The Modern Materialist

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• Free Stuff: Firefox 3

  For those of you who don't use Firefox to browse the Internet... Shame on you. Firefox is easier to use, faster, and safer than Internet Explorer, or even Safari (though it pains the Apple Center of my brain to say so). If you are one of those people who haven't started using Firefox, or even if you're a current user, I have some good news for you:   Read More... Posted Jun 17 2008, 12:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: geeky, Free, software

• Geek Out: VG Controller Pillow

  I think we all have a good sense here of what sort of things we like, right? Steph and Wendy like delicate assemblages of tasteful furniture and clothing, while I like video game pillows. At least, that’s what I assume Wendy was telling me when she e-mailed me this particular item, saying she thought of me when she saw it.  And I’d get super pissed about it too, except, well, she’s totally spot on. More deets after the jump...   Read More... Posted Apr 08 2008, 09:30 AM by Alex Zalben with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: video games, geeky, pillows, Geek Out

• Geek Out: Nintendo Family Tree Shirt

  I’ve decided to change the title of this particular feature to Geek Out, rather than Retro Arcade. Mainly because there’s way more geeky products out there than old school arcade stuff, but also because I need a place to just, you know, hang and be myself. You know what I’m talking about my fellow Geek-burgers. In any case, let me know what you think… If you guys were digging the retro stuff*, I’ll bring it back. But otherwise, get ready to… Geek out! We kick off the geek out, after the jump...    Read More... Posted Apr 02 2008, 09:30 AM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: Nintendo, Retro Arcade, geeky, Shirts, Geek Out

• Star Wars Golf Bags

  I can’t imagine this golf bag will make you the hit of the course, but then… I don’t play golf. [$500, StarWars.com] [Via Dvice] Posted Mar 28 2008, 01:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: geeky, Sports

• Nerd Apex Reached: Dungeons and Dragons

  I am going to end this day of geek-out with what is, by far, the geekiest thing I have ever been involved in: Dungeons and Dragons. In Junior High, I would get together with a group of friends on the weekend, and play D&D. I can’t tell you exactly what my character was because, honestly, we were pretty casual about the whole thing. We were all nerdy outcasts, so it was a lot more about the camaraderie, and getting together, than about playing the game. Though, don’t get me wrong, we played the game. For hours. And hours. However, this was not my nerdiest encounter with D&D. Not by a long shot. I swear, there’s no reason I should ever admit this in a public forum, but this is, without a doubt, the nerdiest thing I have ever done in my entire life. Ready? Find out, after the jump. You think you know what it is, but it's even nerdier than that...    Read More... Posted Mar 27 2008, 05:30 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: geeky, games

• Star Trek Red Shirt... Shirt

  We’re kind of scraping the bottom of geekery here… Not to insult any Trekkers, but even with the J.J. Abrams movie coming out, and Star Wars fandom at all time low, Star Trek is still… Well, it’s Star Trek. You knew what you were getting into when you started calling yourself a Trekker. That all being said, while I may not being a Trekker, I’ve certainly watched a lot of Star Trek in my time. Certainly enough to discuss the intricacies of Tasha Yar’s history the other day while walking around town with a friend. Okay, fine. I’m a Trekker. After the jump, more self-hating geekdom...    Read More... Posted Mar 27 2008, 04:30 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: geeky, Shirts

• “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

• Mario Kart Wii Preview

  Okay, let’s do this. I swear I’ll be back to ridiculous gadgets and whatnot tomorrow, but for today, I’m embracing the full range of my geekiness, and you’re all going to just have to deal with it. I’m here, I’m nerd, get used to it. After the jump, video, pricing, and way more nerding out...  Read More... Posted Mar 27 2008, 02:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: video games, geeky

• Free For You And Me: Papercraft R2-D2 Mailbox

  From a Modern Materialist reader named… Steph… Auteri… Or something like that, comes a papercraft R2D2 mailbox! You may remember a few months ago, when they were celebrating the anniversary of the release of George Lucas’ cinematic masterpiece*, the US Postal Service set up a bunch of mailboxes, painted to look like everyone’s favorite pesky droid. Well, they’re doing it again, for the 30th anniversary, and now, you can take the magic home, for free, by clicking over to this link, and downloading your own pdf. Sadly, the postal service will not pick up any mail you stuff in its slot. *Howard The Duck. Posted Mar 27 2008, 11:00 AM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: geeky, Free

• Battlestar Galactica Propaganda Posters

  I’m allowed one geeky post a day, right? What? All of my posts are geeky? Okay, enough, people, stop riding me! Especially the imaginary people in my head who are chiding me for not posting more couches and silverware sets. So yeah, I’m a big fan of Battlestar Galactica. The series, for those of you who don’t like things that are good, is an extremely well written and acted exploration of what makes us human. It’s dark, original, and probably one of the best series on television, ever. Hyperbole out of the way, let's talk about these funny posters! Read More... Posted Mar 26 2008, 02:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: Television, geeky, Posters

• Scratch His Back, and He’ll Melt Yours

  Umm, this is totally awesome. I think I’ve hid it pretty well, but I’m a super-geek about certain things. In particular, the Alien series is one of my large weaknesses. That doesn’t extend into the Alien vs. Predator franchise*, but I’m a complete sucker for the four Alien movies, even Resurrection. Which had some pretty terrible parts, but give it a second chance if you have a moment, because there are some sequences that are downright brilliant. The other important piece of info you need to know about me to understand why I appreciate this piece of info is that I love getting my back scratched. That may be filed under TMI, but hey, let’s go for it. There are very few things that are quite as satisfying as getting my back scratch, and only one thing can come even slightly close**. In fact, my back is getting itchy just thinking about getting itself scratched. Seriously. So thank you H.R. Giger, designer of the Alien, for putting my two great loves together into one handy resin unit. Another pic, and then pricing, after the jump... Read More... Posted Mar 25 2008, 02:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: geeky, Movies

• Bite My Shiny Metal Shirt

  Things I Love: Futurama T-Shirts Think Geek This new Futurama T-Shirt from Think Geek Sadly, it’s a baby-doll T, so I can only wear it around the house. I’m kidding! Am I? No, I am*. [$18, Think Geek] *I’m not. Posted Mar 18 2008, 06:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: geeky, Shirts

• Happy Hour: Floppy Disk Coasters

  Some of our younger readers* may not remember floppy disks, but Supermandolini sure does. They’ve taken the design of our old friend the 5.25 disk, and turned it into a modern coaster. When you start getting drunk, and reminiscing about the good old days when “an entire computer was 40 MBs, and we wondered how we would fill all that memory up!” or fondly look back on Kings Quest taking up three floppies of information with its ground-breaking graphics, be sure to put your drink down on one of these, and not the table. [$54 per 6-pack, Supermandolini] *Nerve caters to a lot of very precocious babies. Fun-fact! [Via Technabob] Posted Mar 06 2008, 05:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: geeky, Happy Hour, drinkware

• Retro Arcade: Mushroom Dealer T-Shirt, Tote, and Hoodie

  This is kind of turning into “Retro Mario Arcade,” isn’t it? Anywho, here’s the perfect gift for the friend you like doing shrooms with*, or for any friend who likes to do a little power up now and then. Or, get it for yourself, and let people know where all the best warp whistles are. They come in 14 different colors for the shirts, down to five colors for the totes, and all sizes, from Mario to Super Mario. Tote and Hoodie after the jump...    Read More... Posted Mar 05 2008, 09:30 AM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: video games, clothing, Retro Arcade, Bags, geeky

• Tote Bag Makes Robots Cry

  Hey, I don’t need a bag to tell me to go f*ck myself, but I may need a bag to tell other people the same. Enter Etsy user RedPaperRecord, who has created the perfect black tote bag to tell people what you think about them, without them having any idea what you’re talking about… Unless they’re a robot. And that’s because the bag says "F*ck You" in binary! Robots speak binary! Get my joke? Though I’m going to guess the bag will be sold out by the time you read this (there’s only one of them available), RedPaperRecord is happy to print the lovely little message on a shirt, or in a different color. May I suggest requesting a computer cosey? And if you don’t like that suggestion, you can go 01100110011101010110001101101011001000000111100101101111011101010111001001110011011001010110110001100110. [$14, Etsy] [Via Thoughts From the Sidelines] Read More... Posted Feb 29 2008, 12:30 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: Bags, geeky, Etsy

• Product Porn: Space Warp Desktop

  Crazy, glow-in-the-dark desk toy from Japan? Check. Video with techno-esque music? Check. I will be buying on of these and dancingaround in my teddy bear back-pack? Check.  [$50, Think Geek] [Via TechEBlog] Posted Feb 28 2008, 01:00 PM by Alex Zalben with | with no comments Filed under: gadgets, tech, toys, geeky

• Hello, My Name is Awesome Shirt. You Killed My Previous Shirt. Prepare To Wear Me.

  God, I love Think Geek. Like, seriously, love love. Like, if I could marry a website, and then have babies with that website, and then grow old with that website, and then that website would go to Hell, but I would go to Heaven, because I’m awesome and righteous, that website would be Think Geek. Not to hyperbolize too much, but how great you believe Think Geek is may be directly proportional to how much you love the Princess Bride inspired shirt above. For those of us who spent their afternoons in high school watching a video tape of Rob Reiner’s classic, memorizing every line, and, in particular, replaying the BEST SWORDFIGHT OF ALL TIME, this is the perfect shirt to let everyone know, “Hey, I’m ironic, but also, ironically, I love things that are good.” More after the jump...   Read More... Posted Feb 21 2008, 10:30 AM by Alex Zalben with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: clothing, geeky