bookofjoe

Designer Shears

"For New York's Fashion Week, some of the industry's top craftsmen and women pay homage to their tools."

[via the New York Times]

Snowball Thrower

Coming on the heels of last week's Snowball Crossbow, this is the solution for those who'd like to enhance their effective striking range without invoking the technology of mid 5th century B.C. China.

Bonus: no ice-cold wet hands, since the tool scoops up the snow and you mold the upper half of the snowball with the hemisphere accessory.

Set of two so you can find a buddy and be evenly matched, at least in terms of your weaponry.

$19.99.

Yoruba terra cotta figure from the 12th to 15th century

The piece predates colonial contact.

It's included in the show "Heroic Africans: Legendary Leaders, Iconic Sculptures," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City through January 29, 2012.

[via the New York Times]

SnuggleSafe Pet Heating Pad

Highly recommended by Flautist, my go-to girl for all things music- and cat-related.

She wrote, "You could get one or two of these pink plastic microwave discs, stick them nice and hot under [a blanket], and the heat-seeking feline will have a totally safe, super-warm place to hunker down whether you're in the house or not.... They cannot resist the warm, kitties."

From the device website:

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Let your pet to snuggle up with up to 12 hours of safe, soothing warmth with the SnuggleSafe Heating Pad.

The plate-size pad contains no electric wires to worry about.

Just place the SnuggleSafe inside your microwave for a few minutes.

When the microwave has finished, leave the SnuggleSafe inside for another minute.

The non-toxic Thermapol compound inside the pad retains heat for up to 12 hours.

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$28.23.

En route here as you read this.

Helpful Hints from joeeze: Using the coat hook built into hotel room doors

Unlike conventional door coat hooks, this one's not in the middle of the upper part of the door but, rather, is a hack employing the security lock on the door and frame (above and below).

Useful also for bags, hats, and whatever you don't want to leave behind when you exit the room.

Just discovered it last weekend at the Sheraton National in Arlington, Virginia, where I stayed before Sunday's Marine Corps Marathon.

Pantone Christmas Ornaments

What took so long?

Each is 3.2" (8cm) in diameter.

[via Trendland]

BehindTheMedspeak: "When you arrive at a Code, first take your own pulse."

I first heard that during my third year of med school and thought it was a joke but after many years of running to hundreds of Code Blues it makes perfect sense.

The whole point is to slow down, take a chill pill, and take in the big picture when you first appear on the scene.

Standing there for a few seconds with your fingers on your own pulse is an excellent way of focusing on what needs to be done to save a life hanging in the balance.

For those who want to check their own pulse but prefer not to keep track in their heads, there's the Instant Heart Rate app for Android and Apple.

Free for Android; Apple folks pay 99 cents.

The best way to take your own pulse: Place your index and middle fingertips lightly on your opposite wrist, along the long axis of your forearm, one inch proximal (away from) the base of your hand where it meets your wrist, toward the thumb side of your wrist, next to the tendons running down the center of your forearm.

LightInSight — Episode 2: See the light turn green without dislocating your neck

First seen here over five years ago, it's worth an encore, having proved its worth in my car during that time.

Here's Episode 1 from September 5, 2006.

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This came in yesterday via Kevin Kelly's "Cool Tools." Here's the review.

Super Wide-Angle Windshield View

I bought a souped-up Mini Cooper from a car enthusiast friend. As I sat for the first time in the driver's seat I noticed what looked like an irregularity in the top of the windshield. Peering more closely, I saw it was a little Fresnel lens. "What's that for?" I asked."

It's the coolest thing," he said. "I found it on one of the Mini sites. It lets you see when the light turns green without having to crane your neck."

Sure enough, it does. Another friend who was riding with me a few weeks later became so enamored with the device, I peeled it off and gave it to him. While waiting for a replacement I have to bend my neck sideways and lean forward to see the light when I'm first in line. What a pain compared to just sitting back comfortably and waiting for that little red dot in the lens to go green.

The manufacturer says LightInSight works for all kinds of vehicles and is "especially helpful for taller drivers, drivers in smaller cars, delivery vans and trucks, and drivers with a mobility problem, such as a neck or back problem."LightInSight is self-adhering (assisted with a wet paper towel), easily removable and reusable. It measures 7" by 1.5."

Steve Leveen

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What's not noted in the above review are the superb qualifications of the reviewer, who happens to be, in his day job, the co-founder of Levenger, the reading tools company.

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It cost $12.50 in 2006 but today you're gonna have to pony up $17.50 if you want one.