I am using two different devices to track my workout – a Garmin 405 CX and a Nike Fuelband. I had issues with both of them recently. How the two companies handled those issues was very interesting and very eye opening.

I bought the Garmin 405 in May 2011. Until then I used a Polar watch, which was pretty much a stop watch. No GPS, no other fancy functions. It worked, but I never was very happy with it (if I decided to run a different course, I had to do some work on Jogmap to track my run) . I asked around what device I should get instead – a Nike watch or a Garmin.

Most friends recommended Nike, but I loved how the Garmin had so many more possibilities, even though I probably would never use them (and most of them I didn’t). Until now I was very happy with my Garmin 405 (even though it needed to be replaced in September 2011 due to a battery issue), and I really love the function of Garmin Connect.

But then the problems with the battery started (again) earlier this year. The battery went down from 100 to 75% within hours after charging; the device turned off while I was running, even though it seemingly still had 40 % battery life etc. And how could I have used up all my battery cycles in such a short time? It’s not that I am charging my Garmin all the time…

I got my Nike Fuelband for cheaper due to a promotion. I don’t think I would have spent $150 for a device that pretty much can only do two things: Track my steps and show me the time. But if you own a Fuelband, it’s a great incentive to walk a little more, so you can reach your daily goal (mine is 4000, which I easily reach on workdays or on days when I am running). For people who need a little “push” to become active, the device is perfect. But a couple of weeks ago, I lost one row of LEDs.

I contacted both customer services.

Here’s what happened.

The customer service at Nike:

I sent Nike an email explaining my problem. I received an answer within less than 24 hours, stating that I should update my software. If this doesn’t solve the problem, I could exchange my Fuelband either online or at a Nike Store. I sent another e-mail and received another response quickly.

Today I went to Niketown in Manhattan, where a representative told me why I lost the LEDs: I needed to be more careful when taking the Fuelband off. Essentially I had broken a connection, but Nike exchanged the Fuelband anyhow (I think they know that users are not aware of the problem, so they rather make customers happy than start an argument). Two minutes later I was done with the exchange – they didn’t even want my receipt or the original box.

This is what happened at Garmin:

24 hours after I sent an e-mail to Garmin, I received a response from Debbie, a customer service representative.  She told me that I should update the software and reset the device (done and done, no changes). Otherwise I could pay $89 to receive a Forerunner 410 as a replacement.

I was confused:  I should pay 40 % of the original purchase price because of a battery issue? With my old Polar watch I could go to a regular place that sell watches and buy a new battery for $15, but the battery in a Garmin 405 can not be replaced (please note: I didn’t expect to get the battery replaced for free).

I told Debbie that I found the response rather disappointing, and I also mentioned that I already had battery issues once before. That didn’t change anything: Her responses got snippier and snippier, the last e-mail I received only included a link to Garmin’s warranty (I never responded, but I was tempted to send her the link to my Amazon review). Admittedly, Garmin also called me (I assume because I CC:ed the CEO once), but I never had the time to call back.

Anyway: The only solution is – I either keep my watch until the battery is completely done, or I accept Garmin’s replacement policy and pay the $89. For now I keep my watch, but I have to charge it pretty much before every long run now. But I also don’t want to buy a new watch every few years…

Not a big surprise: A few days after my initial interaction with Nike, I received a survey through Medallia asking me how satisfied I was. Garmin? They never cared…

A week after the Central Park Half Marathon, two weeks before the NYC Half Marathon seems like the perfect time for a little update on my running, before the season is getting serious. Although – it should have been more serious than it is so far.

My running schedule for this winter was deeply affected by the New York Marathon disaster  - by now everybody who is interested in running should know what happened, and most people probably have an opinion, so I won’t add to that anymore. I didn’t go into Central Park to run with thousands of other people that Sunday. Instead I ran my own 10 miles here in Hudson County, promising to give $5 to charity for each mile I ran. That run was painful, I stopped regularly, and I just wanted to be home – I am wondering how the marathon would have been.

A few weeks later, NYC Runs announced their Central Park Marathon for February 24th, and I decided to sign up for it. I just wanted to do a 42.195 km race this season – my running year 2012 just didn’t feel complete. But in early February I switched to the half marathon option…

Why?

Because my training lacked. I like running in the winter, but I don’t like running the miles I needed for a good marathon. I was aware of that, I even adjusted my goal time (the marathon was supposed to be a last long training run for the NYC Half Marathon). But when I badly hurt my pinkie toe the day before the Manhattan Half Marathon and after I skipped two long training runs, I knew it made more sense to do the shorter distance.

I don’t know if it was the right decision. Maybe I was prepared to go the whole distance, and only my own doubts hindered me from doing it. But in the end it felt like the 21.1 km distance was a good preparation for the race on March 17th.

I have no idea where I am standing right now though. I did the Central Park Half Marathon in 1:55:08 which was pretty much what I was shooting for. If I am able to PR, it will be in 13 days. But: I had felt some pain at around mile 10 and I got much slower for a little while. Maybe I didn’t do enough speed intervals this winter (I focused more on the hills), maybe – again – I am just to pessimistic. Who knows…

Generally I am better prepared after this winter than I ever was at the beginning of spring. I already logged around 300 km since January 1st, and I should easily end up running more than 1000 miles (my yearly goal) before the year ends. If that is any indication, the NY Marathon should be great.

As I enter the barbershop on 23rd Street, across the street from the Chelsea Clearview Cinema, I am beginning to feel some doubt: Should I get my no frills haircut here as usual, even though the barbers don’t cut the hair the way I’d prefer it? Should I find a possible more expensive hair salon? Or should I cut the hair down to 9 mm myself? All these questions were fueled by “Mansome”, Morgan Spurlock’s highly entertaining (but also thought provoking) new documentary that had its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and will be in the theaters in a few weeks.

So. What makes a man a man? Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, who produced “Mansome”, say “If you don’t take care of yourself, you are a boy” – a philosophy Zach Galifianakis who is also interviewed would strongly reject. But when are men taking too much care of themselves?

For Spurlock there’s only one way for a man to be “mansome” – it’s defined by physical attributes. Spurlock – who unlike his other documentaries only appears in the first segment – sees his mustache as something manly. And still he shaves it off at the end of “Movember”.

Or does it need a full beard to be a real man? Maybe Galifianakis is a real man then? Jack Passion, a professional beardsman would probably only partly agree: He has to take good care of his beard, he even lives healthier – just for the sake of winning trophies at some beard competitions, which look quite a bit like a freak show for some of the viewers. His greatest wish: winning a championship in Bavaria, the homeland of all beards (although he apparently thinks Bavaria is in Austria – never mind).

Other important ways to define a man some man: What products does he use? Is using a shower gel too much already? Or does a man really need “Fresh Balls”? A product to – well it does what it says (looks it up, you can order “Fresh Balls” online). What about hair on the back? A no-go?

Spurlock interviews people who call themselves “metrosexual”, who help balding hair etc. It’s highly amusing how serious everybody takes himself – listen to them and you probably want to agree to their position. Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, a man with an impressive beard himself, might be the most reasonable person though.

Trust me: You’ll have similar doubts after you left the theater as me. Even if you tend to believe that the looks won’t make a man “mansome”.

Ask nine experts and get ten answers. Ask a dozen filmmakers on the future of movies – and get even more opinions. If you intend to watch “Side By Side” to get an answer a better idea of what maybe ahead for filmmakers, you might leave the movie theater disappointed. But if you watch “Side By Side”, part of the Spotlight series of the Tribeca Film Festival 2012, to hear a lot of interesting ideas, you will be well rewarded.

Director Chris Kenneally and his producer/interviewer Keanu Reeves had access to some of the most important filmmakers of the last four decades – Martin Scorsese and David Lynch, Lars von Trier and James Cameron, Steve Soderbergh and Chris Nolan, to name a few. They also talk to directors of photography like Michael Ballhaus, editor coloring specialists, camera makers and so on.

The main question: How is the digital present and future effecting filmmaking? The answers: They vary. A lot.

One example: When filmmakers shoot with real film, they get their dailies back the next morning. Robert Rodriguez always hated that – there’s no chance to correct mistakes anymore. David Fincher agrees: He loves the “immediates” – the chance to see what was shot immediately. Steven Soderbergh, on the other hand, thinks this is an illusion – a small computer screen just can’t show what the audience will see on a big screen. Martin Scorsese might have the wisest answers: He like to see results as soon as possible – but in a separate room.

Opinions on cameras are varied too: Soderbergh says his movie about Che Guevara would not have been possible without the “Red One” camera”. Fincher hates it. And what about the option to shoot movies with small Canon photo cameras? Will this be the punk rock revolution for movie making? Or will these cameras bring an inflation of bad movies? David Lynch might have the best answer: Everybody has access to pen and paper. This doesn’t mean that everybody can write a great story.

Kenneally covers a lot of topics and en passant explains how films are made this days: James Cameron praises the development of 3D movies (but fails to mention how many movies are shot in 3D now just for monetary reasons, as somebody else points out). What influence will Netflix and the iPhone have on movies? How are movies preserved in the future, considering that technologies change every few years?

Again: Don’t expect answers, just a lot of very interesting ideas. For those “Side By Side” is worth watching.

Brazil might be the country with the most undiscovered tribes in the world – considering it’s vast hinterland, it’s not a surprise when a new discovery makes the news. Back in the Forties this was normal: Some Indian tribes in Brazil already worked for the white people, others still haven’t seen a single white person. The three brothers Orlando, Claudio and Leonardo Villas-Boas changed that, and they also became some of the most important protectors of the people who lived in Brazil long before the advent of the Europeans. Cao Hamburger tells their story in “Xingu”, which has its American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The three brothers were real life activists who even were considered for a nobel peace price in the Seventies. They embark on an adventure into the hinterland of Brazil – the government is looking for airstrips to expand its influence. The Villas-Boas brothers discover a place – and a helpful indian tribe nearby the Xingu river.

Contact between two different civilizations (as also seen in James Cameron’s “Avatar”) is never easy: Pretty soon many of the Indians die because of the flu – a disease they never experienced before. Members of another tribe, exploited by white settlers, seek protection and hope for the help of the Villas-Boas brothers. Pretty soon, they turn into fierce and aggressive protectors of the indigenous people at the Xingu river. “The white man is the enemy”, one of them says at some point.

The brothers pay a price for it: They almost get killed during an expedition – their plane was sabotaged, Hamburger claims. Leonardo, who falls in love with an Indian girl and is send away by Orlando because of this, commits suicide. Claudio also loves an Indian girl, but mostly stays away from her.

This is almost the more interesting part of the story of “Xingu”. The most remarkable scene happens when the Villas Boas’ are finally able to form a national park in which the Indians are protected. They go around and bring the people to the park. When a couple refuses to go – they make good money working for the white settlers -, Claudio points a gun at the man and forces him to come. Does this make him any different from the settlers who use guns to force the Indians to work?

“Xingu”, although it tells a story that happened a few decades ago, has an urgent relevance these days: The Brazilian government is considering a water dam which would endanger parts of the national park – so far unsuccessful. But Brazil might need some Villas-Boas again.

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye

Marie Losier’s film could have been gone in a lot of directions – it could have been a music documentary about Genesis P. Orrridge, about Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV. The French filmmaker shot all the necessary things, she interviewed the members of TG and Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers) in the many years of filming.

None of this is in “The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye”, and even if it would have been extremely interesting to watch, it would have completely changed the character of this film which focuses on the romance. Orridge’s music career is explained within a few minutes, and Throbbing Gristle are shown live in one brief scene (non of their music made it onto the soundtrack). Most people, who will watch this movie, know about TG anyway.

But even the concept behind “Pandrogyne” is only explained briefly. After Genesis and Lady Jaye fell in love, they tried to become one – literally. They had the same haircuts, underwent cosmetic surgery, and even both got breast implants on Valentine’s Day 2003. Which was “extremely romantic”, as Genesis put it.

Losier shows glimpses of that and of a European tour with Psychic TV (Lady Jaye became a member despite not wanting to be in a rock band). The director also shows party scenes or everyday stuff – a cut-up, like Genesis P. Orridge prefers it. Which is probably the best way to show the couple anyway.

The Bleeding House

Gelatt’s debut “The Bleeding House” is a nice, but not really surprising serial killer movie. We know something is wrong with the Smiths. A house burned down, people were killed and almost no neighbor ever wants to talk with the parents and their two children again. Even the parents seem to be scared of their daughter Gloria (Alexandra Chando) who is not allowed to go outside or to touch any knives at all.

And then one night Nick shows (Patrick Breen) up – a nice, Christian stranger with only one weird characteristic: his Southern accent. Nick’s car broke down, and even if the Smiths don’t want anybody in their house, they can’t let him sleep outside on this freezing night. And of course things go nasty from here.

“The Bleeding House” is an old-fashioned thriller with a very dark side – if you have ever seen any slasher or horror movie you will be able to figure out where the story goes easily (the way people die is intestering though, hence the title). But anyhow – Gelatt’s debut is enjoyable (even though Breen is a bit too young and not totally convincing in the lead role), a small movie not necessarily for the big screen, but for a stormy Friday night.

Detachment with Adrien Brody

Tony Kaye loves movies about social issues. After “American History X” the British director shot the documentary “Lake of Fire” about abortion, his next movie “Black Water Transit” will deal with environmental issues. And when the opening credits of “Detachment” are over, we know hat director wanted this to be a realistic movie. Kaye lets teachers talk about how they got into their profession.

Whatever enthusiasm and dedication it once was, being a teacher seems like a quick way into depression, substance abuse and cynicism these days. In one scene, which is probably not too far off the truth, a government official explains why he needs the school children to succeed in their next test exams: A low test score brings the market value of the real estate in the area down, while better results could help the business. Did you hear the children being mentioned in this argument? No, you didn’t. And of course there’s no money to help kids reach better results. But of course children and their parents are responsible too: Kids these days are disrespectful, and when in doubt, parents stand by the children, threaten to sue teachers.

But don’t get it wrong: “Detachment” is not an essay on the education. It’s a feature Film with Adrien Brody in the lead role as substitute teacher Henry Barthes and an impressive ensemble (Christina Hendricks, James Caan, Lucy Liu, Marica Gay Harden, etc) in the supporting rolling. And Tony Kaye’s movie is more about a person who is detached from the world than about the school system.

Henry is a substitute teacher – somebody who shows up at a school for a month to teach while the permanent educator is sick or gone for other reasons. It reflects his personality: Henry actually is a person who gives a shit about other people, but he just doesn’t want to commit. He tries to help an over-weight, artistic girl in his English class, he even takes an underage prostitute home to help her (a move that rarely works out). But he also backs off when somebody gets to close to him – and eventually hurts people even more because of this.

There is a sense of loneliness around him which people notice – even his grandfather in a nursery home. A lot of this has to do with the dying man, as we will see. One of the most intense scenes in “Detachment” is the dialogue between Henry and his grandfather in their last scenes – it is as touching as it is disgusting.

“Detachment” is probably one of the most impressive feature-films at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. The whole cast is amazing – Lucy Liu as the doctor who just had enough of the students, James Caan as the teacher who is still funny, but only because he pops pills on a regular basis. And the main young actresses, the 15 year old Sami Gayle (as the prostitute) and Betty Kaye (as the outcast girl), should both have a promising career. But of course it is Adrien Brodi who impresses the most in this movie which hopefully will be in the theaters soon.

Beyond The Black Rainbow. photo: image.net

“Beyond The Black Rainbow” is either the most compelling movie at the festival this year or one of the most boring – depends on if you are having a good day or a bad one. Don’t try to see this if you are tired, under the influence (especially of things other than alcohol) or if you’re depressed. And don’t say I didn’t warn you about this. But if you have a good day, the movie will easily be one of the most impressive science fiction you have seen in a very long time!

So what is “Beyond The Black Rainbow”? Cosmatos’ movie owes as much to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001″ as to David Cronenberg (think “Scanners” and “Videodrome”) while nodding to David Lynch. Just like in “2001″ a weird object (in this case: a pyramid) plays an integral part. Just like in “Videodrome” a cynical guy (in this case: Dr. Barry Nyle) is one of the lead characters.

“Beyond the Black Rainbow” is set in 1983 – the year “Videodrome” was released -, and if you wouldn’t know that it is a new release, you might think it was shot in the early Eighties. The pictures are grainy like on old televisions and only occasionally have a resolution so high that they have to be shot with modern cameras. The soundtrack is played on old synthesizers like the ones Cronenberg used. The one exception is a song from Venom’s debut “Welcome to Hell”, released in 1981.

Besides this “retro effect”, Cosmatos’ movie is visually stunning. The film maker knows how to use colors and visual effects in his first feature film. Sometimes the pictures are just red, sometimes everything goes dark and occasionally you see beautiful images of clouds or the outer space. For the most part of this 110 minute long movie these images are what you can hold on to while you try to figure out what is happening.

So what is “Beyond The Black Rainbow” about? Well, I give you this much without giving away too much: It’s about a girl Elena, who is 16 years old and who is either in solitary confinement or in therapy. Dr. Barry Nyle, himself cynical and depressive, is treating her until she is ready for the world. Not that this day seem to come anytime soon…

Only a few more characters appear: Dr Arboria, the founded of the institute where the girl is treated, a nurse, and a woman who is living with Nyle. And despite that small amount of persons who appear here, their relationship is much more complicated.

And here’s where I urge you to stop reading if you still want to see the movie. You are ready? Okay – then this is what I think is the story behind the movie.

Elena’s mother was killed by Nyle in 1966, just when the baby was born. Arboria and his assistant Nyle are trying to start a new form of human kind, and Elena is supposed to be the first of this kind. After all, she does have “super powers” (think “Scanners”). So who is the father? Arboria I assume, although I assume that Nyle had a relationship with the Elena’s mother. I might be totally wrong with this though – and if anybody has a better idea, let me know!

Kalevet (Rabies) - photo: image.net

The setting: some woods somewhere in Israel, full of old landmines, bear traps and a serial killer. The cast: a brother and sister who ran away from home, four young tennis players, two horny cops, a ranger and a sadist killer.

Just don’t expect that the events unfold as you expect them to. Anything in here can be misleading. The movie starts as a typical slasher film, but changes its direction every ten minutes. The only thing for certain is that the woods let people show their violent side – expect a pretty high boy count, considering that the movie only has a dozen characters in total.

“Rabies” by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado claims to be Israel’s first horror movie. It isn’t really though: Besides some scenes which are as funny as brutal, the two directors clearly prefer “Picnic at Hanging Rock” over the traditional slasher film. Be warned: This might be disappointing!