He then had the temerity to challenge the Philologist in Chief, with an assist from Merriam-Webster. He cited that dictionary's definition of "tax"—"a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes."

Mr. Obama: "George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now. . . ."

Mr. Stephanopoulos: "I wanted to check for myself. But your critics say it is a tax increase."

Mr. Obama: "My critics say everything is a tax increase. My critics say that I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that. Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we're going to have an individual mandate or not, but . . ."

Mr. Stephanopoulos: "But you reject that it's a tax increase?"

Mr. Obama: "I absolutely reject that notion."

If you can follow this reasoning, then you probably also think that a new entitlement is the best way to reduce entitlement spending. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Senate's individual mandate will result in new revenues of some $20 billion over 10 years because some people will choose to opt out of ObamaCare—or because they can't afford to buy in, given that other taxes and regulation will make health care more expensive. If that $20 billion doesn't count as tax revenue, then what is it?

And for that matter, what doesn't count as a nontax under Mr. Obama's definition? All taxes can be justified in the name of providing some type of service, however wasteful. Mr. Obama complains that "My critics say everything is a tax increase," as if that is his political problem. His real problem is that the individual mandate really is a tax, but the President doesn't want voters to think of it that way, because taxes are unpopular."

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Coolboom)
White House by Jarmund/Vigsnaes
The Cooper Cabin Weblog: The Hayloft
Macmasters Beach House by Villa & Villa Architects
$5.7 Million Cottage Keeps Key West Character

Style.
Vintage Lighter Cufflinks - Uncrate
For Raymond Kelly, New York’s Top Lawman, Many Splendid Ties but Just One Knot

Computers.
Top 15 Young Twitter Users Under 18
3 Popular Free Online Logic Puzzle Games on Kongregate
Picasa Gets Face Recognition, Built-in Google Maps

Watches.
A. Lange & Söhne: The symbol of the rebirth: the Tourbillon Pour le Mérite (great pics)
TimeZone: New arrival , my first Breguet ...
Breaking: A. Lange CEO Fabian Krone Resigns
TimeZone: Public Forum: My latest… (Minerva)
Luxury Watches: 10 Amazing Modern Watch Designs of the Future
The other space watch: Seiko Spacewalk

Cars.
ThePuristS INSIDE LOOK: Aston Martin ONE-77 (great pics)
Top 9 Electric Car Concepts at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show
2009 Frankfurt International Motor Show – Top Fives

Fountain Pens / Writing.
User Reviews: J. Herbin ink art with a Squirrel
What's Your Favorite Writing Utensil? - Lifehacker

Gadgets.
Flashlight Reviews and LED Modifications

Misc.
Freaky New Ghostshark ID’d Off California Coast
Are Men Or Women More Likely To Be Hit By Lightning?
oobject - armor for animals

Your Government At Work ...

A few items to check out.

This is a textbook example of statist elitists want ing to shape how you think and act.
Hubris: Chu's Got It:"Speaking on the sidelines of a smart grid conference in Washington, Dr. Chu said he didn’t think average folks had the know-how or will to to change their behavior enough to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions."

Newmark's Door: Los Angeles discovers some of the joys of government-imposed water restrictions: "Bursting pipes. Water cops."

The Feds' Attack on Freedom of Speech, David Henderson - Library of Economics and Liberty: "One of the ways that governments try to 'win' debates is to make debate by the other side illegal. This is what HHS is doing, at the behest of Senator Baucus."

Boudreaux On The Pittsburgh G20 Meeting

Always good to read what Dr. Boudreaux thinks.

Here comes the G-20 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Entrepreneurs experiment with different types of financial instruments, manufacturing processes, retail-distribution methods and other ways of earning profits. Because markets are open, a wide variety of these experiments in earning profits arises. Some of these ways prove to be less profitable than others. Entrepreneurs abandon the less-profitable ways and mimic the more-profitable ones. As this process goes along, some business products and practices establish themselves as being generally reliable -- 'sustainable,' to use the G-20's jargon -- while others disappear. Nobel economist F.A. Hayek described this ongoing competition as 'a discovery procedure.'"

Oktoberfest 2009, A Pictorial ...

Thanks to Boston.com's The Big Picture for the wonderful photography. Some day I will get there, some day. ;-)

Oktoberfest, 2009 - The Big Picture - Boston.com: "The 176th Oktoberfest started on Saturday the 19th, kicked off by Munich Mayor Christian Ude, tapping the first keg with a cry of 'O'zapft is!'. With predictions of over 6 million visitors heading to Munich, the festival runs until October 4th. This year, a traditional liter of beer will cost visitors about 8 euros (11.75 dollars). And new this year: Oktoberfest iPhone apps, including a dictionary, ordering assistant and a blood-alcohol calculator. Collected here are a few photographs from the first couple of days of Oktoberfest 2009 ..."

