Bobble Water Bottle Review

For many years I have been drinking bottled water.  I'm not sure when it started, but one day I decided tap water was not good enough.  Don't get me wrong, the water in my area is generally considered to be pretty good and plenty safe to drink.  I guess the fact that bottled water is pretty cheap when bought in bulk, it comes in convenient bottles, and it always tastes good are a few of the reasons I have been drinking bottled water.

Recently I got tired of lugging those bottles home from the store every few weeks so I looked into some alternatives.  I found that there are some reusable bottles that come with a built in filter.  I thought this might be a good option to try out.  After doing some research I found that the reviews were just so-so.  Some said it made the water better, others said it didn't really do much.  I was still interested to at least try out this option.

I had a $10 gift card to Kohls so I went in looking for one of these bottles with a filter.  They had the Bobble water bottle on sale for about $10.  Perfect, so I got it.

The bottle is clear and has a filter/cap combination along with another plastic cap to put on the top.  The filter comes in several colors.  I went with black.  According to the back there are 3 sizes: 13oz, 18.5oz, and 34oz.  I looked all over but it is not clear as to which size I got.  It does not clearly say it on the package or the bottle, but I think I got the 18.5oz.  I found this absence of information to be very odd considering this is an important thing to know.

So I got it home and tried it out.  I cleaned it first with some soap and water.  They say not to wash it in the dishwasher.  Then as recommended, I filled it up and squeezed the water out to clean the filter the first time.  The bottle is squeezable but it does take some effort to get the water out.

I decided to do a side by side test with plain tap water and water filtered from the Bobble.  With 2 glasses side by side, first I did a visual inspection.  Both appeared to have particles floating around in the water.  This could be little bubbles of air, or minerals of some kind, I don't know.  The filtered glass had slightly fewer particles visible.

Then for the taste test.  The tap water tasted pretty good.  It was drinkable, but mentally, drinking from the tap makes me think it is not as good as bottled spring water.  Next I tasted the filtered Bobble water.  It tasted very similar.  If anything, I would describe it as more "empty".  The tap seemed to have a bit more of a taste, not necessarily a bad taste, while the filtered water was a bit more bland.  Still very similar.   

As for the size and shape of the bottle, it is a bit large to carry around.  I like bottled waters from the store because their shape is great for carrying around or putting in a lunch.  This Bobble is a little too big for that.  The outside of the bottle is slick so it could be difficult to grip if it is wet.  The bottom of the bottle is contoured which gives less surface area on the bottom which may make it more likely to tip over if knocked.

Right now I plan on using the Bobble for water at home, but not on the go.  I will still use the bottled water from the store for that.  Hopefully this bottle will help cut down on costs and use of bottled water from the store.  I will report back with an update after using this water bottle for a while.

Update: 5-18-13
So I have been using the Bobble for about 2 weeks and so far I have been happy with it.  I don't know that it is making the water all that better, but it is certainly drinkable and has helped me cut down on the amount of bottled water I have been drinking from home.  I still wouldn't use it on the go because the size is too bulky, but for home use it is a good alternative.

Update: 7-13-13
2 months of using this bottle, and it is still going good.  I have gotten a lot more comfortable drinking from it.  The water tastes good and I have saved money by not having to buy the bottled water.

Update: 2-23-14
It's been about 9 months since I have been using the same filter so I decided to get a replacement. According to the package, you should actually replace it every 2 months.  First I tried going back Kohl's but apparently they do not have them in stock any more.  I had a gift credit to JCPenny so I went to check if they had them.  They did have some in stock but only in lavender color.  Not my first choice in colors, but whatever, I had the credits so I went ahead and got them. It was about $10 for 2 filters.

Upon installing the new filter, I actually kind of liked the new color.  However after using this new filter for a few weeks, I have 2 issues with it.  1. The seal does not seem to be as good.  It leaks out unless you screw it on very tightly which is very annoying when it drips on you.  2. This new filter seems to be making a hissing noise after each drink as it pulls in the air to regain it's original size.  The previous filter did not do this, at least not this much.  Other than that the new filter has been ok.

Update 11-13-15
It's hard to believe I have had this bottle for 2 and half years now. It still seems like it is new. You just have to replace the filters every once in a while, but other than that, they are easy to use and maintain. 

Update 6-9-17  
It has been 4 years and I still use the Bobble water bottle. I did notice the clear part of the bottle has started to discolor a bit towards the bottom half. Given the fact that I have been using it every day for 4 years, I'm not surprised it is showing a little wear. I may get a replacement with a new bottle.

Also, just recently I installed a faucet mounted water filter from Pur for extra filtration. You can read the review of the Pur water filter here. 

Funny Girls - Milana Vayntrub and Stevie Nelson from Live Prude Girls

I recently discovered a new pair of funny girls named Milana Vayntrub and Stevie Nelson.  They run the Youtube channel called Live Prude Girls which features the 2 of them sitting on a couch interviewing a guest, usually a fellow Youtuber or someone from tv or movies.  Their style can be described as awkward, aimed to make the guest feel uncomfortable as they tag team back and forth asking personal or controversial questions.  The girls compliment each other wonderfully as Milana plays the cute naive girl and Stevie plays the privileged no nonsense deadpan style.

Here is an example where they interview comedic Youtuber Kassem G:


In this one, they interview Bob Odenkirk from Breaking Bad:


One last quick clip from their 2nd channel LivePrudeGirls2:


This is the 4th blog article here featuring funny girls.  If you liked this one, be sure to check out the others here, here, and here. 

Best Reddit Subreddits to Subscribe to

If you are a Redditor, you know how important subreddits are.  For those who might be new to Reddit, subreddits are the different forums or groups within the website.  These forums are created by the users and can be about anything or any topic.  While Reddit starts you off with some default subscriptions to a few subreddits, they don't make it too easy to find the good ones.  Subscribing to subreddits that interest you are what will make or break your experience on the website.  Below, you will find some of the best subreddits worth checking out. 

The Basics:
/r/Pics and /r/Videos are 2 huge subreddits which are pretty self explanatory.  Images and videos are some of the staples on the internet and these 2 groups will help you find the new submissions that are popular and will probably end up being talked about among friends and end up on the news later that week.
/r/News - Pretty self explanatory. Good for staying informed on what is going on in the world.
/r/BestOf - A recap of some of the best contributions to Reddit each day.

Funny: 
/r/Funny is another huge group that is a recommended if you enjoy a quick laugh.  It mostly consists of funny pictures found on the internet. 
/r/ContagiousLaughter. Laughter is contagious and this subreddit is proof of that.  Check out the top submissions and you are sure to be cracking up in no time. 
/r/FirstWorldProblems. A fun take on the types of problems those who are privileged and seem to have it all encounter in their daily lives.
/r/MadeMeSmile - Not so much funny, but things that are sure to brighten your day. 

Interesting: 
/r/MildlyInteresting. Like the title says, these post are about things spotted that are mildly interesting and more times than not, actually very interesting. 
/r/DoesAnybodyElse. A place where people post about their unique quirks and find out if anyone else is the same way.  A fun place to discover how different or how much the same we all are.   
/r/AskReddit . Have a question or need some quick advice?  AskReddit is another huge subreddit where you can ask the community anything and get answers from other users. 
/r/iAmA is a place where people state who they are or what they do and then they answer questions that are submitted.  These can be very interesting depending on who is hosting them.  Often it is famous people or people who have interesting jobs or experiences.
/r/DataIsBeautiful Educational and interesting stats, charts, maps, and surveys.
/r/IRLEasterEggs Pictures of interesting things found creatively placed in unexpected locations. 

Helpful / Educational: 
/r/LifeProTips and /r/YouShouldKnow will give you advice on how to live better.  They provide tips that will make things easier and improve your life in ways you never expected. 
/r/TodayILearned. People learn interesting facts and things everyday.  This is the place to share and read about them. 
/r/NoStupidQuestions A lot like /r/AskReddit.
/r/Frugal is a great place to learn about how to stretch those dollars and make the most of your earnings. In times like these, everyone can use some tips on how to save money.
/r/WhatIsThisThing. Have you found something but you have no idea what it is or what it is for? This sub-reddit is for you!

Entertainment: 
/r/Documentaries is a great place to find some of the best documentary films on the web.  Sort by popularity to find the best ones and discuss them with other users in the comments section. 
/r/NetflixBestOf Recommendations and discussions for the best shows and movies on Netflix.
 /r/ListenToThis is a good place to find new music that is not popular yet.  Do you know of a great band or artist that has not made it big yet?  Share their music here. 

Other: 
/r/UpliftingNews/ - Positive news stories that are inspirational and make you feel good! A nice change of pace from what you usually see covered on the news.
/r/JusticePorn. Do you like when bad people get what they deserve?  This one is the place where justice is served.
/r/Travel Some of the best pictures from travel destinations around the world. 
/r/Technology.  Stay up to date with the newest technology related news and discussion with this one.
/r/CrazyIdeas.  They are not actually crazy, in fact, the ideas posted here are some of the most amazing ones you will find and will make you ask yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?"
/r/TIFU Stories people share about times when they messed up.
/r/InternetIsBeautiful/ - Random interesting websites that you probably have never seen or heard about before.

For a big list of subreddits sorted by subscribers and popularity, check out Reddit List.

Also check out our Funniest Stories on Reddit Post! 

Do you know of some good subreddits that are not on this list?  Share them below in the comments section. 

Thoughts on Having Kids

I'm around the age where it is acceptable to get married and have kids, but I have choose not to do either of these things. There are a few reasons why I would not want to have kids. One reasons is the enormous responsibility. Another is the unpredictability of what your child will be like. And the third reason is that life is too hard and just not good enough. I'll explain all of these reasons in detail below.

Having a kid is a big responsibility in terms of commitment and time, not to mention the financial aspect of it. When you have a child, you are pretty much saying that you are going to take care of this child and be a parent to him or her for at least the next 18 years. That is a long time! You are responsible to provide for them and make sure they have a good life as they grow up. Taking care of yourself is hard enough, but throw in another person and you are working twice as hard.

There is so much uncertainty when having a child. You don't know if it is going to be a boy or a girl. You don't know how he or she is going to turn out. You don't really know how it will affect your life if it is your first child. People assume their child will be born healthy, but many babies are born with medical problems or disabilities. As mentioned before, life is hard enough even when you don't have any significant problems to overcome, but throw in a mental or physical disability and it makes it much more difficult. You are really taking a chance and rolling the dice when you decide to have a child. You hope for the best, but you never know what you are going to get.

The last reason for not having kids is the fact that life is too hard and not good enough. This is a depressing reason but there are so many bad things and negativity in the world that it would be unfair to bring someone into it and subject them to these things. I realize this may be a controversial reason and there can be a lot of discussion about it. I think the world needs to be a better place to live and the living situation needs to be very good before deciding to bring a child into the world.

What about the flip side? One might ask, "Haven't you ever seen a baby and wished you had one of your own"? This has not happened often, but I have worked with young children in the past and it has made me consider this question. In moments like that, I have thought about what it would be like to raise a child of my own, but all things considered, I still would decide against it. I would be more willing to help someone else raise a child by assisting with babysitting. This would provide a similar experience without all the pressure and commitment of having your own child.

What are your thoughts on weather or not to have kids? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Best Youtube Channels of 2013

1. Laina the Overly Attached Girlfriend (wzr0713)
You probably recognize her from the Overlay Attached Girlfriend meme which is a screen cap of her face from one of her videos.  Laina has risen from this fame and created a great new Youtube channel.  She is very funny and smart, traits that come across in her videos which range from vlogs, to parodies, to fan challenges.  Here is one where she goes to the red carpet at the American Music Awards to try to find Justin Beiber.


2. Vitaly Pranks (VitalyzdTv)
Vitaly is one of the bravest pranksters out there who is known for pushing the envelope and creating "R Rated" pranks.  He does the kind of stuff that makes people want to beat him up before he reveals that it is all just a joke.  Sometimes people are a good sport about it and other times things get out of hand.  If you like edgy prank videos, be sure to check out this channel.  In this one, he goes around to guys saying, "Do you even lift?" implying that they need to work out.


3. Jia Jiang - Rejection Therapy (DukieAjah)
Jia Jiang is on a quest to create 100 videos featuring the concept of Rejection Therapy.  This means he goes around and asks people requests that are unusual or weird and most likely going to get rejected.  Jia films each situation and records the outcome.  Many times his odd requests are granted and he gets to experience something special. On this day, he goes to Costco and asks to speak on the intercom system which leads to an unexpected result.


4. Roman Atwood Pranks (RomanAtwood)
Like Vitaly, Roman Atwood and company are another great prank group to check out.  These guys come up with some of the best ideas that are always funny and elicit hilarious reactions from the unsuspecting targets.  In this one, they use a play on words to tell people they have a bee on them.


5. Badge of Shame - Joe Goes (BadgeofShame)
Joe from Badge of Shame goes around to conventions and different events to interview people in attendance.  His questions are funny and awkward which make them very enjoyable to watch as he interacts with the general public. Here is one where he visits Japan to interview the people and learn about the culture.


6. RossCreations
Ross from the RossCreations channel is one talented dude.  He does physical stunts, acrobatics, and does some of the most daring pranks you will see on Youtube.  If you like Vitaly's style, you will love this channel.  Here is one of his stunt/prank videos with a baseball theme.


7. Reggie Watts
One of my favorite artists and performers Reggie Watts now has his own Youtube channel and it is about time.  This guy is such an interesting character with endless amounts of talent.  It's great to see him with his own platform to share it.  Here is the first video in a series he is doing about how music can effect people.


8. Live Prude Girls
Milana and Stevie from the Live Prude Girls are some of the funniest girls on Youtube right now.  They make original sketch videos but are most famous for their awkward interview type videos where they invite guests to their house and ask them questions.  Here is one where they interview fellow Youtuber Kassem G.


9. Flula
I'm still not sure what to make of Flula Borg from the Flula channel.  He is a German now living in the US who makes music related videos and videos reflecting on American idioms and phrases.  At first I didn't know what was real and what was fake.  All I know know is that Flula is smart, talented, and very funny.  He reminds me of Ali G, who is one of my all time favorites.  In this one, he discusses the term "party pooper".


10. Whatever
 Rounding out the top ten Youtube channels of 2013 is the Whatever channel.  They do the hidden camera style pranks and social experiments like some of the other channels mentioned above.  This video is actually an extended clip from one of there videos called Staring at People.  Andrea finally met her match in this one.


If you liked these, check out the Best Youtube Channels of 2012
or the Best Youtube Channels of 2014. 

Sambazon Juice Review

I was at the store the other day and I saw a promotion where if you buy a salad, you get a free Sambazon juice.  Sambazon is one of these healthy juice blend drinks that has acai berry.  I had never tired it before and since the regular price was $3.50 for a 10oz bottle, I thought I would give it a whirl. 

They have many varieties but I decided to go with the strawberry banana.  It's 100% juice and omega 3 6 and 9.  According to the date, the shelf life is about 2 months which is not bad. As for the price, I would never pay $3.50 for a single serving of juice.  I wish these fresh juice smoothies for more affordable.  The cheapest ones are like $2.50. 

So how did it taste?  Very good!  It was like a cross between a juice and a smoothie.  Not heavy like a smoothie, but fuller than a juice.  It had a fresh taste to it and had a banana flavor mixed with berry.  There was a little bit of a grit to the texture, but that is to be expected from a blend like this. 

Overall I was very pleased with the product.  Unfortunately, the cost is out of my price range so the only time I would get it again would be another free promotion or a big discount. 

New Funny Girls - Angela Trimbur and Wendy McColm

With comedy traditionally being considered a male dominated genre, it's always nice to find funny, creative women excelling in this area.  I recently discovered a couple of talented girls on Youtube named Anglea Trimbur and Wendy McColm.  I found Angela through Kyle's channel (check him out too, he is hilarious).  She performed a song as "Juli Diamond" called Club North Pole.  I thought it was great so I did some research and found her channel.  Here is one of her videos where she and her friends have a thing for young guys... really young guys.


After checking out some of Angela's videos, I found Wendy McColm.  She also has a channel and has written, directed, and acted in many videos.   She makes odd videos with a quirky sense of humor that will either leave you laughing or asking yourself, "What did I just watch?"  Here is one where she pays tribute to the Back To The Future series.


Here is one more channel to check out that features both of these ladies as well as a few more funny women, it's called These Girls.  It again has an off beat sense of humor that your will either love or hate.  In this video, they are at a party and they see a guy they like named Dave.


If you liked these videos be sure to check out their channels for a lot more entertaining videos.