All the world is a party; you just have to know where to look. My favorite "big happys" are traditional religious festivals, which can't be beat for color, intensity and otherness. This Rough Guide serves as a good guide to some of the world's most interesting celebrations. Besides the famous (Mardi Gras, Kuhm Mela), and the infamous (full moon in Hat Rin, Thailand, Love Parade in Berlin), it also lists a hundred smaller lesser known, but still incredible festivals. It's crammed with color photos, history, reviews, and tips. You could map out a pretty good journey trying to keep up with the possibilities here.

-- KK

World Party: The Rough Guide to the World's Best Festivals
Rough Guides
2006, 400 pages
$17
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Maherero Day
Where: Okahandja, Namibia
When: August
How long: 1 day

Participating in Holi is not always your choice to make, especially in the north, where it's hard to avoid being dragged into the festivities at every street corner. If you'd rather stay clean, then remaining indoors and watching the powder-slinging from the window might be a better option - Holi also involves a number of performances, parades and other pageantry that you can watch from a distance, wherever you are in the country.

Everyone gets involved, showering passers by with multi-coloured powders

Insider info: Coloured powder is available at all marketplaces, but be careful what you buy - many colours contain toxic chemicals and dyes, which are harmful to both the people using them and to the environment, seeping into the soil and the underground water table. In Delhi, the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, on Janpath, and the stalls at Dilli Haat sell natural coloured powders made from flower petals and sandalwood. The Bombay Store and Spencers Hyper Mart, in Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra) respectively, also cater to a safe and natural Holi.

Don't watch this documentary unless you are ready to quit your job. It's about the joys and woes of long-term traveling. It's impossible to watch this fun film and not confront the fact that you are here instead of there, out on the road, soaking up the mysteries of the world, with all-you-can-eat $3 dinners and $5 rooms, backpacking around the world for a year, as the filmmaker himself did. This kind of vagabonding is more a state of mind than a state of motion. Something weird happens when you travel longer than 10 days, and that wonderful transformation (which no one can explain to their family when they return) is what this superbly written, fabulously edited, deeply personal and wonderfully likeable documentary is all about.

This film explores the mellow subculture of (mostly) young people who trek along an invisible international traveler's circuit. There's a kind of endless distributed global party going on every day of the year (plainly visible here), and to join it all you need is a ticket to any country and the address of the local hostel. I was part of this mind-set for many years and boy, does this film nail the peculiar delights of perpetual cheap travel. Not just the highs (everyday is Saturday, each new person an instant best friend), but also the lows (always saying goodbye, and loss of connection).

This DVD won't give you the how-to specifics of vagabonding. For that I recommend First-Time Around the World. A Map for Saturday works best as an orientation course, offering inspiration on why to tackle this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. It's the next best thing to having a good friend come back and tell you what really happens when you find yourself at the other end of the road.

-- KK

A Map for Saturday
Brook Silva-Braga
2006, 90 min.
$15 ($20 with shipping), DVD
Available from the filmmakers' website

Trailer

Sample excerpts:

Filmmaker Brook keeps track of his expenses for one day in Laos. He starts out with his $5 room shared with fellow traveler Kym.

You have to get used to the squatty potties in Asia. The bucket of water on the side is used to flush the toilet.

A game of beach volley ball on the sands in Thailand. Hanging around for weeks sipping cold beers at sunset is part of the plan.

The ultimate trip is a slow transverse of the globe on very little money with lots of time. I've recommended two guides for this way of traveling in the past: The Practical Nomad (for budget travelers) and World Stompers (for those with almost no money). While both of these books still have some good tips in them, they are both a bit out of date and have been superceded by this great new information-packed volume from Rough Guides.

First-Time Around the World is the book I would write if I had to give my advice on how to travel cheaply and globally. It's smart, current, wise, and true. And worth reading even if you are only traveling for a few weeks.

-- KK

First-Time Around the World
Rough Guides
2006, 336 pages
$11
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Q: I've got $4000 saved up. Will that get me around the world?
A: No problem. You can find round-the-world tickets for half that price, or hitchhike on yachts for even less. The more important question is what kind of trip do you want to take and how long do you want it to last? To figure out a daily budget that fits your comfort level, and to learn which countries offer the best value, turn to the "Cost and savings" chapter, where you'll find some budgeting tips as well.

Time and space
One thing travellers often forget to mentally prepare for is the different conception of time and space on the road. With buses that don't leave until they're full, boats that wait at the harbour for the captain to return from his family holiday, and mechanical problems that require spare parts sent by cargo ship from Australia, the hardcore traveller's mantra of "no watches, no calendars, no worries" begins to seem like a healthy response. Your personal space, on the other hand, is likely to shrink, whether you're speaking with someone who insists on standing almost nose-to-nose during the conversation or you're packed into a six-person minivan with seventeen other passengers. Plan for twice as much transport time as you think you need, try to grab a seat near a window so you can control the fresh-air supply - and make sure you've got something to read.

