bookofjoe

Helpful Hints from joeeze: Can you trust your speedometer?

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal "Me & My Car" column by Jonathan Welsh addressed precisely that question.

Here's the Q&A.

Q. At higher speeds, the number displayed on my Global Positioning System is 3 to 5 miles per hour less than that shown on my car's speedometer. Which one should I believe?

A. Trust your GPS. Speedometers are notoriously inaccurate, though typically their readings overstate a car's speed, which is better than underestimating them. The same is true for motorcycles. Your speedometer's degree of error is typical, though sometimes the difference can be greater than 5 mph.

Some car makers suggest this difference between actual speed and measured speed is no accident because it theoretically keeps highway speeds a bit lower.

Subtle differences in tire sizes can also throw speedometer readings off, but even the most basic, inexpensive GPS units tend to be accurate.

[via Jerry Young]

Madame Paulette Custom Couture Cleaner: By Appointment to Anna Wintour

 

So you know they must be good.

I first learned of this New York City company in Lizzie Widdicombe's "Talk of the Town" piece in the latest issue (July 6&13, 2009) of the New Yorker.

Turns out they also cleaned Princess Diana's dresses and are responsible for vacuuming the interior of Donald Trump's jet.

John Mahdessian, the company's owner, said, "There's two ways to remove a stain: mechanical action or chemical reaction."

Wrote Widdicombe, "For these, you need either an emergency stain-removal kit (Madame Paulette happens to sell one), or, of course, a good dry cleaner."

Here's a video explaining how the $12.50 kit works.

'The Perfect Life' — by John Koethe

I have a perfect life. It isn’t much,
But it’s enough for me. It keeps me alive
And happy in a vague way: no disappointments
On the near horizon, no pangs of doubt;
Looking forward in anticipation, looking back
In satisfaction at the conclusion of each day.
I heed the promptings of my inner voice,
And what I hear is comforting, full of reassurance
For my own powers and innate superiority—the fake
Security of someone in the grip of a delusion,
In denial, climbing ever taller towers
Like a tiny tyrant looking on his little kingdom
With a secret smile, while all the while

Time lies in wait. And what feels ample now
Turns colorless and cold, and what seems beautiful
And strong becomes an object of indifference
Reaching out to no one, as later middle age
Turns old, and the strength is gone.
Right now the moments yield to me sweet
Feelings of contentment, but the human
Dies, and what I take for granted bears a name
To be forgotten soon, as the things I know
Turn into unfamiliar faces
In a strange room, leaving merely
A blank space, like a hole left in the wake
Of a perfect life, which closes over.

   

  

'Get Ript' — World's first male padded bra

Got pecs?

Finally.

Via James Thornburg comes news of "the revolutionary torso-enhancing undershirt."

You could look it up.

Created by Heather Thomson, who "... previously served as the creative force behind P. Diddy's Sean John clothing line, where she mastered her understanding of what appeals to the most sophisticated and discriminating men."

Hey — that's me!

This garment is so technical it comes with instructions on how to put it on and take it off:

Hmmm.

After reading those, it occurs to me that this shirt may not be suitable for TechnoDolts™.

Men's Crew or V-Neck: $58.

What is it?

Here's a hint:

Answer here this time tomorrow.

Limited-Edition Swarovski Crystal 24k Gold-Plated Bike

"Created by Aurumania, the 600 crystals are hand set on the completely hand built bicycle. Other details include chocolate brown hand-sewn leather-wrapped handles and a molded Brooks leather saddle seat."

"A limited edition number is discreetly embossed with gold leaf and set into a leather badge placed prominently on the front of the bike. The bike pays tribute to its makers as it displays the Aurumania logo on the crossbar."

Edition of 10.

$102,419.

Too much?

No problema.

You can pick one up without crystals (edition of 50).

A snip at $26,792.

[via Luxuo]

Hello, hello, I'm at a place called Vertigo

Aka "The Ledge," the four new glass balconies at the Sears Tower in Chicago, open to the public for the first time today.

High story short:  The 103rd floor glass balconies are suspended 1,353 feet up.

You stand on an unframed glass floor 1.5 inches thick, extending out 4.3 feet from the wall of the building.

If you like, you can look straight down at the miniature taxis on Wacker Avenue.

1st Class Sleeper

From websites:

•••••••••••••••••••••••

1st Class Sleeper®

Turns your cramped coach seat into a lap of luxury.

Veteran commercial pilot Captain Bob Duncan couldn't sleep in airplane seats on his commutes home so he invented the ingenious 1st Class Sleeper, an inflatable "bed in the clouds" that's endorsed by chiropractors and orthopedic surgeons.

Just place it against the back of your plane seat, inflate with 10-12 quick breaths, then lie back and relax.

Your neck, shoulders and spine will be kept in perfect alignment, eliminating stiffness and pain even on the longest flights so you'll arrive at your destination perfectly rested.

May also be folded in half and used as a lumbar pillow.

Rolls up for easy storage in your carry-on bag.

Ideal for train, car and tour bus travel, too.

Includes drawstring pouch and illustrated instructions.

12" x 3" folded.

18 oz.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

$29.95.