Leggings should have stayed in the 80's

Ok, quick poll. Women who wear tights/leggings as pants look like:

a) 8 year olds on their way to dance class
b) 8 year olds who can't afford real pants
c) A and B
d) All of the above


I kid. To the countless scores of women out there who are recently in love with wearing tights and leggings, i mean no offense. I just want to learn a tad more about this fashion phenomenon.

Explanations why women choose to look like out of work aerobic instructors:

1. comfortable. ok, it's like wearing your PJ's in public. super. you're wearing your PJ's in public, however.

2. looks good? i suppose if you're stick thin it makes you look ever more svelte but if you so happen as to have any bit of, how shall we say...padding, then it doesn't exactly flatter you.

I know some guys feel the same way I do. I also know other guys like it but not because the woman looks put together or "stylish." Just that it's nice to be able to see her wearing undergarments.

So will tights/leggings stick around? Not sure. It was a smooth evolution of fashion so it might be here to stay for awhile. We had girls wearing jeans, then tight jeans, then extremely tight jeans, and then extremely tight jeans tucked into boots. Of course the next step will be women just painting on their clothes. You heard it here first.


ed note: I love women and all their fashion choices. If a woman feels confident with what she's wearing (or not wearing), go for it. I just felt like sharing.
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Amazon Kindle Intro

Heard about the new Amazon Kindle that has a 7 month waiting list? Yea, probably not. Either way, if you enjoy reading anything (magazines, books, newspapers, blogs, bumper stickers, etc) you might just love the Kindle. Here's a quick intro video and my sexy voice:



My initial conclusion? Pretty darn good. Get one if you can.

edit: haha, the video is sideways.
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IHateFacebook and ILoveFacebook have a new home!

I have moved the much loved www.IHateFacebook.com and www.ILoveFacebook.com forums to a new home. The old forums we're being attacked viciously by spammers/bad people/the Dutch so it was time for a move. You will have to re-register (take you about 12 seconds) and then post away! Spread the word.
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Law school finals better than sex? New study says no.

There have been rumors that law school finals are in fact more enjoyable than sex. A study conducted by myself has hinted at otherwise. Here are the details of the study:

1 person said that law school finals were in fact worse than the drunk girl who won't leave your party. When pressed he expanded further by saying, "law school finals are like a Christopher Columbus expedition. When you begin, you don't know where you're going. When you get there, you don't know where you are. And when you get back, you have no idea where you've been. So...actually, it is kinda like sex..."


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Just Say Merry Christmas!

What's wrong with saying Merry Christmas? Why does it have to be a "Holiday Party" when it clearly is a Christmas Party? Why do I keep losing my shoe trees? All these questions will be explored and hopefully answered.



First let me begin by saying that I understand why there has been a fervent switch to Happy Holiday land. We are in a world of fear. Fear of offending people. That's all fine and good but there has to be limits. Let's think about who would be offended by hearing Merry Christmas? Virtually all Americans — 95 percent — say they celebrate Christmas, 4 percent celebrate Hanukkah and 3 percent Kwanzaa (Jordan, you idiot! That's more than 100%! You're stats suck and i stole your shoetrees! Well believe it or not, some people like to celebrate more than 1 holiday. Truth. Now stop stealing my sh*t). Yep, that's right. 95% celebrate Christmas. 95/100 people across America. I'm a Jew and I do not pretend to speak for the rest of my religion but personally I don't feel uncomfortable when someone tells me, "Merry Christmas!" I don't yell back "he's not my lord!" I love Christmas. People are nicer, there's eggnog, presents, large nice smelling trees, pretty lights...i mean, life is good. Lastly, I doubt all this fuss is caused by the 3% of the Kwanza celebrating folk. They seem like a nice folk. So who are the Grinch's out there hatin' on Christmas?

Ironically enough, it's probably the people who celebrate Christmas themselves. They feel guilty for having such a great holiday. They don't want to rub it in our faces. Well, just so you know, we can take it. The Jews have been through a fair amount across the years and we are tough enough to take someone daring to wish us a Merry Christmas.

Last year, three weeks after Hanukah and before Christmas, someone told me "Happy Holidays!" I said thank you but then asked, "which Holidays are you specifically talking about?" There was of course a pause. What could she say? There is only one holiday left! Seems kind of obvious that she's talking about Christmas. It's Christmas season for baby Jesus' sake.

Finally, don't call it a Holiday Party when it clearly is a Christmas Party. Signs that it is a Christmas Party:

1. Mistletoe
2. Eggnog
3. Anything red or green
4. A party around Christmas time
5. A fat guy giving out presents
6. Your Jewish friends call it a Christmas party
7. Your friends call it a non-denominational Hanukkah-Kwanza-Fiesta

The point of all this? Just say Merry Christmas if it's Christmas time. Seems simple enough. At the VERY LEAST, please do not be afraid to say Merry Christmas. Of course I am being very close-minded. Please someone who is offended by calling Christmas Parties, Christmas Parties and people who need to see Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, leave a comment. Tell me why you are offended. I love learning.

