As of this moment I am wearing a pair of black vans skater shoes that I bought around 2005; not because they are stylish (they are marred and muddled with white primer paint) but because they are comfortable and dry and to give my standard issue winter boots a chance to dry out. At the time of purchase I figured I'd try out skate boarding, but gave up after failing miserably after a few basic tricks and deciding I'd save myself the future injuries and surgeries.

Normally I'd be a big proponent of Merrell shoes/boots, but it seems after they stopped being made with American Pride, and started being made with Chinese/Taiwanese sweat I've lost faith. My first pair of Merrell Mocs were bought in 2004, and lasted me until 2011-12, then I bought a replacement pair, same kind/different color/different country, the life span was significantly less then half of the last, the wear/tear/abuse was the same, only difference was country of manufacture, I've almost but not quite lost faith in the brand. It can't be a coincidence that the first pair was made in America and lasted close to a decade but the second pair manufactured in china lasted a fraction of the time. I'm still willing to buy a pair if the price is right but I'm doing research to branch out and put my hard earned money and trust into another brand/country of manufacture.

As of late I've been wearing my standard issue winter desert combat boots because I never wore them in the service and they are water proof and warm (but they roughly weigh about 6+ lbs/pair), however because they are pretty much my only waterproof pair of footwear I have to wear them on a continual basis for work, disallowing them time to dry out, and they stink to high heaven because of the lack of breathability. I was perusing black friday/cyber monday shopping for replacement footwear, but I'm not going to shell out $250 for a pair of boots just to pay for a name.

Instead of providing pictures and links to footwear of various shapes/styles/brands, I'm going to plug super feet insoles, because no matter the brand or type of footwear I decided to spend my hard earned monies on, those insoles have provided me 1-2 years of continuous comfort. They seem rather pricey compared to some of the Dr. Scholls inserts, but like Vibram soles are good for atleast a year of wear and tear. They run from 20-30 bucks for a pair of the insoles, but after about 30 days of breaking in will provide good support and shock absorption for atleast a year. I'm sure you could get away with $20-$30 shoes equipped with these insoles and get away with a year of comfort. Mind you the soles might outlast those walmart $20 clunkers, but after the break in period the soles pay for themselves in overall comfort and durability.

It could have something to do with ADD/ADHD, but I think it's more likely you're just having trouble getting interested in the book itself. When I was younger I'd read almost every night before bed. I have ADD, and I would use a book as a tool to help me fall asleep. It took me a few years to realize this. At night right before bed, I'm not usually able to just lay my head down on the pillow and conk out, because my mind would bounce from this or that, and having my mind focus on one thing for an hour or two would help my mind focus on one thing, and finally gear down and relax enough for me to fall asleep.

This is also why I probably wear glasses today. As a littlun I had a bed time at 9 pm. I couldn't just conk out right away at 2100 because my mind was just as hyper at night as my body was during the day. So I'd read goosebumps (revenge of the garden gnomes was one I must have read over a dozen times) by nightlight for a few hours 'till I could fall asleep. Basically the equivalent of reading by candle light, the strain of focusing on small print in low light over time fucks with your eyesight.

If well read and/or intelligent equated to sticking your head in the sand like an ostrich, then yes you could say that.

Guess I meant to say mean-spirited and pointless.  This is why I don't really care for Richard Dawkins and his brand of angry atheism- a person secure in their own beliefs shouldn't feel a need to make fun of others for what they believe.

I've read 'The God Delusion' (admittedly that's it) by Dawkins, and I didn't really get the feel of "angry atheism" out of that book.
...And I guess people secure in their own beliefs don't need to make fun of others, just off 'em. Here, you can hold on to my blanky while you step into that cold Iron Maiden. You should be glad people are just resorting to poking fun nowadays (at least in this part of the world).

Quote from: equanimity on November 18, 2014, 08:47:11 pm

This sort of thing is really silly.

No, actually it isn't. Its much less silly then being allowed to get your picture taken for government issued ID while wearing full head gear because you believe in some completely retarded religion that has no proof for any of its claims. At least this is comical and it still shows your face.

This I concur with. "religious persecution" for insisting that you want to conceal your face for an identification photo. Almost as ridiculous as claiming that it's somehow racist to require photo ID to cast a ballot.

How is it mean spirited?  They're mocking real religions, and the people that wear head coverings that have actual religious significance.

Hate to break it to ya, but pastafarianism is recognized as a "real religion."

I went to high school with a Christian girl who always wore head coverings, and sometimes people said really hurtful things to her for it. 

...And I'm sure her faith in a jewish zombie was all the stronger for it, right?

pretty sure people could get in legal trouble for advising you on how to kill yourself

Heh, IIRC- assisted suicide is legal in some states like Oregon. I'm sure they define the required circumstances so this thread wouldn't fly, but hey if you're willing to do some research and move to the coast, atleast you know where to start right?

Don't forget to include things like fishing (if you're near water) or traps/snares, so you can add some protein to your freshly foraged berries.
And while you're at it, it couldn't hurt to go over basic survival shelters like igloos or snow caves, and lean-to's, or several methods one could start a fire without using lighters/matches.

Since Washington has had over 250 micro breweries, I've been a bit of a PNW beer snob. Instead of buying 211's or Mikes/4locos I've preferred to spend the extra buck or two to drink quality ingredients that wouldn't afflict me with a debilitating hangover. I generally buy craft and microbrews from WA, OR, or CA. For a couple years now I've been happy paying $9.84 for a six pack of Lagunitas Maximus.