Taking Some Time Off ...

I'm going to take some time off to refocus. I'll try to be back on December 1st.

Space Tourism To Accelerate Climate Change

Really? Is this a legitimate concern? (pic via Virgin / Jim Kopenick)

Is there anything left that we haven't been told is either a cause or result of global warming?

Space tourism to accelerate climate change : Nature News: "Scientists predict that soot from commercial space flight will change global temperatures. Climate change caused by black carbon, also known as soot, emitted during a decade of commercial space flight would be comparable to that from current global aviation, researchers estimate."

What Does it Mean To Be Against? ...

Dr. Boudreaux's recent letter to the WSJ got me to complete a post I've been considering for a while. His letter is excellent.

When I say I am against the Dept. of Education and govt. schools, it does NOT mean I am against education.

When I say I am against agricultural subsidies, it does NOT mean I am against food, farming, or even eating.

When I say I am against the govt. subsidized housing, it does NOT mean I am against people being in homes, and prefer people to be homeless.

The list goes on and on.


No More Bullying, Part II: "Jack Kinstlinger alleges that Tea Partiers are motivated by “greed and selfishness” and “reject what is fundamental to our religious teachings – that it is our duty to help those less fortunate and that we cannot live in isolation but are part of a larger community” (Letters, Oct. 23). I have no idea what motivates the typical Tea Partier, but I do know that opposition to a heavy-handed government is not evidence of “greed” or of the absurd belief that human beings are not “part of a larger community.” There’s a long tradition of classical liberalism – boasting names such as Adam Smith, Wilhelm von Humboldt, Madison, Jefferson, Tocqueville, Macaulay, Gladstone, Cobden, Mencken, and Hayek – based on the understanding that forced “charity” is not generosity; that no agency better serves the narrow and anti-social goals of the truly greedy than does the state; and that individuals left to regulate their own affairs with a minimum of interference from government will create extensive and deep patterns of social cooperation that are far more effective at meeting human needs than will any bureaucracy or program imposed by the state."

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Asset Sales, Pilots, Wikileaks, & More

Some food for thought.

Newmark's Door: Sell some assets!: "I advised the federal government to do this nearly two years ago. At least some state and local governments are starting to listen ..."

Uncle Sam’s Mysterious Hoard - Magazine - The Atlantic: "In lean times, why is $300 billion worth of government treasure simply sitting in vaults?" (ht: Newmark's Door)

Either You Favor Social Insurance or You Don’t - The Unbroken Window: "To wit, consider the implications of following through on the wishes of those who wish us to live a more “buy local” lifestyle. Imposing “localism” on any reasonable scale is asking us to willingly forego the greatest insurance policy ever “devised” – the system of global commerce."

Michael Roberts: Heroic Pilot Stands Up for His Constitutional Rights - The Beacon: "I am not an attorney, but my common sense tells me that the TSA was asking Mr. Roberts to undergo an unreasonable search without probable cause. If the government can’t tell you, “Here’s why we suspect you, and here’s what we expect to find when we search,” then as I read the Constitution, the search is unconstitutional."

Wikileaks: Torture, War Crimes, Thousands of Deaths - The Beacon: "The administration’s position has been that we’ve learned nothing new from Wikileaks, and yet others claim that the organization is aiding the enemy by reporting the hard truth. If the administration is correct, and perhaps it is, the people should have been outraged long ago. But if reporting the lies and crimes of the state is being an enemy of the country, then there is something fundamentally wrong with the universe."

French Students Should Celebrate Pension Reform - Francois Melese: "Images of angry French students burning vehicles and demonstrating in the streets fill the world's TV screens. Sadly, several young demonstrators have been seriously injured. French youth may be gathering in the streets, and yet the fight is not over education or job-training policies but about a pension reform that postpones retirement."

Additional links:
Andrew Cuomo and Corruption
Treasury Draws Negative Yield for First Time During TIPS Sale
'60 Minutes' reminds us the real unemployment rate is over 17%
600 foreign troops killed in Afghanistan in 2010
Public Housing Repairs Can’t Keep Pace With Need - NYTimes.com

Now We Have Micro-Lending Loan Sharks?

Oh, dear!

Microlenders' Agents Arrested for Harassing Borrowers - WSJ.com: "Three Agents in India Are Arrested for Harassing Borrowers ... MUMBAI—A backlash against microlenders in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh intensified Friday. Three agents who manage the tiny loans were arrested for allegedly harassing borrowers, and police said they want to pursue charges against their bosses, the leaders of two of the country's largest microfinance institutions. State police said the arrests were made after a borrower complained that she had been illegally pressured by the three agents of SKS Microfinance Ltd., the largest microlender in India by number of borrowers and loan book, and Spandana Sphoorty Financial Ltd. to repay her two small loans totaling about $1,300. "

Additional links:
Socialists Wise up on Yunus

Wristwatch Updates: 50 Fathoms, 300 SLR, PAM 00352, & More!

The Revolution / Greubel Forsey article is fantastic. Spend some time looking at Hyunsuk's Military Watch Gallery, and don't miss the 2-Minute Tourbillon Pics. This Orient diver looks great. (pic courtesy of TZ's "kibi" more pics here)

REVIEW: The Panerai PAM 00352 Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic: "The PAM 00352 is in many respects a classic Luminor, with its 44mm case diameter, and matte black dial (protected by a 2.6mm thick, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating). A combination of Arabic and stick hour markers encircle the dial, which shows the hour and minute, along with a second hand sub-dial located at 9 o'clock, and a small day of the month display located at 3 o'clock."

Review: TAG Heuer 300 SLR - Calibre 11: "The 300 SLR (Ref. CAR2112) is a tribute to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR of the 1950s, which had both a glorious and infamous racing career. The high point was the victory of Stirling Moss in both the 1955 Targa Florio and Mille Miglia, but tragic because at the Le Mans 24 hour race later that year, Pierre Levegh clipped a slower car and lost control of his 300 SLR, propelling it into the crowd where 82 spectators- and Levegh- lost their lives."

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli Limited Edition Watch: "A new Formula 1 driver based watch from Audemars Piguet is this new Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli. Boy, it sure is nice, but looks very little like where these watches looked as though they have been evolving."

Eterna Heritage Pulsometer Watch - Perpetuelle: "Eterna originally created this watch in 1942 — the first ever pulsometer watch. It re-issued the watch in 2010 as part of a “Heritage Collection” initiative to revive the brand’s legacy."

Arno Haslinger Explains His Collection of Vintage Heuers (VIDEO) - Hodinkee: "This past week, some of you were lucky enough to mee the author of Heuer Chronographs, Arno Haslinger. He was in town to show off the 80 watches he will be selling in December via Bonhams, the same watches that are featured in his seminal title."

Tempered Online - Jean Daniel Nicolas 2-Minute Tourbillon Pics...: "Towards the end of summer I had the opportunity to take some pics of Bill's magnificent Jean Daniel Nicolas 2-Minute Tourbillon by Mr. Daniel Roth. Conceived, designed and made by Mr. Roth, this watch is quite simply a masterpiece."

OceanicTime: ZENITH Defy Xtreme RIP (2006–2009): "ZENITHIUM is an exclusive alloy that is three times harder than steel; it combines titanium for strength, aluminum for lightness and niobium for shape memory."

How to Truly Radiate with the Blancpain Tribute to 50 Fathoms - Meehna Goldsmith: "And here we bump up against the sinister side of lume’s history. In order to have their watch dials legible in the dark, brands, including Blancpain, used the radioactive material radium. Companies that were contracted to treat the dials hired (mainly) young women to paint the indices without protective clothing and even advised them to lick the brushes and wipe them on their lips to keep the points sharp."

Heuer 980.023 Deep Dive 1000m/3300ft - Heuerville: "This was Heuer’s first serious tool diver, rated to 100 Atmos with an unsigned crown at the 4 o’clock position to avoid wetsuit damage. It featured in Heuer’s diver line up for many years being in the 1984 to 1986 catalogues (maybe more)."

PHOTO REPORT: Mission:MS 2010 Charity Auction at Antiquorum NY: "Last Wednesday, the first annual Mission:MS sale was held at Antiquorum NY, raising $253,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. Mission:MS was founded in 2007 by a very good friend, and someone known to many East Coast-based watch enthusiasts - Phil Duffell of Cellini Jewelers. After being diagnosed with MS, Phil was galvanized to raise money to help those afflicted with MS due to the high cost of diagnosing and treating the disease."

A.Lange & Sohne - Lange Observation watch, the missing link: Langematik Limited Edition for Wempe: "This is also an homage to the tradition of Chronometry from Wempe, hence, through this watch, the link between the 2 german brands is very clear and logical. So, the idea behind this time keeper was certainly brilliant."

Additional links:
Smiths Military PRS-29 Review
Hyunsuk's Military Watch Gallery
Measuring the Precision of Mechanical Watches with your iPhone
TimeZone: Bremont U2 Pictures...
Unveiling the Prologue's watch case construction on Vimeo
Rolex Studio Shot Of The Day: Paul's Tiffany & Company GMT
Largest watchmaker 'fed up' with Gulf fakes
Orient Star Automatic 200M Diver - some photos
Speedmaster Pro this week . Show me your Speedmasters !
Zenith Surf (Zenith Cal. 2572PC)… - The Watch Spot
OceanicTime: PleAmaR (first look)
Watch Reviews: Blue "Soxa" Seiko Diver by 10Watches
Chopard L.U.C Louis-Ulysse, The Tribute - WSJ.com

Monday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Design Milk)
A Modern Hen House in Portland
BR House by Marcio Kogan
Yerger Residence in Phoenix, Arizona
House In A Church / Ruud Visser
Elegant Design, Asian Influences and Sustainability
Chuckanut Ridge House by Prentiss Architects
Shell House in Japan
House in Budakeszi / Tamás Mórocz

Photography.
France on strike - The Big Picture - Boston.com
Photography: Railroads Through Heavenly Landscape
7 Image Search Tools That Will Change Your Life
These Cameras Are Not Like the Others

Apple.
Why Apple Saddled the MacBook Air With Weak CPUs
Adobe Releases Its Own HTML5 Video Player

History.
Lothario Army captain sent coded 'love letters' from Colditz

Cars.
Brand-new Batmobiles - How to be a Retronaut
Architizer Caption Contest: DYMAXION

Gear / Gadgets / Kit.
iPhone 4 unpowered amplifier
Skim Milk: Hybrid Tube Amplifier by Case-Real
Mobile Living: The Unicat : TreeHugger
Survival Stove - Uncrate
Muyshondt Aeon Review
The Bicycle With a Car Transmission
The Greatest Tech Battles of All Time
Review: The Flipside Wallet 2.0

Food.
101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die on Cool Hunting
Anyone want to buy a whisky?
The Secret Ingredient (Coffee): Espresso Bean Dark Chocolate Bark

Economics.
CARPE DIEM: Explaining Income Inequality

Liberty / Govt.
Bureaucrats successfully shut down dangerous stands manned by children

Computers.
40 Mindblowing Dual Monitors Desktop Wallpapers

Environment.
'Biodiversity': the new Big Lie – Telegraph Blogs
James Cameron—Another Hollywood Hot Air Hypocrite
Billionare Bill Gates Joins the Hot Air Hypocrisy Bandwagon

Education.
Top 10 “Worst Wasteful” Public Schools
Principal writes memo full of typos - parents & teachers give him an 'F'
Putting a Price on Professors - WSJ.com
What 17 Million Americans Got from a College Degree

Style.
A Suitable Wardrobe: Of Wool and Silk and Donegals
10engines: my harris tweed jacket
Design your own Custom Shirts on the go with the Blank Label iPad App
10engines: harris tweed -the last (lost) episodes

Shoes / Boots.
Henri Lloyd Country Gent Boots
Alden Foss Tugger Boots
John Lobb – St. Crepin : Leather Soul Hawaii

Watches.
Best Watches for Men 2010 - Esquire

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Write Stuff - CBS News
Ink Links - The Pen Addict
Scriblets: Noodler’s Nod to Autumn
Notebook Stories: Notebook Addict of the Week: Gerard
Scriblets: Another Wolfgang Fabian Design
Diamine Syrah – Ink Review
Drawing with a Squirrel: Pentalic Aqua Journal
Ink Nouveau: John Gill Guest Blog: Diamine Umber
pencil talk - Colleen Woods Pencils, Vol. 1
Write On: Personalized Letterpress Cards
Recent [scribbling sensations]

Animals.
Dogs in Cars - Fubiz™
Mako the Labrador Retriever
Tarka's back! A generation ago they were on the brink of extinction
Rubie the Dachshund

Travel.
The colorful village of Camogli in Italy

Misc.
The Original Mad Man - Reason Magazine
Five places where land is free
Anglers with giant marlin lose race against clock, miss epic payday
A Wood Stove Obsession : Joseph Gannon
Forecast the Weather Like Daniel Boone
For the Birds on Cool Hunting

How Much Will Obama's Indian Trip Cost Us?

