The new Maserati Quattroporte will be officially unveiled at January’s Detroit Auto Show. Here’s a sneak preview. The new Quattroporte will begin reaching dealers, likely as a 2014 model, later in the year. Pricing hasn’t been mentioned, but expect a healthy bump from the current Quattroporte S and Quattroporte Sport GT S, which command $127,250 and $135,200.
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David Lynch is bringing a pop-up version of his exclusive Parisian club Silencio to Miami during Art Basel in December. The Mulholland-Drive-inspired Parisian club will be recreated at the Delano South Beach hotel for the duration of the fair between the December 6 and 9.
Silencio will take over the hotel’s night club, which will be transformed into a salon atmosphere similar to the decor of the Parisian version.
Like the Parisian nightspot, access to Miami’s Silencio will be reserved for members only. Those eligible to enter will be able to enjoy music, film, art and fashion during the fair as well as lighting and cocktails similar to those offered in Paris.
Modeled by Lynch after his film Mulholland Drive, Silencio opened in Paris in 2011. The sinister cabaret decoration is inspired by the strange Club Silencio in the movie.
The club’s decoration was entirely designed by Lynch, from key features to furniture as well as small details such as the books in the bookshelves.
The venue regularly hosts movie retrospectives, concerts, art aperformances and guests DJs. Lynch is also said to oversee the cultural program for the venue.
It is not the first time a pop-up of Silencio has been brought to a major event. The exclusive club already spawned a pop-up version at the Cannes Film Festival this year and served as co-host to the Future Contemporaries Festival at the Serpentine Gallery in London.
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Business trips sometimes offer welcome changes of scenery — but long days chock-full of meetings, luncheons (where a permanent smile is required), and early-morning (or late-night!) workouts squeezed in at the hotel gym can make them downright exhausting.
But if you’re lucky enough to be sent to a good destination, all the downsides can be worth the perks. Silicon Valley is a major business hub and, as such, most hotels in the area cater to those traveling for work with well-equipped gyms, up-to-date business centers, and comfortable rooms.
And some also cater to those looking to let loose after a day of schmoozing meetings. After all — work hard, play hard — right?
We’ve picked our favorite business hotels in Silicon Valley where mixing business with pleasure is easily done. Check ‘em out! And then get back to partying work.
This Four Seasons Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto reflects the legendary service and commitment to quality of the luxury brand. Upscale touches are everywhere, from the beautifully manicured grounds to the sleek wood-paneled lobby to the spacious rooftop pool (where attendants offer guests free sunscreen). The spa, pool, and Quattro restaurant are all top-notch, and the rooms are bright and modern with floor-to-ceiling windows, marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, and large flat-screen TVs.
Work: The hotel offers over 7,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, complete with ballrooms, flexible board rooms, and catering service.
Unwind: The stylish rooftop pool features private cabanas and bar service, as well as an outdoor workout area.
Perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, the hotel has excellent facilities, including the luxurious 16,000-square-foot spa which offers great treatments for those with little time to spare, such as the Gentleman’s Quick Fix and the On The Go Combo. Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay are spacious and elegant, yet simple, with beautiful marble bathrooms and quaint shutters covering windows. Fire Pit Rooms come with — you guessed it — cozy outdoor fire pits looking out onto the rocky coast.
Work: All rooms feature an elegant desk with a comfortable chair and easy access to several power outlets.
Unwind: Hit the links at dusk and enjoy the beautiful ocean views as the sun sets.
The stylish and modern Rosewood Sand Hill leaves very little to be desired for business travelers, and those who plan to bring the family along will find tons of things for them as well. Rooms are bright and airy, with high-tech amenities,and elegant decor, and the hotel offers myriad services for those in the area for business, including a state-of-the-art fitness center, a hopping bar, a business center, and free car service within a five-mile radius. A luxury spa, the stunning landscaping, and a family-friendly outdoor pool round out the experience.
Work: Impress your clients at the Michelin-starred Madera restaurant.
Unwind: The elegant spa offers myriad relaxing treatments, including several for couples.
This article is based off my interview with Alex over at MastersofStyle
It’s one thing to decide you’re going to wear scent, but how do you tell which one’s right for you?
Your average menswear store, even if it carries fragrances, doesn’t have a “perfume counter” like the ladies’ section does.
That’s good, in one sense, since you’re a lot less likely to be sprayed unexpectedly with an unwanted sample. Seriously, does anyone like that?
But it also means you have little to judge except the packaging and the price.
So what makes the difference between one cologne and the next?
Today, we are going to focus on 8.
1. Composition
When perfumers talk about “composition” they mean the different elements that make up the scent. A lot of the time this will be phrased in the form “notes of…” (as in “notes of sandalwood,” “notes of bergamot,” etc.)
The “notes” come in different orders and amounts depending on how they’re combined.
The best perfumes have a unique composition that sets them apart from imitators. Some achieve this with very rare or expensive ingredients that other companies don’t have access to, while others construct the blend so that scents come in unusual orders or combinations that other companies haven’t thought of or perfected yet.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to judge composition in a store without a tester. Some packaging lists “notes,” but they’re usually written by the marketing department, not the people who created the scent, so take them with a grain of salt. When in doubt, ask to test the scent, and don’t buy if you haven’t.
2. Release Year
Perfumes go through yearly variations just like wines, and for much the same reasons – the ingredients used are never exactly uniform, so the same blend in 2008 might become slightly sharper-smelling in 2009 if the lavender crop was bad (just as an example – I don’t actually know of any lavender blight in 2009).
There’s also a fashion element. Scents tend to be constructed to go with styles and attitudes, so that experienced perfumers compare decades much like we would for clothing. The 1980s top brands were – no surprise here – big, aggressive, sharp, and full of dry notes. The 1990s cleaned it up and had lighter, sweeter smells.
In buying terms, that means that your perfume gets “dated” long before it actually goes bad. If you’re updating your wardrobe and not your colognes, you might end up with a clash. On the flip side, it means that a really good scent from an older year might become a valuable treasure if it does go with your style – you’ll have both a good fit and the prized uniqueness talked about under “Composition” above.
3. Brand and Budget
Major brands have a “feel” to them that’s part science and part marketing. Prada perfumes are made to have a family of familiar scents. If you’ve worn one for years, the newest Prada blend should feel comfortable to you, even if it’s not the same scent.
It’s also a big part of the image colognes have sold for year. The, “Oh, are you wearing…?” moment (usually involving dancing or other close embraces) has been the center of many a time-worn ad campaign.
Budget and price are a triage factor. It gives you a range of brands that you can afford to buy semi-regularly, from which you make your selection.
4. Oil Content
The oil content determines how long your cologne lasts. The more oils, the stronger and longer-lasting the scent, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing – you get more effect, but you also have to be careful how much you put on, to avoid an overwhelming smell.
Eau de Toilette blends (EDTs) tend to have a shorter longevity than other perfumes. Some brands make both and EdT and a cologne in the same scent, so check the box to make sure you’re getting the one you want – the EdT will be subtler and more of an accent, but it will also only last between 4-8 hours on average, as opposed to some perfumes that can go up to 24 hours.
5. Strength
The strength of the cologne affects its “projection,” or how far the scent travels. A stronger cologne can be smelled several steps away, while a milder one is only noticeable by someone in a close embrace.
Strong smells aren’t necessarily better than mild ones. Anything that’s perceptible more than a step away is overkill. You can buy and wear a strong smell, but it requires much more careful application. Only a tiny dab is sufficient with powerful blends.
6. Classification
All perfumes can be arranged into general groups. The classification system is a little arcane, but it can be useful for finding scents similar to the ones you already like.
Some packaging will list the fragrance family, as will most company websites. You can also ask salespeople, though that usually only works if there’s a separate fragrance department – most floor salesmen won’t know the difference.
7. Concept
The advertising and packaging usually give you a good sense what the “concept” of the scent is. Think in terms of adjectives: is it “manly?” “rugged?” “romantic?” “sensual?” “sexy?”
Concept can be a double-edged sword, since some are thought up by perfumers drawing inspiration from things around them, while others are thought up by marketers. So you’ll get concepts like “toasted marshmallow” that are more gimmick than anything. But a “piney campfire” is a totally legitimate inspiration, and done right that could be a good scent for a man with an outdoors feel.
It takes some experimenting to find a concept you like, but they’re a good guideline to the sort of fragrance families you like.
8. Price
Here’s an important rule for price: the more you pay for a fragrance, the more you should demand from it.
That is to say, if you’re choosing between a $30 bottle of cologne and a $300 bottle, the $300 bottle needs to be bringing about ten times the advantages that the $30 bottle does.
There’s exceptions – every year, some brand hits a formula that’s much better than everyone expected. If you follow websites and forums dedicated to the industry it’s usually easy to spot these flukes and snap up a few, but for the most part you can expect the top-shelf brands to have the ingredients and engineering to put them well ahead of cheaper counterparts.
You don’t always get what you pay for. The most expensive perfume isn’t always the best. Test before you wear, and if possible check websites like Masters of Style that offer a ranking of products tested to see what other people are saying.
SEE ALSO: Why Guys Should Avoid Buying All Of Their Clothing Online
Red may be the color of the season—what with Santa's suit and Rudolph's shiny nose—but what if you're dreaming of a white wine Christmas?
No problem, says Doug Bell, national wine buyer for Whole Foods Market. "The holidays are the times when you just break all those wine mores and try different things," he points out.
With that settled, where to start when making your holiday sip list?
Chardonnay's always a good fallback. It goes well with poultry, a staple of the season's eatings, it's versatile, it's familiar and, gosh darn it, people like it. There's a reason this is America's No. 1 table wine.
Still, you can shake things up a little by widening your geographical palate and trying a chardonnay that comes from someplace other than California. Whole Food's Top 10 list of holiday wines includes a Domaine de Bernier chardonnay from the Loire Valley in France that can be found for under $10.
Mike DeSimone, coauthor with Jeff Jenssens of the recently published "Wines of the Southern Hemisphere: The Complete Guide," thinks Old World when picking winter whites.
"Since Christmas falls during the colder months — at least here in the northern hemisphere — it's a great time to stock up on cold-weather whites from Burgundy or Alsace," he says. "They can be less expensive than you might expect. We keep a few in gift bags in the trunk of the car in case we've forgotten anyone as we make our holiday rounds."
He recommends Louis Jadot Macon-Villages 2011, for $15, from Burgundy, which pairs well with chicken, turkey or fish. Or, from Alsace for $20, try Lucien Albrecht Reserve Pinot Gris Romanus 2010, which goes well with lightly spiced veal or pork.
Jenssen, meanwhile, likes two chardonnays from New Zealand, Craggy Range Kidnappers Vineyard Chardonnay 2011, for $18, and Kumeu River Village Chardonnay 2009, for $20. (All prices approximate.) "Both are produced in a classic French style and the citrus and fruit notes are nicely balanced by flavors of vanilla and toast. I would pour either of these with chicken or fish in cream sauce or even a fancy macaroni and cheese."
When talking turkey pairings, a slightly different way to go is Gewurztraminer, a cool-climate grape that produces wines that typically range from slightly sweet to quite sweet. The Alsace region of France is known for Gewurztraminer (ge-VIRTZ-traminer often referred to as just ge-VIRTZ), but you also can find it from U.S. regions, including Mendocino County in Northern California and the Columbia Valley of Oregon and Washington.
Or, you can add a little gold to your holiday table with the honey-colored sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac in the Bordeaux wine-growing region of France.
The wine is made from white grapes that have been affected by the "noble rot," more scientifically known as Botrytis cinerea, a fungus that concentrates the sugars and the aromas in the grapes. This is the home of the famous Château d'Yquem, which sells for hundreds a bottle, but there are plenty of other producers in the region putting out good wines at a range of prices. These also make for good gifts since they're pretty in the bottle and a little bit out of the ordinary.
This is a wine for sipping fireside or enjoying with some cheese nibbles. It's also surprisingly versatile, pairing well with savory holiday dishes such as turkey and sweet potatoes. Aline Baly, whose family owns the Chateau Coutet winery in the village of Barsac, sees the wines as "a reminder of the holiday season with their distinct notes of citrus zest, orange and lemon, and ripe nectars, pears, and the sweet touch of gingerbread on your palate." Prices vary but Château Coutet can generally be found for around $30 a half-bottle.
Whatever you're serving this season, be sure to have a little fun, Bell advises. And don't be shy of trying something different. "It's the one time of year when you know you're going to have people over, and you're going to have a LOT of people over. And if your crowd is wine drinkers, that's a good time to open up three or four different wines. That's the fun way to do it."
DeSimone and Jenssen's website: http://worldwineguys.com
Forget pitching a tent the next time you want to catch some Zzzs outdoors. Setting up your slumber in a suspended, ethereal white ball away from predators and ground moisture is far more preferable — if you can afford it.
The “Cocoon Tree” created by Berni Du Payrat might look and feel luxurious, but it does have the price tag to match. Cost for the little more than 132-pound (without you in it) contraption ranges from more than $4,800 to more than $14,000, according to the Daily Mail.
The round bed is 3-meters in diameter with a custom duvet cover over it. The covered aluminum structure surrounding it is water-proof and has mosquito netting to keep the bugs at bay. If you want to up the luxury, the website states it can be fitted with an air conditioner or heating unit for more extreme conditions.
The Cocoon Tree is suspended by ropes and nets. The structure itself is designed to support up to two tons, with its ropes and fittings supporting more than a ton as well.
Could you truly get your beauty sleep and emerge well-rested and beautiful like a butterfly though? That depends on the birds.
“The only problem is the birds, they’re so noisy when the sun comes up,” Payrat said, according to the Daily Mail.
Watch this video about the Cocoon Tree:
This excerpt from "Debt-Proof Your Christmas"
It was my worst Christmas ever. I’d been hiding bills from my husband so we would have money for Christmas shopping, but it wasn’t enough. It never was.
