password
username
Sponsored by CakeMail, an email marketing software.
Newsletter preview

(Mailing list information, including unsubscription instructions, is located at the end of this message.)

Cool Tools

Fair-trade ticketing
Brown Paper Tickets


Ticketmaster sucks. Consumers hate having to purchase tickets through them because of their outrageous pile of excessive and phony fees. Hosts hate them because Ticketmaster's effective monopoly demands everyone play by their heavy-handed rules.  Venues and fans feel totally stuck with them.

However if you are putting on an event and want to sell tickets, you have an alternative that will be cheaper, better, faster than Ticketmaster.

Brown Paper Tickets is one of several alternative online ticket vendors for anyone hosting a ticketed event. Might be a ball, a fundraiser, a race, a concert, or an exhibit. At Long Now we've used them and can recommend them highly.

Brown Paper Tickets bills themselves as "fair-trade" ticketing. What that means is that they offer a fair deal to both the consumer and the venue. BPT provides the lowest consumer fees on tickets (99 cents and 2.5%), with no add-on overcharges, and free first class postage. For hosts setting up an event, they offer fantastic 24/7 live-person phone support, a clean usable website, and cheap (10 cent) printed secure tickets. They offer venue hosts other goodies too. You have control over when to stop sales, how to customize the ticket, ways to manage multiple events, means to offer media tickets, assigned seating, and so on.

Plus, they give you real time sales, and pay up promptly! Try that with Ticketmaster.

If you are running an event, it's crazy to use the old monster; if you are a fan, petition your venue to switch to Brown Paper Tickets.

-- KK

Brown Paper Tickets
http://www.Brown Papertickets.com/

 --
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:


The Complete Guide to House Concerts
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001002.php


Shopping with a Conscience
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001660.php


Sony Portable Reader
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001695.php


*******
Emergency light plus battery charger
Powerbank Torch


I still have vivid memories of the Northeast blackout of 2003, so a few years ago I decided to get prepared by purchasing one of those emergency flashlights which stays plugged in and switches on automatically when the power is cut, thus guiding you right to a fully-charged unit. Oddly enough, the best plug-in emergency flashlight I've found -- which uses standard AA batteries -- isn't even marketed as a flashlight! The manufacturer refers to this unit as a battery charger with a built-in light, but it's exactly what I was looking for. There is a three-way switch: always off, a smaller LED night light on the bottom, and automatically turn-on four LEDs when the power fails. Mine sits in a wall outlet in the bathroom, waiting to turn on during the next blackout. In the meantime, I use it regularly as a battery charger. It  comes with four 1300 mAh batteries, but I actually use 2000 mAh batteries, which I switch out as I use them in other devices. All for the better, since I'm told batteries should be allowed to discharge on occasion anyway.

-- Allan Peda

Powerbank Torch
$28
Available from Green Batteries
http://www.greenbatteries.com/gptorch.html

--
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:


Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001921.php


Electrilite Flashlight
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001497.php


Solar Recharger
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000189.php


*******
Classic, heavy-duty cable ties
Ty-Rap Zip Ties


I have had a wide range of work duties and hobbies over the years, and in difficult situations nothing has served me better than the judicious application of zip ties. Neat-ifying cables, creating stand-in hinges, holding car parts on for the trip, fastening bike components, acting as primitive locks on hardsided luggage -- the uses are endless and well-known.

What is less known is that not all cable ties are created equal. The zip tie was invented by Thomas & Betts for aircraft use and the company has continued making higher-quality zip ties while the market of lesser cable ties has proliferated. The brand is called "Ty-Rap" and there are several types of different lengths, colors, and widths. Thomas & Betts makes the only zip ties I use. Despite their additional expense they are worth the effort to find and use.

The difference is that the T&B ties use a stainless gripper as the 'ratchet' mechanism, and there are no serrations on the bottom of the tie surface -- it's completely smooth.  The stainless locking head actually digs into the underside of the wrap when threaded, leading to infinite adjustability and tight application (the el-cheapo ties always seem to be one "click" too loose.) They are higher-strength material - probably double or triple the strength of standard ties. They resist melting, and seem to be impervious to the worst chemicals I've thrown them into (including lye baths for metal stripping.) They are resistant to abrasions and take a bit of effort to cut through even with a sharp knife. I find that I typically have to wedge a knife blade under the tie, and twist the blade like a tourniquet stick to cut the ties - this also avoids the unpredictable jumping of the blade which is typical of the brute force method of cutting these infernal things once they're on an object.

This preference for a particular zip tie brand may seem like a minor detail, or a slight difference not worthy of attention. However, I have had cheap cable ties stretch, snap, or lose their ratchet grip at the worst possible times, which I'm sure has cost me more than the delta of price that I would have paid for the better T&B ties. In an ugly but unavoidable hack, I needed to hold a set of horizontal computer rack fans on the door of a 19" cabinet. I was not working with my own toolset, and was forced to use "typical" zip ties to hold the heavy fans in place. I came back less than a week later, and the ties had stretched to the point where the fans were sagging and rattling horribly against the cabinet door, and would have broken in not too long a time. I replaced them with the T&B Ty-Rap ties and a year later they were as tight as the day I put them on despite the frequent stresses on opening the door.

I have NEVER had a T&B cable tie fail on me under anything less than overwhelming circumstances. They are extremely durable, many of the models are UV-resistant, and the stainless gripper never, ever lets go. A long time ago, after several years and lessons learned using cheaper ties, I have sworn never to use the cheap stuff for anything other than wrapping up cords for storage. The T&B ties are expensive, but worth it. Every year or two I just ignore the price and buy a big bag of them on eBay, and I've never regretted it. I find the TY27M to be a good general purpose model, but take a look at the catalog for ideas.

-- John Todd

Ty-Rap Zip Ties
$19
(100 ties - TY525MX)
Available from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018LB1DU/ref=nosim/kkorg-20

Other models/sizes also from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nosim/kkorg-20/ref=nb_ss_hi?url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=thomas+%26+betts+ties

Manufactured by Thomas & Betts
http://www.tnb.com/ps/pubint/



BONUS TIP: The only way to reliably remove the "tails" of these ties without leaving a razor-sharp edge is to use a pair of flush-cut nippers, such as the Xcelite 170M (available from Amazon). As an add-on tool in any toolbox that has these cable ties, this is mandatory for anyone building a computer rack or doing cable management -- your unbloodied hands will thank you.

--
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:


Millepede Cable Ties
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002097.php


Velcro One-Wrap
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002744.php


Cable Clamp
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001729.php


*******
Easy-to-remove pants-keeper-uppers
Duluth Trade Side-Clip Presentation Suspenders


Due to surgery, I couldn't wear a belt for a while, so I turned to suspenders. But whenever I'd wear a sweater, I'd have to remove the sweater, then slide the suspenders off and drop my trousers in order to got the bathroom. Then I discovered these suspenders that have only two clips, which attach where it sounds like they should -- at your sides, instead of the front and back. My sweater stays on, and I can relieve myself and re-fasten the clips in no time. I wear a dressier version (good for us office workers), but Duluth also offers a heaver-duty kind for guys and gals partial to heavier canvas work pants.

-- George Brett

Duluth Trading Side-Clip Presentation Suspenders
$23
(dressy plaid)
Available from Duluth Trading
http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/searchresults/75124.aspx?feature=Product_8&kw=suspenders

$15
(no-frills in various colors)
Also available from Duluth Trading
http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/searchresults/92992.aspx?feature=Product_2&kw=side+clip+suspenders

--
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:


Duluth Trading Suspenders
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000151.php


Gentle Leader Dog Harness
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001595.php


Cinch Belts
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002683.php


 *******
Recyclable, commercial packing material
ExpandOS


Packing material is part of a vicious cycle. No matter how much holiday shopping and shipping my household does, the supply of bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts stashed in our garage just keeps replenishing. Hate to throw it away, but can't toss it in the recycle bin either. ExpandOS, on the other hand, are 100% recyclable. Essentially small cardboard pyramids -- made from 30% recyclable paper -- the shapes are engineered to fit together to create a stable environment for whatever's being shipped. As the picture above shows, each pyramid has ridges along its edges and holes in the face of each side, allowing a box of these suckers to lock together into a lattice-like structure.

ExpandOS are intended for commercial use, but I'm posting this in the hope that more businesses will give it a shot.

They way it works is you a purchase large flat sheets of specially-cut cardboard (made from 30% recycled paper). Each sheet gets fed into a special machine that separates and crimps small strips and spits them out in their folded, triangular form. You lease an "Expander" machine (pictured below, note: there are various size units). The machine is free to use if you order four or more pallets of sheets per month. If you order less than two pallets per month, you pay $300 for the machine. One pallet = $1800 = 16,660 sheets. Depending on the size of an order, the cost supposedly breaks down to about $1.50 - $1.80/cubic foot.

I discovered ExpandOS when my wife ordered a piece of pottery from Heath Ceramics in Sausalito. When I emailed Heath, a rep for the company told me they've been using ExpandOS for a year with a very low breakage rate. They say they've eliminated all peanuts, bubble wrap, foam inserts and pillows, and that they're budget for packing materials is roughly the same as it was before (if not reduced). Better yet, their packing time has dropped "dramatically." When they ship multiple items in one package, all they do is place a cardboard sheet between items in a stack, tape them together and surround them with ExpandOS.

-- Steven Leckart



ExpandOS
http://expandos.com/

Savings Calculator & Other Info
http://www.expandos.com/downloads.asp

--
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:


Balikbayan Box Cover
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002603.php


U-Haul Box Exchange
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001885.php


Stretch Wrap
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000150.php


*****************************************
To *** from this mailing, or to CHANGE the address of your subscription, go to
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/subscribe.php

Previously reviewed COOL TOOLS items can be found at http://www.kk.org/cooltools/ -- sl

--
Steven Leckart        
Editor, Cool Tools

The following information is a reminder of your current mailing list subscription:

You are subscribed to the following list:

CoolTools

using the following email:

clifordharry@gmail.com

You may automatically *** from this list at any time by visiting the following URL:

http://kk.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/u/cooltools/

If the above URL is inoperable, make sure that you have copied the entire address. Some mail readers will wrap a long URL and thus break this automatic *** mechanism.

You may also change your subscription by visiting this list's main screen:

http://kk.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/cooltools

If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at:

steveleckart@gmail.com

The following physical address is associated with this mailing list:

Pacifica, CA 94044