Is this really necessary? Can we afford it, considering the current national debt?

Honestly, couldn't this have been done for a lot less via a WebEx conference? The 14-day trial is free, and it's only $50 a month. Hell, even buying two new Macs with Facetime would have still been a savings of orders of magnitude. (pic via Wiki)

I would really like to see a final accounting of the full costs of this trip. I'd also like to see an accounting of all of these types of trips going back to say Bush I.

Barack and Michelle's Mumbai darshan plans - The Economic Times: "Obama’s personal security staff itself will be huge, and it has already started making its own arrangements in Mumbai. 'A team of secret service agents has already arrived, and has surveyed the areas of his stay and the roads and places on his itinerary,' the officer said. ... To ensure fool-proof security, the President’s team has booked the entire the Taj Mahal Hotel, including 570 rooms, all banquets and restaurants. Since his security contingent and staff will comprise a huge number, 125 rooms at Taj President have also been booked, apart from 80 to 90 rooms each in Grand Hyatt and The Oberoi hotels. The NCPA, where the President is expected to meet representatives from the business community, has also been entirely booked. The officer said, 'Obama’s contingent is huge. There are two jumbo jets coming along with Air Force One, which will be flanked by security jets. There will be 30 to 40 secret service agents, who will arrive before him. The President’s convoy has 45 cars, including the Lincoln Continental in which the President travels.' ... The President will be accompanied by his chefs, not because he would not like to savour Indian cuisine, but to ensure his food is not spiked."

Additional links:
Obama's India trip to be his longest stay as president
Obama Plans November India Trip - WSJ.com
U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time

Non-Markets In Everything; French Laundry Reservations

Talk about exclusive! (pic via Wiki)

Money Can't Buy You a French Laundry Reservation - Eater National: "This just in: We hear from representatives of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group that reservations at The French Laundry are non-transferable, which means our friend with the Craigslist ad offering $300 for one is out of luck. The French Laundry's website (sorry it's Flash, no direct link) makes no mention about the non-transferability of reservations, though, so we understand his confusion. So what to do? The website does state that walk-ins cannot be accommodated, so don't even think of trying that, smartypants."

The Cost Of Boating In San Francisco

Ouch. (pic via Wiki)

San Francisco's Public Pension Revolt - WSJ.com: "The city has cut back on almost every service: Summer schools have been shut, potholes deepen, parks close early, and services for the poor have been pared to the quick. The Phoenix and the Guardian, two antique fireboats moored near the San Francisco Bay Bridge, are operated by a six-person crew from the city's fire department. A few times a week, the vessels putter about to provide a visiting cruise ship with a watery salute. For this, all of the vessels' captains and engineers are paid $172,253 a year in salary and benefits and are eligible for a city-paid pension after 20 years. Regardless of whether they take a new job, the pension entitles them to 90% of their annual income, plus annual cost of living adjustments, for the rest of their lives.
...
On average, private-sector workers earn half as much as city employees. And as their savings disappear, they have no option but to continue working until their teeth fall out. A typical San Francisco resident with one dependent pays $953 a month for health care, while the typical city employee pays less than $10. In 2009, San Francisco's deputy police chief earned $516,000 in cash compensation and retired with a $230,000-a-year pension—a package that could cost the city $8 million over the balance of his life."

Related links:
Public-Employees Union Is Now Campaign's Big Spender - WSJ.com
AFSCME is "Big Dog," Takes Big Craps, When it Comes to Independent Campaign Expenditures

Friday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Freshome)
Minimalist Contemporary Home with Amazing Interiors
Contemporary Arizona Living: The Yerger Residence
BC House in Mexico by GLR Arquitectos
School of Architecture by Henning Larsen Architect
Barwon Health Teaching Training & Research Centre
How to Create Inviting Curb Appeal in the Fall & Winter
splendid architecture: house at the park

Computers.
10 Great Bing Online Games You Can Play For Free
Printer Combines Touchscreen With Devilishly Good Looks
Encode Videos for Your iPad With Handbrake

History.
Nazi Art Database Includes Over 20,000 Pieces

Watches.
INDUSTRY NEWS - Escape Wheel Seen Through an Electron Microscope
The Omega Mars Watch: Speedmaster X-33
The Milus Minute Repeater Key Chain: For The Man Who Has Everything
Wristwatch pictures: Patek 5339 Grande Complication
OceanicTime: PleAmaR (first look)
Jaeger-LeCoultre Celebrates 60 Years Of Memovox With Exclusive Exhibition
Orient Star Automatic 200M Diver - some photos

Food.
Nine Meals Too Cute to Eat
Secrets of Mixing Amazing Cocktails
The 10 manliest cocktails (and how to make them)
Ho Chiak: Eating USA: In and Out Burger
Weekday Vegetarian: Red Wine, Red Bean and Portobello Ragout

Travel.
Was JetBlue's All You Can Jet Pass Worth It? Some Say 'Yes.'
Ireland clockwise: A 10-day road trip on the left side of the road

Environment.
The Truth About the Chevy Volt - WSJ.com
The Starbucks Cup Dilemma - Fast Company

Sports.
A Curveball’s Curve? It’s All in Your Head

Animals.
Oct. 20, 1984: An Aquarium for the Ages Opens

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Scriblets: Ink or Drink: It’s Good
Pocket Blonde: Sheaffer Slender Balance
Review: Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens
Everything starts with the pen - Features, Books - The Independent
Interview of Pelikan about their brand new Edelstein ink
An Orange Sunset From Iroshizuku Ink
Whatever: Featured Pen - Delta Italiana

Gear / Gadgets / Kit.
Cold weather gadget launches snowballs 150 feet
Battle of the Boxes: Apple TV vs. Western Digital and Seagate
MakerBot fabbed open-source wristwatch
12 earliest models of gadgets
EDC Every day Carry Blog
Bear Grylls Knife - Gear Review

Liberty / Govt.
Four examples of government at work
Every email and website to be stored - Telegraph
Man Buys Police Department's Domain Name After Getting Ticket
Give Me a Cigarette

Style.
A Man’s Guide to the Trench Coat
Unabashedly Prep - An Education
The Worst Fashion Trends Of The Last Decade
STEVE McQUEEN ’66 POPULAR SCIENCE

Shoes / Boots.
Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection 721 LTD: The Boots (more)
Inside Horween Leather - A Continuous Lean
Edward Green – Aging of Burgundy Antique
Polishing a pronounced grain - Gentleman’s Corner
Red Wing Shoes in Hamburg, Germany
Alden Double Waterlock Captoe Boot
The Wings of Knowledge - Leather Shoe Terminology

Starbucks.
For Starbucks, it's More Than Just Coffee
Starbucks Digital Network in Partnership with Yahoo!

Photography.
The best of National Geographic
14 Tilt Shift Aviation Photographs
Moving Pictures

Cars.
Twin-Cam Utility: 1971 Alfa Romeo A12
2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake
Own the Only Good Part of WWII: the Cossack Motorcycle
This Is the Oldest Porsche Sold in U.S.
Please Do Not Drool On the McLaren

Misc.
Ernest Hemingway's Guns
10 Awkward Photos Of Kim Jong-il Inspecting Things
‘Angry Birds’ Toys, A Photo Essay
How Does an AK-47 Work? - Esquire
Has the Earth run out of any natural resources?

ObamaCare As A Patient's Bill Of Rights

All disturbing, but certainly not at all unpredictable.

ObamaCare, for Some - WSJ.com: "Well, well. In the clearest evidence so far that ObamaCare is harmful in practice and an election-year liability, the Obama Administration has decided not to enforce some of the law's 'consumer protections.' At least when the results are politically embarrassing. ... At least this sudden regulatory flexibility is protecting the coverage that people have today, as President Obama promised. But it isn't much of an improvement if HHS retreats only after a national political blow-up. After all, the essential point of the regulations was to destroy mini-med plans and other types of coverage that Democrats claim are insufficiently generous. Democrats from Mr. Obama on down call these rules "the patients' bill of rights," but people don't regularly need exemptions from a bill of rights. And is it really better that HHS will impose destructive regulations and then decide on ad hoc basis who they'll hit? This is an invitation to play favorites, exact political retribution and pursue whatever arbitrary goals HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and her successors happen to hold. ObamaCare amnesty shouldn't go merely to the CEOs who can get White House aide Valerie Jarrett on the horn."

Related links:
Her Street Name Is K-Seb ...
I Knew This Was Coming - ObamaCare's Bottom Line

NJ Toll Employee "Earned" $321,985 Last Year

Nothing to see here, move along.

Audit: Excessive Perks for NJ Turnpike Employees: "MYFOXNY.COM - Auditors say the New Jersey Turnpike Authority wasted $43 million on unneeded perks and bonuses. In one case, an employee with a base salary of $73,469 earned $321,985 when all payouts and bonuses were included. The audit says that toll dollars From the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway were spent on items ranging from an employee bowling league to employee bonuses for working on birthdays and holidays. It took place as tolls were being increased. The biggest expense uncovered in the audit was $30 million in unjustified bonuses to employees and management in 2008 and 2009 without consideration of performance."

Rights vs. Wishes, It's That Time Again

It's that time again, time to repost the brief and brilliant classic from Dr. Williams ... Rights vs. Wishes. Definitely click through and read it.

Rights Versus Wishes - The Freeman: "True rights, such as those in our Constitution, or those considered to be natural or human rights, exist simultaneously among people. The exercise of a right by one person does not diminish those held by another. It imposes no obligations on another except those of non-interference. I have a right to ask a lady for a date, but I have no right to impose an obligation on her to actually date me. Similarly, I have a right to ask you to permit me to live in your house and dine with your family, but I have no right to impose such an obligation on you. Moreover, since I do not have these rights, I do not have a right to delegate authority to government to impose such obligations on another. In other words, from a moral point of view, one can delegate only those rights that one possesses. To argue that people have a right that imposes obligations on another is absurd."

Additional links:
Healthcare Is Not a Human Right
How Much of The Federal Budget Is Theft and Handouts?

Three Meals / Day In D.C. Schools, Huzzah!

Students in D.C. schools can not get all three meals served to them at and by the school each day. (pic via Wiki)

Let's take a look at the article.

DC Students Receive Dinner at School: "WASHINGTON - Getting kids to eat three healthy meals a day can be a challenge, especially if money is tight. But D.C. Public Schools have found a way to take some of that burden off parents. They are now serving dinner at school. On the menu are things like salmon salad, a whole grain roll, orange juice, one percent milk and a corn and pepper relish."

That does sound tasty.

"Our program is from scratch cooking with local produce," said Kwitowski.

Oh, and "local!"

"It's good and it's healthy," fourth grader Emanuel Gross said. "So I can stay on task."

A fourth grader said, "So I can stay on task." Really? I wonder if that candid quote was coached in any way?

D.C. joins 13 states which serve three meals a day at school – and to the tune of $5.7 million. Officials here have embraced the program because they realize healthy, well-fed kids learn better. “We're reaching 10,000 kids a day at 99 of our 120 schools," said Anthony Tata, Chief Operating Officer of D.C. Public Schools. That's about 25 percent of the student population.

Wow.

So the dinners are really serving three purposes - fighting hunger, obesity and offering help with classwork too.

Wait, aren't hunger and obesity mutually-exclusive?

And the best news of all is this is a federally-funded program. “We're reimbursed on a per meal basis," Tata said. "We can already see the good it's doing for our kids."

And here is the pièce de résistance. It's a federally-funded program, so we don't even have to pay for it, we allow the IRS to force people in faraway places like New Mexico, Maine, North Dakota, and Hawaii pay for our kids' meals.

Additional links:
D.C. schools dinner program aims to fight childhood hunger

Wristwatch Updates: Rolex Divomet, Zenith, Montblanc, & More!

One guy sold his watch to an astronaut. And check out how slick this new Casio looks!!! (pic via Amazon)

Casio Edifice Black Label EQWM1100DC - Gear Patrol: "The EQWM1100DC has vaulted straight to the top of our list of favorite Casio’s with its corner-office-to-north-face design. Part of Casio’s Edifice Black Label Collection, the Solar Atomic chronograph features an intricate movement with each hand running on its own gear, precision 1/1000-second mechanical accuracy ..."

Retro Thing: Don't Call It a Hum-back: Accutron Spaceview 214 Anniversary Edition: "Can you hear the hum? Watch-maker Bulova is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its famed Accutron by selling a Spaceview 214 remake. The company says only 1,000 will be made and each will be individually numbered."

A Manufacture Unlike Any Other: The Many Facets of Seiko - Hodinkee: "Hodinkee’s inside look at Seiko continues with an overview of the company’s breadth of production and the honor of being one of the most fully integrated watch manufactures in the world. Future posts will take a closer look at their workshops and some of their most recent horological innovations."

Ladoire Geneve – Helvetic timepieces - Monochrome: "Besides extravagant looks Ladoire offers more extravagant treats, like a micro rotor movement that Lionel Ladoire developed together with former Patek Philipe engineer Philippe Michel Ruedin (ASPX Company) and the for Ladoire so typical HMS Planetary complication."

The Rolex Divomet Prototype Complete With Bakelite Bezel: A Rolex What Now? - Blog - Hodinkee: "The Rolex Divomet was an in-house designed diving meter with the purpose of reading the depth of oceans or lakes; one hand indicating the feet 10 by 10, the second hand showing the relevant feet. A bracelet passes through the circular crankcase which contains the mechanism as found in a Bourdon manometer."

A selection of watches from the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2010 - Horological Meandering: "when the candidate watches for the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2010 were on show in Singapore I managed to snap some photos of the timepieces. A few caught my eye, namely the Devon Works Tread 1, Richard Mille's RM027, the Laurent Ferrier Gallet Tourbillon and the Journe Vagabondage"

TimeZone Interview with Jan-Patrick Schmitz, President of Montblanc North America - TimeZone: "MS: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Would you please tell us a little about yourself and your background in the industry, and how you came to Montblanc?"

Devon Works Tread 1: The American Spirit Rides Again in Geneva - Meehna Goldsmith: "The Tread 1, which is entirely conceived and manufactured in the United States, originated from the wild imagination of designer Jason Wilbur. The watch displays time using a system of belts, with the seconds indication in continuous motion. Four microstep motors regulate the belts’ positioning."

Zenith 2010 Watches CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour Interview: "In the development of the chronograph, Zenith has a special place in history. In 1969, they presented the first self-winding chronograph called the El Primero, a high-beat movement oscillating at 5hz (36,000 bph)."

A look at the Peter Speake-Marin Thalassa: "Peter Speake-Marin recently presented his Thalassa with the new SM2 movement and I managed to capture some photos of it. The Thalassa looks far better in the metal than in photos."

Revolution - The MCT Sequential One: photos and video: "Over the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to photograph and video MCT's over-sized jump hour, rotating retrograde minutes, Sequential One."

Additional links:
Valuations: Why is This Watch Worth $312,000?
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grand Sonnerie: $2.5 Million & 26 Complications
Hublot Nominated For Highly Prestigious WALPOLE AWARD For Excellence
My first Blue, DEEP BLUE! - Watchuseek
Prim automatic 70' - some photos
Watchmaker Roger W. Smith presents his Grand-Date Tourbillon wristwatch
Antiquorum Explains The Heuer Monaco 1133 Owned by Sammy Davis Jr. on Vimeo
Jaeger-LeCoultre Exhibits A Private Collection Of Exceptional Memovox Watches
Johnny Flyback: My Interview with Peter Speak-Marin Part 3
N E W M o d e l - Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 8 Special Edition

Union Updates: Bill Gates Sr., France, Stossel, & More

Note, it's not collective bargaining per se that I object to, it's the special status given to them by law that makes it problematic.

McGurn: Washington State's Union Tax - WSJ.com: "Bill Gates Sr. supports a state income tax on wealthy Washingtonians, but public unions are the real muscle behind the initiative. ... Far from a civil war among the rich, the push for I-1098 is being led and financed by unions. In a day when organized labor claims more members in government than in the private sector, it's not surprising to learn that public-employee unions are front and center. Their leadership raises a question asked by beleaguered taxpayers across America: Do state budgets exist to serve their citizens or their government employees?"

Where France Goes. . . - WSJ.com: "The obvious lesson for America is to avoid the mistake of imposing such unaffordable entitlements in the first place. Ronald Reagan helped the U.S. dodge that fate in the 1980s, but President Obama has put us back on the road to fiscal perdition. Europe shows what happens when entitlements are too big and expensive to afford—but also too big and entrenched to reform."

Public-Sector Unions Choke Taxpayers - John Stossel: "'I thought unions were great -- until at Chrysler, the union steward started screaming at me. Working at an unhurried pace, I'd exceeded 'production' for that job.' That comment, left on my blog by a viewer who watched my Fox Business Network show about unions, matches my experience. No one ordered me to slow down, but union rules and union culture at ABC and CBS slowed the work. Sometimes a camera crew took five minutes just to get out of the car."

How Motorcycles Are Helping Lesotho

Wonderful story, and massive ROI. There are still great opportunities out there.

Health Care and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - NYTimes.com: "Until 2008 Kotelo could visit only three villages a week, because he had to reach them on foot, walking for miles and miles. But in February of that year, Kotelo got a motorcycle ─ the best vehicle for reaching rural villages in Africa, most of which are nowhere near a real road. Just as crucial, he was given the tools to keep the bike on the road: he received a helmet and protective clothing, he was taught to ride and trained to start each day with a quick check of the bike. His motorcycle is also tuned up monthly by a technician who comes to him. Now, instead of spending his days walking to his job, he can do his job. Instead of visiting three villages each week, he visits 20. Where else can you find a low-tech investment in health care that increases patient coverage by nearly 600 percent?"

Can You Name A Resource We Have Exhausted?

Can you name a resource we have exhausted, to our detriment? Okay, more specifically a non-renewable resource? I can't think of one. Can you?

Today I was listening to the EconTalk podcast with author Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist (since added to my Amazon queue). Ridley made a point that kind of blew me away. It sounded ridiculous at first, but now i think he may be right.

The entire podcast is worth a listen, but the part in question is between approx. 25:00 - 27:30 into the recording.

Here's the quote:
"There is not a single example of a non-renewable resource that has run out. Nobody ran out of stone in the stone age or iron in the iron-age or bronze in the bronze-age. That's not the reason these ages peter out--it's because people move on to something else. Whereas renewable resources have a nasty tendency to run out. Whales, passenger pigeons, white pine forests."
-- Matt Ridley

Wednesday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Freshome)
Corten House
Stunning Home in Costa Rica
Tanjong Beach Club - CoolBoom
Delightful Pool House with Alluring Decors and Cozy Feel
4 Casas by Gaeta Springall Architects
Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Transformed Into Town for Sheep
Ink Nouveau: Noodler's Beaver
The Walensee House by K_M Architektur

Art.
Cool Giant Wooden Clip Promoting Urban Art in Belgium

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Lamy 2000 EF Fountain Pen Review
Scriblets: Is it Halloween Yet?
the lamy safari and its bike - lady dandelion
Review: Lamy Balloon Roller Ball - The Pen Addict
Pocket Blonde: Twisbi & Cappuccino
Ink Nouveau: Private Reserve Orange Crush
Little Black Books
Notebook Stories: Diaries of John Wilkes Booth and Theodore Roosevelt
So What’s The Deal With Iron Gall Ink

Economics.
The Economics of Seinfeld

Cars.
Triumph Tiger 800
Clean and Documented: 1967 Plymouth Barracuda
Two Votes for Rust-Free: 1967 Toyota FJ45
Review: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate
The loudest, longest automotive wolf whistle of all: Lamborghini Countach
Hyundai’s 2011 Sonata Heaps Hurt on Other Hybrids
Southsiders MC's Vincent Prat

Style.
EVEN COWBOYS GET THE BLUES - VINTAGE PHOTOS OF DUDES IN DENIM

Shoes / Boots.
Alden Double Waterlock Longwing
Upcoming Viberg Boots

Environment.
Dropping the Mask of Ecofascism

Photography.
The Frame: Oil workers, youths, truckers defy French government
40 MindBlowing Autumn Photographs You Will Love
The Wild Beauty of Canada: 25 Photos of the Great Outdoors

Liberty / Govt.
Taxi? $800,000! - John Stossel
Leftists, Progressives and Socialists by Walter E. Williams
Will 10 Downing Street Scuttle the Royal Navy?
From the Archive: Japanese Internment at Manzanar

Gadgets / Gear / Kit.
A Polaroid Land Camera iPhone 4 Decal
Coleman Micro Quad Lantern
Critter Gitter - Uncrate

History.
Dead Sea Scroll scans to be published online
Oct. 19, 1943: A Wonderful Discovery, and a Helluva Row

Computers.
TeamViewer Portable - PortableApps.com
A Chip Is Born: Inside a State-of-the-Art Clean Room
How to Backup Your Social Media Life

Math.
Father of Fractal Geometry Passes at Age 85 - PCWorld
Geeky Math Equation Creates Beautiful 3-D World

Food.
Top 10 Grossest Halloween Candies of 2010
Ancient Grains Show Paleolithic Diet Was More Than Meat
A Cabernet, Ma'am? Will That Be Bottle, Or Tap? : NPR
How to Roast a Whole Pig: The Pig Event - WSJ.com
4 Things Every Cheese Shopper Should Know

Travel.
Hop on New York’s historic beer trail - The Buffalo News
25 Funniest Airline Crew Members Lines
Science Explains Why Airline Food Sucks - ABC News
Illustrious dead, living beauty lure visitors to rural cemeteries - USATODAY
HondaJet: First Look Inside
In Ecuador’s Rain Forest, Indigenous People and Inner Life
50 Secrets Your Pilot Won't Tell You
13 Things Your Flight Attendant Won’t Tell You

Animals.
Cello the Labrador Retriever
Red Triangle Shark Attacks- Nat Geo Wild
Two monkeys appointed station masters at Japanese train station

Misc.
The Titanic Effect — The Endeavour
Bookshelf Porn: Secret Elevator Bookshelves
Ditching Cable for the Web: How Much Can You Save Buying, Renting, or Streaming TV
21 Most Remarkable Natural Phenomena
Inside ThinkGeek, Where Mythical Meat Can Make Millions
Kenyan Man Builds Himself an Airplane From Scratch

Slow Food, For Slow Minds ...

One of my biggest pet-peeves of late is the "local" movement, along with its ideological peers, slow food, locavores, etc.

Gerry Nicholls: What the world needs is more cavemen - National Post: "As we all know the CBC never met a trendy left-wing fad it didn’t like. And so, I was not surprised yesterday to hear a puffball interview on CBC radio with Mark Arellano, a documentary-film maker and professor who was pushing the lastest left-wing fad: “Food Sovereignty.” Arellano has produced a film called Strange Fruit, which from what I heard on the radio, makes the following arguments:

- Food is too cheap. We should pay at least four or five times more than what we pay today for groceries.
- Shopping at grocery stores is morally wrong. We should only shop at farmers’ markets.
- Or better yet, everyone should grow their own vegetables and fruits.

Of course, we once had such a food system in place — it was called the Dark Ages."

Thank The Chinese For Their Undervalued Gifts

Thanks to Dr. Boudreaux for the heads-up on this brief but wonderful column.

Alan Schram: Let China Manipulate its Currency---They Are Doing Us a Favor: "But the key question has been ignored by policy makers: Why should Americans be upset if the Chinese government keeps the Yuan undervalued? The standard explanation is that China's cost advantage, the product of government policy, is artificial. And that is true. Indeed, Chinese citizens should resent this wasteful abuse of their resources. But America benefits from the policy errors of Beijing: this policy is effectively a Chinese subsidy given to American consumers."

Milton Friedman Schools Donahue

This is old, and certainly not late-breaking news, but it deserves to be shown again. Mr. Donahue is I believe a classic example of a man who is kind-hearted and honestly means well, he just doesn't know what he is talking about. Show it to friends, retweet it, spread it around. ;-)



Phil Donohue: When you see around the globe the maldistribution of wealth, the desperate plight of millions of people in underdeveloped countries, when you see so few haves and so many have-nots, when you see the greed and the concentration of power, did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism? And whether greed is a good idea to run on?

Milton Friedman: Well first of all tell me, is there some society you know that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run on greed? What is greed? Of course none of us are greedy. It's only the other fella that's greedy. The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. The greatest achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. Einstein didn't construct his theory under order from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didn't revolutionize the automobile industry that way. In the only cases in which the masses have escaped from the kind of grinding poverty that you are talking about, the only cases in recorded history are where they have had capitalism and largely free trade. If you want to know where the masses are worst off, it's exactly in the kind of societies that depart from that. So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear, there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system.

