Hardened Criminals Finally Off The Streets

That's what the Feds would have you believe. I wonder if this is what the founding fathers had in mind?

Amish Raw-Milk Seller Raided by Feds - Ideas On Liberty: "A yearlong sting operation, including aliases, a 5 a.m. surprise inspection and surreptitious purchases from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania, culminated in the federal government announcing this week that it has gone to court to stop Rainbow Acres Farm from selling its contraband to willing customers in the Washington area. The product in question: unpasteurized milk."

Two on Big Oil: Taxes and Profits

From Dr. Perry, via Dr. Rizzo.

The Unbroken Window - Fun Facts to Know and Tell: Gasoline Profits Edition: "From Mark Perry:

- Each gallon of gas sold in 2010 generated … two … cents … of profits for Exxon.
- Each gallon of gas sold in 2010 generated … forty-eight cents … of tax “revenues” for government.

By the way, this does not include the tax … on the profits of the oil companies. I’d remind you too that their margins are 8%. How many of you would take hundreds of billions of dollars, explore the deepest, most inhospitable places on the planet, manage to get a well dug a mile below the bottom of the sea, pump it up, transport it, refine it, and be cast as the most obscene villain in the history of capitalism to earn … 8 cents on the dollar of revenue generated?"

QI: Exxon Paid Almost $1M per Hour in Income Taxes and Its Effective Tax Rate Was 42.3%: "1. ExxonMobil paid $8 billion in income taxes to various governments in the first quarter, which is about $22 million in income taxes each day, or almost $1 million each hour.
2. ExxonMobil spent $7.8 billion in the first quarter on capital equipment and exploration (73% of its earnings), or more than $21 million per day, which is an increase of 14% compared to the first quarter last year. Over the next five years, the oil company plans to invest about $175 billion in capital equipment and exploration. "

Quick Book Review: Up From The Projects by Walter Williams

One of the latest from the great Dr. Walter Williams. This time it's his autobiography: Up From The Projects by Dr. Walter Williams

A wonderful and enjoyable read. You'll walk away with a better appreciation of what the man overcame, and what made him who he is today. The pictures and anecdotes are worth the price of admission alone.

Not too much more to say about it. A brief paperback, and a deal at under $12 from Amazon. Also enjoy the video interview with Dr. Williams.



You can read the preface and first chapter for free.

Related links:
YouTube - Walter Williams: Up From the Projects
Up from the Projects - Thomas Sowell
Man Versus the State - Reason Magazine

Today's Quotes: Ehrlich, Harvey, Rand, & More

The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s the world will undergo famines--hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now.
-- Paul Ehrlich, 1968

It was self-serving politicians who convinced recent generations of Americans that we could all stand in a circle with our hands in each other’s pockets and somehow get rich.
-- Paul Harvey

A society that robs an individual of the product of his effort, or enslaves him, or attempts to limit the freedom of his mind, or compels him to act against his own rational judgment ... is not, strictly speaking, a society, but a mob held together by institutionalized gang-rule.
-- Ayn Rand

If you want government to intervene domestically, you're a liberal. If you
want government to intervene overseas, you're a conservative. If you want
government to intervene everywhere, you're a moderate. If you don't want
government to intervene anywhere, you're an extremist.
-- Joseph Sobran (1995)

Welfarism and excessive spending and deficits and socialism divide us, because everybody has to go to Washington. Those who have the biggest clout, those who are the best lobbyists, those who go and they grab. And whether it's the medical industrial complex, or the banking industry, or the military industrial complex, that's who ends up controlling our government... For so long, conservatives and constitutionalists have lost the argument, they lost the moral high ground. Because those who want to give things away, not talking about where they steal it from, but they want to give things and take care of people, they get the moral high ground and they come by as being compassionate. And we who believe in liberty, we lack compassion. But the truth is, there's only one compassionate system known to man, and that is freedom and personal responsibility, then there's enough wealth, and then we will all have personal responsibility to use this compassion that we have, first to take care of our families and friends and neighbors, and there would be so much wealth that we could spread this wealth around the world.
-- Dr. Ron Paul

A Few Random Morning Links ...

Fun Facts to Know and Tell: Gasoline Profits Edition.

Love this 1975 BMW R75/6 with Matching Sidecar.

The Messages a Man Sends With His Work Bag - WSJ.com

Nice FC pencils.

An incredible and unique Vacheron clock from the 1930s.

The Budweiser diet: How long can you survive on beer alone?

Hayek’s Nobel, Our Victory?

Space, the Ultimate Visual Frontier: 70 Amazing Infographics.

Protect yourself from the zombie apocalypse, in style.

Where Will Kate and William Live?

9 retro bomb shelters.

Cisco's Virtual Doctor Will See You Now.

The death of the typewriter? Don't write it off yet.

Free Markets Have Room for Everyone.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake, 1554 Black Ale Doughnuts with Mocha Black Ale Glaze, Chubby Hubby Brownies.

Contemporary Brazilian Residence. One in Stuttgart.

First Look: Brand New 85g Ivory Quo Vadis Habanas.

Calling animals 'pets' is insulting, academics claim.

An Evening with Credor Minute Repeater then some.

Fight of the Century: Keynes vs. Hayek Round Two

The next installment, enjoy! (the first installment)

Watch it, enjoy, share it with friends, watch again, then read more Hayek.

Gingrich on Ethanol ...

In case you needed another reason to distrust this creature. (previous post)

Review & Outlook: Professor Cornpone Inc. - WSJ.com: "What an interesting turn in our running debate over ethanol with Newt Gingrich, the former GOP Speaker who wants to be President. Professor Gingrich says his ethanol support is grounded in his lifetime of studying history and intellectual problems, but what about that $312,500 from the ethanol lobby? The Center for Public Integrity has examined IRS records and reports that Mr. Gingrich's shop earned that sum for his role as a 'consultant' in 2009 for Growth Energy, one of the ethanol lobbies. The center cites documents listing his duties as speaking 'positively on ethanol related topics to media,' plus giving advice on 'strategy and communication issues.' Mr. Gingrich's salvos against us came in a lecture to the Renewable Fuels Association, a separate ethanol lobby, so we have to admit the Speaker is ecumenical in his salesmanship."

Related links:
Just Another Facile Politician
Yup, They Actually Said It: Newt Gingrich Edition

A Few Random Morning Links ...

Love this barn turned into a house. Imposing Concrete Residence in Warsaw.

Spreading the wealth around, with GPAs.

Not sure I would eat the jellyfish salad.

These new Moleskine rollerball pens look pretty slick. (much more) And the Muji Pocket Notebook. What's Poppin?

Visit Liechtenstein.

These could make me a Chukka convert.

By Air, Land, and Sea: 10 Great Animal Migrations to Witness.

Buying knock-off bags and watches in NYC could soon land you in hot water.

Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s antarctic hut has survived almost untouched – except by the occasional passing explorer – for 100 years.

The Preamble They Should’ve Written.

Iceberg photography.

The prince won't wear a wedding ring, what a player.

Qik Bridges Android-iPhone Gap With Cross-Platform Video Chat.

Again, with the typewriters.

Apple's Steve Jobs Defends iPhone Location Practices ... Jobs Concedes Apple’s Mistakes in iPhone Location Data.

Maple mousse served in an edible container.

Leica Helped Jews Flee Nazi Germany.

Edwardian Era Street Style.

Mr. ACL Meets the New Lambo.

The Newest on the U.S. Dungeon at Guantanamo.

Creative Destruction: Typewriters and Space Shuttles

Two good examples of creative destruction. And a funny subtext - note the last entities still using typewriters. ;-) (ht: Rachel Barnhart)

The World's Last Typewriter Factory Is Closed - Global - The Atlantic Wire: "Up until recently, there was a typewriter factory still in existence in India. And, for the better part of this past decade, Indians were still buying the unwieldy device in droves. Even this February, the AFP ran an article explaining that the seemingly-ancient technology was 'flourishing' in the nation. Sadly, that era has now ended. Godrej and Boyce shut down its Mumbai, India plant because of declining orders. The company has only 'a few hundred' typewriters in stock, most of which are Arabic language models. 'Till 2009, we used to produce 10,000 to 12,000 machines a year,' the factory's general manager told the India's Business Standard newspaper. 'Now, our primary market is among the defence agencies, courts and government offices.'"

With Flights Winding Down, NASA Astronauts Seek New Opportunities - NYTimes.com: "What happens when you have the right stuff at the wrong time? Members of NASA’s astronaut corps have been asking just that, now that the space shuttle program is ending and their odds of flying anywhere good anytime soon are getting smaller. The Endeavour is scheduled to launch this week, and the Atlantis is supposed to fly the last shuttle mission in June — and all the seats are spoken for."

Wristwatch Updates: Chocolate Frog, Racing Chronos, Sinn, & More!

I never tire of these amazing MB&F pieces. Enjoy the rest of the links. (pic courtesy of aBlogToRead)

MB&F HM3 Chocolate Frog & ReBel Hands-On: "I decided to cover both of these Horological Machine Number 3 variant watches together to illustrate just how creative MB&F can be with their models and marketing practices. The original HM3 debuted in 2008 and I did a review of the watch as well here. Since then MB&F has offered a range of HM3 based models, including these two watches which are the HM3 Chocolate Frog and the HM3 ReBel."

Take A Trip With Us Into The Future Of Complications : The Watch Lounge: "Before talking about the future of complications, Stéphane Belmont, Head of product development at Jaeger-LeCoultre, introduces an interesting distinction: “We can speak of two types of complications. One type is inherent to watchmaking art, those are classical complications that we will continue to interpret in our own way."

Racing Chronographs of the ’50s: "We recently uncovered an amazing cache of rare motorsports chronographs from the Fifties at Collector Studio – Motorsport Gallery in Toronto and were as intrigued by the watches’ histories as much as their vintage good looks."

Review: Panerai PAM00372 - Luxury Insider: "In this new column, we offer a verite-style take on luxury watches, with a few quick snaps, some witty banter and unapologetically personal opinions. Here, I try my hand at the Officine Panerai PAM00372"

Camaro 73443 NT 30 Dato (Stardust) - Heuerville: "It was Jack Heuer who was the driving forced behind the design and production of the Camaro. Despite the name, he commented recently that the watch had no commercial connection with the American muscle car. Sadly, the Camaro range was a short lived, only being seen in the 1970 to 72 catalogues."

1961 - 2011: 50 Years of Sinn: "For Watchuseek, I just finished this article on 50 years of Sinn Spezialuhren. A German brand with a focus on functionality and technology, celebrating their 50th anniversary this year with a special pilot’s chronograph Model 358."

The Lady or the Tiger: The Evolution of the Hublot Clef du Temps: "Now the Clef du Temps was a sort of act of horological subversiveness. Basically, you could make the watch run at either half or double speed, depending on whether you wanted to feel like time was running slowly or quickly (depending on, say, whether you were spending time with a sumptuously compelling member of the opposite sex, or going through an IRS audit.)"

Ochs und Junior Due Ore Tinta and Mesa Tinta- choose your own color of dial: "Ochs und Junior just launched a pilot series of these ‘Tinta’ models and they are ready and available for immediate delivery. However… just one watch per colour is the pilot series! Even the straps can be colored, so this is customization to the max."

OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean Chrono Cal.9300/9301 - Perpetuelle: "As well, the watch boasts the usual Planet Ocean diver features including 600 meter water resistance rating, unidrectional rotating bezel, helium escape valve — all of the high quality divers we have come to expect from Omega. The new Caliber 9300 chronos are available in the variations shown below, black ceramic or orange bezel insert. Available Fall 2011."

Devon Tread 1 Watch Review: "While the Tread 1 is large, Devon did a good job with the design to ensure wearing comfort. The case is 53.3mm wide by 47mm tall and 19mm thick. I have small wrists, so the watch will likely not look at large on your arm."

Additional links:
Watchscapes: Grand Seiko GMT SGBM003
JLC SIHH 2011: The Duometre à Quantième Lunaire.
2 year anniversary with my 1971 Seiko 6138-0011 aka "Yachtman"
May 15th Antiquorum Important Vintage & Modern Timepieces
New brand: M. Benjamin by Benjamin Muller
Baselworld 2011: The big PuristSPro report --- Linde Werdelin

A Few Random Morning Links ...

As a kid, this was my dream car.

Stunning place in Cali. And another in the Netherlands.

Smugglers are just free-traders.

QTvan Mini Camper Trailer Designed For Use With Electric Scooters.

RomneyCare might be the canary in the mine. At the very least it should remove Romney from any serious consideration for POTUS.

Soviet Postcards From The Soviet-Finnish War.

More on the rot that is the union-run U.S. government school system.

Beefeater's master distiller shares his gin secrets.

It's like junior-high all over again. "I didn't do it, it was Android!"

Working with the Chaos Monkey, Netflix style.

Krugman exposed.

Record the police, always. Las Vegas Man Beaten for Filming a Cop.

Why are we entranced by the Titanic? And Titanic's Unknown Child Given New, Final Identity.

In One Hour, For Less Than a Buck, a Sensor Made of Jell-O and Foil Detects Acute Pancreatitis.

They've been making buttons for 150 years.

Food: Tiffany Derry's 5 course dinner. Spicy Cashew Brittle, Crunchy Nutella Brownies, belgian ale waffle with ale ice cream and chocolate sauce, Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream.

Where Did the Anti-War Protestors Go?

I've asked this several times in the last two years, and I see John Stossel's latest column wonders as well. See the double-standards and hypocrisy of the political Left on full display. Yes, I realize the political Right is just as bad, they just happen to often choose different topics. (pic via Wiki)

Where Did All the Anti-War Protestors Go? - John Stossel: "The anti-war movement was all over the news before President Obama was elected. But apparently they weren’t really anti-war

... they were just anti-President Bush. Two college professors just released a study of national protests between 2007 and 2009. What did they find?
… After January 2007, the attendance at antiwar rallies [measured in] roughly the tens of thousands, or thousands, through the end of 2008.

… After the election of Barack Obama as president, the order of magnitude of antiwar protests dropped [...] Organizers were hard pressed to stage a rally with participation in the thousands, or even in the hundreds. For example, we counted exactly 107 participants at a Chicago rally on October 7, 2009. Amazing. Especially because the war in Afghanistan ramped up after Obama was elected. American fatalities shot up in 2009 and 2010. The protesters have remained silent over Libya. And I’m struck by the hypocrisy of the supposedly “anti-war” politicians who voted against Iraq, like Nancy Pelosi. Since Obama was elected, she has voted to continue the war in Afghanistan … and supported the attack on Libya."

Related links:
Liberty & Govt. At Work: War Protests, Where Is Cindy Sheehan?, & More

Who Watches The Watchers? and Nullification.

One of the arguments against states' rights is that if a state (or other non-federal entity) becomes corrupt or tyrannical, the Feds would be unable to intervene.

I'm left with two thoughts:

1. With multiple, even numerous, states and locales, they would compete for citizens.
2. If the federal government has primacy, what to do if (when?) that government becomes corrupt or tyrannical? (answer here)

This is why I support nullification.

Two stories from the news on topic:
Military patrols start Friday night in downtown Columbus
NOLA cops so corrupt Feds have taken over

Nullification.
Book Review: Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century
Nullification: Answering the Objections by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.
Interview with a Zombie - Tom Woods
Nullification and the Thought Controllers

A Few Random Morning Links ...

AD Classics: Willey House / Frank Lloyd Wright.

Some super-clever animated .gifs. (more)

If you've ever felt the need to send a ransom note on a mug, this is for you.

Are Maiden Names Really Worth $500,000?

Why we fear Daleks.

Could You Do Better Than Eisenhower?

Toyota's Xplore Adventure Series FJ Cruiser.

Here's a murdered-out Panny.

10 Things Your Coworkers Won't Tell You - SmartMoney.

The Pelikan 101N Tortoise is a beauty. Midori Traveler’s Notebook – Passport size.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Bowls, I'm sold.

You can rent a designer home.

This is some scary business.

A few items for earth day: Happy Mother Earth Day, Citizen!, Sustainability: Empty Rhetoric or a Bad Idea?, What Greens Really Believe, What About a Capitalism Day?

Any Readers Here Into Ham / Amateur Radio?

I've been interested in it for years but never pursued it. When I was a kid circa 1982 I hooked-up a cheap mobile CB to a car battery charger in my bedroom and played with that for a summer. (pic via Wiki)

Around the same time I can remember talking to my great uncle. he was a ham and had a set in his basement. He tells me it was a Hallicrafters SX-71 radio with a Gizmotchy beam antenna. (I have no idea what that means)

About five years ago I looked into getting licensed but never pursued it. I just bought a book to prepare for the Technician exam and plan to follow-through.

So, are any readers here into amateur radio?

Additional links:
70 Years of Telescopes Tuned to Cosmic Radio
Why Ham Radio Endures in a World of Tweets
Communicate if Your Government Shuts Off Your Internet
The Great Brazilian Sat-Hack Crackdown

Dr. Rizzo on Fracking, Gas, and Coal

A good read.

The Unbroken Window: "For example, in 1978 Congress, concerned about impending shortages of natural gas, passed the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act. This prohibited the use of natural gas for power generation and industrial use. As a result, capital investment shifted towards a new generation of coal-fired power plants. If all the coal-fired electric generating capacity added during the last thirty years had been fueled by natural gas, U.S. carbon dioxide emissions would have been about 20 percent lower. This act was repealed in 1987."

The Gas Revolution - The Weekly Standard: "Amazingly, an era of energy abundance is upon us, unless politicians and environmentalists get their way. ... Now, within an astonishingly short time, the entire picture has changed. In mid-December the Energy Information Administration released new estimates of U.S. natural gas showing proved reserves at their highest level since 1967, up 33 percent in the last three years and 62 percent over the last 10 years. Natural gas production in the United States in 2009 (21.6 trillion cubic feet) was the highest since 1973, even though demand was down on account of the recession. The Department of Energy now predicts gas reserves will grow by at least another 20 percent over the next decade, though a number of energy forecasters think reserves will grow by much more, securing a 100-year supply for our needs. Even as oil and gasoline prices rise again to uncomfortable levels, the price of natural gas has declined 80 percent from its mid-recession level in the summer of 2008, to about $4 per thousand cubic feet, and it is likely to stay at this level or perhaps fall further. Although price volatility may not be a thing of the past, it is unlikely we’ll see spikes to $14 again for a very, very long time."

A Few Random Morning Links ...

Architecture / Design. (pic via Freshome)
Riverside Apartment in Brisbane
Historic Convent Near Paris Turned into Modern Home
Shipping Container Hybrid House
Hidden Garage in San Francisco
Jade Mountain Resort in St. Lucia
Cramped Efficiency: Inside a Submarine

Real Estate.
The 10 Largest Homes In America

Apple.
Why and How Apple Is Collecting Your iPhone Location Data
Franken Demands Answers from Steve Job
How Apple tracks your location without consent, and why it matters

Food.
Tim Tam Cake

Gadgets / Gear / Kit.
The $410 Corkscrew - The Pour - NYTimes.com

Markets.
Markets in Everything: Men in Kilts

Photography.
Compact Infrared Camera Sees in the Dark
Gorgeous Slow Camera Box Is Like an Analog Instagram
Pictures Leak Of New Sony NEX C3 Camera
Wireless Lens Camera

Liberty / Govt.
Police beating of Las Vegas man caught on tape
Are Speed Cameras Accurate?
Cops Involved in Questionable Shootings Get Medal-of-Freedomed
Pentagon: Robot War Over Libya Begins in 3, 2, 1 …
Stasi Files Revisited: The Banalities and Betrayals of Life in East Germany

Economics.
Does Limiting Government Really Condemn Children To Starvation?

Cars.
Triumph Thruxton
Off-Road Royal: 1969 Land Rover Series II Panel
Tillamook Love Loaf: Tour the Bus

Watches.
Autavia 1163 MH Orange Boy (or Gulf)
A Quandary for Swatch - It’s Too Popular - NYTimes.com
The ship's chronometer in the history of the world
Life of a Benrus Sky Chief
Father time: Why George Daniels is the world’s best horologist
Three spectacular Vacheron masterpieces ...
comparison between Vacheron 47212 & Patek 5970G

Style.
Made To Measure Suiting at Stephan Shirts: Part 1 (Part 2)
A Suitable Wardrobe Alan Flusser Interview
Best H and M Men Clothing - Esquire
Easter: When Regular Guys Are A Bit Dandy

Shoes / Boots.
The partnership between Horween and Allen-Edmonds.
Leffot Blog - Corthay Kleber
Mark McNairy Brogue Shoe

Retro.
Inside the Hindenburg in colour
The Milkman Rings Again, Bringing Back Nostalgia in a Glass Bottle
The Post Office Railway (Mail Rail)

Science.
Gut Bacteria Divide People Into 3 Types

Fountain Pens / Writing.
John’s Favorite Pen: 1945 vintage Eversharp Skyline
Sharpie Professional Markers
The vanishing act...Banks warned against 'magic pen'
Snoopy Moleskine – Limited Edition
Ink Nouveau: Namiki Falcon First Impression

Misc.
What if Bert From Sesame Street Was A Real Person?
Experience Human Flight on Vimeo
halcyon days: A per chance meeting
How To Run a Protest-Proof Grocery Store

What The Heck Is A "Bruce Lee" Wig?

Definitely some strange goings-on out there.

Homemade cloth rope aids St. Louis jail escape - Yahoo! News: "ST. LOUIS – A 'knuckle-headed corrections officer' is to blame for the escape of two men who apparently climbed down a homemade rope Friday morning to escape from a St. Louis detention center, the mayor's chief of staff said. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Vernon Collins, 34, and David White, 33, were discovered missing just before 7 a.m., but police believe they might have been gone for 90 minutes by that time. White was later caught at a gas station wearing what a station clerk described as a 'Bruce Lee wig,' the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. He was taken into custody about 4 p.m. after police surrounded an older-model white Cadillac at a Phillips 66 station. Collins remained at large Friday afternoon."

Random Food Links!

Apparently, there really is a The Grilled Cheese Invitational.

Citrus Angel Food Cake - The Naptime Chef: "My mother-in-law used to serve her plain white cake with a traditional topping of whipped cream and macerated strawberries. And, while I agree this is delicious, I had some wanted to experiment with a new take on flavor and presentation."

Chicken, Roasted Poblano, and Corn Quesadillas: "The grilled corn and roasted poblano combo is one of our favorites. It goes into our favorite rice on Mexican night. And it goes into quesadillas on… um, Mexican night. We have a few of those a week – around here, Mexican has been the new Italian for a while."

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Balsamic Strawberry & Cream Filling:"I have a special love for layered cakes, and find them charming and whimsical. Some months go by without an anniversary or birthday and ‘no party cake‘ months makes me sad, as April seemed to be! There was a cake I longed to bake, an old fashioned chocolate cake on Barbara’s beautiful blog."

Tarte du Jour - Gateau au chocolat menthe - a.k.a. my chocolate-mint brownie blunder metamorphosis: "I had a jar of 'York Peppermint Patties' and I recalled seeing a post from David Lebovitz, the american blogger in Paris, about baking peppermint patties in brownies? Well, it was too late for that, my brownies were already baked. My only hope was to layer the peppermint patties in the middle of my two baked (but still warm) brownies... to give my pathetically flat dessert some height."

boulevard - gourmet traveller: "A starter of Dungeness Crab Stuffed Artichoke Hearts was lacklustre – the gratinated filling claggy with mornay sauce that swamped the delicate crabmeat, masking its natural sweetness."

Taste Test - The Best Frozen Pizzas - Every Day with Rachael Ray: "We taste-tested dozens of frozen pizzas from the grocery store and online to find our favorites—these top-scoring pies really deliver."

Chocolate Layer Cake, Caramel Frosting, Chocolate Ganache: "I spotted this Chocolate Cake with Caramel-Milk Chocolate Frosting recipe at Bon Appetit. The Caramel-Milk Chocolate Frosting recipe immediately caught my eye. My thoughts instantly turned to one of my all-time favourite childhood treats, Cadbury’s Caramilk."

Pistachio and chocolate chip blondies - jasmine & bergamot: "Yesterday, I was craving something sweet and remembered Mark Bittman’s minimalist approach to blondies. I doubled the original recipe, managed to use a good portion of that 4 lb bag of pistachios (and yes, I had to shell 1 1/2 cups’ worth), and finally finished that bag of chocolate chips leftover from a batch of chocolate chip cookies I’d made last month."

