Pickle Brine Water Bottle

I'm always dehydrated. It's no good. I fainted whenever I would go skiing from the combination of dehydration and altitude. I was probably the only kid who was reprimanded regularly for being under-hydrated. So these days I look for ways to remind myself to drink more water (and juice and whatever). Reusable water bottles are great, but only if you remember to fill them. I think if I had the Pickle Brine Water Bottle ($12) I would take it with me everywhere!

Also, pickle brine is actually a somewhat recommended hangover cure. Water and salt are useful to kick-start your recovery.

Source: Archie McPhee & Co.

Is it a briefcase? Is it a record player?

I've been drooling over the Briefcase USB Turntable ($100) for a good minute now, and today I find out that it's on sale for $69.99! How badass is this? You could get a pair of handcuffs and be all secret-agent-like (and only play killer songs).

My puns are horrible. Still, this turntable is amazing: portable, USB ready, three speeds, built-in speakers. Sure, it isn't the lightest briefcase out there, but imagine rolling up to your board meeting (ok, weekly staff meeting) and busting this bad boy out. Last week's minutes? Who cares, the Stones are rocking out the conference room.

I will say, having a turntable of my own has changed the way I appreciate music. I can only imagine being able to share that with everyone else as I tote this around.

Thank you ThinkGeek.com, thank you. 

Marshall Headphones... the Legacy

Remember when I was looking for headphones? I think I've found my horse: Major ($99) » Marshall Headphones

Mortar and Pestle and Mustard.

I've been trying my hand at making mustard and am reallystruggling with getting the mustard seeds to grind using my roommate's immersion blender (even when using the nifty "food processor" attachment). What I really need is a decent mortar and pestle, and wouldn't you know that Le Creuset makes a pretty one.

Le Creuset Stoneware 20-Ounce Mortar and Pestle, Cobalt

I've been a fan of Le Creuset and their (expensive yet) well-made dish ware for a couple years now.  I think it's a sign of growing up when you've settled on a color preference. My roommate prefers the Cherry.  I will go with Cobalt.

The Old-Man Look for iPhone

The problem: you are young and hip. You have fancy gadgets like the iPhone. You wish your iPhone was louder. You also want to appear old-fashioned but don't want to purchase a record player or gramophone.

Solution: the iPhone Speaker Horn Amplifier ($25). This odd looking device adds 13 decibels of sound to your iPhone speakers. And it looks funny.

The Perfect Five site

Do you enjoy finding new music, but don't want to go looking for it? Hate to ask friends for recommendations for fear of appearing ignorant of current trends or past classics? Then look no further than The Perfect Five.

Each week, The Perfect Five features five songs, one each of the following categories: Classic, Covered, Hyped, Loved and Remixed. You can veiw past selections either as weeks or just skip straight to your preferred category. My favorite is Covered (I was in a 90's cover band in college and the fascination is still there), but I'm slowly getting into Hyped and Loved. This idea that I don't have to listen to the same music that I did in 2004 is still new to me.

But hang in there. I'll catch on soon.

More Maps!

Typographic map of Chicago ($30)

I guess I really enjoy maps, because not only have I been recommending them recently, but I just stumbled upon Axis Maps LLC and I want it all!  These guys are proof that the art of Cartography can be applicable to modern uses. They map everything from mountains to ocean races in vibrant color. They make maps to hang on your wall, or as a wall, as well as a bunch of interactive ones.

If I could, I would commission these guys to do an interactive map of The World Tri, an adventure expedition taking place right now. Charlie Wittmack has already swam down the Thames River and across the English Channel and is currently biking across Kazakhstan to India. After that he'll run to the base of Mount Everest and climb to the top. There were two infographics created already for this journey, but the World Tri seems like just the kind of project that Axis Maps was made for.

Click to view!

Axis award winning maps
The World Tri Blog