Selling a Vintage Bolex H16 Rex Movie Camera

Selling this vintage movie camera for my grandmother in case you know of anyone out there who collects these types of things. Many more pics in the eBay auction. Spread the word, thanks!

Paillard Bolex H16 Rex Movie Camera (1963) - eBay (item 180607133289): "I'm selling this for my grandparents. My grandfather passed away last year at 87 years old and was the original and only owner of this camera. He bought it new in May of 1963 (visible in some of the paperwork). The camera specifically is a: Bolex Paillard H 16 Rex Movie Camera (made in Switzerland) 16mm We have a fair amount of old home movies he took with it in the 1960s through early 1970s. It of course hasn't been used in years and as with any mechanical device this old it probably needs some maintenance. But nothing appears broken. My grandfather was a bit of a gadget nut in his day and took meticulous care of his things. I'm confident it was never dropped or otherwise abused. Until I got it from my grandmother it was stored in a first floor closet, not an attic or damp basement. There are no signs of any kind of moisture damage."

NYC Snowbound, Union Payback Edition ...

So the NYC sanitation union intentionally slowed-down the clean-up out of some kind of immature payback over having their budget trimmed? Sounds like they have blood on their hands, see below. Think about this the next time you hear a radio ad telling you how unions are looking out for you. Actions speak louder than words.

Snow Blocks Hundreds of Ambulances From Patients - NYTimes.com: "A woman with stroke symptoms in Midwood, Brooklyn, waited for an ambulance for six hours, finally arriving at the hospital with telltale signs of advanced brain damage. In Forest Hills, Queens, bystanders waited for three hours next to a man lying unconscious in the snow before they were able to flag down help. And in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a mother in labor who started calling 911 at 8:30 a.m. on Monday did not get an ambulance until 6 p.m., too late to save the baby."

There's an additional lesson somewhere in this story. Oh, wait, here it is ... (pic of sleeping sanitation worker in Queens, and presumably a union member, via the NY Post)

"One lesson is that a government that tries to do too much ends up not being able to do the basic things its citizens expect, such as clearing streets of snow."

Sanitation workers selfishly slowed down the cleanup - NYPOST.com: "These garbage men really stink. Selfish Sanitation Department bosses from the snow-slammed outer boroughs ordered their drivers to snarl the blizzard cleanup to protest budget cuts -- a disastrous move that turned streets into a minefield for emergency-services vehicles, The Post has learned. Miles of roads stretching from as north as Whitestone, Queens, to the south shore of Staten Island still remained treacherously unplowed last night because of the shameless job action, several sources and a city lawmaker said, which was over a raft of demotions, attrition and budget cuts. 'They sent a message to the rest of the city that these particular labor issues are more important,' said City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens), who was visited yesterday by a group of guilt-ridden sanitation workers who confessed the shameless plot."

Snowblind in Gotham - WSJ.com: "New York City has an annual budget of about $63 billion, roughly 359,000 public employees and the highest income tax rates in America, so you'd think it would be able to clear its streets in a timely fashion after a snowfall. Apparently not. ... They should look in the mirror of their own priorities. According to figures compiled by the Citizens Budget Commission, in fiscal 2011 the city has 9,419 sanitation workers, who also do snow removal. That's down about 500 employees from three years earlier, though spending is up about $200 million. Meanwhile, the city has no fewer than 14,530 workers spending $8.4 billion on social services, up about $1 billion and 500 employees from 2007. There are 6,100 public employees working on environmental protection and another 12,100 at the housing authority, plus 6,400 devoted to "health and mental hygiene." Oh, and the city's pension contributions are climbing to $7.49 billion in fiscal 2011, from $4.7 billion in 2007."

Additional links:
Amateur Videographer Rolls as Sanitation Workers Destroy a Ford Explorer in NY
Meet The Hundreds Of NYC Sanitation Workers Who Earn Over $100,000
Death of newborn baby among several blizzard tragedies as city is accused of 'dropping the ball'
Emergency services unable to get to 911 callers after New York Sanitation bosses told workers to go slow in protest at cuts

Friday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via CH)
Cool Hunter - Art Gallery of Ontario
Stop, Look and Love: 8 Redesigns of Classic Traffic Lights
Rietveld Schroder House
Super-Fast Prefab: Flat-Pack Steel Home Frame in Just 1 Day
Elegant Steel Spiral Staircase Reuses Scrap Wood Shavings
Xi Gallery / SKM Architects

Photography.
Year 2010 in Photos - Part 2 of 3 June to December
For Kodachrome Fans, Road Ends at Photo Lab in Kansas
Fireworks - TotallyCoolPix
A Life Revealed - National Geographic Magazine

iOS / iPad.
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Media iPad Apps

History.
Kuriositas: The Laconia Incident

Animals.
Sadie the Golden Retriever
Well, I’ll Be! It’s a Wallaby! — Cute Overload
Cute Creatures that will Knock You Dead

Style.
Ivy Style - The Polo Coat Gallery
White Collar Grime Collar Protectors (review)
Hit the Slopes!: Alpine Sweaters: GQ
Heavy Tweed Jacket: The Most Imitated Shirt in the World
10engines: harris tweed moments
How to Wear Leather So You Look Like Brando

Shoes / Boots.
Leffot Blog - 1000 Mile Run Down
[you_have_broken_the_internet]: WIWT

Computing.
How To Make All Your PC Times Match With An Atomic Clock Sync [Windows]
Google Picasa 3.8 Review & Rating

Food.
Old Louisville Candy Company
Growing Demand For Bison Meat Strains Ranchers
Sara Kate's Favorite Posts of 2010
The South's Finest 'Cue
The Cake Is in the Mail
Unusual and Creative Pancakes (more)
Some Like it Cold - NYTimes.com
Noryangjin Fish Market, Seoul, South Korea

Retro.
The RV World of 1937

Real Estate.
Estate of the Day Year-End Wrap-Up--August 2010

Healthcare.
Dairy component shows promise in cutting diabetes risk
Medicare Bound to Bust as First Boomers Hit 65 - CBS News

Climate Change.
No Proof Man Causes Global Warming

Liberty / Govt.
President and family on multi-million dollar Christmas vacation in Hawaii

Economics.
Clunk … The New Year’s Ball Has Dropped
Happy Birthday, Ronald Coase
Choice

Travel.
Deaf Divers Welcomed on Sailing Trips - NYTimes.com
Eddie Bauer Airstream (more)
BootsnAll’s Top Ten Travel Articles of 2010

Gadgets / Gear / Kit.
Armytek Predator Editor’s Note: That TiNi bezel …
Lyr Headphone Amplifier by Schiit Audio
Worst Gear of the Year: 2010

Coffee.
Speedster Espresso Machine

Cars.
YouTube - BMW Bike vs. BMW Bob Stunt
Jay Leno's American Motorcycles
Top NASCAR Cheats - NASCAR Engineering Feats

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Authentics Moleskine Pen Clip Review
San Francisco: Passport 2010
Now on its 3rd year: fountain pen and ink wallpaper (part 2)
Pocket Blonde: EVERFLO Blue Black Ink
Review: Copic Wine Multiliner and Brush Pen SP
Whatever: Chop Chop I have my own Chop
Edison Mina Video - Peaceable Writer
Daycraft Planners and Notebooks
Artgraf Viaroc Portugal
Hezelia Home / Pitzo Kedem Architects Tanju Qzelgin
pencil talk - Ortie Design Bullet pencil
Copper Embassy Pen

Misc.
From Shovels To Plows: A History Of Snow Removal
20 Facts About The Modeling Industry That Always Surprise People
No Facebook? In India, Mobile Users Have Another Option
Coanda’s Claim - Air & Space Magazine
Vintage Tokyo subway manner posters
Incredible pictures that for the first time reveal the human eye in all its glory

Wristwatch Updates: Caliber 1887, Best of 2010, French Marine Nationale, & More!

It's kind of an end of year tradition at TZ for members to post the States Of Their Collections w/ pics. Below are links to some of the most impressive. Some are impressive for their tastes, costs, breadth, and depth. (pic via GP) Felipe may have my fav. SOTC post. How about this VC Overseas?

Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic G-Aviation - Gear Patrol: "You’ll honor your lazy self with the self-charging Tough Solar power system which never requires a battery change. And you’ll rarely, if ever, have to adjust the time when you travel. It self-calibrates by pulling a “phone home” to receive transmissions from 6 Atomic Timekeeping stations around the globe."

Wristshots of something very cool - an RM 025 Tourbillon Chrono Diver: "Sometime ago, I had the opportunity to try on the RM 025 Tourbillon Chronograph Diver's Watch. Going through files on my hard drive, I found these shots which I had completely forgotten about. They're not the greatest photos I've taken, so please forgive the blurriness and less-than-ideal lighting."

First Review of TAG Heuer's Carrera Caliber 1887: "The Rightful Successor to the Carreras of 1964" - Hodinkee: "People have been waiting for the TAG Heuer Carrera featuring the new Caliber 1887 for a long, long time. It is, after all, expected to be a game changer for TAG, and offer a tremendous value in a relatively affordable chronograph (it's a fully integrated - not modular - chronograph with column wheel and oscillating pinion). Just last month, it even won the 'La Petite Aiguille' at the Geneva Grand Prix for the best watch under $5000."

Monochrome's Choice of Best Watches of 2010: "Now the year has almost come to an end it’s time to look back and to see which watches made the best impression. So here is Monochrome’s selection of Best Watches of the Year 2010."

2010- TAG Heuer Year in Review - Calibre 11: "As 2010 comes to a close, so too does TAG Heuer’s 150th anniversary- a year with new releases, a concept watch with magnets, electric cars and the landmark sale of 81 vintage Heuer watches. So settle back with your Christmas leftovers and a glass of yuletide cheer as we both look back over 2010 and look forward to see what TAG Heuer has planned for its 151st year."

The Tudor Submariners For The French Marine Nationale: A MilSub You Can Afford - Hodinkee: "Some of the most desirable Tudor Marine Nationale watches include the original decommission papers from the French Navy. Essentially, you're getting a vintage Submariner with proven military history, but for a fraction of the cost."

GasGasBones: An Interview With The Man Behind The Straps - Hodinkee: "Carl Evans is the Englishman behind the GasGasBones straps, perhaps best known for his NASA-spec Speedmaster straps. But his work caught the eye of Bremont and now Carl’s straps accompany that company’s MBII watch."

Audemars Piguet Watch Museum: "It is ironic (and sad), that literally a week or two after I visited the Audemars Piguet Watch Museum in Le Brassus, it was burglarized! Yup, flat out heist. The thieves scaled the sides of the building with a ladder, broke into a window and ran off across the border into France with some watches."

Timezone & SOTCs.
SOTC 2010
SOTC -- Happy Holidays and New Year
SOTC 2010: My Current Herd of Nine
Just another boring SOTC ...
TimeZone: SOTC
SOTC - 2010
As this is SOTC week ...
Yet One More SOTC
1000th Post & SOTC (longish)
SOTC - "State Of The Collection"

Mini Review of Seiko Active Matrix EPD Digital Watch SDGA003 - Horological Meandering: "Perhaps most of the PuristS do not care much about this watch - this is quartz and digital. But in my mind, Seiko is one of the most advanced watch manufacturer and this EPD (Electrophoretic Display) radio wave automatic adjusting watch is noteworthy. I couldn't resist the urge to get one and here is the brief review (not into technical, but just from users stand point)."

