Is The 26-Page Brownie Recipe Story Legit?

It seems too over the top and outrageous, even for the Feds. (pic via Wiki)

Here's the actual recipe. (PDF, 460k)

A 26-Page Brownie Recipe? Only At The Pentagon : NPR: "Baking brownies is one of the easiest things you can do in the kitchen. Most recipes have fewer than 10 ingredients, and the instructions are simple — measure, mix, bake. Well, not if you're baking for the Pentagon. The latest viral sensation to hit the Internet is a 26-page document laying out all the rules and regulations you need to follow to bake appropriate treats for our men and women in uniform."

A few links re: the story:
The Pentagon's 26-PAGE Brownie Recipe: See Why (IMAGES)
Dessert Storm: Pentagon's 26-Page Brownie Recipe - CBS News

Wristwatch Updates: Piaget, Wittnauer, Armin Strom, & More!

Love the Heuer and Vacheron! (pic via The Hour Lounge/Alex G.)

A HUGE list of fun stuff, not to be missed! ;-)

Introducing the new Overseas Chronograph for Greece - The Hour Lounge: "Vacheron Contantin launches a 100 piece limited edition Overseas Chronograph for the Greek market. The dark blue guilloché dial is matched with a blue rubber strap and an extra dark blue croc strap. The case back is not engraved with the habitual Amerigo Vespucci sail boat but with a Greek Trieme."

Citizen Introduces Their First (Luxury) Mechanical Watch, Ever: A Ten Year Warranty & Eco-Drive, No More! - Hodinkee: "Today is a momentous day in Citizen Watch Company history. It marks the introduction of the company's very first high-grade fully mechanical wristwatch. Until now, Citizen has produced millions of highly accurate and fairly high-end quartz watches under its own name, while leaving most of the mechanical movements created under the Miyota name to other brands."

Special gift for a Heuer fan: "I think every watch collector remembers that first watch that made an incredible impression. The watch was so beautiful and intriguing, you kept thinking about it. But why was it so expensive?"

The Art of Engraving at Lange...: "It is one of the smallest departments at Lange: only consisting of six staff members and situated on the ground floor of the historic Lange headquarters. In the focused peace and quiet of this small art studio those six master engravers turn each Lange watch into a truly unique item – by applying a freehand engraving onto the balance cock, which is not even the size of a fingernail."

British Military Rolex - A Continuous Lean.: "Estimates place the sale price to likely be between $20,000 – $30,000. Now, before everyone gets all crazy about the price, I just want to say that this is a “money-is-no-object” type of want."

Bremont Marine Clock: "Bremont will manufacture the Marine Clock 100% in England - a fine return to English clock making, and great for the brand. While not a limited edition per se, the Marine Clock will be produced in very limited quantities, with only 10 - 15 pieces made each year."

Wittnauer Chrono-Date (Valjoux Cal. 7734)… - The Watch Spot: "As regular readers will know, I don’t mind taking a gamble on a ‘blurry’ eBay item now and then. I took a chance this time on a Wittnauer Professional Chrono-Date from the 1970’s."

Review-Piaget: PIAGET Altiplano Saga: Part 2 – GoldenEye – Automatic 12P movement - Piaget: "Even in a closed case, the Piaget finishing was still impressive with: vertical Côtes de Genève, circular-grained plate, bevelled bridges, and that mesmerising gold rotor." (more)

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A: the Rolls-Royce of the toolwatches!: "I must explain what I define as a tool watch. I'm not thinking of a watch for plumbing or mining. I'm just searching a watch for a normal everyday life, for accepting a ride on a speed boat or an afternoon of sail fishing."

Richard Mille RM 027 Watch Rafael Nadal: "The media is all over the Nadal story for two reasons. First, it is unusual for a tennis player to wear a watch during matches. It is well known that wearing a watch when peak agility and performance is required is usually a bad idea. Hell, I even take my watch off to type. Second, the watch costs $525,000."

Armin Strom One Week Fire and Water - Perpetuelle: "Below are a pair of exciting new watches from the Armin Strom “One Week” collection. Dubbed “Fire” and “Water” and featuring Armin Strom’s new in-house movement with 8-day power reserve (the ARM09 — we wrote about it in Feburary), these two watches make up half of the four elements that represent the collection."

A visit to the Harry Winston Boutique in London: "The weather in London was fantastic this week-end: hot and dry like during the best summer days ! Even if I enjoyed this beautiful sunshine, I took the opportunity of my journey in London to visit the Harry Winston Boutique located at New Bond Street."

PAM319 Luminor 1950 8 Days Rattrapante 47mm: "The (roughly) 31mm movement can be admired through the crystal case back (photo below). The P.2006/3 calibre uses 3 spring barrels for its 8 day power reserve. The power reserve can be read from the - unique to Panerai - linear indicator on the dial above the six."

Additional links:
Final Design- TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 - Calibre 11
Classic Heuers: Very rare Heuer diver
Up close with the Hautlence HLQ - AHCI
Premiere of the Calibre de Cartier website with a cool movie!
Patek Philippe's "The Values of A Family Watch Company" Grand Exhibition in Singapore
Becoming a collector with a capital 'C': A Beginner's Look At Buying Watches At Auction

Monday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via DB / etslee)
Miraventos House / Eduardo Trigo de Sousa ComA
Unusual Portuguese Architecture – A House of Art
frank gehry: the cleveland clinic lou ruvo center
Stonehawke House / Base Architecture - ArchDaily
Bateman’s Row by Theis Khan Architects
oobject - skyscraper infographics
So Da Hun / IROJE KHM Architects
The Echo House by Kariouk Associates

Food.
Fyrkat: Viking Fortress / Portable Grill
Small Cool Kitchens 2010: The Winners! Small Cool Kitchens 2010
Mint Julep
Must-Try Foods Of The World - Forbes.com

Photography.
Altek Leo, a 14 Megapixel, HD-Shooting Camera Phone
Breathtaking Time-Lapse Views of Tokyo
YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF
The Frame: Gulf oil spill worst in U.S. history

Style.
Heavy Tweed Jacket: The Most Imitated Shirt in the World
In a Flash - From The Waist Up
The William Brown Project - A Continuous Lean
Sartorially Inclined: JFK's Shades

