Education Secretary Duncan Calls Hurricane Katrina Good For New Orleans Schools

Yup, it's apparently true, he (Educ. Sec. Arne Duncan) really said it. It's sad but also quite telling that someone this ignorant is the "chief educator" in the country. Well, for government schools anyway. Do we need any more evidence that the Dept of Education should be immediately dismantled?

Mr. Duncan, please (for the love of God), take a few minutes and read Bastiat's Parable of the Broken Window. And don't be afraid to crack open a book by Sowell or Hazlitt either.

Education Secretary Duncan calls Hurricane Katrina good for New Orleans schools - Wash. Post: "Duncan was quoted as replying: 'It's a fascinating one. I spent a lot of time in New Orleans, and this is a tough thing to say, but let me be really honest. I think the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans was Hurricane Katrina."

The Broken Window - Frederic Bastiat - Mises Institute: "Have you ever witnessed the anger of the good shopkeeper, James B., when his careless son happened to break a square of glass? If you have been present at such a scene, you will most assuredly bear witness to the fact, that every one of the spectators, were there even thirty of them, by common consent apparently, offered the unfortunate owner this invariable consolation: 'It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. Everybody must live, and what would become of the glaziers if panes of glass were never broken?'"

Additional links:
Bastiat and the Broken Window Fallacy - John Stossel
That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen; by Frederic Bastiat
What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen - The Freeman

Today's Quotes

"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people,
under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy.
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Thomas Cooper, 1802

I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary,
too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Ludlow, 1824

The main reason to be opposed to political control of smoking is to keep power
--even the smallest and silliest kind of power -- out of the hands of ...
members of a dangerous class --the class that knows what´s
good for us better than we do.
-- P. J. O'Rourke

The same prudence which in private life would forbid our paying
our own money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the
dispensation of the public moneys.
--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Shelton Gilliam, 1808

The harm done by ordinary criminals, murderers, gangsters, and thieves is
negligible in comparison with the agony inflicted upon human beings by the
professional do-gooders, who attempt to set themselves up as gods on earth
and who would ruthlessly force their views on all others -- with the abiding
assurance that the end justifies the means.
-- Henry Grady Weaver, author of a classic book on freedom, The Mainspring of Human Progress

Sunday Grab Bag

Animals.
Is 'Giant George' the world's tallest dog? The 7ft-long blue great dane
Germany's Road-Tripping Gorilla Infant Rides Shotgun!

Food.
Putting Weird Things in Coffee

Architecture.
Yurt Living in Upstate New York
Maison du Béton by Atelier ST
Salamanca House / Parsonson Architects
Sonoma Victorian Cottage
Waterfront Vacation Home Plans – Oceanfront Luxury Home for Sale in Malibu

Photography.
Afghanistan, January, 2010 - The Big Picture
Penguins, Peaks and Penny-Farthings: National Geographic Covers, 1959-2000

Cars.
12 Cool and Unusual Limousines
For Toyota Drivers, Confusion And Growing Anger : NPR

Computers.
Google Lets You Upload Your Email Archives to Google Apps

Style.
magnificent bastard - ask the mb sport shirt buttoning
Sartorially Inclined: Short Fuse
Made by Hand- the great Sartorial Debate: Steed Savile Row
A Suitable Wardrobe: Somewhat of an Homage to Cary Grant
Wants & Desires - Traditional Weatherwear x To Ki To
Anderson-Little Classic Blue Blazer - Factory Direct To You

Travel.
Ggantija Temples, Malta
Weekend in Buenos Aires - NYTimes.com
Galapagos island relies on travelers to deliver the mail

Fountain Pens / Writing.
MoMA retrospective Tim Burton - Moleskine
OXO Good Grips Retractable Highlighters
Inkyjournal: Iroshizuku yama-budo (Bordeaux)

Art.
Asher Edelman, the Art World's Gordon Gekko - WSJ.com

Gadgets.
Google Nexus Two Phone Coming From Motorola
Open letter to Nokia CEO: 10 things you need to do today
Apple iPad Price, Features Say "ARM" All Over

Global Warming.
Climate Change Fraud - Cold kills coral; 1st time since '70s
Climate chief was told of false glacier claims before Copenhagen
UN panel based claims about disappearing ice from student's dissertation!

Watches.
IWC Schaffhausen :The Da Vinci Chronograph Ceramic
The Tyndall Watch From Newcomer Xetum
SIHH 2010 : Review of the highlights of the Salon
Valbray : horlogerie suisse
Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon - WatchTime.com
Calibre de Cartier watch with its calibre 1904 MC, new triumph of Cartier watchmaking

Misc.
Japanese Shredder Turns Old TPS Reports Into Fresh Rolls of Toilet Paper

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Pelosi's Booze, Fannie/Freddie, UAVs, & More

Why do there seem to be no legal, criminal, or political repercussions from this? Quote an eye-opener.
Dems in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Debacle

Nothing is too good for our overlords.
Taxpayers pay $101,000 for Pelosi's in-flight 'food, booze': "It reads like a dream order for a wild frat party: Maker's Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey's Irish Crème, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey … and Corona beer. "

Ron Paul on the New Census. Here is how Christopher Walken deals w/ it. (ht: Dr. Newmark)
None of Your Business! by Ron Paul: "You may not have heard of the American Community Survey, but you will. The national census, which historically is taken every ten years, has expanded to quench the federal bureaucracy’s ever-growing thirst to govern every aspect of American life. The new survey, unlike the traditional census, is taken each and every year at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. And it’s not brief. It contains 24 pages of intrusive questions concerning matters that simply are none of the government’s business, including your job, your income, your physical and emotional heath, your family status, your dwelling, and your intimate personal habits."

And more on that scoundrel Barney Frank.
Barney Frank’s Fantasy World: "Question: How can Fannie and Freddie be structured to avoid the moral hazard problem and a too-cozy relationship with regulators? (Russ Roberts, Cafe Hayek)"

Danger: They’re Looking Out for Your Health and Safety - John Stossel: "In Arizona, that concern left a woman to sleep in her car for 11 nights. Christine Stevens had fallen on hard luck. She lost her job; a new one only paid $200 a week. When her electricity was shut off, she relied on sweaters, solar panels and batteries to keep warm. When the cops learned she had no electricity, they notified a code enforcement manager ..."

Additional links:
British Police to Monitor Civilians with UAVs by 2012
Harsanyi: Our "so-called" leader - The Denver Post
Senate permits gov't to borrow an additional $1.9T
'Nobel Peace Prize-winner Barack Obama ups spending on nuclear weapons to even more than George Bush'
Bush Knew About $1 Billion Student Loan Boondoggle, Lender Says - CBS
Constitution Professor Obama Doesn’t Know the Constitution?

Wristwatch Updates: Jean Dunand, MB&F, Harry Winston, & More

Do not miss the Jean Dunand video. The MB&F SVS ain't bad, either. ;-)

Thierry Oulevay Presents the Jean Dunand Tourbillon Orbital & Shabaka: Prepare To Be Amazed - Blog - Hodinkee: "Well, it took Christophe Claret two years to solve the challenge of winding and setting a constantly rotating movement and mainspring barrel. Eventually, he decided to do it via an innovative folding key set vertically into the movement’s central axis that both winds the mainspring and sets the time. Think about that."

TZ: Independent Horology: MBF Horological Machine SV2: "The new SV2 was unveilled at this year's MBF suite in conjunction with SIHH...I trotted down to have a look...and was floored by the beauty of the piece."

TimeZone: Public Forum: A new arrival.: "After a lot of thinking,asking and comparing I have now found the one watch that I felt was still missing in my collection and that has been on my radar since it was introduced a few years ago : the Richard Lange. ou certainly know the feeling when you are doing window shopping and your attention is always drawn towards a very special watch,despite all the other tempting offers. In my case it was the Richard Lange that got this attention and when I finally had it for the first time on my wrist,my appreciation for this watch was even growing."

Harry Winston Project Z6 Watch - Perpetuelle: "In 2004, Harry Winston Project Z was developed to create original and limited edition watches which would bridge heritage and modernity, high technological innovation and fine watch making tradition. Project Z watches – actually part of Harry Winston’s Ocean collection – represent a subtle blend of sport and high-tech, and utilizes a unique metal alloy called Zalium – a Harry Winston exclusive and watchmaking first."

Live Photos of Richard Mille's Pieces at SIHH: "The new entrant to SIHH has a sexily designed booth, with strong popularity and plenty of traffic ... As I was checking in at the front desk, I was greeted by the Man himself, and the visiting buddy FP Journe."

JLC:Extrem World Compressor Lovers, I have something for you ...: "First released in 2005, this powerful model received this year some cosmetic changes. Here is a pic of what we now have to call ' Extreme World Compressor first generation ':"

Additional links:
Glashütte Original Baselworld 2010 Preview
Ermenegildo Zegna Centennial Limited Edition Watch, by Girard-Perregaux
Breitling Colt GMT - Acquire
Seiko SARB031 Automatic Mechanical w/ 23 Jewels
Longines Lindbergh’s Atlantic Voyage Watch

Saturday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Three Level House Plans – Luxury Valley Home
Going Up? Radical & Subversive Urban Rooftop Dwellings
House on the Mountain / Alric Galindez Arquitectos
The Oberfeld Residence by SPF:architects

Cars.
New Entry Level Porsche Sorta Confirmed by VW Chairman
Luxist Drives the Superformance Shelby Daytona Coupe
Celebrate 75 Years Of Jaguar With Our 7.5 Favorite Jags
Mechanic traveling 163 mph in Porsche crashes in south Fort Myers

Union Shenanigans.
Oregonians Vote to Increase Taxes - WSJ.com

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Review: Custom ground italic Pilot Varsity
Miscellany & Cacophony - A closer look at the Lamy Safari
Notebook Stories: The Little Blue Book
The Pen Addict: Ink Links

Photography.
The Frame: Machu Picchu evacuation

Travel.
Kayak.com offers up 'Lost' flight
Asia's Top Superyachts - Luxury Insider
The 19 most complex and dangerous roads in the world
By Foot to the Base of K2 in Pakistan - NYTimes.com
Paneristi Public Forum: OT. Italy home of Panerai

Style.
Should a jacket’s shoulders fit first?
Cheap Monday Double Scarf - Gear Patrol
Super Bowl athletes will be sporting Adrian Jules designs
Why stylish men don’t tie a Windsor knot

Healthcare.
The Free Market: Four-Step Health Care Solution
Gates Foundation Announces $10 Billion for Vaccines in the Next Decade

Shoes / Boots.
Alden Indy Boots - Uncrate
Leffot Blog - The Next 1,000 Miles
The Red Wings Irish Setter restoration project 2010

Food.
Make-It-Yourself Restaurants
An Apple a Day Wall Calendar
Cuisinart PerfeTemp Teakettle - Gear Patrol
Growlers, the New Old Beer Conveyance - NYTimes.com

Economics.
How To Fix the Jobs Problem
I, Pencil - Foundation for Economic Education

Engineering.
Top 10 most impressive engineering projects

Watches.
TAG Heuer Baselworld 2010 Preview - Calibre 11

Computers.
Cool Websites and Tools
6 Gmail Productivity Tips You Need To Know
Amazing Machinery – The Difference Engine
Prevent Really Slow Windows 7 Startups
Project Torque – Free Incredible Racing Car Game Online

