Archive for July, 2010

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

e-Readers: Kindle or Nook?

July 12th, 2010 by Manda | 18 Comments | Filed in Technology

I am in the market for an e-reader.

I know, I know. When I first heard about e-readers, I was very skeptical and vowed that nothing would ever be able to replicate or replace the feeling of an actual book in hand. I still stand by that sentiment, but logically, an e-reader makes more sense in the long run, at least for me.

I travel a lot, and I always, always bring books with me. Not only do I travel, but I also move from place to place a lot. Basically, I’m almost always en route from Point A to Points B, C or D. Not having/bringing books is not an option for a bookworm like me, so I have schlepped my books to the ends of the world and back in my lifetime. However, it is not feasible for this to continue. Books are expensive (I have an aversion to libraries, but that’s a long story), books are heavy and books take up space. These are problems I’ve had with books and my lifestyle from day one.

E-readers solve most of these problems. Yes, they are expensive – certainly more expensive than any lone book. But e-reader versions of books are cheaper than print versions, and e-reader books that are in the public domain are free. They are also very light and can store over a thousand books on the device, which solves most of my book woes.

Sounds great, right? But there’s still a problem. I don’t know what type of e-reader I want. Or rather, which type of e-reader is the best fit for me.

I’ve narrowed it down to two: Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook. Both look very good. I’m leaning towards the Kindle, but I don’t really have a reason for that except that it has a longer battery life. Honestly, both look really awesome and I’m completely torn as to which one to get. If I were to get the Nook, I’d be able to get it (relatively) soon. If I were to get the Kindle, I’d be debating whether or not I should wait a little longer and see when the Kindle 3 comes out before purchasing anything, as that release ought to be soon… right?

Anyway. Kindle or Nook? Anyone have experiences, stories, etc with either, or e-readers in general, to share that would be helpful?

Tags: ,

What I’ve Learned From the 2010 World Cup

July 11th, 2010 by Manda | 7 Comments | Filed in Entertainment

Seeing as today is the 2010 World Cup final (GO NETHERLANDS!), here is a hodge-podge of what I’ve learned about soccer/fútbol and the World Cup in general from the 2010 World Cup.

  • Soccer/fútbol players must moonlight as actors, because I’ve never seen such childish, petulant drama on a sports arena. (Granted, I don’t watch a lot of sports.)
  • Speaking of drama, the French national team… a theater troupe of actors if there ever was one!
  • Vuvuzelas annoy everyone except South Africans, apparently.
  • FIFA referee calls are controversial at best, downright awful at worst.

My Brazilian soccer/fútbol player name is… MANDERTO!

This pie chart sums up the rest of my lessons from the World Cup, courtesy of Cracked:

And now, all talk of soccer will go quiet on the U.S. front until the World Cup in 2014!

Tags: ,

Waxing vs Shaving vs Epilating

July 10th, 2010 by Manda | 29 Comments | Filed in Style

When it comes to leg hair removal, I am a sufferer of the following things:

  • Sensitive skin. Like, SUPER sensitive, to the point where if I scratch my leg a rash will break out.
  • Pale, pale skin. Think blindingly white.
  • Dark, dark hair. Think jet black. 1
  • Thick and/or coarse hair. (This one is pretty self-explanatory.)

Waxing: It works okay on my legs, except I’m not willing to shell out the money needed to see a professional regularly. Therefore, my experiences with waxing are those kits designed for you to use at home that you can buy at any good drugstore. I like the longer lasting effects of waxing, but since I’m not a professional, I don’t always rip the hair out at the root, which means I don’t get to enjoy one of the best benefits of waxing.

Shaving: Shaving is just… ugh, horrible. I don’t like the cuts and nicks, I don’t like the fact that hair grows back faster and thicker and I hate the feeling of stubble on my legs. To top it all off, my legs had a tendency to break out in a rash whenever I shaved, so it was just awful all-around. I could only shave once every two weeks, tops, because of my skin’s reaction to shaving, and because the hair grew back so fast I’d only be able to wear skirts or shorts for about two days. Definitely not worth all the trouble.

Epilating: I tried out epilating for the first time several nights ago. It’s an “electrical device used to remove hair by mechanically grasping multiple hairs simultaneously and pulling them out.” Basically, it’s most similar to waxing, minus the messy wax part. Hair takes about an estimated four weeks to grow back in and you don’t need to wait for it to grow out the length that waxing requires. Because there’s no blade, there are no burns or cuts. Yeah, epilating is going to be more painful than shaving, but I have a high pain tolerance so the pain didn’t bother me. The pain is also supposed to diminish with regular epilation.

Verdict: With the help of a little witch hazel, exfoliating body scrub and moisturizer, epilating is my favorite type of hair removal (already!). The best part? You can also use it on most areas of the body that require hair removal, so I’m only going to need my epilator and nothing else. Talk about convenience and saving money2 while enjoying long-lasting hair removal!

  1. Disclaimer: I do not look like a goth, despite my pale skin and dark hair. It’s just the result of my mixed heritage and which set of genes won out over the other in the looks department! [↩]
  2. The epilator doesn’t need any replacement parts (e.g. you don’t need to replace the epilator head) so while the cost is higher up front, you save money with repeated use. No more need to shell out for professional waxing appointments, do-it-at-home wax kits, razors and/or shaving cream! [↩]

Tags:

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »