bookofjoe

Arm Pocket

"Arm Pocket comfortably hides keys, money, credit cards for peace of mind traveling or at the gym."

"Four reflecting strips for high night visibility when jogging, biking, etc."

Two zippered pockets.

Nylon/Spandex.

10.5" x 4.25".

One size fits all.

Was $9.98; now reduced to $7.98 (item # 22703).

You could probably cram your iPod shuffle in it as well, along with your earphones.

Now, there may be those of you, in little pockets scattered here and there, who wonder why on earth I'd bother featuring something as apparently inconsequential and unoriginal as the Arm Pocket.

It's because I instantly fell in love with the name of the product when I saw it.

"Arm Pocket."

What's that mean, what's it do?

It's a no-brainer, really.

Ooh — maybe not quite the right term.

Getting a bit close to home there.

The Origins of Cyberspace

At Christie's in New York next Wednesday, February 23 at 10 a.m., an extraordinary collection will be auctioned off.

It's one person's library on the history of computing, networking, and telecommunications.

Treasures from centuries past and giants like Berkeley, Jacquard, Capek, Shannon, Turing, and Wiener will go on the block.

1,411 items in 255 lots.

You can bid online if you'd rather not leave home.

Been There, Done That — The Earrings

From San Francisco designer Susan Gould come these wonderfully whimsical, playful earrings.

WWjWIHWAG?*

Your choice: "Been There" & "Done That" or "Good Idea & Bad Idea".

No need to drag your I Ching sticks or Tarot deck around anymore: wear your alternatives.

Images are magnified under glass crystal domes with silver-plated brass trim and an anti-tarnish finish.

Handmade earrings and posts are nickel-free.

$40 here.

* = What would joe wear if he were a girl?

Two complaints about indecency in Paul McCartney's Super Bowl halftime show

Message to Sir Paul: you can't please 'em all.

Nat Ives wrote in this past Monday's New York Times that the F.C.C. had received not one but two complaints about McCartney's halftime performance.

The whole point of enlisting him was to avoid a repetition of the Janet Jackson episode from last year.

Nevertheless, two viewers contacted the F.C.C. within 24 hours of Sir Paul's performance questioning its decency.

Both complained that he had stepped over the line when he sang the Beatles' classic "Get Back" complete with its references to "California Grass."

Two other viewers contacted the F.C.C. to complain that McCartney had simply bored them.

Ever wish you had an extra brain? Now you can

"This glowing life-life brain in a bubbling self-contained unit is much like the ones from the 1950s horror films."

Stands 47" tall and operates on standard household current.

True plug–and–play.

"Great as an office oddity (as if you didn't have enough of those already... but I digress) or Halloween effect."

"The constant bubbling can even be relaxing."

No doubt.

"The workmanship and detail are akin to that of Hollywood special effects departments."

"The tank comes fully assembled — just add water!"

$225 here.

[via whereisben.com]

'Meat may be contaminated with hydraulic fluid'

That's the headline over the latest news from Milwaukee, my old home town.

I was wondering how come it went down so easily.

Turns out over 61 tons (123,000 pounds) of ground beef made at the Emmpak Foods plant in Milwaukee may have been contaminated with hydraulic fluid.

Wonder what that tastes like, anyhow?

Seems a customer complained to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, which swung into action.

Not to worry: most of the meat — 101,000 pounds of it, anyway — was sold in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

But 22,000 pounds did make its way to Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Urp.

That's a lot of hamburgers.

I remember once reading that a good way to stop someone in the adjoining airplane seat from talking to you is to reply, when they ask what you do, "I sell industrial fluids."

Dell Computer – Clueless isn't even close

I was amazed at the nearly full-page ad Dell took out in yesterday's Wall Street Journal.

It featured the new computer pictured above: the Dell Optiplex SX280 desktop.

The headline for the ad read, "Can You Find the PC?"

Yo, Dell — Apple last year came out with this one called a G5 (below).

Take a close look at yours and then have a glance at Apple's iteration of "hide the computer."

What planet are you living on, pray tell?

Dell's ad then goes on to proclaim, "A revolutionary PC with no footprint."

Water Purifying Straw

"Using the straw reduces viruses and bacteria by an amazing 96%."

"It can be used to suck water from a canteen or directly from the source."

"The column of iodine resin purifies as water draws through the straw."

£8 ($15) here.

[via whereisben.com and redferret]