Dear Readers,

The last blog on women's items prompted a lot of page views and also a lot of comments.  Thanks very much for both.  I will mix in additional women's items from time to time within my postings.  I also had a few encouraging comments regarding the musical selection, so I'll keep that up as well.

I hope you enjoy today's entry ...

Musical Interlude:

For this posting, I have selected "Ungodly Fruit" by Wax Tailor.  Again, this is European lounge chill-out.  As with all Wax Tailor works, this is ice-cube cool!  I especially like the sampling of the B-grade horror films from the 1950s in the beginning and middle.  By the way, this selection is from Wax Tailor's album "Tales of the Forgotten Melodies".  There are other cool tracks on the album including an electronic remix of Doris Day's "Que Sera".  Its worth checking out...

http://youtu.be/tq3m3_ZEJZ4

Section 1:  Cool Items for Under $10:

When I travel on airplanes, my skin and especially my lips become very dry.  This is perhaps very common in the low humidity because many amenity kits on airplanes include lip balm.  My favourite, however, is from a company called EOS with their "Lip Balm Spheres".  They are not particularly spherical, but they are cool and they fit in any case -- including a briefcase.  EOS comes in three flavours: lemon, berry and mint.  I strongly prefer the mint because it is also cooling.  There is always a mint one in my briefcase.

By the way, speaking of lip balm always reminds me of a story.  There were two cowboys riding the range in western Kansas during a winter storm.  The weather was terrible and the wind was biting.  When the two cowboys made camp that night, one cowboy turned to the other and said, "My lips are really sore and chapped ... do you have anything for chapped lips?"  His companion thought for a while and said, "Well, I reckon that if you spread a fresh glob of horse shit all around your lips, that might work if the shit is really fresh ..."  The first cowboy replied in a shocked voice, "Is that going to cure my chapped lips??!!"  To which his stoic companion replied, "Well, probably not, but it will surely keep you from licking your lips and making them worse."

Section 2: Cool Items for Under $100:

My friends all know that I love Beirut!  One of the best things about Beirut is shopping for cigars in the Casa De Habana in Beirut Duty Free.  I always buy my favourite cigar there: The Romeo y Juliet "Duke Limitada".  These are aged cigars that are as smooth and mellow as the virgin Cuban girls that roll them on their soft inner thighs (or so I would like to believe that this is how they are made).  A box of ten Duke Limitadas costs $99 in Beirut Duty Free, which is less than they cost in Havana!  I buy boxes and boxes of them when I am there.  Many people like to use a punch but I like huge clouds of aromatic smoke, so I always use a cutter.  Whichever your preference, the Duke Limitada is the best!

Section 3:  Cool Items for Less than $1000:

Over the years, I have developed a taste for vintage champagne.  I have to admit that Rosa is the one that started me down the winding track of drinking champagne but I took to it much like, as it were, a duck takes to water.  Rosa likes Dom Perignon, but my favourite is definitely Perrier-Jouet "Belle Epoque".  Belle Epoque is named after the wonderful years in France after the Franco-Russian war and before World War I.  At this time, Paris was the coolest place on the planet and the time became known as the "Good Era" (aka "Belle Epoque").  Belle Epoque has a very small bubble which means that it is crisp yet very, very smooth.  My favourite is vintage 2002 -- which is probably the best vintage overall for champagne in the past 20 years, but 2004 is also excellent and easier to find.  The bottle is unmistakable with its flowers motif.  Once I drank PJ Belle Epoque, I realised why enthusiasts like champagne so much, it tastes fantastic!

Section 4:  Cool Items When Money Doesn't Matter:

I wear a suit nearly every day to work.  I actually like wearing suits but wearing one every day means that my suits take a lot of wear and tear.  So, once per year or so, I have bespoke suits made.  Bespoke suits fit perfectly because they are designed specifically for the wearer.  I have my favourite brands including; Canali, Zegna and Brioni, but these suits don't always transport well.  this year, I bought Tom Ford bespoke suits.  The materials are designed not to wrinkle and the styling is impeccable.  These suits are undeniably expensive -- especially since I always have two pairs of trousers made for each suit, but they are very fashionable and they wear like iron.  I don't quite have the physique of Tom Ford (pictured above in his own suit), but even I look good in a custom-made Tom Ford suit!

Section 5:  My Favourite Places:

I mentioned Beirut above ... A lot of my friends remember Beirut when it was a war zone and their perceptions about the city are based upon those terrible events.  Well, that is OK with me because when people stay away from Beirut then it is less crowded and I love Beirut -- especially when it is less crowded.  Seriously, however, Beirut is one of the most lovely and certainly one of the coolest spots on the planet.  This time of year, it is possible to ski at Faraya resort in the morning and then hit the beaches in the afternoon down by La Roche.  Faraya is about 45 minutes from downtown Beirut and La Roche is downtown!  If the reader goes to Beirut, however, he/she must pay a visit to Music Hall.  Music Hall is part theatre, part night club and part bar.  There is a mix of music and even comedy that will satisfy everyone.  Plus, the bottle prices are inexpensive.  By the time the second or third bottle of Stoli Elite is consumed, everyone in your party will be up dancing, laughing and having fun -- regardless of the music playing.  All of the music is from live acts and there is a good opportunity between acts to relax with friends.  I liken Music Hall to Vaudeville for the 21st Century ... part retro, part old-school -- totally cool!

I hope you have enjoyed this posting.  I'll write more in a few days ...