Via The Big Picture.   I will be spending most of December in Berlin so I will see what they think.  All I know is that Berlin — and the rest of Europe I covered in 2008 — hoped that Barack Obama‘s presidential win might tone down the tragic global perception of America as an Idiocracy.

Thanks to schmoozing AKA Nahum Gershon for taking this fine photo of my, a photo that I don’t mind. This photo was taken at the Final Blog Potomac in Northern Virginia / the Washington Metropolitan Area.

A Perfect Sunday Morning, originally uploaded by Chris Abraham.

Starting the morning with a New York Times and a Venti Mild drip coffee is one of four perfect Sunday morning scenarios. What is your perfect Sunday morning? Tell me about it in the comments.

These are two of my favorite things I own: a Barbour wax jacket and my PAC Designs courier bag, specifically the Ultimate OS. Here’s what I wrote about it when I was in Berlin, where I took this photo:

“There’s a little bit of rain every day in Berlin in the Spring. For that, I wear my Barbour jacket and strap on my PAC courier bag for my daily commute to class or to the shops. There are gloves and a watch cap in one of the pouch pockets of the jacket. The bag is brown and the jacket is green; the bag is rain-proof and the jacket is waxed against the rain. I even have fenders on my single-speed commuter.”

The lovely Mary Lorson popped us a comment over at Where is Mauritius?, asking, “Really? How does someone from Selinsgrove end up off the coast of Africa?”  Well, Mark Harrison, our favorite CEO at Abraham Harrison, responded:

:-) Cool parents, basically!

When I was a kid, my folks dragged me off to Liberia when they went there on sabbatical.

With that, the wanderlust was ignited and I’ve lived and worked in a half-dozen countries since then…

When Chris called me and asked me to become his CEO and business partner we agreed to build Abraham Harrison, LLC as an officeless, virtual, global company, which further enabled me to live and work anywhere I like.

So, summers I spend in Berlin (perhaps the best city in the world), and in the winter I head to the tropical paradise of Mauritius for its gorgeous beaches, wonderful weather, delicious food, breathtaking landscapes, and amazingly friendly and welcoming people – plus good telecom, political stability, low crime rate, and easy (if somewhat pricey) flight connections to the rest of the world.

Selinsgrove has a number of those attributes as well, but the beaches are definitely better in Mauritius ;-)

Via Marketing Conversation

Here’s the latest news from Mike Signer and the Michael Signer for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2009 gang — and don’t forget to join me tomorrow, Tuesday 31 March, at Local 16 to help Mike Signer raise some money and get elected!:

Chris,

One of our opponents just sent out an email trying to increase their number of online donors from 464 to 500 by midnight tomorrow.

It’s incredible.  Our insurgent campaign has managed to generate roughly the same level of online support as the presumed front-runner in just under two months – quite an accomplishment since our opponent has been running for the better part of a year.

Go online now and help us reach 500.

This is because our campaign is about you.  It’s about turning the office of Lieutenant Governor into an advocate – someone who fights for you and your families everyday.

With just 36 hours left until our fundraising deadline, we are asking for your support to help us move past our opponent and put the politics of “Old Virginny” to rest.

In the remaining hours of today and tomorrow, please contribute whatever you can – whether it be $5 or $5,000.

Our number of donors shows the strength of our campaign.  Thank you so much for your support.

Sincerely,

Christian

PS. We close the books at midnight tomorrow -  please contribute now!

Dear Chris,

Due to an antiquated, Jim Crow-era law, 25% of African-American men in the Commonwealth of Virginia are currently disenfranchised. Laws like this are plainly part of "Old Virginny"-which Governor Tim Kaine declared last fall was "dead."

Please contribute $25 dollars to my campaign, so together we can build a New Dominion and move past the dark days of Old Virginny.

I feel that I have a responsibility to talk with you about the issues that are most critical to building our progressive future – even the difficult ones.  This is why I’m the only candidate addressing the tough but critical issue of Virginia’s disenfranchisement laws, what they mean for our progressive future, and what we can do about them. 

See what activists across Virginia and the nation have said about my approach:

"Signer continues to come across as an informed leader with a firm grasp and willingness to address a broad range of issues. Very refreshing."  - Blue Commonwealth

"THANK YOU to Mike Signer for addressing an issue which too many politicians are afraid to touch with a ten-foot poll. With videos like this one, I’m liking Mike more and more every day that goes by!"  – Blue VA Blog

"I’m doing what I can to increase awareness of this candidate because someone who does something like this is worth a second, third and fourth look. Please tell your VA friends and relatives about him." – Jack & Jill Politics

In this campaign, I promise I’ll continue to address all the issues that are critical to our progressive future.  I was the last candidate to get into this race and the first candidate to offer a comprehensive jobs plan.  This is my pledge to you, but I need your help.

Can I count on you to contribute $25 to my campaign today? That is just $1 dollar for each percent of Virginia’s African-American men who are disenfranchised.

Thank you so much for your support.  Together, we will build a new Dominion and move Virginia forward toward the progressive that we all know is possible.

See you on the campaign trail!

Sincerely,

 
Michael Signer

PS. Make sure you watch my last Coffee Break which was on voter disenfranchisement.   If this is the kind of dialogue you want, please make a contribution today!

Dear Chris,

Quite frankly, I’m stunned.

With the national unemployment rate at 8.1%, you’d think jobs would be the number-one issue for any candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

But I’m the only candidate in the race with a concrete plan to create jobs.

I was the last candidate to enter the race for Lieutenant Governor-but I was the first candidate to provide voters with a pragmatic, innovative plan for creating jobs in the Commonwealth.

As Lieutenant Governor, I won’t just use this office as a placeholder-and sit idly by while Virginians are losing their jobs.

If you want a Lieutenant Governor who will be a public advocate for working Virginians and their families, then make a contribution of $100, $50, or $35 today.

My plan, a New Economy for a New Dominion, is the only comprehensive plan addressing jobs and the economy by any candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

Through this dynamic strategy, I believe we could create 50,000 jobs by the end of 2011 in seven sectors – low-tech and high-tech infrastructure, efficiency and weatherization, building a smart grid, “health IT” and computerizing medical records, rural industries and tourism promotion, accelerating construction on military bases, and environmental restoration.

I promise that as Lieutenant Governor I will bring this same initiative and fighting spirit on the issues that matter most.   In the coming weeks and months, you can look forward to more leadership from my campaign on the crucial issues for Virginia‘s future.

Make a contribution of $100, $50, or $35 TODAY. Together we can build a new economy for a new Dominion!

The new unemployment figures show the urgency of specific plans and action on the economy.  Thanks to the Warner and Kaine administrations, Virginians are better off-but we cannot rest.  Investing in a new generation of leadership for the office of Lieutenant Governor is critical.

Thank you for your support.  I look forward to talking with you on the campaign trail!

Sincerely,

Michael Signer

PS. We have a filing deadline at the end of the month.  Your support today is critical. Please make a contribution.

(Via an email you can see online!)

Along with unemployment rates and the deficit, Bentley prices are on the rise, too, at least in the UK. Starting in April, Bentley will raise prices by 5% in the United Kingdom, citing the pound’s weakness as compared to the Euro (about an 18% depreciation in the past year). So aspiring Brits will now be paying between around £120,000 and £245,000 for those new wheels. There is no expected price increase beyond Great Britain.

Via Luxist

I admire Mr. Citrano. I met him at the The Fairfax at Embassy Row, where he was staying, at about half-7 on Friday. I had a great time.

We grabbed a drink in the lounge (I had a couple 12-year Dewars neat) and then walked to Lauriol Plaza, where we opened the cosmic tap while enjoying Mexifood (and I had a Margarita on the rocks with salt).

The good news, guys, is that “Washington girls are much better looking than Boston girls.” The bad news is that “girls in New York and LA are much better looking than Washington girls.” I paraphrased.

After eating, we walked to the Beacon Martini Sky Bar to say hey to Adam Dubitsky as he welcomed his birthday. I ordered a dirty martini and I have to admit that although I am not a martini drinker, that was one hell of a tasty drink.

That was one tasty martini.

Athony is one hell of a cool dude and a great friend. It was great to see him. Not often enough. Check out his blog, Cosmic Tap, and get ready to have your mind expanded.

Or maybe it was just the dirty martini.