Tuesdays with Muerte

I just bought these Easton Trail AL3 hiking poles from Out n' Back in Provo.  Jason Hills forwarded me an email advertisement he got from them.  I looked up the specs to see if they met my all criteria. (I would have liked them to be ultra light and have a compass and a screw for a monopod and some bear spray and an internal mp3 player with speakers embedded in the shaft, but I'll have to take what I can get for now.) Next, I checked around the internet to make sure it was a good deal—and it was: $42 for poles and winter baskets (incl. tax)!  My knees are pretty excited about this. I'll probably be doing about 3-5 more hikes before driving down to California to submit Mt. Whitney in June!

Which External Hard Drive? (Image Source ) It's time to purchase an external hard drive. Here are my needs: It must have USB 3.0 transfer speeds. It must be name brand, (preferably WD, Seagate or I-OMEGA). It must be under $150. *I'd like to purchase it from Costco.  Here are my wants: I want something large enough to hold all my other 1.5 TB of stored data so I can get rid of my other three 500GB, desktop hard drives. I want it to either be a  NAS (Network Attached Storage) , or wirelessly accessible.  That way multiple computers can read and write to it.  (e.g. I'd be able to stream media to my iPad from anywhere in the house.) I want it to be as inexpensive as possible. I couldn't find one hard drive that met all of my criteria.  So here are the three options that I like.  Each one is missing one of the aforementioned qualifications: WD My Book Live 2TB Personal Cloud Storage Drive  —Not a ton of space, nor is it really ch...

I think laptop stands are invaluable! I want to buy an mStand , by Rain Design, to use with an external keyboard and mouse. The stand serves several purposes: Lifts the height of the display which makes working more comfortable. Helps cooling as you get lots of airflow around the laptop Gives you more desk space! I plan on resting text books in the gap between the base of the stand and where the laptop is elevated. Organizes cords and keeps them from falling back behind your desk. (Possibly the best reason), it keeps the laptop out of the way of drinks spillage. I'd feel a lot more comfortable eating and drinking around my MBP if it were safely out the way!

Gizmodo recently ranked this as the best razor on the market. (Image Source ) Shaving with the Sensotouch 3D feels like removing facial hair with robot kisses. There is virtually zero hair tugging, even through three-day long stubble. The SensoTouch did require more passes as the stubble length increased, but for daily use, its performance was unmatched. I often found myself using it to clean up after testing the other units—using it wet or with shaving foam, the SensoTouch consistently shaved trouble spots that the others missed. An hour of charge provides an equal length of run time. You can't adjust the intensity of the shave as you can with the Braun, but the SensoTouch's pivoting/flexing/tilting head doesn't miss a single curve on your face. It is also the most aesthetically sharp shaver we tested. It genuinely looks like it's  from the future . The body reads out the remaining amount of shave time in bold white numbers, while its LED power display gently ...

Image Source Student Printer  — Must include an auto document feeder for scanning, be accessible wirelessly and from email, and preferably over 10 pages/min (ISO). HP Officejet 6500A Plus e-All-in-One - $84 Epson WorkForce 545 Inkjet All-in-One - $90 New slippers that I can't smell when I put them on. Tempur-Pedic Classic Velour Slippers BLUE - $21 School backpack  — I'm tired of lugging around a computer bag. It's just impractical. REI Quantum Messenger Pack - $60 North Face Hot Shot - $60 North Face Base Camp Hot Shot Waterproof Daypack -  $65 North Face Recon - $60 North Face (Asphalt) Borealis -  $70 Backup Hard Drive  — I have a bunch of 500GB ones.  I want to consolidate and sell the old ones. I want it to be wireless. Seagate GoFlex Home 3TB NAS (Network Attached Storage) Network Drive -  $150 Western Digital My Book Live Home Network Drive (3TB) - $150 Air Filter  for my dusty, funky apartment. True HEPA air...

Today, I made the terrible decision of which Apple laptop to purchase: The  13" Macbook Air , the  13" Macbook Pro , or the  15" Macbook Pro (Retina Display) .  I looked into WinOS laptops and none of them stood up to my choice. Air Pros: Light, forward thinking, fast-ish, less expensive ($1600), less guilt in 3 years when I want to upgrade. Cons: No ethernet port, no optical drive, slow for video and heavy graphic design, can't upgrade without voiding warranty. Pro Pros: Ethernet and optical drive in addition to legacy ports, slightly more powerful and upgradable than the Air Cons: Heavy, 2x more expensive (The one I want would be $3K.) Pro (Retina) Pros: Sexy beast! Most powerful laptop on the market. Most-stunning visual display. Cons: RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Specs not necessarily needed right now, but will be normal in 2-3 years. Only for people with money to burn. Click Image to Enlarge The Comparison The Air was cheap.  Inex...

As soon as Vibram offers this shoe at 40% off, I’m buying it—size UK 41, Brazilian colors. Although the shoe is not built for intense sports, it is the most comfortable of the FiveFinger shoes.  It has laces for dressing quickly.  (The others take me 2 minutes/shoe to put on.)  I plan on using the Speeds  for frisbee-disk fishing in the river, outdoor  volleyball  on the grass, and walking around outside. How to Run "Barefoot" If you’re interested in trying out barefoot (or nearly barefoot) running, keep in mind that it will take your body some time to get used to it. Here are some tips from the experts to get you started. Start slow, with quarter-mile runs at most, and build up very gradually. Listen to your feet. Don’t try to run with the same gait you use in shoes — shorten your steps and land on the forward part of your foot. Keep your head up and your body vertical. Your feet should be hitting the ground almost directly underneath ...

Kickstarter - A New Stretch Goal from Ministry of Supply on Vimeo . I want to pledge $150 for an Apollo shirt and two base layers; one temperature regulating, the other not. My size is: Slim cut Neck — 15 /1/2 Sleeve — 34/35

I just got suckered into purchasing an online deal.  I bought this nice backpacking-ready jacket from Marmot for $67 total! Here are my justifications: It's black.  Conservative. I need something to wear to work that is less audacious than my HUMONGOUS orange coat from Mountain Harware. The orange one was for grad school.  This one is more professional. This one can go backpacking.  It's compressible down to a pocket in the lining. I can wear it around town. I can wear it when I'm sick (because I'm cold all the time). Tremendous value.  People who bought it for full retail price ($175) said it was a steal.  It was only $67, instead of $100, the next lowest price I found online. Here are my concerns: NOT breathable membrane.  I will not be doing any activity with this on lest I combust. The $67 version may or may not have a full zipper.  It didn't say on the website, but I understand that Marmot makes a pullov...

The Oral-B Professional Care 1000 Rechargeable Toothbrush with Bonus Crest 3D Whitestrips is normally $112.   Today it's only $35 ; it will probably be more when you check it.  (And don't forget your  $10 rebate .) Having just chipped the back of my tooth off, I have a renewed desire to maintain my teeth.  I think it will be worth the $25 investment. I'll write a review and let you know what I think.  (I'm curious why they are liquidating these models.  Could it be a new pricing scheme or are they rolling out a new line of products?)  Will I have buyers remorse because I didn't get a Sonicare toothbrush that my parents both have and love?

I think I "need" a pair of these Smartbuds for work.  Only $25! ZAGG runs this sale twice a year: Memorial Day weekend and Black Friday.  It's 20% and 50% off retail price of all merchandise. I'm going to walk across the street and pick myself out a pair on my lunch break.  I might look at the iPhone (iFrog) cases, InvisiShield covers, and the iPad keyboard cases. If it weren't so darn convenient, I probably wouldn't even bother.  (I'm excited though.) ...I'm back.  And I purchased the Smartbuds. Product Review (After Purchase): The earbuds feel very light in my ears.  I could keep them in for extended periods without feeling irritated. The chord design allows for the weight of the chord to rest on the neck instead of on the ears.  The allows for the buds to stay in place while moving around.  Brilliant. The speaker quality is high. The on-the-cord volume control is alright.  The control feels a little chitzy.  However...

Approaching the second year with my current phone plan, it's almost time to "upgrade" service plans.  I have been rocking the SPRINT Optimus with a decent history of success.  Sprint's reception at my home and work is outstanding (expect for on the south side of my apartment complex—but no network is perfect).  Honestly, that's the biggest thing that matters to me about a phone. However, Sprint's data plan was as slow as molasses.  For me, the user interface was garbage; I barely used any of the apps that weren't on the initial page because the navigation was to clunky for me.  The operating system was messed up.  I couldn't download more than 250 mb of stuff on my phone because everything had to be stored locally; I didn't use my data card at all.  Also, I had to reset my phone three times. So now, I'm in the market for an iPhone.  The Mac iOS is tried and true.  I already love the UI.  The only thing that remains is finding wh...

Lessons Learned (The Hard Way) Don't wait to take advantage of a great deal.  Supply is always limited. As time passes, demand will only increase (assuming the deal really is all it's cracked up to be). Buy first, brag later. Know when good, is good enough.  Even when I could have saved a few more dollars if I did a little more research, get the guaranteed deal when you have the chance. Start the buy process when you are thinking about it.  Back out at the last minute (enter credit card info) if needed. Russ Walker posted on his facebook wall that he just purchased a pair of headphone from a Groupon deal around 4:30pm. Since Russ and I had the same taste in audio electronics I made a mental note to check it out once I had finished the project I was working on (1st mistake). When I went got around to looking up the deal, I immediately started doing some internet research.  I visited the product's homepage.  I read 2 reviews on the produc...

Here's a weird thought. (Prepare to enter my dark mind!) I considered asking my pregnant co-worker for a used pregnancy test so I could give it as a gift to another girl friend to scare her fiancé. Then I realized how wildly inappropriate it would be and grounds for a sexual harassment lawsuit. Bad idea.  Still funny though.

I want to spend $50 to refresh my t-shirt wardrobe.  That means I am allowing myself to purchase 10 t-shirts from http://6dollarshirts.com .  I want 5 of those shirts to be for others.  I have already decided those (shown at the bottom of the post.) But I want your help to decide which of the "shirts for myself" options I should choose.  Please help pick a winner: which one is your favorite , and  which one you like least . Thanks. Shirts for Myself: For September 19th ONLY Shirt for singles - Facebook themed (See on  Site )   A yoga shirt (OM helps you meditate) A reminder to be grateful. I have a desire to speak Mandarin Chinese. When I practice, I wouldn't want there to be any confusion.  Gotta love Goonies! Fun with Monty Python. I <3 Zelda - Kokiri Tunic More Zelda - Goron Tunic Even More Zelda - Zora Tunic Konami (Contra) Code What About Bob?! Cool Star...

Handheld camcorders are totally under-rated.  People look at them and think, "I've already got a phone that takes videos."  What they don't realize is that these are not just a cheapo recording devices--they've got the power of a full-featured HD camcorder, but MUCH smaller and MUCH easier to use, for a fraction of the price.  Society has failed to see what handheld camcorders truly have to offer. The Flip is no longer in production.  For that reason, prices are being cut.  In a year, they may not even provide service, but  this camcorder DOES produce excellent quality video with very good sound quality and it IS very easy to use. So now, Flips are selling at incredibly low prices; but not for long.  Check out the following two deals, which I highly recommend (Mom). PROs Great-grandma could use this--you're paying for simplicity ( More simple than a "Mac.") Start recording HD video in less then three seconds from power up. Mac and PC com...

I'm finally off of the T-Mobile family plan, which my parent graciously paid for since I was a sophomore in College. This is my first smartphone.  I'm totally stoked.  I've already downloaded Angry Birds and LDS Scripture Study.  (I have to be sure to only download FREE apps because the Church is paying the bill this time. If I ever spend extra money, I am accountable to reimburse the Church via check to some guy on the 21st floor.) Although I had my heart set on an iPhone 5 through AT&T, it would have been significantly more expensive.  (The Church doesn't have a deal with AT&T like they do with Sprint, so I would need to pay at least $40/month plus the cost of the phone.  This Sprint Android phone is FREE!)  It definitely fulfills all of my current needs.  However, I have a friend who claims that he only pays $17 for his Church-bought iPhone... Phil, go ahead and take my spot on the family plan.  Enjoy unlimited texting! Dad,...

"Business in the front — Master Sword in the back." “Legend” Link cosplay t-shirt  from Game Paused. [Image  Source ]

This is not one of my sexier posts, but it is one of the most usable. "Paint your house twice as fast and get very clean lines with this simple trick. Fast way to paint around doors, windows, ceilings, baseboards, crown molding, cathedral ceilings, vaulted ceilings, and chair rail. If you’re tired of getting up and down a ladder all day, you need to watch this video." Here is the official website . And here are some of their priced packages on Amazon.com

Pictures, music, videos and their associated programs have taken up 90GB of my 100GB laptop's hard disk drive. Basically, it's full. I've been searching online and talking with experts over the phone to see which drive I should purchase online. They told me that I can upgrade my 2.5" disk drive with one of whatever size size and whatever manufacturer. So, why not go with 500GB drive, the largest model on the market currently. All the drives I found online of that size are within $89-$109. I'll decide before the weekend is over, but at this point, I think I'm going to go with the slightly more expensive but safer bet. It is the 500GB stock hard drive that Apple puts into their new Macbooks. I've literally heard nothing bad about it. Fujitsu MJA2500BH-G2 500GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive This is the largest purchase I've made since I bought my car. (A significant difference in price....