“This is it. Come on!” I call excitedly to my family as I walk toward the trailhead at Muir Woods National Monument in California. Spinning around, I see that my husband is still trying to nudge our 13-year-old daughter, Honor, and her 5-year-old brother, Justin, out of the gift shop to start our hike. Sigh. Obviously, the kids don’t share my enthusiasm. Read full article > >

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California’s redwoods and sequoias: Can ancient trees compete with modern gadgets?

THE WOLF GIFT By Anne Rice Knopf. 404 pp. $25.95 Read full article > >

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Anne Rice’s ‘The Wolf Gift’

Gingrich’s space plans are the gift that keeps on giving.

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Santorum Gets In On The Moon Colony Joke

1 . The Iron Lady never backed down. Not true. Her genius was her gift for choosing her battles wisely and avoiding those she couldn’t win. In 1981, for example, the National Union of Mineworkers — Britain’s most powerful union — threatened to strike. Despite urgent warnings from her advisers, Thatcher had made no preparations to withstand a conflict with the miners, and she capitulated immediately to their demands. She spent the next three years preparing to take them on: Her government stockpiled coal, devised schemes to smuggle strategic chemicals into power stations, changed the trade union laws and infiltrated MI5 spies into the miners’ inner circle. Read full article > >

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Five myths about Margaret Thatcher

After her father’s disinheritance, a daughter finds what her father didn’t mean to leave behind: the gift of clarity.

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Modern Love: What Wasn’t Passed On – Modern Love

As our summer of Exhibitionism comes to an end, it feels appropriate to close this series the same way you leave a museum: through the gift shop. Even more than a fascinating historical exhibit or a stunning work of art, it is the gift shop that lures you inside with its glittering wares, its promise to render the intangible experience of a museum visit physical with a lasting souvenir. D.C. museums provide much more than your average take homes of postcards and pencils, which is why you need this comprehensive guide to Washington’s museum gift shops. Read full article > >

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Exit through the gift shop

Although mysterious graffiti artist Banksy’s film Exit Through the Gift Shop is receiving the majority of the PR hype in the Best Documentary category leading up to the Academy Awards telecast on Sunday, another doc is also making waves. Gasland, a…

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Gasland Doc Bothers Gas Industry

The most intriguing question for Sunday’s Oscars is shaping up to be: Will Banksy attend? The British street artist hides his identity, but is nominated for his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. He skipped a panel hosted at the motion-picture…

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Banksy Skips Oscar Party

Better use your gift cards: Borders is preparing a bankruptcy filing for as soon as Monday or Tuesday. The troubled bookseller started preparing papers for Chapter 11 reorganization after failing to get publishers to turn unpaid bills into $125 million…

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Borders Filing for Bankruptcy

Thursday marks the opening of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, which means a whole new crop of indie films will enter the marketplace hoping to eventually buzz their way to the big screen and then maybe (if they’re good enough) land a spot amongst next year’s Oscar nominees. Last year’s Sundance Film Festival produced 2010 awards favorites like Blue Valentine, Winter’s Bone, Exit Through the Gift Shop and The Kids Are All Right, so at the very least we expect a solid crop of new recruits to enter the playing field later this week. For those at home who aren’t familiar with the big, buzz-worthy films screening this year, here are ten that folks are talking about the most.