Most Popular Watches of 2010 - Perpetuelle: "Year in Review… Most Popular Watches on the Perpetuelle.com Blog During 2010"

JLC - A Jaeger-LeCoultre calendar for life: a 40s triple date or a 90s Reverso: "One of the Jaeger-LeCoultre that appealed me for the longer time (even if that's not the one that appealed me most, another chapter that I will share in the future) is the well known 'tear drop' lugs triple calendar of the 40s."

FP Journe: Some photos of a Resonance...: "I've been enjoying this watch much more than I thought I would."

SOTC - wristwatches vintage and modern...;: "I know I've probably missed some, but this will include watches not seen in (obviously) my Pocket Watch SOTC, and the Weirdo watch SOTC."

Additional links
OceanicTime: OceanicTime (best of 2010)
YouTube - Orient VS Swiss Comparison
Rolex Coolness: John Goldberger 2011 Rolex GMT Master Calender
Sequential One His & Hers Unique Pieces for Les Airelles
Behind the scene video with Montblanc's Master watchmaker

But Aren't These Needed By The People? Cuban Soap Edition

One common argument I hear/read/encounter for the the "need" to continue Social Security, Medicare, etc. is that people need these things and can't get along without them (e.g. see comments under this post). They don't appear to understand that free markets and free people can accomplish the same tasks, almost always better and more efficiently.

Where's the outrage over the Cuban soap story? Surely, people will not be able to clean themselves properly without subsidized soap? (pic via Colgate)

As an aside, I would like to see the U.S. government end the (imho) immoral and counterproductive embargo on Cuba.

My Way News - Cuba slashes state-subsidised soap: "HAVANA (AP) - The cost of cleanliness will rise in Cuba after its cash-strapped, communist government announced Wednesday that soap, toothpaste and detergent will be slashed from monthly ration books. Cuba's official Gazette said that effective Jan. 1, 'personal cleanliness products' will join a growing list of products cut from the ration books that islanders have come to rely on for a small but steady supply of basic goods. Cubans currently pay about 25 centavos, or about a penny, for a rationed bar of soap. They'll soon have to fork out four to six pesos, according to the gazette. ... Authorities say the cuts are necessary to free the state - which pays for or heavily subsidizes education, health care, housing and transportation - from a crushing economic burden. Other, more drastic cost-cutting measures have also been announced, including the layoffs of about half a million state workers. Critics contend that by slashing the ration books, the state is breaking with what has been a sacred covenant of the island's 1959 revolution: to provide all Cubans with at least the basics."

Ambitious Science Project Aims To 'Simulate Everything'

Okay, I'll say it, at the risk of being "that guy" ... this seems a tad ambitious. I'm concerned about hubris. Think about the claimed scope of this project in light of the fact that the weatherman can't accurately predict the weather three weeks out, nor financial analysts stock prices even tomorrow? (in the accompanying pic you can see Prussian Major Otto Edler von Graeve showing off his dowsing skills)

The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.
– F.A. Hayek

BBC News - Earth project aims to 'simulate everything': "It could be one of the most ambitious computer projects ever conceived. An international group of scientists are aiming to create a simulator that can replicate everything happening on Earth - from global weather patterns and the spread of diseases to international financial transactions or congestion on Milton Keynes' roads. Nicknamed the Living Earth Simulator (LES), the project aims to advance the scientific understanding of what is taking place on the planet, encapsulating the human actions that shape societies and the environmental forces that define the physical world. 'Many problems we have today - including social and economic instabilities, wars, disease spreading - are related to human behaviour, but there is apparently a serious lack of understanding regarding how society and the economy work,' says Dr Helbing, of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, who chairs the FuturICT project which aims to create the simulator."

A Secret Dark Chapter In Swiss History

I'd never heard about this some more. Certainly some ugly business. (pic: Courtesy Ursula Biondi)

For Young Swiss Rebels, A Dark Chapter In History : NPR: "Switzerland is known for its idyllic alpine landscape, its neutrality and its secret private banks. But there are also darker secrets. For many years — until the 1980s — thousands of rebellious or disruptive youths were locked up without trial. The authorities called it 'administrative detention.' But in reality, the kids were put in prison or labor camps. ... Biondi's father, a construction worker, had to scrape to come up with the 7,000 francs for the so-called tuition fee for what authorities called an "educational program" for his "promiscuous" daughter. Prison officials told Biondi her baby would be put up for adoption. Her mother soon demanded her daughter's release, and after a year, Biondi was reunited with her infant son and released from jail. Her tale is one of thousands suffered by Swiss youth subjected to administrative detention. It was a practice started in the 1880s and lasted until the early 1980s. Now, after decades of silence, many victims today are demanding accountability — and compensation for damaged lives."

Ron Paul Explains: "Social Security is not 'Insurance'"

Another one from the good Dr. Ron Paul, this one on Social Security.

"Perhaps the biggest media story of 2010 was the influence of Tea Party voters on the congressional landscape. The new congress comes to Capitol Hill with a mandate to end profligate spending and restore fiscal sanity, we are told. But when the House and Senate convene in January, the newly elected members will face tremendous pressure to maintain spending levels for entitlement programs. Even the most modest proposals to trim Social Security or Medicare spending will be met with howls of indignation and threats of voter revolt. Legislators who propose any kind of means testing or increased retirement ages can expect angry visits from senior citizen lobbyists ready to fund a candidate back home who supports the status quo.

But millions of Americans now realize that the status quo is an illusion that will not last even another 10 or 20 years. The federal government cannot continue to spend a trillion dollars more than it collects in revenue each year, because we are running out of creditors. Fiscal reality is setting in, and the consequences may be grim even if Congress finds the courage to take decisive action now.

Courage begins with a commitment to see things as they are, rather than how we wish they were. When it comes to Social Security, we must understand that the system does not represent an old age pension, an “insurance” program, or even a forced savings program. It simply represents an enormous transfer payment, with younger workers paying taxes to fund benefits. There is no Social Security trust fund, and you don’t have an “account.” Whether you win or lose the Social Security lottery is a function of when you happened to be born and how long you live to collect benefits. Of course young people today have every reason to believe they will never collect those benefits.

