As you get older, you’re going to need reading glasses, particularly if you spend a number of hours per day pinching your eyes at tiny words being projected at you from a glowing screen a foot in front of your face.

No need to panic, though, you won’t necessarily need to settle for a pair of 1980’s style frames sitting on a dusty rack at your neighborhood Walgreen’s. Take these Geek style by Scojo. You’ll look smart and natty as you stare at the 30” flat screen monitor in your den office when you’re wearing a pair of these.

$54.97 at Read In Style

I’ve been looking for a magazine rack for my bathroom, since leaving them in the waste basket kind of defeats the purpose of both the magazines and the waste basket. And one would think that finding something simple, clean and efficient for such a task wouldn’t be quite an arduous journey.

Sure, DWR has $300 magazine racks, which I might consider if I was a subscriber to Visionaire or something equally insane, but since I’m not and my issues of Wired don’t necessarily require something magnificent to showcase them, this cleanly designed magazine rack at Target fits the bill perfectly.

$34.99 at Target Online

The good people at Matmos continue to awe and inspire with their range of interesting, sexy and fun lighting options.

Next up, “Thaw” designed by Mathew Jackson. The sleek, shiny stainless steel base holds the melted ice so everything stays nice and dry, and you can reuse the ice candle over and over just by freezing it overnight. It provides a lovely, indistinct glow as the ice melts, plus it teaches your kids all about Pat Benetar! (Fire and ice? Anyone? Anyone?)

$39.00 at Generate

If there’s one chore I don’t look forward to - and actually, if it’s a chore I probably don’t look forward to it at all, anyway, but you know what I mean - it’s scrubbing the shower. Oh, sure, afterwards it’s very satisfying to step into a sparkling clean shower stall free of whatever that weird pinkish brown gunk is, and the calcium stains on the shower door, and so on. But the getting on one’s knees and the smell of the caustic cleaners and the generally feeling icky and filthy while it’s going on? Not so much.

Recently, I’ve seen a commercial for some contraption you hang from your shower head and turn on as you leave the foggy interior and it starts spritzing something probably deadly to children and small pets all over the place. Ick! I use method’s Daily Shower Cleaner, which is derived from plant materials and minerals and smells like ylang ylang, which is more fun to say than “lemon” or “pine,” and it really works! Just mist your shower all over you’re done. No scrubbing, no squeegees, just a few simple sprays after every shower and you won’t have to scrub again. Isn’t that worth $5 a month?

$4.99 at drugstore.com

Andreas Cellarius was a Dutch-German mathematician and cosmographer in the 17th century. In 1660, 5 years before his death, a collection of his celestial maps was published in the Harmonia Macrocomica depicting in 29 maps the galactic visions of Ptolemy, Copernicus and Tycho with all their cherubs and smiling sun faces right where they should be.

Taschen is reproducing the volume in a 240-page, 21” by 12.5” hardbound book in a complete copy of the first edition in the Library of the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Cellarius Atlas: The Finest Atlas of the Heavens now includes copious notes and a detailed appendix with a list of constellation figures, their origins and mythology, star names found on the plates, a glossary of technical words and a bibliography.

Keep watching the skies.

$125.00 at TASCHEN Books

Men’s wallets, as a general rule, do nothing to excite me. They are usually black, usually made of leather, usually fold in half and usually that’s about it. Yawn.

Here’s the exception. This is a stainless-steel wallet made from stainless-steel cloth. It’s shiny metal, and it fits in your pocket. If you have nothing else that will impress the waitress the next time you whip something out, at least you can be pretty darn sure that she’s never seen anything like this.

$95.00 at MoMAstore

I wear contact lenses. I am anal retentive. The two things are only tangentially related, in general, but the reason I mention them both now is that I like my bathroom to look organized. I keep a lot of stuff under the sink, like anyone, and I keep some of the nicely packaged goods on a lovely glass shelf like jewelry. And, quite frankly, a contact lens case belongs in neither place.

It irks me (quietly, but irks me nonetheless) to have my lens case sitting on my vanity, but I need to keep things all together because I’m fastidious like that. Thank the design Gods that the Kapaclip is available. It’s not only a lot nicer looking than the standard white plastic case with its charming colored caps and frosted base, but it’s designed to grab onto your lens solution bottle so everything is exactly where it should be! Voila!

$7.00 at MoMAstore

Have you ever fallen down in your bathtub while taking a shower? It’s scary as hell, because your first instinct is to reach out and grab something to hold onto, but everything in there is wet and you’re slick with lather and anything you’re bound to hit with your unprotected body is hard as a rock. In short, there’s no fun involved.

