Sennheiser HD 239 Headphones

Wow, I've ignored this blog for so long. I hope a few people are still interested in what I have to say. With that out of the way . . . I acquired another set of headphones (a long time ago, but laziness and lack of time have caused an impressive delay in writing about them). Another set of Sennheiser cans: the HD 239 model.

My process went like this: (1) finally got my "decent" audio (home theater) system set up at home; (2) decided to bring my "decent" office headphones (Sennheiser HD 650) home for proper use with my home rig; (3) took my Sony MDR-ZX700 closed headphones to work; (4) concluded that I really need and prefer open cans at the office (so that I can hear phone calls, people yelling at me, intruders, etc.), but wanted to get something better than the portable Sennheiser PX-100-II headphones, and wanted to get something other than Grados, which I've had before; (5) a fair amount of research and good pricing on Amazon led me to the HD 239.

I like these headphones. There is a single, thin, and somewhat short cable with an eighth-inch plug (no adapter is included). The lightweight cable is nice at the office; no heavy or bulky cord bothering me as I stare at the computer. The headphones look good without being flashy or tacky. They don't look like something that anyone on the train or at school might think are expensive enough to steal. The ear pads are really soft and comfy, although the frame may be a little tight for those with large craniums, especially if worn for extended periods of time. The compact ear pads are small enough so that I can wear my glasses without much additional discomfort.

How do they sound? Better than the Sennheiser PX-100-II, comparable to the Sony MDR-ZX700 (which I prefer when additional isolation is needed), but inferior to the Sennheiser HD 650 (as are many other headphones).

Postscript: I never use headphones with my home system, so my Sennheiser HD 650 cans are back at the office. I use the Sennheiser HD 239 headphones with my portable music players and phone when lounging around the house, and I use the Sennheiser PX 100-II when out and about.

Hot/Not Swapping Lamy Nibs?

Ha ha ha very funny. Whoever told me that "hot swapping" Lamy nibs is easy to do . . . is a liar. I just pulled off the ridiculously scratchy and always-clogging EF nib from my Lamy Vista (with a converter full of dark blue-black ink), and exchanged it for an F. The "F" in this case stands for Fail. The adhesive tape trick didn't work so well due to the wet nib. I finally managed to yank the EF nib from the feed, but I almost lost it down the drain. Ink splattered all over the sink and my fingers got a nice dosing of blue-black.

I thought I'd be smart and use a tissue to hold the F nib during installation, but that resulted in a tissue fragment getting caught between the edge of the nib and the feed. So I had to remove the F nib, clean it off, and re-install it. Good times.

Nussbaum Pen Co. - "Jon Ross" Fountain Pen

Many fountain pen fanatics are familiar with iSellPens, an online pen vendor. I've had nothing but great service from iSellPens, and highly recommend them. OK, enough with the free plug . . . I only mention iSellPens because you will find the Nussbaum Pen Co. (the house brand) on that site. Many months ago I acquired a Nussbaum pen (the Jon Ross Series, with Blue Rings), but I no longer see it listed on their web site. Perhaps they are discontinued or are in the middle of a restock. Oh well, here is a picture of the pen (pardon the food particles on the counter):

The pen is really handsome, and the fit and finish is outstanding for a pen that cost $45.00 (full online retail price). The black resin is nicely offset by the silver embellishments and the sparkly blue rings. The resin body is pretty solid, and the pen feels heavy to me (it weighs about 26 grams with an ink cartridge installed). The cap can be posted, and the pen feels comfortable in the hand. The "Nussbaum" branding and the blue ring can be seen better in the following picture.

At the time of purchase, this pen was only available with a medium steel nib. More specifically, an "Iridium Point Germany M" nib. The nib doesn't give very much and, if I'm honest, it doesn't write as consistently as I'd like (especially when using impenetrable paper such as Rhodia). By this I mean that the pen skips more often than it should, and sometimes the ink flow seems to be lacking. Perhaps the nib just needs a minor adjustment or a tune up. The bottom line is that I prefer the writing experience of my Sailor Pro Gear (medium), my Pelikan M205 (extra fine), and my Pilot Custom Heritage 91 (fine). But those are very good pens that are considerably more expensive than the Nussbaum Jon Ross.

I found it interesting that the threads for the cap are located at the very end of the body, rather than on the grip section. I guess this makes the grip smoother to avoid fingertip chafing? Or maybe it's designed that way to seal the cap better? Or maybe I simply need to get out more often.

I will end this post with a picture of a small writing sample that I created with the Nussbaum pen, Diamine Emerald ink, and a small Rhodia pad of paper. That is all.

Skateboard Acquisition Disorder

Although I recently bought a new skateboard deck, I'm still on the lookout for an ideal new shape to ride. Soon after I published my last post, my local skate shop let me know that they stocked a slightly smaller version of my new deck. That quickly led to the acquisition of my second new deck: the medium version of the Creature Heathen series.

This deck is 8.375 inches wide, 32 inches long, and (importantly) it has a wheelbase of 14.5 inches. That hits the sweet spot for me. To be honest, the actual real world shape and size of this deck is almost identical to the large version that was the subject of my last post. I guess I'll just keep this one as a backup in case the other one breaks.

So . . . I was at the skate shop today killing time and some decks from Welcome Skateboards caught my eye due to their atypical shapes. Most of them were a little too wide for me, but a few looked right on target. I borrowed the shop's tape measure and found one that should do the trick: the Fate Owl graphic on the Wormtail shape.

Top

Some quick online research provided some detailed specs. The board is 8.4 inches wide, 32.5 inches long, and it has the perfect 14.5 inch wheelbase. I really like the "rounded square" nose and tail of this deck, which is a departure from the traditional popsicle stick shape that I usually ride. It looks cool, and I hope it rides well.

Bottom

The line of Welcome Skateboards is refreshing because they have a lot of different and unusual shapes. I like how the company names the different shapes so that picky anal retentive OCD skaters can easily identify their favorite shape. The graphics are sick, too, and you can find the same (or similar) graphics on different shapes. Thus, Welcome Skateboards are offered as a combo of shape + graphic, e.g., Fate Owl on Wormtail. The shop also had the Wolfgod graphic on the Wormtail shape, but my son wanted me to pick the Fate Owl, and he's the boss. If I'm honest, I prefer the graphic on the top of the deck. I also like the shade of the green stain on the top. Too bad all of it will be covered by grip tape.

Although the pictures don't reveal it, the deck has a nice concave to it. I suspect that the deck began life as a standard rectangular blank that was simply cut into the Wormtail shape. It doesn't really matter as long as the end product works. In this case, the deck was made by a well known and reputable manufacturer that has been around for decades. I have no doubt that this is a high quality deck.

Mark of Approval

With this latest acquisition of wood, I am now riding a relatively new Creature Heathen (Large) deck while foaming at the mouth because I really want to set up my new Welcome deck. Moreover, I am guilt tripping myself because I have a brand new Creature Heathen (Medium) deck waiting in the wings. There are two or three other shapes by Welcome Skateboards that have also piqued my interest. They might be the subject of a future post!

Creature Skateboard Deck

It's always great to acquire and set up a new skateboard deck. I'm talking about a deck that will actually be ridden, not some hand-painted work of art. This is actually my THIRD deck I've ridden in the last week, because I'm pretty much a poster boy for OCD when it comes to the dimensions and specifications of my skate decks. Before I get to that, let me share a couple of pictures of this new deck by Creature Skateboards.

                       

The deck is part of Creature's "Heathen" series, and I got the large size (8.5 inches wide, 32.25 inches long). 8.5 inches is usually too wide for me, but this particular deck actually measures in at around 8.25 inches wide, which is my preference. The all-important wheelbase dimension (close to 14.5 inches), however, is nearly perfect for me. The wheelbase of my last deck, which I rode for only a couple of days, was too short and caused numerous issues involving gravity, momentum, inertia, and centripetal force. Now, this deck isn't really ideal, but it's the closest thing that I could find in my local skate shop. Besides, the graphics are sick!

The bright green colorway seems to be a trademark of Creature Skateboards. The deck appears to be dipped in green paint, which covers both the top (see above picture on the left) and the bottom (see above picture on the right). The artwork is by Brandon Holt. The Internet tells me that Mr. Holt is a tattoo artist, and that the skateboard graphics you see here are indicative of his style.

Here is a closeup picture of the "Creature" graphic that appears on the top of the deck. I plan to keep this graphic exposed rather than cover it up with griptape.

And here is a closeup picture of some badass four-legged dragon-winged lizard-tailed buzzard creature perched atop a mountain of human skulls. The dripping saliva/blood is a nice touch that really punctuates the image. Too bad it will be completely obliterated after a few days of skateboarding.

This beauty should keep me occupied for a while. That said, I'm thinking of pushing the envelope beyond my comfort zone and trying a deck that measures a true 8.5 inches wide with a true 15.0 inch wheelbase. Unfortunately (fortunately?) that might require the acquisition of new trucks and wheels, too. Stay tuned.

Maratac Flashlight

I've concluded that AAA flashlights are ideal for EDC purposes, which means that said flashlights are on my acquisition wish list. I'm still a big fan of my Olight i3S, and use it regularly. Nevertheless, I've had my eye on the Maratac torch for a while and I finally decided to buy one.

I got this little gem from CountyComm (I believe this is the only online source, but I could be wrong) for the not-quite-affordable price of about $30.00. The flashlight is solid, well-built, and works great, so perhaps the $30.00 price tag is justified. By the way, I got the basic black Rev 3 version of the flashlight, which is the latest and greatest model as of this writing.

The flashlight arrived in a plastic box, which seems to be mislabeled "Maratac Extreme" (the CountyComm website says that the Extreme is discontinued). Whatever. The description on the label is really impressive. Aircraft grade! Type III Military anodizing! Anti-Reflective lens coating! Proprietary circuit design! Reverse polarity protection! All that for the low low price of only $30.00; what a bargain!

Marketing language aside, there is a lot to like about the Maratac AAA. According to the website, the flashlight is only 2.75 inches long, with a diameter of 0.5 inches. It has a twisty UI (which is common in the flashlight world) that steps through three levels as follows: Medium-Low-High. Damn, I would gladly trade the Military grade anti-reflective reverse lens coating for a Low-Medium-High pattern. Note that the Low mode generates a fair amount of light (1.5 lumens) . . . I wouldn't call it a moonlight mode. Medium = 40 lumens, and High = 138 blinding lumens.

Although this flashlight looks all "tactical" in flat black with gnarly knurling, it does not include any of those crazy modes that you often find in tactical lights. No disco strobe light, no emergency beacon pattern, and no S-O-S mode. So, if you plan on getting lost or stranded somewhere, don't take this flashlight.

The Maratac comes with a cool glow in the dark diffuser cap, which works as advertised. I was unable to capture a good shot in the dark, so just imagine that the diffuser in the following picture is illuminated like a deployed lightsaber.

I really like, but don't love, this flashlight. It would be perfect (for my use) if the activation pattern progressed from low to high, and if the low mode was actually a moonlight level. AAA perfection is out there, I just need to find it.

Platinum Pro-Use Drafting Pencil

I acquired yet another mechanical drafting pencil. I really had a moment of weakness here. I don't even use pencils that often, and I certainly didn't need a new one. That said, I have no regret or buyer's remorse because the Platinum Pro-Use is super cool. Just look at the thing:

I don't remember how much I paid, but the Internet tells me that this pencil is now going for about 15 dollars. That's a lot for a pencil, but the Pro-Use is very well made and sturdy, and the fit and finish is great. I opted for the 0.5 mm size (0.3 mm and 0.7 mm sizes are also available), which has become my standard lead size. Platinum is nice enough to provide a big fat lead size reminder on the tail cap:

Although Platinum probably has a better reputation for its fountain pens, I'm impressed here. I really like the brushed metal finish of this pencil, and the overall "look, I'm a rocket ship" design aesthetic. The grip is fat and meaty, and it features some groovy channels that wick away your sweat during those aggressive penciling sessions. If I'm honest, I think that the grip section ought to be a little longer (extending further up the body). Other than that, I have no complaints. The pencil is well balanced, not too heavy and not too light, and it has a lead hardness indicator above the grip section. I assume that this is important to people who pencil for a living.

Even though I don't use this writing instrument that much - perhaps only two pieces of lead so far - I still recommend it highly. If you are a fan of mechanical or drafting pencils and/or you collect shiny metal objects, then check out the Platinum Pro-Use.

Sencha Fukamushi Super Premium (From Hibiki-An)

I recently acquired some Japanese green tea from the online retailer Hibiki-An. I don't work for them and they do not sponsor me or give me any kickbacks (although I'd be happy to receive money, tea, or some of their ridiculously expensive matcha bowls as a token of appreciation). I believe that Hibiki-An grows, processes, and sells their tea; unlike other online vendors that may simply serve as distributors. Anyway, I got a bag of their Sencha Fukamushi Super Premium. I like this tea.

Fukamushi is a type of sencha that is subjected to longer/deeper steaming during the processing of the tea leaves. This results in smaller pieces of tea in the final product, which in turn results in a sweeter and more "full bodied" taste relative to regular sencha. You can see some of the fine particles of tea dust in the following picture.

The back of the package includes Hibiki-An's preferred brewing recipe. You can customize the flavor of the tea by varying the amount of tea and water, the water temperature, and the brewing time. I don't have a special fukamushi brewing vessel; I use my standard kyusu, which probably isn't ideal because the strainer doesn't catch all of the tea particles during the pour.

I won't try to describe the flavor profile in detail, because the taste can vary from day to day depending on how I brew the tea. Generally speaking, I would say that the tea is balanced with a slightly sweet aftertaste. Not bitter, and not too "grassy" or "veggie" tasting. In view of its relatively high price, however, I'd hesitate to buy this tea again. That said, I would gladly accept a free bag or lifetime supply from Hibiki-An if they decide to sponsor me.

Shave Soap & Shaving Cream

I've been doing the traditional wet shaving routine with a double-edged razor for a relatively long time now, and I've kicked the habit of trying to find the best shaving products to use. I admit to buying too many different shave soaps and shaving creams in an attempt to find a holy grail that really doesn't exist (and even if one does, nobody really cares that much; we're talking about shaving your face here, not a cure for cancer).

Traditional shaving cream is WAY better than the gel, foam, and slime that you commonly find in convenient pressurized cans. One of the best shaving creams that I've used is this one from The Real Shaving Co.

This stuff is manufactured by the same company that produces shaving cream for famous and expensive brands such as Truefitt & Hill. In fact, I believe that the basic composition is the same regardless of the brand. The ingredients are listed on the tube:

You'll find a virtually identical ingredient list on high-end branded shaving cream, but you'll pay 3-5 times as much. So, this product from The Real Shaving Co. is super economical, available at some local drug stores (Rite Aid, for example), and a tube lasts forever. Buy a tube if you see one on the shelf next to a can of slime.

Some shave soaps are much better than the aforementioned canned goods. Things can get a little hairy when dealing with shave soap, however, because some are difficult to lather up, some do not perform well, and some smell terrible. I recently acquired a stick of soap (lime scented) from Mike's Natural Soaps, and it falls into the "much better" category.

It looks like deodorant or antiperspirant, but it's shave soap packaged in a form that can be directly applied to the skin before whipping it into a foamy lather with a shaving brush. I found the stick to be a little inconvenient, so I removed the soap and smashed it into a soap dish for use with a brush in a more traditional manner.

Anyway, this guy Mike knows how to make shave soap. The soap is old school because it's made with tallow and lanolin (vegans beware). The soap lathers up quickly and easily, the lather is really slick, and the natural lime scent isn't overpowering or artificial. After using the lime soap for a while, I decided to acquire a tin of Mike's "Orange, Cedarwood, & Black Pepper" shave soap. I think the basic soap formula and quality are the same . . . it just smells different. I like both of Mike's soaps enough to become a repeat customer.

That's about all for now. Two products that work well and improve the shaving experience. Good stuff.

New WASD Keyboard

I'm happy to report that I temporarily kicked my keyboard (and keyboard-related accessory) acquisition disorder. Indeed, I hadn't spent a dime on anything associated with keyboards for more than a year. Until . . . one day at work, after gleefully hammering away on my Filco (which is outfitted with "clicky" blue Cherry switches), a co-worker subtly hinted that my keyboard was too noisy. My response of "That's nothing, you should hear how awesome it sounds without the sound-deadening Shore 40A durometer o-rings installed!" fell on deaf ears. This news bummed me out a little, but also got me thinking about a return to the quieter "tactile" brown Cherry switches. Keyboard Acquisition Mode: ON.

If you are interested in the backstory, read THIS, and THIS, and THIS, or search for posts tagged with the "keyboard" label.

I didn't really do much research before deciding to acquire a "blank" keyboard with brown switches from WASD Keyboards. "Blank" in this context means "sold without any keycaps and shipped in a nice understated box".

Blank keyboards are really intended for keyboard geeks who already own a set of replacement keycaps and are not interested in boring unattractive stock keycaps. So, inside the box you will find this:

Brown Switches, Duh

The box also contains everything needed to install the keycaps and get the keyboard up and running. In the following picture you can see a keycap puller, a USB cable, a USB-to-PS adapter, clip thingies and lube for the keycap stabilizers, and instructions.

Swapping out my keycaps was very easy, but really time consuming. The finished keyboard is shown below. I like that the chassis is void of branding and stickers. It's just basic black.

I kept the sound-dampeners on the keycaps that get the majority of day-to-day use, as a peace offering to my acoustically hypersensitive coworker. The brown switches are definitely quieter, and typing on them is buttery smooth. I actually prefer the fingerfeel of the brown switches over the blue switches.

Again, the keyboard has no labeling or branding on it. It does, however, have two pinhole LED indicators for Caps Lock and Scroll Lock. These indicator lights are subtle, which I prefer over larger LEDs that tend to emit a blinding amount of energy.

LED Indicators

The brown stems of the switches can be seen through the clear keycaps. Meh, the brown color is ugly in comparison to the bright color used for the blue switches. Moreover, I still prefer the clicky noise that the blue switches generate. That said, the typing feel and muffled sound of my new keyboard are perfect for my workplace environment. Accordingly, Keyboard Acquisition Mode: OFF.

Diamine Ink Cartridges (Sample Box)

This will be a short post to let all five of my regular readers know about these super convenient ink cartridge sample packs that are offered by Diamine. Fountain pen junkies are familiar with Diamine ink; most people highly recommend Diamine, and their ink is available in a billion colors. My son and I have a few pens that accept standard international ink cartridges, and Diamine offers their ink in that type of cartridge.

I was looking to buy some sample sized bottles of Diamine ink, but luckily found this cartridge sample pack for sale on Amazon:

I don't recall the name of this specific sample pack, but Amazon had a few different packs for sale. The box contains 18 ink cartridges in 10 different colors. There are two of each color except for Maroon and Dark Brown (only one of each in the box): Black; Blue/Black; Emerald; Claret; Turquoise; Royal Blue; Imperial Purple; Maroon; Monaco Red; and Dark Brown. For less than ten bucks, this is a great way to try out different inks if you are willing to live with unusual colors like Claret and Imperial Purple.

Although some of the cartridges arrived with a color-identifying sticker, most of them were void of any indicia other than a colored end cap. It would have been nice to have the stickers on all of them to eliminate the guesswork, but with appropriate medication I'll be able to live with the inconvenience.

My plan is to identify one or two favorite Diamine inks (perhaps after buying a different sample pack) before buying any bottles. At that point, I'll ditch the cartridges and fill my ink converters with bottled ink. At the rate I'm marching through this sample pack, though, I won't be purchasing a bottle for at least a year!

Anyway, if you own a fountain pen that takes standard international cartridges and you're looking to try different ink colors, then take a look at these Diamine sample packs. If you decide to acquire one, say a prayer to the color-identifying sticker gods before you hit the "Buy" button.

Olight i3S Flashlight

Flashlights. I like them, use one almost every day, and I've written about three of my flashlights before (link is here). The EagleTac D25A Mini flashlight mentioned in that post is a nice torch, but for various reasons I don't carry it often. Reason 1: my front left jeans pocket is where I carry my flashlight and my phone, and there isn't enough room to comfortably carry the EagleTac (it's a fat AA light). Reason 2: the butt end of the EagleTac has a "sharp" edge that scratches my baby soft hand skin from time to time when I reach into my pocket. Reason 3: I find that my smaller AAA flashlights generate more than enough output for my everyday needs.

What does all of this mean? Why, a new AAA flashlight of course. I've had this little gem for a while, but have been too lazy/busy to write about it. I've carried and used it enough to say with utmost certainty: "the Olight i3S AAA flashlight is very nice."

The i3S is an update of Olight's i3 flashlight, which had some shortcomings. The i3S is available in several different colors, including the shiny blue version I acquired. Features and specs of interest include: Cree XP-G2 LED emitter; three output modes (0.5 lumen moonlight mode; 20 lumen low mode; and 80 lumen high mode); snap-on pocket clip; keychain. The Internet tells me that the i3S goes for about $25.00 (as of April 2014).

The i3S is very compact. It is about 70 mm long, and it's noticeably shorter than my Preon P1 (also a AAA flashlight).

AAA Battery, i3S, Preon P1

What's to like about the i3S? I personally like the reversible clip, which can be handy when I need to fashion a headlamp out of a baseball cap. The keychain is nice and sturdy, although I removed mine. The back end of the i3S is flat (good for tailstanding) and it has a smooth rounded edge that plays nice with my soft and supple skin.

I really like the moonlight mode of the i3S, which outputs a mere 0.5 lumens. Some may think that 0.5 lumens is useless, but I think it's a great option for times when you don't need a strong blast of light. My only gripe is that it takes three twists to reach the moonlight mode . . . the twisty UI of the i3S cycles through the following sequence: Low > High > Moonlight > Low > High > Moonlight > Strobe. I understand why the sequence begins with Low, but I kinda wish it started on Moonlight. Don't get me started on the ridiculous Strobe mode. Oh well, perfection is hard to find.

Small Things Come In Small Packages

One final note. Olight packages the i3S in a cool plastic box that includes a AAA battery. This is a nice touch, although simpler packaging might result in a lower price point. Whatever, for $25.00, the i3S is a great buy. Overall, I'm impressed and very satisfied with the i3S.

Finished Tattoo & Artwork

This is a follow up to a post I made about my new tattoo. The tattoo has been done for a while now, and I'm really happy with it. The color is awesome, the design is exactly what I wanted, and all the elements flow together. I just wish that I could get a decent picture of it. For now, the best I could do is this selfie:

I like this tattoo. The design and rendering of the electric eraser and the orange slice are top notch, and the amount of detail is impressive. I am trying to schedule a touch-up appointment with the artist (Craig Driscoll) so that he can smooth in the color of the translucent green french curves. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

As is customary, the artist gave me his original working sketch as a souvenir. I love the artwork, so I asked him to create a color rendering for me. Using the sketch as a guide, Craig created an awesome original piece for me, along with several archival quality prints for my sisters. The original drawing is just as impressive as the tattooed version.

 I framed the original artwork and it now hangs in my office. I am super stoked on the work that Craig did for me. I'm sure that Dad would have liked it, too. 

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica: Bling-Bling Pen!

I recently placed an order with one of my favorite online vendors, and needed to buy a little something extra to get free shipping. A few minutes and US$2.50 later, this gem of a pen was added to my order: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica (Blue-Black color).

Backstory . . . I'm a big fan of the Hi-Tec-C pens. I was really liking my Hi-Tec-C Coleto pen until I discovered that the refills don't behave nicely if they don't get regular use (I assume that the tips dry out and get clogged). I only have one traditional Hi-Tec-C pen, but its 0.3 mm tip is too fine and scratchy for me. So, when I saw this Hi-Tec-C variant for sale, my goal was to buy a 0.4 mm version to replace the 0.3 mm pen. The excitement of buying a new pen must have been too much to handle, and I suffered a major shopping cart failure.

I accidentally ordered a 0.3 mm version of the Maica pen. Of course, it writes just like my other 0.3 mm Hi-Tec-C, which means I don't like it. As luck would have it, my daughter loves this bejeweled Hi-Tec-C, and she doesn't mind the needle tip. So I gifted the pen to her.

The Maica really is a pretty pen. It has aristocratic script on the body, a shiny colored body that matches the ink color, and a clear cap. Just look at the faceted gem-like flair that resides at the top of the cap:

OK, I can see why some uber-masculine writers may feel threatened and challenged by this sparkly writing instrument. Understood. That said, the pen IS rather handsome and it has an elegant design to it. The grip section is a little thicker than the standard Hi-Tec-C, which creates a better fit for large manly hands. The grip section also featrues some plastic knurling, which sets it apart from the standard Hi-Tec-C grip.

By the way, the pen uses standard Hi-Tec-C refills, which means there are a million colors and tip sizes from which to choose. The next time I place an order, I'll be careful to select a 0.4 mm or 0.5 mm version, with extra bling if available.

Inexpensive Acquisition: Gear Tie Thingy

This is just a quick blurb about something stupidly simple, but awesomely useful: Nite Ize Gear Ties. These gear tie thingies are glorified twisties; you know, those annoying wire ties that keep loaves of bread from escaping their bags. The Nite Ize product is more durable, rugged, strong, and colorful . . . but it's still basically a bendy wire. OK, it's a thick bendy wire wrapped in a pretty rubber sheath.

These gear ties come in various lengths ranging from 3 to 64 inches. I have a handful of the 3-inch size and a couple of the 6-inch size. I use them for my charging cords, speaker wires, LAN cables, and headphones. You'd be surprised at how useful they are. Really.

Not much more to say about these gear ties. The instructions are straightforward and very easy to understand: "bend it around something". You owe it to yourself to check these out. All the cool kids have them now.

Sennheiser PX 100-II Portable Headphones

I like headphones (good ones) because they are a relatively inexpensive way to experience high quality audio playback. I prefer the sound of open headphones, but there are times when I am forced to use closed headphones (e.g., late at night to avoid bothering others or when it's necessary to block environmental noise). I used to own a great set of open headphones by Grado, but I replaced them with a set of closed headphones by Sony.

I recently had an epiphany and determined that I must acquire another set of open headphones for casual use around the house. Simply put, there are times when it's extremely important to hear things in the surrounding environment when listening to personal music (pizza delivery, hard boiled egg timer, angry bear charging from behind, etc.). I didn't want another set of Grados, and I really wanted a portable design having a short cord and a carrying case if possible. So I hit the Internet, did some research, and decided to get a set of Sennheiser PX 100-II portable headphones.

Sennheiser PX 100-II

These headphones are great for what they are: inexpensive, lightweight, small, and portable cans that are primarily designed for use with laptops, tablets, and digital media players. I didn't buy the "i" version, which includes a microphone control on the cord for use with iPhones.

Open Back Design

The open back design means that sound leaks in both directions. If you play music at eardrum shattering levels, then you will annoy people sitting near you. Conversely, outside noise can and will be heard through the earpads. Speaking of which, the earpads are rather small because they are designed to sit on your ears (not around them). Lack of sound isolation doesn't bother me because I only use these headphones in certain situations where isolation is unimportant.

Easy to Fold

I like how the headphones can be folded into a neat and compact configuration. The earpads twist inward, and the two arms fold upward and lock together as shown above. This makes them easy to carry in a backpack or messenger bag.

Easy to Store

The PX 100-II headphones come with a soft carrying pouch. It's a nice touch, but the pouch provides absolutely no structural protection. It would have been great to have a hard shell case in addition to (or instead of) the drawstring bag.

How do they sound? In my opinion, they provide an awesome audio bang for the buck. They cannot compete against the megabuck offerings from Sennheiser, Grado, Beyerdynamic, Audeze, and others, but they are at the head of the class in their niche category (open, portable, inexpensive). If anyone is interested in more detailed reviews, browse over to Head-Fi. I'm sure that you'll find many pages of comments, reviews, and user critiques there.