The 1,700-word review has gone the way of the dot-matrix printer and, for the most part, we're not complaining. But Chuck Klosterman's piece on the (apparently forthcoming) new Guns N' Roses record is worth the read. Sure, in places he's too cute by half ("Reviewing Chinese Democracy is not like reviewing music. It's more like reviewing a unicorn"), but the finer points of his long-distance psychoanalysis of Axl Rose are argued well enough to be both plausible and entertaining. To wit: "Sometimes Chinese Democracy suffers from the same inescapable problem that paralyzed proto-epics like 'Estranged' and 'November Rain': It's as if Axl is desperately trying to get some unmakeable dream song from inside his skull onto the CD." (And that's from a guy who actually likes the album.) Those who are interested can read the rest here.

Until recently, my biggest regret in life was that I hadn't been born into obscene wealth. (Trust me, I would've been one kick-ass trust-fund brat.) My new biggest regret? Not having been born into big-time cash along with the contacts, opportunities, and last name of the late, great George Plimpton—who parlayed his advantages into the kind of life guys like me dream about until they grow up and get realistic. I'm not exactly the first person to offer such pearls of insight about Plimpton, admittedly, but it's how I felt reading Graydon Carter's recent review of Nelson Aldrich Jr.'s George, Being George. No doubt you'll get a taste of the same envy reading the actual book (which we called out back in October), but if you haven't got the time for that, the Vanity Fair editor's detail-rich, 3,500-word assessment from Sunday's Times certainly ought to do the trick.

From Reagan and Bush II's ranchwear to JFK's sailing shorts, casual clothing has often helped define a president's image. So what does 44's off-duty attire—typically a black windbreaker and a White Sox cap—say about him? Quite a bit, as Cathy Horyn notes in today's Thursday Styles. (Among those weighing in? Noted fashion expert Jerry Seinfeld, who wisely denies inspiring B.O.'s preference for mom jeans.) In short, the look reflects the same cautious, complex persona Obama cultivated during the campaign. Not everyone's a fan, though. "The casual thing is a bit of a disappointment," says Barneys' Tom Kalenderian. What did that other president from Illinois say about pleasing all of the people all of the time?

Turns out we're not the only site that's gone all-Bond, all the time: Our friends at Concierge recently posted a selection of 007's greatest travel moments. (Above: Sean Connery visiting Switzerland's Furka Pass with his esteemed costar, the Aston Martin DB5, in Goldfinger.) Fascinating and even useful—for instance, you can order the "James Bond Breakfast," complete with Prosecco, at the site of On Her Majesty's Secret Service's climactic Alpine battle scene. Just one omission: Space—which Bond visits in Moonraker—is not on the list.

As anyone who's spent much time perusing fashion show notes will tell you, there's a reason most designers work with fabric and not words. But the mini essay Adam Kimmel included with his Spring '09 lookbook was a welcome exception to the usual mix of pretension and questionable grammar—so much so that we thought it worth sharing. Click here for a scan of the page.

MORE: Adam Kimmel Spring 2009

Disease prevention might not be the sexiest of topics—in fact, it might just be the least—but a new show of twentieth-century health posters reminds us that it can involve humor and even cool design. An Iconography of Contagion, open now at the National Academy of Sciences in D.C., includes 100 years of artwork, from WWII-era ads aimed at preventing syphilis (see above) to Chinese ads against public spitting (which could cause tuberculosis). As the show's curator tells The New York Times, "There have been some very sexy, colorful, playful posters about some very serious diseases." (Don Draper would be proud.) Click here for a slideshow from the exhibition.
Through Dec. 19, National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Ave., D.C., (202) 334-2436, nationalacademies.org

If you're looking for further anecdotal (and entertaining) evidence of economic crisis, see Lizzie Widdicombe's Talk of the Town this week about Icon Recognition, a firm that makes "deal toys"—the tchotchkes, frequently made of Lucite, used to commemorate successful business transactions. As you'd expect, demand isn't exactly at a peak. Says Icon prez Stephen Sokoler, "You call and ask, 'Is there anyone who's announced a deal recently or closed a deal? Anyone you've heard of?' It feels like we're a ship in the middle of a storm. Not only are you in the storm but there's no visibility as to whether the storm's gonna clear." Whether or not fairer financial weather's ahead, we're reasonably sure of one thing: The era when toys included the Merrill Lynch-commissioned gold-plated replica of the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas (pictured above) is over.

We missed this yesterday, but a friend pointed us to this Times City Room blogpost about the story behind Five Leaves, the Brooklyn restaurant backed by Heath Ledger. Well, it starts out that way, and then becomes a deeply personal remembrance: Ledger's business partner, Jud Mongell, and friend Scott Campbell (the tattoo artist) recall the actor as an easygoing guy who'd managed to become part of the community, despite his celebrity. "After a while, Heath had all his regular spots around [Brooklyn], and no one would call Page Six anymore when he walked in the door, because nobody cared," Campbell recalls. "He was the Williamsburg dude." Consider it a (sad) story about achieving fame with grace.

Brooklyn's Sixpoint Craft Ales is set to start actually bottling their stuff. (Until now, the cult fave's only been available on draft at a few select bars.) That's the heartening news from this morning's New York Times story on the boutique brewery, which, despite the times, is about to increase production tenfold. It's a cheery read, both for its profile of a company that isn't on the verge of collapse, and because the story delves into the secret of Sixpoint's success (a house strain of yeast they've cleverly named "007"). We guess it's a little less secret now.

As part of our ongoing efforts to highlight the most important news stories of the day, we recommend heading to our sister site for a post that offers a compelling argument on the benefits of becoming the former Mr. Madonna. If anybody's the lucky one here, it's Guy Ritchie, who's finally "shaking off years of Moonielike devotion to his superstar wife and the kabbalah stuff and the draconian dietary needs." Besides, once the box office figures are tallied for Filth and Wisdom and RocknRolla, we're pretty sure we know who's going to come out on top.

[StyleFile]

We don't do things for a season and then drop them," Filson president Bill Kulczycki tells the Times today. "We do things for 50 years." That's the best explanation we've seen yet for the American workwear trend we told you about in August (well, that and an economy that makes long-term buys like Filson seem especially attractive). If you're not tired of reading about it yet (and frankly, we're not), check out the rest of the solid Thursday Styles piece here—and be sure to click on the pictures of vintage ads from Barbour, Red Wing, and Hanes.