Tsoureki: The Greek Easter Challah Bread: "Call me biased, but when it comes to Easter, there's one country that really knows how to celebrate it, and that's Greece. It's not only a religious holiday, but also a religious festival, a party even."

Additional links:
Sugar Rush: Granola and Soft-Serve at Kyotofu
20 Brilliant Breads To Bake Up For Dinner
Jasmine ice cream
Waffles on the Cob
L’Accord Whisky & Chocolat par Ballantine’s 12 ans
Strawberry & Goat Cheese Green Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Drs. Boudreaux and Perry Set Krugman Straight

I've said it before but it bears repeating. In my opinion, Krugman olng ago ceased to be an honest economist, and is now little more than a vocal shill (albeit one, sadly, with a large following) for the political left and statism in general. Definitely click through and read both posts below for information from good economists.

But Not Sufficiently Sacred for Physicians to Work for Free: "Admittedly, the politically engineered wedge separating the receipt of health-care services from the responsibility for paying for these services creates problems. But the best way to address these problems is to remove the wedge rather than to arrogantly suggest that some mysterious transcendent force will more reliably look after individuals’ health-care needs than will those individuals themselves as they operate in markets in which insurers and physicians must compete for consumer dollars."

CARPE DIEM: Because They're Not Spending Their Own Money, Patients Aren't Consumers, But They SHOULD Be: "Krugman is correct that patients are not consumers, but for a completely different reason that Krugman misses entirely: Almost 90% of health care costs are paid with 'other people's money' (insurance companies, government and employers, see chart above, data here), and only about 11% is paid 'out of pocket' by patients. So patients are no longer the 'consumers' of health care, and they haven't been for a long time, because the 'consumer' paying almost the entire cost of medical care is a third party. Over time, the 'consumer' paying the bill for health care services has gradually become third party payers, and the trends projected in the chart above indicate that it won't get any better in the future."

Detroit Public Library Spends $1,092 Each -- On Chairs

This is example #87,901 of why the private sector is far more efficient and honest than the public sector, in nearly every endeavor. (pic: David Coates / The Detroit News)

Critics: $2.3M Detroit library project a symbol of waste amid budget crisis - The Detroit News: "Detroit —Detroit Public Library officials say finances have grown so bad they could close most neighborhood branches, but in a few weeks plan to unveil a revamped wing of a main library that even administrators say spares few expenses. The South Wing is stocked with 20 yellow and orange European lounge chairs that cost $1,092 apiece, artistic pendant light fixtures and two alcohol-burning fireplaces. The project morphed from a $300,000 furniture update to a $2.3 million overhaul with new floors, study rooms, lighting and built-in, wood-framed book shelves."

He Who Laffers Last ...

Another great post and graph from Dr. Mark Perry.

CARPE DIEM: Tax Rates and Share of Tax Revenues from Top 1%: "The chart above shows the relationship over time (from 1979 to 2007) between: a) the top marginal income tax rate, and b) the share of total income taxes paid by the top 1% (data). In 1979 the top marginal income tax rate was 70% and 18.3% of the total taxes paid were collected from the top 1% of taxpayers. By 2007 the top tax rate was 35% (half of the 1979 rate), and the tax share of the top 1% had more than doubled to 39.5% (from 18.3% in 1979). The historical record shows an inverse relationship between the highest marginal income tax rate and the share of taxes collected from 'the wealthy.' It's a relationship to keep in mind during the current tax policy debate, where Obama wants to increase tax revenues by raising tax rates for 'the rich,' ..."

Additional links:
Where Did Oregon's Millionaires Go?
You Can't Soak the Rich or Laffer Revisited
Arthur Laffer Laughs Last - Florida Boating
Laffer - New Evidence on Taxes and Income
Michigan, Meet Arthur Laffer ...
Arthur Laffer on the 'Stimulus' Package

Farm To Table & Local Economies

The good professor at The Unbroken Window explains the value of middlemen. After reading his post, watch the disturbing video below. These people are asking (more likely, demanding) us all to live in the dark/middle ages.

[Be sure to listen to the podcast: Dr. Boudreaux on the Economics of "Buy Local"]

The Unbroken Window - From the Farm to Your Table?: "The existence of middlemen: distributors, wholesalers, processors, retailers, etc. is not evidence of inefficiency, but quite the opposite – it is evidence of efficiency. These are agents who have a relative skill at bringing buyers and sellers of products together. Heck, even the Farm to Table supporters know this – their middlemen include community magazines, farmers markets, even local restaurants."



Additional links:
Dr. Boudreaux on the Economics of "Buy Local"
Karen Selick, The Buy-Locally-Owned Fallacy
Buying Local

Wristwatch Updates: Helson, Formula 1 Gulf, Breitling, & More!

Many great photos in today's links. (pic courtesy of Monochrome)

I like the look of this HELSON Skindiver '100 Fathoms.' And be sure not to miss the Glashutte Original Senator Rattrapante LE pics. This Lange's not too bad, either!

The last Speake-Marin Piccadilly and Piccadilly Serpent models available: "Peter Speake-Marin’s first wristwatch was the Piccadilly and he produced several series and many unique pieces, always featuring the typical Speake-Marin style. These first series, called the Original Piccadilly Collection with Enamel Dial and the Original Picadilly Serpent have now come to an end."

Watchscapes: Jaeger LeCoultre Grande Tradition Grande Complication: "The dial is an amazingly beautiful blue, engraved with the stars and firmament, the flying tourbillon makes its way around the dial once every 12 hours. This wandering tourbillon is quite a technical feat on its own, but this one even allows the sidereal time to be tracked, and is programmed to turn around the dial to show the sidereal time."

First Look: 2011 TAG Heuer Formula 1 Gulf - Calibre 11: "Like the Monaco Gulf series, the new Formula 1 Gulf has a vertical blue and orange stripe on the dial- but while the coloured stripes on the Monaco are the same width, the Formula 1 Gulf has a much thinner orange stripe."

