An extravagant home with an indoor swimming pool, detached guesthouse, private shooting range, and much more – wouldn’t that be nice! Unfortunately, that isn’t the reality for an average Joe. With the current economic downfall, it is no surprise that what is left of new-home construction is focused on downsized living. In just three years the average size of a single-family home dropped from 2,521 square feet in 2007 to 2,392 square feet in 2010, according to the Census Bureau. But with every statistic comes exceptions. In this case, it occurs in the form of building colossal luxury houses, which seems to be the latest trend among several mega-wealthy homeowners.

Sit back and relax with a Canones Maduro by Arturo Fuente as we examine luxury builders’ recent projects for those fortunate enough to have bedrooms larger than most houses.

Let us begin with the 18,300-square-foot limestone home of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his lady, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, situated in the Tony Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles, Calif. To get to the property, a bridge crosses over a pond and connects to the driveway. The first floor includes a playroom, service kitchen, library with terraces and a “morning bar,” while the master suite is equipped with his-and-hers closets and a master bathroom that connects to an outdoor bath area with a saltwater plunge pool and shower. Their property also has a pool, spa, pool house and playhouse. A covered walkway connects the home to its 1,590-square-foot gym with skylights over a garage.

Next we have a 25,000-square-foot mansion in progress for Jim Ellis, co-founder of a cell phone insurance provider, and his wife, Jenna. The property, which at 430 feet in length is longer than a football field, is a single-story home located in Silicon Valley, Calif. The home is expected to have multiple garages, including a showroom garage joined to a family room by a glass wall so the car collection can be viewed from inside the home.

In Dallas, Texas, a business man who just completed a 28,000-square-foot home for himself and his family says that he and his wife’s original plan was to build a 13,000-square-foot home. He believes that amount of space is not necessary, but emotion and desire fueled the expansion of their plans into what is now a property that is more than double the size of their original idea.

In Westport, Conn. reside Doug and Melissa Bernstein, whose company makes educational children’s toys, in their 30,000-square-foot-plus home. The property includes a 29,500-square-foot main house, gym partially covered by glass, recreation and garage building, guest cottage, pool, pool cabana, tennis court and playground, as well as a separate ice-cream parlor. The home was completed in the Summer 2011 and has a $19.8 million property value.

Twenty miles away in Greenwich Conn. is a 31,500-square-foot mansion under construction for Lee Weinstein, founder of Xand data center. This estate is said to have 15 bathrooms plus additional powder rooms, a 2,500-square-foot master suite and a basement with a theater, wine cellar, juice bar, dance studio and sauna.

Our next luxury homeowner is Gene Pretti, head of an investment-management firm. Her lakefront estate in Incline Village, Nev. is more than 50,000 square feet including decks. A half-basketball court, trampoline, climbing wall and indoor tennis court with a viewing area can be found within the property.

Under construction in the hills above Los Angeles, Calif. for Anthony Pritzker, Hyatt hotel heir, part of the Chicago real-estate family and billionaire co-founder of the Pritzker Group private-equity firm, is a compound totaling just over 53,000 square feet. The two-story home surrounds a courtyard and includes a bowling alley, hairdressing area, gym with changing rooms, his-and-hers offices, arts and crafts room, “floating pool,” spa and a two-story basement that has a game room, bowling alley, bar and media library. In addition, the home has a detached recreation room and guesthouse, a large skylight, roof-mounted solar panels and a curving driveway. A sign reading, “All visitors must check in with security,” is at the entrance of the property, which is said to finish in November of this year.

Finally, we come to Prince Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, son of the king of Saudi Arabia, who is awaiting permits for a lavish three-lot compound also located in Los Angeles, Calif. The property comes to a whooping 70,000 square feet, which was downsized from its original plan of 85,000 square feet. It will include a 42,000-square-foot main home that is partially underground, a guesthouse, pool cabana, gatehouse and additional residence of up to 20,000 square feet. Further details of the project have not been specified.

(Via The Wall Street Journal – Homes)

When going out for some Chinese food, the average person doesn’t expect to spend too much for an order of fried rice or some chow mein. What about a bowl of beef noodle soup at Niu Ba Ba in Taipei City, Taiwan? In this case the price is unexpectedly high, but when you’re done reading why you’ll be wishing there was a place like this down the street from you.

Wang Cong-Yuan, the restaurant’s owner, spent 15 years working to perfect his recipe of beef noodle soup, the result? A blend of custom cuts of beef imported from four different countries, your choice of noodles among more than 20 different varieties and a specially constructed soup broth. Before pricing the soup, he asked his VIP clientele — local celebrities, world politicians and other top-notch chefs — what they would pay for a bowl of his best beef noodles. With a common answer of 10,000 New Taiwan dollars ($324 US), Mr. Wang stuck with it. This 10,000 TWD ($324 US) price tag earned the creation the title of world’s most expensive bowl of beef noodle soup.

Mr. Wang imports beef from Japan, Australia, the United States and Brazil, then cuts each piece into a perfect shape and size according to how the meat and the tendons are joined. For example, Australian beef is cooked and slowly scooped out from the side of the bone, whereas Japanese beef is first frozen slightly to guarantee a clean cut. He performs a week-long process of slow-braising and freezing individual cuts of meat so the flavors will really marinate and develop.

The soup is a combination of five or six different stocks from various parts of the beef. This creates a “beefy” but not “gamey” taste, with a signature “velvety” texture to the greaseless broth.

The noodles are made using his exclusive recipe and can vary from thick to thin or flat to round, all depending on the customer’s noodle of choice.

As a final touch, minimal seasonings including soy sauce, rock sugar and some five spices are then added to the delicate creation. Aside from that, the majority of the broth comes from natural flavors of the beef. Mr. Wang wants his beef noodle soup to be as natural as possible, and has even had samples taken to labs to ensure there are no carcinogenic ingredients.

With the custom beef cuts coupled with special-order noodles and a precise mixture of ingredients, you can guarantee no two bowls of beef noodle soup will be exactly alike.

If you’re ever in the neighborhood, enjoy a classic Monarch Tube by Ashton, stroll around the beautiful Taipei, and make a visit to this small, 40-seat eatery to try a bowl of Mr. Wang’s masterpiece.

Zhongxiao East Road, Sec. 4, Alley 27, Lane 216, No. 16

Taipei, Taiwan

886-2-2778-3075

(Via The Wall Street Journal — Life & Style)

While these books aren’t made of gold nor decorated with diamonds, they are worth millions. Several individuals have gotten their hands on some of these treasures in exchange for a couple of million dollars. To many, these books are simply priceless.

Christie’s, the art business and fine arts auction house, has been one of the main players in the exchange of these unglamorous yet highly-valued treasures. The following five books are known to be the most expensive books in the world. Perhaps they are the final piece in your mahogany library, or simply a book to get lost in while enjoying a Louixs.

5 - First Folio, by William Shakespeare – $6 million
It was bought in 2001 for a little over $6 million by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen at Christie’s New York. Its original price was a pound, or three if you wanted it adorned or bound in leather. Although there were originally 750 copies, there are only about 228 left in existence. Just wait and see what other Microsoft executive has paid millions for another book in this list.

4 – The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer – $7.5 million
Sold at Christie’s in London in 1998. Of the dozen known copies of the 1477 first edition, this was the last to be held privately, and was originally purchased for £6 by the first Earl Fitzwiliam at the sale of John Radcliffe’s library at Christie’s in 1776.

3 – Birds of America, by James Audubon – $11.5 million
In 2000, Christie’s auctioned off a copy (one of only 119 known complete copies in the world) for $8,802,500. Ten years later, another complete first edition was sold at London at Sotheby’s for about $11.5 million.

