America is still picking up the pieces of the worst financial disaster in decades, and the bulk of the damage struck in the financial market. In a time where you might think banks would be keeping their money internal to repair and rebuild their organizations, we have instead gaped in horror as some 0f these same executives receive multimillion dollar bonuses year after year.

In fact, a study performed by the Associated Press in 2008 found that $1.6 billion of total government bail out money (money provided to fledgling organizations intended to keep them from total collapse) went straight to various executives pockets.

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This pocket-sized barcode scanner and accompanying software automates the tedious process of cataloging a collection of valuables. As small as a keyless auto remote, the cordless scanner’s laser reads any standard retail barcode at the press of a button.

It stores up to 250 barcodes in its internal memory and automatically uploads data when plugged into a computer’s USB port, which also recharges the scanner’s battery. The included software makes it easy to inventory wine, comic books, groceries, household valuables, books, CDs, DVDs, and video games. The software adds details about your collection from online databases, such as the region and varietal for a vintage, track lists for CDs, and cover art for books and movies. It also generates reports for reference and insurance purposes that can be published online and viewed from any web browser or on an iPhone.

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This is the genuine walking stick handmade in Ireland and bearing the same name as the town traditionally known as the source of its origin centuries ago–Shillelagh. Located in County Wicklow in southeastern Ireland, the town is situated near robust stands of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), the wood species used to make each shillelagh, selected for its superior weight-to-hardness ratio.

Each stick is harvested from specimens of the stout wood in remote areas of County Wicklow, Cork, and Kerry, and each is hand-sanded and lacquered with a high-gloss finish–no two sticks are identical and the handles will vary in shape due to blackthorn;s natural growth patterns. Thought to have elongated into its present form from its shorter fighting stick predecessor, today they are used by farmers for herding sheep or cattle, or simply as walking companions–many are considered family heirlooms.

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