shopping

The Case Against Wish Lists

wood.tang — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:26:18 -0500

Organized people keep lists: to-do lists, shopping lists, lists of books they want to read, movies they want to watch, restaurants they want to try. Sometimes, the lists become a way of taking care of the people in our lives, like gift ideas or reminders for a spouse or co-worker. I keep lots of lists, and depending on what I’m working on at the time, I might have a dozen or so sitting around to keep track of things.

On the whole, lists are a good thing. I certainly feel better when I write things down. But a certain kind of list, that long-running, chock-full wish list of stuff you want to try or buy, can do more psychic harm than good. They’re a great way to keep track of all the cool stuff you hear about, but there’s the rub. How often do you actually pick something off your wish list? And how often do you look at your wish list and feel bad because you’ll probably never get to any of it?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve kept a list of books I want to read. Any time I read a good review, any time someone recommends a book or an author, any time a book makes news, I put it on my list. I’ve carried it from computer to computer in various forms, always adding to it and never deleting anything. But I’ve noticed that when I decide to buy a new book, I never refer to my list. Usually, I go to Borders or poke around on Amazon for something completely new, something I had heard about in the past few days or some classic I suddenly got the itch to read. I still look at this list when I add something to it, but none of the titles intrigue me anymore. They’re old news, an impulse that passed me by five minutes after I recorded it. Instead, the list just makes me feel shitty, staring at a pile of 300+ books that I know I’ll never read.

Whether it’s a book list, an endless Netflix queue, or a daunting itinerary of community puppet theater productions, do we need to have constant reminders of unfulfilled promises to ourselves? One could make the argument that keeping these lists ensures that you’ll only expend time and money pursuing the good stuff, the stuff worthy of being short-listed. I’d counter that if it were important enough, you already would have made a point to try it out, instead of putting it into some undefined “someday” pile. Otherwise, that list is just a constant, taunting reminder that you will never have enough time.

I suppose this is an argument for trusting your instincts too. If you’re comfortable with your tastes, you’ll be able to find the good stuff when the need arises, lists or not. If, say, a book review made a sufficient enough impression on you, even if you don’t run to the library that moment, chances are you’ll remember it later if it pops up when you’re looking for something to read. And if you don’t, so it goes. You’ll find something else.

If you have the stamina to comb through them on a regular basis to weed out all the weird stuff you put on there when you were drunk or distracted or depressed about losing your undefeated season, then maybe, just maybe, wish lists can be a good thing. Maybe you need a "Crap I just don’t need” file like Merlin’s, to save yourself from your worst impulses. And maybe you (and I) just need to change your attitude about what kind of obligation a wish list creates. If you’re comfortable chucking stuff on there and forgetting about it, then you’re no worse for the wear. But if your wish lists are making you feel crappy, it’s time to toss them and start looking for something new.

”The Case Against Wish Lists” was written by Matt Wood for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on February 26, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2010 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Gift Card Sprees

wood.tang — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:12:24 -0500

If you're like me, you probably got a whole playing deck worth of gift cards over the holidays, those presents that say, "I felt like I needed to get you something, but put the least amount of thought into it." And if you're like me, getting one of these cards is a mixed bag of emotions. For one, there's the "Woohoo! Free money!" feeling from thinking about spending one of those things. But there's also the "God, now I have to set aside time to go spend this thing" nag that turns a gift card into just another chore, not to mention remembering to pocket the damn thing when you do decide to use it.

I can't help you a lot with that last one. You do have to set a time to go cash in those gift cards, or at least plug in the account number when you buy something online, and you can't very well spend it if it's sitting on the counter at home when you leave. But I can tell you that if a someone offloaded their holiday shopping onto you, the least you can do is make it feel like a present, not a burden.

The best way to spend a gift card is all at once, either on one large item you've had your eye on, or a massive pile of smaller things that you can load into a shopping basket. Make a game out of it: if you got a Borders card, see just how many paperbacks you can balance down the aisle for that money and chunk them down onto the counter in triumph (providing you have room for them at home, of course). If there's not anything particular you want at the time, then wait. Don't go spend it for the hell of it, because that defeats the purpose of the gift card, i.e. being able to get exactly what you want.

Try not to overshoot the card's value too much, lest you turn what was a gift into more credit card debt. But whatever you do, don't leave any value on the card, because then you'll be obligated to make another shopping excursion, and it's just another psychic burden to haul around.

”Gift Card Sprees” was written by Matt Wood for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on December 27, 2007. Except as noted, it's ©2010 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Luggage Pr0n: Five Head-Turning Bags for Your Notebook

glassdog — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:14:50 -0500

Transitions can be a bitch. I’ve just traded in my big black Sony Vaio tower for a slim silver MacBook Pro not-laptop (because it runs so hot). On the one hand, I’ve said good-bye to a 750Gb RAID drive and a dual-monitor video card capable of running two 30-inch Cinema Displays. On the other hand, I’ve also said good-bye to daily virus updates and the constant fear that my entire system is going to become unstable and turn into a Russian Zombieputer overnight and start to spam myself about how small my penis is.

Now, I can carry my digital world around with me. Convenient, sure, but also it presents a quandary to a homosexualist like myself. Pardon me if I seem cliched and stereotypical, but it’s important for me to try to look good no matter what I’m doing, and that goes for my computer, too. If I’m going to be hauling my notebook into the latest trendy coffee shop and stare at my 15” glossy LED-lit screen as I sip a latte and nosh a bagel, I need it to look good not just sitting there glowing softly, but also look great coming and going.

If you’ve just dropped two-and-a-half large on a little folding computing wonder, doesn’t it make sense to spend a goodly amount on a bag that can contain that investment in style, and allow you to cram your other digital toys in as well? And how do you balance style and practicality? Sure, a fat backpack with a cable-out for your earpods is serviceable, but what does it say about you? Do you want to look like you’re off to day camp, or do you want your bag to say “look at me! I’m sexxay! I’m stylish! I’m capable of dressing myself without looking like a pile of rags in the corner!”

If you don’t want to look like everyone else in the coffee boutique, here’s my short list of laptop bags that will cost you plenty of hard-earned disposable income, and make you look good doing it.

1. The Isaburo City123 Rucksack $699.00 - $799.00

Let’s start at the top, shall we? Let’s shall! Pretend you’re a globe-hopper and fashion victim. (I said “pretend.”) and you regularly visit Herzog & de Meuron’s Prada store in Tokyo. You’re not entirely satisfied with this season’s shoe choices and now you have $700 burning a hole in your pocket. Poor you, what are you going to do?

Well if you’re me, you take a short walk around the corner to Isaburo, the 120-year-old leather goods manufacturer that insists on using only the best materials and workmanship and you plunk down your AmEx black card and ask for a one-of-a-kind, made-to-order City123 Rucksack. The shape is the same for everyone, a kind of smooth turtle built from a hard PVC shell, then coated in luxurious buttery leather in your choice of color and texture. Every City123 is made to order for you and takes a month to manufacture.

Now let’s say you don’t think you’ll be ending up in Tokyo any time soon, but you’re already salivating about getting your mitts on one of these gorgeous and slightly weird-looking oddities. Now you can! What you can’t get is any color you want — the online version only comes in "signature" dark red. For $100 more, you can get a premium skin like "silver snake" or "black crocodile." But dollars to donuts, you’ll be the only one in your coffee klatch with one.

2. Takumi Shimamura’s Monacca Bag $280 - $325

When you want to talk drool-worthy, you’re talking this green-friendly wooden briefcase, available in the U.S. at the Museum of Modern Art store. I must confess that I personally own the original version of this bag, made of Japanese cedar that’s hand-molded into its soft-corner shape, then lined with canvas. Its leather handles are smooth and creamy and the new version has been improved with a shoulder strap.

It’s sized to fit laptops up to 17”, so even those of you who think size matters can fit your big-ass notebooks inside. What it doesn’t have is a secure way of making sure your laptop doesn’t bang around inside it — not that you’re apt to be throwing this in the overhead, anyway, perchance to mar its beautiful surface. Still, I suggest accompanying your purchase with a Foofbag from our Australian friends at Foof. In keeping with the Japanese flavor of the Monacca, order the Origami Kuro model, made with Japanese cotton and resembling a kimono. Take it from me, you don’t want to pull a fluffy pink computer out of this sleek case.

3. Jack Spade Nylon Canvas Tech Field Bag $185.00

Let’s take a trip away from Japan and see what’s available on our own shores. Jack Spade doesn’t really exist, did you know that? Kate totally made him up. I used to think it was her husband or something, but no — just another marketing figment. But so what? Does the fact that Tony the Tiger is a faux kitty make Frosted Flakes any less awesome?

The Nylon Canvas Tech Field Bag has a name that’s far too long. Basically, it’s a messenger bag, but it’s built for “today’s modern man,” and that’s you, believe it or not! Our first two candidates may scream style, but this bag screams “Substance!” It’s a basic messenger bag, to be sure, but it adds a few nice perks to the mix, namely an exterior zippered pocket for your cell- or iPhone, ample interior pockets for books, magazines, hair extensions and the like, plus a removable padded laptop sleeve with its own Velcro fastener, so if you need to travel light but protect your data, just take the sleeve and leave the bag! I promise, no one will laugh at you.

4. Mandarina Duck 'File' Briefcase $375.00 - $695.00

If you're a label whore, as well as a bag slut, it's hard to better impress your fellow label-bag whore-sluts than to whip out a piece of lux Mandarina Duck. Basically, if you want those who pay attention to such things to be salivating over your shoulder holder, buy some Duck. A Mandarina Duck bag of any sort is 100% guaranteed, so if anything ever happens to your beauty just bring it back and they'll get it fixed, repairing zippers and reattaching handles at no cost. Sure, they may have to send it back to Italy, where the Duck makes its home, but aren't you worth the extra effort?

The File series is new to MD, and as usual you can kit yourself out completely in an entire line of matching File gear, from carry-ons to trolleys to wallets and dopp bags. One thing that this bag has over almost every other bag here is that you can get a 17" bag to fit those extra-large, extra-heavy, extra-impressive ginormous notebooks that some of you think you need, even though you only discover you don't when you plug an external monitor into it and make that extra-big screen kind of superfluous.

Lest you think this is a bag about beauty over brawn, let it be known that practicality has not been cast aside. File briefcases come with removable cable pockets and separate document compartments in addition to the necessary padded laptop area. And you can pick from black or brown — or, in a select few cases, a high-tech orange (a hue which they call "Brandy") that'll make you really stand out in a crowd.

5. Oakley S.I. Computer Bag $175.00

“But what about me?” I hear you saying. “I’m not some mamby-pamby girly-man looking for fashion. I need to look tough! I need to look rugged! And, dammit, I need pockets!” Oakley hears you, even if I scoff and roll me eyes. This Oakley bag defines “overcompensate” by attaching three little “removable pouch pockets” to its exterior, in addition to myriad internal storage pockets, a padded computer pouch, daisy chain webbing (yeah, me neither), side compression straps and a custom D-ring from which, one assumes, one may hang a length of chain attached to one’s wallet.

As if all that ain’t macho enough for you, listen to the name of its color: New Kalki! Why settle for old kalki when New Kalki awaits, all soldierrific? I know I’m erect.

Oh, I kid because I love. Having seen one of these in person in my trendy fashion-conscious ‘hood, I can attest that it is something to behold. Nobody but nobody will be accusing you of being unprepared if you’re bearing one of these babies around, and think of the fun toys you can stash in those side pockets! It’s a party on your shoulder!

And there you have it! Five guaranteed stylish, selective and unique solutions to your… er… my laptop dilemma. Look for me in your corner coffee shop. I’ll be the guy getting my case luggage felt up.

The Question to You

Have you a favorite, stylish laptop bag that you think might pass muster with Mr. Lance? Share it with us in comments.

” Luggage Pr0n: Five Head-Turning Bags for Your Notebook” was written by Lance Arthur for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on December 19, 2007. Except as noted, it's ©2010 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Adventures in $40 eyeglasses

mathowie — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:37:04 -0500

Last year, I stumbled upon a blog post about buying prescription eyeglasses online. It sounded too good to be true: you could get any frames you wanted quickly and cheaply, and the comments were filled with optometrists freaking out. Eventually, the author launched a dedicated blog for it called Glassy Eyes. When the site was recently mentioned on MetaFilter right around the time I was getting my 2-year exam, I decided to take the plunge myself and order some glasses online.

Why Buy Online?

As a lifelong near-sighted person, prescription eyeglasses and especially prescription sunglasses have long commanded a high premium due to the seemingly precise and scarce nature of creating them. Until a few years ago, I only had two options for eyewear: my optometrist (here's an employee admitting they pay less than ten bucks per pair) or a 1-hour place like Lenscrafters (which is part of a multinational monopoly). About ten years ago, when I was fresh out of college and scraping by month to month with my first real job, I broke my only glasses and had to pay $400 for an emergency pair (that were ugly and I hated and I wore for two more years before I paid off the old ones and could afford new ones). For far too long, glasses have been expensive.

Today things are different, with Coscto and Walmart bringing prices down to the $100-150 range for frames/lenses and they serve as a good economical option to the mainstays. With the advent of online sellers, it's now possible to get a decent set of specs for anywhere between $20-$100. The online selection is phenomenal as well.

Get Your Measurements Right

First thing you need is an up-to-date prescription. Though people usually get one every 2+ years, most optometrists will only honor them for a up to a year afterwards. If you're getting one soon, you're in luck, because you can go in knowing a little more than the average patient. When you're done with the standard exam, ask the eye doctor or an assistant if they can give you your pupil distance. It's a simple matter of looking through a binoculars-like device that measures the distance between your pupils. It should be a number in millimeters and be sure to write it down either on the prescription or on a piece of paper (if you get two numbers, that's right/left which you can add up to be the PD). If you forget to ask or already visited an eye doctor recently, you can measure the PD yourself, by simply printing out a ruler and looking in a mirror (or taking a photo of yourself with the ruler below your eyes).

Armed with your prescription and your PD, you're all set for ordering any glasses you want online.

Measure What You Have, Know What You Want

It helps if you have two things: a bit of fashion sense and a measuring tape. I personally loved my last pair of eyeglasses (paid $500 at a fashion eyewear store two years ago), but they were a bit too short in the lens height department which became annoying as I could often "see" below my lenses during common everyday tasks. The glasses fit well otherwise and armed with my wife's soft sewing measuring tape, I took millimeter measurements of all aspects of my old glasses: lens height, lens width, length of bridge (distance between lenses), total width of lenses plus bridge, and the length of the side arms.

Now that I had my prescription (with PD), and my frame measurements, I copied it into a text file and kept it open as I shopped online. I knew I needed lenses around 53mm wide, about 20mm apart, and the arms needed to be at least 135mm long. My old too-short lenses were only 26mm tall, so I was looking to get something with around 30mm of lens height. Some online shops let you plug all these numbers in and specify what you want to search on as the most important (I did "lens height must be at least 28mm" search), but most all online shops will display the measurements below each frame, which should help narrow down your searches.

In terms of frame design, I knew I wanted a half-rim frame (metal/plastic top and arms, clear lens below) or a full plastic frame, and most every online shop categorizes frames for sale by their construction in this way. Knowing that you want frameless glasses or nerdy plastic retro glasses definitely helps making shopping online easier because some online shops can offer 500+ different varieties of just one style of eyewear. If you're not quite sure what you want, you might want to browse a real eyeglasses store for a bit to narrow down your desires.

Ordering Up, Playing the Waiting Game

Once you find something you like and it's about the right size, it's time to order. Plug in your prescription details (if you can't make them all out, most sites have helpful tips on deciphering a prescription) and pick out your options. The one option that will turn a $20 pair of glasses into an $80 pair is the lens choice. Be careful when picking out a lens because there are plenty of add-ons you might or might not want. Generally I pay for the highest level of non-glare coatings and I usually pick the middle of the thin-lens options (my personal prescription rules out the thinnest, lightest lenses). Most of my online glasses have run about $50 or so.

Shipment and fulfillment is generally pretty good. I ordered five pairs of glasses total, from four different retailers and started receiving pairs about a week later. The longest one was maybe three weeks, which is about normal for most optometrists, so in general ordering online was faster than higher cost traditional options.

The Verdict?

I used to wear the same glasses for 3-4 years between changes so I'm finding it incredibly liberating to pick from five different sets of glasses each morning. I have a couple fashionable pairs for going out, a couple understated ones for working and I can even take a chance with a wacky retro frame if I'm in the mood. All told, my glasses cost me from a low of $26 to a high of $84 per pair, mostly depending on the options I picked for lenses. If I had to come up with any criticisms, the only (very) minor issue I had was one pair's lenses (with identical prescriptions on both sides) were cut slightly different, so that when the light hits them, you can see a bit more of border on one lens over the other (like I said, it's minor). I purchased frames from four different companies mentioned on the GlassyEyes site and every pair showed up intact and the prescriptions all seemed identical.

I've had such good success with it that I recently ordered some higher priced specialized sports glasses online, saving about 35% over what an optometrist office would charge. Overall, I couldn't be happier with the process of buying glasses online. I'm happy to have several backup pairs and different styles to fit my mood. About the only drawback is that there is almost too much selection online. Picking out each frame took me about an hour, after wading through 150-200 results and checking measurements on the ones that caught my eye.

I encourage anyone looking to save some money and get a bigger selection to search online. Glasses are no longer a scarce resource costing many hundreds of dollars, they can be as simple as buying a DVD or book online, and cost about the same.

”Adventures in $40 eyeglasses” was written by Matthew Haughey for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on November 29, 2007. Except as noted, it's ©2010 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"