Resolutions

Now that Christmas is over it is time to make all those resolutions for the year that we will never keep. Here are mine:

1) Stay debt free.
2) Play outside more.
3) Waste less time online and watching tv.
4) Enjoy what I do to earn money.
5) Continue to learn about investing.

There's lots more I can think of but I'd rather just not fulfill 5 resolutions...

The minimalist's Christmas gift guide:

It's Christmas.

Celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Go to church.
Enjoy the company of friends and family.
Remember loved ones.
Get a tree, decorate it, have your kitten dive under it, swat at ornaments, climb it.
Decorate your house.
Wear a gaudy Christmas sweater.
Shop for junk, wrap it and give them to people.
Shop for thoughtful presents, wrap it, and give them to people.
Make some presents, wrap it, and give them to people.
Donate money or time to those in need.
Send Christmas cards.
Drive around and look at decorations.
Cook lots of food.
Eat lots of food.
Sing carols.
Go to parties, office or otherwise.
Go sit on Santa's lap.
Count down with an advent calendar.
Leave milk and cookies for Santa.

Or don't. Like Burger King, have it your way.

Thrift or theft

In these tough financial times, everyone is looking for ways to save a
few bucks. Many do not know the difference between thrift or theft.
There is an actual morality to saving money. Some people get a thrill taking
advantage of the system, or feel like no one is hurt because only the
faceless corporation loses money. All you end up doing is make the
price go up for paying customers. Here are a few things NOT to do to
save money. Feel free to add more suggestions in the comments.

1) Don't bring your old drink cup back to the fast food joint on
another day. Also don't ask for a water cup then put soda in it. Like
the sign says, refills are for same day visits. Either drink water or
buy the smallest cup and refill it as many times as your stomach can
handle.

2) hotel visits - don't STEAL (yes it's stealing) toilet paper,
towels, light bulbs, irons, bathrobes, linens, batteries out of the tv
remote and whatever else isn't nailed down and fits in your suitcase.
If the free toiletries are lovely and you will actually use it, go for
it, but don't try to take more off the housekeeping cart.

3) hotel visits, part 2 - the continental breakfast is only for those who
pay to stay in that hotel that day. Don't walk in and grab something
just because you once stayed at that chain. And for goodness sakes
just because you are staying in a hotel don't bring every freaking
friend and relative to join you for breakfast!

4) restaurant utensils - the plastic dining utensils, paper napkins,
and condiments are for you to eat your purchased meal, not to supply
your kitchen at home.

5) office supplies - don't supply your home office with supplies from
work. Ok, I understand a pen or two but if you have a stack of post
it's and a stapler from work there's a problem. Also don't take home
coffee or cider mix to make it at home.

6) samples from Costco - having lunch at Costco does not mean making
the rounds at the food samples until you are full. I don't have a
problem with you trying everything, but more than one visit to a booth
without any intention of buying anything is too much. There's a
difference between scoring a few free calories and having a meal.

7) eternal browsing at Barnes and Noble - buy something once in
awhile. It's not a library. I go there and read magazines all the time
but I also occasionally buy a book, magazine or drink.

If you have a funny feeling when you're doing something THAT is your
brain telling you it's wrong.

Stop Smoking, Ruth Brinkley

At this time of year for many of us the weather has been biting cold! This in addition to the weak economy leaves some unable to heat their home. This can be very dangerous, especially for the elderly. I am very sympathetic to their plight, except in the following case. Let's go to the link! http://tinyurl.com/2688mch

Did you watch the video? Did you notice something? Now I don't know these people but while Ruth cannot afford to fix her home heater, she is smoking a cigarette! You know, there is a good chance that was her first cigarette in ages, bummed off one of the news guys interviewing her, right? However, if Ruth is buying her cigarettes, she needs to get her priorities straight! A pack of cigarettes may cost about $20 so depending on how much you smoke the cost adds up. At the very least, Ruth has committed a marketing error. She is going to seek help at the Salvation Army, but everyone who watched the video will notice her smoking and come to the same assumptions I have.

What else did you notice? They have a wood stove! The reporter says "but wood costs money". This is only true to a certain extent. There is a lot of free wood to be had, IF you plan ahead. They knew at least a month ago, probably more, that their house had a wood stove. They most likely had some awareness of their financial situation, even if they tried to ignore it. There are a lot of places to get free wood, Craigslist for example. Yes you probably will have to split it yourself (buy a splitter maul with your saved cigarette money) and some may not be seasoned. Then again, why plan ahead when you can get someone to bail you out?

I hope these people do not freeze and find some way to stay warm. But my people* have a saying...

"Give a man some firewood and he will be warm for a day. Teach a man how to split wood and he will be warm for life."

*apparently "my people" are lumberjacks.

Third Eye Behind

Ok the big hyped up news today is this NYU Professor Wafaa Bilal who supposedly implanted a camera in his head to take photos for a year. Here is a link: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-12/professor-installs-headcam-starts-tracking-world-behind-him

This is so lame for two major reasons:

1) Technically, a camera is not implanted in his head. It's supposedly a titanium disc that the camera magnetically attaches to. WAIT! is titanium even magnetic? Nope! Publicity hype. So he gets on the news for implanting an accessory mount in the back of his head. wowee.

2) THE MOUNTING POINT IS IN THE BACK OF HIS HEAD! So he's gonna get shots for a year of stuff in back of him. Wow, that is not interesting at all, except for people that follow him and make faces at him.