Computers.
12 More Websites To Show You the Hottest Twitter Topics
The 5 Best Free Benchmark Programs for Windows

Animals.
Bella the Labrador Retriever - Daily Puppy
Talk About Being Scared of Your Own Shadow
Lion King Kevin Richardson Treated Like One Of The Pride By The Big Cats

Cars.
'Scooter Armor' turns your Vespa into an armadillo
VIDEO: Bugatti Veyron Illegally Street Races Two GT-Rs
a time to get: The Ultimatest Driving Machinery

Watches.
Review of the Casio GA100A-7A
TimeZone: Enjoyed wearing this one today
TimeZone: Public Forum: Some movement shots
Review of the Casio Pathfinder PRW-5000-1ER
G-Shock is Proud to Announce a Refreshing Perspective to the G-Aviation Timepiece

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Review: Pentel Smash Q1005 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil
Pilot FriXion Erasable Gel Ink Pen :: OfficeSupplyGeek
Whatever: Featured Pen - Mitaka Eyedropper
The Pen Addict: Ink Links

Gadgets.
EDC - via Harayasu

Liberty / Govt.
8th state to feds: Step away from our guns
McCain and the POW Cover-Up - Patrick J. Buchanan
CNSNews.com - Senate Considers Union Pension Bailout
How Our Laws Are Made
Rand Paul and the Civil Rights Act: Was he right?
Is Hillary Clinton Ignorant about Geography, Fiscal Policy, or Both?

An Eerie Look Into North Korea

Scary.

BBC News - North Korea - the most bizarre country in the world: "Imagine a country where your mobile phone is taken from you at the airport with no explanation or apology, where there's no access to the internet, where your minders watch every move and you're reported if you try to leave your hotel alone. A country which has not been at war for half a century but has one of the largest standing armies in the world and where people are expected to worship a president who died 16 years ago. No, I am not describing Big Brother and the country of Airstrip One in George Orwell's 1984 - it's the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 2010."

Three on the British Petroleum Oil Leak ...

Three excellent and brief pieces, well-worth the short time to read. Thanks to Cafe Hayek for each.

Charles Krauthammer - A disaster with many fathers: "Here's my question: Why were we drilling in 5,000 feet of water in the first place? Many reasons, but this one goes unmentioned: Environmental chic has driven us out there."

BP Deepwater: Some Perspective: "Some good news is that, using government-scientists’ maximum estimate of the amount of oil spilled daily (25,000 barrels) into the Gulf of Mexico from BP Deepwater, this spill today ranks as only the ninth largest accidental oil spill in world history. To become the largest accidental oil spill in world history, it would have to continue spilling unabated, at this maximum-estimated rate of spillage, for another 94 days."

Keep drilling, with focus on safety and accountability - Detroit Free Press: "Although these accidents were unfortunate and costly, there is no reason to halt energy production. The energy resources we use enable us to live much healthier and safer lives than those in many undeveloped countries who live without adequate heat and electricity. Nonetheless, safety measures must be taken to ensure that accidents are held to a minimum. Companies should be held accountable for all of the costs that result from disasters like the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Requiring firms to pay for environmental restoration and for the economic damage they have caused is essential. Oil-spill cleanup is costly, and recent history shows it has succeeded in reducing the number of offshore drilling accidents. The Coast Guard reports that average annual oil spillage declined from 2.5 million gallons between 1980 and 1984 to 12,000 gallons between 2000 and 2004."

Census Workers Can Enter Your Apartment In Your Absence?

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
--Voltaire

UPDATE!: This story may be way off. Thanks to Robert's comment for the heads-up. I had assumed, perhaps incorrectly in retrospect, that Barr wouldn't make such a claim unless he had vetted it properly first. See this. [Census workers can't enter your home without permission]

Census workers can enter your apartment in your absence - The Barr Code: "What many Americans don’t realize, is that census workers — from the head of the Bureau and the Secretary of Commerce (its parent agency) down to the lowliest and newest Census employee — are empowered under federal law to actually demand access to any apartment or any other type of home or room that is rented out, in order to count persons in the abode and for “the collection of statistics.” If the landlord of such apartment or other leased premises refuses to grant the government worker access to your living quarters, whether you are present or not, the landlord can be fined $500.00. That’s right — not only can citizens be fined if they fail to answer the increasingly intrusive questions asked of them by the federal government under the guise of simply counting the number of people in the country; but a landlord must give them access to your apartment whether you’re there or not, in order to gather whatever “statistics” the law permits."

A Libertarian Look at ObamaCare

A clear and cogent argument against increased government involvement in healthcare. From a former Google engineer.

What's Really Wrong with the Healthcare Industry - Vijay Boyapati: "One of the most important factors animating the libertarian rejection of public policy in general is the recognition that any state action must ultimately resort to the use or threat of aggression. As Ludwig von Mises observed,

It is important to remember that government interference always means either violent action or the threat of such action. Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning. -- Ludwig von Mises

Libertarians who value justice and recognize that the use of aggression cannot be logically justified must reject all state action in principle — this includes the use of aggression in implementing healthcare policy."

Memorial Weekend Picnic Foods ...

Just a few things to consider. (pic via Serious Eats)

What are your fav. summer picnic foods?

How to be a food snob - Food Advice - Salon.com: "You don't have to be a jerk to have a palate like one. Plus: A slide show to train the tongue and master your mouth."

Barbecue Side Dish Recipes - BBQ Recipes for Side Dishes - Esquire: "Above, you'll see three side dishes that go well with burgers, hot dogs, steak, or whatever you're throwing on the grill this weekend. The potato salad is slightly spicy, those pickles — which are incredibly easy to make at home — bring the sour, and the beans have cheese. Enough said."

20 Perfect Picnic Foods: "Here, we’ve selected the most tantalizing potato salads, pastas, seasoned breads and marinated meats to give you a few ideas for your alfresco outing—plus, all the dishes pack tidily into a Tupperware or some sandwich wrap for easy carrying."

A Worldwide Quest for Barbecue - Smithsonian Magazine: "Steven Raichlen made a career teaching Americans all about barbecue, then an international tour taught him new ways to grill."

Memorial Fay food: bonappetit.com: "We've got fresh, delicious, and infinitely interchangeable recipes for appetizers, main courses, sides, and dessert. Check out our menu ideas throughout, or custom-build one that's perfect for any event."

Memorial Day Party Recipes - Memorial Day Celebration Menus Recipes: "Traditionally, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, picnic and grilling season, and quick recipes. Most families have special ways of celebrating the holiday and honoring those who have died serving this country. In these years of war there is a special poignancy to this holiday, so take some time to remember, fly the flag, and enjoy every minute of the long weekend."

Additional links:
How to Make Irish Whiskey Lemonade - Esquire
Memorial Day Cookout with Picnic Recipes
Memorial Day Recipes : Food Network
Picnic Recipes - Betty Crocker

When Is Discrimination Not Discrimination?

So when is discrimination not really discrimination? When our "progressive" superiors tell us so. How much more Orwellian/Newspeak can we get?! (pic credit: Katherine Blogs)

[During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. -- George Orwell]

I see this is also stated online in in the publicly available PDF of the 2008/2009 catalog, page 12:
"In conformity with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended,
it is also the policy of Bryn Mawr College not to discriminate
on the basis of sex in its educational programs, activities or
employment practices. The admission of only women in the
Undergraduate College is in conformity with a provision of
the Act. Inquiries regarding compliance with this legislation
and other policies regarding nondiscrimination may be directed
to the Equal Opportunity Officer, who administers the College’s procedures, at 610-526-5275."

[War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. -- George Orwell]

Discriminating Discrimination by Larry L. Beane II: "On page 29 of its 2009–2010 Undergraduate Catalog, Bryn Mawr College makes the following statement: 'In conformity with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, it is also the policy of Bryn Mawr College not to discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs, activities or employment practices. The admission of only women in the Undergraduate College is in conformity with a provision of the Act.' So, does Bryn Mawr College – which does not admit men to its undergraduate programs of study – 'discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs'? According to Bryn Mawr College and the U.S. government, that would be a 'no' (said with a bureaucratically straight face). In fact, according to BMC, it is their 'policy... not to.' Of course, we all know that discriminating on the basis of sex would not only be illegal, but immoral, and downright illiberal. So, of course, Bryn Mawr College would never discriminate based on sex. That simply doesn't happen at Bryn Mawr."

Today's Quotes: Mencken, Rousseau, Read, & More!

The whole of the Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the
people at large or considered as individuals ... It establishes some rights
of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a
right to deprive them of.
-- Albert Gallatin (1789)

I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery.
-- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(1712-1778) Political philosopher, educationist and essayist

The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think
things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and
taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he
lives under is dishonest, insane, and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic,
he tries to change it. And even if he is not romantic personally he is apt to
spread discontent among those who are.
-- H. L. Mencken

... most of us are committed to the Biblical injunction, "Thou shalt not
steal." This is based on the moral principle that each person has the right
to the fruits of his own labor. The point I wish to make--my major point-is
that this as a principle defies compromise. You either take someone else's
property without his consent, or you do not. If you steal just a bit--a
penny--you do not compromise the principle; you abandon it. You surrender
your principle.
-- Leonard Read

State-Farm: Worst PR Move Ever?

Penny-wise, pound-foolish?

Family asked to pay for car damage after dog run over: "A car insurer has asked a Canadian family to pay for repairing a broken bumper after their dog was struck by the vehicle and died, local media said Thursday. The traffic accident occurred in March while Jake, a 12-year-old yellow Labrador, was out for his daily stroll around a quiet neighborhood in Aurora, Ontario, north of Toronto. Kim Flemming had let the dog out when she arrived home from work. Moments later, a man knocked on the door to say a car had run over Jake. 'I got to the road and he was dying,' Flemming told the Toronto Star. 'He died in my arms.' Two months later, the family received a bill in the mail for 1,732.80 Canadian dollars (1,648.95 US) from State Farm Insurance."

Univ. At Buffalo Discovers Law of Demand

This is scary. A laboratory experiment conducted in the University at Buffalo's Division of Behavioral Medicine "discovered" that if a normal good costs more, people will purchase less of it. Seems like a great discovery. [note dripping sarcasm]

The problem?! (pic via Wiki)

This is in economics known as the Law of Demand, and is perhaps one of the most universally agreed-upon and non-controversial bits of economics. The UB Division of Behavioral Medicine could have saved a great deal of time and money by just borrowing an Econ 101 textbook form the University's economics dept. This might be analogous to say the History dept. "discovering" gravity without ever bothering to check w/ the physics dept. Sad, really.

Taxing Junk Food Could Stem Obesity Better Than Subsidizing Healthy Food, Study Shows - UB NewsCenter: "... when the researchers increased the price of foods such as hot dogs, potato chips and Ritz Bits Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers by adding a 12.5 percent to 25 percent tax, the shoppers reduced purchases of these foods and spent a larger portion of their budget on healthier choices like bananas, tuna and chicken noodle soup."

Austrian and Keynesian Economics, Explained

A nice and succint piece.

Does Malinvestment Matter? - The Freeman - Ideas On Liberty: "Austrians, however, hold that there were massive malinvestments in housing, and that the malinvested factors needed either to be liquidated or transferred to other uses that would reflect the directions of consumer choices. Austrians believe that once an unsustainable boom begins, a bust is inevitable, and further attempts to sustain the boom only pull the structure of production into more distorted and unwieldy shapes. Thus the “stimulus” spending, according to Austrians, has not sustained the economy, but rather has further disfigured it, guaranteeing more disruptions in the future. There is no way to reconcile these two viewpoints. To Keynesians an economy is a homogeneous mix of goods that needs only more money to be sustained. Austrians, however, know better. They understand an economy is complex and full of heterogeneous factors. Government stimulus, they realize, only makes things worse."

Thursday Grab Bag Of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Freshome)
23 Amazing Bedrooms with a Panoramic View of the Ocean
Barrel Sauna Tiny Abode
Vashon Island Cabin by Vandeventer Carlander
A Home with an Ingenious Addition: “Vashon Cabin” in USA
Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center / Frank Gehry

Travel.
Malt Whisky Scottish Highland Tours
Ten unforgettable city cruises
World Map Of Touristyness

Photography.
Canon PowerShot D10 vs Olympus Stylus Tough-8000
Oil reaches Louisiana shores - The Big Picture
Style Bloggers’ Camera Picks - T Magazine Blog - NYTimes.com

Real Estate.
Original Amityville Horror house on sale for $1.15 million

Economics.
A Society of Mutual Benefactors - Jeffrey A. Tucker
Fire John Stossel! - John Stossel
Leave the Scalpers Alone - John Stossel

Gadgets.
ThinkGeek :: SnūzNLūz - Wifi Donation Alarm Clock

Computers.
The mouse ain't dead...yet: five of the best mice reviewed
The new Hotmail gives Gmail a run for its money
Warzone 2100 Portable - PortableApps.com

Unions.
NYC Bus Driver Took 191 Paid Days Of Paid Leave After Spitting Incident

Fountain Pens / Writing.
pencil talk - Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil – 7
EDC - CountyComm Stainless Steel Embassy Pen submitted ...
Similar Inks: Diamine Turquoise and Herbin Bleu Pervenche
Foodista Blog - Moleskine Passed Down Recipes Contest Winner!
The Violet Lines :: Rhodia Drive
Pocket Blonde: Kum Pencil Sharpeners at the NSS
Chattanooga Times Free Press - Pencil maker honored for safety

Animals.
Tortoise And The Hare: Time Trials [VIDEO]
Beans the Vizsla - Daily Puppy

Food.
20 Worst Drinks in America 2010 - Eat This, Not That
Grilled Snapper With Mango Salsa Recipe
Avocado Recipes With Pictures

Style.
Gilbert & Lewis Milton Shirt - Gear Patrol
Hands On: Lindland’s Cordarounds - The Choosy Beggar
Leffot Blog - Sock It To Me

Shoes / Boots.
Sartorially Inclined: Al Bazar Double Monks

Retro.
ACL Kodachromes Part V - A Continuous Lean

Finance.
Savings Experiment: See your way to great eyeglass, vision bargains

Watches.
The Classic Rolex – Wednesday Watch
OceanicTime: ZENTON M45 PVD (now available)
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Hemisphere - Perpetuelle
Bell & Ross Vintage BR 123 & 126 Heritage Watches
TimeZone: Public Forum: Three Divers

Misc.
5 Shortcuts to a Perfect Lawn - DIY Life

Wristwatch Updates: Bulova, Nadal, IWC, & More!

I'm VERY interested in learning more about this new Bulova. (pic via aBlogToRead)

Bulova introduces the most accurate watch in the world, the Precisionist: "Bulova just announced the Precisionist “technology platform,” a quartz movement with sweep hand that was created alongside Bulova’s parent company, Citizen." (more)

Rebellion T-1000 Watch: "Rebellion ups the power reserve ante with REB T-1000 manually wound mechanical movement in the watch with the same name (minus 'REB'). Through six barrels the movement stores 1000 hours of power reserve."

A short visit with Kari Voutilainen - AHCI: "Several days ago I had an occasion to visit Kari Voutilainen shortly at his new shop. His old shop above the post office in Môtiers having gotten too small he had an eye out for a new premises in the area and was able to acquire a beautiful house with a big garden from the beginning of the 20th century only a couple of hundred yards from his old shop. "

IWC Da Vinci Collectors’ Forum Edition Watch - Perpetuelle: "Did you know that watch brand IWC hosts its own discussion forum? The “IWC Collectors Forum” was actually founded in 2001 and has since provided IWC devotees with their own “special” place to discuss and share anything and everything IWC."

Independent Horology: I met up with some friends yesterday to see a special watch: "Kari's latest minute repeater. The owner had just taken delivery and we met up at a local coffee shop for a 'show and tell'"

A conversation with Alex Gedye of The Swiss Watch Company - The Prodigal Guide: "A couple of weeks ago, we popped in to see our friends at The Swiss Watch Company. Wait! Our friends? What are we saying!? These guys have taken thousands from us over the years without so much as a smile or a thank you."

We Celebrate The 48th Anniversary of a Breitling in Space: The Scott Carpenter Cosmonaute - Blog - Hodinkee: "In 1959 NASA selected Malcolm Scott Carpenter as one of the original seven astronauts, now termed the “Mercury Seven.” In 1961 Carpenter approached Breitling with the idea of making a watch with a 24-hour dial instead of a 12-hour dial because of the lack of differentiation between day and night in space."

The L.U.C Fantastic Four - Real Pictures of the 2010 Novelties: "This year, Chopard is celebrating its 150th Anniversary, and L.U.C is the focal point to highlight Chopard's know-how and capabilities in all facets of high watchmaking by launching another four new calibres which they have been planning and working for several years."

What Makes Nadal’s Watch Worth $500,000? - The Wealth Report - WSJ: "What I wanted to know was more basic: What makes that watch worth $500,000? According to the company’s press info, the watch, which bears the highly evocative name “RM027″, is made of made of carbon-composite as well as titanium and LITAL, lithium alloy containing aluminum, copper, magnesium, zirconium, which are often used in lightweight aircraft. (Click here for a closer look at the watch.)"

Will Nadal's New $425,000 Watch Speed Up His Game? -- Tennis FanHouse: "Nadal's watch is the Tourbillon RM 027 and it's the lightest mechanical watch ever designed, weighing in at 20 grams (0.705 ounces) with the strap. The kind of performance and technology in such a small package comes with a hefty price tag. Nadal's watch will cost nearly $425,000 and there will be only 50 for sale in this limited edition offering."

Additional links:
A visit to the Atlanta Montblanc boutique- Back to basics
Amvox II Platinum, a story of straps
INDUSTRY NEWS - Nicolas Hayek - the State of Swatch and the Swiss Watch Industry
Bodymod's UR-103 Hexagon takes to the air
Vintage Rolex Explorer Ad Conquering Mount Everest
OT - Some interesting Supermarine Photos ...
TimeZone: Public Forum: My latest and 1st Attesa

Yup, They Actually Said It: Jim McDermott Edition

Let's ignore for a moment the economic and Constitutional problems with these so-called "jobs" bills. Even outside of those issues there are plenty of problems.

America's New Jobs Bill - WSJ.com: "President Obama and Democrats on Capitol Hill are publicly fretting about the dangers of spending and debt, which can mean only one thing: Another big spending 'stimulus' bill is in the works. And sure enough, the House plans to vote this week on $190 billion in new spending, $134 billion of which it won't even pretend to pay for. Sander Levin, the new Ways and Means Chairman, calls this exercise the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act. Mr. Levin has waited 28 years to ascend to this throne and this is the best he can do? "Jobs" were also the justification in February 2009 for the $862 billion stimulus that has managed to hold the jobless rate down to a mere 9.9%"

This is indeed ugly business.

"The biggest item is $65 billion to prevent a 21% cut in Medicare physician reimbursements. Democrats promised this to the American Medical Association in return for its ObamaCare support, but they left the $65 billion out of the health-care law to make it look less expensive. Now they're pushing it through under separate cover when they assume the press corps won't notice."

And what's the best way to keep unemployment up? Pay people for not working. The best way to get more of some behavior is to reward it.

"The $47 billion to extend unemployment insurance to nearly two full years will bring the total spent on this program to $137 billion during this recession—five times more than in either of the prior two recessions."

Okay, I broke my promise, I have to mention the economic problems with this section. Jim McDermott might be able to be classified as criminally ignorant. If that's not a legit crime, it should be.

"The sages in Congress continue to claim that these payments for not working will lead to more work. Representative Jim McDermott recently declared on the House floor that jobless payments are "one of the most effective forms of economic stimulus" because "every unemployment dollar spent returns $1.64 of economic benefits." So let's lay off everybody, pay them for not working, and watch the economy really boom. Where do they teach this stuff?"

Yup. it gets worse.

"This bill is also one of the most expensive corporate welfare giveaways in recent years with subsidies for municipal bond traders, cotton farmers, yarn producers, sheep growers, Hawaiian sugar cane cooperatives, motor sports businesses, renewable energy firms, the steel lobby, and so on."

Oh, those rules don't really count.

"Perhaps you're wondering what happened to the 'pay as you go' budget rules that Mr. Obama announced to great media fanfare as recently as February. Democrats now say 'paygo' doesn't apply because this spending qualifies as an 'emergency.'"

This is rich!

"Oh, and by the way, the President is unveiling a new line-item veto proposal this week to "rein in wasteful spending and hold Congress accountable," as Senator John Kerry put it yesterday in a press release."

When Does A Misrepresentation Become A Lie?

At what point does a misrepresentation become a lie? Is it the intent of the misrepresentation? The scale of the deception? This column is an eye-opener.

How to Create the Illusion of Low Taxes - The Freeman: "To the surprise of opponents of big government, the U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates that taxes at all levels of government take only 9.2 percent of our income, the lowest rate since Harry Truman was president. USA Today and various news-media personalities, like Chris Matthews of MSNBC, have used this statistic to hammer those who complain about President Obama’s profligate fiscal policies. If this all seems too amazing to be true, you are on the right track. It’s obviously not the whole story. In fact, major taxes were simply left out of the account."

Quote of The Day: Ventriloquists & Dummies

"It's a sort of licensed Tourette's," she says. "I'm shocked by what the puppet can get away with - things I could never say to someone in a million years."
-- Nina Conti on Ventriloquists & Dummies

BBC News - Ventriloquism: Return of the dummy run: "Go on, try it. Try saying something - 'bottle of beer,' even - without moving your lips. Now imagine keeping 30 million TV viewers entertained at the same time. Once ventriloquism was not just a party trick or a kitsch throwback. It was a major branch of show business."

UN Says Case for Saving Species 'More Powerful Than Climate Change'

Do you remember?: ... global cooling, acid rain, Alar, ozone layer holes, mutating frogs, global warming, and now ... "saving species," the latest outrage/tragedy/budding disaster for which we must give more of our liberty to govt. (pic via Wiki)

Now that human induced climate change is on the ropes, having been exposed, we have another "need" waiting in the wings.

UN says case for saving species 'more powerful than climate change' - The Guardian: "Goods and services from the natural world should be factored into the global economic system, says UN biodiversity report. ... To mark the UN's International Day for Biological Diversity tomorrow, hundreds of British companies, charities and other organisations have backed an open letter from the Natural History Museum's director Michael Dixon warning that "the diversity of life, so crucial to our security, health, wealth and wellbeing is being eroded". The UN report's authors go further with their warning on biodiversity, by saying if the goods and services provided by the natural world are not valued and factored into the global economic system, the environment will become more fragile and less resilient to shocks, risking human lives, livelihoods and the global economy."

Book Review: The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates

I first heard of this book on an EconTalk podcast (btw, highly recommended) about a year ago. It's engaging and a fairly easy read. My only real criticism is that it seemed a bit repetitive at times. But hey, who doesn't like a good pirate tale?! ;-)

[As it turns out, most pirates weren't quite Capt. Jack Sparrow.]

In short, the book is in the Freakonomics theme, that is, it shows how economics applies to real-world events and choices, both contemporary and historical. Incentives do indeed matter, even to pirates.



The book's title is a clever play on words, an homage to Adam Smith's idea of the Invisible Hand.

A few items of note.
1. The author, economist Peter Leeson asks his girlfriend to marry him in the book's preface!
2. While they weren't in a traditional or legitimate business, pirates were still rational economic actors facing real incentives and trade-offs. p. 4
3. Not only is economics a useful tool to explain pirate behavior, it may be the only way to truly explain their behavior. p. 6

4. Pirates learned very early on that racial discrimination had a cost and was also bad for business. Many slaves crews were very racially integrated. Pirates often applied ideas embodied in the preamble of U.S. Declaration of Independence long before the document existed. But it wasn't done out of any love for one's fellow man. It was done out of "greed." pp. 21-22
5. The book contains a wonderful treatment, in very understandable terms, of the principal-agent problem. pp. 38-41

6. The pirate's devotion to process, democracy, and equal treatment came to be and was enforced without any government directive or enforcement. In fact, by definition they lived outside civilized jurisdiction. p. 43, 157-159
7. Chapter 3 contains a must-read section, only three pages long, on the issue of government vs. anarchy. This is a must-read. pp. 46-48.
8. Is taxation truly voluntary? Are "contributions" really voluntary if obtained at the muzzle of a gun? See pp. 50-51 for a discussion of government vs. governance. A subtle but important difference.

9. Chasse-partie? p. 58
10. "Tiebout competition," I am interested in this concept with respect to competition for taxpayers between cities, states, and even countries ... but I wasn't at all aware that a term existed for it. As an aside, this is one of the important reasons states' rights are so important.
11. Pirate constitutions even spelled-out, in great detail, an early form of disability or compensation for injury "on the job" so to speak. And again, without government mandate. Pirates losing an eye or limb in battle would be compensated accordingly. pp. 71-72

12. Chapter 4 explains the origin and use of the Jolly Roger, the well-known pirate flag, and does so all in terms of incentives and economics. The flag was quite literally used for signaling (in the economic sense) and many pirates even went so far as to create their own brand to differentiate themselves. pp. 81-86, 94
13. And on torture ... torture was done mainly to spread terror, it's use would help maximize profit in the future if done judiciously. Torture also helped to establish a pirate's brand. Once a pirate had been able to spread tales of torture and terror, and followed-up w/ the Jolly Roger, actual torture was done rarely. Again, not out of any love or one's fellow human, but rather as a means to maximizing the take of stolen goods. And when torture was done, it was apparently quite cruel and brutal. Chapter 5.

All in all a fun read. Please don;t take the light-hearted discussion in the book or here in this review as an endorsement or attempt to whitewash what these often cruel criminal miscreants did. It is instead an attempt to calmly understand and explain their behavior in lights of the economics and incentives they faced in their world.

Related reviews:
Quick Book Review: The Pirate Coast
Book Review: Under The Black Flag by David Cordingly

Additional links:
The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates at Amazon
Leeson on Pirates and the Invisible Hook - EconTalk
Everyone in favor, say yargh! - The Boston Globe
PRESS COVERAGE FOR THE INVISIBLE HOOK

Tuesday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via AD)
AD Classics: Gwathemy Residence and Studio
UAX Studio in Kojetin by Kamil Mrva Architects
Rustic Style Home – Upside-down Architecture
Wa Sun Jai / IROJE KHM Architects
The Exploded House from Global Architectural Development
oobject - 12 robotic car parks
Broadcasting Place by Feilden Clegg Bradley
Parish House / Geninasca Delefortrie Architectes

Unions.
Where Does She Get the Nerve?! - John Stossel
Tea Parties vs. Unions in November - WSJ.com

Real Estate.
2010 Quality Of Life Major Markets (more)

Style.
Off the Cuff: Alan Flusser on Your iPhone: The Killer-Look App

Shoes / Boots.
An Affordable Wardrobe: Massachusetts Moccasins
Top Ten Tools of the Stylish Man: A Shoe Care Kit
Leffot Blog - Alfred Sargent The Shoes

Animals.
Burton the Golden Retriever - Daily Puppy
New Baby Elephant, a Girl, Arrives at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Liberty / Govt.
Debate Sparks Over Video Recording Of Arrests
Surveillance Suspected as Spacecraft’s Main Role
$200m 'behaviour detection' officers fail to spot a single terrorist at airports
Secret X-37B Space Plane Spotted by Amateur Skywatchers
Ron Paul - More Blank Checks to the Military Industrial Complex

Watches.
Let's See Some Grand Seikos ... - Watchuseek
Bodymod's UR-103 Hexagon takes to the air

Economics.
How Anti-Trust Really Works

Education.
R. C. Hoiles and Public Schooling - The Freeman

Gadgets.
Geek 101: LCD and Plasma Basics - PCWorld
Armourgeddon Tank Paintball - Gear Patrol
Another watchphone, this time with GPS
Opinel Knives - France

Luxury.
Beautiful 123ft Ship From Bilgin Yachts – Noor
Caviar vending machine for Moscow's civil servants

Healthcare.
Health-Insurance Regulators Control Fate of Existing Policies
Britain bans doctor who linked autism to vaccine

Computers.
Test Your Facebook Privacy Settings: Here's How - PCWorld
Top 10 Privacy Tweaks You Should Know About

Cars.
2011 BMW 750Li Alpina B7 - Gear Patrol
TimeZone: Pretty wild - Radial Choppers
1967 Porsche 910 Spyder Coupe
10 Automotive Atrocities Owned by You, Our Readers

Photography.
The 25 Best Places in the World to Photograph
Casio Exilim EX-FH100 - Gear Patrol
When HD isn’t high definition
Checking in on Saturn - The Big Picture
The Frame: Spring flooding
Museum of London Releases Augmented Reality App for Historical Photos

Food.
Straight Up - A Vodka Survey - T Magazine Blog
The Coffee of Getting Sh*t Done Is Still $3 a Can
Postcards from Germany: Leipzig, Cafe Baum - Eurpoe's oldest cafe

Misc.
Climbing Wall for your Pool
Watch the world's largest airship get inflated to fill a stadium
Go For Launch! - Airspacemag.com
Tribute to an Aviation Journalist - Air & Space Magazine
15 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Star Trek
(Un)Dead Languages: 10 Mysterious Undeciphered Scripts
Icebound: 10 Amazing Antarctica Abandonments
Traffic Paint Shortage Threatens Roadwork - NYTimes.com

Fountain Pens & Writing Updates: Monteverde, Morrison, Wax Seals, & More

Enough stuff for it's own post today.

Monteverde Invincia Stealth All Black Fountain Pen Review :: OfficeSupplyGeek: "The Monteverde Invincia Stealth Fountain Pen immediately caught my attention the first time I saw it because of my penchant for nicely designed all black items, be it a car, a watch, or a pen. I stumbled upon this by accident when I was chatting with the fine folks at @yafapen on Twitter who represent Monteverde in the United States."

Whatever: Featured Pen - Morrison's "Black Beauty": "The following is from W-B Pen & Watch, they have an awesome Pencyclopedia of Fountain Pen Companies which includes a lot of obsure and difficult to find information, including information about the company which made this week's featured pen, Morrison."

pencil talk - Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil – 6: "Almost two years ago, I thought I had written my last word on Faber-Castell’s fantastic Perfect Pencil series. Well, quite unexpectedly, I recently saw an unusual variant."

Dave's Mechanical Pencils: Pilot Easy-Lead Leads: "I recently received a package of leads from someone who reads this blog, an anonymous benefactor from Eugene, Oregon. The leads were surplus to their requirements, and they thought I might put them to better use."

Spiritual Evolution of the Bean: Review: Clairefontaine Twinbook: "The new staple bound Clairefontaine Twinbooks allow you to use one book for two subjects - lighten the load in the old school book bag, eh?"