2 – The Gospels of Henry the Lion, Order of Saint Benedict – $11.7 million
It was originally commissioned by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, for the altar of the Virgin Mary at the Brunswick Cathedral, this gospel book was purchased by the German government at Sotheby’s of London in 1983 for about $11.7 million (at the time). The book has 266 pages, 50 full-page illustrations. It is considered a masterpiece of the 12th century Romanesque illuminated manuscript.

(Drumroll…)

1 - The Codex Leicester, by Leonardo da Vinci – $30.8 million
It is the most famous of da Vinci’s scientific journals. The 72-page notebook is filled with the great thinker’s handwritten ponderings and theories on everything from fossils to what makes the moon glow. The manuscript was first purchased in 1717 by Thomas Coke, who later became the Earl of Leicester. In 1994, Bill Gates got his hands on the journal at an auction for $30,800,000, making it the most expensive book ever purchased. Gates clearly shared such wealth, as he had the book scanned and turned into a screensaver distributed with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95.

(Via The Atlantic)

What better way to have a relaxing evening enjoying your #2 Torpedo by Montecristo than to sink into a 24 carat gold Arcaro Martini designed Jacuzzi tub?!

Italian designers, Giacomo Arcaro and Roberto Martini, assembled the most luxurious spa experience for you and 5 guests, if you are located in the UAE that is.

The tubs are completely hand-made with either white or black eco-friendly leather exhibiting quilted Swarovski detail inserts and the consumer’s choice of yellow or antique gold interior.

There are numerous lavish characteristics separating this Jacuzzi from the rest in its class. To name a few:

• Ozone water purification system- to settle any questions about hot tub hygiene
• Aquaserene- soothing sound of flowing water
• Audio system with sub woofers
• Custom massage- to accommodate people of all heights and pressure needs
• Aromatherapy
• Iphone charger outlets
• Pillow falls- flowing warm water onto the necks and shoulders

If those features don’t sell you on this exquisite patio décor then maybe the fact that it comes with a matching gold remote control to direct assistance within 24 hours anywhere around the world, will seal the deal. Also, a lifetime Platinum Elite Structure and 5 year electrical and hydraulic parts and 2 years for outside case warranties are included with the purchase of this magnificent spa.

via: http://www.bornrich.com/

Swiss watch brand Hubolt, founded in 1980 by Carol Crocco, plans to release its most futuristic piece March 2012 as part of the “Confrerie” exclusive watch collection. This ultramodern time-piece was based on Mathias Buttet’s original master mind watch, La Clef du Temps, which is meant to remind admirers of the Predator.

Translating to mean, “key of time,” La Clé du Temps gives its owner the power to speed time up or slow it down. In the upper right hand corner is the attention grabbing hours and minutes dial. The opposite corner of the face holds the power reserve indicator, which looks as though it holds approximately five days worth of power.

The characteristic that separates this watch from the rest in its class is the third dial which is located on the left side of the face. Here the user can control whether the speed of the time be sped up or slowed down. At any time when normal speed is wished be back on the clock, simply flip the switch. This watch has the capability to retain current time even when its setting is ridiculously fast or turtle pace.

With its matte black finish and glowing electric green accents, this watch is sure to impress even the most elite of watch connoisseurs. Its exact price remains unknown but it is rumored that this watch will sell in the upper of six figures.

Check out the rest of Hublot’s watch collections here.

The Retro Especiale just started to ship in late September, which makes this a good time to review the new line. It is comprised of a Honduran-grown Connecticut-seed wrapper with dual Nicaraguan and Mexican binders around filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The wrapper, according to a press release, was specifically cultivated to allow “each of the cigar’s components to enjoy equal bearing on the overall taste of the cigar,” rather than having any one part dominate.

Packaged in attractive art deco wooden boxes that were inspired by an antique humidor found at the El Credito factory, Retro Especiale is available in four sizes: Taino (7 x 52), Habanero (6 x 52), Cubano (6.5 x 58), and Club (5.75 x 47). Each carries an MSRP between $7 and $8.15.

The Club has faint pre-light notes and a light exterior leaf that’s far from intimidating. Despite its golden hue, though, General Cigar says “the blend is brash in its full flavor and engages the entire palate.” That’s certainly true upon first light, where the cigar has a powerful, somewhat salty taste that’s characterized by dry wood.

The profile becomes much less abrasive after only a few puffs. Core flavors like peanut, cedar, cream, black coffee, and citrus emerge. The result is a more balanced cigar that stands firmly in the medium- to full-bodied range. Each puff produces large volumes of smoke, and the resting smoke is aromatic and sweet.

The Club is $175 per 25-count box.

(Via StogieGuys…)

Lawmakers in Austin, Texas, took steps last Thursday to extend the temporary burn ban passed there in April into an injunction that would permanently eliminate smoking in the city’s parks and some of its golf courses.

The Austin City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking City Manager Marc Ott to draft an ordinance that prohibits smoking in the city’s Parks and Recreation sites, which includes 251 parks, public pools and some golf courses. For Ott’s draft to become a law, though, the Parks and Recreation Department must first approve and amend it, and City Council must then vote to adopt the final document.

City park smoking bans are not that unusual (534 cities, 29 of which are in Texas, already have smoke-free parks), but what could distinguish Austin’s ban from those in other cities is it would be the first to stem from a burn ban.

Travis County, where Austin is located, has been enduring terrible drought conditions since last year and has been under a burn ban since December 14, 2010, according to the county Fire Marshal’s office. Essentially, the burn ban prohibits any combustible material—fireworks, barbecues, cigarettes and cigars—that could spark a forest fire from being used within the city’s Park and Recreation sites.

The seemingly dubious manner in which a precautionary burn order may evolve into a permanent smoking ban has caught the eye of smoking ban opponents.

According to impactnews.com, a representative from the Austin Golf Advisory Group named Delano Womack addressed the Council on Thursday to explain that cigar smoking often takes place on a golf course. While Council members did not immediately strike golf courses from the resolution, a few agreed that they may fall into some sort of middle ground, and so a note was added that ensured the Golf Advisory Group would be able to look over any wording associated with golf courses in Ott’s draft.

Glynn Loope, executive director of the Cigar Rights of America, added: “While we sympathize with the situation the weather has caused, creating very dry conditions and hence making smoking or a family barbecue hazardous at times in local parks, it is obvious City Council is using the weather as a cloak for the public health agenda.”

Loope says the CRA also will be sending the Council a copy of an editorial by Dr. Michael Siegel of the Boston University School of Public Health that states there is questionable scientific validity to outdoor smoking bans. The editorial, according to Loope, also states that city park bans like the one Austin is proposing “may actually increase exposure by creating smoke-filled areas near park entrances that cannot be avoided.”

(Via Cigar Aficionado…)

A renowned British boot maker, John Lobb, is all set to launch an expensive pair of men’s slippers for the first time in the Middle East region.

Lobb will roll out its very first collection known as “Spirits of Capitals” in the Dubai Mall (UAE). The footwear will be on display November 2-12^th, 2011. The sandals are made of crocodile skin and have already been on a world tour to take shoemaking to another level. They are created to celebrate the essence of 11 major cities of the world and are inspired by each city.

The design teams were given the task to create two pairs of sandals that best represent their city. The teams were sent to different cities like Hong Kong, New York, Seoul, Moscow, Beijing, Geneva and Dubai and got many designs like the Balmoral-style Oxfords reminiscent of Paris, hand stitched platform moccasins of Taipei, the Derby low boots of London etc.

Finally a pair that represents the true essence of Dubai was chosen to be the part of the collection. The sandals are inspired by the classic John Lobb William monk shoe. They have a double adjusting strap that ensures complete comfort to the wearer’s foot. The super smooth insole is made of lambskin that gives a feel of ultimate luxury.

The sandals are hand stitched just like John Lobb’s other shoes. The brand has been creating men shoes since 1866. The Spirits of Capitals sandals are available only on order as the brand first takes the correct measurement of your foot and hands over a perfect pair after six to eight months of efforts.

Each pair will cost a whopping $7,350.

(Via BornRich…)

Pete Johnson, the creator of Tatuaje cigars, is continuing his Halloween tradition by releasing the Tatuaje Monster Series, a set of cigars that resemble monsters from cinema packed in dynamic, individually numbered boxes.

The demand created for the cigars by collectors has made the series a commercial success but a “distribution nightmare” for the monster-loving Johnson, who limits the sale of the numbered boxes to 13 retailers chosen by lottery.

This year’s creation is called the Tatuaje Monster Series Wolfman, a torpedo measuring 7 1/2 inches long by 52 ring gauge. It has a rough, uncut foot that exposes the filler tobacco, a first for the Tatuaje brand.

The blend for the cigar is based on Johnson’s Tatuaje Cojonu 2009. Rolled at the Garcia family’s My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, The Wolfman is made with all-Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos with a Sumatra Ecuador wrapper. The suggested retail price is $13 per cigar.

“The Monster release is out of control,” Johnson Tweeted on October 5. “Problem is people want the box when really the cigar is the only thing that should be of concern.”

Johnson said that collectors are having a hard time getting the cigars, resulting in complaints. Due to the demand, he now also ships additional Monster Series cigars packed in plain boxes of 10.

The “Unlucky 13″ list of retailers who have received boxes of The Wolfman are:

Havana Connections–Richmond, VA

Casa de Montecristo–Countryside, IL

Rain City Cigars–Seattle, WA

Castro’s Back Room–Nashua, NH

Belle Meade Premium Cigars–Nashville, TN

Holt’s Cigar Company–Philadelphia, PA

Tinder Box #208–Charlotte, NC

Monte’s Pueblo Pipe Shop–Albuquerque,NM

Pheasant Cigars–Las Vegas, NV

Ruben’s Smoke Stack–Hackensack, NJ

Just For Him–Springfield, MO

Good Karma Cigar–Amarillo, TX

Gloucester Street Cigars–Boston, MA

(Via Cigar Aficionado…)

This week, Cigar Rights of America added another much needed full time employee. Mike Copperman has been named Legislative Director for Cigar Rights of America. Previously CRA had only two full-time employees.

Copperman was the longtime owner of the Bethesda Tobacco shop just outside Washington, DC where he spent countless hours educating people on the artisan aspects of premium cigars.

He will initially be concentrating on the CRA federal effort to advance legislation that will exempt premium cigars from regulation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Specifically, he is a noted authority on the health care debate surrounding tobacco, and cigars and will be a leading expert challenging many of pseudo-scientific  reasons given for extending smoking bans and tobacco taxes that hurt consumer choice.

In a statement released announcing his appointment Copperman stated, “As a professional tobacconist, it was and is important to respond to the erroneous health claims put forth by those in the field of Tobacco Control, and to do so with sound science, and the use of epidemiological evidence to support our arguments. That effort will be critical to the effort to pass H.R. 1639 and S. 1461.”

FDA Exemption Bill Adds Support in Congress

The push comes as CRA’s central legislative effort continues to add support in Congress. CRA and other pro-cigar associations, continue to lobby members of congress to support the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011″ which would protect cigar consumers and cigar manufacturers from FDA oversight which could cripple the industry.

Since its introduction in April 2011, “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011″ (H.R. 1639) has added 81 cosponsors in the House. The companion bill in the Senate (S. 1461) has three co-sponsors: both Senators from Florida (Democrat Bill Nelson, the lead sponsor, and Republican Marco Rubio) as well as Senator Pat Toomey (Republican) of Pennsylvania.

To further efforts to push for this important legislation, Cigar Rights of America has recently added a webpage to make it easy for cigar smokers to contact their representatives in support of H.R. 1639 and S. 1461. Concerned cigar consumers should contact their elected officials here.

(Via Stogie Guys…)