Every credit card in my vast collection was maxed to the limit. Back then going over limit was not allowed. If you tried, the card would be rejected at the cash register. There are few things more humiliating than the dreaded words, “You’ll need to go to the credit office.”
With only seven days to go until the big day, I was desperate. Still to come were parties, school events, church pageants, and musicals. The pressure of the season was taking its toll. The stress was nearly unbearable.
I did the only thing I could do: I called the department stores whose cards I had and begged for a credit limit increase. One high-end store agreed. That determined my course of action. I would have to Christmas shop in a big chichi store that specialized in clothing.
The store directory assured me it had toys and electronics too. But just try to find them. When I did find toys and electronics, the selections were limited and the prices outlandish. But by then I didn’t care what the price tags read. There was so little time left, and I was determined to mark the last names off my list and just get this shopping thing finished.
Before I go on, you need to know this was quite a few years ago when VCRs (videocassette recorders) were fairly new technology and quite the buzz. I purchased a VCR from that department store for my husband. It cost more than six hundred dollars—about double what they were going for at the time in discount electronics stores.
But what were my other choices? My only available credit was at this one department store. I tore through that increased credit limit in no time flat. I bought toys and clothes and of course the pricey VCR. The kids weren’t impressed; neither was my husband. He couldn’t quite understand my choice of gifts because we already had a VCR. Not a very good one, I pointed out.
I don’t remember much else from that miserable Christmas.
If there was any joy or satisfaction, it was lost in the shadow of the frantic last-minute shopping and all the debt I added to an already out-ofcontrol situation. Of course, the regular bills couldn’t hide forever, and their reappearance in the New Year did not endear me to my husband.
Add to them the bills for all that Christmas shopping and you’ll have a small idea of the angst and disharmony in the Hunt household. I’m certain we paid for that VCR at least three times by the time we finally got out of debt many years later. The debt lasted far longer than the machine, which has long since gone to the big electronic graveyard in the sky. But it remains for me an important symbol of what not to do.
After that low point of my life, I made a U-turn on the road to financial devastation. It took nearly thirteen years to repay all the horrible debt I had amassed (a story for another day), but the important thing is that we did it.
We paid back a six-figure load of unsecured debt, and in the process, it changed our lives.
"We paid back a six-figure load of unsecured debt, and in the process, it changed our lives."
If there’s one thing I learned from that Christmas so many years ago, it is this: Stuff quickly fades, but debt goes on and on. As you read this now, it may be spring or fall. As I write, it’s summer. The days are long, the grass is green, and the livin’ is easy. Even so, and no matter what time of year it is, there is something we need to talk about.
Relatively speaking, the holidays are just a few short months away. Christmas can creep up on us like a swimsuit that’s a couple of sizes too small.
I don’t know how much credit-card debt has your name on it, but the fact that you’re reading this book suggests there might be some.
Or perhaps you aren’t in debt, but you want to make sure you stay that way. There’s no doubt that relying on credit to pay for holiday shopping can be very tempting. The credit-card companies want us to believe it won’t make any difference—that holiday debt is simple to pay off. But we know better. It’s time to say enough is enough.
Being sick and tired of overspending and starting each New Year with a holiday debt hangover for stuff no one remembers is the catalyst that can make things different for you in the future. You have to say, “Enough! I’m not going to do that anymore.”
What you hold in your hand is not a challenge to stop giving gifts or celebrating Christmas or even spending money. Not at all. Because every situation is different and there is no one-size-fits-all holiday plan, this book is packed with ideas for how to have an all-cash Christmas.
No matter how much or how little cash you have to spend, staying away from credit-card debt is going to change your holiday experience in ways you never dreamed possible.
Here’s my challenge for you: This Christmas, lock up the credit cards and let me show you how to experience the best Christmas ever with no debt, less stress, and more joy! Prepare yourself for the most meaningful Christmas you and your family have ever experienced—a very merry, debt-free Christmas.
SEE ALSO: 7 reasons your neighbors might be richer than you >
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To celebrate the arrival of the F-TYPE – the powerful next step in their sporting bloodline – Jaguar have teamed up with Ridley Scott Associates to create Desire, an action-packed film project starring Damian Lewis with music from Lana Del Rey, due for release in March 2013. Here’s the Desire teaser trailer:
Press release:
Jaguar Reveals Casting For Ridley Scott Associates’ Short Feature Film ‘Desire’ At The US Debut Event For New F-TYPE
Jaguar announced that Award winning British Actor Damian Lewis will play the lead in a short feature film called ‘Desire’ for luxury car brand Jaguar. Actors Jordi Molla and Shannyn Sossamon have also been cast in lead roles in the film. Inspired by the Jaguar F-TYPE, the casting announcement was made at an exclusive pre LA Auto Show event hosted by Jaguar Land Rover at Paramount Studios, LA.
Jaguar revealed the F-TYPE sports car to 350 VIPs ahead of its US Auto Show debut. The car made its dynamic entrance at Paramount Pictures Studios on a road built over the famous studio’s sunken water tank.
Damian was not the only cast member in attendance at the event, his ‘Desire’ co-star, American actor, Shannyn Sossamon, was also present. Additionally, guests were treated to the premier of a trailer teaser for the movie, which will be filmed in Chile over a five-day shoot next week.
The film tells the story of Clark (Lewis), who delivers cars for a living, running into trouble after a chance encounter with a mysterious, young woman (Sossamon) in the middle of a lawless desert. Directed by Adam Smith, this is a story of betrayal, retribution, passion and greed.
Damian Lewis commented:
“When Jaguar approached me about the F-TYPE Desire film I was really intrigued. I then got to read the script and decided it was definitely a project I wanted to be a part of. Working with the director Adam Smith from Ridley Scott Associates, it promises to be an adventure. Jaguar cars have played some iconic roles in film for many years and I’m looking forward to being the first to drive the F-TYPE in film.”
Over the coming weeks, Jaguar will release exclusive content from the set itself in Chile’s Atacama Desert. This will give viewers the chance to get behind the scenes and really feel part of the production.
Kai Lu Hsiung, Managing Director, Ridley Scott Associates comments:
“We are hugely excited to be collaborating with Jaguar on this project, and to be working with such a fantastic cast.”
“Film sets have traditionally kept viewers out, but through crafted updates and content we will welcome them onto the set in an unprecedented way, from the shoot in early December through to the launch of the film in March. We want viewers to see how the process unfolds through our eyes and to be a part of it alongside us.”
Throughout the project Jaguar will be employing innovative techniques to share the film set experience and mastery with their audience. From using button hole cameras attached to the cast and crew; gaining insight from stunt coordinators and wardrobe; to setting up mobile Go Pro cameras on helicopters and cars to provide unique views from the set that viewers would never otherwise see.
Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar comments:
“The parallels between the world class creativity and technical capability that led to the creation of F-TYPE, and the unique collaboration between Ridley Scott Associates and Emmy award winner Damian Lewis are self-evident.”
“Jaguar is synonymous with some of the most iconic moments in cinematic history, and we’re excited about reigniting this powerful combination through a British led, world class artistic project. Our aim is to craft the most visionary and highest quality filmic product ever created in conjunction with a brand, as a platform for our most important product launch in 50 years – the Jaguar F-TYPE.”
