So Freaking Cool

Month: January 2014

  • Pony Up About $1M And Buy Babe Ruth’s 1923 World Series Watch

    Pony Up About $1M And Buy Babe Ruth’s 1923 World Series Watch

    Spring training’s just around the corner. Time to whet the appetite for America’s pastime. Gaze upon Babe Ruth’s 1923 New York Yankees World Championship Watch. It’s not a replica, it’s the real deal and it’s up for auction. How much? Bids are at $240,000 right now, though experts project the final bid to be around $750,000. Whoever buys this will get so much history.

    The Babe held onto this watch for most his life, but then he struggled with terminal cancer. At that point, he asked one of his closest friends, Charlie Schwefel, if he wanted anything from the Babe’s collection. Like Gollum gazing upon the ring, Schwefel probably pointed to this watch with eyes wide open and said “that”.

    And so the Babe gave Schwefel this 14k gold watch. The case features an artfully engraved scene of a pitcher, hitter and catcher, with a ball sailing through the air. It passed through a few hands before resting in a private collection. Maybe it’ll end up in your own collection soon.

  • Watch Pre-Fame Louis C.K.’s Self-Made Film

    Watch Pre-Fame Louis C.K.’s Self-Made Film

    Before he was a world-famous comedian and had his own show, Louis, on FX, Louis C.K. was another struggling comedian. Back in 1998, he took all his savings from his stand-up and TV gigs and put it into a self-directed black-and-white film called Tomorrow Night ($5).

    It was shown at Sundance in 1998 but never received distribution. Until now. Five dollars gets it on his website. The movie revolves around a lonely photo-shop owner, Charles, who meets a lonely old woman named Florence. There’s also mention of a character in old-lady drag. Steve Carell, JB Smoove, Wanda Sykes and Conan O’Brien make appearances in the movie too.

    Hey, it’s Louis C.K. and it’s $5. That’s less than a beer in some bars. Save your liver and feed your funny bone instead.

  • Ballin’ On A Tricycle

    Ballin’ On A Tricycle

    “They see me rollin’, They hatin’, Patrolling they tryin’ to catch me ridin’ dirty…” Chamillionaire. That’s who you’ll be singing as you ride this motorized tricycle, the Sway Lithium ($8000). Sway is an all-electric three wheelin’ vehicle described by the makers as somewhere between skiing and motorcycling. Slalom through the streets as you tilt side to side on the patented steering system.

    Remarkable that this thing hits 60 mph. Get a range of 40 miles on a 3.5 hour charge. Pedestrians will marvel at your space age transport system. “What is it??” they’ll excitedly ask, clamoring for a better look. “Yo boss, it’s a Sway” you’ll reply, then strap on a helmet (safety first). “And I’m out!”. Cue up Chamillionaire.

  • Whiskey Barrel-Aged Sriracha Sauce

    Whiskey Barrel-Aged Sriracha Sauce

    Sriracha sauce goes upscale with a twist. Sosu Sauces brings their Barrel-Aged Sriracha Sauce ($25) to the masses. It’s aged 1-3 months in oak barrels. The extra aging process infuses the sriracha blend with more intense, sweet and more robust flavors. All natural with no preservatives. Only chili peppers, brown sugar, garlic, and salt. That’s it. Your taste buds will thank you.

  • Stare Down at The Common Folk In New York’s Tallest Residential Building

    Stare Down at The Common Folk In New York’s Tallest Residential Building

    Check out renderings of what will become New York’s tallest residential building, 432 Park. First thing: price. Why ask. You’ll never have enough. One penthouse just sold for $95m, the other is priced at $85m right now.

    Expected to be completed in 2015, the building will rise close to 1,400 feet in the air, or about 140 stories. Imagine THAT elevator ride.

    Read on for pics and details. (more…)

  • People Blocks by Andy Rementer

    People Blocks by Andy Rementer

    Here’s a fun toy/art piece from artist Andy Rementer. The illustrator has been featured in The New York Times, MTV, Urban Outfitters and The New Yorker. He also recently put on a show in the Netherlands.

    This recent collection, entitled “People Blocks”, features a collection of four wooden characters with interchangeable pieces. All have been hand painted and handmade. Each measures about a foot tall, packaged in a screen printed wooden box and signed and numbered by Rementer.

    They even have names: Antoine, Fabienne, Jean and François. We’ll let you guess who’s who, since these come in an edition of 12 and we’re guessing they go for a bit more than we have now. *turns out pants pockets, watches balls of lint fall out*

  • Make Learning Chinese Easy and Breezy With Chineasy

    Make Learning Chinese Easy and Breezy With Chineasy

    Here’s a great resource for those needing to learn Chinese. We know the language evolved from pictures into their present forms. Chineasy ($18), by author ShaoLan Hsueh and artist Noma Bar, takes over 400 Chinese characters and combines them with their illustrations of the character’s root. So a character like ‘horse’ gets overlayed with a pictograph of a horse. It gives students an even more visual way to remember the character. The well-designed book not only educates, but makes for a well-designed coffee table piece.

  • The Closest You Might Get To A Bentley Is Their New Furniture Line

    The Closest You Might Get To A Bentley Is Their New Furniture Line

    Bentley brings the class of its cars from the road to the home. Its new furniture line includes sofas, armchairs and beds. Each come swathed in either leather, velvet or cashmere. Cashmere! Go ahead and ball out, baller.