Photo courtesy of: Jaded By Knight

Founded in 2004, Jaded by Knight was created by Los Angeles Designers Noah Dayani & Michael Amiri.

Their high-end luxury clothing collection draws influence from years of personal travels through various street markets and vintage shops from around the world. They desire to create a look that embodies the essence of privilege and individuality.

Jaded by Knight believes their clothing line has gone beyond the definition of a fashion brand and has moved towards representing a lifestyle and culture that is shared among the world’s elite.

The brand is currently carried by some of the world’s most exclusive and finest shops worldwide, such as L’Eclaireur in Paris, Harvey Nichols in London, Hong Kong, Dubai, Royal Flash Tokyo, and H. Lorenzo in Los Angeles.

We are proud to present one of Jaded by Knight’s upcoming pieces from their newest collection.

Last month, Jaded By Knight released one of our finest Luxury Jackets. It’s a limited edition “Swarovski Skull Leather Jacket.”

The skull leather jacket is made in the United States by artisans and washed by hand. The lining is a custom silk print with vintage Americana images. The skull is a hand printed painting and then each swaroski crystal is hand set into the eyes of the skull on the jacket.

There are only 100 pieces ever made and the leather jackets will go to only the best stores worldwide.

Jaded By Knight is a fashion favorite of many of the world’s rich and famous. So you better hurry and get yours fast. What a terrific fashion statement. Impress your friends with this amazing skull leather jacket from Jaded By Knight.

View their entire collection at:  Jaded By Knight

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Heuer Watch Company was founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer. Heuer watches soon became well recognized for their high level of accuracy and workmanship. The precise watches were perfect for the timing of sporting events. Heuer soon found its market niche.

After almost 150 years of focusing on the watch industry, Tag Heuer is now taking aim at the luxury phone market. The company is offering us the “Meridiist”.

The Meridiist is Swiss-engineered and hand-assembled. Although the Tag Heuer Meridiist will cost you around $6,000 for the mobile phone, it seems to fall short on features justifying its lofty price.

For example, the features of the Meridiist don’t even come close to most of the ultra-luxury cell phones out on the market, such as the Vertu family of phones.

Similar to the AURA by Motorola, the Meridiist is produced by ModeLabs, which also a long history in timepieces.

Although Tag Heuer has been manufacturing sports watches and chronographs since 1860, we expect a lot from them. But I’m not sure they delivered enough value for the steep price.

Daniel Craig, the latest agent 007, has made James Bond cool again.

James Bond made Koh Ping-gan, a tiny Thai island in Phuket famous and now a favorite tourist destination. The magical island played a starring role along with Roger Moore in the 1974 James Bond movie, The Man With the Golden Gun.

Scenes from the movie featured the hideout of the film’s villain, Scaramanga, were shot there. The location has been named as James Bond Island by the locals and the tourists who are lucky enough to visit this tropical bay.

Like the hundreds of other islands in Phang Nga Province, north-east of Phuket, James Bond Island is a limestone tower capped with lush vegetation rising dramatically out of the deep blue sea.

But for the ultimate luxury experience, the only real way to see James Bond island is from the deck of a luxury cruiser with a glass of chilled champagne in hand.

One such luxury vessel is the Lady Sarojin, a 38 foot cruiser that’s available for exclusive charter to guests at The Sarojin resort in Khao Lak province. The resort is about an hour’s drive north of Phuket.

Like everything at the resort, the boat is luxurious, offering deep, comfortable cushions, soft white towels, lemongrass-scented refresher towels and plenty of flowing champagne.

At lower tides, caves are exposed offering tourists sea canoeing and kayaking adventures as well as the usual snorkeling and scuba diving.

This particular cruise doesn’t land on the James Bond Island, but its incredible beauty can be observed just offshore. Just enjoy another glass of champagne, watch the other tourists.

Next you travel on to a sea gypsy fishing village. Stop and enjoy lunch after arriving at Koh Pannyi, a fishing village built on stilts.

Due to its Muslim roots, there will not be any alcohol served with lunch .  This sleep village offers a market, selling clothes, trinkets, foods, even a monkey.

After lunch, take your time and explore the intimate setting of this seaside village.

For those wanting to explore the beauty below the water surface, try snorkeling for a once in a lifetime views of nature at its best.

To learn more details about the Sarojin resort, go to: http://www.sarojin.com

Photo courtesy of John Hoeft

When you think of cycling, there is practically no other name that comes to mind other than Lance Armstrong. His legacy in the world of professional cycling will last for many years.

Last fall, Lance Armstrong announced that he was planning to race in the 2009 Amgen Tour of California with the Astana Cycling Team. Amgen is cycling’s most important and successful road race in the United States.

After a three-year hiatus from racing, the world’s reaction was widespread. Some doubted he could regain his championship form, but most others proudly cheered him on. Lance Armstrong, the cycling icon was back.

Just completed, the Amgen Tour of California was Armstrong’s first event on his native soil since the seven-time Tour de France winner began his comeback.

Armstrong announced he will address head-on the suspicions of doping that have followed him for years, by submitting to a rigorous testing regime.

At news conference prior to the start of the Amgen race, Lance stated that he’s “clean as a whistle” and that his mind is “fresh” after a break from cycling. Armstrong continued, “I’m telling you, I’m clean as a whistle, and I think that the testing will prove that.”

Armstrong was the center of attention when four bikes of the Asthana team are stolen in Sacramento. The stolen bikes included a one-of-a-kind 10K dollar bike of Lance. Using the Internet, Lance communicated about the theft to his fans using Twitter. Lance was grateful that the Sacramento police recovered two of the four lost bikes, including his.

The Amgen was won by Lance Armstrong’s Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer, who clinched his third straight victory in the Amgen Tour of California.

Lance was born September 18, 1971, in Plano, Texas. Cycling was in his blood from an early age.

In 1996, Armstrong made a shocking announcement that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The tumors were well advanced and spread to his abdomen, lungs, and lymph nodes. The testicle was removed, and Lance began his racing comeback.

The most remarkable feat of Lance’s famous career, is how he dominated the Tour de France. The Tour is the toughest and most prestigious cycling event in the world. Armstrong won the premier racing event 7 consecutive years, from 1999 to 2005.

Many years ago, Hawaii was an isolated tropical paradise, far removed from the rest of the world.  Hawaii was discovered by the Polynesians around  400 A.D. and marked the end of Hawaii’s isolation.  Since the discovery of Hawaii by the Polynesians and the arrival of Europeans in the late eighteenth century, this has caused long-term, negative effects on Hawaii’s fragile ecosystem.

All foreigners who visit Hawaii, directly or indirectly alter the ecosystem of the islands, primarily through the introduction of alien species of flora and fauna.  New species have often overwhelmed Hawaii’s fragile habitat, obliterating many of the island’s native populations of plants and animals.  As a result, many species endemic to Hawaii have been classified as endangered species.

The U.S. government and the Hawaiian government have worked hard to protect the endangered species and prevent further damage to the island’s ecosystem. Several of the species are: the Humpback Whale, the Hawaiian Monk Seal, The Nene, the Hawaiian State Bird, and the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle.

Mary Ann Guarino-Schlau, of Joplin, has two living rooms: one for her and one for her 14 dogs. Guarino-Schlau’s furry “babies” have their own couch, love seat, chair, television set, radio and pillows. They are her life. Each dog has its own collar, identification tag and clothing that fits its personality. Four baskets of dog toys are spread across her house, and Guarino-Schlau said she is willing to sacrifice a large part of her life for their happiness.

“They are most certainly my kids; we call them our babies,” Guarino-Schlau said. “They mean everything to us. We don’t go places because we have to take care of them, and we don’t mind. This is our luxury: to sit and watch them play instead of watching television.”

Guarino-Schlau is part of the growing population of pet owners who look at their animals as friends and family rather than property, and prove it with their checkbooks. The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association estimated that in 2007, people spent more than $40 billion on their pets nationwide. Those costs include boarding, grooming, animal purchases, medical care and food.

And pet ownership is becoming more universal. The association’s survey found that 63 percent of U.S. households, or 71.1 million homes have at least one pet. (Update: According to the latest research and data of 2023-2024, 86.9 Million US Households Owns a Pet, Which Accounts for 66%)

More people own dogs than cats, the second most popular pet, but cat owners tend to have more animals, so the total of pet cats in the U.S. outnumbers dogs 88 million to 75 million.

Bow Wow Business:

New businesses have sprung up to meet the demand, and existing businesses are falling in line to get a piece of the market.

Kendal Kantola, manager of the Bow Wow Boutique in Joplin, said her business grows every year. She has clients who bring their pets in for weekly grooming and others who schedule their pets’ monthly appointments to correspond with their days at the salon.

Even as a pet owner herself, Kantola said she is amazed at how far people will go to pamper their pets. Weekly clients could spend more than $1,000 a year on just bathing one pet. She has puppy parents who celebrate their animals’ birthdays with parties and cake, feed their dogs macaroni and cheese, and buy them more Christmas presents than they buy for their human children.

“Even back when I was a kid, we used to give the dog a bath in the back yard, but it’s not like that anymore,” Kantola said.

The trend is strong enough to gain the attention of national retail chains. Wal-Mart is cashing in on the pet-pampering craze with an expanded stock of dog apparel including rhinestone-studded collars, sequined bows, and puppy T-shirts bearing phrases like “Dog-a-licious,” “Born Fabulous” and “Love at First Bark.”

Why?

So, why are people willing to go so far to ensure their pets’ happiness? Pets do have some benefits when it comes to their owners’ health. Studies from a number of health institutes and universities have shown that owning a pet helps lower blood pressure, reduces stress, helps reduce heart disease, provides greater psychological stability, lowers health-care costs and fights depression.

But the most likely reason that Americans spent $40 billion on their pets last year goes back to the unexplainable connection between people and their pets.

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When one thinks about the ultimate luxury automobile, it’s hard to argue that any short list doesn’t include the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe.

On any Rolls-Royce car, its always been apparent that craftsmanship is the key. The company refused to build a custom, all-chrome Phantom Coupe for a famous rap artist because the chrome couldn’t be finished to the company’s exacting specifications. Now that is setting the bar high.

Exterior paint of the new Rolls-Royce Phantom is hand-finished between each paint layer and then polished for five hours. Incredibly there are more than 44,000 different hues to choose from.

The Phantom Coupe’s hand-crafted interior combines a bit of bling and a lot of grace. For example, the rear curved sofa is flanked with hand-crafted wooden fold-down trays. The ceiling has 1,600 stars (boulevard lights) that can be adjusted for brightness.

The seat leather also receives much TLC. The Phantom comes with R-R hides that are barrel-dyed to ensure uniform color. The leather is then checked by hand and eye for any kinds of blemishes.

Additional interior features include: new front and rear door cappings, bi-directional double reading lights in the C-pillar and repositioned electric window switches

Rolls-Royce’s new model showcases a stretched-out front end and beefy 21 inch wheels. The engine is a 6.75-liter V12 and produces 453 hp and 0-60 in 5.6 seconds.

It was recently announced that the 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom will offer a brand new front bumper design and a more shallow stainless steel grille.

These changes are targeted to merge the models with the front appearance of the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and Phantom Coupe.

Most of us have heard about Rome’s catacombs at some point in our lives. These are ancient underground burials, dug into the rock under the city of Rome itself. There are more than forty of these catacombs, some of which have only come to light in recent years.

These catacombs are known best as burial places for Christians, but they have also hosted pagan burials as well as Jewish tombs. The catacombs came about around the second century, since there was a minimum of available land for burial and cemeteries were growing overcrowded.

The land in the general vicinity of Rome isn’t enough for regular burials, but the soft volcanic rock the city is located on is easy to tunnel in. It’s softer before the air touches it, hardening later. The city has many kilometers of tunnels, and in some places, they’re up to four stories deep.

Anyone with an interest in early Jewish or Christian art should take a trip to the catacombs. The incredible frescoes and sculptures located here represent the majority of artistic examples of the cultures prior to the fourth century.

Romans originally cremated their dead. However, at around the second century, it became popular to bury the burnt or unburnt remains of loved ones instead. In addition, Christians preferred this method, as burial was considered important for bodily resurrection.

The first big catacombs were carved through the rock outside the city, since laws at the time forbade burials inside the city limits. These were originally used not just for burial, but for memorials and religious celebrations of Christian martyrs, although they were never used for other regular worship.

In and around Rome, there are forty known catacombs, all built along roads such as the Via Ostiense and Via Appia. The catacombs often are named after saints such as Sebastian and Calixtus, who are believed to be buried in them by some.

Enormous systems of passages were built by these early Christian excavators, all between seven and twenty meters below the earth’s surface, taking up an area of about two and a half kilometers square. The levels are joined using narrow stairways, with passages about three feet wide and eight feet tall. Burial niches are located in the walls of the catacombs.

These relatively small niches contained bodies. Special burial chambers were also built for wealthier Christians. Frescoes and carvings in these tombs made them look much like mainstream Roman ones.

With the rise of Christianity to a status as a state religion, the practice of burial in catacombs declined, though this did not happen right away. As the dead were buried increasingly in churchyards, the catacombs became used only to celebrate the martyrs.

When Rome was sacked by northern invaders, these catacombs were ransacked, and by the tenth century, they were scarcely used, and all holy relics had been moved above ground. After this point, the catacombs were forgotten until the late sixteenth century, when they were rediscovered.

Over the centuries, these excavations were intermittently explored, though professional studies weren’t published until the nineteenth century. They now act as an important early Christian monument, and are maintained by the Vatican.  Author: Larry Pocobor

Photo: Vatican (Catacombs of Latium)

The designer suit is one of the most misunderstood garments on the market. The reason for this is because there are so many suit vendors vying for the consumers attention, that it is hard to keep focus.

This article will review five different suit brands to give you an idea of what to look for when evaluating a suit designer. After reading this article you will have a basic understanding of Bill Blass, Botany 500, Borrelli, Brioni, and Brooks Brothers.

Bill Blass suits can be compared to Jones of New York and Evan Picone. You will find that this suit has a futuristic feel to it. Plan on paying in the area of $300.00 for an all wool suit.

Vintage suit lovers take pride in their Botany 500 suits and so should you. This classic suit was made popular on the televisions of Americans all over the country. Expect to pay top dollar for a good condition Botany 500 suit.

Borrelli is a designer from Italy specializing in luxury models. You will find that the high quality materials are matched in styling and stitching. However, you will also find that the high quality also equals a high price tag.

Brioni suits are spawned in Italy and are full of style and class. If you don’t believe me ask any of the Pierce Brosnan starring James Bond films. Expect to pay over two thousand for a suit this grand.

The Brooks Brothers suit is an American suit that has been around since the turn of the century. This suit is traditional, classic, and perfect for the office. The cost of this suit is usually in the $1,000.00 range.

Use the knowledge in this article to go forth and begin reviewing your own suit options. Read through the hype and choose a suit that is great for you.  Author: Victor Santerino

It was just a matter of time before the whole “go green” revolution hit the cell phone industry.

Now introducing “Blue Earth”. It’s being advertised as the the world’s first solar-powered touchscreen handset. Similar to the Motorola Renew, Blue Earth is manufactured out of recycled water bottles.

Want to keep track of how far you’ve walked? The Blue Earth includes a pedometer that helps tree huggers tally how many trees they have saved by walking instead of driving a vehicle.

There isn’t a lot of information available on the Blue Earth. More details are planned after the recent Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, Spain.

The only thing known is a non-working mockup form, but the hardware is certainly looking very good. Samsung is touting its eco-packaging and built-in energy-saving functionality.

Hopefully Samsung will soon be able to announce pricing and availability information, as well as details on Blue Earth’s built-in camera, internal storage, media features, and data capabilities.

For more information, Click Here:

Art allows a culture to communicate its ideas and values to future generations. Tiling, weaving, border decoration, and other such systems allow cultures to survive and propagate themselves. Dictators and autocrats have attempted to control the creation and display of art since the beginning of history.

People are easier to control if their artistic horizons are narrowed to the rulers’ preferences. Art allows people to express meaning through craft, and potentially lets them share nontrivial insights about the world around them.

So is Art Is Not A Luxury? Art is sometimes thought to include only certain groups of people and to exclude others. Art is frequently held to be a plaything of the wealthy because of the time required to pursue artistic endeavors and the cost of obtaining them.

But art allows anyone to experience emotions and thoughts, because it now includes not only the artist’s ideas but those that the viewer brings to the artistic work. It can be used to educate, propagandize, control, and convert people to new ways of thinking. This is effective because art uses our automatic responses to biological stimulation in novel ways.

Art is something that stimulates an individual’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses. It is also an expression of an idea and it can take many different forms and serve many different purposes. Art is the best way I have of figuring out what the world is trying to show me.

Art is a learning and a teaching process, said Beuys. Its not an elite activity reserved solely for experts ” its a part of everyday life, and its human nature to be creative. the question remains … Art Is Not A Luxury.

Artist holds freedom of expression, and the viewers the liberty of interpretation. Contemporary art longs for the communication between spectators and artists. Artists like Nara and Aya Takano use children as a subject in almost all of their art. While Nara creates scenes of anger or rebellion through children, Takano communicates the innocence of children by portraying nude girls.

Artists like Frida Kahlo and Damien Hirst are considered to be artists by the artworld under Dickies definition, but they are classified under different subsystems of art. Dickies art theory makes it possible the works of two very different artists to exist under the same heading of art, as well as much of what surrounds us in our everyday life.

Therapists, psychotherapists, and clinical psychologists have found that art can help a person deal with situations during therapy sessions. The goal of art therapy is to heal through creativity.

Art is not a luxury but an essential part of life and human experience. Art is a method of representing man’s interpretation of his environment and communicating that interpretation to others. As such, all art has to be intelligible. Art is a vital component of the human experience.  Author: The Art Fanatic