I am a collector of products. Always have been. When I started ABDPBT, one of my first thoughts was that I could share some of the great products I've collected over the years with a larger audience. Because for me, finding a new product that really works and does what it promises to do is an exciting event.
nono-sukar
Chances are that you're not as evangelical about consumerism as I am. That's OK. I hope you'll like my commodity fetishism posts all the same. And just in the interest of transparency, you should know that I have not received any compensation for featuring products on my blog. The products that appear in Commodity Fetishism are just things that I like and want to share. That said, you will occasionally notice an affiliate link in these posts; what this means is that if you were to follow that link and purchase the product, I would receive a (small) commission from the sale. If this bothers you, please use google to find an alternative vendor for the product, but do not let that affect your assessment of my recommendation.
Here are some of my all-time favorite commodity fetishism posts:
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Meet mophie.
People, I offer you just a few bits and pieces from the world of commodity fetishism today. I am kind of swamped with crap to do, so you’re going to just have to drool over these things and let that tide you over until I report from BlogHer later in the week. Listen, I don’t want to hear any bitching out of you two. You two readers that is. I know for sure there are at least two of you. And you both better keep your traps shut about me not writing a more substantive post today.
First of all, how cool is this:
Crappy photo quality courtesy of iPhone 3G. Do you like the arty inclusion of my running shoes' reflection, though?
That’s right, Equinox is now offering refrigerated, Eucalyptus-infused towels to members right on the weight-room floor! All for the benefit of Mr. Kite me while I’m sweating like a pig and working out. And oh yes, me likey the cool towels, especially since it has been beastly hot around these parts lately. Now, does it justify them raising our monthly rates earlier this year? Hardly. But it’s still a nice touch. Brava, Equinox!
Next, let me introduce you to the Mophie “juice pack” iPhone/iTouch case (front view is pictured above):
Mr. Right-Click bought me this new device called a Mophie, which is an iPhone/iTouch case that is also a battery pack. When it’s fully charged, it can nearly double your iPhone/iTouch battery life, and of course works as a protective case (something I need because I’m often dropping my iPhone). It’s pretty cool and I haven’t had any problems with it yet. It does extend the thickness of the iPhone slightly, but I can still fit it in my pocket, and I had already been used to the size of a plastic case for my iPhone anyway. I highly recommend it for extending battery life at BlogHer and beyond, and it looks like the people at Mophie are having some kind of giveaway between now and the end of July, too, so check it out.
Finally, some socks.
Not only do these socks by lululemon come with “L” and “R” embroidered into them, they are very cushiony and colorful. But the more exciting part is their inclusion of silver thread in the lining, which is a naturally antimicrobial substance and as such it discourages bacterial-related stinkiness in your socks. Which, you know, maybe isn’t an issue for everyone. But let’s just say I find it convenient. For some reason, they don’t have them on the website, but if you check your local lululemon store, you should be able to find them in the running section.
I have never found an air hand dryer to be satisfactory until this day. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Dyson AirBlade.
It seems like whenever we have friends or family visiting from the East Coast, they want to eat Mexican food. I guess they just don’t know how to make it out there or something? Or maybe it’s just very expensive? Not sure. But when my sister-in-law and her family came out this weekend, they specifically asked for Mexican food.
We took them to this strange restaurant in downtown LA called Yxta. As I tweeted Saturday night, the food at this restaurant was unbelievably good. Mr. Right-Click and his sister ate there a few months ago and they both wanted to go back. I admit I was skeptical. I like Mexican food a great deal, don’t get me wrong: but I was really unsure about how good it could possibly be. Most Mexican food seems pretty much the same–beef, cheese, maybe some lard and tortillas here and there and you’re done. I’m no connoisseur of food anyway. Mostly, I just like to get my carbs and get them fast. . . but let me tell you, this place was excellent. Excellent. If you have the opportunity and you’re somewhere near downtown LA–right by Skid Row, in fact–you’ve got to visit Yxta.
More important in my mind than the quality of Yxta’s food, though, is the fact that Yxta has installed the Dyson AirBlade hand dryer in its bathrooms. Now, I never thought a hand dryer would be worthy of comment, mind you. This one is. Like the Dyson vacuum cleaner, which I own and love, the Dyson AirBlade is a truly unique product. Ordinarily, I hate hand dryers. They are inefficient, loud, and leave my hands wet most of the time. Also, how do you keep the button clean? Hmm? Yeah, little bit of a design flaw there, hand drying people. Well, anyway, the Dyson AirBlade takes care of all that. You just stick your hands into it and a gale force wind comes out and scrapes the water off you hands. It is SO COOL. I am totally ready to give up paper towels in public restrooms if–and only if–everyone will just go out and buy one of these things right now. It’s so cool, I want one in my house. I’m not kidding you. After visiting Yxta’s restroom and discovering the Dyson AirBlade, I cam back to the table and informed everyone that they just had to see this hand dryer. As usual, everyone assumed I was crazy. But my nieces were game, and they came back raving about it as well. By the time we left, the only person who wasn’t in love with the Dyson AirBlade was Mini, who was too busy running laps around the courtyard outside to be bothered with washing his hands. Though, in retrospect, he needed it much more than the rest of us.
So what I want to know is, how do I get one of these in my house? How do I encourage home depot to stock them? Do they have a full-body option? Will somebody (a PR rep, perhaps) please talk to AMC Theaters, Target, and Nordstrom about getting these installed? Seriously. Somebody is shirking their responsibility because this thing ROCKS.
Are you a gum chewer? I am. I know it’s unattractive to always be chewing, like I’m a cow or something. But I don’t care. I like for my mouth to feel clean, even if it’s just an illusion forged by gum base, artificial flavors, and sorbitol. Better gum base and sorbitol than stank breath. And Orbit‘s new flavor, Positively Pomegranate, is delicious. I just hope they don’t do what Snapple did to me with Diet Plum-A-Granate Tea and discontinue it. Because, really, just how many fake-pomegranate-flavored product disappointments will I expected to endure?
Tip: One thing about Orbit gum that is less-than-fantastic, though, is that the packaging does not always stay closed in your purse. My solution is to put a binder clip over the top of the package, or to use a plastic zipper container for the whole package, like the ones shown here.
Just Like The Number Where 2+2=Six. A blog about life in the family Six, party of four.
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ONLINE DATING CHRONICLES
Sure, I eventually met my husband, Mr. Right-Click, through online dating. But not before I had dated nearly one hundred of Los Angeles' least suitable bachelors. Laugh along in my Online Dating Chronicles.
SPY ON ME
Looking for something to read? Wondering what I'm reading? Perhaps it's time to start Spying On My Google Reader to find out about the coolest stuff I've read lately on the internet.
MUCKRAKING
Sometimes I like to muckrake. You can read about it here. Oh, and here too. Listen, if I don't do it, that muck will just keep piling up until we have to call a roto-rooter. So really, you should thank me. You're welcome.
LISTS
You know, you slave away at blog posts day after day, you try to write fiction, you try to provide interesting social commentary, but at the end of the day, they come for the lists. Check out List Mondays to see what all the hullabaloo is about, because I sure as hell cannot explain it.
OTHER ABDPBT BLOGS
ABDPBT Personal Finance
Shining a light on the big business of poop.
ABDPBT Tech
Tech for mommy bloggers. Or bloggers who aren't mommies, but hang out with them. Or Dads. Whatever.
ABDPBT Commodity Fetishism
This is where I post stuff that I think is cool. Maybe you will think it's cool, too.
FULL ARCHIVES
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ABDPBT Archives
LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles is where I was born and raised. I always thought I'd leave, but for some reason I never did. Sometimes, I like it here. Other times, I'm not so sure. But good or bad, it has made me who I am.
Sometimes I take the melodrama of my life and twist and turn it until it looks almost charming. I do this because I want you to like me:
Cigarettes & Green Felt: This is about the time I figured out that adults were mostly full of shit.
Assburger: It's not just a disorder on the autism spectrum: it's also one of your relatives!
On Truth: Sometimes somebody will say something and it hurts your feelings. And then you will write a story about it and your aunt will call it "phenomenal." Everyone else will try to pretend like it never happened.
The Sheer And Unmitigated Power of Bob Mould: Sometimes you spend your formative years obsessed by an unrequited teenage crush, and then one day you realize that person is now an orthopedic surgeon who lives in your neighborhood. It kinda sucks when that happens.
Ben From Madera: For one Halloween, Ben dressed up like a bee, like that kid in the Blind Melon video. That's how I will always remember him.
Mr. Right-Click
He is my best friend, even if he uses a PC. And the fact that sometimes he will pretend to be a "Pancake Pirate" is only part of the reason. Arrrr!
Mini
His cutie-pie percentile group is off the charts.
Spinning
If you think this is just about exercise, then you have underestimated how wildly inappropriate people can be when they undergo physical pain in a group setting.
nono-sukar
later in the week. Listen, I don’t want to hear any bitching out of you two. You two readers that is. I know for sure there are at least two of you. And you both better keep your traps shut about me not writing a more substantive post today.
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