But, all that caffeine meant that I was up and wired when I got home and couldn’t sleep well, even though I had to be up in 2-3 hours with the kids. Skipping a night’s sleep is o.k. now and then, but I sure get grumpy and short-fused.

Last night I decided to try one of those 5-Hour Energyfor the first time. I’m not real sure how much I paid for it, I was reeling from filling the gas tank and didn’t pay close attention.

When describing the 5-Hour Energy feeling, some people say it’s “like the sun coming up in my head.” That’s because when you’re feeling groggy and lethargic, 5-Hour Energy wakes up your brain and gets you back to feeling the way you want to feel bright, alert, focused and energetic. What you won’t feel is jittery, or crash. That’s because, unlike other energy drinks, 5-Hour Energy doesn’t jack you up with sugar, caffeine and herbal stimulants. Instead, it’s packed with stuff that’s good for you B-vitamins, amino acids and enzymes. To get anything out of those canned energy drinks you have to force down a lot of liquid up to 24 ounces for some of them. It takes just seconds to slam down a 2-ounce 5-Hour Energy shot. That means its energizing ingredients get into your system faster. In a few minutes you can feel 5-Hour Energy brushing away the cobwebs and helping you regain the alert, focused feeling you need to get through your day. Canned energy drinks give you a lot of sugar, caffeine and herbal stimulants which can make you feel jittery, shaky or tense. But 5-Hour Energy’s blend of vitamins, amino acids and enzymes gives you hours of “smooth energy.” We named it 5-Hour Energy for a reason. People typically feel an elevated sense of energy, focus and alertness for about five hours. Individual results will vary, of course. And when that feeling wears off, it does so gently.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the results. I wasn’t bounding off the walls or jittery, but I never got drowsy (even though it was a very slow night. The cook, by the way, was downing redbulls and coffee and fell asleep twice during the shift. I said slow, right?

Lo and behold, right about 2:30 I felt a lagging and slowing that I recognized from … 5 hours ago. And the night before for that matter. We closed up and I decided to get this review out. Actually, I decided I wanted a big bowl of ice cream and didn’t really want to turn the TV on so I did this instead.

The reason I resisted trying them earlier was mostly marketing. I have a tendency to disbelieve all marketing, especially slick ads with beautiful women in short skirts; or with the perceived benefits blasted all over the place instead of any real information. But I read the label and saw it was just like a liquid nutritional supplement and not really all that scary. I’ll be putting these in regular rotation, along with my green supplements and the occasional cup of coffee.

Anyhow, Amazon.com has them for $1.67 each and I see them on shelves all over town. I’m going to start adding them to my orange juice

try this
seventh generation products

better
for my own use now
a type=”amzn” search=”search contents” category=”something” text link
see also the category page

To sum up the review so you can get on with life … it’s a piece of crap. Don’t get it.

First of all, it seems to be of a new generation of media device that is recognized as a media device and only lets you transfer music through Napster or the Microsoft player .. whatever it’s called. I don’t use either and could not figure how to just drag music over on the the player, unplug and play.

Ubuntu recognized the device and let me move files over. Then when I unplugged it would get stuck (as it is now) on a screen that says “Refresh Database” and stay there. Tech support had me connect the device by

1. Power down device
2. Slide “hold” button to right (on)
3. Hold left search key (previous)
4. Connect to USB

Now windows recognizes it as a USB device. Then he tells me to reformat the drive in FAT32 (it was FAT16). Now it works. great. I’m happy.

So I load up almost 3gigs worth of songs and take it to work for an 8 hour shift driving around. And hear “Crisis” and “Corruption Inc.” over and over and over again. It looks like the device only recognized 86 songs to play. (they both have myspace pages I refuse to link to)

Feck.

So I take it home, reformat the device and the microSD. Great it boots again. Load music. great it’s happy still. Load up the device, disconnect … “Refresh Database.”

DAMMIT

I’m just going to call Sansa and tell them to send me something better, or the version 1 of the device so at least I can load Rockbox on it (oh yeah. I tried that too. turns out V2 is incompatible at the moment.)

At least my ipod is handy as a paperweight. This one is complete crap. OH! and the screen got scratched before I even took it out of the house to listen to it. Just sitting around on my desk it got scratched!

Like I said at the beginning. Don’t get it, it’s a waste of time.

Then it got bigger. As years went on it got to about the size of a pencil eraser. I started cutting it off with finger nail clippers or a knife or my teeth. It grew back every time.

Then it got one of those things you’re supposed to watch out for – an irregular border. It never changed color, so I wasn’t real worried that it was skin cancer. Maybe a little, but not real worried. Besides, you can just get those “frozen off” right?

So I tried a take-home freeze kit from the drugstore. Not only was it smelly and painful, but it worked worse than just cutting the damn thing off!

Then I read an ad in a newsletter about how to “permanently remove unsightly moles and warts, without any harsh medical procedures or painful over-the-counter products!” I actually saw it a bunch of times before I decided to at least take a look.

The website went on and on about how great it was and had all these testimonials and went on and on. Now, I hate hype but it wasn’t that expensive and had a money-back guarantee. Doesn’t everything, right?

So I bought the e-book, read it, and almost went for the money back right then and there. The solution was just too simple to actually work. So I didn’t even try it.

But eventually I figured that I’d spent the money so I should give it a try before I completely wrote it off. After maybe a week or two of a band-aid on my arm covering my home-made paste, it was gone. That was May of 2006. Almost 2 years later and I can barely remember which arm it was on!

If you know someone who might want to safely remove warts or moles have them send me an email or drop a comment on this page or
read more. I’ll be happy to talk more about it.

We eventually discovered Signing Time at the library and have since borrowed every episode at least once. These are fantastic videos! Each episode has a theme and focuses on several signs for each topic, each signed by children and the host, Rachel. And the songs will get stuck in your head forever.

Eddy, our five year old, discovered that if he signs the things he wants, we have to actually look at him, and pay that much MORE attention to him. hmmm….

Ruth, at 18 months, is obsessed with Baby Signing Time aimed at kids “3-36 months.” She’s picked up so many signs in just the short time we had it checked out and is now very good at communicating. Her pediatrician says that at 18 months her cognitive level is on par with many 2 or 2 1/2 year olds!

Update
At 19 months, Ruth can say (pretty closely anyhow) the following:

Mom, Dad, Eddy, “Owie”, stuck, butt, asleep, red, fish, eat, “B” (for Ernie), “B” (for bird), mine, please, thank you, me, no shoes, toes, down, help, woof-woof, meow, wet, poop, hop, oops, wow, ear, noes, eyes, soup, shirt, juice, bottle, book, read, hi, bye-bye, moo, ball, hello, push, pull, hot, “ah-ah” (for count), fall, snow, nope, teeth, beautiful, back pack, pea, bite, food, stop, go, share, Here you go, hat, baby, frog, swing, uh-huh, boy, “elephant noise”, “rooster noise”.

She can sign:
Owie (hurt), asleep, red, fish, eat, bird, lease, thank you, shoes, food, stop, share, hat, baby, frog, boy, blanket, sorry, blocks, more, build, bear, car, paper, draw, bunny, cracker, potty, brush teeth, sad, awake, grumpy, bath, “StarWars (made up sign), “bottle” (her own sign), cheese, apple, candy, cold, milk, cookie, caterpillar, monkey, gorilla, tiger, train, popcorn, dirty, pig, surprised, all-done, school, play, penguin.

There’s a lot of crossover words between the two lists, and we were never worried that signing would make her speech delayed.

Since Ruth keeps asking for Baby Signing Time again and again, I had to break down and buy them.

Allison has really taken to signing with Ruth, as well. Actually, Ruth and Eddy know more signs than I do! I guess I’ll have to watch more with them to figure it before they start secretly communicating amongst each other.

See if your library has a set, or if you can find it on your local PBS station. Or browse the Signing Time Store.I hope you love it as much as we do.

Ruth shopping with me at the hardware store. On halloween. In costume.

Part 2

Just for grins and giggles, I’ll post the email exchange I’ve had with customer service. More if they bother replying again.

From: Phill Becker
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 12:17 PM
To: info@birkenstockus.com
Subject: My sandals are falling apart

I bought a pair of synthetic leather birks from a local shoe store here in April 2005. They started wearing thin this last winter, and I took them to a repair store today only to be told they were beyond repair. The straps are splitting on both shoes (right where they attach to the base) and the base is cracked on one.

I bought these sandals partly because I wanted to be able to repair them and keep wearing them for a long time. If 2 years is the max lifespan of Birk. sandals, I will never buy another pair. My Tevas lasted 5 years of hard abuse. I guess I expected more from legendary Birkenstock.

If you would like me to send the sandals back so you can examine them for quality control, please let me know. Otherwise I’ll wear them until they fall off my feet, then never buy another pair.

pb

On 6/8/07, Consumer Relations wrote:

Hello,

Thank you for emailing us at Birkenstock Distribution, USA!

Please Read our FAQ’s below for an answer to your inquiry.

We are the US distributor of Birkenstocks, and run as a company separate to other suppliers and retailers both in the US and internationally. So unfortunately, we do not do direct business with the general consumer base. And since all of our retailers are independently owned and operated we do not have insight to their specific inventory.

We are the US distributor of the Birkenstock Classic Brand only.

We no longer carry or represent Birki’s, Footprints, Tatami, Alpro, Papillio and Betula.

For more information on those lines of Bikenstock, please contact the appropriate distributor…

Tatami / Newalk / Footprints :

Web :http://www.tatami.com/tatami_usa.html

Email: info@tatamiinc.com

311 Broadway

New York, NY 10007

Tel : 1-888-828-2641

Tel : 1-212-566-8468

Birki’s / Alpro

1425 North McDowell Blvd, Suite 215

Petaluma, CA 94954

Phone : 1-707-795-2475

Fax : 1-707-795-2479

Email : usa@birki.com mailto:usa@birki.com

Website :http://www.birki.us

Papillio

PAPILLIO USA

KANNER CORPORATION

phone: 800 361 3466

fax : 450 625 7886

url: www.papilliousa.com http://www.papilliousa.com

e-mail: info@kannercorp.net mailto:info@kannercorp.net

LOCATING A LOCAL RETAILER

To locate an authorized Birkenstock Retailer or Repair facility please visit www.birkenstockusa.com and use the “Store Locator” link located at the top of the home page. From there you can simply enter your zip code and view the stores nearest you!

Birkenstock sandals and footwear can be repaired or modified, for various types of damage or wear and tear at different costs depending on the style.

You can call (800) 597-3338 to locate an authorized retailer/repairer in your area. Keep in mind that the 30-day guarantee only applies to Online purchases, Birkenstock retailers are independently owned and may differ in their return & exchange policies.

ONLINE SHOPPING
You can also shop online, inquire about nationwide mail-in repair, or request a mail-order catalog by contacting any of the following:

www.birkenstockcentral.com 1-800-247-5748

www.birkenstockexpress.com 1-800-451-1459

www.happyfeet.com 1-800-336-6657

For inquiries regarding exchanges/returns:

We cannot refund or exchange shoes purchased from other retailers in the US or abroad. If you wish to return them, you will need to contact the original retailer. We also do not have control over the returns policy of other retailers so are unable to influence their decisions.

SIZING AND FIT

The sizing chart can be found on the website, when you select a shoe, there will be a hyperlink that reads as follows: click here to find your size in this style.

Birkenstock offers a size conversion chart from U.S. to European sizes as a starting point to a great fit. As we cannot see your feet, we strongly recommend that you visit an authorized Birkenstock retailer to be measured and fit in different lengths and widths (regular (the widest), medium and narrow). This will allow you to compare the fit & feel to find the best size for you.

Trying your shoes on

Damages to the foot are one of the most widespread health problems of today’s population. A large portion of the symptoms are provoked by ill-fitting footwear, and so it is important that you get the correct size/fit. If you make sure you get the correct size by following our sizing guide and our fitting tips when purchasing your Birkenstocks, you will extend the life of your sandals tremendously and enjoy them a lot more. Always try on, and break in, your shoes indoors on carpet. We cannot accept shoes back that show signs of being worn.
When buying Birkenstock Footwear, please ensure that you are getting the correct length as well as the correct width. To check that you have the right size, place your heel within the heel cup (the lower part of the foot bed); your foot should fit inside the edges of the shoe with a few millimetres at the front and back of your foot. This allows for movement while walking. Your toes and heel should NOT touch the rim of your sandals while standing in them.

Regular or narrow?

Even with foot health sandals the right fit is important. Therefore the Original Birkenstock foot bed is manufactured in two widths. When purchasing your Birkenstock sandals, ensure that you get the correct width.
Birkenstocks are designed to be roomy. When you first try your sandals they might feel big. Most people are fine with a regular fitting, but if your foot moves side to side when you walk and adjusting the strap does not help, a narrow fitting may be more suitable. If you want to check the width of a pair of Birkenstocks you already own, you can tell by inspecting the foot bed where there is a small image of a foot – if it’s filled in the shoe is a narrow fitting, and if it’s an outline it’s regular.
Also all stock codes for narrow fittings end with 3.

Tips for sandals

When fitting sandals, the strap closest to your toes should fit comfortably, but not tight. The other straps should be more loosely fitting to allow your heel to lift slightly off the footbed while walking. Birkenstocks should never be worn tightly fitting.

Tips for shoes and clogs

Slip the removable footbed from the shoe. To check whether your shoe is the correct length and width, stand on the footbed and inspect the fit. Toes should not hang over the edge and the arches should follow the contours of your feet, as described above. Reinsert the footbed into the shoe.

Tips for children’s footwear

We find that most kids’ feet are best suited for the “Narrow” widths. The “Regular” sizes are best suited for wider feet. Birkenstock footwear may not be suitable for children under 3 years old.

How to break in Birkenstock footbeds

Birkenstock footwear works by supporting your arches, reducing the strain on the muscles of the foot.
When you try on your first pair of Birkenstock shoes, take time to walk around indoors and get used to them. You should break them in gradually. Your feet should fit completely inside the footbeds, with 1/8 to 1/4 inch of extra length for walking. The width should fit closely to prevent your foot slipping side to side.
If your toes have become curled from wearing tight shoes, make sure your Birkenstocks are long enough to accommodate them once they have resumed their natural shape. The Birkenstock footbed is contoured to match the shape of a healthy foot. Because few people have perfectly shaped feet, new shoes may feel “different”. The toe grips should be in the right place for your feet and some wearers find the arch support can feel prominent initially.
If you have worn high heels for years, your Achilles tendons may have contracted. Our footwear can help to restore their natural length. Birkenstock footwear is meant to be worn comfortably; the support comes from the footbed, not from tightly buckled straps. It may take several days to become used to the feeling, but your toes will soon learn to grip the footbeds as you walk. Although the footbeds may feel stiff at first, as you wear your Birkenstocks, the footbeds will become softer and more flexible. Soon your shoes will adjust to the shape of your feet, and form a truly unique fit that, properly cared for, will provide you with years of long-lasting comfort.

Best Regards,
Consumer Relations
Birkenstock Distribution, USA

Hello,
Thank you for not giving a crap about a customer.

I read your FAQ and it said nothing about my problem. I didn’t ask for a refund or repair or replacement. I asked if you wanted them back to examine them for quality control. Obviously you don’t care about quality.

Like you don’t actually read emails from customers.

A replacement is impossible because you don’t carry the same shoes anymore. Repair is impossible because the footbed is cracked and the straps are tearing. I wouldn’t ask for a refund 2 years after purchase.

So much for my Birkenstock experiment. Just for the hell of it, I’ll post this for other potential customers to review before purchase.
pb

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