The Modern Materialist

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• A Guide for the Unlucky

  Bad luck can find you anywhere. From a black cat crossing your path, to walking under a ladder. But how to know where these troublesome bad luck spots will appear? Enter, A Guide for the Unlucky: Read More... Posted Oct 02 2008, 02:34 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: concepts, books

• Making Yourself Cringe

  My parents have been cleaning out their house for the past few months and, just the other week, they unearthed my old memory box. Inside was a travel journal from a trip I took to Austria at the age of 17, rife with self-doubt, jealousy, burning teenage love, and Very Deep Thoughts. In a word: horrifying. Yet still fascinating. Would it be just as fascinating to read through a complete stranger's teenage diaries? Sarah Brown certainly hopes so, and she's compiled this collection of real diary entries for that very purpose. After the jump, some shots from the inside of the book, plus purchasing information: Read More... Posted Oct 01 2008, 11:25 AM by Steph Auteri with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: books

• LOLBookz

  The Internet has a long, uneasy history with printed media. From the constant cry that blogs is killing newspapers, to the relative non-success of e-Books, the two have not gone hand in hand. So, perhaps, this will reverse the trend: Read More... Posted Sep 29 2008, 05:32 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: books, lolcats

• The Elephant In The Room

  Oh god. Don't look now, but I think it's that bookcase: Read More... Posted Sep 16 2008, 03:01 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: books, kids, bookcases

• "Bookends"

  Oh, yeah right. What are those, "bookends?" I bet they're for your "books," right? The ones you "like" to "read?" Like I believe that: Read More... Posted Sep 15 2008, 02:38 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: books, bookends

• How To Date a Geek

  Question: How do you date a geek? Answer: Leave a trail of gadget crumbs, and he'll follow you anywhere. But once you're dating said geek, how do you handle the responsibility of care and feeding? Easy: Read More... Posted Sep 15 2008, 10:02 AM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: books, Geek Out

• This Diary Has a Secret

  Dear Diary: I have a terrible secret, one I can never tell anyone. You see, I'm not as innocent as I seem. I'm actually... Read More... Posted Aug 26 2008, 09:02 AM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: Food and Drink, books, flasks

• Quick Tip of the Day: Eternal Salvation

  With the ultimate depravity of the world proving that the end of the world must be nearer rather than we tend to think, do you ever worry that you're spiritually adrift? I'm equally dismissive of all organized religions, but if I had to choose, I'm not so sure I'd know where to begin.   Read More... Posted Aug 13 2008, 08:34 AM by Steph Auteri with | with no comments Filed under: books

• Time For a CD Shelf?

  Ah, sigh. I don't think I knew love until I saw a CD holder with a built in digital clock. Time has passed you by, my friend, but we'll still have each other. That being said, here's how you get it: Read More... Posted Aug 04 2008, 03:25 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: CDs, books

• Top 20 Products in Movies (10-6)

  We're getting down to the nitty gritty now, the top ten movie products of all time. These are the items that you saw in a movie, and rushed out and bought afterwards. Or at the very least, put on your wish list, and had someone buy for you. They are the things that not only appeared in the movie, but also made the movie. In case you need a review session, Check out 20-16, and 15-11, then head back here for the beginning of the Top 10 countdown: Read More... Posted Jul 24 2008, 11:30 AM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: clothing, Food and Drink, Movies, books, listicle, dresses, bathing suits

• A New Angle on Bookshelves

  Okay, here's a test for you guys. I'm going to show you something, and you tell me whether it makes you feel weird: Read More... Posted Jul 18 2008, 04:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: books, shelves

• How To Become Batman

  In order to become the Dark Avenger of the Knight, you could: - Swear vengeance for the death of your parents. - Spend millions of dollars developing a high tech suit. - Live in a cave. - Train for years with ninjas and criminals. - Never, ever, go to sleep again. Or, you could just get this: Read More... Posted Jul 18 2008, 12:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: Movies, books, batman

• Hungry Planet

  I remember a few years ago going to Copia, aka The American Center for Wine Food & The Arts in the Napa Valley, and being blown away by an exhibit called "Hungry Planet." If you missed the exhibit, you can now get it in handy book form. And in case you're wondering why this is a can't miss book, here's several reasons: Read More... Posted Jun 18 2008, 02:30 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Food and Drink, books

• Splurge or DIY: The Leaning Ladder Bookcase

  [$2,625, Velocity]  Heck, y'all. I could get a full ladder for a mere $29 over at Home Depot. And for the price above, I could get this massive ladder-like contraption: Read More... Posted Jun 11 2008, 02:30 PM by Steph Auteri with | with no comments Filed under: storage, design, books, shelves

• Rip-Off: Unicorn Power

  I know my job isn’t to call copyright infringement, but check out the above Avenging Unicorn Playset from Accoutrements. Now, check out the below cartoon from the Perry Bible Fellowship, and tell me you don't smell a blatant rip-off: Read More... Posted Jun 03 2008, 12:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: toys, Shirts, books, Cartoons

• How To Become Invisible

  If you only buy one thing you see on this blog all day, may I recommend the power of invisibility? For only twenty-five dollars, eBay user billwwilliams (who, it should be noted, actually has a very positive eBay user rating) will offer you a book which unlocks the secret of invisibility. Oh, and also, you’ll get The Wizard’s Book of Animal Secrets, absolutely free. Which sucks, because I already promised my first born for a copy. According to the eBay page, “this is not a toy or a magic trick; this is not an illusion or a ninja technique.” Because I’m so sick of all those ninja techniques, right guys? Why this might actually work, after the jump...  Read More... Posted May 23 2008, 09:30 AM by Alex Zalben with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: eBay, books, invisibility

