So what good's the internet, if not for product placement? Let me lay a couple of totally unsolicited recommendations on you. I sometimes do this when I've had an exceptional customer service experience, and in the past couple of weeks, I've had two good ones.
First, Yurbuds.
I have really fucked-up earholes. They're big, they look kind of like Robert De Niro's mouth when he laughs, and they don't have that little divot thing in the bottom that you can hang traditional earbuds from. The kind of buds that you jam into your ear sort of work, but not terribly well, and they hurt.
Yurbuds are designed by atheletes and guaranteed not to fall out, even during rigorous exercise. Me, I was skeptical, but I needed earbuds, so I picked up a pair at a Best Buy and tried them out.
They...mostly worked. Once I got good and sweaty on a run, one might want to shake loose, and they really wanted to fall out if I leaned forward to stretch while sweaty. Still, they worked okay-ish, they didn't hurt, and the sound quality was really good.
On a lark, I did some looking and discovered that you can get different size covers for the Yurbuds, so I emailed their customer support and asked if there was a way for me to buy the larger covers. Within an hour I got a reply asking me to send them photos of the buds in my ears so they could evaluate fit. Two days later, there was a new set of large earbud covers sitting on my porch. For free. They even sent me a replacement set of the smaller size, just in case.
The big ones fit beautifully. They don't hurt. And I can literally yank on the cord and they don't come out. I believe for Christmas, I'll be asking for the iPhone model (with the big freakhole covers, natch). If you're in the market, give 'em a shot.
Second, Spark and Spark.
Another hell yes: my wife went lunchbox shopping for our kids online. She found their super-wonderful and customizable astronaut lunchboxes. You see how they have different hair colors and even races for the kids? You notice how none of them are girls?
Yeah. I have a daughter. She would be a kick-ass astronaut. She would find moon dragons and fight them with SCIENCE and then walk away saying something cool like "I guess I cut you monsters...down to scale" and then Prince would do a guitar solo (because Prince lives on the moon) and something would explode.
Where's her fucking lunchbox, I ask you?
That's what my wife asked them, because this gender norm stuff pisses us off. I'll be goddamned if my daughter is going to soak in Disney princess bullshit. She is going to arrest intergalactic outlaws using math. (To their credit, the girl lunchboxes include things like doctors and scuba divers and lawyers.)
Within two days they emailed her back, saying they'd be happy to make a custom girl astronaut lunchbox for her, just let them know and they'll get it done.
You know who sends an email like that? Awesome people, that's who. So yes, we're buying that lunchbox. And you should buy things from them too, because I believe that people should give their money to people who are awesome.