Review of “Upstream Color”

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I should probably note “initial review” instead. I’ve a feeling the more I watch this film the better my understanding and interpretation of it will be.

Where do I begin? I’ve mentioned more than a few times one of my favorite all-time films is “Primer”. Hence, I’m be in the bag for virtually anything Shane Carruth does, and he’s at least one guy who is doing it right. “Primer” debuted in 2004. Nine years is a long time to wait for a follow-up, which he’s explained previously. Basically funding issues and subsequent frustrations prevented his making of an allegedly outstanding sci-fi/adventure film. This was his next project, which I can say even almost a decade later, was well worth the wait.

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Initial Review of Altra Superior Trail Running Shoes

I made the complete switch to Altra a while ago and never looked back. The Instinct 1.0 pretty much eliminated any lower body pains I had from previously ill fitting/improperly designed footwear. And being a gear nerd for a while I tried quite a few options. As I did with road running, I made the full switch to the Altra Lone Peak long ago as well (reviewed here). As much as I love that shoe, they are tanks, literally smashing everything in its path. With that indestructibility, however, comes bulk and weight. I was too excited to learn of the slimmed down, yet still tough, Superior. I couldn’t justify a new purchase at the time they were released though…that’s what birthdays are for! And it helps to rack up a couple hundred miles on the Lone Peaks as well. 


Out of the box, I immediately noticed the difference in weight. While the official specs have them fairly close, I simply did not buy it. Indeed, they’re a bit closer than I thought, but a noticeable difference nonetheless. The Superior in at 11.13 oz, and the Lone Peak at 12.88 oz. 

The materials are completely different though. The second thing I noticed was the increased flexibility. One of my beefs with the Lone Peak was that they’re stiff. Not the case here. How? Less padding on the upper I’d imagine as well as the removable insoles. Yes, there’s a removable rock plate, which is nothing more than a flexible piece of rugged plastic. Unless you’re running in an industrial construction yard, it’s perfect. Lighter day on gravel or all dirt/mud, remove the plate for more comfort and response. On my everyday limestone rock trail I’ll likely keep the plate in there. 


The upper. Less padding, and I’m okay with that. They went with a much lighter, thinner tongue as well, which is nearly fully connected to keep pebbles, sticks and shit on the outside where they belong.

One other much welcomed change are the laces. New laces. If I had another nit-picky problem with Altra it has been their choice of laces. They’re really thick and you have to double lace just to keep them secure, not that I wouldn’t anyhow, just makes for a wonky knot with the laces going everywhere. The laces here are seemingly lighter and more flexible. I know, it’s just the laces… at this point I’m just focussing on differences. 

Lastly, the upper is indeed much lighter as well. For the one or two rainy days we get here in San Antonio, I suspect the drainage will be much improved. When I first got the Lone Peaks I was able to actually test them out in nasty weather. While the traction was always amazing, the drainage was lacking. This, of course, came after wearing the Brooks PureGrit, which is the best draining shoe I’ve worn. The style and comfort of the Superior reminds me a lot of the PureGrit, but with the zero drop and toughness I expect from Altra.

A quick 4.5 today on the trails and they’re as awesome as I expected them to be. Much more comfortable than the Lone Peaks and even the Instincts. No break in period required… at least that’s my initial impression; no pain or the usual signs of blistering whatsoever which is generally the case with any new shoes. More to come for sure!


Side note: it’s hard to take a proper picture of your own legs!
Read more at: AltraZeroDrop

Thanks for reading!

Hugs & crap, 
j

Review of “Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries”

By Neil deGrasse Tyson
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I finished this a while back and I’m on par with where I wanted to be re: knocking a few of these books off of my ever-expanding list. I’ve made many things abundantly clear through my nonsense here on this blog. One of them is my respect for Neil deGrasse Tyson. If you’ve read or watched or listened to any of his presentations/interviews over the past few years, you’ve undoubtedly ingested some information contained in this book. It’s to the point now where I can almost regurgitate a few of the stories, which in this case, is not bad info to retain. This book is a bit more science and “cosmos” based, if you will, than “Space Chronicles”, his newer book (my review here). Nevertheless, he writes with the ability for anyone to digest. While he explains some nuances of astrophysics and the like, the point is that dummies like me can pick it up and “get it”. If nothing else, the final chapters were well worth the entire book. In fact probably my favorite presentation (below) is explained in the final chapter, or vice-versa rather. If I’m not mistaken, someone asked him if he were to recommend one of any of his books, he responded with this one. As a whole, I’d probably recommend “Space Chronicles” first, however, a few of the chapters in this book would probably resonate with a larger audience. Or at least, a larger percentage of the population would benefit from reading them. Regardless, always good reading.

