The most fundamental principle of meditation is to unstress and step away from the static of both the external world and the “barking dog” of our own internal mental chatter. Using a device-based program with audio playing is still missing the ultimate point of disconnecting. Yeah, sure, “everyone meditates in their…

Come on - planks...?! I guarantee nobody did enough pull ups back in January. Look around your average gym and note how many people can plank and then how many CAN’T do pull ups. Raise the bar on these challenges!

Here’s the cold, hard fact of the matter: The most effective (and also most frustrating strategy at first) is simply to build up your strength by using proper form and doing partials from a dead-hang until you’re able to do one clean rep. Out of all the suggestions above, scap-pullups (or scap shrugs, as I call them)…

An important consideration - to me, at least, as a runner - is the intersection at which efficiency and artificial assistance meet. In other words, at what point do the elements in a shoe, such as a ton of springy foam and a kind of rebound plate in the sole, constitute....well, cheating? How much assistance can a…

Been doing this for years in single-serving portions, but in a different baking vessel. Never liked cake pans when cooking anything with oil & fats, so instead I use a vintage Corningware “Spice of Life” 1qt roasting dish and toaster oven. Amazingly versatile option for anything from roasted veggie medley that can…

It’s a cool idea, and logical, as any other filtration system adds bulk to a pack, which is particularly a concern for backpackers doing real distance. But at $200, that’s a hefty price for convenience, when you could simply bring a squeezable filter bottle and spend the extra 60seconds using it to fill your hydro…

It’s a cool idea, and logical, as any other filtration system adds bulk to a pack, which is particularly a concern…

It’s a nice starter kit, but I’m immediately gazing at a few gaping holes in this arsenal. First, garlic powder. Sure, fresh garlic is cheap, superior, and relatively easy to use, but in a pinch (if you run out of garlic cloves), having some garlic powder on hand can save the day for countless recipes. If blended…

Love the idea, but my first reaction was worrying about the relative durability of standard mason jars for baking, as they’re not really designed for that. Sure, you can pressure can with them, and they endure heat, but baking is different. Pyrex is much better for baking (wish they made pyrex mason jars). Just…

The study, when scrutinized closely, doesn’t really offer compelling evidence of overwhelming and significant change in consumption. And their characterization of it as “the largest study” is relative and misleading, since it included less than 900 people. Considering the vast range of lifestyles, personality types,…

I’m sorry.... $86 for a bloody wall-clock...because it’s LED????? Does it provide complimentary reach-arounds, or some other useful feature that my phone can’t do?

I’m sorry.... $86 for a bloody wall-clock...because it’s LED????? Does it provide complimentary reach-arounds, or…

This is yet further evidence to support my feeling that the human race will be destroyed, not by war, famine, disease, or aliens, but simply by willful ignorance run amok in the atrophied minds of some none-too-distant future generation who’ve surrendered their capacity for critical thought to some fucking App, or…

Yeah, so....no, definitely no on this one. If you can’t successfully clean the lid of your food processor, maybe just stick to ordering take-out. A simple bristle brush does the job fine. And the water-waste vs. plastic wrap waste argument isn’t even valid. That saran-wrap will basically sit in a landfill forever - or…

Gotta agree with the rest on this one - seems like a bit of effort just to end up with compressed paper. I don’t have a syringe around the house, either. But like everyone, I do have an endless supply of dryer lint, scrap paper, cottonballs, etc, etc. When the “hack” takes more time than the regular method, it’s not a…

A good alternative is a hanging L-sit, using a pull-up bar. It can be a little easier on the shoulders (for some folks), and can help beginners build up to a strict 90degree “L” hold. But it also offers the progression of an L-sit pullup, which is full body engagement.

Osprey has always made very attractive and, as I’m told, comfortable packs. Their suspension systems are known to distribute weight very effectively. But the drawback is their own base-weight. 4 lbs is a LOT of material to tote around for a 55-L pack, when you consider that most Granite Gear packs (which are the…

Ok, they’re cool and all, but... I’ve yet to see anything in these or any other high-end fit gear that warrants $70 for a pair of workout shorts, particularly when I can buy a nearly identical item at certain big chain stores for about $18. Just saying, this whole thing of insane mark ups on fitness apparel is absurd.

Ok, they’re cool and all, but... I’ve yet to see anything in these or any other high-end fit gear that warrants $70…