Next Air Force One Will be a Boeing 747-8

New Flying White House in the wings...

Air Force One

 Boeing will build a fleet of three aircraft based on the 747-8 to serve as the next Air Force One, Chris Ziegler reported Wednesday on theverge.com.

The 747-8 is the latest version of the iconic jumbo jet — a design that dates back to the 1960s — with new wings, new engines, and an extended fuselage.

The first new presidential plane will be delivered in 2018.

The current Air Force One is a military variant of the 747-200, which is a very old plane.  The last one was built in 1991, and newer aircraft are far more fuel efficient, technologically advanced, and — frankly — better showcases for American industrial might, which the President would probably want to show off on his travels, Ziegler wrote.

Boeing archrival Airbus, a European company, did not submit a bid for the contract based on its enormous A380 double-decker, Ziegler reported.

For more: http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/28/7930857/the-next-air-force-one-will-be-a-boeing-747-8

To see how the new Air Force One will be a little different than the first presidential plane: www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/01/30/the-new-air-force-one-is-one-is-well-slightly-different-than-the-first-presidential-airplane?tid=sm_tw

New Listings Top Latest Darien Real Estate Results

Weekly update...

 

Snow day

 

 

Eight new listings of property for sale topped Darien residential real estate results in the week ending today.

 

Other results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

 

-- One price change;

-- Three accepted offers;

-- Four properties going under contract, and

-- Two closings.

 

For more:

 

 

 

Bud Pup Home in Time for Super Bowl

Little imp...

 

Glad you're back

 

Whew!

 

Just in the nick of time, the Budweiser puppy made it home today for the Super Bowl.

 

Budweiser released "Lost Dog," its Super Bowl ad today, showing some of the imp's journey home to be with his best buddy -- a Clydesdale horse. 

 

Check out the spot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAsjRRMMg_Q&gclid=CjwKEAiArqKmBRCOj_qfmuqinnYSJAAkAYwGX0hVBqKf-q0eFwxvo_HJXKjcUI4_s6mEsDiAgnweIRoC7kTw_wcB

 

To Be a Dad: Toyota Super Bowl Ad

I love you stuff...

 

LaVar Arrington and daughter

 

What's it take to be a good dad?

 

Toyota's 2015 Super Bowl commercial features some of the best dads in professional football like DeMarcus Ware, LaVar Arrington, Fred Jackson and Kurt Warner to find out.

 

For inspiring insights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ-Yiuc9sOQ&srchid=sem|google||SB2015_SuperBowl_Generic|Super_Bowl_Commercials_E|SB2015_Watch_NoHashtag|YouTube_ToyotaUSA_ToBeADad

 

 

 

 

Lost Dog: Budweiser's 2015 Super Bowl Spot

Gotta find that puppy...

 

Puppy love

 

 

Remember the squiggly puppy that teamed with a Clydesdale to win the hearts of Super Bowl viewers in last year’s “Puppy Love” commercial for Budweiser?

Well, he or she and the horses are back, Cindy Boren reported yesterday on washingtonpost.com.

Only, this time, it looks like the impish pup might have gotten lost (because the title of the spot is “Lost Dog). Images on the Anheuser-Busch website show the horse whisperer/Clydesdale trainer/rancher guy posting “Lost Dog” (sniff, sniff) signs and other images show a dirty, sad looking fellow. (Man, it’s dusty in here.)

For a preview:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/01/26/super-bowl-commercials-2015-budweisers-clydesdales-search-for-lost-puppy/

 

 

 

 

BMW to Show i3 Ad During Sunday's Super Bowl

Released today...

 

Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel trying to understand the BMW i3

 

BMW released a commercial for its electric i3 hatchback starring former Today hosts Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel that will air during Sunday's Super Bowl, Brent Snavely reports today on freep.com.

 

The 60 second spot, "Newfangled Idea," begins in 1994 with a clip of Couric and Gumbel trying to understand the Internet.

 

Fast forward 21 years and the pair are in an i3 expressing similar confusion about how the all-electric car works.

 

For some light-hearted fun:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1jwWwJ-Mxc

 

Musical Moments: Mascagni, Cavalleria Rusticana

Bravo...

 

Georges Pretre

 

 

Georges Pretre, a world-famous conductor, leads the National Orchestra of France with Pietro Mascagni's famous Cavalleria Rusticana in this week's Musical Moments.

 

Pretre, who turned 90 last year, has received many awards, including:  Knight of the Italian Republic, Commander of the Italian Republic, the Europa Prize, and the Austrian Cross of Honor.

 

And he is a grand officer of France's Legion d'honneur.

 

His interests include riding, swimming, aviation, judo and karate, according to Wikipedia.

  

I hope you'll enjoy this bravo performance of Mascagni's masterpiece by a maestro and a great orchestra:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykUCfqvnI9I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darien Sees an Upswing in Weekly Real Estate Results

Weekly update...

 

You know you're in New England when...

 

 

Darien saw an upswing in residential real estate results for the week ending today.

 

The latest real estate results by category, according to the Darien MLS, were:

 

-- Seven new listings of property for sale;

-- Five price changes;

-- Five accepted offers;

-- One property going under contract, and

-- Three closings.

 

For more:

 

 

 

 

 

Scary New Ride on the Way in Orlando

Sheer terror...

 

Ride of your life being built in Orlando

 

                                                     

The world’s tallest roller coaster is being built in Orlando, Florida, not far from Disney World and Universal Studios, Michael Howard reports on esquire.com.

If all goes to plan, riders will fall, twist and barrel roll in every direction as the four-minute ride, dubbed “The Skyscraper,” hurtles up and down 55 stories on a quest to deliver sheer panoramic terror, Howard wrote.

The roller coaster is the main attraction of a $250 million entertainment complex, but the faint of heart can still enjoy the best view in town from an observation deck overlooking the track and situated 570 feet above ground, Howard reports.

For a simulated ride on the Skyscraper:  http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/largest-roller-coaster-ever-orlando?click=feed

 

Lauren Bacall's Beautiful Art Collection Goes on Display

Pre-auction tour...

Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall, the world famous actress who died last August in New York at the age of 89, was a serious art collector.

Her beautiful collection's first showing opened in Hong Kong January 14 and runs through today at the outset of an international tour.

After Hong Kong, the collection will be shown in London, Paris, and Los Angeles before being sold at auction at Bonhams in New York on March 31 and April 1.

The collection includes more than 700 items, many by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century.

For a bloomberg.com video showing many of the wonderful items on display in Hong Kong and more about Bacall's collection:   http://bloom.bg/1yjwGqA

Some highlights from the Bacall collection:

Musical Moments: Bizet, Prelude to Carmen

Tres bon...

 Enjoying her music

Shoppers in a Paris mall were suddenly treated to a performance by some terrific, young musical prodigies last October.

Check out how the children enjoyed performing -- and the audience's wonderful reactions to -- the prelude to Carmen by Georges Bizet:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eee4-d7FUis

Thanks to Tom Lom for letting me know about this nice video.

Toreador, toreador...

The audience loves it

New Listings Lead Darien Weekly Real Estate Results

Weekly update...

 

Neat and tidy

 

 

Seven new listings of property for sale led Darien's residential real estate results for the week ending today.

 

Other results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

 

-- Five price changes;

-- Two accepted offers;

-- Two properties going under contract, and

-- Two closings.

 

For more:

 

 

 

Picking a Yacht at the London Boat Show

Beauties on display...

Cruising on a great day

  

If you're interested in a new boat, you might want to take a look at some of the world's latest high-end yachts being shown this week at the London Boat Show.

But how do you pick the perfect yacht?

Chris Cecil-Wright, a yacht broker, offered some tips on bloomberg.com about buying a boat, and even how to finance it, if that should be necessary in a short, interesting video:   http://bloom.bg/1IFDU9p

Life in the yachting world:

At the helm station

All the comforts of home...and then some

Sunseeker 86 makes quite a statement

Ralph Lauren Opens New Polo Bar in Manhattan

New hot spot...

The Lauren look

Ralph Lauren recently opened its first New York City restaurant, dubbed The Polo Bar, ballerstatus.com reported this week.

Inspired by classic New York establishments and the brand's love for gathering around a table with family and friends, the eatery offers "a casual yet refined setting for food and drink in the heart of NYC," says the brand.