Ink Nouveau: Ink Blot #10: New Wax Seal Lighter: "Check out the vid to see the lighter in action. Pretty wild! It melts the wax fast, so it takes a little getting used to (as you see from my first seal!), but if you're working to do a bunch of seals in a row like I often do, this thing is pretty handy."

Graph Paper – Better for Handwriting? :: Rhodia Drive: "The middle tablet in this photo was one of my first ever Rhodia pads. I bought it after learning that someone I’d admired always had one tucked in their back pocket- and I guess I’d hoped that some of his artistic mojo would rub off on me if I implemented one of his favorite tools…"

The Pen Addict: Review: Platinum Pro-Use 0.5mm Ballpoint: "From appearances alone, this pen is a real looker. The sleek, fully aluminum body looks like a finely crafted surgical instrument. It feels great in the hand, including the grip area, which was an original concern of mine."

Whatever: Ultimate Recyling - Making Your Own Envelopes: "Back in February The Missive Maven did a post on making envelopes and reviews of some wonderful tools used to make those envelopes."

Additional links:
Iroshizuku Price Increase An Inky Poll
Whatever: Featured Pen - Morrison's "Black Beauty"
Goldspot Pens: 5 Excuses for Not Owning a Fountain Pen
moleskinerie: Moleskine introduces new Indigo Special Edition
YouTube - Japanese Nib Work A
YouTube - Japanese Nib Work B
New Levenger True Writer Colors - An Inkophile’s Blog
YouTube - Nakaya's YoshidaSan Adjusting a Nib

Dr. Murphy Blasts Huffington Post on Economics

I remember when I read the original HuffPo story last week and cringed. To say that this article does it's readers a disservice is a massive understatement. So I was thrilled yesterday to see Dr. Murphy deconstruct the story piece by piece with facts and sound economics. It's disturbing to think of how many people visit the HuffPo site and read that stuff as Gospel.

HuffPo Abolishes Scarcity - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Daily: "In a recent article at the Huffington Post, Lynn Parramore assembled a team of economists to refute nine 'myths' about the deficit. On the one hand, it was refreshing to see these economists discuss with such candor the fact that our financial system is backed up by nothing but green pieces of paper. On the other hand, it was shocking to see these economists laud the fact. Believe it or not, the theme of the article is that all the handwringing over the federal budget deficit is misplaced, because Uncle Sam can print all the money he needs. In short, these economists think the printing press has abolished economic scarcity."

Reactions To The Final Episode of Lost

We absolutely loved it. Here's a selection of reactions from around the web.

Key Points from "The End" - The Lost Blog: "And so it comes down to this ... Six years of islands and smoke monsters and crazy French chicks and hatches and subs and time leaping and donkey wheels and Frank's chest hair. Six years. And how did it end? Well, that, like everything on 'Lost,' is open to interpretation. And there will be a lot of arguments. I have no doubt about that."

20 'Lost' Scenes That Made Us Cry - EW.com: "Reunions (Rose and Bernard), deaths (Charlie!), and so much in between that sent us hunting for the tissue box"

'Lost' Finale: The Ending Explained - Speakeasy - WSJ: "What the what? OK, so “Lost” wrapped up its six-year run just a short time ago, and as I’m scanning through the Facebook updates of my friends, there are a surprisingly high number of people still saying they were confused by the ending, by what this all was, what this all meant . . ."

'Lost' finale: Redemption as 'The End' justifies the journey - USATODAY.com: "It also wanted to tell us something about ourselves: Individual improvement and redemption are vital, yet not enough. We are not in this alone."

Watch J.J. Abrams Say Lost Is Not About That Thing It Turned Out to Sort of Be About -- Vulture: "Back in 2005, J.J. Abrams promised that one of the most popular theories about Lost was not true. In 2006, Damon Lindelof did the same. They were so convincing in their denials we even guessed that this theory was one of the eight greatest probably wrong theories about Lost. Well, spoiler alert! It turns out a J.J. Abrams–Damon Lindelof promise is only kind of good!"

'Lost' finale recap, part one: And In The End... - EW.com: "And in the end, they all died and went to heaven. The series finale of Lost brought us both back to the beginning and to the threshold of eternity. In one world, Armageddon was averted. In another world, we got the Rapture. The closing moments aspired to a twist ending: Sidewaysabad, a flawed matrix of good-enough contentment, wasn't an alternate reality at all but a psycho-spiritual virtual reality, a vast active living intelligence system (to borrow a phrase from Philip K. Dick's VALIS) created by the collective yearning of the castaways, an ethereal transfer station located at an unspecified junction between life and afterlife."

Additional links:
Farewell to 'Lost' - Photo Gallery - LIFE
YouTube - Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse's Alternate LOST Endings
'Lost': YOUR 20 Best/Worst Moments
Fans' farewell - Hawaii News - Starbulletin.com
We Wuz Robbed - The Weekly Standard
Lost's Mr. Eko Turned Down Finale Guest Spot! - E! Online
LOST Podcast: The Transmission - “The End” (Series Finale)
Marginal Revolution: *Lost*: commentary on the final episode

Monday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Simple Contemporary Courtyard House Plan
Beautiful and Spacious Rustic Home in Chile
Elementary School Complex at Techum / Zerodegree
Vashon Cabin / Vandeventer Carlander Architects
AD Round Up: Wineries Part I
The Merlimau House, Environtment Friendly
Chicken Point Cabin by Olson Kundig Architects

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Conway Stewart - Collector's Club May 2010
LEUCHTTURM 1917
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
Uniball Jetstream RT 1mm Retractable Roller Ball
Notebook Stories: Notebook Addict of the Week: Sean
YouTube - How It's Made Retractable Ballpoint Pens
YouTube - How its Made - Fountain Pens
EDC - Editor’s Note: Got some refills for my Sharbo. Oh...
Sleevehead: Shoemaking at Edward Green

Food.
Cocomaya: Fine Chocolatier & Artisan Baker
10 Top Wedding Registry Items For the Kitchen
Ho Chiak: Postcards from Germany: Heidehof 4
The $20,000 Coffee Maker, Step by Step - The New York Times

Travel.
Tallest Lighthouses in the United States
10 Days in a Carry-On - Slide Show - NYTimes.com