Kitchenette in Itaca Hostel in Barcelona, Spain

Dorm in Glebe Point Hostel, Sydney Australia

Hostels range in price but they are usually the cheapest lodging option in most cities. You can often find a bed in mega-cities for less than $20. A hostel has very little to do with youth, although there is still a network of official youth hostels, which anyone of any age can use. A hostel is simply a hotel where you sleep in a shared bedroom, or a dorm, instead of a private room. Shared facilities mean cheap digs. (The exception is South and Southeast Asia where private rooms are as cheap as hostels). Hostels also often have a shared kitchen which residents can use. This means hostels are very social places with lots of interaction between travelers.

Cool Tools previously reviewed the hostel booking site Hostels.com, but that site has fallen a bit behind the times after a change in ownership. Much better these days, with thousands of more hostels in their database, and a lot more friendly mojo, is Hostelz. It is the most complete and useable portal for global hostelling.

Started by a backpacker, the web site Hostelz list some 22,000 hostels and guest houses around the world. They encourage independent reviews by users and don't censor negative reviews. In addition, they hire backpackers $7 to officially review hostels for the site. Hostelz graciously provides you with the complete contact and location information of each hostel so you can book a room yourself. But Hostelz also provides the option to book a room through them at the same price. Since they do not charge hostels to be listed, this booking option provides their only income, which so far is enough to keep the site going.

Hostels are a great, often overlooked resource, and Hostelz is your best bet for finding one.

-- KK

Hostelz

Sample excerpt:

Kabul Hostel, Barcelona.
17-25 Euros per bed.
Five stars.
This hostel lived up to its name as the party hostel. I stayed in a twenty-person dorm for three nights and there was always at least one group that stayed up well past 6 a.m. One night we had twenty-three people (three people on the floor). If you want to sleep, do not stay in a twenty-person dorm. It did not help that I got the biggest party room in the entire hostel. (I'm not really complaining -- I had a great time.) Earplugs help. The good -- spacious lockers and toilet facilities, hot water. Excellent location if you want to stay where the action is. Lots of French girls. The not so good -- never-ending noise when you want to sleep. Staff were generally rude at the front desk. (No big deal but other hostels had friendlier service.) Five internet computers for two hundred-plus guests meant there was always a line. I would stay here again.

Serious long-distance thru hikers along the Appalachian and Pacific Coast trails use them. Hip continental trekkers use them. Fanatic "nordic walkers" use them. I use them. Hiking poles give you two more legs. They allow you to use your arms to significantly push yourself uphill, and to relieve your legs on killer descents downhill. Two poles add much needed stability on inclined terrain. Instead of being a precarious biped, ready to tumble or slip, you turn into a graceful four-legged gazelle able to hop over the roughest sections. Using poles has eliminated twisted ankles and rubber knees for me. I've reclaimed trails that I had given up as too gravelly, steep, slippery, and treacherous. Now I scuttle along, poles extended, adding arm power to my legs. With added confidence I can scramble up and down much faster, and much safer. All these benefits are multiplied when you add the weight and higher center of gravity of a backpack.

A good set of poles weigh about one pound, cost about $100, and will telescope closed to fit in a backpack or trunk. Leki makes ones popular with hikers. I found that a tiny bit of instruction in how to use them helped me get going. This instructional DVD did the trick.

-- KK

Poles for Hiking, Trekking & Walking
73 minutes, 2006
DVD
$20 (after shipping)
Available from EverestGear

DVD updates at the creator's website

Leki Trail Classic AirErgo Poles
$120
Avialable from Amazon

Leki Trail Enzian Poles (Least expensive)
$70
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Leki

An angled grip is more comfortable.

Setting the poles behind your feet you push, not pull, to ease ascents uphill.

Nelles Maps are the best foldable maps for travelers I've seen. I favor them for six reasons: 1) They come at a good practical scale for traveling, fine enough to show most small rural towns. 2) Each map displays shaded physical relief of mountains, highway numbers and even "places of interest" - which are often not listed in guide books. 3) The maps are printed on both sides to maximize coverage. 4) They are printed in a form that folds neatly into a shoulder bag, with cover. 5) They are reasonably priced. 6) Best of all, Nelles seem to keep them very up to date. I haven't found any Nelles maps in print that are more than a few years old.

These qualities may seem expected, but most maps of third world countries are uselessly vague. Nelles maps shine in particular for Asia and Africa, and remote places where good maps are hard to find. I know from personal experience they have the best ones (in English) for China (in 3 maps, a North, Central and South), for India, and for the Himalayas as a whole. And they have the only useable map for Papua Maluku (Papua New Guinea) that I've been able to find. You may be able to find maps that are better for specific countries, but try Nelles (based in Germany) as your first stop.

--KK

Nelles Maps
$8-$11
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Nelles Maps

This is a book about authority, order, information and knowledge -- the evolution of the latter and the limitations imposed by the former. This hyper-intelligent journey through the history of classification (ex; library card catalogues) and the current climate (ex; tagging) makes an engaging case for the virtues of seemingly counterintuitive "messiness." The anecdotes are lively, and the range of subjects is satisfying and entertaining: Dewey's Decimals, our silverware drawers, Hamlet, the Federal Highway Administration, Wikipedia, intertwingularity, our family photo albums, and Darwin. Reading this reminded me how wonderful it is to be witnessing the development of new ways of collaborating and why we should all stay tuned in to see where all of this is headed. Whether you're a skeptic or a steadfast believer in the great promise and possibility of the digital, these are ideas worth visiting. The "Social Knowing" chapter alone should be mandatory reading for all teachers.

-- Steven Leckart

Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder
David Weinberger
2007, 288 pages
$17
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Imagine two people editing and reediting a Wikipedia article, articulating their differences on the article's discussion page. They edge toward an article acceptable to both of them through a public negotiation of knowledge and come to a resolution. Yet the page they've negotiated may not represent either person's point of view precisely. The knowing happened not in either one's brain but in their conversation. The knowledge exists between the contributors. It is knowledge that has no knower. Social knowing changes who does the knowing and how, more than it changes the what of knowledge…As people communicate online, that conversation becomes part of a lively, significant, public digital knowledge - rather than chatting for one moment with a small group of friends and colleagues, every person potentially has access to a global audience. Taken together, that conversation also creates a mode of knowing we've never had before. Like subjectivity, it is rooted in individual standpoints and passions, which endows the bits with authenticity. But at the same time, these diverse viewpoints help us get past the biases of individuals, just as Wikipedia's negotiations move articles toward NPOV [neutral point of view]. There has always been a plentitude of personal points of view in our world. Now, though, those POVs are talking with one another, and we can not only listen, we can participate. For 2,500 years, we've been told that knowing is our species' destiny and its calling. Now we can see for ourselves that knowledge isn't in our heads: It is between us. It emerges from public and social thought and it stays there, because social knowing, like the global conversations that give rise to it, is never finished.

Now that everything in the connected world can serve as metadata, knowledge is empowered beyond fathoming. We not only find what we need based on whatever slight traces we have in our hand, we can see connections that would have escaped notice in the first two orders. The power of the miscellaneous comes directly from the fact that in the third order, everything is connected and therefore everything is metadata.

I have been using Mystic Maid's blotter sheets for about 1 year and they are by far the easiest and most efficient way to pick up oil and grease from your food, especially soups, stews and sauces. I currently live in Hong Kong. I don't know if you know much about the Hong Kong/Chinese culture, but we eat a lot of soup. I have tried placing the soup in the fridge to solidify the grease and eventually remove it -- too time consuming. I have tried to skim it with a ladle, but it gets messy and you have to clean an additional utensil as well as the container for the grease you have removed. It is much easier to use these sheets to pick up the grease and control your diet.

Generally, if I'm blotting food like pizza my paper towel or tissue begins to break down and I get paper pieces in my food. The Grease Blotter doesn't break up and it only picks up the oil and grease. When I ordered the product directly from the manufacturer, I asked how it was developed. The high-tech non-woven material was originally developed for the Japanese oil spill containment industry and is now produced in food-grade materials for consumers.

-- Fiona Loh

Grease Blotter
$5
(package of 10 sheets)
Available from Amazon

Or $6 (w/free shipping w/in the US) from Mystic Maid

Manufactured by Castle International

Just for Copper is a solderless bonding agent that permits the bonding of copper-to-copper and copper-to-brass without the use of solder or heat. This comes in especially handy when you have a joint located where you are not comfortable using a torch. Dry-fit your pipes, mark the joints, sand inside & out, apply a proper amount of compound, press together, twist, and you are finished. Works like a charm, even on those joints you couldn't get to hold solder.

I was surprised by this product. I've plumbed several houses, a volunteer crew leader with Habitat for Humanity, and so on. You name it, I've done a little of everything. My nephew and I were running new copper for his second bath and there was a joint that wouldn't take solder. He went to the local True Value for a compression fitting and the clerk suggested he try this bond. He brought it back and it worked. We then put in a new outdoor faucet for my mother. We were concerned with using a torch in an area that was cramped and had electric lines running through it. Using this bond took care of that concern and it worked great. Of course, the product isn't fool proof (i.e. human error), so here are some tips on how to use it.

-- Al Finnical

Just For Copper Bonding Epoxy
$13
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Jackson Industries, Inc.

I have been using my Pedalites the last couple of years for short-range commuting up and down an unlit, rural county road, and would indeed recommend them, $75 price tag and all. They work just as advertised: pedal for 20 seconds, and the dynamos charge up and power flashing LEDs with a resulting effect similar to marker lights on a truck. The pedal incorporates both a white "front" and red "rear" LED. You never replace batteries. They have held up to rain, though I haven't done an extensive amount of rain riding with them.

I would say they are really best for a city commuter (I recently transplanted them onto my city bike), because the dynamos do add resistance to the system. However, I don't mind having to work a little harder for that extra light. Note: a charged set will flash for over five minutes after you finish pedaling, which means that after you chain and walk away from your bike, it's still there flashing "look at me! look at me! (steal me!)." Of course, "Look at me" is exactly what you DO want while riding. The LEDs don't emit enough light to navigate, so you still need at least a headlamp -- certainly while rural riding -- but their side flashing is especially valuable for urban riding.