Merry Christmas, Happy belated Hanukkah, and have a Glorious Kwanza (whenever it is celebrated)!

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Holiday Camera Buying Guide

I'm sure some of you have loved ones you want to take photos of (must be nice) but lack the necessary element to get those precious photos. Well, you're in luck. There's never been a better time to buy a digital camera. Here are the ones I say you must buy or make an awful mistake.



First off, a note about the the half-naked woman holding a computer power supply (it's what's in your big computer that makes it go on when you press the power button). I really tried to find a half-naked male model holding a piece of computer technology but alas....

1. Ultra-Pocketable: Casio EX-Z77

Little wider than a credit card, takes pretty good photos and is cheap. Done.

Full Review

1a. Ultra Pocketable And Stylish: Sony T200

Have to give up to Sony. They made a pretty sexy (if camera's can be sexy) device that has an unheard of 3.5" LCD screen. Did I mention that LCD screen is completely driven by touch? Yep, no hard buttons for Sony. Doesn't take as good photos as the Canon 870IS but they are still pretty darn sharp. Note: this is a luxury device. You will pay about $100 more for the honor.

Full Review

2. Pocketable: Canon 870IS

Still small enough to fit in a purse or pocket, solid build, great features, very good image quality. Done.

Full Review

2a. Best Value Pocketable: Nikon S51

Compact, clean, takes great photos, and did i mention it's going for only $199!? Great holiday deal. Check it out at Amazon or Rtiz Camera.

3. Prosumer: Canon G9

For that budding shutterbug who needs a good starting camera but doesn't want to lug around a massive DSLR.

Full Review

4. DSLR/Baller Shot Caller: Canon 40D

This is an all around naughty piece of electronic imaging. You really aren't a photographer till you snap a few pics with a DSLR.

Full Review

But Jordan, there are so many other cameras out there! What about Nikon, Kodak, HP?? My friend's boyfriend's older brother's former roommate took a photo one time and says that buying a digital camera right now is analagous to being a communist sympathizer! Obvi. Yes, there are other cameras out there that will get the job done. These happen to be the best in each category. Stop asking questions and go spend money.


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Giant Rabbits Invade North Korea

For decades, Karl Smolinsky had been breeding ever larger rabbits--until finally, in 2006, one of his creations won the title of Largest Rabbit in Germany (Coincidentally, this is the same year I realized there was an award for Largest Rabbit in Germany). Weighing in a 22 lbs, Robert the Great German Rabbit instantly won the hearts of people around the world--including those in North Korea. In December of that year, North Korea sent a delegation to Smolinsky's farm. They wanted bunnies. Big ones. And lots of them. Smolinsky was a former resident of East Germany and had a soft spot for people suffering from food shortages under maniacal dictatorships. So, he agreed to sell North Korea 12 breeding rabbits (including Robert!!) at the steeply discounted price of roughly $120 each.

Oh but wait, it gets better (or worse depending on how much you like/hate giant bunnies)...


North Korea somehow didn't realize that giant 22lb rabbits eat a fair amount of food. Actually more than the average human in North Korea. Oops. Smolinsky received repeated rejections by the North Korean government to visit his long lost bunnies. Finally, North Korea basically said, "bunnies are ours. We bought fair square. You go now."

Around this time it happened to be Kim Jong Il's birthday--a huge bash known for its flashy parades and giant banquet dinners. That's right. Giant banquet dinners. With no proof of his rabbits well-being (and terse replies from the North Korean government), Smolinsky--and the rest of us are left with only one conclusion: Kim Jong Il ate the rabbits sent to keep his people from starving to death.


-Source, Mental Floss
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New Sonos ZoneBridge and Sonos System Review

If the world of music streamers were a private club, then Sonos didn't merely ask to join. Sonos kicked down the door with a model on each arm, slapped the owner, and renamed the joint Sonos' Place. It's just that good.



Introduction (the more experienced of you readers can feel free to skip down to the start of the review):

People have a common problem. Yes, exactly, they have a ton of digital music on their computer but no way to play all the delectable music on their home stereo or in their office, or by their pool, in their garage...well you get the point. Thus entered a new market of Music Streamers. Quite simply, these products "streamed" your music from your computer to your home stereo. Often times they worked. Often times they were ugly, hard to setup, hard to operate...the list could go on.

In 2005, Sonos had enough. They decided there was room for a well-built, slick, smooth, incredibly easy to use product that could blow this whole Music Streaming business to the next level. Remember the private club I told you about? Yep, this is about the time they kicked the doors down. The current Sonos setup has evolved over the years but a few days ago they added a massive addition to their solid lineup: the ZoneBridge (more on that in a bit).

Review:

First off, I must mention that I worked with Mike Zapata of the Sonos Sales Team. He was everything you want in a Sales Manager; knowledgeable, easy to talk to, not pushy in the slightest, and extremely prompt in reply time. If he is any example of the rest of the Sonos staff (which i'm sure he is) then they are definitely doing something right. Mike and I put together a killer system which basically consisted of everything in the Sonos Store excluding a Sonos T-Shirt. Ahem, feel free to send me one, Sonos...

My System: Sonos Bundle 130 with Loudspeakers (1x ZonePlayer 80, 1x ZonePlayer 100, 1x Controller 100, 1x Loudspeaker 100) plus a 1x ZoneBridge and a Controller Dock.



The Sonos ZonePlayers come in two flavors, the ZP-80 and ZP-100 ($349, $499 respectively). The main difference is that the ZP-100 has an internal amp that allows it to power a set of external speakers by itself whereas the ZP-80 needs to be plugged into a receiver/amp. In short, you put the ZP-100 in your bedroom, attach a set of speakers and your set. The ZP-80 plugs right into your home stereo amp/receiver. This was sometimes a tough setup because most people have their routers tucked away in a closet and would have to spend $350 for a ZP-80 which is a waste.

Enter the ZoneBridge ($99). This is simply a cheap way to start your (happier) Sonos-filled life. It is a very small, very good looking white box the plugs directly into your router and starts spreading the Sonos love around your house. Attach the ZoneBridge to your router, add a ZonePlayer to external speakers/a home stereo and off you go in musical bliss.

I live in a fairly large 2 bedroom condo. I have a nice home theater setup in my den/living room but it was always a hassle playing music. Do you burn and play a cd? Do you listen to radio? I don't have time for these questions. I wanted to press some buttons, hit "Pre-Party Playlist" and get things rockin'. I also wanted to hear some nice music in my bedroom. Have a chill downtempo playlist to go to sleep to and then wake up to some heart racing, start your morning right jams (nothing like waking up to Kanye West's Stronger at 7am). Could one system do all this? Would it be easy for my technologically inept friends to operate? Would I be able to pay my rent once it was setup? Yes, yes, and technically yes (credit cards are fantastic things).

Installation and Setup:

Sonos is brain-dead simple to setup. The instruction manual literally has 3 steps. In general, you plug one of their hardware into your wired/wireless router. You then plug another into your home stereo. Turn on the controller. Um...done.

Ok, technically there is a little more to it, but not much.

Step 1: Plug the ZoneBridge into the router



Step 2: Install the Sonos Desktop Controller Software from the CD

Step 3: Run the software and let it find the ZoneBridge on your network



Step 4: Plug in a ZonePlayer to your home stereo



Step 5: Turn on your controller and connect it to your ZonePlayer



Step 6: Setup any other ZonePlayers



Step 7: In the Sonos Desktop Software, add the folder where you store your music

Step 8: Play with the Controller for hours



I had the entire setup completed in under 10 minutes. It only took me that long because I messed up (mea culpa). It just worked. No connection hassles, no drop outs, nothing. From Step 1 to the end, it was too easy. How often do you say that about technology?

The Controller

The arguable core of the Sonos System is the awesome Controller. It is a beautiful piece of equipment. It's solid, responsive, and has one of the most intuitive interfaces next to the iPod. I gave it to four people who have never heard of the idea of Music Streaming and they instantly felt comfortable with the Controller.

Let me drop some Sonos experience on you...

I pick up the wireless Controller from the charging dock on my bedside table, hit a few buttons, set a 15 minute timer, and start a chill music playlist. Music starts playing instantly. I read my book, nod off as the Sonos quietly turns off after 15 minutes.

7am rolls around and Kanye is telling me I've Got To Be Stronger so i reach over and hit the snooze button on my Controller. Kanye doesn't wake up at 7am. In a few minutes, music starts up again and this time Kanye will not be ignored. I roll out of bed with Controller in hand. Press a button, select Living Room and instantly the music that was playing in my bedroom starts playing out of my home stereo. Booyah. For fun, while in the kitchen making breakfast, I press three buttons and start playing a new playlist in my bedroom while Kanye is still playing in the living room. All of this happens instantly.

Fast-forward to later that night. I have some people coming over so i put together a good mix in iTunes on my computer. It takes Sonos about 2 seconds to recognize the new playlist. I pull it up on my wireless Controller, select that i want it playing in the living room and Voila, my new mix that I JUST made in iTunes is playing out of my home stereo.

Damn, phone rings, hit pause on my Controller, music pauses, take the call, hit play, bam, right where I left off. Too easy.

People come over, having a good time and my playlist is running out. Add some more on the fly, search my library, online radio, Rhapsody, Napsterm Pandora, Sirius...non-stop music.

Are you getting the picture? Also, did I mention you add up two 32 (yes, 32) ZonePlayers to your network? The music is everywhere...

Conclusion:

Sonos does not stop innovating. It just released software version 2.5 which allows you to browse Napster Online Music service right from your Controller. Sonos also works with Rhapsody, Sirius, and Pandora. You don't have your favorite new songs on your computer? No problem. Select Rhapsody from your Controller, search for your artist, find your song, click play. Done.

The Sonos System and the new ZoneBridge are so good that I am actually trying to find a fault with it. Is it absolutely, positively, 100% perfect? No, of course not, nothing is but it is pretty darn close.

What would I change? It's pricey. My setup costs almost $1,300 which is steep when someone first hears it. You want me to pay how much to listen to music in my bedroom?? I'll buy a clock radio for $20. That said, you don't have to get my system. With the new cheap ZoneBridge, the Controller, and a ZonePlayer, you might be able to get out under $700 which in my mind, is a steal. Sonos also needs to release a ZonePlayer with speakers built in. It seems like the next logical step. Some people want just a small box that they could put in the kitchen or bathroom which could play all their music. While we're at it, Sonos should make it run on batteries. And then sell it for $50. I'll hold my breath of the final two wishes but get on that Sonos. The ZoneSpeaker, the Zone Hi-Fi, or something much more clever. Get your marketing team on it.

This is not a system for everyone. Let's not kid ourselves, this is a luxury item but unlike most luxuries, the Sonos System is undeniably useful, built well, and is unbelievably fun to use. If you love music, appreciate form and function...you owe it to yourself to try this system out.

Sonos offers a 30 day no questions asked return policy. Be warned, however, once you get this system in your house, you won't let it go without a fight.

More Photos for your Enjoyment










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My Office Chair: The Lifeform Ultimate Story

Like many of you, I spend more than a fair amount of time at my desk/computer. Also, like many of you, I have "experienced" my share of office "chairs." After years of lower back pain and women being less than impressed with my office chairs, i decided it was time to invest. What subsequently followed was a grand journey through the world of ergonomics, deep contour seats, and maxed out credit cards.



Let me cut to the chase for the impatient out there. I ended up with the Lifeform Ultimate Executive Chair (with separate headrest, of course). It was, in my experience, the best overall chair I tested. No if's and's or but's about it. Best, bar none. No disclaimer of, "well for some of you..." or even "I could see how in different applications..." Nope. Lifeform = Best. For those of you interested in how I spent almost 6 months trying to find an office chair, please read on. For those who party/go to business school, please feel free to leave now and make Happy Hour/the super-important "networking event."

My Road of Chairs:

Recaro Commander


I mean...did you expect me to be able to resist a chair called The Commander? The Commander is a baller of a chair that is meant for, well, Commanders. Police Chiefs, Command Post Operators, Kings, etc. Basically it is meant for 24/7 use. Recaro has an illustrious history of making some very important seats and chairs. Their clients include Aston Martin, Bentley, and numerous law enforcement agencies. The Commander is their top of the line. It is one beast of a chair. I'm not a small person (actually reasonably large) and I had trouble moving this thing. Once you get it into position, it's there. No baby shifting going on here. It also is one of the hardest chairs I have ever sat in. I mean, hard. It's built Tonka Tough. If you have rock-hard glutes or just enjoy the comfort of sitting on asphalt, i would recommend this chair. If not...you might want to pass. That said, they do have a 30 day, no questions asked return policy and the customer service department was top-notch. Maybe I am being too hard on the Recaro. Maybe. I assure you I really wanted to like it (remember it is called The Commander) but alas it just wasn't what I was looking for. Did I mention the chair was $3,100? Moving on...


Body Bilt Executive Chair


Yep, definitely not as fun a name as The Commander. This company prides itself on customization. And they aren't messing around; you can customize everything from the arm rests to the casters. The problem is, when you're done customizing, you get a chair that's just merely OK. Doesn't look or feel special. It just is...OK. At close to $2,000 I want better than just OK.

HermanMiller Aeron Chair


The Granddaddy of ergonomic chairs. You can't go into an expensive office and not see one of these little mesh bad-boys hanging around like they own the place. Truth be told...the chair is fine. It didn't wow me and I felt some Office Depot knockoff's that had a similar feel for $800 less. That said, it's small, lightweight, has a small footprint, and is fairly comfortable. Not bad for a small office environment. It will set you back a little more than a grand.

Humanscale Freedom Task Chair


Weird chair but interesting. It actually grew on me but the armrests were so painfully bad it wasn't even an option. I don't know what they were thinking or what they were trying to accomplish but the armrests are practically useless. If you need a chair to just sit in the corner and never use at a desk then by all means grab this chair. Runs about $1,100.

Lifeform Ultimate High Back (with headrest)


Now we're talking. This chair is like sitting on a soft buttery pillow. Which sounds off but I suggest you try it. It is firm and soft in the right spots. I ordered my chair with deep brown harness leather which is some high-quality stuff. Extremely soft, smooth, and it looks fantastic. Superficial point alert: when you buy something expensive, it's nice when it actually looks expensive. Some of these other chairs look like you could pick them up for $200 at Staples. NOTE: that is not knocking chairs from Staples. It is knocking chairs that are asking prices 15 times more than the Staples chair. End point, the Lifeform looks great.

The Lifeform can be adjusted in practically every way imaginable. Armrests even tilt toward you so your arms are supported when you are using a keyboard. It took about 10 minutes to get the chair to my liking. With practically every other chair I have used, it hits me somewhere on my body. Thigh, lower back, upper back, etc which forces me to get up every now and then. Annoying and not exactly productive. This chair just feels right.