Over the years several deaths have impacted me significantly. The random, violent, or statistically improbable way in which some of these lives ended meant they often made the news. Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a perpetual episode of Six Feet Under rather than in the real, non-fiction world. One person with whom I could discuss this was my friend Mac Tonnies , who was, like me, mesmerized by the strange and unusual. Mac Tonnies was 34, a non-smoker, and vegetarian who walked every day. On October 18, 2009, he sent me a message on Twitter , went to bed and never woke up. His life was taken swiftly by an undiagnosed heart condition in his sleep. He became one of the bizarre deaths on my list. Only this time, I couldn’t talk to him about it. Now, posthumously, Mac himself has made the news, featured as he is in the January 9 New York Times Magazine piece, “Cyberspace When You’re Dead” by Rob Walker . I was interviewed for the story and quoted discussing Mac’s death and what it means for the world we all share and the digital afterlife that follows. In the article, Walker pulled out the core beam of my philosophy: “If people thought about dying more often, they’d think about living differently.” If people thought about dying more often, they’d think about living differently. Mac’s parents, Bob and Dana Tonnies, never owned a computer until his death and thus had not been familiar with their son’s digital self while he was still alive. (I, on the other hand, didn’t know him in the context of his odd jobs in Kansas City to feed his writing habit.) Nevertheless, now that they’ve become acquainted with their son’s alter-ego as an interplanetary man of mystery, they recognize this persona as a match for the real-life son who showed up each Sunday to have coffee with them, not as a radical departure or someone they don’t recognize. “Oh no, it’s him,” Dana Tonnies told Walker about Mac’s extended digital self and reading his extensive online writings. “I can hear him when I read it.” I was first introduced to Mac in 2004 by my friends Dr. Clifford Pickover and Patrick Huyghe , Mac’s editor at Simon & Schuster (publisher of Mac’s book, After the Martian Apocalypse ) and then Anomalist. After an email exchange, Mac and I started regularly chatting via a mix of digital mediums that evolved over time as the Internet did, eventually leading us to our favorite, Etherpad. We talked mostly about writing. I was a journalist at the time, moonlighting as a writer of novels. I’ve been writing a manuscript for a novel every year since I was 12, and Mac was an ardent supporter and critic. Over the years, many of our discussions also centered in some way on the relationship between technology and consciousness. We spent hours considering issues of how or whether we’d live long enough to extend our lives through technology. I can’t help but feel outraged that had Mac been given but a few more years, he might have lived to see at least some of his predictions become manifest, particularly with regard to the blurry merger between humans and machines. In 2006, when I started my company, Dancing Ink Productions , I no longer had the time to channel novels that more or less wrote themselves. I was forced to take up another method: wistful planning for the novel I dreamed constantly of writing. Instead of letting the characters surprise me by the things they said and did, I started taking notes, mapping out the overlap of motivations and motifs. Mac was concerned that the planning process was taking too long and my novel might never get written. His concern was heartbreakingly prescient but misplaced, as he himself died a week after completing the first draft of his manuscript, The Cryptoterrestrials , which was posthumously published by Anomalist with a blessing from his parents. Shortly before his death, Mac asked to see part of my novel. I braced myself for the fact that the excessive planning might have changed my prose and that Mac would no doubt point this out. Instead, he told me he loved it and that I should get serious about finishing it. “I don’t have time,” I said. “Find the time,” he replied. National Novel Writing Month started a couple of weeks after Mac’s death. Writing 50,000 words in 30 days is a mammoth task. I turned my grief into a novel, pulling all-nighters as if cramming for final exams while still working with clients. Even after I caught someone breaking into my house and spent a traumatized week dealing with bars, cameras, sensors, and an alarm being installed, I kept my word count up. Even after my father called to tell me my grandmother had passed away, adding another body to the death count, I kept on writing. By day 24, I crumpled in a heap at the keyboard as my count went over the 50,000 word mark. Since then I’ve added another 30,000. A year later, however, I’m coming to terms with the fact that it’s time to get serious about another draft. I knew this a few weeks ago when I came back from NASA Langley, where I’d been discussing the Mars mission, among other things. A package awaited me from the charming Dana Tonnies, Mac’s mother, with whom I’ve become friendly in the months since her son’s death. Inside was a copy of Mac’s book, Illumined Black and Other Adventures , which covers NASA and the Mars mission. Dana had no way of knowing that the gift would be a double coincidence. Not only was there the NASA synchronicity, but it arrived on my grandmother’s birthday, the first that she was not alive to celebrate. Since his death, Mac’s own grandmother had returned the out-of-print books to Dana, thinking that someone else might enjoy reading her copies if they couldn’t get their own. “To Grandma,” Mac wrote. “Hope you enjoy it! Yours, Mac.” And now, being quoted about life and death in Walker’s tour de force about the digital afterlife brings into stark focus the fact that I have to find the time again to finish what I started. “If we can escape the boundaries of death,” Mac said, “maybe we’ll be O.K.” Mac Tonnies is a meme that isn’t ready to die yet. If you want to get to know him, search. He’s still around. Me? I’m getting back to writing my book.

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Finding Time: A Response to Rob Walker on the Digital Afterlife

A Swiss filmmaker claims some credit for “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” the Banksy documentary that may get an Oscar nomination.

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The Carpetbagger: New Doubts for a Film That Has Truth Issues

Our selection of imaginative gifts in homage to one of our favorite comediennes In celebration of the resourceful comedian’s upcoming appearance at the Cool Hunting pop up Monday, 20 December 2011— where she will sign her book “Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People ” from 7-9pm—we’ve selected items from our Gift Guide that channel her sensibility. If none of these items get your goat, a flip through “Simple Times” will provide you with plenty of innovative ideas on how to make this joyous (read: stressful) holiday season a bit brighter. Sedaris draws on nature for many of her ideas, and the Campfire Incense Burner is a clever trinket that serves as a reminder of the outdoors inside. Nothing goes better with incense than a healthy peace pipe, packed with Good Fight and Cool Hunting Smoker’s Blend , a tobacco alternative or herbal enhancement for those times when you need a little smokable something to get more creative. Show off your artistic prowess with a personalized case made from one of designer Amy Holbrook’s Needlepoint iPod and iPhone Kits , or gift the kit itself to your favorite crafter. A quirky headpiece you think you could probably make on your own, Tom Scott’s Hairy Visor is actually an intricately-knitted accessory that any old-school yarn freak or Sedaris-wannabe would love to adorn. The Double Rainbow Maker is a gift that would not only brighten up someone’s day, but it reminds us of Sedaris’ continual support of gay rights with its symbolic display of light when attached to any window. One of the most hilarious women in recent history, we think she’d approve of these Pop Culture Pencils boasting funny phrases like “Why Is Alec Baldwin So Cool” and “Why It’s Time For Lost To End.” Not one to shy away from costume-inspired apparel or bold colors, the Yellow Melissa and Triton Clogh Clog made from recycled/recyclable Melflex is a Sedaris-inspired shoe bound to turn heads. A writer herself, we’re sure she appreciates a good book and David Rakoff’s witty semi-autobiographical tome ” Half Empty ” would be appreciated by anyone with a refreshingly kooky personality. While her own kids and pets are reportedly of the imaginary sorts, nothing encourages a child or cat to dream like a cape for the little ones and some catnip for Whiskers. Our faves are this year are the Little Hero Capes , which protect tykes from the elements of the human world as they embark on a creative journey and the Severed Leg Catnip Toy , an offbeat gift that your frisky feline is sure to love.

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Gifts Inspired by Amy Sedaris

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader sails into theaters this Friday, Dec. 10, and to get you in the mood of giving the gift of movies, we’re giving away $50 in Fandango Bucks to five lucky winners. You can check out our exclusive limited edition Voyage of the Dawn Treader designs, featuring some of the Pevensie children and favorite Narnians. All you have to do to enter our giveaway is post a comment to this blog post [one comment per entrant, please] with your answer to the following question: If you could take a magical journey to Narnia for a day, what would you do there? Have fun mulling over that one.Enter one comment from now until noon PST, on December 10, 2010, and we’ll randomly select five winners to receive free Fandango Bucks! Read More Read Comments

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‘Chronicles of Narnia’ Fandango Bucks Giveaway!

From honey bear bongs to portable Bluetooth speakers, Cool Hunting’s limited-edition series of collaborations This year, Cool Hunting teamed up with select favorite brands—innovators in technology, design, fashion, and perhaps most fondly, food—to create limited-edition versions of their much-beloved products, available exclusively through our online store and at our pop up for Gap. When we learned that 160-year-old Swiss watchmaker Marvin was undergoing a revival, we worked with their designer to put a CH spin on their newest style, the Malton 160 Cushion . Our interpretation ($1,250) features green accents and is signed and numbered, as well as engraved with “Toujours Plus” (a riff on one of our taglines, “Always More”). Already sold out, the last chance to get this sleek watch is through our upcoming charity auction. (Stay tuned for details, and check out our recent video on Marvin to learn more about the brand that supplied JFK with gifts for Marilyn.) Created by CH founder Josh Rubin and his father, the tech-friendly glove brand Freehands came out with a CH Edition ($80) this season. Like all Freehands, these are designed to keep your hands warm while using your mobile phone, camera, iPod and more, but this luxurious version is made from 80% pure cashmere in gray-on-gray stripes, and features the new magnetic design that discreetly secures the finger and thumb flaps back out of the way. We collaborated with Brooklyn brand Outlier on this Swiss wool hat , an accessory technically designed for bike riding in less-than-cheery weather. Completely wind-resistant, highly water-resistant and with a brim that perfectly shields a rider’s brow, the stylish cap ($90) comes in three colors, keeping you protected from the elements without ruining your holiday party entrance. Maintaining their minimalist design, local sourcing, and small-footprint credo, Rickshaw created one of their bestselling Zero Waste bags for Cool Hunting. Featuring a green interior and a black exterior, our exclusive multifunctional Zero bag ($150) and its matching CH Edition felt and nylon iPad case ($30) keep your precious goods protected on the go. Already fans of their caps and belts, we commissioned the creative Tokyo-based label Zillion to completely cover a series of vintage skateboard decks in their dead-stock kimono fabrics. The limited-edition collection was crafted in two styles— with wheels ($850) or without ($750) —each in beautiful patterns that look fantastic hanging on any wall, especially when grouped together. Local artisan Jill Platner (another craftsperson who’s long been on our list of favorites) created a series of 12 of her signature rawhide bracelets exclusively for Cool Hunting ($175). Handcrafted in New York for nearly two decades, Platner’s jewelry features her trademark sterling silver toggle clasps, but our version comes in a longer bracelet length and a custom dove gray leather. We’ll be hosting an event premiering our video on Jill in our pop up shop for the Gap soon, check back for details. Handmade from locally-sourced vintage fabrics in one of the few remaining factories in Manhattan’s Garment District, 3sixteen ‘s four patterns of classic ties for Cool Hunting ($80) boast clean lines that demonstrate the menswear company’s extreme attention to detail and craftsmanship. Other collaborations include the pairing of Brooklyn chocolate purveyors Mast Brothers with San Francisco fruit gastronome June Taylor to create an out-of-this-world artisanal chocolate bar ($10), a beyond delicious Happy Goat scotch caramel sauce, an Esque honey bear water pipe ($360), and Good Fight’s herbal smoking blend. Stay tuned for more in the upcoming days on those Cool Hunting exclusives! Though it’s not for sale, also keep an eye out for CH giveaways of Jawbone’s brand-new portable Bluetooth speaker the Jambox in custom Cool Hunting Green. Almost all products will be available through our gift guide as well as our new Cool Hunting x Gap pop up store .

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CH Editions