-- Ben Goetter

Pedalite Bike Pedals
$75
Available from and manufactured by Pedalite Ltd

The Hookout is specifically designed to get hooks out of fish that have swallowed them, but I have found it's excellent for getting a grip on anything in a tight space. My dad got mine for me in the early '70s. It was part of my fishing tackle box and I used it many times to retrieve fishhooks. I don't fish anymore, but use it all the time around the house.

I keep one in the kitchen drawer since it's especially useful for retrieving items from the garbage disposal (bottle caps, sippy cup valves, etc.). It's also great for automotive work -- retrieving hardware that has fallen into a tight space or, god forbid, down the carburetor throat.

It's perfect because it doesn't require a lot of space to open up, unlike needle nose pliers. The maximum jaw opening is only about 3/8", but the Hookout has a powerful grip. It's useful anywhere you would need some very long skinny needle nose pliers. The jaws are hollow, though, so you're much less likely to drop what you have just grabbed. It does not work like pliers. Instead, when you squeeze the handle, it pulls on a long rod inside the tool and that in turn pulls the little jaw closed. It's spring-loaded, so it opens when you open your hand.

I have the zinc-plated version that's about 9 " long. It looks somewhat cheaply made, but I've tried to bend it by over-squeezing the handle and it won't bend or distort. If I bought another one, I'd be tempted to pop for the more expensive stainless steel version -- just because I have a weakness for things stainless -- but the zinc-plated one has held up very well. I kept it clean and made sure it never saw salt water. After 30 years, it still looks almost new.

-- Jim Barbera

Hookout
$6
Available from Amazon

I have Mushrooms Demystified and I just joined a local group so I can find my own mushrooms to start, but this DVD set my wife got me is all about growing mushrooms and is easier to get to grips with. It is two DVDs that start out from very simple (growing oysters/lions mains in a fish tank) to hunting in the forest and isolating your own strain. There's also a great section on how to grow oysters in a laundry basket. Everything in these DVDs is all done step by step, so it's easy to follow and understand -- very hands-on with lots of little hints and tips.

The first DVD is great for novices or kids, but the second DVD moves in to agar work, which is more for the professional. I have been growing oyster mushrooms, but the DVD shows how I can move up production so I'm not just growing a couple of meals at a time. I had no prior experience with mycology, but my wife and I have a small garden and we're trying to see how much we can produce to save on bills. After watching this DVD, I think this could help people start their own small business. I've actually looked into growing for local farmers markets for a bit of extra cash.

-- Jo Fas

Let's Grow Mushrooms!
$50
Available from Amazon

Also available from RR Video

[The DVDs are not yet available via Netlflix, but you can preview sections of the discs on YouTube -- sl]

Fiskars makes the best axes for the money -- light, sharp and virtually unbreakable. The handle is a fiberglass reinforced composite that is amazingly strong. A couple years ago I was carving a dugout canoe with my 28" Pro Chopping axe. The handle held up through a 30" diameter tree before breaking while I was working on the canoe (a quaking aspen log -- not the best for a canoe, but all I could get at the time). Still, the axe was returned to Lowe's and replaced for free. I have used similar-priced axes in the $30 range and the wooden handles either break in no time or the blade is dull or both. I have used my axe for around three years now and went quite a while without sharpening it. Eventually, I bought the Fiskars companion sharpener for $10 and with a few passes through it, the axe is ready to go.

-- Benjamin Thompson

Fiskars Pro Chopping Axe
$35
(w/free shipping)
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Fiskars Brands, Inc.

The Cable Clamp is a cord/wire/hose organizer I've found helpful, especially in dealing with items that have both long electrical cords and long hoses that can get mixed up with each other. In addition to keeping the long hose and electric cord on my pressure washer coiled separately, I'm using one of these clamps to hang my small electric chainsaw from my belt when climbing a ladder, sort of an improvised tool belt. They come in four sizes, including a Mega-size available from the manufacturer.

They're fun to use -- they close like a handcuff, with ten click-stops. They're more expensive and bulkier than zip ties (i.e. an average tool chest couldn't carry dozens of these clamps), but they have advantages over tape, cable ties, and other hook & loop products. They're reusable and, unlike tape, leave no gummy residue. They're durable -- won't lose grip after many re-uses. They're less likely to damage delicate electronics cables than a thin cable tie. And they can be opened one-handed (and closed one-handed if there is a backstop handy).

Note: I do find they can be hard to open because the trigger doesn't go back far enough to clear the teeth completely unless it is held down hard. Also, they can get temporarily bent out of shape when under stress -- i.e. the jaw won't go into the catch unless it is guided in by hand. And they are plastic, so they could get broken if something heavy crushed them or fell on them. Nevertheless, for a relatively inexpensive piece of plastic, they do seem pretty sturdy; I've used mine for about five months and haven't had to replace any.

-- Roger Knights

Cable Clamps
$13*
(set of seven clamps of three sizes)
Available from Amazon

$20 - $25*
(sets of 4 - 17 clamps in various sizes)
Available from and manufactured by QA Worldwide

[*To purchase in smaller quantities (read: $1 - $2 a piece), your best bet seems to be going into Home Depot or Ace Hardware in person; otherwise you'll be paying more for shipping than for the clamps - sl]

When I saw this cheap trap at Logan's Trading Post three years ago, I figured what the heck, but we've been amazed at how effective they are. About three fourths of the way up from the bottom of the jug a tube runs through a hole in each side. Fill the jug with water up to the bottom of the transverse tube, add a pheromone pack, let it sit for a week with the top off (to make sure it gets the right attention), then close it after topping the water off. The mosquitoes fly into the tube and lay their eggs. When they hatch, the little mosquitoes can't figure out how to get out. With luck, in about three weeks the trap will literally be swarming with skeeters.