Notice that neither political party proposes letting people opt out of Social Security, which exposes the lie that your contributions are set aside and saved. After all, if your contributions really are put aside for your retirement, the money is there earning interest, right? If your money is in your “account,” what difference would it make if your neighbor chooses not to participate in the program? The truth, of course, is that your contributions are not put aside. Social Security is simply a tax. Like all taxes, the money collected is spent immediately as general revenue to fund the federal government. But no administration will admit that Social Security is nothing more than an accounting ledger with no money. You will collect benefits only if future tax revenues materialize as hoped; the money you paid into the system is long gone.

My hope is that at least some members of the new Congress will cut through the distortions and see Social Security as it really is. The best way to fix the impending Social Security crisis is also the simplest: allow younger individuals to opt out of the program and use their tax savings to invest privately as they see fit. This is the true private solution. Your money has never been safe in the government’s hands, and it never will be."

Additional links:
Promises and Riots - Thomas Sowell

Wednesday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via AD)
Ribbon House / G2 Estudio
M11 House / a21 studio
Bergen Fire station / Stein Halvorsen Sivilarkitekter
Contertainer by dpavilion Architects
Beautiful Family Home with a Modern yet Warm Feel
Mini House ONE

Travel.
A Very Jetset Holiday: Arctic Wildlife, Up Close
A Food Tour of Paris’ Montmartre
Lonely Planet - Natalie Tran's Travel Videos & Blog
Trekking New Zealand: The South Island Beyond the Great Walks

Watches.
The Christmas Present Unveiled
Revolution - CARTIER, THE ASTROTOURBILLON MOVEMENT and it's USP
Yet One More SOTC
YouTube - How a quartz watch works
PanoMatic Counter XL by Glashutte Original

Style.
Louis Vuitton Book: 100 Legendary Trunks
Tweed in the Countryside

iPhone / iPad.
The best iOS apps I used in 2010

Gear / Gadgets / Kit.
Benchmade 480 Shoki (more)

Photography.
The Making of the Leica M9
Hipstamatic iPhone App
The Frame: Blizzard menaces U.S. East Coast
Christmas across the globe - The Big Picture
Lightning Captured by X-Ray Camera—A First
Photos of the East Coast Snow Storm

Food.
Japanese Ice Ball Mold (more)
Penang Road Cafe: New King for Penang Food in Singapore?

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Pocket & Ribbon in the Planner?
The Ink Blotter, A Dirty Little Secret
J. Herbin Vert D’Empire - Writing and Scribbling
Whatever: The New Edison Minas
Parker Duofold Golden Dragon Makie Fountain Pen
A Place To Flourish: Pilot Parallel Pens
Top 10 Pen Reviews of 2010 - The Pen Addict
Pocket Blonde: Kuretake Zig CocoIro Letter Pen
Tale of a Vandal Pen User: On Ink Capacity
Parker Premier Black Edition
Top 10 Office Supply Reviews of 2010

Cars.
Driving Fast in the Ferrari 458 Italia - Popular Science
Chrysler closer to reviving a hot Plymouth Barracuda
Cummins Power: 1965 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45
English Cafe: 1970 Velocette Venom Thruxton
Audi e-tron Spyder Concept
Portuguese Barn Find Photo Gallery
Oldsmobile 98 Convertible – Forest Grove, OR
Kawasaki Z1

Computing.
You Don't Need to Regularly Reinstall Windows; Here's Why
Battle of the Security Superpowers - PCWorld
Most Popular Explainers of 2010

Science.
Sea urchin could lead to knives that never need sharpening
Ceiling lights in Minn. send coded Internet data - Yahoo! News
Solar-Powered Hornet Found; Turns Light Into Electricity
Million to one apple is half red, half green - Telegraph

Healthcare.
Obama Seeks “Death Panels” by Regulation

Coffee.
Ristretto - Rise of the Machines - NYTimes.com

History.
CriticalPast.com: Search over 57000 videos and 7 million photos

Watches.
Vintage Jaquet Droz From The 1960s and 1970s
Cartier Astroregulateur Watch
Heuer Luftforsvaret: Essentially a Heuer Bundeswehr, Except Norwegian Instead ofGerman

Liberty / Govt.
Confessions of a State Stimulus Czar - WSJ.com
WikiLeaks, Michael Lind, and the ‘New’ Nationalism by Justin Raimondo
Congress Pays $500 Million For Worthless Rocket
The Death Tax and Barney Frank
Please Stop 'Helping' Us - John Stossel

Economics.
Free or Fair? by Walter E. Williams
The Unbroken Window - Recycling Reindeer
Promises and Riots by Thomas Sowell

Misc.
Enola Gay / Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Alex Grant: Office Aesthetics: TinTin
What's the greenest way to shave?
13 of the Year's Best Infographics [Slideshow]
TEXAS’ OWN “GONE WITH THE WIND” 1956 EPIC– “GIANT”
Wisconsin town asks: Where'd we bury that time capsule?

How Much Debt Did The 111th Congress Leave Us?

How Much Debt Did the 111th Congress Leave Us? $3,220,103,625,307.29. Or $10,429.64 in NEW debt per person.

And a good point from my friend Ben B. ... We have $10,429.64 in NEW debt per person. I wonder what that number is if instead of counting all people in the U.S., you only count productive tax-paying adults? I bet it's at least three times that number.

111th Congress Added More Debt Than First 100 Congresses Combined: $10,429 Per Person in U.S.: "(CNSNews.com) - The federal government has accumulated more new debt--$3.22 trillion ($3,220,103,625,307.29)—during the tenure of the 111th Congress than it did during the first 100 Congresses combined, according to official debt figures published by the U.S. Treasury. That equals $10,429.64 in new debt for each and every one of the 308,745,538 people counted in the United States by the 2010 Census."

Ms. Pelosi says:

"In the 111th Congress, Democrats worked to move America forward, create jobs, and end the Bush recession – the worst economy in 60 years. We have fought for Americans in the face of relentless opposition by Wall Street, Big Oil, and the health insurance industry, led in Congress by Republicans. Despite GOP opposition, we produced landmark achievements for the middle class in job creation, small business tax cuts, health care, Wall Street reform, veterans’ health care, and child nutrition. We are proud of our record."

Take a good look at the list. How many of those items are Constitutional? For the moment let's not even discuss questions of morality or economics. In order to be proud of a record like that (as Ms. Pelosi claims), you must be either malevolent or wholly ignorant, perhaps some of both. I have no confidence that it will be better with the Republicans in control. I think the best scenario is that it may be slightly less horrific.

Wait, So Palin Was Right About Death Panels?! ...

Of course she was (note: I'm not a fan or Palin supporter). She may be a bit of a cretin and a typical political animal not to be trusted. But she was right about this. You know what they say about a stopped clock. (pic via The Beacon)

Obama Seeks “Death Panels” by Regulation - The Beacon: "The New York Times now reports that exactly contrary to its earlier claims, the Obama administration is now quietly seeking to sneak back in by regulation the provision of “end-of-life planning” (“death panels”) that were dropped from the Obamacare bill that was signed into law. The Times article reports that the regulations have been issued by Dr. Donald Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who is described as “a longtime advocate for better end-of-life care.”"

And of course they want to keep it quiet 'til finalized.

As a result, Cong. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), author of the original “end-of-life proposal,” stated the following in an email to supporters, urging them to keep the new regulations hidden from public view:

“While we are very happy with the result, we won’t be shouting it from the rooftops because we aren’t out of the woods yet. This regulation could be modified or reversed, especially if Republican leaders try to use this small provision to perpetuate the ‘death panel’ myth. . . . We would ask that you not broadcast this accomplishment out to any of your lists, even if they are ‘supporters’ — e-mails can too easily be forwarded. . . . Thus far, it seems that no press or blogs have discovered it, but we will be keeping a close watch and may be calling on you if we need a rapid, targeted response. The longer this goes unnoticed, the better our chances of keeping it. . . .”

Additional links:
Those Death Panels That Won't Exist? They'll Save Us Money
About Those “Death Panels” - The Freeman
Death Panels? What death panels?
Political End Runs - Thomas Sowell

The "Tax The Rich" Con, Parts 1-3 ...

Thanks very much to Dr. Newmark for the heads-up on these columns.

The 'Tax The Rich' Con, Part I - Forbes.com: "This is a power grab that invariably hits those who aren't rich. The Democratic Party's passionate opposition to President Barack Obama's agreement to extend all of the current personal income tax rates is based on one of the great political con jobs of the last 100 years--that raising the top personal income tax rates is a way to 'tax the rich.' The 'tax the rich' mantra is seductive. It is based on the philosophy that taking money from those with higher incomes and using it to fund government programs will produce a more just society. It sounds like an easy way to reduce the Federal government's growing debt."

The Tax The Rich Con Part II - Forbes.com: "The middle class will foot the bill for higher taxes on the rich. One of the key talking points for raising tax rates on those with high incomes is that such a tax increase will 'force millionaires and billionaires' to pay more of the cost of government. This part of the 'tax the rich' mantra sounds good. It promises the majority of voters something--reducing the federal budget deficit--at no cost to them. But this pitch too is a con."

The 'Tax The Rich' Con, Part III - Forbes.com: "It's a classic bait-and-switch that eventually leads to higher taxes for everyone. The 'Tax the Rich' mantra invoked by liberals and progressives is a con job. It misrepresents the target of the tax, deflects attention away from the true consequences of the higher tax rates that they advocate, and often is a precursor to higher tax rates on low- and middle-income families."

Related links:
When Will Taxes Be Sufficiently Progressive?
Ron Paul on Distorting the Tax Policy Debate ...
Where Did Oregon's Millionaires Go?
More on Taxes, And Their Morality ...
Tax Debate: Facts Are Not Optional

Wristwatch Updates: Carrera Cal 1887, Orient Mako, Super Oyster II, & More!

The beautiful vintage Heuer pic at right is courtesy of David. Remember the Watch Reviews of Les Z?

Carrera Cal 1887 -- Flash Review: "The Carrera Calibre 1887 is a beautiful chronograph, taking the defining elements of the 1960s Carreras, and incorporating them into a state-of the-art chronograph. One by one, we see the key elements of the vintage Carreras transferred from the 1964 Carrera into the form factor required to house a modern movement."

Review: Super Oyster II Bracelet For Seiko Auto Diver: "A few years ago I bought an almost new Seiko SKX-173 Automatic Diver (my 3rd Seiko auto diver). It came with the ubiquitous Z22 rubber strap. I've been thinking about getting an oyster style bracelet for it, they only shipped with I think jubilee and president type bracelets."

A Look At The Chinese Watch Buyer (VIDEO) - Hodinkee: "The Chinese market is where the luxury watch industry is looking next. Hong Kong is quickly becoming the watch capital of the world, and now a whopping 35% of Sotheby's large clients are Chiense, up from only 8% in 2008. In a quick profile of Chinese watch buyers, the Wall Street Journal reveals that they are looking for five traits ..."

Orient Mako CEM65001B Review: "Orient is Japan’s largest producer of mechanical watches. Orient designs and produces their movements in-house. This movement design and production style is truly rare in the watch industry and sets Orient apart from a vast number of watch companies. Orient was recently acquired by Seiko, but runs as an independent subsidiary."

SCUBAWATCH.ORG CERTINA DS-3 1000M: "Manufactured by Certina, the DS-3 was selected for service by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The back of the case has the NSN (National Stock Number) and issue numbers engraved indicating it's use by the RAN. Originally issued in the early 70's, only a very few of these issued watches have appeared in the collectors marketplace making it one of the most sought after military issue watches."

