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2 | Nothing but fluff | I have a hard time understanding why there are so many positive reviews here. This book is nothing but fluff. If you are anything more than a newbie, it's got nothing and if you're a complete newbie there's just enough information to be dangerous. She promises periodically that more information will be given about actually growing certain plants, but that information is never forthcoming.It's full of personal anectdotes that have little to do with the topic at hand, the tone is condescending and she encourages the use of poisons. She anthropomorphizes plants in an embarrassing way, telling a story about a poisonous plant she accidentally purchased as if it had a personal vendetta against her and her family. Her attitude toward plants goes beyond respect into something slightly off-kilter.The book is good for a giggle. If you must read it, make sure you have a firm grasp of both gardening and herbal magic first. Otherwise you could well follow this lady into lala land. | 982 | [
"I have a hard time understanding why there are so many positive reviews here.",
"This book is nothing but fluff.",
"If you are anything more than a newbie, it's got nothing and if you're a complete newbie there's just enough information to be dangerous.",
"She promises periodically that more information will be given about actually growing certain plants, but that information is never forthcoming.It's full of personal anectdotes that have little to do with the topic at hand, the tone is condescending and she encourages the use of poisons.",
"She anthropomorphizes plants in an embarrassing way, telling a story about a poisonous plant she accidentally purchased as if it had a personal vendetta against her and her family.",
"Her attitude toward plants goes beyond respect into something slightly off-kilter.The book is good for a giggle.",
"If you must read it, make sure you have a firm grasp of both gardening and herbal magic first.",
"Otherwise you could well follow this lady into lala land."
] |
2 | All fluff, no substance | It's an introduction, all right. The trouble is, it's such a high level introduction that there's almost no useful information whatsoever. The entire time I was reading, I was waiting for the author to get to the meat, only to discover at the end that there was none. It was like ordering a double cheeseburger, and getting two buns with ketchup and a pickle, and no beef patties.I can only assume that Rational paid the author for his time in the hopes that people, after reading this book, would purchase their entire software suite just to find out what the RUP actually involves.Despite my severe disappointment (and relief that I didn't have to pay for it myself), I can't rate it any lower than two stars. It's well written, and it could quite possibly be useful to managers and other business types who have no idea how software development works. The second star is for Rational's sheer chutzpah in getting a respected publisher to put out a $30 marketing pamphlet for them. | 982 | [
"It's an introduction, all right.",
"The trouble is, it's such a high level introduction that there's almost no useful information whatsoever.",
"The entire time I was reading, I was waiting for the author to get to the meat, only to discover at the end that there was none.",
"It was like ordering a double cheeseburger, and getting two buns with ketchup and a pickle, and no beef patties.I can only assume that Rational paid the author for his time in the hopes that people, after reading this book, would purchase their entire software suite just to find out what the RUP actually involves.Despite my severe disappointment (and relief that I didn't have to pay for it myself), I can't rate it any lower than two stars.",
"It's well written, and it could quite possibly be useful to managers and other business types who have no idea how software development works.",
"The second star is for Rational's sheer chutzpah in getting a respected publisher to put out a $30 marketing pamphlet for them."
] |
2 | A quick read! | This is one of those books that you come across in your life that people talk about and mention to you a few times and eventually you get around to reading it. Since it's only about 123 pages long, it is definitely a quick read. The storyline goes at a good pace and there's just enough happening to keep you interested in the plot.Most people I've talked to about this book didn't care for the lack of details. That didn't bother me so much. The only reason that I am not giving this book a better review is because of my frustration with the main character. If Mersault would just CARE about something, anything, the outcome of this story would be so much different. Sure, this is the point the author is trying to get across, but still. I found Mersault's stand-offish attitude to be very frustrating.This is definitely one of those books that you want to discuss with a friend when you are finished, so be sure that if you grab this book, grab another copy for a friend as well. | 982 | [
"This is one of those books that you come across in your life that people talk about and mention to you a few times and eventually you get around to reading it.",
"Since it's only about 123 pages long, it is definitely a quick read.",
"The storyline goes at a good pace and there's just enough happening to keep you interested in the plot.Most people I've talked to about this book didn't care for the lack of details.",
"That didn't bother me so much.",
"The only reason that I am not giving this book a better review is because of my frustration with the main character.",
"If Mersault would just CARE about something, anything, the outcome of this story would be so much different.",
"Sure, this is the point the author is trying to get across, but still.",
"I found Mersault's stand-offish attitude to be very frustrating.This is definitely one of those books that you want to discuss with a friend when you are finished, so be sure that if you grab this book, grab another copy for a friend as well."
] |
2 | To sum it up | Let me help you out and save you some money. The router is a tool with a device that spins real fast and can remove wood. That's what I got from the book.Actually, in all fairness, the author did cover the differences between plunge routers and fix-based routers very well. The book also addresses the popular routers on the market though it seems likely that Porter-Cable may be subjectively promoted a bit much. Additionally, the photography was well done.As far as being a complete guide, it is not. I am particularly interested in learning the ends and outs of router usage and gained no insight here. Even when the book did resort to technique, the author used terminology not applicable to beginners and then did not bother to enlighten readers with an explanation nor with a glossary of definitions. In fact the book reminded me somewhat of old college texts where the author was more interested in impressing his own contemporaries than imparting knowledge on the unknowing. | 982 | [
"Let me help you out and save you some money.",
"The router is a tool with a device that spins real fast and can remove wood.",
"That's what I got from the book.Actually, in all fairness, the author did cover the differences between plunge routers and fix-based routers very well.",
"The book also addresses the popular routers on the market though it seems likely that Porter-Cable may be subjectively promoted a bit much.",
"Additionally, the photography was well done.As far as being a complete guide, it is not.",
"I am particularly interested in learning the ends and outs of router usage and gained no insight here.",
"Even when the book did resort to technique, the author used terminology not applicable to beginners and then did not bother to enlighten readers with an explanation nor with a glossary of definitions.",
"In fact the book reminded me somewhat of old college texts where the author was more interested in impressing his own contemporaries than imparting knowledge on the unknowing."
] |
2 | Misleading | An avid PC point 'n' click fan, I was thrilled to find something that had been successfully converted to a GBA game. Reviews spoke of decent graphics and great transition of the puzzles for which p'n'c-ers are notorious. Sadly, it just didn't seem so. The graphics and entire gameplay reminded me of a text adventure and the first real puzzle didn't come about until I was halfway into the game. The only real similarity seemed to be in the use of items in conjunction with the environment. Gameplay wasn't intuitive as one was given multiple clues at a time, yet expected to follow only a specific one-- Both Spain and Syria are mentioned at one point; however, if you decide to hoof it to Spain, the game's over for you. Syria doesn't appear on the map, you lose without even the dignity of a "Game Over" screen.Essentially, "Broken Sword" seems to hold a lot of promise in terms of plot and adventure; but, as a hasty transition to the GBA system, it's just lost all its glitter. | 982 | [
"An avid PC point 'n' click fan, I was thrilled to find something that had been successfully converted to a GBA game.",
"Reviews spoke of decent graphics and great transition of the puzzles for which p'n'c-ers are notorious.",
"Sadly, it just didn't seem so.",
"The graphics and entire gameplay reminded me of a text adventure and the first real puzzle didn't come about until I was halfway into the game.",
"The only real similarity seemed to be in the use of items in conjunction with the environment.",
"Gameplay wasn't intuitive as one was given multiple clues at a time, yet expected to follow only a specific one-- Both Spain and Syria are mentioned at one point; however, if you decide to hoof it to Spain, the game's over for you.",
"Syria doesn't appear on the map, you lose without even the dignity of a \"Game Over\" screen.Essentially, \"Broken Sword\" seems to hold a lot of promise in terms of plot and adventure; but, as a hasty transition to the GBA system, it's just lost all its glitter."
] |
2 | Disappointing | I had heard great things about John Holt and was really disappointed in this book. Maybe part of it was that after reading about Charlotte Mason and reading books by John Gatto, it didn't seem so revolutionary to me. But Holt quoted psychologist Robert Liang extensively in this book, which to me seems like the most outdated psychobabble (granted this book was written quite awhile ago), saying if you make ____ mistake with your kids they may turn out schizophrenic!He then continues on with different teaching techniques, which is also surprising since the unschooling movement generally refer to him as the source of their inspiration, but say you should not "teach" children, letting them learn as they become motivated to do so. So if you're looking for unschooling information you won't find it here. It also has odd references like to a school in which teachers express anger to the students to make things "real" and children seem to be allowed to hit each other sometimes. | 982 | [
"I had heard great things about John Holt and was really disappointed in this book.",
"Maybe part of it was that after reading about Charlotte Mason and reading books by John Gatto, it didn't seem so revolutionary to me.",
"But Holt quoted psychologist Robert Liang extensively in this book, which to me seems like the most outdated psychobabble (granted this book was written quite awhile ago), saying if you make ____ mistake with your kids they may turn out schizophrenic!",
"He then continues on with different teaching techniques, which is also surprising since the unschooling movement generally refer to him as the source of their inspiration, but say you should not \"teach\" children, letting them learn as they become motivated to do so.",
"So if you're looking for unschooling information you won't find it here.",
"It also has odd references like to a school in which teachers express anger to the students to make things \"real\" and children seem to be allowed to hit each other sometimes."
] |
2 | a sorry movie | I wrote a huge review for this and don't know where it is but let me give you the short version. They don't continue the story, that is until the end of the movie. AND THAT WAS THE PART TRHAT RUINED THE MOVIE FOR ME. The movie is about this kid from the wudang sword school and he is going to get married. Enter the Bride. She of course doesn't want anybody to be happy so...The story is not really worth going over, it is just injected and there are no real emotions. Except of course for an ending that really PO'ed me. The only reason this movie gets a 2 stars and almost gets a 3 is for Christy Chung. Not only is she one of the most beautiful women on earth, she is a great actress. So I know of 2 movies now that are only worth watching for her, this and Red Wolf. It may be because the people she works with are so terrible, but to tell the truth, Christy Chung actually made me pop this dvd in for a second time. Not a big deal since it was only like a 77 minute long movie. | 982 | [
"I wrote a huge review for this and don't know where it is but let me give you the short version.",
"They don't continue the story, that is until the end of the movie.",
"AND THAT WAS THE PART TRHAT RUINED THE MOVIE FOR ME.",
"The movie is about this kid from the wudang sword school and he is going to get married.",
"Enter the Bride.",
"She of course doesn't want anybody to be happy so...The story is not really worth going over, it is just injected and there are no real emotions.",
"Except of course for an ending that really PO'ed me.",
"The only reason this movie gets a 2 stars and almost gets a 3 is for Christy Chung.",
"Not only is she one of the most beautiful women on earth, she is a great actress.",
"So I know of 2 movies now that are only worth watching for her, this and Red Wolf.",
"It may be because the people she works with are so terrible, but to tell the truth, Christy Chung actually made me pop this dvd in for a second time.",
"Not a big deal since it was only like a 77 minute long movie."
] |
2 | Should be called "Nothing Here" | It is quite possible for this film to wash over you and leave absolutely no trace of passing.There are about three or four lines in this effort which are funny however the tedium in-between does not make them worth the wait.Part of the problem with this film was that I felt that I had seen it all before. Which, of course, I had in Four Weddings. Slightly pathetic, floppy-haired middle-class Englishman falls for glamorous American who rejects him them gets back together with him and has a group of friends suffering from various disabilities.Not since "Intersection" have I spent a movie looking at my watch to see when it ended. I honestly don't know who was worse, Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant. They both became so grating on the nerves that I couldn't wait for the movie to end. The most enjoyable part of the film (aside from it being over) were the trailers they showed before it.Not worth seeing or renting. Save the money for something better... it shouldn't be that hard. | 982 | [
"It is quite possible for this film to wash over you and leave absolutely no trace of passing.There are about three or four lines in this effort which are funny however the tedium in-between does not make them worth the wait.Part of the problem with this film was that I felt that I had seen it all before.",
"Which, of course, I had in Four Weddings.",
"Slightly pathetic, floppy-haired middle-class Englishman falls for glamorous American who rejects him them gets back together with him and has a group of friends suffering from various disabilities.Not since \"Intersection\" have I spent a movie looking at my watch to see when it ended.",
"I honestly don't know who was worse, Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant.",
"They both became so grating on the nerves that I couldn't wait for the movie to end.",
"The most enjoyable part of the film (aside from it being over) were the trailers they showed before it.Not worth seeing or renting.",
"Save the money for something better... it shouldn't be that hard."
] |
2 | It's missing something. | I felt that this book lacked the kind of depth it needed to properly convey its meaning. Tolstoy rambles too much to make the story truely *interesting*, and Ivan Ilyich's untimely and meaningless end left me wondering "well, then, what was the point of writing the story?" The only factor that convinced me to give this book two stars instead of one was that at least the fellow gave it a really good try. Basically, it's too flat to cater to those who enjoy poetic or "flowery" writing, any messages Tolstoy manages to put across seem obvious and clichéd, and the characters have even less depth than the story. Furthermore, Tolstoy's apparent feeling about the nature of humanity is bleaker than Poe's. So if you want to read something meaningful with a mildly religious feel, go for George MacDonald or Peter S. Beagle and at least get a little enjoyment out of it. If you absolutely must read this book, though, take my advice and keep a bottle of Prozac handy. You'll need it. | 982 | [
"I felt that this book lacked the kind of depth it needed to properly convey its meaning.",
"Tolstoy rambles too much to make the story truely *interesting*, and Ivan Ilyich's untimely and meaningless end left me wondering \"well, then, what was the point of writing the story?",
"\" The only factor that convinced me to give this book two stars instead of one was that at least the fellow gave it a really good try.",
"Basically, it's too flat to cater to those who enjoy poetic or \"flowery\" writing, any messages Tolstoy manages to put across seem obvious and clichéd, and the characters have even less depth than the story.",
"Furthermore, Tolstoy's apparent feeling about the nature of humanity is bleaker than Poe's.",
"So if you want to read something meaningful with a mildly religious feel, go for George MacDonald or Peter S.",
"Beagle and at least get a little enjoyment out of it.",
"If you absolutely must read this book, though, take my advice and keep a bottle of Prozac handy.",
"You'll need it."
] |
2 | Glad I didn't buy it | As a seperate work of science fiction, this book would be quite good. However, because of the fact that it is intended to be part of a previously-written epic, _Dune: House Areides_ falls far short of expectations. It is utterly lacking in Frank Herbert's vision, breadth and scope, and just a few cursory glances at the _Dune Encyclopedia_ reveals several major errors in character backgrounds (Duncan Idaho never lived on Geidi Prime, for example) and numerous other inconsistencies.I suppose no other sci-fi author could ever begin to compete with Frank Herbert on his own turf. It may have been better if this book had not been written. It cannot compare favorably to any of the others in the series, and will always stand in the shadow of the grandeur of Frank Herbert's creation.For a book that is supposedly based on Frank Herbert's notes and "recently discoverd files," this novel displays surprisingly little insight and/or character and historical knowledge of the series. | 982 | [
"As a seperate work of science fiction, this book would be quite good.",
"However, because of the fact that it is intended to be part of a previously-written epic, _Dune: House Areides_ falls far short of expectations.",
"It is utterly lacking in Frank Herbert's vision, breadth and scope, and just a few cursory glances at the _Dune Encyclopedia_ reveals several major errors in character backgrounds (Duncan Idaho never lived on Geidi Prime, for example) and numerous other inconsistencies.I suppose no other sci-fi author could ever begin to compete with Frank Herbert on his own turf.",
"It may have been better if this book had not been written.",
"It cannot compare favorably to any of the others in the series, and will always stand in the shadow of the grandeur of Frank Herbert's creation.For a book that is supposedly based on Frank Herbert's notes and \"recently discoverd files,\" this novel displays surprisingly little insight and/or character and historical knowledge of the series."
] |
2 | Not my kind of humor | I read Naked on the recommendation of a great many people, and it may be because it was so highly recommended that I was somewhat let down. After being told time and again how clever and funny David Sedaris' writing was, I found it amusing at best, but never particularly enlightening or knee-slappingly funny.Naked is, simply, a collection of autobiographical essays relating to various events in Sedaris' life -- the years he lived with his grandmother, a youthful trip to Greece, adventures in hitchhiking and, as the capper, a visit to a nudist resort. Some of the stories are quite funny, others less so. A few are downright maudlin. There's nothing wrong with any of them, but I was never particularly engaged either -- chalk it up to personal taste. I don't really get into nonfiction unless I find the author or the subject matter particularly engaging. In the case of Naked, the author and subject matter are the same thing, and it's just not something I got excited about. | 982 | [
"I read Naked on the recommendation of a great many people, and it may be because it was so highly recommended that I was somewhat let down.",
"After being told time and again how clever and funny David Sedaris' writing was, I found it amusing at best, but never particularly enlightening or knee-slappingly funny.Naked is, simply, a collection of autobiographical essays relating to various events in Sedaris' life -- the years he lived with his grandmother, a youthful trip to Greece, adventures in hitchhiking and, as the capper, a visit to a nudist resort.",
"Some of the stories are quite funny, others less so.",
"A few are downright maudlin.",
"There's nothing wrong with any of them, but I was never particularly engaged either -- chalk it up to personal taste.",
"I don't really get into nonfiction unless I find the author or the subject matter particularly engaging.",
"In the case of Naked, the author and subject matter are the same thing, and it's just not something I got excited about."
] |
2 | Caveat Emptor | I rented Moulin Rouge and loved it. I bought the first soundtrack, and enjoyed it immensely. But after purchasing Moulin Rouge 2 and listening to it, I felt that I had wasted [money]. "Your Song" (#1) is a nice ballad but doesn't seem to go anywhere. "Sparkling Diamonds" is ok but the verson on the first MR cd is better. The Tony Phillips remix of "One Day I'll Fly Away" is awful (minor keys and dischord). "Come What May" is so-so but the version on MR (1) is better. "The Pitch" (taken directly from the film) is quite good. "Your Song" (#8) is respectable. (Enjoyable if you like background music.) "Ascension/Nature Boy" is slow moving. "Closing Credits" is (surprisingly) very enjoyable. (It's unique and intriguing.)The diehard MR fans may enjoy this album. But for the average fan, you may want to think twice before purchasing. (Borrow a copy first, if you can.) It's possible that this album may "grow" on a person, but I am not 100% sure.In any case, caveat emptor. :-) | 982 | [
"I rented Moulin Rouge and loved it.",
"I bought the first soundtrack, and enjoyed it immensely.",
"But after purchasing Moulin Rouge 2 and listening to it, I felt that I had wasted [money].",
"\"Your Song\" (#1) is a nice ballad but doesn't seem to go anywhere.",
"\"Sparkling Diamonds\" is ok but the verson on the first MR cd is better.",
"The Tony Phillips remix of \"One Day I'll Fly Away\" is awful (minor keys and dischord).",
"\"Come What May\" is so-so but the version on MR (1) is better.",
"\"The Pitch\" (taken directly from the film) is quite good.",
"\"Your Song\" (#8) is respectable.",
"(Enjoyable if you like background music.) \"Ascension/Nature Boy\" is slow moving.",
"\"Closing Credits\" is (surprisingly) very enjoyable.",
"(It's unique and intriguing.)The diehard MR fans may enjoy this album.",
"But for the average fan, you may want to think twice before purchasing.",
"(Borrow a copy first, if you can.) It's possible that this album may \"grow\" on a person, but I am not 100% sure.In any case, caveat emptor.",
":-)"
] |
2 | surprisingly dull... | I hunted this book down through what seemed virtually every bookstore in Manhattan until I finally found it used at the Strand. Having read Reed's amazing erotic classic, The Pleasure Chateau, & seeing how much Lautremont had influenced his style in that book, I was certain that a book by Reed dealing directly with Lautremont himself would be something extraordinary. I was extremely disappointed to read this dull, minutely over-analyzed fictionalized *report* on Lautremont's not-all-that-interesting comings & goings, relationship with his father, etc. Perhaps if I hadnt had such high expectations for the book I would have liked it better, but somehow I doubt that, for I wasnt even compelled to finish it. For that reason alone, I give it two stars, figuring it would be unfair under the circumstances to give it any less...and on the chance that Reed, who I still admire greatly for The Pleasure Chateau, might have done *something* of interest, eventually, with this book. | 982 | [
"I hunted this book down through what seemed virtually every bookstore in Manhattan until I finally found it used at the Strand.",
"Having read Reed's amazing erotic classic, The Pleasure Chateau, & seeing how much Lautremont had influenced his style in that book, I was certain that a book by Reed dealing directly with Lautremont himself would be something extraordinary.",
"I was extremely disappointed to read this dull, minutely over-analyzed fictionalized *report* on Lautremont's not-all-that-interesting comings & goings, relationship with his father, etc.",
"Perhaps if I hadnt had such high expectations for the book I would have liked it better, but somehow I doubt that, for I wasnt even compelled to finish it.",
"For that reason alone, I give it two stars, figuring it would be unfair under the circumstances to give it any less...and on the chance that Reed, who I still admire greatly for The Pleasure Chateau, might have done *something* of interest, eventually, with this book."
] |
2 | What happened? | This recording represents one of the biggest dropoffs in quality of any group I can remember. Heck, at least the Stone Roses took five years to work up a stink before releasing their marginal followup to the debut. The Woodentops "Giant" album is easily one of the highlights of the 1980s. Quirky, melodic and fun. It's still an album I play 20 years later with hardly any face-scrunching due to clunky 80's drums & synths.But with "Wooden Footcops" it seems that all sense of what made The Woodentops click on earlier albums simply vanished. The songs are dull and sound dated. Scott Litt was nailing REM production duties at the same time so I doubt it was all his fault. Anyone who has this album and thinks it's good should immediately go back one album and find yourself amazed by the difference.The only reason I hold onto this CD is because of the first track "Maybe It Won't Last". It's the only thing that connects them to past pleasures. (I haven't heard the bonus tracks) | 982 | [
"This recording represents one of the biggest dropoffs in quality of any group I can remember.",
"Heck, at least the Stone Roses took five years to work up a stink before releasing their marginal followup to the debut.",
"The Woodentops \"Giant\" album is easily one of the highlights of the 1980s.",
"Quirky, melodic and fun.",
"It's still an album I play 20 years later with hardly any face-scrunching due to clunky 80's drums & synths.But with \"Wooden Footcops\" it seems that all sense of what made The Woodentops click on earlier albums simply vanished.",
"The songs are dull and sound dated.",
"Scott Litt was nailing REM production duties at the same time so I doubt it was all his fault.",
"Anyone who has this album and thinks it's good should immediately go back one album and find yourself amazed by the difference.The only reason I hold onto this CD is because of the first track \"Maybe It Won't Last\".",
"It's the only thing that connects them to past pleasures.",
"(I haven't heard the bonus tracks)"
] |
2 | What role does this book serve? | Overall, this is a well-written book. It covers a variety of topics, from preference maximization through existence and stability of eq'ia, to optimal control and growth models.However, I'm not sure what its niche is -- what this book provides that others don't, or that it covers more thoroughly. If you want math, read Simon and Blume or a math book. If you want micro theory, read Mas-Collel or Silberberg. If you want neoclassical macro theory, read Sargent. For optimal control, read Kamien/Schwarz or Seierstad/Sydsaeter. This book covers selected topics from each. Though it covers them well, much is left out.Noticeably absent from the book is any uncertainty, randomness, or probability. There is also no game theory. These seek huge omissions for a book which seeks to show the usefulness of mathematical techniques in economic analysis.Notation is also a bit unusual. I was a bit confused by some of the author's own notation for partial orderings and Cartesian products. | 982 | [
"Overall, this is a well-written book.",
"It covers a variety of topics, from preference maximization through existence and stability of eq'ia, to optimal control and growth models.However, I'm not sure what its niche is -- what this book provides that others don't, or that it covers more thoroughly.",
"If you want math, read Simon and Blume or a math book.",
"If you want micro theory, read Mas-Collel or Silberberg.",
"If you want neoclassical macro theory, read Sargent.",
"For optimal control, read Kamien/Schwarz or Seierstad/Sydsaeter.",
"This book covers selected topics from each.",
"Though it covers them well, much is left out.Noticeably absent from the book is any uncertainty, randomness, or probability.",
"There is also no game theory.",
"These seek huge omissions for a book which seeks to show the usefulness of mathematical techniques in economic analysis.Notation is also a bit unusual.",
"I was a bit confused by some of the author's own notation for partial orderings and Cartesian products."
] |
2 | Returned this item. | I purchased this for my wife, who is much smaller and lighter than me. Somehow it was too hard for her, and yet when she bounced on it, her feet went almost all the way to the ground. Also, the foam it was packed with somehow bonded to the paint, and there were white blotches all over it that were not removable. I tried scrubbing them and using my fingernails, but they were permanent. After sharing our disappointment with a colleague, he said that if we were serious about buying a rebounder, to get one that, instead of springs all the way around, that could potentially hurt if you mis-stepped, to get one that had what is essentially a bungee-cord winding back and forth between the trampoline surface and the steel rim. He said these are much gentler and easier to use, but they are a lot more money, on the order of three times what this one cost. We have not yet taken that particular plunge. If this one works for you, then it's sure a lot cheaper. It didn't work for us. | 982 | [
"I purchased this for my wife, who is much smaller and lighter than me.",
"Somehow it was too hard for her, and yet when she bounced on it, her feet went almost all the way to the ground.",
"Also, the foam it was packed with somehow bonded to the paint, and there were white blotches all over it that were not removable.",
"I tried scrubbing them and using my fingernails, but they were permanent.",
"After sharing our disappointment with a colleague, he said that if we were serious about buying a rebounder, to get one that, instead of springs all the way around, that could potentially hurt if you mis-stepped, to get one that had what is essentially a bungee-cord winding back and forth between the trampoline surface and the steel rim.",
"He said these are much gentler and easier to use, but they are a lot more money, on the order of three times what this one cost.",
"We have not yet taken that particular plunge.",
"If this one works for you, then it's sure a lot cheaper.",
"It didn't work for us."
] |
2 | Heart Burn | Among the three reviews I had read, James Patterson is considered a talented writer. Using a style not often seen within long novels. Patterson uses small chapters barely seven pages long at the most. Designed to keep the reader reading without being bogged down by a never-ending chapter. These shorter chapters also afford Patterson the freedom to change time lapses and scenes often, without confusing the audience.Unfortunately in my opinion that was about the only clever decision Patterson made in writing this novel....I found that the book could in fact be consumed very quickly. Actually the book had only taken a day to "consumer". And like most fast food it left me with heartburn.While reading, the audience discovers more about the "vampire brothers" then they do about Cross's character. Even though the majority of the story follows Cross around as he discovers more murder scenes, goes on a bad date and tries to make amends with his children for being a workaholic. | 982 | [
"Among the three reviews I had read, James Patterson is considered a talented writer.",
"Using a style not often seen within long novels.",
"Patterson uses small chapters barely seven pages long at the most.",
"Designed to keep the reader reading without being bogged down by a never-ending chapter.",
"These shorter chapters also afford Patterson the freedom to change time lapses and scenes often, without confusing the audience.Unfortunately in my opinion that was about the only clever decision Patterson made in writing this novel....I found that the book could in fact be consumed very quickly.",
"Actually the book had only taken a day to \"consumer\".",
"And like most fast food it left me with heartburn.While reading, the audience discovers more about the \"vampire brothers\" then they do about Cross's character.",
"Even though the majority of the story follows Cross around as he discovers more murder scenes, goes on a bad date and tries to make amends with his children for being a workaholic."
] |
2 | Written Child Porn | It has been a while since I read this book, but I recently was involved in a discussion about this Toni Morrison novel, so I've decided to write a review:The book has some brilliant moments, no doubt. But all and all this novel reads like a fifth-grader wrote it, and contains an extremely graphic rape scene between a man and a little girl. This novel, just like The Catcher In The Rye, is nothing but an attempt to write a story for people who love to see negativity and pessimism glorified. A play for that "woe-is-me" crowd of "LEFTIST" morons. An easy target to shoot for. If you want to become a famous novelist, just use the Lord's name in vain, over and over again, or describe how you hate the world because it has let you down.Like I said, there are a few parts of this novel I think are great. But there is so much more of it that is just disgusting, whining, and needless complaining. Toni Morrison is the most overrated writer in America today...www.therunnninggirl.com | 982 | [
"It has been a while since I read this book, but I recently was involved in a discussion about this Toni Morrison novel, so I've decided to write a review:The book has some brilliant moments, no doubt.",
"But all and all this novel reads like a fifth-grader wrote it, and contains an extremely graphic rape scene between a man and a little girl.",
"This novel, just like The Catcher In The Rye, is nothing but an attempt to write a story for people who love to see negativity and pessimism glorified.",
"A play for that \"woe-is-me\" crowd of \"LEFTIST\" morons.",
"An easy target to shoot for.",
"If you want to become a famous novelist, just use the Lord's name in vain, over and over again, or describe how you hate the world because it has let you down.Like I said, there are a few parts of this novel I think are great.",
"But there is so much more of it that is just disgusting, whining, and needless complaining.",
"Toni Morrison is the most overrated writer in America today...www.therunnninggirl.com"
] |
2 | Disappointing fare | This 1994 collaboration came to me used, via a friend, which I read primarily because it was available when I needed a book in hand quickly (can't be caught without reading material, now can we?). Much as I like Mercedes Lackey, this is not a book I would have bought, due to the Piers Anthony influence. I found the characters superficial, with a cumbersome and contrived sexual situation, more typical of Anthony than Lackey. I have ceased reading Anthony over the years, feeling that he has been almost a caricature of himself and extremely formulaic. I was not too surprised to discover that Lackey developed an idea/outline of Anthony's, which he then edited and added 10,000 words. I suspect I know the pages he added: there's a lot of telling, not showing, of characters' thoughts and emotions. The world is not uninteresting, and might make an intriguing role-playing game, but that's not enough to carry the book. There's lots more good fantasy out there; pass this one by. | 982 | [
"This 1994 collaboration came to me used, via a friend, which I read primarily because it was available when I needed a book in hand quickly (can't be caught without reading material, now can we?",
").",
"Much as I like Mercedes Lackey, this is not a book I would have bought, due to the Piers Anthony influence.",
"I found the characters superficial, with a cumbersome and contrived sexual situation, more typical of Anthony than Lackey.",
"I have ceased reading Anthony over the years, feeling that he has been almost a caricature of himself and extremely formulaic.",
"I was not too surprised to discover that Lackey developed an idea/outline of Anthony's, which he then edited and added 10,000 words.",
"I suspect I know the pages he added: there's a lot of telling, not showing, of characters' thoughts and emotions.",
"The world is not uninteresting, and might make an intriguing role-playing game, but that's not enough to carry the book.",
"There's lots more good fantasy out there; pass this one by."
] |
2 | Excellent but wrong | I'm no linguist myself, but Pinker's logical analysis is so weak that an alert reader's conclusion inevitably is: he must be wrong. A common strategy to be convincing is to list all possible theories and to eliminate all but one with supporting facts. Pinker comes up with one single theory, that grammar is genetically determined, and he then lists loads of facts, that happen to be consistent with that theory. However, alternative explanations are hardly discussed, and none is convincingly refuted. At the same time, there are problems with genetically determined grammar, that he doesn't bother to talk about.If there had been good arguments for a genetically determined grammar, I'm sure Pinker would have mentioned them, so I consider this book a very good indication that the theory is a wild guess at best.Still, Pinker is an excellent stylist, and his collection of facts is extremely interesting taken individually. For these reasons alone the book is well worth reading. | 982 | [
"I'm no linguist myself, but Pinker's logical analysis is so weak that an alert reader's conclusion inevitably is: he must be wrong.",
"A common strategy to be convincing is to list all possible theories and to eliminate all but one with supporting facts.",
"Pinker comes up with one single theory, that grammar is genetically determined, and he then lists loads of facts, that happen to be consistent with that theory.",
"However, alternative explanations are hardly discussed, and none is convincingly refuted.",
"At the same time, there are problems with genetically determined grammar, that he doesn't bother to talk about.If there had been good arguments for a genetically determined grammar, I'm sure Pinker would have mentioned them, so I consider this book a very good indication that the theory is a wild guess at best.Still, Pinker is an excellent stylist, and his collection of facts is extremely interesting taken individually.",
"For these reasons alone the book is well worth reading."
] |
2 | "Honey, I'm home!" | Teens George and Jennifer (Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon) are twins but Jennifer is a wild child while George's passion is watching re-runs of the 50s TV sitcom "Pleasantville." One night, the kids are magically whisked right into Pleasantville - a swell little town where the fire department only rescues cats in trees, books are as blank as the foks' minds, and everything is in black and white. George loves it there, but Jennifer starts changing things when she takes her boyfriend up to Lover's Lane. Gradually people start seeing things in color, then it rains real rain, and *gasp* dinner is not on the table at six o'clock.This movie left me confused and disappointed. It seems to equate sexual promiscuity with intellectual enlightenment. Maguire and Witherspoon are perfectly cast and give excellent performances, but the script ridicules old fashioned values. I did enjoy the photography changing slowly from black and white to color, but I cannot recommend the movie. | 982 | [
"Teens George and Jennifer (Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon) are twins but Jennifer is a wild child while George's passion is watching re-runs of the 50s TV sitcom \"Pleasantville.\" One night, the kids are magically whisked right into Pleasantville - a swell little town where the fire department only rescues cats in trees, books are as blank as the foks' minds, and everything is in black and white.",
"George loves it there, but Jennifer starts changing things when she takes her boyfriend up to Lover's Lane.",
"Gradually people start seeing things in color, then it rains real rain, and *gasp* dinner is not on the table at six o'clock.This movie left me confused and disappointed.",
"It seems to equate sexual promiscuity with intellectual enlightenment.",
"Maguire and Witherspoon are perfectly cast and give excellent performances, but the script ridicules old fashioned values.",
"I did enjoy the photography changing slowly from black and white to color, but I cannot recommend the movie."
] |
2 | Ages 4-8? More like age 48. | The title and intent looked fun and creative, but what a dreary exercise in feminist consciousness raising is inside. Do the authors have any sense of what draws a child's eye or child's ear? Where is our wiccan Dr. Scarry? Our feminist Dr. Seuss?? Certainly not here.Instead we get unappealing, small, non-coloring-friendly illustrations with such catchy child-appealing jingles like "'high heels and handbags cloning project' got you down?" (huh??) Not catchy enough? Try "Underneath all the fancy clothing, Sophia found an enthusiastic love her own body." Or that 4-year-old-crowd-pleaser, "when she stopped chasing the dangling carrot of conventional femininity she was finally able to savor being a woman."Now there isn't anything wrong with the intent here, but I challenge anyone to give me one example of a child that had FUN with this book.The plus side: the book is slightly more appealing than Girls Will Be Boys will be Girls...Pink boys and tough girls deserve better!! | 982 | [
"The title and intent looked fun and creative, but what a dreary exercise in feminist consciousness raising is inside.",
"Do the authors have any sense of what draws a child's eye or child's ear?",
"Where is our wiccan Dr.",
"Scarry?",
"Our feminist Dr.",
"Seuss??",
"Certainly not here.Instead we get unappealing, small, non-coloring-friendly illustrations with such catchy child-appealing jingles like \"'high heels and handbags cloning project' got you down?",
"\" (huh??",
") Not catchy enough?",
"Try \"Underneath all the fancy clothing, Sophia found an enthusiastic love her own body.\" Or that 4-year-old-crowd-pleaser, \"when she stopped chasing the dangling carrot of conventional femininity she was finally able to savor being a woman.\"Now there isn't anything wrong with the intent here, but I challenge anyone to give me one example of a child that had FUN with this book.The plus side: the book is slightly more appealing than Girls Will Be Boys will be Girls...Pink boys and tough girls deserve better!!"
] |
2 | Under engineered for 250# | I really like the idea and it will work for LIGHT loads. I just finished installing this product and found it to be under engineered to lift 250# as advertised. It seems to work reasonably well if the load is kept under 200#. The ceiling arms, cable, and platform seem to be okay, but the roller mechanism, particularly the roller gearbox and support are too light weight and try to twist with a full load. The gearbox ratio is such that it would be extremely difficult to crank it up with anything other than a very light load. I used a 1/2 drill as mentioned in the instructions, but you had to be very careful that the hook didn't ride up and bind. When this happened the lightweight rod used for the crank bent and I had to straighten it out (three times) and was lucky that I didn't sprain my wrist. If you use a drill, make sure you pull down on it while winding it up to keep the hook in place and do it in short bursts (not continuous) to keep it from riding up and binding. | 982 | [
"I really like the idea and it will work for LIGHT loads.",
"I just finished installing this product and found it to be under engineered to lift 250# as advertised.",
"It seems to work reasonably well if the load is kept under 200#.",
"The ceiling arms, cable, and platform seem to be okay, but the roller mechanism, particularly the roller gearbox and support are too light weight and try to twist with a full load.",
"The gearbox ratio is such that it would be extremely difficult to crank it up with anything other than a very light load.",
"I used a 1/2 drill as mentioned in the instructions, but you had to be very careful that the hook didn't ride up and bind.",
"When this happened the lightweight rod used for the crank bent and I had to straighten it out (three times) and was lucky that I didn't sprain my wrist.",
"If you use a drill, make sure you pull down on it while winding it up to keep the hook in place and do it in short bursts (not continuous) to keep it from riding up and binding."
] |
2 | Not good for ftp upload to site | I bought this for an IP camera that could upload still images on a schedule to my ftp site. It has very few options in this category. I wanted to be able to upload one image every minute or less even. It can either do it continously or you can set up a schedule or times (to do it continously). On the FAQ there is an area that looks like there is some extra menus for doing a manual setup. Guess what? Those menus are not included in the actual firmware you get with this product. I upgraded to the latest firmware version, hoping it would be there, but this changed nothing in the options.If you just want a camera for network security to be monitored remotely or from inside your network, this will work, although its quality is NOT that good. Id recommend even the bottom of the line Axis cameras as their picture quality is much better.If you are looking for a camera with a good ftp upload client like I was go with Stardot. They are more costly but they are twice the camera. | 982 | [
"I bought this for an IP camera that could upload still images on a schedule to my ftp site.",
"It has very few options in this category.",
"I wanted to be able to upload one image every minute or less even.",
"It can either do it continously or you can set up a schedule or times (to do it continously).",
"On the FAQ there is an area that looks like there is some extra menus for doing a manual setup.",
"Guess what?",
"Those menus are not included in the actual firmware you get with this product.",
"I upgraded to the latest firmware version, hoping it would be there, but this changed nothing in the options.If you just want a camera for network security to be monitored remotely or from inside your network, this will work, although its quality is NOT that good.",
"Id recommend even the bottom of the line Axis cameras as their picture quality is much better.If you are looking for a camera with a good ftp upload client like I was go with Stardot.",
"They are more costly but they are twice the camera."
] |
2 | Could Not Use | My back began to give me problems after sleeping on our old mattress. We bought this in an effort to firm up our aging mattress, as it looked new and figured it still had a few good years left in it. The Mattress Remedy arrived quickly, and I followed the instructions, getting it placed and inflated. I inflated while my wife was on the mattress, so she could tell how firm it was getting. Got it to where she was comfortable, and after I got on it, it kinda moved around. We keep feeling like we where going to roll off the bed. If we let some air out to solve that problem, then it was not comfortable anymore. We tried different amounts of air, but could not find that comfort spot we where hoping for. After three nights of trying, I had to return for a refund. I guess maybe it would work under the right circumstances, but we gave up. Gave in and bought a new memory foam mattress(from Amazon.com also) and got the best sleep I've ever had. Would not recommend this product!! | 982 | [
"My back began to give me problems after sleeping on our old mattress.",
"We bought this in an effort to firm up our aging mattress, as it looked new and figured it still had a few good years left in it.",
"The Mattress Remedy arrived quickly, and I followed the instructions, getting it placed and inflated.",
"I inflated while my wife was on the mattress, so she could tell how firm it was getting.",
"Got it to where she was comfortable, and after I got on it, it kinda moved around.",
"We keep feeling like we where going to roll off the bed.",
"If we let some air out to solve that problem, then it was not comfortable anymore.",
"We tried different amounts of air, but could not find that comfort spot we where hoping for.",
"After three nights of trying, I had to return for a refund.",
"I guess maybe it would work under the right circumstances, but we gave up.",
"Gave in and bought a new memory foam mattress(from Amazon.com also) and got the best sleep I've ever had.",
"Would not recommend this product!!"
