I believe everyone should buy themselves a good birthday present. You know yourself better than anyone else, so you should at least get one thing you're going to love. This year, I bought myself a Jack Spade bag. I've seen them around the subway and admired their simple, clean lines, but alway thought they were just a little too expensive/metrosexual. Then I saw one in the flesh (Jen got James one) and there was no turning back.

The bag is built beautifully and the attention to detail is exquisite. My favorite parts are the two outer pockets, which are clearly sized for an iPod and a set of keys (the larger pocket has an exit for your headphones), and the magazine slot in the back. I often find myself nearly missing my subway stop because I'm engrossed in an article and having to fumble with my bag to get the magazine inside, but this clears that up. As a bonus, one of the three small pockets on the inside fits my PSP perfectly (unfortunately my DS is a smidgen to large, which is why I'll obviously have to get a DS Lite).

Looking at the bag on the macro level, it's ideal for my commute to work. It can fit 2-3 magazines, all the items listed above and a lunch without much problem. Even better is that it easily fits in my lap, which was often a difficulty with my Chrome bag.

If you want to check out the details for yourself, I put together a flickr set with a few detail shots. I just wish more purveyors of goods took a ton of shots like this for each product, because the internet age is not great for kicking the tires.