Celebrities

This Labor Day weekend things will be scorching as usual in South Florida, especially Miami!  For those of you looking for a hot weekend slam packed with hot celebs and events, look no further than ‘No Sleep Till Miami’, a music infused event being held September 1st-5th in Miami Beach.

I bet these celebs wish they could get behind the wheel of one of our cars, and now they can.  For free.  Well, almost free.  We would, of course, want a video testimonial expressing how badass it was to peel through South Beach in one of our sumptuous luxury cars. 
 

So, will the real celebs please stand up, and take us up on our offer?  Sit down Kayne, we will let you finish later.

1.   LeBron James
2.   Ashton Kutcher
3.   Brad Pitt
4.   Tiger Woods
5.   Megan Fox
6.   Justin Timberlake
7.    Ellen Degeneres
8.    Cameron Diaz
9.    Perez Hilton
10.  Guy Kawasaki

Have you ever thought that things would be ‘perfect’, if only you had more money?  Fantasizing that all of those miniscule issues like bills would suddenly evaporate into a green cloud of awesomeness?  While I love the luxury lifestyle, it does umm, pay, to observe both ends of the spectrum.  Here are some pros and cons of being rich that may interest you and make you feel better about having less!
 

What?  You mean life is not just peachy when you are rich?  Hell no!  Being rich presents a whole new set of issues that must be dealt with, including:

Hiromu Naruse was an esteemed test driver for the Toyota team for 47 years, from 1963-2010.  For the past several years, he was the chief test driver of the amazing Lexus LFA supercar, and tragically, it was in an LFA that Naruse sadly lost is life on June 23rd, 2010. 

The fatal crash occurred on a test track near Germany’s famous racing venue known as the Nurburgring, where Naruse is reported to have left his lane and hit a BMW production car frontally.  Naruse was 66 years old, and a valued and integral part of team Toyota.  Naruse died doing what he loved, in the company’s first-ever attempt at a supercar, and not many can make that claim.

It seems that Mel Gibson has certainly had his fair share of bad luck lately, and the streak continues, as he has reportedly crashed his 2008 Maserati Quattroporte into a rocky hillside on a difficult section of Malibu Canyon Road.  Mel’s Maserati was towed from the scene, and the actor was uninjured in the collision.  I can’t say the same for his already tattered reputation.

California Highway Patrol asked Gibson if he had been using a cell phone at the time, and he denied it (I am sure records will be pulled from his provider, as is becoming common).  The police do not suspect the star of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident.  It certainly appears that Gibson is hard on things, reportedly his ex, and now luxury cars.  Do not sell this man a Ferrari 458 Italia, my heart couldn’t take it.  TMZ photo taken shown at right.

From airline attendant to underdog superhero, and seemingly overnight, Steven Slater has certainly made his point.  What he likely didn’t realize was the multitude of other issues that would be brought to the surface in the mix.  So what is up with commercial air travel?

To recap, Steven Slater was a JetBlue flight attendant and self-professed “Bag Nazi”.  Slater made a dramatic exit, and headlines, quitting his position by grabbing two beers and sliding down an emergency exit slide following an altercation with an unruly passenger.   (see photos at right, nice sleeves officer...)

This Week in Chicago:  Lollapalooza Aug 6-8 2010 Grant Park

Think Woodstock, but substitute rain and farmland for 100-degree temperatures and downtown Chicago and you will have a pretty good idea what Lollapalooza is all about.  For 3 days this weekend, 8 stages will overtake Grant Park as over 120 bands bring their musical talents to the Windy City.  Headlining this year will be Green Day, Lady Gaga, and Soundgarden.  

Festival and music fans alike interested in going have the option of buying single day tickets or the 3-day weekend pass.  Lolla offers up a whole lot more than just music as well and this year is really stepping it up with the food selections they are offering on festival grounds.  This year, there will be two different food courts, also known as Chow Towns, on the north and south end of the grounds.  25 new restaurants have been added on to the already impressive foodie lineup from last year.  

For the art lovers, I have compiled a list of the top 5 most expensive paintings sold in our lifetime.  These are the sough-after and pricey picks that grace only the most luxurious of art displays, and the artists may surprise you:
 

1.    No.5 by Jackson Pollock 1948
Sold by David Geffen in 2006 to a private buyer via Sothebys for $151.2 million dollars

2.    Woman III by Willem de Koonig 1953
Sold by David Geffen to Steven A. Cohen in 2006 for $148.5 million dollars

3.    Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt 1907
Sold by Maria Altmann in 2006 to Ronald Lauder, Neue Galerie for $144.8 million dollars

4.    Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent Van Gogh 1890
Sold by Siegfried Kramarsky family in 1990 to Ryoei Saito for $139 million dollars

5.    Bal du Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1876
Sold by Betsey Whitney in 1990 to Ryoei Saito for $131.6 million dollars

These are the list-toppers for expensive paintings out there, though it is uncertain if any are available (collectors tend to hold on to them).  What happened in 1990 and 2006?  I ask because 3 of these paintings were sold in 2006, and 2 in 1990.  Is this a curious coincidence, or did David Geffen perhaps need a bit of money in 2006, to the tune of nearly $3 million dollars (as he sold 2 of the top 5 paintings).  These affairs are often highly discrete, and of course, highly priced.

Want more of the Most Expensive?  Follow link!   Also, don’t miss our fleet of exotic rental cars on your way out!
 

Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals

The infamous and wildly popular “Robin Hood” like media child, Colton Harris-Moore (dubbed the Barefoot Bandit), seems to have developed expensive tastes!  The clever kid has fled to Miami, where he has continued to evade officers in some jaw-dropping luxury cars!

