Three endorsements:

The Packtowl. This thing absorbs crazy amounts of water and gets softer and more absorbent with use. From saturation, one can wring out 90% of the water. Alas, you're left with a towel that's 10% wet, but that's just fine for wiping the sweat from your brow on a hike/run/ride/whatever. And it's from the same fine folks who make Thermarest pads.

The Tableturns 4th anniversary DVD: A Great Day in Turntablism. I've yet to watch all of it, but my favorite parts so far are Q-bert scratching without a mixer and the Roc Raida/Total Eclipse beat-juggling routine. Here's an Amazon link, but don't buy it from them, for crying out loud. Support the underground (hey dude, how about a free tape?) Try turntablelab.com.

Last but not least, Mr. Lif's 'I, Phantom' album. Is Lif the best Boston MC since Guru, or the best ever? Is this the first great hip-hop concept album? Maybe, though I feel like I'm forgetting something. At any rate, Lif is amazingly good. I slept on this album for about a year, partially because of my unfortunate tendency to confuse him with Company Flow-er Mr. Len, but after seeing him rhyme live on the Def Jux DVD, I had to cop the album.  ¶ 9:52 PM