The Polo Bar, on East 55th Street, is Ralph Lauren's third restaurant worldwide, joining RL Restaurant in Chicago and Ralph's in Paris.

For a slide show of the new spot:  http://www.architecturaldigest.com/ad/travel/2015/polo-bar-ralph-lauren-restaurant-manhattan-slideshow?title=1

Amazing New Cars at CES 2015

Electronic marvels...

Mercedes F 015 concept car

Audi, BMW and Mercedes were among major car makers showing amazing new concepts at CES 2015, the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas last week.

For car makers, success relies a lot on their ability to make the dashboard appealing and intuitive, bloomberg.com reported. 

And with a big innovation pushing towards cars that can drive themselves, designers can create dashboards that let us do all the other things we’d rather be doing, the news service added.

Bloomberg's Sam Grobart takes a hands-on look at how Audi, BMW, and Mercedes envision the future:  http://www.bloomberg.com/video/ces-2015-bmw-and-mercedes-build-the-dashboard-of-the-future-MS1jjT__SwmQQTcVZ6WYVg.html


 

New Smart-Home Products

Hi-tech homes...

The Nest has transformed the market for home thermostats by creating a model that includes software connected to the Internet.

Smart-home products were hits at CES 2015, the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas last week, Brian Bennett reports on cnet.com.

 

Everything from robotic washing machines and dryers to intelligent doorbells, locks, coffeemakers and brainy HVAC accessories was displayed front and center at this year's high-tech gadget extravaganza, he wrote.

 

For a review of some of the eye-openers shown:  http://www.cnet.com/ces/appliances/

 

Musical Moments: Eric Clapton, Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Why can't I?

 

Eric Clapton

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

 

Here's a great musician and an ever-popular classic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KvtbZzx1xs

 

Darien Kicks-off 2015 Home Market

Weekly update...

After the snow

 

 

Darien kicked-off its 2015 residential real estate season with an uptick in activity during the week ending today.

 

Activity in major real estate categories, according to the Darien MLS, resulted in:

 

-- Seven new listings of property for sale;

-- Three price changes;

-- Two accepted offers;

-- No properties going under contract, and

-- Five closings.

 

For more:

 

 

 

 

 

15 Extraordinary Homes for Sale in 2014

Extravagant...

 

Manhattan townhouse

 

The editors of Architectural Digest rounded up a number of what they considered the most impressive estates on the market in 2014.

 

For a slide show of their choices:  http://www.architecturaldigest.com/ad/real-estate/2014/extravagant-homes-for-sale-in-2014-slideshow?title=1

 

Architectural Gems Sparkle With a Dollop of Snow

Great places...

Philip Johnson's Glass House in nearby New Canaan, CT

With the temperature around 18F and some snow falling, we're getting a taste of winter this morning.

But for folks like Melissa Maria at architecturaldigest.com winter can be a wonderous time.

Take a look at some architectural gems she's found  that sparkle with a dollop of snow: 

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture/2015-02/famous-architecture-in-snow-slideshow?title=1

Home Sale Prices Up in Darien, Rowayton for 2014

Housing update...

Greens Ledge Lighthouse, Pinterest

Average residential real estate sale prices rose in Darien and Rowayton during 2014, according to a new report today from the Darien MLS.

The average sale price in Darien was up .5 percent for the year.

It rose 13.6 percent in Rowayton.

Results in other Darien categories on a year-to-date basis were:

-- A 3.7 percent decline in sales volume;

-- A 4.2 percent drop in sales, and

-- A 2 percent gain in new listings.

Results in Rowayton during the same period were:

-- An 18.6 percent gain in sales volume; 

-- A 4.4 percent rise in sales, and

-- A 2.3 percent increase in new listings.

For more:  

Musical Moments: Debussy, Clair de Lune

Timeless...

Blue Moon over Manhattan by atomicshark, Pinterest

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

Here's a Debussy favorite I hope you'll also enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LXl4y6D-QI

Darien Real Estate Takes a Breather Over New Year's

Weekly update...

 

Frosty reflections

 

Darien's residential real estate market took a breather over New Year's.

 

Slower housing market results were led by three closings in the week ending today.

 

Other results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

 

-- One new listings of property for sale;

-- No price changes;

-- One accepted offer, and

-- Two properties going under contract.

 

For more: