Brands and Stuff That You Love (Emphasis on Quality)

[jay_imok]

....an older crowd, i.e. at least 20-nearing-30-somethings.....

i am absolutely speechless.............




well, i guess not entirely. please excuse me now, i have to drive off the edge of the world...

[Darcy]

Juniper Ridge products - made out of wild harvested sage, juniper, fir, and cedar, with no extra scents or additives.

[Akilae]

I suppose I'll add two to this list.

For my backpack, I shamefully admit I use a non-Bihn bag as my preferred bag of choice: The FAST Pack Alpha made by TAD Gear. They carry a few brands, but their own stuff is generally well-designed and well-manufactured. My FAST Pack has been with me for five years, from hauling my T61P and textbook tomes to class, to clothing and camera gear for trekking/photography trips, and it still looks like the day I bought it. Since TAD caters to the military crowd, the FAST pack also comes with MOLLE straps, making it a very modular bag. It's interesting in that I had originally ordered an ID for my laptop, and had figured on relegating my FAST Pack to hiking trips. Then the textbooks started piling up and I realized a backpack was still the ideal way for heavy hauling. Nowadays the ID lives with a Freudian Slip and is quite happy as a general document/office bag.

My other recent obsession has been shoes. After five years of wearing nothing but sandals and Merrell mocs, I finally fulfilled one of my dreams and bought a pair of Alden 405 "Indy" boots. Alden is one of the last American shoe makers in the North Eastern states. All their shoes are hand made in the US and generally cater to an older crowd, i.e. at least 20-nearing-30-somethings. Customer service is top notch. The original pair of Indy boots I bought had a construction flaw which resulted in pain in my ankle. Alden immediately took the shoe back and issued me a pair of replacements, no questions asked. They even gave me a better-sized pair after listening to me talk about how my feet felt. The Indy boots I bought are more famous for being the boots than Indiana Jones wore in all of the movies. Being famous movie boots aside, they are wonderfully comfortable, durable, and stylish boots that go well with either jeans or dress casuals, probably one of the more versatile pair of boots I've ever seen (other than White's Semi-Dress... but that's another story).

[Darcy]

I'm not perfect at the process but there are times when it comes out really good and you really enjoy the cup to the point you feel like an actor in a commercial.

Heh! There's a coffee place in Seattle that roasts beans on site. The first time I went there the coffee was amazing - way above average. The second time...not so good. I think maybe the person who had roasted beans that day was new. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes.

[pretzelb]

That's pretty cool: I had no idea people roasted their own beans.

It's really easy too. The only drag is that most home roasting machines only do a small amount at a time so you end up doing a few batches each week. I started with the entry level roaster but you can even use an old air popcorn popper I think. The other drag is that you do need to baby sit the beans because they could burn if you don't watch them or set the timer too long. It's also not the best smell and results in smoke so you need to do it outside. Gee, it's starting to sound like a major pain now that I talk about it.

But it has turned me into a coffee snob because I can tell a difference. I can almost taste some of the subtle flavors in some of the beans. I'm not perfect at the process but there are times when it comes out really good and you really enjoy the cup to the point you feel like an actor in a commercial.

It should also end up being cheaper. The site I use averages around $5 per pound of green beans and usually you pay around $10 to $12 for a roasted bag of beans. I used to think I was saving money by brewing my own but now that I roast too I should really be saving money.

The other drawback is when I evaluate a bag I have to account for my coffee thermos and my water bottle.

[Darcy]

If you really want to be adventurous you could try to roast the beans yourself. It's not hard really. I use Sweet Marias for my supplies. They have a system for their tasting of the beans and write a very complete report each time. Only problem is that they deal with small lots so it's common for them to run out.

That's pretty cool: I had no idea people roasted their own beans.

[pretzelb]

A question for the coffee expert: my absolute most favorite coffee ever is Peet's Major Dickason's blend..I don't know if you're familiar with it, but it's pretty much the only coffee I drink. I drink it black and enjoy every minute of it! If I wanted to expand my horizons, is there a Ravensbrew or Metropolis Coffee blend you'd recommend?

If you really want to be adventurous you could try to roast the beans yourself. It's not hard really. I use Sweet Marias for my supplies. They have a system for their tasting of the beans and write a very complete report each time. Only problem is that they deal with small lots so it's common for them to run out.

[Darcy]

Every man and woman in business today should have at least one
or may be two dark navy blazers in their closet. Great classic
look and flexible product...think of an expensive blazer as an
investment item.

It's difficult to find women's blazers/jackets made in USA.

New recommendation: Guittard Chocolate. Their chocolate is still made in San Francisco. It's the best baking chocolate (cocoa powder, chocolate disks, chips) that I've used.

[Darcy]

I've been considering a writeup of the Super Ego -- I have as well a Brain Bag (which was on CT before), so I think I could make a relevant comparative review, and have had a few items published there.

That would be very cool! Please let us know if you submit the writeup.

A good roast should be smooth, but subtly distinct. I have listed 3 favorites from each, which I can wholeheartedly recommend:

Thank you!! Time to do some ordering and coffee experimenting. Fun!

[timothy]

Bihn at Cool Tools

Darcy wrote:

The Brain Bag was once recommended in Cool Tools! I hope we are included again someday...Cool Tools is great.

Darcy:

I've been considering a writeup of the Super Ego -- I have as well a Brain Bag (which was on CT before), so I think I could make a relevant comparative review, and have had a few items published there.

Cheers,

timothy

[brantroz]

Coffee recommendation...

Darcy,

Let's see if I can do this justice. Peet's Major Dickanson is a full-bodied balanced blend.

I too drink it black, and it is absolutely all a part of the morning ritual. I won't claim to be an expert--but I have tried most of the blends from both sources, and definitely have some favorites. Oh, and don't be afraid to Branch Out!! The great thing about so many good boutique roasters these days, is that some of them are really able to hit niche, local origin coffee with very interesting characteristics. A good roast should be smooth, but subtly distinct. I have listed 3 favorites from each, which I can wholeheartedly recommend:

Raven's Brew:
Deadman's Reach
Ebony Pearls French Roast
Organic Mahogany Sweets

Metropolis:
Redline Espresso Roast
Cordillera
French Roast

Let me know if you have more specific questions!

-Brandon

[Darcy]

Ok, so apparently the only thing I post is regarding coffee (anyone see a trend here?)

A question for the coffee expert: my absolute most favorite coffee ever is Peet's Major Dickason's blend..I don't know if you're familiar with it, but it's pretty much the only coffee I drink. I drink it black and enjoy every minute of it! If I wanted to expand my horizons, is there a Ravensbrew or Metropolis Coffee blend you'd recommend?

[Darcy]

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/

The Brain Bag was once recommended in Cool Tools! I hope we are included again someday...Cool Tools is great.

[brantroz]

More Coffee...

Ok, so apparently the only thing I post is regarding coffee (anyone see a trend here?)

I live in Chicago, and recently found this local roaster that produces really great, quality local beans:

http://www.metropoliscoffee.com/

I still get my Ravensbrew for a treat, but for supporting local small business, you can't go wrong.

-B

[timothy]

Meta recommendation: Cool Tools

Kevin Kelly is one of the guys associated with the old Whole Earth Catalog, among other projects. He has a site I've been a fan of for years (disclosure: have also been published there two or three times, which is the only place I've been published in common with William Gibson, which is of course a silly claim, but still fun) called Cool Tools, and it's an excellent place to see more of the "quality items" theme.

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/

Warning: Cool Tools can be a HUGE time sink, at least for me. As I read through it, I've more than once thought that if I were rich enough, I'd like to just have "one of each" sent to me, as products are reviewed there (Or maybe "one of each after a quick right of refusal" )

timothy