Favorite Consumer Item Acquired Recently?

What is your favorite (or least fav) consumer item gotten recently by gift or online or whatever. Not big ticket items or mail order spouses; I am thinking of more modest things we all might brainstorm as something to acquire or stay away from.

Favorite #1 at $19: Sheet tangle preventor for wash and dry cycles https://wadfree.com/ . It makes the whole load orderly and thoroughly cleaned, not bunched, twisted, or wet wrapping other items. Possibly could do it yourself with a zip tie bringing corners together, or?

UNfavorite #1 at $78: Proprietary "mixpresso" machine. Compact and elegant but very limited compatible coffee pods. Amazon own brand was affordable but accurately described in comments as wet ashtray flavor, and their thin foil bursts with air shipment pressure changes.

UNfavorite #2 & #3: 15 and 16 inch laptops from Dell and Apple. The Dell touchpad intermittently fails even after being replaced twice, so added a refurbished Macbook which also carried an open box discount. Forgot that Apple refurbs tend to be years old (mine 2019) and the open box came from shock that this generation alone lacked all but a few ports. It has taken ages to personalize the two machines to at least half work, together making one functional unit.

Favorite #2 & #3: Same high res laptops now offer good redundancy and surprisingly the Apple pro can now read Win format portable hard drives. The Dell has a pen that has makes quick work of pdf paperwork I have to annotate and sign. I got adapters cheap to work with Mac ports and maybe I will request another free touchpad when Dell warrantee about to expire.

The above addressed recent attempts to make stay-at-home incarceration a little more bearable; now I cover earlier buys to make up for gym and recreation closures. Pardon me if I have mentioned these before but I seem to be losing the ability to remember to whom I have or haven't mentioned things. All devices were quite affordable although took much searching to find free (air) shipment of their heavy weight, and are surviving outside weather surprisingly well on a balcony

Favorite #4: Inversion chair (not the more usual table). You know how you can never get on some gym machines because they somehow encourage folks to veg out and check their phone all day? This is the ultimate home example with plush seating and interesting external recliner framework. Actual inversion is probably a crock health treatment or even risky, but you can get some gliding arm exercise in modest tipping up and back down. It was shipped from a club warehouse source in a thousand pieces and was incredibly challenging to assemble properly.

UNfavorate #4: Maxiclimb machine. Only way for me to get free shipment was to buy refurbished version from the mfr source. Turned out to be simply damaged, not fixed. So I improvised some fixes, altho the latest internal grinding problem seems inaccessible. This was so disappointing because the machine has a small efficient footprint. It exercises both arms and legs well in a sort of pseudo wall climb and is the only model that has actual resistance cylinders.

Favorite #5: The classic infomercial total gym. Normal sources are expensive to fund their massive marketing, but they leak out a slightly simpler version quite cheaply thru club warehouses. This folds up easily, altho I leave it set up in sun and rain with only a little greasing of seat bearings and rust spots. I don't do the reconfiguration of umpteen options, but pick one setup that allows a reasonable variety, Their half hour promo is constantly playing on obscure cableTV channels, and is about the last commercial not revamped into today's bizarre and patronizing social engineering effort where 80% of actors must sport dreadlocks or huge afros.

I, too, have tried to maintain both my physical and mental health during this dystopian reality known as COVID-19.

My wife and I are are trying to make important dietary and lifestyle changes. We have added medicinal mushrooms to our diet. I really like Reishi mushrooms for better sleep and mental clarity, for example:

7 hours ago, guy said:

I, too, have tried to maintain both my physical and mental health during this dystopian reality known as COVID-19.

My wife and I are are trying to make important dietary and lifestyle changes. We have added medicinal mushrooms to our diet. I really like Reishi mushrooms for better sleep and mental clarity, for example:

 

Kinda reminded me an episode from an old Russian comedy sketch show similar to Little Britain.
It's about a guy who lives in god-forgotten Taganrog and likes commenting anything he watches on TV.
One day Belyakov (that's his name) watches Putin delivering his speech on TV while he enjoys his meal at the same time.  Suddenly Putin's speech goes off the rails and Putin addresses directly to Belyakov from the screen by saying that since Belyakov has so many brilliant valuable ideas to share, then perhaps he should come to Moscow to work with Putin side by side. When Belyakov's wife comes home later, she finds Belyakov dressed up in his suit in anticipation of "helicopter that Putin must have sent for him to be brought to Moscow". At first she thinks he's drunk, but then discovers that her sweet heart has eaten mushrooms. The mushrooms turn out to be poisonous fungi she put aside to throw away later 😂

Back to the subj, my personal consumer item recently purchased is brand new Lenovo tablet, the old one with outdated Android 4.1 just stopped working 🤪 I read a lot, but hate printed books because of their exorbitant size, especially given the fact that anything can be found on the internet for free these days, so..

• AeroTrainer is less twitchy and more multipurpose than an exercise ball
• A big solid firm memory foam pillow is lasting forever for me, and stopped the endless cycle of replacing flattened conventional pillows. I keep many pillowcases on it to avoid a plastic sensation. Today I thought I lost it because it wouldn't recover from a pretzel crunch position, but like a CPR operation I beat the reluctant thing into semblance of original shape where it slowly reverted to like new. It came compressed quite small, unlike regular pillows that may fill a whole shopping cart as a pair.

On 12/13/2021 at 4:48 AM, caesar novus said:

so added a refurbished Macbook which also carried an open box discount. Forgot that Apple refurbs tend to be years old (mine 2019) and the open box came from shock that this generation alone lacked all but a few ports. It has taken ages to personalize the two machines

No new items to report since the above consumed a couple years acquisition budget. But this triggered a few reflections from long history of owning laptops (usually refurbished, and in need of lengthy software upgrades).

Basically even new windows consumer machines appear to be great values with a lot of function for the price. But their software has exasperating requirements of babysitting updates thru at least twice a month, and is intrusive in other ways. They have a feel of cheapness, and hardware features seem to fail after the warranty expires. I normally have a mostly working one, a partly working backup, and a bad cripple for emergencies.

So in future I will say good riddance to the above, and will pay up or sacrifice features for the following. I think the cheap stuff may not even be sold in EU which enforces implied quality standards. One good experience was a business grade windows laptop, which has a solid feel, premium software/driver access, and a long warranty. It was an affordable refurb due to a fault showing in self-test, which recently disappeared years later.

The other good buys were MacOS which only has 6% market share and I was about to abandon. But I had a worn out 2013 Apple laptop that was still transparently upgrading software and had a slick physical feel, so I plunged in with Macbook pro. As usual the refurb had last generations screen resolution, but it can approximate 4k and look nearly as good in 2k where my router isn't so overloaded when hopping around in a stream. The physical feel of it all (keyboard, hinge, huge trackpad, etc) and the fabulous speakers seem so luxurious that I can tolerate the drawbacks like no touchscreen. I learned a lot from configuring away the quirky defaults and making both my Macbook and BizWin appear as similar Firefox machines.

P.S. My definition of "refurb" isn't used but immediately returned by first buyer, maybe without a cord or a manual. It used to mean an agent would fix supposed problem and renew the warranty, but now it means wipe fingerprints, storage, and reinstall base software. The seller should explain the history. However I often get fooled about how long it has sat obsolescing on the shelf. Also it pays to check forums to see if that model had a pattern of chronic failures.

On 12/18/2021 at 5:09 PM, guy said:

really like Reishi mushrooms for better sleep and mental clarity

I had a bias against supplements until I developed a major vitamin b12 deficiency, and even my first pill gave a real wow effect. Long ago the wealthy would seek frequent b12 injections, but now folks turn up their nose at artificial boosts even by pill. Attention vegans, you have no natural sources of this stuff which is vital for nerve functionality! Maybe vitamin d is a similarly common deficiency.

Anyway in more recent times I tried magnesium supplement because folks are apparently commonly short of this and up to a point more is better. Seemed to benefit in unquantifiable ways so I tried others, mainly antioxidants such as alpha lipoic acid. In respectable web sites, that last one had a claim of helping what I thought was a genetic condition which affected my mother and me. I had no expectation for help (therefore no placebo effect) but it seemed to pretty much vanquish it!

Various supplements had respectable claims of moderating blood pressure, but I noticed on days I took L-arginine there was a dramatic improvement. Someone pointed out supplements can cost more than BP pills, but the latter tend to have noticeable side effects.

Next I am gonna experiment with a supplement not even blessed by Mayo Clinic or WebMD sites: cordyceps fungus. There is amazing speculation about it from NIH https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7104994/ and in China it appears to be a very mainstream treatment for conditions that are undertreated in the US. I am getting the same brand as in your picture because one source said it is the only one that is reliable to properly process what is normally an insect fungus!

Here’s a great video from the FreshCap Mushroom folks about Cordyceps mushroom and it’s potential benefits:

Thanks; they didn't even mention the benefits for a common terminal illness considered incurable in the US but apparently routinely treated with these shrooms in China with 18% improvement. My enthusiasm for these supplements doesn't extend to committing to their recommended doses, but I take just over one pill per week which will empty the bottle by expiration time. I take a shotgun approach of a variety of these somewhat suspect unregulated potions at timid rates.

P.S. I once complained to you of a preventative health program which tended to be bullying, inflexible and micromanaging. For anyone ready to join such a program starting with adv****** I would say that one company that seems to implement this in a tolerable way is spelled w***c***, in my modest experience

Disclosure update: My unfavorite Maxiclimber has broken down and is soon to be replaced by Stamina cardio climber which seems to implement this brilliant concept in more durable way.

Also soon will work NMN supplement in the rotation; an age reversing "exercise in a pill" according to Dr Sinclair of Harvard. One expensive provider furnished proof that almost all medium price pills have negligible actual nmn. Some offer cheaper alternatives to nmn, which I will start with. Sinclair vows to provide a way to verify which pills do their job, which is to promote bodies creation of NAD+ (turbocharged vitamin b3 variant?). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7238909/

On 2/13/2022 at 7:21 AM, caesar novus said:

soon to be replaced by Stamina cardio climber which seems to implement this brilliant concept in more durable way. 

Also soon will work NMN supplement in the rotation; an age reversing "exercise in a pill" according to Dr Sinclair of Harvard

In case there are any silent but interested folks, here is an update. I am in awe of the Stamina Cardio Climber. So far it seems like a masterpiece of (over)design and could save gym fees for decades. The assembly is eased by bolts prepositioned in final locations. It tires me so fast that there is little chance of getting bored with it; I just contentedly collapse on my otherwise useless Inversion Chair. The Total Gym device is a chore to use but rounds out exercise and recently went for really cheap at Sams Club.

Unsurprisingly delivery folks hate these boxes, especially continually repositioning them in the truck to get at boxes behind them. They aren't large due to being unassembled, but weigh the earth. In 2 of my 3 cases they appeared to dump it out of the truck in a fake misdelivery. I instantly would see the email for delivery complete but could not find it anywhere nearby. I next would intercept fedex drivers who claimed to not know anything. But one eventually admitted to leaving it at an unoccupied address and retrieved it for me. In the second case it took escalation the next day for a smiling troubleshooter to find and deliver. If you similarly get that helpless feeling of unable to prove a delivery wasn't left, seek something called a "detailed proof of delivery".

For the age reversing pill, both a Harvard and Stanford researcher imply to take it even if you are young. Apparently a 6 year old has even better blood chemistry than a 16 year old, and so on. Of course be very skeptical while human trials proceed at a snails pace, but the Harvard guy podcasts about appearing safe enough for him to give to his extended family. I started 2 cheapish variations of it, with no back to the womb or death experience to report yet 😋

One thing I wish somebody introduced me earlier to are "zero-drop" type shoes, as typified by the Xero brand. That refers to no heel elevation, but goes along with a barefoot feel with super thin flat uncushioned soles, super wide toe box, and tight fit lengthwise. Especially the last sounds like heresy, but one of Xero's videos by the founder (which I have misplaced) sold me on their concepts, and I was so pleased with an example that I stockpiled more for every need.

Somehow they make your feet feel really alive without being entombed by cushions or without the rawness of being conventionally near barefoot. The soles seem to be a resilient superball-like material that supposedly stands up to umpteen marathons.

Actual Xero's are typically breathtakingly expensive, and shipping can range to $75 to refused altogether, so I have experimented with knockoffs under the Amazon Whitin brand and others which are hit and miss. I wonder if affordable new unboxed Xeros occasionally found on ebay were likely shoplifted? Beware that I could yak on for a dozen paragraphs on how these can keep the podiatrist away. Altho they make boots and all, below is an extreme minimalist cut-it-out-yourself kit:

On 12/18/2021 at 5:09 PM, guy said:

added medicinal mushrooms to our diet. I really like Reishi mushrooms for better sleep and mental clarity,

Darn it, I just lost $30 worth dancing out of my shopping cart thru the toddler leg holes. Now my obstinacy may prevent me from investing more into them. I tried cordyceps without apparent results, and same for the NAC family of "life extending" supps, so am thinking of reprioritizing. 

On one hand I want to focus on supps that made a big difference to me, like vit b12, ALA, and now "naturally derived phytopin" beta-sitosterol (not just for prostrate). I may be adding retinol cream to that after more skin tests.  Furthermore I have a couple of ones to address medical lab test results. On the other hand, I want to prevent proliferation of less obvious winners.

One way to prune my supplement list is to take a multi one. By a search typo in preparing this post I noticed a combo of about 50 vitamin/supplements that covered more than I need. It was for a very embarrassing men's condition where they threw every conceivable otc treatment at it, but at far less cost of the several I wanted covered. So that would substitute for the inessential supps, and may let me reduce if not end purchases for items that come highly recommended but seem to have little effect, like magnesium, L-arginine, berberine.

The beta-sitosterol normally comes combined with vit D and weird minerals, but even for this non prostate sufferer of a certain age it can immediately slash restroom visits by 2/3. Now I can go to recreational areas with the ever more vandalized or shut down rest rooms and do carefree stuff like this:

13 hours ago, caesar novus said:

 One way to prune my supplement list is to take a multi one.

I agree that there should be caution from taking too many supplements. Things always to consider: lack of effectiveness, bioavailability, cost, redundancy, interactions with other supplements or even prescription meds, etc.

That said, one of the most effective supplements I take with a notable positive benefit is Lion’s Mane for cognitive health. I take both the supplement by Freshcap as well as the natural form. Recommend highly. 

Short video on Lion’s Mane:

8 hours ago, guy said:

I agree that there should be caution from taking too many supplements.

Thanks; I had already just revamped my approach to skip the super-combo approach which limits the number of pills but proliferate the number of supplements. I will look into reishi and lion mane, but may have the neurological angle covered by my wild success with Alpha Lipoic Acid. Steady use is eliminating peripheral neuropathy and who knows what other beneficial side effects for nerves. I had very low expectations, so there was no placebo delusion. Vit B12 also cured motor nerve issues; I am strangely unconcerned whether benefits extend to my brain

With at least 3 smashing successes, here is my very latest way to experiment without going overboard. I keep 3 tiers, with new experiments in the middle to be promoted up or demoted. Top tier is proven and urgent taken about daily. Middle core tier is taken about once weekly so pills run out by expiration. Bottom wind-down tier taken about once per month just because the money was spent and it may have some undetectable benefit. Do not renew those in bottom and dispose when expired.

I scour the middle core so as not to take so many pills per week. Promote or demote ruthlessly. Try to introduce one new one at a time to be able to assign blame or benefit, maybe at a higher rate at first. Also manage cost. My insurance plan lets me order a few things for free. I wish the beta-sitosterol could be prescribed for me; it seems to only be available added to premium prostate remedies. Expensive on Amazon, and on ebay there are hints some of it is counterfeit. In rigged cases like this, the club warehouses give the only (modest) discount.

P.S. I realize the above system falsely equates urgency with frequency, while a supplement may be urgent but only needed infrequently. So I have exceptions, for example vit B12 which most bodies recycle for months internally. But in general I strive to take things in less than recommended doses, unless really needed such as to pass pesky lab tests required by insurance.