My wife has been encouraging the use of natural products so I’ve tried some natural deodorants. Tom’s of Maine is a popular natural choice, but I found that it didn’t necessarily work effectively all day long. It is also fairly expensive as deodorants go.
Then I thought I found a pretty decent deodorant in the form of Arm & Hammer Natural Deodorant, except for the fact it contains triclosin. Triclosin has been criticized by the Environmental Working Group:
What problems are associated with triclosan?
Triclosan is linked to liver and inhalation toxicity. Low levels of triclosan may disrupt thyroid function.
Crystal Deodorant
Crystal Deodorant
Most recently, I tried a deodorant called Crystal. Despite the pinkish-purple feminine packaging, the deodorant has no scent and appears to be working quite well. I’ve been using it for the past two weeks with good results. This evening, I even went to a restaurant for dinner after jogging with no apparent issues. Another benefit is that it appears the deodorant stick will last a very long time. If you’re looking for a natural deodorant, give Crystal a try!
I purchased Crystal at an Walgreen’s Drug Store. I’ve also seen it on the shelf at my local Food Lion. Alternatively, Crystal – Crystal Stick Body Deodorant, 4.25 oz sticks are also available via mail order from Amazon.com:
Norfolk Southern is in the process of releasing brand new diesel electric locomotives with the historic paint schemes of their predecessor railroads. Several of these locomotives, including Conrail, Southern Railway, Norfolk and Western, Nickel Plate Road, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Interstate Railroad are already out hauling freight. Sketches of all 19 planned paint jobs are available here.
21st Century Steam
While no trips have been announced yet this year, there is plenty of activity. Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum continues work on Southern 4501 which will hopefully be running again later this year. Interestingly, the locomotive which was known as the Green Mikado, is expected to be repainted in its original black paint according to this recent article from The Times Free Press which has some good information on the restoration:
Museum staff and Norfolk Southern employees are working on more than a half-million dollar project to restore the engine, rebuilding its boiler, fitting its steel tires and replacing 1,300 bolts on its fire box…
Finally, Southern 630 is running weekend excursion service at TVRM and has recently been spotted running at a good clip during weekday test runs on the Norfolk Southern mainline. This video was taken on 4/23/2012 in Georgia by CarNutandTrainNut2:
I’m looking forward to a great year for Norfolk Southern’s 21st Century Steam program.
I recently watched and enjoyed Crazy Heart, a movie about a country music singer with an alcohol problem. With plenty of good true-story music legend movies already out there like Walk the Line and Ray, I wasn’t sure whether this might be an overdone theme. However, I ended up really liking Crazy Heart. At times the story moved a bit slow, but since the movie is less than two hours the pace wasn’t a big issue for me.
The acting by Jeff Bridges was great. His acting in Crazy Heart reminded me of his excellent performance in the re-make of True Grit.
Crazy Heart Soundtrack Review
My favorite aspect of Crazy Heart was the soundtrack. The classic country music in a modern country world performed by Jeff Bridges and others could be easily be classified as Americana. I’ve provided links to mp3 downloads below from Amazon.com which has these titles for less than iTunes does:
This, clearly, caught the attention of our nation’s leader in the fight against distracted driving Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Cell phones and driving don’t mix, and I’m grateful to the cast and producers of ‘Glee’ for helping deliver this important message to young people across America…”
The Hunger Games is quite popular right now. I read the book on my wife’s Kindle and enjoyed it. The book is set in the future with some advanced technologies (high speed trains, hovercraft, etc.). However, for those living outside of the Capital, low-tech skills like hunting and fishing provide a real advantage. The book is a fast read and I definitely recommend it.
Amazon Kindle Review
A couple things about reading the book on the Kindle… This was the first book I read on an eReader and I have to admit it wasn’t bad at all. At first, you notice a weird screen flash on the Kindle as it turns black before it refreshes to the next page… but this is something I quickly got used to and stopped noticing. My only other real complaint is that there are no page numbers on the Kindle. Instead, it displays the percentage complete. Sometimes, reading at night I like to flip ahead to see how long it is to the next chapter. This is more difficult on the Kindle vs a real book. Overall though, while I still like real books, I won’t be bashing the Kindle. If you read a lot and travel, I think the Kindle make good sense. Also, it provides the advantage of being able to download books rather than having to visit a store or wait for shipping.
Products (Paperback, Kindle Edition, and The Kindle)
and 
, I wasn’t sure whether this might be an overdone theme. However, I ended up really liking Crazy Heart. At times the story moved a bit slow, but since the movie is less than two hours the pace wasn’t a big issue for me.
which has these titles for less than 
– Jeff Bridges
– Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell
– Jeff Bridges
– Ryan Bingham