• How To Have Sex In The Woods

  This is, I swear to god, a one hundred percent completely real book. That is almost two hundred pages long. Seriously. No, I’m not joking. Really. I think there’s a certain amount of skill that has to be involved in writing a one hundred ninety two page book all about how to have sex in the woods, which is, you know, one of the first things mankind figured out how to do after crawling out of the Primordial Muck. Since it is such a simple activity, you have to think a LOT about how to stretch this instruction manual into a book length form. Heck, I’d be hard pressed to write “How To Have Sex In The Woods” as a half-page pamphlet: Read More... Posted May 21 2008, 05:30 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: sexy, Ridiculous, books

• Conversations I hope to Never Have with My Future Children

  Conversations I hope to never have with my future children: Read More... Posted Apr 23 2008, 11:30 AM by Wendy Atterberry with | with no comments Filed under: books

• Take Your Menus Out All Night

  I don’t know about you, but my apartment is, essentially, taken over by takeout menus. And not just a few, but giant piles of them that stretch as far as the eye can see. The solution, after the jump.  Read More... Posted Apr 23 2008, 11:00 AM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: Food and Drink, office, books

• Dream Home

  [$14.96, Amazon]  There's nothing wrong with having a dream. After all, this very blog is built upon my fragile hopes and dreams...most prominently, the dream that I will one day be able to furnish my home with something other than Target-bought decor.  For those of you who — like myself — rip out pretty pictures from Real Simple and Domino and paste them into binders, plastered with the words "My Someday Dream Home," there is another way. Instead of thriftily utilizing those cheap-ass binders from the dollar store, you can instead invest more into your future: Read More... Posted Apr 15 2008, 09:00 AM by Steph Auteri with | with no comments Filed under: books

• Find Your Way Home With Inside Out Guides

  I’ll never encourage anyone who doesn’t want to look like a tourist to pull out a big pop-out map. There’s something to be said for not getting lost, but at the same time, you don’t want to get embarrassed in front of the locals. It’s like the mid-westerners who scream on the subway as if they were on a roller coaster. We all know the NYC subway is like a theme park ride, but we don’t get all excited about it! Jeez! You’re standing out. CONFORM! Less ranting, more info, after the jump...  Read More... Posted Apr 04 2008, 12:30 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: books, travel, Maps

• Retro Arcade: Tetris Shelves

  Now, I don’t personally need any more shelves. I currently have the entire wall of my living room covered in books, two walls of my bedroom, and an entire closet, all packed to the brim with reading material. I’ve actually stopped buying books, because there’s no place for me to put them. So I certainly don’t need any more shelves. However, these are pretty kewl. This shelving unit consists of 10 separate sections that can be locked together, or left separately. Pictured above, they’re together, of course. But you can make ‘em float, have the bottom linked together, and the top still “falling,” or whatever combo you want. You can even link ‘em together in a 3-D design to use it as a temporary wall. The shelves come in a number of colors and designs, with several different backing colors, so there’s pretty much something here for everyone. [$1500, Brave Space Design] A few more pictures after the jump:   Read More... Posted Mar 31 2008, 09:30 AM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: Retro Arcade, books, shelves

• “It’s a Magical World, Hobbes, ‘ol Buddy… Let’s Go Exploring”

  And with the above phrase, Bill Watterson said goodbye to the best comic strip ever created… Forever. Since I’m reveling in nerdery in all its forms today, I thought I’d spend at least a little bit of that energy talking about comic strips, one of the most reviled and misunderstood forms of pop culture. Comic strips, on a whole, are disappearing*, and I think a large part of that has to do with the end of The Far Side, and Calvin & Hobbes, which were like a one-two punch for the strip format. More on Calvin & Hobbes, as well as a quote from British rapper The Streets, after the jump...    Read More... Posted Mar 27 2008, 03:30 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: geeky, books, Comics

• World's Best Hand Jobs

  Interested in knowing the secrets of the world's best hand jobs? Read More... Posted Mar 26 2008, 09:00 AM by Wendy Atterberry with | with no comments Filed under: design, books

• Book vs. Bottle

  Two great tastes that taste great together: a good book, and a good bottle of wine. If you’re looking to save some space, and keep your wine bottles handy for reading time, you could do worse than these wine rack bookends. [$70, Just Bookends] Posted Mar 20 2008, 05:30 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: Food and Drink, books

• Cheap Trick: The Lazy Environmentalist

  Okay, so we've been talking a big talk today on MM about going green and purchasing eco-friendly products, but the fact is, if it weren't my job, I doubt I'd spend several hours in a day actively searching for stylish, hip, easy-on-the-wallet green alternatives for all my fashion, gadgetry, and home decor needs.  Lucky for me—and all the rest of you lazy environmentalists out there—I don't have to.   Read More... Posted Mar 17 2008, 05:30 PM by Wendy Atterberry with | with no comments Filed under: eco-friendly, Cheap Trick, books

• How We Live: Cramped Quarters

  sfgirlbybay recently gushed about her latest bookstore find —  Stafford Cliff and Gilles De Chabaneix's The Way We Live in the City. A richly photographed presentation of how urbanites — against the odds — live beautifully, The Way We Live is as much an inspiration as a documentation of city living. Read More... Posted Mar 11 2008, 06:00 PM by Steph Auteri with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: small spaces, books