If he really had the guts he would implant, well first an actual wireless camera or a mount on his forehead between his eyes, where the true third eye is located. Plus pictures would be more interesting.

Wafaa, we already have built in mounting points for cameras on our head. They are called ears. Hmm, even better, I predict that you will be one-upped by a blind person with an eye socket camera mount...

thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...na na na na na na na! na na na na na na na!

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for:

1) Loved ones. Y'all drive me nuts but what in the world would I do without you?

2) Living in USA. It beats making iPhones at the FoxConn factory.

3) Having enough food to eat.

4) Having a home.

5) Health. Want to do more to keep it.

6) Salvino D'Armate, the inventor of eyeglasses.

Everything else is just gravy.


7) gravy.

To Do List

PLAY OUTSIDE - not in a gym, keep active and enjoy being outdoors in the sun and the trees. Forget workout equipment. If you forgot how to play outside, find a kid to teach you but don't be creepy about it.

EAT - eat good and healthy food, but not too much of it. Cook it yourself but go out and eat sometime too. I like Papa John's pizza, Hardees thickburgers, Jimmy John's subs, Sushi, Thai and Chinese food. Cook with someone you love and try new recipes. Go to the farmers market and buy some fresh local veggies. Go to the grocery store and eat what's on sale today. I eat oatmeal for breakfast, bananas for snack and leftovers for lunch. I like to cook and eat fish and steak.

DRINK - water, lots of it, filtered from the tap. Don't buy bottled water - waste of money. Hot cider mix is nice in the winter. Ginger ale and other sodas once in awhile.

SPLIT WOOD - save the gym membership. go split wood by hand, haul it by hand, stack it by hand. you will get a workout and have wood to make a nice toasty fire later. You will get stronger.

DO IT YOURSELF - it's not too hard to change your own oil or fix your own faucets. You should know how the stuff you use works and be able to do basic maintenance. it will save you a few bucks and a lot of this how to is accessible on the internet. get basic tools, borrow or rent specialty tools you won't use often.

READ - don't have anytime to read? what's wrong with you? make some time. go to the library or Barnes and Noble...don't need to spend anything.

DRAW - it doesn't have to be good. it can help spark your creativity. don't place too much value on making a beautiful drawing. the act itself is enough.

NAP - not much better than being able to nap when you feel tired. Dogs, cats and kids are on to something.

PLAY WITH PETS - they will make you feel better. if you own them, pay more attention to them than just feeding them. If you don't own, go volunteer at a shelter or something. interact with wild animals at your own risk.

RECYCLE - it's easy to do and makes some kind of difference I hope. go through your stuff and figure out what you don't use and either throw away, give away, sell or recycle it.

DRIVE - enjoy driving around, whether it's to run errands or aimlessly. don't have to go fast or have an expensive car.

THINK - an unexamined life is not worth living.

Reusable Shopping Bags May Contain Lead

So, have you heard the news? Those non-woven polyester reusable shopping bags (Made in China...surprised?) that you use to be all environmental by saving paper and plastic bags may contain unacceptable levels of LEAD! Go do a search on the internet for more information, I'm not going to link it here, do it yourself.

So how do you know if your reusable shopping bag contains lead? Well I'm really not sure. I use the Harris Teeter shopping bags ($.99 ea) and some articles do mention Harris Teeter's bags among those in the study containing lead. Just the idea of this possibility makes me really mad. I contacted Harris Teeter about this issue but did not receive a reply before the deadline of this post.

So what is one to do? Well I don't really feel like continuing to use these bags. Maybe I'll store them somewhere and wait until I hear more. What are my options? I can go back to paper or plastic, I can utilize my cargo shorts which can carry one package of chicken breasts and one bunch of bananas (or a growing kitten). BUT, if you have $50+ to spend on grocery bags, I have a suggestion for you. Go to L.L. Bean's website and design and purchase their Boat and Tote canvas bags. These are actually still made in Maine of 24 oz canvas (from American-made cotton!) and one of VERY FEW things in the L.L. Bean catalog still made in the US. You can pick the bag size, main body color, handle length and color, bottom color, optional top zipper, optional side pocket, and monogram.

For example, order up a small tote with red handles and monogram "grass-fed beef" on the outside. Get a large tote with green handles and monogram "local organic veggies" on the outside. Get an extra large tote with a russet handle and monogram "non-gluten grains". Now quickly hop in your Subaru Forester with your totes. You will be the envy of all at Whole Foods. You're welcome...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

pumpkitt.

Made In USA, Work for USA

I'm renewing my vow to seek out quality Made in USA products when I need to buy something. It's easier than you think, especially with the internet, but it also requires some thoughtfulness and energy and sometimes spending a little more money, which is why I think many people do not do this. It is much easier to go to Wal-Mart or wherever and grab something cheap and move on.

For example, it is easy to go to Target and buy $4 t-shirts made overseas. However, if you look for occasional sales, Patagonia will sometimes put their Made in USA organic t-shirts on sale for $12-15. Yes it's triple the price, but it's cheaper than buying most t-shirts full price. Note you may have to put up with a sometimes cheesy graphic on the Patagonia t's.

I guess things get more committed when we start talking about big ticket items like my favorite product, cars. Here is a link to a NY Times article with info about vehicles Made in USA and what major parts are also Made in USA. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/06/19/automobiles/20090619-auto-plants-4.html (hmm...Mustang manual transmission made in China?). If you are buying used, you can still research where your car was made. Worst case, look inside the door before you buy and there should be a plate riveted on. I hope when I need a new car I have the balls to buy something Made in USA. I want a 4runner (Japan) but maybe I can compromise to an Xterra (Tennessee, USA).

I am starting a list on the side of my blog of Made in USA items that I am familiar with. If you know of more products to add, please let me know. If you need help finding something Made in USA, please contact me through the comments and I would be glad to make a suggestion.

Even more of a commitment is Working for USA. How many of you work for an American (note I mean USA however I'd be glad to include our Canadian brothers here) company offering Made in USA products or services? I've worked for Chinese-owned companies and it is really a soul killing exercise. You know you are earning money while you help move the money overseas. I extend my vow to try to also work for and with American companies.

I don't know how much of a difference my efforts are really going to make, or if I'm going to succeed, but at least I will know I tried to do a little something for the country I live in.

Is The Popcorn Factory Racist?

While browsing through the Halloween 2010 catalog of The Popcorn Factory www.thePopcornFactory.com I saw a tin with the Popcorn Pals - cute popcorn characters dressed in various costumes or holding accessories to depict certain flavors. Very cute. Then I noticed two of the characters. One is wearing a white headband with Asian-looking characters on them. Another is holding a pair of chopsticks...And both of their eyes are depicted as little slits. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

This looks like a racist depiction or caricature of Asians to me. What do you think? I don't think that both characters with Asian derived accessories happened to be blinking when they were drawn. Yes these are cutely drawn characters but I do not want my race to be a character! I also do not want young people to think it is acceptable. What if other races were depicted as Popcorn Pals in such a stereotypical manner? There would be an uproar? Note there is a Popcorn Pal wearing a Mexican Hat. What is next? Is there going to be a dark colored popcorn with an afro? how about one with a big nose and a yarmulke?

I emailed The Popcorn Factory customer service. my original email and the response is below.

I do not plan on ordering anything from this company until I see that these characters are discontinued. I also will encourage friends of all races to do the same.

Thank you for contacting us.

I am sorry that you were offended with the drawing of the Popcorn Pal.
This information will be forwarded to our Merchandising Department for review.


Sincerely,

Sharon Thomas
The Popcorn Factory
service@thepopcornfactory.com

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
I'm very disappointed about the racist caricature of the Ginger 
teriaki popcorn   Pal.  It is the only one with "slanted" eyes. No 
other character has eyes drawn this way.

Please redraw this character.  I've gone through enough racism in my 
life - I don't want to open my popcorn factory catalog and see more.

Thanks,

TAD Gear Amphibious Cargo Shorts - Followup Review

One month after purchasing, the TAD Gear Amphibious Cargo Shorts have become my preferred shorts. I wear my Patagonia Stand Ups mainly when I need to appear slightly less casual. As noted above, the cargo pockets function well in transporting my team mate on Long Range Recon Patrols of the yard. And let's just say thank goodness the pocket has drain holes and the fabric is quick dry!

Municipal Geographic Policy Violation

Last week, under duress one of Municipal Geographic's fundamental policies was violated. Here at MuniGeo, we have two major policies: 1) We do not travel outside the neighborhood to capture photos of wildlife. The savings are passed on to you. 2) We do not interfere with wildlife in order to bring you photos. No baiting, no capturing. The photos are of wildlife in their natural habitat, unposed.
However, last week I saw traffic ahead of me stopped. I saw a squirrel-sized kitten tentatively attempting to cross the street, notably away from the local Thai restaurant and obviously ignorant of our municipal jaywalking laws. I quickly jumped out of the vehicle to attempt to move this kitten out of traffic. The kitten was rather uncooperative, first hiding deep under a Toyota Camry, out of my grasp even when I laid prone on the street reaching under the car. It finally made a sprint into oncoming traffic. However, I was able to flag down traffic and tackle the kitten and return to my vehicle.
As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Not only had I violated the principles of the organization I founded, I was also out 1/4 the price of a Taurus Judge for the vet visit to de-flea and de-worm the kitten.
Once a policy has been violated, you can never go back. The kitten has obviously imprinted on me and can never survive in the wild again. It is too accustomed to hourly feedings and fleece-lined bedding. From here I will continue to rehabilitate this kitten in hopes that in the future it will make a useful contribution to our organization and society.

below, first photo is of kitten immediately after capture. Second photo, four days later.

Gear Review: TAD Amphibious Cargo Short

I violated one of my resolutions, which was not to buy any more clothing this year. For one reason, I got sick of wearing the same shorts out in public all the time, albeit they are the sublime Patagonia Stand Up Shorts, no short finer than this. So I purchased the Amphibious Cargo Short from TAD (triple aught design) tripleaughtdesign.com. On sale currently on their website for $49 (usually $69, sale being the last straw for me to buy). Snap them up if you happen to be a size 30 or 28. If you are a size 32, don't worry, they seem to run a little large.

Go to their website and save me some time from giving a company background. in a nutshell, they make thoughtfully designed and durable gear with the military(-esque)/ urban consumer. All their clothing is made in the USA, which is a plus for me. Wish Patagonia would go back to making more in the US aside from cotton t's and wool baselayers...

So after a few days and $5 in shipping, I received my shorts and promptly wore them for three days straight, much to the chagrin of my girlfriend of impeccable cleanliness. First of all, the shorts are a little large on me. I shoulda ordered a 28. I am a true 30 and need a belt to keep things in place. next time 28 for me. Next, these shorts are down past my knees or about level, depending on tightness of belt. Now I expected this, I just needed to get used to this. I never wear shorts this low and even had my surf shorts hemmed to above the knee. I guess you need cargo shorts long to carry cargo.

So, at first glance I look like every other douchebag out there in some cargo shorts down to their knee. That's fine. No need to call attention to oneself anymore than necessary. It is all in the details. First of all the fabric is 3.4 oz nylon with DWR repellent - amphibious and quick drying. that means when i drop sauce from my little thickburger, the ketchup mayo and mustard concoction slides off my shorts and onto the floor. The fabric is super lightweight and very comfortable.

Next the crotch is gusseted and the rear is reinforced. Looks a little strange but allows for more movement and some durability.

Now as El Guapo from the Three Amigos would say, these shorts come with a PLETHORA of pockets! Two front welt pockets for cell phones and little gadgets, two front hand pockets, two back pockets with button closure flaps, and of course, two bellows cargo pockets with button closure and drain holes. There are also 4 freaking d rings (two in front, one in each cargo pocket) for you to secure little gadgets to. Hey I'm not military so I'm not sure what the heck i'm attaching to these d rings. maybe my titanium spork.

There is also a reinforced patch on the front pockets to protect from knife clips for all you yahoos wanting everyone to know you're carrying. I'll keep mine hidden thank you very much. All you operators do whatever you want. no beef with you.

Finally, there is a little velcro patch with a glow in the dark TAD logo. I entertain myself in the dark with a little light show with my TAD patch and my glow in the dark watch. it's mesmerizing. I'm thinking I may even velcro my mini compass on the shorts just to look that much more like an urban ninja.

Some comments...I am sure these shorts will be durable and serve me well. They are not ripstop so if there's a tear or pick I would patch immediately. Nylon doesn't take on the cool wear that cotton does, but that's what my Patagonia shorts are for. These being amphibious shorts, i noticed there are no drain holes in any other pockets aside from the cargo ones. I'll have to get fully submerged in the shorts and see if this is an issue but i think it will be.

All in all, I look forward to braving the harsh municipality in these shorts, pockets brimming with much needed gear, happy to leave my man purse behind...

Designing for the Beach

It's amazing the change in what's important when you're on a beach vacation...As far as possessions go, all you need for all day is a suit, sandals, towel, sunscreen, a good cooler and a beach cruiser bike.

If I had to design a beach cruiser I'd consider the following:

frame - maybe stainless steel or aluminum to resist corrosion

drivetrain - belt drive to eliminate bike chain rust. not sure how belt drive does with sand. single speed or sealed multiple gear hub.

brakes - coaster brakes at least or standard cantilever brakes.

tires - max traction on sand but able to ride on pavement as well.

cargo - teak lined cargo rack or baskets front and back. Carry coolers and beach bag. Drink holder on handlebars.

pedals - one side of pedal for bare feet, other side with lugs for sandals or shoes.

Beach cooler design - anchor points molded into the plastic to simplify tying down to bike.

Beach Towel Design - accommodates two, stuffs into sewn in sack, maybe corner pockets for accessory storage or to fill with sand to weigh down.

13.1 - Celebrating doing things halfway

I don't understand why people have this on their cars...why are you bragging about doing something halfway? you might as well have a sticker that says 50%. Well, I guess the glass really is half full...

Municipal Geographic: Where I venture to the furthest reaches of my block (so you don't have to) to bring you exotic photos of nature...

New Sandals

While my girlfriend and I were in Whole Foods to buy some $7 ginger snaps, I spotted some Feelgoodz flip flops. I've been keeping my eye out for some sandals for awhile. As you can see in the above photo, my leather Banana Republic sandals are starting to wear out after hard use for about 5 years. They are mostly superglue and gorilla glue right now but I love seeing the rich finish of the leather as it breaks in. Still, I decided I needed some sandals to wear in wet conditions. I had been looking for $8 (on sale) Havianas and have been avoiding the cheap eva sandals made in china and available everywhere.

The Feelgoodz (dont like the name) cost me $20, are all rubber, and made in Thailand. They are supposed to be environmental and biodegradable. The company says you can bury them in the ground when you are done with them. Hmmm....I wonder if biodegradable means they wont last very long but we shall see. The construction is typical flip flop, with the straps pushed through the sole and seated flush. I have some doubts about this construction but I am also hard on my sandals, wearing them everywhere and using for all activities.

They are very comfortable although on my first long walk there was a little rubbing on the strap, but I think they will break in nicely. I still like leather sandals but this should do well for the beach. On a side note I'm falling a little out of love with my Vibram Five Fingers, but I have not run in the woods with them yet so I may change my mind. I plan to keep my leather ones around and maybe even resole them.

Raccoon family adventure!

Word of the day: Hybris

Hybris: -noun. Excessive pride in one's Toyota Prius or Honda Insight.

Ex. "Ted's hybris is getting on my nerves. It's not like his Prius is
out there saving whales!"

MerleFest 2010

I went to MerleFest with my girlfriend this weekend. I am new to the Bluegrass scene but enjoyed watching performances like Mando Mania (Sam Bush et. al.), Steve Martin, and Elvis Costello. Steve Martin plays banjo well, is funny and entertaining as always and performed King Tut on banjo which was a surprise to me. The weather was much more comfortable than last year. Partway into Elvis' performance they allowed people to enter the premium seating area so we ended up with a good view of the rest of Elvis' performance. It's a decent way to do MerleFest on somewhat of a budget. Maybe next time we'll try buying the premium seats in advance and see if it's worth it.

Getting Old Sucks. Never Lose your Talisman Against Age

"King Kong ain't got shit on ME!"

-Denzel Washington in Training Day

"Peter Pan ain't got shit on ME!"

- theevildrsin

My retired dad tore down his basketball goal recently and I think that was the point where he gave up and decided to get old. Before that he shot baskets for 30-60 minutes every possible day. Hell, he shot better that I did (I do suck at basketball). I think that was his talisman against aging and now it's gone.

Yes, age is just a state of mind and all that, but a physical object or maybe a thing you do, or dream of can be a powerfully symbolic reminder. I urge you to figure out what that is and never give it up. Maybe when some aging dude has a midlife crisis and decides to get a chopper, he's lost his talisman and is trying to figure out what it is.

I think mine is most likely my mid-engine convertible. It is eating dessert before the dinner. It is not waiting till retirement to start enjoying life because you may never get there. It is wishing for a go kart your whole childhood and getting it 25 years later. It is being seven years old again and hopping on your Big Wheel and pulling up on the handbrake and spinning out. I never freaking asked myself if I could carry all my toys on my Big Wheel or how safe it was.

And at this point, I've started thinking about trading in my car for something a little more (gasp!) practical. Actually seating four people, low maintenance costs, uses regular unleaded, will allow me to own it for 20+ years, have a roof to mount a roof rack and wow, gets good mileage.

But don't worry if I trade in my car for a diesel Subaru Outback one day. I was a Boy Scout and I'm always prepared. I have a spare talisman..my other convertible.

And dad, better start doing some light stretching because I'm getting you a basketball goal whether you like it or not.

It's just a matter of time.

Currently I've either matched or surpassed my record for years without trading in my car(s) and buying something else. I've changed cars from as quickly as 6 months to at most 3-4 years. I think I'm hitting 4-5 years right now. The past few cars has been an arms race, trying to "upgrade" to something faster or cooler. Looking back, that determination looks a little more questionable in relation to money spent.

'91 Toyota Celica ST> '85 Jeep Cherokee + Honda Hawk motorcycle > '00 Toyota Celica GTS > Celica plus '04 Dodge SRT-4 > SRT-4 plus '96 Mazda Miata > Miata plus '99 FRC Chevy Corvette > Miata plus Current Car. The Miata has been a dream car of mine since it came out and I prob will never get rid of it because it is so fun for so little money and plus not worth selling.

At this point, I feel like any car I get that I can afford will be a "downgrade" compared to what I currently have. This is a psychological hurdle because really, how much car is enough for the street? I used to buy just with performance in mind.

So what car do I think I would be happy to own for (the next) ten years, aside from the Miata? I'm thinking a '06 supercharged Mini Cooper S or a Subaru WRX STI (hatchback). The goal is long term reliability, minimal running costs, lots of fun and decent performance, and more utility than a two door passenger convertible. Also a solid roof for addition of a roof rack.

Other possibilities:

Mark V VW GTI (reliability?)

2011 Mustang.

Honda Civic Si Sedan (seems to meet all requirements, but perhaps a little dull)

Toyota "FT-86 / Celica"

Any other suggestions?

We will see what happens.

Car of the day - military Chevy K-5 Blazer

Looks fairly simple and easy to work on, diesel engine can be converted to run on biodiesel, seats four but can remove back seats to haul stuff, rear cap section can be lifted off, 4 wheel drive

How Self Reliant are you?

I think I'm about average on the level of self reliance but would like to improve on this. I've made a list of skills I think I would need to depend less on others. This would not only enable me to depend less on the infrastructure but also save a little money.

1) Car repair and maintenance - also small engine repair and maintenance. Save money on taking car in for service. I think it is important to choose the car wisely as well. The simpler, the better. I'd rather not own a whole lot of specialized tools and for complex repairs it's better to take it in. Probably will go back to doing my own oil changes.

2) Grow own vegetables

3) Shoot a gun for defense and hunting.

4) First aid

5) Plumbing and electrical wiring - at least be able to make own repairs on house.

6) Carpentry / construction work.

7) catch fish

8) Firestarting

9) Butchering animals, cleaning fish

10) Obtaining water and purifying it

11) Navigation without GPS

12) Sewing

13) Cooking

Any others you can think of?

quote of the Day

"Anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible"

-Cantonese adage

Car thought of the day - Chevy HHR SS panel

I'm thinking this would be a good alternative to a Mazdaspeed 3, a car I often think about getting. The Chevy has a turbocharged inline four cylinder, manual five speed transmission, a no lift shift feature, and a drag race start feature. It also gets 29 mpg on the highway. Also the panel version looks really cool, except has been discontinued for 2010. No matter, I would buy it used anyway. I'll keep an eye out for one on Autotrader and Carmax, then decide not to buy one because I already have two cars...

Vibram Five Fingers - Day 23

I'm enjoying the barefoot feeling of walking around in VFF's, including while doing yardwork. However, the quality seems questionable. Maybe Classics just don't hold up as well as other models? After 23 days I have another defect - the seam in the big toe came unraveled. My girlfriend told me to send them back to Vibram for warranty (I think she is just tired of looking at them), but I decided to avoid down time without them and repair them myself. Some upholstery thread, a needle and five minutes later, a stitched toe and back in service.

car of the day

I'm thinking used first generation Scion xB manual transmission in white with black wheels. The xB is a lightweight front driver with large cargo space and seats 4-5. It only has around 109 hp. Does anyone know of a car lighter (under 3k lbs) and cheaper with this much storage capacity? Honda Element has the storage, optional AWD, and more hp, but is heavier and worse on gas. I could always do an engine swap on either one later down the road. Engine swaps probably easier on the Honda.

Spy Shots: Noblesse takes tuned Honda CR-Z to Suzuka for testing [w/video] — Autoblog

Spy Shots: Noblesse takes tuned Honda CR-Z to Suzuka for testing [w/video] — Autoblog

Wow, the hybrid Honda CR-Z looks badass in all black. Still not enough to make me want to buy a hybrid. It would have to outperform a Miata in speed, handling, and price.

quote of the day

"Champagne for my friends.
Real pain for my sham friends." - Francis Bacon

"Shamwow for my real sloppy friends." - theevildrsin

goggle search

I've worn contacts day in and day out for the past 20+ years but a few months ago I decided to get glasses (as shown on my avatar) and wear them daily. I had several reasons for this. Number one, I was not happy about the disposability of contacts and having to buy new ones all the time. I also figured if I kept my glasses for at least 3+ years I would actually save money. I could even use the same frame for a new prescription if needed. I also figured my eyeballs needed a break.

I also figured if something weird happened in the world and there were no more contacts I would be in big trouble. So I got some nice plastic tortoise shell frames with uv sensitive lenses that will darken. Only problem is it wont darken inside a car due to the windshield blocking UV rays.

Then I thought if for some reason there are no more opticians and I broke my glasses I would be screwed again. There is a twilight zone episode where a man with coke bottle / hubcap glasses is the sole survivor of an apocalypse. He rejoices that he has all the time in the world to read books, until he breaks his glasses. Now he's virtually blind. So what are the most durable glasses? Several thoughts.

1) sports goggles with a strap like my brother has to play basketball. Of course it may look strange to wear them in everyday situations. I do like the idea of wearing some kind of goggle

like acetylene welders or bikers, but I'm not sure if I can afford more strange looks.

2) titanium glasses, either with or without hinges. I like the idea of no hinges to fail but usually to eliminate hinges the arms are screwed into holes in the glass.

3) military issue glasses aka BCG or Birth Control Glasses. They got their name because they are so ugly it is impossible for you to impregnate anyone. Apparently in addition to ugly they are cheap and uncomfortable.

4) any metal glasses with the thickest arms and hinges and frame possible. less failures.

5) AND...see photo above. My Julbo mountaineering sunglasses. It looks like they are made of brass. I like how the lenses are round (easier to grind a round lens) and if you look carefully there are screws on the top of the frame to release or install the lens. This seems a lot better than having the screw near the temple. The hinges are very basic but seem strong. And the glasses have those rubber pieces that curl around your ear so they fit snugly. So the question is if I can get a prescription to fit this frame. Oh, and it would still look a little weird to wear everyday, but not as bad as goggles. Not pictured, the mountaineering nosepiece and the side shields to protect from snow glare.

What do you think?

Does "Made In USA" Matter to You?

This is either a pro- made in USA post, or anti made in China post, or some combination.

I have noticed one of my favorite outdoor clothing companies, Patagonia (www.patagonia.com) has fewer items made in USA and more made in China and other locations. This concerns me since this has been my favorite clothing manufacturer for about 20 years. When I look at the items they still make in the US like organic logo t-shirts and merino wool underwear, I'm guessing it is not made in China yet because the quality or cost savings has not been reached to allow this to be made overseas. I'm interested to see if this changes. Where does the organic cotton for the polo shirts made in China come from? Do they ship it from the US? When I visited some fabric mills in China they were absolutely puzzled when I asked if they had any organic fabrics.

"But theevildrsin," you ask. "If Patagonia, or other manufacturers stand by their quality, what does it matter if it is made elsewhere?"

I believe in supporting US companies and more specifically US companies that manufacture product in the US, hopefully from US derived materials. I believe it is more likely that a lower paid factory worker will have less incentive to make a quality product than a higher paid worker living in the US. From my experience in China, most the workers have no idea of the context in which we will use our product because they do not use it themselves. While managing cost is important no matter where your factory is, in China it is ALL about cost. This means the cheapest materials, manufacturing technique, labor, machines, and factory environment will be used with cost effectiveness in mind. Is that what you want in your product? It is the equivalent of having work done by the lowest bidder.

So does Made in USA mean better quality? Not all the time. You have to do your own research. I have worked with both US and Chinese factories, and the US workers and suppliers will cut corners if you are not careful. But it is a lot easier to achieve the quality of materials and workmanship you desire. My suggestion is to focus your purchases on high quality, low volume manufacturers. You will pay more, but these type of companies produce quality goods and will definitely stand behind their work. Companies such as TAD Gear (outdoor gear and apparel) and BillyKirk (leather goods). It takes a little work, money, and trial and error, but you hopefully will find a USA Made product that will work for you for many years to come. I suggest if you are about to buy something, consider the US made alternative.

Beer Bottle Opener

I found a 10mm wrench in the street while biking so decided to make a bottle opener out of it. I cut off most of one side of the open end wrench, leaving a slight lip to catch under the bottle cap. To give a more positive grip on the cap I cut a notch into the lip. Tadaaa! functional bottle opener and much cooler than those keychain shark ones you get at the beach. Someone beer me.

quote of the day

"That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest"

- Henry David Thoreau

Hmm, I guess "that man" is not me with the car addiction and interest in product design, however following my theory of Selective Minimalism I think I can make a go of it. Own nice things, but fewer of them.

Debt free...now what?

Just accomplished one of my New Year's resolutions...I am now debt free! I just paid off my car loan. I never plan on having another car payment. I will have to control the car addiction better and in the future pay cash, well for everything...

Now most importantly I need to figure out how to maintain a debt free lifestyle while achieving my goals. My immediate one is to figure out what to do to earn money. Yes I know, it's called work because it's not necessarily supposed to be fun, right? Well I'm looking to develop multiple income streams, work on something that doesn't feel like a freaking grind, possibly being able to work from home, and hopefully not answer to anyone. Special thanks to my supportive girlfriend who is being patient and helpful as I explore the possibilities.

Metal Fetish - Exovault iPod Touch Brass Case

Jeez this is turning into a product blog rather than yammering about cars or even money...Well I love anything metal and/ or wood and www.exovault.com has both! They make metal cases for your iPhone or touch. This one is my favorite! It is the iPod Touch brass case. I bet you'd assume I'd prefer the aluminum cases but what I like about the brass is that it will tarnish a little with time. I like materials that build character and age a little through time. Plastics age in such a boring manner. Well this is $95, basically half the cost of my touch. Makes no financial sense and I have a perfectly good orange rubber case my girlfriend gave me. Still, I want one.

Quote of the Day

" The way of the warrior is to master the virtue of his weapons. "

- Miyamoto Musashi

Vibram Five Fingers - Day 6

After six days of wearing my VFF Classics in Black size 40, the elastic has come loose out of the nylon drawcord sleeve as shown in the photo above. Quite honestly this is unacceptable quality. Also quite honestly, after working with many Chinese factories, I am not surprised and despite my high standards I am also resigned to that reality. Most factory workers do not have a personal pride or spiritual stake in the product they make. I will probably repair the defect myself rather than deal with the hassle of returning it. In over a decade of owning and using outdoor gear I have never had a drawcord fail.

However I am enjoying the comfort and barefooted feeling overall. It makes even my minimalist running shoes feel very cushy. My girlfriend still thinks I look very odd. If she gets out of line I threaten to buy her a pair. At the library checkout counter, I caught a mother and daughter both do a cartoonlike double take at my toeshoes...so I waved my toes at them. As I walked through the library parking lot I saw them drive by and they waved and smiled. VFF's seem to effect good natured curiosity rather than freaked out horror. At the Fresh Market grocery store, a customer inquired about the shoes while I was getting my free coffee. On the other hand, my parents just find it strange but par for the course when dealing with me.

Yesterday I went up on the roof to clean the gutters with a blower. While I hate heights, the VFF's gave me good traction and feel. It gave me a little more confidence to walk up closer to the roof edge than in the past while wearing boots. It is still cold here to be wearing VFF's but I cannot wait to run some dirt trails in them.

My VFFs don't protect my feet from the ground...they protect the ground from my feet!

The Best vs. Good Enough

As a consumer and as someone interested in design, I think it is a fun challenge to find my sweet spot for any product category. It is relatively easy to find the best or cheapest of an item, it is harder to find the point of diminishing returns for more money spent.

CHEAP. Want to find the cheapest of some product? Easy - I can go to Wal-Mart and find something for about as cheap as I can get in this country. Most likely it will be made in China and most likely I will wear it out soon. No problem right? Just throw it away and buy another one. Except I'm contributing to a throwaway culture, wasting resources, and often I may be spending as much or more than if I just bought a higher quality item in the first place. I can get some beach sandals for $2 and when that plastic strap breaks toss it in the trash and buy another pair. There is also no satisfaction of using a quality product.

BEST. Finding the "best" of some product is pretty easy too. Spend lots of money! When there is an unlimited budget, it is easy to get the highest quality, top performing product. One can also spend the money to maintain the item.

GOOD ENOUGH. The hard part is recognizing that I can spend more money but past a certain point there are diminishing returns. I first need to define what I am looking for in an item. Hmm, let's use cars as an example. What is the sweet spot in buying a car? I want a daily drivable car that can seat four people comfortably occasionally, a roof rather than convertible in case I want to use a roof rack, as light as possible, reasonable gas mileage (30 mpg hwy), low maintenance, can carry a fair amount of gear, and fun to drive (defined as an involving drive). My current thoughts is that a used 5th Generation four door, manual transmission Volkswagen GTI is the sweet spot. It has the performance, efficiency, and practicality I need. It also has the luxury features found on more expensive cars. The only question mark is reliability, based on VW past performance. ANYONE HAVE A BETTER SUGGESTION? I also like the Mini Cooper S but it is less practical.

Again, the hard part is recognizing that sweet spot and not spending more money.

Quote of the Day

" I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way."

-John Paul Jones

What's in your bottle?

Old news but I just learned from the Patagonia website that they terminated their cobranding with Sigg in Sept 2009 because Sigg was apparently deceptive about BPA in their aluminum bottle liners. A couple years ago BPA was a big health issue and everyone switched from plastic bottles to stainless steel and aluminum bottles with Sigg as one of the benfactors of this trend.

Sigg bottles have a plastic liner but the company said their liners did not leach BPA. Whether the liners contain BPA was unclear. Apparently the liner did contain BPA and this info was kept hush hush for about a year until they came out with their BPA free liner in summer 2009.

I got my bottle for Valentines Day 2009. Now I really can't tell if it is the new or old liner. And even if BPA never leached out of the old liner I'm just disgusted at the apparent deception of Sigg. The witholding of the information and the timing of the release of the new BPA free liner seems rather suspicious. In addition, Sigg had agreed to take back old bottles (until Oct 2009 - i'm too late!). While that sounds nice, why would they do that if there is no issue? I'm going to find out if I can still return it to Sigg or REI.

Now I love my bottle and I just got the dents and stickers just how I like them. I will probably continue to drink out of my Sigg bottle. But I will not buy another product from Sigg. I guess the buyer has to perform one's own due diligence or they will never know what they are getting.

Vibram Five Fingers - First day review

I just received my Vibram Five Finger shoes or shall i say foot gloves...check out http://vibramfivefingers.com for more info. I am very excited and will give my initial impressions so far to be updated with more information either on this blog or on twitter.

INTRO - these shoes are designed to protect ones feet while allowing as much of a barefoot feeling as possible. It also allows the foot to spread out naturally rather than be confined to a typical narrow shoe.

DESIGN - As seen in the photo I purchased the Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) Classic in Black. I paid $74.95 with free shipping from Kayakshed.com. That is a typical retail price. It is their original Five Fingers model and i choose black to help me be less self conscious. Maybe in the future I can get orange ones! Upon unwrapping my first impression was that it looked like ballet shoes with toes. High quality construction from an overseas manufacturer. The Vibram soles overlap the top of the toes and parts of the foot like the ball for additional protection. the heel cup has some similarities to a climbing shoe. The rubber on the forefoot and heel have a siped pattern to aid in sole flexibility and wet traction. There is a drawcord at the heel to tighten the opening of the shoe to improve the fit. However I was somewhat surprised that the cordlock was not attached to the shoe somehow. this would allow you to pull the cord one handed to tighten the shoe. as it is one must pull the draw cord with one hand and hold the cord lock with another. one handed drawcords have been in the outdoor industry for ages.

FIT - as excpected it was harder to slip on this shoe. I constantly was putting two toes into one section...of course sometimes i put both legs in the same pants leg too. The fit can be very hit or miss on a product like this. On my right foot the heel cup is a little loose. While my left foot is a fraction longer than my right, my right foot feels tighter in the toes and loose in the heel. I probably would go to a store and try several sizes on and maybe even the womens size to dial in this fit. The pull tab at the heel is rather high and somewhat annoys my Achilles. I may cut this off later. I have this issue with some climbing shoes as well.

COMFORT, USE AND OTHER SHOES - since it has only been an hour since i got them i will comment on comfort later. it is recommended to only wear them for 1-2 hours at a time to get used to the fit and decreased cushioning. My footwear usually does not have much support so i think i will adapt quickly. I typically wear sandals, driving shoes, and lightweight running shoes.

I prefer sandals when possible due to sun and air exposure but they are lousy for running, wet weather, variable terrain, and often driving when heel toe pedal action is required. I like driving shoes except they are often narrow and again poor for running, wet weather, and variable terrain. My lightweight running shoes are great all around except a little narrow and no foot exposure. I plan to use the VFF's as a casual shoe, running and driving. It would be interesing to see if I decide to phase out any of my other footwear for this. Updates to follow

Gear Review - Snowpeak Titanium Stubby Spork

My girlfriend gave me a Snowpeak Titanium Stubby Spork for Christmas. Since then I have used this spork for almost every meal requiring a utensil. Not because it is more effective than a full size spoon and fork, but because it is made of titanium, stubby, is a fork and spoon built into one, and I am me. It is approx 4.5" long, made in Japan, and is only $8 from most vendors.

So really... how well does it work? Well soup dribbles out the front of the tines so each spoonful is a little small. It's a little hard to twirl spaghetti. When using it to put crosshatches in your peanut butter cookies, it leaves what looks like a pawprint instead. And I use it many times everyday and have never looked back. That's the point of having cool stuff right? Enjoying using it everyday. And if i get weird looks when i pull it out of my pocket, so be it. Better to look strange than miss an eating opportunity due to the lack of a utensil!

If you'd like a Snow Peak Titanium Spork, consider this vendor below. I get a commission if you end up buying through this link.
Snow Peak Titanium Spork

I had a job. Then I had another job. Now I have a blog.

Like many of you out there, after years of working in an industry (in this case, product development) I have found myself out of a job. Despite the huge feeling of insecurity I also consider this an opportunity to review what I do for money and how it affects the balance of other parts of my life.

I plan to explore developing multiple income streams in areas of interest to me and reduce compromises i have made for work in order to have more opportunities to do what i really want.

I also want to explore how I spend and save my money. In the past I have wanted to be a minimalist, but with an interest in product development and cars there are so many cool things out there and I own so many products that I will never be a minimalist. So, I would like to consider myself a SELECTIVE MINIMALIST. On things I do not consider important I will spend little or no money, while on things I really am crazy about I am willing to spend more. For example I do not care to spend any money on furniture while I am willing to pay more for a sports car (for now - what I'm willing to spend on my favorite hobby is decreasing).

I'm back...

Ok I'm back and I'm not going to kid you - there will be tons of posts about cars...all kinds of cars...sport cars expensive and beaters, wagons, vans, and trucks. Modified and stock. It will just be a reflection of how much I think about them. However I will also post about other topics. Product design and reviews, philosophies about work, money, fun...every aspect of life that I think about. Unabridged.