Product placement

[Lynx]

Only thing is, if you once, ONCE buy something from anyone, they send you catalogs forever after.  I wonder where exactly the point is when they spend more on catalogs and shipping for said catalogs than they made off my one purchase. 

[Babs]

i pretty much only use tigerdirect. not that i buy much online these days.

[The Cold Water Kid]

HEADPHONES:
The Koss KSC75 is an engineering marvel. They have amazing sound quality and are cheap ($14.00). The design looks a little strange but they are very comfortable for all day wear. Plus all Koss headphones come with a lifetime warranty. Google them, there are websites devoted to modifying them and tweaking them... they sound that good.
http://www.amazon.com/Koss-KSC75-Portable-Stereophone-Headphones/dp/B0006B486K

ICED TEA:
Stay away from the bottled or instant stuff. It is made from the lowest quality tea leaves. Loose leaf tea is the best; the inferior stuff gets ground up and put in tea bags or used for instant. Flouride is a big concern with tea, since the tea plant absorbs flouride from the atmosphere. Flouride in small amounts is good for your teeth. But in the kind of concentrations we see in tea plants today it is unhealthy and causes a range of illnesses. A very good and reasonably price brand is P.G. Tips. It is made from the tips (the tops) of the tea tree and has the lowest concentrations of flouride.
http://www.amazon.com/PG-Tips-Black-Loose-8-8-Ounce/dp/B001EQ5JJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009108&sr=1-1-catcorr

SOAP:
I like to use Kiss My Face olive oil soap because it is all natural and it is not expensive. I have dandruff, but instead of using chemical laden dandruff shampoos I use Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap (I also use it for shaving). One thing with these natural soaps, you have to keep them out of the water when not in use or they will melt. Leave them in a puddle of water overnight and you will have a mess the next day.
http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-My-Face-Olive-8-Ounce/dp/B001E6O8WU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304009259&sr=1-1-catcorr
http://www.amazon.com/Grandpas-Wonder-Pine-Soap-3-25/dp/B0001TO3NA/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1304009295&sr=1-3

MOUTHWASH:
We have really been sold a bill of goods when it comes to mouthwash. We are led to believe that the alcohol in mouthwash kills germs, but it does not. For mouthwash to kill germs in your mouth it would need to be about 80 proof (40%) alcohol, but instead it is about 15%. Instead, the alcohol in mouthwash serves as a dispersant for the other chemical (it keeps them dissolved). And alcohol has been linked to mouth and throat cancers, so swishing it around in your mouth for 30 seconds every morning might not be a good idea. There are not any great options for mouthwash, but I like Crest Pro Health; it is alcohol free and has an ingredient that actually kills bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide is good too, but you should really order food grade H2O2 since store brands have small amounts of impurities, which are often times heavy metals.
http://www.amazon.com/Crest-Pro-Health-Night-Clean-Mouthwash/dp/B001GBGVW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1304009786&sr=1-1

POMADE:
This will be hard for many to believe, but plain old Vaseline makes an excellent pomade at a fraction of the cost. Vaseline is a brand name for petrolatum, and petrolatum is the main ingredient in most pomades, so if you use pomade you are already putting Vaseline in your hair, you just do not know it. People assume it would be hard to wash out, but Vaseline (petrolatum) melts at around 100 degrees; a warm shower will melt it and make it easy to wash out with shampoo. I like to melt my Vaseline and add other ingredients, like jojoba oil or shea butter, to make my own healthy blend.

TOOTHPASTE:
I do not use toothpaste, but instead I use toothpowder, and Uncle Henry makes the best one on the market. It is all natural and leaves your mouth feeling squeaky clean. It does not taste very good, but you get used to it.
http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Harrys-Tooth-Powder-Ounces/dp/B000E3DX5M

MILK:
I do not know how it is everywhere else, but Dollar General in my city has the best deal in town on milk. You can buy Foremost milk for around $3.35 per gallon; Foremost milk at Wal-Mart costs almost $5.00! Foremost is a premium brand milk, kind of like Borden's, so it might be of higher quality than generic brands but I am not sure. I know the skim milk tastes great.

HONEY:
Like most anything you buy at the grocery store, grocery store honey has been pasteurized. The pasteurization process destroys the beneficial enzymes found in raw, natural honey. Raw, unprocessed honey is the way to go, and it is not overly expensive if you shop around and use it sparingly.
http://www.amazon.com/YS-Royal-Jelly-Honey-Bee/dp/B000Z93FQC/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1304010694&sr=1-2

There is probably some other stuff I have obsessed over in recent years, lol. I will add to this list if I think of anything else.

[Melody]

ooooh, I want to find that soap.  Seems like it'd be something I'd like.

