Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Lexus for X-Mas: 2008 Lexus IS F Neiman Marcus Special Build Sedan
The select 50 owners of the IS F Neiman Marcus special edition cars receive a personalized half-day of pro-driver training from the experts at Skip Barber Racing School, and so will be well-prepared to run laps around the average IS F owner.
The fastest production Lexus ever, the IS F rips from 0-60 mph in less than 4.9 seconds thanks to its 400 horsepower, 5.0-liter V-8, which is paired with an eight-speed Sport Direct Shift gearbox. All IS Fs feature an enhanced version of Lexus' Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system with a high-performance mode that hopefully gets out of the driver's way in spirited driving.
Neiman Marcus' IS Fs will be the first 50 to roll off the production line and will have sequentially numbered Special Build badges inside a special interior. "High-style" black seats are matched with white accent stitching and a unique steering wheel with white leather accents and an "F" logo embossed in the front headrests.
Outside, the look is subtle (for a special-edition car) with black paint and wheels that have a distinctive hand-polished finish.
Posted by Chismillionaire at 3:33 PM 0 comments
Chismillionare lets out big sigh of relief! Whooooh
Not a big fan of some of his policies but this is a good veto! Why should my cigar purchases fund free health care for the kids of a family making 80K a year??? One family sends their kid to a 10k a year private school with the health care savings!!!
Bush Vetoes Tobacco Tax Bill
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007This morning President Bush carried through on his promise to veto the SCHIP bill which contained large tax increases on tobacco. The veto ceremony took place quietly before he left Washington to travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The veto, which is only the forth of Bush’s presidency, stops a 256% increase of the excise tax on cigars to 53%. The proposed tax also raised the cap on from 5 cents to $3 per cigar. The combined effect would have raised the price of many premium and ultra-premium cigars by $100 or more per box.
While many in the cigar industry will applaud the veto, Bush has spoken little about the tobacco taxes. His opposition to the bill has instead been focused on a desire to halt expansion of SCHIP to children of families whose income levels are far above the threshold for government assistance. While not cited specifically by Bush, other critics of SCHIP expansion cite as an example this New Jersey family who, with assistance from SCHIP, can to afford to send their daughter to a nearly $10,000 per year private school.
As we reported earlier, SCHIP supporters in the Senate appear to have the votes to override the veto. However, the House remains short of the two-thirds threshold, meaning that at least for now cigar taxes will remain the same.
Stogie Guys Analysis
Unfortunately, cigar smokers and others who oppose these excessive and punitive cigar taxes should take little solace in this outcome.
Yes, Bush vetoed the bill, and yes they seem able to muster enough opposition in the House to sustain the veto, but this will still be very damaging long term. Anti-tobacco forces now have majorities in both houses on the record supporting large tax increases on tobacco.
So, the next time the government wants to raise taxes on tobacco, all these politicians will be on the record in support of it. Any one who changes their vote in future can be accused of “flip-flopping.”
This can (and likely will be) damaging in the future when Bush isn’t there to veto such tax increases. Right now it looks fairly likely that the next White House occupant will support raising tobacco taxes. (All the Democrats supported this increase and even Republican hopeful Mike Huckabee has indicated he is in favor of taxing/banning tobacco.)
That’s why, even though the current tax hikes might not get through, this is a very bad loss for adults who want to be able to enjoy cigars with out paying outrageous taxes on these legal products. Also, as George expressed in his commentary on Monday, the cigar industry should have done a better job on this issue.
Posted by Chismillionaire at 2:40 PM 0 comments
Super Mario Galaxy
I have always been a big fan of Mario.
check out this new game coming to the WII
Posted by gjblass at 10:23 AM 0 comments
World's largest pool
Courtesy of Mr. Blass-
Already drawing the crowds in the South American resort of San Alfonso del Mar in Chile, this artificial lagoon and swimming pool is eight hectares in size and contains an incredible 250,000 cubic metres of water. Acknowledged by Guinness World Records as being the world’s largest swimming pool, the lagoon trounces all other record holders in the category, including the Orthlieb pool in Casablanca, Morocco, itself a huge 150 metres by 100 metres – the San Alfonso pool is 1km in length. The revolutionary clear water artificial lagoons, transparent to a depth of 35 metres and unprecedented in design and construction methods, are the brainchild of Crystal Lagoons founder, biochemist and Chilean businessman Fernando Fischmann. Equivalent in size to an incredible 6,000 standard domestic pools, details of its technology are to be unveiled for the first time at Cityscape Dubai later this month.
click here for more:
an update 3/11/2009: more pics:
Posted by Chismillionaire at 10:09 AM 0 comments
Labels: Guinness World Records, San Alfonso del Mar in Chile, Swimming Pool
Crazy Elevators
bailong elevator
talk about daunting.
this controversial 326 metre high elevator takes you up the side of one of the many enormous cliffs in zhangjiajie, china - the lower 1/3 running from a cavern through the rock, the top 2/3 rising outside to the summit - and is the highest and heaviest outdoor elevator in the world. the elevator has an uncertain future due to the potential harm caused to the surrounding landscape.
Click here for more crazy elevators
Posted by gjblass at 10:03 AM 0 comments
WOW - GFY - Fitzy Got A Job
So I will let my Idol, speak:
The gates have been lifted! The restrictions unrestriced! I can finally talk and about my new job (only kinda sorta about time, considering I've been on the Bobby Fischer plan the last 5 weeks), and I'm psyched. Believe it or not, the worldwide leader in sports (ESPN) has hired the worldwide leader in nonsense (ME) to follow Monday Night Football around the country, making short videos in every city we visit. And before you ask, YES, the job is as fun as it sounds...and no, I don't know what they were thinking. Right now I'm in New Orleans for the Titans/Saints game Monday, then it's on to Cincinnati (home of cornholing!) for Pats/Bengals. with VideoGate cooling and the Pats on fire I anticipate raising quite a ruckus in the Queen City.
Seriously...Brady to Moss all day, all day, all night.
So be on the lookout for 3-4 new videos from a new Monday Night Football city every week, mixed in with the occasional Wicked Pissah Webcast, random commentary and whatever else I can do, seeing as sleep has officially been ruled out of my fall schedule. To view the videos elsewhere just go to ESPN.COM, click on the "Video" section, and under "ESPN Collections" you'll see Fitzy's Monday Night Mania (somehow I couldn't get the suits to go for Fitzy's Monday Night GFY Party).
Go Sox! Go Pats! GFY!
With a life that's Entirely Sports and Purely Nonsense,
Fitzy
This is first Video for ESPN:
Tailgating With the Saints Fans Down In New Orleans
For all of those out that is a FItzy Fan: he has three Videos, from the Monday Night Game this week, Bengals vs. Pats
http://www.townienews.com/
Posted by gjblass at 9:30 AM 0 comments