Rob's Rants

Trip Length: 3 days, 2 nights.

Time of Year/Weather: April/May 2012

Origin: Boston, MA (BOS)
Destination: San Jose, CA (SJC)

Outbound Aircraft (Airlne, type): American, Boeing 757/MD80
Inbound Aircraft (Airlne, type): American, Boeing 737/Boeing 737

Purpose: Industry conference. Supplier & customer meetings; presentation on a panel.

Contents:

• Men’s suit w/ shirt and tie in an 18″ Eagle Creek folder
• Underwear & socks
• 13″ MacBook Pro in a Timbuk2 Quickie Laptop Bag (my Quickie is an old model I bought for $16 on clearance)
• Eagle Creek 1/4 cube with assorted cables, chargers, etc.
• Eagle Creek 1/4 cube w/ assorted toiletries (toothbrush, razor, etc.)
• Freedom Baggie
• Bose Quiet Comfort headphones
• Assorted magazines

The Verdict: I’m starting to see what all the fuss is about. I’m beginning to love this bag. In reality this trip didn’t really much more stuff than my previous overnight. The main difference is that I packed a full suit inside the bag this time and that took up more room than before. But the Air Boss wasn’t even close to full.

Where it shines is when the airlines have a full flight and begin to enforce the 1 bag carry-on requirements. On the second leg of my flight to San Jose we were on an MD80. The MD80 has 2 seats on one side of the aisle in coach, and the overhead bins on that side aren’t deep enough for a standard roll-aboard to go in lengthwise. Which means that if everyone brings one, it can be a dogfight for bin space on the three-seat side. This is exactly what happened on the second leg of my outbound flight. And it didn’t bother me in the least because my Air Boss fit perfectly in the bin on the two-seat side. On the flight home they actually made a few people use the sizer at the gate. A woman two people in front of me in line had to show that her roll-aboard wasn’t too overstuffed to fit. It was. And she was forced to remove a bunch of stuff from the outer pockets before they let her go. But no one gave my Air Boss a second look.

I also find that the bag works great at the security line. The outer pockets hold everything I might have in my own pockets before I go through the metal detector or x-ray machine. I keep anything I need to access (laptop, Freedom Baggie, headphones) in the center compartment. Popping it out at the checkpoint takes no time at all.

Concerns: Of all the problems I listed in my last review, the only one still bothering me is the strap. I do really love the way it doesn’t slip, but is it narrow and therefore a little painful. I am looking into a Tom Bihn Absolute shoulder strap as a replacement. I will place an order this weekend, since I have two more back-to-back trips to California coming up at the end of  this month.

Final Thoughts: Overall, I like the bag more and more as I use it. And I am absolutely loving the one bag travel concept. So much easier getting in and out of taxis and arriving at the hotel. It also makes it much less nerve-racking when trying to make a tight 40 minute connection between flights. No worries about whether your bag is going to make it. If you do, so will your bag. I’ve become a fan.

More thoughts coming soon.

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Originally submitted at Sierra Trading Post

CLOSEOUTS . Whether you're training for your next marathon or enjoying a quick morning run, Saucony Boston pants will keep you comfortable with fast-drying, moisture-wicking fabric. Slim, contoured fit is ideal for athletic activities Moisture-wicking, fast-drying performance fabric Elasticized…

Saucony Boston Pants (For Men)

Great Pants

By RoadRunner Rob from Worcester, MA on 4/22/2012

 

4out of 5

Fit: Feels true to size

Pros: Warm, Comfortable, Allows Free Movement

Best Uses: Running

Describe Yourself: Avid Athlete

Was this a gift?: No

Liked the first pair so much I bought a second pair.

I’ve worn them in temperatures from 35 to 50 degrees comfortably, in both wet and dry conditions. Below 35 they need an extra layer for warmth.

Great pants. Buy them.

(legalese)

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I recently bought a new Red Oxx Air Boss suitcase. I promised a few reviews as I traveled … here’s the first.

Trip Length: Overnight

Time of Year/Weather: April 2012/Sunny, temps in the 80s

Origin: Boston, MA (BOS)
Destination: Jacksonville, FL (JAX)

Outbound Aircraft (Airlne, type): Jet Blue, Embraer E120
Inbound Aircraft (Airlne, type): Jet Blue, Embraer E120

Purpose: Keynote speech at a conference

Red Oxx Air Boss - Overnight Bag

Contents:

