utility

Lowepro Utility Case (Black)
$49.99
I have been trying to find a way to easily carry a lot of camera equipment for quite some time. I have tried backpacks, shoulder bags, duffel bags, but none of them really worked all that well. Then I saw the Lowepro Street and Field system with completely customizable pouches, vests, belts, and accessories. It works great, you only get the pouches you need so there is no waisted space and you can organize them however you want according to how often they are used (put frequently used items in easier to access places.)

The variety alone of this system is worth the investment, but the quality and ease of use is also very high which is a big plus. You can get a case for any lens, camera body, or accessory you have. I even have cases for my cell phone and water bottle. One word of caution, be sure to measure your lens with the lens hood on backwards if you use them to make sure that the entire thing will fit into the pouch, because sometimes the lens will fit, but then the lens with the lens hood will not. I often carry 5-6 lenses, extension tubes, teleconverters, extra memory cards and batteries, and a bunch of cleaning supplies and other gadgets, which weights a ton. But when they are evenly distributed on this vest/belt Lowepro system it is actually very manageable.

The only down side is that everyone will be staring at you because you have thousands of dollars of camera equipment strapped to your body. But if you can overlook that, this is the way to go. I have used this system at many zoos without ever having problems, in fact just unzipping a single lens and switching seems safer to me than opening an entire bag of equipment every time you want to switch lenses. Many of the cases also come with a built in rain/snow cover so if the weather changes all of your equipment is not destroyed. You can also put just a few pouches on a normal belt when you are just going to take photos in the back yard or don't need to take all of your equipment, which is nice. I really can't say enough about how much easier this makes traveling with a lot of equipment, if you have been hopelessly searching for a better solution, consider this, you won't regret it.

The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World (Vintage)
$15.95
Smith is a soldier, and as such, might have been better off writing reports and op orders than an overarching book of this nature. For someone whose experiences would, I presume, give him a lot to say, he has a lot of trouble saying it in this book. There really is no real strong thesis and he makes few overt arguments in favor of hi spoint. The book rambles, moves from vignette to vignette, and never gets to the point. Bottom line--avoid.

Shun Classic U2 (Ultimate Utility) Knife
$125.00
This is my second Shun. Based on my positive experience with the Shun 8" chef's knife, I snapped up this utility knife when it appeared as a lightning deal. Yes, Shun has a reputation for being expensive, but they also have a reputation for excellence. I believe that anyone who likes to cook (even if you're not good at it), should have at least one very excellent knife. A quality knife just makes cooking a lot easier and more fun.

Shun owners know how beautiful this line of knives is, and this product is no different. With a wavy folded steel pattern across the blade and a super sharp edge, the U2 is made in Japan and comes in a long black rectangular paperboard box emblazoned with the character "Shun" in gold. The box looks refined, making it very presentable for gift-giving if you are considering a higher-price item. The knife can also be stored back in it when not in use.

The U2 is as sharp as its larger siblings. It cuts through a roll of bologna very easily, plastic wrapping and all, allowing me to make very thin slices. The sharpness cannot be overstated. I discovered that I had cut a small sliver of skin from my thumb after preparing sashimi. I was trying to slice a piece of fish in half horizontally and lightly touched the front edge against my thumb. I wasn't even aware until I went to wash my hands as there was no pain or bleeding. The rippled edge is really not suited for cutting through sashimi, however, but I did it anyway. For sashimi, you need a triangular straight-edged knife like the Wasabi by Kershaw 9-1/2-Inch Yanagiba Knife.

It is important to note that the handle is D shaped, so it is designed for right handed users. Holding it in the left hand feels awkward.

If you only have money for one Shun, I suggest a kitchen knife, like the Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife, but if you're looking for a second knife for around the table, this is an excellent choice.

Lastly, KAI USA will sharpen your knife for free for life if you send it back to them. Link is in the comments.

Norton Utilities 14.5 1-User/3PC
$49.99
My brand new laptop got the BSOD after installing and using this product. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use registry repair/clean-up/fix,etc type software.
Norton utilities ruined my once perfect laptop and symantec provided ZERO help over the situation. I was on the phone with them for over an hour, and finally the guy says "We're really not qualified to help with these types of problems" - !!!!!!!

Reviews done at PC Magazine (professional reviewers) have shown that this product provides no benefit to your PC, and may in fact actually SLOW your computer down slightly.

It's a waste of money and a gimmick product aimed at nothing but trying to make money. It provides no real benefit to your computer system and may potentially harm your computing environment.