] |
2 | Pretty pathetic work | Maybe if Zepplin had proped up that drunk of a drummer he wouldn't have choked on his own vomit and they would have been around a little longer. Then they could have put on some make up of their own and and really showed everyone who's boss...nah...another band that was alot better had already done that. Im glad that good old J.D. let everyone know how Zepplin got around to deciding how they should go about doing their albums.All you had to do was show up to band practice first! I can see it now....Jones got up early on Christmas morning to discover that Santa had left him a brand new keyboard set.He rushes down as quick as he can and to his amazement he is the first to show up to practice so he gets to have first say on how the album will go.Soon afterwards Bonham gets mad because he thinks its his turn to be first and goes on a drinking binge and........well we all know what happened after that dont we.Get over it.this album sucked back then and it still does today. | 982 | [
"Maybe if Zepplin had proped up that drunk of a drummer he wouldn't have choked on his own vomit and they would have been around a little longer.",
"Then they could have put on some make up of their own and and really showed everyone who's boss...nah...another band that was alot better had already done that.",
"Im glad that good old J.D. let everyone know how Zepplin got around to deciding how they should go about doing their albums.All you had to do was show up to band practice first!",
"I can see it now....Jones got up early on Christmas morning to discover that Santa had left him a brand new keyboard set.He rushes down as quick as he can and to his amazement he is the first to show up to practice so he gets to have first say on how the album will go.Soon afterwards Bonham gets mad because he thinks its his turn to be first and goes on a drinking binge and........well we all know what happened after that dont we.Get over it.this album sucked back then and it still does today."
] |
2 | Lack of research | I recently purchesed this book and was extremly disapointed to find things that weren't true.A one point it states 'Anne asks her mother when her father will return and Nicole as Grace replies"Daddy isn't coming home.you'll find out soon enough this place isn't always a happy home."' When actually Nicolase asks 'when's Daddy coming home' to which Nicole then says when the war is over. She tells the servent first arrive she 'you'll find out soon enough this place isn't always a happy home.'I also found that in the book it quotes Anne Robinson to saying 'that looks like a twitch' at Nicoles attempt to imitate Anne,but actually Nicole makes that comment about herself.The aurthors showed no compassion to writing this book and there only driving force seemed to be the money.I found this book mostly disatifying and was saddened because Nicole Kidman is my favourite actress,this book doesn't do her justice.so enless you are a complete fan don't even bother reading this book! | 982 | [
"I recently purchesed this book and was extremly disapointed to find things that weren't true.A one point it states 'Anne asks her mother when her father will return and Nicole as Grace replies\"Daddy isn't coming home.you'll find out soon enough this place isn't always a happy home.\"' When actually Nicolase asks 'when's Daddy coming home' to which Nicole then says when the war is over.",
"She tells the servent first arrive she 'you'll find out soon enough this place isn't always a happy home.'I also found that in the book it quotes Anne Robinson to saying 'that looks like a twitch' at Nicoles attempt to imitate Anne,but actually Nicole makes that comment about herself.The aurthors showed no compassion to writing this book and there only driving force seemed to be the money.I found this book mostly disatifying and was saddened because Nicole Kidman is my favourite actress,this book doesn't do her justice.so enless you are a complete fan don't even bother reading this book!"
] |
2 | Disappointed- Lack of R&B | I consider myself average in age (36) and pretty diverse when it comes to music. I loved Ruben's voice on American Idol, adored his R&B sound.I expected his Debut CD to showcase his voice as he did on American Idol. However, I was very disappointed as to the absence of the R&B on this CD and instead was replaced with Hip Hop. Had Ruben of done Hip Hop on American Idol, he wouldn't have gotten my votes.I wanted on his CD what I voted for on American Idol.I am sadly disappointed.Folks, if you think this CD will be songs similar to the ones Rue sung on American Idol....think again. There is Hip Hop/ Rap on it that may disappoint you- I hear no Velvet Teddy Bear. I do hear a Rapping Grizzly Bear, though!What a disappointment that he forgot us fans who voted for his Smooth R&B sound. He sold us out to the younger Hip Hop teens :-(Yes there are 2 R&B songs on the CD which are "Flying Without Wings" and "Superstar" but we've been hearing those for months...nothing new there! | 982 | [
"I consider myself average in age (36) and pretty diverse when it comes to music.",
"I loved Ruben's voice on American Idol, adored his R&B sound.I expected his Debut CD to showcase his voice as he did on American Idol.",
"However, I was very disappointed as to the absence of the R&B on this CD and instead was replaced with Hip Hop.",
"Had Ruben of done Hip Hop on American Idol, he wouldn't have gotten my votes.I wanted on his CD what I voted for on American Idol.I am sadly disappointed.Folks, if you think this CD will be songs similar to the ones Rue sung on American Idol....think again.",
"There is Hip Hop/ Rap on it that may disappoint you- I hear no Velvet Teddy Bear.",
"I do hear a Rapping Grizzly Bear, though!",
"What a disappointment that he forgot us fans who voted for his Smooth R&B sound.",
"He sold us out to the younger Hip Hop teens :-(Yes there are 2 R&B songs on the CD which are \"Flying Without Wings\" and \"Superstar\" but we've been hearing those for months...nothing new there!"
] |
2 | In it's entirety??? Not true! | RCA claims this is the original LP in it's entirety. Let's look at a few things: "Let Me In" original version contains the lyric "Don't tell me you want money" instead of 'it's so funny'. This version of "Runnin' Round This World" is NOT the album version but rather one that has no relation [on the LP Signe Anderson sings lead] to the album, and humorously censored by RCA [probably 'just for authenticity to this disc...]. Plus, the lyrics to "Run Around" were different on the original LP as well. So you have 3 songs that have no relation to the original LP. However, we can't afford these $... pressings to hear these things [RCA obviously doesn't care, and still frowns on the lyrics,most likely] , so you should find a tape trader who can get you a tape of the original record. However, disregard the fraudulent claim that this IS the original LP. I myself would like to hear the original in it's entirety rather than a poor sounding,muffuled boot. RCA, do a better job..... | 982 | [
"RCA claims this is the original LP in it's entirety.",
"Let's look at a few things: \"Let Me In\" original version contains the lyric \"Don't tell me you want money\" instead of 'it's so funny'.",
"This version of \"Runnin' Round This World\" is NOT the album version but rather one that has no relation [on the LP Signe Anderson sings lead] to the album, and humorously censored by RCA [probably 'just for authenticity to this disc...].",
"Plus, the lyrics to \"Run Around\" were different on the original LP as well.",
"So you have 3 songs that have no relation to the original LP.",
"However, we can't afford these $... pressings to hear these things [RCA obviously doesn't care, and still frowns on the lyrics,most likely] , so you should find a tape trader who can get you a tape of the original record.",
"However, disregard the fraudulent claim that this IS the original LP.",
"I myself would like to hear the original in it's entirety rather than a poor sounding,muffuled boot.",
"RCA, do a better job....."
] |
2 | dont damn the film until... | you read this. Ok to every one slamming the new film for not being true to the book etc etc etc please remembera) the books where set in a different era (70's 80's) and the ideas could not have transfered well to the late 90's/ 00's. main point being the vastly different technology we have now and the prominance of computers, satellite tracking etc.b) the screenplay was written by ludlum himself before he died (just after the film was released or finished i believe)and was onset as an advisor. think theres an interview on the dvd with him. he realised that it couldnt be a straight adaption for the reasons laid out before and that the film would only be 90 min +. so dont use the its not faithful to the original argument. it was never intended to be. it was an interpretation. this miniseries was hardly spot on (well more so than the current film but the acting was way hammier which is always a killer in my book)all in all ok. wudn give it tuppence for the new one though | 982 | [
"you read this.",
"Ok to every one slamming the new film for not being true to the book etc etc etc please remembera) the books where set in a different era (70's 80's) and the ideas could not have transfered well to the late 90's/ 00's.",
"main point being the vastly different technology we have now and the prominance of computers, satellite tracking etc.b) the screenplay was written by ludlum himself before he died (just after the film was released or finished i believe)and was onset as an advisor.",
"think theres an interview on the dvd with him.",
"he realised that it couldnt be a straight adaption for the reasons laid out before and that the film would only be 90 min +.",
"so dont use the its not faithful to the original argument.",
"it was never intended to be.",
"it was an interpretation.",
"this miniseries was hardly spot on (well more so than the current film but the acting was way hammier which is always a killer in my book)all in all ok.",
"wudn give it tuppence for the new one though"
] |
2 | Started off good | The first couple of sections are very good. Of course, you have to suspend disbelief, but this is easy as long as you just redefine mars as a planet in another galaxy or something. Science proved wrong alot of what was written in this book. Stereotubes? The were TV's then. Like a good reader though, I can suspend disbelief and believe that people call the TV a stereo tube.Some where in the second or third section the book turns to complete crap. It becomes Heinlein's reactions to religion and philosophy. Most religions are blasphemed and free love orgies run rampant. The way Mike makes things just disappear has me worrying about the environment and I really don't see what humans are doing know as that damaging. Did I mention this book is sexist. Women are nurses, strippers, secretaries, rites of passage in new religions. The purpose of women in this story is to serve men, even sexually. (...) But every man realizes that this is just a male fantasy.Read something else. | 982 | [
"The first couple of sections are very good.",
"Of course, you have to suspend disbelief, but this is easy as long as you just redefine mars as a planet in another galaxy or something.",
"Science proved wrong alot of what was written in this book.",
"Stereotubes?",
"The were TV's then.",
"Like a good reader though, I can suspend disbelief and believe that people call the TV a stereo tube.Some where in the second or third section the book turns to complete crap.",
"It becomes Heinlein's reactions to religion and philosophy.",
"Most religions are blasphemed and free love orgies run rampant.",
"The way Mike makes things just disappear has me worrying about the environment and I really don't see what humans are doing know as that damaging.",
"Did I mention this book is sexist.",
"Women are nurses, strippers, secretaries, rites of passage in new religions.",
"The purpose of women in this story is to serve men, even sexually.",
"(...) But every man realizes that this is just a male fantasy.Read something else."
] |
2 | Very poorly designed | A lot of bugs and problems. I had my phone exchanged 2 times because it kept hanging up on all incomming calls. Come to find out, the case (all cases I have tried to date) make the flip out lid extend to the point of answering if not careful when unclipping from holster, so if your not careful, you will hang up on your call by mistake (now I carry the phone with no case in my pocket). The phone is bulky. The top LCD screen keeps on getting distorted, I have to turn the phone on and off. The phone buttons have a very, very slow responses time and I have dialed the same numbers over and over in a hurry. The buttons on side of the phone are too sensitive, you can by mistake set it on silent mode (this happens ALL THE TIME!). And the most annoying issue on top of all others is that even if you delete your voicemail, the phone still shows you have calls, so you have to delete them manually in the phone to clear the icon. Next phone will be a NO-FRILLS, cheap, SIMPLE phone! | 982 | [
"A lot of bugs and problems.",
"I had my phone exchanged 2 times because it kept hanging up on all incomming calls.",
"Come to find out, the case (all cases I have tried to date) make the flip out lid extend to the point of answering if not careful when unclipping from holster, so if your not careful, you will hang up on your call by mistake (now I carry the phone with no case in my pocket).",
"The phone is bulky.",
"The top LCD screen keeps on getting distorted, I have to turn the phone on and off.",
"The phone buttons have a very, very slow responses time and I have dialed the same numbers over and over in a hurry.",
"The buttons on side of the phone are too sensitive, you can by mistake set it on silent mode (this happens ALL THE TIME!",
").",
"And the most annoying issue on top of all others is that even if you delete your voicemail, the phone still shows you have calls, so you have to delete them manually in the phone to clear the icon.",
"Next phone will be a NO-FRILLS, cheap, SIMPLE phone!"
] |
2 | Tedious, cliched, smug.... | Have to agree with others who found this book condescending. It seems that Alan Brown had lots of ideas for a book about Japan but as none of them was worthy of a novel, he threw them all in together, with a few observations that he thought rather clever and then made up lots of other things that were too ridiculous even for Japan. "Look, I went to Japan and found or imagined these things". By using real events such as the death of the Emperor, he implies that other topical events in the book also really occurred- for those of you who weren't in Japan in the late 80's, take this book with a pinch of salt! The mother's story turned out to be the most interesting part of the book, but it was a bit late by then and she had been such a sketchy character that it was hard to get involved at that stage. If you're really interested in Japan, try Alan Booth or Banana Yoshimoto..or anyone... Let this be a lesson to us old Japan hands who think we've got a great novel inside us! | 982 | [
"Have to agree with others who found this book condescending.",
"It seems that Alan Brown had lots of ideas for a book about Japan but as none of them was worthy of a novel, he threw them all in together, with a few observations that he thought rather clever and then made up lots of other things that were too ridiculous even for Japan.",
"\"Look, I went to Japan and found or imagined these things\".",
"By using real events such as the death of the Emperor, he implies that other topical events in the book also really occurred- for those of you who weren't in Japan in the late 80's, take this book with a pinch of salt!",
"The mother's story turned out to be the most interesting part of the book, but it was a bit late by then and she had been such a sketchy character that it was hard to get involved at that stage.",
"If you're really interested in Japan, try Alan Booth or Banana Yoshimoto..or anyone... Let this be a lesson to us old Japan hands who think we've got a great novel inside us!"
] |
2 | To much history not any green | If you are looking for a book on being a green witch this book is not for you. Buy The Way of the Green Witch By Arin Murphy-Hiscock if you want to learn about green witchcraft. If you want to learn about the history of witchcraft buy Green Witchcraft. Most of the book is the author rambling along about the history of witchcraft and repeating herself alot. I have no idea what tarot reading has to do with being a green witch. Green witchcraft is not about ceremonies or casting circles or reading tarot cards. It is about nature. Planting flowers and herbs and veggie gardens. Tending nature. Trees and flowers and animals and getting in touch with them. This is just about witchcraft. So in that case I suggest you read Scott Cunningham. I am glad I only paid $1.20 for this book. Really where is the Fairylore and the info on herbs is really sketchy. The book has some pretty illustrations but that's about it. This is just my opinion so feel free to read it and form your own. | 982 | [
"If you are looking for a book on being a green witch this book is not for you.",
"Buy The Way of the Green Witch By Arin Murphy-Hiscock if you want to learn about green witchcraft.",
"If you want to learn about the history of witchcraft buy Green Witchcraft.",
"Most of the book is the author rambling along about the history of witchcraft and repeating herself alot.",
"I have no idea what tarot reading has to do with being a green witch.",
"Green witchcraft is not about ceremonies or casting circles or reading tarot cards.",
"It is about nature.",
"Planting flowers and herbs and veggie gardens.",
"Tending nature.",
"Trees and flowers and animals and getting in touch with them.",
"This is just about witchcraft.",
"So in that case I suggest you read Scott Cunningham.",
"I am glad I only paid $1.20 for this book.",
"Really where is the Fairylore and the info on herbs is really sketchy.",
"The book has some pretty illustrations but that's about it.",
"This is just my opinion so feel free to read it and form your own."
] |
2 | flopola in more ways than one | An interesting concept semi-doomed by a few built-in flaws and not a few glaring typos.Yes, you can hardly write a book about disastrously expensive films without including movies like Cleopatra, whose financial follies have already been covered ad nauseum for decades. But where are the chapters on such spectacular misfires as Myra Breckinridge, Hello Dolly, The Little Prince, Jonathon Livingston Seagull, Howard the Duck, Heaven's Gate and Bonfires of the Vanities?Case in point: As interesting as its offscreen travails may have been, The Wild Party (a scarely-remembered Raquel Welch "art" picture budgeted at under $1 million) was simply an unsuccessful film, not even in the same ballpark as the monumental bombs that are supposedly the book's focus. (And can this picture really have been shooting, as the author claims, from May 1974 to July 1975?)Typos aside, this book's biggest problem is that most of the material is old news to readers most likely to want to read it. | 982 | [
"An interesting concept semi-doomed by a few built-in flaws and not a few glaring typos.Yes, you can hardly write a book about disastrously expensive films without including movies like Cleopatra, whose financial follies have already been covered ad nauseum for decades.",
"But where are the chapters on such spectacular misfires as Myra Breckinridge, Hello Dolly, The Little Prince, Jonathon Livingston Seagull, Howard the Duck, Heaven's Gate and Bonfires of the Vanities?",
"Case in point: As interesting as its offscreen travails may have been, The Wild Party (a scarely-remembered Raquel Welch \"art\" picture budgeted at under $1 million) was simply an unsuccessful film, not even in the same ballpark as the monumental bombs that are supposedly the book's focus.",
"(And can this picture really have been shooting, as the author claims, from May 1974 to July 1975?",
")Typos aside, this book's biggest problem is that most of the material is old news to readers most likely to want to read it."
] |
2 | quality lacking | I worked in bicycle shops for years and assembled many tricycles. I purchased this one for my 2.5-year-old daughter because she saw one at the hardware store and loved it. The trike has the classic Radio Flyer look, which is great, and its steel construction gives it some heft and the appearance of durability.But there are problems. The pedal/crank/front fork assembly relies on a cheap plastic casing to hold these critical pieces together (every time the child pedals the trike, all of these parts are under stress). The casing fell out on one side almost right away, leaving the crank separated from the fork. Trying to lightly tap it back into place with a hammer proved unsuccessful. Also, the handlebar/headtube assembly relies on a nut-and-bolt configuration that even under repeated tightening was unable to hold the handlebar securely in the headtube. this, of course, is maddening to both adult and child when handlebars are constantly out of alignment.Buy with caution. | 982 | [
"I worked in bicycle shops for years and assembled many tricycles.",
"I purchased this one for my 2.5-year-old daughter because she saw one at the hardware store and loved it.",
"The trike has the classic Radio Flyer look, which is great, and its steel construction gives it some heft and the appearance of durability.But there are problems.",
"The pedal/crank/front fork assembly relies on a cheap plastic casing to hold these critical pieces together (every time the child pedals the trike, all of these parts are under stress).",
"The casing fell out on one side almost right away, leaving the crank separated from the fork.",
"Trying to lightly tap it back into place with a hammer proved unsuccessful.",
"Also, the handlebar/headtube assembly relies on a nut-and-bolt configuration that even under repeated tightening was unable to hold the handlebar securely in the headtube.",
"this, of course, is maddening to both adult and child when handlebars are constantly out of alignment.Buy with caution."
] |
2 | I sort of get it... | The Promise Ring are from my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I really wanted to give this disc a higher rating for that reason alone! However, this disc does not quite cut it for me. I own it, but rarely listen to it. In order to enjoy it I have to be in just the right sort of mood; one that craves rather disjointed music that doesn't really rise and fall at all, but just is. This is not a bad album. This is not a great album. It just sort of is. The first track is decent, but it does not go anywhere. The rest are rather forgetable. They all kind of run together. I enjoy some emo, but as others have said, I don't really care too much for the lead vocalist. Again, he's not bad, he's not great. He just sort of exists and drones in the same manner on all tracks. I remain curious about "30 degrees everywhere". Perhaps that is a better disc. Hit and (mostly) miss. I might recommend checking out the little heard, now-defunct band BLOOMSDAY as an alternative to this album. | 982 | [
"The Promise Ring are from my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.",
"I really wanted to give this disc a higher rating for that reason alone!",
"However, this disc does not quite cut it for me.",
"I own it, but rarely listen to it.",
"In order to enjoy it I have to be in just the right sort of mood; one that craves rather disjointed music that doesn't really rise and fall at all, but just is.",
"This is not a bad album.",
"This is not a great album.",
"It just sort of is.",
"The first track is decent, but it does not go anywhere.",
"The rest are rather forgetable.",
"They all kind of run together.",
"I enjoy some emo, but as others have said, I don't really care too much for the lead vocalist.",
"Again, he's not bad, he's not great.",
"He just sort of exists and drones in the same manner on all tracks.",
"I remain curious about \"30 degrees everywhere\".",
"Perhaps that is a better disc.",
"Hit and (mostly) miss.",
"I might recommend checking out the little heard, now-defunct band BLOOMSDAY as an alternative to this album."
] |
2 | Non-compelling | I prefer mysteries that keep me guessing up to the explanation at the end, and I figured this one out by the end of the second chapter. By that time I also didn't particularly care for the main character, though I liked her older son. I found the constant references to the missing husband rather irritating, especially since the author doesn't tell us who Alexi was until his mystery-shrouded name had been sprinkled through the text five times. One reviewer liked the lack of explanations in the book, but I don't enjoy passages that make me feel like the author is trying to play games with my head. If the character doesn't know something, I'm OK with not knowing it, but pages of gloomy "Alexi is missing" with no explanation of who he was to warrant this attention made me grouchy. I skipped to the end to confirm my guess and didn't feel any need to fill in the missing chapters. Overall, the author uses words well, and I'm sorry that I didn't find the book more compelling. | 982 | [
"I prefer mysteries that keep me guessing up to the explanation at the end, and I figured this one out by the end of the second chapter.",
"By that time I also didn't particularly care for the main character, though I liked her older son.",
"I found the constant references to the missing husband rather irritating, especially since the author doesn't tell us who Alexi was until his mystery-shrouded name had been sprinkled through the text five times.",
"One reviewer liked the lack of explanations in the book, but I don't enjoy passages that make me feel like the author is trying to play games with my head.",
"If the character doesn't know something, I'm OK with not knowing it, but pages of gloomy \"Alexi is missing\" with no explanation of who he was to warrant this attention made me grouchy.",
"I skipped to the end to confirm my guess and didn't feel any need to fill in the missing chapters.",
"Overall, the author uses words well, and I'm sorry that I didn't find the book more compelling."
] |
2 | Jigga's Losin' It | I've always been a pretty faithful fan to Jigga but this album was a dissapointment, it lacked originality and good lyricism. You can easily tell this double CD was written in two months, which is sad. He should spend time listening to his old material, especially REASONABLE DOUBT, which I feel was his only "GREAT" album. I disagree with MUSIC FAN, there have been several classic double cds in hip hop history. How so easily you forget Biggie's Life After Death and 2Pac's All Eyez On Me. Those double cds were classics that changed Hip hop forever, Jay-Z falls far from those superior quality rap artists.And not to make it a Nas-Jay beef but you should take a look at Nas' God's Son. Many say it is a slow moving and boring album but i believe it is a different side of Nas that has deep lyrical meaning, something that Jay-Z never shows. It's true his lyrical content is mundane and boring, always about money, hoes and clothes. Jay-Z is not considered Rap King in my book.... | 982 | [
"I've always been a pretty faithful fan to Jigga but this album was a dissapointment, it lacked originality and good lyricism.",
"You can easily tell this double CD was written in two months, which is sad.",
"He should spend time listening to his old material, especially REASONABLE DOUBT, which I feel was his only \"GREAT\" album.",
"I disagree with MUSIC FAN, there have been several classic double cds in hip hop history.",
"How so easily you forget Biggie's Life After Death and 2Pac's All Eyez On Me.",
"Those double cds were classics that changed Hip hop forever, Jay-Z falls far from those superior quality rap artists.And not to make it a Nas-Jay beef but you should take a look at Nas' God's Son.",
"Many say it is a slow moving and boring album but i believe it is a different side of Nas that has deep lyrical meaning, something that Jay-Z never shows.",
"It's true his lyrical content is mundane and boring, always about money, hoes and clothes.",
"Jay-Z is not considered Rap King in my book...."
] |
2 | Painful | For me reading Ringworld was, in a word, painful. I understand that a good deal of this pain came from the fact that I am not a fan of "hard science". Yes, the concept of the Ringworld and Dyson spheres is facinating, I even like the idea of genetic luck, but I simply didn't enjoy reading 300 pages of pure technical description. I would have read that and more if there had only been some decent character interaction. There were glimmers of hope when the puppeteer's plotting came out, but no, the characters simply went their seperate ways and ignored one and other, as if Niven himself was afraid to concieve their emotions. Instead of focusing on these interactions we were left with the only character that did not seem to care who also did not want to talk about it and only contacted the interesting characters when he wanted to talk about the technical aspects of their escape. Overall I feel that there were the seeds of an interesting story, but they failed to flourish. | 982 | [
"For me reading Ringworld was, in a word, painful.",
"I understand that a good deal of this pain came from the fact that I am not a fan of \"hard science\".",
"Yes, the concept of the Ringworld and Dyson spheres is facinating, I even like the idea of genetic luck, but I simply didn't enjoy reading 300 pages of pure technical description.",
"I would have read that and more if there had only been some decent character interaction.",
"There were glimmers of hope when the puppeteer's plotting came out, but no, the characters simply went their seperate ways and ignored one and other, as if Niven himself was afraid to concieve their emotions.",
"Instead of focusing on these interactions we were left with the only character that did not seem to care who also did not want to talk about it and only contacted the interesting characters when he wanted to talk about the technical aspects of their escape.",
"Overall I feel that there were the seeds of an interesting story, but they failed to flourish."
] |
2 | Prolific, but a bit overrated | The Perfect Planet & Other Stories probably would have worked better if it had just been the Perfect Planet. In the first (and best) of three long stories, James imagines himself inhabiting a world inhabited by robotic versions of the people he knew as a child. His interactions with these robots is intended to give us some deeper understanding of our humanity. It works on some level, even if the only real conclusion we arrive at is that people are mean-spirited jerks who don't deserve to live. The second tale, a meandering non-adventure featuring James and his wife, their talking cat, and a misunderstood snowflake, never really gets off the ground, and the third story, about a frog, a fly and a malevolent toadstool, reads like Jon Lewis' late, great True Swamp after about a dozen bong hits. Kochalka is certainly prolific, but a thin idea is a thin idea whether it takes two pages to complete or twenty. As with many of his comics, this one left me thinking "That's it?". | 982 | [
"The Perfect Planet & Other Stories probably would have worked better if it had just been the Perfect Planet.",
"In the first (and best) of three long stories, James imagines himself inhabiting a world inhabited by robotic versions of the people he knew as a child.",
"His interactions with these robots is intended to give us some deeper understanding of our humanity.",
"It works on some level, even if the only real conclusion we arrive at is that people are mean-spirited jerks who don't deserve to live.",
"The second tale, a meandering non-adventure featuring James and his wife, their talking cat, and a misunderstood snowflake, never really gets off the ground, and the third story, about a frog, a fly and a malevolent toadstool, reads like Jon Lewis' late, great True Swamp after about a dozen bong hits.",
"Kochalka is certainly prolific, but a thin idea is a thin idea whether it takes two pages to complete or twenty.",
"As with many of his comics, this one left me thinking \"That's it?",
"\"."
] |
2 | Great Looks; Poor Craftsmanship | I'll make it simple: If you are looking for a home-edition garment steamer, your top 2 choices in the marketplace will likely be the Jiffy 2000 and the Rowenta 8100.I tested both for 10 hours; on a 1 to 10 scale:Jiffy (Looks = 6; Engineering = 10; handling = 9; craftsmanship = 10).It looks like a mop bucket on wheels but it performs like a jet engine; every part of this machine from the plate at the bottom of the unit to the steam handle is built for rugged usage.Rowenta (Looks = 10; Engineering = 5; Handling = 7; crafsmanship = 4).It looks like a UFO but performs like a Pinto with much less steaming power; it is built as a toddler's toy having most parts made with inexpensive plastic including the watertank base and valve: pull the machine a single foot OR tilt it a mere 1 inch and you will experience a slow-building cascade.Buy the Rowenta 8100 as a decorative piece to make your closet look good.Buy the Jiffy 2000 as a garment steamer to make your clothes look good. | 982 | [
"I'll make it simple: If you are looking for a home-edition garment steamer, your top 2 choices in the marketplace will likely be the Jiffy 2000 and the Rowenta 8100.I tested both for 10 hours; on a 1 to 10 scale:Jiffy (Looks = 6; Engineering = 10; handling = 9; craftsmanship = 10).It looks like a mop bucket on wheels but it performs like a jet engine; every part of this machine from the plate at the bottom of the unit to the steam handle is built for rugged usage.Rowenta (Looks = 10; Engineering = 5; Handling = 7; crafsmanship = 4).It looks like a UFO but performs like a Pinto with much less steaming power; it is built as a toddler's toy having most parts made with inexpensive plastic including the watertank base and valve: pull the machine a single foot OR tilt it a mere 1 inch and you will experience a slow-building cascade.Buy the Rowenta 8100 as a decorative piece to make your closet look good.Buy the Jiffy 2000 as a garment steamer to make your clothes look good."
] |
2 | The end of the story | Bob Matherson succumbed to cancer early in 2008. He spent his last days in Key West where he lived from about 2000. He opened the Oak Beach Inn Key West in big house on the corner of Duval and Caroline Streets, with a very large open-air restaurant and bar. The immediately previous tenant was a Hooters.The OBI-KW was fitted out with much of the nautical memorabilia transported from Long Island when the last OBI there closed. The new OBI only lasted for about a year. The owners of the property gave Matherson assurances that would be able to use part of the large house as employee housing, but City officials denied him that right.He had another manuscript that picked up where "Scandal" left off but it probably died with him. I sat with Bob on a couple of afternoons when he was unable to get up from the couch where he laid due to pain and pain killers. He was bitter at the end, frustrated that he was never able to get satisfaction from those he felt had screwed him over. | 982 | [
"Bob Matherson succumbed to cancer early in 2008.",
"He spent his last days in Key West where he lived from about 2000.",
"He opened the Oak Beach Inn Key West in big house on the corner of Duval and Caroline Streets, with a very large open-air restaurant and bar.",
"The immediately previous tenant was a Hooters.The OBI-KW was fitted out with much of the nautical memorabilia transported from Long Island when the last OBI there closed.",
"The new OBI only lasted for about a year.",
"The owners of the property gave Matherson assurances that would be able to use part of the large house as employee housing, but City officials denied him that right.He had another manuscript that picked up where \"Scandal\" left off but it probably died with him.",
"I sat with Bob on a couple of afternoons when he was unable to get up from the couch where he laid due to pain and pain killers.",
"He was bitter at the end, frustrated that he was never able to get satisfaction from those he felt had screwed him over."
] |
2 | More of the Same | How many of these albums can Aerosmith put out? Hell, I'm not even really a fan of anything they've done since they burned out in the late 70's, but I remain a curious observer. They were really rolling in success in the late eighties and the first half of the nineties, but now they are clearly hanging on to mainstream approval by a thread. And reproducing (or trying to reproduce) "Pump" every four years is definitely not helping...nor is chasing the next big musical trend. Hey Aerosmith, try being yourselves, dropping the hired songwriters, or maybe it's time to just focus on your still razor-sharp live performances. Your latest albums have sounded tired and embarrasing though, mostly due to your desparate need to rule the charts every few years, and perhaps because you've already covered just about all the musical territory you could hope to in your career as a single unit. Give it rest, or focus on your strenghts. All records like this do is cloud up your live act. | 982 | [
"How many of these albums can Aerosmith put out?",
"Hell, I'm not even really a fan of anything they've done since they burned out in the late 70's, but I remain a curious observer.",
"They were really rolling in success in the late eighties and the first half of the nineties, but now they are clearly hanging on to mainstream approval by a thread.",
"And reproducing (or trying to reproduce) \"Pump\" every four years is definitely not helping...nor is chasing the next big musical trend.",
"Hey Aerosmith, try being yourselves, dropping the hired songwriters, or maybe it's time to just focus on your still razor-sharp live performances.",
"Your latest albums have sounded tired and embarrasing though, mostly due to your desparate need to rule the charts every few years, and perhaps because you've already covered just about all the musical territory you could hope to in your career as a single unit.",
"Give it rest, or focus on your strenghts.",
"All records like this do is cloud up your live act."
] |
2 | FIRE THE EDITOR!! | I just may be the biggest Bowiephile ever. I heard about the film from a friend, who hated it. I bought the film on the strength of my interest in all things Bowie. Period. As I watched the first 20-30 minutes of the film, I just knew in my heart that it was going to get better. I guess the joke was on me that fateful day. Not only is the movie confusing of many levels, the story is far from original, none of the characters actually develop, and even the soundtrack is sub-par. In a nutshell: Two brothers are released from prison on the same day, then decide to return to a life of crime. That's it!! That's everything this movie has to offer. Bowie had a great opportunity to take his character of an aging English Ganster to some interesting places. Instead, he nonchalantly meanders through his lines without offering us anything more than a script reading. Also, whoever heard of a hardcore gangster who sews?!!? In short, I can't recommend this film even out of curiosity. | 982 | [
"I just may be the biggest Bowiephile ever.",
"I heard about the film from a friend, who hated it.",
"I bought the film on the strength of my interest in all things Bowie.",
"Period.",
"As I watched the first 20-30 minutes of the film, I just knew in my heart that it was going to get better.",
"I guess the joke was on me that fateful day.",
"Not only is the movie confusing of many levels, the story is far from original, none of the characters actually develop, and even the soundtrack is sub-par.",
"In a nutshell: Two brothers are released from prison on the same day, then decide to return to a life of crime.",
"That's it!!",
"That's everything this movie has to offer.",
"Bowie had a great opportunity to take his character of an aging English Ganster to some interesting places.",
"Instead, he nonchalantly meanders through his lines without offering us anything more than a script reading.",
"Also, whoever heard of a hardcore gangster who sews?!!",
"?",
"In short, I can't recommend this film even out of curiosity."
] |
2 | I expected much more | After all the buzz on this book, I was expecting to be blown away. I was expecting the next Bridget Jones' Diary. Wow, was I disappointed. There are so many more worthwhile books out there. Do yourself a favor, and check this one out of the library if you must read it.This book is, at best, just alright. I can say that it was mildly entertaining and an easy read. The characters were a little sketchy, and I felt I had nothing invested in them. I literally didn't care what happened to them, and by the end I had to force myself to finish the book. Dialogue was a little stiff, scenes should have been thought out some more.Nanny is in a tough situation, but her solution is easy - she simply chooses not to end it all. I didn't have a lot of respect for her. I also didn't believe her attachment to the child was enough to deal with all of the .... she gets from Mrs. X.Again, while not a terrible book, it was a disappointment. Check it out from the library and save your money. | 982 | [
"After all the buzz on this book, I was expecting to be blown away.",
"I was expecting the next Bridget Jones' Diary.",
"Wow, was I disappointed.",
"There are so many more worthwhile books out there.",
"Do yourself a favor, and check this one out of the library if you must read it.This book is, at best, just alright.",
"I can say that it was mildly entertaining and an easy read.",
"The characters were a little sketchy, and I felt I had nothing invested in them.",
"I literally didn't care what happened to them, and by the end I had to force myself to finish the book.",
"Dialogue was a little stiff, scenes should have been thought out some more.Nanny is in a tough situation, but her solution is easy - she simply chooses not to end it all.",
"I didn't have a lot of respect for her.",
"I also didn't believe her attachment to the child was enough to deal with all of the .... she gets from Mrs.",
"X.Again, while not a terrible book, it was a disappointment.",
"Check it out from the library and save your money."
] |
2 | Not Quite What I Had In Mind | For many years Mr. Rosenberg has entertained his readers with fantastic adventure and delights from his mythic land. Anyone who has ever "thrown some dice" from the comfort of their den or basement was instantly and (like me) permanently drawn into the idea of awakening in the "game realm." I loved the earliest works for this very detail. However, as the series progressed, the plot line (which originally drew me so close) regressed into an average fantasy tale. By this book publication, I hardly recognize the thrill from the original four (or so) books. Mr. Rosenberg has within him the creative fire to return his characters (and us, the audience) to the world we first met in "The Sleeping Dragon;" but it is completely up to him to rejuvinate the characters and myriad plot-lines to their once captivating and imaginative status. In short, bring restore the "guardians" to their original and best task, the task we all long to see and do - adventuring!Sincerely,Marc Harmon | 982 | [
"For many years Mr.",
"Rosenberg has entertained his readers with fantastic adventure and delights from his mythic land.",
"Anyone who has ever \"thrown some dice\" from the comfort of their den or basement was instantly and (like me) permanently drawn into the idea of awakening in the \"game realm.\" I loved the earliest works for this very detail.",
"However, as the series progressed, the plot line (which originally drew me so close) regressed into an average fantasy tale.",
"By this book publication, I hardly recognize the thrill from the original four (or so) books.",
"Mr.",
"Rosenberg has within him the creative fire to return his characters (and us, the audience) to the world we first met in \"The Sleeping Dragon;\" but it is completely up to him to rejuvinate the characters and myriad plot-lines to their once captivating and imaginative status.",
"In short, bring restore the \"guardians\" to their original and best task, the task we all long to see and do - adventuring!",
"Sincerely,Marc Harmon"
] |
2 | Misses the mark greatly | If you have always been fascinated by secret societies, then this book is a cheap thrill, as long as you skip through some of the tedious chapters on Yale.Rather than offering substantial insights on Skull and Bones, the author goes on and on about the greatest of Yale itself for "context." The author presents a thesis that secret societies are a natural outgrowth of Yale's own tradition in producing great leaders.While I agree that Yale has produced many political leaders (just look at the current Presidential candidates), it has never crossed my mind in my wildest imagination, that somehow Yale was a hotbed for leadership. (Once again, just look at the Presidential candidates.....yes they have been in leadership positions....but can anyone honestly say that they have been "great" leaders?)Clearly the thesis of the book is a product of a naive, young writer, herself a Yale graduate and Secret Society member, who is too enamored with Yale to provide an objective view. | 982 | [
"If you have always been fascinated by secret societies, then this book is a cheap thrill, as long as you skip through some of the tedious chapters on Yale.Rather than offering substantial insights on Skull and Bones, the author goes on and on about the greatest of Yale itself for \"context.\" The author presents a thesis that secret societies are a natural outgrowth of Yale's own tradition in producing great leaders.While I agree that Yale has produced many political leaders (just look at the current Presidential candidates), it has never crossed my mind in my wildest imagination, that somehow Yale was a hotbed for leadership.",
"(Once again, just look at the Presidential candidates.....yes they have been in leadership positions....but can anyone honestly say that they have been \"great\" leaders?",
")Clearly the thesis of the book is a product of a naive, young writer, herself a Yale graduate and Secret Society member, who is too enamored with Yale to provide an objective view."
] |
2 | It's ONLY a Movie | Back in 1972, the advertisment for this movie created a long line at our local drive in. The ad claimed to be so scary that to avoid fainting you had to keep repeating it's only a movie, it's only a movie. After it was over, we all felt cheated because the movie was not scary and did not make sense. Apparently, we saw an edited version back in '72. The new DVD has the restored version and lived up to it's orginal advertisement. I'm a fan of horror movies and not easily shocked but I had a hard time watching "Last House on the Left". The first part of the movie concerns the kidnapping, humiliation, tortue and brutal death of two teenage girls. The second part concerns the revenge exacted on the thugs who killed the girls. The brutality seems so real that it's difficult (for even jaded me) to be entertained. I'm giving it two stars because I can recognize it is well made but it's extremely difficult to watch; and being a gore hound/horror movie buff, that's saying alot. | 982 | [
"Back in 1972, the advertisment for this movie created a long line at our local drive in.",
"The ad claimed to be so scary that to avoid fainting you had to keep repeating it's only a movie, it's only a movie.",
"After it was over, we all felt cheated because the movie was not scary and did not make sense.",
"Apparently, we saw an edited version back in '72.",
"The new DVD has the restored version and lived up to it's orginal advertisement.",
"I'm a fan of horror movies and not easily shocked but I had a hard time watching \"Last House on the Left\".",
"The first part of the movie concerns the kidnapping, humiliation, tortue and brutal death of two teenage girls.",
"The second part concerns the revenge exacted on the thugs who killed the girls.",
"The brutality seems so real that it's difficult (for even jaded me) to be entertained.",
"I'm giving it two stars because I can recognize it is well made but it's extremely difficult to watch; and being a gore hound/horror movie buff, that's saying alot."
] |
2 | Poor Doc | Terrible...in concept and in execution and in casting (well, Ely was OK); Cutsey-poo here and there. No hint of what the Doc of the books was all about; no suspense; no elan; nothing. But, this is the usual outcome when Hollywood tries to bring superheroes to the screen...The Shadow (all special effects and a mish-mosh of themes and stories); The Phantom (Billy Zane good; Devil and Hero great, Treat Williams over-the -to "performance" ruins the picture along with the cutsey-poo asides and wisecracks not to mention the Ghost Dad to help out his often benighted son...The Phantom needs his dead dad to help him out with Diana? Evidently the writers never read the Phantom strips.)Superman I looks like they changed directors 1/2 way thru; The rest degenerated to the point that IV was a social message film; Batman I was decent, if you could accept Keaton..but, the next 2 were abominable, showing no one understood what made the first one decent. I could go on,but why bother?? | 982 | [
"Terrible...in concept and in execution and in casting (well, Ely was OK); Cutsey-poo here and there.",
"No hint of what the Doc of the books was all about; no suspense; no elan; nothing.",
"But, this is the usual outcome when Hollywood tries to bring superheroes to the screen...The Shadow (all special effects and a mish-mosh of themes and stories); The Phantom (Billy Zane good; Devil and Hero great, Treat Williams over-the -to \"performance\" ruins the picture along with the cutsey-poo asides and wisecracks not to mention the Ghost Dad to help out his often benighted son...The Phantom needs his dead dad to help him out with Diana?",
"Evidently the writers never read the Phantom strips.)Superman I looks like they changed directors 1/2 way thru; The rest degenerated to the point that IV was a social message film; Batman I was decent, if you could accept Keaton..but, the next 2 were abominable, showing no one understood what made the first one decent.",
"I could go on,but why bother??"
] |
2 | Depends.... | If you are interested in having a passionate, fun, sexual, "relationship" with a man that you don't really care to hang on to in the long run, this book gives great advice on how to keep him hooked until you are bored with him. That will not take too long, I suspect, if he has very much in common with any of the three authors. However, if you are interested in a long-term relationship with a man based on love and respect, you will discover what he wants better than any book can covey. Here's a crazy thought....find out for free what your man wants..ask HIM! And listen without criticizing or becoming defensive. If you can't deal with what he really wants, walk away. One more thing, yes, some men do cheat on women they love....and many of those men are left by their wives/girlfriends who no longer love or trust them. If a man loves a woman enough to commit to her, he should be able to muster the restraint it takes to prevent the destruction of trust in the relationship. | 982 | [
"If you are interested in having a passionate, fun, sexual, \"relationship\" with a man that you don't really care to hang on to in the long run, this book gives great advice on how to keep him hooked until you are bored with him.",
"That will not take too long, I suspect, if he has very much in common with any of the three authors.",
"However, if you are interested in a long-term relationship with a man based on love and respect, you will discover what he wants better than any book can covey.",
"Here's a crazy thought....find out for free what your man wants..ask HIM!",
"And listen without criticizing or becoming defensive.",
"If you can't deal with what he really wants, walk away.",
"One more thing, yes, some men do cheat on women they love....and many of those men are left by their wives/girlfriends who no longer love or trust them.",
"If a man loves a woman enough to commit to her, he should be able to muster the restraint it takes to prevent the destruction of trust in the relationship."
] |
2 | For Serious Collectors Only | After hearing Falick on a podcast and hearing the "story behind the book," I picked this up at the local yarn store to leaf through it -- and quickly remembered why I hand't bought it the first five times I'd looked at it.I find the concept of this book somewhat garbled -- is it a pattern book? If so, there aren't enough interesting patterns to make it worth the investment (most are very dated). Is it a profile book? If so, there really isn't enough in-depth info about either the yarn stores or the store owners to make it entertaining.The photography, however, is gorgeous. So I've finally categorized this book as a "collectible." If you're looking for knitting patterns, don't bother. But if you want something pretty to set on your coffee table -- or if you own every other knitting book out there and need this one to complete your library -- then go for it. Otherwise, leaf through it at the store, admire the pictures, then put it gently back on the shelf and walk away. | 982 | [
"After hearing Falick on a podcast and hearing the \"story behind the book,\" I picked this up at the local yarn store to leaf through it -- and quickly remembered why I hand't bought it the first five times I'd looked at it.I find the concept of this book somewhat garbled -- is it a pattern book?",
"If so, there aren't enough interesting patterns to make it worth the investment (most are very dated).",
"Is it a profile book?",
"If so, there really isn't enough in-depth info about either the yarn stores or the store owners to make it entertaining.The photography, however, is gorgeous.",
"So I've finally categorized this book as a \"collectible.\" If you're looking for knitting patterns, don't bother.",
"But if you want something pretty to set on your coffee table -- or if you own every other knitting book out there and need this one to complete your library -- then go for it.",
"Otherwise, leaf through it at the store, admire the pictures, then put it gently back on the shelf and walk away."
] |
2 | Close, but not quite | Short answer: If you want to understand how fun this game is, play some other game, and have a friend constantly yank the controller out of your had by its cord.It actually isn't that hard of a game to beat if you always select the fastest cars, but there is very poor balance between the cars you choose, and different strategies. The slower cars supposedly have better handling and strength, but the steering is awful and randomly sticky, and no matter how "strong" your car is supposed to be, you can barely budge your racing opponents, while they can absolutely manhandle you at will. This gets aggravating because they can knock you into barriers and spin you around, but they almost always land facing forward. So speed is the only strategy that really works. If you try to bang with the other cars you don't stand much of a chance. It makes for a pretty one dimensional game. If there was a better balance between the cars' attributes this could have been a much better game. | 982 | [
"Short answer: If you want to understand how fun this game is, play some other game, and have a friend constantly yank the controller out of your had by its cord.It actually isn't that hard of a game to beat if you always select the fastest cars, but there is very poor balance between the cars you choose, and different strategies.",
"The slower cars supposedly have better handling and strength, but the steering is awful and randomly sticky, and no matter how \"strong\" your car is supposed to be, you can barely budge your racing opponents, while they can absolutely manhandle you at will.",
"This gets aggravating because they can knock you into barriers and spin you around, but they almost always land facing forward.",
"So speed is the only strategy that really works.",
"If you try to bang with the other cars you don't stand much of a chance.",
"It makes for a pretty one dimensional game.",
"If there was a better balance between the cars' attributes this could have been a much better game."
] |
2 | Invisible Band soon | Travis will be an invisible band if this album is any indication of their future. This albums is a mediocre offering from a band who have had two stellar albums to date.I've seen Travis in concert and am a big fan of the band, but Invisible Band lacks the raw energy of their first album or the sonic depth of the second.Rarely do you hear the electric guitar over the acoustic. The lyrics lack the poinancy of Why Does it Always Rain on Me.This album is vanilla. Every track is like the last and the band never shows the energy that these youths have in them.How would I describe it? "[junk] rock?"..."No, not quite"..."Wuss rock?"..."That's it." (apologies to the Simpsons)If I had to guess, I would say that Travis is trying to take advantage of the Boy Band craze. Pipe Dreams has the most potential of any of the tracks...a Leonard Cohenesque song, but where the track could really have some punch like XTC's "Dear God", it pulls back and ruts in cliches and the same old crap. | 982 | [
"Travis will be an invisible band if this album is any indication of their future.",
"This albums is a mediocre offering from a band who have had two stellar albums to date.I've seen Travis in concert and am a big fan of the band, but Invisible Band lacks the raw energy of their first album or the sonic depth of the second.Rarely do you hear the electric guitar over the acoustic.",
"The lyrics lack the poinancy of Why Does it Always Rain on Me.This album is vanilla.",
"Every track is like the last and the band never shows the energy that these youths have in them.How would I describe it?",
"\"[junk] rock?",
"\"...\"No, not quite\"...\"Wuss rock?",
"\"...\"That's it.\" (apologies to the Simpsons)If I had to guess, I would say that Travis is trying to take advantage of the Boy Band craze.",
"Pipe Dreams has the most potential of any of the tracks...a Leonard Cohenesque song, but where the track could really have some punch like XTC's \"Dear God\", it pulls back and ruts in cliches and the same old crap."
] |
2 | Praised Out of Proportion | I've been listening to Bob Dylan since 1964. I've been through a lot as a fan, from the brilliant Sixties to the mostly dead Eighties to the stunning release of "Love and Theft" last year. Of all the things I've witnessed in his career, the acclaim "Time Out of Mind" has gotten is the most puzzling.I don't like this album. I've listened to it many times trying to let it grow on me, but it won't. It's so dreary, monotonous and suffocated that it is a chore to listen to. None of the songs run in my head and compel me to play them again and again as do the masterpieces on "Love and Theft." Yet it is praised to the skies.Sorry, I just don't get it. Even Dylan himself has said that he couldn't get what he wanted while making this record. It's pretty obvious he's surprised that people like it; he doesn't.Skip right over this one to "L&T" if you're looking for Dylan's real comeback album. Or get the one before it, "World Gone Wrong," another Dylan album with some real heart. | 982 | [
"I've been listening to Bob Dylan since 1964.",
"I've been through a lot as a fan, from the brilliant Sixties to the mostly dead Eighties to the stunning release of \"Love and Theft\" last year.",
"Of all the things I've witnessed in his career, the acclaim \"Time Out of Mind\" has gotten is the most puzzling.I don't like this album.",
"I've listened to it many times trying to let it grow on me, but it won't.",
"It's so dreary, monotonous and suffocated that it is a chore to listen to.",
"None of the songs run in my head and compel me to play them again and again as do the masterpieces on \"Love and Theft.\" Yet it is praised to the skies.Sorry, I just don't get it.",
"Even Dylan himself has said that he couldn't get what he wanted while making this record.",
"It's pretty obvious he's surprised that people like it; he doesn't.Skip right over this one to \"L&T\" if you're looking for Dylan's real comeback album.",
"Or get the one before it, \"World Gone Wrong,\" another Dylan album with some real heart."
] |
2 | Title Doesn't Match Contents | This book is well-written, concise, and offers the uninitiated a good introduction to franchise planning and financing. However, I was disappointed that this is not really a book about "No Money Down Franchise Financing" at all. The first half of the book talks about basic business plan development and the second half talks about different sources of financing. But it approaches the issue of financing at a very, very basic level. In my opinion, a lot more attention should have been given to describing what lenders really look for and how to effectively structure your balance sheet, partnerships, etc. The section on SBA loans, for example, is dreadfully thin and, what's more, I have not found anything in this book that really truly explains how to get "No Money Down" financing. The issue of collateral is only briefly touched upon (a major obstacle for most borrowers). In summary, this a good business planning book for beginners, but a creative financing book it is not. | 982 | [
"This book is well-written, concise, and offers the uninitiated a good introduction to franchise planning and financing.",
"However, I was disappointed that this is not really a book about \"No Money Down Franchise Financing\" at all.",
"The first half of the book talks about basic business plan development and the second half talks about different sources of financing.",
"But it approaches the issue of financing at a very, very basic level.",
"In my opinion, a lot more attention should have been given to describing what lenders really look for and how to effectively structure your balance sheet, partnerships, etc.",
"The section on SBA loans, for example, is dreadfully thin and, what's more, I have not found anything in this book that really truly explains how to get \"No Money Down\" financing.",
"The issue of collateral is only briefly touched upon (a major obstacle for most borrowers).",
"In summary, this a good business planning book for beginners, but a creative financing book it is not."
] |
2 | "Above the Law" Below Par | While Brian J. Karem's account of the Anne Marie Fahey disappearance serves as a good introduction to the case that shook tiny Delaware, his writing lacks flair and imagination.For instance, the reader will have to wade through such unoriginal passages as, "After Annie disappeared, Kevin Freel, brother to Ed and Bud, held a vigil at his pub. He had signs made up and posted them on the fence outside his pub. They said 'Friends of Anne Marie.' They hang outside his pub to this day."Also, in referring to a detective's work, Karem writes, "He said it didn't take him long to figure out that when Annie showed up missing, Tom Capano had something to do with it."Either Karem was in a hurry to get this book out or his editor needs a refresher course.Although Karem is the first of four authors to get to print with a Fahey/Capano book, and he does score a few points by way of interviews with Capano's ex-wife and daughters, don't let his account spoil your interest in the others. | 982 | [
"While Brian J.",
"Karem's account of the Anne Marie Fahey disappearance serves as a good introduction to the case that shook tiny Delaware, his writing lacks flair and imagination.For instance, the reader will have to wade through such unoriginal passages as, \"After Annie disappeared, Kevin Freel, brother to Ed and Bud, held a vigil at his pub.",
"He had signs made up and posted them on the fence outside his pub.",
"They said 'Friends of Anne Marie.' They hang outside his pub to this day.\"Also, in referring to a detective's work, Karem writes, \"He said it didn't take him long to figure out that when Annie showed up missing, Tom Capano had something to do with it.\"Either Karem was in a hurry to get this book out or his editor needs a refresher course.Although Karem is the first of four authors to get to print with a Fahey/Capano book, and he does score a few points by way of interviews with Capano's ex-wife and daughters, don't let his account spoil your interest in the others."
] |
2 | Prima Pest! | I hate this chair. It gets so scuzzy that I have to use toothpicks and straight pins to get the gook out of it's multitude of crevices. The straps are bulky and the harness is poorly designed. The clips on the waist of the straps are difficult to hook & unhook. The cloth cover shrunk. The vinyl underneath the cover is diffucult to remove for cleaning and in order to get the straps off you need a special wrench to undo the bolts. There are very few pros...The tray removes easily but is too large to maneuver in a regular kitchen sink under a regular faucet for cleaning. It is also very porous and stains.The wheels and locks work well.It has a nice recline feature for smaller children but we used the bouncy seat for feeding until our son could support himself.The plastic piece which is postioned between the child's legs is a nice safety feature, especially when you chuck the straps.It seems comfy and roomy if you remove the straps or just connect the straps at the waist. | 982 | [
"I hate this chair.",
"It gets so scuzzy that I have to use toothpicks and straight pins to get the gook out of it's multitude of crevices.",
"The straps are bulky and the harness is poorly designed.",
"The clips on the waist of the straps are difficult to hook & unhook.",
"The cloth cover shrunk.",
"The vinyl underneath the cover is diffucult to remove for cleaning and in order to get the straps off you need a special wrench to undo the bolts.",
"There are very few pros...The tray removes easily but is too large to maneuver in a regular kitchen sink under a regular faucet for cleaning.",
"It is also very porous and stains.The wheels and locks work well.It has a nice recline feature for smaller children but we used the bouncy seat for feeding until our son could support himself.The plastic piece which is postioned between the child's legs is a nice safety feature, especially when you chuck the straps.It seems comfy and roomy if you remove the straps or just connect the straps at the waist."
] |
2 | It's not really a DVD... | What I mean by that is... it's a DVD-ROM. It does not, repeat DOES NOT, play in a DVD player like one might expect when ordering a DVD. For this title, you must insert it in your computer and watch quicktime movie files on your computer media player.As such, I cannot comment on any of the content of this disk... I haven't been able to watch it. Shame on me... maybe there was some fine print on the order screen that I did not see... when I ordered a DVD, I thought I would receive a PLAYABLE DVD that would work in my DVD PLAYER... get it?Ultimately, the content may even be great... someday, maybe I'll actually get to see it and figure that out for myself. It's just that what was delivered to my mailbox is not what I expected or what I wanted.Just for information and comparison purposes, subsequent volumes within this series (Volumes 2 & 3 specifically) ARE playable DVDs and DO work in a DVD Player... as I would expect... and in accordance with what I wanted and ordered. | 982 | [
"What I mean by that is... it's a DVD-ROM.",
"It does not, repeat DOES NOT, play in a DVD player like one might expect when ordering a DVD.",
"For this title, you must insert it in your computer and watch quicktime movie files on your computer media player.As such, I cannot comment on any of the content of this disk... I haven't been able to watch it.",
"Shame on me... maybe there was some fine print on the order screen that I did not see... when I ordered a DVD, I thought I would receive a PLAYABLE DVD that would work in my DVD PLAYER... get it?",
"Ultimately, the content may even be great... someday, maybe I'll actually get to see it and figure that out for myself.",
"It's just that what was delivered to my mailbox is not what I expected or what I wanted.Just for information and comparison purposes, subsequent volumes within this series (Volumes 2 & 3 specifically) ARE playable DVDs and DO work in a DVD Player... as I would expect... and in accordance with what I wanted and ordered."
] |
2 | Good, but faulty in some places | This book offered a helpful explanation of what true discipleship is, gleaning heavily from the Biblical account of the apostles from the book of Acts. Practical tips are interweaved with Scriptural theory for a useful book.Mr. Coleman's style throughout, however, is frequently rather tedious and difficult to read. It lacks enthusiasm for the task of discipleship, and its dry, intellectual style does not immediately motivate you to go out and disciple the nations. This is not necessarily a bad thing - it's just not what I expected from a book marketing itself toward ordinary lay people. I find it curious that it's become a bestseller.I also had some fairly significant theological problems with certain portions of the book, but I know it's not supposed to be some major treatise. Just be careful when reading.Bottom Line: good material on discipleship, but nothing that will wow you with verbal fireworks or flawless theology. Read it if you must. And even then, only once. | 982 | [
"This book offered a helpful explanation of what true discipleship is, gleaning heavily from the Biblical account of the apostles from the book of Acts.",
"Practical tips are interweaved with Scriptural theory for a useful book.Mr.",
"Coleman's style throughout, however, is frequently rather tedious and difficult to read.",
"It lacks enthusiasm for the task of discipleship, and its dry, intellectual style does not immediately motivate you to go out and disciple the nations.",
"This is not necessarily a bad thing - it's just not what I expected from a book marketing itself toward ordinary lay people.",
"I find it curious that it's become a bestseller.I also had some fairly significant theological problems with certain portions of the book, but I know it's not supposed to be some major treatise.",
"Just be careful when reading.Bottom Line: good material on discipleship, but nothing that will wow you with verbal fireworks or flawless theology.",
"Read it if you must.",
"And even then, only once."
] |
2 | Not as good as you remmeber | This is one of those films that misses the "classic" category by a fair bit, and really is for Pal completists only. The science and humor has dated pretty badly, and the FX are pretty funny. The blue-screening on the space wheel makes it somewhat transparent along its bottom circumference. I can't believe no one noticed this, therefore I have to conclude that they let it go hoping no one would notice. Well, that hope is in vain. I can't say much for the acting, either. Still, it's a relatively painless way to spend an hour or so, and has undeniable historical significance in the ranks of sf film. I had remembered this film as being better than it actually is. Of course, the last time I saw it I was about 13 years old, and that was more than 40 years ago. Other films of the era have dated, as well, but they're lots more fun to watch. THEM, for example, or FORBIDDEN PLANET, or even INVADERS FROM MARS. Those still pack a punch. CONQUEST OF SPACE is more of a bitch-slap. | 982 | [
"This is one of those films that misses the \"classic\" category by a fair bit, and really is for Pal completists only.",
"The science and humor has dated pretty badly, and the FX are pretty funny.",
"The blue-screening on the space wheel makes it somewhat transparent along its bottom circumference.",
"I can't believe no one noticed this, therefore I have to conclude that they let it go hoping no one would notice.",
"Well, that hope is in vain.",
"I can't say much for the acting, either.",
"Still, it's a relatively painless way to spend an hour or so, and has undeniable historical significance in the ranks of sf film.",
"I had remembered this film as being better than it actually is.",
"Of course, the last time I saw it I was about 13 years old, and that was more than 40 years ago.",
"Other films of the era have dated, as well, but they're lots more fun to watch.",
"THEM, for example, or FORBIDDEN PLANET, or even INVADERS FROM MARS.",
"Those still pack a punch.",
"CONQUEST OF SPACE is more of a bitch-slap."
] |
2 | Heed the motor noise warnings! | What is the story with the motor noise on the Elura 100?! I just don't understand how this product made it through the design/production process with such an obvious defect. Perhaps the annoying noise is louder in some units than others - that's the only explanation I can come up with for how many 5 star reviews are posted here.I love the features, size and image quality of the Elura 100 and am a huge Canon fan. But, like the people who posted negative reviews here, I just don't think I can live with such a loud hum as background noise to all my videos. Some reviewers say the noise is only audible if you film in a quiet room, but that's not my experience at all. I just made a short video on the sidewalk by a busy street and the noise is too annoying to ignore.Like another reviewer here, I was impressed by the # of positive reviews and ignored the warnings about the motor noise. If I could find the exact same camera, minus the noise, I'd buy it. But this one's no good. | 982 | [
"What is the story with the motor noise on the Elura 100?!",
"I just don't understand how this product made it through the design/production process with such an obvious defect.",
"Perhaps the annoying noise is louder in some units than others - that's the only explanation I can come up with for how many 5 star reviews are posted here.I love the features, size and image quality of the Elura 100 and am a huge Canon fan.",
"But, like the people who posted negative reviews here, I just don't think I can live with such a loud hum as background noise to all my videos.",
"Some reviewers say the noise is only audible if you film in a quiet room, but that's not my experience at all.",
"I just made a short video on the sidewalk by a busy street and the noise is too annoying to ignore.Like another reviewer here, I was impressed by the # of positive reviews and ignored the warnings about the motor noise.",
"If I could find the exact same camera, minus the noise, I'd buy it.",
"But this one's no good."
] |
2 | What would Jesus say? | Why not just read the Bible? There's stuff in there like 'as a man thinks, so is he'... 'you reap what you sow'... 'let the weak say 'I am strong''... 'faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen'... 'guard your heart with all due diligence'... 'if anything is good, noble, etc, think on these things'... i could go on for a while here.. but the Bible also says of Jesus 'without Me, you can do nothing'.. 'with praise and thanksgiving, let your requests be known to THE LORD'.. calling God 'the universe' as if the moon and stars will move on your behalf, is mumbo jumbo. I just bought this book because I wanted to learn more about the scriptures I have just quoted. But I just don't think a lot of this book is what God MEANT. Just a thought, I am still reading the book with a grain of salt, because it did start me thinking 'i feel good', and 'i'm healthy' etc.. and i DID begin to feel a whole lot better. But like I said, why not read the Bible? | 982 | [
"Why not just read the Bible?",
"There's stuff in there like 'as a man thinks, so is he'... 'you reap what you sow'... 'let the weak say 'I am strong''... 'faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen'... 'guard your heart with all due diligence'... 'if anything is good, noble, etc, think on these things'... i could go on for a while here..",
"but the Bible also says of Jesus 'without Me, you can do nothing'..",
"'with praise and thanksgiving, let your requests be known to THE LORD'..",
"calling God 'the universe' as if the moon and stars will move on your behalf, is mumbo jumbo.",
"I just bought this book because I wanted to learn more about the scriptures I have just quoted.",
"But I just don't think a lot of this book is what God MEANT.",
"Just a thought, I am still reading the book with a grain of salt, because it did start me thinking 'i feel good', and 'i'm healthy' etc..",
"and i DID begin to feel a whole lot better.",
"But like I said, why not read the Bible?"
] |
2 | Boring - | This movie may have been funny in 1959, but no longer. The acting is contrived, and it over-relies on Peter Sellers playing three roles. The European duchy of Grand Fenwick comes under economic stress when its sole export, wine, is copied and undersold by an American firm. Prime Minister County Mountjoy (Peter Sellers) proposes that they declare war on the U.S., Grand Duchess Gloriana (Peter Sellers) is reticent until she understands the point is to lose and then receive massive aid, so the plan is approved and Tully Bascombe (Peter Sellers again) is placed in charge of the attack. They arrive in New York (conducting a bomb drill), capture its leading scientist, his daughter, and newest bomb, and return to Grand Fenwick. Love brings the scientist's daughter and Tully to wed, the Americans surrender - giving up the wine that undermined Grand Fenwick, as well as $1 billion in aid, and everyone lives happily ever after. The bomb turns out to be a dud, just like the film. | 982 | [
"This movie may have been funny in 1959, but no longer.",
"The acting is contrived, and it over-relies on Peter Sellers playing three roles.",
"The European duchy of Grand Fenwick comes under economic stress when its sole export, wine, is copied and undersold by an American firm.",
"Prime Minister County Mountjoy (Peter Sellers) proposes that they declare war on the U.S., Grand Duchess Gloriana (Peter Sellers) is reticent until she understands the point is to lose and then receive massive aid, so the plan is approved and Tully Bascombe (Peter Sellers again) is placed in charge of the attack.",
"They arrive in New York (conducting a bomb drill), capture its leading scientist, his daughter, and newest bomb, and return to Grand Fenwick.",
"Love brings the scientist's daughter and Tully to wed, the Americans surrender - giving up the wine that undermined Grand Fenwick, as well as $1 billion in aid, and everyone lives happily ever after.",
"The bomb turns out to be a dud, just like the film."
] |
2 | Not particularly useful... | The problem with this book is that Frank, in typical liberal fashion, fails to realize the priority of religious beliefs and morality held by many conservatives. Frank cannot fathom that there are people who believe preventing abortion is more important than making an extra few dollars each hour, or that the right to own a firearm in order for the option of self defense is more important than relying on the state for protection.Additionally, the book points out that the Republican Party's policies are less effective for the "working man," and yet it curiously fails to provide any facts to support the assertion. If you want something that states more of the same fluff usually spouted by the liberals, purchase this book. If you are a conservative--like myself--looking for an enlightening view into the liberal mind (I am beginning to believe this doesn't exist), or at least into the mindset liberals have toward the conservative viewpoint, you will be sorely disappointed. | 982 | [
"The problem with this book is that Frank, in typical liberal fashion, fails to realize the priority of religious beliefs and morality held by many conservatives.",
"Frank cannot fathom that there are people who believe preventing abortion is more important than making an extra few dollars each hour, or that the right to own a firearm in order for the option of self defense is more important than relying on the state for protection.Additionally, the book points out that the Republican Party's policies are less effective for the \"working man,\" and yet it curiously fails to provide any facts to support the assertion.",
"If you want something that states more of the same fluff usually spouted by the liberals, purchase this book.",
"If you are a conservative--like myself--looking for an enlightening view into the liberal mind (I am beginning to believe this doesn't exist), or at least into the mindset liberals have toward the conservative viewpoint, you will be sorely disappointed."
] |
2 | boooooooooooooooooooo | this movie involves monsters in the closet,something have been trying to rid our kids minds of for years.thats just stupid.thanks guys for carrying this sick tradition on!the story is about a whole other world filled with monsters.instead of electricity,theier world runs on screams collected from children at night.are you sure this is disney?it sounds more like stephen king.the top scream getter,a huge blue with purple polka dots guy accidentaly pulls a little girl back into monster world with him.well in monster world,she is considered toxic.sickisnt it?so all the government and people are on a manhunt for this helpless three year old girl.so he and his partner decide to save her.that fat guy from the tv show roseanne.they must have payed him good to put up with her all that time.shes one of the top 5 worst people on a tv show ever.i dont think its for kids myself.its not really all that good.theres a cool chamielion whos the bad guy.this movie sucks!thats the truth. | 982 | [
"this movie involves monsters in the closet,something have been trying to rid our kids minds of for years.thats just stupid.thanks guys for carrying this sick tradition on!",
"the story is about a whole other world filled with monsters.instead of electricity,theier world runs on screams collected from children at night.are you sure this is disney?",
"it sounds more like stephen king.the top scream getter,a huge blue with purple polka dots guy accidentaly pulls a little girl back into monster world with him.well in monster world,she is considered toxic.sickisnt it?",
"so all the government and people are on a manhunt for this helpless three year old girl.so he and his partner decide to save her.that fat guy from the tv show roseanne.they must have payed him good to put up with her all that time.shes one of the top 5 worst people on a tv show ever.i dont think its for kids myself.its not really all that good.theres a cool chamielion whos the bad guy.this movie sucks!",
"thats the truth."
] |
2 | Highly Dubious Authorship | This is easily the worst of the Sharpe novels. I've read every one of Bernard Cornwell's books, most of them several times, and I frankly don't believe that he was the main author of this one. The plot is lame, the action unconvincing, and most of all the prose is stilted and inappropriate, lacking almost all of the drive and energy of ALL the other books. It just doesn't read like Cornwell at all; the action is nothing like what we are used to, the characters lack conviction, and Sharpe and Harper simply don't act, sound or respond like the two men we know.My guess is that an editor was responsible for most of the work. You can write an addition to a series, use all the same characters, but that's not enough. Examples are to be seen in LeBeau's splendid Buckskin novels and those after the first 12 - check these out, you won't be sorry - Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz works; and at least one of the Travis McGee books, which just doesn't ring true. Anyone feel the same way? | 982 | [
"This is easily the worst of the Sharpe novels.",
"I've read every one of Bernard Cornwell's books, most of them several times, and I frankly don't believe that he was the main author of this one.",
"The plot is lame, the action unconvincing, and most of all the prose is stilted and inappropriate, lacking almost all of the drive and energy of ALL the other books.",
"It just doesn't read like Cornwell at all; the action is nothing like what we are used to, the characters lack conviction, and Sharpe and Harper simply don't act, sound or respond like the two men we know.My guess is that an editor was responsible for most of the work.",
"You can write an addition to a series, use all the same characters, but that's not enough.",
"Examples are to be seen in LeBeau's splendid Buckskin novels and those after the first 12 - check these out, you won't be sorry - Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz works; and at least one of the Travis McGee books, which just doesn't ring true.",
"Anyone feel the same way?"
] |
2 | "It's all my fault." | Historians say that history is always written by the victors so this historical novel is a good southern perspective of the battle. My age group is busy gathering facts so I think this book may be too misleading. For example in the last part of the book, General George Gordon Meade is killed by Wade Hampton supposedly along Pipe Creek after the disasterous defeat at Union Mills. Meade's body is carried back to the confederate camp where General Lee hears the good news. But according to another reference book General George Gordon Meade was an American general whose dates are 1815 to 1872. The defeat at Union Mills in northern Maryland was within days of the July 1-3, 1863 battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. But I loved the dialogue in the story. It shows the North slowly beginning to produce generals and an army to defeat the South. The characters also tell the hardships of total war that both sides experienced. The dialogue catches the reader and sounds very natural. | 982 | [
"Historians say that history is always written by the victors so this historical novel is a good southern perspective of the battle.",
"My age group is busy gathering facts so I think this book may be too misleading.",
"For example in the last part of the book, General George Gordon Meade is killed by Wade Hampton supposedly along Pipe Creek after the disasterous defeat at Union Mills.",
"Meade's body is carried back to the confederate camp where General Lee hears the good news.",
"But according to another reference book General George Gordon Meade was an American general whose dates are 1815 to 1872.",
"The defeat at Union Mills in northern Maryland was within days of the July 1-3, 1863 battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.",
"But I loved the dialogue in the story.",
"It shows the North slowly beginning to produce generals and an army to defeat the South.",
"The characters also tell the hardships of total war that both sides experienced.",
"The dialogue catches the reader and sounds very natural."
] |
2 | Speak Italian like an American | While watching the first DVD in this set (Italian Basics), I have discovered several inconsistencies (and I haven't even finished it yet). I was hoping to learn Italian in an entertaining way, and to learn to speak it like a native (with correct pronunciation and emphasis). They got it half right. The DVD effectively uses visuals, repetition, and dialogue to make learning some basic Italian easy and memorable. But in the first three lessons I have already found a multitude of words or letters that were pronounced in at least two different ways each, which is sloppy, to say the least. The problem for a new student is knowing which is the CORRECT pronunciation (and, YES, there IS a correct pronunciation). I will have to rely on OTHER sources to teach me which is the correct pronunciation. I wonder how much else they got wrong? Ultimately, there are some valuable tidbits of information on this DVD, but don't expect to sound like anything but an American speaking Italian. | 982 | [
"While watching the first DVD in this set (Italian Basics), I have discovered several inconsistencies (and I haven't even finished it yet).",
"I was hoping to learn Italian in an entertaining way, and to learn to speak it like a native (with correct pronunciation and emphasis).",
"They got it half right.",
"The DVD effectively uses visuals, repetition, and dialogue to make learning some basic Italian easy and memorable.",
"But in the first three lessons I have already found a multitude of words or letters that were pronounced in at least two different ways each, which is sloppy, to say the least.",
"The problem for a new student is knowing which is the CORRECT pronunciation (and, YES, there IS a correct pronunciation).",
"I will have to rely on OTHER sources to teach me which is the correct pronunciation.",
"I wonder how much else they got wrong?",
"Ultimately, there are some valuable tidbits of information on this DVD, but don't expect to sound like anything but an American speaking Italian."
] |
2 | weird metallic scent/aftertaste | On a recent trip to Jamaica, I fell in love with fresh coconut water, straight out of the baby coconut. I read a bunch of reviews about the top three brands and went with Zico since overall they seemed to get the best reviews. I ordered a case and anxiously awaited it's arrival. I was VERY disappointed to find that this coconut water has a strange scent that hits you as you go to take a sip, as well as a weird aftertaste. It's hard to describe...almost a metallic taste? Also sort of sour like others have said. Since I spent so much money on this stuff I really want to like it and want to at least be able to tolerate it, but I'm just not sure that I can force myself to do it. My husband agrees that it's not good and he won't drink it either. I've read that coconut water is good for your skin and can be used as a facial toner so if nothing else I may keep a few containers for that purpose, but chances are most if not all of this coconut water is going down the drain : ( | 982 | [
"On a recent trip to Jamaica, I fell in love with fresh coconut water, straight out of the baby coconut.",
"I read a bunch of reviews about the top three brands and went with Zico since overall they seemed to get the best reviews.",
"I ordered a case and anxiously awaited it's arrival.",
"I was VERY disappointed to find that this coconut water has a strange scent that hits you as you go to take a sip, as well as a weird aftertaste.",
"It's hard to describe...almost a metallic taste?",
"Also sort of sour like others have said.",
"Since I spent so much money on this stuff I really want to like it and want to at least be able to tolerate it, but I'm just not sure that I can force myself to do it.",
"My husband agrees that it's not good and he won't drink it either.",
"I've read that coconut water is good for your skin and can be used as a facial toner so if nothing else I may keep a few containers for that purpose, but chances are most if not all of this coconut water is going down the drain : ("
] |
2 | movie collector | the other night a wanted to see another zombie movie so i jumped on amazon and looked at a few different ones and i came across zombie apocalypse , ok i love all types of movies i have a very large collection ( 2500+) dvds , well i was reading the reviews of this one and seeing the high star rating ..........ok what rating level are these people using ? for $9+ s/h this was a joke now i would buy it if it was .99 cents , it was more about human vs human than anything about zombies that was its biggggggggggg down fall ! for being a b grade movie it was ok , the opening telling about what happened after the zombies was really nice i like that alot but way to much good guys verse bad guys thing it really needs more about zombies ! i would buy it again if!!!! it was about $6 bucks cheaper , ive learned my lesson about to good to be true reviews , zombie diarys2 was a lot better filck , if you can find this cheaper and your a b-grade fan buy it but dont spend too much !!!! | 982 | [
"the other night a wanted to see another zombie movie so i jumped on amazon and looked at a few different ones and i came across zombie apocalypse , ok i love all types of movies i have a very large collection ( 2500+) dvds , well i was reading the reviews of this one and seeing the high star rating ..........ok what rating level are these people using?",
"for $9+ s/h this was a joke now i would buy it if it was .99 cents , it was more about human vs human than anything about zombies that was its biggggggggggg down fall!",
"for being a b grade movie it was ok , the opening telling about what happened after the zombies was really nice i like that alot but way to much good guys verse bad guys thing it really needs more about zombies!",
"i would buy it again if!!!",
"!",
"it was about $6 bucks cheaper , ive learned my lesson about to good to be true reviews , zombie diarys2 was a lot better filck , if you can find this cheaper and your a b-grade fan buy it but dont spend too much!!!",
"!"
] |
2 | C | Kinsella drops the ball on a novel that, in its last fifty pages, cannot sustain its own plot. With a promising premise and a quirky enough female protagonist, The Undomestic Goddess starts off as a vaguely amusing escapist adventure. Everything about the novel is average - the situations and humor are enough to keep a reader interested but unhappy at the conclusion. The sentiments are transparent and treacly, and the funny situations don't quite hit their mark. Kinsella's work is usually hilarious, but the book is soon lost to plot twists that become overwhelming, as they all occur in the final act. The awkward moments that are supposed to carry the novel are unnervingly contrived and absolutely unimaginable. A suspension of disbelief is unbelievably hard to procure. The romance is sweet and comfortingly moves along to its obvious finale. The entire text is a piece of cheap chocolate: soothing yet bland, fun while it lasts, but in the end, doesn't keep you satisfied. | 982 | [
"Kinsella drops the ball on a novel that, in its last fifty pages, cannot sustain its own plot.",
"With a promising premise and a quirky enough female protagonist, The Undomestic Goddess starts off as a vaguely amusing escapist adventure.",
"Everything about the novel is average - the situations and humor are enough to keep a reader interested but unhappy at the conclusion.",
"The sentiments are transparent and treacly, and the funny situations don't quite hit their mark.",
"Kinsella's work is usually hilarious, but the book is soon lost to plot twists that become overwhelming, as they all occur in the final act.",
"The awkward moments that are supposed to carry the novel are unnervingly contrived and absolutely unimaginable.",
"A suspension of disbelief is unbelievably hard to procure.",
"The romance is sweet and comfortingly moves along to its obvious finale.",
"The entire text is a piece of cheap chocolate: soothing yet bland, fun while it lasts, but in the end, doesn't keep you satisfied."
] |
2 | High Expectations Were Dashed | To be short and to the point, the second "Unwrapped" CD was a huge dissappointment. I probably had unrealistic expectations, based on my love for the first volume (I can honestly say that I have played it more than any other CD I own in the past 12 months). The concept of mixing Hip-Hop with Jazz is a great ideal - anyone with any sense of music history would admit to the natural bond between the two genres. However, listening to this CD gives the impression that the powers-that-be at Hidden Beach were pressured to get a second CD out as soon as possible, to try to take advantage of the success of the first volume. As a result, this CD will probably turn off true fans of hip-hop, as well as jazz afficionados. Some of the arrangements are mediocre at best, which I think is the CD's biggest problem. I still hope Hidden Beach puts out a Volume III at some point (which they undoubetly will), but I hope they give the third CD the time and effort a CD of this type deserves. | 982 | [
"To be short and to the point, the second \"Unwrapped\" CD was a huge dissappointment.",
"I probably had unrealistic expectations, based on my love for the first volume (I can honestly say that I have played it more than any other CD I own in the past 12 months).",
"The concept of mixing Hip-Hop with Jazz is a great ideal - anyone with any sense of music history would admit to the natural bond between the two genres.",
"However, listening to this CD gives the impression that the powers-that-be at Hidden Beach were pressured to get a second CD out as soon as possible, to try to take advantage of the success of the first volume.",
"As a result, this CD will probably turn off true fans of hip-hop, as well as jazz afficionados.",
"Some of the arrangements are mediocre at best, which I think is the CD's biggest problem.",
"I still hope Hidden Beach puts out a Volume III at some point (which they undoubetly will), but I hope they give the third CD the time and effort a CD of this type deserves."
] |
2 | Not what I expected | Having followed the King's Quest games as they were appearing late 80's/early 90's, I have become a huge fan. The fact that the games did not fall into the fantasy cliche of the dark sword and sorcery junk that floods the market made the games truly a treasure. However, as others have noted, King's Quest 8 was a step in a different direction. They move away from the Royal Family (a mistake in my mind; why should we care for these characters, having only seen a short introduction?). The entire game feels like a fantastical version of Doom. Gone are the witty remarks and likeable characters... everything that Conner says is hugely (over)dramatic, that is when he is not being attacked by punch-throwing mummies (??) or some other hybrid monster. In closing, I would much rather have the early two-dimensional adventures of Graham than the sophisticated graphics of Mask of Eternity.I'm editing this to give it two stars. I was feeling far too generous when I first wrote this. | 982 | [
"Having followed the King's Quest games as they were appearing late 80's/early 90's, I have become a huge fan.",
"The fact that the games did not fall into the fantasy cliche of the dark sword and sorcery junk that floods the market made the games truly a treasure.",
"However, as others have noted, King's Quest 8 was a step in a different direction.",
"They move away from the Royal Family (a mistake in my mind; why should we care for these characters, having only seen a short introduction?",
").",
"The entire game feels like a fantastical version of Doom.",
"Gone are the witty remarks and likeable characters... everything that Conner says is hugely (over)dramatic, that is when he is not being attacked by punch-throwing mummies (??",
") or some other hybrid monster.",
"In closing, I would much rather have the early two-dimensional adventures of Graham than the sophisticated graphics of Mask of Eternity.I'm editing this to give it two stars.",
"I was feeling far too generous when I first wrote this."
] |
2 | Wouldn't buy it again | I waited eight months to write this review hoping that I would grow to like the DW735 planer. No chance!I really only have two problems with the planer but they are critical problems.First, as most people have stated, the blades wear out very quickly and are expensive to replace. I have used three sets already and have only owned this planer for eight months. The last set of blades I bought were carving grooves in the wood after just one day of planing maple. That's pretty bad!Second, the roller feeders get dirty very easily and don't pull the wood through so I find myself having to help the wood pass through the planer. This is very frustrating as I would prefer to let the feeder do the feeding.On the plus side the planer does plane the boards very flat. But, because the blades dull so quickly I still have to do quite a bit of sanding after planing to get rid of the ridges and grooves that have been cut into the wood by the planer.No, I wouldn't but this model again. | 982 | [
"I waited eight months to write this review hoping that I would grow to like the DW735 planer.",
"No chance!",
"I really only have two problems with the planer but they are critical problems.First, as most people have stated, the blades wear out very quickly and are expensive to replace.",
"I have used three sets already and have only owned this planer for eight months.",
"The last set of blades I bought were carving grooves in the wood after just one day of planing maple.",
"That's pretty bad!",
"Second, the roller feeders get dirty very easily and don't pull the wood through so I find myself having to help the wood pass through the planer.",
"This is very frustrating as I would prefer to let the feeder do the feeding.On the plus side the planer does plane the boards very flat.",
"But, because the blades dull so quickly I still have to do quite a bit of sanding after planing to get rid of the ridges and grooves that have been cut into the wood by the planer.No, I wouldn't but this model again."
] |
2 | Natural Vitamin E | I think I read the same article as the person who wrote the previous review did. I purchased a couple of jars since they were cheap. The seller shipped them so VERY fast, they got here 4 days before the delivery estimate. I have been using it for a week now. I read is almost like a miracle, and that the first application was the most drammatical. Well....it hasn't done anything for me yet. I don't have that much acne, just a couple of scars left. They still are there. I keep using it to try to see if, over time, they will eventually fade, and I purchased the product, so I gotta do something with it. I still stick to my Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. I like it better. It works faster. In the meantime, I'll keep on using them and wait a little more to see IF scars fade. This product could use a dispenser. It's a little difficult to apply from the jar it comes. Some of the jars were a little open when they got here, there was not too much lost, but everything was greasy. | 982 | [
"I think I read the same article as the person who wrote the previous review did.",
"I purchased a couple of jars since they were cheap.",
"The seller shipped them so VERY fast, they got here 4 days before the delivery estimate.",
"I have been using it for a week now.",
"I read is almost like a miracle, and that the first application was the most drammatical.",
"Well....it hasn't done anything for me yet.",
"I don't have that much acne, just a couple of scars left.",
"They still are there.",
"I keep using it to try to see if, over time, they will eventually fade, and I purchased the product, so I gotta do something with it.",
"I still stick to my Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula.",
"I like it better.",
"It works faster.",
"In the meantime, I'll keep on using them and wait a little more to see IF scars fade.",
"This product could use a dispenser.",
"It's a little difficult to apply from the jar it comes.",
"Some of the jars were a little open when they got here, there was not too much lost, but everything was greasy."
] |
2 | Not so great | I just returned from a 10 day trip to Rio and the surrounding areas and was profoundly disappointed by the guide book for the following reasons: 1) No useful maps (do you really want to carry around multiple guide books?); 2) Totally out of date (I tried virtually every club/bar listed and wasted much time on wild-goose chases); 3) No useful info on hotels (doubt the author stayed in any of them or even visited them); 4) Restaurants recommended were all disappointments (if they were still extant)and 5)Assumes reader knows Portugese and is familiar with how to get around.If you plan to visit (and you should because it's truly a wonderful country) invest a few weeks in Brazilian Portugese lessons. Surprisingly few people in and around Rio speak English (even in the service sector) and if you have a basic understanding of the language your trip will be a thousand times better. And if you want info on the local music scene, just pick up the local paper and it's all there. | 982 | [
"I just returned from a 10 day trip to Rio and the surrounding areas and was profoundly disappointed by the guide book for the following reasons: 1) No useful maps (do you really want to carry around multiple guide books?",
"); 2) Totally out of date (I tried virtually every club/bar listed and wasted much time on wild-goose chases); 3) No useful info on hotels (doubt the author stayed in any of them or even visited them); 4) Restaurants recommended were all disappointments (if they were still extant)and 5)Assumes reader knows Portugese and is familiar with how to get around.If you plan to visit (and you should because it's truly a wonderful country) invest a few weeks in Brazilian Portugese lessons.",
"Surprisingly few people in and around Rio speak English (even in the service sector) and if you have a basic understanding of the language your trip will be a thousand times better.",
"And if you want info on the local music scene, just pick up the local paper and it's all there."
] |
2 | Get the Nikon 70-300 instead | This lens does have some nice features, the most notable of course is the ability to go from a semi-wide angle shot all the way to 300mm and zoom in. The lens has a locking feature that allows you to lock the zoom.Unlike the other reviewers I was not happy in the least with the prints I got using this lens. I took six test rolls of film and found the pictures to be sub-par. The auto focus on this lens seems to be the main culprit. Even in conditions with good lighting this lens seemed to be forever focusing, and half the pictures still seem to lack focus. The color separation was horrible on the prints. Until I bought this lens I never had a problem getting good pictures using automatic settings on my camera (N70).I brought this lens back and bought the Nikon 70-300 and continued using my Quantray 28-80 for the majority of my shooting. The difference was noticeable, immediately noticeable. The Nikon lens focus's quicker, and the prints come out a heck of a lot better. | 982 | [
"This lens does have some nice features, the most notable of course is the ability to go from a semi-wide angle shot all the way to 300mm and zoom in.",
"The lens has a locking feature that allows you to lock the zoom.Unlike the other reviewers I was not happy in the least with the prints I got using this lens.",
"I took six test rolls of film and found the pictures to be sub-par.",
"The auto focus on this lens seems to be the main culprit.",
"Even in conditions with good lighting this lens seemed to be forever focusing, and half the pictures still seem to lack focus.",
"The color separation was horrible on the prints.",
"Until I bought this lens I never had a problem getting good pictures using automatic settings on my camera (N70).I brought this lens back and bought the Nikon 70-300 and continued using my Quantray 28-80 for the majority of my shooting.",
"The difference was noticeable, immediately noticeable.",
"The Nikon lens focus's quicker, and the prints come out a heck of a lot better."
] |
2 | Not as useful as I'd hoped. | I think everyone in the creative field at some point asks how they can be more inspired. From the online thumbnail, this book looks like a great tool. Unfortunately, as I was reading it, my reaction was, "meh." The first third of this book profiles graphic design professionals (some I'd heard of, many I haven't) and these designers' personal take on creativity. A few of the inspiration sources were appealing, but honestly, many cited writers or artists who seem unfamiliar, dated, or obscure. The majority of the book features lots of white space with vignettes of travel photographs. I personally didn't get much out of them. None of them are provided as useable, digital resources. The book ends with scans of several letters from the 1980's to another designer (Rick Tharp), who doesn't seem to have any other relationship to the project. Overall, I'll probably keep this on the shelf for a couple of months but then ultimately donate it to the library to free up some space. | 982 | [
"I think everyone in the creative field at some point asks how they can be more inspired.",
"From the online thumbnail, this book looks like a great tool.",
"Unfortunately, as I was reading it, my reaction was, \"meh.\" The first third of this book profiles graphic design professionals (some I'd heard of, many I haven't) and these designers' personal take on creativity.",
"A few of the inspiration sources were appealing, but honestly, many cited writers or artists who seem unfamiliar, dated, or obscure.",
"The majority of the book features lots of white space with vignettes of travel photographs.",
"I personally didn't get much out of them.",
"None of them are provided as useable, digital resources.",
"The book ends with scans of several letters from the 1980's to another designer (Rick Tharp), who doesn't seem to have any other relationship to the project.",
"Overall, I'll probably keep this on the shelf for a couple of months but then ultimately donate it to the library to free up some space."
] |
2 | B60 or any Keurig is wasted $$$ | I purchased a Keurig from the QVC about 3 years ago - was excited when it arrived and it made what I consider a very good fresh cup of coffee - however only 1 month into the product and it would not produce. I called Keurig and they did not have the model I purchased but was willing to replace it with the B60 - well it worked - for about 2 months. I called again and they sent me a 3rd one. This one lasted almost a year before it started to do the same thing. I still use it today but about half the time it acts like it is starting to brew but will not brew - I open and close the device a 2nd time and it will then brew. Sometimes I only get 1/2 cup so I open / close again to get the use from the k-cup. You know for $150 this was a waste of my money. I could have purchased a coffee maker with espresso for about the same. I keep it going just because I like the convenience - even though I have to meddle with it almost every time I run it.... lots of hype - little quality. | 982 | [
"I purchased a Keurig from the QVC about 3 years ago - was excited when it arrived and it made what I consider a very good fresh cup of coffee - however only 1 month into the product and it would not produce.",
"I called Keurig and they did not have the model I purchased but was willing to replace it with the B60 - well it worked - for about 2 months.",
"I called again and they sent me a 3rd one.",
"This one lasted almost a year before it started to do the same thing.",
"I still use it today but about half the time it acts like it is starting to brew but will not brew - I open and close the device a 2nd time and it will then brew.",
"Sometimes I only get 1/2 cup so I open / close again to get the use from the k-cup.",
"You know for $150 this was a waste of my money.",
"I could have purchased a coffee maker with espresso for about the same.",
"I keep it going just because I like the convenience - even though I have to meddle with it almost every time I run it.... lots of hype - little quality."
] |
2 | Cute, but not exquisite | Living in the desert, one does not have the opportunity to eat good seafood very often. I have a theory: lobsters cannot fly. And so, even live ones don't taste like 'lobster' out here. I spotted these pot pies at Costco, for about $35 for a box of four cute pot pies with puff pastry lobster outlines on top. I figured, these lobsters did not have to fly before they were 'prepared', and maybe they would be good. No luck. I am not saying they are bad, but certainly not worth around $9 per 5.2 ounce serving. Much of it was claw meat, while preferred by some, it did not have the right flavor for me. There were a few bits of non-claw meat that came close... but still no cigar. Overall a nice try... the presentation and puffed pastry was good. However these will barely if not at all satify your craving for that sweet and special flavor of lobster. Save your money for the next time you can go to a real fresh seafood restaurant where the lobsters have no frequent flyer miles. | 982 | [
"Living in the desert, one does not have the opportunity to eat good seafood very often.",
"I have a theory: lobsters cannot fly.",
"And so, even live ones don't taste like 'lobster' out here.",
"I spotted these pot pies at Costco, for about $35 for a box of four cute pot pies with puff pastry lobster outlines on top.",
"I figured, these lobsters did not have to fly before they were 'prepared', and maybe they would be good.",
"No luck.",
"I am not saying they are bad, but certainly not worth around $9 per 5.2 ounce serving.",
"Much of it was claw meat, while preferred by some, it did not have the right flavor for me.",
"There were a few bits of non-claw meat that came close... but still no cigar.",
"Overall a nice try... the presentation and puffed pastry was good.",
"However these will barely if not at all satify your craving for that sweet and special flavor of lobster.",
"Save your money for the next time you can go to a real fresh seafood restaurant where the lobsters have no frequent flyer miles."
] |
2 | A bore | While the various battle set pieces ring authentic and one really feels they are witnessing first hand the carnage of war, I found this book rather boring. There seems to be very little in terms of character development. Mr. Pressfield's characters seem to be mere stick figures pasted against the backdrop of historical events.The writing is also rather ponderous at times. There were several occasions where I needed to re-read a sentence to understand it's meaning - strange choices in word order, etc. The dialogue strikes me also as anachronistic.Overall, I just didn't care. My attention wandered. It's a shame because I've read such good things about this book. I found it neither compelling nor particularly exciting. But perhaps that's just me...For truly exciting and colorfully written historical fiction set in the ancient world (albeit centuries later than the events chronicled in this book), Colleen McCullogh's "First Man in Rome" series is about as good as it gets. | 982 | [
"While the various battle set pieces ring authentic and one really feels they are witnessing first hand the carnage of war, I found this book rather boring.",
"There seems to be very little in terms of character development.",
"Mr.",
"Pressfield's characters seem to be mere stick figures pasted against the backdrop of historical events.The writing is also rather ponderous at times.",
"There were several occasions where I needed to re-read a sentence to understand it's meaning - strange choices in word order, etc.",
"The dialogue strikes me also as anachronistic.Overall, I just didn't care.",
"My attention wandered.",
"It's a shame because I've read such good things about this book.",
"I found it neither compelling nor particularly exciting.",
"But perhaps that's just me...For truly exciting and colorfully written historical fiction set in the ancient world (albeit centuries later than the events chronicled in this book), Colleen McCullogh's \"First Man in Rome\" series is about as good as it gets."
] |
2 | Sadly my last Jason Bourne book | It took me a while to get up the nerve to pick up the first installment of Van LustBADers Bourne books for fear of having my heart ripped out. I finally picked it up and now that I have, I truly wish that I had not. The experience is similar to the feeling of savoring the taste of your favorite dessert all the the way through only to find, oh, let just say a roach at the end. Crass? Yes, but that's how it feels. Somewhere between the comic book style of writing and the random, lengthy history lesson on Crete in chapter 16 (WTF) where I found myself skipping forward, Jason Bourne died for me.I absolutely loved this series. It is hard to see it go down like this. More important than a good story, is a great story teller. The voice behind a story is what makes that book live. I don't know Van Lustbader but he should stop feeding off of carrion, have a little integrity, and find his own kill. Yes, I am calling him a vulture. Let Bourne rest in peace.I miss Ludlum's voice. | 982 | [
"It took me a while to get up the nerve to pick up the first installment of Van LustBADers Bourne books for fear of having my heart ripped out.",
"I finally picked it up and now that I have, I truly wish that I had not.",
"The experience is similar to the feeling of savoring the taste of your favorite dessert all the the way through only to find, oh, let just say a roach at the end.",
"Crass?",
"Yes, but that's how it feels.",
"Somewhere between the comic book style of writing and the random, lengthy history lesson on Crete in chapter 16 (WTF) where I found myself skipping forward, Jason Bourne died for me.I absolutely loved this series.",
"It is hard to see it go down like this.",
"More important than a good story, is a great story teller.",
"The voice behind a story is what makes that book live.",
"I don't know Van Lustbader but he should stop feeding off of carrion, have a little integrity, and find his own kill.",
"Yes, I am calling him a vulture.",
"Let Bourne rest in peace.I miss Ludlum's voice."
] |
2 | A Deeply Sleeping Beauty | An earnest effort that maybe takes itself too seriously. Lacks the humor, grace, and deft touches of the more recent Royal Ballet staging with CojocaruTchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty (The Royal Ballet), not to mention the brilliant clarity and rich color of the Blu-Ray disc. I find the pace sluggish (has classical ballet conducting slowed down in recent years?). The dancing of the corps de ballet and the principals is only average. The non-dancing Lilac Fairy of the original production is certainly historically authentic, but I miss the lively dancing Lilac that soon replaced her. Almost any Russian production from Bolshoi or Kirov/Mariinsky gives me more pleasure (and brisker tempos).To me the sets are ponderous and dark, and the voluminous costumes--well, the performers look more upholstered than costumed. I could swear there's a Balinese or Indonesian influence in the ballerinas' headdresses--beautiful but a bit incongruous. Will not watch this disc a second time. | 982 | [
"An earnest effort that maybe takes itself too seriously.",
"Lacks the humor, grace, and deft touches of the more recent Royal Ballet staging with CojocaruTchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty (The Royal Ballet), not to mention the brilliant clarity and rich color of the Blu-Ray disc.",
"I find the pace sluggish (has classical ballet conducting slowed down in recent years?",
").",
"The dancing of the corps de ballet and the principals is only average.",
"The non-dancing Lilac Fairy of the original production is certainly historically authentic, but I miss the lively dancing Lilac that soon replaced her.",
"Almost any Russian production from Bolshoi or Kirov/Mariinsky gives me more pleasure (and brisker tempos).To me the sets are ponderous and dark, and the voluminous costumes--well, the performers look more upholstered than costumed.",
"I could swear there's a Balinese or Indonesian influence in the ballerinas' headdresses--beautiful but a bit incongruous.",
"Will not watch this disc a second time."
] |
2 | Mixed feelings about this crib. | I am soon to be a Grandma so I bought this crib for our guestroom. Upon opening the box, I discovered the stationary side rail had several gouges in the wood and several areas with chipped paint. I e-mailed the manufacturer and they promptly sent me a new siderail. I was impressed by their customer service. We proceeded to put it together, which was fairly easy. The color is lovely and I get tons of compliments on how nicely it fits in with the room decor. The only complaint (and it's major) is that we find it extremely difficult to raise and lower the siderail. It takes ALOT of effort and the bed shakes and the legs sway which makes me question the sturdiness of this product. I will keep this crib because it is only for occasional use, and I don't think we will be using the siderail much, but I would not recommend it as the baby's primary bed. I realize that this is a very inexpensive crib and I didn't expect much...but I did expect the siderail to slide up and down. | 982 | [
"I am soon to be a Grandma so I bought this crib for our guestroom.",
"Upon opening the box, I discovered the stationary side rail had several gouges in the wood and several areas with chipped paint.",
"I e-mailed the manufacturer and they promptly sent me a new siderail.",
"I was impressed by their customer service.",
"We proceeded to put it together, which was fairly easy.",
"The color is lovely and I get tons of compliments on how nicely it fits in with the room decor.",
"The only complaint (and it's major) is that we find it extremely difficult to raise and lower the siderail.",
"It takes ALOT of effort and the bed shakes and the legs sway which makes me question the sturdiness of this product.",
"I will keep this crib because it is only for occasional use, and I don't think we will be using the siderail much, but I would not recommend it as the baby's primary bed.",
"I realize that this is a very inexpensive crib and I didn't expect much...but I did expect the siderail to slide up and down."
] |
2 | Had to return it ... | I had to return this item because the power button for the radio was not working. The first night after I received this, it suddenly powered on the radio on its own. I was woken from my sleep and first I thought maybe I had set the alarm while trying things out and so I just tried to snooze. But nothing worked and I was not in a mood to investigate and just pulled the plug.The next day I checked and plugged it back and the radio did not come on automatically. But couple of hours later, it again started on its own and I was not able to switch it off. The only way to shut it down was by plugging it off.On a positive note, the projection was neat and my wife liked it very much. We projected to the ceiling and we could just wake up, open our eyes and see the time. I will checking for similar clocks and buy another one.The clock also had the option to switch the projection upside down and so basically you can place the clock anywhere and can project the time to any wall .. | 982 | [
"I had to return this item because the power button for the radio was not working.",
"The first night after I received this, it suddenly powered on the radio on its own.",
"I was woken from my sleep and first I thought maybe I had set the alarm while trying things out and so I just tried to snooze.",
"But nothing worked and I was not in a mood to investigate and just pulled the plug.The next day I checked and plugged it back and the radio did not come on automatically.",
"But couple of hours later, it again started on its own and I was not able to switch it off.",
"The only way to shut it down was by plugging it off.On a positive note, the projection was neat and my wife liked it very much.",
"We projected to the ceiling and we could just wake up, open our eyes and see the time.",
"I will checking for similar clocks and buy another one.The clock also had the option to switch the projection upside down and so basically you can place the clock anywhere and can project the time to any wall .."
] |
2 | Too museum-esque | I think the hallmark of good design is the ability to maintain that integrity while also moving with some elements of style from the period in which you actually live. I guess the title really means "CLASSIC interiors;" the book shows how to create interiors that would have looked appropriate in 1763. Today, a number of the interiors come across as dark, overwhelming and provincial. The photographs viewable on Amazon are misleading because the interiors pictured are more simple, more modern, and brighter than most of those photographed in the book. I would take a long look at it in-store before investing if you prefer simple, classic design to stringently historical interiors. (Also, as an aside, the book seems to utilize an older understanding of acceptable paint colors for colonials-- darker, duller colors. Others, such as Martha Stewart's books, proclaim that newer research shows that slightly brighter shades were actually used more often than previously believed.) | 982 | [
"I think the hallmark of good design is the ability to maintain that integrity while also moving with some elements of style from the period in which you actually live.",
"I guess the title really means \"CLASSIC interiors;\" the book shows how to create interiors that would have looked appropriate in 1763.",
"Today, a number of the interiors come across as dark, overwhelming and provincial.",
"The photographs viewable on Amazon are misleading because the interiors pictured are more simple, more modern, and brighter than most of those photographed in the book.",
"I would take a long look at it in-store before investing if you prefer simple, classic design to stringently historical interiors.",
"(Also, as an aside, the book seems to utilize an older understanding of acceptable paint colors for colonials-- darker, duller colors.",
"Others, such as Martha Stewart's books, proclaim that newer research shows that slightly brighter shades were actually used more often than previously believed.)"
] |
2 | Disappointing unfortunately | I read this on a flight back and forth to the east coast and it put me to sleep the first trip. The second was way more entertaining. I found the first 200-300 pages slow and underproductive. Far too much time was spent trying to develop the past relationship Tom had with his father and with his current girlfriend.Paul did not get quite enough time in my eyes, as he was the main person struggling with the decoding. I did like the extra two characters, but honestly, their arguements had nothing to do with the story or growth of the main two.Now the actual Hypnerotomachia sections were alive and brought you back in. The saving grace was that the authors tossed tiny crumbs as you went along just to make sure you finished the whole book and didn't skip ahead. I would have prefered a short story of 100-150 pages over the whole thing.As often as I pick up just any book at random and usually enjoy it, this one left me wondering why I was seeing Best Sellers list on the cover | 982 | [
"I read this on a flight back and forth to the east coast and it put me to sleep the first trip.",
"The second was way more entertaining.",
"I found the first 200-300 pages slow and underproductive.",
"Far too much time was spent trying to develop the past relationship Tom had with his father and with his current girlfriend.Paul did not get quite enough time in my eyes, as he was the main person struggling with the decoding.",
"I did like the extra two characters, but honestly, their arguements had nothing to do with the story or growth of the main two.Now the actual Hypnerotomachia sections were alive and brought you back in.",
"The saving grace was that the authors tossed tiny crumbs as you went along just to make sure you finished the whole book and didn't skip ahead.",
"I would have prefered a short story of 100-150 pages over the whole thing.As often as I pick up just any book at random and usually enjoy it, this one left me wondering why I was seeing Best Sellers list on the cover"
] |
2 | Intresting but not a major work | Dr. Witherington is one of the rising stars in conservative theology today, and is an amazingly prolific writer (he seems to produce books as quickly as most pastors produce sermons). I guess because of that I expected more from this commentary. I simply did not find much new in this work. Most of Dr. Witherington's observations are what any astute layperson would arrive at on their own. If you are new to reading Mark then this book would probably be of some help in that it will introduce you to major themes and ideas. On the other hand, if you are moderately conversant with modern Markan scholarship, and you are looking for more insight, as well as a more detailed reading of the text, you would do better to look elsewhere. In particular I would suggest either Morna Hooker's superb "The Gospel According to St. Mark", or Ched Myer's challenging "Binding the Strong Man, A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus". Both offer much more serious scholarship and research. | 982 | [
"Dr.",
"Witherington is one of the rising stars in conservative theology today, and is an amazingly prolific writer (he seems to produce books as quickly as most pastors produce sermons).",
"I guess because of that I expected more from this commentary.",
"I simply did not find much new in this work.",
"Most of Dr.",
"Witherington's observations are what any astute layperson would arrive at on their own.",
"If you are new to reading Mark then this book would probably be of some help in that it will introduce you to major themes and ideas.",
"On the other hand, if you are moderately conversant with modern Markan scholarship, and you are looking for more insight, as well as a more detailed reading of the text, you would do better to look elsewhere.",
"In particular I would suggest either Morna Hooker's superb \"The Gospel According to St.",
"Mark\", or Ched Myer's challenging \"Binding the Strong Man, A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus\".",
"Both offer much more serious scholarship and research."
] |
2 | Disappointing. | If I took the dictionary and put the words in a slightly different order and changed the definitions a little bit (used different words but with synonymous meaning), and then I expected to take credit for my "original work," people would think I was both a nut and a sham.I, for one, am tired of the parade of NLP books that simply regurgitate techniques that can be found elsewhere--hopefully in books authored by the creators of said techniques.Do we really need yet another NLP book that teaches, second hand, what the rest of them do? How many authors quoting material from authors quoting material from authors (and hardly ever giving proper credit in the proper place) do we have to endure?I hope everyone involved in creating these techniques are getting royalties from this book. Probably not.My advice, go buy the "original" books by Bandler, Grindler, Dilts, and the Andreases. It may cost you more, but you will be getting it from the horse's mouth, not from some parrot. | 982 | [
"If I took the dictionary and put the words in a slightly different order and changed the definitions a little bit (used different words but with synonymous meaning), and then I expected to take credit for my \"original work,\" people would think I was both a nut and a sham.I, for one, am tired of the parade of NLP books that simply regurgitate techniques that can be found elsewhere--hopefully in books authored by the creators of said techniques.Do we really need yet another NLP book that teaches, second hand, what the rest of them do?",
"How many authors quoting material from authors quoting material from authors (and hardly ever giving proper credit in the proper place) do we have to endure?",
"I hope everyone involved in creating these techniques are getting royalties from this book.",
"Probably not.My advice, go buy the \"original\" books by Bandler, Grindler, Dilts, and the Andreases.",
"It may cost you more, but you will be getting it from the horse's mouth, not from some parrot."
] |
2 | Not impressed | Being a fan of Nora Roberts, I was very excited when I found the first installment of this trilogy at a book exchange. After devouring Dance Upon Air, I could hardly wait for the second book. I expected more of the elements that made the first book so great: good plot, likable characters, a bit of mystery and a lot of romance.Although the plot is fine, the novel fell short of my high expectations. The main character, Ripley Todd, is too obnoxious and difficult for the reader to become attached to (you wonder how a man as wonderful as Dr. Booke can fall for her), and the build-up to the end is a bit confusing.Make sure you read Dance Upon Air before picking up this book, otherwise there will be some loose ends regarding the paranormal story line and secondary characters Nell and Zack Todd.The book is readable and entertaining, but not Nora Roberts at her best. However, I will eagerly await the final installment and hope for more of the magic she spun in the first book! | 982 | [
"Being a fan of Nora Roberts, I was very excited when I found the first installment of this trilogy at a book exchange.",
"After devouring Dance Upon Air, I could hardly wait for the second book.",
"I expected more of the elements that made the first book so great: good plot, likable characters, a bit of mystery and a lot of romance.Although the plot is fine, the novel fell short of my high expectations.",
"The main character, Ripley Todd, is too obnoxious and difficult for the reader to become attached to (you wonder how a man as wonderful as Dr.",
"Booke can fall for her), and the build-up to the end is a bit confusing.Make sure you read Dance Upon Air before picking up this book, otherwise there will be some loose ends regarding the paranormal story line and secondary characters Nell and Zack Todd.The book is readable and entertaining, but not Nora Roberts at her best.",
"However, I will eagerly await the final installment and hope for more of the magic she spun in the first book!"
] |
2 | just not enough to go with | So, i finally watched this movie a week or so ago with my wife. I had been wanting to see it for quite a while as i heard wonderful praise from all of my friends and the reviewers. Now, i've come to the point where i have processed and thought more about what i saw. Here is the deal, i am a huge movie buff, musical theater buff, beatles fan, love julie taymor's previous works, etc. This movie, at the turn of each plot change, did not work. The cinematography is wonderful, musical arrangements pretty solid, decent singing, etc. However, the plot seemed almost non-existent; everytime another part of the story began there was yet another seperation making me not care about the characters. i think the best way to sum up my perception of this movie is that it's a lot of "moments". there were many wonderful moments in the movie, but nothing to sentimentaly tie them together for me. I really did want to like this movie. It's worth giving it a shot, but definitely over hyped. | 982 | [
"So, i finally watched this movie a week or so ago with my wife.",
"I had been wanting to see it for quite a while as i heard wonderful praise from all of my friends and the reviewers.",
"Now, i've come to the point where i have processed and thought more about what i saw.",
"Here is the deal, i am a huge movie buff, musical theater buff, beatles fan, love julie taymor's previous works, etc.",
"This movie, at the turn of each plot change, did not work.",
"The cinematography is wonderful, musical arrangements pretty solid, decent singing, etc.",
"However, the plot seemed almost non-existent; everytime another part of the story began there was yet another seperation making me not care about the characters.",
"i think the best way to sum up my perception of this movie is that it's a lot of \"moments\".",
"there were many wonderful moments in the movie, but nothing to sentimentaly tie them together for me.",
"I really did want to like this movie.",
"It's worth giving it a shot, but definitely over hyped."
] |
2 | Not for me | I bought this wanting an inexpensive (5 stars for that) mp3 player. I'm returning it for a more expensive Creative Muvo, (which this was meant to replace after I broke the Muvo.)Pros: features; mp3's, voice recordings for lectures (although I didn't try out this feature), fm radio, additional storage capacity with memory card.Cons: battery runs out when the unit is off, even when the "hold" button is activated. There's also a delay when you press a button before the screen shows your selection, so you don't know if the screen isn't changing because you didn't press the button hard enough, if you press it a second time, the first hit is registered along with the next and you end up passing your desired selection. For a crowded train or walking around town, having to stop, stare at the screen, press the button, wait for it to register, press again and wait again to scroll to your song or folder, is not worth the trouble.If you're not "on the go", this is a fine product. | 982 | [
"I bought this wanting an inexpensive (5 stars for that) mp3 player.",
"I'm returning it for a more expensive Creative Muvo, (which this was meant to replace after I broke the Muvo.)Pros: features; mp3's, voice recordings for lectures (although I didn't try out this feature), fm radio, additional storage capacity with memory card.Cons: battery runs out when the unit is off, even when the \"hold\" button is activated.",
"There's also a delay when you press a button before the screen shows your selection, so you don't know if the screen isn't changing because you didn't press the button hard enough, if you press it a second time, the first hit is registered along with the next and you end up passing your desired selection.",
"For a crowded train or walking around town, having to stop, stare at the screen, press the button, wait for it to register, press again and wait again to scroll to your song or folder, is not worth the trouble.If you're not \"on the go\", this is a fine product."
] |
2 | a chore to finish | I will not give a synopsis of the book because it has already been provided. However, I will caution, do not read this book if you are a reader who likes a heavy plotline. There is minimal plot in this book. One would therefore expect more character development. But, alas, there is minimal character development as well. Characters start off selfish and superficial, and remain so throughout the book. I wish I could say that the writing was good, but I felt it was bloated and repetitive. Phrase embedded within phrase simply slowed the pace of the already-slow story for me. Somewhere in this book, however, was the promise of a good story.(hence the two stars.) Tighter writing, a heavy editing hand, and perhaps more likable characters would have brought out the essential story question...how can a romance between an older woman bookseller and a younger college guy survive? (WARNING: SPOILER) Unfortunately, however, the ending is not resolved and the author drops the ball. | 982 | [
"I will not give a synopsis of the book because it has already been provided.",
"However, I will caution, do not read this book if you are a reader who likes a heavy plotline.",
"There is minimal plot in this book.",
"One would therefore expect more character development.",
"But, alas, there is minimal character development as well.",
"Characters start off selfish and superficial, and remain so throughout the book.",
"I wish I could say that the writing was good, but I felt it was bloated and repetitive.",
"Phrase embedded within phrase simply slowed the pace of the already-slow story for me.",
"Somewhere in this book, however, was the promise of a good story.(hence the two stars.) Tighter writing, a heavy editing hand, and perhaps more likable characters would have brought out the essential story question...how can a romance between an older woman bookseller and a younger college guy survive?",
"(WARNING: SPOILER) Unfortunately, however, the ending is not resolved and the author drops the ball."
] |
2 | The day Accept sold out.... | The year is 1989. Udo Dirkschneider is gone, so Accpet feel free to "accept" the dubious good advises from their managers / record company executives / whoever, and they go for an all-out assault to "make America", destroying their established raw sound for a pedestrian, lifeless, stupid hair-metal sound typical of middle-eighties... What a shame.. Udo's replacement, David Reece, no doubt has a powerful set of lungs, but he delivers the songs in an unoriginal way, similar to all of the hair metal bands of the eighties.EAT THE HEAT is a very bad album, don't be fooled by the others reviews. Of course, Wolf Hoffmann and the rest of the guys are extremely talented heavy rockers, but the trouble here is the lack of soul in the record: it is clearly a commercial metal product from that period, with all the obligatory love ballads, love lyrics, reverbered drums, etc. When you compare it with their previous classics, even with RUSSIAN ROULETTE, you will want to cry. Skip it. | 982 | [
"The year is 1989.",
"Udo Dirkschneider is gone, so Accpet feel free to \"accept\" the dubious good advises from their managers / record company executives / whoever, and they go for an all-out assault to \"make America\", destroying their established raw sound for a pedestrian, lifeless, stupid hair-metal sound typical of middle-eighties... What a shame..",
"Udo's replacement, David Reece, no doubt has a powerful set of lungs, but he delivers the songs in an unoriginal way, similar to all of the hair metal bands of the eighties.EAT THE HEAT is a very bad album, don't be fooled by the others reviews.",
"Of course, Wolf Hoffmann and the rest of the guys are extremely talented heavy rockers, but the trouble here is the lack of soul in the record: it is clearly a commercial metal product from that period, with all the obligatory love ballads, love lyrics, reverbered drums, etc.",
"When you compare it with their previous classics, even with RUSSIAN ROULETTE, you will want to cry.",
"Skip it."
] |
2 | King Lear Meets Star Wars | The casting director should have spared us the bow to diversity and political correctness when a hispanic was cast as France and a negro as Burgundy. Set design and costume sacrificed tradition and historical representation to economy and off-beat originality. The costumes resemble those of Star Wars. The Fool, instead of being youthful, agile and entertaining, is fat, old and dumpy. The most entertaining thing about the fool is Lear referring to the grizzled 70 year-old as "boy". Holms as Lear can't hold a candle to Lawrence Oliver. Holms plays every scene with the same, monotonous, high level of intensity, like a manic Lear. He is unable to play Lear as a likeable, sympathetic character, in any scene. During the scene in which Lear's heart is supposed to break when Cordelia fails to declare her love with sufficient eloquence, Holms' Lear only comes accross as manic, obsessed and neurotic. Even with its poor film quality, Sir Lawrence Oliver's production is the best. | 982 | [
"The casting director should have spared us the bow to diversity and political correctness when a hispanic was cast as France and a negro as Burgundy.",
"Set design and costume sacrificed tradition and historical representation to economy and off-beat originality.",
"The costumes resemble those of Star Wars.",
"The Fool, instead of being youthful, agile and entertaining, is fat, old and dumpy.",
"The most entertaining thing about the fool is Lear referring to the grizzled 70 year-old as \"boy\".",
"Holms as Lear can't hold a candle to Lawrence Oliver.",
"Holms plays every scene with the same, monotonous, high level of intensity, like a manic Lear.",
"He is unable to play Lear as a likeable, sympathetic character, in any scene.",
"During the scene in which Lear's heart is supposed to break when Cordelia fails to declare her love with sufficient eloquence, Holms' Lear only comes accross as manic, obsessed and neurotic.",
"Even with its poor film quality, Sir Lawrence Oliver's production is the best."
] |
2 | Planet Dull | I suppose upon release this might have been a passably watchable movie,but cutting edge features from DC Comics (eg. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern,Batman: Under the Red Hood, and All Star Superman) and Marvel (The Avengers:The Earths Mightiest Heroes) have made this movie obsolete, almost painfulto watch. The animation is choppy, the character designs are too simple andrepetitive, the story is dull and predictable. Most of the characters aretired cliches (eg. the weak, sniveling, cowardly character who manages to "find his courage"by story's end; the tough-as-nails-female fighter with the heart of gold and the troubled past).This isnt even the most appealing incarnation of the Hulk himself -- he's kind of a cross betweena brooding, introspective, birkenstock-wearing philosophy professor at Hofstra University,and a frontal lobe-deprived MMA fighter. Okie, thats a bit of a stretch, but you get the picture.This one is a definite pass, at this point not even worth a rental. | 982 | [
"I suppose upon release this might have been a passably watchable movie,but cutting edge features from DC Comics (eg.",
"Wonder Woman, Green Lantern,Batman: Under the Red Hood, and All Star Superman) and Marvel (The Avengers:The Earths Mightiest Heroes) have made this movie obsolete, almost painfulto watch.",
"The animation is choppy, the character designs are too simple andrepetitive, the story is dull and predictable.",
"Most of the characters aretired cliches (eg.",
"the weak, sniveling, cowardly character who manages to \"find his courage\"by story's end; the tough-as-nails-female fighter with the heart of gold and the troubled past).This isnt even the most appealing incarnation of the Hulk himself -- he's kind of a cross betweena brooding, introspective, birkenstock-wearing philosophy professor at Hofstra University,and a frontal lobe-deprived MMA fighter.",
"Okie, thats a bit of a stretch, but you get the picture.This one is a definite pass, at this point not even worth a rental."
] |
2 | Just for the collector | This is a collections of tracks recorded mostly of Eric Clapton, and if I remember the original liner notes along with Jimmy Page with a few cuts featuring Jeff Beck. (Beck sounds the most proficiant to me) A friend of mine had this album (or at least an album with some of this material on it) back in 1973. I believe it was called Guitar Boogie. It's very dated sounded with a few of the tracks just having 2 guitars (Eric on lead and Jimmy on chords I think)and sounds like they had a small reel to reel sitting around someone's house in an informal jam. I bought it just for the memories, a little bit of the earlier jamming by Eric, Jeff & Jimmy. I believe this was probably around the time of the Yardbirds, or shortly after Beck split from them, around those years. I would only recommend this for those searching out everything these guys have done. But there are some good moments on there. A few tracks have vocals in what sounds like sessions one of them were playing on. | 982 | [
"This is a collections of tracks recorded mostly of Eric Clapton, and if I remember the original liner notes along with Jimmy Page with a few cuts featuring Jeff Beck.",
"(Beck sounds the most proficiant to me) A friend of mine had this album (or at least an album with some of this material on it) back in 1973.",
"I believe it was called Guitar Boogie.",
"It's very dated sounded with a few of the tracks just having 2 guitars (Eric on lead and Jimmy on chords I think)and sounds like they had a small reel to reel sitting around someone's house in an informal jam.",
"I bought it just for the memories, a little bit of the earlier jamming by Eric, Jeff & Jimmy.",
"I believe this was probably around the time of the Yardbirds, or shortly after Beck split from them, around those years.",
"I would only recommend this for those searching out everything these guys have done.",
"But there are some good moments on there.",
"A few tracks have vocals in what sounds like sessions one of them were playing on."
] |
2 | Blah blah blah | I enjoyed Prozac Nation, and thought it would be interesting to see where our Elizabeth ended up. I was curious to find out about her "major depression" and story of recovery. However, I realized sometime through the book that our author sounded like she quite possibly has Borderline Personality Disorder (I have a parent who is), and upon researching-- it was confirmed.As I got further into the book, my dislike for the protagonist grew.Finally I was disgusted by her behavior and more so, attitude, and after mulling it over for a couple days, stopped reading.I read a lot of memoirs, and like gritty, dark, HUMAN Stories where someone overcomes hardship and triumphs.This was just the long-winded ramblings of an overgrown adolescent, a spoiled and narcissistic woman, full of misery and complaints-- and self-created hardships, stuck on repeat. Shameful to admit, I stopped Caring what happened to her!Like nails on the chalkboard, so are the days of Elizabeth Wurtzel's life. | 982 | [
"I enjoyed Prozac Nation, and thought it would be interesting to see where our Elizabeth ended up.",
"I was curious to find out about her \"major depression\" and story of recovery.",
"However, I realized sometime through the book that our author sounded like she quite possibly has Borderline Personality Disorder (I have a parent who is), and upon researching-- it was confirmed.As I got further into the book, my dislike for the protagonist grew.Finally I was disgusted by her behavior and more so, attitude, and after mulling it over for a couple days, stopped reading.I read a lot of memoirs, and like gritty, dark, HUMAN Stories where someone overcomes hardship and triumphs.This was just the long-winded ramblings of an overgrown adolescent, a spoiled and narcissistic woman, full of misery and complaints-- and self-created hardships, stuck on repeat.",
"Shameful to admit, I stopped Caring what happened to her!",
"Like nails on the chalkboard, so are the days of Elizabeth Wurtzel's life."
] |
2 | Very boring and full of errors | I used this book for a class I recently taught on air pollution. I regretted the choice early in the semester!Strengths:- It covers a wide range of topics (e.g., meteorology, health effects, atmospheric chemistry, indoor air quality) - which is very hard to find in other textbooks.Weaknesses:- It succeeds in making almost every topic dry and boring. Air pollution can be an exciting topic given how timely the topic is, but this book comes across as a dry reference book written for insomniacs.- It is full of errors. Although many errors are just typographical (e.g., in chemical equations), which is of course unacceptable in a pricey textbook, other errors indicate a lack of understanding of the material. For example, the book teaches that subsiding air "compresses the air beneath it", rather than explaining that subsiding air is itself compressed.misc.: Very little math is used in the textbook - either an advantage or disadvantage depending on what you're looking for... | 982 | [
"I used this book for a class I recently taught on air pollution.",
"I regretted the choice early in the semester!",
"Strengths:- It covers a wide range of topics (e.g., meteorology, health effects, atmospheric chemistry, indoor air quality) - which is very hard to find in other textbooks.Weaknesses:- It succeeds in making almost every topic dry and boring.",
"Air pollution can be an exciting topic given how timely the topic is, but this book comes across as a dry reference book written for insomniacs.- It is full of errors.",
"Although many errors are just typographical (e.g., in chemical equations), which is of course unacceptable in a pricey textbook, other errors indicate a lack of understanding of the material.",
"For example, the book teaches that subsiding air \"compresses the air beneath it\", rather than explaining that subsiding air is itself compressed.misc.: Very little math is used in the textbook - either an advantage or disadvantage depending on what you're looking for..."
] |
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