Have you got a Black Watch? I'll start with a Porsche Design by: "Orfina. What sort of black watches are out there? Let's see some of yours. This PD was one of the earliest attempts. But they've been more popular that ever in the last few years. Kobold, IWC, B&R, Sinn, Fortis etc. (but famously not Rolex - unless you include some private 'initiatives')."

Rolex Coolness: Steve McQueen The King Of Cool: "In this photo we see Steve McQueen at Sebring in 1970 wearing his trademark Rolex Submariner (Reference 5512). Of course, Steve McQueen is the King Of Cool, and I included a video interview of Steve McQueen at Sebring in 1970 talking about how he was racing with his broken foot!!!"

Some Q & D pics of my SUB 4000T Sharkie (more pics added): "Well I guess it was about time that one of these showed up in the wild! My crappy pics don't do the watch justice, but I think you get the idea. Some first impressions ..."

The Laurent Ferrier Galet Classic - WatchingHorology: "A deceptively simple looking three handed dial measuring 41mm in diameter with a discreet exhibition back that showcases its tourbillon cage with quality finish and workmanship and a new caliber that one would expect from top Swiss brands."

Zenith Watches Rebalanced: "Whether you like them or not, they were an experiment, and one that crashed along with the global economy. New CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour has tacked back and is emphasizing in-house movements and classic designs. The 'striking 10th' at the top of this article is probably my favorite - high-beat movement, well-proportioned dial and enough touches of color to provide visual interest." (more on Zenith)

A Solitary Watchmaker: Finishing the parts for Calibre ‘R’: "Finishing on a movement fulfills three objectives: aesthetics, longevity, and timekeeping. Finishing as aesthetics is something for the collector. The glow or gleam in the movement is something to marvel at; and how different elements of the finishing reflect the light and show different elements of the mechanics is one of the elements that keeps collectors interested in watches. It also allows watchmakers to present their work with a degree of pride and show case their skill."

New Arrival - Roger Dubuis Sympathie Guilloche Main: "A few weeks ago, I came across this particular Roger Dubuis Sympathie with the same guilloche dial, and my heart skipped a beat. I loved the blue hands and cursive applied numeral. However, before I pulled the trigger, I had to overcome a few points of hesitation ..."

AHCI - A visit to Parmigiani Fleurier: "Michel Parmigiani is a watchmaker who grew up and worked in the Val de Travers. When the crisis in the Swiss watch industry came in the 1970's he decided to set out on his own as a watch and clock restorer."

Tissot Visodate 1957 Heritage Collection Automatic - REVIEW: "I’ve always admired Tissot’s Heritage Collection for their authentic reproductions of past models and I was seriously considering buying a 150th Anniversary Commemorative Edition a few years ago."

Additional links:
PhotoWatches.eu - Prim Sport II
John Glenn's Stopwatch
SCUBAWATCH.ORG SEIKO 6105
Pele: The Greatest Soccer Player In History...
Seiko Divers Gallery :: SKX007J & SKX007K
2010 In Asia: The Year of the Watch (and Other Gems)
Vintage Rolex Forum: Unique Sea Dweller?
Omega W.W.W. watch
Nixon 42-20 Chrono Watch in All Black/Tortoise
Junghans 150th Anniversary Meister Chronoscope

Markets In Everything: Sheep For Border Collies

Fun story. So many people now have dogs from herding breeds that there is a demand for sheep to herd, just to occupy them, and I suppose to a larger extent, keep the owners amused. (pic: Leah Nash for the WSJ)

For our next dog I've kind of got my heart set on an an Australian Cattle Dog, hope we can find one for a reasonable price.

In a Tale That Wags Dog Owners, They Rent Flocks for Bored Collies - WSJ.com: "Compulsive Sheep Herders Need a 'Job' to Entertain Them; 'That'll Do'. BATTLE GROUND, Wash.—Sue Foster knew what she needed to do when her border collie, Taff, was expelled from puppy school for herding the black Labs into a corner. He rented some sheep. Then she bought another border collie and rented some grazing land. Then she bought some sheep of her own. And a third border collie. Now, like the old lady who swallowed the fly, Ms. Foster keeps a llama to chase off the coyotes that threaten the lambs that go to market to finance the sheep that entertain her dogs. Once upon a time, Americans got dogs for their sheep. Now they get sheep for their dogs. "I never dreamed it would go this far," says Ms. Foster, 56 years old. Border collies, first bred along the frontier between England and Scotland, are compulsive herders, with instincts so intense they sometimes search for livestock behind the television when sheep appear on screen, says Geri Byrne, owner of the Border Collie Training Center, in Tulelake, Calif. Left unoccupied, they'll dig up the garden, chew up the doggie bed or persecute the cat. Herding experts—yes, there is such a thing—say it's increasingly common for people who get border collies as pets to wind up renting or buying sheep just to keep their dogs busy. "It's something that's snowballing all the time," says Jack Knox, a Scottish-born shepherd who travels the U.S. giving herding clinics."

Govt. Schools Still Spending ...

Disgraceful, but not the least bit surprising. You gotta read it.

US public schools are going broke, yet some spend like a kid in a candy store - CSMonitor.com: "The $578 million price tag for the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools complex in Los Angeles is hard to justify at a time when many schools are turning to desperate measures to save teachers' jobs. Voters must respond by pushing profligate public schools to be as frugal as charter schools. ... Yet states have to assume their share of responsibility for the way they've used the $100 billion in federal stimulus funds they received soon after President Obama took office. Most of the money – $40 billion – was directed at shoring up the balance sheets of state education systems. The rest supported Title I funding for poor students, programs for disabled students, and smaller programs like the Obama administration's Race to the Top contest. But according to a 50-state survey conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures and reported in The New York Times, 20 states said they intended from the very outset to spend all of their stabilization funds in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years. On average, all 50 states spent 86 percent of the federal stimulus money in the past two years, leaving just 14 percent for this year. Such short-sighted budgeting in the midst of the Great Recession is hard to defend. Whatever sympathy might be felt for schools in these hard times was further dampened by jaw-dropping examples of profligacy in other districts."

Additional links:
Confessions of a State Stimulus Czar - WSJ.com

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 the entire column, it's not long at all.

UPDATE: See the letter in which Dr. Boudreaux answers the question: "Is Basic Health Care a ‘Right’?"

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:
Is Basic Health Care a ‘Right’? (by Dr. Don Boudreaux of GMU)
Healthcare Is Not a Human Right
How Much of The Federal Budget Is Theft and Handouts?
Is It a Right or Isn't It?

Monday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via AD)
Epiphany School
Dr Chau Chak Wing Building / Frank Gehry
Matryoshka House / David Jameson
Blue Sky Home by o2 Architecture
Les Heures Claires in Belgium by AABE
Contemporary Glass addition Adorning an 18 Century Home
Tyler Residence / el dorado
Z-Haus by Atelier Waechter

Photography.
Total Lunar Eclipse
The Frame: Santa Claus sightings 2010
The Frame: Storm lashes Southern California
Merry Christmas
YouTube - Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade- "Tilt-Shift"

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Scription: What's in My Bag - Lightweight Store Visit Edition
Pocket Blonde: Waterman Rollerball
Whatever: The New Edison Minas
Zebra Expandz Collapsible Ball Point Pen

Environment. (ht: Newmark's Door)
"Oil Spill Hysteria: The Gulf of Mexico suffered remarkably little damage"
"'Erin Brockovich' Town Shows No Cancer Cluster"
"EPA declares saccharin not a health threat after all"

History.
Buffalo firm still produces music for Victorian-era pianos
Chrysler builds Sherman, Pershing, and M3 tanks

Computing.
101 Most Useful Websites You Don't Know About

Animals.
And Most Knobbular goes to…
Sara Baldwin Design: Look What We Did Today
Buckley the Labrador Retriever
14 Most Beautiful Jellyfish on Earth
The Platypus: Nature’s "Swiss Army Knife"
The Only Reptile to Still Rule the Lands …

Gear / Gadgets / Kit.
Hollander Bikes
The Curious Evolution of Holiday Lights
Eton Raptor
CardSharp
15 best Kindle covers and accessories

Travel.
60 Sacred Destinations Of The World
Portale di Venezia - Venezia near You - carnivalofvenice.com
Welcome to haveyoubeentheredonethat.travel
36 Hours in Marrakesh, Morocco - NYTimes.com
23 Movies That Will Make You Want to Travel

Cars.
The Bike EXIF Top 10
60 Years of Porsche Selling in the U.S. (more)
2011 Honda CR-Z Review - Coupe/Hatchback
Christmas road test: Packard-engined Bentley
A Brief History of Santa’s Rocket Ship
Fat Attack
2011 Jeep Wrangler Review - Popular Mechanics

Retro.
MERRY CHRISTMAS - A Continuous Lean
HOLLYWOOD’S INNOVATIVE KUSTOM KULTURE LEGEND - DEAN JEFFRIES
Ice Harvest - A Continuous Lean

Liberty / Govt.
DARK SIDE OF SIS: AGENTS SEARCH HOME OF PILOT CRITICAL OF TSA...
EPA taking over greenhouse gas permits in Texas
U.S. Has Approved Billions in Business With Blacklisted Nations
U.N. to investigate treatment of Bradley Manning
This Week’s Sign of the Economic Apocalypse
Terrorism: Made in the U.S.A. by Sheldon Richman
One question the Labor Party, the Liberal Party, & Greens are scared to answer

Unions.
Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Style.
Wine 101: The Art of Sabering a Champagne Bottle
Fit Finder - Search for a better fit
The Versatile 3 Three Piece Donegal Tweed Suit
How To Get A Dimple

Shoes / Boots.
10engines: robinson's handmade irish brogues
Installing recessed steel toe guards on Vimeo
Alden Shoes – The Officer Dress Boot
The Sartorialist: On the Street....Alden Cordovan, New York

Watches.
Seiko Divers Reference
I thought I'd get a jump on the crowd. My 2010 SOTC

Food.
Stranger & Stranger: No. 12 Absinthe
Hallelujah Cocktail
Chef Georgia Pellegrini - “Holiday Punch”
Vanilla Peppermint Martini

Misc.
Did 'Shrooms Send Santa And His Reindeer Flying? : NPR
2011 TED Fellow Studies Tech Needs in Low-Income India--and Builds a Braille Phone in His Spare Time
Succession - UK Royal Family

Economic Laws Are Like Gravity

You are free to ignore the law of gravity, but that won't mean it will stop. Ann the law of gravity can not be repealed, even with a majority vote in Congress.

Congress Can’t Repeal Economics - The Freeman: "It’s raining! I don’t like it! Why hasn’t Congress passed the Good Weather Act and the Everybody Happy Act? Sound dumb? Why is it any dumber than a law called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which promises to cover more for less money? When Obamacare was debated, we free-market advocates insisted that no matter what the President promised, he and Congress couldn’t repeal the laws of economics. Our opponents in effect answered, “Yes, they can.” Well, Obamacare has barely started taking effect, and the evidence is already rolling in. I hate to say we told them so, but . . . we told them so. The laws of economics have struck back. Health insurers Wellpoint, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, and CoventryOne will stop writing policies for all children. Why? Because Obamacare requires that they insure already sick children for the same price as well children."

Review: Super Oyster II Bracelet For Seiko Auto Diver

A few years ago I bought an almost new Seiko SKX-173 Automatic Diver (my 3rd Seiko auto diver). It came with the ubiquitous Z22 rubber strap. I've been thinking about getting an oyster style bracelet for it, they only shipped with I think jubilee and president type bracelets.

