Materialism

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Marketer + Consumer… I’ve never taken a microwave oven off roading. Or tough mudding. Or deep sea diving. I’ve never abused, misused, or spindled a microwave. Heck, I just reheat coffee and make popcorn. Yet every five years or so, a microwave decides to fail on […]

Throne Coveting: The Steelo’ Art Chair

April 14, 2019

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Spends Too Much Of His Life Sitting…

High Sierra Classic Plus Showerhead in action

Go With The Low Flow: High Sierra’s Classic Plus Is A Showerhead Above The Rest

December 25, 2018

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Semi-Professional Shower Connoisseur; featured photo by High Sierra… Who doesn’t like getting into a little hot water?

The Creative Jetsetter: Forget Disneyland – Sedona Is The Happiest Place On Earth

December 19, 2017

Posted by Kim Tronic

by Kim Tronic, Writer + Professional Happiness Pursuer… This article originally appeared in The Kim Tronicles and is republished here by permission. Sedona, Arizona. A sweet little 7-hour drive from Los Angeles, or a quick flight from LAX and puddle jumper from Phoenix. I’d heard about the healing powers of this magical destination, but I […]

Air Apparent: Why I Rushed To Buy A MacBook Air

December 9, 2017

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango LLC + Apple hOStage… I didn’t need a new computer. My 2010 MacBook Pro is somehow still running — now 2 years longer than any previous computer I’ve owned over the past 30 years. (Knock on wood — just by typing this I might curse my Mac.) […]

Heavy Metal Writing: 5 Pens Of Steel

July 4, 2017

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Believes The Pen Can Be Mightier Than The Sword… You know what product attribute doesn’t get enough hype? Tactility — how something feels to the touch. While today’s manufacturers obsess over size and weight, promising us larger and larger capacity and lower and lower […]

The Creative Jetsetter: Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

May 27, 2017

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Doesn’t Travel Nearly Enough… If a storm like this hit Los Angeles, the local news would cover it all day — make that all week — with sodden reporters stumbling around and calling it something like Mega Tempest 2017™. Here in Ireland’s aptly named […]

Making America Grate Again: The DIY Parmesan Cheese Adventure

February 20, 2017

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Cheese Addict… Raise your fork if you like your spaghetti to look like a blizzard hit it.

It’s About Time: WORN & WOUND Shows How To Do Content Marketing Right

December 17, 2016

Marketing, Materialism

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Amateur Horologist… I dig on wristwatches: reading about them, window shopping them, and occasionally adding an unusual artifact to my modest collection. For a while I collected vintage Russian watches, which are usually mechanical (no batteries) and remarkably cheap. Since many don’t come with bands, I […]

Of Mouse And Man: In Quest Of A Cheap Yet Compelling Computer Mouse

October 20, 2016

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Tchotchke Junkie… A certain trait of the adult male nerd species drives my wife crazy: our penchant for collecting toys to display around our work areas. My wife calls them “dust magnets.” Of course, we adult male nerds know what they truly are: visual caffeine to […]

Is That A Shutter Button Or A Shudder Button? The Frightening Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera

September 13, 2016

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, founder of Atomic Tango + Industrial Design Lover (usually)… I’m stricken with horror. Can barely move. May need years of therapy and bourbon shots. I just saw the single ugliest tech product ever made. One of Fujifilm’s competitors must have kidnapped their industrial designers and perpetrated this as a means to […]

Good Luck Getting That Through Security: The Mobot Water Bottle & Roller

July 22, 2016

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Heavy Drinker (of Water)… The Mobot Water Bottle & Roller seems to pack a lot of desirable features: BPA-free Made of recycled stainless steel Built-in massage tool And— OMG EVERYONE, RUN! IT’S A GRENADE!!! Oh, sorry, false alarm. My eyes are getting old, and I should […]

Betting to Lose: Why Extended Warranties are a Rip-Off

July 4, 2016

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Not Much of a Gambler; photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash… I don’t care to gamble, not counting my dismal dabbling in the stock market. So naturally, I look at any betting offer with skepticism and a deep lack of enthusiasm — even when it comes […]

The Creative Jetsetter: Why You Should Travel Counter-Cyclical

April 25, 2016

Posted by Katharina Heuermann

by Katharina Heuermann, Dream Seller + Founder of the travel agency Destination-K!… Hello Jetsetters! Summer is around the corner, and you know what that means for us travelers: full airplanes, jammed roads, packed hotels, and not much fun. The solution is obvious: counter-cyclical travel — that is, traveling out of season. Since you’re a creative […]

The Creative Jetsetter: Off The What Path???

March 20, 2016

Posted by Katharina Heuermann

by Katharina Heuermann, Traveler + Dream Seller… Hello Jetsetters! I’m the founder of Destination-k!, a German travel agency. (Please forgive the German on my website — I’m working on the English version!) I’m also one of you: a creative professional who loves to travel and, yes, also has a budget. Now I don’t go for […]

William Bounds Key Mill WB-1 Pepper Grinder

For Your Daily Grind, Forget Run-Of-The-Mill: Pepper Mills And Grinders Review

March 12, 2016

3 Comments

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Spice Lover; note that this article contains affiliate links, and buying via them benefits the Atomic Tango martini fund… Some things are worth spending extra on, even if they’re just everyday objects that spend most of their existence in a cupboard. One of those things, I […]

Fashion Real: CEOh-No! Dress for the Job You Have

December 16, 2015

Posted by Raegan Thurlow

by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista Most of my generation will say that they remember where they were when Obama was elected president. I will remember where I was the first time I saw my CEO wearing jeans… We were at the airport preparing to take an 18+ hour flight to our office in Tel Aviv, […]

Airborne Identity: The Cobalt Valkyrie Personal Aircraft

November 27, 2015

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder Of Atomic Tango + Guy You Really Don’t Want Flying An Airplane… As Americans went full feeding frenzy over Black Friday (run away! run away!), I found my own materialistic lust object. And it’s a bit too big to fit under a tree…

How To Avoid Black-And-Blue Friday — And Make One Present Give Twice

November 22, 2015

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + No Relation To The Grinch; featured photo by Powhusku from Laramie, WY via Wikimedia Commons… With Black Friday lurking around the corner, you’ll likely see the term “doorbuster” describing a deal so irresistible that you’ll want to break down the door to get at it. Now, […]

Apple iPad Pro & Pencil Review: An Artist’s Take

November 18, 2015

Posted by XDL

by XDL, Filmmaker… In filmmaking, we have the deadly production triangle: cheap, fast and good. If you’re lucky, you get two — usually at the sacrifice of the third. You can have cheap and fast, but it won’t be good. You can have good and fast, but it won’t be cheap. You can have cheap […]

Fashion Real: Where Do Fashion Trends Come From?

October 31, 2015

Posted by Raegan Thurlow

by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista… True to my fashionista (see “raging shopaholic”) form, I’ve been to Paris to experience its unparalleled fashion brilliance. My stiletto boots made their way around Milan as well, but I didn’t find the fashion there as impressive as the I just threw this outfit together and happen to look like […]

End Of The (Golden) Road? When Your Favorite Beer Gets Swallowed By Giants

September 30, 2015

10 Comments

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Craft Beer Lover Before He Was A Drinker… How should you feel when one of your favorite local brands gets snapped up by a giant multinational corporation? Shouldn’t you just feel giddy that a small-business owner hit the jackpot? Well, try to remember when your favorite […]

The Story of What Happens When Bad Clothes Meet Corporate America

Fashion Real: When Bad Clothes Meet Corporate America

August 30, 2015

Posted by Raegan Thurlow

by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista; illustration by Mark Armstrong… If you’ve sold Kool-Aid at a lemonade stand in the not too distant past (the pre-30 crowd): When you hear “business casual”, do you think jeans and a polo? Or are you reaching for basketball shorts and a hoodie at 9:00 Friday morning? Some employees choose […]

Grounds for Desertion: The Last Stand of Starbucks’ Third Place?

August 27, 2015

Marketing, Materialism

7 Comments

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Caffeine Addict… Three yuppies walk into a Starbucks. Sounds like the beginning of a joke, and in a way it is. Two claim a table while the third goes to order. He asks the others what they want, and they both say “nothing.” He responds, “So […]

Fashion Real: The One-Stop Shop — Isn’t Anything Sacred Anymore?

May 31, 2015

Posted by Raegan Thurlow

by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista… A girl’s prom: strapless bras, glittery eye shadow, unmet expectations, and cheesy photographs. My prom: I think there was some dancing, and I’m sure there was some Mudslide mix (tastes like candy, makes boys more approachable). Prom dresses should never be: sheer, covered in sequins, purchased at Walmart. Guns: an […]

The High Price Of Being Cheap: Guess What 3 Words Will Turn Your Brand Into A Commodity?

July 18, 2013

Marketing, Materialism

5 Comments

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Cares How Stuff Is Made; note that the following article contains affiliate links, and buying via them benefits the Atomic Tango martini fund… After nearly a decade of service, my Swing-A-Way manual can opener finally bit it. It was cheap yet solid and totally […]

Fashion Real: Fashion Genius / You’re Only as Smart as You’re Dressed

December 17, 2011

Posted by Raegan Thurlow

by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista… Teenagers have a reputation for a lot of LOL but not a whole lot of IQ. But what if it’s all a conspiracy? What if the world of fashion is setting up the youth to take the fall? Fashion Real investigates… Exhibit A: Wet Seal Illiteracy For some ungodly reason […]

SkyMall: I Must Have Been High When I Bought This

May 31, 2011

Posted by Raegan Thurlow

by Raegan Thurlow, Part-Time Fashionista; illustration by Mark Armstrong Editor’s Note: In-flight magazines deliver captive audiences, of course. When you’re waiting for your plane to take off… and waiting… and waiting… and while you’re at it, waiting some more… and all your electronic devices are supposed to be turned off… and the guy next to […]

Pig Nation: Denny’s Maple Bacon Sundae

April 17, 2011

3 Comments

Posted by Freddy Tran Nager

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Rehabbed Bacon Addict… Nice to see American capitalist ingenuity focused on what’s important: Finding new ways to help Americans socialize Finding new ways to help Americans become Goodyear blimps

Fashion Real: I Don’t Just Want it, I Want it NOW! Having Your Retail-Cake and Eating it Too

April 5, 2011

Posted by Raegan Thurlow

by Raegan Thurlow, Fashion Blogger… My Top 4 problems with online shopping…

Not Clear On The Concept: Dell’s “Green” Ink

March 7, 2010