EyeBuyDirect or ZenniOptical?

For those interested in just the meat of this, skip ahead to TL;DR. If you want to know the full story, I suggest reading the previous entry on how I fixed my glasses until I got my glasses in the mail, directly from the glorious Internet.

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In my last entry I had a pair of glasses I wore everyday for about 5 or 6 years break. I attempted to show how I went about fixing them temporarily. Turns out the method I used worked perfect for about 2 - 3 weeks. I did re-break them near the end of this time frame stumbling around half asleep after lazily trying to adjust my fan in my room, quickly toppling the fan on my already fragile glasses. Which was fine because I really had not expected them to last as long as they did anyways.

In actuality, the extent they were broken (both arms completely broken off) I would figure is unusual and probably not salvageable in most cases and a perfect example to show what may work to fix them. Since I wear glasses from the time I wake up until I go to sleep I had no other option than to make them work until I could get new ones, as they were my only pair I had.

Going and getting glasses typically isn't like pulling teeth. It is expensive though. My last pair (RIP) were in the $400 - 500 range after everything. And paying that much was not an option for me this time around. I beat around the idea of ordering them online. Usually when you go to the optometrist they charge quite a bit for the frames and lenses and your exam. After I saw how much it was to get them online I was pretty much sold. The prices they have in store are so inflated, it infuriates me. Glasses bought in store should come with a large bottle of lube, because LensCrafters is going in dry.

TL;DR

After much time invested in which companies were reputable I decided to try two different companies and see how they both compared. The companies I researched the most were EyeBuyDirect and ZenniOptical.

For the sake of this entry I will be focusing on two things. How to order glasses online from either company, and which company is the better option and why.  The processes for ordering on both sites are nearly identical. As part of the "How To" section, I will go over important key bits on how to go about ordering your first pair of glasses online.

Exam

So, you are like me and you need glasses but do not want to buy them in store. Well its pretty simple. You need to get an exam. Most people can use their family optometrist for this, although they may not be too happy if you do mention you planned on getting your glasses ordered over the Internet. They may try to push a sale or whatever they got going on at the time. Just get the exam. They will give you the prescription info and you can easily put the info in yourself to order online. If you were like me and you had not been to your optometrist in a long time and figured the price to have them do it was too much you can always get it done cheaply at any big box type store if you have that option. My exam was $57 and some change. They handed me my script for my new glasses and I was off. Easy as that. If you had an exam done in the last year you may be able to use the script from the last visit, but I would recommend just getting one done for the new ones. Its not that expensive and they may last for a very long time if maintained.

And really there is no point in paying for the expensive extra tests they try to sell either. That is unless you have a history of eye related problems or your immediate family does. If they do however see something strange during your exam and suggest an extra test to check it, take their advice. But if you have no problems then don't waste the cash.

However, one thing to keep in mind is if you have a strong Rx your prices will be higher in order to allow the lenses to be fitted properly to the frames you choose. Another important field is something called Pupillary Distance or PD. This measurement will be important for the correct fit. Make sure you know beforehand that you may need to filter your results based on this if your PD rating is a strange number.

Ordering

The ordering is much easier than I had anticipated. I thought that it was going to be a real pain to enter the info from the prescription for each pair of glasses. Truth be told its actually stupid simple. Both sites allowed for the Rx to be saved so all you have to do is pick your frames and then essentially tell it you wanted your new prescription for them. Its a simple couple clicks after you choose the frames. Its really that easy.

Shipping and Handling

Both companies offered similar rates. I used promotional codes for both (Free UV protection, % off total order, or Free Shipping) and did whatever was the cheapest. If you place a larger order from either it is going to take a bit of time for the entire order to be processed. Remember it isn't like they got your glasses sitting in a box ready to be shipped. Each pair must be made and QC checked before sent to you. Be patient!

This was hard for me because I knew I had limited time to use the pair that I had fixed. My orders took about 2 weeks to get. Maybe a bit longer. But the size of the order will change this. If you order 1 pair of glasses, then it may take less time. Both companies were comparable in the time it took from clicking purchase, and to having them on my doorstep.

