This whole controversy about McCain not knowing how many houses he has (which the Democrats are using to aim below the belt, finally they are growing some balls and learning from the classic Republican dirty tricks) and the age-old dilemma about material possessions vs. happiness, wastefulness vs. needs, etc. got me thinking about a few things. Confession: I like beautiful (well-made, well-designed, well-functioning) things. I know I don’t need most of the things I have and regularly go through periods when I just want to get rid of most of them and hit the road with just a backpack and a bike. But then I see something I know I would get great enjoyment from, not having, but USING. And a lot of them are things I don’t need but things that would make me smile every time I used them and are superlative (in my opinion) in several areas (again: design, craftsmanship, pure, unadulterated beauty, which of course is mostly in the eyes of the beholder). So, in the spirit of this materialist age we live in where lists are all that seem to matter (cf. Digg’s top “stories, most blogs, etc.), I have made my Top List Of Things That I Don’t Need But Would Use And Which Would Make Me Smile Every Time I Did. Every list has to have rules though and I had to set some limits: to be on the list a “thing” 1) has to make me smile every time for a long time, 2) has to make my heart race a little bit every time I use, 3) has to be used at least 1x/week, 4) has to cost less than $100,000 (c’mon, let’s not go overboard, some references: John McCain spent $237,000 in 2007 on his household staff, a household income of $150,000 puts you in the top 5% of the US population, plus…well… there are a few things on the list that get close ;-)), 5) be a thing, not a service or perishable. So without further ado…in increasing order of appeal and (as such things usually go), cost.
Thing #5: wine cellar. At least 200-bottle capacity, humidity-controlled, filled with “vins de guarde” (wines that age well and get better with age). I love wine and food and would love nothing more than to start collecting wine and have a place to put it (full disclosure, I have a small cellar in my house in France but only get to pick from it 1x/year at best). Examples: http://www.beveragefactory.com/wine/cellars/ermitage.shtml or http://www.beveragefactory.com/wine/cellars/silentcellars/dometic_wine_cellar_cabinet_cs200dvs.shtml.
Thing #4a: Panerai watch. Panerai is the official watch of Ferrari (yes, the automobile marque). I love watches (supposedly that goes with loving cars too, a by-product or side-effect). They have many great models but here are examples of what would make me smile: http://www.watchuwant.com/watches-for-sale/OP-Logo-Marina-Historic-Panerai-PAM005-I.html, http://www.watchuwant.com/watches-for-sale/Panerai-44mm-PAM212-I-1950-Flyback-Chronograph.html, or http://www.watchuwant.com/watches-for-sale/44mm-FER03-A-Ferrari-GMT-5.html.
Thing 4b: Black Sheep Eon. This is one of the most amazing mountain bike designs I have seen in 17 years of riding and lusting after exotic all-terrain machinery. From the handmade titanium frame to the super exotic and unusual suspension fork, to the stunning shape and outstanding craftsmanship, not to mention the quirky design (Brooks seat, mustache handlebar) backed by modern technology (disc brakes) and single-speed drive train, this is one crazy beautiful machine to be worshipped. Judge for yourself here: http://blacksheepbikes.com/.
Thing #3: MV Agusta F4-R 312 1+1. MV Agusta was THE road racing bike in the 70’s when the great Giacomo Agostini (9 world titles!) ruled the 2-wheel world. “F4” is for 4 cylinders (and almost 200 bhp!). “R” is for racing (although this is a street bike). “312” is, get ready for this: 312 kph which is about 194 mph, which is the top speed of this bike, which makes it the fastest production bike on earth (although at that speed, flight is not out of the question). “1+1” is for a passenger! (who would be crazy enough to want to ride pillion at these speeds, I dunno): Check it out here: http://www.mvagustausa.com/web-mvagusta/08_F4_312oneplus.html.
Thing #2: Ecosse Heretic. Now we’re getting into the crazy stuff: hand-made café racer built around a super powerful V-twin (think Harley Davidson engine but racy). Every piece gorgeously designed and crafted out of solid aluminum billet. Very customizable. Fast, sexy, exclusive, yet very usable. I’ll take mine, black with red frame, red rims, CF tank and café racer ergos, kind of like this: http://www.ecossemoto.com/heretic.htm.
Thing #1: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S with DPK transmission. I know it sounds like a bad case of mid-life crisis but I have loved the 911 since I was a wee thing (read a book about it when I was not even 10 and that was pretty much all she wrote). And it’s a classic that has not changed much in appearance since 1965 (kind of like me ;-)) but keeps getting slightly better mechanically every year (ahem, unlike me). Case in point: the new model has 30 more bhp (for a total of 385), gets 25% better mileage (in the high 20’s on the highway, high teens in the city) and has the new DPK which is a paddle-activated dual-clutch which saves gas and allows super fast shifts. Make mine a coupe (to stay under the $100,000 limit and I am not a big fan of convertibles), S (for power!), 2WD (who needs the weight and complexity in SoCal?) and serve. Hot, fast, elegant, extemporal and a grin every mile: http://www.porsche.com/microsite/911/usa.aspx.
I realize it’s kind of a short list, which is good, right?!
