Two strange incidents involving Qantas Airlines jets have us wondering about the safety of their planes.

First up, a giant hole is torn into the belly of one of their 747s last Friday, forcing an emergency landing in Manila.

Qantas boss Geoff Dixon says jet explosion 'out of our control':

Weirdness.
This site is selling actual MiG helmets.

For $149.98 you get:

Cirrus will release a new personal jet in 2001, according to this story from the UK Independent:

A favorite site of mine when looking for new fashion ideas is Grechen's Closet, and recently she's posted about "eco-chic" with a lot of examples of green boutiques and sustainable lines from indie and mainstream designers. Organic living may have been made most visible recently by Anya Hidmarch and the infamous "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" bag, but true sustainable style requires more than a tote you should be using for groceries but more likely than not are flashing around as your day bag.

Sustainable clothes from Edun, one of the best known eco-chic brands due to Ali Hewson's association with Bono.

A recent survey from American Express showed that a full third of us have become "conscience consumers", and the social and environmental hazards in the fashion trade are numerous. From sweatshop labor to environmental pollution via washes and dyes, not to mention the fast-fashion disposable-apparel trend, it can be difficult to find clothes that look good but that you can ethically feel good about as well. So for now, leave the disposable clothes at Forever 21, and check out Grechen's list of indie green boutiques and designers.

Here's the commercial for the new Acura TSX, which definitely strikes a few nerves with the 20s and 30s yuppiesomethings: Start a business, sell it, then start another one. In between, dance to some trip-hop at the club (Citizen Cope's "Let the Drummer Kick" is sampled here), swim in your rooftop pool, and drive out to the beach and check out a sunrise.

Some shots of the car here from Acura's website. Equally at home in front of the art gallery, at the condo or - yes - on the road. From Alyx -- Acura gets the YuppieJournal seal of approval for both this car and this marketing campaign.

OK - if you read YupJay - you probably don't get an "economic stimulus" and maybe not even a rebate check. However, you're probably in a position to invest in the companies that might benefit from the spending of those rebate checks.

Goldman Sachs released a list today of the top 10 contenders for tax-rebate funds:

1) Cheesecake Factory (CAKE): Binge on several huge courses, you can afford it now.
2) Best Buy (BBY): Perfect timing for upgrading to a new HDTV.
3) Darden Restaurants (DRI): Your average rebate check will pay for a lot of "casual dining."
4) Home Depot (HD): Can't afford to move, why not upgrade those appliances?
5) JCPenney (JCP): We don't know exactly what they sell here, but the middle class must like it.
6) Kroger (KR): Stop reaching for the cheap processed meat for a couple weeks.
7) Kohls (KSS): Uh, this is like JCP, isn't it?
8 ) Royal Caribbean (RCL): Upgrade up a notch from Carnival.
9) Safeway (SWY): Same as Kroger. Get some real food.
10) Wal-Mart (WMT): Once again, you can load up on the staples.

Looking for a unique gift for a child - or an adult, for that matter? Check out Automoblox, a line of super-stylish toy cars with interchangeable bodies, front-ends, wheels, passengers, and components.

Available in six styles ranging from sportscar to sport utility (as well as a line of Mini versions), all are slickly designed and eminently collectible. Reasonably priced, too, under $50. The sports car is my fave:

Burlesque babe Dita von Teese is now the face of Cointreau, and she has her own signature drink:

"Cointreau Teese

1 ½ oz. Cointreau
¾ oz. apple juice
½ oz. Monin violet syrup
½ oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake and strain into a martini glass with a ginger-frosted rim; garnish with a violet. Bottoms up. "

For those unfamiliar with it, yes, there apparently IS violet syrup, such as this one from Monin:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Big Upset. Big Super Bowl ring. The New York Giants unveiled the design of their Super Bowl championship ring on Tuesday, a white gold sparkler that will feature about 1.5 carats in diamonds. The new ring will even make seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan happy. Shortly after New York won the championship with a 17-14 win over the previously undefeated New England Patriots, Strahan said he wanted a '10-table ring.' Loosely defined: He wanted a ring that could be seen 10 tables away in a restaurant.

But how big is too big when you have a big win? 1.5 carats turned out to be a nice compromise. The ring features three diamond-studded trophies for the Giants' Super Bowl XXI, XXV and XLII victories, a NY logo in diamonds, and channel-set diamonds on each side. No photos yet; the rings will be presented to the Giants later in the spring.

Not satisfied with just any old gin decanter? Check out a collection of five crystal-and-sapphire decanters designed by artist Karim Rachid, each coming in at a hefty $200,000:

Each of the five Revelation decanters is handcrafted in France by Baccarat, the creator of the world’s finest luxury crystal. The bottle is cut into the shape of a gemstone with 10 facets, representing the 10 botanicals used to create the taste of Bombay Sapphire. Each Revelation bottle is completed with its own individually designed stopper decorated with sapphires and diamonds and set by the oldest jewelry house in the world, Garrard.

Before going to their new owners, the bottles are being individually exhibited. One can now be seen at London Heathrow airport's new Terminal Five, and will soon be on display at airports in New York, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney.