June 2008 Archives

I must be a Yuppie. I spent $100 on a dog bed. But you know what? It's worth it.

It wasn't really a problem with dog #1. She's a good dog. A great dog, actually, compared to dog #2. He's a little hellion. He loves to chew on stuff when he's bored. Anything will do. His own foot. Used tissues out of the garbage. A new pair of shoes out of the shoe drawer under the bed. And yes, even the bed he happens to be lying upon.

He went through the existing beds in a hurry. He has a proclivity for chewing on the zippers, and like most dogs, he absolutely loves pulling the stuffing out. That makes it pretty hard to keep the bed together for very long.

So it turns into a simple matter of long-term economic investment. I can continue to buy these "chewable" beds at $25 a piece, replacing them every few weeks or so when they become too discombobulated to even allow for singular reference, or I can invest in something sturdier.

These beds live up to their promise. The little bugger hasn't got a hole in one yet, and it's not for lack of trying. I even inherited an old ToughChew from a family member and when that one wore out, took it into a local Orvis and got a free replacement.

So great beds that will last a lifetime, and if they don't Orvis will replace them for free. It's a bit pricey, but it's the last dog bed you'll ever buy.

Get a ToughChew Dog Bed from Orvis

A good pair of sandals are an essential travel accessory. I've made the mistake of not having sandals with me on some trips and regretted it. (But really, who expects it to be 90°+ in England's Lake District, even in the summer?) The qualities Ilook for in a sandal are comfort, ruggedness, low profile (for easy packing), and a conservative look. The last one may seem strange, but I prefer not to stand out with gaudy designs and colors, especially in urban environments abroad.

I've owned several pairs of both Tevas and Nike Air sandals. They are both fine sandals, but the Chacos have several advantages. the binding is actually a single strap that is cleverly woven through the sole of the sandal. This means there is only one buckle to adjust (easy!), and it automatically equalizes the pressure, meaning no hot spots. Since there is no velcro or padding on the straps, the sandals flatten together and are really easy to pack. And they come in a basic black, which as well all know, goes with anything.

Get Chaco Z1 sandals from Amazon

There aren't many grocery stores out there that have a dedicated fan base, but such is the appeal of Trader Joe's. I shop there because they have simple, healthy, high-quality products at great prices.

Actually, their prices are outstanding. Most of you have heard of "two buck Chuck" -- the $2 wine that is surprisingly reasonable for its price. That exemplifies Trader Joe's standard operating procedure. They have few recognizable brands in the store, and none of the highly-marketed national brands, instead relying on the overarching brand of the store. And judging from the fact that I'm writing this, it clearly works.

I've already pointed out some of the great products they carry -- Cranberry Harvest juice and Earth Balance margarine. Others include their linguine, frozen roasted vegetable pizza, and staples like olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Really there is no downside to trying something at TJ's, since they have a very generous return policy. You can actually take half-eaten items back for a refund if you don't like it (and yes, I've done this). This is a company that truly understands great customer service.

The biggest downside is their lack of selection for fresh fruit and vegetables. However, they have a modest selection. And coupled with a weekly visit to a local farmers market or a local community farm subscription, you can get by doing nearly all of your shopping here.

Find a Trader Joe's Near You

I've owned a pair of MSR Denali snowshoes for many years now, and I've been nothing but happy with them. They have amazing bindings with rubber straps that are easy to get on and off any boot, and most importantly they never loosen or slip off. The platforms are made of rigid plastic, so there's no danger of a sharp rock or stick damaging them.

One downside to this design is that it does tend to amplify the crunch of hardpacked snow underfoot. But noise is an issue of all snowshoes on hardpack, it's just a matter of degree. And of course in soft snow or powder, they are silent.

Owning snowshoes might seem like an unnecessary, extravagant purchase, but it's not much different than owning skis or a snowboard. You are more likely to go snowshoeing if you don't have to deal with the hassle of rentals. And after not more than ten uses, you've made up the cost of the rentals.

If you do end up getting snowshoes, I highly recommend you get poles too. Snow has a wide variety of properties, and can be very fluid and unpredictable. Without the help of poles for balance, you will get very tired very quickly, especially with a 40+ lb pack on your back. The first time I did a serious snowshoe backpacking trip without poles, I remember falling into a post hole on the downhill side of a traverse less than ½ mile from the camp. I just sat there, exhausted and unable to move for several minutes before dragging my self on to finish the hike. That was probably the most tired I've ever been on a hiking trip. Never again without poles.

Get MSR Denali snowshoes from Amazon

Coke is the best-tasting cola out there. Pepsi may be cloyingly sweet and win in sip taste tests, but its overly sweet, citrus taste is too much for a whole bottle/can.

The best-tasting Coke is made with sugar cane, not corn syrup. It used to be made this way in the US, but since the 1970s corn syrup has taken its place. Corn is a heavily subsidized crop and therefore cheap. So it's really no surprise that it's in nearly every processed food in this country. However, there is no corn subsidy in Mexico. They make their Coke the old-fashioned way: with cane sugar.

I bought my Mexican Coke at BevMo. Costco has been known to carry it too. Another option is Coke that is Kosher for Passover, but that is only available around Passover, so you'd have to stock up (NPR even did a story on this). Or you can look for a local Mexican grocery or convenience store. But if you just can't find it locally, there's always mail order.

Get sugar cane Coke from Dr. Soda

I've had DirecTV for nearly 10 years, and they've been a high-quality, reliable TV provider. From the research I've done and my own experience, satellite TV service tends to be cheaper, has better quality, and better customer service than cable TV.

Cheaper doesn't mean cheap, though; I pay about $60/month, which includes local channels and a $10/month DVR listings fee, but no premium or HD channels.

A couple of things I really like about DirecTV service. They have XM Satellite Radio channels, which are nice for leaving on in the background. They also have a reasonably good selection of pay-per-view movies for $4 each, and the convenience of ordering at the last minute from home and watching at my leisure via my DVR beats driving to Blockbuster and choosing from the dregs of their stock (plus driving back to return it!).

Of course one option is to go the TV-via-the-internet route. Sites like hulu.com, abc.com and cbs.com all stream their shows over the internet for free. But watching TV on the computer is optimized for solo viewing. And no matter how well-designed these sites are, they still aren't as easy to use as changing channels on a TV.

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There are a lot of bad juices out there. Technically, any drink where the first two ingredients are water and corn syrup is not "juice".

This one has water as the first ingredient, and then cranberry juice. It also has grape juice and real sugar in it to take the edge off the tartness (but not too much). Rounding out the ingredients are vitamin C (nutrition) and citric acid (used as a preservative). That's it.

It's also organic (always a plus for me), and since it's a Trader Joe's brand, it's relatively inexpensive compared to other juices of equivalent quality. You're not paying for marketing -- just a quality product.

Get Cranberry Harvest from Trader Joe's

These days it's practically essential to have a cell phone (mobile phone if you're outside the US). I'm a relative laggard in this area. I didn't get my first cell phone until 1999 with a bare-bones $10/month plan and 25¢/minute. And that was the plan I kept for 9 years, until a month ago when I got an iPhone.

The iPhone is great because it's basically a mobile computer with a phone built in. It enables a number of mobile scenarios that -- now that I'm used to -- would be difficult for me to live without. For example, it does a great job approximating my current location when doing a map search, making it really useful for finding nearby stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. when I'm out & about. It also shows live traffic data on the map, which is critical when making route decisions.

I've stopped carrying a separate music player; the built-in iPod app works great. I love the phone integration. When I receive a call, the audio pauses; when the call ends, the audio starts again. It has a built-in camera too. The quality is mediocre, but it works well enough, and it's always with me. No need to lug around a point & shoot every day for serendipitous picture taking.

The email, SMS, and web browser are useful too but on the AT&T Edge network, things can be a bit to slow to be of much use. But there are times you really want to look something up, and the ability to do it -- albeit slowly -- is nice.

Finally -- and I cannot emphasize this enough -- the iPhone is easy to use. You are not going to find a phone out there with a better interface than this one. As an interface designer, I'm acutely sensitive to design details, and Apple has once again nailed it with this device.

Now is a perfect time to get an iPhone. The new 3G model is coming out in about a month, so you can pick up the first-generation model at a discount -- especially from technophiles getting rid of their old ones in anticipation of buying the new one. I highly recommend checking out CraigsList or eBay for deals. If you prefer to wait for the newer one, click here.

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Let's be honest here: there's really no butter, margarine or refined oil that is technically good for you. But on a relative scale, Earth Balance is the best of the bunch.

It's made from 100% vegetable oil and ingredients, so there's no cholesterol to clog your arteries. And it has no trans-fats which are just as bad for your health (if not worse).

It is solid in the refrigerator, but softens at room temperature and melts just above -- practically to the properties of butter. And the taste is great too. The Earth Balance web site claims it "won a Best Taste award by the American Culinary Institute three years in a row," and I don't doubt it. This is yummy stuff. It works great when baking, too.

Get Earth Balance from Trader Joe's

Yes, it's a bit convenient that my vote for best cookbook actually calls itself "the best" in its title. These days one tends to be skeptical of such marketing claims. But in this particular case, it is justified.

