I have enjoyed the Ministry of Sound music compilation CDs for years. Naturally, when I came across this post from Cool Hunting, I was even more excited! Unfortunately, there is no plan to open any of the Minibars in the United States. So perhaps a trip to the UK is in order? 🙂

From Cool Hunting:

Fifteen years since the original club opened in London’s Elephant and Castle, Ministry of Sound has evolved beyond all recognition into a truly global brand. These days, it doesn’t just sell dance music of all shades, but also the audio equipment to listen to it on, and even clubbing holidays to places like Egypt.

Ministry’s latest off-shoot is the Minibar, which aims to be the “ultimate bar concept” that will “revolutionize the high street.” Whether or not the pun in the name immediately marks the place down is up to you, but the rest of the spiel is quite intriguing. Minibar will be split into four zones, and will include hot-tub seating (pictured right), a diary room and video rooms for some “web cam excitement.” Aside from the ideas obviously inspired by watching too much Big Brother, there’ll also be the requisite cocktail and shot bars, and a dancefloor coupled with a decent sound system.

Surprisingly, the first Minibar opens in the relatively small North-of-England town of Harrogate (it’s about the same size as Kansas City) next Friday, 31 March 2006. With such high hopes for it though, you won’t be surprised to hear that Ministry intends to eventually roll out the brand in every major U.K. city.

Minibar
Unit 1
The Royal Pavilion
Parliament Square
Harrogate
North Yorkshire HG1 2RR
United Kingdom

(Via Cool Hunting)

I enjoy traveling. While some people detest the airport, there’s something about it that just gets me excited. Yes, this may be strange, but I like it. 🙂

In my travels I have been to countless airports, big and small, all across North America, Europe and some in Asia. I have to admit that I don’t really notice the floor much, but if more cool art installations like “Flying Carpet” were around, it would sure make my airport hustle more interesting.

An installation at the Sacramento International Airport, Iranian artist Seyed Alavi has created an aerial view of the Sacramento River that is woven into a carpet. Located on the floor of a pedestrian bridge connecting the terminal to the parking garage, this is a neat expression of art on a seldom noticed but heavily seen (trafficked) area.

(Via Boing Boing)

The Original Ring Thing is a beer drinker’s answer to that age-old question, “where’s the bottle opener?” Have you ever fumbled through a drawer, looking for a bottle opener? Now you can wear one on your finger! This cool ring incorporates a bottle opener into its design. Fun and functional!

Available at ThinkGeek.com for about 8 bucks.

(Via Gadget Review)

For the extremely lazy people (or those days when you can’t muster enough strength to stir your own coffee) this mug stirs your coffee for you! At the touch of a button, you can have the mug stir your coffee, instead of you using a spoon or a stirring stick.

Available for $22 at Gadget.brando.com.hk

(Via Uber-Review)

These biodegradable food containers made from a corn-based resin that will break down in your compost bin in about 45-60 days. The containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are designed for cold and warm foods only, they cannot be exposed to heat over 110 degrees.

While I don’t have a compost bin (nor do I know anyone who does) I think this is a really cool idea.

(Via Eco-Products)