A good number of the books I read during college were boring, tedious collections of words and pages that quickly found their way into a recycling bin or onto some dark shelf never to be heard from again upon completion. Dan Kennedy’s Loser Goes First was no such book.

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You know that 840k you’ve got lying around the house? Yeah, that huge pile of money you keep tripping over and shooting contemptuous looks at. Why don’t you turn it into one of these?

Uber high-end watchmaker Richard Mille’s RM025 Diver Tourbillon Chronograph is available in titanium, rose and white gold and can be yours for just south of a million dollars. Think of it as an investment; something you can pass along to your children in lieu of a college education, trust fund or what have you.

More details on the watch available here.

I know you don’t think you need a handmade afro pick crafted from aluminum and plated in precious metal, especially not one that comes with its own hardwood case, but you do. You really, really do. What else might you use that $400 on? Bills? Food? Rent? Don’t be so damned common.

Social Creatures is a high-minded “multi-discipline creative practice” whose aim is “to engage like-minded souls with products that work on many levels.” In this case they’ve turned cheap, ordinary afro picks into luxury items du jour. Mission accomplished.

It’s that time of year when those of us with either the coin and free time or the blatant disregard for our employment and financial standings tend to make a break for warmer climates. As we all know any vacation not requiring a swimsuit isn’t a vacation at all (unless of course you’re going to a nudist resort, kudos). Here are some of the best swimsuit options from the acclaimed fashion boutique Parke & Ronen.

As a kid the cars I wanted most were the Batmobile, KITT from “Knight Rider” and a Jag. Any Jag. Jags were these powerful yet elegant jungle cats on wheels gobbling up pavement and turning heads; also the hood ornament probably reminded me a little bit of the Thundercats. In the time since my grade school days Jaguar’s public standing and sales figures have taken a bit of a hit. The hopes are that new XF can change the brand’s fortunes.

The XF first came to my attention after reading Braden Phillips’s article in the New York Times. More recently I got some details on the diesel version of the car at flylyf.com and have come away both hopeful and expectant. And since none of you got me that McLaren I was angling for I think this would make a great make up present. Liquid silver metallic finish, please.

Fashion designer Alvin Manalo describes his Saint Augustine Academy’s spring-summer 09 collection as being inspired by, “the three M’s… Medieval Royalty, Monks and Motorbikes”. Okay…

While I don’t know a plethora of renaissance buffs with a Jones for fashion, I can say for sure there are a ton of skinny dudes roaming the LES and Williamsburg that dress just like this. If you’re one of them or have made a New Year’s resolution to become one of them (chicks are usually all over those guys) you can find out more about the collection here.

Fashion designers are a lot like middle children and reality TV stars when it comes to their need for constant attention. Middle children write on the walls and develop drug problems, reality stars get drunk in front of cameras and bare their breasts for paparazzi, fashion designers turn their runway shows into miniature rock operas and make clothes out of unusual materials. Case in point: Christopher Raeburn.

English designer Christopher Raeburn makes a routine of going commando, creating an interesting array of street apparel mostly from redeployed parachutes and military fabrics. Patterns in the garments are meant to compliment the harsh weather.

His designs have not escaped notice having drawn the attention of celebrity-blogger Kanye West as well as notching Raeburn a spot in the recent book, 100 New Fashion Designers. Ironically enough Raeburn appeared as a contestant on the British equivalent of “Project Runway”, “Project Catwalk”.

Now you, yes you(!!!), can be the envy of all your coworkers; score a date with your boss’s semi-attractive, but (probably) wild-in-the-sack secretary; and put an end to the perpetual whose memo is bigger talk at the water cooler! How? Buy one of these…

Rolls-Royce’s bespoke division is churning out yet another special edition Phantom. The Phantom Sapphire joins the Phantom Pearl, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Tungsten in the RR family’s line of ultra-premium luxury vehicles. The Sapphire boast a longer wheelbase than its siblings and features two interior options, either navy blue leather with seashell accents or seashell leather with navy blue accents.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the Phantom Diamond or the Phantom Adamantium edition to save ourselves the embarrassment of driving the same car twice in one week; commutes are hellish enough without having to be seen in your Tuesday’s ultra-premium luxury vehicle on a Friday.

At some point we all have to decide if Saigon whores and copious amounts of cocaine are our thing or not. Presumably a lifestyle lacking in Saigon whores and blow offers up a multitude of other possibilities; it’s doubtful however (given the free time such abstinence would provide) you could ever find the combination of talent and patience Australian artist, Emma Hack, routinely displays in her elaborate body paintings.

Hack’s website credits her as a skin illustrator, sculptor and photographer or more succinctly a “diverse multimedia artist”. Earlier this year she won the Renault New Generation Art Award at the Weekend ART Sydney Show and looks forward to touring her work abroad, no word yet if that includes stateside.

German designer Kilian Kerner knows how much you hate getting out of bed, so in true bipartisan spirit Mr. Kerner is reaching across the wardrobe for his Spring ‘09 collection and giving you pajamas for your day-to-day life.