If you have managed to enter everything right, and paid for your order, followed tracking, and were somewhat patient congrats. You successfully ordered your glasses online and saved hundreds of dollars. Some people are reading this and thinking "Isn't this supposed to be comparing EyeBuyDirect and ZenniOptical?"

Overall: both companies exceeded my expectations. But there are a few things to note. ZenniOptical is more expensive than the latter. I only got one pair of glasses through them and I was not disappointed. I paid about $34 without shipping for a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarer knockoffs and they were pretty nice for the amount I paid for them.

I ordered 3 pairs of glasses from EyeBuyDirect. This order took a little bit longer but I had expected that. I cant ding them for slow shipping because it still got here within a very reasonable amount of time. One pair out of my order had issues. It was not comfortable and rubbed my ear raw after wearing them all day. I went to the website to review them and found out the rating system is flawed on their site. They pretty much only post 5 star reviews, leaving critical ones out for new shoppers. After emails being sent back and forth they opted to replace them free of charge with another pair and upgraded them for my hassle. Customer service with EyeBuyDirect was awesome after I mentioned I would write the Better Business Bureau about their trickery with the rating system. I intentionally ordered cheaper glasses from them to see what the overall quality was like. And all surpassed my expectations. Glasses range from $6 - $50+. Mine were all in the $6 - $15 range. After everything I had 4 pairs from EyeBuyDirect. All for about $59 plus shipping.

All of my Rx's were correct. All came with a case and lens cloth.

Quality from both were like lighter versions of the glasses I previously owned. Think of what sunglasses feel like weight wise. They were fairly comfortable, and with each pair catered to a specific job (computer, driving, night, daytime, or intermediate use) its easy to switch out as needed.

The one thing I can say is that it sucks not being able to try them on before buying but you have to be willing to take that chance. But for the price, it is so worth it. The total price for everything was under the $170 price range for my exam and all 5 pairs of my glasses. It should be noted, I had many extras added on so this price is pretty crazy for this much worth of product.

ZenniOptical or EyeBuyDirect?

If you don't mind taking a slight chance in buying a pair of glasses you cant feel or try on beforehand this is the best way to purchase glasses. The prices they have are unbeatable from either company, but the cheapest and fairest was EyeBuyDirect. If I was wanting to get quality glasses that were a bit more expensive I would try ZenniOptical, only because the quality was slightly better than the others I had ordered. But keep in mind the one pair I got from Zenni were about double the price of my other ones from EyeBuyDirect. Not to mention EBD had pretty good customer service when I had requested an escalation to my inquiry. I had supervisors calling my personal phone to talk to me about the issues I had.

I know this was wordy, but its been weeks since I got my glasses and it was important I had a decent time testing them out. I am overall very satisfied. One thing is sure, I will never go get glasses at the brick and mortar stores ever again. When I saw I could get complete glasses for $6, I about shit myself. Thinking I could have had 83 pairs of glasses for the price of my last pair made my head spin.

Highly recommend both companies, but EyeBuyDirect has an edge with the competitive pricing and customer service.


-TSB

Alpha's and Beta's - The Confinuing Battle

A few nights ago I had the chance to see a documentary called "Mansome" (2012) which was directed by Morgan Spurlock, the dude everyone watched gorge on McDonalds until he threw up. This film touched on a few different things about how men have changed over the last few decades, and how men have essentially turned into vagina's because the modern day media has destroyed the concept and identity of the true alpha. Actually, the synopsis is "A documentary that explores the question: In the age of manscaping, metrosexuals, and grooming products galore - what does it mean to be a man?" .

In short it was completely about the material things that have changed for men over time. But it failed to deliver what most of the people feel defines a manly man. It was incomplete to be short and to the point. Without understanding what is considered manly, how can one gauge what is the opposite sociologically?

One reviewer on IMDB by the name of Steve Pulaski stated, "One topic that I desperately wish the film would've centered more on is the idea of metrosexual behavior in males and how it could quickly transcend into blatant narcissism." This is a good point. This pretty much included everyone involved in the film subject wise. They were complete narcissistic prick job, fucktards. Including the very interesting beard man.

The thesis for it was just as it said, but leaves out so much about what it actually means to be a man just in general today aside from looks. As in a role model, teacher, leader, or good person in general and how iconic men live their daily lives as a true alpha male. I think it desperately needed more time spent on what defines what a real "Man" is, and not so much about how men nowadays are sniveling pussies that get their eyebrows waxed. What happened to being a man?

"No."

The film opened up my eyes and really expressed that men today are much different than men were years ago. When drinking and beating your wife and children in public were much more socially acceptable, I hardly think a man who is classified as "metrosexual" would hold up if I had a time machine and sent them to the 1930's - 1950's. Lets just guess about this scenario and say in a bare knuckle brawl between a typical man of the day and a metro male, the pampered male would probably end up crying at some point about clothes getting dirty, and the bridge of their nose being destroyed. I cannot grasp this current trend. My guess is it lies in part of natural alpha-ness. Alpha's need no reason to understand the ways of the beta just to know how to identify it, fashion a weapon, and kill it. Therefore, the mere sight of a metrosexual beta just induces rage. This is my best educated guess though. What does TSB think makes a person alpha? Well let me touch a bit on it, but from a few areas of popular interest. This is entirely different from person to person. But TSB isnt just any person. He is a man.

 "When smoking was still pretty damn cool."

Short thoughts on things that are classified as Alpha according to TSB.

I have always enjoyed writing and reviewing beer. Beer snobbery. This magical liquid has been linked to man for centuries. It is what binds society together and makes it functional and happy. Beer is not just a drink to get drunk on, but one to behold and savor. Its an art to make it and to appreciate it. I love beer. And I think beer is an alpha facet to appreciate. Along with beer a new area of understanding is whiskey for me. Both beer and hard liquors are to be things I always link to past times of the gentleman. Not talking about drunks necessarily. They are things to be taken in moderation to be classified as alpha. Things I also slip into this category are the appreciation of fine cigars and pipe tobaccos, and also the mode of which one chooses to shave. Does this make one alpha? No. Not on its own. However, these things do help define a refined man.

Its not just pastimes or a means of one relaxes I suppose. Hobbies and life skills are pretty important to a modern day alpha. I mainly think of skills that are useful and in need like automotive repair, gardening, woodworking, smithing and welding, cooking, carpenters/construction/electrical/HVAC, or any skill to be more self sufficient fit in this area. The alpha is a learning breed that never stops at one subject but is advancing in many things over the course of time. These types of things to learn and study make a person much more important in a group. They are essential to others who need it. Think of Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation. He relies on no one else for his well being. He is a poster child for most of this already mentioned and should be a role model for future generations. Swanson is the definition of all that is alpha. He is an ideal figure to base what should be alpha male I think.

Full size available here for downloading. Print and put in your son's room for full effect.

Aside from these few short things what makes a person more alpha than beta is ultimately how he carries himself. How he promotes fairness, and honesty, and loyalty to the people he comes in contact with. How one treats others. Its about doing what is right all the time. Its about doing what is right when no one is looking. Its about being confident, and willing to fight for what is right and willing to be physical to maintain status. He is a man that is respected, a selfless leader, and entirely capable which means he is also feared among all ranked below him.

These characteristics make the difference. It literally makes all the difference. Today people are fake and counterfeit. Real people are hard to come by today, and when they are found you should hold on to them real tight. 9/10 people are people not worth keeping for the long haul I think. Men have turned into blubbering, whiny, narcissistic, useless pricks because they have devolved. Taking responsibility on ones status is solely based upon themselves. Most of the time you can do the alpha thing just by simply doing what is right. Even if it is not ideally what you would initially want to do. Being a good person leads to these other things I believe. Its harder being an alpha rather than a beta that is for sure. Its worth it. And anything worth it requires more effort.

"Beard guy seemed cool. But quickly turned out to be a douche just as much as the rest of the subjects."

This film "Mansome" is a bit of laugh but more importantly a look at where men in society have gone wrong today. It is a loosely put together film that touches on random subjects related to men and was put together in an awful manner to portray the extreme ends of male today. From a man who has a beard that runs his entire life, to a man who is addicted to fulfilling his desire to look good because of teasing in high school, it was cringe worthy most definitely more than once. They both were filled with self importance registering off the charts on the pretentious asshole scale. It should be called "The Beautiful Betas" because all of the males presented were about piss poor examples from the start. The only saving grace from this monstrosity of beta filled nonsense were the parts about Barbers. For the record, I would kick both of the aforementioned "men" in their gullets without so much as flinching if given the opportunity.

"Is that a fucking orange slice in my beer?"

Attract positive, denounce the negative. Learn to be honest. Be stern, and be fair. Be a leader and a teacher. Be a family man, and a reliable, dependable contact. Be a friend and a companion. Be feared when confronted, be a force to be reckoned with when applicable and necessary. Be a figure for other children and young men to look up to as an ideal example of what being a man encompasses.Take the wheel and direct your life in the path you want to and stop waiting for things to come your way by some cosmic force. Its time for change. Its time for boys to turn into men again. Its way overdue. This current fad trending with only physical importance and lack of character, needs to die and go away never to return again.

Check out Mansome. Its a watch atleast once film. Although this film could only rate a strong 5/10 on my scale of greatness, (and I am being generous considering the amount of beta involved) it is worth seeing to use as a tool to identify the characters to avoid in life's daily endeavors.

-TSB




Links:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294729/

http://www.artofmanliness.com/

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-an-alpha-male.htm

Firearm Q and A - Questions From the Interwebs.

Today I asked a group of people randomly found on the internet to openly ask  me any questions they had about a daily CCW carrier. Out of the barrage of questions (had a few hundred posts), some were worth noting here in an entry. The format was open forum, anyone could post whatever they wanted anonymously without having issue or worry. Some have been corrected for spelling and grammar.

It went as follows:

Question:

What kind of gun and what kind of caliber, discrete holster or open carry? Hip, thigh, shoulder, or ankle Holster?

TSB:

I suggest anything that is .380 or larger for a few different reasons. I personally prefer 9mm myself but I would not denounce anyone for carrying a .380 (summer comfort carry usually) or even a .22 for self defense. Do I prefer .22 for self defense, no. 9mm is the smallest I go if I have the option. A CCW means discrete. Open carry is not an option for my EDC. I prefer a nice leather inside the waist band option (IWB) and I have been using a small of back (SOB) for my frame. I use a Tagua if interested and it's a very nice holster. Only drawback is you may have issues bending over or squatting in public because with larger framed pistols it may print or pop out if not careful. Its called concealed carry for a reason. The other styles pose obvious problems if you think about it. Especially with shoulder holsters and ankle holsters. Shoulder holsters require constant adjustment. And not only this they are expensive, and point the firearm in a dangerous direction at nearly all times. Also, you have to wear a jacket with them and this would not work in the summer. Ankle holster pose another problem. If you needed to get to it, you would have to be leaning down and nearly tying your shoe to reach it. This is not effective as a main carry. For a backup, I would suggest it as a last resort carry.

Q:

Why are you such a tool? I hate to generalize but I never met a guy who carried a gun and was not a complete ass hat.


TSB:

I find this hard to believe since most CCW holders do not announce they are carrying. The general population that are CCW holders are strictly discrete carriers. Chances are you have met many people that are abnormally nice that are just so happening to be carrying firearms and you never knew it. As with any group, there are always going to be douches that represent a bad portion of an awesome group of people. This is no exception.

"This is not your typical CCW carrier, I promise. He has a record I am sure of it."

Q:

How small is your penis?

TSB:

I do not carry a .50 AE pistol to compensate for anything lost in the nether region.

Q:

What are you afraid of?

TSB:

Not much really. I carry as a sense of security knowing that if anything were to happen I would have the option to protect myself and my loved ones and complete strangers in the worst of situations. I live not in fear but in confidence of my training. Its a comfort and a privilege to do so.

"WHUAAAAAAAAA?!"

Q:

Do you carry with one in the chamber?

TSB:

Yes, I carry with one in the chamber. I also do not have a safety on my primary carry firearm. Some people do not like the idea of carrying a firearm with a round chambered for different reasons. One is the accidental discharge myth which I can debunk. In a proper fitting holster, a firearm will not discharge on its own without the aid of an outside force, such as a finger inside of the trigger guard. The triggers are recessed and a proper fitting holster covers the entire trigger guard making accidental discharge nearly impossible. In order to be ready for a scenario you do not have time to charge a weapon most of the time. You will lose the chance to act out of surprise. Carrying with one in the chamber closes the gap of safe to engage, not safe to engage. Some carry with safety on. That is okay if you have been trained to deal with it. Glocks do not have safeties and its for a logical reason. Safeties in the heat of engagement can get you killed. I have never been hot on using safeties for this exact reason, but my lifestyle allows me to do this. I also do not own a Glock.

Q:

Now what do you do if said robber breaks in when you are at work, or on vacation. Your gun will do jack shit.

TSB:

According the the company I work for, the right to carry does not transfer to the employees. Patrons inside our premise can carry though. So at work, I do not carry although my General Manager said if it was up to him, I would be carrying every day there. But this does not mean I am unarmed completely. I carry a work knife that would be suitable for self defense in some scenarios. By policy, if I was robbed whilst working I would have to do whatever they wanted. If my life was in danger I cant say exactly how I would react. But I can mention that utilizing my work knife would be part of it. I have learned a bit about disarming a violent person with a handgun and can say in confidence it would be hard to fire a weapon with a broken pointer finger. On vacation, nothing would change. My CCW routine would remain as long as the laws allow me to travel with it there. I wont go to California or Illinois anytime soon. So I don't have to worry much about that.

Q:

Would something like the Taurus Public Defender be a good home defense weapon?

TSB:

Anything is better than nothing. A pistol like that would be suitable for most jobs presented to it. Options for .45 and .410 is a great option and you can use it to your advantage. Alternating rounds .45 - .410 - .45 etc can help is making sure you hit your target, whatever it is. For carrying in public it would be difficult for most, but for larger framed men it wouldn't be much of an issue. And also, revolvers have little problems when firing. Less failing to fires, and better for loading and forgetting. You can store a loaded revolver for years and not worry about if its going to operate. Revolvers are great. Don't let anyone tell you differently.


Q:

Do you think it would ever be possible in the US to restrict gun ownership in ways that made it difficult for criminals to get them? Or would that require changing the 2nd Amendment, and leave guns in the hands of criminals anyway?

TSB:

In short, no. I do not think that restrictions will change anything. Bad people tend to get guns by doing illegal things anyways. If you restrict, the majority of law abiding citizens are affected in more ways than criminals. Criminal types will always just steal guns. Its one of the biggest worries and obligations of being a responsible gun owner is securing them so they do not GET stolen and used in a crime. Its sad. There is no simple way to do it though. And if there is, it isn't in my own knowledge bank now.

Q:

 What is a good home defense option?

TSB:

I prefer a 12g pump shotgun, with a 18.5 inch barrel. There is much debate over what load to use in it, but I say "Where do you live, what is your scenario" before choosing. For apartment dwellers, condos, and town houses, you live in close proximity to other neighbors. Trailers could be included in this too. You could use bird shot and not worry too much about pass through with smaller sized shot like 7, 8, or 9. In a home with space in between, buckshot can pass through walls hitting loved ones in other rooms. Its all about your scenario and job for your weapon though. Pistols would work great with a tactical light option. But like a broken record, anything works better than nothing. But you have to break down the important bits of information about your surroundings and choose what works best for you and the safety of your family. 00 buck is not ALWAYS the best option. But many disagree with me and say LULULUL LOAD UP MAGNUM SLUGS AND BLAST AWAY. Which is irresponsible and incorrect for most.


I may do this again in the near future as it was fairly comical with some of the questions, and responses to my answers. Will be posting more frequently if time allows it. I would like to specially thank the random internet lurkers for this one, as it was completely up to them with what was posted for this entry.

-TSB