The new Jaguar F-TYPE represents a return to the company’s heartland: a two-seater, convertible sports car focused on delivering performance, agility and maximum driver reward. The F-TYPE is a continuation of a sporting bloodline that stretches back more than 75 years and encompasses some of the most beautiful, thrilling and desirable cars ever built, including the iconic E-type.
To find out more about ‘Desire’ please visit;
www.ftype.com
Jaguar F-TYPE
The focus on driver involvement and sporting performance in the F-TYPE is emphasized by the ‘one plus one’ layout of the asymmetric cabin. This is evidenced by the grab handle, which sweeps down the center console on the passenger side, delineating it from the driver’s position.
Taking inspiration from cockpits of fighter airplanes, the controls are ergonomically grouped by function. Further aeronautical inspiration can be found in the joystick-shaped SportShift selector controlling the eight-speed transmission. The air vents on top of the dashboard will only deploy when instructed to by either the driver or complex control algorithms, staying tucked discreetly out of sight in other circumstances.
Aluminum forms a great part of Jaguar’s commitment to sustainability with more than half the content of the car coming from recycled metal. In addition, the F-TYPE’s structure is exclusively riveted and bonded – this manufacturing process emits up to 80 percent less CO2 compared to that from welding a comparable steel structure. Jaguar is also rolling out its closed-loop recycling system to its suppliers, ensuring all offcuts of metal from the manufacturing process are reused.
Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar comments, “Jaguar is a founding member of the sports car segment with a rich sporting bloodline that stretches over 75 years, and in the F-TYPE we’ve reignited that flame. The F-TYPE isn’t designed to be like anyone else’s sports car. It’s a Jaguar sports car – ultra-precise, powerful, sensual and, most of all, it feels alive.”
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For a lot of employees, corporate retreats are dreaded events. And for good reason: At a bad corporate retreat, you might end up singing Kumbaya in the woods with your boss or falling backwards into the arms of a coworker to “build trust.”
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
At Oyster.com, we’ve covered some resorts that provide truly awesome settings for company getaways. The daily schedule may still be in your boss’s hands, but at least the resorts will make the probability of being able to squeeze in some fun much higher.
If you’re in the mood to party like it’s 2008, look no further than the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Orange County. This is the high-end hotel where AIG reportedly spent over $400,000 on an executive retreat — less than a week after the government’s $85 billion bailout of the company. (The bill included over $23,000 in spa treatments; we guess the executives had a lot of de-stressing to do after their company nearly went down the toilet.)
But hey, the times are a changin’ and 2012 has seen the return of luxury corporate retreats. So go on, celebrate the fact that your company is no longer facing imminent disaster (we hope). With a gorgeous 18-hole, ocean-view golf course, eight tennis courts, a renowned spa, an excellent business center with videoconferencing technology, and a high-tech boardroom, it’s the ideal setting for a decadent company getaway.
You may not be able to avoid team building exercises altogether, but if you’re going to do them, you might as well do them right. Hope Lake Lodge in the Finger Lakes region of New York is located across the road from Greek Peak adventure center, which features a team challenge ropes course specifically geared towards team building. We don’t know about you, but we think zip-lining and bungee jumping sound like more fun than falling backwards into someone’s arms.
Plus, Hope Lake Lodge has two on-site meeting rooms and operates the nearby Acropolis Conference Center, which can fit nearly 1,000 people — so holding meetings will be extremely convenient after the outdoor fun is done.
Does your office have weight loss competitions and a kitchen full of Kashi? Or perhaps your company is actually in the health industry (which means your office probably has a kitchen full of Kashi, too). Well if that’s the case, the Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach is a natural choice for your corporate event. (Though we think just about any stressed-out employee can appreciate the resort’s world-renowned spa.)
Corporate retreat packages include the choice of a team building and fitness session or a private wellness workshop, as well as a healthy gourmet breakfast, lunch, and refreshments for the group. This posh, serene spot is best suited for small company events of 30 or fewer.
This post was originally published on MoneyNing.
You look out the window of your home each night after dinner, staring across the street at your neighbors.
You long for the cars they drive, their weekly manicured lawns, and even the vacations they seem to take several times a year.
You’re not alone.
I often look out my window, too, staring at the gorgeous homes and cars wondering how they manage to pay for them.
After all, we live in the same neighborhood, our kids go to the same schools, and their salaries aren’t that much more than ours.
There are several reasons our neighbors can afford so many of the things we would love to have, but could never fathom splurging on.
Your perception may be skewed. You see fancy cars in the driveway, and the trim lawns you can almost feel between your toes.
You watch work crews going in and out of the awesome remodeling projects happening inside. Yet, none of that means your neighbors are wealthier than you are.
Just because you see them as more affluent, doesn’t mean they are.
You are only able to see above the surface of their spending, meaning you have no idea what’s happening down below.
While you choose to consistently save money for your kids’ education, and retirement later in life, they are spending what they believe are excess funds on their cars and homes.
They might be making the shallow choice to spend their money on what people can see, while you are spending your money on the life you want to live, both today and tomorrow.
You choose to pay for peace of mind.
It’s how your neighbors allocate their income that makes them seem richer than they are.
While your neighbors’ salaries might be slightly more than yours, it isn’t enough to justify the massive leap in spending.
However, fringe benefits can greatly widen the gap.
Perks such as cars, phones, laptops, and more can give the recipient an amazing leg up when it comes to freeing money for other pleasures.
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Anthony von Mandl is the inventor of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which has made him rich. But ask him why he created the company, and his answer is, “The winery.” More than 20 years ago, von Mandl, who grew up in Vancouver, decided to turn a hilltop in central British Columbia — part of a wine-growing region known as the Okanagan Valley — into a winery meant to last generations.
He named it the Mission Hill Family Estate and began looking for an architect to design buildings that would stand the test of time. Teaming up with Tom Kundig, von Mandl transformed a working winery inside a bland, factory-like structure into a destination for oenophiles and architecture-lovers alike. A massive bell tower in the center of its six large buildings (pictured above) can be seen from much of the surrounding area.
Von Mandl isn’t the only winemaker to use architecture, as much as viticulture, to give his products an edge. All over the world — from Rioja in Spain to New Zealand’s Gibbston Valley — striking design is attracting visitors to wineries that would otherwise get lost amid gorgeous wine-country scenery.
The world’s most celebrated architects have gotten into the act. Norman Foster gave Bodegas Portia in Burgos, Spain, a futuristic look; Juan Carlos Fernandez designed Cade Winery in Angwin, California, to be grand and green; and Santiago Calatrava, known for bridges and train stations, gave Bodegas Ysios in Rioja, Spain, its animated exterior. These buildings are as distinguished as their wineries’ best vintages and all well worth a visit.