So why not put something down that’ll keep you propped up? Designer Hella Jongerius has created this bathroom mat that already looks like it’s covered with large water drops, resembling an overlarge sheet of bubblewrap. It’s soft and sticky so it’s not only comfortable on your feet, it’ll keep you upright, too.

$59.00 at Generate

Not everyone, I’m sure, wants to freak their guests out when they go to hang up their outerwear. I; however, fully enjoy the occasional freak out — and I experienced just such a state when I encountered the Hand Hook line.

Harry Allen is the designer behind this very simple idea. It’s almost Addams Family in execution, however, because the casting of these pieces is so precise and eerie. I spent minutes examining thefingernails and wrinkles on every knuckle. They’re the same size as your (or, I guess, my) hand and there are three designs to mix and match.

$79.00 each at Generate.

It’s spring cleaning time! You’re going through your closets and cabinets, under the beds and on top of the fridge and finally getting rid of all those things you no longer use, wear, read, listen to, play with or watch. Now, what are you going to do with it all?

If you’re even considering selling your crap on eBay to others who don’t consider it crap at all, I urge you to put a little investment into your time and effort and avoid a lot of headaches by reading my friend Shauna’s new book, “Don’t Get Burned on EBay: How to Avoid Scams and Escape Bad Deals.” It’s from O’Reilly, and as you can see the animal on the front isn’t quite an animal at all, but the advice and humor and real-world experiences inside will more than pay for your up-front, honey.

$11.04 at Amazon.

If you don’t need this, chances are that you know somebody who does. After hours of shopping, and endless tours around the parking lot, and all that horrid holiday cheer pouring out of Muzak® speakers in every store, coffee shop and pet store, you’re going to want to put your feet up and get some R&R of your own before going back out into all the madness again.

Wishing Fish comes to your rescue with their Holiday Survival Kit. Packed in an emergency red carry-all, you’ll find Mistletoe Prep Breath Mints, Wellness Wipes to keep those germs from too many hugs and kisses at bay, Carol Plugs to deafen the endless rounds of “Rudolph” from drowning out your own thoughts, and a shot glass labeled Mirth Boost which you can fill with the liquor-based beverage of your choice, which I assume will contain neither egg nor nog.

$12.00 at Wishing Fish

I am not a cook. That isn’t to say that I am not a good cook, I simply… don’t cook. I’m a bachelor, I entertain infrequently if at all, I work full-time and the nearest fully-stocked grocery store is more than a stroll away. Since I don’t own a car, stocking up on foodstuffs is inconvenient, and I find that if I purchase too much stuff, most of it goes bad before I get a chance to even eat it.

Having said all that by way of context, I love cooking shows and cookbooks because I love great food. I am a foodie. Living here in San Francisco means I get to enjoy some of the best restaurants in the nation, if not the world, and my palette can sample things from many different cultures, often on the same plate.

This cookbook comes to us from the fine people at Phaidon Press, whose art and lifestyle titles enrapture the eye and mind. The Silver Spoon is a collection of over 2,000 traditional and modern Italian recipes offered for the first time in an English translation. It was originally published in 1950 in Italy and has sold over one million copies in eight editions. This version has a new layout and fantastic, mouth-watering photography that you’ll enjoy whether or not you ever actually light your stove.

$31.95 at Phaidon Press.

I am all about the weird new junk that you don’t know how it works but it does and that makes you happy even if, unbeknownst to you, the longterm costs are stuff like cancer or thyroid disease or something, which isn’t to say that this will give you cancer, only that it’s weird and I don’t know how it works.

“Click” is a little yellow tube to use after you’ve been bitten by a mosquito. It isn’t a bug repellant, instead you point the end of it at the bite and click Click 5 times. This sends out tiny high voltage/low intensity shocks through your skin. No batteries are required, even! It’s sick! After you feel the the discomfort go away, click Click 10 more times to get the swelling to go down. Click should last through 2,000 bites, or one summer in Vermont.

$5.69 at drugstore.com

Brave Soldier is a line of first aid and personal cosmetic products designed for athletes. They use natural ingredients when applicable and come in containers you can stuff into your pack or pocket so you’re prepared in case of problems.

For example, Brave Soldier’s Crash Pak is designed primarily to treat road rash, better known as “that awful looking scabby patch of skin you got when road biking too fast down the French Alps.” The kit comes in a waterproof resealable mylar bag and includes their Antiseptic Healing Ointment (with Tea Tree oil, Green tea extract, organic comfrey and vitamins A, C and E) along with some non-adhering wound dressings, surgical sponges, anticeptic pads and towlettes and, probably most helpful of all, Advil.

The whole kit comes in at 1 ounce, so keeping a Crash Pak with you whenever you’re out in the wilds is a very good idea that won’t weigh you down.

$12.50 at Brave Soldier.

Attention Bag Whores! This is your next bag. ACME specializes in making fashionable, functional and well-made bags for Mac users, specifically, but if you’re dragging any laptop from conference to conference, this is the bag that’ll get you noticed.

This is the Slim Cargo in Cadet Stripe. The computer case has quilted satin lining to protect your precious magnesium-clad tech, with closed cell foam padding on all sides. The outer pocket is big enough to fit in all your other essentials and the straps are made of leather, rather than Nylon. ACME has a helpful sizing chart with several laptops listed so you know exactly how big your bag needs to be.

Be sure to check out their beautiful Italian leather iPod wallets, too.

$139.99 - $249.99 depending on size and materials, at ACME MADE.

Ordinarily I point you to some cool gadget or nice furniture or fun toy thing and tell you why you should agree with me special good taste in all things, and we’ll get back to that, no worries. But this time I’m just going to pass along a coupon to you as a gift from me and the nice people at Borders.

Click below to get a coupon for 25% off (or, unfortunately, only 10% off on electronics and video games — stupid margins!) on any one regular-priced item at Borders. Save yourself the time and expense of shipping another book from Amazon and just browse the aisles and shelves for something you didn’t even know you wanted. Pick up another DVD you think you can’t live without but will only watch twice. Crazy go nuts!

25% off any one non-sale item at Borders.

Is your bathroom library in order? Ban the magazine pile and add some interest for your rest periods. When your guests come to visit and start snooping around your bathroom, let them know you’re not only clean (please, god) but also smart, witty, thoughtful and urbane.

The essential bathroom book is a digest of short, easy-to-read pieces that can be finished in one, you should excuse the expression, sitting. Here’s a few suggestions, from thin tomes to hefty manuals, for your own lavatory library.

Schott’s Original Miscellany
by Ben Schott

Mr. Schott (see above) gathers the trivial, historical and assorted odds and ends about life in general and provides a manual about nothing and everything. Ever wondered what all th echat room acronyms are? Who won the Ryder’s Cup in 1963? Need a good Shakespearean insult to fling? See pages 74 and 75.

$10.17 at Amazon

1000 Extra/Ordinary Objects
by Carlos Mustienes, Isabelle Baraton & Oliviero Toscani

Scouted from around the world, art book publisher Taschen digs up page after page of awful, wonderful, horrific and amazing objects to peruse and gawk at. From fireproof cushion hoods worn by Japanese schoolchildren in case of fire or earthquake to plastic Parisian dog shit shovels to Brazilian caruba tree bark that will “get you good and hard down below” when ground up and added to juice or milk, there’s bound to be something you’ve never seen before inside these covers.

$19.79 at Amazon

A Writer’s Companion: A Handy Compendium of Useful but Hard-To-Find Information on History, Literature, Art, Science, Travel, Philosophy and Much More
by Louis D. Rubin, Jr. with Jerry Leath Mills

This is an especially useful book if you’re thinking of writing a work of fiction set in another period. Who was elected when and how long did they serve? What was popular on the radio? What films were people going to see? And in addition to these bits of popular culture history, the book contains myriad other bits of infermation like what birds are native to where in the world, what are the parts of firearms called, what are the names of art movements and styles, a history of treaties and concordants, battles, operas, novels, religions, astronomy, gastronomy and monuments of the world.

$8.48 from Amazon

The New York Public Library Desk Reference (4th Edition)
by Paul Fargis

This is probably overkill and you’ll want someplace in your bathroom that can handle a 1,016-page hardcover book, but if you really want the one book that covers the most about absolutely everything with absolutely no plot whatsoever, this is it. This is the one-stop reference work that answers questions you never even knew you needed answers for. There’s plenty about art, music, literature, religion, philosophy and grammar — but also delves into the esoteric like treating constipation in your pet, how many cubic inches are in a pint, stain-removal advice, how to compute wind chill factors amd carving a turkey the right way. Within a few minutes you may feel like if it’s not in here, you probably don’t need to know it.

$23.07 at Amazon

The thing about me, which you are probably unaware of, is that I am the sole of discretion. If someone I know has bad breath, do I whip out the TicTacs and toss them a box? No, I suffer in silence. When someone cuts me off in their car when I’m riding my bike, causing me to fall to the pavement, skinning my elbow and twisting my ankle so that I have to peddle home all bloody and hurty, do I scream at them and flip them off and call them no-good fucking pieces of shit?

No, but now I have an alternate outlet. These “Congrats! You’re An Asshole” cards colorfully get the point across, but you don’t have to be there to take the punch in the nose for your opinions.

Just leave them a note that says “talking really loudly on cell phone while riding public transportation” or “using an ATM for 18 consecutive transactions when people are waiting” or “not letting others out of the train/bus/store/post office before pushing way in” really defines who they are.

Set of 10 for $7.50 at glarkware.

How many pairs of shoes do you own. I am embarrassed to report that I own over two-dozen, and collect more every month. But as I live in a small studio apartment in San Francisco, I don’t have a lot of room for a lot of shoes and they tended to either get piled up on the closet shelf (and forgotten) or kicked along the closet floor (and ruined).

If you value your shoes — and I know this is probably a minority of you — invest in some hanging shoe shelves to keep them organized, separated and unsullied. I have two 10-shelf units and keep my “favorite” (or “most expensive”) shoes in them, so I keep my closet cleaner and neater than ever.

$44.99 or $64.99 at holdeverything.

I am often jealous of women for having so many fashion choices. Men, we may occasionally find some interesting shoes or a colorful tie or a new scent to spice up our otherwise drab wardrobes, but women have so many accessories and doodads and choices that it’s a little unfair. On the other hand, I do not envy the whole bra and pantyhose thing.

Archie McPhee is usually your one-stop shopping choice for silly plastic thingies to amuse yourself, and maybe this is the same thing, after all. It’s a Mini Bowling Bag purse, 8½” tall made of soft vinyl with a nice big handle. It’s available in eight styles — this one is “Cowboy.”

$14.95 at Archie McPhee.

As my good friend Leslie says, “Everyone deserves a little Tiffany.” Not everyone, however, can afford a $4,000 watch or a pair of .29 carat diamond earrings in platinum for $2,400.

What we have here is a valet key ring in sterling silver with stainless steel rings. It’s embossed with T&CO and the two top rings are easily removed in case you don’t need to carry all those keys around with you — or to hand the controls to the SLK350 over to some 17-year-old parking lot attendant. I’ve had this key ring for around 10 years, and I’ve never regretted for a second the money I splurged for myself.

Sometimes, it’s the little things.

$135.00 at Tiffany & Co.

No one writes anymore, have you noticed? Me, I didn’t even do it before the web, but since the advent of email and blogs and all this electronic tomfoolery, the delicate and personal art of writing has all but died away. What we need is a handwriting renaissance — and something to write on.

I’m a sucker for bunnies. Bunnies are like kitties but quieter and more hoppy. Sewing Stars’ “Mr. Bunny Stationery” comes in pleasant calming hues and shows Mr. Bunny thinking up interesting and thoughtful things for you to say to your friends. Re-start an old trend and write an actual letter on actual stationery today.

$8.50 at Plain Mabel.

I have very clear memories of being a teenager and trying to help a girl find something in her purse and chancing upon these long paper-wrapped things that they would inevitably snatch back, appalled and embarrassed, much to my confusion and curiosity.

Thank God those days are over, and thank Blue Q (makers of Bitch and Dirty Girl soap) for offering Vinnie’s Tampon Case. Now you’ll always know where your Tampax slender regulars are, no more being embarrassed about anything and no more worried looks when your new boyfriend actually figures out that you use tampons. The moron.

$11.95 at Sesto Senso.

Frankly, I’ve never quite understood the need for pillboxes. Pillbox hats, yes. Pillboxes? No. I mean, I take a variety of vitamins and minerals and weird semi-toxic substances but I keep them all in their little bottles in my medicine cabinet and have no trouble telling one from the other.

That said, I couldn’t resist this little red leather piece of whimsey with white stitching and a cunning little lash to keep the top shut. Shaped like a red cross, it has five compartments inside for all your hallucinogens — or what have you.

$30.00 at atmosphere.

Why keep going out for lunch when you can bring it to the office in something as stylish as this? Built NY provides a neoprene lunch bag that’ll keep your hot food hot or your cold food cold. It even folds out into its own placemat. It’s even machine washable to get that mayo smell out after a few too many tuna fish sandwiches.

Available in bright, happy orange, cranberry red, navy blue or basic black.

$25.99 at Table and Home.