As an aside, you can't go wring with a Seiko auto diver, these things are rock-solid and some of the best deals in watches. They are built like tanks and look great. Form and function. There are many different variations available.



After getting some good info from the Seiko forum, Swedefreak, PMWF, and elsewhere, I settled on the "Super Oyster II" bracelet from William Jean in Canada. It was around $65.

The bracelet is better than most I've seen from manufacturers, including several Swiss! It is VERY solid. The features of note:
1. Solid End Links
2. Screwed links
3. 4 micro-adjustment holes on the clasp
4. Solid links, not rolled/folded steel

Not only are the SELs and screwed links great, the fit between the lugs is absolutely perfect.

If you're considering a 22mm bracelet for your Seiko Diver, definitely consider one of these. Visit some of the review links below for better info and pics.








Additional links:
Review Of William Jeans' New Super Oyster Type II Bracelet ...
William Jean in Canada via eBay
Seiko Super Oyster Bracelet Review
Seiko SKX007 with WJean Super Oyster
Amazon.com: Seiko Men's SKX173 Automatic Dive Watch

Seiko Auto Divers - Review:
Review of Seiko SKX007
Seiko SKX173 vs. Invicta 8926 Review
Seiko SKXA55 "Orange Bullet" Minireview
Seiko SKX013 Diver's 200m - Revisited
Seiko Diver's 200 Meter SKX779 Featuring the 7S26 Automatic Movement

Great Columns On Insider Trading ...

A must-read.

Inside Insider Trading - Ideas On Liberty: "What happens when insiders are not allowed to trade on an important piece of news? That news will get out eventually, and the first people to find out about it will be outsiders just beyond the gates. These will very likely be securities analysts, whose full-time job is to keep abreast of developments in public companies. So they, the firms they work for, and their clients would be the first to benefit from the news. The news will eventually reach most shareholders, but later than it would otherwise. Instead of early profits accruing to insiders, they will accrue to professionals, and this makes no difference to most shareholders, especially long-term shareholders. During a time when the dissemination of significant news about a company is blocked by insider-trading restrictions, that company’s shares are mispriced relative to where the price would be if the news were out. If the news is bad investors will buy at prices they would not have paid had they heard the news. Movement of capital toward more productive uses is inhibited. If it is good some sellers will let go of their shares at prices they would not have accepted had they heard. Movement of capital toward such firms is inhibited. In either case there is a net loss to the economy."

Additional links:
Learning to Love Insider Trading - WSJ.com
Insider-Trading Prohibitions Should Go out of Style
A Reflection on Insider Trading and Confidence in Markets

Harsanyi Nails The FCC / Net Neutrality Story

Fantastic new column from David Harsanyi. Definitely click-through and read the entire thing.

Harsanyi: Save the 'Net; abolish the FCC - The Denver Post: "Because there exists no area of human activity that couldn't benefit from more paternalistic attention . . . Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Federal Communications Commission to your Web browser. Congressional Democrats could not find the votes to pass 'net neutrality.' No problem. Three un-elected officials will impose rules on hundreds of millions of satisfied online consumers. A federal appeals court stops the FCC from employing authority over the Internet. Again, not a problem. Three out of five FCC commissioners can carve out some temporary wiggle room, because as any crusading technocrat knows, the most important thing is getting in the door. It's not that we don't need the FCC's meddling, it's that we don't need the FCC at all. Rather than expanding the powers — which always seem to grow — of this outdated bureaucracy, Congress should be finding ways to eliminate it."

When Will Taxes Be Sufficiently Progressive?

A must-read from yesterday's WSJ. Also see the solid analysis and follow-up from Our Dinner Table.

Is it ever enough? Another thought, why should anyone be concerned that the rich earn a greater percentage of income. The keyword is "earned." And no, I'm not a shill for the rich, I'm faaaaaarr below the $250,000 threshold of the discussion. ;-)

Taxes and the Top Percentile Myth - WSJ.com: "A 2008 OECD study of leading economies found that 'taxation is most progressively distributed in the United States.' More so than Sweden or France. Despite the deficit commission's call for tax reform with fewer tax credits and lower marginal tax rates, the left wing of the Democratic Party remains passionate about making the U.S. tax system more and more progressive. They claim this is all about payback—that raising the highest tax rates is the fair thing to do because top income groups supposedly received huge windfalls from the Bush tax cuts. As the headline of a Robert Creamer column in the Huffington Post put it: 'The Crowd that Had the Party Should Pick up the Tab.' Arguments for these retaliatory tax penalties invariably begin with estimates by economists Thomas Piketty of the Paris School of Economics and Emmanuel Saez of U.C. Berkeley that the wealthiest 1% of U.S. households now take home more than 20% of all household income. This estimate suffers two obvious and fatal flaws.
...
In The Journal of Economic Perspectives (Winter 2007), Messrs. Piketty and Saez estimated that 'the upper 1% of the income distribution earned 19.6% of total income before tax [in 2004], and paid 41% of the individual federal income tax.' No other major country is so dependent on so few taxpayers. A 2008 study of 24 leading economies by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) concludes that, 'Taxation is most progressively distributed in the United States, probably reflecting the greater role played there by refundable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. . . . Taxes tend to be least progressive in the Nordic countries (notably, Sweden), France and Switzerland.' The OECD study—titled "Growing Unequal?"—also found that the ratio of taxes paid to income received by the top 10% was by far the highest in the U.S., at 1.35, compared to 1.1 for France, 1.07 for Germany, 1.01 for Japan and 1.0 for Sweden (i.e., the top decile's share of Swedish taxes is the same as their share of income)."

Additional links:
Ron Paul on Distorting the Tax Policy Debate ...
Where Did Oregon's Millionaires Go?
More on Taxes, And Their Morality ...
Tax Debate: Facts Are Not Optional