Vasque Blur SL Trail Running Shoe Review
By · CommentsThe Vasque Blur is real trail running shoe. I have been wearing what I call “fake” trail running shoes for years. Sorry Nike, but I gotta call it like it is.
This weekend I snatched up a pair of Vasque Blur SL trail running shoes. I needed a pair of shoes that were going to keep the rocks out of my shoes and sharp stones from cutting into my heals. I have shied away from “real” trail running shoes for years because most of the time the shoes felt like I was running on boards. Additionally, they were about a half pound heavier.
I ran a nice 3 hour trail run this weekend and my feet were sore from rock bruises. My running buddy Steve ran through the rocks like a mountain goat. He suggested that I try out the Vasque Blur. Years ago, I had tried so many different trail running shoes and hated them all. However, Steve was not having issues like I was having with the rocks.
I swallowed my pride and made the drive to REI to try on the Vasque Blur. With me, I know within a few seconds if I am going to like the running shoes or not. If they do not feel good when I put them on, then they never will feel good. The Blur felt great immediately. I wore them at home in the evening and then to work the following day. All systems go!
My first run with the Vasque Blur was great. I headed to the roughest trail around-the rail road tracks that have sharp stones packed to support the rail road bed. I did not have to “tip toe through tulips” when crossing the tracks. These shoes protected my feet. Picked my favorite week day running trail that borders Alameda Creek in Fremont. I ran an hour loap on a crushed gravel bicycle trail. The shoes did not feel much different than any of my street running shoes. No blisters or hot spots. The Vasque Blur are keepers.
Zhu Zhu Pet Hamster Mr. Squiggles
By · CommentsZhu Zhu Pet Hamster
The Zhu Zhu Pet Hamster-Mr. Squiggles has got to be the cutest thing ever! Do you remember years ago when the “Pet Rock” was the craze? Who could cuddle a rock? I just cannot understand that being the best seller! But Mr. Squiggles? This is a no brainer. Even big kids like us will adore this pet.
I have 2 young boys and they go nuts over any stuffed animal. Mr. Squiggles makes them smile and laugh.
Amazon usually has them in stock. You don’t have to drive to your favorite toy retailer and find out that they are not in stock.
This has been the top seller on Amazon for weeks. My thinking is that people are hording them and want to sell them on Ebay right before Christmas. Don’t fall prey to this. Order directly from Amazon before the rush!
If you want to secure your Zhu Zhu before Christmas and avoid paying exorbitant Ebay prices, get ‘em while you can.
Coffee Tumbler Profits
By · CommentsI never knew that marketing stainless coffee tumblers could be so profitable. A few months ago, my wife suggested that we make a Squidoo page about Contigo coffee tumblers. We both enjoy them so much because our coffee always stays hot and they do not spill when tipped over.
Making the Squidoo lens was part of an experiment in affiliate marketing. I started reading some post by Jennifer Ledbetter, AKA the “Pot Pie Girl” and really got interested in making Squidoo lenses just for fun. The Pot Pie Girl markets a lot of information products which are really great. They are highly profitable and people want them.
I made a lens about coffee tumblers and immediately received traffic. I wrote a few Ezine articles to link to my Squidoo lens giving it further credibility with Google.
I get about 7 visitors a day. I have not done a whole lot with the statistics because in the begining, I was splitting my sales profits with Squidoo. Recently, I switched over to a widget by Squid Utilities and keep about 6% of the sale. No profit splitting!
In 2 1/2 months, I have sold 6 coffee tumblers. It’s not a big deal. However, since learning about marketing a coffee cup, I have sold $2484.60 of merchandise on Amazon with not much effort. I made a few Wordpress sites and that’s about it. A good friend told me that setting up affiliate sites is like setting up a vending route. The nice thing about affiliate marketing is that the vending machines get filled automatically!
My total gross profits are $102. I spent approximately $2.00 in Google PPC campaigns. I was already paying for web hosting, so I cannot count that as an expense. I spent another $60 in blog domain names. This means that I am still ahead of the game.
You may say “All you made is $102! That is not much!” This is true. But for the sake of a good argument, let’s say that I build 200 more niche websites. That may bring me in another $2000 a month. It’s all about revenue streams. Every little bit is going to add up to a whole lot. I have not even mentioned that my wife and I are both making a little money in Adsense.
Do you think I am a little bit excited about a stainless coffee tumbler? You bet I am! I never have to touch my coffee tumbler Squidoo site again. It will keep selling a coffee tumbler here and there.
Samsung LN52B750 HDTV|Best Price
By · CommentsSave $400 off the Samsung LN52B750 52-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color by using the promo code ZFKE9EWT at checkout. As usual, the code only works if you buy directly from Amazon. The offer expires at midnight on Saturday, September 19th. Act fast before the expiration.
Four HDMI inputs make DVD, cable or satellite HD box, or Blu-ray Disc connectivity a snap. And with the attractive Touch of Color design, the subtle charcoal grey accent at the bezel’s edge underscores this LCD HDTV’s elegance.Move right on over to the clearest LCD action ever, with Samsung’s LN52B750 LCD HDTV. View the incredible color and rich clarity of Full HD 1080p resolution, all on a 52-inch screen. With the addition of Samsung’s newest Auto Motion Plus240Hz technology, for a new level of the most lifelike LCD action on the market. Samsung’s Medi@2.0 feature puts user friendly-configurable widgets in the power of the user, with online access from the big players like Flickr and Yahoo!, under the power of your remote. The pre-loadedContent Library offers hours of built-in digital entertainment and information, from action/adventure games to exercise routines.
Running In A Thunder Storm
By · CommentsToday was one of those trail runs that goes into the history books as one of the all time best runs! As I started my run up Mill Creek road, I was greeted with the distant rumble of a thunders storm. You may not find that unusual, but living in California, a thunderstorm is a rare commodity. Every few minutes the sky would light up with the glow of lightning behind the mountains. Read More→
Presto Hot Air Coffee Roaster
By · CommentsFolks have been wondering if the Presto hot air popper will replace the ‘West Bend Poppery II as an at home coffee roaster. The Westbend Poppery II has long been the benchmark for home coffee roasting for years. I have been using this hot air popper for over 5 years to roast coffee at home. I switch between the Original Poppery and the Toastmaster hot air popper. The West Bend Poppper II seems bullet proof and indestructable. I took the Poppery II on a 3 week car camping trip and roasted coffee on the road. All I needed was an electrical outlet which was not hard to come buy at campgrounds with bath rooms.
I don’t think that you can find the Poppery II that is brand new. I usually find them available at thrift stores. They are becoming rare as new people discover the joys of roasting coffee at home.
There are many other brands available such as the Presto hot air popper at Amazon. I saw the Presto on sale for $13.90. Shipping charges are nominal and you will not have to be concerned about it dieing on you .
Best Selling Christmas Toys
By · Comments
You may be saying to your self, “Why should I be looking at the best selling Christmas toys now?” My answer is simple. It’s so easy to start shopping now online and have most of your Christmas shopping complete by October!
The Zhu Zhu continues to be the best selling item. You gotta love Mr. Squiggles. People are actually hoarding this cute little guy in hopes of making a tidy profit at Christmas time. Don’t fall into any of these marketing traps. Buy one months before you need and have some happy kids during the Christmas season.
Christmas shopping for kids is so much fun and easy. Your kids will tell you exactly what they want. In fact, just bring them down to Walmart or Target and they will show you without being asked. Whenever I bring my 2 boys to Target or Walmart to look at toys, it’s nearly impossible to pull them away from all the toy aisles. If I turn my back for even a minute, they are gone scrutinizing the next toy.
This posting is configured to automatically update the top selling Christmas toys for 2009. To get the latest updates for hot selling Christmas toys, check my Christmas Top Selling Gifts 2009 website today!
Stainless Steel|Running Water Bottles
By · CommentsWhen I walked out my door this morning to go for regular Saturday morning trail run, I felt almost knocked over by the heat. Fortunately, I had my Klean Kanteen full of cold water. Living in in the Bay Area of Northern California, we are accustomed to very cool evenings with temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s. It felt like it was at least 65 degrees. Not that 65 degrees is too hot to trail run in. I run. Period. Read More→
Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat
By · CommentsAt the turn of the century in 1900, nobody knew what a Britax Marathon car seat was because there was no such thing. Back in the 50’s when cars muscle cars hit the market, the law stated that you could stuff as many people in a car that would fit. There were no child safety restraints. I remember riding in the bed of an open pick truck with dozen neighborhood kids. Seat belts were not used. Parents would stuff their family wagons, pickups, and sedans with all the neighborhood kids and head off to the local Dairy Queen. Wow have things really changed! Can you imagine setting your precious infant in the back seat of your vehicle on the laps of other unrestrained kids? Not a chance! Read More→
LG BD390
By · Comments
Now is the time to get the LG BD390 and start enjoying streaming content instantly. Forget to rent a movie for the weekend? No problem with the BD390 as it has streaming content available through Netflix and Cinemax.
The LG BD390 has the most advanced features of any Blu-ray player under the $400 price point. The LG BD390 has built in wireless, connects to the Internet through your home wireless connection and best of all, the clarity of the movies that you will be watching is almost unmatchable!
The LG BD390 Networked Blu-ray Disc player connects to Netflix and YouTube streaming video without a computer via Ethernet and Wi-Fi (802.11n). The LG BD390 has full HD 1080p output for Blu-ray Discs and up-conversion of standard DVD video to 1080p.
- BD Live capable for accessing bonus content from BD-Live Blu-ray Discs; Dolby TrueHD/Digital Plus and DTS-HD; 1 GB built-in memory
- Outputs: 1 HDMI, 1 component, 1 composite, 1 analog audio (L/R), 1 digital optical audio, 1 digital coaxial audio, 1 discrete 7.1 channel audio
- Includes remote control and component AV cable; measures 17 x 2.2 x 10.9 inches
- Blu-ray Disc Playback: Exceptional Full HD 1080p video performance, BD-Live to access real-time extras and BonusView for a Picture-in-Picture experience.
- NetCast Entertainment Access: Includes access to Netflix Instant Streaming service for Netflix members (free trial available) and access to a world of YouTube video entertainment.
- Integrated WiFi Connectivity: Convenient connectivity to your 802.11n wireless home network delivers NetCast Entertainment Access and BD-Live features even to rooms where wired broadband connections can’t reach.
- 1 GB Built-in Memory: Fast and easy enjoyment of BD-Live entertainment.
- Discrete 7.1 Channel Audio Output: Outstanding connectivity and audio performance for compatibility with a variety of audio/video receivers.
- Express Reaction Startup: LG BD390 has quick-opening tray and ready to play before you hit the couch.
- Superior Video Performance: Full HD 1080p with Cinema mode for highly accurate 1080p at 24 or 60 frames per second.
- Superior Audio Performance: Up to 7.1 channels of surround sound with Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Advanced Digital Out technologies.
- LG SimpLink Connectivity: Easy one-remote control interface using LG SimpLink equipped TVs.
- Standard DVD Up-Scaling: Exceptional image quality from standard DVDs with 1080p up-scaling via HDMI output.
- USB 2.0: Easily connect USB enabled devices to play music or view pictures.
- Digital Audio Output: Optical and coaxial digital audio output connectivity
The LG BD390 is one product that I am sold out on.
