Swiss Idol

Some who know me well know that I have a not so secret love of American Idol. Now, I didn't like the show right away and in fact even ridiculed all the people I knew who were the early adopters during seasons 1 and 2. I'm not sure how I got turned onto to Idol during season 3, but I did and have been faithfully watching ever since.

Those who know me also know that I am ridiculously picky and tend to like things my way or only like certain things about certain things. Confusing, I know. So for example, most people like the first rounds of Idol with all the crappy singers. I dont. Most people hate Simon Cowell too. I dont. I think Simon is the one misunderstood soul (so is Ryan for that matter) who tells it like it is. When he says you are a crap singer, well, you probably are a crap singer.

One of the things in particular that I noticed when I first started watching Idol was Simon's watch. He wears a Chopard Mille Miglia 16/8407, which just happens to be the same watch I wear. I've always liked watches and figured when the time came to buy an expensive Swiss watch, I'd better be damned sure I'd be happy with it for a long time. I admire that about Simon too. His earnings during one season would probably eclipse what my net worth would be over a lifetime. But with that said, he still wears the same watch, episode after episode and season after season. Just one more example of his impeccable taste and discerning eye for quality.

Parliament Cigarettes

I dont smoke. Never have. I hate how exposure to a smoky venue makes my clothes and skin stink and my eyes and throat burn. I dont quite understand why people do it or how someone even ever invented it, but funny enough, I think it looks cool; as do certain brands.

The classic cigarette box that tends to be recognized as a design icon is without a doubt, Lucky Strike. This was designed by Raymond Loewy back in something like 1940 or so and truly has withstood the test of time. With logos like Shell, Exxon and Coca-Cola to his name, Lowey's genius was easily applied to the cigarette box.

My wife used to smoke, which I hated. I hated more that she tried to hide it for so long, but that's another story. When she did smoke though, she was a fan of Parliaments, which I referred to as "janitor cigarettes" (I first was exposed to Parliaments by our janitor when I was in design school, hence my name for them). I didn't like that my wife smoked and I'm glad she quit, but I at least was ok with the brand because I really like the graphic look. The chevron is sophisticated, the wordmark is bold and the palette is regal - and it all comes together in a package that's approachable and affordable. I also like that the look is vaguely reminiscent of the old transistor radios from the 60s - lending a retro-futuristic appearance as well as appearing technologically advanced. See the influence?



Not being a smoker, I cant judge cigarettes by anything else than brand statement and graphic treatment. I actually dont have a clue how anyone can differentiate between any of them on anything other than that. I will say though, that if I did smoke, I would likely just pick the ones that looked the best and had a brand image that befits a handsome, stylish lad like me : )

Monocle Magazine

I had some time to kill in Athens airport on my way back from Greece last week, so naturally I browsed its fabulous collection of stores, spending both time and my last Euros, like every good American should. Anyway, I'm a huge sucker for a good magazine, especially anything fashion, art, design or.....finance related. I know, these areas of interest of mine dont all quite go together, or so it would seem. However, as I was flipping through the racks of seemingly endless options, I happened upon a magazine called Monocle.

Calling it a mere magazine just doesn't give it enough credit. It's really more of a journal than anything, covering Affairs, Business, Culture and Design. Wow, finally a magazine for me! Historically I've been a GQ, Inc & Fast Company kind of guy, but this seems to fill some other needs and interests of mine and does so with a more global perspective. The articles are well written and really interesting and informative, as you'd expect from the folks that publish the Financial Times and Wallpaper.

Not sure how easy this magazine will be to come by outside of fancy airport newsstands, but if you come across it and have interests similar to mine, I highly recommend picking up a copy.