Intro to Sous Vide

About a year ago, I saw an article about an interesting Kickstarter project for a sous vide circulator by Sansaire.  At that point, I had never heard of sous vide and it's possible I had not heard of Kickstarter, either.  The only thing I understood is that cooking sous vide would allow me to cook a steak that was perfectly medium rare from end to end.  This was the sales image that made me want to explore sous vide circulators:

So, sure, this isn't exactly a fair comparison, since we can all agree the steak on the right wasn't cooked by a particularly masterful chef, but the point remains that it's hard for me to get a totally even texture and temperature in my steaks.  They're often more well-done on the outside or on the ends.  The more reviews I read about how easy sous vide circulators were to use and how amazing meat tastes when cooked sous vide, the more I wanted to give this thing a shot.

(Plus, if you know me at all by now, you know I'm a sucker for interesting kitchen gadgets.  My pressure cooker is still the MVP of my kitchen, years later.)

The other week, I decided to take the plunge.  I had decided on the Anova sous vide circulator (it seems like the choice is either Anova or Sansaire) and was about to use my Amazon.com points to buy this one, when I did a bit more googling and realized that Anova has a new sous vide circulator model with bluetooth connectivity, and it's about $25 less than Amazon if you purchase directly from Anova's page.  I found a coupon for another $25 off at Anova so that sealed the deal.

(I liked the idea of getting a circulator instead of a fixed sous vide oven, since a circulator allows you to turn any basin into a sous vide oven.  So if you have thirty pounds of beef to cook, stick it in a huge rubbermaid bin, stick the sous vide circulator in there, and you're all set.  When will I ever cook that much beef?  Probably never.  But I COULD.)

My initial experience with the Anova was mixed.  I was excited to try the bluetooth connectivity features, which allow you to control the temperature of the water from your phone, make your circulator follow recipes from Anova's app, and alerts you when the water is ready:

But, what I learned the hard way while trying to cook a corned beef brisket for ten hours:  if you walk away from your Anova such that the bluetooth is disconnected, the device TURNS OFF.  And STOPS COOKING your food.  (As in, you arrive home after being gone five hours only to realize that your corned beef has been NOT cooking for all that time and you're having people over for dinner in two hours.  Luckily, I dumped it in the pressure cooker with some sauteed onions and water for an hour and a half and it came out GREAT.  Best corned beef I've ever had, in fact.  Not sure if the pressure cooker or the sous vide is to thank for that one.)

So, basically, the bluetooth feature is useless as far as I can tell.

(No pictures of the corned beef because it was immediately devoured.)

Last night, I gave the sous vide a try with steak.  I had a big win at work and decided to treat myself to a fancy ribeye (my favorite cut of steak).  I had a community meeting to attend around dinnertime, so I rubbed the steak with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and a little butter. 

 Then I sealed it in a ziploc bag, dropped it in a 130 degree water bath, and went on my way.

 

It's only supposed to cook for an hour at that temperature, but I didn't get back to my house for almost three hours.  I'd read that keeping a steak in the water bath for longer than an hour wouldn't hurt it, since it would not exceed the 130 degree temperature of the water...so I figured I'd test that feature?

Once I got home, I seared the steak for a few seconds on each side:

And you guys, it came out perfectly:

I mean, LOOK AT THIS:

So, overall, I'm pretty pleased with the sous vide so far.  The bluetooth technology is just for show, but the implement itself seems to do a GREAT job with meat.  I'm going to try fish and eggs in the next week or so...I'll let you know how that goes.

Have any of you tried cooking sous vide before?  What did you think?

 





Firmoo Sale!

Hi blogosphere!  As we rev up for Black Friday, I owe Firmoo a post about their online glasses service.  They sent me a pair of glasses last month and I promised them a post, so here it is!  I'll put up a substantive post shortly; I have a BIG update for you.

In any case, onward with the quasi-shilling...("quasi" because I do actually use/like Firmoo even when they are not sending me free glasses)

A couple of years ago, Firmoo contacted me about trying their products, and I've been a loyal customer of Asian prescription glasses websites, including Firmoo, ever since.  If you haven't tried these sites, check out my 2012 post about the process of ordering from Firmoo here.  Ordering is easy, delivery is fairly speedy, and the selection of frames is pretty fantastic.  I've never tried the returns process, but the last pair of lenses I received from Firmoo appeared to have some issue with the pupillary distance and Firmoo CS was all over the problem with offers to figure out where the Rx process went wrong.  I also got my sister hooked on Firmoo and she has accessorized herself since then with tons of hipster pairs of glasses on a student budget.

Anyhoo, Firmoo is having a Black Friday sale (as my sister eagerly told me yesterday), so now might be a good time to experiment!

There appear to be a bunch of screaming deals, such as these for $10 after the discount:

Or these, $5 after the discount....

Incidentally, there seems to be a little turf war happening between the cheap online glasses retailers.  I don't have a favorite --- whoever has my favorite style at the moment will get my business.  Have you guys tried these websites?  What do you think?

 

FYI

Just so you know...

 

This product:

 

 

...is delicious. It tastes like a delightful piña colada.

 

However, the color is a little bit...how shall I say...off-putting.

 

 

If you can manage to drink this without thinking about urine samples, then I highly recommend it!

 

How was everyone's weekend?

 

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Friday Funday: Nice Jewish Guys Calendar Review and Giveaway!

I get a decent number of emails each week from advertisers asking me to blog about their website or their product.  Almost all of these requests I turn down.  (See, e.g., a series of websites offering me free money to buy whatever I wanted, but with absolutely horrific clothing and jewelry for sale, including items with names resembling, "Rasta harem dropcrotch pant crop hippie boho patterned bottoms.")  Some of these requests, I wish I'd turned down.  (I'm currently staring at a packet of gummy vitamins (I love gummy vitamins) that, based on the information on the package, I fear will give me explosive poops.  But I'm morally bound to try them and perhaps endure explosive poops for you, my readers.)

However, I recently received a product review request that sent me over the moon with happiness.

Remember three years ago, I told you guys about a "Nice Jewish Guys" calendar featuring --- you guessed it --- nice Jewish guys gracing each month's pages?  Back then, I thought the idea of a calendar featuring nebbishy Jewish men was an absolutely hilarious idea and a great gift for Jewish girls (or other Jewish boy-loving people) on your list.

Well, the people in charge of marketing this calendar contacted me last month and offered me a 2014 Nice Jewish Guys calendar of my very own!  Now THIS is right up my alley.

Having carefully reviewed this calendar, I can now give it my hearty endorsement.  The calendar is chock-full of awesome photos of very Jewish-looking guys, some of whom are doing very Jewishy things.

Kristopher is responsibly paying for his parking!

Roe is holding a mother-flipping CHALLAH!

Brendan is making matzo brie like your dad used to make during Channukah!

Jason is --- posed in a very unfortunate manner, but WHO DOESN'T LOVE KOSHER HOT DOGS IN NEW YORK?

I brought this thing to my weekly poker night and it garnered rave reviews from the guys in attendance:

"Those are some Jewish-looking dudes."

"Yes, they are very Jewy."

"That's a great-looking challah."

"I can't take my eyes off that challah."

"Saddle up, Jewish ladies!  This guy likes knish."

This calendar is a laugh a minute (or, more accurately, a month), and even includes all of the Jewish holidays.  Even the obscure ones that nobody celebrates!  ("Fast of the 17th of Tammuz," anyone?)  

I even had the chance to interview one of the JDate.com-sponsored Jewish guys featured at the back of the calendar, Sam.

Here are some highlights:

How did you become involved in the Nice Jewish Guys Calendar?  What was your first thought upon learning about the calendar?

I saw the contest on JDate and talked about it with my sister and a female friend of mine.  After some encouragement from them and reading some of the other entries, I decided to submit an entry for fun.  After I was told I was selected as one of the Nice Jewish Guys of JDate, I didn’t really know what form my inclusion in the calendar would take until a friend of mine called from work saying, “I’m looking at the Nice Jewish Guys calendar with you in it!”

What makes you a "nice" Jewish guy?

Living with values and morals adopted and refined from my Jewish upbringing and military service is why those in my life consider me a “Nice Jewish Guy.”  I see myself as someone who lives a life of integrity, candor, selfless service, respect and courage – all qualities which make me stand out in the crowd.

What is your favorite Jewish food?

This question is like asking a parent to admit which child is their favorite.  Pastrami, knishes, matzoh ball soup, cholent, challah, Israeli salad and falafel are all great. However, I think that the true mark of Jewish food is the effort we put in to getting it right. I come from a family of kosher butchers so it’s no surprise that while I was stationed overseas I had hard salami and beef frye sent to me regularly. The greatest effort I’ve exerted so far was for great kosher dill pickles.  Earlier this year I tore out four trees (roots and all) from my father's backyard so that I could grow cucumbers and dill to make my own homemade dill pickles. They were not only my favorite, but the favorites of everyone who tried them.

Best Jew-y childhood memory?

I think my best Jew-y childhood memories all stem from being invited over to friends’ houses for Shabbos. Even though most of them were observant, which meant no TV and going to more services than I may have liked, I associate those memories of Shabbos with great food, acceptance and warmness, which I consider true characteristics of Judaism.

Describe your ideal woman.

My ideal woman would come in part from my interpretation of Immanuel Kant's Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime. I am in pursuit of the sublime over the beautiful. To me the sublime encompasses the truly important, lasting things such as genuine kindness, sweetness, smarts, critical thinking, affection, a nurturing demeanor and natural beauty over fleeting and superficial beauty.

What do you most wish you could change about Jewish girls?

I'd first like to say that I would never want to change anybody.  Everybody has the right to live their life the way they see fit as long it doesn't infringe on those rights of others.  In love, the right person is going to be perfect, flaws and all. 

That being said the thing I don't like about Jewish girls, or guys for that matter, are those who live up to negative Jewish stereotypes.  Despite my name, many people are surprised to find out that I'm Jewish.  I think the reason is that I don't fit many of the typical Jewish stereotypes. When a girl lives up to the negative stereotypes such as being whiny, overbearing and having a sense of entitlement like the clichés of a Jewish-American princess, I am immediately turned off.

Has your recent calendar celebrity yielded any interesting romantic offers?

Not yet.  I think the Shiksas in my life love the "celebrity" status the most.  The calendar has been a hit with family, friends, army buddies and people at the gym. When I walk into the gym I am greeted as the “Nice Jewish Guy.”  Friends have jokingly wondered how long it would take for me to be a pinup.  Every time I go to an LA Galaxy game,my season ticket holder neighbor requests a signed copy of the calendar. However, I would be surprised if the calendar "notoriety" would lead to any “interesting romantic offers,” even if it was posted at every synagogue and sent to every Jewish mother and grandmother.

What's your best Nice Jewish Guy advice for winning over Jewish mothers? 

Just be genuine and honest in addition to all the other qualities of being a nice guy.  If you have to be flashy or go on a charm offensive, it's probably not worth the effort for a number of reasons.  I have had a few instances where the parents were more charmed by me than the girl I was courting.  

I mean, TAKE A NUMBER!  AMIRIGHT, LADIES?  

Don't you just wish you could have a calendar of your very own, to love and cherish for as long as you both shall live?  (i.e., for the duration of 2014?)

Well, you CAN, because I have an extra copy to give away!

To win, leave a comment on this entry with your funniest story about dating a Nice Jewish Guy.  (You can fictionalize an account if you have no real-life experience on which to base this.)  You can also tweet about this giveaway for an extra entry.  One winner will be randomly selected, although I will post the best stories when I announce the winner next week!

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District Sample Sale Review: Almost a Complete Disappointment

There are many, many things I love about living in DC. The relaxed pace of the city, which seems to balance work life and family life better than NYC ever could (for lawyers, at least). The low height of the buildings, which allows you to see sky even in the depths of downtown. The metropolitan nature of the place, meaning that there are very few cultural phenomena you miss out on, even if NYC gets some of them first.

 

One thing I don't love? The lack of fashion culture here.

 

Now I am FAR from a fashionista. I read Atlantic-Pacific with the same sense of impossible bewilderment as the rest of us pleebs. But I enjoy a good sale as much as the next gal, and I miss being able to check RackedNY's list of sample sales on any given day and find something more or less interesting.

 

That feeling of loss is part of what motivated me to try out District Sample Sale, despite the following misgivings:

 

* The sale did not feature brands, but rather DC-area boutiques, only a few of which I'd ever heard of.

* The sale cost $40 TO GET IN.

 

These misgivings were eventually overcome partially by the fact that I missed going to sample sales, but mostly by the fact that there would be cupcakes.

 

FWIW, Georgetown Cupcakes are tasty, but extraordinarily overhyped.

 

So I ponied up the $40 and checked out the scene with a good friend of mine. This year's event was held at a building called the Sphynx club (where, incidentally, my boyfriend ran a charity poker tournament last year). I found the line to get in to be calm, well-organized, and short. The layout of the vendors inside was impressive:

 

 

The food offerings were also impressive. For your $40 ticket price, you could sample small bites from a bunch of excellent local restaurants. Some of the items up for grabs included a mushroom gnocci, several varieties of gazpacho, a delightful english pea soup, crab sandwiches, and a seasonal cocktail made with apples and squash.

 

Cocktail by Federal. They torched the rosemary. TORCHED it.

 

I started with the food. While I doubted I would make up my $40 ticket price in clothing savings, I figured I could throw down at least $20 in appetizers. Also, there was a bar in the back of the venue offering wine and a few cocktails, but everything used "Skinnygirl" alcohol products which I think kind of suck? Am I wrong? Did you know Skinnygirl makes wine, too? Why would you skinnify wine? I feel like this is a step too far.

 

The salmon had some kind of tequila-type glaze. Tasty.

 

Upon descending into the madness of the actual sample sale, I immediately felt discouraged. None of the prices before my eyes were particularly startling...most things worth buying seemed to be about 50-60% off of already pretty expensive prices. Lots of $100-$150 dresses, etc.

 

Case in point: This necklace, advertised as "unique" and "marked down" to $40, sells at Eastern Market for $15 (and you can negotiate down to $12 or $10). Dissappointing.

 

I mentally gave up on the clothes and sat down at a chair in the back to get free hairstyling:

 

My instruction was to make it look like Michelle Williams' Louis Vuitton campaign. It ultimately looked nothing like that.

 

Ultimately, my friend found a cute chartreuse fabric purse with a blue lobster on it for $25, and I bought a scarf and a $65 necklace, mostly out of desperation but also because the necklace is very pretty and consists of real pearls/turquoise, somewhat justifying the price.

 

 

Overall, I am not sure if I got my $40 worth at this event. I probably did, but only if you add it up as follows:

 

$12 worth of booze (I'm not a heavy drinker, plus it was hard to hold wine glasses while shopping)

+ $10 worth of food ([wo]man cannot live on small bites alone)

+ $10 worth of a blowout (of course, this would have cost more than that if I'd gone to a salon, but I would not have been going to a salon so it's not really money saved)

+ $0 in discounts (although the necklace was theoretically reduced in price from "retail," I have my doubts that this piece ever went for $130, as it was sold by the same vendors as the above-posted-$40-Eastern-Market-necklace. Had I nabbed some kind of a deal beyond an ordinary sale price, I would have put that amount here

= $32, plus probably a movie-ticket's worth of fun with a friend, so that comes out to about $40.

 

Of course, you could always point out that I definitely spent some money I otherwise would not have spent had I not attended this event (on the necklace and a scarf), so what I'm saying is I have no idea how I come out on whether the sample sale was worth it.

Would I attend this event next year? Possibly. It is a decently fun girl's night out and I think I can deduct the cost of entry as a charitable donation (proceeds went to charity, after all). As long as you don't go with the intention of scoring OMGAMAZINGDEALS then it will probably be a few hours interestingly-, if not well-, spent.

 

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The Newest Member of the [Bag] Family

If you couldn't tell from the, oh, SEVEN MILLION bags I have purchased in the last month, I'm going through a bit of a bag phase. At some point perhaps I will document the bag binge I went on this month, but I'm not sure I want photographic evidence.

In any case, I visited an outlet mall this weekend with the intention of ridding myself of a Cole Haan gift certificate* that's been burning a hole in my pocket for about a year. Is anyone else like this with gift certificates? Sometimes I worry that if I don't just force myself to spend it, I will forget about it and it will expire. (This is of particular concern for stores I don't shop at as much, like Cole Haan.)

* I got the gift certificate after complaining to Cole Haan customer service that a bag I'd purchased at the outlets a year prior had become faded/discolored on only one panel. To Cole Haan's credit, they let me send the bag back, they inspected it and determined it was defective, and then gave me a gift card for the purchase price, even without a receipt. Even more, the gift card was good not only at outlets, but also online and in retail stores. Things like this make me much more likely to continue shopping a brand, so thanks for that, Cole Haan.

Sad; the bag had such promise.

Anyway, here's one of the things I got with the gift card:

The Cole Haan Haven Tote (available here in yellow for $119 (affiliate link) or here in mint for $160)

Things I was not kidding about: my love for big bags.

What I like most about this tote, aside from the great texture on the outside of the bag (the inside is rough) is that it's super smushy so it does not look too imposing from the front and it also smushes perfectly underneath/behind a second bag, if you want to use this as a gym bag/lunch bag/secondary bag of whatever purpose.

The added bonus is that there are these nice pockets and a key clip on the side so you don't have to fumble around for your phone or keys.

You can see the rough unfinished qualities of the interior leather here.  It doesn't bother me but if you prefer a more refined lining then give this a pass.

Anyway, it's a cute bag and it's definitely worth the "free" that I paid for it, although it's also probably worth the $125 outlet price if you're in the market for a good leather tote bag.

Google Reader Alternatives: Zite

Google Reader is being phased out on July 1, 2013.  This is the first in a series of guest posts about alternatives to Google Reader.  (Read my own post about Feedly here.)  The author of today's entry is an IRL friend of mine (from HIGH SCHOOL, no less!) named Michelle. 

If you would like to submit a post extolling the virtues of your Google reader alternative, drop me an email.

*~*~*~*

Zite, a more up-and-coming RSS reader (think Google Reader meets Flipboard), abandoned the Google Reader backend completely, rebuilding it from scratch in just six hours.  That’s dedication. Being a person who reacts to visual elements, I like the way blogs are laid out on my reader. Deciding what to read just got easier. Of course, this may end with more text-oriented bloggers seeing less traffic; but I have a strong feeling they’ll be able to adapt.  

This Google Reader alternative that intrigues me, as it claims to get “smarter” in the same way Pandora does, based on the content that you browse. You know what that means: If you’re not careful, you could end up with a section of your app filled with cat memes.

Since I work in online marketing, mine has labeled me as ridiculously geeky, and shows me things like this:

You see those little labels below each article blurb? Those are tags, and I can decide to like them (and see similar items in the future), or ignore them. I love that. What a great way to keep discovering new blogs. Show me everything about Instagram, chocolate, and how-to-almost-light-yourself-on-fire-by-attempting-Pinterest-projects please!

I know technology changes, but I’m looking to make a commitment. Switching over all of my preferences from one platform to another every time something new comes out just doesn’t feel practical. Zite is, so far, catering very well to my interest in both new content, and my old favorites. The perfect blend of trendy, and vintage. I’m sure you fashionistas understand me perfectly.

*~*~*

Michelle is a longtime blogger and owner of an internet marketing company in Miami, FL. For more about the author, visit Michelle’s technology blog or personal blog. 

Three Things (including a Lendperk review)

1.  I would like to run a post about some Google reader alternatives.  I already told you guys a bit about Feedly, which I am using exclusively right now.  Would anyone be interested in contributing a bit of content to a compilation post about alternatives to run alongside other peoples' contributions?  Your piece can be as simple or complicated as you like; I'm just looking to cover as much ground as possible!  Email me if you're interested.

2.  I am wearing my jumpsuit today.  Heck yeah.

3.  Recently, Lendperk contacted me and asked me to write a review of their dress-rental service.  I was not paid for the review, but I did receive a free dress rental.  (And you can, too!)

Lendperk is a subscription service that calls itself the "Netflix of dresses."  Essentially, the way it works is you sign up for a monthly membership in which you pay either $20 for one dress rental a month, $34 for two a month, or $49 for unlimited monthly rentals.  If you don't use your monthly rentals, they can roll over.  Then when you're ready, you browse Lendperk's selection, pick a dress and a size, and it will be shipped to you.  You use it for your month and then send it back.  Like Rent the Runway (RtR) (referral link), you don't have to worry about dry cleaning.

Lendperk features dresses from mostly-accessible brands/retailers like J.Crew, Modcloth, Anthro, and ASOS.  Lendperk is still getting its feet off the ground, so the selection of dresses and sizes is somewhat limited right now.  (That said, I noticed several new dresses have been added in the last month, so it's nice that the collection is growing.)  The J.Crew dress I'd wanted to rent was unavailable, so I went with this one from Warehouse/ASOS:

The dress arrived in a soft mailer and included a return shipping envelope.  It took a couple of days to arrive.  I didn't find the dress wrinkly, but the soft mailer delivery could create some wrinkle problems with other fabrics:

Unfortunately, I can't show you what the dress looked like on me because the dress didn't fit!  I consulted the size chart before ordering (which helpfully includes brand-specific measurements) but the fit of this dress was way off for me.  Unlike RtR, which sends you dresses in several sizes just in case you have a fit issue, I had no alternative size of this dress and ended up just dejectedly sending it back.

Pros of Lendperk:  Variety of dresses, no need to worry about dry cleaning, WAY cheaper than RtR, many dresses include a page of helpful photos of live people wearing the dress (see, e.g., here).

Cons of Lendperk:  At least some dresses are sale purchases or past-season (see, e.g., this Anthro dress, which went on sale quite a while ago), limited selection, you are out of luck if you receive the wrong size dress, featured brands/dresses generally retail/go on sale for cheap enough that I could probably buy the ones I like for close to $50.

In sum:  I love the idea of Lendperk, and I hope it gets some kind of angel funding so that it can dramatically expand the size and current-ness of its selection.  It seems like its creator, Star Li, is a bit of an entrepreneur who has started businesses in the past, and it looks like she is developing this one to grow (and possibly be sold) as well.

As it stands now, I would probably not pay for this service unless there was a particular dress I really wanted for a random occasion and I knew I wouldn't wear the dress again after that occasion.  So, for example, let's say I was going to a garden party.  It might be worth it to get the $20 plan, rent this dress, and then cancel the plan afterwards:

Since you can cancel plans at any time, it looks like you can just pay for a plan when you feel like renting a dress and then have no further obligation to pay as long as you timely cancel.  I'd probably only do this with brands I already knew my size in, since you are a bit SOL if you end up with the wrong size.

That said, I'm generally pretty unenthusiastic about dress rental services.  I'd rather put my money towards the purchase of my own dresses that are versatile enough to wear in various contexts in my life over long periods of time instead of spending money renting a dress I don't get to keep or that I know I only want to wear once anyway.  Also, I don't particularly like seeing dresses I'd passed over in the Anthro sale section available for rent.  I would prefer to see new designs that are still full-price in stores.

(Even though I'm a member of RtR, I have yet to rent a single dress from them because HTF do you justify spending $65 --- at the low end --- on a dress that you have to give back??  That's what I spend on dresses I KEEP!  And I'm not brand-conscious enough to care if I'm wearing Harve Leger to an event or whatnot.  I suppose if I needed to go to a gala where a long dress was required perhaps I'd consider it, but even then I still think I'd rather sale shop.)

Anyway, if you'd like to try Lendperk for yourself, you can sign up for a 9 day free trial, which is good for one free dress rental.  I probably won't be using this service in the future since I'd rather develop my own closet, but I do think it's a great idea that could go far with the right investors.  

I've been deleted! (a.k.a., a word novella on strict commenting policies, sponsored posts, disclosures, and discourse)

(Apologies in advance for writing you a novel.  tl;dr -- )

(source)

"Wait a minute, my comment was there a minute ago..."

I refreshed the blog post I'd commented on a few moments before over at A Practical Wedding ("APW").  Sure enough, the comment I'd posted --- after thoughtfully wording my criticism in such a way as to be reasonable but still true to my thoughts --- had vanished.

(I'm not married, nor am I engaged, but it will be my five-year anniversary with my boyfriend on Sunday and without getting into too many details about conversations occurring in my private life I will admit to reading APW and sometimes looking at sparkly things or white things, because I am a gender-conforming, red-blooded woman over here.)

So, first I'm going to tell you what happened to me on this one specific blog (APW), and then I'm going to tell you why I think this stuff matters in a broader sense.

Some background:  The post I commented on was about a new initiative by one of APW's sponsors, called "Turtle Love Company" (TLC).  TLC sells vintage and vintage-y engagement rings, along with other types of jewelry.  They seem to be a big sponsor of APW as I see TLC-sponsored posts on the website frequently.  The new initiative was called a "Dynamic Pricing Experiment," in which TLC would start listing rings at their appraised value, and then lower the price if the ring did not sell.

Now, if you couldn't tell from the name and content of this blog, I love sales.  I am all about sales.  I know a sale when I see one.  In fact, sometimes I FEEL a sale BEFORE I see one, just getting random tinglings of my Jewish Girl-sense when I am in the proximity of a sale.

And this "Dynamic Pricing Experiment" thingamajigger sounded a lot like a sale.  Exactly like a sale.  Your standard, run-of-the-mill sale.  The complicated academic name struck me as inauthentic.  So I left these comments, which were deleted a few minutes after the most recent one:

I'd heard that the moderators at APW were sometimes trigger-happy when it came to removing perceived "negative" comments, but I never imagined that  a comment I perceived to be constructive, albeit not heaping with praise, would be deleted.  I truly thought these comments were respectful and posted with only good intentions.  After all, the original TLC post said:

"then don’t forget to come back here and tell Adrianne what you think! (I’m hoping your feedback will be more helpful than my ZOMGTHISISAMAZINGILOVESALES.)"

I mean, surely my comment counts as "feedback . . . more helpful than ZOMGTHISISAMAZINGILOVESALES," right?  So why didn't the APW moderators think so?

I left another comment asking why my comment got deleted, to which Meg (the creator of APW) commented, "If you have questions about our comment policy, feel free to email us directly.  We moderate comments based on tone."  I responded that my tone was intended to be thoughtful, albeit critical and....yep, the whole thread with Meg got deleted, too.

So I went over to APW's commenting policy and read it, and you know what I found that disturbed me greatly?

"Our sponsored and partner posts are paid content from a business we’ve consciously chosen to work with. Out of respect to the business that paid for a particular post, we reserve the right to remove comments that we don’t feel are in their best interest. These sponsors and partners are how we are able to stay online. If you want to ask us about our choice to work with someone, please send us an email. APW’s mission is to promote discussion on weddings and marriage, not on the business model that allows us to facilitate those conversations." (emphasis added)

WOAH.  As far as I can tell, "best interest" can have a very broad definition, can't it?  Is a potential customer's post that the name chosen to describe a "sale" not in the "best interest" of a sponsored company? Is the post of an unsatisfied customer that the merchandise she purchased was shoddy, not as advertised, or the like not in the "best interest" of the sponsor?  Where does the interest of the consumer fit into all of this?  As a consumer, I certainly would like to know if, when reading a post written by or for a sponsored company, the comments section is being whitewashed to feature only positive commentary, even if negative commentary exists.

I'd like to say that as far as TLC is concerned, I'm impressed with the response I've received from the company about this thus far.  (I've never purchased anything from them, but theoretically one day I may ptoo ptoo.)  I emailed Adrianne (a former lawyer, like me), the head of TLC to voice my concerns.  I received very thoughtful and respectful emails from her in response, explaining a bit more about the  "dynamic pricing experiment" thing (which, FYI, still sounds like a "sale" but I could be missing a subtlety) and also noting that that she did not have control over comments being deleted and the company does welcome feedback.  It's not always easy to hear criticism so I give Adrianne credit for her reaction here.

But I do think this issue goes beyond TLC and even beyond APW.  (I've taken a day to meditate on this and think it over, so in case you couldn't tell, you are getting a much different post today than you would have gotten if I'd posted after my negative interaction with Meg yesterday.)

1.  As consumers on the internet, I think it's important that we make ourselves aware of the way in which sponsored posts and reviews are presented on the websites we frequent.  Had I not read the commenting policy on APW, for example, I might not have realized that the APW moderators had such broad criteria for deleting comments on sponsored posts.  Now that I do know, I realize I cannot rely on any of the positive feedback generated about vendors in APW posts, since I have no idea how much negative feedback is being deleted.  I would be shocked if APW is the only website "protecting" their sponsors in this way.  While I would love to place all blame on the blog with restrictive commenting policies, we maintain responsibility as consumers to make informed purchases.  What I didn't fully realize until yesterday is that part of this process of informing ourselves must also include learning about the ways in which a given blog might misrepresent the public opinion of one of its sponsors.

(source)

2.  As bloggers or publishers on the internet, we have an ethical responsibility to present as unbiased a view of "sponsored" material as possible.  I blame no blogger for wanting to feature sponsored material on her website, but with the power to promote comes the responsibility to promote responsibly.  We saw the dangers of comment over-moderation when the Anthroholic scam broke, years after it might have broken otherwise had it not been for the deletion of negative comments about Anthroholic on various Anthropologie-centric blogs, largely on her own.  For example, we have been engaging in a discussion on this blog about a blogger's responsibility in disclosing affiliate links.  My IRL-friend Michelle (who blogs herself over here) deals with FTC disclosures as part of her job and pointed out that disclosure requirements have become much more stringent this year, indicating that the FTC expects bloggers to be up-front about the way they handle sponsored content.  Disclosure of affiliate links is a separate but related issue, and I bring it up to indicate both that it's an important area for us bloggers to learn about, and that even the government has recognized the influence bloggers can have over the marketplace.  Again, with great power comes great responsibility.

(source)

FWIW, even beyond government requirements, I truly believe we have a responsibility to be honest people. (Bias alert:  I have a deeply seeded expectation that decent human beings be honest with each other.  I was the type of kid who, in elementary school, skipped a question on a quiz if I accidentally saw someone else's answer to that question, even if I knew the answer myself.)  I'm sure you've noticed that I run some sponsored content on this blog --- almost entirely, if not entirely, reviews of products I have had a chance to test --- (and I've got another sponsored post coming up in the next week), but I want to make clear that I never delete comments on these (or any) type of posts and I encourage discussion in the comments sections of my posts, even if I think that discussion is unreasonable or if I disagree with it.  I have only ever deleted a small handful of comments in the years I have been writing this blog, and those comments were either explicitly racist, violent, or sexual [as in, sexually invasive/explicit/violent] comments.  And also spam.  I delete spam.

3.  As companies sponsoring blogs, you have the power to demand that the bloggers you sponsor maintain standards for public discourse and disclosures that you can respect.  As I mentioned in #1 above, it does you no favors as a company if the blog you pay to run posts about your services deletes any potentially negative commentary as a matter of policy.  Not only does it alienate potentially well-meaning commenters (like me), but it also undermines public trust in you as a company and as a selector of blogging partners.  I know that I, for one, will look at sponsored content on websites like APW differently now that I know that anything not in the "best interest" of the sponsor will be promptly wiped away, and I know that I will be exploring the commenting/sponsorship policies of other blogs I read to make sure I know who I need to be wary of.  As a company, your advertising dollars have power.  When it comes to disclosures and open discourse on the internet and other forms of social media, your interests are aligned with consumers and blog readers:  it is in the "best interest" of both of you (assuming you are a good company with a good product) and readers that the reader/consumer has accurate information.  Use your advertising dollars to demand that the blogs you sponsor uphold higher standards of discourse and disclosure.  If they won't, don't risk your brand's reputation on someone else's lack of integrity.

Okay, novel over.  Have you ever had a comment of yours deleted before?  Ever had a negative experience after paying for services you learned about in a sponsored post?  I'd love to hear your thoughts --- all of them.  Really.  (Just not the violent, racist, or sexually violative ones.)


[FYI:  I edited this post later on March 21 to fix a few typos and add some clarifying language.]

Another Glasses Review: GlassesUSA.com

You may have noticed that I have been wearing glasses with some frequency over the last month or so.  (See, e.g., here, here, here, and here.)   While I have always worn prescription lenses, I have generally opted for contacts. Then at my annual eye exam last month, my optometrist told me that not only had my vision gotten worse, but I also had a scratched retina that would require me to wear glasses until it healed.

In the last few weeks weeks, I have rediscovered how fun it is to have a variety of frames to chose from each morning. Although I previously thought of glasses only as a necessity, I was reminded that they also function very effectively as accessories---changing an outfit, a look, a face, with hardly any effort.

Left to right: Tory Burch, Firmoo (not c/o...updated review pending) and GlassesUSA (c/o)

That's why I was so excited when GlassesUSA.com contacted me about trying out a pair of their glasses in exchange for my thoughts on their service (and for a few links in this entry, which you'll find randomly below).

GlassesUSA provided me with a modest giftcard, which I then used to pick out prescription frames of my choice. I appreciated that the review process involved going through the regular ordering system, as it allowed me to gauge the customer experience. (You may remember from my Firmoo review that I was not able to judge shipping time since I placed my order through a marketing person.)

So, here are my thoughts.


1. The Glasses Selection Process:
I was impressed with GlassesUSA's selection of frames. They have options ranging from low-end (~$40) frames to designer glasses by famous names ($150+). I loved the search filters available, which allowed you to narrow your results to frame size, shape, color, gender, and style.

They also have this fun Virtual Optician feature that allows you to take a quiz to determine your "Frame Personality":

In my dreams...

Although I don't especially like the eyeglasses associated with my assessed personality, it was still fun to take the quiz!

Incidentally, the first time I took this quiz, my result was "the Fashionista."  Just FYI.

I settled on these frames, which --- full disclosure --- I found after clicking the "Vintage/Nerdy" glasses subcategory. I KNOW I KNOW I AM ALL TEH STEREOTYPEZ.

I have no idea why these are marked $150.00 $69.00.  Is this a brand anyone has heard of?  Seeing nebulous discounts off of the "MSRP" makes me skeptical.

As you can see, the prescription glasses were $69 and it was an extra $19 for optometrist-recommended UV coating and anti-glare protection.

There are sunglass options, too, including Transitions lenses, although I thought those were cost-prohibitive at $100+.

2. The Ordering Process
Checkout was straightforward, however I was annoyed by the way GlassesUSA utilizes promo codes. Although their website advertises "free shipping both ways" at the top, in actuality you can only get free shipping with the use of a promo code. For most situations, this would not be a problem because you would simply enter a promo code at checkout (GlassesUSA seems to offer frequent promo codes with %-off and free shipping).

However, GlassesUSA's system allows you to enter only one promo code per purchase, and gift cards are counted as promo codes. So, if you get someone a GlassesUSA gift card, they will not be able to take advantage of free shipping or any of the advertised discounts. Furthermore, if one section of the website offers you a special promo, for example this one...

...you then forfeit the 50% off promo code currently available on the GlassesUSA homepage.

This is super-annoying. It would be an easy fix to allow the entry of multiple promo codes, or at the very least to categorize a gift certificate differently than a coupon code, but as of my purchase this fix had not been made.


3. Delivery
I placed my order on December 13, 2012 and my glasses arrived at my office exactly one week later.

They came with a cushy case and a handy lens-cleaning cloth.

The glasses appeared true to the description on the website. The quality was good and the plastic felt substantial.  The prescription was also very comfortable on my eyes. I don't know my pupillary distance, but the default setting of 63 worked well for me. (Note: I think it's very important that you get this number. I ordered other glasses with a lower setting from a different website and they strain my eyes more than these do.)


4. Use and Abuse
After a few weeks of wearing these guys, I'm a fan!

At the San Diego Zoo, wearing Reece Jakob 6003 Brown c/o GlassesUSA.

I have dropped them a bunch of times and they don't seem to have scratched. The lenses get dirty pretty quickly, but perhaps that comes with the territory when you're wearing big catch-all frames?

Because I liked the glasses, I didn't have a chance to test GlassesUSA's claim that you can return any pair you don't like for free.


5. Overall Conclusion
GlassesUSA offers a good selection of glasses at an "okay" price. Without discounts, their prices and frame options are comparable to what you might find at a brick & mortar eyeglass store in your neighborhood, but without the advantage of trying frames on your actual head. (Note: there IS a virtual try-on feature.) The purchase makes sense where you can use a 50% or 75%-off coupon with free shipping, which would allow you to find a bunch of nice frames under $30.

My final purchase for frames, lenses (with the $19 add-on for anti-glare and UV coating), and shipping cost $83 (which was covered by the GlassesUSA gift certificate). If that money had been coming out of my own pocket, I would have preferred to try glasses on in a store for one of those "buy two Rx frames + lenses for $100" deals eyeglasses stores sometimes offer.

However, to the extent that you can use discounts to get your frames + lenses to under $30 or $40, it seems worth the cost to buy glasses here (as long as you can get free shipping, which I didn't, and free returns, which I didn't test).


I hope this was helpful! Thanks to GlassesUSA for providing a gift certificate to the site, which made this frames/lenses purchase and subsequent review possible. The opinions expressed herein are my own.

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