[Lynx]

You lost me at recommending Koss headphones.  I've tried many brands and Koss has the single most unnatural, flat, distorted frequency response I've ever found. 

+3 points for the honey though.  Most people who buy honey don't know what real, un-messed-with honey tastes like.  Always buy honey from local producers (local honey - local flowers - great for combating local allergies from local pollens) and make sure it's raw.

[The Cold Water Kid]

Psalm-97, the Koss KSC75 is in a class by itself. It is one of those rare situations were everything worked out better than expected and a mediocre product turned out to be an outstanding one; google it, you'll see what I am talking about.

[MelodyB]

My dad had bees a few years ago and we had the best honey right from literally our own backyard! It was awesome!

[Melody]

man! THAT would be cool to have that connection.  True about the store bought junk, you might as well just use white sugar.  Raw honey is chalk full of awesome stuff for inside and out.

[MsJennJenn]

TOOTHPASTE:
I do not use toothpaste, but instead I use toothpowder, and Uncle Henry makes the best one on the market. It is all natural and leaves your mouth feeling squeaky clean. It does not taste very good, but you get used to it.
http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Harrys-Tooth-Powder-Ounces/dp/B000E3DX5M

I think Uncle Henry is the ONLY tooth powder there is....lol gross!~

[Lynx]

Peelu?

[The Cold Water Kid]

I think Uncle Henry is the ONLY tooth powder there is....lol gross!~

I actually had to throw away all of my regular toothpaste to force myself to use the toothpowder everyday, lol. It does not taste good, but it works really well. Calcium carbonate is the surfactant (the ingredient that cleans your teeth) in Uncle Henry's; it is also used as an anti-acid in Tums. The opposite of acid is alkaline, so calcium carbonate creates an alkaline environment in your mouth. And an alkaline environment is deadly for bacteria. This might gross some of you out but it is fairly common - before using toothpowder my gums would bleed a little when I brushed my teeth; maybe not every time but often enough. Since I started using this stuff they don't bleed anymore.

[Lynx]

*ahem*  Peelu?

[The Cold Water Kid]

*ahem*  Peelu?

Oh, lol, I thought you were making a private joke with someone else on the forum or something, lol. Peelu looks promising! Thanks! I might give it a whirl, especially the gum.

[MsJennJenn]

I didn't get it either way LOL - I don't know what Peelu is....

[The Cold Water Kid]

ooooh, I want to find that soap.  Seems like it'd be something I'd like.

If you like simple, all natural products that work then you probably will. If the price per bar makes you baulk keep in mind they are 8 ounce bars, compared to 3.5 to 4 ounces for a normal sized bar. I get the unscented one, which some say they do not like the smell of, so you might want to try one of the scented varieties (but of course, that adds more chemicals).

[The Cold Water Kid]

I thought of another one of my favorite finds:

COLOGNE & BODY SPRAY FOR MEN:
Bath & Body Works has a collection of mens personal hygeine products made by C. O. Bigelow that smell great. I do not like Tag or Axe, they smell a little like big spray to me, but these smell very good IMO. And if you look for a coupon code the price is reasonable. Elixer White is my personal favorite.
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4004123&cp=4090261.4090358.4342146

[Lynx]

Okay the Vibram (tm) five-finger shoes just came in and I really like them.  It's supposed to be like walking barefoot, but with a thick skin on the bottom of your foot.  What it really is like, is a glove for your foot.  I always did prefer to walk without shoes because they are always built up more at the heel than at the toe.  I feel more balanced and agile without shoes, or with flat moccasins or something.  These shoes I will probably not want to take off as soon as I get home. 

And it's a good conversation starter.  Yes, I'll be wearing them in public - they're not house shoes, they're real shoes. 

I'll report back after a few miles.

[sunlight]

[Lynx]

This is the first pair of shoes I have NOT wanted to take off.   

As soon as I get home the first thing I do is take off my shoes.  Part of it is my toes being bunched up in there, but most of it is the heel being thicker than the toe in most shoes.  These shoes I did not want to take off right away.  I took a nap with them on - granted I don't take naps often, but when I do I always have to have my shoes off.  For some reason I can't sleep with them on. 

This is also I believe the first time I have ever forgotten I was wearing shoes.  And though it was a hot day, my feet didn't get sweaty.  You're not supposed to wear socks with these, and I didn't, but my feet never got slippery in them. 

One caveat:  The sizing chart at amazon.com is off.  Measure your foot while you're standing on it, not while you're sitting, go to the vibram site and use their chart, and you'll get a good fit.  Then go to amazon, ignore their sizing chart and place the order.  Mine were a bit too large, which is how I know about the discrepancy.  But even too large they still fit and wear better than any other shoe I've had. 

Of course I got the KSO Trek, which is leather, and the only leather version they have.  I don't know about any of the others.  I have a pair of regular KSO ordered and on the way (a bit smaller this time) so we'll see how they do for wearability and sweat control. 

Will report back when I've managed to wear something out.

[Lynx]

Oh yeah, forgot the logic part:

With normal shoes with thicker heels, the "natural" stride is with the heel striking first.  This is not natural for the way the human foot was made, it is less efficient and the impact is probably the root cause of so many people's knees and hips wearing out and needing to be replaced.  The truly natural way the human foot is supposed to meet the ground is forefoot first, then heel, with the forefoot just barely ahead of the heel in striking the surface.  The foot/ankle is supposed to use the forefoot to cushion, then spring back to propel the person forward.

This is not the reason I got them, but it's the reason that will probably matter to normal people.  I of course am not normal so it's all gravy.   

Oh, and with "normal" shoes with thick heels, a natural stride is impossible without overpointing the toe. 

My, aren't I sounding like an elitist all of a sudden... well it's all true.

[Lynx]

LAPTOP:  Okay it's official - ThinkPads rock.  You'll never find one at Wal-Mart (and for good reason - they only carry junk laptops.  Never, ever, ever get an Acer or HP.) but they outlast everything else almost all the time.  My little T43 is still chugging along, it's what I'm on now.  My little T43 also picks up wifi signals that other people swear don't exist.  And despite many, many CDs burnt, the CD burner is still burning. 

And one of the most important things - My new Thinkpad Edge 15 had XP drivers!  If you get a new laptop these days it comes with Windows 7 and they would never dream of making drivers for XP.  Who would want to go back to the operating system that is still the most stable and trusted one in existence?    But if you get a ThinkPad you can probably install XP and get drivers straight from the manufacturer's site. 

And yes, I actually did go and install good old XP.  I had to, my new audio interface had 64-bit drivers that were junk.  I can only use it with 32-bit XP.

[Lynx]

About those shoes:  After buying six pairs I can now say that for comfort and a luxurious feel KSO Trek (the leather ones) are about the best shoes to get.  They're also the most expensive of the lot, but worth it.  I have a black pair that are now my dress shoes.  Barely anybody at church has noticed yet.

For all-around wearing without having to worry about protecting that leather, Komodo Sport is good.  They are now my work shoes.  A bit more padding at the bottom and more of a "quilt" feel in the toes.  Also, where the KSO have one strap that goes around the heel and over the instep, Komodo Sport has a strap around the heel and a separate strap over the instep.  Much appreciated.

For something cheaper but still as functional, KSO TrekSport are good.  Some kind of polymer instead of KSO Trek's leather, but they seem as durable and the heel/instep strap is in exactly the same place. 

If amazon.com doesn't have the kind you want in the color and size you want, try Vibram's own website.  Or try Trailblazer at http://www.shoptrailblazer.com/  Between the three I've found all I need in my size and my preferred color. 

And so far nothing has worn out.  Of course I've only been wearing them for four weeks, but nothing looks about to give way any time soon.

One caveat:  Do not get the Bikila or Bikila LS.  They do not have a strap around the heel, where you want to take up slack if you are wearing toe shoes.  They have a strap across the instep (speed laces for the LS) which functions like a normal shoe... but a normal shoe leaves free space at the toe, so with these TOE SHOES your toes keep sliding out of where they are supposed to be.  Nice thought, speed laces, but they should have tested it a bit more for function than for form.  There's one other style that has speed laces but I can't remember which it is... avoid them too if you see them.

[Melody]

oops!

wrong post in wrong thread! 

[IowaSkirtGirl]

I like shopping at Aldis for some things. We got three cloth bags of groceries for less than 20 dollars AND if you do some price checking there are some things they are cheaper than walmart. I like their rice packets. I think they are better than the ones at walmart and target.

[Lynx]

NO TOES

By the way, if you want a more natural stride without funny looking toes there are zero-drop shoes that don't have toes.  Zero-drop means a shoe that doesn't have a built-up heel like most "normal" shoes these days, and many professional runners swear by them.

Of course you should still take it easy if you want to switch from "normal" shoes to a zero-drop shoe.  Those tendons and calf muscles are underdeveloped from walking in a built-up heel all your life and they will need time to stretch out to where they should be. 

PLEASE NOTE:  I have not tried any of these brands.  Yet. 
Some brands of zero-drop shoes are Altra, Vivo, Soft Star RunAmocs, New Balance Minimus (actually not zero-drop, but a very small heel-toe drop,) Merrell, Inov-8, Stem... the market is getting crowded lately. 

Searching amazon.com is a great way to get some honest reviews on different brands.  Two Rivers Treads has a good all-in-one site where you can find all the popular zero-drop brands.  http://www.tworiverstreads.com/category_s/36.htm

And without toes in the shoes, nobody will ever notice...  :smug: