Today was a very blue day for me, as it was three years ago that I last had the honour of spending time with an outstanding kid that meant the world to me. If you happen to stumble upon this post at some point, just know that I always wonder how you’re doing, and that I wish you the utmost happiness in life; you deserve nothing but the best. Keep working hard, and use your gifts & talents to make the world a better place–doing so will make you more successful than you ever thought possible.
Aug 07 2012
Panasonic RP-HT21 Headphones
After having gone through many pairs of headphones (for use when exercising) over the past couple years, I’ve finally found a pair that can withstand a beating whilst making music sound like it should! I’ve tried using “earbuds” and other inside-the-ear headphones, but I find that they not only get to be really uncomfortable after a short period, but also that they don’t stay in my ears during high-impact workouts (like running). So instead, I’ve focused on finding the right pair of over-the-head headphones (you know, the ones that spawned the term originally ;-)). I have purchased many different brands in a couple price ranges, but one of the primary goals is to keep the cost low since they’re for working out.
I stumbled upon the Panasonic RP-HT21s on Amazon one day, and was shocked at the number of positive reviews, especially since the headphones were under $5.00 USD. For that price, what’s the harm of ordering a pair, right? Since I had to order another portable music player anyway, I threw the pair of headphones onto the order.
The first thing that I noticed about the headphones was that the sound had a lot of depth to it, which I didn’t expect from such a lightweight and inexpensive pair. The bass is powerful without being “boomy” at all, and the midtones come through nicely. From a sound standpoint, the only disappointment to me is that the high registers seem to be a bit fuzzy and shrill. As I said, though, for under $5.00 USD, one should not expect audiophile-grade sound reproduction.
The second thing that I realised is that these headphones are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. The band fit my head nicely, and situated the speaker pads in a great spot for sound fullness. Also, the band holds its form nicely, even after having gone for very long runs with them on for months. Several other pairs that I’ve had give out after a month or two, and start to slide down or backwards as I run; these haven’t at all.
If I had to find a downside to the headphones, it would be that the connection is a little finicky, but that could also be the portable music player that I purchased. If I bump the connection between the headphone jack and the music player, I may lose sound in one of the sides or the other, or the sound may just become significantly more quiet. At this stage of “testing” (and I use the term loosely), I am more likely to blame the music player than the headphones.
All and all, this is a GREAT pair of headphones for working out. The price is fantastic, the build quality is pretty high, and the sound is surprisingly good! Are you going to be blown away by the pristine clarity? No, but hopefully you realise ahead of time that these are not Sennheiser HD 800s. 🙂
Cheers,
Zach
Aug 06 2012
Kashi Cherry Dark Chocolate Chewy Granola Bar
If you keep up with my blog, you know that I really like to find new healthy snacks that taste good at the same time. Also, you’ve probably noticed that I tend to like a lot of the Kashi products, especially the snack bars. One of my absolute favourite varieties is the Cherry Dark Chocolate Chewy Granola Bar. Unfortunately, a lot of the other granola bars have too much fat in them based on their overall weight for me to justify them. The Cherry Dark Chocolate ones, though, have very little fat by comparison to overall weight, and other nutritional value:
As you can see, for only 120 calories and 2g total fat (of which 0.5g saturates), these bars have 4g of fibre and 5g of protein (meaning that ~14% of the weight of the bar is protein, and ~11.5% of the weight is fibre). With 24g of carbs, these bars are great for me to eat a little bit before going on a run. The carbs provide immediate energy, and the little bit of protein adds me along the way. Obviously, 5g of protein is not a huge amount, but it is helpful in adding to one’s overall dietary intake.
The bars have a very good taste as well. I love the combination of the slightly tart cherry and the dark chocolate. The oats are similar in taste to just about any other granola bar (except not as sweet as many of the ones from Quaker). The texture is pretty good as well. Calling the bars “chewy” doesn’t really seem right to me. I find them to be a little more firm than chewy, but at the same time, they are not like some of the bars that I’ve had which are hard enough that one has to worry about cracking a tooth.
Overall, I find these granola bars to be satisfying. Not only do they take the edge off when I’m feeling a bit hungry, but not enough so to eat a meal, but they also give me just a little fuel for some of the longer runs that I go on in the evenings after work.
Cheers,
Zach
Thought for the Moment