There are a fair amount of models in the Lifeform series and this one was by far my favorite but I also liked the midback version if you don't want a headrest. Personally, leaning all the back and having a headrest is pretty nice and recommended. My final note is that my exact chair comes in their fabric (called Dreamweave) and it is unbelievably comfortable (not to mention much cheaper). Not going to lie, the fabric version doesn't look as good but it's every bit as comfortable (arguably even softer) and also is highly recommended.

This is not a chair that you throw away after a year or two. This is a chair you keep for the rest of your life. It moves with you. Is it expensive? Holy American Express yes it is. Is it worth it in my opinion? 100% yes. You spend a fair amount of your life in your bed and your office chair. Might as well enjoy the time spent.




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When 30" is just not big enough...

I am a man who believes in moderation. Usually. There is one thing, however, that has made my life somewhat more enjoyable and that is getting a larger computer monitor. A 30" to be exact. Now this monitor by itself borders on embarrassingly large. But if you're already being ridiculous, why stop there?


Yep, that's right...three monitors. A 30" in the middle with two 19" monitors flanking in portrait mode. More than 4 feet of screen real estate. Have a word document, an excel spread sheet, iTunes, buddy list, and your internet browser open at the same time. Minimizing windows is overrated. Drag windows off to the side between monitors, have a photo open while talking to a friend, check google maps while your email is open, or just huddle next to the three monitors for warmth.

Multiple Displays are not just for the uber nerd anymore. Even the NYTimes reports a "productivity increase by up to 30% with a dual display." And who are we to argue with the NYTimes? Read more here.

Some more photos for your perusal:






Yes, that is 6 internet browser windows open at the same time.


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Arrogance vs Confidence: Round 1

I believe there is a giant misconception concerning Arrogance and Confidence. A respected friend of mine recently asked me, "why is every guy either extremely insecure or incredibly cocky?" Of course i had to ask which camp i fell under and she responded with very little hesitation. "you're not cocky...but you're pretty arrogant." I suppose there is a difference.


I won't use this time to debate which gender/sex is more insecure (women)* or argue that being cocky is just another form of insecurity (it is). What I rather think about is why confidence is so often confused with arrogance and vice-a-versa. I don't feel there is anything wrong with someone being cognizant of their own abilities. If anything, i think it is far worse if someone is unaware or oblivious to their abilities.

If someone is actually a unique/special person (must be nice for them) then why is it bad if they recognize it? It's nice to have a romantic image of that fantastic person saving the world while staying humble and crediting his lazy friend but we all know that lazy friend just sat there and talked about redwoods and astronauts.** In short, there is nothing wrong accepting that you are better than other people are some things. The potential for wrong-doing occurs with the actions you take with that knowledge.

If you know you are smarter than other people, then embrace it. Don't rub it in their faces. If you're blessed with good looks (again, must be nice), accept, appreciate them, and then move onto bettering yourself in other ways.

Yes, it's a fine line between arrogance and confidence...but there is a line.

*both women and men are insecure. women just slightly more so if only because men lack the energy to think of all the things women think about that increases insecurity. We can't possibly think about how our co-worker is still a size 4 (i mean, she works the same hours and it's just her genes and...is that the new Jacobs bag?!) AND what time the game starts Eastern Time. Just can't do it.

**inside joke, ask Tom K.
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iPhoned Out

So I've spent the past week or so playing with our good friend the iPhone and since i know what's best for you let me sum it up:

If you already own a new Treo or Blackberry, keep it. Wait for the iPhone2.

If you are using a "basic" phone and you have yet to purchase an Apple Nano, get the iPhone.

If you are using a "basic" phone AND you have an Apple Nano AND you have an extra $630 lying around, get the iPhone.

Otherwise, save your money, play with your friends.



Quick Notes:

1. YouTube on the iPhone is fairly addicting and looks extremely impressive.
2. You actually are able to watch p0rn so i am sure that thousands of boys/men everywhere will be causing trouble. If you ever see a guy staring intently at his iphone screen in landscape mode...
3. keyboard is much better than you expect. Takes a week to get just as fast as my treo/blackberry
4. battery life is acceptable.
5. screen gets dirty. cleans easily enough though.
6. it will get people to talk to you.


As always, if you have any questions/comments on the iPhone, post a comment.

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Mobio...you're new friend

File this under the header of "just trust me and download this application to your phone." Pretty slick stuff. Download here or point your mobile phone's web browser to www.getmobio/com/now

Here's a little more about the program:

The Fun, Useful, FREE mobile software you download

At Mobio, we know that it’s a cruel world out there and often the only thing standing between you and total chaos or complete boredom is your mobile phone. Thankfully, you’ve got Mobio.

With GetMobio on your mobile you can:

* Make reservations at the latest restaurants*
* Find out what’s happening where - concerts, bands, comedy clubs
* Buy movie tickets - and skip right over the line*
* Beat the $4.00/gallon gas blues with our newest widget -"Cheap Gas”
* Never get lost again - a map is always right there for you
* Put over 50+ applications, widgets, and RSS feeds at your fingertips and at your service

CoolSlice Recommended


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Peerflix: DVD Tradin' for the masses

If you're anything like me (congrats), you have built up a nice little dvd collection over the years. College and life thereafter made it necessary. You have probably purchased and been given as gifts some dvd's that, how shall i put it, are awful and you would never watch. What do to? Simple: trade 'em for something better with Peerflix.


Peerflix runs on a simple concept: people have dvd's that other people want. You quickly sign up (100% free), add all the dvd's you want to get rid of to your "I Have" list (took me about 5 minutes to add 60 dvd's), and then add dvd's to your "I Want" list. Peerflix then matches people who "Want" with people who "Have." When people request one of the dvd's you "Have" then you print a pre-filled out mailer from Peerflix, drop in your unwanted dvd, and slip it to your mailman. That's it. Pretty slick.

When people "buy" your dvd's you build up "trade cash." This trade cash is then automatically used to buy the dvd's on your "I Want" list. So far, i have sold about 10 of my dvd's for $94. Not bad for movies that i never take out of their casing. Especially since i now have some movies that i would actually watch coming my way.

Peerflix
Pros: best way to upgrade your dvd collection
Cons: people might not want all of your dvd's and you may want dvd's that no one else has (or wants to sell)

Bottom Line: Check out Peerflix. Definitely CoolSlice recommended.


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Save My Ass

Well it was only a matter of time. Combine the fact that men are lazy beasts with the fact that we are forgetful, lazy beasts and it comes as little shock that we may forget "important" dates on the relationship/hormonal calendar. Not our fault. Blame genetics, SportsCenter, beer, or that extra 7 pounds of "water weight" you just cannot manage to get rid of. Either way, enter our savior: SaveMyAss.



From the words of SaveMyAss: "SaveMyAss is a flower delivery service/relationship insurance policy. We send flowers to your girlfriend or wife on a regular basis."

Now, I have been blessed with caring for my significant others and cherish the opportunity to spoil them with a random gift just to say, "thanks for putting up with me for 3/6/12 months" or "thank you for letting me pass on the family BBQ" or "just thanks for making the bed" (it's like you glue the corners down or something). But for the rest of the male species (yes, we are a different species) SaveMyAss could be ass-saving. It truly could be a set-it-and-forget-it service.

I see one small, tiny, possibly hilarious (to me) issue. What if you break up with someone yet forget to cancel the service? You break a poor girls heart and then 1 month later she gets a beautiful bouquet. "He loves me again!" Uh oh. On the other hand, she dumps your ass (probably because you sent her too many damn flowers) and 1 month later she gets even more flowers. "He still f'in loves me. What a loser!" she says as she makes love to her new boyfriend, Snake.

Anyways, i would love to know if anyone has used or would ever think about using this product/service.


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Cinco de Mayo: Free alcohol? Yes please

Thrillist put together a nice little drinkin' tour for all you NYC'ers. Check it out here. Because isn't that what Cinco de Mayo is all about? Going on an Upper East Side Wine Tour? Yes. Yes it is.


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Cardroom Supply (Sponsored Review)

You wanna get your poker face on? Go all in with 4-6 in the pocket? Take your friends honda civic? Yes, we all do. Well it's a little tough to do that without any poker gear. Check out one of the better sites i've come across: Cardroom Supply.


Cardroom has been featured in FHM, Men's Health and now of course, the creme de la creme, CoolSlice (so it has to be good). They have great customer service, FREE shipping over $100, and most importantly, a TON of equipment to suit even the most avid card shark.

Their products range from the inexpensive to the very expensive. Don't pretend you don't want that $6,000 table that will take up your entire studio apt. Also, check out their chip collection--if you can't find what you want then you probably don't know what you want.

Poker Tables:

You can view Cardroom Supply's Poker Tables here. Personally, if space was an issue, I'd get a 2 in 1 table that had both a "poker side" and a normal table side like this one or if you really want to piss your significant other off, this one. There really is nothing like playing on a real poker table, with real chips, and big solid cupholders. It makes losing your month's salary to your brother-in-law just that much easier to swallow.

In the end, if you're in the market for some game equipment, check out Cardroom Supply. I'm sure they will have something that will further feed your addiction.

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Egypt's 'Dr. Ruth': Muslims need better sex

Well...i have to give this woman the CoolSlice Courage Award. Fairly impressive--maybe they are all just sexually frustrated?
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New Logo

Like the title says...CoolSlice has a new logo. Thought it was worth mentioning.




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Respect or Love?

I was recently perusing a fantastic, uber blog from an ultra cool journalist (A Cup of Jo) and came across an interesting statement/thought: If people had to choose between being loved or being respected, almost all men would choose to be respected (and unloved) and almost all women would choose to be loved (and not respected). Interesting...



So...just to make sure i understand correctly...women would be loved and disrespected yet men would be respected and unloved? So...nothing would be changed in the world? I kid, i kid...

well, slightly...

Men equate love and respect whereas women have kind of accepted the whole lack of respect thing so it's not even on the table. But love is a real viable option so when given the choice between a fictional dream and something that may actually occur, i feel they will pick love 10 out of 10. I kid, I kid...

well, slightly...

Men of course are mostly dead inside so love is off the table for them and respect is always nice. Though i wonder if we ask men a similar question and just substitute anything for respect like, "would you rather have a turkey sandwich or be loved?" they might take that sandwich and run. I mean...our mommy's will always love us so we're all good.

In all seriousness though, how can you be respected and be unloved by everyone? Is that even possible? "Well, yea, i respect John but dammit, i do not love him and im not sure anyone could love him because....he beats puppies with dead babies?" I mean, what could he do to garner your respect but ensure that no one loves him?

Now on the other hand, i feel it is much easier to be loved and never respected since love is based more on your emotions and you can easily trick yourself into love whereas respect comes from a more thoughtful, conscious space.

In the end, i would have to pick True Love. It was good enough for Wesley and Buttercup.
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Antec MX-1 Review

Despite it's ever-so-sexy name and it's undeniably attractive main feature (an external SATA hard drive enclosure), the Antec MX-1 is best of breed and worthy of your hard earned/stolen cash.



As some of you know, I get paid to review tech products. A sweet gig for someone who enjoys technology when i get to play around with a new TV, video game console, smartphone, etc. Sometimes, on the other hand, something like the Antec MX-1 shows up on my doorstep. An external hard drive enclosure? Really? I barely could contain my excitement but like the diligent reviewer that i am, I carried the large box up to get to work.

Basically, this thing is a box that holds a hard drive (a thing where you store all your music/documents/movies/programs/etc). What's nice about it, is that it is portable. Want to bring your entire music and movie collection over to a friends place? Done. Want to copy files to and from work? Done.

They were nice enough to send me Seagate's relatively new 7200.10 750gb monster hard drive with the Antec MX-1. For uninitiated (read: cool people), this hard drive can hold roughly 170,000 Mp3's, 1200 ripped dvd movies, and about 89 million word documents. In other words, booyah.

Installation was fairly simple and took me about 10 minutes. There were some annoyingly placed small screws that i was sure Antec made purely to anger me but once those were vanquished, the installation was fairly smooth. The construction and build quality of this enclosure is top notch and even has a large, active cooling fan to keep all of your saved Mp3's cool and under control.



The "cool" thing about the MX-1 one is that you can hook it up to your computer in two ways (choices are fun): USB 2.0 or ESATA. USB should be familiar to anyone who has plugged their iPod into their computer but ESATA is probably known only in the closed circles of uber-nerdom. In short, it is an extremely fast interface to connect peripherals to and alleviates the main problem of external hard drives: they are too slow to use for programs and sometimes just too slow in general if you are moving a massive amount of files. ESATA is literally like adding another internal hard drive to your computer--there is (almost) zero performance decrease when using an ESATA enclosure+drive compared to an internal drive. I copied 80gb of movies to the Antec MX-1 in under 23 minutes (in Vista). Just in case you don't know, that's fast.

Of course, ESATA is only an option on relatively newer desktop computers (laptops need not apply) but if you have the luxury of having purchased a desktop computer in the last year and a half, there is a very good chance that you can connect this drive via ESATA. Worst case scenario you hook it up to your computer using the still capable (and speedy) USB 2.0.

If you have an ESATA port (or SATA internally) on your desktop, just buy the Antec MX-1 and a roomy hard drive to go with it. If you are not blessed with access to ESATA, i would still recommend this enclosure if you're someone who likes the best (plus it gives you the option of going ESATA in the future).

Bottom Line: CoolSlice.com Highly Recommended

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Get yo dock on

Slick dock without overpaying for a Mac. View a pic of what i'm jabberin about (and another with no taskbar) and then download here. Works real nicely with my previous post, Expose.

Quick tips: right-click (yea, PC users have a right-click) anywhere on the dock and choose "screen positioning" and then your preferred placement of the dock (i like on the bottom...for the dock). Right click again and choose "dock settings," hit the "General" tab and check "run at startup", "minimize windows to the Dock" and "running application indicators."


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Mac users have nothing on us...

So, your alternative friend who loves the environment, drives a Ford Focus, and "really understands where Picasso was coming from" owns a $2500 mac laptop. Yep, that's how much they cost with software, warranty, taxes, and shipping. surprise! Anyways, i am not mac bashing (i have a few) but they are overpriced style whores and i do love to bring down the mac elites any chance i can. There is a little program on Mac OSX called expose that at a press of a button, instantly makes all of your open windows/programs available as a selection of smaller tiles. Admittedly, fairly cool. Well, Vista is out and we can do it do. So ha.

Note: it is actually incredibly smooth, just jerky when i had to upload it.


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Valentines "Day"?

It's not really just one day is it? It seems like it is a month long anvil resting ever so painfully on top of every human being.

Once Jan 14th hits it starts to creep on people that this vicious day called Valentines Day is fast approaching. For some, it actually might be exciting. Maybe you just got into a relationship and you still have those endorphins pumping. Maybe you have a big trip planned. Or finally maybe you are just off a little bit (you have T-Mobile?). Either way, good for you.

For the rest of us, Valentines Day is nothing but trouble. It ranks up there with New Years. Big Expectations, even Bigger Letdowns. For those that have relationships, you are being watched like a hawk circling a small shrew (read: intently). What do you have planned? Nothing? Just a romantic dinner where you try to be scintillating/attractive? G'luck. And do you love him/her more on just that day? That's not a good sign.

"yea, i really want to break up with her but, i just can't man. Valentines Day is coming."
"Um. So is Lincoln's birthday."
"I'm not having sex with Lincoln."
"Well played. Either way, you think it's better to have an extremely romantic Valentines Day and THEN break her heart?"
"It gives me another few weeks to think which city i will move to."
"well played again."

For the ones without relationships, it seems the worst. What the hell are we supposed to do while you shrew's are having expensive dinners and eating those candy hearts that taste like salted cardboard? Well we still eat the hearts because...i don't know why actually. They really are painfully bad. Moving on...

I won't go into the classic rhetoric of Hallmark creating an American holiday just to make more money. That would be too easy. BUT...The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines (that's a shocker--I wonder how many of those women send the valentines to themselves?).

In the end, the grass is always greener. People in relationships who aren't crazy about their significant other want to smack St. Valentine in his face. Inflation is a bitch and back in his day, you could always steal some chocolate from a Dutchmen (they are always neutral/won't fight back and plan on getting chocolate-jacked). Nice player-hatin, Valentine.

People who are not in relationships feel this sudden loneliness bury into their very core. It's annoying. It's like watching a baby try and stand up for an hour. Just f'in do it, already. Baby.

Whatever camp you are in, just remember it is one day amongst many. Personally, i will be throwing those little edible styrofoam hearts at dutch people.
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Women love clothes more than sex

Not really a shocker but someone now has numbers to back it up. Next study: men love sex more than the women they have sex with.


NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters Life!) - For most women, the choice between sex and a new wardrobe is simple -- they go for the clothes.

Women on average say they would be willing to give up sex for 15 months for a closet full of new apparel, with 2 percent ready to abstain from sex for three years in exchange for new duds, according to a new survey of about 1,000 women in 10 U.S. cities.

Sixty-one percent of women polled said it would be worse to lose their favorite article of clothing than give up sex for a month.

"Some people say clothes make the man, but the right clothes can even replace him," fashion designer, stylist and TV personality Carson Kressley from the reality TV show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" said in a statement accompanying the poll.

The study also suggested that clothes often wear better than relationships.

The average woman between 18 and 54 years of age has hung on to her favorite article of clothing for 12 and a half years, a year longer than she's held on to her longest relationship.

Almost three-quarters of respondents, or 70 percent, also said they believed in love at first sight when it came to finding the perfect article of clothing, while only 54 percent of women were as confident in spotting the right man.

Nearly half of the women, or 48 percent, taking part in the survey by consumer products giant Unilever said their favorite article of clothing was more reliable than their man in giving them confidence and making them feel sexy.

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For your listening pleasure...

Two new ways to be better at life (at least in regards to music):

FIQL
A very slick playlist site that is very is easy to use/browse.

MusicIP
Small program can automatically make smooth/baller playlists out of your mp3 library. Worth checkin' out.

Truth.
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A saucy misunderstanding

LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters Life!) - Nearly two-thirds of Britons think the fiery Italian sauce Arrabiata is a sex infection, according to a survey on Friday.

The survey, of 1,015 people and released on World AIDS day, also showed nearly half were unable to identify a range of common sexual complaints.

"What is very worrying is the lack of knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) revealed in the survey," said sex therapist Emily Dubberley.

"Sixty-three percent in the UK thought an Italian sauce was an STD and over 43 percent couldn't identify any of the common sexual complaints we asked about.

"This ignorance has no excuse in today's world."

The survey, conducted by pollsters MYVOICE, also found that 48 percent of respondents found body odor and poor personal hygiene a turn off against just 4 percent who felt the same about a refusal to wear a condom.

The poll also found that 35 percent of people looked for information about sex on the Internet against 27 percent who consulted magazines.

In contrast only 4 percent went to their doctors.

Wow. They could have just come to me and I would have gladly shared all the secrets of sex and all the fun things/people that come from it. Always a good talk.
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Beauty vs. Intelligence

Age old question: are pretty people stupid? Well, yes, usually. But that's somewhat off topic. A study was done on the Rothschild Family, arguably one of the most famous, powerful families this world has ever known. The study found that the Rothschild men in the late 1700's were notoriously ugly. Just plain ugly. But that's nothing a few billion dollars and some hot women can't fix, right?

The family founders, in 18th-century Frankfurt, were supremely ugly, but several generations later, after successive marriages to supremely beautiful women, the men in the family were indistinguishable from...well...really, really good looking people.

The Rothschild effect, as you could call it, is well established in sociology research: Men everywhere want to marry beautiful women, and women everywhere want socially dominant (i.e., intelligent) husbands. When competent men marry pretty women, the couple tends to have children above average in both competence and looks. Sweet deal.

So the good news is that there is hope if you're a socially dominant male or a really attractive female. Hmmm...shocking isn't it?
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