Additional links:
Oktoberfest - Wikipedia
About the Oktoberfest - Oktoberfest.de

Tuesday Grab Bag

Cars. (pic via SwipeLife)
Piaggio Ape Calessino - SwipeLife

Architecture.
Cottage Home Design - low cost cottage in Argentina
Small Concrete House in California is Small but Sweet
Old Barn & Farm Buildings Converted into a Modern Home
Rogers-Sturz Residence by Michael Lee Architects

Style.
Big city shoe shine - Gentleman’s Corner
Red Wing Boots Linemen and Beck Man
Permanent Style: George Cleverley bespoke
Wolverine Boot 1000 Mile Collection Military Looks

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Inkyjournal - Iroshizuku momiji (autumn leaves)
Quo Vadis Blog - Kate’s journals

Computers.
The HP-85: iPhone of the 1980s

Watches.
Hamilton Bomb Timer: Originally Used in A Gunman's Turret

Animals.
Guiding Eyes Puppies - Daily Puppy
Naughty Otter Dines on Koi - Cute Otters
9NEWS.com - The slyest thief in town

Healthcare.
One in six NHS patients 'misdiagnosed' - Telegraph
John Stossel Destroys/Pulverizes/Crushes Obamacare

Education.
Best Sites For Free Video Lectures From Top Colleges & Universities

Gadgets.
Retro Thing: Ingmar Bergman's Super 8 Camera
The Doers Club: Change Observer
Know When to Use Alkaline Versus Rechargeable Batteries

Misc.
7 More Amazing Engineering Wonders of Today & Tomorrow
Lending Money to Family: 5 Things To Consider

Femtocells: AT&T Follows Sprint

I recently reviewed Sprint's femtocell, the Sprint Airave, here: Review: Sprint Airave Femtocell, A Personal Cell Tower.

Now I see that AT&T has released their own femtocell.

AT&T's 3G MicroCell site is up and running (Phone Arena News): "AT&T's 3G MicroCell web site is now live. The MicroCell is the carrier's version of the femtocell device that takes an area with a poor cellphone signal and turns it into a 5 bar 3G powerhouse. All you need is a broadband internet connection (DSL or cable modem) and a computer linked online for registration. The device will handle up to 4 handsets at a time within 5,000 square feet of the unit, and any AT&T phone will work."

AT&T's 3G MicroCell gets unboxed, looks sufficiently cute: "It's sort of outrageous how much publicity AT&T's very own femtocell has garnered here lately, particularly when you realize that it's limited to the Charlotte, North Carolina area alone. But look -- did you really expect us to pass up what appears to be the very first unboxing of the 3G MicroCell? No, you didn't. Hit the read link if you're somehow not quite past the point of saturation, and be sure to have a peek past the break for an unexpected treat."

Additional links:
AT&T 3G MicroCell™
AT&T's 3G MicroCell runs $150 in Charlotte trial, service is free without unlimited calling

Markets In Everything: Magic Wands

This should be popular w/ Harry Potter fans, especially Muggles. ;-)
(pic via JAGT)

Amazing Magic Wand Controls Your TV | Just A Guy Thing: "If you have seen all the Harry Potter movies and want to get in on some wizard action, we have the remote control for you. The Kymera Magic Wand channels your inner Gandalf to control your TV. The Wand has a built-in accelerometer (like the iPhone), so it can detect and interpret hand gestures. Want to change the channel? Just flick the wand up or down. To increase or decrease the volume, move the wand clockwise or counter-clockwise. The Wand recognizes 13 different movements that you can custom program including multi-taps, swishing, and pulling back and forth. Doesn’t that sound a lot more fun than pushing buttons?"

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Contemporist)
Rural Japanese Houses by Kidosaki Architects
Rustic Modern: Concrete & Rammed Earth House Design
80 Strange and Fantastic Buildings, Architecture

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Postcrossing - Postcards Traveling The World
RevolveR Bound Journals
pencil talk - Canteo No. 14 A4 notebook
Inkyjournal: Iroshizuku fountain pen ink by Pilot

Style.
Leffot Blog - Wing It
Palmer and Sons Leather Gladstone No 10 L - Acquire

Travel.
Life in the Slow Lane - Navigating the Erie Canal
Riva Already Making Waves with the New 86’ Domino

Liberty.
Money on the First Amendment

Watches.
TimeZone: A Few Replies to "What's Your Opinion of Blancpain"
TimeZone: Let's see those German casebacks!!!

Economics.
New Deal Orgy No Model For Current Binge

Misc.
Feeling peckish? Meet the 13 stone record-breaking biggest burger
Marginal Revolution: NFL player bankruptcy
Bella the Vizsla Mix - Daily Puppy
10 Record-Breaking Foods [pics]
Easyglider: a fun new way to skate/ride/drive

Bulgaria's Identical Lottery Draw Was Coincidence

Assuming this is legit, and there is no funny business going on here ... I wonder what the probability is of this happening?

Identical lottery draw was coincidence - Yahoo! News: "SOFIA (Reuters) – The draw of the same six winning numbers twice in a row in Bulgaria's national lottery was a freak coincidence, officials said Thursday. Sports Minister Svilen Neikov ordered an investigation after the numbers 4, 15, 23, 24, 35 and 42 were selected, in a different order, by a machine live on television on September 6 and 10. The results caused suspicions of manipulation. An investigation found no wrongdoing in the draw or determining the winners, its chairman Konstantin Simeonov said. 'We cannot talk about any manipulation,' he said. The chance of the same six numbers coming up twice in two consecutive rounds was one in more than 4 million but was not impossible, respected mathematician Michail Konstantinov has said."

The 50 Best Foods In The World and Where To Eat Them

Some interesting and I'm sure, controversial choices. But these lists are always fun to read and good catalysts for discussion.

The 50 best foods in the world and where to eat them - Life and style - The Observer: "From cake, steak and tapas, to oysters, chicken and burgers, Killian Fox roamed the world to find the 50 best things to eat and the best places to eat them in, with a little help from professionals like Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux, Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray ..."

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Tiny Texas Houses Gallery
North Star Ranch As Big As The Colorado Sky
Stunning Victorian Renovation Showcases Decades of SF History

Travel.
America's Best Adventure Towns - NGM.com
National Parks 2008: Most Beautiful Places

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Unposted: Back from Life
Iroshizuku fountain pen ink by Pilot
Black Cover Journal Reviews

Watches.
Omega: OK, this may not excite you as much as it has me, but here is a brand new get for me!

Food.
Top 10 Old Time Vintage Candy Brands
Amsterdam as Foodie Heaven? - WSJ.com

Style.
Wants & Desires - A Continuous Lean.

Cars.
Jay Leno Brings EVs Into America’s Living Room

Fed.
Did Bernanke save us from another Great Depression?
Ron Paul Q&A: Audit the Fed, Then End It - WSJ

Misc.
20 most bizarre Craigslist adverts of all time - Telegraph

Swine flu 'could kill millions unless rich nations give £900m'

A UN shakedown?

Swine flu could kill millions - World news - The Observer: "The swine flu pandemic could kill millions and cause anarchy in the world's poorest nations unless £900m can be raised from rich countries to pay for vaccines and antiviral medicines, says a UN report leaked to the Observer. The disclosure will provoke concerns that health officials will not be able to stem the growth of the worldwide H1N1 pandemic in developing countries. If the virus takes hold in the poorest nations, millions could die and the economies of fragile countries could be destroyed."

Signs Of The Times: A Suit, Every Day!

I like this guy.

Suit during Depression makes lifetime impression - GazetteOnline.com: "Keith Hastings has never paid attention to casual Fridays. Or casual Saturdays, Sundays . . . Every day, Keith, 85, dons a white long-sleeved shirt, a tie and a suit. “I was used to it,” says Keith, who sold suits for half a century until he retired 15 years ago. “And I thought, if I was used to it, I’d wear it.” So he wears a suit to shop for groceries. To go out for coffee. Even to mow the lawn. If the day is too hot, Keith might remove his jacket before climbing aboard his bright red riding lawn mower. But, for the most part, the coat stays on. And the tie doesn’t come off until, oh, around 9 at night. “He probably takes a bath in it,” jokes his daily coffee mate, Dominick Damiano. “He’s so used to wearing a suit he probably doesn’t have anything else to wear.” Keith’s bedroom closet bears out that premise — 20 white shirts and eight suits, from dark blue to light gray."

But it does remind me of a couple good classic olumns from Jeffrey Tucker.
How To Dress Like a Man by Jeffrey A. Tucker
Dress Like the Great Depression - Jeffrey A. Tucker