We empty ours once a year and add new water once a month or so; as long as you break the breeding cycle early enough in the spring it's not a big deal if you forget to water them later in the season. On our quarter-acre lot, I've found that three traps is plenty. So far this season, I haven't seen a single mosquito (except for the two or three I let out when I opened up one of the traps to top it off w/water). Only one of the three traps have looked really busy this year (last year, it was two of three).

We don't get many bugs inside. We live in an 1872 farmhouse, so we do get the occasional palmetto bug, but never up so high as to need the Bugzooka. However, living as we do, in the North Carolina piedmont, we're plagued by mosquitoes; particularly the new "Asian Tiger" mosquitoes, which leave me and my sweetheart itching and inflamed for days after working in the garden or yard. We tried the "propane to human breath" machine (the Mosquito Magnet) for a year or so, and it simply didn't catch any mosquitoes. The fan was not powerful enough to suck in the little buggers, so the mesh bag they said would be full of bugs was full of dust and pollen. We tried the doughnuts you're supposed to dunk in places (like gutters) where water stands from time to time, and they didn't help. We drilled holes in all of our trashcans and recycling bins, but they still bred mosquitoes. We heard about services that will spray some sort of natural insecticide all summer long, but they were too expensive.

With these traps, we can now work in the yard or garden or sit on our porch -- one of the small joys that defines Southern living -- without fear.

-- Steven Champeon

OakStump Farms Mosquito Trap
$10
Available from Amazon

What sold me on the Trail-Gator was that I can attach my son's current bicycle to the back of my bike. We can ride together along the main roads, much like the Pathfinder Bike Trailer, however, when we get to our destination, I can easily unhook his bicycle and let him ride around and have fun. (The towbar tucks away nicely next to the rear wheel when not in use.)

I've used conventional bike trailers before, and I can tell no difference in the ride. I had no trouble installing the kit, and it feels very stable when we ride together. My son (5 years old) loves riding his bike, and now we can go exploring together. I also really like the fact I can use the Trail-Gator with multiple bikes. When my daughter (now three years old) is ready for her first bike, we can easily move the receiver hitch over.

-- Jeff Curry

Trail-Gator
$90
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by S&S Industries Inc.

I own four G2s as well as SureFire's Defender (nasty little tool serrated at both ends), but I fell in love with the A2 and have been using it for two and half years. All of SureFire's 2-battery flashlights last about the same time (continuous 1 hour) and put out about the same amount of super bright intense light (65 lumens), but you don't necessarily need that much light all of the time. That's where the dependable A2 shines: there are two beams, high and low.

I'm a safety officer in a large prison, about 700,000 sq. ft., where I do inspections -- the whole place just me, my little light and my clipboard. I simply can't use the G2 at my job, because it has failed me while working. With the G2, I saw that when the batteries are used to the point they can't support the super bright bulb, that's it; they're done (with no warning). With the A2, the same batteries that quit on the main bulb will keep working for many additional hours on the much more efficient lower beam. I tested the batteries from my G2 with a good battery tester and there was plenty of juice left, but not enough to support the bright bulb. Then I put the same batteries in my A2 and they would run the low beam fine, but not the high beam.

The low light won't blind bears, but it will get you around until you get back to your battery box to replace them. I mostly use the low beam to conserve the batteries, but the high beam is great for looking into little dark places and into large dark locked rooms, through thick safety glass, to see what is being stored in there (it lights up the whole room), or as extra lighting when photographing in low light when a flash won't do. When reading very fine print or to signal other officers rather than shout at (or blind them), I use the low beam.

The neat little clip on the A2 is also great for slipping the light into your front or back pants pocket, shirt pocket, etc. and for attaching the light to your hat bill while trudging through the dark keeping your hands free (just don't look at your buddies or you blind them). You really don't need the nylon holster for short-term use, which is very handy. The A2 also has square edges so it won't roll around if you do put it down, and it has a rough as cob grip (no slip at all).

The U2 Ultra has six output levels, but it's $80 more expensive than the A2, which isn't cheap either. But is the A2 worth $200? Yes. If I lost it I would buy another as soon as possible. G2's are great, but I know my A2 will work at some level, all the time. That's what makes the A2 worth the extra bucks. I carry it all the time, use it all the time, under all conditions.

-- Larry R. Odom

SureFire A2 Aviator Light
$140
(LED: green or white only)
Available from Fox Fire Rescue Police Equipment

Or $188 from Amazon
(LED: white only)

Also $195 from SureFire
(LED: blue, red, yellow-green, white, green)

Manufactured by SureFire, LLC

The biggest advantage of this brush is that it allows precise control and placement, and the bristles are soft rubber, so they are gentler on the gums, drawing less protest. A dog won't stand still for two minutes of brushing, so it allows you to cover all the surfaces in a shorter time. I have a miniature schnauzer, and find it is easier to maneuver a smaller brush like this than a long handled brush. (Note: I don't use both fingers at once because his mouth is too small)

My vet first gave the Jorvet pet toothbrush to me, and I wanted to buy another to put in a travel grooming box, but I bought the Petrodex because I couldn't find the Jorvet at any of my local pet stores. It looks and feels the same, but the bristles are a tiny bit shorter and may be a little stiffer (they are still softer than a conventional dog toothbrush). Both brushes get the same results and the dog responds the same to both (he doesn't shy away at brushing time, though I should mention I put poultry-flavoured dog toothpaste on the brush and let him lick it up before sticking my finger in his mouth, praising him throughout the ordeal). With both brushes I find it difficult to rinse out the bristles in the sink unless I run my finger over them. Since the Petrodex's bristles are shorter (by about 0.5mm) it makes them easier to rinse off. Other than that, my bare skin doesn't touch the toothpaste or mouth at all.

-- Sarah Cooke

Petrodex Pet Toothbrush
$4
Available from PetSmart

Manufactured by Virbac Corporation

Second Life can be overwhelming, confusing and hard to penetrate, especially for those who have no familiarity with MMORPGs (or have no idea what that even means). If that's you or someone you hope to "turn on," so to speak, this is the book to read or give. Is this the most thorough, detail-oriented text that's been written? Nope. Is it very straightforward, quick to read, and cheaper than a movie ticket? Yes.

This isn't to say aimlessly wandering SL is uninteresting; on one occasion I acquired a set of nipples for my avatar from a random encounter with a woman in hot pants. That's the thing: SL is a strange and vast place. That's why having a guide (not to mention context, as with "Virtual Hallucinations" - see below) can be as comforting as it is helpful. If you're on the ground in Mexico, you want the very best info money can buy. If you're a roaming tourist in SL, you can afford to be thrifty. This info's online, too, but having a physical text is a nice way to remember you still have one foot in this world.

-- Steven Leckart

The Unofficial Tourists' Guide to Second Life: The Essential Guide to an Amazing Virtual World - with Millions of Users
Paul Carr & Graham Pond
2007, 224 pages
$10
Available from Amazon

Sample excerpts:

Virtual Hallucinations
Despite the many adult themes in Second Life, not many of the places you can visit actually come with a medical warning. Virtual Hallucinations does. 'Some people find the Virtual Hallucinations experience disturbing, particularly the voices. If you find it bothersome, just walk to the end of the clinic and click the "Stop Voices" button.' Devised by computer scientist and former physician James Cook, Virtual Hallucinations is a tool for educating people about mental illness - in particular schizophrenia. In the past, being educated about mental illness - or indeed anything else - was often a very dry, wordy experience. One of the great potentials of Second Life, however, is its ability to educated in a highly interactive, synaesthetic, kinaesthetic, and above all enjoyable wayŠCook has attempted to include in his project all the paranoia and disorder, and all the aural and visual hallucinations of the real thing. Based on the real hallucinations of two actual schizophrenia sufferers, the clinic is designed to give an accurate representation of how intrusive the voices actually are. You're not watching an avatar on screen. You are an avatar, and you're walking through a clinic going quite, quite mad. Personally we would also recommend you wear headphones. As you enter the deserted clinic where the Virtual Hallucinations Tour takes place, you click on a disc and embed the 'voices' animation in your avatar's mind. Then, with the voices drifting in and out of your consciousness -- 'Kill yourself,' they hiss. 'Do it. What the hell. Go on, do it.' - you walk through corridors and into deserted rooms. As you go, everyday objects turn against you. Words on a poster and in a newspaper change to insult or incite you. In a mirror on the wall a reflection that isn't quite yours slips in and out of focus, returning to clarity with an anguished expression and bleeding eyesŠAs Dr. Cook says, please do be careful. And remember, unlike Real Life schizophrenics, you can put an end to the torture any time you like.

Camp Darfur
Not all the virtual representations of the real world in Second Life [ex; virtual Dublin] are designed for fun. Camp Darfur is Second Life's very own refugee camp, created to raise awareness of the plight of the people forced to flee their homes in the troubled region of the Sudan. The first thing you notice when you arrive is the fire. Everything is ablaze - the camp is 'decorated' with simulated flames, and weapons and skulls litter the ground, reminding visitors that the camp is the product of violence and murder. And if the message weren't clear enough, there are links to the websites of aid agencies working in the area, and a huge poster reminds us of a daily death toll in the region. There are even giant video screens showing interviews with real Sudanese refugees telling their stories. If you want to show your support for the cause, you can even pick up a free T-shirt or wristband to wear in-world. A great example of how Second Life can be used to raise awareness of a serious issue.

I've used Etymotic's product for years and the ER-6's offer great audio quality (it's astonishing to hear the clear noise of a pick hitting guitar strings, or a singer quietly breathing during an instrumental), but what's most impressive is just how phenomenal their noise isolation performance is, particularly with blocking low-level noise in airplanes. 34-36 dB, depending on which ear tip you use. They come with foam tips like the UM In-Ear Monitors or rubbery flange tips which are quieter, but may not fit everyone as well. These headphones do better than any of the expensive, battery dependent ANC headsets I've come across, including the top shelf ones I used when I was a private pilot. And they come close to silencing the droning hum of a passenger airliner. The noise isolation is so very good I'd be nervous to wear these while jogging -- you wouldn't hear someone shout a warning at you.

Etymotic has a lot of data about the frequency response range and noise isolation characteristics of their headphones on their website (I'm a neuroscientist, so lots of data makes me feel comfortable). Westone (makers of the UMs) doesn't provide as much detailed information, but from what I gather the UMs, which are a bit more expensive, don't have quite as deep base response -- they go down to 40 Hz while Etymotic's go to 20 Hz. Etymotic also provides data on accuracy of sound reproduction across the frequency range. They demonstrate 90% accuracy for the ER-6, which they claim is the highest accuracy of all in-ear headphones except their own more expensive ER-4 (92%).

I've tried loads of less expensive headsets and a few higher end ones like the Bose X ANC headset and some models from Shure. In my hands the ER-6 vastly, vastly outperforms any low-end stuff -- so much so that it blows my mind that people listen to their iPods with the standard earphones. On the high end, the Bose works well with ANC but terribly when the batteries die -- and its sound reproduction isn't as convincing as the ER-6. The more expensive Shure models are pretty much the same as the Etymotics (I think the Shure E3c is the most direct match up in the product line). There may be some technical advantages one way or the other, but I really couldn't hear the difference. Both companies offer a high-end model, which is substantially more expensive -- in those cases I could hear a very small advantage over the cheaper products, but certainly not enough to justify the huge price difference.

I haven't tried any dual-drivers in general, because many are a chunk more expensive than the Etymotics (about $100). With that price differential I'd expect some to be substantially better in quiet environments, on par with Etymotic's ER-4 line. But the ER-6 still claims substantially better noise isolation than Ultimate Ears, for instance (35 dB versus 26 dB, a massive difference on the log scale). I frequently use my ER-6's on airlines without plugging them into anything, just to quiet things down while I sleep.

One last point: The ER-6 has a relatively high impedance, which means that devices like the iPod won't have enough power to play at extremely high volumes. This has never been a problem with my iPod, because the excellent noise isolation means that lower volumes are preferable. You trade off a little sound accuracy in exchange for low impedance, but for those who prefer VERY loud music, the low-impedance model called the ER-6i would be a better choice (ed.: see below*).

-- Ashish Ranpura

ER-6 Isolator Earphones
$72
Available from ProVantage

Or $85 from Amazon

Manufactured by Etymotic

*

ER6i Isolator Earphones

These tiny in-ear units sound fantastic, feel comfortable, and do an excellent job of blocking out ambient sounds. When I write, I like to get out of the house and into a coffee shop, where I can enjoy free WiFi, fresh coffee, great vibes, and walls of art. But the main attractions of a public space (other people) can also be their biggest problems (crying babies, the espresso machine or the barista's choice of music). To block the noise, I started wearing high-density foam earplugs, but I like to listen to music when I work. Even with nice headphones, my music was frequently swamped by the house music. The best, relatively inexpensive solution I've found has been a pair of Etymotic ER6i's.

I generally keep the sound level far from loud, but there are times when I'm listening to very quiet passages outdoors, and the ability to crank up the volume at those moments lets me catch nuances that would otherwise get lost amidst birds, kids, and so on. Some spoken-word podcasts seem to reliably dip into barely-audible once or twice per podcast, so I also ride the gain at those times.

The earbuds come with four different types of removable isolators (three are variations on plastic flanges, the other is a nub of high-density foam), so you can find the type that is most comfortable and effective for you. I resisted earbuds for years because they usually make my ears hurt after only a few minutes, but I can wear the ER6i buds comfortably for a couple of hours at a stretch before wanting a break.

It's important to note that the very qualities that make these earbuds so attractive in a coffee shop can be dangerous if you're outside: you may very well not hear a car horn, a shout from an approaching bicyclist, or a piano dropping on your head from high above. These earbuds would be a poor choice for jogging or even walking in the park, but in a safe, stable environment they're terrific.

The ER6i buds are a version of the company's ER6 model, modified for use with portable players in both indoor and outdoor environments. Compared to their predecessors, the ER6i models are offer a lower impedance (making them more energy efficient), and have a slightly modified frequency response, offering a touch more bass and a little less treble.

The buds also come with a convenient carry bag, so you don't have to wrap up the cord tightly, which can put a lot of strain on them and cause internal breakage. Just smoosh them up into the bag and zipper it shut. This almost always keeps them free of tangling.

-- Andrew G.

ER6i Isolator Earphones
$68
Available from ProVantage

Or $82 from Amazon

I travel a lot and often forget to pack my eye mask because it's so flimsy. The back section of this snug, warm beanie is split so that you can turn it around and use it as an eye shield that provides greater eye coverage without the fuss of uncomfortable elastic bands
at the back. There is a small pocket in the rim for stashing things, like a couple of sleeping pills for a long flight. And there is also a drawcord in the rim that you can pull tight to make the beanie into a small bag.

I suppose you could modify a beanie with a (nose)slit, but I am not the most adept seamster. Arguably, if I could find a tight knit beanie I would be willing to try and mod it, but this one has been the best find in my opinion, because of its fit as much as its additional features.

I can be quite persnickety about beanies. I have two other beanies -- one is Polarfleece(r) that I only use for camping because it has a fold-over brim that isn't exactly fashion-forward. The other is a surf-brand beanie I bought easily 10 years ago, which features a tight knit and snug fit. I ardently looked for a replacement for at least three years before I found this very comfortable Patagonia beanie. The Patagonia beanie fulfills both roles I need a beanie for: camping (I
wore it recently at a mountain biking race in the Vermont backwoods), as well as urban wear (I wore it last week in cool weather in downtown San Diego).

I really like the tight-knit fabric and can nap/sleep fitfully while traveling. I have used it flying from California to Carolina and then again up to NYC and Vermont, but I fly transatlantically at least once a year and am really looking forward to using this beanie on one of my longer 16-hour trips.

-- Chris La Rose

Patagonia Travel Beanie
$34
Manufactured by Patagonia

[Unfortunately Patagonia says they are no longer offering this beanie; there are apparently a few left in stock which can be obtained by calling customer service at 800-638-6464 (you could also try the Patagonia outlet in Dillon, MT 406-683-2580); a cursory search showed that 3rd party vendors seem to be sold out, too; if you know of a reliable source that still has these in stock, or if you find a comparable beanie from another manufacturer, please let us know -- sl]

The slogan "The Fastest Way To Learn A Language. Guaranteed" may sound like a gimmicky promise, but none of the other "language lessons in a box" that you can get without joining the military, NASA, or the US Diplomatic core even remotely compares to this computer-based immersion program.

The genius of the process involves using pictures to teach you how to listen, speak, read, and write, rather than teaching by translation, as virtually all other language programs do. So as you learn your new language you associate the new words, phrases, and grammatical structures directly with the pictures rather than mentally translating through your native language. Using this method, most people can use a Rosetta Stone program regardless of native tongue, cutting out a major limitation of the translation-based language programs.

After a salesman at a mall gave me a demo for Vietnamese (which I've never studied before), I ordered a three-month subscription to the Russian program. I studied Russian in both high school and college, and went to Russia on "People to People" in 1991. At one point, I was getting very conversant, but couldn't say anything beyond the simplest phrases without mentally translating them into English. But after seven years of not actively studying Russian and rarely speaking it, my skills began to deteriorate. I was starting to be able to say things only on a very piecemealish basis (specific words, canned phrases, and common songs). Translation: I was losing my third language (I am fluent in Spanish).

Two months into the Rosetta Stone, which can be as as addictive as a video game, I was able to enjoy the fast-talking film "Nochnoy dozor" ("Nightwatch") without the subtitles. I have also found that I can now think, speak, and read in Russian without doing a mental translation into English like I used to do. And I think that when I get the money to travel to Russia again, I will become permanently fluent.

It is true that I used the program as a refresher course, rather than to learn a language from scratch. But as a relative veteran when it comes to learning foreign languages with different teachers and methods -- I've also studied German and picked up a good deal of French while traveling in Europe (forgot it in a matter of months) -- here is my take:

If somebody wants to learn a language from scratch, most people could finish Level 2 with excellent conversational skills (a feat that took me 3 months, but would probably take a beginner more like 6 months). If you are starting from scratch, doing Level 1 would still be a good foundation and you could easily survive "in country" when it comes to day to day living [note: Rosetta Stone sells programs for 30 major world languages, but they only offer Level 2 for certain languages, and only Level 3 for Latin American Spanish and English (US)].

For the people who are learning from scratch, there might still be some value in more conventional methods of teaching. And, of course, being in a community where the language was spoken would speed up the process. A determined English speaker with a high aptitude for language could probably do the Latin American Spanish up to Level 3, and then zone in on fluency very easily with no other formal instruction. But for languages with non-Roman alphabets and more divergent grammar systems, conventional teaching would not become irrelevant.

If you studied a language in school and got good grades, but can't really speak it, Rosetta Stone would be a really fun way to narrow the gap between book learning and real use. In short, I don't think an excellent language teacher has anything to fear from this tool, whether he/she works in a public school, university, a private language school, or as a private tutor. But the makers of all those crummy "language in a box" tools on the market have reason to be very, very afraid for their business.

-- Amy Scanlon

Rosetta Stone Language Learning
$210 - $260 (depending on level)
$340 (Levels 1 & 2)
$510 (Levels 1, 2 & 3: English [US] and Spanish [Latin America] only)
Available from and manufactured by Fairfield Language Technologies

[There are also online subscriptions that are cheaper. ex; In the case of Spanish Levels 1 & 2, $110 gets you three months, while $160 gets you six months of access -- sl]

There's an even cheaper alternative: free. Many public libraries purchase Rosetta Stone and some even make it available online. Patrons can access it free, anywhere, using their library card number.

Example: Palo Alto Public Library

-- Marv K.