It's truly amazing how many bad cookbooks there are -- recipes that use specialized ingredients, complex techniques that few home cooks have the fortitude to endure, and even untested recipes that simply don't work.

Cooks Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen have a much more pragmatic and scientific approach. For every dish undertaken, they research a variety of recipes and techniques, think about the qualities they are looking for, and then test out dozens of recipes and variations. They not only look at the outcomes, but also the ingredients and processes needed for the recipe looking for common ingredients and easier steps. From all of this data, they end up with a recipe -- the best recipe.

I often use it to simply prepare vegetables using what they call the master recipe. For example, their master recipe for asparagus calls for breaking off the fibrous ends (but not peeling them), and then steaming. Left to my own devices, I probably would have peeled and boiled them. I've also become quite attached to their banana bread recipe. It almost makes me want to get a few bananas and purposely let them get overripe.

Get The New Best Recipe from Amazon

I love this pack. It's everything a pack should be: light, roomy, and especially comfortable. I especially love it when traveling; it's the perfect size for an airplane carry-on, and it makes a great day pack for both urban and outdoor adventures.

I'm a tall guy, and finding a pack that fit my elongated torso wasn't easy. Most packs are short and sit too high up on my back. And shockingly few have any sort of support structure; they put the weight entirely on your shoulders, straining your upper back and neck muscles. The Atmos comes in 3 sizes (S, M & L) so I was able to get a Large that fit me perfectly.

The Atmos was designed for ultra-light backpackers, so the support it provides is phenomenal. I absolutely love the "Airspeed" frame and mesh back that keeps my back cool and sweat-free. It also makes an excellent pillow when you're ready for a rest.

It looks like Osprey has discontinued the 25 (which is what I have), but the slightly larger 35 is still available. If you want something a bit smaller, get the Stratos 24 or the even smaller Stratos 18. They both have a similar suspension system to the Atmos, come in various sizes for different sized torsos, and are widely available.

Get the Osprey Atmos 35 from Amazon

I don't ask for much in a toothpaste. I just want something simple and natural that works. I love Tom's of Maine because they give details on every ingredient in their toothpaste including where it comes from and why it's included in the product. Plus they don't test their products on animals.

Tom's seems to be going with the industry trend of including more ingredients in their products, which supports a laundry list of marketing terms on the packaging: anti-plaque, baking soda, tartar control, whitening, etc. I  just want the simplest one out there, which is why I prefer their Wintermint flavor. Unfortunately Wintermint is not as well stocked as some of the other flavors. So if you can't find it, I recommend Spearmint as an alternative. Their Peppermint flavor is OK too, if you want a toothpaste with baking soda in it.

Get Tom's of Maine Wintermint from Amazon

I've tried the newer razors with three, four, and yes even five blades. They are more expensive and I've found that they don't offer any better of a shave than the 2-bladed variety, and the extra bulk in fact makes them more difficult to maneuver around the sharp contours of my face near the nose, mouth, and chin.

The Sensor Excel might be easier to find, but it is more expensive and the only difference is a strip of rubber fins which doesn't do anything to improve the shaving experience.

Finally, you should consider buying from GreatRazors.com. I'm working my way through my first shipment from them, and I'm convinced that their cryogenically hardened razors stay sharper for longer. However they do cost about 25% than Amazon, so it's a toss up if they're worth it in the long run. But they are more environmental since you will be using fewer of them over your lifetime.

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Apple makes the best laptops out there. period. They are beautifully-designed, high-quality, and a great value (price/performance). While I have a MacBook Pro, most people don't need the extras that the Pro incudes (larger screen, bigger hard drive, more graphics memory) at the cost of nearly doubling the price. However I do recommend that you don't buy the cheapest MacBook. The DVD writer, extra memory, and extra hard drive space will all be things you'll grow into and be glad you got after a few years.

Of course one of the main selling points of the Mac is that it runs Mac OS X -- widely considered to be friendlier and easier to use than Windows. The visual design is lighter, simpler, and polished to a high shine. For basic Internet use, music, photos and other basic consumer tasks, the Mac shines. And as an amatuer musician, GarageBand is a fantastic application. There is nothing like it on the PC at any price.

However if you need to run Windows, your MacBook can do it. You can boot directly into Windows using the free Boot Camp utility provided by Apple. Or you can get virtual machine (VM) software -- Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion -- and run Windows as a separate application within Mac OS X. I've done both, but lately I prefer the latter as I only need Windows occasionally. Ironically, PC World reported in October 2007 that the MacBook Pro was the fastest Windows laptop that they tested. On the down side, there is no dedicated second mouse button or forward delete key, but you can work around these with a two-finger touch pad + click and fn+delete respectively.

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I'm not the world's most careful shaver. I do it in the morning when I'm still half asleep, and my mind tends to wander while I'm shaving. I used to experience a lot of nicks and cuts. And then I discovered Total Shaving Solution via the Cool Tools blog.

I never really bought into the whole marketing claims how shaving cream "lifts and softens" the whiskers; maybe if you're shaving off several days worth of growth. But for every day shaves, the cream is really just a lubricant.

So it seems particularly brilliant to simply use oil for shaving -- an excellent lubricant that doesn't rinse off with water. I've had no nicks or cuts since I started using the Total Shaving Solution. And as a bonus, I can actually see what I'm doing. You only need a few drops, so a bottle will last you a long time -- the better part of a year in my experience. If you want to go the really cheap route, I suppose any cooking oil would work fine as well, though I haven't tried that yet.

If you're not ready to commit to buying a bottle (or several to save on cost and amortize shipping), request on of their sample sizes. Anyone local in the Silicon Valley area who pings me first can get the sample they sent me with my order.

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I've been an amateur musician since I was a teenager, and I've owned my fair share of headphones. For a long time, it was the Sony MDR-V6, and they are a really nice pair of headphones. But I really think Sennheiser's sound better. The fine folks over at Headphone.com agree, saying:

These headphones sound terrific for sealed-earcup, full-size cans priced under $100... They are efficient enough to be well-driven by most portable audio players and laptop computers... The HD-280 Pro has also become the headphone choice of audio, film, and field recording/mixing professionals due to its clear tonal presentation, very effective ambient noise attenuation properties, and durable build quality. A true workhorse of a sealed-earcup headphone at a really hard-to-beat price.

Now I'm a bit of a headphone fanatic. I've own over 30 pairs of headphones in my life. Any while there are certainly different types of headphones I'd recommend for specialized scenarios (VOIP, exercise, airplane flights, etc.). But if I had to pick only one pair of headphones to use for the rest of my life, these would be it.

Get Sennheiser HD-280 Pro headphones from Amazon

I've held blind chocolate tastings twice in the past few years. I had 10-12 different types of chocolate broken up into small bite-sized pieces. The bowls were visual obscured to prevent people from seeing the brands stamped on the chocolate. Over 20 friends joined me in each party and rated each chocolate on a 1-5 scale. In both cases, Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark came out on top.

The great thing about Lindt is that it is both easily available in almost any mid to high-end grocery store, and it's reasonably priced at less than $3 per bar.

70percent.com -- a site that has extensive chocolate reviews -- actually favors the Lindt Excellence 85%, but I find that it's a bit too bitter and inaccessible for most palettes. Start with the 70% and if you find that a bit too sweet, go for the 85%.

Get Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark from Amazon

When buying a car, consider the total cost of ownership: not only the sales price, but also insurance, fuel costs, maintenance, and repairs. So the best car is a relatively inexpensive, fuel-efficient, highly reliable car. Honda makes one of the most reliable, fuel-efficient line of vehicles out there, and the Civic is no exception. I've owned my 1999 Civic HX for 10 years, and the only major work done on it (excluding standard maintenance) was covered under warranty.

In this era of $4/gallon fuel, the Civic gets great mileage -- over 30mpg on average if you get the manual, and slightly less for automatic. I've been averaging 33-35mpg over the life of my Civic.

The Honda Civic is Consumer Reports' top-rated sedan under $20,000 in 2008, and it has been recommended by them for well over 10 years (though my back issues of CR only go back to 1997). Also highly rated by Edmunds, US News and -- perhaps most telling -- by actual owners.

If you're looking for a more environmentally friendly car, then consider the Civic hybrid. Or for those of you in California, get the most environmentally-friendly mass market car available: the Honda Civic GX which is fueled by natural gas.

Find a Honda Civic near you

The LL Bean Cresta Hikers (GoreTex) are simply great all around hiking boots. I bought a pair about 10 years ago and have walked hundreds of miles in them through all different conditions and terrain. They are still going strong. I've had them on 4 different continents, hiking through Bhutan, Chile, Guatemala, New Zealand and the USA (Alaska, California, Colorado, Arizona etc.). I use them when I go snow shoeing (including back-country snowboarding), snow camping, and when I am backpacking or day hiking.

I have narrow feet, so the B-width options were critical for me. They also come in wide widths. And fit is the #1 feature to look for in a boot. They're easy to put on, comfortable, and built to last. I've never gotten blisters in these boots. The GoreTex keeps your feet dry when you walk across streams or through slush.

They've been highly rated elsewhere (Outdoor Review, Backpacker magazine, Outside...) and LL Bean is a brand you can trust with great customer service. If you don't like them at any time for any reason, you can return them for a refund.

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