Road trips need music. Some songs are better for the long open road than others and if you can string together a playlist that harmonizes with the emotional tenor of your adventure then you’ve got a winner. To this day I can’t think of Mendocino without hearing Van Morrison’s No Guru, No Master. Amanda Arnold…
Gear Junkie reviews the Sea to Summit Dry Daypack – tipping the scales at a little over 3 ounces. Sounds like a great pack for hikers who want to set up a base camp and take side junkets. The drybag design would also make this pack great for paddlers who want to get in some…
Our gas grill recently reached the point where it was more blowtorch than barbecue. We figured it was time to pony up for a new outdoor cooker. But face it, a barbecue is a pretty simple machine. Not much more than a bucket with fire inside. So why not fix the old one? The first…
Recently I tried cutting a crusty baguette with a sharp, serrated bread knife. Instead of placing the bread on a cutting board like a reasonable person, I simply held the loaf in one hand and the knife in the other while thinking “this is a bad idea.” Which it was. Ouch. Make: Online has a…
Peter Strauss Ranch is a great place to explore, picnic and introduce kids to hiking. The 0.6 mile Peter Strauss Trail is one of the best places in the Santa Monica Mountains to hike with children who are at that awkward age – too big to lug in a backpack carrier but not quite ready…
I loved our Roomba until the day it died. Could any other floor cleaner heal the pain? It turns out the Mint floor cleaner fills the void nicely. We have laminate flooring throughout the house. And two dogs, one of which blows out his wiry coat every few months. Unless we stay on top of…
This kid plays like a machine. Awesome. More Jonny Mizzone here. And check out the brothers’ Facebook Page, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys. Via BoingBoing
I’ve reached a place in my life where I don’t want to learn one more stoopidly designed interface. Take the Shoretel phone system…please. (Although it’s a big improvement over Rolm phones). Former Wired editor and technology guru Kevin Kelly explains that the technology we need most is not necessarily the technology that’s available today. Instead,…
Tapirs, with their prehensile snouts, are by far my favorite ungulate. Who knew that today is World Tapir Day? I wish I was more prepared. Via BoingBoing
This week’s big iPhone news was that the device tracks your every move and stores it on your PC when you synch with iTunes. The discovery of this location tracking freaked out a bunch of people including Al Franken who is demanding an explanation from Apple. Franken is concerned that unauthorized snoops could easily discover…
Jason Kottke calls his blog a wunderkammer, a cabinet of curiosities. Spare and minimalist in design, with only one banner ad, Kottke’s blog is populated with just a few short posts every day. Topics range from typography to children’s books, design, cooking, soccer and interesting technology. For somebody who clearly has a very strong sense…
Here’s your cute baby goat fix for the day. Via BoingBoing
In the same glorious tradition of How Many Five Year Olds Could You Take in a Fight, The Oatmeal asks “How Long Could You Survive After Kicking a Bear in the Balls?” I found the streetfighting quiz slightly more informative. Better still is the Bear Attack Survival Guide from the Art of Manliness. Via The…
In honor of National Park Week, Chimani is offering free downloads of their popular National Park smartphone guides. They have a selection of apps for both iPhone and Android. The Android apps, usually $4.99 are discounted to 99¢ but they also have free “Lite” versions. Kerry Gallivan, founder of Chimani, says that his company’s guides…
Here’s an excellent, free downloadable first aid resource designed for ships at sea where there is no doctor present. As expected, it is mostly aimed toward the seafarer, but much of the advice could be used in any type of expedition. Fishermen are particularly prone to infections of the hands and fingers because of their…