Letters From The Editor: Why The Seamaster 1948 Was My Favorite Omega Of Basel World - HODINKEE: "The watch features the very same dial layout that the original Seamaster had, and is sized at a lovely 38mm (is 38mm a new trend, btw?). Inside is Omega's fantastic co-axial movement and it comes on a great alligator strap. What I like about this watch is that it is every bit a classical Omega, but with a thoroughly modern caliber. This is a modern Omega I would wear."

A Vintage Breitling Chronograph With a Vintage Rolex Daytona Movement: "However, I found this nice vintage Breitling Chronograph from the 1970s with a Valjoux 72 handwound chronograph movement. This movement has also been used by Rolex for their (Oyster) Cosmograph Daytona models from that period. The Breitling has – more or less – the same small dimensions as these 1970s Rolex Daytonas. A 37mm diameter case and 13mm in height."

Glashütte Original - Baselworld 2011: The big PuristSPro report: "The new models by the Glashütte Original manufacture are more a consolidation of past years’ innovations, partially with new design."

[BaselWorld] Opus XI Harry Winston, Time Bomb - Blog Watchonista: "The initial idea of Opus XI was to make burst the time. With the presence of Internet, the globalization, tendency to be less social, more digital when the rhythms are broken by the jet-lags, by things to be finished in urgency, by the foreman of Chinese work, the idea of “temporal explosion” makes absolute sense then."

[BaselWorld] Patek Philippe 2011 novelties: "We love the big movie festivals like Césars, Cannes or the very small ones i.e.Cognac or Sundance. Here I come to attend the Oscars. Quite simply. The stars, spangles, flashes awaking epilepsy, and luxury before all.
Patek Philippe. I walk out with my traditional Zegna tie, but especially with plenty of photographs of so much awaited Patek Philippe hot watch news."

The 2011 Singapore Jaeger-LeCoultre Post SIHH 2011 Collectors Dinner: "For an important evening such as this, Jaeger-LeCoultre Global CEO Mr. Jerome Lambert made a special effort to travel to Singapore from Switzerland and the capable Singapore Jaeger-LeCoultre team of Managing Director Alexis De Laporte, Garina Tan and Alethea Tan spared no effort in ensuring that the evening would be as memorable as it possibly can."

[Easter Egg] Patek Philippe 5140W - Blog Watchonista: "A ' Collector' member of the Watchonista community lent me this marvelous watches yesterday for lunchtime.... only.
Comfort on wrist stay unbelievable due to the bracelet in white gold and the thickness of the movement integrating the microrotor."

Additional links:
Citizen Promaster professional diver's titanium
[BaselWorld] Linde Werdelin Toolwatches 2.0
Some WWII-Era Rolex ads ...
Interview with Scott Devon of Devon Works and the Tread 1
Damasko DC66 Watch Is Venerable Sinn 757 Alternative, Competitor

Bootleggers & Baptists: Trucks and GPS Edition

Excellent example.

Bootlegger-and-Baptist Alert - The Beacon: "Virtually all long-haul trucking companies use GPS-based tracking systems to record the locations and activities of their drivers. Guess what? These firms support a proposed federal rule requiring independent owner-operators to install the expensive (up to $2,000) devices in their trucks. The rationale? Public safety, of course."

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Dishwashers, Taxes, Malaria, & More

Another must-read from Jeffrey Tucker below.

Three More Attacks on Civilization - Jeffrey A. Tucker: "Most consumers are clueless as to how sometime in the last year, their dishwashers stopped working properly. They call in the repairman, who fiddles with things and announces a fix. But it is not fixed. The glasses are gritty and the plates often need to be rinsed again after washing. Many households have bought new machines or resorted to just running the dishes through twice."

RealClearPolitics - If Washington Is So Great, Let's All Pay for It: "... 45 percent of U.S. households paid not a single dollar in federal income tax for 2010. And The Fiscal Times reported this week that 'for the first time since the Great Depression, households are receiving more income from the government than they are paying the government in taxes.' This, in Obamaland, is called job creation. But does anyone believe the trajectory is healthy? No doubt, these events allow Obama to spread the wealth around to those who deserve it -- clean energy outfits, teachers unions, czars, etc. -- but they also create a growing number of voters with little stake in stopping out-of-control growth."

Watch the Watchmen - John Stossel: "I believe in the right to privacy. Yet I can think of someone who deserves very little privacy -- a policeman making an arrest. Unfortunately, in some states it's a crime to make a video of a policeman doing just that. People recording police have been threatened, detained or arrested. Some were jailed overnight."

Why RyanCare Will Fail - Reason Magazine: "Paul Ryan's budget embraces a fatal premise of the Nanny State ... However, the reason is not GOP economics, but liberal politics that Rep. Ryan has bowed to."

Let’s Err on the Side of Liberty: "In many parts of our lives, as we have yielded liberty, regulators have controlled not just our food, but the size of our showerheads, the water content of our toilets, the light bulbs we are allowed to use, and the car alarms we must cope with, even if they go off incessantly when we look at them cross-eyed."

An estimated $100 million worth of anti-malaria drugs given as aid to Africa have gone missing: "Millions of dollars of donated antimalarial drugs have been stolen, most often by staff of recipient government medical stores; this strengthens criminal gangs and undermines donor intent. The main culprit donor is the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which worryingly is pushing ahead with further schemes that have the same inherent weaknesses, which may worsen the theft problem."

Additional links:
Walter Williams discusses his two newest books.
Second Amendment Rights Once Again at Risk
The War Was About Oil, After All?
400 NYPD Cops Under Investigation for Fixing Tickets
The AP’s Memory Hole
In Other Words, Just About Everyone

A Few Random Morning Links ...

Love these old Mil-Watches.

The NYT looks at Allen-Edmonds and Alden shoes.

If this is our future, we're screwed.

What the back of web pages look like.

Ticketmaster to Start Dynamic Ticket Pricing.

Getting hammered when using your cell phone internationally?

First Underwater Color Photo Ever Taken.

Another stunning Aussie home, one more to check out.

Rides: Liberty and Limos, 1949 Dodge Power Wagon, 2012 Nissan Versa arrives for ten bucks less than $11,000, Triton motorcycle, 2012 Honda Civic Test Drive, First Look: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8

A look at Cuba, in pics.

Great engineering, but a tad snug.

Does your iPhone spy on you? Got an iPhone or 3G iPad? Apple is recording your moves.

Cool tube amp.

Vitamins, for world health.

Amazon to Add Library Lending to Kindle, I think I like this.

Kazimierz Piechowski is one of just 144 prisoners to have broken out of the notorious Nazi camp and survive.

The World's Most Powerful Mobile Crane is quite a sight.

Travel: Top 10 Underappreciated Parks.

Food: The Best Hangover Food From Around the World, Cornmeal Crusted Fish Tacos with Rhubarb Salsa, Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Easter Cupcakes Baked in Real Egg Shells, Baileys Marbled Cheesecake, Chocolate Nut Spread … Practically Perfect,

Retro TV.

Waterman fountain pen review.

Home in Vegas.

Now The Unemployed Can Get Work As Superheroes

It would actually be work to make something up that was this ridiculous. (pic via CFNews13)

Job center blasted for giving capes to unemployed - Yahoo! News: "ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida officials are investigating an unemployment agency that spent public money to give 6,000 superhero capes to the jobless. Workforce Central Florida spent more than $14,000 on the red capes as part of its 'Cape-A-Bility Challenge' public relations campaign. The campaign featured a cartoon character, 'Dr. Evil Unemployment,' who needs to be vanquished."

Sometimes The ROI Is Not So Great

Not the best ROI.

Common Sense with Paul Jacob - Expensive Cheap Energy: "Such seems to be the notion behind the University of North Texas’s decision to install 36 'elliptical' exercise machines to turn the school into what the manufacturer, ReRev, calls 'the largest human power plant in the world.' The machines reportedly cost the school $20,000 and presumably required energy to build, pack, ship. But the machines also convert energy exerted during exercise to electricity at the rate of one kilowatt-hour every two days. A kilowatt-hour costs on average about ten cents in the North Texas area. So the cycling produces less than a penny of energy per hour."

A Few Random Morning Links ...

Amazing Rotterdam home.

What happened to the 50mm climate refugees?

The CIA reveals its invisible ink formula.

Walter William explains the rot in academia.

Michigan: Police Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops, unsettling.

Love this Fifty Fathoms homage from Helson. This Ball Engineer 3000m watch is slick. Protana Spy Watch: A Certifiable Tool of 50s-Era Espionage, Complete With Mini Reel-To-Reel. Jaeger LeCoultre Gyro Tourbillon .

Food: The official Breakfast Club Cookie. Brown Butter Blondies. coffee custard tart .

Cars: 1981 DP Porsche 924 Cargo. Smooth Liter: 1990 BMW K1 .

Yesterday at Bletchley Park. Cosmonaut Crashed Into Earth 'Crying In Rage'. More On A Cosmonaut's Mysterious Death.

Hunting coyote with an air rifle. (more)

The Skier Controlled Tow Boat, yes, it's that cool. The Olivetti Typewriter

The Natural Balancing Rocks Of The World.

Style: New York’s Finest: Miller’s Oath. Alden Shoes – Lady Calf Plaza Wingtip Boots.

Super Mario propaganda posters.

Steven Levitt on health care.

What Became Of The NASA / Toyota Investigation?

This is kind of an interesting story, if you're interested in computer science, cars, engineering, and statistics. ;-)

Unintended acceleration and other embedded software bugs: "This investigation of Toyota's unintended acceleration marked the first time that anyone from NHTSA had ever read data from a Toyota event data recorder. (Toyota representatives apparently testified in Congress that there had previously just been one copy of the necessary PC software in the U.S.) As part of this study, NHTSA validated and used tools provided by Toyota to extract historical data from 52 vehicles involved in incidents of unintended acceleration, with acknowledged bias toward geographically reachable recent events. After reviewing driver and other witness statements and examining said black-box data, NHTSA concluded that 39 of these 52 events were explainable as 'pedal misapplications.' That's a very nice way of saying that whenever the driver reported 'stepping on the brake,' he or she had pressed the accelerator pedal by mistake. Figure 5 of a supplemental report describing these facts portrays an increasing likelihood of such incidents with driver age vs. the bell curve of Camry ownership by age."

Fountain Pens & Writing Updates: Pilot Prera, Conway Stewart, Pelikan 140, & More

Just some stuff to share. And I see a new brand, Edelberg pens. (more)

And I think I really need a new Pilot Vanishing Point in matte black. (more)

Pocket Blonde: Pilot Prera Clear Body Fountain Pen: "The Pilot Prera clear body fountain pen isn't as expensive as some, but to be honest there's not a lot of pen either. The accent caps come in lots of different colors if you are so inclined ..."

seize the dave: ink review: noodler's dragon's napalm: "If you want to get someone's attention, send them a letter written in Noodler's Dragon's Napalm ink. It's the perfect ink for the task, as it is very close to the color of safety orange – that attention-getting hue that adorns traffic cones, the tips of toy guns, hunting caps, inmate jumpsuits, and the official state fungus of Ohio – the orange barrel."

Whatever: Pelikan 140: "Surprisingly for a fountain pen that was produced for so many years, I was unable to find much information about this specific model. There is plenty of information about the Pelikan Fountain Pen company and it's early years available and I refer you to Rick Propas and his website The PENquin."

Ink Nouveau: My Ink Journal: "Ink journals are a great way to keep a reference of the way different inks look in different pens. They can be especially helpful if you enjoy sampling inks, so you can refer back to them later if you're going for just the right ink for a particular writing project."

Conway Stewart Dandy: an Impeccable Modern Classic: "This pen is modeled on the vintage flat-top Conway Stewart Dandy and Duro models c.1920s, and the design elements have been faithfully retained: the form, the proportions, the 'lolly-pop' lever, the knurled endcap, the fixed 'stepped' clip, and the curved section."

Uni-ball Jetstream Ballpoint Pen – 0.5 mm – Basic Series – Black - No Pen Intended: "I realized yesterday that, as much as I make mention of how much I love Uni-ball’s Jetstream line of pens, I haven’t actually reviewed some of my favorite Jetstream pens (I’ve only reviewed the Jetstream color ink series blue-black thoroughly)."

The Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Fountain Pen - Fountain Pen Network: "This is a review of my latest acquisition, the Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler. I had my eyes on this pen since last year but it was only a couple of weeks ago that I caved in and ordered one. At Euro 125, this is one of my most expensive pens"

Pelikan M101 N Tortoiseshell Special Edition Fountain Pen - www.nibs.com: "Generating great excitement in the fountain pen world, the new Pelikan M101 N Tortoise Brown Special Edition Fountain Pen is a revisit of an historic pen from the 1930's. The combination of classic styling with contemporary craftsmanship makes this a pen that will be a superb everyday writer."

Moleskine App Perfect For Writing About The Sweet Fern, Growing Ankle High: "Nick pulled out his iPad and placed it on the table. He pressed the icon for the Moleskine App and began to write."

Platinum Double 3 Action Transparent Body Multi Pen Pencil Review - The Pen Addict: "I am a sucker for transparent barrels, and this Platinum Double 3 Action multi pen is just fantastic looking. The entire line is new at JetPens, and comes in Aqua, Crystal, Gloss Rouge, Lavender Purple, and the Fresh Leaf body that I picked up."

Review: Quiver Pen Holder - Rants of The Archer: "The double/dual Quiver pen holder comfortably accommodates two pens. Its soft leather can be stretched a bit, so two large pens can fit in. I tested several pen combinations shown in the photos below, and I paired a big-sized pen with a thin one so they will not scratch each other."

Additional links:
Aurora Optima In Maroon Auriolide, Bb Nib
STMT X Germany Kit from RAD AND HUNGRY
BBC News - Czech president's pen-pocketing act becomes web hit
Coyote Underground: The Perfected Notebook
Pinetti Quattrogiga Leather Journal with USB
Ink Nouveau: Edison Hudson First Impression
Ink Links - The Pen Addict
Ranga Handmade Ebonite Aeromatic Filler Pens
Alwych all-weather notebooks from Scotland
Drawing with a Squirrel: Drawing and Writing
This Pen's Ink is Baffling to Me – The Pilot G2

A Few Random Morning Links ...

Wow, recycling vinyl records.

House in New Zealand. And in Novia Scotia. And Spain.

Tragic tale of a broken violin. Is there a luthier in the house?!

In case you wondered, what Yuri Gagarin's ride was like.

The new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle looks a little tougher, I like it. Sweet 1972 Land Cruiser.

Sometimes cheap energy is expensive.

Inside the real John Lobb shoes. Maybe we should start leaving calling cards? Love shell cordovan. New from Gieves and Hawkes.

RC car runs on soda can rings. Vintage Vehicles Visit Vintage Velodrome

Unintended consequences, food vs. fuel.

LOVE this Heuer Monza! And this Heuer.

Water towers, in Ireland.

This Seiko is a bit funky for me, but kinda cool. The Best of Zenith @ Basel World 2011. Omega - Baselworld 2011: The big PuristSPro report. Baselworld 2011: The big PuristSPro report -- Seiko.

From The Archives: Three Gas Station Owners Report For Their First Day In Prison ...

Is iPhone Murdering Point-and-Shoots? Not Really. And how about a digicam, to fix your face.

From Waco to Libya: 18 Years of Humanitarian Mass Murder

Obama Ignores Spending Bill's "Czar" Ban. Yeah, I know, I'm shocked, too.

Pecan squares. Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake with Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze. Make Your Favorite Street Food. Is Sugar Toxic?

7 Affordable Places to Go on an African Safari.

U.S. Gov't Agency Plans $2.84 Billion Loan for Oil Refinery—In Colombia.

Cowboy Monkeys

Thank God for YouTube.

Review: Orient Excursionist GMT Automatic Watch

Today I'm excited to review Orient's new Excursionist GMT automatic watch. It's unfortunate that the Orient brand isn't more well-known in the U.S. Not only is the brand owned by Seiko, Orient makes a full line of mechanical watches, all with true in-house movements.

[The reference number is FFE06001K, the model is "Excursionist"]

My son (just turned 13 years old) was given an Orient automatic watch with a power reserve display a little over a year ago. He wears it daily and it's held up quite well. The power reserve display shows that this movement is a very quick winder on the wrist.

[See the Diver's Style Watches]

As part of this review, the people at Orient USA have provided a special coupon code to use when purchasing the watch for 40% off the MSRP! Be sure to use the coupon code "amatureecon40" when checking out.

[Don't miss the video review at Orient USA's site]

Now, admittedly, no one is going to confuse this watch with a Patek or Rolex. But these are solid watches, and you won't find many other in-house mechanical movement watches near the price. And if you are looking specifically for watches with an additional GMT/24h hand, the list quickly becomes much much smaller.

[All Orient related posts at aBlogToRead]

While perhaps not technically a diver (no uni-directional bezel), the watch is rated to 200m of WR, and has a screw-down crown. The bracelet is a very solid oyster type setup, with split pins, and a fold-over double push button safety clasp. Note that the links are solid, not folded steel as seen in many cheaper bracelets.

The case is large and quite solid; this is definitely a large tough watch, but not ridiculously so. I also like the fact that the case is of a reasonable size (45mm). Orient resisted the temptation to plop the movement into a 50mm case.

The GMT hand does not appear to be separately adjustable, so if you want to use it to track time in another timezone you must use the rotating bezel, which rotates in both directions. I believe this is the way the original Rolex GMT operated for a long time.

[Hodinkee has a nice video review of this watch, worth checking out]

In addition to a 24h scale the bezel also provided compass markings. I'm not really a fan as that makes it a little busy visually, but it might come in handy for some.

The automatic movement is Orient's caliber 46P40, and made in Japan.

With an MSRP of $375.00, you can clear this for $225 with the coupon code, a nice deal. Again, you would be very hard-pressed to find solid, proven mechanical watches for this kind of money, let-alone in-house and with a GMT complication. Be sure to check out the links below the pics.










Additional links:
VIDEO REVIEW: The Orient Excursionist, A Very Affordable & Rugged GMT
YouTube - Orient Diver FFE06001K Automatic Watch
All Orient related posts at aBlogToRead
FFE06001B Excursionist has arrived ...
Orient Excursionist is here!
Horology.edu Says ORIENT WATCH Movement Better Than Swiss ETA Movement
Orient Diver Automatic Saturation Diver CFD0C001B Watch Review