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Sunday, October 14, 2012

Felix Baumgartner's Historic Jump




Here is a live broadcast of Felix Baumgartner's historic 23 mile jump. He is expected to jump from about 36.576 meters (120,000 ft) and accelerate to Earth at more than 1.100 kmh (690 mph). The last attempt of the magnitude was in 1960 by Joseph Kittinger at "only" 31.333 meters (102,800 ft). Kittinger is involved in the jump serving as Baumgartner's mentor.

Update 2:24 pm Sunday: Felix Baumgartner has successfully jumped from an altitude of 39.045 meters
(128,100 ft). The time of his freefall was 4:20 over a distance of 36.529 meters (119,846 feet). His maximum velocity was 373 meters per second which translates to 1343 kilometers per hour (834 miles per hour). In addition, he broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.24.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Esquire's Fall/Winter 2012 Big Black Book


Esquire's Fall/Winter 2012 Big Black Book


Just like a child on Christmas morning, I'm excited that it's finally here! The bible of men's high-end luxury goods comes out twice a year showcasing the most impeccable men's clothing and accessories.

BBB makes space for interesting articles as well. This edition has a piece titled, The One Percent Paradox, reveals that even with high unemployment and disposable income not in the budget, luxury goods are flying off the shelves. One would think the opposite hence the "paradox", but the article submits consumers realize the value of luxury.

However, the price of luxury is not for the faint of heart. Some of the items for your consideration are a $250.000 reproduction Porsche 911, $91.000 Patek Philipe watch, $8.000 Leica camera, $6.700 Cesare Attolini suit, and $1.150 Hermes shoes.

In addition to articles and clothing BBB includes a gallery of the best dressed men. You have the usual
suspects, Clooney, Delon, Mastroianni, and Poitier. They keep overlooking me!

Since this is the fall/winter issue a pictorial has been dedicated to formalwear. Not the kind you rented for your prom but unconventional garments such as a velvet evening jacket and a midnight blue tux. Midnight blue looks blacker than black under artificial lights. Some blacks exhibit a green hue under artificial lights. 

The magazine is filled with glossy advertisements of only the best brands, Ralph Lauren (always on the inside front cover and the first three pages), Brooks Brothers, Chopard watches, Chanel cologne, Kiton suiting, and Allen Edmunds shoes.

BBB includes sections printed on paper instead of the usual glossy dedicated to specific topics. In this edition they are Etiquette, Black Tie, and Performance.

The Etiquette section helps you navigate through some of life's conundrums. Which card stock to use for thank you notes, how to arrange pillows on the bed, and what to put in an emergency sleepover kit are some examples. My favorite section is the Doghouse. This will guide a gentleman on what type of gift, of varying cost, to present the woman in his life due to tomfoolery he was involved in. In the event a gentleman arrives home shall we say intoxicated a gift ranging from a $90 candle to a $63.500 diamond and platinum ring is in order.

Black Tie untangles the finer points of formalwear. The complete white tie outfit is broken down, what is the appropriate shoe for your evening affair, a lineup of red carpet formal fails, and how to store your
tuxedo.

Since this is the Fall/Winter edition, Performance looks to find a medium between style and survival. Topics include gloves for any occasion, what essentials are needed for your backpack, the best apps to have in case of an emergency, and the best hiking boot for the terrain.