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Well, now the the topic of shoes has come up... I hate shoe buying. I usually have just the one pair and I wear them until they collapse. I used to have a dress pair and a pair of sneakers, but in the last few years I've taken to just getting business-acceptable comfortable leather shoes and using them all-purpose. My last two pairs have been the same style of Merrell loafers and while I was really impressed with the first pair's durability and comfort, the second have lasted me barely over a year. So I'm looking for recommendations for a new brand. I'm looking for comfortable, durable, shoes that are suitable for casual and business-dress use. I looked at Rockports and they do look/feel nice, but they are priced like limited edition Nikes and I'm not sure if they hold up to their hype. Any suggestions?
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Dec 17, 2010 20:50
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http://www.redoxx.com/Briefcases-and-Garment-Bags/Metro-Briefcase/91095-Slimline/130/Product Red Oxx makes awesome stuff.
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Dec 17, 2010 21:44
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Julet Esqu posted:Are those little Roomba things worth getting? What if my home is a labyrinth of furniture? If you have kids who like to leave small toy parts or more than one person who has long hair in the house, forget them. They're relatively cheap due to the fact that they are not durable, and they have very little in protection in built (motor overvoltage, temperature, speed, etc) so that they kill themselves. Don't believe the "anti tangle" crap they tout, all it does is reverse the motors briefly, and it really doesn't stop it from getting stuck. Plus they are not bright at all - they easily get stuck and can't navigate for toffee. My wife and two girls were the bane of the roomba - I bought one and literally exchanged it 5 times from costco before giving up due to 3 separate problems manifesting themselves. Small toys and bits can trap in the brush assembly and basically warp the main brush. Wires and long hair (even if you cut hair out of the main brush every other run) can cause the motor to overheat and then eventually it will no longer run, especially on deep pile carpets. Battery charging also seems an issue too, with accidental deep discharge meaning you cant charge with the dock but only with a separate charger (roomba seems to think that too low a voltage = battery broke and will no longer charge) My recommendation is to go for the samsung range (navibot, hauzen, etc) drat thing is indestructible, partly due to the protection builtin. Additionally, the IR sensors, magnet sensors and onboard up facing camera/sensor make it way better at navigating. It doesn't blindly boink its way around, it goes around in lanes where possible, and it makes our deep pile carpet look like a lawn. It's just a way better built and spec'ed machine, of course you pay almost double for the privilege.
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Dec 17, 2010 22:16
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My parents drink a glass of wine each night with dinner and when I was home this past weekend I realized how god loving awful their wine glasses are. I have no idea what makes a wine glass good or great so any recommendations are much appreciated.
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Dec 17, 2010 22:30
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Sgs-Cruz posted:I love stuff like this. When he talks on that page about how they design the bags to last 50+ years of use, like putting rivets in the places where the seams would wear out after 30 years -- I tear up a little. I bought one of their briefcases for my wife in January, and now I'm buying her one of the travel case / purses and a tote bag. They are hands down the best bags I've seen. If I had any use for a bag, I'd buy one for myself... but their offerings don't meet anything I personally need.
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Dec 17, 2010 22:34
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Wynter posted:I'm looking for comfortable, durable, shoes that are suitable for casual and business-dress use. I looked at Rockports and they do look/feel nice, but they are priced like limited edition Nikes and I'm not sure if they hold up to their hype. Check out Bjorn or Clarks. You can sometimes pick them up at DSW or Nordstrom Rack for pretty cheap. I picked up a pair of each for work and ended up wearing them all the time casually as well. Stylish, solid, durable, and very comfortable.
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Dec 17, 2010 22:34
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Don't Lol me posted:If you have kids who like to leave small toy parts or more than one person who has long hair in the house, forget them. They're relatively cheap due to the fact that they are not durable, and they have very little in protection in built (motor overvoltage, temperature, speed, etc) so that they kill themselves. Don't believe the "anti tangle" crap they tout, all it does is reverse the motors briefly, and it really doesn't stop it from getting stuck. Roombas are like other vacuums in the sense that they have limits on what they can pick up. Small toys don't go into regular vacuums all that easily, either. Similarly, long hair will get wound up around the rollers and need to be removed. Roombas, however, are very easy to clean. They are designed to open up for this purpose and the only tool required is a philips screwdriver if you have one of the Roombas with a corner brush. Many models come with a toothed ring that goes over the rollers and slices out hair and thread and whatever else gets tangled up. No, Roombas are not self-cleaning, nor are they indestructible. You do have to supervise them if they are cleaning a particularly dirty room and have to empty the waste bin, or if there is a lot of hair to initially pick up. But if you use them for maintenance vacuuming, where it's mostly dust and the odd bit of food or pet hair, they're excellent. They will stop and beep at you if the moving parts get stuck, or they become trapped under furniture. Our Roomba 560 is very small profile and fits under our bed. It's the only way to vacuum under a bed short of moving the entire bed frame. Also, it can find its way back to the dock to recharge itself when it gets low.  On the subject of boots, I heartily recommend Red Wing work boots. Ridiculously comfortable, available with steel shank/toe or composite shank/toe protection, very reasonably priced (under $200), and very durable. I do recommend some insole inserts like Superfeet for pretty much any work boot. See if you can find a Red Wing store location near you to try them on. They all fit a bit differently but when you find the right one, you'll know. Edit: yancy2010 posted:My parents drink a glass of wine each night with dinner and when I was home this past weekend I realized how god loving awful their wine glasses are. I think for most people, wine glasses are good if they have no visible seams from manufacture and you like them. Crystal would be preferred over glass for quality and thinness. Stemless wine glasses are pretty popular, and we have a set of the less expensive Riedel tumblers. You can pay a little or a lot for them, although I see little real difference between them. RalAegidius has a new favorite as of 22:46 on Dec 17, 2010 |
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Dec 17, 2010 22:41
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sky shark posted:I bought one of their briefcases for my wife in January, and now I'm buying her one of the travel case / purses and a tote bag. They are hands down the best bags I've seen. If I had any use for a bag, I'd buy one for myself... but their offerings don't meet anything I personally need. I bought my Dad one of their wallets. They're pretty sturdy, they seem like they'll hold up. I mainly got it because of their lifetime guarantee. My dad is the destroyer of wallets, 3 years is his current record for wallet life. And that was made with fire hose canvas and marine thread stitching. Hopefully they'll honor their guarantee. We'll see when he eventually wears this one out, if it just lasts longer than the others it'll have been a fair price.
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Dec 17, 2010 23:04
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PirateDentist posted:I bought my Dad one of their wallets. They're pretty sturdy, they seem like they'll hold up. I mainly got it because of their lifetime guarantee. My dad is the destroyer of wallets, 3 years is his current record for wallet life. And that was made with fire hose canvas and marine thread stitching. I have no use for a wallet since I bought one of these: Storus Smart Money Clip I found my wallet was getting enormously thick, so I made an effort to pare it down to what I used the most: Driver's License, Debit Cards, Insurance card, Sam's Club card, cash. Everything else goes into a business card holder that rides in the back pocket and rarely comes out. No more backaches from having to sit on a giant wallet either!
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Dec 17, 2010 23:16
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RalAegidius posted:Roombas are like other vacuums in the sense that they have limits on what they can pick up. Small toys don't go into regular vacuums all that easily, either. Similarly, long hair will get wound up around the rollers and need to be removed. Agreed, but their main feature is unattended cleaning, and the expensive models have a clock so cleaning can be done on particular days/times - it is aimed at you being out while it works. The other main feature is to get under beds and sofas. Combine the two and you have to have a product that looks after itself way better than what it does. Supervised cleaning defeats the point of having them. I had no problem cleaning the drat things, it was just that they seemed hell bent on trying to eat objects that were just the right size to cause damage but not trip the inadequate untangle logic. As RalAegidius says, a Roomba really lends itself to supervised light cleaning so you can rescue it quickly if it does try to suicide on a hairclip or hair scrunchie. If you want something way cleverer, doesn't need mollycoddling, and doesn't need to bang into furniture at full pelt to work out when to turn, go for a Samsung.
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Dec 17, 2010 23:36
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Can anyone recommend a sturdy external hard drive for a Mac user?
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Dec 17, 2010 23:59
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Don't Lol me posted:As RalAegidius says, a Roomba really lends itself to supervised light cleaning so you can rescue it quickly if it does try to suicide on a hairclip or hair scrunchie. If you want something way cleverer, doesn't need mollycoddling, and doesn't need to bang into furniture at full pelt to work out when to turn, go for a Samsung. The software for them is getting better with every generation, but they're definitely "early adopter" gadgets. And actually I find the Roomba's tendency to go BONK into the sofa somewhat amusing. 
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Dec 18, 2010 00:30
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If anyone wants to be a good samaritan, can you point out some stuff in this thread that more than one person has agreed is worth purchasing, so that I can add it to the OP? I've already got the Magic Eraser, Zojirushi rice cooker, Litter-Robot thing for your cat to poo poo in, and the Logitech MX518 mouse.
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Dec 18, 2010 01:01
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I just posted this is another thread, but I think this is a good spot for it. Are you lactose intolerant? Try this stuff then:  You take 1 or 2 pills once a day and you can eat dairy whenever you want. It works fantastic for me, I've been using it for around 2 years now. It's a probotic with some added lactose enzymes. Costs about $10 a month, but for me it's well worth it. I used to take lactaid pills, but I'd run out or forget them, then you're stuck. Which kinda sucks when you're out with friends and they decide to get a pizza. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G7QGCM/ I just looked it up on amazon for the link and that's a really good price. 3 boxes for $22. I usually get it at Walgreens for $10 per box. I'll have to get it from Amazon once my current stock gets a bit lower.
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Dec 18, 2010 01:17
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Artix74 posted:This is awesome and I totally pledged to that. I'm lazy though and don't really feel like printing them all off, so here's to hoping they get enough pledges. Good news! They got enough pledges: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1200751084/cards-against-humanity
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Dec 18, 2010 01:48
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Sgs-Cruz posted:If anyone wants to be a good samaritan, can you point out some stuff in this thread that more than one person has agreed is worth purchasing, so that I can add it to the OP? I've already got the Magic Eraser, Zojirushi rice cooker, Litter-Robot thing for your cat to poo poo in, and the Logitech MX518 mouse. That utilikey thing. If I'm remembering wrong and it was only one guy then I'm recommending it again because I bought it and it came in useful 5 times in the first 2 days I had it
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Dec 18, 2010 02:22
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Wynter posted:Well, now the the topic of shoes has come up... Sketchers make some pretty comfortable business casual shoes that last a good while in my experience, though comfort is more important to me than durability when it comes down to it. Also, I had a Roomba a few years ago and the spinning brush polished my hardwood floors, very nice.
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Dec 18, 2010 02:23
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Any suggestions for a good left-handed or ambidextrous mouse?
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Dec 18, 2010 03:00
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Tip for Roomba and other vac-robot buyers: robotshop.com (and possibly other vendors, haven't investigated much yet) offer warranty and repair coverage in excess of the manufacturer. As often as Roombas seem to just up and die (sensors and gearbox being the prime failures so far as I've read) having extra warranty seems like a great idea given the purchase price.
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Dec 18, 2010 03:39
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Preach posted:Good news! They got enough pledges:
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Dec 18, 2010 03:56
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I did some digging and found some snow boots that look promising. Has anyone ever worn boots with the oc system thing? Just wondering how effective these would be and if anyone can vouch for them. http://www.lovethoseshoes.com/olang-womens-ziller-tex-oc-black-boot/
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Dec 18, 2010 04:00
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sativa dreams posted:
I'm seriously considering buying one of these but $350 is a heck of an investment for a cat litter box. Would love to hear more about it though, and where the best place to buy it is, (it's unavailable at Amazon, where I'd normally get it from).
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Dec 18, 2010 04:58
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-Blackadder- posted:I'm seriously considering buying one of these but $350 is a heck of an investment for a cat litter box. Would love to hear more about it though, and where the best place to buy it is, (it's unavailable at Amazon, where I'd normally get it from). They have a 3-payment plan on the website and offer refurbs. You end up spending about $100 more with the payment plan, but the refurbs are less than $250 with free shipping if you pay upfront (which is still a chunk of change for a shitbox but a little better).
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Dec 18, 2010 06:32
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Foaming Chicken posted:Can anyone recommend a sturdy external hard drive for a Mac user? G-drives are tough as nails, quiet, cool, and have a billion storage and connection options. I've had one for 5 years now and (knock on wood), not a hiccup, even though I transport it all over the place. http://www.amazon.com/G-Technology-External-Firewire-Interfaces-0G00199/dp/tags-on-product/B002LITG7M Plus they match the look of mac's silver design thing. If you're looking for something portable and can power it through your laptop, the LaCie Rugged are great too. http://www.amazon.com/LaCie-All-Terrain-FireWire-Portable-301900/dp/B002G62Z18/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1292658901&sr=1-3 They all have a high enough RPM speed to edit HD video, even uncompressed.
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Dec 18, 2010 08:55
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PirateDentist posted:I just posted this is another thread, but I think this is a good spot for it. That company makes probiotic pills for IBS, too. I've been taking them and they're fantastic.
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Dec 18, 2010 09:01
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Josh Lyman posted:That's pretty much the exact same game as Apples to Apples That's the point. It's a more adult version (the original SA thread on it didn't exactly hide that fact either). I posted about it earlier in the thread. I don't think I can be satisfied with normal Apples to Apples anymore.
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Dec 18, 2010 18:45
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RalAegidius posted:That company makes probiotic pills for IBS, too. I've been taking them and they're fantastic. Is there any danger in taking both the lactose intolerance ones and the IBS ones? I'm going to pick them up this afternoon, just don't want to make things worse for myself.
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Dec 18, 2010 18:48
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KoB posted:Blender? Our blender sucks, something with basic smoothie/ice crushing capabilities.
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Dec 18, 2010 19:02
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Catastrophe posted:
Thirding (fourthing?) this. My partner only wears Smartwools and converted me a few years ago. I am incredibly cheap and hate to spend money on myself, but even I can justify the price of these. I can always find them on sale at Nordstrom Rack and http://www.sierratradingpost.com/. To contribute, I am a huge fan of Envirosax bags. They roll up into a tiny, lightweight little pouch and are great to just toss in your purse or bag and forget about. That way you always have a sturdy bag with you. It will fit on your shoulder, too, like a tote bag, to free up your hands. They can carry up to 44 lbs - I've carried 4 bottles of wine in mine and not had a problem. They come in plain colors or different designs and I highly recommend them.
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Dec 18, 2010 19:46
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Sgs-Cruz posted:If anyone wants to be a good samaritan, can you point out some stuff in this thread that more than one person has agreed is worth purchasing, so that I can add it to the OP? I've already got the Magic Eraser, Zojirushi rice cooker, Litter-Robot thing for your cat to poo poo in, and the Logitech MX518 mouse. This Waterpik Toothbrush/flosser thing was recommended a few times. It got me to buy one! The drawbacks are that it is a bit loud, I'm retarded and have a hard time finding the right spot on the backsides of my teeth when using the flosser bit, and I run out of water way too fast. But my teeth feel fantastic when I'm done and it's a lot nicer than using floss!
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Dec 18, 2010 20:56
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dancehall posted:Any suggestions for a good left-handed or ambidextrous mouse? The mouse and keyboard I recommended earlier, the Microsoft Desktop 3000, has an ambidextrous mouse. It's a really fantastic set, keyboard battery lasts FOREVER (I've had it since I think April or earlier, never changed it yet. Mouse lasts a long time too, and it has some BlueTrack laser system that works on absolutely any surface. Great for using on the couch with no mouse pad.
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Dec 18, 2010 21:31
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Rubiks Pubes posted:Is there any danger in taking both the lactose intolerance ones and the IBS ones? I'm going to pick them up this afternoon, just don't want to make things worse for myself. IANADoctor, but I wouldn't think so. They're mostly beneficial bacteria. The same type is in all their probiotic stuff. You'd get a double dose of the bacteria plus whatever was unique to each type.
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Dec 18, 2010 23:31
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Chroisman posted:Altama EXOSpeed II boots I wear a variation on these every day (diff. color, and full fuzzy on the upper toe area since I'm in the Army) and I can vouch on their comfort level. I'm flat footed, and these + a pair of my custom orthotics is a surefire recipe for comfort.
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Dec 18, 2010 23:55
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b0nes posted:Get a Vitamix. http://www.vitamix.com yeah it's a lot to pay for a blender but it does some much more, and they loving last. My neighbor had one for 20 years and still going strong. Seconding this. It was the most I've ever spent on a kitchen gadget, but after years of killing blenders making hummus or slightly too frozen smoothies, it's definitely worth it. Works great to blend frozen things and comes with a tamper to push things down to the blade. You can even make soup in it, although I've never tried it. Only thing is that it is really noisy when using the most powerful setting and may frighten small children/animals.
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Dec 19, 2010 00:26
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OtherworldlyInvader posted:Speaking of boots, I'm in love with my Chippewa Katahdin Iron Works Boots, also known as L.L. Bean engineer boots. Its pretty drat hard to find a better boot for the price. The entire upper is full-grain leather, so with proper care they should last pretty much forever. Once they're broken in they fit like a glove, as the leather shapes its self to your foot. They're great outdoors and, lets face it, they look drat fine with a pair of jeans. They're water resistant, especially with a coat of Obenauf's LP, though if you're tracking through tons of ice and snow you're probably better off wearing specialized snow boots. Available April 1, 2011 
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Dec 19, 2010 00:34
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Speaking of Roombas mines needs cleaning light never turned off and its deep in a closet now. 
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Dec 19, 2010 00:45
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Cmon Yo! posted:Speaking of Roombas mines needs cleaning light never turned off and its deep in a closet now. So you have a gay Roomba, big woop, it's not like it's a choice. Just be supportive, and let it keep doing its job.
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Dec 19, 2010 01:41
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Preach posted:That's the point. It's a more adult version (the original SA thread on it didn't exactly hide that fact either). I posted about it earlier in the thread. I don't think I can be satisfied with normal Apples to Apples anymore.  The charm comes from contorting things that aren't dirty into things that are.
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Dec 19, 2010 01:43
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If you are a microbiology nerd or just like stuffed toys: http://www.giantmicrobes.com/ Some many microbes and disese vectors to choose from.
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Dec 19, 2010 02:19
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ommega posted:So you have a gay Roomba, big woop, it's not like it's a choice. Just be supportive, and let it keep doing its job. No poo poo. Can you believe this dick? I am shocked somebody could still think this way in this day and age.
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Dec 19, 2010 02:32
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