Yes, just when the world thought the sinewy saga of the Barefoot Bandit had come to an end when the youngster was snagged in the Bahamas, he seems to have made a slippery escape to Miami.  Upon reaching Miami, the Bandit swiped a bright red Ferrari F430 rental from a valet; it is unclear how he accomplished this feat. 

The infamously tacky cast of “Jersey Shore” is being transplanted to chic Miami for season 2.  Yes, the self-proclaimed “Guidos/Guidettes” will be touting their self-centered, trashy idea of sophistication that so many have come to adore on our beach lines.  And will the world ever be watching!  The question is, will Miami accept the cast?

That is the thing about Reality TV, the more outrageous, the more people want, and then it must continue to become more shocking to please the audience.  And this theory is no different when it comes to the cast of Jersey Shore. 

With fashion season smoldering, the chatter has turned its attention to the rapidly approaching “World’s Greatest Catwalk”, set to strut its sultry stuff on August 14th.  This luxury event will start at 3pm, culminating Copenhagen’s Fashion Week for summer of 2010.  So what makes this fashion show unique?

After much fuss and hype, 25-year-old NBA star LeBron James has opted to make Miami his new home.  Now that the decision has been made, some feel the effects are being seen around the city already, in the form of price fluctuations.

Yes, LeBron’s departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers met with much opposition, as he turned his decision making process into a reality show of sorts, choosing to don the Miami Heat jersey in the end.  Now that LeBron will be joining us in sunny South Beach and Miami, some feel that real estate and restaurant pricing is changing slightly. 

Jack Nicklaus is clearly “The Man.”  He has won 18 of golf’s “majors”—more than anyone else.  Tiger Woods is seeking to be “The Man” but has lately slowed down in his pursuit of Jack.

Tiger has won 14 majors, and seemed to be a lock to easily catch up to the guy the call “The Golden Bear,” possibly even by 2010, the golf pundits thought.  But, Tiger’s game has suffered a series of hiccups lately.

First, there was a long, 8-month layoff that involved knee surgery and rehabilitation. Then came the trauma and stress of a domestic dispute last November that catapulted him into the world of police, lawyers, stalking paparazzi, and relentless feeding by the gossip tabloids. 

That was followed by the gutter-life revelations of his extra-marital affairs and sexual trysts in places like parking lots of fast-food chain restaurants. All very sordid, and absolute cannon-fodder for the rags that blare at shoppers in supermarket checkout lines.

Tiger is still the number-one ranked player in the world based on points and achievements to-date, but he’s also 34 now and perhaps his best work is behind him.

So what are his chances of catching Jack now?

Well, most great players don’t win a “major” (the Masters, the British Open, The US Open and the PGA championship) after the age of 40.  Tom Watson never won one after age 33. Arnold Palmer’s last major victory came at 34. Greg Norman never won one past age 38. Nor did Nick Faldo.

Jack Nicklaus defied the golf gods and did win his final major—the1986 Masters-- at age 46, but that was a blip on the metaphysical screen.

So Tiger needs to win five more majors to become the all-time leader. If he’s to get it done by age 40, and if his rebuilt knee lets him play well for that long, that leaves about 20 more chances, with four majors a year.

He’s played over 50 majors, and has won 14, but that was when he “hungry” and in his ultra-focused prime.  Before he reaches the age of 40, he’ll have five more chances to win The Masters, where he’s very comfortable, having won four titles at Augusta in 13 visits. He should win one more there at least.

He's got five more U.S. Opens he can play before he hits the big 40, but none of those are slated for the courses where he’s won—Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach. U.S. Opens are tight for Tiger’s long-hitting game, so maybe no more U.S. Open wins are likely. It’s the same for the PGA Championships as they also loom on tough courses that don’t suit his game.

The British Open can be a daunting challenge, with the wind and the weather having humbled many a great golfer. However, when it’s held at the venerable St. Andew’s Old Course in Scotland, as it was this year, it does suit Tiger’s game. He had two dominant victories there, in 2000 and again in 2005, and he should have seized the opportunity this year.

He needed this one, to get the majors total climbing again.  While he played reasonably well in most aspects of his game, his putting was not great and he finished well back.  A win in the British Open would have suggested that Tiger had regained his growl, and would be back on the prowl.

Still, with all that’s gone on in his life, and all that is still to come for him off the golf course, including what will be a gargantuan and costly divorce settlement, it seems it might be difficult for this modern-day, often-edgy, often-unhappy Tiger to overtake Jack for the record number of victories in a major.

So, thanks to the TMZ’s and the tabloids of the world, and the probing, personal questions Woods still must endure, we think the Golden Bear is pretty much safe from the Tiger.
 

For more on Tiger Woods, and to steal a peek at our luxury car rentals, follow links!
 

Check out our fleet of Chicago luxury rental cars and Miami exotic rental cars.  

Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals

I learned a few new things today.  It seems there are actually things to do in Las Vegas other than gamble  (can you imagine?)!  This information threw my imagination into overdrive, and I decided I must pass on these Vegas travel tips to my readers.

I won’t keep you in suspense, the top 5 things to do in Vegas other than gamble are:

1.    Shop
2.    Experience the national parks, recreation and unique spots
3.    Dine
4.    Shows
5.    Outstanding museums, galleries & exhibitions
 

There are many ways to travel, many of which are well above “first-class”.  For instance, there are private jet charters, which seem to be the preferred method of transport for the world’s elite and the wealthy.  Like paparazzi favorite, Paris Hilton.

When your parents are literally made of money, it seems traveling is not so tiresome.  Recently, Paris took off to South Africa, where the World Cup was being hosted in a luxury aircraft charter, from which she tweeted photos to her followers.