• Business casual pants and shirt in an 18″ Eagle Creek packing folder
• Underwear and socks
• Brochures and papers for work
• 13″ Macbook Pro laptop
• Eagle Creek bag w/ cables/chargers/etc.
• Eagle Creek Quarter Cube with various grooming stuff (electric razor, toothbrush, etc.)
• TSA Freedom Baggie w/ toothpaste and other liquids
• Eagle Creek Quarter Cube with various office supplies (business cards, pens, etc.)
• Bose Quiet Comfort headphones
• A couple of magazines

Verdict: The Air Boss is a surprising large bag. Some people say that it is too big for an overnight bag, but honestly, have you ever heard someone say, “I wish I didn’t have all this room!” Of course not. The Air Boss has 6 pockets: a flap with a snap closest to your body when carrying the bag, a small zippered pocket for boarding passes, three full-size pockets for clothes, and a zippered pocket on the farthest side from you. For this configuration, I put my magazines in the pocket closest to me, my work papers under the straps on the inside pocket, my computer, headphones, underwear, TSA bag, and cables in the middle pocket, clothes and quarter cube bags in the far pocket. Finally I used the outer zip pocket to hold things when going through security.

The bag was super easy to use and I had no problems going through security. Keeping anything I need to remove in the center compartment made it easy to retrieve in the security line. The bag fit fine in the overhead bin of the Embrear jet. Overall I have no complaints for my first trip.

For the return trip, the Eagle Creek folder got my dress pants, shirt, and sports coat. The outer pocket also got a couple of souvenirs for my daughter. The return trip was fine.

Items to watch for:

• I will be interested to see how the bottom of the bag holds up and whether Red Oxx needs to reinforce this area. When I am waiting in the screening line I find myself placing the bag on the ground and then sliding it forward with my foot as the line moves – at least if things are going slowly. I wonder how long it will be before the floor begins to induce wear.
• Other people reviewing the bag have noted that the center compartment lacks padding in the bottom, so laptops can be vulnerable to jarring in there. I ordered a Timbuk2 Crater laptop sleeve for my MacBook, but it didn’t arrive in time for this trip. I just placed my underwear and socks at the bottom of this compartment for a little protection. The Air Boss has padded dividers between the main compartments that provide plenty of protection from the sides.
• I have a mixed impression of the strap. The “claw” strap functions as designed – it does NOT slip from your shoulder. But I can see some merit to the argument that it doesn’t distribute weight very well. I will keep a close eye on this.

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A few months ago American Airlines left me stranded in Texas after the plane I was on broke not once, but twice, and they couldn’t get me to Dallas to make any connections. In the end, they couldn’t even get me home … instead of returning to Boston on a Friday evening the closest they could get me was Bradley International in Hartford, CT on Saturday afternoon where I rented a car and drove home.

Anyway, this event finally broke my will and I’ve decided to shift my air travel to a one bag strategy. I’ve flown a lot in my life … starting in the early 90s I traveled the US for over 10 years, then took a break after a career change. But now I find myself traveling more again. Last year work took me to Chicago (twice); Stanford; San Francisco; Washington DC (twice); and Brussels, Belgium. This year (and it’s only April) I’ve been to Austin, TX and am leaving for Jacksonville, FL tomorrow. Then I have California 3 times in May followed by Chicago and DC a couple of times later this year. Throw in my own personal travel and … that’s enough for me.

To make the switch to a one-bag operation, I searched the Internet for the perfect solution. I scoured sites like Onebag.com and read all of Doug Dyment’s advice. I read the forums on Flyertalk.com and on One Bag One World site. What I determined was that I needed to start with the right bag. I’ve always been a bit of a gear nut when it comes to packing and organization. I probably have seven different backpacks for every conceivable use, along with lumbar packs, various shoulder bags, and a couple of work bags for my laptop and office stuff. But for air travel I’ve usually used either a 21″ roll-aboard from Samsonite or a small overnight rolling laptop bag with enough room for a change of clothes. Neither has proven to be an optimal solution.

The 21″ roll-aboard fits into overhead bins on mainline aircraft, but I just hate being THAT asshole who carries too much stuff on board and forces others to have to gate-check their luggage. So I find myself checking that bag for almost every flight unless there is some real imperative that I have certain clothes for a meeting when I arrive. And even then I usually just wear those clothes. When I travel with it, I always end up carrying my Timbuk2 messenger bag with my laptop and other stuff as a carry-on (on a side note – the Timbuk2 Command Messenger bag with its TSA compliant laptop compartment absolutely rocks – best work bag I’ve ever owned). But for a one-bag strategy I need to find something that balances carrying ability with capacity and fits into overhead bins on all aircraft, including the smaller regional jets I sometimes find myself on.

Red Oxx Air Boss - photo from Redoxx.xom

I ultimately settled on the Air Boss by Red Oxx in all black. In addition to being an American-made product with a reputation for top quality and durability, the Air Boss seems like it is flexible enough to work for anything from overnight trips to two week marathons. Most of the trips I take are between one and four nights, with the occasional full week. But I often need to bring a couple of suits along, which are always a pain in the ass to pack.

My intention with this post is to begin a series of real-world reviews of my experience with the Air Boss. Between tomorrow and the end of May I will have made at least four trips with it: an overnight to Jacksonville, FL; 3 nights in San Jose, CA; 3 nights in Stanford, CA, and 4 nights in San Diego. Some will require suits every day, others will be more casual (a single sports jacket will do). I’ll try and post from the road when I can and follow a standard format.

First, though a bit about me so you can figure out if your experience will be similar.

I am 41 years old, 5′-11″, and about 200 lbs. My suit jackets are a 44 regular and my shirts have a 17 1/2″ neck (I point this out because my suits do not pack compactly). I routinely run 10 to 20 miles a week and have no back, shoulder neck, knee, or any other joint problems or pain. The idea of a wheel-less bag doesn’t scare me; my daily work commute involves carrying (walking) a Timbuk2 messenger bag 3.5 miles back and forth across Boston from South Station to Government Center and that bag weighs 20 lbs. easy. So a 30 lb. bag for a trip through an airport is no problem at all.

Here is the bottom of the box Red Oxx ships in. I'm convinced they stand by their products.

My initial impressions of the Air Boss are positive. The build quality seems excellent and it does seem like it will hold plenty. In fact, I’m worried that the bag will be too big for one night trips, but that’s what I’ll be starting with tomorrow. I especially like the zippers; something I have had issues with recently. First, the side zippers blew out of a pair of North Face bib pants that I’ve had for years (they were repaired for free under the North Face’s lifetime warranty, but still), then I blew a zipper on the pocket of my normal winter jacket. I had the zipper fail on one of my running jackets, and I’ve been that person who has had the zipper fail on my suitcase while on a trip. So the fact that Red Oxx uses hefty, genuine YKK zippers matters to me.

Finally, I love the way the Air Boss looks. Some call it utilitarian and some even ugly. But I don’t but suitcases to be pretty. I buy them to carry my stuff from one place to another as long as it does that well I don’t care if it looks like a cardboard box.

Hopefully the details I uncover in my next trips will help you with your decision.

Good luck and safe travels.

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I’ve been working on perfecting my bar-b-que for almost 20 years. During all my trials, tests, and experiments, I’ve worked almost exclusively on pork. Perhaps a little bit of chicken here and there, but mostly pork shoulder and ribs. This weekend I decided it was time that I tackled a brisket. In the most basic sense, brisket is just like any other bar-b-que. A cut of meat is rubbed with a flavorful rub and is slowly cooked over indirect heat for many hours, in the presence of smoke. The main difference from something like a pork shoulder? The kind of wood used for he smoke (mesquite instead of hickory) and perhaps the seasoning in the rub (usually more of spices like black pepper and cumin).

But for some reason, my casual research shows that brisket is more perplexing than pork bar-b-que. Perhaps it’s because brisket is a Texas specialty and there are fewer people who practice the art. So there may be fewer “experts” spreading the advice and knowledge that would make people more comfortable cooking brisket. Who knows… But I certainly see quite a few message board postings where people are asking for help after a brisket disaster of some sort.

I decided to start simple, with no long marinades or overnight rubs or odd smoking sequences. And I decided to use my Bradley Electric Smoker, both because my big pit is way too large for a single brisket, and because it was 40 degrees and raining this weekend. I searched for recipes for brisket specifically done in a Bradley smoker and every one that I found used some form of “crutch.” The crutch is a technique where whatever meat you’re smoking is wrapped in foil and then left either on the smoker at bar-b-que temperature, or finished in an oven or left in a cooler for some amount of time so that the carryover heat finishes breaking down the connective tissue without overcooking the meat. The term “crutch” is usually used disparagingly, juxtaposed with whatever state or regional style of bar-b-que that you don’t like. As in the “Texas Crutch” or the “Carolina Crutch.” I wasn’t going to use the crutch either.

What I have learned over the years is that the main base upon which good bar-b-que is built is the meat. Specifically, meat with a good amount of fat and connective tissue. If you start with a piece that is too lean it will never survive the long hours that bar-b-que requires, crutch or no crutch. And in this category, brisket is a particular problem. In the United States most brisket becomes corned beef or its smoked cousin, pastrami. Or, in my adopted part of the country, some god-awful usually inedible and under seasoned concoction called New England Boiled Dinner. What these dishes all have in common is that the meat is braised (or boiled) for a long time, which lends itself to tenderizing. But when all the cooking liquid is reserved, fat becomes a problem – it just messes up the gravy. So most brisket is sold ready for the braising pot and is trimmed of its fat cap. This is where I think most bar-b-que brisket cooks go wrong  they start with a cut that is too lean and then dry it out on the smoker for far too long.

I didn’t make that mistake. I had to ask the butcher specially for it, but he managed to find me an untrimmed 6 1/2 lb. brisket flat (as opposed to a point cut or “deckle” cut) with a nice thick, maybe 1/2″, fat cap. This I knew would survive the smoker without use of a crutch.

Before

So all I did was set up the Bradley smoker at 11:00 pm and let it heat for 30 minutes at to 220 degrees. I rubbed the brisket with a basic rub of 1 part salt, 1 part turbinado sugar, 1/2 part paprika, 1/2 part black pepper, and a 1/2 part combined cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then I set the smoker for 9 hours and 40 minutes (the maximum time), plopped the brisket on a rack in the middle, and loaded up 2 hours of mesquite bisquette, followed by alternating hickory, alder, and more mesquite for a total of 6 hours of smoke. Then I went to bed.

The next morning I increased the time and kept an eye on my Thermoworks thermometers. No basting, mopping, spritzing, or anything. 11 1/2 hours later the internal temperature hit 180 degree and I took the brisket off and let it rest for 30 minutes. It had a great bark and carved easily across the grain. And man was it good. It was fork tender from end to end and the bark had a great flavor. If anything it could have taken even more smoke, so next time I might go with 5 or 6 hours of all mesquite. But it was definitely a success and something I will make again.

Here’s the final product:

The Final Brisket

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Amaze 4G (image from T-Mobile.com)

Facebook for HTC Sense is killing my battery. The other day I bought a new phone because my old one broke. After I smashed it on the ground. I’ve spent a few days getting the new phone just about the way I like it. Along the way I had to solve one major problem that almost had me smashing another phone on the pavement.

Much has been written about the Amaze’s battery life. Most of it is not good. The Engadget review said, “Let’s not beat around the bush, though. In the rush to get this 42Mbps capable device to market a few rough edges were overlooked — namely, battery life.” They go one to say, ” … but whatever the culprit, expect a good three to four hours of action before hitting a productivity ceiling and plugging back in to your nearest outlet. A three-hour charge should get you back up to 100 percent and running — until the next three hours, that is.”

The Verge said, “Battery life was surprisingly dismal on the Amaze. I never once got a full day of use from the phone, and even after charging it fully it would lose its charge after only a few hours of normal use — web browsing, a few phone calls, and some camera use. Part of the problem is certainly due to T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network, which is a battery drain on any phone, but it’s among the worst I’ve seen on recent smartphones.”

My problem was much worse. For some reason, during the first day that I really tried to use the phone, it burned though its battery in less then 3 hours. I don’t mean 3 hours of intensive use. I mean 3 hours on standby with the screen off. And the phone got hot … really hot. Something wasn’t right.

I searched all over the web and many people were reporting similar issues with the Amaze and other HTC phones. For a full day and a half, every time the phone was turned on it heated up and burned through a battery in just a couple of hours. Many people reported decent battery life with the phone … but a couple of reports stuck out because they mentioned the built-in Facebook app as a problem. This one on HTC’s own message boards for example, and this one on Androidforums.

One thing was really odd … when I looked at the Android battery usage it showed that the Calendar app was using the bulk of the battery, second only to “display.” I searched this on Google and found several threads where people reported the same thing. This is one from the HTC site, and this one from XDA-Developers also mentioned the Facebook for HTC Sense problem.

So I took a look and, sure enough, Facebook for HTC Sense was running. I killed the process, deleted the account (Home -> Menu -> Settings -> Accounts & Sync) and rebooted. And my battery use dropped immediately. This morning I grabbed my phone off the charger and headed to work. And things were much better. After an hour and a half on the train with at least 45 minutes of web browsing, I arrived at work with 69% battery. The previous day I was already down to 11% at the end of the train and only 5% after my walk to work. What a dramatic improvement.

I decided to test the theory that this was a problem with Facebook on HTC Sense and not the regular Facebook app. So I downloaded the regular app and started it. The problem is that the Sense UI version seems so tightly integrated that when I started the regular app, it asked to authorize the Sense version. I hesitated at first, but eventually went ahead. And things are still working. On the ride home with some browsing and e-mail I still had 74% battery left. I’ve now been home for over 4 hours – and my phone has been off the charger for 6 and a half hours, and I still have 60% battery.

The Bottom Line

All I can figure is that during the initial setup of the HTC Facebook for Sense UI, something was corrupted and I experienced all the problems that people complain about in the  posts: phone never sleeping, radio constantly running, 3 hour max battery life. But deleting and reactivating the accounts seems to have cured all that.

So if you are having severe battery life problems with an HTC phone with their Sense UI- see if killing and recreating the Facebook account helps. It worked for me.

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Today I threw a $600 temper tantrum. Along with my T-Mobile G2 phone, which I more or less loved. But one nagging problem just finally got the best of me at the wrong time and I Gronk spiked my favorite phone onto the pavement.

I’m an Android fan. Part of my job is to stay on top of smartphone technology, so I pay attention to what is coming out on the market. I have an iPhone 3GS that I’ve had for a while and I have used plenty of iPhone 4 models. In earlier posts about my G2 I listed some reasons why I liked that model better than my iPhone. The main thing I liked is that the G2 had a slide-out real keyboard – I can’t stand virtual keyboards. The problem is I am apparently the only one because every new God damn phone is an iPhone clone with no keyboard.

Anyway, over the last year I’ve come to really like my G2. Except for two problems. First, if the chassis flexed the wrong way the phone would reboot because the battery lost contact. Usually a quick adjustment of the battery would fix the problem and it wouldn’t happen for a few weeks.

The more annoying problem was an intermittent GPS issue. Every once in a while the GPS would take minutes to lock onto satellites. And I don’t even mean 1 or 2 minutes – I mean like 5 or 10 minutes. And no amount of rebooting or restarting the GPS would help. This is annoying on a good day, but if you’re trying to use your phone as a GPS system in a car and you’re lost somewhere, this is unacceptable. Even more troubling, the GPS antenna was problematic and sometimes the signal would just fade. This manifested itself as my navigation system thinking I was on one road when I was really on another, and, the final straw, would sometimes cause my Runkeeper track to wander all over the place which really compromised the distance measurements. This is what finally drove me over the edge.

I had a terrible week last week. I had a business trip that ended terribly when American Airlines left me stranded in San Antonio, TX for 12 hours and caused me to miss my connection home on Friday night. Things were so screwed up that instead of getting me home to Boston on Friday at 3 PM, they could only get me to Bradley International in Hartford, CT on Saturday afternoon and I had to rent a car and drive home. Anyway, Sunday was a beautiful 60 degree, sunny day and I wanted to go for a run. Everything went wrong – my Fitbit fell off twice and I had to keep going back to find it. The zipper broke on my running jacket before I really got going. And then … as I rounded a corner no more than 1/4 mile from my house, my Runkeeper app told me that I had already run 1.1 miles. I stopped and looked at the map and saw the track zig-zagging all over the place and I lost it. I took that phone and I spiked it onto the pavement as hard as I could.

The Result - My Broken Phone

Now I know that the problem could very well have been Runkeeper. In fact it probably was a Runkeeper problem based on some comments I’ve seen on message boards. But after all the stress of the week I wasn’t thinking straight. So my $300 phone hit the pavement. It actually felt like a relief until I realized what this was going to cost me.

I ran back home and called the T-Mobile store near me. It was 4:25 PM and they said they closed at 5. Shit. I literally squealed tires to try and get there before they closed. I made it with 10 minutes to spare.

The only models that T-Mobile had with a slide-out keyboard are the My-Touch models (My-Touch Q and My-Touch 4G Slide), an LG Doubleplay, and a Sidekick model. Of these, only the 4G Slide had close to enough processor power to be reasonable. Unfortunately, if you’re going to buy a phone with a slide-out keyboard, the keyboard better be good. The G2 had a great keyboard. The My-Touch 4G, not so much. The one on the store was terrible. Reports on the Internet seem to agree. So I had 10 minutes to decide on what would replace my G2. I knew from prior research that a decent used G2 goes for about $300. Ridiculous, I know, but that’s the truth.

So if I was going to suffer without a keyboard the phone better excel in everything else. That lead me to the two top-end Android phones that T-Mobile now carries, the Samsung Galaxy S or the HTC Amaze 4G. Because I have always liked HTC phones, I went with the Amaze. With no research I was really taking a $600 chance. According to Engadget, I probably did OK, though in a few months I will probably smash this phone on the ground due to poor battery life.

I spent about 9 hours getting all my apps and accounts set up. And I already ordered two Anker extended batteries for it.

Frankly, I’m already starting to hate this phone. But what am I going to do? I’m stuck with it now. Might as well make the best of it.

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The other day I read an article asserting that Best Buy was doomed because of poor service and a failed business model. After my experience today trying to use their in-store pickup service, I am inclined to agree. What makes this even more amazing is how badly things have changed in just a few weeks, at least at my local store in Marlborough, MA.

In between Christmas and New Year’s I needed a USB sound card for my laptop. The Best Buy web ordering experience couldn’t have been better. I placed the order one evening and went to the store the next morning. Best Buy had a parking space near the door reserved for in-store pickup customers (which I didn’t use). When I walked through the door, the pickup desk was literally 5 feet inside. I walked up, handed the clerk a copy of my order e-mail, showed my ID and paid. The door guy wished me a good day and I was on my way. In and out in under 5 minutes.

Contrast that with today. I decided it was time to get the keyboard dock for my Asus Transformer TF101 tablet. I found it online for $25 less than the Best Buy price, but I was willing to pay the difference in order to have it today. I placed my order, and about 30 minutes later the confirmation e-mail arrived, so I headed to the store. That’s when I saw how much had changed in just a few weeks. When I walked in, the pickup desk was no longer conveniently right by the door. I asked the fat, greasy door guy in the terrible yellow polo shirt where the pickup window went. He told me pickups now had to go to customer service. So I walked over and got in line behind 4 other people carrying things they were cearly returning.

I don’t know who at Best Buy came up with this plan, but one of the first rules of retail is: when a customer wants to give you money, take it
! Do not make me wait in line behind 4 other people who are going to cost you money. As I was standing there wasting time, it occurred to me that it probably would have been faster to just walk to the computer department, find a keyboard, and go through the normal check out. But I figured I’d get a whole bunch of reminder messages about my unclaimed web order that I didn’t want to deal with, so I stayed in line.

The line was slow. It didn’t help that one of the original clerks helping the line decided that it was time to answer phone calls and stop helping people in line. This is always a source of irritation for customers – your floor people should never be taking phone calls. I’ve taken the time to drive to your location – phone customers are still on the fence. See my previous rule: if I’m waiting in line to give you money, take it. Don’t blow me off to prospect with people on the phone.

So I finally make it to a clerk. Things start pretty well – I show him the confirmation e-mail on my phone, he locates the box, and things look OK. Then I realize that the seals on the box are broken. The ones that ASUS puts there which say, “Check contents if seal is broken.” The box itself was scuffed and the keyboard inside was wrapped in a plastic sleeve that was ripped as though it had been opened. I asked the clerk why it was open and he said I shouldn’t worry – it wasn’t a floor model or anything. I still asked him to replace it with an unopened box. With a couple of quick calls on the radio and a 5 minute wait, someone brought up a new one. I don’t blame the desk clerk – but I’m willing to bet several people at Best Buy had their hands on this box and not a single one of them cared enough to point out that it was open and replace it with a new one. That says a lot about Best Buy’s culture of service.

So I finally had my keyboard and it was time for my final indignity. I know Best Buy has always placed an employee near the exit to harrass customers on their way out the door rather than invest in real security. That this is an acceptable practice to them when their main competition is the convenience of online shopping probably says all you need to know about their culture and why they are doomed. I hate this – and I barely tolerate it on a normal day because I know that the Best Buy door guy has absolutely no power to stop you from leaving the store. Today I was already fed up with my experience and was in no mood to stop. So when I was offered a bag at checkout I declined and headed for the door with my receipt and box in plain view. Keep in mind that I could see the front doors and the greasy door guy the whole time so it’s not like I was coming from some back corner of the store.

Sure enough the door guy asks for my receipt. I stop and show him the receipt which I’m holding right on top of the box. Instead of quickly looking and letting me go – I mean I bought 1 single thing, which wasn’t in a bag, while in plain view of his little podium the whole time, he instead says, “Just a second,” and turns to accost a family leaving with stuff in a bag. I can only assume they got his immediate attention because they had a much darker complexion than either he or I. He tells them he needs to see what’s in their giant bag, at which point my switch flipped. I simply announced, “I’m leaving now,” and started walking out the door hoping they would follow instead of letting some minimum wage sloth in a shitty yellow polo shirt paw through their property. The door guy said, “Wait … I have to,” and before he could finish I said, “You know you can’t stop me.” All he could say was, “Really, Sir?” “Really,” I replied.

So at this point I agree 100% with Larry Downes – Besy Buy is doomed. And good riddance. It amazes me that Best Buy has abandoned the one thing that seperates them from their competition – good service. And I’m not talking about complex systems either. I mean basic service: allow your customers to spend money easily, pay attention to them while in the store, and don’t harrass them and treat them like criminals when they leave. I mean really, a door receipt checker? If you are worried about cashiers mis-checking items hire some better cashiers and put in some cameras to watch them, not me. I wouldn’t think of letting a random stranger in the parking lot touch something I just paid good money for, what makes you think it’s OK if it happens just inside the door? I’m supposed to be OK with it because you invested in a polo shirt for Mr. Door Checker Guy? Come on.

See you Best Buy – it will be a cold day in Hell before I enter one of your stores again.

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I was working from home today and in the middle of the morning I realized that something really amazing was happening. I was working in a truly connected home. I paused for a moment to reflect on all the things which at that moment were transmitting or receiving data over my FiOS connection:

My work laptop was connected to a WebEx meeting.
My Belkin desktop Skype phone was connected to an audio conference via VOIP.
My personal laptop was uploading music to Google Music.
There were three cell phones connected tonWiFi in the house.
My Android tablet and my wife’s iPad2 were connected to WiFi.
A Squeezebox radio was streaming NPR in the kitchen.
My weather station server was cintinuously broadcasting data to the Internet.

For someone who once connected to BBS systems via a. 400 baud Hayes modem, this is pretty amazing.

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In my first chainsaw post I discussed saw sizes and components. No component is more important than the chain that does the work. And no aspect of a chainsaw is as controversial and creates more arguments among users than the type of chain you should use.

Chainsaw Chain Basics

A chainsaw chain consists of drive links, cutters, tie straps, guard links, and the rivets that hold them all together. Oregon has a great picture showing these parts at http://www.theoregonshop.com/userimages/ChainParts.jpg.

By Horst74 (Own work) (Public domain)

All the parts are also shown in the photo at left. The parts don’t matter to most users since most people don’t assemble their own chain. But understanding them helps when it comes to understanding chain sizes.

Chain Sizes

Saw chain size is defined by three parameters:

1. Gauge, or the length of the links.
2. Pitch, or the thickness of the drive links.
3. Length, or the number of drive links.

There’s a picture of this on the page at http://www.stihllibrary.com/pdfs/SawChainSelection.pdf from Stihl. Remember that chains are sized according to the bar they run on, not necessarily by the size of the powerhead, although larger powerheads tend to run larger bars, so there is some relation. In general, smaller saws with bars under 16″ run chain as small as 1/4″ pitch. Medium size saws with bars between 16″ and 20″ run .325″ or 3/8″ pitch chains. Larger saws with bars longer than 20″ may run .404″ pitch chain.

Chain information stamped on my guidebar.

For example, my 18″ Rollomatic E bar on my Stihl MS 290 runs .325″ pitch chain, .063″ gauge, with 74 drive links. here is the information plate from the bar. I also have an older Rollomatic E bar that is the same 18″ length which I used to run on my old 032AV, which is actually a 3/8″ pitch, .050″ gauge, and takes a chain with 66 drive links.

Although it’s important to buy the correct size chain for your bar, most people don’t pay much attention to other parameters. Some people like to argue the merits of .325″ pitch chain vs. 3/8″ pitch, but most people don’t care. What people do care and argue about is the type of cutters on the chain.

Chain Cutter Types

The number one argument among chainsaw people is whether full-chisel or semi-chisel chain is better. What’s the difference? It has to do with how much of the cutter is sharpened and the geometry of the cutter on the chain itself. A simple explanation is that if you look at a full chisel chain end-on, the cutter looks like the number seven “7″. A semi-chisel chain looks like a question mark, “?”. There is also a difference in how much of a point is filed into the front profile of the cutter, with full chisel chain having a sharp point, while semi chisel is flatter.

Wikipedia says this:

Full chisel chain has a square cornered tooth, splitting wood fibers easily in the cut for fast, efficient cutting in clean softwood. Semi-chisel chain has a rounded working corner formed by a radius between the top and side plates. While slower than full chisel in softwood, it retains an acceptable cutting sharpness longer, making it the preferred choice for dirtier wood, hard or dry wood, frozen wood or stump work, all of which would rapidly degrade full chisel chain.

Chain Types (from Bailey's)

Bailey’s, an excellent source for chainsaw parts and chain for all brands posts this picture describing chain types. (Note that what I call full chisel they call round chisel – same stuff.) For homeowners and non-professionals the choice is really between full or semi chisel. The other stuff, especially square chisel, is used only by pros and really dedicated amateurs.

The Argument

One of the best sites for chainsaw information on the Internet is Arboristsite.com. And they relish the debate over full or semi-chisel chain.

For example, see this thread from 2007. Or this thread from 2004. Or this thread from 2006. Or this thread from 2004. Or this recent thread from 2011. Get the picture?

Reading through all those threads the consensus opinion is that full-chisel chain cuts faster when sharp, but loses its edge quickly, especially in “dirty” wood. Semi-chisel chain cuts a little slower, but holds its edge much better. So which is better? For homeowners and occasional users it really doesn’t matter. You see, most of the argument happens between guys that cut wood for a living. Or at least serious amateurs who spend hours in the field on any given day. So to them, the speed that a chain cuts makes a difference in how much money they make. For me it doesn’t. I simply don’t cut that much wood.

And the definition of “dirty” certainly isn’t standard. Is dirty wood a log that has been skidded on the ground through a swamp and is caked in mud? Some people in those threads argue that trees which grow on the side of dirt roads count as dirty because of the microscopic sand embedded in the bark. The point is – the posters are technically right. In my experience full-chisel chain dulls quicker than semi-chisel. But since I don’t cut ten trees a day it doesn’t matter to me if it dulls and slows down much. I’ll spend a few more minutes with the file between tanks of gas if I have to – it gives my back a rest! So read the posts and make up your own mind. But realize that for occasional use, it probably won’t make much of a difference.

What do I Run?

Keep your chain out of the dirt. Here I am using a timberjack to lift a large trunk off the ground to prevent running my saw into the dirt.

Mostly full-chisel chain. Currently I have four loops of Stihl RSC (Rapid Super Comfort) full-chisel hanging in my tool shed. I also have two loops of Stihl RMC (Rapid Micro Comfort) semi-chisel hanging there. Most of the time I run the RSC full-chisel. Even in hardwood (I cut mostly oak and maple here in Massachusetts, with some white pine thrown in) and even in cold weather when the wood may be frozen. But I am very careful, and after years of experience am quite adept, at keeping the bar out of the dirt. Because it doesn’t matter whether you’re cutting hardwood or softwood and whether the wood is dirty. Nothing will kill your chain faster, whether full or semi-chisel, then running your bar into the dirt and rocks under a log!

Note that I mentioned using a file. Yes – you must sharpen your saw chain. No, taking it back to the hardware store doesn’t count. Sure, all chains need to be reground periodically, but a single chain is only going to last a couple of hours, even in clean wood, before it needs to be touched up. In this area the forum consensus is also right: semi-chisel chain will go longer between filings. If you have no intention of learning how to file a chain, you need to assume that you will go through three to six chains in a full day of work and plan on buying that many. So if you only want to to take them back to the store for sharpening, buy six or eight or ten loops to get you through a full weekend’s work.

So my recommendation comes down to this:

• If you are careful with your cutting and keep your bar out of the dirt, full-chisel will work for most applications, if you’re willing to occasionally file and maintain the chain.
• If you are new to using a saw and don’t want to file your own chains, run semi-chisel.

Regular or Reduced Kickback Chain

In my previous post about guidebars I mentioned that manufacturers make both regular and reduced kickback bars. I said that there wasn’t a tremendous difference between them and I saw no reason not to run the reduced kickback versions. The same is definitely not true for chain, where there is a tremendous difference between regular and reduced kickback versions.

This is an argument that the guys on ArboristSite REALLY like to engage in. Look no farther than this 8 page thread from 2009. There is another good one from 2010 also. In their world, reduced kickback chain is called “safety chain” and all safety chain is shit. My experience tells me that the real world isn’t so cut and dried. I started cutting long before the ANSI B 175.1 chainsaw safety standard was introduced in 1985. So reduced kickback chain wasn’t readily available until I had already been cutting for close to ten years. And current reduced kickback chain has improved tremendously over the stuff that was originally available.

That said, it is generally accepted that modern reduced kickback chain cuts a little slower and less aggressively than regular chain. This varies considerably between manufacturers and even within a manufacturer’s line between chain types. Because I am familiar with Stihl, that’s what I’ll use for my comparison.

When I bought my MS290, it came from the dealer with a loop of Stihl RSC3 full-chisel reduced kickback chain (identified by a green master link). When I first started the saw and cut with it I thought it worked pretty well, though it didn’t “pull” into the cut in the way I was used to with my old saw. But it cut well enough. After a while I switched over to a loop of RSC full-chisel regular chain. And the saw instantly felt more like I was used to. It really grabbed and pulled into the cut. But this same aggressiveness is what can make the saw kick back if the operator isn’t careful.

So I’m not going to get deep into this argument. From my personal experience, modern reduced kickback chain works well. I had no real problems with the RSC3 chain that came on my saw, and I certainly have the loop sharpened and ready to go. If I ever loaned my saw to someone, this is the chain I would give them until I really trusted them. But I admit that I do use the yellow link regular RSC chain most of the time. With all the years I have behind the saw I feel I’m prepared for the increased kickback potential. Your situation may be different. On your first saw I would always recommend a modern reduced kickback chain. Read the threads I referenced above if you want to learn more.

Good luck and safe cutting.

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