Today was somewhat of a laid back, relaxing day. I was up early to watch the Celtic match. We grabbed some breakfast from our local veg joint by the house. I hit the trail for a bit where I saw a dead armadillo (dead or alive scares the shit out of me re: leprosy), a dead possum, two very large vultures (not near the corpses), and a very large owl who was interested in my movements. The latter I’ve seen before but never this close and never his/her face. It looked at me and moved its head around a branch to get a better vantage point, then flew off. A most beautiful creature and definitely a highlight of my trail running thus far. There’s a mansion I run behind who’s animal collection never ceases to amaze. They have quite a few peacocks, which I’ve seen before, but today there were probably five or six very large llamas. Legit? Who knows, but today they were very interested in a lady walking by with her dog. Not in a timid manner, however, rather they looked as if, given the opportunity, they’d prefer to make a quick lunch out of the little guy. —> My thoughts go in many directions on the trails, folks.

I was able to also watch this documentary, “Occupied Cascadia”. The official outline starts as follows: “Occupied Cascadia is a journalistic and expressionistic documentary film which explores the emerging understanding of bioregionalism within the lands and waters of the Northeast Pacific Rim.” It was a beautiful film, informative, and was thought provoking, which in my opinion are marks of a good documentary. I don’t know that it had much of anything to do with what we associate “occupy” with now, as far as the movement goes. While I’m not spiritual, I can appreciate the utility of why they outline certain themes, especially for learning and passing knowledge through spoken word. Otherwise, I can mostly do without anything astrology save for entertainment. The only other criticism I had is that there are many legitimate condemnations of our current state (on many topics), however, some did not offer solutions. For instance, at one point a couple folks admonish solar panels, windmills, and other “clean” energy source options we currently have at our disposal. Indeed, what they said is true, there are harms associated with everything, but at this time where we are the “lesser of all evils” approach is perhaps the best alternative. Otherwise I’m not sure what the argument is, live without power? Utopian to some but it’s just not based in reality. Overall it was a very good documentary and containing multiple topics I hope research further. 

What I’m reading

Does anyone else do this is this just an ultimate nerd move? Before class yesterday evening I hit the library to pick up a couple books for research purposes and a book on Robert Oppenheimer for myself. I found the books I needed as well as “American Prometheus”, a bio of Oppenheimer. As I was looking for it, however, the Einstein section caught my eye. While I can recite the average anecdotal Einstein crap most people probably can, I’ve yet to read a good bio of his life or work. I’ve had one on my list for a bit and they had it on the shelf. While I was looking over that section, a Feynman book caught my eye, then, naturally, a Sagan book or two. Next thing I know it’s been 20 minutes and I’ve scanned over just about every book on the “science” shelves. I did see this one and snapped a shot. imageI didn’t get this, I didn’t get “Einstein” and I didn’t get “American Prometheus”. I did finally pick up Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries”, which has also been on my list for a long while.
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A couple sections in already; great thus far as expected.

I’ve also just began reading “Day by Day Armageddon - Beyond Exile” by J. L. Bourne; sequel to his first of the same name. I believe there’s a third and possibly a fourth out as well. Zombies. If you like the genre and liked “World War Z”, which I highly recommend, check out J. L. Bourne. Fast read but exciting, and much of the first takes place in/around San Antonio and Texas, where he is still held up. Zombies, always good stuff. image 
A few days ago I finished “The Art of Non-Conformity” by Chris Guillebeau. This was a good read, recommended by an old tumblr friend, and I can summarize it quite simply, at least for my own take: It’s a book about doing. Doing what you want to do, breaking paradigms, breaking the mold of “what’s supposed to be” or what you’re supposed to do. Much more to it of course but definitely worth it. 
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A few weeks prior I also finished “Faitheist” by Chris Stedman and was another book recommended by a tumblr friend. While I would recommend this one to everyone as well, if you do not have an open mind regarding religion and faith, perhaps this aint your cup of tea. Throw in homosexuality as well; Mr Stedman is a gay atheist to boot. To quickly summarize, he walks you through his childhood with his newfound Christian faith and attempts to fit in. This was in grade school and he had not come to the realization of his sexuality yet. Sometime in high school that perfect storm hit and what followed was a struggle between faith, sexuality, then lack of faith, etc. One of the overall tenants was the idea that atheists are oft portrayed as “evil” but he has fought to change that prejudice; that those who do not believe in Christianity, or any religion, can also actually be good people and do a lot of good for society. Furthermore, he takes it a step further and attempts to break down the communication barrier between the religious and the non-religious for that common cause of making their surroundings better. Either way, another good read and was actually my first iBook, which was a decent experience in of itself. 
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Review of “Johnny Got His Gun”

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***Spoilers ahead*** I flew through this book in the matter of a few days. Needless to say it was that good. Some may have read the book, however, I find it unlikely this day and age. I’ve read that it was required reading for high school at some point in time; find that even more unlikely. Mr Trumbo does not hide his views one bit. He was a card-carrying member of the early Communist party here in the States during the 40’s. For this reason he and much of his work, including this book, was ostracized from publicity and Hollywood. Being on J. Edgar’s shit-list back in the day was kind of a pain in the ass I guess. Regardless, politics aside, I simply cannot argue with the underlying theme of this book: all-out anti-war. Of course it goes a bit deeper than that but I needn’t explain further. 

The writing was unlike anything I’ve read, not that I have the most extensive book list of all time. It was written in the third person but also with stream of consciousness. The dialogue is entirely between himself and of course that of his memories. The protagonist, Joe Bonham, wakes up and soon realizes he’s not actually awake, or is he? He fades in and out between consciousness, unconsciousness, dreams, memories, and reality. Finally, he realizes he has no arm, then that he’s lost his other arm, as well as both legs, sight, hearing, smell, ability to taste and breath. Piece by piece we, the readers, figure out as he does that he’s nothing more than a slab of living, yet thinking, vital organs. He’s a prisoner in his own remains as he has no ability to communicate in either direction and does not even have the freedom to end his own life; with no face, his breathing and eating are controlled and administered through tubes.

His ability to think is both what tortures him but keeps him alive and somewhat sane. Over time he figures out many details of his day to day life, including the ability to keep time, however, he (and we) have no idea what the exact date is nor how long he’s been in this state. Eventually, he’s counted over four years and he later figures it’s been about five or six or so. In this time he becomes aware of his surroundings to fairly minute detail. He can feel vibrations though his skin, his only remaining faculty. He’s able to “know” the few different nurses who provide his care, their routines, and when there are changes. 

After many years he comes to realize that he knows morse code, not from his time in the Army, rather, via communicating in town with a friend. By tapping his head on his pillow he can communicate. But is anyone listening? His “tapping” becomes his obsession as he still has faith someone will know that he’s attempting to communicate. This goes on for a while as the few people who he has “contact” with have no idea and even take measures to calm him. Finally over Christmas and reserve nurse noticed his tapping and figured it out.  He wants out. He wants to feel the fresh air on his skin from wherever he is in the world. He becomes a bit cynical this message and figures out he can be a positive example of the horrors of war, a reason why we needn’t any more wars. This was, as the said, “the war to end all wars”. Surely they’d want to display this shell of a human being, this living slab of meat to prove the results of war are anything but humane.

His request was heard loud and clear. His message was denied. He was drugged repeatedly and finally as he’s fading out he knows, there is no “end of wars”, he knows the futility and sickness of war and of those who conduct it from afar. And that’s how it ends. A sad ending to a horrifically amazing novel.

Review of “Skyfall”

***SPOILER TO EVERY JAMES BOND FILM EVER BELOW***

This just in, James Bond is a badass, he gets laid more in three hours than most dudes in three years, and he cannot die. That’s about all you need to know. Actually, I enjoyed this movie as I do most of the Bond films. I think Daniel Craig is the second best James Bond ever. Pierce Brosnan was not bad either but the Craig era films are better. This one was different as it was a bit unorthodox compared to others. The “Bond girl(s)” weren’t actually in the traditional sense. Moneypenny makes another appearance, which he of course knocks around with at first before we know she’s Ms Moneypenny. The other ladies were all but cameo’s. This film rather focused on M more than others as well. There’s a new Q… I liked the old Q but whatever. And Bond is from Scotland, who knew, right? Javier Bardem is a good villain, however, why he’s a bad guy is intriguing, or is he a bad guy at all? Lord Voldemort is the new M too.

So, basically, Bond fights dude, Moneypenny kills Bond, Bond lays wood on remote islands, Bond drinks and feels bad for leaving England, Bond returns, Bond gets naked with Moneypenny, Bond gets naked with source to get close to bad guy, bad guy kills source, wants to kill Bond, wants to kill M, spares killing old Scottish guy, Bond kills bad guy, Bond is sad for M, happy to meet Moneypenny, excited to get back to work for new M. 
 

Review of “Lincoln”

Indeed, I took a few hour break today to see the film. No spoilers here, folks, so I’ll keep it brief. I certainly don’t want to ruin the outcome for anyone…

Here’s the deal and this is what I expected. The acting was phenomenal; the movie, entertaining as movies should be; the historical accuracy, I liken it to “The Patriot”, or “Saving Private Ryan”, or “Braveheart”, or name a film depicting significant historical events. Many here are up in arms due to the inaccuracies in the film, claiming statist propaganda, as well as digging up every plausible quote from Mr Lincoln to refute details.

I tend to look at things a little bit differently, shocker as that is. It’s Hollywood, people. Furthermore, this film is but one man’s interpretation of events, no matter his source material. Take it as that just as you would any source of information; one piece of a large, never-ending puzzle. I enjoy movies for what they are, entertainment. If you’re looking to Hollywood for anything but, YOU are in the wrong. Butts in seats, that’s what matters. Translation, by $8.75 matinee many times over and over and over. 

That said, my own personal beef with the movie was basically one line, although I don’t have the energy nor care to research further. Abe and Mary were in a carriage after the 13th Amendment had passed and she mentions to him how he’s always wanted to travel… his reply is something of the sorts about longing to go to the “Holy Land” to walk the sands where David, etc walked. I throw the bullshit flag on that. Again, just instinct and a little bit of knowledge on the subject (this era and Abe Lincoln are not my strong subjects), but by most accounts I’ve read, Lincoln was ambiguous at best on religion. There’s basically one letter found after his death that was some sort of personal memo I guess talked a bit about religion and spirituality but I don’t know the significance of it other than it’s used as a source for his belief structure. Most have evidence otherwise. Again, I could be wrong, but it seemed like a blatant Spielberg misrepresentation. A minor beef, but I just thought that was dirty and a bit over the edge. Again, could be 100% wrong.

Otherwise, Daniel Day Lewis is amazing and I he holds up as the best actor of our time, and maybe ever. I’m biased. Tommy Lee Jones played Thaddeus Stevens, another great actor who played a tremendous part. Joseph Gordon Levitt did as well albeit a much smaller role. I think the casting was superb and the acting better. Another point I did like was the covered timeframe. They didn’t get into his presidency at all really, this was Spielberg’s interpretation of the time surrounding the 13th Amendment’s passing and the end of the Civil War. That said, historical biases aside, it was worth the money. It was an entertaining film with great acting… just what I wanted and expected.
 

Review of “My Perestroika”


I watched this documentary earlier today and was not surprised I really enjoyed it. Russian, for whatever reason, intrigues me. Perhaps it’s my age, although I’m not certain. I’m not quite old enough to have been completely brainwashed and rewired to hate fear the USSR as previous generations were. Rather, I grew up in the very end of the Cold War. I can distinctly remember reading through our World Book encyclopedias and the maps inside wondering about this vast “enemy territory” known as the USSR. Of course, not completely understanding anything other than what I was told, what was in the media, and, of course, it being Ivan Drago’s homeland. But I can remember wondering what the regular people were like. Could they be as we here in the US portrayed them to be? Of course, later on I realized the 50-year propaganda campaign and the resulting mentality, which still exists strongly among those who grew up in it. Luckily, at least from our perspective, this type of learning ended in ‘91. I was still young then, but even afterwards we never completely understood what the regular folks were going through at that time, before and after. 

I think this documentary aims to catch just a sliver of that era, following a group of four individuals and their families, their thoughts and reactions, as well as footage from the ‘60’s-80’s up until now. 

What really amazes me are the correlations, albeit sad, between the United States and the Soviet Union. The imagery, the wording used, the extreme nationalism. For instance, the same schtick we here today from our puppets is the same shit Brezhnev, Gorbachev, Yeltzin, Putin, et.al. were feeding the regular Russian citizens. Political jargon knows know boundaries. Even the Soviet-era nationalistic indoctrination; same shit we hear over here: “we just want peace for everyone”, was a notable one.

The comforting, yet sad reality is that we the people are all the same. Sad, not for our likenesses, rather because of our similar predicament: We are all people vs the same aristocratic governments.

Review of Mountain Hardwear Fluid 10 Pack

∞∞∞Update 7.24.12∞∞∞
The post below was originally from February 7. I also still own this pack and was actually using it for non-running activities as well. It’s a good pack, although, probably a bit heavier than your hydration packs. In hindsight, I may have opted for the larger version??? The actual pack section is pretty small; good for running and weight, bad for anything otherwise. 
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My current dilemma is the attempt to find the perfect hydration pack. I have handheld bottles, but what happens on the really long runs, where 40oz is just not enough and there’s no real option to circle back to the car or wherever to fill up. There is a time when having a go-to pack is necessary. I don’t call it up often, but when I do I want something reliable, not a pain in the ass, and for cryin’ out loud, comfortable to wear without a shirt on!

Enter the Mountain Hardwear Fluid 10 Backpack. Apparently they’re not rolling out with the 10 rather going with the 6 and 12 & up. The 10 is a fine size and I was able to get it on the cheap, naturally from Moosejaw!

First thing, it’s pretty light for what you get out of the pack. There’s a lot of storage space and I counted about 12 or 13 different points on the pack where fitting adjustments can be made. My math is a little fuzzy so not sure what all the possible combinations that makes… either way, the neck straps were bugging, made a couple moves, problem fixed! Plenty of available manipulations.

This is the main compartment, which is separate from where you can throw a bladder (not included btw). Like I said, even with the bladder there’s plenty of room for yet more gear.

Straps and such. There are two small zipper, mesh compartments on the waste belt. They didn’t bother me whatsoever, as far as sticking out at all.

This soft pocket is for your shades, or your phone, or some other piece of whatever you don’t want all banged up.

The bladder pouch is separate and seals via flap, not zipper. There’s an adequate strap and hook to hold whatever bladder you use. You can see I used a CamelBak pouch, which I do not like btw, but it’s what I’ve got right now. I believe the specs say the pack will hold a 3L bag. There was plenty of room with this bag.



Pros: Light for the amount of space. A ton of storage. Plenty of available adjustments. Separate pouch for water bag and a hole on the bottom incase you spring a leak! Streamline; didn’t flop all over creation. Creative design. Comfortable; plenty of padding.

Cons: No hydration bag included. Pricey, perhaps. Straps all over the place (but I’ll take them with the adjustment potential). No real answer for the hydration tube. Either let it hang or jerry-rig it through one of the straps, which is what I did (certainly could’ve missed the proper place though if it exists).

As I said, I won’t use it all of the time. But when I do need a pack, I need one that works and isn’t going to bollocks up my run and annoy me. While only a short run today, I’ll stick with the MH Fluid 10. All signs point to a damned good pack… now just need to find a good bag to hold my fluid!

Review of Montrail Mountain Masochist II

∞∞∞Update 7.24.12∞∞∞
The post below is from February 11. I don’t really have much of an update as my time on the trails have waned since hitting the pavement again. It’s an ebb and flow, right now, it’s road running. I suspect after the next training bout, I’ll find myself back on the trail. Otherwise, I still own this shoe. I ran the Cross Timbers Marathon in them and from what I can recall they held up well. I did end up with some lingering leg/foot pain over the following months but I cannot isolate that to the shoes. Any problems were more likely to have been caused by the Texas clay turned to unforgiving mud that day.
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Initial review.

If I follow the “rules” as prescribed I should probably be in a stability shoe. Actually, reality is I probably fit somewhere in between the traditional stability and neutral shoes. Over the past year I’ve tried and returned a few different models that did not work out. I’m sure it goes against the grain to do so but I wanted a stability shoe that wasn’t a tank to supplement my use of the Altra Lone Peak shoes. I had planned on trying out the Mountain Masochist’s before but figured to wait until the II model hit the stores. I followed a couple recommendations and ordered a 1/2 size up which seems to be just right.

First impressions, they’re not as heavy as they look. That’s not to say they’re lacking protection, however. The upper is heavily padded.

The outsole looks pretty rugged but not overdone like you see in a lot of older trail shoes; a trend that seems to be changing. They call it ‘Gryptonite’. Call it whatever so long as it works on the rocks. They proved worthy on a quick test run yesterday. Today should be a little better test as it’s been raining through the night. True test to compare is always the wet limestone.

The toe box is heavily armored as well as a protective rock plate underneath and a shell around the heel.

Flexibility is about what you’d expect. I gather in time as the miles rack up they’ll loosen up a bit. The weight didn’t register on my digital scale to a tenth of a lb. [Not the most accurate scientific evaluation] I would guess they weigh in as spec’d; ~11-12 oz. or so. 
A few other first impressions: 
The padding could probably be reduced just a bit. Seems a lot of trail shoes feel the need to overdo the padding in the tongue. Of course it’s nice to have when that rock or root smashes my foot but I’d take the occasional bruise to lighten them up a little. These shoes could be perfect if they’d lower the drop as well. If current trends mean anything, we’re seeing shoes anywhere from 0 to 5mm drop. These are rated at 10mm. I’m wondering how they’d fare with a 4-5mm drop instead. Perfect? Perhaps. Otherwise I really liked the fit albeit tighter around the toe box. I’m not sure why having a wide toe box hasn’t caught on; I think it will. The padding, understanding I’d drop some, makes for a very comfortable ride. I like the stability feel of the shoe. No problems with the foot and ankles to speak of on a quick hour run. Traction seemed to be awesome as stated above.
***~10mi run yesterday, almost 7 of which on a compacted rock trail. Feet felt good throughout.***
Hopefully this will be my last shoe review for a while. I’m happy with the Brooks PureFlow for my few road miles and I’m hoping to alternate the Mountain Masochist II’s with the Lone Peak’s. Perhaps not recommended but if I can increase the time on the trail whilst lowering my propensity for foot problems, I don’t really care what the “rules” say. 

Review of UltrAspire Spry Pack

∞∞∞Update 7.23.12∞∞∞
Indeed I did end up selling this pack for much less than I paid. Great idea, poor materials is what it boils down to, unfortunately. I actually still have a scar (see mark below) from that pack… weird.
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∞∞∞Update 2.1.12∞∞∞
I decided to roll the Spry out again today, at first with a shirt {effff!} and about half way without the shirt. By around 1.5 hours it was completely miserable. So much so I turned back to the truck to ditch it. I couldn’t stand to run another 40 minutes with it on. I want to love this pack. I think there are a lot of positives from having a small, streamlined, lightweight pack sans bladder. Unfortunately, this one is just not a good fit for me. I even decided to put the water bottle in the back pouch, which is a bit counterintuitive but needed to try nevertheless. Same-same. The fabric is uber-annoying. The front pouches just rub and irritate and it literally feels like my ribs are bruised. Also unfortunate that I bought this from ZombieRunner, which has a doo-doo return policy for tested gear. More than likely this pack will be going up on Ebay very soon…for much cheaper than full price, albeit with about 3 hours of wear. Too bad.
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As I mentioned previously, I wanted to pick up a lightweight pack, designed for runners, sans bladder. I don’t really like carrying water bottles but I like water packs less. Enter the UltrAspire Spry.

Allegedly designed for distance runners as well as other active sports, the Spry offers a lightweight, snug, comfortable fit with some adequate, easily accessible storage that won’t flop all over the place whilst on the trail.

Indeed, the Spry holds up to much of what is claimed. Initially, I thought it was a bit smaller than I expected. After I put it on I realized that was part of the design. The materials are lightweight albeit a little bit itchy. I’m certain no one in the “testing phase” ran for any considerable distance with just the pack, no shirt. I’m not sure if that’s something that will get softer with time or maybe a wash or two. More to come there.

One feature is the front clip. It’s a metal clip [prob. aluminum] instead of a wonky plastic clip. It’s also set in a way that doesn’t rub and irritate. The side straps are pull-to-tighten straps which are pulled through plastic non releasable clips. Another feature are the magnetic seals on the two pouches- the small one on the front breast and the larger pouch in the back. The magnet is underneath the fabric and feels strong, i.e. won’t drop a taco on the trail.

With the small front mag pocket there’s another, open elastic pocket on the adjacent breast. You’ll see two lower pockets as well. One zippered and one closable with an adjustable elastic band. The back pocket, from now on will be called the “breakfast taco pouch” is flat, about that size which consequently should be able to cram a few tacos into!

     
       <—Taco pouch —>

Cons: I mentioned previously I brought along a camera to balance out some weight. I threw that into the front zipper pouch. I also just bought a new 16 oz. bottle [review following] for the sole purpose of fitting into the right, open pouch. The size of the pouches are great. My biggest problem after the first run was comfort. While the entire pack did not slip around at all, there was some minimal pressure where the bottle and camera were, actually enough to leave a mark. One, I could be a real wuss, entirely possible. Two, I could have worn the pack too tight although I don’t think so as I loosened the straps a bit and the whole deal was flopping all over the place. Three, I probably would not have the same mark from a taco, or a few honey stingers, or even a Clif bar. It was a small camera but large and heavy enough to cause some irritation. I have the same feeling on the opposite side where the water bottle was but no real mark there.This is not a huge concern except for the fact I only ran for just over 90 minutes yesterday. What happens on a >4-hour run? My other concern is the fabric-on-skin comfort. It was pretty nasty itchy, which again, after a few hours could really start to piss you off. I liken it to the little pebble in your shoe… for a bit, who gives a crap, after 10 miles, it feels like you’re stepping on a glass shard and you’ve got problems. This issue, like I said, will hopefully go away with time, use, and perhaps washing.

Pros: The overall comfort, as in you can barely feel [besides the cons above] you have a pack on. I have other packs, water bladders, etc, that feel great for about the first 30 minutes. After that you want to toss those things in a ditch. This was not the case here whatsoever. Of course, I didn’t stuff it to capacity but I reckon the fillable capacity is such that even when chock-a-block full of tacos and S! Caps, it won’t be all that heavy. The other advertisements are indeed pros as well. The front clip, the pouches, the magnets, the straps, as well as the accessibility make for a damned good running pack. If I can manage through the few issues above it will be a staple piece of gear for me.

Blog Updates

Throughout the days following, I will be importing some posts from my other defunct blog(s). As previously mentioned, a while back I thought I would be badass and create a separate running blog. I realized it was lame to run different blogs on different platforms, at least with maybe a handful of readers at best. I also realized I’m addicted to tumblr and I’ve become accustomed to it’s user interface.

Otherwise, I’ve updated my sidebar links to reflect proper info and tagged posts (primarily my running and review tags). Check them out here and below:
certifications
running
reviews 
tattoos

I’ve finally added my RunningAhead widget as well. As I (perhaps) embark on another marathon training plan here in the following weeks leading up to December, my tracker inputs will be reflected immediately on the blog. 

Finally, a proper result from too much free time. Thanks for reading this.

Hugs and crap,
j 

Review of Simple Hydration Water Bottle

∞∞∞Review Update 7.22.12∞∞∞
In January I made another blog dedicated to running only. I realized having multiple blogs was a futile at best. However, I did write some content worth reposting. Below this update is one of those previous posts. 

I still use this bottle exclusively and much still holds true. The bottle has held up well, although at full capacity there is some leakage but after a few sips where there’s room to squeeze out any extra air, the problem ceases. The only other annoyance is not with the bottle itself, rather physics of weight and gravity. It’s that with loose fitting waste band you may notice some sagging, or the bottle jostles about a bit. Again, a few miles in, after drinking some and the weight decreases, this is less of a problem. And of course, this just causes me to tie my shorts! These issues, however, are outweighed by the convenience of not having to carry, or wear, a bottle or hydration pack. Still definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for options. The best bottle I’ve owned/used by far!!!
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Have you ever had one of those, “well, why t.f. didn’t I think of that?” I do, probably on a daily basis. The Simple Hydration bottle is one of those ideas. As soon as I saw this bottle I had to try it out. There are a few reasons for this urgency:
1. I need fluid when running. I’m in Texas so this really isn’t negotiable.
2. I hate, that’s HATE, belts and hydration packs.
3. I don’t mind the handheld bottles as a necessary evil but would much rather run hands free.
4. Less is more! The less crap I can carry with me the happier I’ll be.
5. It’s something new, dammit!

Having some cash in the Paypal account never helps. So this bottle found it’s way into my mailbox yesterday.

Simple is right. There isn’t much to it. A plastic bottle, screw top, and pull-out nozzle. Then of course, the reason for excitement, the shape. Again, kind of that “well, no duh” moment.

Sorry for the gratuitous skin shot. This is how I’ll roll though.

Initial thoughts: Great design; kind of beat that one int the ground. I’ll actually run with it today to see how it works on the trail. I suspect it will keep in place better than usual cylinder-shaped bottles. It’s $19.99! That has got to come down. Way too expensive in my opinion. Is a neat idea alone worth it? I don’t know. The Nathan 20oz ID bottle with the hand strap, pocket, and a more robust form factor is less than $15. I’m hoping once they get going, gain some popularity, and start selling through online retailers I’ll see a major price drop. The plastic seems a bit flimsy but that’s probably intentional to keep the weight down. It’s only 13oz. I’d love to see what the same design would be in a 16 or 20oz. version. 13 will not be enough to roll out on any run of significant length without a trip back to the truck for a refill. My thoughts are actually come race time though, 5-8 miles between aid stations, that may work perfect! I would also love to see rubber pull-out nozzle. This one is a hard plastic so for donkeys like me that means a banged up lip.

Again, many of these gripes above are only my initial impressions and much of it has to do with the bottle being 20 bucks. Come down closer to 10 and this bottle would be damned close to perfect! Who knows, perhaps there’s a multi bottle discount I’m unaware of??? More later after a quick run today. Cannot wait!

∞∞∞Review Update∞∞∞
Just over 10 miles today with the Simple Hydration water bottle, pretty much exactly as the pic above + water. As expected, this bottle kicked ass. I’ve run with other bottles in the shorts before with one of two outcomes. One, the bottle eventually “slides” down into mi pantalones. The fix is to tighten the strings too tight. Two, the bottle stays but is usually too big and my shorts are pretty much wide open then everything eventually “slides” down. If you saw what I actually do wear, losing any more will probably get me a not-so-cool citation. Brian over at Simple Hydration developed this ergonomically correct bottle to fit in the shorts and not dig into your body on the other side. I’m a pretty slender dude but reckon it wouldn’t be any different for those who are larger in the middle. 

I did not notice the bottle whatsoever. The sloshing was at a minimum and far less noticeable than other bottles and goofy packs. Easy “in & out” and there wasn’t any busted lips today! I would bet a bottle on each side would be legit.

I’ll still say it’s a bit pricy at $20 but at the same time I’m certainly glad I threw down twenty bucks for it. Even with the money to totally waste, believe it or not, I’m a cheap dude. I’d still like to see a 20oz but to counter that, perhaps comfort and usability is compromised with a larger bottle. Otherwise, great stuff & hope to see the company take off. It’s a great idea…truth be told I’m a little jealous I didn’t think of it first!
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Review of “Madagascar 3”

Unofficial, unsolicited, & unprofessional. And spoilers to boot!

Incidentally, for me, it was Madagascar 1. I got the premise, however, rather quickly. A group of animals, who somehow escaped, were napped, or voluntarily left the Central Park Zoo, are trying to return to said zoo. Wackiness ensues on their journey, this time beginning in Africa. 

I did not see this on my own accord, rather, it was by choice of my daughter. I’d be lying if I said I put up a fight… or didn’t laugh my ass off at a few parts. That’s one thing I’ll give the writers and producers of most animated films now, they’re actually good movies and pretty damned funny. I think the Shrek movies started this trend and truth be told, the friggin’ Gingerbread Man may be the funniest “person” in the biz!

That said, this film was no different. They did a good job making funnies and all. I particularly liked the end where they snuck in crates being shipped to Africa (with the bad guy) labelled “Freedom _____”, as in “Freedom Rice or Freedom Crackers”. Perhaps not intended to be a jab, but that’s how I took it and enjoyed the split second of it!

Otherwise, they get back to the zoo, realize the zoo is a shit place to be, and go back to the circus, where naturally, they have to kick the bad guy’s arse for the 11th time. Good stuff. The damned penguins are hilarious… needs more penguins. Good movie in the end.

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