I'm unsure if this is the right thread to be posting this, but has anyone tried out Vibram Five Finger shoes for running or everyday use....So far everything i've seen on people reviewing them has been positive, but I'd like some firsthand experience if anyone has any.
Insurance claim related question: I had a CAT scan done a couple months ago as a recommendation by my doctor in fear of appendicitis. I go in with a note in hand and leave, no bill, no telling of what the cost was. False alarm, just muscle pains. Month later, I get a bill for $860. Stupid me, I chose the lowest possible insurance plan this year because I never thought I'd get sick, and since I have a $1000 deductible with this plan, I'm stuck paying for the entire bill. I realize this is my own ignorance and stupidity for not reading the fine prints and asking the right questions, but here I am, stuck with this bill. Some people has advised me to call my insurance company and scream and haggle until they pay for it. Does this actually work? Does insurance company have souls? Or am I just wasting my time here.
I don't work directly in insurance claims so I can't say for certain, but I would be utterly shocked if calling and complaining works for you. You're paying a premium based on your coverage level, they're not 'soulless' for properly administering the plan you signed up for. One caveat to this is if you are within 30 days of enrolling in your plan you may be able to retroactively choose a different plan and have the claim reprocessed. Also, if the doctor is in your carrier's network they may have a negotiated price for the service and you might be able to knock about $100 off the bill, this is certainly not a guarantee though. Lastly, you could try to work something out with the doctor, after all he's the one that's charging you the fee, not your insurance company. Good luck though, it fucking sucks that they don't properly educate young people on the impact of what health-care plan they choose.
I have a pair that I wear everyday to the gym - I use them on the aerobic machines as well as for lifting. I love them - they look funny, but they are just like being barefoot. My daughter has a pair as well and she wears them all the time - she runs in them and wears them for everyday use as well. The sizes run a little funny so I ordered to different sizes and returned the ones that didn't fit. They are definitely worth a try.
I'm interested in trying these out as well since I already squat and deadlift barefoot and love it, but I'm a little reluctant since I do most of my running on a mountain carriage path which has bigger, sharper and more sparsely placed rocks than most gravel driveways. Basically, how hard is the bottom of the VFF? Would you say it's enough for an average person to run around comfortably on a gravel driveway?
I wear the KSO which wouldn't be a problem at all running on gravel - they do make a KSO Trek which is designed for trail running. It has a heavier sole - the upper on the KSO is a nylon mesh which I like because it breathes nicely, the upper on the Trek version is made of kangaroo leather - I'm not sure how well that would breathe. I'm afraid it might be too hot for inside use. Don't forget that you don't wear socks with these things so they need to be washed frequently, I'm not sure how well the leather would wash up.
TEXAS! My girlfriend and I are seriously considering a move to Texas after I graduate in a few years. We haven’t settled on a location but we have narrowed it to Dallas Fort Worth, Austin, and Huston. She graduated already and manages a large department store, and I will be seeking a career in Finance (stock broking). For all of you who live or have lived out there what are the pros, cons, and things we should know/expect. We were both born and raised in the Northern California Bay Area, I just got out of the Army and she has attended UNL (Nebraska). So we know there is more out there than Cali. We have decided the price of real estate in California is not worth it, and we would rather have a house paid off in 10 years rather than 30, by making the same monthly mortgage payment that we would be making anyways for comparable square footage in CA.
A few quick things off the top of my head: 1. Don't forget that TX has no state income tax. Not paying state income tax makes a considerable difference in actual take home pay compared to making the same salary in another state. 2. Houston will be horribly humid all summer long. All three places will be hot, but Houston will be the most miserably humid. 3. Austin has the worst traffic of all 3. Austin is the worst city I've ever driven in, period. LA is a breeze compared to Austin rush hour. Feel free to PM me for other info, I know mostly about DFW, but travel to Austin and Houston for work fairly regularly.
My wife and I have been through hell in the past few days while trying to adopt, and we really need some help. Basically, the adoption agency didn't file the necessary documents after they instructed us to fly out to Houston, TX. While out there, none of the paperwork was in order, they weren't returning our calls, and we were told to fly back out in two weeks. Now, they want to hold our money we had wired them ($27,000) saying they're going to return only a portion due to attorney fees and that we had terminated the adoption. We spoke with said attorney, and he had mentioned nothing had been done on the agency's end. We are already going to speak with the attorney general, notify the BBB, among other media outlets. Anyone with legal or adoption experience, I'm begging you for help.
