Category: Just Plain Fun

It’s like 90ºF and 80% humidity here in Chicago this week, so the idea of sipping a hot beverage doesn’t have much appeal to me at the moment. But when the weather inevitably cools off, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a nice cup of hot cocoa, along with a bunch of mini marshmallows floating on top.

Do you find yourself stuck on endless video conference calls these days? Looking for an excuse to tune out? Blame it on your crappy internet connection. This silly gadget from Japan makes it look like your video is stuck buffering by popping up one of those loading circles in front of your face.

As much fun as it is to play with a Rubik’s Cube, it can also be quite frustrating if you don’t know the proper algorithms to use to solve it. There are countless videos and reference materials which show you how to solve the puzzle, though they assume that you can actually see the colors.

Don’t you just love ramen noodles? Well, now you can enjoy some instant ramen every time you take a bath. I’m not talking about nuking a package of Nissin or Maruchan and taking them into the tub with you (though you could do that.)

Despite the amount of content I consume via digital screens, I still like to dust off the occasional paperback when I’m feeling the need for something more tactile. While I store my books in an an ordinary IKEA bookshelf, I’d much rather have one of these shelves that looks like a giant face.

For many of us, summer means heat and sweat. And there’s no better way to cool off on a hot summer day than a plunge in the pool. But if you’re going to float around in there, you might as well look like you’re having fun.

So you have a pair of fancy and expensive AirPods. You could just carry around them in the standard, nondescript white case that Apple ships them in, or you could dress them up and make them your own.

When it comes to unusual vending machines, Japan is the place that always comes to mind first. After all, this is the country that gave us machines that vend bananas and fried chicken. But this particular vending machine isn’t notable for what it vends, but what it’s made out of.

When I worked in the corporate world, I think my time was equally split between sitting in mindless, unnecessary meetings and staring at massive spreadsheets. While I consider myself to now be an expert at manipulating PivotTables and complex Excel macros, I by no means love spreadsheets.

When it comes to things we can do to mitigate the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing is definitely at the top of the list, right up there with wearing masks, washing your hands, and not touching your face.

The Millennium Falcon is best known for its ability to do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. But did you know it’s also good for cutting parsnips? Or chopping onions? Or julienning carrots? Well, it is if you pick up this Millennium Falcon cutting board from Promi Design.

If there’s one food that I could eat on a whim just about any day or time, it’s pizza. My personal favorite has to be Lou Malnati’s here in Chicago, but I also love a jumbo New York style slice, an ultra-thin Italian brick oven pizza, or one of those crispy 8-corner Detroit slices from Jet’s.

So you spent a pretty penny on a pair of Apple’s pricey AirPods Pro earbuds. You can’t just carry them around in their nondescript white charging case now, can you? You need something special to go with your fancy wireless audio gear, and I think this case definitely meets that criteria.

Who doesn’t love Baby Yoda? He’s adorable, inquisitive, and a little badass. We also don’t know anything about where he came from or why he has his abilities, which makes him a bit mysterious. Eventually, I’m sure these things will be revealed, and hopefully he’ll continue to be as cute as the day we first laid eyes on him.

A while back, we checked out a silly triceratops that doubled as a taco holder. The same company would go on to create TACOsaurus Rex, and now we have the NACHOsaurus, a snack set inspired by the spiny-backed herbivore known as the stegosaurus.

While you could decorate your table with a bowl of fruit (real or fake), I like the idea of this shiny golden pop art banana lamp so much more. It looks so good that it just might attract monkeys into your place, and they could make a mess of the joint.