Diana Nyad...Please Stop Swimming to Cuba

A coach seat on US Air is better than this.

Diana Nyad...please take up another sport.  At least, for the love of God, please stop swimming to Cuba every year.  I think we will be able to travel there by plane in the next year or two so stop trying to get into the country via the water. 

Every time she tries (this was her fourth attempt) she has been pulled back by her team.  She needs to listen to the jellyfish.  The only thing Nyad has really achieved are some awesome tan lines.

Really?

Brooke Astor's Auction Will Keep The Ghostbuster Library Open A Little Longer

Commissioned by her third husband, Vincent, who died in 1959
before the piece was completed.
Mrs. Astor decided to keep it because "it is pretty and not ostentatious".

On September 24th and 25th, Sotheby's will auction 901 lots of furnishing, art and jewelry from the estate of socialite, Brooke Astor, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 105.  Included will be the last gift her husband, real estate tycoon, Vincent Astor, ever gave her...a custom designed platinum and 18K gold Bulgari emerald and diamond necklace.  Auction estimates are between $250,00 - $350,00, but as we all know these things go for two to three times the initial price tags.  There is also a matching 23 carat emerald ring with an auction estimate of $150,000.

It appears Brooke Astor did not read my blogs on bangs or blue eyeshadow.

Brooke is lucky to even have these things left to auction since her only son, Anthony Marshall, a US ambassador and a Tony winning producer, was convicted of stealing million of dollars from his mother in 2009.  Sentenced to up to three years in prison, Marshall remains out on bail pending the outcome of his appeal.  No wonder she decided to bequeath the proceeds of her belongings to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Animal Medical Center, the Central Park Conservancy, New York City schools and the New York Public Ghostbuster Library.

Beyonce Is Singlehandedly Bringing Back The 80's With Her Gigantic Earrings

Those of us who are a certain age (you know who you are) remember the 80's as the next best thing since the 60's.  We were still young, but old enough to enjoy the loads of money we made, loved our big hair, shoulder pads, Princess Diana and cell phones that were as big as shoes.  Now, I see that Beyonce is a one woman diesel fashion train driving a jewelry statement back to the 80's by wearing some of the most outrageous earrings ever seen on a human.

Beyonce hangs Oscars on either side of her head when meeting Ban Ki-moon as they join forces to launch a campaign in honor of World Humanitarian Day.

This is a close up.  Yes, they are her earrings...or a pair of those yellow Nike Volts, I'm not sure.

Here is Beyonce holding up two worlds on either side of her head.  Who needs Atlas.

Diamond dusters - always acceptable.

One thing I learned from the 80's is that it's hard on your lobes to wear ear muffs like this.  However, you won't know it for 30 years or so.

More Watch News - This Time From The Sportsworld

Color coordinated all the way.

There is controversy swirling around the IOC due to Jamaican sprinter, Yohan Blake's decision to wear a one of a kind, custom made, Jamaican flag rendition, Richard Mille tourbillon prototype watch valued at $500,000 during the semi-finals and finals of the 100 meter dash.  There are strict regulations and subsequent fines regarding allowable apparel, which is limited to country sponsored items only.  If it is a non-clothing item, athletes are required to use Olympic sponsored merchandise.  Therefore, Blake should have been wearing a $500,000 Omega - as they are the official timekeeper of the Games.

Let's stay tuned to see if Blake wears the watch during the 200 meter final Thursday night.

Yeah man, you heard me - the guy behind us is the Timex ambassador!

However, Blake is not the first athlete to sport this exclusive watch.  Richard Mille worked with Rafael Nadal to create a watch light enough (20 grams) to withstand the rigors of a tennis swing.  Nadal was seen sporting the $525,000 RM027 at Wimbeldon in 2010 and again at the French Open in June.  Interesting note, during the Open, Nadal had his Mille stolen from his hotel room.  This time it was found.  A few years ago, he had another half-million dollar Mille stolen from his locker at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.  Not sure if he ever got that one back.

Bubba Watson incurred grief when he wore his custom made, $525,000, super-light Richard Mille RM038 tourbillon at this years Masters.  A fan negatively tweeted that he was wearing a watch that cost more than some people made in a lifetime.  Another wished Bubba would pay off his mortgage with the money instead.

The front of Bubba's watch.

The back of Bubba's Richard Mille - sweat goobers and all.

Luxury watches and sports have gone hand in hand for years.  Many of today's top athletes wear Rolex, Tag Heuer, Audemars Piguet, Omega, and more.  They are paid to wear these watches much like they are paid to wear hats, clubs, shirts, pants, shoes, underwear...whatever.  The pro's are lucky enough to wear this schwag in return for some of the best, yet subtle advertising out there.  And, as long as their star shines, they will be courted as brand ambassadors.  Even Tiger Woods is wiping the tarnish off his star as we speak.  He recently re-signed with Rolex who believe strongly in their international clients who, unlike Americans, forgave Tiger for his infidelities a long time ago.

Leave Gabby Douglas' Hair Alone

OK...not the best look.

This is a departure from jewelry but I think it qualifies as public interest.  Leave Gabby Douglas' damn hair alone.  As one who spends serious money on hair, i.e., bi-weekly touch-up, trim every 6 weeks, highlights every 6-8 weeks, keratin blow-outs every 10 weeks...retroactively to past pre-historic eras...I'm afraid to even add this shit up.  She's the smart one...just let her pull her hair back in a damn pony tail.

She is adorable, talented and will be super rich.  Is the hair all you can pick on you schadenfreudatics.

Spoiler Alert! Angelina Jolie Is Getting A Watch As Her Wedding Gift

Reportedly, Brad Pitt has purchased a Patek Philippe Minute Repeater as a wedding gift for Angelina Jolie because soon they will have a wedding that will be so ordinary/incredible; low-key/mind-blowing; understated/over-the-top that you won't believe it until you read it in Us Weekly.

A Patek Philippe Minute Repeater is rare in the watch world.  Basically, a repeater is a watch that sounds on the hour, which is how often Jolie does a child count to make sure she has not misplaced one of her brood.  Jolie's Patek will reportedly sound chimes based on Big Ben (of course it will).  Like the guy version of the Berkin Bag waiting list, it can take up to two years to get one of these watches.  The classically beautiful watch is custom made, 18K rose gold, mother of pearl dial and a leather strap and costs in the neighborhood of $400,000.  Every one is checked by a member of the Stern family (owner's of Patek) at their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The company said in a statement: “The Patek Philippe Ladies Minute Repeater has a two year waiting list and is only granted to those who apply for the watch and meet the required criteria to own it."  I guess Brad and Angelina qualify.