Ok so my limewire needed an update and now it's refusing to work for me. Won't download the update. Refuses. I need a p2p file sharing program, really just for music. Someone got a suggestion? Thanks in advance!
AHHHHHH! I've uninstalled limewire and now I can't download .exe. All downloads cancel. I'm going to get a hammer very soon. Someone much smarter than me please help. I updated Firefox and still no go.
The tech section is a much better place for this question. It's not going to get the visibility here of all the people who might have input. Limewire is absolutely RIFE with viruses. My guess is you've caught one and it's causing your download problems. Have you tried downloading files with other browsers than the one you have installed right now? Internet Explorer is probably already installed on your system, so try it. Or download Google Chrome on a friend's computer and transfer it with a thumb drive. If you are still having trouble, get on a friend's computer and go to <a class="postlink" href="http://www.malwarebytes.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.malwarebytes.org</a> and download the Anti-Malware program there. Load it on your computer with a USB drive and run it.
Does anybody know if you can watch the world cup games online? I want to watch the US game tomorrow but I'll be on a bus during half of the game, but it will have wifi. I know the march madness games were streamed online, so I figure the world cup games are somewhere as well.
Go to espn3.com. Click the 'watch now' in the upper right corner. It gives you the option of choosing your cable/sat TV/ISP provider and signing into your account with them through their website (I guess as a sort of authentication process). Then you can stream the game live*. It's literally the only good thing that Comcast has ever done for me. *Though, unless that bus of yours is sporting tons of bandwidth, the game will lag like crazy and you'll be better off listening to the audio broadcast online.
Our DVD player in the family room finally bit the dust after 10+ years, so I suppose it's time to move up in technology and get with the whole Blu-Ray thing, so I'm looking for suggestions. I took a quick glance at one of the electronics store ads in the paper this morning and saw a Samsung (a brand I prefer--I LOVE my Samsung HDTV in the bedroom) advertised with bulletpoints referring to networking and a bunch of other stuff that made me numb (a technical savant I am not if you couldn't tell) for $350. What should I be looking for? What should I stay away from? What does $350-500 get me? It'll be connected to a 1080i HDTV and 5.1 surround sound system. Input and suggestions are appreciated.
I have both a Samsung Blu-ray and a Oppo Digital Blu-ray. I use the Samsung for the bedroom and for the main system I use the Oppo. Oppo is an internet direct company so you get more features for less money cutting out the middle man. Also the Oppo is a truly universal player. It play CD's, SACD's, Blu-ray, DVD's, and a handful of other formats. So far I have been very pleased with it. Don't get me wrong the Samsung works just fine, but is no where near the audio quality that the Oppo has. http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83/
Looking for good golf courses in and around the Philadelphia area. My brother and I are going to buy my dad a round of golf for Father's Day. Any and all recommendations are appreciated.
Short version: Heart rate monitors? I like Garmin FR60. Good model? Any comparable in other brands or better from Garmin? No need for GPS, but want ability for running, cycling and swimming. This guys review is awesome and it hits all needs, but want to make sure nothing better is out there. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/02/garmin-fr60-review-in-depth.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/02/garm ... depth.html</a> Long version because I'm a long winded bastard: Spoiler Heart Rate Monitors. Anybody have extensive knowledge in this area? I am looking at getting one and need some help. Too many companies and too many models. I'm looking at Garmin FR60. I don't need GPS. I want HR, ability to use while running on treadmill and outdoors, ie. footpod, ability to use while cycling, ie. cadence attachment, ability to wear while swimming. This model does all that, but I want to make sure I'm not overlooking a comparable model either from Garmin or say, Polar or Suunto or Timex, etc. Prior to my heart attack, my runs were 4-6 miles, rides were 30-50 miles and my swims were in the 800-1000 m range. Yeah, have a couple very minor underlying problems and a day that's too hot, you unfortunately are severely dehydrated regardless of liquid intake and you go for 3 1/2 hours......heart attack, even with a serious base of fitness. Perfect storm, but who cares, I'm on the road back and want to be where I was at only better in as quick and safe a time as possible. This device is key in my mind. The only way I can get back to a decent level within all disciplines, my only option is HRM training and want the versatility. The trainers at my cardiac rehab facility haven't been any help as they surprisingly have no deep knowledge or opinions other than, "Who cares as long as it gives you your HR." Yeah, true but it can go a little further than that. Thanks in advance for any and all help.
For anyone else looking for this, univision.com has all the games live if you can deal with spanish commentary. My company has just about all video content on the internet blocked but I am somehow able to stream it during the day no problem.