Phil Donohue: Seems to reward not virtue as much as the ability to manipulate the system.

Milton Friedman: And what does reward virtue? You think the Communist commissar rewards virtue? You think a Hitler rewards virtue? Do you think... American presidents reward virtue? Do they choose their appointees on the basis of the virtue of the people appointed or on the basis of political clout? Is it really true that political self-interest is nobler somehow than economic self-interest? You know I think you are taking a lot of things for granted. And just tell me where in the world you find these angels that are going to organize society for us? Well, I don't even trust you to do that.
-- Milton Friedman
(1912-2006) Nobel Prize-winning economist, economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan, "ultimate guru of the free-market system"
Source: Phil Donohue interviews Milton Friedman, Feb. 11, 1979

The Toyota Hilux Is The Kalashnikov Of The Road

Fascinating article from Newsweek. Not long, but it touches on quality, design, economics, war, and more. As an aside, I wonder if any of the Taliban/Al-Qaeda/Somalian fighters have experience the unintended acceleration problem? I'm guessing not. (pic: Peter Turnley/Corbis)

Why Rebel Groups Love the Toyota Hilux - Newsweek: "Why rebels and insurgent groups the world over love the Toyota Hilux pickup as much as their AK-47s. As the war in Afghanistan escalated several years ago, counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen, a member of the team that designed the Iraq surge for Gen. David Petraeus, began to notice a new tattoo on some insurgent Afghan fighters. It wasn’t a Taliban tattoo. It wasn’t even Afghan. It was a Canadian maple leaf. When a perplexed Kilcullen began to investigate, he says, he discovered that the incongruous flags were linked to what he says is one of the most important, and unnoticed, weapons of guerrilla war in Afghanistan and across the world: the lightweight, virtually indestructible Toyota Hilux truck."

Additional links:
Pickup Trucks From Warzones Across the Globe
YouTube - Top Gear: Toyota Hilux
Talking Shop at the Toyota Factory - Wired.com

The Light-Rail Fetish Is Like Jack's Magic Beans

Fantastic column, definitely read the entire thing. (pic via Wiki) (ht: Dr. Newmark)

Urban Light Rail Fail - Forbes: "Over the last year, Phoenix light rail ridership has increased to an average of about 40,000 trips per day during the week. Since most of those riders have two trips per day (one each direction) we can think of this as 20,000 people making a round trip each business day. Considering the initial $1. 4 billion capital cost of the system, Phoenix has therefore spent over $70,000 per daily rider just to build the system. This is an astonishing number — no wonder the riders of the system love it! The taxpayers of Arizona bought rail riders a commuting vehicle that costs nearly three times the $23,800 list price of a Prius III hybrid. The city could have, rather than build the system, bought every regular daily rider a new car and still had nearly a billion dollars left over — and those who got the car would have had a transportation option that went anywhere in the city, not just to 28 stops along a single 20-mile line."

Two Quick Lightbulb Stories

Clever, on both counts. (pic via Wiki)

German "heatball" wheeze outwits EU light bulb ban - Yahoo! News: "BERLIN (Reuters) – A German entrepreneur is bypassing a European Union ban on light bulbs of more than 60 watts by marketing his own brand as mini heaters. Siegfried Rotthaeuser and his brother-in-law have come up with a legal way of importing and distributing 75 and 100 watt light bulbs -- by producing them in China, importing them as 'small heating devices' and selling them as 'heatballs.'"

Kenyan Hero Replaces Dirty Indoor Lamps With Solar LEDs - GOOD: "Earlier this month, CNN announced its 2010 CNN Heroes, described as 'Everyday People Changing the World.' One of the top 10 heroes is Evans Wadango, a 23-year-old Kenyan who has invented a solar-powered LED lantern to replace the dirty, smoky kerosene and wood fires that most rural African families use for light. And he's distributing them for free." (more)

CVS, Sudafed, and Meth-Heads

Now I don't agree with the allegations in this story, that seems rather callous. (As an aside, CVS has had a rough week, wouldn't want to be in their PR department meetings.)

The inhaler story seems to be the act of a specific person or store, not a corporate policy, perhaps. But this meth-Sudafed story should outrage anyone who claims to be a defender of liberty. I know I am tired of being at the store trying to buy OTC meds for a sick wife or kids and being told I have too many and need to hand over my ID to buy the little amounts approved by our overlords.

All Laws Have Teeth - Jeffrey A. Tucker: "It's been five years since the feds took aim at nasal decongestant. Under George Bush, a normal part of everyday civilized life became a criminal act, namely the over-the-counter purchase of Sudafed and many other products containing pseudoephedrine. You can get it now, but it is seriously rationed. You have to present your driver's license and no one without one may purchase it. The limits on quantities you are permitted to purchase fall far below the recommended dosage, and buyers rarely know when they are buying too much."

CVS to pay $75M fine for meth - www.WHEC.com: "CVS Pharmacy Inc. has agreed to pay $75 million in fines for allowing repeated purchases of a key ingredient in the making of methamphetamine in at least five states that also led to a spike in Southern California drug trafficking, authorities said Thursday. The nation's largest operator of retail pharmacies will pay what federal prosecutors said is the largest civil penalty under the Controlled Substances Act."

Additional links:
States linking prescription databases, fight abuse
How CVS Became Meth Makers' Favorite Drugstore : NPR
Free the Clogged-Nose 25! by Jeffrey A. Tucker
Protectionism and My Stuffy Nose - Jeffrey A. Tucker

The Pantry Is Bare In NJ, And Nearly Everywhere Else

Here's the problem in a nutshell. Governments at all levels (Federal, State, local) have spent so much money on things that are outside of their proper purview, that when it comes time to pay for things that nearly everyone agrees is proper, they cupboard is bare, there is no money left.

In no particular order, the list of improper spending and waste include myriad forms of welfare (Medicaid, Medicare, etc.) and in particular, outrageous pay and benefit packages for unionized government employees at all levels. These are the things that are blowing out the budgets. So when crunch time comes, you would expect the governments to reign the above programs back in, right? No, instead they cut back on things that they should be spending money on, such as roads. And here in NY State they closed a number of parks for the summer.

Liberalism and Public Works - WSJ.com: "Entitlement politics leaves little money for roads and tunnels. Chris Christie sure has a knack. The New Jersey Governor keeps shocking the political class on behalf of taxpayers, most recently by terminating work on a new passenger-train tunnel that was supposed to run under the Hudson River into Manhattan. Mr. Christie lowered the boom last week, citing cost overruns from a federal audit that had revised the tunnel price to as much as $14 billion, up from $8.7 billion only two years ago. 'The only prudent move is to end this project,' he said. "I can't put taxpayers on a never-ending hook." Reaction in liberal land: OMG. The tunnel was the country's largest public works project, and believers in the virtues of all government things immediately bemoaned his decision as one more sign of the decline of Western civilization. 'Killing the ARC Tunnel will go down as one of the biggest public policy blunders in New Jersey's history. Without increased transportation options into Manhattan, New Jersey's economy will eventually be crippled,' Senator Frank Lautenberg said. Well, well. To govern is to choose, or ought to be. And the reason New Jersey and so many other states can't afford new "infrastructure" is because the politicians who've been running the state have blown the budget on everything else. For years, Democrats in Trenton have steered ever-more state revenues to government employees and their pensions, while squeezing state spending on the core purposes of government such as roads. Mr. Christie is telling them that the jig is up, and that a government that tries to do everything ends up doing nothing well."

Monday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Contemporist)
House in Ekali by Thanos Athanasopoulos
Oblique House B in Japan by Cell Space Architects
Crooked House in the Swiss Countryside
Dream Home : NOVE 2 by Studio B Architects
Modern Renovation of an 1850's Australian Farm House
Beautiful Houses: Davis Residence in Washington
Worlds most awesome car garages

Photography.
ACL Kodachromes Part IX - A Continuous Lean
70 Majestic Countryside Photographs
The XIX Commonwealth Games - The Big Picture
Water Balloons Without The Balloons : NPR
YouTube - Coachella 2010 (Tilt-Shift)

Gadgets / Gear / Kit.
Crazy-Rugged Casio Is The Tough Titan Of Timepieces
Self-Balancing Unicycle Only Half as Dorky as Segway
Lamborghini Tractors
Netflix PS3 App Ditches Disc, Adds HD and Surround Sound
Puck Yeah: Clearwire's 4G Hotspot Can Replace Broadband [Review]
X-Mini Capsule Speakers on Cool Hunting

Liberty / Govt.
State eyes unclaimed cash as a quick fix
Will 400,000 Secret Iraq War Documents Restore WikiLeaks’ Sheen?
The War On Terror by Paul Craig Roberts
Poor children will receive £7bn 'fairness premium'
Inside the Lawsuit That Could Ground Deadly CIA Predator Drones
5 times we almost nuked ourselves by accident
LiveLeak.com - Police Caught Planting Evidence On Homeless Woman

Cars.
The Other 6-Pack: Aussie 1971 Chrysler Charger R/T E37
Honda CB750 Police
Compacts of All Shapes and Sizes – Various Cities, Italy
IndyAuto.ca - Challenger Photoshoot
Valley couple's Radio Flyer car turns heads - ktuu.com
Sorting Myth From Fact as Chevy Volt Makes Its Debut - Question
TimeZone: Nissan Figaro: I prepared for this ...

Coffee.
Intelligent Cup: Tells You When The Coffee Is ... Perfect

Style.
Unabashedly Prep - Gray Matter
Up In Uniqlo’s J F/W 2010 - The Choosy Beggar
The Bengal Stripe: Prepidemic Fall Style Guide
Modern Distinction, That DB is sick!
Railroad Cap, Khaki Blazer, A Silk Knit Tie ~waiting for the bus
Esquire – Book of the week – Take Ivy

Shoes / Boots.
Savoir Faire, Savoir Vivre on Cool Hunting
E. Vogel for Freemans Sporting Club
Leffot Blog - Fortunate Son
Man vs. Machine - The Agatine Eyelet
Red Wing Shoes Factory Tour - Por Homme
Natural Aristocrat: The Coolest Shoes in the Whole World

ClimateGate.
Royal Society: doh! – Telegraph

Engineering.
Inside the Soviets’ Secret Failed Moon Program
Swiss tunnel breakthrough imminent for world's longest from Alps to Italy

Travel.
World's Scariest Bridges - Travel Leisure
Mile High Fun: Airline to Introduce 'Cuddle Class' Seating

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Ink Links - The Pen Addict
Ink Nouveau: Diamine Syrah
Namiki Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Bottle Ink
Pelikan Edelstein Fountain Pen Ink Bottle
The Planners Collection gets larger. And smaller
Conway Stewart -- Belliver Special Edition Pens
Review of EcoJot Journals - Pencil Revolution
Ink Nouveau: Noodler's Red
Ink Nouveau: Diamine Pumpkin

History.
World’s tallest buildings c.1884

Retro.
JAMES “HUNT THE SHUNT” - THE 1970′s HIGH-FLYIN’ LOTHARIO OF FORMULA 1
RELIVE DRAG RACING’S TOP RIVALRY 11/10 ~ THE SNAKE VS. THE MONGOOSE
A Striking Beauty: 10 Eerie Abandoned Bowling Alleys
Early Homes and Studios of Walt Disney
Hansen's Writing Ball & Other Unusual Typewriters

Watches.
OceanicTime: ZENTON M45 Review
CASIO G-SHOCK GD-100 - Hypebeast
WIS Story: Ricoh Diver - Yeoman's Weblog
My Rolex GMT 6542
a time to get: For God's Seiks
Tuna Can Individual and Comparison Shots
Panerai wristwatch photo blog: PAM114 Base with a white dial
Seiko 6139-7002 vintage - some photos
Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Platinum Set
A visit to Manufacture Roger Dubuis in Geneva

Food.
Fast and Easy Recipe For Pork With Squash and Apples
Hamburgers: The Economics of America’s Favorite Food


Animals.
Fennec Friday! - ZooBorns
20 Amazing Animal Photography Shots
The platypus knows 80 different ways to poison you
Great Dane Puppy & 75 year old tortoise
New fish species found deep below ocean surface

Computers.
Chipmakers Feel the Pain as iPad Eats Into Notebook Sales
Bringing back Babbage
Overhaul Your Netbook with Ubuntu 10.10
Exploring Firefox Cache: A Bunch Of Really Cool Tips

Misc.
You Are What You Eat: Looking Into The Refrigerator Of 19 Unique Individuals
Fantastically Creative Examples of Paper Art That Make You Say Wow
BBC News - 'Fractal' mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot dies aged 85
Nespresso Battery by Mischer’Traxler