More articles from Departures:
Founder Anthony von Mandl says it took a lot of earth moving, but he got just the view he wanted from Mission Hill’s Terrace restaurant. Rows of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines seem to extend to the shores of Lake Okanagan, and the view of the restaurant, with a colonnade by architect Tom Kundig, is almost as appealing. Kundig’s buildings tend to be made of rough materials, including poured concrete, but they have the perfect proportions of Greek temples —and have won his firm, Seattle-based Olsen Kundig, countless architectural awards.
1730 Mission Hill Rd.
250-768-6448
Foster + Partners, designers of some of the sleekest buildings in the world, including Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok Airport and Berlin’s renovated Reichstag, gave its first winery (part of the Faustino Group) a memorable form: three leaf-like wings, dedicated to the three stages of the winemaking process, that extend from an “operations core.” A raised public gallery reaches deep into each wing, giving visitors unobstructed views of the production process. (Portia’s capacity is one million bottles a year.) The concrete and glass interior is futuristic, but the exterior surfaces of Cor-Ten (pre-rusted) steel give the building an earthy demeanor. A road leads onto the roof, where harvested grapes are delivered directly into a hopper. Daily tours include tastings.
Antigua Carretera N1
34/947-102700
The architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron are known for the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, the condo building at 40 Bond Street in Manhattan and a half dozen of the world’s most beautiful museums, including the de Young in San Francisco and the Tate Modern in London. Their Dominus Estate winery, located an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge, is a much-admired, much-photographed structure made of gabion (chunks of local basalt in steel cages), which the architects employed to exploit the randomness of nature within a well-ordered environment. It also creates stunning effects when light shines through the gaps between the hunks of stone. Dominus isn’t generally open to the public, but occasional architectural tours on weekday mornings offer hardcore buffs a chance to see the structure up close.
2570 Napa Nook Rd.
707-944-8954
They have style, a job, often many children and a figure to die for: with such a formidable reputation, no wonder the prospect of matching Frenchwomen on their home turf is a terrifying prospect for most British women.
But one is determined to help dispel the myth of the perfect Gallic female while showing British and other English-speaking expatriates how to avoid the faux pas that can lead to embarrassment or humiliation in potentially hostile French territory.
Always turn up late, take a crash course in politics and never take a compliment as a come-on: these are just some of the crucial tips listed on Géraldine Lepère's website Comme une Française (Like a Frenchwoman).
British women are subjected to a constant torrent of books and articles telling them how the French do it better. First came French Women Don't Get Fat; now another, French Children Don't Throw Food, invites us to marvel at their parenting skills.
"Our reputation is such that they get the impression they're doing it all wrong," said 27-year-old Miss Lepère from Grenoble.
"We daunt them, so I break down the clichés and explain without taboos our codes – ones we don't even know we have."
Take an invitation to dinner, where arriving on time in France is a cardinal sin.
"You British are so punctual, but in France if you arrive bang on time you are likely to be met by someone without make-up and an uncooked dinner," she said.
She advises her foreign friends to be 15 to 20 minutes late, but no more as this would be "impolite".
The non-initiated should also brush up on current affairs as the French love to debate, she added.
British women, and perhaps even more, American women, must also learn to take compliments in their stride, and not as a come-on, or worse, sexual harassment.
"How many foreign married women are thunderstruck to hear their French friend's husband tell them: 'You look ravishing this evening,'?" she asked.
"We flirt all the time. If a man in the street tells you: 'You are very pretty mademoiselle', this doesn't mean he wants to sleep with you, it just means he thinks you are attractive so he tells you.
"My advice is say: 'Thank you', take it as a free pick-me-up, like a sunny day."
Miss Lepère decided to launch her website, and new online course, Your Vie en Rose, after struggling with cultural misunderstandings during two years living and working in Leeds.
While she said people were very "warm and open", she was foxed by tea break conversations revolving around TV and popular culture, and shocked to see her colleagues go out with miniskirts in sub-zero temperatures and drink her under the table.
Her first breakthrough was joining them at their Friday lunchtime pub outings, she said.
She realized many of the women among the 150,000-odd British expatriates in France must have been through similar issues.
Pamela Druckerman, American author of French Children Don’t Throw Food, said she felt daunted by Frenchwomen upon arrival in Paris.
“Ten years later, I still feel totally daunted. I’m still the fattest women in every cafe I go into - and I’m not overweight for the record,” she told the Daily Telegraph.
While the theory of “how French women tie their scarves and or seduce their husbands” is well documented, the practice was harder, she said.
As a few pointers, she said expect friendships to grow far more slowly than in the UK or US and above all, be discreet.
“In France, thoughts and sensuality and mystery are supposed to be bubbling up inside you and not quite coming out.
“I was used to is the When Harry Met Sally model of being adorable; your childhood, your neuroses, your failures and your boyfriend troubles all come out all of the time. I just don’t think that’s adorable to French people, who view it as sloppy and a little uncouth.”
The French way, she said was to “maintain mystery in your relationships and slowly reveal yourself like a blooming flower. It’s is a very smart, pragmatic and playful idea that is very appealing to foreign women.”
Miss Lepère admitted French women do have high standards, saying her personal role model was Inès de la Fressange, the sophisticated 50-something fashion icon and businesswoman.
But she said you need not be an uber chic expert on poetry or literature to fit in. Even a stab at a few stock phrases like “comment allez-vous” can break the ice.
"French women are like coconuts, often cold and hard on the exterior but once you crack the shell, it’s easier and easier to get to know them,” she said.
“If you start going towards them, you'll find they love foreign culture and the British have a very good reputation in France.”
SEE ALSO: 10 Scientifically Proven Ways To Make Yourself More Attractive To The Opposite Sex
Survey finds that the average salary people say they'd need to be happy in Dubai is $276,150.
The price of happiness is an average of $161,810, according to four out of five individuals across 13 territories, who identified the amounts they would need to earn each year to “make them feel really happy”.
This works out to be more than 15 times the global average for an individual’s income, according to the latest Wealth Sentiment Survey commissioned by Skandia International, part of Old Mutual Wealth. However, the disparity between the actual amounts that people wanted to earn in different parts of the world was marked.
Dubai came out top as people there said they would need to earn an average of US$276,150 a year to meet their earnings aspirations. Singapore and Hong Kong were not far behind, where the desired annual income was US$227,563 and US$197,702 respectively.
However, us Europeans seem to have less lofty aims when it comes to earnings and happiness, with Germans asking for an average of just US$85,781. But in the UK we need US$133,010, second in Europe behind only Italy, where residents would want US$175,825 to feel really happy.
Phil Oxenham, marketing manager at Skandia International said: “There are many more things in life that can make people happy but there is no doubt that money can help. It is fascinating to see the regional differences in levels of income and capital that people think they need to feel happy and wealthy. These figures are, of course, aspirational and for most of us the important thing is to have a financial plan and make sure that we are saving as much as we can to give us financial security.
“Interestingly, in some territories women reported having higher ambitions than men in order to feel content. For example, in Hong Kong, Italy and Brazil women say they desire 13pc (US$207,924), 11pc (US$187,036) and as much as 55pc (US$192,929) per annum respectively, in excess of the amounts quoted by men in order to feel happy.”
Globally only three in 20 people regarded themselves as wealthy. The average number of assets required to be “wealthy” was US$1.76m in disposable assets, but there were again distinct regional variations.
Mr Oxenham added: “In Singapore, the average figure quoted was an ambitious US$2.9m, while Dubai and Hong Kong cited the next highest levels at US$2.5 and US$2.46 respectively. Europe, on the other hand, reported relatively modest requirements needed for somebody to be considered wealthy. People living in Austria and Germany stated they would need just US$0.9m and US$1m to call themselves wealthy.”
In fact, people in Germany and Austria were more likely than people anywhere else in Europe to consider themselves wealthy, with more than one in five saying this was the case. The highest wealth sentiment however was in Brazil, where over a quarter of those surveyed said they felt affluent.
SEE ALSO: 10 Scientifically Proven Ways To Make Yourself Happier
I took a look at closed rental activity for the first part of November, two days after Sandy left us to observe it’s impact of rental activity in Lower Manhattan. For these purposes, I defined this area as the 4 zip codes of 10280, 10004, 10005, 10006 when trying to show a before and after metric. I could have gone later in the month (ie today) but I wanted to have a good week of data to fall in after the expiration of the period analyzed so the year-over-year was more comparable.
There were 199 closed rentals in this period in 2011 compared to 60 closed rentals in 2012, a 69.8% drop in rental activity. However, the decline is due to buildings being off line and there being initial access issues, not lack of demand. With 40 something commercial and rental buildings off line in a more broadly defined Lower Manhattan, inventory remains tight and it is hard to see much in the way of a reprieve in rental price levels as a result of the storm.
The mapping software I have isn’t able to reflect multiple apartment rentals in a building. Still, you can see fewer locations represented in 2012.
SEE ALSO: The Best All-Inclusive Hotels On The Planet
A French court overturned the conviction of Continental Airlines and its mechanic in the crash of a Concorde that helped lead to the demise of the whole supersonic jet's program.
Here are key moments in its history:
1950s: The idea of a supersonic passenger plane gains momentum after legendary U.S. aviator Chuck Yeager's 1947 blast through the sound barrier.
1969: The plane, manufactured jointly by France and Britain, lifts off from Toulouse, France, for its first test flight.
1976: The Concorde begins commercial service at Air France and British Airways. It mainly flies from London and Paris to New York and Washington, DC. It is hailed as a technological marvel, but its economics are shaky and it never makes back the billions of tax dollars invested in it. Protests emerge about its noise and lack of fuel efficiency during an oil crisis.
1984: Britain and France stop underwriting the Concorde's costs, and the two airlines take responsibility.
2000: An Air France Concorde crashes after takeoff from Paris on July 25, 2000, killing 113 people and forcing both airlines to ground their supersonic jets for over a year.
2001: Overhauled Concordes return to service two months after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, in the middle of one of aviation's worst slumps.
2003: Air France and British Airways both retire their Concordes, citing financial losses on the planes' routes.
2010: A French court convicts Continental Airlines and one of its mechanics, John Taylor, of manslaughter in the 2000 Concorde crash. The court says Continental was to blame because one of its planes dropped metal debris onto the runway before the Concorde took off, rupturing one of its tires and sending rubber into the fuel tanks, sparking a fire.
2012: A French appeals court overturns the convictions, ruling that the mechanic's mistakes did not rise to the level of legal responsibility for the deaths.
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When they weren’t frantically throwing together ingredients during Quick Fire challenges, stressing over dishes during Elimination Challenges or sweating it out in the stew room prior to Judges' Table, the contestants of “Top Chef” Season 10 did their best to relax in the penthouse of Olive 8, a condo tower in downtown Seattle.
Finding the right place for 18 contestants, as well as judges and the host to stay in secrecy in Seattle was no easy task, but Olive 8's location as well as its secure penthouse made for the best option.
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“Olive 8 provided an ideal center-city location, resort-like amenities and wraparound views of the downtown skyline,” said Dean Jones, principal of Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty, the listing brokerage for the development. “We were thrilled to offer the 38th floor for staff and cheftestants to stay while in residence in Seattle.”
Although producers did their best to keep everything under wraps, stars were spotted — including a few dining in the restaurant of the Hyatt on Olive 8's ground floor — leading some to presume that the contestants were staying in the condos above.
Host Padma Lakshmi, in particular, said it was hard to keep a low profile in the Emerald City.
“I was in this very awkward and undiplomatic position of not being able to talk about why I was there,” she told The Seattle Times.
Located just north of downtown’s Pacific Place shopping center, Olive 8 is the tallest residence tower in Seattle, featuring 229 condo units. The homes range in price from 1-bedroom open floor plans at $460,000 to million-plus 3-bedroom penthouses, all with views of downtown. Additional amenities of the building include hardwood floors, 10-foot-plus ceilings and balconies in each condo, as well as access to 24-hour concierge service, spa services, a dog run and gym.
And of course, fitting with “Top Chef,” the “kitchens are fit for a chef, said Jones, but he continued: “I suspect most ordered room service from the hotel after a long day competing.”
Source: Olive 8
Damien Hirst – artistically talentless but a showman and salesman of genius – has been asked to design (or “reimagine”) the statuette for the 2013 Brit Awards. (For readers who live a sheltered life, that’s the annual pop music awards of the British record industry.)
Before I sound off, I’m declaring my interest. I’ve just published a novel ridiculing Hirst and his world and of course I want everyone to read it. I think you’d like the jokes as well as the savagery.
Ever since the 1970s when I first saw an exhibition of dirty nappies reverentially displayed in the Oxford Museum of Modern Art, I’ve been incredulously watching how the art establishment embraced the self-evidently absurd notion that if a so-called artist says a turd is art, it’s art. (I’m not exaggerating. The likely winner of this year’s Turner Prize is, we’re told, displaying ‘a dystopian world where people become turds and turds become people’.) This led to the destruction of art education and the promotion of the Young British Artists (the YBAs)– self-promoters who spotted that to succeed you just had to shock. Hirst did maggots and smelly meat, Tracey Emin did dirt and stains, Martin Creed did lights switching on and off in an empty room and so on and on. Such people flourished, while original, creative and talented young artists – whose brushes the YBAs are not fit to clean– were ignored, derided and left starving in their garrets.
Hence my Killing the Emperors, a satire on the whole cynical, money-grubbing, sensationalist world of conceptual art, presided over by Sir Nicholas Serota of the Tate empire and the Turner Prize, who puts great paintings in storage to make room for the garbage his indoctrinated curators laud to the skies in laughable language that the brave, dissident Jackdaw magazine rightly calls “art bollocks”.
But back to the latest example of useful idiots bowing to fashion. David Joseph, industry supremo and Brits chairman, explained that Hirst "is truly one of the most important British artists ever, and his unique vision will make winning a 2013 Brit an even more special proposition".
The most recent shock-horror production from the artisans Hirst hires to do the work he’s incapable of doing (the poor chap can’t draw, paint or sculpt) is Verity, a 65 ft, 25 tonne statute of a hideous pregnant woman with her insides on display now dominating the hitherto inoffensive harbour town of Ilfracombe. She’s a larger version of Virgin Mother, which Hirst displayed in the Royal Academy courtyard in 2006. For good measure, Hirst’s equipped her with a sword and scales and trumpets her as “a modern-day allegory for truth and justice”.
Since no town council in its right mind would buy anything like this, Hirst has kindly lent it for twenty years. His objective is to bring visitors to the town, not least to his sea-front restaurant. Apparently he also has a vision of building there a large ‘eco-estate’ of expensive houses. He’s thoughtfully made Verity ten inches taller than Anthony Gormley’s Angel of the North, so that’ll be a draw for day-trippers who like gigantism.
Whatever he produces for the Brit Awards will no doubt be hailed by Joseph and his gullible chums as a work of genius. The bad news, Mr Joseph, is that Hirst’s prices are tumbling as people begin to grasp that his work is repetitive, cynical, pointless and mostly extremely ugly. His reputation is diminishing steadily – if too slowly – but with a fair wind, in a decade or so the nakedness of him, most of his fellow conceptual artists and the whole rotten art establishment will be visible to everyone.
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Gap year students are more likely to have skipped school, smoked cannabis and earned less by the age of 30, research suggests.
The study found those who took a gap year before university were more likely to indulge in risky behaviour but less likely to have faith in their own abilities and feel in control of their own destiny.
The Centre for Analysis of Youth Transitions study covered several thousand gap year students. It took data from two surveys; one of people who took a gap year in 2008–09 and another of people born in a particular week in April 1970.
The study found that more than 20 per cent of gap year takers had played truant by 16, compared with just under 14 per cent of those who went straight to university.
One survey also suggested that more than 8 per cent of gap year students had tried cannabis by the time they were 16, compared with under 6 per cent of those who went straight to degree courses, the report said. By 30, gap year takers tended to be earning less, it added.
The report identified two gap year types, those who planned to take a year out and had typically accepted a place at university and those who took an unplanned break, who did not have a degree place.
Both types had lower ability beliefs, felt less in control of their destiny and were more likely to engage in risky behaviour.
A chair with no back; a helmet that’s not really there; a ‘Star Trek’-style replicator. The Christmas gifts of the future are already here.
Cast your mind back to the beginning of 2010. A certain groundbreaking product was about to change the world. “Still no one is certain what the hell this creation is actually going to be for,” wrote the technology journalist Charles Arthur, “nor even what it will be called.” The Telegraph’s then technology correspondent, Claudine Beaumont, called it the “so-called iTablet”. She was far from convinced. “People might not know what they’ll use the tablet for,” she wrote somewhat grudgingly, “but they know that they need one.”
She was right. By Christmas 2011, the iPad was already being described as a true “game-changer”. In just a few years it has transformed the way we play, do business, socialise and learn. Will we ever see its like again? In this age of hyper-creativity and rapid technological advancement, it is impossible to tell. In the meantime, however, here are some recent innovations hoping to change how we travel to work, drink, and even the way we sit:
The Intelligent chair
When I meet Roger Golten for a coffee, he is sitting in an upright yet relaxed fashion on the chair he has brought with him. It’s an odd sight; he is able to swivel, tilt any which way, and – strangest of all – spread and raise each leg independently.
“As a race, we are transforming from homo sapiens to homo sedens,” says Golten, a therapist specialising in posture improvement and this chair’s sole UK importer. “We’re not designed to sit all day, yet most of us have incredibly sedentary lifestyles. It causes all sorts of health problems.”
The “Limbic” chair is designed to eliminate those problems, and looks nothing like a chair at all. It comprises a pair of carbon-fibre wings, curved to accept the precise dimensions of the thighs of the owner. Each of these moves independently on a complex system of hydraulics. There is no back, and no cushioning to speak of. “It’s very comfortable once you get used to it,” says Golten. “It makes sitting a dynamic process rather than a fixed, static position. You can move whenever you like, and pause in a fixed position as well. It also keeps the brain stimulated.”
The chair was invented by a Swiss doctor called Patrik Künzler at MIT, in collaboration with engineers from Formula One. “Chairs have been around for 4,000 years,” he says, “but we still haven’t adapted to them. Our bodies are essentially asymmetric – when our right foot goes forwards, it is accompanied by our left hand, and vice versa. A regular chair forces us into strict, static symmetry, and prevents us from the micro-movements of the sort that we naturally make when stationary, for example in sleep.” According to Künzler, small, regular movements are essential to keep nutrients and blood flowing, and to keep the back’s vertebrae lubricated.
“This chair,” he says, “allows you to make asymmetrical micro-movements whenever you like.” I climb on. It’s a strange experience, like being cradled by a robotic hand. Instantly, however, I can understand the benefits. The chair adjusts to me. There’s an immense feeling of freedom at being able to move in any direction at will. It’s almost like floating.
Just 50 of these chairs have been sold in the world, and only two currently exist in Britain. They cost £6,500, plus VAT. Golten says it particularly suits people who have to work in a fixed position for long periods. “My ideal client,” he explains, “is someone who sits all day, and makes a lot of money doing so.” golten.co.uk
The ‘invisible’ bike helmet
In Spring 2005, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, two Swedish industrial designers, were studying at Lund University when they became interested in cycle safety. The catalyst for their thesis project – the “Hövding” invisible bike helmet – was the introduction of new tough laws in Sweden that made bicycle helmets compulsory for children under the age of 15.
According to their research, 40 people die and 30,000 are injured each year in cycling accidents in Sweden alone, but the vast majority of cyclists do not wear helmets. The reason?
“Bicycle helmets are bulky and impractical to carry around when you’re not on your bicycle,” says Haupt. “People think bicycle helmets look hideous and make them look silly. They ruin your hair and you can’t get a hat on underneath.”
Their “invisible” solution has to be, well, seen to be believed. It takes the form of a scarf-like collar that zips up around the neck and is available in different coloured and patterned sleeves. When sensors pick up “abnormal movements of a bicyclist in an accident”, an airbag hood pops out instantaneously, protecting the head.
Amazingly, the Hövding complies with safety requirements. It is, according to the designers, “a practical accessory [that] will save your life”. It is available now, for the price of ¤499 (£400). Sleeves cost an additional ¤59 (£47.50). hovding.com
The cardboard BiCYCLE
Izhar Gafni, an Israeli inventor and cycling enthusiast, is also an expert in designing automated mass-production lines. These skills and interests came together in the invention of the cardboard bicycle, which will last for years, costs as little as £10 and, to answer everyone’s first question, can indeed withstand the rain.
“It has always excited me to take old raw materials and then turn it into something completely different, something useful,” he says. “The idea is like Japanese origami. You fold it once and it doesn’t gain twice the strength, but three times the strength.” The initial inspiration came when he heard about a man who managed to build a canoe from cardboard. “I thought, why not make a bicycle out of cardboard?”
The initial prototype looked like “a hybrid between a packaging box and a bicycle – a package on wheels”. It was only when he realised it needed to look like a serious bicycle that “the real challenges started”. Part of the design’s success is the special coating, made of an undisclosed combination of organic materials, which rendered the bicycle waterproof and fireproof. To finish the product, a layer of lacquer is applied.
Although Gafni is prevented by patenting issues to reveal the precise details of the design, he says the bicycle will contain no metal parts at all, not even in the brakes, chain and pedal bearings. All will be made of recycled and recyclable materials.
Gafni believes that his cardboard bicycle will be a game-changer in Africa. Plans are already under way to produce child-sized versions, as well as a cardboard wheelchair. Grants will cover the cost of production in Africa, and the product will be free on delivery. His latest prototype has reached the requisite standard, and mass production will begin in the next few months.
The wine-enhancing glass
According to Château Baccarat, the French wineglass manufacturer, it’s all in the shape. The company’s signature glass has a wide, heavy bowl that tapers into a cylindrical funnel. It looks rather odd, but there is method in the madness; this, it says, could be the wineglass of the future.
The shape of the Baccarat glass – which has different iterations for reds, whites and bubbles – has three features. The concave bottom and wide base prevents the alcohol from climbing up the glass when swirled, and keeps the aromas contained. The sharp, closed angle of the walls condenses the alcohol’s “volatile matter” and allows the aromas to billow around the glass as it is rotated. The vertical chimney acts to reunify and consolidate the aromas. The result is a punchy hit on the nose, which acts as a potent precursor to the wine and influences the perception of taste.
Put simply, it makes great wines taste even better, and not so great – i.e., cheap – wines taste good.
Hugues Lepin, the head sommelier at The Connaught Hotel in London’s Mayfair, now uses Baccarat glasses exclusively as they “open the potential of the wine”. Whereas most wines are “unlocked” when they are decanted, he says with the Baccarat glasses it is unnecessary; these are “decanting glasses”.
This radical design, Lepin says, is “the ultimate sommelier’s glass”. baccarat.com
The HAND-HELD 3D scanner
The Go!SCAN 3D portable scanner may look like a hairdryer, but it’s in fact the closest science has come to producing a Star Trek-style “replicator”. Created by a Canadian company, Creaform, it makes an exact, three-dimensional image of an object on a computer screen, which can be spun around through 360 degrees and manipulated at will. Then, using a 3D printer, a copy can be made.
3D scanning isn’t exactly a new technology, but professional-quality scanners have long been prohibitively costly and cumbersome. This portable version can go anywhere, and theoretically scan – and copy – any object you can point at. The applications for the scanner are wide ranging. Museum curators, restorers and archivists will be able to digitise and archive artefacts online. Archaeologists and palaeontologists may use the gadget to assemble the parts of a fossil or ancient site. Or, if you’re a car enthusiast who can afford the £16,000 retail price, you’ll have access to an infinite supply of spare parts without ever needing to bother the manufacturer. The American talk-show host Jay Leno demonstrated this with the valve of a rare 1907 steam car. It was broken, and getting a replacement was impossible. So he scanned it and printed a plastic version of the valve with a 3D printer; this was used as a mould to produce a metal version.
The Japanese company Omote 3D scans human beings, prints a statue of them, and paints it to look lifelike. This, they say, will be the family photograph of the future.
Nick Allen, founder of 3D Print UK, admits that the process is “expensive and slow, so will not replace traditional mass-production methods. But for bespoke objects it is ideal.”
New possibilities for using this technology are still being discovered, not all of them good. Allen, for example, was once asked to scan and print multiple ATM skimmers, which could record card details. He immediately informed the police.
According to Simon Bradshaw, a barrister who has made a detailed study of the intellectual property issues of 3D printing, copying an object purely for private use isn’t strictly illegal – yet. “What I expect will happen is that there will be growing pressure to regulate this area,” he says. The case, as they say, continues. goscan3d.com/en
This article also appeared in SEVEN magazine, free with the Sunday Telegraph. Follow us on Twitter@TelegraphSeven
If you are a baby boomer lucky enough to have one or both of your parents alive and involved in your life, there is a good chance that you are deeply involved in their lives, too – particularly in dealing with the infirmities of old age.
You may not be quite as involved, however, as Socorrito Baez-Page and her husband, David Page. Ms. Baez-Page’s mother, Viola Baez, lives in her daughter’s backyard in a structure nicknamed a “granny pod.” The Washington Post recently profiled the family and their use of what is essentially a portable hospital room that can be assembled on the property of its occupant’s child or other primary caregiver.
The MedCottage is not cheap at $125,000, though assisted living facilities and in-home caretakers are not cheap either. Depending on the senior citizen’s particular needs, many of the pod’s amenities may be quite helpful. But my reaction, which mirrored that of several readers who posted comments on the story, is that this is an attempt to use hardware to solve a problem that is really mostly about labor.
In Baez’s case, both her daughter and her son-in-law are doctors, and her daughter can devote substantial time each day to looking after her mother. Most of us do not have the training or the resources to provide comprehensive care to aging family members. Who will assist the growing number of elderly Americans that need care?
Nursing homes offer a variety of skilled labor, but they are very expensive. Many residents end up relying on Medicaid after they exhaust their own financial resources. These costs are driving Medicaid expenses to unsustainable levels. As my colleagues and I have previously written, long-term care insurance is a deeply flawed response to this problem, because any such insurance that is realistically priced will be too expensive for most people who might need it. Insurance cannot magically make a large and likely expense get cheaper.
Elderly people who are placed in nursing homes may also find that their privacy is curtailed and that they have less opportunity to spend time with family. Many would prefer to remain in their own homes if they could get enough help to keep them safe and comfortable. Good home health aides, however, can be hard to find and even harder to keep. There are agencies that provider such personnel, but the agencies’ overhead and profit margin add significantly to cost, while turnover and the limited pool of qualified help can affect service quality. As with most services, there are good and bad providers.
Individual households can try to directly employ their own help. Many Americans are still looking for work, but not many have the patience and domestic skills to tend infirm and often highly demanding elderly patients at rates most families can afford. Plenty of workers outside the country are ready and willing to step into that gap, but immigration laws restrict this avenue, even when U.S. nationals are not readily available to take these jobs.
Households that directly employ caretakers also face a variety of confusing tax and regulatory requirements, which can trip up even those employers doing their best to comply. Besides withholding, remitting and reporting the correct taxes on wages, household employers must deal with disability, worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, and wage and hour requirements that vary from place to place and frequently change. Failure to take the required steps can bring steep penalties.
Ultimately, hardware is not going to be more than a small part of the answer. We have to find an affordable pool of people to look after the growing numbers of elderly Americans. That help may not be entirely within the United States. I suspect we will see increasing numbers of older Americans moving abroad, not only in early retirement, but into their later years as well. Off-shore institutions, especially in relatively nearby Mexico and the Caribbean, will increasingly advertise to older Americans, pointing out that their retirement savings will often last longer overseas.
There is nothing wrong with spending one’s golden years in the warm, southern sun. But it would be a shame to force our parents and grandparents to spend their last years far removed from their families simply because of financial considerations. We love our senior citizens. We want to keep them close. A granny pod in the backyard is only a small part of the answer.
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