The Imagination Needed To Create A Wood Wine Holder

September 2, 2010 —

Wine holders hold wine. They store and organize wine, and could be created of any number of various materials in any number of different sizes. Also recognized as wine racks, large ones can be found in a professional wine cellar while much smaller designs might be wall-mounted in the kitchen to conveniently display an amateur collection.

These latter kinds will sometimes incorporate wine glasses for a combination rack that holds both drink and implement. Speaking of which, the truest wine holder of all is probably one’s own mouth! But for innovative aesthetics, nothing beats the man-made versions. Those constructed from metal are particularly imaginative.

The material itself provides for the greatest amount of imagination, allowing as it does fluid sinuous styles difficult or even impossible to achieve with any wood or stone. Numerous are very whimsical, such as a common favorite where thin metal spirals hold wine bottles upside-down in a haphazard manner suggestive of intoxication!

Many who take their wines, and thus their display, seriously enough to consider such devices (as opposed to just putting them on a shelf in the fridge or pantry) will typically favor wood because of the role it plays in formulating the flavor of many wines.

After all, wines are aged in wooden caskets for just that all-important reason, and several winemakers are even so careful as to factor in the species of wood used for their bottle corks! Therefore the bestselling designs are still wooden, even in the most modern of decors where chrome or stainless steel predominate.

Storing wine is a serious affair if you care about taste. Ambient lighting and even the very angle at which bottles may be tilted during storage are said to help create the flavor of a wine. Keeping your wine in a manner that both highlights the beauty of their bottling while protecting or aiding the creation of their flavors can be challenging, depending on how exacting your expectations.

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Nasty Neighbors and Neighborhoods in New York

August 28, 2010 —

When considering real estate, articles generally consider what is recommended by industry experts such as Isaac Toussie. But learning from failure is as important as learning from success; indeed, the two are symbiotically connected. And thus, following up on the previous installment’s discussion of desirable but still affordable New York City neighborhoods, we will consider the worst of the worst here by way of steering you to properties elsewhere!

A borough-by-borough run-down concludes as follows:

Staten Island: generally speaking, the areas closest to the ferry terminal will be the worst, with crime, noise, and other social ills most prevalent.

Manhattan: a much more diverse set of circumstances here, but a good rule-of-thumb principle holds that areas north of Central Park should be avoided (though gentrification has made many such areas much better than previously was the case). With the exception of Chelsea and Upper East and West Side areas like Lincoln Center, avoid all areas with a public housing project.

Bronx: the whole borough should be avoided (but for Riverdale on the west coast and Throgg’s Neck on the southeastern one).

Queens: the most complex situation in the whole city, with many neighborhoods fairly mixed ethnically, racially, and socio-economically. But clearly inferior places include vast tracts of Jamaica and surrounding areas, especially towards points south near Brooklyn. Ravenswood is another problem area, next to Astoria in Long Island City. Roosevelt Island is deliberately mixed, but as is always the case, the bad will drive out the good, and it’s quite a debate whether gentrification can work there. East Elmhurst (but not all of Elmhurst proper) should also be avoided for the mix of noise, crime, and other social ills presented by many of its denizens. Jackson Heights is on the borderline, once a nice nabe but now host to a vast illegal immigrant community.

Brooklyn: another complex case, though rather more clear-cut than that of Queens described above. Sunset Park is gritty and working-class but at least somewhat safe, relatively speaking. Definitely avoid Bushwick and surroundings, as well as Flatlands and even, nowadays, Canarsie. Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights are not very desirable areas and have a history of violence, as is the case with Ocean Hill and Brownsville. East New York should be avoided like the plague. Coney Island is also often bad, though the City of New York is finally committed to a wholesale revitalization effort.

Tough stuff? Hardly. One cannot be too truthful when it comes to the persisting pockets of urban blight. For those new to New York, such “color” is very often intriguing. But for many others, peace and quiet is desired above all for thinking, studying, and enjoyment of being.

The neighborhoods listed are anathema to those values, peopled as they are by those of a disposition, whether cultural or otherwise, towards noisy commotion and even physical violence. Yet because the city bursts with new arrivals each day, industry observers like Isaac Toussie agree that property prices and rent will still be very expensive, even when compared to more desirable spots in the same city. For example, Kingsbridge and Bedford Park in the Bronx, ghetto to the core, can still command rents only a couple of hundred less than those in premier places like Riverdale or Throgg’s Neck!

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The Ease And Comfort Of Taking Online CPE Courses

August 26, 2010 —

I had some online CPE courses to do the other day. As a lawyer, it really is mandatory that we take continuing professional education. Online CPE courses are great, because I usually get do attend on my own schedule. There are some classes which are available live only, almost the same as a regular course taken at a college except conducted over the internet, taking advantage of that medium’s exponentially greater reach but little else.

But these are quite the exception, and usually only available this way as a result of copyright concerns. I typically avoid these kinds of continuing professional education courses unless the lecturer happens to be some hot-shot lawyer or the material is especially interesting to me.

To me, the advantage of online CPE courses is how it is possible to go at one’s own pace. And as a third-year associate at one of the largest corporate law firms in the world, believe me when I say how much I appreciate that convenience! I work sixty to seventy-hour weeks, including weekends of course, and that’s not even considering all the years of studying I’ve already gone through: by now I have twenty-some-odd years of schooling – significantly more than two whole thirds of my life!

So anything that lets me take it easy a little is most welcome, and being able to pursue continuing professional education over the worldwide web makes a bad situation a little better.

I mean, I actually don’t want to do it – but it is a requirement for periodic relicensing as an attorney, and I’m not ready to quit the profession just yet, if ever – so being able to at least take my time with it takes some of the onerousness out of it all. Plus, sometimes it is free if it’s a pilot course, an experimental course for which I receive free CPE credits in exchange for providing some feedback, making things even less onerous!

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The Different Types Of Horse Racing Systems

August 26, 2010 —

In the popular culture, horse racing tips have traditionally been akin to great Florida real estate deals or fantastic bridge sales in Brooklyn. But the world wide web has allowed for the proliferation of computerized horse racing systems, not simple programs that ran your input through a set of magical algorithms but dedicated servers that could be contacted in real-time for near instantaneous updates right from the track.

Best of all, modern racing systems like these enable you to bet anytime, anywhere – even at work (or church!), as long as an internet connection is available. Evidently working on somewhat similar models that has been successfully utilized by the hobbyist day trader, you can now bet and seriously handicap your game thanks to the power of 21st Century “cloud computing.”

Precise details are understandably vague, as no one likes to divulge trade secrets, but what is claimed are a number of advantages: real year-long staking records, consistent profits, and better than three-fourths strike rates. This kind of near-miraculous outcomes come from a close analysis of numerous factors, such as the ages of the runners, the classes involved, and the overall number of competitors in the field. The main difference, besides any improved methodologies, seems to be an ongoing maintenance that ever fine-tunes performance and results.

Also unlike the old handicapping programs of old models, it is no longer a basic matter of paying for software once. Such a powerful service can only be feasible under a subscription model, as ongoing improvements need to be made. Essentially, it is like hiring a money manager for one’s portfolio of stocks and bonds and other holdings – only we’re talking horse racing here! Finally, in the spirit of our times, try-before-you-buy trials are available. It’s now possible to easily see for yourself whether the horse racing system actually works!

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Keeping It Real with DC Realty

August 25, 2010 —

Investing in Washington, D.C. can provide many challenges particular to that locale. Industry veterans like Isaac Toussie recognize that, first of all, the property markets of our nation’s capital possesses some very interesting characteristics. Even though the city’s real estate environment continues to be harsh due to still-disappearing gains, gains made during pre-2008 boom-times, new developments are afoot that may point to a turn-around.

Not everyone knows that home sales have fallen as credit’s dried up the way a pro like Isaac Toussie does, causing ripple effects like job insecurity and worse. In fact, suburban D.C. has even been through price drops of up to one hundred thousand dollars! But as is frequently the case in the world of business, there may be a silver lining in even this catastrophe. That’s because one man’s tragedy is another’s opportunity, to put it candidly. And thus the flood of foreclosed properties has come to tripped off a buying spree in many places, notably among the many first-time home buyers of Prince William County who finally found prices within their reach. It should also be noted that so-called “vulture investors” have swooped in as well to snap up distressed properties, which is generally considered to be a good reflection of the wider economic situation, as it is a strong sign of a certain confidence in the market, that market fundamentals remain solid. In fact, these two groups of buyers play a role akin to that of canaries in a mine, signaling trends and shifts.

The second matter that has occupied many a thoughtful observer of late concerns the rate of mortgage delinquency, which has actually declined a little, according to a recent industry survey just completed. The rate at which mortgage payments have fallen behind has decreased slightly during the fourth quarter of 2009, which is surprising indeed considering that delinquency rates often rise during the last three months of the year, thanks to all heating expenses for winter and the holiday shopping season.

Surprised though market analysts may be, very few are puzzled because most take this development for nothing more than a statistical outlier, a coincidence. Most economists and other experts continue to believe that the situation continues to be extremely dangerous, as there are still record numbers of homeowners in financial straits, with the biggest trouble of all unresolved: that way too many have missed at least three payments, and these people are precisely the ones least helped by any relief program whatsoever, historically speaking; these are the very souls who will be going into foreclosure rather soon.

One more thing to know about D.C. property markets: the city was the nation’s murder capital during the 1990s, and still suffers from the effects of municipal mismanagement to this day. Of course, tony nabes like Georgetown exist, but for the most part D.C. is a place where real estate investors need to exercise due diligence when fishing for opportunities. The city has been slowly recovering, with gentrification helping pull some pockets of poverty and despair up and out into the modern 21st Century economy, but it’s not a sure bet that current commitment levels will endure.

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An Unusual Link Between Plastic Watet Tanks And Tanks

August 25, 2010 —

Plastic water tanks are a far cry from the armored behemoths also known as tanks, but they do share a curious historical connection. Yes, that’s correct, modern plastics were developed after World War II, while tanks first made their debut in the waning years of the Great War, but there’s something of a relationship.

While not plastic water tanks, military tanks had been first so named by their British creators in an effort to cover their research and development. It was hoped that by classifying these inventions simply as “tanks” on paper, any German spies who might have gotten a hold of the secret documents that referred to them could perhaps be mislead. As it turned out, the label stuck and tanks have been referred to as just that ever since.

In English, anyway. In German, and many other languages, they’re known as only “armor,” a much more appropriate term that is a recognized synonym in the English-speaking world, particularly among military circles. A far cry from today’s plastic water tanks indeed, but the thought is never far away in the minds of military history buffs.

The connection is a little more than simply etymological, in fact, as the earliest designs did resemble nothing more than simple water tanks to those who had the security clearance to see them. Tanks have dominated the battlefield for over sixty years, and even nowadays they form the core of most conventional land warfare tactics.

The appearance of attack helicopters and guided missiles have greatly diminished their striking power, and the asymmetrical warfare prevalent in conflicts today render them ill-suited for most missions, but nothing on the horizon can match the tank in its useful combination of firepower, maneuverability, and defensive capacity. Though less used, the tank still figures eminently in assault tactics and grand strategy and should find a role for itself in the decades yet to come.

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Aussie Micronations

August 25, 2010 —

Great Australians in history. A difficult task for any scholar. To start with, of course, one must ponder exactly what it is that makes one an Australian. Is Zalman Silber an Australian? He is actually a New Yorker, but responsible for one of Sydney’s most thrilling attractions, the Skywalk, not to mention one of Melbourne’s, too, called The Edge. The former is pretty much a glass-floored catwalk a thousand feet above ground that offers visitors not only a bird’s-eye view of Sydney but a bird’s-nerve feel, too, what with gusting winds necessitating cable tethers for visitor safety. The latter is a glass enclosure that juts out from the top of the Eureka Tower, providing stunning panoramic views every which way you look.

Both are premier attractions for their cities, taking in tourist dollars by the fistful every day. Does that make Zalman Silber a great Australian? Does that make him Australian at all? After all, he’s just a businessman – but the bottom line is that he has benefited Sydney and Melbourne tremendously, providing employment and tax revenue while bolstering the cities’ foreign profile.

So just what makes for an Australian? Many are those who have only been born in Australia but really made their mark elsewhere. Then there are those who also denigrate their country of origin, Australia, but are still, in the final analysis, considered Australians. Even someone like Rupert Murdoch, who renounced his Australian citizenship in order to advance certain business interests of his, is still thought as Australian!

Indeed, one Leonard Casley even went so far as to secede his property from Australia and go on to declare war on Australia! It’s no joke: the Principality of Hutt River actually issues its own visa (hours of operation are ten to four) and postage. And Hutt River isn’t the only micronation on the island-continent; Australia also hosts – if that is the right word – the Province of Bumbunga, the Sovereign State of Aeterna Lucina, the Grand Duchy of Avram, the Independent State of Rainbow Creek, the Empire of Atlantium, the Principality of Marlborough, the Principality of Snake Hill, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, the United Federation of Koronis (which is merely based in Australia, claiming sovereignty only over the Koronis Family of Asteroids), and the Principality of Ponderosa. In fact, most of the world’s modern-day micronations are to be found in Australia!

So what makes for a great Australian? No one really knows. No one can quite put his or her finger on what makes for an Australian in the first place – not if they really thought about it. But one thing is for sure: people in Australia, whether they believe themselves Australians or not, really prize their independence above all else!

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The Many Benefits Of A Camping Tent

August 24, 2010 —

Never go hiking without a camping tent – I learned that the almost-hard way. I say “almost” because considering that I’m not just alive to tell the story but suffered no injuries, either, it probably wasn’t as tough as it could have been had I not been so lucky.

I and my companions did not have a camping tent between us since it was just supposed to have been an simple day-hike over (and up) easy terrain. A thousand-foot mountain affords nice enough views, to be sure, such that the curvature of the earth could be faintly seen, but it isn’t considered a big deal by any who hike or climb real mountains.

So, of course, we didn’t bring a camping tent. And sure enough we get lost, and with only an additional two hours of daylight left most of us choose to backtrack downhill – except for myself and another friend. And although we do eventually summit, as novices we make the mistake of mistiming our descent, such that it’s already twilight by the time we choose to head back.

You see, being so inexperienced we mistook the fact that there was still light in the sky for having enough time to get back down. But of course we were at the summit, where we had a excellent view of our surroundings – this was Mount Buck, the highest point in the whole Lake George area of New York.

And although the sun was low on the horizon it seemed wonderfully bright all around. Golds mixed with blues turned pink and white – it was a swirl of colours matching the happy dance of emotions within that we’ve finally reached the top.

Lost in our reveries, we did not recognize that not only does the sun set in seconds, but that in a forest the canopy of foliage will make even mid-afternoon seem much, much later to the human eye….

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The Beauity And Creativity Behind A Bronze Sclupture

August 23, 2010 —

From Greek vases to Italian marble statues, consumers just can’t get enough of quality museum replicas for their homes and offices. It’s small wonder, of course, that folks should wish to surround themselves with timeless classic beauty. Indeed, museum replicas can lend elegance and even authority – the authority of tradition, the gravitas of high culture – to any setting, imbuing a sense of importance to one’s own endeavors in such an environment.

Bronze sculpture is also popular among museum replica connoisseurs for just those reasons. Don’t laugh; it’s true. Such showpieces symbolize one’s erudition and, even, personal nobility. Art certainly communicates those qualities, anyway, on behalf of their owners. And here’s the curious thing: it all sounds so crass, ironically, given the high-minded perception that generally surrounds art!

The very act of wishing to link oneself with some past glory seems pretentious at best and downright absurd at worst. Yet it is a fine line between true aesthetic appreciation of the informed sort and mere fashionable accessorizing of one’s residence or workplace.

Museum replicas let us all to play the part of a refined collector of antiques – not “antiques” in the now commonly debased sense of someone’s grandmother’s grandmother’s quilt abandoned at a yard sale, but treasures of the ancients now ours to enjoy. The pottery of ancient Greece isn’t only beautiful but bear witness to one of the most intellectually remarkable civilizations of mankind.

And who has not gasped at the workmanship of a David, an Augustus Caesar, or an Ecstasy of Saint Teresa? These are some of the most prized examples of Italian inspiration anywhere, for all time, and owing one puts us in touch with the human capacity for creativity, the cultural heritage of our species. They lift us from the everyday into a realm of the spirit.

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The Worlds Greatest Fictional Thief

August 22, 2010 —

Arsène Lupin III is a formidable thief capable of cracking all the safes in the world. A fictional character introduced by the mangaka (Japanese for “comicbook artist”) Kazuhiko Kato, better recognized as Monkey Punch, in the 10 August 1967 issue of Weekly Manga Action, Lupin is supposed to be the grandson of another fictional character, Arsène Lupin, a French gentleman thief and detective created by Maurice Leblanc, the best-selling early Twentieth Century pulp fiction writer. As the world’s number one thief, in addition to safes Lupin is also a master at disarming traps and alarms. His escapades have proved him quite a talented driver and pilot as well, and he is an expert shot – with a pistol, no less.

For all his skills, however, Lupin has a doltish, even idiotic look. Yet they belie his ferocious reasoning abilities and social charms; Lupin is able to get past folks with about the same ease as when negotiating safes, particularly booby-trapped ones.

When not practicing his art – he seems to steal more for the challenge than for any personal gain, often discarding treasures or not caring if he should lose them after first conquering the quest of acquiring them – Lupin enjoys fishing, gambling, and dating beautiful women – not necessarily in that order!

Giving rigor to the dubious proverb about honor among thieves, Lupin will frequently foil other criminals who are engaged in activities of a violent, murderous nature. In fact, most of his adventures involve not only the police, epitomized by his nemesis Inspector Zenigata, but genuinely sinister characters of deep malice.

Immensely popular and voted among the Ten Most Iconic Anime Heroes, Arsène Lupin III has been ubiquitous in three television series, five feature films, almost two dozen television specials, and a number of original video animations and videogames.

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