History.
BBC News - Putting names to the lost soldiers of Fromelles

Haiti.
In Port-au-Prince, Massive Haiti Food Convoy Disrupted for a Day

Gadgets.
Adobe Calls Out Apple for Lack of Flash on iPad
Polaris Rush - Wired.com Product Reviews
AT&T Will Spend $2 Billion To Improve Wireless Network
The Awesomer - USB Tube Delight Audio
GEICO Ringtones - Download free ringtones to your phone

Misc.
Mountain Boy Toboggans - Uncrate
Walking in Holden's Footsteps - Interactive Map
stone: Leonardo da Vinci's Resume
14 bizarre SkyMall products

Today's Quotes

Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it in his
hands and at whom it is aimed.
-- Joseph Stalin

"The world's problem is not too many people,
but lack of political and economic freedom."
-- Julian Simon
[Julian Lincoln Simon] (1932-1998) Professor of economics, author

Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.
-- Henry David Thoreau

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture / Design. (pic via Contemporist)
Villa Dali by 123DV Architecture
The CG House by GLR Arquitectos
Golden Residence in Colorado, Interior Design and Nature
101 Dizzying Spiral Staircases & Twisted Architectural Art
28 Cool Drinking Fountains ~ Now That's Nifty

Food.
Get Real in the Kitchen - Essential Pantry Checklist
Dare you to eat these 10 foods - Holy Kaw!

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Review: Beta Inkless Pens from Jac Zagoory Designs
Miscellany & Cacophony - Mmmm Vacumatic!
Speaking of inks, what is your favorite color?
Hey Guess What? Another Lamy 2000 review
Herbin: happy 340th birthday! - PenAndCo blog

Economics.
US slaps duties on electric blankets from China

Global Warming.
Scientists in stolen e-mail scandal hid climate data

Gadgets.
CASE-REAL - Works - EK AMP
10 things Netbooks still do better than an iPad
The Awesomer - Leatherman Style CS

Cars.
Thoughts on Autos ... Including a New Favorite
VW to Launch New R Performance Division

Style.
Ivy Style - M Magazine, 1991: Unbuttoning Brooks Brothers
Roll With It - How to Roll Shirt Sleeves
Permanent style: Made-to-measure shirts at Diverso
welldressed - N.H Sartoria

Boots / Shoes.
Alden for J.Crew Indy Boots - Acquire
Imperial Florsheim Pics - The Fedora Lounge

Animals.
Shetland Isles Cow Photo, Animals Wallpaper
Checking in with Melbourne's Wild-Eyed Elephant Calf
Meet Opee, The Baja-Racing Dirt Bike Dog

Photography.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 - Acquire
World's oldest, priciest camera hits auction block

Computers.
Internet 2009 in numbers
5 Free Online Services to Send an Email to a Fax Machine
GOG.com inks deal with Activision to sell DRM-free classic adventure games

Travel.
Barcelona Hotels - Falling in Love with Barcelona
Omega: Speedmaster (and other Picts from the Houston Space Centre)

Misc.
oobject - Most Interesting Scrap Yards
10 Things the Weight-Loss Industry Won't Say

Wristwatch Updates: Bear Grylls, Glashütte Original, Prometheus, & More

If I was to wear a G-Shock again, this would be it. (pic via aBlogtoRead)

Bear Grylls Sticks With Casio: Wears G-Shock In Current Man Vs. Wild Season - aBlogtoRead: "Being a fan of survival shows (total guilty pleasure), I've noticed what Les Stroud wore in Survivorman, and what Bear Grylls has been wearing over the past several seasons of Man vs. Wild (on the Discovery Channel). As many fans of the watch know, Bear started with higher-end watches such as a Breitling Emergency and then a Bremont and started to get more reasonable with the watches he beats up."

Baselworld 2010: Glashütte Original Senator Sixties Panorama Date - Perpetuelle.com: "This is a new model in renowned German watch manufacture Glashütte Orignal – the Senator Sixties Panorama Date. It is one of 2 Baselworld 2010 pre-releases from Glashütte Original (I wrote about the PanoMaticLunar XL earlier today, which you can see here). The Senator Sixties collection was first launched in 2007, and I’ve always liked the 1960’s-insipred design elements of this watch, specifically the stylized “3″ “6″ “9″ and “12″ numerals that mark the hours and the domed sapphire crystal." (more)

Seiko 4005-7000 (27J Bell-Matic) - The Watch Spot: "I’ve written quite a few posts about Bell-Matics and their calibres, but it’s been well over a year since one appeared on the blog. This one however is somewhat rare, and in some respects is the missing chapter of the story."

A Vintage Military Submariner, US Edition: Reference 5508 Given to US Air Force (Or So We're Told): "The MilSub we've found today is a reference 5508, which is a late 1950s or early 60s model, that features no crown guards, which to us, makes it awesome. On the back of this Submariner you will find the engraving 'WX 11917'. What does this mean exactly?"

Interview With Carlos Carvalho, Founder Of The Prometheus Watch Company - The Watch Lounge: "A few weeks ago we told you about a relatively new watch company and the rather unique story behind the creation of their first piece, the Ocean Diver Automatic. We are of course referring to the Prometheus Watch Company, a Portugese based company that has produced a very impressive (not to mention affordable) diving watch."

Additional links:
Switched up the shoes on my Debaufre Nav-B. Better?
Morten Linde Presents the SpidoLite SA Rose Gold At The Geneva Time Exhibition
Horological Meandering: 5000 posts..here are a few pieces very close to my heart
Roger W. Smith IntroducesThe Series 2 Wristwatch Collection
SIHH PAM300 Mare Nostrum pics ...
IWC: question regarding the Vintage handwound pilot watch
TimeZone: A. Lange & Sohne - SIHH
Basel 2010: Glashutte Original PanoMaticLunar XL

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Waterboarding, X-Ray Scans, Taxes, & More

Lots of stuff.

CIA Man Retracts Claim on Waterboarding - Foreign Policy: "Well, it's official now: John Kiriakou, the former CIA operative who affirmed claims that waterboarding quickly unloosed the tongues of hard-core terrorists, says he didn't know what he was talking about."

Cancer Risks Debated for Type of X-Ray Scan - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — The plan for broad use of X-ray body scanners to detect bombs or weapons under airline passengers’ clothes has rekindled a debate about the safety of delivering small doses of radiation to millions of people — a process some experts say is certain to result in a few additional cancer deaths."

Obama’s “Spending Freeze” is Complete Fraud: Locks in 20% Higher Spending - The Beacon: "Charles Krauthammer reveals on the “O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News that President Barack Obama’s “spending freeze” is a complete fraud, in which Obama is not just excluding all major areas of federal government spending (i.e., discretionary, Social Security, military, stimulus, etc.), but is locking in the already gigantic increases in federal department spending levels that were ratcheted up during Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010 by an average of 20%."

Presidential assassinations of U.S. citizens - Salon.com: "The Washington Post's Dana Priest today reports that 'U.S. military teams and intelligence agencies are deeply involved in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops who in the past six weeks have killed scores of people.' That's no surprise, of course, as Yemen is now another predominantly Muslim country (along with Somalia and Pakistan) in which our military is secretly involved to some unknown degree in combat operations without any declaration of war, without any public debate, and arguably (though not clearly) without any Congressional authorization."

FDR: Tax Increases Don't Apply to Me - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine: "FDR's presidency was marked by more than a little chutzpah—22nd Amendment, anyone?—but there was perhaps no move more purely, willfully brass-balled than his personal tax scheme, described by Sarah Lawsky at TaxProfBlog:"

Additional links:
What the Landrieu Four Should Have Watched
Staying the Course - WSJ.com
The Nasal Nazis of Britain
Corporate Spending On Political Speech
Climate Change Fraud - Alaska School Authorities

Change You Can Believe In, As Long As You're Using Someone Else's Money

Mr. Mark Perry reminds us of an all-too-familiar story. Theft is NOT charity. (ht: Unbroken Window)

CARPE DIEM: Change You Can Believe In, As Long As You're Using Someone Else's Money, And Not Your Own:

Watching Obama and Biden on TV and hearing Obama talk proudly about their "leadership," I can't help but remember how relatively uncharitable and uncaring they have been in the past when it comes to spending their own money. If we look at some of the years before the 2008 election, when nobody was really paying attention to their charitable giving:

1. Between 1998 and 2006, the Bidens' adjusted gross income (AGI) averaged $236,000 per year, and their average annual charitable contributions averaged just $283, or only $5.44 per week. That compares to an average annual charitable contribution of $1,916 for taxpayers with AGI between $15,000 and $30,000 (according to IRS data). In other words, taxpayers in one of the lowest income brackets ($15,000 to $30,000) were almost 7 times as generous as the Bidens with only about 10% of their income!

2. The Obamas were a little more generous than the Bidens, giving an average of $2,187 annually ($42.06 per week) between the years of 2000 and 2004, on average AGI per year of $243,000, which means the Obamas were just barely more charitable in their giving than those making less than only $30,000 per year.

New Free Giveaway: An Orange Rhodia Webnotebook!

Courtesy of our friends at Exaclair / Rhodia. A completely new large Orange Rhodia Webnotebook!

What do you have to do to enter? Leave a comment here, using a valid email address so I can contact the winner. That's it! ;-)

UPDATE (01.31.10): We have a winner! James, the #5 comment. Chosen using random.org. Be sure to check back regularly, I'll be giving away some fountain pen ink during the upcoming week.

The contest ends at 11:59pm EST, Saturday 01/30/2010. The next day I will use random.org to randomly pick a winner. Within a couple of days I will send out your new Webnotebook.

Note: U.S. entries only please. I apologize in advance.

A few looks at the Rhodia Webnotebook:
Review: Rhodia Webnotebook
Review: Rhodia Webnotebook (Small US Version)
User Review: CopyGuru and the Large Webbie
Webnotebook Review from Cynthia of JournalingArts
What do you say we start calling it “The Webbie?”
User Review: Bill from the FPN compares the Webbie to several similar journals

Thursday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Townhouse in Landskrona by Elding Oscarson
Mini Modern Masterpiece: The Clearview Dollhouse
Riverhouse Niagara by Zerafa Architecture Studio

Style.
The Regimental Tie
The Goodness That is Black Oxford
MTM Shirts in Action: The Pink One
Oneupmanship Journal: Recent pick-ups
Anderson-Little Classic Blue Blazer - Factory Direct To You

Boots / Shoes.
Leffot Blog - Buckle Up
GQ Endorses: The Re-invented L.L. Bean Duck Boot
The Brogue Balmoral - Shoes - MENS / Confederacy
Ode to the Longwing - Ask Andy FORUMS

Fountain Pens.
User review: Tom Hall on the Habana
Notebook Stories: Review: Rhodia Notepad
Unposted: J. Herbin - Cafe Des Iles
Review : Private Reserve Arabian Rose Fountain Pen Ink
Interesting Letterhead Designs - Letterheady

Watches.
Cabestan Winch Tourbillon Vertical Watch & Upcoming New Release
PMWF Gallery - TOP 20 "Poor Man's" Watches
Diesel Time Zone Watch - Uncrate
OFFICIAL ROLEX WEBSITE - THE GMT-MASTER II

Apple Announced Its iPad Yesterday.
Apple - iPad - Technical specifications
Apple iPad First Hands On - Gizmodo
What’s Missing from the Apple iPad?
Apple announces the iPad
Apple unveils the iPad – at last – and it’s $499

Computers.
Top 5 Black & White Image Search Engines
Allow Changes to Only Part of a Word Document

Cars.
1930 Indian Four - Bike EXIF
Solvang Meet Winner: 1964 Datsun Fairlady
Harley 2010 Sportster Forty-Eight - Cool Material
Ferrari to Resuscitate Truly Magnificent GTO
Winding Road - List: Our Top Ten Favorite Fast Fords

History.
Could a Frozen Camera Dethrone Hillary and Norgay as the First to Summit Everest?

Food.
Domino's New Recipe -- Only 50 Years Overdue
Food & Drink: The United States of Vodka

Gadgets.
Sonos ZonePlayer S5 - Gear Patrol
WiseLED Tactical Flashlight - Gear Patrol
oobject - Antique Surveying Instruments
Hermès Brings Back the Gentleman’s Binocular

Travel.
The Unknown Caribbean - Men’s Journal
Air New Zealand unveils first lie-down economy bed
The 10 best adventures of a lifetime -Times Online
Galley Gossip: 5 ways flight attendants handle difficult passengers

Sports.
This Season’s 25 Richest NFL Players
Clash of the Sailing Tycoons - Men’s Journal

Misc.
World’s 18 Strangest Tunnels Pictures
Earth becoming invisible to aliens - Telegraph
Unhappy Hipsters
Brad Pitt's New Man Cave and Bachelor Pad Is Seriously Awesome

Wristwatch Updates: Panerai, Praesto, Fortis, & More

I still love these PVD or DLC Panerai!

Officine Panerai: New ceramic PAM335 vs the PAM317: "Hi all, here are the photos that I made of the new ceramic 335 at the SIHH. Also a few comparison shots of the 335 together with the 317. To prevent the problems that Panerai have been experiencing with the PVD movement of the 317 - a dark coated crystal is used on the 335 instead. Clever thinking :)"

Review: Praesto Modern Fliegeruhr: "The watch was designed by Russ Schwenkler, a well-known 3D rendering artist, with input from various forums and individual collaborators. The case is made in Hong Kong and runs a 21-jewel automatic Japanese Miyota 8245 movement which keeps good time and is quite rugged." (more)

IWC Introduces Portuguese Novelties at SIHH 2010: "IWC introduced numerous Portuguese watches at SIHH 2010 last week. This is IWC's oldest and most popular watch collection. The new collection is far ranging with a Grand Complication, two Tourbillons, two Perpetual Calendars, two chronographs, an Automatic, a Hand-wound, and a Minute Repeater. The Perpetual Calendar with Midnight Blue dial and 18-carat white gold case is pictured above. More watch photos and the full press release below."

Fortis Marine Master Diver: Tell Us You Don't Want It...Just A Little Bit? - Hodinkee: "The watch we've found today was not chosen because it was worn while flying 90,000 feet in the air (another true Fortis accomplishment), but rather because of what it does for us visually. Look at this thing. This vintage Fortis MarineMaster features an inner rotating bezel and multi-colored decompression gauge right on the dial that is just gorgeous."

The pull of a particular Omega Speedmaster - The Prodigal Guide: "I have long battled with The Prodigal Fool about the merits and appeal of Omega’s vintage Speedmaster. The historical significance and pedigree of the only watch to have ever gone to the moon and back (before being lost in the US mail, if you can believe it…) is beyond question, as is its functionality and very impressive build quality."

Additional links:
HourTime PodCast
There's Some Talk About A Whirlwind... Raphmeister takes on Thomas Prescher ;)
Officine Panerai:My SIHH 2010 photo report ...
Weird Watch Wednesday: The Mysterious Automatic Double Axis Tourbillon
Ultra-thin is In at Piaget - WatchTime.com
HUBLOT — Picks up BNB’s Pieces

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Video, Anthrax, Smoking, & More

Stay vigilant.

Ohio.com - Arrest witness loses freedom for 18 hours over video: "Officer who tried to seize woman's camera is fighting 15-day suspension for disobeying sergeant."

Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com: "Administration officials announced last night that the President, in tomorrow's State of the Union address, will propose a multi-year freeze on certain domestic discretionary spending programs. This is an 'initiative intended to signal his seriousness about cutting the budget deficit,' officials told The New York Times. But the freeze is more notable for what it excludes than what it includes."

Edward Jay Epstein: The Anthrax Attacks Remain Unsolved - WSJ.com: "The investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks ended as far as the public knew on July 29, 2008, with the death of Bruce Ivins, a senior biodefense researcher at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) in Fort Detrick, Md. The cause of death was an overdose of the painkiller Tylenol. No autopsy was performed, and there was no suicide note."

The worst thing about the smoking ban - Times Online: "As we know, the ban on smoking in public places, and the misery of being forced to stand outside like a naughty dog every time you want a fag, has caused almost everyone to give up. This has had a profound knock-on effect on our social lives."

Additional links:
2 off-duty LAPD officers arrested for allegedly pistol-whipping man in Whittier
President Obama Is Right, We Have A Spending Problem
Free the Landrieu Four!

Should Obama Increase Education Funding?

After seeing these data, how could anyone sane possibly, honestly, come to the conclusion that education (govt. schools in particular) is/are "under-funded?" The linked piece is brief and an absolute must-read. (pic via Cato) At the end of this post I've linked to some excellent reporting work by Rochester NY's Rachel Barnhart.

In addition to being unconstitutional at the federal level, it's horribly ineffective, a very expensive undertaking producing horrendous results. How much more money should we pour down the rat-hole that is govt. schooling? If the teachers' unions were truly first interested in the children and education, they would be pointing this out before anyone.

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

President to Call for Big New Ed. Spending. Here’s a Look at How that’s Worked in the Past - Cato: "According to the Washington Post, “President Obama will propose a major increase in funding for elementary and secondary education for the coming year in Wednesday’s State of the Union address.' This, 'senior White House aides said… fits into a broader effort by the administration to focus scarce resources on the nation’s long-term economic health.' Give kids a better education and they’ll be more successful when they ultimately enter the workforce. Sounds plausible enough. And if you dig into the scholarly research you find that, lo and behold, it’s actually true. Nations that improve student achievement the most end up with faster economic growth. But that leaves us with one important question: does higher government education spending raise academic achievement? At the risk of stepping on Ross Perot’s toes, let’s pull out the charts." [click on pic to see full-size]

Additional links:
Brizard Defends Raises Awarded to Top Staff - 13WHAM
RCSD SEG Group Salary Comparison 2008-09 to 2009-10 (46.6KB PDF)

Wednesday Grab Bag

Style. (pic via The Impossible Cool)
the impossible cool - Brando
Tuxedos are timeless but the Khaki suit is more my speed
Tuesdays with a Pretty Girl: 10 Things Females Notice
magnificent bastard - ask the mb blazer fit guide

Cars.
BaT Exclusive: 1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe
Honda CB550 cafe racer - Bike EXIF
Mercedes Brabus GL 63 Biturbo Exposed!
Saab gets another lease on life - msnbc.com

Architecture.
The Moebius House by Tony Owen Partners
2 Sisters House / NRJA - ArchDaily
Coolest Ice Fishing Shack You'll See Today (10 pics)

Watches.
JAEGER-LECOULTRE - Duomètre à Quantième Lunaire
Alpina Extreme Divers 1000 Meters Watches
New Automatic Movement Powers Calibre de Cartier

Photography.
Pentax Optio I10 - Acquire
The Awesomer - Panasonic Lumix ZS7
Leica ready to take your money for the promise of an M9
Pentax Optio I-10 Features Stylish, Retro Design

Fountain Pens / Writing.
A Pocket in Your Journal :: Rhodia Drive
Yukio Nagaharasan - Nibmaster of SAILOR in Singapore
Anne-Marie’s Moleskine Love
Porsche Design inks writing instruments deal with Pelikan
Pocket Blonde: Rotring Surf Fountain Pen

Computers.
Notepad Portable 5.6.5 Released - PortableApps

Animals.
ZooBorns: NYC's Got a New Kid On The Block
ZooBorns: Shy Maned Wolf Pups at Paignton Zoo
Dodger the Labrador Retriever - Puppies

Gadgets.
Kerchoonz K-Box Speaker - Uncrate
Google’s Nexus One to Be Sold at Walmart? (more)
Victorinox Swiss Army Soldier Knife - Uncrate
How does the Nokia N97 mini fare against the iPhone?

Apple.
The Apple Tablet: a complete history, supposedly
Jason Calacanis (possibly) spoils Apple tablet event, drops major details (update: not)

Food.
Tea Sub
12 Months of the Best Cocktails and Late-Night Eats

Watches.
Masters of time join forces in new project - Isle of Man
Paneristi ***: OT: No Repetition With This New Addition
Jaeger-LeCoultre reinvents the Minute Repeater

Misc.
How to use a semicolon - The Oatmeal
10 Optical Illusions That are Going to Mess With Your Brain
Council plans 'fat tax' to fund crematorium improvements
10 Things Retailers Won't Tell You at SmartMoney.com
Everything John Locke Said on Lost Season 5 - Esquire
Arianna Huffington's Journalism Charity Helps Nobody but Herself

Wristwatch Updates: Longines, Piaget, Greubel-Forsey, & More

I like this Longines ... but 47.5mm?! Yikes! (pic via Jorge/TZ)

Pre-Basel 2010 – Longines Lindbergh’s Atlantic Voyage Watch: "In 1933 the American aviator Charles Lindbergh set off with his wife on a trip of 47,000 km around the North Atlantic. Having achieved a remarkable technical and human feat in being the first man to fly non-stop across the North Atlantic in his Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh wanted to explore possible future air routes across the far north before returning to the USA via Cape Verde and Brazil. The equipment Lindbergh took with him on his long expedition included a wrist chronograph created specially by Longines for this very purpose."

JLC:The New Master Chronograph or the Return of true values: "JLC releases, this year 2 very important watches, in my opinion: The Master Memovox, and this Master Chronograph. We'll later see the new Memovox, or should I use the plural, as they are 2. But the Chronograph and the Memovox play the card of some cardinal virtues: Elegance, Classicism, Small size, and Affordability."

In A Battle of the Ultra-Thins, Who Wins?: A Piaget for the Non Piaget Wearers - Hodinkee: "Part of what made the quartz movement attractive back in the 1970s was that it could be housed in a monumentally thinner case. In the world of thin mechanical quartz movements, no one does thin better than Piaget."

KronosBlog: De Bethune: "Technically the whole collection is impeccable. True that most are a bit too big for my taste. Also having too much 'extras' on the outside of the case make the whole a bit distracting. A lot of swinging parts to adapt to the wrist and awkward crown placements make it sometimes scary, yet the finishes are simply beyond reproach."

‘1’ Robert and ‘1’ Stephen: Greubel Forsey make their debut at SIHH: "Greubel Forsey made their debut at SIHH opposite one other debutant. Being only 9 months since last years Basel Fair, there were not quite the fireworks from last March. However, Robert and Stephen never disappoint and this SIHH was no exception. There were different models of existing watches, but there were inventions in the cases that indicate the possible shape of things to come."

F.P. Journe: New Resonance: "Here are a few quick photos of the new Resonance, with the 24 hour indicator on the left. It's available in platinum and rose gold. Note that FPJ drew this 8 years ago, but kept it in his drawer until the 10th anniversary of the Resonance; he feels it's a good time to update it."

Additional links:
Enoying the Linde Werdelin 2-Timer - Monochrome
INDUSTRY NEWS – Hublot to the Rescue of BNB Concepts
Bremont to introduce Supermarine Descent at Basel 2010
Best Panerai Homage? (Part 2) - Watchuseek Watch Fora

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Economy, Subsidies, & More

This quote goes along w/ what Dr. Walter Williams said re: Haiti.
"In 2009, the cost of dealing with construction permits in Haiti was about 570% of income per capita." (ht: MR)

Ron Paul explains the financial crisis in simple, and correct, terms. (also see the rap video)
Economy flounders, despite the stimulus - CNN.com: "In reality, the collapse of the economy was not caused by a sudden lack of consumption but rather a malinvestment of resources into sectors of the economy that were unsustainable without easy credit. The rise in housing prices was not, in fact, indicative of the new normal but rather an indicator that something was seriously wrong."

Federal Subsidy Programs Top 2,000! - Cato @ Liberty: "January 22, 2010 is a day that should live in infamy, at least among believers in limited government. On that day, the federal government added its 2,000th subsidy program for individuals, businesses, or state and local governments."

Obama’s Report Card by Eric Margolis: "Dismaying his liberal supporters, Europeans and the entire Muslim world, which had high hopes for the new 'peace president,' Obama is expanding the pointless war in Afghanistan, entrenching a permanent US presence in Iraq, and intensifying US military operations in Somalia, and Yemen, as well as North and West Africa."

Additional links:
What does spending “freeze” mean anyway?
Warmongering vs. the Sanctity of Life by Laurence M. Vance
A Word About Campaign Finance Laws - John Stossel
Copenhagen didn’t accomplish anything, but at least it was hideously expensive

Tuesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Contemporist)
Villa Amstelveen by VASD
Incredible Underground Residence in Switzerland
Emu Bay House by Max Pritchard
Cold War Aircraft Used To Seat 120, Now Sleeps Two
Airplane Hotel in the Netherlands
Home in a Box: 5 Room Solutions for Living in Small Spaces

Computers.
Convert PDFs Into Edit-Ready Word Documents

Cars.
Drive the Friendly Skies: The History of Flying Cars
McDondald’s Show Find: 1970 DeTomaso Mangusta
Volkswagen's 2010 Golf Compact Car Review - WSJ.com
2009 Nissan Cube Krom Review & Test Drive

Animals.
The Ridiculously Cute Side of Winter Science
ZooBorns: Albino "Carpincho" at M'Bopicua
Exotic mammals hitched rides on rafts to colonise Madagascar
The 10 Scariest Sea Monsters [PICS]

Style.
The Trad: MTM Shirts: Red Gingham, Studs and Morley
The Ursula Suit - A Continuous Lean

Gadgets.
Oppo BDP-80 Blu-ray Player - Gear Patrol
HTC HD2 will get specs jump for US release

Photography.
The Frame: Life in Afghanistan
At work, part II - The Big Picture - Boston.com
Leica M9 and hands-on preview: Digital Photography
Leica MP Golden Camera: For 60th Anniversary of China Republic

Shoes / Boots.
Shoe Videos of Edward Green, John Lobb, Cleverley
2nd’s Crockett and Jones Factory Visit
Wolverine 1000 Mile Addison Boot

Watches.
Shut the front door! $20.99 for THIS?!?

Fountain pens / Writing.
15 Unusual and Creative Pencils
Fountain pens mightier than the ballpoint - Philadelphia Inquirer
Italian friends - lady dandelion
Guest post: Leonardo’s notebook
Palimpsest Blog

Global Warming.
Glacier Meltdown: Another Scientific Scandal Involving the IPCC

Travel.
Boeing 747 marks a major milestone - latimes.com
Six tips for travel to Mogadishu - Gadling.com
Maltese Falcon: The Largest Sailing Yacht in the World

Misc.
The Face Of A Famous Skull Found On Flickr : NPR
Get a Bartender's Attention - How to Order a Drink
15 Craziest Celebrity Backstage Requests

Wristwatch Updates: Thomas Prescher, Panerai, Urwerk, & More

GREAT links today! ;-) (pic via the Watch Lounge)

Interview With Master Watchmaker Thomas Prescher - The Watch Lounge: "A few weeks ago we told you about the amazing Qatar watch from Master Watchmaker Thomas Prescher. Held in the highest international regard for his exceptional skills, Mr Prescher has created some of the most awe defying timepieces ever seen, including the Triple-Axis Tourbillon"

Paneristi: The new PAM28 photo essay: "This is not my 28 but I was once again lucky enough to be allowed to take pictures of this beautiful Panerai. Hope you like the pics."

Magellan 1521 Watch Review - aBlogtoRead.com: "You see before you the Magellan 1521 NH, in stainless steel, and on a honey colored ostrich strap. The watch is available also in18k yellow gold, and on a handful of other straps. If you are really ballsy, you can opt for a version of the watch that has jewels filling out the continents on the map display."

TimeZone: Officine Panerai: My SIHH 2010 photo report...: "Hi all, here are the pics I took at the SIHH last Friday. You have probably already seen most of the watches, if not all. But I hope you can appreciate my report nonetheless."

TimeZone: Public Forum: Dornblueth & Sohn 99.3 - Three Different Looks: "It is hard to take a bad picture of this beauty but I tried. Thx for looking."

JLC:SIHH 2010: Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre a Quantieme Lunaire: "Nearly three years have passed since Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the Duometre a Chronographe. This extraordinary piece was the first of an expected series of interpretations of horology devices powered by two parallel barrels. As you may know now the two barrels power two separated wheel trains, each of them having its own function."

Additional links:
Officine Panerai: Panerai 312 - Some New Photos
Video: UR-103T, UR-203 and UR-CC1 at URWERK's Geneva exhibition
AHCI:[Geneva events] De Bethune, novelties
NEW: Thomas Prescher Mysterious Double Axis Tourbillon
Welder K25 Chrono 4205 Watch - Cool Material
KronosBlog: URWERK "203 Razor"
Thomas Prescher Mysterious Automatic Double Axis Tourbillon Watch - Perpetuelle

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Cold Meds, No-Bid Contracts, Bees, & More

Let's start w/ two excellent pieces on the recent First-Amendment ruling by the Supreme Court.
Free Speech for Corporations - Reason Magazine
We Are It, or Not: Government versus Corporation - The Beacon

White House directed a $25 million no-bid contract to Checchi & Company Consulting, Inc. - Daily Caller: "Despite President Obama’s long history of criticizing the Bush administration for “sweetheart deals” with favored contractors, the Obama administration this month awarded a $25 million federal contract for work in Afghanistan to a company owned by a Democratic campaign contributor without entertaining competitive bids, Fox News has learned. The contract, awarded on Jan. 4 to Checchi & Company Consulting, Inc., a Washington-based firm owned by economist and Democratic donor Vincent V. Checchi, will pay the firm $24,673,427 to provide “rule of law stabilization services” in war-torn Afghanistan."

In meth fight, Mississippi may make cold meds prescription-only - USATODAY.com: "JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Law enforcement officials and other groups in Mississippi are lobbying lawmakers to require a prescription to buy cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine — a key ingredient in methamphetamine — as the state's drug problem reaches unprecedented levels."

Attack of the Food Police - John Stossel: "The Center for Consumer Freedom never fails to inform with its bitingly funny ads that call out the bureaucrats and busybodies who would restrict our freedom of choice."

Your Tax Dollars at Play - John Stossel: "At the National Science Foundation (NSF), one senior manager extended trips and initiated travel 'to facilitate his relationships with female companions, one of whom is an NSF employee,' according to an internal inspector general's memo on the case. The trips included meetings in faraway destinations such as Tokyo, Vancouver and Paris."

Additional links:
The Guy Was Guilty; the Cops Were Lying
Their Privilege To Kill, Our Duty To Die
Hive Mind : Illegal beekeeping in New York City catches on
State of the Union to Feature Goodies for Families
Hugo Chavez Shuts Down Cable Channel Amid Growing Popular Unrest

Today's Quotes

And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to
infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to
prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from
keeping their own arms.
-- Debates of the Massachusetts Convention, February 6, 1788

"We have more machinery of government than is necessary,
too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.
-- Thomas Jefferson

It will be of little avail to the people that the laws
are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so
voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent
that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or
revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such
incessant changes that no man who knows what the law is
today can guess what it will be to-morrow.
-- Federalist No. 62

Now, let me get this straight...We are going to pass a health care plan
written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed
by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be
signed by a president who also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding
administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes...all to be
overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's
nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong?
-- Anonymous, quoted in Carpe Diem blog

Hip-Hop, Austrian Style ...

Austrian economics (Hayek vs. Keynes), that is. This may be the single best thing ever on YouTube. ;-)

Hint: Dr. Mike Munger is the limo driver. Get the lyrics, free MP3, and back-story here.


Related links:
Keynes vs. Hayek rap video
econstories.tv

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via freshome)
4 Houses / On Office - ArchDaily
Industrial Land Transformed into Sustainably-Built Affordable Housing
Beautiful House By The Pool by Dom Arquitectura
Beautiful Apartment In The Center of Gothenburg, Sweden
Concrete House in Mar Azul Forest by BAK

Healthcare.
Cuban Snakepit Story - Reason Magazine

Style.
Dunhill's travelling gentleman
Day 24: Pull Off a Monogram
Put Your Best Foot Forward: The GQ Eye
Head to Toe: From the Closet of Secret Forts

Shoes / Boots.
Alden Ravello Cordovan Hunting Boot - Acquire
Alden Shoes – SF Boot Restock : Leather Soul Hawaii
Two island nations and their shoes: John Lobb (UK) & Otsuka (Japan)
Leffot Blog - All Weather Walker Make Up

Computers.
Understanding Windows 7's 'GodMode' - CNET

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The 50 best stationery - The Independent
Fahrney’s Midnight Blues Ever Write Fountain Pen Ink
Guest Review by Jack Labusch: Jinhao Evening Stripes Fountain Pen
The Pen Addict: Ink Links

Global Warming.
Glacier scientists says he knew data had not been verified
UN climate change expert: there could be more errors in report
Climategate: CRU Was But the Tip of the Iceberg
More dirt in the IPCC melting Himalayas scandal

Cars.
Review: Cadillac CTS sport wagon is just so darn likable
1946 Saab 92001 Ursaab: The Original Saab
QT Wildcat 500DKR - Uncrate

Food.
The Highland Park Earl Magnus Whiskey
Tejava - Gear Patrol
A banquet for Louis XIV, recreated at the Palace of Versailles

Travel.
The 10 Best Retirement Havens - Forbes.com
The Secret Cities of Yemen - Trifter

Misc.
There, I Fixed It
The Formula For The Perfect Parallel Parking Job - NPR
Simpsons fan to watch all 451 episodes in world record attempt
The Gold-Plated Cabin - Air & Space Magazine
Top Oddball Interview Questions Of 2009
Color Picker by Jinsun Park - Tuvie
Leffot Blog - Basil’s Bags
Retro Thing: Guerilla Drive-In Movies