Art.
Paris art heist: The chances of recovery aren't good (more)

Style.
Dress Code: The Royal Enclosure
Tanner Goods Belts - George Dunhill
Top Ten Tools of a Stylish Man: #5 Proper Hangers and Shoe Trees
Mayfair Steamer Secretary Trunk

Shoes / Boots.
Allen Edmonds McAllister Wing Tip
The Gentlemen's Standard: Old School Gentlemen

Computers.
Internet Explorer 9: Platform Demos
Retro Thing: RIP: The Floppy Disk (1971-2011)
5 Alternative Ways To Install Ubuntu [Linux]
Moving to Mac — My First 3 Weeks
9 Websites To Show You The Hottest Stuff on Twitter Now

Animals.
Pudu Fawn's Adorability Rivals that of Bambi Himself
Loki the Siberian Husky - Daily Puppy
A trip to the zoo, take 2
Choco the Australian Shepherd - Daily Puppy
Polar Wolf Mother Spotted Nuzzling with Pups

Photography.
Captured: Protest Leaders Forced to Surrender in Bangkok, Thailand
The Frame: Bangkok burns
Crackdown in Bangkok - The Big Picture
Panasonic Pro Twin-Lens 3D Camera
Mexico Wedding Photographer Fer Juaristi
Mugtug Darkroom is a Browser-Based Photo Editor Powered Entirely by HTML5

Watches.
TimeZone: New Arrival - Breguet XXI
GMT 9 - Seiko’s First Marinemaster

Gadgets.
New 'binman BlackBerry' coming to a Biffa garbage truck near you
Boker Black Ceramic Kitchen Knives - Gear Patrol
The 6 best MacGyver inventions of all time - DVICE
Ten Amazing Classic Electronic Toys And Their Modern Equivalents
Scription: Peeking into Peoples' Bags is Now Acceptable

Cars.
Globe journalist’s son crashes $180,000 Porsche
Toyota and Tesla to partner on EV production in California (more)
Analysis: Toyota just blinked - Times Online
Heynsdyk 2500 SF Sports Car
TimeZone: Automotive: 1000hp 200mph Hemi trike
2010 Aston Martin Rapide: A Gorgeous, Impractical Beast - WSJ.com

Healthcare.
Free Market Health Care and the Poor
Caffeine Advantage: Everything you need to know to think faster ...

Sports.
'Sports From Hell' by Rick Reilly book excerpt - ESPN

Misc.
Smories - new stories for children, read by children
When toys go nuclear… - How to be a Retronaut
Gone with the wind: Tubes are whisking samples across hospital - Stanford

Wristwatch Updates: "Jo Siffert" Autavia, HM3, Maitres du Temps, & More!

So many fun things to check out.

Max Busser Explains The HM3 "FROG" In The Flesh (VIDEO) - Blog - Hodinkee: "This past week, we were lucky enough to spend some time with the fine gentlemen behind MB&F. They were in our fair city to show off their latest creation, a funky and fresh take on haute horology, the amphibiously named HM3 'FROG'."

An Original "Jo Siffert" Autavia on Original Bracelet: Authentic Porsche Heritage, Even If It Is on eBay - Hodinkee: "The following year, Heuer introduced the Autavia 1163T Chronomatic, which was powered by the Caliber 11 movement (a movement co-developed by Heuer, Breitling, Hamilton, and Dubois Depraz and the first automatic chronograph). This movement’s design required the crown to be placed on the opposite side of the watch as the chronograph pushers, thus the crown was placed on the left side."


Maitres du Temps Chapter One Round Watch: "Even some of Maitres du Temps' dream team of designers didn't think this could be done. How do you take a watch like the Chapter One with its top and bottom mounted cylinders and make it round? The tonneau shaped version is large enough as it is."

TimeZone: An in depth reveiw of Blancpain's Le Brassus Split Second Flyback Perpetual.....: "I thought that I would post this reveiw here too seeing that the Blancpain forums don't get much action! I've had this watch for over a month now and wanted to do more of an in depth review of this special piece made by Blancpain........."

Announcement: A TimeZone Interview with Nick English, Co-founder of Bremont Watch Company: "I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Nick English, who with his brother Giles, founded the Bremont Watch Company. Click the link below to read the interview, in which Nick speaks about his background, the start-up of the company, their philosophies, their watches, and what makes Bremont unique. Nick is a passionate, personable, outgoing guy, and this made for a very interesting interview. We hope it will give you some insight into this up and coming British watch company."

Breitling Signs Freediver Herbert Nitsch as Ambassador - Perpetuelle: "Nitsch is a current world record holder 3 of the 8 categories officially recognized by AIDA International — Constant Weight Apnea (124 meters — madness), Variable Weight Apnea (142 meters — insane madness), and No Limits Apnea (214 meters — beyond insane madness)."

Book Review: 12 Faces Of Time: Horological Virtuosos: "As a watch writer I need to admit that most writing about watches bores my pants off. There are legions of books on the subject of watches and I can barley resist just flipping through them to look at the pictures only."

Usain Bolt’s Wristwatch: Hublot - Perpetuelle: "This morning from Shanghai, China, Hublot announced that the world’s fastest man is now an “official” Ambassador to the brand…not that this should be any surprise to readers of this blog! We were quick out of the starting blocks on this story late last year when we spotted Jamaican super star sprinter Usain Bolt wearing a Hublot and striking his famous pose — check it out at: Hublot On a Lightning Bolt, November 12, 2009."

The sublime DBLM by De Bethune. Please Santa . . . PLEASE!: "Although De Bethune were not exhibiting at Baselworld, I had the extreme good fortune to meet up with founders David Zanetta (CEO/designer) and Denis Flageollet (master watchmaker extraordinaire) and they had a very special timepiece on hand: the new DBLM."

Additional links:
2010 TAG Heuer Aquaracer Series - Calibre 11
Suunto X-Lander Military - Gear Patrol
Fine Russian Watches at Kevin's Russian Time
Nadal won't be slowed by weight of elite watch - Tennistalk
Top 10: Graduation Gift Watches - AskMen.com
Plain, Simple And A Short Production Time: The Breitling Aviastar
TimeZone: Some photos of my new LW in the Wild
TimeZone: My Austrian watch